21st December 2022: Wonderla Holidays Ltd., India’s largest amusement park chain today announced the launch of a new thrill Ride, ‘Sky Tilt’ at its Bengaluru Park that will excite people who love to experience an adrenaline rush. The ride was flagged off by popular actor Meghana Raj in the presence of Shri. Arun K Chittilappilly, Managing Director, Wonderla Holidays and Shri. Rudresh HS, Park Head, Wonderla Bengaluru Park. Sky tilt is a new attraction where you can experience the feeling of a tilt from the top of 150 ft tall building. It’s a glass wall that tilts from the top of the 14-floor sky wheel tower, which also houses the iconic sky wheel of Wonderla parks. Addressing the gathering, Arun K. Chittilappilly, Managing Director, Wonderla Holidays Ltd said, “At Wonderla, we strive for change and innovation. We consider it our responsibility to ensure we bring innovations to our customers. This ride is a great illustration of how we build a ride based on our love for the new and understanding of your guests”. We take great pride in announcing the launch of our new family ride – ‘Sky Tilt’ at Wonderla Bengaluru, it has been our priority to give our patrons a diverse range of experiences with delightful memories to take back and kudos to our engineering team who made this amazing experience.” He also added that “with a total of 61 rides which is a combination of high thrill, water, land and kids rides, Wonderla is all set to celebrate the spirit of Christmas festival from 24th December to 1st January 2023 with a host of programs that include Live shows, food fest, DJ, fun games and much more thrills. We welcome everyone to enjoy the excitement of Winter at Wonderla with family and friends”.  Speaking at the occasion, Meghana Raj said, “It is my pleasure to be associated with a brand like Wonderla and to inaugurate the new thrilling ride ‘Sky Tilt’ today. While I’m sure that people will love this ride and will get to experience the thrill”.  The ride was named ‘Sky Tilt’ through a social media contest where Wonderla’s customers were given a chance to suggest names for the new ride. The winner Hamsini.K was given an annual pass to visit Wonderla all year long at the inauguration as a token of appreciation. The detail of the ride is as follows: SKY TILT The SKY TILT is the latest addition to the list of many high-thrill rides already at the park, making Wonderla Bengaluru the largest Amusement Park in India with 61 rides and attractions. This thrilling ride can carry up to six people at a time and tilts up to 30 degrees, making it a perfect ride for the whole family to experience together. As you soar high above the park, you’ll be able to take in breath-taking views of the surrounding landscape. Wonderla located at Bengaluru- Mysore Road, and is the home to a wide variety of thrill-based dry rides and refreshing clean water-based attractions. Following guidelines and best practices, Wonderla encourages visitors to book their entry tickets in advance through the online booking portal bookings.wonderla.com. For further information call – 080 37230333 / 080 35073966. About Wonderla Holidays Ltd: Wonderla Holidays Limited is India’s largest and most popular amusement park operator. The company currently owns and operates three amusement parks in Kochi, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and a resort in Bengaluru named ‘Wonderla Resort’. Many of its rides are custom-made and imported from reputed international suppliers, making them unique in India. Wonderla parks have been visited by over 3.5 crores of visitors since 2000, making them the most visited amusement parks in India. Wonderla is among the top-ranked amusement parks in India and Asia. For further information on Wonderla, visit www.wonderla.com. For media information contact: Deepthi S: deepthi@wonderla.com Krishna Priya: krishnap@avianwe.com / 9567795007 Nagarathna S:  nagarathnas@avianwe.com / 9986797650 Shekar S : shekarb@avianwe.com  / 9538757922

As the UK and India reach the closing stages of agreeing on a bilateral Free Trade Agreement, global advisory firm EPG is hosting its annual get-together of change-makers, policy and business leaders for high-level discussions on pertinent topics, called “India Week 2023”. EPG’s India Week seeks to celebrate these trends, across several special events on 7-12 May 2023 in Leicestershire, Oxford and London.A Free Trade Agreement between India and the UK is expected to enhance economic growth and prosperity by increasing import and export flows; increasing investment flows (both outward and inward); enhancing productivity through a more efficient allocation of resources; and greater openness to international competition. The India Week 2023 event will start with an exclusive CEOs’ Golf Weekend on 7-8 May, moving to the University of Oxford for an education leaders’ conference and Awards on 9 May attending by more than 40 leading educational institutions from India, in partnership with WBR. Thereafter, there will be the flagship Ideas for India conference in London on 11-12 May, including dinner at the Houses of Parliament and a special dinner to celebrate UK-India ties. This conference will be in partnership with the leading think tank Bridge India. Lord Tariq Ahmad, Minister of State at the FCDO, said the event “provides an excellent opportunity to celebrate the deep friendship between our two countries, and also look to the future. It is this trusted partnership that extends to trade as well.” Angela Rayner, Deputy Leader of the Labour Party, said: “It was an honour to speak at the conference, further saying “The people of the Indian diaspora strengthen our economy, culture and society – but are also at the heart of our communities.” Pratik Dattani, Managing Director of EPG, said: “India’s economic growth rate is the highest amongst major economies today, as China struggles with a bloated infrastructure sector, local government bad debts, a zero-Covid policy and an ageing population. India’s inflation rate is lower than that of the UK, US and other major economies. As the Western world diversifies its supply chains and geopolitical dependencies away from China, India stands to benefit.” “This week-long celebration represents a window into India truly going global. We expect more than 100 participants from India, as well as more than 600 attendees throughout the week.” Meanwhile, when Mr Rishi Sunak became the British Prime Minister recently, as the first ethnic minority to hold the office, it cemented a special relationship between the two counties. The Financial Times recently said this would be “India’s coming decade of outperformance” and The Economist said “This is India’s moment.” Also, Sunak’s appointment as the Prime Minister of the UK may help smooth irritants in the proposed India-UK trade pact. The last edition of the event saw attendance from the two major political parties in the UK, as well as seven political parties from India including participation from Dr Ashwath Narayan (Minister for Higher Education, IT, BT, Skill Development and Livelihood, Karnataka) and Tejashwi Yadav (Deputy Chief Minister, Bihar).

Pediatric Rheumatology Society in association with IAP-Bangalore Pediatric Society and Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore, conducted the 20th National Conference of Pediatric Rheumatology (NCPR) 2022 recently. The conference was attended by 250 doctors across India. During the conference, international faculty – Prof. Marco Gattorno (Italy), Prof. AV Ramanan (UK) and Prof. Chris Scott (South Africa) spoke on emerging diseases in Rheumatology and discussed new treatments for these diseases. “Autoinflammatory diseases are a newly described group of genetic diseases where the immune system attacks one’s own tissues and they are different from the conventional autoimmune diseases. Our understanding about these diseases is only expanding and there is an urgent need to increase awareness regarding these diseases in our country. Prof. Marco Gattorno is a leading expert in this field and his deliberations would immensely benefit patients in India”, said Dr. Sagar Bhattad, Consultant, Pediatric Rheumatologist and Immunologist at Aster CMI Hospital, Bangalore. “What causes rheumatic diseases is poorly understood. However, with advances in genetics, many of these diseases are being re-defined and so is their treatment. Pediatricians and Rheumatologists across the country attended this meeting and discussed in length – the current and the future options available for treatment of these diseases”, said Dr. Anand P Rao, Organizing Chairperson. Dr. Bhattad, Organizing Secretary, further stated, “Two children with very rare autoinflammatory diseases inaugurated the function. Master Pratik (Name Changed) is the first child with “SHARPENIA” in the world and Miss Sirin (Name Changed) is the first case of “Otulin defect” in the country. “We have a long way to go and more needs to be done to increase awareness about these diseases. Such meetings would make pediatricians and physicians diagnose these patients early.”  About ASTER DM HEALTHCARE Aster DM Healthcare Limited is one of the largest private healthcare service providers operating in GCC and in India. With an inherent emphasis on clinical excellence, we are one of the few entities in the world with a strong presence across primary, secondary, tertiary, and quaternary healthcare through our 30 hospitals, 121 clinics, 459* pharmacies, 19 labs and 140 patient experience centers in seven countries, including India. We have over 28,400 plus dedicated staff including 3,622 doctors and 8,095 nurses across the geographies that we are present in, delivering a simple yet strong promise to our different stakeholders: “We’ll treat you well.” We reach out to all economic segments in the GCC states through our differentiated healthcare services across the “Aster”, “Medcare” and “Access” brands. * Including 214 Pharmacies in India operated by Alfaone Retail Pharmacies Private Limited under brand license from Aster.

Big Biking Commune Pvt Ltd, one of India’s largest aggregator platforms in the motorcycling community has for the first time ever announced the launch of a new initiative that will provide motorcyclists with a “Certified” tag that will recognize and validate their rides and achievements. The aggregator commune will be responsible for providing an “open for all” platform where motorcyclists can register to complete and establish rides that will further be certified and archived for public acknowledgment. The initiative will be primarily focused on authenticating a motorcyclist’s achievement based on numerous parameters including distance, the number of rides completed, routes travelled, and other accomplishments that are noteworthy. The Certified platform will require motorcyclists to register themselves on the  Biking Commune Certified platform where they will have to enrol themselves in the ride category they wish to be certified in and fill in the application details. A Commune team will then give a ‘Go Ahead” to commence the ride after verifying the application details. The registered motorcyclist post-ride  then required to upload the Certified Travel Log Sheet and other travel documentation- Receipts with Date, Time and Location Stamps including hotel and lodging bills and Live Map Locations and GPS markers. The travel documents will then be extensively verified over the next 4-6 weeks by the team ‘Certified’ who will then approve the Certified tag to the Motorcyclist. Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Arun Kumar, Founder, Big Biking Commune Pvt Ltd said, “There are platforms that certify human achievements for almost everything in the world including education, literature, agriculture, medical science, business, sports, nature, adventure, radio, and cinema. What is surprising is that there is not a single designated platform that recognizes the achievements of one of the most adored and passionate activities around the world, motorcycling. Being involved in the motorcycling industry over the past few years and after discussions with thousands of motorcyclists and communities, we felt the strong urge to establish a platform that recognizes and appreciates the wonderful achievements of our beloved motorcycle brotherhood.  This is where the Big Biking Commune- Certified sees its inception, the first of its kind in the motorcycling industry. It is important that the Certified mustn’t be perceived as a record-establishing or officiating body. Certified is not about breaking records or covering kilometers within a time frame appreciating forum. Safety is the first and only priority, Certified recognizes only safe and passionate motorcycle riding and does not encourage rides that involve risks in terms of Time, Distance, and Speed. The initiative does not push the limits of the motorcyclist but rather lets them enjoy their journey and make it beautiful and memorable. This is an open-for-all platform and everyone with a passion for motorcycling is welcome. We are going to flag off the initiative by awarding the Certified tag to over 50 riders from all around the country for their outstanding accomplishments. However, this is just the beginning, we believe we will see a plethora of many such wonderful feats that will be an inspiration for future motorcyclists”. Interested bikers can visit https://certified.bigbikingcommune.com/ to find out more details on the registration and categories.

The International Spirits & Wines Association of India (ISWAI), the apex body of the premium AlcoBev sector, expresses its concern on the ‘High Taxation of AlcoBev Industry’ which is threatening the future of the Indian alcoholic beverages market. Taxation accounts for 67%-80% of AlcoBev product prices, leaving little for suppliers and trade to sustain and manage their operations.  On high taxation, Ms. Nita Kapoor, CEO, ISWAI, said, “The Indian AlcoBev industry is in deep crisis due to the inflation on one hand and high taxation on another. Unless swift action is taken to reverse the situation by decreasing taxes or increasing the product prices, India could soon be facing a situation that will be akin to killing the proverbial golden goose.”  Ms Kapoor further said, “Every manufacturer –from automobile to pharmaceuticals– have raised prices, but the AlcoBev industry has been crippled because of lack of pricing freedom. The liquor industry has historically contributed 25%-40% of revenues for state governments, but higher taxes without price hikes is pushing the industry into a crisis. While India has a comparative advantage in production because of the ready availability of raw materials like molasses and grains, the country needs to rehaul its policies that will encourage greater production of volumes for exports.”  The Indian AlcoBev industry employs 1.5 million people and has an estimated market size of USD 52.5 billion (2020), which is the ninth-largest in the world.  Mr. Suresh Menon, Secretary-General, ISWAI, said, “Gross margins for makers of Indian Made Foreign Liquor during the quarter ended September were lower compared to the same period a year ago due to higher cost of ingredients. ISWAI estimates that alcoholic ingredients such as Extra Neutral Alcohol (ENA) and Barley are 12% and 46.2% more expensive than last year, while the cost of packaging material such as glass and mono cartons rose by 24.9% and 19% respectively. The paring of taxes at both central government and state government would also go a long way in helping the beleaguered AlcoBev manufacturers in India.”  About International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI): The International Spirits and Wines Association of India (ISWAI), is recognized as an authoritative voice of the Indian Premium Alcoholic Beverage Industry, with a keen insight in government policy, is instrumental in shaping industry perspectives, driving best practices, and promoting the responsible use of alcoholic beverages. Our members include Bacardi, Beam Suntory, Brown Forman, Campari Group, Diageo-United Spirits, Moët Hennessy, Pernod Ricard, and William Grant & Sons, global leaders in the spirits and wine industries.  Our members, are strong proponents of the ‘Make in India’ ideology, having made substantial investments over the years in different states of the country to embrace indigenisation, and locally manufacturing a wide range of Indian Made Foreign Liquor (IMFL) and Bottled in India (BII) products.  ISWAI members account for a substantial portion of the tax revenue generated from branded alcoholic spirits and wines across the country, apart from generating employment and business opportunities both directly, and in ancillary industries and services across states. ISWAI is proud to be an active advocate of Responsible Drinking, and promotes the principle of ‘drink less, drink better’.

BGSW inaugurates new campus in Hyderabad to strenghten software centric innovation Aims to grow the center to 3,000 professionals in Automotive Engineering and Digital Enterprise by 2025  Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW) formerly known as Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions (RBEI), inaugurated its new smart campus at HITEC City in Hyderabad to strengthen its software centric product innovations. The Center of Excellence is a Technology and Innovation R&D center focused on Automotive Engineering and Digital Enterprise. In the Automotive Engineering domain, the facility will work on Classical Powertrain, Automotive Steering, e-Mobility, Cross Domain Computing (ADAS, Autonomous Driving), Active and Passive Safety, and Digital Cockpit Systems. On the Digital Enterprise front, it will focus on Enterprise IT technologies, Cloud technologies, AIoT/ML, Cyber and Embedded security, Connected Products and Connected industry solutions. “BGSW’s new campus is testimony to the engineering talent and innovation focus in Telangana. The Government’s focus on providing world class infrastructure to technology companies has helped attract various corporations in the state, boosting employment and propelling Hyderabad as the ideal tech city in the country”, said Shri K T Rama Rao, Honourable Minister for IT, Industries, Municipal Administration and Urban Development of Telangana, who inaugurated the new facility. Speaking on the inauguration, Kiran Sundara Raman, Vice President, Center Head – Hyderabad, Bosch Global Software Technologies (BGSW) said, “With strong focus on Research & Development, BGSW has a strong global footprint and wants to leverage the world class talent market of Hyderabad and Telangana for engineering and digital business to build a strong global delivery network. We believe that with our presence in Hyderabad, BGSW will be able to bring software centric innovation to products for both Indian and global markets of Bosch. Our local presence in Hyderabad will help us in strengthening our relationship with existing and new customers in the region.” BGSW has two facilities already operational with a professional workforce of about 1,500 associates in Hyderabad. To consolidate their operations, they will be moving into the new state-of-the-art, 1.5 Lakh Sq.Ft facility, and plan to build the workforce talent in Automotive Engineering and Digital Enterprise. Contact person for press enquiries: Akshayita Alok Saxena AkshayitaAlok.Saxena@in.bosch.com About BGSW: Bosch Global Software Technologies Pvt Ltd is a 100% owned subsidiary of Robert Bosch GmbH, one of the world’s leading global suppliers of technology and services, offering end-to-end Engineering, IT and Business Solutions. With over 23,000 associates, it’s the largest software development center of Bosch, outside Germany, indicating that it’s the Technology Powerhouse of Bosch in India with a global footprint and presence in US, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. With our unique ability to offer end-to-end solutions that connect sensors, software, and services, we enable businesses to move from the traditional to digital or improve businesses by introducing a digital element in their products and processes. About Bosch in India: In India, Bosch is a leading supplier of technology and services in the areas of Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. Additionally, Bosch has in India the largest development center outside Germany, for end to end engineering and technology solutions. The Bosch Group operates in India through twelve companies: Bosch Limited – the flagship company of the Bosch Group in India – Bosch Chassis Systems India Private Limited, Bosch Rexroth (India) Private Limited, Robert Bosch Engineering and Business Solutions Private Limited, Bosch Automotive Electronics India Private Limited, Bosch Electrical Drives India Private Limited, BSH Home Appliances Private Limited, ETAS Automotive India Private Limited, Robert Bosch Automotive Steering Private Limited, Automobility Services and Solutions Private Limited, Newtech Filter India Private Limited and Mivin Engg.Technologies Private Limited. In India, Bosch set-up its manufacturing operation in 1951, which has grown over the years to include 18 manufacturing sites, and seven development and application centers. The Bosch Group in India employs over 30,000 associates and generated consolidated sales of about ₨.11,781 crores* (1.39 billion euros) in fiscal year 2021-22 of which ₨. 10,264.3 crores* (1.21 billion euros) are from consolidated sales to third parties. Additional information can be accessed at www.bosch.in The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 402,600 associates worldwide (as of December 31, 2021). The company generated sales of 78.7 billion euros in 2021. Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. As a leading IoT provider, Bosch offers innovative solutions for smart homes, Industry 4.0, and connected mobility. Bosch is pursuing a vision of mobility that is sustainable, safe, and exciting. It uses its expertise in sensor technology, software, and services, as well as its own IoT cloud, to offer its customers connected, cross-domain solutions from a single source. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to facilitate connected living with products and solutions that either contain artificial intelligence (AI) or have been developed or manufactured with its help. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.” The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including sales and service partners, Bosch’s global manufacturing, engineering, and sales network covers nearly every country in the world. With its more than 400 locations worldwide, the Bosch Group has been carbon neutral since the first quarter of 2020. The basis for the company’s future growth is its innovative strength. At 128 locations across the globe, Bosch employs some 76,100 associates in research and development, of which more than 38,000 are software engineers.  The company was set up in Stuttgart in 1886 by Robert Bosch (1861–1942) as “Workshop for Precision Mechanics and Electrical Engineering.” The special ownership structure of Robert Bosch GmbH guarantees the entrepreneurial freedom of the Bosch Group, making it possible for the company to plan over the long term and to undertake significant upfront investments in the safeguarding of its future. Ninety-four percent of the share capital of Robert Bosch GmbH is held by Robert Bosch Stiftung GmbH, a charitable foundation. The remaining