With the objective of providing industry-relevant skill training to the youth of Uttarakhand, enhancing their employability and promoting employment opportunities, the Department of Skill Development and Employment, Uttarakhand and M3M Foundation signed an important Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Tuesday, 22 September 2026, in Dehradun. The agreement was signed by Shri Sanjay Kumar, Director (Training), Training & Employment, on behalf of the Department of Skill Development and Employment, Uttarakhand, and Dr. Aishwarya Mahajan, Managing Trustee & President, on behalf of M3M Foundation.

Uttarakhand Government and M3M Foundation representatives during the MoU signing to equip youth with industry-relevant skills

On the occasion, Smt. Chandrakanta (Deputy Director, Employment), Shri Niranjan Khugshal (Deputy Director, Training), Shri Dinkar Rawat (Principal Grade-I, Government Industrial Training Institute, Niranjanpur, Dehradun), Smt. Vinita Badoni (Nodal Officer, UKSDM), and Shri Arvind Kumar Sharma (M3M Representative), along with other officials and representatives from the department and training institutions, were present.

The objective of this MoU is to establish a collaborative skill development framework in Uttarakhand, through which youth can be provided technical training aligned with the current and emerging requirements of the industry. Under this initiative, special focus will be placed on quality training, employability enhancement, industry linkages, placement opportunities and sustainable livelihood outcomes. Along with linking training to local employment demand, efforts will also be made to prepare youth for employment and self-employment opportunities.

Under the MoU, priority has been given to the operation of training centres in Dehradun, Haldwani, Kashipur and Pithoragarh in the initial phase. Based on project requirements, geographical conditions and the availability of potential beneficiaries, Almora and Barkot may also be included as additional training locations. At least two courses will be selected for each training centre, keeping in view local conditions, industry demand and employment opportunities.

The proposed training programmes include modern and employment-oriented technical trades. These include Junior Technician – Electric Vehicle, Junior Technician – Auto Electrical Maintenance, Junior Technician – Automobile Repair & Maintenance, Junior Technician – Internet of Things (IoT), and Junior Technician – Plumbing. The selection of these trades is proposed to be undertaken keeping in view the requirements of local industries and the employment opportunities available to youth.

Through this partnership, emphasis will be placed on equipping the youth of Uttarakhand with skills aligned with changing industrial and technological requirements, while also connecting them with employment and self-employment opportunities. Along with strengthening engagement with industries and placement support, special attention will also be given to the quality of training and post-training outcomes.

On the occasion, Dr. Payal Kanodia, Chairperson & Trustee, M3M Foundation, said that providing youth in Uttarakhand with skills aligned with industry requirements and connecting them with employment and livelihood opportunities is an important objective of this partnership. She said that this collaboration between M3M Foundation and the Department of Skill Development and Employment, Uttarakhand, is an important initiative towards making skill development in the state more industry-focused, employment-oriented and outcome-driven.

Through this partnership, continuous efforts will be made to strengthen pathways for quality skill training, better employment opportunities and sustainable livelihoods for youth.

This partnership will bring together departmental efforts and participation from the social sector in the field of skill development in Uttarakhand, working towards making training, employment and livelihood opportunities more effective for youth.

DB Investing announced the launch of dbinvesting.ai as part of its planned evolution from a traditional brokerage into an AI-first fintech and technology company. Its AI Core Engine is designed to support trading, investing, education, market intelligence and operations.

DB Investing launches AI-led transformation with dbinvesting.ai

“We do not believe that adding a chatbot to a website makes a financial company an AI company,” said Gennaro Lanza, Chief Executive Officer at DB Investing. “We have spent a long time developing an infrastructure where AI becomes part of the core of the company, its products and eventually the entire customer experience.”

AI connects to the trader’s account

The technology extends beyond DB Investing through a lightweight connector for compatible MetaTrader 4 and MetaTrader 5 accounts, including accounts held with third-party brokers. Traders therefore do not need to change brokers to use the technology.

Eligible users receive monthly AI credits. Advanced users can also connect supported AI services using their own API credentials.

The system is designed to analyse individual trading behaviour, including trading history, instruments, holding periods, frequency, position sizing and performance. It also considers risk behaviour, drawdowns, concentration, discipline and changes in behaviour over time.

Wealth Copilot is planned within weeks

DB Investing plans to release Wealth Copilot within weeks. The 24/7 AI agent will combine trading activity with market intelligence and portfolio context to identify account changes, unusual risk exposure, concentration, risk-management observations and behavioural or performance patterns.

It will also surface events and news relevant to open positions. The aim is to organise information around each investor rather than requiring them to search across terminals, calendars, media outlets and statements.

AI Traders University focuses on trading behaviour

DB Investing’s AI Traders University is built around an AI mentor that analyses how each trader behaves in the market. It is designed to identify patterns such as late entries, increased position sizes after losses, early exits from winning trades and prolonged losing positions.

The system also examines overtrading, activity during volatile periods, disregard for personal risk rules and repeated mistakes, including concentration in correlated markets.

A broader AI ecosystem is planned

dbinvesting.ai is intended as the foundation for a wider ecosystem. DB Investing’s roadmap includes Wealth Copilot, AI Traders University, AI financial assistants, portfolio analytics, account connectivity, personalised education as well as trading behaviour, risk and market intelligence.

The company envisions these services ultimately operating on the same AI Core Engine across customer-facing products and internal operations.

“This is not a feature we are adding to DB Investing,” Lanza said. “It is the beginning of changing what DB Investing is. Our objective is an AI infrastructure capable of sitting beside every trader and investor, understanding their behaviour and giving them intelligence that historically required several platforms.”

About DB Investing

DB Investing is an international financial services and trading brand providing access to global markets. Through dbinvesting.ai, it is developing fintech, AI and trading technology that connects trading, investing, market intelligence and education.

Bisleri International, India’s leading packaged drinking water company has signed a Letter of Association with Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College & Research Institute, Ponneri, Tamil Nadu. The partnership, under Bisleri’s flagship sustainability initiative Bottles for Change, will engage students and equip them to promote responsible waste management and plastic recycling.
 

Bisleri International and Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College partner to promote plastic recycling and circular economy
 

As part of the collaboration, National Service Scheme (NSS) students from the colleges will work closely with Bisleri’s “Bottles of Change” team to conduct awareness programmes, plastic waste collection, and recycling initiatives, and activities aimed at encouraging responsible waste management.
 

Highlighting the role of the youth in creating lasting change, Mr K. Ganesh, Head of Corporate Affairs & Sustainability, Bisleri International, said, “Young Champions can play an important role in driving lasting behavioural change around plastic waste management. Through Bottles for Change, we aim to equip students with the awareness and opportunities to participate in responsible plastic collection and recycling. Our collaboration with Dr M.G.R. Fisheries College and Research Institute will help extend these efforts beyond the campus and encourage more sustainable practices within the wider community.”
 

Speaking about the collaboration, Dr S. Balasundari, Dean, Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College and Research Institute, said, “Through the collaboration with Bisleri, we aim to strengthen awareness around plastic recycling, responsible waste management and environmental conservation among our students, staff and the wider community. The active involvement of our NSS students is a great opportunity to translate environmental awareness into meaningful action and contribute to more sustainable practices.”
 

Bisleri International and Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College sign a Letter of Association on plastic recycling and environmental awareness
 

The partnership seeks to engage students as active participants in environmental conservation while also building greater awareness within surrounding communities about the importance of segregating, collecting and responsibly recycling used plastic.
 

An integral part of Bisleri’s Greener Promise vision for a more sustainable future, Bottles for Change focuses on promoting responsible plastic management through awareness, collection and recycling. The initiative works with educational institutions, communities and other stakeholders to encourage behavioural change and strengthen systems that help channel used plastic towards recycling.
 

The collaboration with Dr. M.G.R. Fisheries College and Research Institute extends this effort by engaging students in hands-on sustainability initiatives and enabling them to promote responsible waste management practices within the campus and surrounding communities.

About Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd.

With a legacy of over 50 years, Bisleri International Pvt. Ltd. has grown to become one of the largest premium beverage businesses in India. Being the makers of the country’s largest-selling packaged drinking water, Bisleri follows a stringent process of 90 quality tests and a 10-stage purification. It remains true to its core value of providing consumers with pure, safe and healthy water.
 

Bisleri International has a strong presence with 130 operational plants and a robust distribution network of over 6,000 Distributors and 7,500 Distribution Trucks across India and UAE market. It offers a range of beverages that are produced for all occasions. Whether it is the promise of goodness, trust, and purity with Bisleri packaged drinking water, or a daily dose of health offered through Vedica Himalayan Spring Water. Besides, Bisleri International has ventured into fun-filled refreshments with a diverse range of carbonated drinks available in multiple flavours, such as Bisleri Limonata, Bisleri Pop and Bisleri Soda. These Bisleri products are also available on the e-commerce platform – Bisleri@Doorstep. This D2C platform reassures customers that they will receive a safe and uninterrupted supply of their most trusted brand at their doorstep.
 

The core values of Bisleri International lie in yielding growth and embedding sustainability by being responsible in all aspects of the business. The organization has unveiled Sustainability 2.0 with Bisleri Greener Promise that focuses on creating greener future for all through implementing initiatives under the program of recycling, water conservation, and sustainability.

For more information on Bisleri International, our people, brands, and OSR initiatives, visit www.bisleri.com.

Eleven of India’s leading companies today launched the Karuna Ethics Alliance (KEA), India’s first industry-led alliance dedicated to improving animal welfare across food supply chains through common standards, collaborative action and practical implementation.

Dignitaries at the launch of Karuna Ethics Alliance

The first cohort of the 11 founding members—Tata Consumer Products, Reliance Retail, HDFC Bank, Axis Bank, IndusInd Bank, Motilal Oswal Financial Services, Enam Investments, HDFC Asset Management Company, Kotak Mahindra Asset Management Company, Sodexo India and The Leela Palaces, Hotels and Resorts—have come together around a shared commitment to improve animal welfare while helping build more responsible, resilient and future-ready food systems.

Animal welfare is increasingly becoming part of the broader conversation around responsible food systems. Consumers are seeking greater transparency about how food is produced, investors are paying closer attention to supply chain risks, and businesses are recognising that the welfare of animals has implications for food safety, responsible sourcing, operational resilience and long-term value creation. KEA has been established to help Indian companies respond collectively through practical, science-informed solutions designed for the Indian context.

The Alliance’s founding members have committed to working together to develop practical animal welfare standards, strengthen implementation across supply chains, establish credible assurance and certification mechanisms, commission India-specific research, and create a platform for companies to share knowledge and accelerate good practices.

Speaking at the launch, Chef Sanjeev Kapoor shared, “Every meal begins long before it reaches the kitchen. Understanding how food is produced, including the welfare of animals, is becoming an important part of responsible food systems. I am delighted to support an initiative that brings businesses together to drive meaningful and lasting improvements.”

Sunil Dsouza, CEO & MD, Tata Consumer Products shared, “Large-scale change in food systems requires collaboration across the value chain. KEA provides an important platform for businesses to come together, build common standards and collectively raise the bar for responsible sourcing and animal welfare in India.”

Navneet Munot, MD and CEO, HDFC AMC shares, “Responsible businesses increasingly recognise that sustainability and long-term value creation extend across supply chains. Collaborative initiatives such as KEA demonstrate how industry can proactively come together to address emerging expectations while strengthening resilience and governance.”

KEA is an initiative of the India Karuna Collaborative (IKC), a coalition of more than 55 non-profits and CSO’s and over 100+ leaders working to reduce animal suffering through systems-level collaboration. Formally incorporated as the Karuna Alliance for Ethical Value Chains (KAEVC), a Section 8 not-for-profit company, the Alliance brings together businesses, financial institutions, researchers and technical experts to develop practical, evidence-based solutions that improve animal welfare across India’s food supply chains.

The Alliance’s work will focus on developing science-informed standards adapted to the Indian context, supporting companies in implementing better animal welfare practices, strengthening credible assurance mechanisms, generating India-specific evidence, and fostering pre-competitive collaboration that enables businesses to learn from one another and accelerate progress.

Sonal Jain, CEO, KEA shared ‘At the heart of this Alliance is a simple belief—that better lives for animals and better food systems go hand in hand. KEA brings businesses together to turn that belief into practical action by developing common standards, sharing knowledge and building solutions that work for India.”

The launch brought together senior leaders from business, finance, hospitality and civil society, including Amarjeet Singh, Nilesh Shah, Dr. Indu Bhushan and Shailesh Haribhakti, to discuss the evolving role of animal welfare in responsible business and the opportunity for Indian companies to demonstrate global leadership in building more ethical and resilient food systems.

About the Karuna Ethics Alliance (KEA)

The Karuna Ethics Alliance (KEA) is India’s first industry-led alliance dedicated to advancing animal welfare across food supply chains. Established as a Section 8 not-for-profit company, KEA works with businesses, financial institutions, researchers and technical experts to develop practical standards, strengthen implementation, promote credible assurance mechanisms and accelerate the adoption of responsible animal welfare practices across India’s food system. KEA is an initiative of the India Karuna Collaborative (IKC).

Experian, a global data and technology company, today launched its latest report, “Unlocking Enterprise Intelligence: A Journey of Innovation and Transformation with Agentic AI”, exploring how Agentic AI could reshape the future of financial services by supporting more connected and context-aware decision making within governed frameworks across the credit ecosystem. The report highlights the emergence of the Agentic consumer and explores what it means for consumers, lenders and the broader credit ecosystem as financial services become increasingly AI-enabled.
 

Experian

The report highlights that financial services are entering a new phase of transformation driven by the convergence of digital ecosystems, expanding data availability, advanced analytics and rapid progress in Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI is evolving from primarily predictive and assistive applications towards systems that can increasingly interpret intent, comprehend context and act within defined boundaries. It has the potential to transform how consumers discover, compare and access financial products, while creating new opportunities for lenders to deliver more connected, personalised and seamless customer journeys.
 

The report considers how an increasingly agent-enabled financial ecosystem could allow AI to support consumers in understanding financial concepts, comparing options and moving from intent towards informed action within clearly defined permissions and controls. As financial institutions navigate this shift, the opportunity is not simply to deploy more agents, but to provide Trusted AI that combines intelligence with reliable information, appropriate financial context and strong governance.
 

The report emphasises several shifts that could shape the next phase of financial services:
 

• The emergence of the Agentic Consumer, with AI potentially playing a greater role in supporting how consumers discover, compare and access financial products.

• Trust could become an increasingly important differentiator, as consumers seek intelligence supported by reliable information and appropriate financial context.

• Product discovery and comparison could become more intelligent, creating opportunities for institutions that are discoverable, responsive and trusted.

• Agent capability and trust infrastructure need to evolve together, with transparency, governance and accountability becoming increasingly important.

• Connected and governed platforms could help reduce friction across financial journeys by stitching data, analytics, and decisioning with context.

• Agent-ready institutions could be better positioned to support more connected customer experiences, while maintaining evidence and accountability across decision-making processes.

Commenting on the findings, Manish Jain, Country Managing Director of Experian in India, said, “Artificial Intelligence has the potential to reshape the next phase of financial services, not simply by making existing processes faster, but by changing how consumers and institutions interact, make decisions and take action within clearly defined boundaries. India’s retail credit market is already operating at significant scale, with lenders sourcing 51.69 crore loans worth Rs.97.7 lakh crore in FY26. As AI becomes more embedded across this ecosystem, trust, governance and clear accountability will be critical to scaling its use responsibly. The next phase of adoption will be defined not by how autonomous technology can become, but by how confidently consumers and financial institutions can trust it.”
 

“The opportunity ahead is to build a financial ecosystem where technology helps people and organisations make better decisions while trust remains the foundation on which those decisions are made. This means combining innovation with reliable data, transparency, appropriate human oversight and clear accountability. Those that can combine innovation with transparency, accountability and responsible governance will be best positioned to create long-term value and stronger customer relationships.”
 

As organisations prepare for an increasingly agent-enabled future, Experian believes that trusted intelligence, contextual decisioning and responsible innovation will play a critical role in helping lenders create more seamless customer journeys, make better decisions and drive sustainable growth. Through its data, analytics, decisioning and platform capabilities, Experian continues to help financial institutions navigate this transformation with confidence while maintaining trust, transparency and governance at every stage of the customer lifecycle.

• The INR 170-Cr Shiksha Next EdTech and AI initiative brings together EdTech supply, evidence, and government demand under one roof, a model not previously attempted at this scale in Indian education

• 11 EdTech and AI solutions, serving children in the 4-10 age group have now been selected across two of ShikshaNext’s pillars i.e. EdTech ScaleX and the EdTech Accelerator

ShikshaNext, the 3-year, INR 170-crore multi-donor initiative aimed at improving learning outcomes for children across India by leveraging EdTech and AI, today announced the next phase of its journey with the selection of 11 solutions across its EdTech ScaleX and EdTech Accelerator pillars.

A teacher demonstrates an EdTech app to her students, part of ShikshaNext’s  market-shaping push to bring proven digital tools into Indian classrooms

The announcement moves the ShikshaNext initiative from vision to execution, aiming to bring evidence-backed and emerging EdTech and AI solutions closer to classrooms and state government systems by 2029. ShikshaNext is anchored by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Reliance Foundation, and Gates Foundation as Founding Strategic Partners, with Central Square Foundation as the Managing Partner. The Initiative is also supported by Anthropic as a Supporting Partner.

This Initiative further brings together three interconnected pillars, each addressing a different stage of the EdTech innovation pipeline: EdTech ScaleX focuses on improving learning outcomes at scale by taking proven solutions into government systems and enabling their effective adoption; the EdTech Accelerator strengthens the pipeline of promising solutions as they are being built, tested and refined; and the EdTech and AI Innovation Hub tackles some of the unsolved problem statements that could shape the next generation of technology and AI-led education solutions.

Underpinning these three pillars is a sustained commitment to rigorous evidence generation: this involves not just building proof that a solution works, but also understanding how it performs in real government systems, what makes implementation effective for students, parents and teachers, and what it takes to translate promising solutions into sustained impact at scale.

Five solutions have been selected under EdTech ScaleX, serving children in the 4-10 age group:

1. Chimple by Sutara Learning: Teacher-directed, at-home gamified mobile learning solution; validated by a randomised controlled trial (RCT) by Prof. Kartini Shastry, Wellesley College and Prof. Sheetal Sekhri, University of Virginia (2024)

2. Rocket Learning: Playful, WhatsApp-based home-learning; validated by a J-PAL RCT (2023)

3. Top Parent by Nudged: Pan-India, parent-facing solution for at-home learning; validated by a quasi-experimental study under the guidance of Prof. Tarun Jain, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (2026)

4. Prakashak by ThinkZone: WhatsApp-based at-home learning programme validated by a quasi-experimental study under the guidance of Prof. Tarun Jain, Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad (2026)

5. Youth Impact: Phone-based remedial Math learning; validated by a five-country RCT by Dr Noam Angrist et al. (2025)

Through its portfolio of five solutions, EdTech ScaleX will aim to improve learning outcomes at scale by targeting 8 million+ students.

Six solutions have been selected under the EdTech Accelerator, serving children in the 4-10 age group:

1. Darsel: 1:1 personalised WhatsApp chatbot for math practice at-home

2. Eedi: AI native WhatsApp based socratic personal tutor for math remediation at-home

3. TARA ORF by Prosical Language Technologies: Oral Reading Fluency (ORF) assessment, analysis, and student remediation at-home

4. PadhAI by Pratham Education Foundation: Offline ORF assessment, analysis, and student remediation at-home

5. Vowels of the People Association (VOPA): ORF assessment, analysis and student remediation for both literacy and numeracy skills at-home

6. VallamAI by Madhi Foundation: AI-powered teacher-support tool for assessments, coaching, and lesson planning

Through the EdTech Accelerator, these six solutions will work on building the evidence and capabilities needed to translate promising innovations into solutions that can ultimately scale.

Together, these 11 solutions will forge a new pathway for EdTech and AI-enabled learning in India, strengthening learning outcomes for millions of children and building the evidence that turns bold ideas into lasting impact at scale.

Ishmeet Singh, Chief Executive Officer, Central Square Foundation, said, “Selecting these 11 solutions is where ShikshaNext’s ambition starts to become tangible. Five of them are already backed by independent evidence and are ready to work with governments at scale; the other six are building the next generation of AI-enabled solutions for India’s classrooms. Bringing proven, scale-ready solutions together with emerging AI innovations and generating the evidence needed to move both forward is what makes this more than a portfolio of grants. It is a pathway designed to help early stage innovations to travel to institutional state adoption and integration into the governance mechanism.”

Prachi Jain Windlass, Head of India, The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, said, “Technology matters when it helps children learn better and opens pathways to future opportunity. Used effectively, technology and data can help educators understand student progress and act quickly when additional support is needed. ShikshaNext brings evidence, innovation, and government adoption together so proven EdTech can benefit more children, while the next generation of AI-enabled solutions is tested and strengthened responsibly.”

B Srinivasan, Executive Lead, Reliance Foundation said, “Reliance Foundation’s vision is simple yet profound that every child in India should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential and realise their dreams. The rapid expansion of digital connectivity and 5G over the past decade has unlocked unprecedented possibilities to deliver quality education to every corner of our country.

We have seen that when philanthropy, government, educators, and innovators come together with shared purpose, technology in education moves beyond promising pilots to achieving measurable learning outcomes at scale. ShikshaNext represents the next step in this journey – a collaborative platform to generate rigorous evidence, strengthen partnerships, and harness the power of AI responsibly and inclusively.

Our commitment is to ensure that the next generation of AI-enabled solutions is not only innovative, but equitable – designed to serve every child, everywhere, and to truly transform India’s educational future.”

Benjamin Piper, Director, Global Education, Gates Foundation, said, “The EdTech Accelerator solutions in particular reflect where we think the real opportunity with generative AI lies – not replacing good pedagogy, but strengthening it, in tools built specifically for low-resource classrooms. Pairing that work with ScaleX’s evidence-backed solutions gives ShikshaNext a pipeline that spans from what we know works today to what could work tomorrow.”

About ShikshaNext

ShikshaNext is a three-year, Rs 170-crore multi-donor initiative aimed at improving learning outcomes for children across India by leveraging EdTech and AI. Anchored by the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation, Reliance Foundation, and the Gates Foundation as Founding Strategic Partners, supported by Anthropic as Supporting Partner and led by Central Square Foundation as Managing Partner, ShikshaNext aims to enable more than 13 million children to access meaningful, technology- and AI-enabled learning opportunities by 2029. The initiative operates across three pillars — EdTech ScaleX, the EdTech Accelerator, and the EdTech & AI Innovation Hub — underpinned by a sustained commitment to evidence generation.

About Central Square Foundation

Founded in 2012, Central Square Foundation (CSF) is a non-profit committed to improving learning outcomes for school-going children across 14 Indian states through system-led reform. CSF works in close partnership with 11 state governments to design and deliver statewide missions on Foundational Literacy and Numeracy (FLN), while strengthening Early Childhood Education. CSF also focuses on building a vibrant EdTech and AI ecosystem to enable equitable, high-quality learning at scale.

More at www.centralsquarefoundation.org

About The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation

The Michael & Susan Dell Foundation builds pathways that change lives for people and communities around the world. Through their philanthropy, Michael and Susan Dell have committed more than €10 billion to improve education, health, and economic mobility, with a focus on delivering measurable, long-term impact. These efforts reflect a belief that lasting change comes from investing in people – and in the potential of every child.

For more information, visit www.dell.org and follow the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation on LinkedIn.

About Reliance Foundation

Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Reliance Industries Limited, aims to play a catalytic role in addressing India’s development challenges through innovative and sustainable solutions. Led by Mrs Nita M Ambani, Founder and Chairperson, Reliance Foundation works across rural transformation, education, health, sports for development, disaster management, women empowerment, urban renewal, and arts, culture and heritage, and has touched the lives of over 88 million people across India.

More at www.reliancefoundation.org

About Gates Foundation

The Gates Foundation is a global philanthropy working to reduce poverty, tackle preventable disease, and expand opportunity so more people can lead healthy, productive lives. Education is a core pillar of its work, with a Global Education Program focused on improving foundational reading and math for children in India and sub-Saharan Africa.

More at www.gatesfoundation.org

Unified Voice Communication Pvt. Ltd., a Chennai-headquartered enterprise communications company, has received two recognitions during September 2026 for its work across enterprise voice, connectivity and unified communications.

Unified Voice Earns Two Prestigious 2026 Awards for Enterprise Communication Excellence

Earlier this month, Unified Voice received the “Best Enterprise Voice & Connectivity Solutions Provider 2026” award at the 18th BPO Innovation Summit & Awards 2026, organised by UBS Forums in Bengaluru.

The recognition highlighted the company’s work in providing integrated voice and connectivity infrastructure for BPOs, contact centres and enterprises with business-critical communication requirements. Mr. Shivaji Rajan, Director – Sales, received the first award on behalf of Unified Voice Communication Pvt. Ltd.

Unified Voice subsequently received a Certificate of Excellence for “Innovation in Voice & Unified Communications” at the Times Business Awards Chennai 2026, held at Hilton Chennai on September 17, 2026.

Mrs. Gayathri Patel, Director of Unified Voice Communication Pvt. Ltd., accepted the recognition on behalf of the company. It was presented by Hon’ble Thiru B. Rajkumar, Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Government of Tamil Nadu, and actor Ms. Shriya Saran.

The two recognitions reflect Unified Voice’s continued focus on helping organisations establish reliable, scalable and secure communication environments.

Unified Voice’s enterprise portfolio includes SIP trunking, Cloud and IP PBX, contact-centre solutions, unified communications, AI-powered call intelligence, managed voice services and high-availability data connectivity.

The company supports these solutions with consultation, local implementation assistance, 24×7 network monitoring and managed technical support. Its teams assess each customer’s operational requirements, call volumes, usage patterns, business-continuity needs and infrastructure before recommending an appropriate solution.

Commenting on the recognitions, Mrs. Gayathri Patel, Director of Unified Voice Communication Pvt. Ltd., said, “These recognitions reflect the collective efforts of our staff, customers and partners. At Unified Voice, innovation means more than introducing new technology. It means understanding each customer’s operating environment and delivering voice, unified communications and connectivity solutions that remain reliable, scalable and commercially practical. We will continue investing in our customers and growing alongside them.”

Unified Voice serves more than 5,000 customers across BPO, healthcare, IT and IT-enabled services, contact-centre and enterprise sectors. Its solutions are designed to support organisations where communication quality, service availability, regulatory compliance and operational continuity are essential.

The company follows a consultative and customer-focused service model, supported by direct engagement, transparent commercial terms, local implementation and round-the-clock technical assistance.

The two recognitions represent important milestones in Unified Voice’s continuing journey of delivering dependable enterprise communications infrastructure.

Unified Voice thanked UBS Forums and the organisers of the Times Business Awards Chennai 2026 for creating platforms that recognise businesses and bring together entrepreneurs, industry leaders and technology professionals.

About Unified Voice Communication Pvt. Ltd.

Unified Voice Communication Pvt. Ltd. is an enterprise communication and connectivity solutions provider headquartered in Chennai, India.

The company offers enterprise SIP trunking, Cloud PBX, IP PBX, unified communications, contact-centre solutions, AI-powered call intelligence, managed communication services and mission-critical data connectivity.

Unified Voice supports BPOs, healthcare organisations, IT and IT-enabled services companies, contact centres and enterprises through scalable infrastructure, transparent commercial models, local implementation assistance and 24×7 technical support.

UniSteps Consulting, a leading project management and consultancy company serving engineering-intensive construction projects, has launched BcStep, a Business Operating Network (BON) designed to solve the problem of fragmentation of information, communication and workflows in the construction industry. Adding further distinction to the launch, UniSteps has partnered with acclaimed Bollywood actor Rajeev Khandelwal as the Brand Ambassador of BcSteps and will represent BcStep’s vision of creating a more connected and collaborative construction ecosystem.

BcStep is a single-platform solution that enables seamless coordination & tracking for stakeholders in the construction sector

Construction projects typically involve multiple stakeholders, including Developers, Architects, Consultants, Project Management Consultants (PMCs), Contractors, Suppliers and large internal teams. BcStep is built as a digital ecosystem for the construction industry, that brings together all organisations, employees, support staff & vendors, to track and coordinate chats, emails, tasks, workflows and Digital ERP processes on a single unified network. BcStep combines ERP, HRM, Chat, Email and Task Manager into one connected ecosystem, to enable better communication & management while also tracking & recording it on one connected platform. This eliminates the fragmentation across multiple different software and ensures project coordination and continuity across stakeholders.

BcStep has a strong business proposition to improve efficiency in the areas of:

• Time spent searching across emails, chats and different systems

• Manual follow-ups and status tracking

• Administrative effort in coordinating meetings, tasks and communication

• Dependence on individuals to retain project history and knowledge

• Activity-wise & Category-wise task status tracking within the offices

• Overall project progress tracked for the stakeholders  

BcStep represents approximately five years of continuous product development, encompassing technology changes, product testing, architecture development and the creation and integration of its individual applications. BcStep is launching with a pan-India market focus, enabling construction organizations across India to participate in the BON ecosystem. The platform is being developed as an evolving construction operating ecosystem and has a strong roadmap focusing on further expansion of features and updates focusing on areas such as Site Management, Invoice Management, Contract Management and Material Management, along with expanding AI capabilities through the Mr. Bon AI Assistant.

“Building BcStep has been a long-term commitment for us, as we create the architecture for India’s construction sector to move past fragmented systems, and into one unified environment where stakeholders can work together,” said Kailash Anwala, Managing Director at UniSteps. “Over approximately five years, we have continuously developed, tested and refined the platform, while drawing on UniSteps’ more than two decades of experience in the construction industry across Project Management, Structural Consultancy, and MEP Consultancy. The result has been a powerful platform that translates real-world project coordination requirements into a digital format platform that is practical, connected and scalable. Over the next three years, our focus will be on building BcStep, establishing a strong base of paying organisations and developing it into a scalable recurring-revenue technology platform for the construction ecosystem.”

Over the next three years, UniSteps Consulting aims to establish BcStep as a significant technology platform for the construction industry, supported by a growing base of paying organisations and a scalable recurring-revenue model.
 

About UniSteps
UniSteps Consulting Pvt. Ltd. is a full-service, multidisciplinary construction consultancy specialising in Project Management, Structural Design and MEP Design for engineering-intensive construction projects. Founded in 2003, the company brings extensive experience across residential, commercial, corporate, hospitality, retail and other complex building projects. UniSteps provides integrated design and project management services, supporting projects from requirements and planning through construction and handover. Having completed more than 600 projects and with over 500 projects currently under design or management, UniSteps combines engineering expertise, project experience and practical construction knowledge to deliver coordinated solutions for complex building projects across India.

UniSteps Consulting Pvt. Ltd. is headquartered in Mumbai, with offices in Mumbai, Nashik and Patna.

This festive season, give a beloved Indian favourite a fresh and flavourful makeover with South African Pears Puran Poli. Bringing together the comforting richness of traditional Puran Poli with the naturally sweet, juicy goodness of South African Pears, this festive creation offers a delightful new take on a cherished classic.
 

South African Pears Puran Poli – Malvika Hada Kumar
 

At the heart of the recipe is a luscious puran filling made with chana dal and jaggery, elevated with the delicate sweetness and fruity notes of South African Pears. Aromatic spices such as cardamom, ginger, nutmeg and fennel add warmth and depth, creating a beautifully balanced filling that is both familiar and refreshingly contemporary. Enveloped in soft whole wheat dough and finished with a generous touch of ghee, each Puran Poli delivers the comforting flavours of tradition with an unexpected fruity surprise. The addition of South African Pears not only adds natural sweetness and texture but also brings a fresh, contemporary dimension to this festive indulgence.

Whether served as part of a festive spread, prepared for Navratri celebrations, or enjoyed as a special homemade treat when family and friends gather, South African Pears Puran Poli is a delicious celebration of familiar flavours, seasonal festivities and culinary creativity. It’s a simple yet inspired way to bring a fresh twist to tradition and make South African Pears a memorable part of the festive table.
 

South African Pears Puran Poli – Malvika Hada Kumar

Ingredients –

For the Puran Filling:

1 cup chana dal

2 South African Pears, grated

1/4 cup jaggery

1 tsp ghee

1/2 tsp elaichi (cardamom) powder

1/2 tsp ginger powder

A pinch of nutmeg powder

1/2 tsp ground fennel

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

For the Dough:

2 cups whole wheat flour

1/4 cup maida

1/4 tsp turmeric powder

1/4 tsp salt

2 tbsp ghee

Water, as required
 

For Serving:

Extra ghee, as required
 

Preparation –

• Rinse and soak the chana dal in water for 3-4 hours.

• Pressure cook the soaked chana dal with water and 1/4 tsp turmeric powder for 4-5 whistles.

• Discard the excess water, then blend the cooked chana dal until smooth. Strain the mixture to achieve a smooth puran filling.

• In a pan, heat 1 tsp ghee and add the grated South African pears.

• Cook the pears until all the moisture has evaporated.

• Add 1/4 cup jaggery and cook until the jaggery melts completely.

• Add the prepared chana dal mixture along with elaichi powder, ginger powder, nutmeg powder, and ground fennel.

• Mix well and cook until the filling comes together and reaches a thick, smooth consistency. Allow it to cool.

• For the dough, combine whole wheat flour, maida, turmeric powder, and salt in a bowl.

• Add 2 tbsp ghee and mix well. Gradually add water and knead into a soft dough.

• Divide the dough and prepared filling into equal portions.

• Stuff the filling into the dough, seal, and gently roll out into puran polis.

• Cook the puran polis on a hot tawa until golden spots appear on both sides and they are cooked through.

• Serve warm with an extra dollop of ghee.

About South African Apples & Pears

South Africa’s diverse landscapes and favourable growing conditions provide the perfect environment for producing some of the world’s finest-quality fruit. A unique combination of a Mediterranean climate, fertile soils, varied terrain and more than a century of fruit-growing expertise has helped establish the country as a renowned fruit-producing region. South African Apples are predominantly grown in the Elgin Valley in the Western Cape, where growers cultivate a wide variety of green and red apples, while South African Pears have carved a strong presence in the Indian market, appreciated for their naturally sweet flavour, juicy texture and refreshing taste. With a strong emphasis on quality, expertise and sustainable growing practices, South African fruit continues to bring the distinctive taste and goodness of its orchards to consumers in India.