Awards Financial News

Adani stocksAdani Group is in talks with banks to refinance debt taken on to fund its purchase of Ambuja Cements, with lenders divided into three categories in what could be one of Asia’s largest syndicated loan deals of the year, Bloomberg reported.Reliance IndustriesReliance Industries arm Reliance Retail is in talks with existing investors including the sovereign wealth funds of Singapore, Abu Dhabi and Saudi Arabia for combined new investments of around $1.5 billion.Read more: Here's the trading setup for today's sessionKPI Green EnergyKPI Green Energy has commissioned a 7.80MW wind-solar hybrid power project comprising 4.20 MW wind and 3.60 Mwdc solar capacity under the CPP segment.NBCCNBCC has been awarded consultancy and project management services for upcoming Infrastructural related projects of Bokaro Steel Plant from SAIL.IRCTCIRCTC has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation (MSRTC) to enable MSRTC's online bus booking services via IRCTC's bus booking portal/website.Bombay DyeingBombay Dyeing approved a proposal to sell the land parcel of about 22 acres in Worli, Mumbai to Goisu Realty, a subsidiary of Japanese realty developer Sumitomo for Rs 5200 crore.WiproWipro has launched a cyber defense center (CDC) in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Economic Times Startup Awards (ETSA) have captured the ever-changing world of technology and Digital India as the sector has grown from infancy to the stage of spawning publicly-traded corporations. Having seen at least two cycles of the funding boom followed by a tech winter, the awards are a true testament to the way Indian entrepreneurship has matured in the past nine years amid many crests and troughs.

Indian startups got their first big push with global investors starting to chase companies like Flipkart, Ola and Oyo, as the world sensed a massive opportunity in the country’s market. This was on the back of a much-ballyhooed IPO of ecommerce behemoth Alibaba and investors in China wanting to get a beachhead in the next big market. Investors lined up, betting on tech startups, especially in the consumer internet sector, seeking to tap the young demographic of a country of over 1.2 billion people at the time. It was not only the financial investors but large strategic players like Amazon declared India as a big market, deploying billions of dollars, as the rush of capital began. This was when this newspaper instituted what’s become the most celebrated set of awards for the startup ecosystem — the Economic Times Startup Awards— with the idea to propel entrepreneurship in the country.

Uday Kotak, founder and director, Kotak Mahindra Bank: “Entrepreneurship defines India and Indians. I’m very proud to see the flourishing of Indian entrepreneurship…I congratulate The Economic Times for having created this whole process about nearly ten years ago. I want to thank each of jury members for their great insights and free flowing discussions for us to come to a better and more appropriate thinking process for choosing winners out of very high-quality companies and entrepreneurs. I’m happy with the outcomes that we have achieved today.”

Digantara and Bunpai India — took an early lead as the 11-member ET Startup Awards jury deliberated on the Best on Campus category. Finally, after two rounds of discussions and a secret voting, Digantara, a spacetech startup, emerged as the unanimous winner. With Chandrayaan-3’s historic Moon landing fresh in everyone’s mind, several factors helped clinch the win for Digantara Research & Technologies. The jury praised not just its technology prowess, but also highlighted how it was able to start up in a complex segment from campus and build traction in a crowded space that has recently seen a lot of entrepreneur and investor interest.

ET Startup Awards 2023 jury meeting, as the members contemplated how much weight should be given to public good, impact and financials. Their final choice was FIA Global, a platform that helps people in some of the most remote areas of the country avail of formal financial services, from opening a bank account and taking a loan to investing in mutual funds and buying digital gold.

Arriving at a decision was difficult in the backdrop of a year which has been fraught with challenges for the venture capital industry as valuations and fundraising saw a major hit. Exits became scarce and the IPO market dried up.

OfBusiness was voted as The Economic Times Startup of the Year 2023 surging ahead of competition on the back of strong revenue backed by handsome profits. The eight-year-old venture was feted for its value proposition and focus on SMEs, which are regarded as the backbone of India’s fast-growing economy. The eleven-member jury chose the B2B venture, which is currently valued at about nearly $5 billion, over eyewear retailer Lenskart in a closely fought contest that included detailed discussions on the relative merits of both companies.

ET Startup Awards (ETSA) have stood out amid a crowded ecosystem and have gone on to become successful businesses. We look at a few of them from previous editions of the awards.Atomberg Technologies – Best on Campus (2019)

ZopSmart emerged as the hands-down winners of the Comeback Kid category at ETSA 2023. Hailing the team of Mukesh Singh, Raj Pandey and Vikash Kumar as role models for their sheer hard work, grit and perseverance, the star-studded jury unanimously voted for ZopSmart’s founders in the secret ballot on Tuesday.

Edith Cowan University has moved to terminate a contract with PwC to manage its $853 million campus project in Perth amid concerns the work was scheduled to be moved to the big-four firm’s public sector consulting spin-off, Scyne.

Liontown Resources boss Tony Ottaviano says the company is about nine months away from having its flagship lithium mine built and in production despite Gina Rinehart fuelling concerns about the project.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar on Wednesday launched the new e-Bhoomi portal to further ease the process of purchasing land for government projects with the land owners' consent. The government aims to purchase land in a transparent manner with the consent of the landowners, Khattar said. Now, apart from farmers, aggregators will also be able to offer land on this portal, he added. The aggregator must be an income taxpayer and must have a Parivar Pehchan Patra family ID, the chief minister said. The offer of land on the new portal would be valid for six months.

start-ups, has been awarded the 2X Flagship Fund status by the 2X Flagship Fund Committee. Caspian Debt’s candidature was proposed by its existing investors Nederlandse Financieringsmaatschappij Voor Ontwikkelingslanden N.V. (FMO) and United States International Development Finance Corporation (DFC), based on its three-year track record of exceeding the investment commitments to 2X qualified companies, as well as on the gender diversity of its team.

GREAT Scholarship is given to individuals who want to pursue higher studies in the UK. More than 200 scholarships are awarded every year. A minimum amount of £10,000 is given to candidates chosen. Individuals who come from India, China, Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, and Turkey are eligible for this scholarship. The chosen postgraduate program should begin in September. Indians are given the most number of scholarships. The scholarship covers the full tuition fees for one-year postgraduate programs or the tuition fee for the first year of master’s degree programs with a duration of two years.Eligibility

Kempegowda International airport in Bengaluru which started operating international flights on Tuesday, is a 'terminal in the garden', reminding one of Singapore's Changi airport with its extravagant display of trees, plants and waterfalls. If the Bengaluru airport's Terminal-2 doesn't compete with Changi, it sure does take a 'leaf' out of it. The terminal fuses the ethnic with the futuristic and the aesthetic with the efficient amid a lush green design. The new 255,000 square metre terminal is designed and built on four key pillars and reflects Bengaluru's rich culture, history, its nature as the garden city and technology hub of India. Spread over four levels, the terminal is built for seamless departures and easy arrivals that are facilitated on different floors. The scale of T2 and the insightful design makes it a destination in itself.

Khurrana was chosen to be amongst 100 Most Influential People of the World by the US-based publication in 2020. «This is the second time that the prestigious TIME Magazine has chosen to recognise the work that I do on camera as well as off it. I'm proud as well as humbled with this honour from TIME Magazine because it validates my core belief system as an artiste and a human being trying to affect positive social change. »I'm deeply grateful to TIME Magazine for bestowing me with the TIME100 Impact honour this year.

Drew Barrymore's hosting role at the prestigious US National Book Awards has been abruptly terminated due to an escalating controversy surrounding her TV show amid the ongoing Hollywood strike. The celebrated talk show host and actress had initially declared that her show's return would align with the strike's rules. However, tensions escalated as the show's writers participated in picket lines outside the New York studio when filming resumed.

dating and breaking up, American singers Nelly and Ashanti Douglas are a couple again. There had been rumors of them having rekindled their romance a few months ago, and both have now confirmed the same ahead of their MTV VMAs 2023 red carpet appearance on September 12. The Grammy Award-winning Nelly confirmed his relationship with Ashanti in an interview with Rasheeda and Kirk Frost on their show ‘Boss Moves with Rasheeda’ — Season 2, Episode 5 on September 11. Rasheeda asked Nelly outright, «So you and Ashanti are back together?» To which, Nelly laughed and said, «Yeah, we're cool again.» He went on to explain, «I think it surprised both of us…It wasn't anything that was like…planned…we both was (were) pretty much doing what we do.» Nelly observed that «sometimes being separate, you understand one another more, where you could be like, 'Well, yo, let me exactly see, maybe, what they see.' 'Cause you know we all can be defensive sometimes in our own relationships. And we know we're wrong, but we're going to stand on it, you what I mean?» Rasheeda asked what he feels good about now dating Ashanti again, to which Nelly replied, «Yeah…because it's no pressure. Before, I felt like both of us were doing what we're doing career-wise, and when you've got so many people in the middle of it, it can be tough.»

Rahul Mishra was on Tuesday conferred with the insignia of Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres at a function at the Residence of France here. The French government's distinction l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres (Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters) is bestowed upon «persons who have distinguished themselves by their creativity in the field of art, culture, and literature or for their contribution to the influence of arts in France and throughout the world». Ambassador of France to India Emmanuel Lenain presented the medal to Mishra for his career and connection to France. «We wish you the best. For all these reasons, the French government wanted to give this honour to you. You're not going to be alone. Many Indian artistes have received this. One of the last was Shah Rukh Khan. You're in good company,» the ambassador said at the event. Mishra, who shared the stage with his wife Divya, expressed his gratitude to the government of France for the honour. «I'm deeply humbled to receive the Chevalier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by French ambassador Emmanuel Lenain. He has been a great supporter and friend. Also thanks to French President Emmanuel Macron for his kind recognition,» the Delhi-based designer, known for marrying slow fashion with traditional Indian crafts, said in his acceptance speech.

Jessica Chastain and Peter Sarsgaard brought Hollywood glamour to the Toronto International Film Festival for their family drama "Memory" amid strikes that have kept most celebrities off the carpets. The film received an interim agreement from the Screen Actors Guild (SAG) and the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (AFTRA), allowing the stars to promote their work at a festival that's been mostly star-less due to the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes. Sarsgaard joins the North American premiere of the film after taking the prize for best actor at the Venice Film Festival, which marks the start of the awards season and regularly throws up big favourites for the Oscars. «Memory» is a drama about Chastain's character, Sylvia, trying to overcome the abuse of her past while struggling to build a future. For director Michel Franco, the story is important because it centres on people who are often ignored in society. «It came from my need to shine a light on broken people,» he said.