global technologies may june 2017 - ces asia, allied digital, esc, hug innovations

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Volume 12 No. 3 May - June 2017 Rs. 100/- Or US $ 5

Readers: Our Most Precious Asset

l Allied Digital Services

l l l CES Asia ESC IFA

E d i t

Global TechnologiesMay - June 2017 1

Dear Friends

After a successful 50th year celebration by CES at Las Vegas this year, this global

show is gearing up for its Asian version, which is just 2 years old. This year in its third

edition the show is expected to be bigger than the earlier shows. CES Asia 2017 is

expected to draw more than 30,000 attendees and more than 1,100 global media to cover

some 450 exhibiting companies showcasing innovation across 19 product categories,

including major growth areas such as drones, the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual

reality. Under the CES brand, International CES Asia is the premier event for the

consumer technology.

This year at CES Asia 2017 a major focus will be on connected cars, self-driving and

the future of mobility. The event will see vehicle technology in full force including the

latest from three major auto manufacturers –Hyundai, NEVS and Volvo. New vehicle

technology aims to make drivers and passengers safer, smarter and more connected than

ever.

Startup Park at CES Asia 2017 is slated to be global gathering of startups touting latest

innovations from at least five countries. Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park (ZJ Park), Shanghai’s

largest tech park has teamed up with CES Asia to attract innovative startups to the show.

A company that started from a single room with just three people today has grown into

a force to reckon with in the fields of IT and System Integration with 2500 staff spread

across 190 global locations. We have attempted to take you through the journey of Allied

Digital Services spearheaded by Nitin Shah, CMD, Allied Digital Services.

Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC) is today

considered to be India’s best Electronics and IT trade facilitation organization and assists

Indian IT industry particularly the SMEs. Providing multiple opportunities for its

members through various government schemes, it has seen many companies grow their

business across oceans while multiplying their profits. Steering the organization for over

two decades is D K Sareen, Executive Director, ESC. We have carried an e-interview with

him.

The 14th Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) and the concurrent 14th

International ICT Expo , organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council

(HKTDC), attracted more than 3,500 exhibitors from 23 countries and regions. It also

brought together 94,000 buyers from 138 countries and regions. While there were

exhibitors from several countries at the ICT expo, India had a substantial presence with

21 companies under the aegis of Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion

Council (ESC).

It was at CES, Las Vegas that Hug Innovations showcased the world's first gesture

control Smart watch, Hug Smartwatch where with gestures one can control the volume of

a speaker or even a drone (which was displayed). Apart from this uniqueness Hug

Smartwatch plays a pivotal role in personal safety, fitness, health and nutrition. I found

that this Indian company that has a great potential and thought it ideal to do an interview

of its CEO Raj Neravati.

The 11th edition of IFA GPC hosted select 300 technology and business journalists

from 50+ countries to attend industry power briefings, trends and witness launch of new

gadgets including Porsche Design's first Laptop, Sennheiser AMBEO Headset, and

Samsung - The Frame TV.

Chandragupta Amritkar

Editor

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An Indian publication, Global Destinations

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C o n t e n t s

Global Technologies May - June 20174

Event Review

HKTDC

......................22

ESC

............................16

Association

Cover Story

Allied Digital Services

...........................06

HUG Innovations

............................32

Wearables

IFA

......................26

Curtain Raiser

CES Asia...........................12

It was after almost two decades that I got time to spend some

quality time with my friend Nitin Shah, CMD, Allied Digital

Services. Though I had been following his success story and

meeting him at events in-between, it was just a couple of weeks

ago that we sat down and I was quite impressed by his Interna-

tional presence. With plans a foot for global expansion in a major

way we thought it ideal opportunity to do a feature on the com-

pany and the driving force behind it.

An engineer (Electrical Engineering) from one of India’s lead-

ing engineering college VJTI it formed the basis of his future

journey. “Thanks to VJTI teachers my fundas (fundamentals)

were clear. I learned a lot and it made us think, analyse and find

a solution. This helped me a lot as I became an expert puzzle

solver. Even today I enjoy solving the crossword/mensa puzzles

in newspapers,” said an emphatic Nitin Shah.

Apart from a short stint in Crompton Greaves Ltd Nitin Shah

got a pivotal break when he got an offer from Computer Mainte-

nance Corporation (CMC) in 1978. At that time IBM had a great

presence across India – being there for almost twenty years.

George Fernandes, who was industry minister in the Janata gov-

ernment was mainly instrumental in IBM exit from India over

foreign exchange rules in1978. The task of keeping the IBM sys-

tems/installations at over

800 locations around India

and subsequently mainte-

nance of computers sup-

plied by other foreign play-

ers was the responsibility

of the newly created 100%

government entity, the

CMC.

“At that time CMC was

India’s leading IT company and since it was dealing in all IBM

installations, I was able to grasp the basics of computers. Infact I

was one of the few to get an opportunity to work on all three main

frames at that time – IBM, ICL and DEC,” said Nitin Shah.

He was in CMC and later in DEC for over six years before des-

tiny took him into business and his first steps into becoming an

entrepreneur. “It was in 1984 when one of my clients had a prob-

lem with his computers which was not resolved by even the man-

ufacturer and the CEO asked me to work on the problem. Having

solved it successfully he offered me a substantial amount and

introduced me to his friends circle. This where I believe destiny

plays a vital role and I decided to venture into support and serv-

C o v e r S t o r y


The Transformation Driven Company

A company that started from a single room with just three people today has grown into

a force to reckon with in the fields of IT and System Integration with 2500 staff spread

across 190 global locations. Global Technologies attempts to take you through the

journey of Allied Digital Services

Nitin Shah

ice of large mainframes and minicomputers and created the com-

pany Digital Data Services,” said Nitin Shah.

Starting from a small room with just a three person team and

his self-confidence, then Digital Data Services, rechristened later

as Allied Digital Services Ltd started on its growth path. Head-

quartered in Mumbai, Allied Digital is primarily into IT Services,

system integration services and target large corporate customers.

It took them 11 years after the company formation to open their

first office outside Mumbai in Delhi.

“After that there was no looking back as our push to become

and remain best-in-class helped the company consistently con-

quer new frontiers – be it in moving to automation, technology

and tool-based remote infrastructure management and shared

services, as opposed to depending solely on dedicated people;

and setting up the country’s earliest network operations centre

(NOC) and security operations centre (SOC) in Mumbai. Our

company’s growth has mir-

rored exactly the growth of

the global IT industry. By

moving fast to adopt and

deploy new technologies,

we have managed to grab

the early mover advantage

with each new technology,”

said Nitin Shah.

One of the major reasons

for the company’s success

has been Nitin Shahs atti-

tude of grooming and men-

toring a second and third

layer of command within the company and empower-

ing employees to deliver their best for the clients and

the company. For the clients, this has meant person-

alised service delivery in an industry accustomed to an

arm’s length partner-led model.

When queried on how was he able to keep the cus-

tomers across all regions happy, Nitin Shah replied

with a smile, “That is one of the most well-known

secrets but rarely followed by corporate. As we started

to expand and cater to large corporate customers with

branches across the nation we noticed that most of them

needed service on a local basis. We had the option of

outsourcing ie, bringing sub-contractors to carry out the

work on our behalf in the locations outside Mumbai,

which being cost-effective is adopted by many. But it in

certain case should have meant to compromise on qual-

ity of service. This was not acceptable to me and with

an objective to provide quality + timely services, we

expanded across India with our own offices. This has

helped us have a uniformity across the organization and all our

offices. It is also important to understand the mindset of the cus-

tomers and employees in that particular region. Over the years, I

have noticed that the buying capacity and employees' way of

working differ from region to region.”

How true but as with all companies Allied Digital Services

faced the markets ups and downs - first during the .com burst and

then later the recession. Fortunately the foresight of Nitin Shah

made sure Allied Digital Services came out with much less dent

than its competitors. “My strategy has always been to keep the

second eye ahead towards what’s happening globally and try to

anticipate the new technologies and subsequently adapting and

providing solutions,” said Nitin Shah.

With a pan India presence the company and already having cre-

ated a niche for itself in India, the company is all set to make their

presence felt globally. “After covering a substantial portion of

market in India, we decided

to move out of India in 2007.

In the past decade, we man-

aged to open our branch

offices in countries like the

USA, Australia and Sri

Lanka and in Europe. Now

we are systematically pene-

trating into these countries,”

said Nitin Shah.

Type of Business

Allied Digital Services has

built a niche for itself in the

C o v e r S t o r y


IT Services space. From a three-person team, today the company

has grown to 3000-plus people across 90 countries. He managed

to create an identity for himself exclusively on merit and compe-

tence and by delivering on his promises. By the early 1990s, the

company strove to create a layered, value-driven organisation and

recruited several CXOs. When the need for converting acquired

clients into regular clients and a sustainable business model

arose, the company chose a direct service delivery model that

helped with client retention. This helped to differentiate the com-

pany from its peers.

When the dotcom bubble burst, he decided to focus on technol-

ogy verticals like Networking, Information Security, Enterprise

Solutions and Infrastructure Management Services. Again the

move paid off handsomely. The company added more people dur-

ing the down-turn. “A significant part of strategy is also to stay

away from businesses that are legacy. For us moving into the

then-upcoming technologies was such a decision. At present we

focus on IT Infrastructure management services, cyber security,

IP based solutions like Safe and smart cities with integration of

IOT and software development,” said Nitin Shah.

Allied Digital phases of growth can be best described as:

Phase 1 – 1984-1993: Success Driven

Phase 2 – 1994-2001: Value Driven

Phase 3 – 2001-2007: Focused Strategy Driven

Phase 4 – 2007-2013: Inorganic growth driven

Phase 5 – 2013 – till date: Transformation Driven

Innovative Approaches

In 2007, company completed a successful IPO, and a

second round of funding through QIP. In all, it raised

` 3.15 billion from the market and entered the globalarena with the acquisition of a US-based services compa-

ny. It also set up a NOC/SOC and a global services deliv-

ery centre. In 2008, a Bangalore-based company, Digi-

comp Solutions, was acquired and sold in 2012 at seven

times the acquisition value.

It was 2012 that the company underwent total restruc-

turing, moving away from premise computing to cloud

computing to keep pace with the times. The company

transformed its service delivery to the virtual environment

over the past three years. Nitin Shah realised early on that

the future is IP-based and used the IP backbone for creat-

ing Intelligent Building Management Solutions (IBMS),

safe and Smart City and various other IP-based solutions.

“It was small pain, but long gain to transform the entire busi-

ness model to adopt next-gen technology and to be ready for

future challenges. We had to drop a legacy business. It was a

sharp turn in the growth trajectory to align with the paradigm

shift that happened in the IT industry in terms of computing plat-

forms (Social media, Mobility, Analytics and Cloud),” says Nitin.

The company with its innovative approach won the prestigious

Pune Safe City Project worth ` 2.25 billion and delivered the oneof its kind project to the government of Maharashtra in 2015. The

project has helped the city keep tabs on crime in the city and also

manage its traffic intelligently. The project has poised the compa-

ny as a front-runner in the up-coming Digital India Mission

opportunities valued at over $50 billion.

Nitin Shahs vision for the future includes remaining a front-

runner in the digital economy space and enabling the on-going

lifestyle changes onto a unified digital platform.

As a trusted partner with wide range of service capabilities and

state-of-the-art global command centres, Allied Digital help

clients transform and succeed in challenging environments by

making better IT decisions.

Company initiative/culture:

The companies inherent capabilities built on the philosophy of

'3S' (Smart People, Smart Processes, Smart Technology); pro-

vides the strong foundation for a best-in-class Integrated Service

Delivery Framework which consistently augments our overall

value creation proposition to our clients; both effectively and effi-

ciently.

Transparency and an inclusive decision making processes are

the hallmarks of Allied Digital Services. Nitin has ensured that

his credo of empowerment is carried through in the management

processes that he has put in place in the Company. Not only is the

senior management empowered to make decisions on day to day

functioning but is an integral part of the strategic decision mak-

ing process.

The core team is the engine of the ship and the endeavour is to

make the engine strong to take it far. Nitin Shah saw sparks in his

C suite top managers who in turn spot their sparkling performers

and nurture them for quick growth. Hence the model has now

changed from self-driven to team delegation. This is a shining

“Guru Shishya model”.

Empowerment, Responsibility and Accountability – ERA– go

hand in hand at Allied Digital Services.

C o v e r S t o r y


After a successful 50th year celebration by CES at Las

Vegas this year, this global show is gearing up for its

Asian version, which is just 2 years old. Under the CES

brand, International CES Asia is the premier event for the con-

sumer technology.

This year in its third edition the show is expected to be bigger

than the earlier shows. CES Asia 2017 is expected to draw more

than 30,000 attendees and more than 1,100 global media to cover

some 450 exhibiting companies showcasing innovation across 19

product categories, including major growth areas such as drones,

the Internet of Things (IoT) and virtual reality.

More than 300 notable companies are already slated to exhibit,

including 3M, Audio-Technica, Baidu, Changhong Electric, Con-

tinental, Digital China, DJI, Fossil/Misfit, Garmin, Gibson

Brands, Goertek, Haier, Huawei, Hyundai, Konka Group, LeEco,

Monster, NavInfo, NEVS, Onkyo, OtterBox, Pioneer, PPTV,

Scosche, Suning, United States Postal Service, UPS, Valeo,

Volvo, Voxx, Wacom and Yuneec.

Future of Vehicle Tech

This year at CES Asia 2017 a major focus will be on connect-

ed cars, self-driving and the future of mobility. The event will see

vehicle technology in full force including the latest from three

major auto manufacturers –Hyundai, NEVS and Volvo. New

vehicle technology aims to make drivers and passengers safer,

smarter and more connected than ever.

“Self-driving technologies and connected car capabilities are

changing our world – from thousands of lives being saved on the

roads each year, increased mobility and reductions in traffic and

resulting carbon emissions to ride sharing options and a new

world of device to device communication for real-time sharing of

information between vehicles, roadside infrastructure and pedes-

trian devices,” said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CTA.

“Cars have never been smarter, roads have never been safer and

the possibilities for this not-so-distant future will be on display at

CES Asia 2017.”

Major vehicle technology companies will be on hand at CES

Asia showcasing the full supply chain of vehicle tech, including

Baidu, Continental, NavInfo, Pioneer and Volvo. Featured auto-

motive technology will be on display both on the show floor and

outdoor exhibit space.

According to CTA research, factory-installed technologies,

from entertainment systems to driver-assist features, make up an

estimated 50 percent of the collective value in new vehicles, up

from about 25 percent just 10 years ago.

Startups at CES Asia 2017

Startup Park at CES Asia 2017 is slated to be global gathering

of startups touting latest innovations from at least five countries.

Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park (ZJ Park), Shanghai’s largest tech park

has teamed up with CES Asia to attract innovative startups to the

show.

“The startup scene in China is extremely active and prolific due

in large part to a growing pool of tech talent. Startup Park is

designed to draw the best and the brightest to showcase the next

generation of breakthrough technologies,” said Karen Chupka,

senior vice president, CES and corporate business strategy, CTA.

“Modeled after the Eureka Park™ Marketplace at CES, this area

will highlight increasing innovation across the growing mobile

market and other emerging industries – it’s where startups can

meet investors and industry leaders to take products to the next

level.”

“This partnership with CES Asia aligns well with our mission,”

said Ye Yang, Director of Zhangjiang Hi-Tech Park Management

Committee. “ZJ Park and CES Asia share the common vision of

providing companies a platform to showcase their latest tech

innovation and grow within the Asian marketplace. We look for-

ward to the global exposure and opportunities our companies will

gain by exhibiting at CES Asia 2017.”

Startup Park returns to CES Asia for its second year in 2017.

After a successful 2016 show with 64 startups, Startup Park is

expected to have at least 75 innovative startups and is slated to

gather budding companies from around the globe – mainland

China, France, Poland, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the

U.S. Additionally, leading institutions, la French Tech, KNU

Start-up & Entrepreneurship Foundation and Shenzhen Valley

Ventures will lead groups of startups looking to break into the

rapidly growing Asian market.

“We are bringing a group of small companies to CES Asia for

the second year,” said Stéphane Monsallier, co-founder of the

Shanghai chapter of la French Tech. “We found great value in

Startup Park last year and the relationships our companies devel-

C u r t a i n R a i s e r


Witness Future Technologies@CES AsiaAs CES Asia gets ready for its third installment Global Technologies does a preview of this event.

oped by exhibiting at CES Asia were truly remarkable. We look

forward to the 2017 show.”

Startup Park will be located in SNIEC Hall N4.

Conferences

Conferences play a vital part in any major trade show and CES

Asia is no exception. This year quite a few interesting topics have

been selected. These include -

2017 Tech Trends to Watch - Learn which disruptive innova-

tions and trends are defining the tech industry in 2017. Under-

stand how the transportation revolution, artificial intelligence,

voice computing and much more will change the consumer land-

scape and what to watch for in the year ahead.

Digital Lifestyles in China - Understanding today’s digital

lifestyles in China is important for brands, as connectivity radi-

cally and rapidly alters consumer behavior. This session explores

technology’s impact on Chinese consumers’ lifestyles, examining

how connectivity is shaping personal networks, content con-

sumption, and shopping behavior.

Exploring the Future of Mobility - Traditional automakers

are facing challenges with vehicles that connect with the world

around them. Are new business models required to compete with

emerging car- and ride-sharing models? Hear experts discuss how

future emerging mobility opportunities impact traditional auto-

motive business models.

Tech Outlook for China and the United States - The United

States and China represent two of the largest markets for con-

sumer technology. While they share many themes, they remain

distinct tech marketplaces. Learn more about key drivers and

enablers in both markets and the developments defining growth

paths.

How Fitness Tech is Getting Smarter - Their looks may not

have changed, but the power underneath the next gen of fitness

wearables is outstanding. In this session, we’ll look at new tech-

nologies like in-ear coaching, sweat monitoring, feet and cadence

performance and more.

Smart Cities and Smart Mobility - What societal promises do

sensing and connected technologies offer? Our experts will dis-

cuss smart cities and how organizations can collaborate to create

efficient mobility that delivers on consumers’ expectations and

helps solve societal challenges across Asia from pollution to grid

lock.

Four Ways New Technology is Saving Lives - Artificial intel-

ligence, exoskeletons for amputees, telemedicine and chronic dis-

ease management are transforming lives. This session will take an

in-depth look at cutting edge digital health companies through

case studies of patients that have been transformed by their expe-

riences.

Privacy, Security, and the IoT Global Supply Chain - This

panel will explore consumer data privacy and device security

issues. The discussion will include ways that government policy

is addressing these issues, and the connections between the glob-

al supply chain, industry action and government action.

The Road Map for Self-Driving Vehicle Technology - As the

self-driving car speeds toward reality, how will the transportation

experience transform? What needs to be done to ensure a smooth

experience for all stakeholders including drivers? Key industry

players outline the milestones that lie ahead and how innovators

will navigate the road to success.

Delivering the Internet of Everything - While Internet of

Things (IoT) is ubiquitous in our lives, the challenge will be how

to manage the user experience across all devices. Will privacy

concerns slow down consumer adoption? How can we deliver on

the vision of a seamless IoT connected world?

CES Asia is owned and produced by the Consumer Technology

Association (CTA), and co-produced by Shanghai Intex, will take

place June 7-9, 2017, in Shanghai, China at the Shanghai New

International Expo Centre (SNIEC).

C u r t a i n R a i s e r


CES Asia 2016: HighlightsLast year the second annual CES Asia saw 439exhibiting companies from 23 countries, regions andterritories introducing exciting innovative products,collaborations and services in the Asian marketplace.Four halls of the Shanghai New International ExpoCentre (SNIEC) attracted 33,879 attendees, including1,137 members of the media.Technologies showcased at CES Asia 2016 spannedthe tech ecosystem from the latest in 3D printing,wearables, robotics, drones, vehicle technology, smarthome and the Internet of Things (IoT). The show floorfeatured 15 product categories and the brand-newStartup Park, a dedicated destination for innovationincluding 64 startups with exhibitors from China,France, Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea and theUnited States.Influential executives from major brands took to theCES Asia stage to announce new partnerships andstrategic business ventures. The CES Asia ConferenceProgram featured 135 speakers and 50 sessions,including keynotes from Huawei’s Kevin Ho, WandaCinema Line’s John Zeng, Legendary East’s PeterLoehr, Intel’s Josh Walden, BMW’s Olaf Kastner,Tmall’s Yin Jing, Alibaba Group’s Xiaoming (Simon)Hu, JD.com’s Chen Zhang and JD Smart’s Eric Wang.CES Asia featured all four of China’s top retailers, withSuning and Yihaodian joining Alibaba and JD.com asexhibitors.

How did the idea of ESC originate?

The origin of ESC, the first among the ICT associations in the

country, is primarily to marshal and consolidate the strength of

the ICT sector in the country and to encourage them to go global.

The founders of ESC imagined that an institutional framework to

act as a rallying point for export of ICT. That did work. From a

few millions, software exports from India have registered quan-

tum jumps in a relatively shorter time frame and now it is in the

vicinity of US$ 120 billion. What more satisfying is how software

exports from the country has transformed India Inc. We were

known for exports of primary goods like raw materials, agricul-

tural goods etc. like any other country of our ilk. Software exports

brought a new verve and dynamism into India. Globally people

started recognizing India’s brain power and untapped intellectual

potentials. That way software exports was a game changer and

ESC is imbued with a pride for being part of that change.

What type of companies can become members of ESC?

We have two criteria for becoming a member. One, they should

be exporters and two they should be exporting ICT goods and

services. We have in our membership software and solution

exporters and electronics and hardware. We have an expanding

membership, which we consider is a direct response to services

we provide. We are also size neutral in the sense that we have

micro companies to enterprises employing large number of peo-

ple. Another important plank is the focus on small and medium

enterprises. I feel that no other organization in India which have

a large membership of SMEs as we have. That is because of the

specialized services we offer to them for promoting exports.

What is the main aim of participating in global events like

HKTDC, GITEX, Japan IT week?

This is primarily to help the member companies to go global.

Some of the SMEs may find it difficult to participate in shows on

their own due to exorbitant cost involved. What ESC does is to

buy the space in such global events and distribute space to indi-

vidual exhibitors depending on their requirements. Since the

space is pooled, there is considerable cost advantage, which will

be passed on to the participating companies. Also, ESC helps par-

ticipating companies to avail certain incentives extended by the

government under market development fund etc. In short, partic-

ipation of companies under ESC umbrella works out much cost

effective for the enterprises than participating on their individual

basis.

What advantages can members look forward to from ESC?

Apart from taking part in exhibitions and fairs held in different

part of the world at a very concessional rate we also disseminate

information of various schemes of the government, policy param-

eters and a host of information relevant to the exporters. Another

important aspect of our functioning is taking up the problems and

challenges of the exporters from time to time. For instance, ESC

has played a major role in changing the customs tax structure

incidental on electronic goods, which was flawed on many items.

A s s o c i a t i o n


“In ESC network, there are over 50

respected world trade development bodies”Electronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC), an autonomous organiza-

tion under the Department of information Technology is fast emerging as the premier nodal

agency to promote trade of Information Technology and Electronics between India and the rest

of the world. With a membership base of over 2200 manufacturers and exporters covering the

entire gamut of Electronics and Software Industry, ESC is today considered to be India’s best

Electronics and IT trade facilitation organization and assists Indian IT industry particularly the

SMEs. Providing multiple opportunities for its members through various government schemes,

it has seen many companies grow their business across oceans while multiplying their profits.

Steering the organization for over two decades is D K Sareen, Executive Director, ESC. In

an e-interview with Global Technologies he highlights on what ESC does and the benefits

that it provides to its members. Excerpts

The customs duty on raw material and intermediate goods were

high on certain goods than the finished goods. This was detrimen-

tal to the growth of the electronics sector in the country. Foreign

companies found it economical to import finished electronics

goods into the country, rather than manufacturing indigenously

and exporting to other countries. Changes in the tax structure

compelled these countries to manufacture these goods indige-

nously.

Coming to Indiasoft the show has grown substantially.

What are your plans for the 2018 show?

Undoubtedly, Indiasoft has grown leaps and bounds since its

inception in 2000. As we are entering the 18th edition of Indiasoft

and will be organized in 2018, we expect a lot of interests both

from India and abroad. Also, we are making effort to make the

participation of delegates or buyers from developed markets more

in the forthcoming events than in the earlier ones. We are plan-

ning to hold more road shows in different developed markets.

Also, we are sensitizing more Indian companies to display their

products and solutions at the Indiasoft.

Another important aspect of 2018 show is to have parallel

shows of Indiasoft and Hardware Show, which can considerably

value add mutually. That will also help in displaying to the for-

eign buyers India’s expertise in embedded technologies, internet

products, Internet of Things etc.

How do you plan to attract International buyers and par-

ticipants?

As I mentioned we propose to hold more road shows and sen-

sitization programs to attract more buyers both for Indiasoft and

hardware shows. We are in constant touch with our embassies

abroad to sensitize about the events. We also extend our hosted

buyers programs for delegates from developing world like Latin

America, CIS, SAARC, Middle East, Africa etc, wherein some of

their expenses for participation is borne by us.

Can you throw some light on the export industry statistics?

Export of Computer Software and ITeS registered a growth of

7.89 percent during the year 2016-17. In value terms export of

computer software and ITeS during 2016-17 is estimated to be

US$ 115.50 billion up from US$ 107 billion estimated during

2015-16. Export of Electronics goods and components during

2016-17 is estimated to be US$ 5.68 billion which is almost at

the same level during 2015-16 estimated at US$ 5.70 billion.

With which countries has ESC signed a memorandum of

understanding (MoU) and in what fields?

ESC has extensive network of counterpart organizations world

over to leverage member companies export interests in these mar-

kets. In the ESC network, there are over 50 respected world trade

development bodies. Some of the countries where ESC has MoUs

are Brazil, Nepal, Poland, Russia, Japan, Germany, Guatemala,

Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Hungary, Croa-

tia, Kenya, Dominican Republic, USA, Australia, Mexico,

Argentina, Vietnam, Canada, Israel, Egypt, France etc.,

You had opened an incubation center in USA, how success-

ful has it been?

ESC had opened incubation centers in Virginia and Maryland

which assisted 10 non competing IT SMEs in penetrating the US

market.

With Trump’s new policies how will it affect the Indian out-

sourcing industry?

Indeed, it has created scare among the Indian IT companies

engaged in the outsourcing business. Yet, it has taught us four les-

sons. One, markets should be diffused. Two, one has to move in

value chain. Three, newer products and technologies have to be

innovated to be ahead of others in the ICT. Four, local hiring is as

important as doing work offshore. The biggest challenge that we

face in IT is gradual automation, robotics and use of other tech-

nologies that reduce human interventions in the ICT sector. This

can be a real challenge for India, where a large number of IT pro-

fessionals are employed domestically and internationally. We

have to retrain our professionals to grapple with emerging chal-

lenges.



Can US companies do well without outsourcing?

My sense is that with declining demographic profile, developed

world needs manpower. To a great extent, they can meet this chal-

lenge through automation and robotics. There is also a limits to

growth in that direction also. Technology cannot work in vacuum.

They need human interventions at some stage. Such works, which

cannot be done by technology or apps -there are many of them -

will be outsourced. I am a firm a believer that scientific innova-

tions will not replace human capital rather they enhances employ-

ment opportunities. There were times in India, where most of the

offices had several typists, stenographers and a host of other pro-

fessionals at the low-end skill side. But such professionals are not

needed now. We need now more animators, designers, program-

mers etc. to do the high end jobs in IT. In the long run, I believe

that is going to be the case with outsourcing. Where higher

expertise are needed, outsourcing has to be resorted to. Our con-

ventional areas of outsourcing may undergo a change, but off-

shore jobs will be more than what it is now. Also, we have to see

that services trade is receiving more and more attention in multi-

lateral negotiations. My expectations are that in the forthcoming

WTO rounds of negotiations, greater importance will be given to

services exports, which will help India in two ways. One, export-

ing more services including ICT services globally and two,

greater movement of skilled persons across geographies as con-

ceived in the Mode 4 of movement of skilled people under WTO.

With India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi talking of

digital India – what role do you foresee ESC playing in the

PMs vision?

As a partner in progress, ESC is assigning great importance to

realizing a digital India as conceived by Prime Minister of India,

Narendra Modi. We give importance towards creating domestic

capacities in the ICT sector to leverage exports. We are motivat-

ing member companies and others to enter into areas like internet

products, semiconductors, electronic goods, cyber security equip-

ment etc. Development of these segments is important to achieve

digital India.



Services Sector: Vital for high economic growth

When our Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced ‘Make

in India’ initiative, I got motivated and decided to look out

for opportunities where I can play a vital role in taking this initia-

tive ahead. Having been for more than a decade in the import

–export business working for a company in Mumbai, I started

doing R&D to see what opportunities are available in this sector.

Quite a few interesting facts came up like WTO has ranked India

as 8th largest exporter while contributing just 3.3% of world

exports and 7th largest importer (3.1% of the world imports), in

commercial services trade. I foresaw a great potential in services

sector which can not only help in rapid growth of Indian econo-

my but also in substantial employment generation.

With rapid development in technology, trade in services is

becoming increasingly more viable, with many businesses now

dividing their operations across the world. We must understand

that service exports are vital for high economic growth whether

they are modern services or traditional services.

Apart from service industries like BPO, IT, Finance, legal,

logistics, etc. there is lot of scope in these industries too

• Health care industries: We are inherited and blessed with great

ancient knowledge about Yoga, Acupressure and Ayurveda.

Preventive health care is also a potential upcoming industry.

• Holistic industry: If branded smartly, our holistic industry com-

prising of Bhairav Vighyan can take the world by storm.

• Spiritual science: The whole world looks up to us – as a spiri-

tually inclined nation. In biologic science, India is an expert

and with the help of unknown technics like sound & silence,

many can be cured.

• World especially the

western countries

are facing problems

like insomnia. The

bases of this disease

could be a variety of

reasons, one of them

being food. Such

patients can be treat-

ed through the

ancient literatures-

one of them being the sacred ‘Geeta’.

• Medical tourism: Medical treatment is most reasonable as

compared to other developed countries.

• Atithi Devo Bhavah mindset: Indians are good hosts and hence

have always succeeded in hospitality business. This can be

used to promote homestays in India.

Service industries can grow if branded very well and backed by

government support. Further probe brought to the fore front that

there is no major support in Mumbai region, though Mumbai is

the financial hub. Also it’s high time Mumbai has government run

service sector offices. Though our Minister of commerce and

industry Nirmala Sitharaman is putting substantial efforts to pro-

mote service industry I feel if some industries like the above are

branded and promoted with government support, they will not

only grow but other support services will also grow automatically.

Kavita Rawal, CEO, Import Export Services

E v e n t R e v i e w


The 14th Hong Kong Electronics Fair (Spring Edition) and

the concurrent 14th International ICT Expo , organised by

the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC),

attracted more than 3,500 exhibitors from 23 countries and

regions. It also brought together 94,000 buyers from 138 coun-

tries and regions, an increase of 1.4 per cent over the previous

year. The number of buyers from mature markets such as Japan

and Korea recorded growth, while buyers from emerging markets

including the Chinese mainland, Brazil, India and Russia record-

ed a double-digit percentage increase.

The HKTDC commissioned an independent research agency to

conduct surveys on-site, interviewing over 850 buyers and

exhibitors to gauge their views on industry prospects. According

to the results, more than 80 per cent of respondents expect over-

all sales to increase or remain steady in 2017. The respondents

view North America, Western Europe and Hong Kong to be the

most promising traditional markets, while the mainland, ASEAN

markets, India and Middle East are seen as having the best

prospects among emerging markets.

“In this digital age led by smart technology, electronics is wide-

ly used in all aspects of life, ranging from business to home liv-

ing. The industry is constantly seeking innovative and futuristic

products and technology. These trends were reflected in this

year’s Spring Electronics Fair and ICT Expo. Together they

formed an important marketplace for exhibitors to showcase their

innovative products

and ICT solutions to

global buyers, creat-

ing tremendous busi-

ness opportunities,”

said HKTDC Deputy

Executive Director

Benjamin Chau. “We

saw brisk sourcing at

the fairground. Buy-

ers were keenly look-

ing for the latest

products and technologies, especially high-tech products with

virtual reality (VR) elements or smart-home applications.”

“The fairs featured an inaugural Startup zone to provide start-

ups with an ideal trading and networking platform to meet poten-

tial investors and partners from around the world and showcase

their unique concepts. We saw vibrant business at the zone,” Mr

Chau added.

Inaugural Startup zone

Supporting the development of start-ups, the HKTDC intro-

duced the Startup zone at the Expo this year to showcase the inno-

vative technologies, products and services of more than 100 start-

ups from Hong Kong, the mainland, India, Japan, the US and Tai-

wan.

The concept of startup zones at global shows is relatively new

and for the first time I saw it 3 years back at an event in USA. But

the uniqueness of this start up zone was while most of them pro-

vide an opportunity for tech startups to showcase their innova-

tions/ products/solutions to just potential investors, HKTDC

introduced a session –‘HelloReporter Media Pitch Day – Tech

Startups on the Rise’. This was unique as generally in most shows

its investor pitch but for the first time I was able to witness a

Media Pitch and saw quite a few startups pitching their products

in front of local as well as over 10 overseas media.

There were also a series of start-up themed events, including

sharing sessions featuring representatives from Alibaba Entrepre-

neurs Fund, the crowdfunding platform FringeBacker and angel

investors. Pitching, mentoring and “Startup, Smart Launch” ses-

sions were also organised to help start-ups connect with and pitch

their ideas to potential partners or investors, showcasing their

outstanding creativity to overseas buyers.

At the Startup zone, Hong Kong start-up QIUB Group Ltd pre-

sented a multifunction power bank with integrated data/charging

cable and USB memory card reader, for which crowdfunding was

received from Indiegogo last October. “The Startup zone provides

a perfect opportunity for start-ups to showcase their latest inno-

vations, and start-ups only need to pay a small participation fee,”

100+ start-ups take benefit at the Spring

Electronics Fair & ICT Expo

As always the Spring Electronics Fair & ICT Expo in Hong Kong was impressive and this time I was glad that a Startup

zone was finally introduced feels Chandragupta Amritkar after a visit to this global event.



said company founder and Director Kresimir Secak. “The pitch-

ing session is very useful as our product has attracted a lot of

attention from buyers.” He added that at least 20 potential

investors from Europe and Hong Kong had bought samples and

subsequent orders were expected.

Indian start-up HAL Robotics Private Ltd, a first-time exhibitor

at the fair, featured its latest product RoboTrack, an Internet of

Things (IoT) item developed for the supply chain industry to

manage freight logistics. Czech buyer Jan Jirout, Managing

Director of Enrecotrade, was looking for various electronics

items such as wireless chargers for smart phones, electronic com-

ponents for producing security systems and 3D printers. He found

his visit to the Startup zone useful. “I am planning to buy

US$50,000 worth of 3D printers offered by a start-up. I like the

Startup zone because it provides a good opportunity for start-ups

to showcase new technology and products. It’s good to be here

because I can find what I want, see and touch new products, and

have face-to-face meetings with suppliers,” he said.

The fair also featured a Tech Hall with four themed zones: the

new Virtual Reality zone and the returning Connected Home,

Robotics & Unmanned Tech and Wearable Electronics zones,

showcasing an assortment of high-tech electronics products. With

the growing prevalence of IoT technology and smart homes,

smart products that incorporate IoT technology continued to be

highly sought after.

In terms of product trends, respondents expect electrical and

electronic accessories (20%), audiovisual products (12%), home

appliances (9%), electronic gaming products (9%) and digital

imaging products (9%) to have the best sales growth this year.

Among wearable electronics, smart watches (40%) and smart

wristbands (29%) are considered to have the biggest growth

potential in the next two years, while good prospects are also seen

for 3D goggles for playing 3D video games or watching wide-

screen 3D films. Among electronics products with smart home

applications, system items for wireless and Wi-Fi Internet/mobile

connection (70%), wireless charging devices for smart appliances

(70%) and audio-visual items with smart functions (68%) are

seen to have the best prospects. On average, respondents expect

consumers are willing to pay around 18 per cent premium for

electronics products and household appliances that are compati-

ble with smart home application.

ICT Expo

In this digital age, apt applications of ICT can enhance corpo-

rate efficiency, productivity and profitability. The ICT Expo was

an excellent platform that showcased a wide spectrum of ICT

solutions and relevant services under one roof, including cyberse-

curity systems, e-commerce platforms, electronic payment, logis-

tics management and online-to-offline (O2O) business solutions.

While there were exhibitors from several countries, India had a

substantial presence with 21 companies. Under the aegis of Elec-

tronics and Computer Software Export Promotion Council (ESC)

an Indian pavilion was formed. The technologies varied with

Neosoft Technologies which has been participating for several

years successfully showcased their offshoring services for Soft-

ware Development, Website Designing, Web Development.

Clavax Technologies participating for the first time showcased

their latest software solutions for real estate, healthcare, travel

etc. Hypersoft Technologies showcased their expertise in the

fields of Finance, Accounting, Stock Broking as well as a restau-

rant solution. Variance which is proficient in offshore software

development offering services to numerous sectors has been a

regular exhibitor.

Small Orders zone

This year at the Small Orders zone about 300 showcases fea-

tured nearly 3,000 products available in minimum order quanti-

ties ranging from five to 1,000 pieces. Over the four-day fair peri-

od, around 30,000 buyers visited the zone, generating more than

20,000 business connections.

Now a backpack with in built speakers

Normal backpacks are a passé. The new trend as per Theo SolutionsPvt Ltd is a backpack that ensures continuous music playback. Idealfor students, music lovers who will love to carry their music withthem. While with smart phones one can surely enjoy the best of audioon their smart phones with an earplug. But when you are on a roadtrip – alone or with company in addition to audio stuff you need abackpack. How about one with in built speakers + micro USB forcharging + water proof?

The Doppler Audio Pack capable of holding a 13” laptop turned out tobe an ideal option with a 6000 mAh power bank providing approx. 9hours of music using Bluetooth. One can play continuous music thanks to its 10W speakers. Once you haveenjoyed 9 hours of nonstop music it can be recharged in just half the time ie, around 5 hours. Priced at ` 4,995/-, it can be an item of utility.

Continuing its unique tradition of hosting journalists from

across the global for a media briefing four months before the

event at exotic locations IFA (International Funkausstellung) this

year held the annual get-together in Lisbon, Portugal. IFA is an

annual event held in Berlin, every September attracting players

from consumer electronics and home appliances.

The 11th edition of IFA Global Press Conference (GPC) had

plenty of industry power briefings, panel discussions, key

exhibits and the GPC. Nearly 350 Journalists selected from lead-

ing publications updated their knowledge with insights from

industry leaders in the consumer electronics and home appliances

business. There were many new gadgets showcased at IFA GPC

2017 including Porsche Design's first Laptop, Sennheiser

AMBEO Headset, and Samsung - The Frame TV.

AMBEO smart surround headsets

Sennheiser CEO Andreas Sennheiser did not disappoint the

gathered media when in his presentation gave a demo of

Sennheiser’s new AMBEO smart surround headsets that also

includes a virtual reality (VR) 3D microphone. Sennheiser

mobile binaural recording headset (Binaural recording is a

method of recording sound that uses two microphones, arranged

with the intent to create a 3-D

stereo sound sensation for the lis-

tener – Wiki) is designed to

deliver a stunning 3D experience

onto an Apple iOS devices fea-

turing a Lightning connector.

The headset has omnidirec-

tional microphones integrated

into the ear pieces on the outside

to let users record binaural audio

besides listening to it, the first time that anyone has compacted

binaural audio recording and integrated into a mobile product.

The AMBEO smart headset also has a feature called Transparent

Hearing. This means that one will no longer have to remove their

earphones in order to listen to what is going on around them.

A pair of headsets was given to all media. Surprise of surprise

the pair of headsets DONOT work with Android devices and only

on iOS devices - Apple’s iPhone. The claims that iPhone is a per-

fect fit due to high fidelity 3D audio on their mobile devices

Though support for Android devices would be coming soon

and the Sennheiser CEO mentioned it’s looking at Samsung to

spearhead its foray into Android. Unfortunately the pricing and

availability of the AMBEO smart headset was not announced.

The Frame by Samsung

“The Frame” – a Samsung project that turns ordinary televi-

sions into a framed photo – was first showcased at CES 2017.

Michael Zoller, the Vice President and Head of Displays for

Europe Samsung announced at IFA GPC 2017 that The Frame

will hit the market by the end of May. When the TV's special "Art

Mode" is activated The Frame looks like a picture frame hanging

on a wall. Instead of fading to black like a conventional TV, The

Frame’s display transforms into a work of art, letting the users

select custom-designed digital art pieces. With more than 100 art

pieces in 10 different categories – including landscape, architec-

ture, wildlife, action, drawing. Samsung demonstrated how the



IFA 2017 launches "IFA Next," a zone

dedicated to startupsThe 11th edition of IFA GPC hosted select 300 technology and business journalists from 50+ countries to attend indus-

try power briefings, trends and witness launch of new gadgets. Chandragupta Amritkar reports from Lisbon, Portugal.

How to contact usKarlsruher Messe- und Kongress-GmbH | Festplatz 9 | 76137 Karlsruhefon +49 721 3720-0 | fax +49 721 [email protected] | www.messe-karlsruhe.de | contact: Regina Feiner

How to find us- easy to travel to - by rail, roads and air- direct access to nearby motorways: A 5, A 8, A 65- only 1 hour from Frankfurt airport - direct rail link- approx. 3 hours from Paris on the TGV (high speed train)- excellent local transportation infrastructure, Messe-Express (shuttle service) from the main station to the Karlsruhe Trade Fair Center

CapacitiesTrade Fair Center - award-winning architecture, premium quality materials- 3 halls, each measuring 12.500 sq. m plus the 12.500 sq. m dm-arena- an atrium with events hall measuring 1.800 sq. m- an atrium with garden atmosphere for events- an open-air exhibition area totalling 10.000 sq. m- a conference centre accommodating approx. 2.000 guestsConvention Center- 4 event venues/halls, 28 rooms, space for approx. 13.000 seated guests- 20.000 sq. m exhibition area in the halls and foyers- 10.000 sq. m open-air area for exhibitions and events- 1.000 underground parking spaces- attractive location in the city centreEuropahalle- Room for 9.000 guests, seated or standing, or 5.097 guests seated in rows in the inner area and seating galleries- 4.400 sq. m usable area- best conditions for any kind of sporting events and entertainment

Support from A to Z- exhibitor services- visitor/participant services- event organiser services- travel services- KMK-TV - Germany´s first trade fair TV channel

Hotel recommendationsBest Western Queens, Novotel, Radisson SAS,Renaissance, Ringhotel Residenz, Schlosshotel

Everything.Out of the ordinary.

Open new doors. Savour success. Experience inspiration. Stage trade fairs, conventions and events in Karlsruhe and everything fits together. More than you would expect. In three world-class locations for events, with plenty of room for creativity . For your latest innovation. And your ideas. Welcome to Karlsruhe Messe- und Kongress-GmbH.



The Frame

could be

installed on

walls with

“zero-gap”. The

Frame was

curated with an

artful approach

meant to elevate

any room or

viewing envi-

ronment. Two versions of the television - a 55-inch display (2,199

Euros or Rs. 1.6 lakh) and 65-inch model.

Porsche Design BOOK ONE

Porsche launched its new Porsche Design BOOK ONE 2-in-1

detachable laptop. Dr. Jan Becker, the CEO of Porsche Design

Group said that BOOK ONE features a unique hinge design

called VarioHinge - inspired by the gearbox of a sports car and

gives the device its flexibility. It features Intel i7-7500U proces-

sor with 16GB RAM,

512GB SSD hard drive,

resolution of 3200 x 1800

pixels, biometric authenti-

cation and two lithium-

polymer batteries provid-

ing 14 hours of operation.

Priced on the higher side

(2795 Euros - Rs. 1.9 lakh) it’s a piece of art.

Statistics

At the GPC gfu and Messe Berlin announced that IFA 2017

will drive growth and innovation in the consumer electronics and

home appliances markets – by offering brands more space than

ever before; by giving IFA Global Markets much more space

where manufacturers can show their design and source compo-

nents for future products; and with IFA NEXT to give startups,

research labs and companies at the edge of innovation their own

platform.

"The markets for home appliances and consumer electronics

products are converging. IFA is celebrating the 10th edition of

Home Appliances @ IFA. IFA continues to be the leading plat-

form for both market segments. No other trade show is able to

meet all the demands of industry, retailers, consumers, and media

participants like IFA. The show’s continued success is reflected in

a steadily increasing order volume - more than $4.7 billion dur-

ing IFA 2016," said Hans-Joachim Kamp, Chairman of the Super-

visory Board of gfu Consumer & Home Electronics.

Paul Gray, Principal Analyst/Researcher at IHS Technology

said while 5G phones will have amazing speeds almost 100 times

faster than 4G it will be all about the low power and low latency

(the time taken for a webpage to load on a phone). He also

stressed on long-lasting batteries in phones and wearable devices

– lasting for days or weeks instead of hours.

During the event, Jürgen Boyny, Global Director, Consumer

Electronics at market researcher GfK Retail and Technology, said

that mobile and smart home will be one of the most important

topics for the global electronics industry. The boom of mobile

payment in China and North America will expand to other

regions. "Mobile payment is an innovation in retail. China is lead-

ing the trend being the world's largest provider of mobile pay-

ment service. In China, one can pay almost everything through

mobile."

He further added, "Turnover in the digital market remains high.

Nearly $950 billion in total annual sales are expected in both

2017 and 2018. Whether at home or on the road, the smartphone

is shaping market advances. The smartphone is connecting all

areas of daily life, from the TV in the living room to the washing

machine, coffee machine, or bathroom scales. The Internet of

Things has already reached the consumer.”

Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin said: “We believe it’s

time to define consumer electronics in a new way. The boundaries

between consumer electronics and home appliances, the digital

and the physical worlds, are blurring. Whether it is in the kitchen,

the living room or the office, the “consumerization” of devices is

exponential from entertainment in the living room to healthcare

and wellness, automotive, mobile devices, gaming, computing,

services like the Internet of Things and the smart home, to new

fields like drones, virtual, augmented and mixed reality. Today,

consumer electronics connects and shapes everything. If you

come to IFA, you see the future of how we live and work.”

New Zones: IFA Next and IFA Global Market

Dr. Christian Göke, CEO of Messe Berlin announced that IFA

2017 will have a new hall for startups and research labs, to be

called IFA Next in addition to an entirely separate sister event,

called IFA Global Markets. Since the introduction of home appli-

ances a decade ago this was the major addition to the show.

Innovation is the DNA of IFA, and IFA 2017 will give innova-

tion its own stage, whether it comes from start-ups, research labs,

universities and companies large or small – at IFA NEXT, build-

ing beyond IFA TecWatch.

The organisers gfu and Messe Berlin feel that IFA Next will

provide a new unified platform for companies at the edge of inno-

vation their own platform and will be based in Hall 26. Highlight-

ing the need Dr. Christian Göke said, "To accelerate growth and

innovation at IFA 2017, we will offer more space for brands and

create a new center stage for innovative businesses."

Jens Heithecker, IFA Executive Director: “IFA NEXT puts

innovation right at the heart of the show, for journalists and visi-

tors it is a unique opportunity to see latest innovation all in one

place.”

IFA NEXT will be located in Hall 26, with two arenas of inno-

vation that will host presentations and demonstrations; and one

area hosting the IFA keynotes, IFA+Summit and the IFA Hosted

Conferences.

IFA Global Markets which will run parallel to the main event

will be exclusively for original equipment manufacturers

(OEMs), original design manufacturers (ODMs) and component

manufacturing. Dr. Christian Göke said, “IFA Global Market

would be launched as Europe's largest sourcing show where man-

ufacturers can show their design and source components for

future products thus completing the end-to-end supply chain,

from component manufacturers to OEMs and ODMs.” IFA Glob-

al Markets will run from September 3-6, at Station Berlin near

Potsdamer Platz. A shuttle service will transport visitors between

the new site and the IFA Messe.

IFA 2017 will take place in Berlin from 1-6 September, 2017


THEGLOBAL INNO-VATIONS SHOW

OFFICIAL PARTNER OF THE FUTURE SINCE 1924

IFA-BERLIN.COM

IFA-Contact: Indo-German Chamber of Commerce

Tel. +91 22 6665 [email protected]

With so many smartwatches in the market how do you dis-

tinguish HUG watches?

HUG Smartwatch is the world’s first gesture control smart-

watch. Our gesture control technology enables an amazing touch-

less human–machine interactive experience to the user. Flying a

drone, controlling a GoPro action camera, commanding Alexa,

flipping through a PowerPoint presentation, gaming in VR, and

more can be done with simple, intuitive hand gestures. What’s

more? These gesture control use cases can be extended to just

about any connected device by using the HUG developer plat-

form.

The HUG smartwatch is also a comprehensive personal safety

ecosystem, a fitness tracker, and a perfect lifestyle companion

device.

How did the idea of having such a smartwatch germinate?

We set out on a mission to solve critical mass market problems

like personal safety using wearable technology. The HUG smart-

watch offers a comprehensive personal safety solution with the

Industry’s first live community support, a dedicated SOS gesture,

and a highly customizable IOT Safety platform which can be inte-

grated with service partners. We always knew that smartwatches

needed to offer an experience different to that of a smartphone, so

we did just that with our proprietary gesture control technology.

Yes saw you demonstration at CES of gesture control for

drones. What all devices can it be paired with?

Quite a few. These include GoPro action cameras, Philips Hue

smart lighting, Oculus Rift, Smartphone based VR headsets,

PowerPoint, Keynote, VLC media player, Amazon Alexa, Ama-

zon Fire TV, Apple TV, Parrot drones, OnagoFly drones, Ollie,

BB-8 by Sphero, Smartphone native music player app etc.

More user cases can be built via the open source HUG devel-

oper platform which will shortly be available on iOS, Android,

.Net.

Security of the fairer sex is a

major factor - how do you plan

to tie up with the police

stations in India/Globally?

We have built a highly customizable IoT

platform which can be integrated with police

stations in India, security services around the

world.

What about your technology expertise?

Our technology expertise lies in the fields of Gesture recogni-

tion, personal safety, machine learning, AI, VR, battery optimiza-

tion for wearables, and IoT platform development.

Which are your major markets?

Our target markets are North America, Latin America, UAE,

and India.

There is a stiff competition in the smartwatch sector how do

you plan to overcome competition?

We plan to overcome competition with our differentiated prod-

uct experience across vertical sectors, key technology partner-

ships, and pricing.

With such an unique watch you must have won a lot of

awards and accolades. Can you highlight the prominent

ones?

• Top 10 Start-ups at Mobile World Congress, Barcelona- IE

Global Mobile Challenge 2017

• Overall Winner, India- 1st China (Shenzhen) Innovation &

Entrepreneurship International Competition organized by Min-

istry of Science & Technology, Govt of China.

• Wearable Technology Start-up of the year 2017- World Start-up

Expo 2017

What is the main aim of participating in events like CES?

The aim is to showcase our products & technology to the glob-

al audience, and invite conversations on strong technology col-

laborations.

Where do you see the company in next 3 years?

We see ourselves leading from the front on delivering solutions

for better human-machine interaction in an ever connected digital

world.

w e a r a b l e s


HUG Smartwatch: The Multi Utility

SmartwatchIt was at CES, Las Vegas during a random press meet that I was attending (glad I did not

give it a miss) that I got an opportunity to interact with a soft spoken Raj Neravati, CEO

and Founder, Hug Innovations. The company showcased the world's first gesture con-

trol Smart watch, Hug Smartwatch where with gestures one can control the volume of a

speaker or even a drone (which was displayed). Apart from this uniqueness Hug Smartwatch

plays a pivotal role in personal safety, fitness, health and nutrition. I found that this Indian

company that has a great potential. In an Interview with Global Technologies Raj Neravati

takes us through the journey of HUG. Excerpts

For over four decades, World Environment Day (WED) has

been raising awareness, supporting action, and driving

change. First held in 1974 it is today the main campaigner

for awareness on emerging environmental issues - right from

marine pollution to global warming, to sustainable consumption

and wildlife crime. The first WED was held with the theme "Only

One Earth". Even though WED celebrations have been held

annually since 1974, in 1987 the idea for rotating the center of

these activities through selecting different host countries began.

The theme for 2017 is 'Connecting People to Nature – in the city

and on the land, from the poles to the equator' and the host coun-

try for 2017 is Canada.

This year’s theme ‘Connecting People to Nature’, implores cit-

izens to get outdoors and into nature, to appreciate its beauty and

its importance, and to take forward the call to protect the Earth

that we share.

World Environment Day is a day for everyone, everywhere.

Since it began in 1972, global citizens have organized many thou-

sands of events, from neighbourhood clean-ups, to action against

wildlife crime, to replanting forests.

This year’s theme invites global citizens to think about how

they are part of nature and how intimately we all depend on it. It

challenges us to come out of our houses and see what a wonder

nature around us is and also get us a guilty feeling on how the cur-

rent generation is successfully eroding it.

On the other hand scientific advances as well as growing envi-

ronmental problems such as global warming are helping us to

understand the countless ways in which natural systems support

our own prosperity and well-being.

For example, the world’s oceans, forests and soils act as vast

stores for greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and methane;

farmers and fisher-folk harness nature on land and under water to

provide us with food; scientists develop medicines using genetic

material drawn from the millions of species that make up Earth’s

astounding biological diversity.

Nature’s gifts are often hard to value in monetary terms. But

while they exists

let’s all enjoy it.

The WED is an

ideal occasion to

go out and enjoy

Maharashtra’s national parks and other wilderness areas and rel-

ish the idea of seeing a rare plant, a ferocious animal, identify dif-

ferent birds, appreciate beautiful butterflies. Record what you see

and post it on social media so that you encourage friends and rel-

atives to go exploring too.

Maharashtra: A Natures Paradise

With 720 km of coastline 550 forts (including 20+ Sea Forts),

the UNESCO World Heritage Site - Western Ghats, alluring bio-

diversity, superb wildlife and lush greenery spread across the

state Maharashtra has always been a natures paradise. From water

to land to sky options

are plenty for a nature

lover. The state has

plenty of bio-diversity,

diverse climate and

varying topography

with eco-tourism

always on priority so

that endangered species can find safe heavens in the state.

Maharashtra is home to many wildlife sanctuaries and national

parks and the land of rich floral and faunal diversity. These

national parks and sanctuaries are home to many rare species of

flora and fauna. From ever green forests of Western Ghats to

deciduous forest of Vidarbha, each region is bestowed with

unique natural beauty. Jewels in the crown are the tiger reserves

like Tadoba, Melghat, Pench and Sahyandri. Mowgli Land is

inviting you, on the backwaters of Totladoh lake, in Pench

National Park.

Modern amenities such as jeep rides, night safaris, library and

audio-visual facilities, comfortable accommodation and efficient

transport are also available at these parks at a nominal charge.

Most of the sanctuaries and the park have lakes with serene beauty.

Bharmragarh Sanctuary has many types of wild animals like

leopard, jungle fowl, wild boar and sloth bear, barking deer, blue

bull, peacock and flying squirrel. The entire area is covered with

the moist deciduous mix forests.

Bor Wildlife Sanctuary is located at Hingni in Wardha, Maha-

rashtra. It covers an area of 61.10 sq km. It includes 3,237

hectares of Reserve Forest, 2,213 hectares of Protected Forest.

Chikhaldhara is located in Amaravati district of Vidarbha

region of Maharashtra. It is believed that its name is derived from

Keechaka. This hill station is the only hill station, which offers

E n v i r o n m e n t


Visit Nature Parks and Celebrate World Environment Day

With participation from over 143 countries including India United Nation's World

Environment Day on June 5th has become a vehicle for encouraging worldwide

awareness on environment. Chandragupta Amritkar looks at some interest-

ing facts and welcomes the techies to get outdoors and into nature

the tourists lots of wildlife, viewpoints.

Dajipur is situated on the border of Kolhapur and Sindhudurg

districts. Rugged mountains and dense forests surround this hilly

area. This quiet little place is completely cut-off from human

blare.

Navegaon Park is a very popular forest resort in the Vidarbha

region. This eastern most part of Maharashtra was built in the

18th century. There is also a picturesque lake that situates amidst

the green hills of Nave-

gaon.

Pench National Park is

located on the border of

Madhya Pradesh and

Maharashtra, which is at a

distance of 70 km from

Nagpur. The National Park

covers an area of 257.26 sq km.

Tadoba National Park is a large park covered with lush, green

forestland. It is situated at a distance of 45 km from Chandrapur.

Tigers, leopards, gaurs, nilgais.

Tipeshwer - Black buck, blue bull, chital, sambar, peacock,

hare, snake, monkey, wild boar, bear, wild cat, wolf and jackal are

the wild animals that are abundantly seen at the Tipeswher sanc-

tuary.

Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) in Mumbai city

encompasses an area of 104 km2 making it one of the largest

national parks within a metropolis limit. The rich flora and fauna

of Sanjay Gandhi National Park attracts more than 2 million vis-

itors every year who also visit the 2400-year-old Kanheri caves

within the park. The park houses over 1000 plant species, 251

species of migratory, land and water birds, 50,000 species of

insects and 40 species of mammals, 38 species of reptiles, 9

species of amphibians, 150 species of butterflies and a large vari-

ety of fish.

(Sources – United Nations, MTDC and Maharashtra Forest

Department)

E n v i r o n m e n t


National Safety Council (NSC)

has been playing a pivotal role in

not just celebrating but also promot-

ing WED. Located in CBD Belapur,

Navi Mumbai this is an Institute of

National importance and was set up

on 4th March, 1966 by the Ministry

of Labour, Government of India. To

get an insight with the WED activi-

ties Chandragupta Amritkar spoke

with M.M. Kulkarni, Dy. Director

General, NSC

How important is WED for India?

WED campaign is very important for our country as it helps

different stakeholders in the society to come together on key

environmental issues for identifying, deciding and initiating

measures for environment protection. The natural resources

are being consumed at an accelerated rate and needs to be con-

served for sustenance of future generations. WED provides an

excellent opportunity to raise a call for adopting sustainable

lifestyles and to promote sustainable consumption and produc-

tion for protection of environment.

What activities does NSC do related to the event?

NSC has been actively organising and promoting WED

campaign among its member organisations and other stake-

holders since 1999. Every year NSC produces a number of

promotional materials based on UNEPs (United Nations Envi-

ronment Programe) theme for WED. These materials include -

Cloth Banner (Hindi and English) depicting UNEP theme on

WED, Multicolour Poster on Environment Protection, A mul-

ticolour Badge with slogan on environment for pinning/wear-

ing on 5th June (WED), Information booklets on environmen-

tal topics/Indian environmental regulations, Utility articles

such as Cap, T-Shirt, Cloth shopping bags, with multicolour

WED logo etc.

These materials are used by NSC member organisations for

creating awareness among their employees and other stake-

holders during various activities undertaken in their premises

on the occasion of WED. The activities include tree planta-

tions, street parades, guest lectures, poster competitions, essay

competitions, TV shows, etc

NSC also conducts special training programmes on different

environmental subjects/Indian environmental regulations for

its member organisations and other industries to create aware-

ness on environmental issues.

What role can NSC members play for the betterment of

environment?

NSCs more than 8500 members can play a very important

role in disseminating environmental information through cele-

bration and participation in the WED campaign. Environmen-

tally aware

employees will

be able to con-

tribute in the

environment

protection

measures at

their workplace

adopted by

industries as

well as in their personal life. These efforts go a long way in

conservation of natural resources, reduction in generation of

waste, proper treatment and disposal of effluents, etc.

For Your Information


May 04-06 CE China 2017, Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Center

May 23-25 Broadcast Asia/ CommunicAsia, Singapore, Singapore

May 30 – June 01 Sensor+Test, Nuremberg, Germany

May 30 – June 02 COMPUTEX TAIPEI, Taipei, Taiwan

May 31 – June 02 Intersolar Expo (Solar Technology), Munich,Germany

June 07 – 09 CES Asia, Shanghai, China

June 07 – 09 VIETNAM ICT COMM, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam

June 14 – 16 InfoComm 2017, Orange County Convention Center, Orlando, FL

July 11 – 13 Intersolar North America

July 26 – 28 Tourism Technology Asia (TTA), Singapore

July 30 – Aug 03 International Conference on Computer Graphics (SIGGRAPH), Los Angeles, USA

August 16–18 Asia Smart Card and RFID Expo, Shenzhen, China

August 21–23 Africa Mobile & ICT Expo (MOBEX), Accra, Ghana

August 22–24 Intersolar South America, São Paulo, Brazil

September 01 – 06 IFA 2017, Berlin, Germany

September 14 – 18 IBC International Broadcasting Convention, Amsterdam (Netherlands)

September 20-22 IIC-China, Shanghai World Expo Center, Pudong, Shanghai (China)

September 25-27 Intersolar Middle East, Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE

September 26-28 InfoComm India, Mumbai

October 02 – 05 Futurecom 2017, Transamérica Expo Center Av, Sao Paulo (Brazil)

October 08 - 12 GITEX 2017, DWTC, Dubai

October 09 – 20 World Telecommunication Development Conference, Buenos Aires, Argentina

October 11 – 14 TAITRONICS (Taipei International Electronics Show), Taiwan

October 13 – 16 Hong Kong Electronics Fair 2014, Hong Kong

October 13 – 16 electronicAsia, Hong Kong

October 16 – 19 Sibos 2017, Metro Toronto Convention Centre, Toronto, Canada

October 18 – 20 Taiwan Int'l Photovoltaic Exhibition, Taiwan

Oct 31 – Nov 2 Integrated Systems Russia, Expocentre, Moscow, Russia

November 20-22 Startup Nations Summit, Tallinn, Estonia

December 5–7 Intersolar India, Mumbai

February 01 – 03 IBEX India, MMRDA Grounds, Bandra Kurla Complex, Mumbai, India

Exhibitions and conferences not only give you an opportunity to see and hear about the latest technologies and prod-

ucts but also becomes a venue to meet and interact with International partners. One should plan much in advance to

participate in an expo so that he can get in touch with existing and prospective customers. We have compiled a list

of ICT and related Exhibitions for 2017-18.

If your event is not listed, please e-mail us at [email protected]. It's free!

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