"As technologies evolve faster than ever, it is the ability to quickly learn and upskill oneself that will help maintain one's relevance," says Rajesh Nambiar, Chairman and MD at Cognizant India. More than 650,000 employees are expected to undergo training in generative AI between 2023 and 2024, reports Financial Express, citing a Deloitte report. Along with generative AI, professionals skilled in data analytics and machine learning are also in demand among companies across sectors in India, according to Michael Page data, reports The Economic Times. At IT giant Cognizant, technologies in focus include AI, ML, cyber security, and data science, among others. What skills are critical for the firm as they work with these? Watch as Rajesh shares insights into the topic and share your take — What's one skill tech professionals should master with the advent of emerging technologies, and why? Check out the LinkedIn Top Companies in India with more than 5,000 employees here: https://lnkd.in/TC24INLarge #LinkedInVideo Source: Financial Express (India): https://lnkd.in/gc5gGmk2. The Economic Times: https://lnkd.in/gxHRk7pt

People who solve crosswords regularly are less likely to undergo cognitive decline provided the puzzle is challenging, says Dr. Sudhir Kumar, Neurologist at Apollo Hospitals, Hyderabad in an Indian Express report. Solving puzzles requires a diverse set of skills such as logic and creativity, coupled with knowledge, thereby boosting cognition and problem-solving skills, says another report by The Economic Times. Such games also foster team bonding among players, the report adds. So, we want to know from you: How can playing word games and puzzles help at work? Vote in our poll and share your thoughts in the comments section. Source: https://lnkd.in/gJTg42wr https://lnkd.in/gfN-tXP6 ✍: Divya Pathak

Neglecting brand building and focusing too much on ads can be harmful for businesses, says Amitabh Shukla, SEO Director at Digital Catalyst. If 80% of a firm’s budget is spent on ads and only 20% on branding, the business may not be successful in the long term, thereby leading to weak customer loyalty and ROI, he says. What’s the key to building successful businesses? Share your take in the comments section.

Startups in India are actively working to decarbonise EV batteries and make them sustainable, reports Garima Bora for The Economic Times. The production of lithium-ion batteries that powers EVs, account for 40-60% of EV production emissions, McKinsey & Company estimates. Rare earth materials are mined for the production of batteries causing pollution. Moreover, spent lithium-ion and lead-acid batteries are often discarded in landfills, says the report. How are environmentally conscious startups battling this? Nexus Power extracts nanodot proteins from crop residues to power batteries. Cancrie uses coconut shells to produce nanomaterials for batteries, which also works as an alternative to nanocarbons that are often imported from abroad. Metastable Materials use chemical-free technology to extract about 90% of products from the disposed batteries. BatX Energies extract valuable metals like nickel and cobalt from used batteries and produce recyclable objects. The battery recycling market in India is expected to surge from $0.1 billion in FY23 to $1 billion by FY30, says Avendus Capital. Source: The Economic Times - https://lnkd.in/gFyxhrG9 ✍: Novinston Lobo 📷: Getty Images #Sustainability #EVPower

Venture funds focused on emerging niches are cropping up in India, signalling the growing maturity of the startup funding ecosystem, reports Priyamvada C reports for Livemint. Specialised funds in sectors like prop tech, supply chain, media tech, STEM, and climate tech have emerged over the last six to 12 months. Even though sector-specific funds have been around for a while, they are coming into focus as investors eye targeted investments in sunrise industries to maximise returns, according to the report. Through these focused funds, founders also have the opportunity to be backed by investors and receive resources that will help with unique challenges in niche sectors, adds the report. Some of these specialised funds include Caret Capital's $50-million sustainability fund, early-stage prop tech fund Spyre, Audacity's $30-million fund, which invests in media technology, and Synpases' $125-million fund, which is focused on STEM. Venture capital investment in India doubled in the March quarter this year over the previous quarter to touch $3.2 billion across 354 deals, reports The Economic Times, citing KPMG's Private Enterprise Venture Pulse report. AI, power tech, health tech, agritech are some of the sectors to watch out for, according to Nitish Poddar, Partner and National Leader-Private Equity at KPMG in India. What niche and emerging sectors do you think will attract investments in 2024? Share your take in the comments. Source: The Economic Times: https://lnkd.in/eJhuQme8 LiveMint: https://lnkd.in/gyWh-MXb ✍️: Isha Chitnis 📸: Getty Images 

In today’s News Wrap, we ask: What’s key to decision-making at work? Also in the News Wrap: Reliance Jio makes a mark globally, and domestic passenger traffic soars to a new record. Thanks to Kshitiz Jain, CFA, FRM for his take on the telecom market, Nilopal Ojha for his comment on the aviation industry, and Shankar Mallapur for sharing how to take better decisions at work. #EveningNewsWrap Source: Rohit Dubey - https://lnkd.in/dWKCxqiW https://lnkd.in/d-Mv3Qn5 The Economic Times - https://lnkd.in/dsafjmUa https://lnkd.in/duafFVEh https://lnkd.in/drAVAH63 ✍: Abhiraj Ganguli

More FMCG and retail companies in India have started investing in new-age D2C brands, says a report by Livemint. While Marico Limited has invested in Beardo and Just Herbs, Hindustan Unilever has already launched various new-age brands such as Love Beauty and Planet, and Simple. Watch as Harsh Mariwala, Chairman of Marico Limited, shares his insights on the topic in this video. And share your take as well in the comments section — in what ways can FMCG firms innovate to tap into the D2C space? Check out the LinkedIn Top Companies in India with fewer than 5,000 employees here: https://lnkd.in/INDIATopCompanies24MIDSIZE and the Top Companies in the retail and consumer goods industry here: https://lnkd.in/eb9RR4af Source:  LiveMint: https://lnkd.in/gRvVjHTK https://lnkd.in/dWbApp_Z #LinkedInVideo #LinkedInTopCompanies

More financial trading firms are setting up shop in India, boosting job prospects for traders and wealth managers, Ishika Mookerjee, Preeti Singh, Suvashree Ghosh, and Chanyaporn Chanjaroen report for Bloomberg. For instance, global high-frequency trading firm Optiver recently opened an office in Mumbai, while Citadel Securities LLC is hiring for their new office in Gurugram. IMC Trading BV plans to ramp up its India workforce from 60 to 170. There is tremendous activity going on in India and it is the world’s biggest options market by volume, says Jocelyn Dentand, MD, IMC Trading BV India. Pay packages for professionals in this segment is also on the up, with desk heads at trading firms potentially earning about $1 million annually, the report says. However, there are doubts about how sustainable the boom is, the report adds. Trading firms need to navigate a complex tax system, with authorities introducing new rules that could limit growth. The pay inflation could also prevent hiring at the junior level and set up the industry for a fall, experts say. Source: https://lnkd.in/deZdufYF ✍: Preethi Ramamoorthy 📸: Getty Images #FinancialTrading #TradingFirms #FinancialTraders

Jothi Rao Obinindi, an IT audit manager at Dell Technologies, says that it’s time we flip the phrase “work-life balance to "life-work balance." This is because life should be one’s top priority and work should be perceived as a way to enrich life, he says. Additionally, the term "work" can also include volunteering or personal projects. “This shift allows for a more inclusive understanding of how we spend our time and energy,” Obinindi adds. How can one maintain a life-work balance? Share your thoughts in the comments section.

Hotels across India are in the pink of health, with both room rates and revenue growth increasing post-pandemic, Varuni Khosla reports for Livemint. Anant Apurv Kumar, co-founder of Brij Hotels, says that there has been a change in how people in India travel since the pandemic. More people took longer holidays pre-Covid, but now the trend is of taking shorter breaks with more hotels offering premium, immersive experiences, he adds. Steady inbound travel demand — not just for leisure hotels and resorts but also for city hotels — means that supply is playing catch up, the report says. According to CareEdge Ratings, around 50,000 rooms will be added to the country’s existing inventory of 160,000 rooms over the next four to five years. Patanjali G Keswani, Chairman and MD of Lemon Tree Hotels, says that demand will continue to outpace supply. However, thanks to India’s economic growth, the number of people choosing branded stays will surge three to five times in the next five years, he adds. Given this scenario, investors are flocking to the hotels and hospitality sector and giving rise to interesting trends, the report further says. Large players like EIH Limited, ITC, IHCL, Radisson, Accor, Hilton, and The Lalit Group, among others, are increasingly managing independent properties for smaller chains or offering their brand name for them to use for a fee. Hotel chains are expected to see a 9%-10% growth in revenue in FY25, says data from CareEdge Ratings. Rajeev Menon, President for Asia Pacific (excluding China) at Marriott International, says that there is a sense of confidence across the sector going forward thanks to improving infrastructure and an overall sense of economic stability. Source: LiveMint - https://lnkd.in/gT9v7aFS ✍: Abhiraj Ganguli 📷: Getty Images #Hotels #HospitalityIndustry