Latest news with #BES
Hans India
17-07-2025
- Business
- Hans India
AI Meets Innovation: Samsung Launches its Future-Forward Business Experience Studio in Mumbai
Samsung, India's largest consumer electronics brand, has unveiled a state-of-the-art Business Experience Studio (BES) on the 28th Floor of Oberoi Commerz-II, International Business Park, Goregaon East, Mumbai. This future-focused space showcases seamless interoperability between cutting-edge Samsung devices to offer a wide range of integrated business solutions to B2B partners. The 6,500-square-foot showroom is designed to assist businesses in exploring, planning and innovating across a wide range of commercial landscapes. BES, Mumbai joins Samsung's sprawling Executive Briefing Centre (EBC) in Gurugram, which showcases the company's innovative products and B2B solutions. 'At Samsung, we believe that the future of business lies in intelligent experiences that are human-centered, connected, and sustainable. The Business Experience Studio in Mumbai reflects this vision. It is a space where enterprises can engage with our most advanced AI-powered innovations in real-world environments. From smart classrooms to automated hotels, intelligent healthcare tools to paperless banking, we are enabling digital transformation that is meaningful, efficient, and built for scale. This studio is not just a showcase of technology but also a testament to our commitment to building the future of enterprise with our partners in India and across the world,' said JB Park, President & CEO, Samsung Southwest Asia. Commenting on the launch of the BES, Mumbai, Shri Ashish Shelar, Hon'ble Minister of Information Technology and Cultural Affairs, Government of Maharashtra, said, 'As we accelerate the Digital India mission, emerging technologies like AI and VR are reshaping the way industries function, institutions deliver services, and citizens experience the world. Mumbai is at the forefront of this transformation, while driving innovation, collaboration, and future-ready ecosystems. Samsung's Business Experience Studio is a powerful addition to this journey, bringing global technological leadership closer to our businesses and reinforcing Maharashtra's position as a leading hub for digital innovation.' The BES, Mumbai offers clients across sectors, including startups, schools, hotels, hospitals and banks, a curated walkthrough experience through zones that display real-world scenarios, enabling them to drive digital transformation across evolving business environments. In Zone 1, for instance, visitors will find themselves immersed in intelligent solutions tailored for industry verticals such as Education, Retail & Finance and Healthcare. Smart classrooms and campus solutions feature Samsung's next-generation interactive displays, tablets, and digital notice boards—all operating in sync—while innovations in digital advertising solutions, soft POS systems, intelligent air quality management systems, and advanced diagnostic equipment power solutions in the retail & finance and healthcare sections. Unified Solutions is the theme of Zone 2, where Samsung Smart Things Pro demonstrates the future of meeting rooms and hotel rooms with connected AI-powered systems, while Samsung's revolutionary display, The Wall creates screening solutions for a myriad of scenarios across automotive, government, hospitality and corporate. Similarly, in Zone 3 of the BES, Mumbai, customers will discover solutions featuring Samsung products, including microwave, side-by-side refrigerators, TVs, ACs, front load washing machines, addressing the needs of businesses functioning in the realms of co-living and startups, along with display of System ACs for commercial spaces. And for clients looking for smart home solutions, Zone 4 impresses with its display of scenarios simulating connected bedrooms, kitchens and living rooms, while immersive gaming and home cinema zones featuring the latest innovations do not fail to surprise the most demanding tech enthusiasts. Opening Hours: 9:00AM ~ 6:00PM (Monday to Friday)
Hamilton Spectator
04-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Banff students' G7 song reaches global audience, Carney sends signed letter
BANFF – An original song created by Banff Elementary School (BES) students and dedicated to G7 Summit leaders has caught the eye of Prime Minister Mark Carney. Written and produced alongside Banff's poet laureate, Heather Jean Jordan, A Single Seed brings together the voices of more than 300 students as they share their hopes and concerns for the future. Following the June 15 -17 summit held in Kananaskis Country, BES received an unexpected letter from the prime minister's office. ' It was funny, the administrative assistant who received it kind of jokingly said to the principal and staff, 'Oh, are you guys expecting anything from the prime minister's office?' …. and then they opened it up and [were] quite surprised,' said Joanne Indovina-Duncan, staff at BES. The letter, personally signed by Carney, addresses students, staff and teachers, thanking them for their performance and encouraging the students to continue speaking up about matters close to their hearts. 'This song is reaching far and wide, and it's definitely wonderful for the students to hear that the prime minister really did hear it because we don't know what goes on behind closed doors. We didn't know how it was presented exactly, so having this confirmation is really special,' said Jordan. Part of the letter wrote: 'You have all demonstrated such courage and talent by using your voices to talk about important issues facing Canada and the world. It's a powerful example that anyone, regardless of age, can lead and create change.' With the help of local videographer Brian White, a music video was produced back in May in hopes that it would eventually be shared with leaders at the summit. 'At various points in the process, we were given the information that it was not going to be shared formally at the summit and so [the students] were a little disappointed in that … but so cool that it did end up finding its way to the prime minister,' said Indovina-Duncan. With several news outlets, including CTV National picking up the story in the days preceding the summit, Indovina-Duncan suspects that's how the song eventually made it in front of Carney. 'I think [the] fact that a letter was sent shows how important this kind of work is and I feel really honoured as poet laureate to have been involved with this and also that the kids got to be heard, that their voices were raised up,' said Jordan. In the song, students express concerns about environmental issues and wildfires, while on a global scale, they share thoughts about wanting to help people in other countries and address poverty. Reaching well beyond the Bow Valley, the song also ended up finding its way to Düsseldorf, Germany. 'On the very same day we got an email from a teacher in Germany who congratulated us and wanted to do some work with students who were learning English and wanted to use the song, study the song [and] have them perform it … and so I asked her, 'How did you hear it?' and she heard it on a local radio station,' said Indovina-Duncan. Jordan said the school hopes to use A Single Seed as an example for their students to write about issues that hit close to home for them. 'Part of their intention was to maybe also use [the song] as an exercise to write a few words that would reflect exactly where they live, too, because they felt like the song [is] very universal … just like the kids here were able to write about the forest fires and glaciers, so I thought that was really special,' said Jordan. Indovina-Duncan says BES is still working to find a permanent place for the letter and will likely display it on a plaque as a 'legacy piece' in the school. 'We were really proud of the students before all of this fanfare. They wrote a really good song, and deep down I knew that it was a good song and we knew that it should get out further than just our walls,' said Indovina-Duncan. ' Heather Jean was just amazing to work with through this whole process. The kids really loved working with her and [we're] just so proud of them; just so proud of where this went and how it impacted people.' The Local Journalism Initiative is funded by the Government of Canada. The position covers Îyârhe (Stoney) Nakoda First Nation and Kananaskis Country. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Indian Express
06-06-2025
- Business
- Indian Express
In the age of digital payments, businesses still rely on cash
An active area of research is the cash holding behaviour of firms. Our primary intent is to understand whether firms' behaviour is changing due to the advent of digital public infrastructure (DPI). To what extent do firms rely on digital transactions for payments and receipts? Has it helped improve their ease of doing business? The question is important, since it has a direct implication on the accessibility and reliability of DPI in the country, which in turn can facilitate expansion of domestic businesses and help propel India's economic growth. The NCAER-NSE Business Expectations Survey (BES) is a quarterly survey of firms across six large urban Indian cities: Delhi-NCR in the north, Bengaluru and Chennai in the south, Kolkata in the east, and Mumbai and Pune in the west. It has been conducted since 1991 to assess business sentiments across the four regions of India. In its 127th round (October-December 2023), the BES surveyed 485 firms from the aforementioned six cities. Firms were asked: i) What percentage of their transactions (payments and receipts) were done through digital means ii) If they kept petty cash in order to manage working capital iii) If extensive use of Unified Payments Interface (UPI, such as Google Pay, Paytm, Phonepe) reduced their reliance on petty cash It was found that a majority of firms relied on digital means for settling all kinds of payments and many types of receipts, for more than 60 per cent of their transactions. The share of firms reporting more than 60 per cent of digital transactions was marginally lower than 50 per cent for two types of receipts: 'receipts from selling on e-Commerce platforms' and 'getting loans'. To the extent the firms used digital transactions, performing such digital transactions was considered useful for 74 per cent of firms, since it helped improve their ease of doing business. This perception, though, was found to be more prominent among large firms (considering that 50 per cent of firms with annual turnover greater than Rs 100 crore stated this), as against smaller firms (about 38 per cent of firms with annual turnover less than Rs 100 crore stated this). The survey found that digital means were not relied upon for all transactions, and that several firms relied on digital transactions for selective purposes only. It suggests that cash transactions continue to be important. Rather, 69 per cent of firms (in particular nearly 79 per cent of smaller firms, as against 56 per cent of larger firms) kept 'petty cash' to manage their working capital. There was a wide regional variation, with the incidence of keeping petty cash being highest in the east (99 per cent), followed by west (72.8 per cent), north (66.9 per cent) and south (40.3 per cent). Well, then did UPI reduce the firms' reliance on petty cash for day-to-day transactions? The perception is divided. UPI reduced the reliance on cash transactions for 44.5 per cent of firms, with the incidence being the highest in the north (72.6 per cent), and for the majority of smaller firms across the regions (52.5 per cent). Overall, although digital means have helped facilitate business transactions, the advent of UPI is yet to make a pronounced change in the manner in which many Indian firms handle their day-to-day transactions, considering that many of them have still continued to rely on petty cash (especially those from the east and west). Bhandari is a Professor, Dayal and Sahu are Fellows and KS Urs is an Associate Fellow at NCAER. We thank Piyali Majumdar, Visiting Assistant Professor, IIM Rohtak for her inputs in the designing of the questionnaire. Views are personal and do not reflect that of the organisation
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Ukraine Reforms Tracker Weekly — Issue 18
Editor's note: This is issue 18 of Ukrainian lawmaker Yaroslav Zhelezniak's weekly "Ukraine Reforms Tracker" covering events from March 10–16, 2025. The digest highlights steps taken in the Ukrainian parliament related to business, economics, and international financial programs. The Kyiv Independent is republishing with permission. Commission eliminates 17 candidates in first round of Economic Security Bureau leadership race On March 14, the competition commission held the first stage of the selection process for the new director of the Bureau of Economic Security (BES) – a general skills exam. Following the assessment, 17 candidates were eliminated, including the current acting BES chief, Serhii Perkhun. Only 16 candidates scored 107 points or higher and will advance to the next stage — a legal knowledge exam. Parliament approves civil service pay reform, rejects several salaries increases Ukraine's Parliament, the Verkhovna Rada has passed draft law #8222, introducing a standardized pay structure for civil servants based on a position classification system. The reform, aimed at aligning public sector salaries with Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development standards, was supported by 259 MPs. The reform is a requirement under the Ukraine Facility financial mechanism, with a Q1 2025 deadline. However, amendments to raise salaries for several key ministries were partially rejected. Salary increases for the State Audit Service (DASU) were approved while proposed raises for the Justice Ministry, Finance Ministry, Digital Transformation Ministry, Economy Ministry and the Verkhovna Rada Secretariat were voted down. While the newly adopted civil service pay reform introduces a standardized classification system, it does not immediately address the broader issue of the public sector's lack of competitiveness in the job market. As Ugis Sics, head of EU4PAR project, noted: 'The position classification system needs to be expanded to cover all civil service roles, while fairness, transparency, and competitiveness in civil servants' salaries must continue to improve in an increasingly competitive labor market." Zelensky signs law to purchase outdated Russian nuclear reactors for $1 billion Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has signed bill #11392, approving the $1 billion purchase of two outdated Russian nuclear reactors from Bulgaria. The reactors, originally manufactured by Rosatom for Bulgaria's unfinished Belene Nuclear Power Plant, are set to be used for the construction of reactor units No. 3 and No. 4 at Ukraine's Khmelnytskyi Nuclear Power Plant (KhNPP). However, Energoatom still hasn't received an approval from the Verkhovna Rada to launch the construction of these reactors. Ukrainian TV channel linked to Presidential Office receives around $4.4 million in state contracts at premium rates On March 13, Ukraine held a state procurement auction to allocate over Hr 700 million ($16.7 million) for content production for the United News Marathon in 2025. Major broadcasters Inter, StarLight Media, 1+1, and We — Ukraine each secured Hr 184 million ($4.4 million) in contracts. However, We — Ukraine received the highest per-hour rate at Hr 163,000 ($3,900) per hour — a rate exceeding that of other networks. The channel has previously received the largest state contracts for producing United News content in 2023 and 2024. The Presidential Office's alleged connection to We – Ukraine has been repeatedly discussed in the public sphere. Evidence supporting these claims can be found in reports by Detector media, Ukraiinska Pravda, and MP Iaroslav Zhelezniak's YouTube channel. Read also: A power grab or a weapon against Russia? Ukraine's 'TV marathon' explained We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
