August 2022 – Karnataka First

Three Bengaluru startups win BITS Pilani event

Green Tiger Mobility, the cleantech firm, and Daffodil Health, a healthcare startup, won in the Pan India Track, where participants were invited from across the country.

Of the 15 startups, shortlisted from over 1,500 applications, four have been selected to receive an equity-less grant of Rs 30 lakh each. Of these, three are from Bengaluru. Winners were chosen based on three categories or tracks — Pan India, BITSian and Web3.0.

Green Tiger Mobility, the cleantech firm, and Daffodil Health, a healthcare startup, won in the Pan India Track, where participants were invited from across the country. Green Tiger is working on developing a hybrid vehicle, while Daffodil Health is a behavioural healthcare platform aimed at children.

The latter aims at giving parent-mediated therapy to children with behavioural and developmental disorders like autism, ADHD, dyslexia and others. Conquest, run by around 30 engineering students from BITS Pilani’s Centre of Entrepreneurial Leadership, is the first and largest student-run startup accelerator, hosting programmes every year to help startups get funding and mentors.

The Demo Day for the 18th edition of the accelerator programme was held in Bengaluru on Sunday, with 15 startups shortlisted to pitch their ideas to a panel of investors, industry leaders and others. Another Bengaluru-based company StreamMoney won in the Web3.0 Track, where the focus is on startups developing or utilising technology related to Web3.0. StreamMoney focuses on the ability to transfer conditional ownership of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

The startup is working towards making a utility protocol, allowing NFT owners to rent out or allow ticketing or subscriptions of their NFTs. This allows owners to add in a utility contract with their NFTs that allows access to their tokens for a limited period of time.

Green Tiger Mobility, the cleantech firm, and Daffodil Health, a healthcare startup, won in the Pan India Track, where participants were invited from across the country.

A clean technology firm, focusing on building hybrid cars that allow you to switch between electric and internal combustion engines at the switch of a button, was one of the three Bengaluru startups that won big at BITS Pilani’s Conquest.

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India Foundation for the Arts offers a chance to tell stories about Bengaluru neighbourhoods

IFA seeks to implement projects that engage with the spaces, stories, and people in Bengaluru’s neighbourhoods

India Foundation for the Arts (IFA) is inviting proposals for Neighbourhood Engagements under its Project 560, which seeks to explore Bengaluru’s neighbourhoods.

IFA seeks to implement projects that engage with the spaces, stories, and people in the neighbourhoods. They can be an event or a series of events with storytelling sessions, music, street performances, art installations, mapping exercises, walks and so on.

The projects are supposed to make their neighbourhoods more visible and express through art, the joys and challenges of living together.

How can you apply?

Send a proposal with:-

1. A description of your neighbourhood and its uniqueness — the various kinds of people who live there, its history, shopping areas, housing patterns, community centres and cultural practices.

2. Details of what you would like to do and who would participate in the activities.

You may choose to write your proposal in any Indian language, including English.

If you wish to discuss project ideas before sending your proposal or have queries regarding the same, please write to menaka@indiaifa.org.

The final proposal, with all supporting materials, should be submitted online in a single email not exceeding 25 MB to menaka@indiaifa.org on or before September 5.

For your project, you can also request IFA for financial support up to ₹35,000.

More information: here

Clay seed Ganesha campaign sets a new Guinness record

People from various age groups join hands to sculpt 3,308 idols

The clay seed Ganesha campaign, organised by Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava and Shree Vidyaranya Yuvaka Sangha, in association with the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board and Rotary Bangalore Parisara, claimed to have set a new Guinness World Record for ‘the most number of people sculpting with modelling clay simultaneously’ on Sunday at National College Grounds in Basavanagudi. Although the initial goal was set to create 10,000 Ganesha idols, only 3,308 idols could be created, making it to the records book.

“We are elated because we have broken our own record that we had created three years ago. We would like to do this more and more. We couldn’t reach our desired number, but I’m glad that we could set a new benchmark,” said Nandish Mariyappa, managing trustee of Bengaluru Ganesh Utsava.

The campaign saw over 3,000 people from various age groups and professions joining hands to sculpt their personal Ganesha idols. Idol-making materials such as clay, sculpting popsicle sticks, plant seeds, and water were provided at the venue. Many professional artist volunteers were also assisting participants. The live screening of the sculpting procedure by an artist was also organised. Seeds of plants such as tulsi, ashwagandha, sunflower and other flowering plants were provided for embedding within the idols. QR codes were also allocated to individual idols.

“We are so happy about the Guinness record. It’s a milestone for the KSPCB because we had planned to execute this systematically and create awareness about environmental pollution. We have all created our green Ganapa and seed Ganapa. This has been a success not only because of the record but also because of it being environment friendly,” said Shanth A. Thimmaiah, KSPCB Chairman.

Bengaluru Poetry Festival 2022: Celebrating the spoken word

The Bengaluru Poetry Festival is back for its sixth edition this weekend after a two-year break

The Bengaluru Poetry Festival (BPF) returns to the city this weekend after a gap of two years. Presented by Atta Galatta, the event spread over two days will see as many as 70 poets and artistes participating in various interactive sessions and workshops.

Subodh Sankar, founder of Atta Galatta and one of the organisers of BPF, says one of striking features of the festival is its inclusion of poetry in multiple languages. “We have readings by poets in different languages. We don’t restrict ourselves to a theme as it ends up creating boundaries where none need exist,” he says, adding, “It is a celebration of Indian poetry and a chance to bring those voices to a live audience.”

For Bengaluru-based poetess Mani Rao, the joy of being part of BPF is a celebration in itself. “The BPF is one of those events where there are no overlapping sessions; everyone can enjoy every module without having to scurry out of one halfway, just to attend another. Here, there will be two intense days poetry sessions. Today, there are so many people writing poetry in different styles and through their work one can get an idea of their views. The spoken word has really taken off in India,” says Mani, who is looking forward to meeting poets she has read at the fest as well as other members of the poet community.

Japanese company Rakuten opens office in Bengaluru

Rakuten India is a global product and innovation centre for Tokyo-based Rakuten Group that focuses on electronic commerce and online retailing

Rakuten India, a global product and innovation centre for Tokyo-based Rakuten Group that focuses on electronic commerce and online retailing, has opened an office in Bengaluru to grow its customer base in India.

Rakuten’s new office is situated near Cubbon Park. The 20-storey building, Rakuten-Crimson House, has office space of 3 lakh sq.ft. with a capacity to accommodate over 3,000 persons.

The office is expected to enhance the company’s capability for deep-tech innovation and R&D in e-commerce, fintech, content and entertainment, as well as AI in computer vision, speech, and natural language processing (NLP).

“India is and has been central to our growth strategy. Our new R&D centre will build on the high value-added engagements that Rakuten has been delivering from India in deep tech and product innovation,’‘ said Yasufumi Hirai, CIO, CISO, Group Executive Vice President of Rakuten Group, Inc.

Udupi: SMVITM’s Dr Sachin Bhat wins Karnataka State Urban Mobility Grand Challenge

Dr Sachin S Bhat, head of the Department, Electronics and Communication Engineering of Shri Madhwa Vadiraja Institute of Technology and Management (SMVITM), Bantakal had won the prestigious Karnataka State Urban Mobility Grand Challenge conducted by the Department of Electronics, IT, BT, government of Karnataka.

He won the startup grant of Rs 10 lac for his work to assist the Police department in capturing the accident information on-site with minimal manual inputs and to register an online First Information Report. This tool uses Artificial Intelligence technique to extract information of accidents from photographs from an image captured at the accident spot and notifies the nearest hospital regarding the location and severity of accident.

Automated generation of accident data would help in capturing of better quality of data that can further be utilized for analyzing accident causes and remedies. Principal and management have congratulated Dr Bhat for his stupendous achievement.

Youth-led start-up to send 40 satellites to compile space debris data

The race to space has the downside of polluting it. A Bengaluru-based start-up plans to send out a constellation of 40 satellites that will gather data on space junk in the low-earth orbit (LEO).
The satellites that will be launched in early next year will gather information on millions of pieces of debris that litter LEO, which NASA describes as an “orbital space junk yard”.

Digantara, the start-up launched by three young engineers, has taken upon itself the mission to help clean up LEO.

Space junk can reach speeds of up to 18,000 miles per hour, according to NASA. Many of them range from 1 cm to 10 cm in diameter. Most of this orbital debris comprises “human-generated” objects such as parts of spacecraft that have long disintegrated, rocket and satellite components, and very small flecks of paint from spacecraft and whole satellites.

“The ones which are 1 cm in diameter are estimated to be a million. Besides, international space agencies have determined that they are aware of only 4 per cent of objects in space. The data for 96 per cent is still missing,” said Digantara chief operating officer Rahul Rawat, who is only 23 years old.

Digantara, which is incubated at Bengaluru’s Indian Institute of Science, sent out a small satellite, a payload about the “size of a shoe box”, according to the start-up’s CEO Anirudh Sharma, on June 30 this year to gather information on space weather, including radiation, violent storms and other phenomena that can be potentially harsh for spacecraft and burn or fry them.

While this lone satellite has been sending out data to ground sensors, Rawat pointed to Elon Musk’s SpaceX Starlink constellation of 40 of 49 satellites that were “lost in a single blow” when they encountered a gigantic “solar paroxysm” that burned the spacecraft and cost the company $100 million in February 2022.

It is precisely to avoid satellites getting caught up in such “solar outbursts” or other violent geomagnetic incidents that Digantara expects its own satellites – and the information it will send back to its ground sensors – to come to the rescue of space companies with ambitions of sending out satellites.

“We are the only start-up of its kind in India though there are competitors in the US and Canada,” Rawat said, adding the gathered data can help firms that are into remote sensing and insurance where risk analysis reports will be important.

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Udupi: Rotary Brahmavar celebrates World Photography Day, honours senior photographers

World Photography Day was celebrated by Rotary Brahmavar in association with South Canara Photographers’ Association Dakshina Kannada-Udupi Brahmavar unit.

Dinesh Nairy, president Rotary Brahmavar inaugurated the event by unveiling a 50-year-old photo camera.

An informative session on using cameras was also organized on the occasion.

Stephen Lewis Brahmavar, Sreedhar Hegde Kundapura, and Naveen Ballal Udupi were felicitated on the occasion for their service in the field of photography. Pratheesh, Mohan Udupa and Sunil introduced the awardees to the gathering.

Prakash Jattanna, president South Canara Photographers’ Association Dakshina Kannada-Udupi Brahmavar unit proposed the vote of thanks. Alwyn Andrade, secretary Rotary Brahmavar welcomed the gathering. Sunil Pandeshwar compered the programme.

Eric D’Souza, member central committee Unnathi Uday Kumar Shetty, director Rotary professional services were present on the occasion.

Udupi: Exemplary – Woman manning SLRM unit at Barkur Hanehalli

An SLRM (Solid and Liquid Resource Management) unit is maintained here in a unique way in Barkur Hanehalli gram panchayat, which has got Gandhi Gram award thrice.

There are 850 houses, 172 commercial establishments, one university college, one PU college, three primary schools and five Anganwadis under this gram panchayat. The total population of the village is 4,206.

After Veena, who married Vindo Kothari, resident of this village, assumed the charge of SLRM unit, awareness about environment and cleanliness was increased among the villagers.

Veena, mother of two children, did not even know how to ride a bicycle. She got vehicle driving training sponsored by Udupi zilla panchayat on the recommendation of gram panchayat.

Now Veena drives the waste collection vehicle herself and collects garbage from every household. She also segregates the garbage along with two helpers. The money which they get from this is their income.

The zilla panchayat here has provided vehicles as well as a pad burning machine. This has turned into a model village because of the efforts of Veena.

Mangaluru: Mauzo is an icon of composite culture of Goa – Dr M Prabhakar Joshi

“Damodar Mauzo bridges complexities and simplicity of literature in Konkani for the benefit of common reader and connoisseur equally.

He is an icon of the composite culture of Goa and he lives and practices the ethos of his writings. He has maintained Konkani identity and distinctiveness in his literature,” said Dr M Prabhakar Joshi, eminent thinker and Yakshagana scholar, after unveiling the portrait of Jnanapith Awardee and celebrated Konkani novelist Damodar Mauzo at World Konkani Hall of Fame of World Konkani Centre, Mangaluru in a ceremony held on Tuesday August 23.

Present on the occasion, Damodar Mauzo, expressed his humility in accepting this honour. He said, “World Konkani Centre is like a second home to me. It is true embodiment of Basti Vaman Shenoy, as I always saw both are none the same.” His wife was also present on the occasion.

President of World Konkani Centre, Nandagopal Shenoy, welcomed the guests and the gathering. Konkani poet and trustee of World Konkani Centre, Melvyn Rodrigues hosted the event, and secretary Giridhar Kamath delivered the vote of thanks.

Gilbert D’Souza, vice president, B R Bhat, treasurer and trustees of World Konkani Centre Ramesh Naik, Shakuntala R Kini, CEO Gurudath bantwalkar, Dr B Devadas Pai, director (Research), philanthropist James Mendonca, Konkani writers H M Pernal, Titus Noronha, Kudpi Rajanikanth Shenoy and others were present.