Latest news with #Aggarwal
New Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Business
- New Indian Express
Ola's Krutrim acquires BharatSah'AI'yak from tech consulting firm Samagra
Krutrim spokesperson said, 'Integrating BharatSah'Ai'yak into the Krutrim ecosystem widens its offerings, lending cutting edge AI-centric assistance and support to a range of government initiatives, programs and schemes – thereby spearheading and strengthening the democratisation of AI, making it beneficial and accessible to every Indian." BharatSah'AI'yak specialises in creating Bharat-focused, vernacular Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) based AI bots that deliver both text and voice-led experiences. The platform has done several implementations, including KumbhSah'AI'yak, which was an AI-powered chatbot for Maha Kumbh 2025, providing pilgrims with 24/7 guidance on rituals, navigation, accommodations, and attractions. The AI start-up recently launched Kruti, which can execute tasks like cab booking, food ordering, bill payments, image creation, and in-depth research, while also supporting read-aloud responses. Additionally, it offers advanced AI features like in-depth research and image creation free of cost for users. The team at Krutrim operates from three locations- Bengaluru, Singapore & San Francisco. In February this year, Aggarwal announced Rs 2,000 crore investment in Krutrim, with a commitment of Rs 10,000 crore by next year.
Skift
2 days ago
- Business
- Skift
Cvent's AI Makeover Targets Planners, Hotels, and the Future of Sourcing
The launch of CventIQ represents a significant bet on AI becoming the backbone of Cvent's entire ecosystem, predictable buzzwords included. Cvent has launched CventIQ, embedding AI across its event management and sourcing ecosystem. At the Skift Meetings Forum last September, Aggarwal acknowledged that the company had lagged in AI innovation. At that point, Cvent only offered AI through writing assistants and basic integrations. The new updates represent a significant expansion of AI capabilities across the platform. The reveal was the main focus of its Cvent CONNECT hybrid conference that drew 10,000 attendees to San Antonio last week. This was the conference's second year in the Texan city, but it will move to Nashville in 2026. Innovative Sessions Snapshots Among the new AI-powered mentioned in Aggarwal's keynote, "session snapshots" stood out as particularly innovative. This feature works through the Cvent mobile app, where attendees can view a live transcript of session content. When they hear something noteworthy, they tap the screen to bookmark that moment. The AI automatically generates a note from that section and saves it. The system collects saved snapshots together and then aggregates them into personalized highlight reels and daily session summaries. The snapshots feature is intriguing and potentially a game changer because it uses proven AI technology for transcribing and summarizing content in a clever way. Beyond integrating it into the main event app, Cvent is empowering attendees to personalize takeaways, rather than leaving the summarizing entirely to AI. If the system works and organizers promote app downloads, this should improve the personalized summaries and make attendees more likely to use them due to the IKEA Effect, which suggests people place higher value on things they help create. This feature could prove popular and generate valuable data for planners, provided it works well and attendees embrace the technology. Understanding when a session resonates is key to demonstrating its value, while pinpointing the most interesting discussion points should generate uniquely useful follow-ups for attendees. Navigating Sales CventIQ is not only enhancing content consumption but also boosting the Cvent Supplier Network (CSN) capabilities, a platform used by more than 200,000 planners to source 48 million room nights worth $18 billion in 2024. Targeting CSN's valuable planner user base feels similar to using LinkedIn Sales Navigator. Sales teams see comprehensive planner overviews with event details and the entire organization. They can search for planners that are a good match for the property or for those sourcing in competing markets. AI can generate email notifications with a list of recommended planners and help craft a relevant message instantly. The Cvent Event Marketing & Management Platform connects with LinkedIn's marketing tools, enabling planners to share their database of potential event attendees to serve ads to on LinkedIn. Boosting Property Appeal and Response Speed CventIQ features extensively throughout Cvent's used of 3D content. The platform now offers a full 3D immersive visualization of event setups at each property, using Matterport technology for property layout viewing and its own 3D room diagrams powered by Social Tables. The result is a Google Street View-like property listing that it is actively promoting. 'Investing in 3D rich meeting content is truly table stakes for being considered for high-value RFPs,' said Julide Tyrell, senior director, sales, hospitality cloud, Cvent. 3D is embedded in room diagrams with an AI-powered Diagram Assistant feature that allows planners to visualize rooms in various layouts through natural language conversations. This functionality is linked to pre-populated AI-generated proposals that sales teams can create almost instantly. Cvent wants sales teams to know that response speed is key to winning bids. Cvent said 79% of RFPs are won by the first 3 hotel responses and that using Cvent's new AI Response Assistant, sales teams can reduce proposal creation time to 81 min, which beats the average first response time of four hours and 10 minutes. Fast responses also trigger a 'Top Responder' icon, adding visibility to properties investing in these tools. The battle for planner attention on CSN is fast-paced, and using AI is becoming necessary to keep up. Smaller properties with limited resources will struggle, but fast movers embracing CventIQ should be ahead, at least for now. To balance the focus on automation and speed, Aggarwal reassured attendees that Cvent believes in a human-led future. Cvent is providing opportunities for properties to gain more visibility in CSN not only through 3D immersion and AI-generated proposals. Cvent announced a 'Sustainability certified' icon for listings to showcase sustainability initiatives, driven by a partnership with BeCause. The Bigger Picture Amid the updates and new features, some seem basic and overdue, like custom pages in the exhibitor portal for FAQs. Yet, among the mundane, there are tools that are part of a bigger picture. The most significant update is Cvent Essentials, a simplified, low-cost, pay-as-you-go version of the Cvent Event Marketing & Management Platform. The product is designed to bring smaller events — including field marketing events — into the Cvent ecosystem. Cvent wants their larger clients to use the platform for all their simpler events, so these events can contribute data to each client's central hub, 'Events+.' Cvent also announced Cvent Passkey Rooming List Essentials, a simplified version of the Cvent Passkey room block management software, aimed at smaller hotel properties. Simplified Cvent tools may not feel revolutionary, but they're essential for a complete strategic meetings management program. Large companies can roll out Cvent across different teams and geographies with varying resources, all on-brand with strict guardrails. The same applies to hotels and venues, where large chains and properties likely already use Cvent for RFPs. Now smaller properties can interface with planners using standardized room block tools. Some announcements reveal integration of recent acquisitions into Cvent platforms. The AI-powered attendance insights feature from Splash is now integrated into Cvent, predicting final registration numbers four weeks out. Jifflenow's meetings management and Reposite vendor marketplace are integrated, with vendors partnering with a property featured in the property's CSN listing, boosting visibility. Cvent appears to have made good use of its 200 staff dedicated to AI, with CventIQ's AI upgrades visible across most of the Cvent ecosystem.
Time of India
2 days ago
- General
- Time of India
DRM Prayagraj division inspects DFCCIL operation control centre
Prayagraj: Newly appointed divisional railway manager (DRM) of Prayagraj Division Rajneesh Aggarwal conducted an extensive inspection of the Operation Control Centre (OCC) of the Eastern Dedicated Freight Corridor on Wednesday. His visit emphasised the division's commitment to harnessing advanced technology for safer and more efficient train operations. ADRM (Infrastructure) and senior divisional operations manager (coordination) along with other officials accompanied him. The DRM reviewed train reception procedures at key locations like New Sonnagar, New Chirailapauthu, and New Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyay Junction and engaged with teams from Eastern Central Railway, North Central Railway, Northern Railway, and the Western Dedicated Freight Corridor. "We are on a path of progress, and it is essential to focus on our loading goals to support the growing demand for rail transport," said Aggarwal, while highlighting the importance of the Dedicated Freight Corridor in achieving load targets. He pointed out specific challenges in the Dhanbad division and advocated for improved planning and infrastructure. The DRM also discussed the proposed connection between New Dagmagpur station and the Chopan area via Vishwanathpuri, underlining the need for surface crossings to reduce traffic disruptions. He praised the work of Controllers at the OCC and expressed satisfaction with performance systems like the Hot Axle Box Detector, Machine Vision Inspection System, and Wheel Impact Load Detector . The day also witnessed the inauguration of a new running room at New Kanpur, a facility that provides essential rest for train crew and helps reduce operational delays.
The Print
3 days ago
- The Print
Telangana cops book Palamur Biosciences on animal cruelty charge after PETA ‘house of horrors' exposé
On 10 June, in a post on X, PETA India revealed large-scale animal abuse at the Telangana-based Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd, one of India's largest government-registered contract laboratories. The information provided by whistleblowers alleged that the facility was killing dogs and other animals without reason and with extreme cruelty, overcrowding them, and subjecting them to social isolation, among other things. PETA India, while asserting that such instances were not isolated but reflect a 'recurring pattern' in the global animal experimentation industry, called on the government to shut down the facility, which it dubbed a 'house of horrors,' and end animal testing in India. New Delhi: Police in Telangana's Mahabubnagar Tuesday booked Palamur Biosciences Pvt Ltd, a preclinical contract research organisation, on a complaint filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India which last week cited revelations by a whistleblower to allege a pattern of animal cruelty at the firm's laboratory. The whistleblowers stepped forward to share video footage, images and testimonies after PETA India filed official complaints with authorities about the likely unauthorised testing on rhesus macaques at the same lab in October 2024, the report said. The lab claims it is 'one of the largest preclinical service providers' and tests drugs, pesticides, and medical devices on animals. It also runs a beagle breeding facility, where, according to the report, 1,500 beagles were being kept in a space for about 800. Dr Anjana Aggarwal, PETA scientist and research policy adviser, told ThePrint, 'This is not an isolated incident but rather business as usual, where systemic cruelty runs rampant.' 'Past investigations by regulatory bodies have revealed similar abuse and neglect of animals at other Indian labs, and PETA entities around the world have documented this as a recurring pattern in the global animal experimentation industry,' Dr Aggarwal added. In its report, PETA India had said it submitted a complaint with CCSEA, statutory body under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, as well as the CDSCO, the industry regulator for cosmetics, pharmaceuticals and medical devices. PETA India has also reached out to the National GLP Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA), under the Union government's department of science and technology (DST), which issues Good Laboratory Practice (GLP) certificates. According to the body's website, 'GLP-compliance certification is voluntary in nature.' ThePrint reached Palamur Biosciences, Committee for the Purpose of Control And Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CCSEA), Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) and National Good Laboratory Practice Compliance Monitoring Authority (NGCMA) for comment over email but had not received a response by the time of publication. The report will be updated if and when a response is received. Also Read: Indian laws are letting animals down every day. It's a legal, moral, ethical issue Filing complaints only the first step Asked if flagging the issue to relevant authorities was enough, Aggarwal said, 'Filing complaints with regulatory bodies is only the first step. What matters is the enforcement of existing standards. Without swift and meaningful punitive action, cruelty to animals thrives unchecked.' She called for the lab in Telangana to be shut down, saying, 'We urge government regulators to end the torment of animals imprisoned at Palamur Biosciences. Anything less than the facility's permanent shutdown is a green light for abuse.' To better regulate such facilities, she said, 'authorities must conduct genuinely unannounced inspections without advanced notice, ensure full access to historical records and CCTV footage, protect whistleblowers, and impose serious penalties—not mere warnings—for violations.' India, she added, needs to get out of the 'archaic, cruel, and unscientific animal experimentation business,' citing the example of the the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the US National Institute of Health (NIH) that 'have already begun the long-overdue transition away from animal testing'. 'Notably, earlier this year, the NIH closed down its beagle laboratory, and the US Navy ended all its testing on dogs and cats, which stands in stark contrast to Palamur Biosciences' breeding and testing on beagles and other animals,' Aggarwal said. What PETA India report said—Inside the 'house of horrors' The report, which PETA said was a first-of-its-kind whistleblower exposé, documented the neglect of dogs, pigs, and monkeys used by Palamur Biosciences. The lab is located in Karvena village, Mahabubnagar district. A whistleblower said that, at the lab, being deemed 'useless' meant certain death for the animal. They shared several instances where animals were allegedly killed, including two involving sick dogs—one with a cherry eye and a beagle with a fungal infection. One whistleblower told PETA India that over 100 dogs were killed in a single incident simply because they were no longer considered 'useful'. According to the PETA report, animals were also being subjected to overcrowding and competition for food, resulting in extreme frustration and frequent fights that often caused serious injuries. Above all, basic treatment, proper wound cleaning, and pain management weren't provided by the company. Rough handling of dogs often led to fractures, the report said. Lab workers also showed cruelty while conducting testing, including studies where 'dogs were injected subcutaneously with test compounds'. 'According to a whistleblower, animals developed abscesses, ulcers, and signs of severe pain following these injections,' it said. A whistleblower alleged that, depending on the location of the abscess, further health issues were seen in the dogs. The report further claimed that the laboratory purchased Göttingen minipigs from Denmark, but does not have a license to breed them. When a minipig was found pregnant, the head veterinarian allegedly ordered the killing of the piglets through intracardiac injection. Despite a policy requiring Palamur to provide playtime for pigs, they are only permitted access to enrichment when customers are around, the report alleged. According to the allegations, among the wild rhesus macaques from Rajasthan, some tested positive for zoonotic pathogens, likely monkeypox. The company simply kept quiet and killed the monkeys, risking infection to others, the report claimed. Riju Chanda is an intern with ThePrint (Edited by Sanya Mathur) Also Read: Goldfish in perfume bottle, protected species on sale—DU students' report on horrors of Delhi pet shops
Tourism Breaking News
3 days ago
- Business
- Tourism Breaking News
Cvent brings Intelligence and AI to life across its platform with the launch of CventIQ
Post Views: 13 Cvent announced the launch of CventIQ which combines powerful AI capabilities with deep industry expertise, proprietary insights and analytics, a smart platform, and intelligent infrastructure to help marketers, event planners, and hospitality professionals move faster and smarter, collaborate better, and deliver more engaging, high-return experiences. Cvent CEO Reggie Aggarwal unveiled CventIQ during his opening keynote address at Cvent CONNECT recently. 'CventIQ enhances every aspect of the Cvent platform, and it represents our vision for a more efficient, intelligent, and collaborative future for meetings and events,' said Aggarwal. 'By infusing advanced AI into the tools our customers already use, we're empowering them to deliver more engaging events, more efficiently, with greater returns. Our launch of CventIQ reflects how we're bringing trustworthy, practical AI to every corner of our platform so our customers can stay ahead of today's fast-evolving landscape while remaining focused on what truly drives impact: human connection.'
