With whom Hughes Communication India have agreed to merge their broadband satellite business to improve operational efficiencies?

Konkan Railways Corporation Ltd has signed a contract agreement with Nepal's Department of Railways to supply two 1600 HP DEMU train sets. These trains will be used to operationalise railway link between Jayanagar in India and Kurtha in Nepal. The train sets will be manufactured by the Integrated Coach Factory, Chennai. The agreement was signed in Kathmandu in the presence of Indian Ambassador Manjeev Puri and Nepal's Secretary, Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Madhusudan Adhikari. Each train set will comprise of one driving power car, three trailer cars with one air-conditioned, one driving trailer car with standard accessories.

Vipin Anand has taken charge as Managing Director of Life Insurance Corporation of India. Prior to this, he was in charge of LIC's Western Zone, headquartered at Mumbai. During his service of more than 35 years with the organisation, Anand has handled several assignments in various capacities and departments across different locations in India.

Financial Software Services (FSS) has launched FSS Voice Commerce which is a real-time voice banking platform to provide customers with personalized banking interactions. It uses machine-learning language processing techniques for analysis and synthesis of language and speech to deliver the service.This platform interfaces with any retail banking system to provide real-time information of accounts and balances.

Tata Trusts and Microsoft India have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to jointly rejuvenate the handloom clusters in the eastern and north-eastern parts of the country. Microsoft's Project ReWeave will help preserve traditional weaving forms by upskilling workers, designing and marketing merchandise, and creating sustainable livelihood options. Microsoft will also enable digital training through Project Sangam, a Microsoft Azure-based Learning Management System, which provides necessary training and tools to weaving communities to help them realise their full potential.

Bharti AXA General Insurance, the first company in the domestic non-life insurance industry has collaborated with web aggregator, Wishfin Insurance to sell 2-wheeler policies via social media messaging platform, WhatsApp. Bharti AXA General Insurance is a joint partnership between Bharti Enterprises and AXA, global insurance firm. It will sell the policies on Wishfin's insurance arm, Wishpolicy's website. Wishfin has launched 'Buy Two-Wheeler Insurance on WhatsApp' (that is available on Wishpolicy's website) through Wishfin Insurance. This policy is an instant, effortless and additional customer service option avaiable for the policyholders. Customers and policyholders can buy the 2-wheeler insurance on WhatsApp by giving a missed call to 8527844822.

The Institute for Development and Research in Banking Technology (IDRBT), an arm of Reserve Bank of India, has launched a 5G Use Cases Lab for banking and financial sector. The 5G technology, along with blockchain, will be progressively adopted by banks. Department Of Telecommunications had already launched test beds for 5G use in the academia in Hyderabad, Chennai and Bangalore to develop 5G for Indian use.

Wipro Consumer Care has signed an agreement to acquire Splash Corporation, a Philippines-based personal care company. The transaction strengthens Wipro's consumer care portfolio in personal care and completes its South-East Asian footprint. This is Wipro's 11th acquisition in the consumer line business and the 9th acquisition in the personal care segment overall.

India's 3rd-largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company launched a scheme termed 'Mosquito Disease Protection Policy' which will cover a person against common mosquito-borne diseases, namely, Dengue Fever, Malaria, Chikungunya, Japanese Encephalitis, Kala-azar, Lymphatic Filariasis and Zika Virus. These mosquito-borne diseases leads to financial burden due to hospitalisation or affects the No Claim Bonus of any conventional Health Insurance. The policy by HDFC ERGO will cover hospitalisation expenses. The policyholder may opt for a huge amount to be paid as a policy benefit on offering the proof of hospitalisation. The policy will also pay the beneficiary the sum insured, if in case of the policyholder dies due to the disease.

Microsoft has unveiled fully-managed Azure Blockchain Service that would simplify the formation, management, and governance so that businesses can focus on workflow logic and application development. Instead of supporting cryptocurrency transactions, Azure Blockchain Service will let businesses develop their applications on its Cloud-based platform. Microsoft has also announced a partnership with J.P. Morgan to make "Quorum", the first ledger available in Azure Blockchain Service.

Amazon plans to close down online retail operations in China, admitting defeat to local e-commerce rivals such as Alibaba and JD.com. They will continue other operations in China such as Amazon Web Services (AWS). Kindle e-books and teams that help ship goods from Chinese merchants to customers abroad. Amazon entered China in 2004, when it acquired a local online book seller for USD 75 million. They launched its Prime membership programme in China in 2016 with aim to lure customers with high-quality Western goods and perks like free international deliveries.