Digiaccel rewriting business education; Using deeptech to evade cyberattacks

Next mission–Sun.

After the success of Chandrayaan-3 mission, the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) is launching a solar mission called ‘Aditya-L1’ to study the Sun on September 2, the Press Trust of India reports. 

The missions to the Moon and Sun are just the beginning. According to ISRO Chairman S Somanath, India is capable of launching more interplanetary missions. He said the objective of the space agency is the overall progress of the country through the expansion of the space sector.

In other news, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has called for a global framework on cryptocurrencies, and an ethical usage of artificial intelligence (AI). He was addressing the B20 Summit India 2023, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry.

Speaking of AI, meeting assistant solutions provider Fireflies.ai’s Co-founder Krish Ramineni said the company is building on top of its transcription offering with generative technology and may consider raising funds early next year to support expansion plans.

ICYMI: The big story of the week that went by was Nvidia’s spectacular growth in the AI chips market. The company says revenue jumped to above $13.5 billion for the three months to the end of June.

This chart shows how Nvidia stacks up against the two other AI chip giants–AMD and Intel. 

In today’s newsletter, we will talk about 

• Digiaccel rewriting business education 
• Using deeptech to evade cyberattacks

Here’s your trivia for today: Venezuela gets its name from which European city?

Edtech 

Digiaccel rewriting business education 

Digiaccel Learning, an edtech venture founded by former Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL) executives, aims to flip the top-down teaching model of business courses in India by offering a learning experience that is immersed in industry insights. 

The classroom:

• Karan Bhagi, Founder and CEO, Digiaccel Learning, says many of the top colleges still follow an academic, professor-led approach instead of an industry-guided one, and the delivery method remains primarily theoretical. 
• According to the founder, the industry today requires professionals who are equipped to address the unique needs of digital-first businesses such as ecommerce, consumer tech, and direct-to-consumer. 
• Digiaccel currently offers a 10-week executive learning programme in ecommerce for professionals with over three years of experience and a 16-week programme in applied marketing for individuals with 0-4 years of experience.

Cybersecurity 

Using deeptech to evade cyberattacks

In recent years, India has seen rapid digitalisation, and with it, an increase in the number of cyberattacks. 

Mumbai-based Protectt.ai says it has solutions to mitigate these cybersecurity concerns. Founded in 2020 by Manish Mimani and Mohanraj Selvaraj, the deep-tech B2B mobile threat defence (MTD) company offers mobile app, device, and transaction security solutions.

Safe and secure:

• The startup says it uses advanced algorithms, data analysis, and behavioural analytics to identify and respond to real-time security risks in digital assets, mitigating cyber threats in any industry.
• Protectt.ai’s AppProtectt solution is a lightweight software development kit (SDK) with over 50 mobile app security capabilities, while AppBind provides a secure mobile banking experience. 
• The company plans to raise $10-$12 million in pre-Series A funding round by FY24. It is in advanced talks to raise $3 million to $5 million as the first step.

News & updates

• On-time: A SpaceX Dragon spacecraft arrived at the International Space Station Sunday (Aug. 27) to ferry a new astronaut crew to the orbiting lab to begin a half-year mission. 
• Big slump: Profits at China's industrial firms fell 6.7% in July from a year earlier, extending this year's slump to a seventh month with weak demand squeezing companies as a post-pandemic recovery faltered in the world's second-biggest economy.
• The upload: A severely paralysed woman has been able to speak through an avatar using technology that translated her brain signals into speech and facial expressions. The advance raises hopes that brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) could be on the brink of transforming the lives of people who have lost the ability to speak due to conditions such as strokes and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

What you should watch out for

• Reliance Industries Limited’s Annual General Meeting: On Monday, August 28, the Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate will hold its 46th annual general meeting, an event that will likely set the mood for the upcoming week. Investors hope to get more clarity on the demerged financial company Jio Financial Services Limited (JFSL), which had a rather rocky debut last week. Also, Reliance will likely provide more updates on its pan-India 5G rollout and new energy projects.
• Q1 FY24 GDP growth, fiscal deficit and infrastructure output data: On Thursday, August 31, India will release key macroeconomic data. India’s GDP growth in Q1 FY24 will stand at 8.3% as compared to the Reserve Bank of India’s estimate of 7.8%-8.0%, according to a research report by SBI. 
• India S&P Global Manufacturing PMI August: On Friday, September 1, S&P Global will release its monthly Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index. The country’s PMI was 57.7 in July 2023 from 57.8 in June.

Venezuela gets its name from which European city?

Answer: Venice. Christopher Columbus arrived in what is now Venezuela in 1498, during his third voyage to the New World. European explorers named the region Venezuela–or Little Venice–after observing local houses on stilts over water. 

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