A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed amongst Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Government of India, Skill Council for Persons with Disabilities (SCPwD) and Amazon Seller Private Limited on today. The main objective of this MoU is to jointly provide skill training and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities in e-commerce sector. It envisages mobilisation of PwDs for skill training by the DEPwD, designing of job roles for e-commerce sector by SCPwD and providing skill training and hiring of PwDs by Amazon. Such initiatives of all the parties would create better opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) by imparting job specific, practical and e-commerce skills in the supply chain sector to enhance their sustainable employability in the job market as well as to enable them to become entrepreneurs.
Dr. Virendra Kumar, Minister, SJ&E graced the occasion by his presence in the MoU signing ceremony held at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre.
On the occasion, Minister said that it is also desired by Prime Minister that private companies should be associated for empowering PwDs by providing them employment opportunities and making them self reliant. Minister said keeping in mind Aatm Nirbhar Bharat, not only private companies such as Amazon but also Society should come forward and together to make Divyangjan Aatm Nirbhar (Self-reliant).
Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, DEPwD while appreciating SCPwD and Amazon for joining hands with Department in its endeavour to make PwDs empowered, said number of trained/employed PwDs under the programme should be tracked and efforts should be made to provide employment opportunities to PwDs from Jobs in warehouses to making them entrepreneurs.
DEPwD was represented by Shri Kishor B. Surwade, Deputy Director General, SCPwD by Shri Ravindra Singh, CEO, Amazon Seller Private Limited by Shri Akhil Saxena, Vice President, Operations APAC/MENA/LATAM.
A Tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) is being signed amongst Deptt. of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Government of India, Sector Skill Council for Persons with Disabilities (SCPwD) and Amazon Internet Private Limited on 28.09.2022 at Dr. Ambedkar International Centre at 1:45 pm. The main objective of this MoU is to jointly provide skill training and employment opportunities for persons with disabilities. It also envisages mobilisation of PwDs for skill training by the DEPwD, designing of job roles for e-commerce sector by SCPwD and providing skill training and hiring of PwDs.
DEPwD will be represented by Shri Kishor B. Surwade, Deputy Director General, SCPwD by Shri Ravindra Singh, CEO, Amazon Internet Private Limited by Shri Akhil Saxena, Vice President, Operations APAC/MENA/LATAM.
Such initiatives of all the parties would create better opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) by imparting job specific, practical and e-commerce skills in the supply chain sector to enhance their sustainable employability in the job market as well as to enable them to become entrepreneurs.
The MoU will be signed in the gracious presence of Minister of Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar.
Etsy, the global marketplace for unique and creative goods, has partnered with the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) and signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to support small sellers, weavers and artisans, by providing them with market access and enablement support.
As a part of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), Etsy will work with the NEHHDC to develop enablement programs, specifically designed for artisans from the North East including modules on online selling and entrepreneurship and the opportunity to access a wider market for their products.
Etsy aims to equip artisans, creators and small entrepreneurs in the Indian handicrafts sector with important tools and resources to start and manage online businesses. Etsy will provide digital enablement services to these sellers and conduct training workshops to familiarise them with Etsy and how to sell on the marketplace.
Commenting on the development, Brigadier Rajiv Kumar Singh (Retd), Managing Director, NEHHDC said, “It’s a key focus for us to promote the indigenous crafts of the North East region and create economic opportunities for craftspeople. There are more than 21 lakh weavers and 14.5 lakh artisans in the region, but the right kind of market linkage has been missing. This association with Etsy can be a gamechanger for our artisans and ensure that they are able to explore entrepreneurship on their own terms and reach both domestic and global buyers.”
Ross LaJeunesse, VP, Public Policy & Advocacy, Etsy, said, “Etsy’s vision across the world is to ‘Keep Commerce Human’, and we are committed to using the power of our business and our platform to empower small sellers and entrepreneurs – knowing that by doing so, we in turn empower and improve communities. There is global appreciation for ‘Made in India’ products and we want to enable artisans and craftspeople from the all the states of the North East to be a part of our community of 5.5 million sellers and use our platform to showcase the intricacy, the beauty, and the quality of their art to audiences – and buyers – across the world.”
This partnership will help indigenous products from the area (from categories like textiles, cane and bamboo products, accessories and more) become available online for millions of buyers on the Etsy platform. Artisans from all eight North Eastern states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura will be onboarded onto Etsy. They will receive a fixed amount of free ad credits as a part of this programme.
About Etsy:
Etsy, Inc. founded in 2005 and is headquartered in Brooklyn, New York, operates two-sided online marketplaces that connect millions of passionate and creative buyers and sellers around the world. These marketplaces share a mission to “Keep Commerce Human,” and are committed to using the power of business and technology to strengthen communities and empower people. The Etsy.com, its primary marketplace, is the global destination for unique and creative goods. Buyers come to Etsy to be inspired and delighted by items that are crafted and curated by creative entrepreneurs. For sellers, Etsy offers a range of tools and services that address key business needs.
Etsy, Inc.’s “House of Brands” portfolio also includes fashion resale marketplace Depop, musical instrument marketplace Reverb, and Brazil-based handmade goods marketplace Elo7. Each Etsy, Inc. marketplace operates independently, while benefiting from shared expertise in product, marketing, technology, and customer support.
About NEHHDC:
Incorporated in 1977, the North Eastern Handicrafts and Handloom Development Corporation (NEHHDC) is an organisation that attempts to develop and promote the indigenous crafts of the North Eastern region by connecting craftsmen to prospective markets and consumers and generating economic, cultural and social opportunities for creators while adding cultural value for consumers. The corporation is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), Government of India. It offers a range of products from all the eight North Eastern states namely Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura.
The organisation procures handicrafts and handlooms from artisans and weavers across the region and retails the same through its chain of “Purbashree” Emporia located at Shillong, Guwahati, Kolkata, New Delhi, Bangalore and a Sales Promotion Office at Chennai. Moreover it promotes the products at various national and international markets through exhibitions and trade fairs. The Corporation also conducts training programmes and seminars for skill and knowledge upgradation of the artisans and weavers.
Sony Group Corporation (“Sony”) and Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (“Honda”) today announced that they have agreed to deepen discussion and exploration of forming a strategic alliance that aims to create a new era of mobility and mobility services. Specifically, the two companies have signed a memorandum of understanding that outlines their intent to establish a joint venture (“New Company”) through which they plan to engage in the joint development and sales of high value-added battery electric vehicles (EVs) and commercialize them in conjunction with providing mobility services.
The two companies will proceed with negotiations toward executing various definitive binding agreements, including a joint development agreement and a joint venture agreement, with a goal of establishing the New Company within 2022, subject to execution of the definitive agreements and relevant regulatory approvals.
This alliance aims to bring together Honda’s mobility development capabilities, vehicle body manufacturing technology and after-sales service management experience cultivated over many years, with Sony’s expertise in the development and application of imaging, sensing, telecommunication, network, and entertainment technologies, to realize a new generation of mobility and services that are closely aligned with users and the environment, and continue to evolve going forward.
Sales of the first EV model from the New Company are expected to start in 2025. The New Company is expected to plan, design, develop, and sell the EVs, but not own and operate manufacturing facilities, so Honda is expected to be responsible for manufacturing the first EV model at its vehicle manufacturing plant. It is expected that a mobility service platform will be developed by Sony and made available for the New Company.
Comment from Kenichiro Yoshida, Representative Corporate Executive Officer, Chairman, President and CEO, Sony Group Corporation
“Sony’s Purpose is to “fill the world with emotion through the power of creativity and technology.” Through this alliance with Honda, which has accumulated extensive global experience and achievements in the automobile industry over many years and continues to make revolutionary advancements in this field, we intend to build on our vision to ‘make the mobility space an emotional one,’ and contribute to the evolution of mobility centered around safety, entertainment and adaptability.”
Comment from Toshihiro Mibe, Director, President, Representative Executive Officer and CEO, Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
“The New Company will aim to stand at the forefront of innovation, evolution, and expansion of mobility around the world, by taking a broad and ambitious approach to creating value that exceeds the expectations and imagination of customers. We will do so by leveraging Honda’s cutting-edge technology and know-how in relation to the environment and safety, while aligning the technological assets of both companies. Although Sony and Honda are companies that share many historical and cultural similarities, our areas of technological expertise are very different. Therefore, I believe this alliance which brings together the strengths of our two companies offers great possibilities for the future of mobility.”
Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Zoological Survey of India and the Natural History Museum of United Kingdom
The Zoological Survey of India(ZSI), Kolkata and the Natural History Museum (NHM), London have been working together over many years on mutually beneficial projects focused on the study of the fauna of India, and to recognize this long-standing relationship, and to promote its continuance for many years into the futurea Memorandum of Understanding between the two great Institutions, was formally signed by the Director of ZSI and Director, NHM, London today on a virtual platform.
The MoU was signed between Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, the first lady Director of ZSI and Dr. Douglas Gurr, Director, Natural History Museum London in the presence of Dr. David Gower, Head of Vertebrates Division Department of Life Sciences at the Natural History Museum London and Dr. John Jackson, Head of Science, Policy and Communication and Rosalind Glass, Executive Assistant to the Director and Board of Trustees of the Natural History Museum, London.
Terming the MoU as historic, Dr. Dhriti Banerjee, Director of ZSI said that this MoU was long overdue and the NHM, London and ZSI, Kolkata are going to be mutually benefited on the faunal diversity research through scientific exchange between the two great institutions and long standing relationship. ZSI is the umbrella institute for Biodiversity studies in Inida headquartered in Calcutta and has 16 Regional Centres instituted to cater to the faunal diversity of the various biogeographic areas of India. ZSI has around 5 million animal collection holding, 20,000 type collections and around 450 scientists and scientific staff work towards curatorial and research on the vast animal collections present in ZSI.
Dr. Douglas Gurr, Director, NHM, London while thanking the Government of India for agreeing into this MoU with them expressed his gratitude to ZSI and said that ZSI and NHM, London look forward for joint research activities by both and since share a joint passion on natural history collections and accelerate towards better science. This collaboration will not only benefit both institutions, the millions of vital collections present in NHM, London and ZSI including type materials are important nationally and across the world for understanding and conserving the biodiversity, curing natural resource loss and sustainable management of bio-resources as well as impact of climate change.
Through this MoU both the institutions are committed to implementing the 1973 Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Fauna (“CITES”), the 1992 Convention on Biological Diversity (“CBD”) and relevant national and regional laws and regulations concerning biodiversity including laws relating to access to faunal specimens, associated benefit sharing and traditional knowledge.
The NHM, London and ZSI will be working together to collect, study and conserve faunal specimens for science and to create and exchange associated data and images. There are plans for conducting of joint fieldwork expeditions, transfer of duplicate animal material and associated data and images by ZSI, Kolkata to NHM, London, and vice versa, capacity-building in the areas of Systematic Zoology and Conservation to ensure greater long-term conservation of animal genetic resources in India. Nevertheless, all faunal material and information exchange would be subject to all relevant extant domestic regulations of the participants as well as international laws to which either of the participants is a party. This MoU will be for a period of five years.
The MoU is expected to bring together practicing taxonomists, conservation biologists, biodiversity managers, policy makers and other stakeholders of both the country for discussing, networking and identifying gap areas to formulate the strategies for long term scientific documentation as well as conservation of faunal diversity through international exchange.
India has only 2.4% of the world’s land area but the species diversity in India is 8.1 percent which makes India one of twelve mega diversity countries of the world. There are average 350-400 species new to science from India are being discovered by ZSI scientists and others working on natural history and conservation. India is one of the megadiverse countries in the world with 45,000 species of plants and more than 100,000 of the animals have been recorded in India. The identified Megadiverse Countries are: United States of America, Mexico, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela, Brazil, Democratic Republic of Congo, South Africa, Madagascar, India, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines, Papua New Guinea, China, and Australia.
While many of the natural history collections from India are available in the NHM, London before Independence, India started housing its own collections in ZSI since 1947 independently and as a result of which, ZSI is the largest repository of Fauna in the entire south and Southeast Asia region. With more than 100,000 species of animals known to occur in India, it is the Zoological Survey of India (ZSI) that brought to the knowledge of scientific communities about many of them as the new and endemic species. ZSI is the premier institution on animal taxonomy in India under the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change of Government of India.
