Category: Local Business

DBS, Woh Hup named Kincentric Best Employers in Singapore for 2021

DBS and Woh Hup (Private) Limited have emerged as Singapore’s Best Employers in 2021, according to Kincentric’s premium assessment that identifies organisations who demonstrate outstanding people practices and workplace excellence.

While DBS has been named Kincentric Best Employer for the sixth time in Singapore and across Asia Pacific, home-grown construction firm, Woh Hup (Private) Limited has been recognised for the first time. These two companies are particularly leading the way by creating engaging environments fostering organisational agility and building engaging leaders.

Companies were evaluated against four research-based elements that are key to accelerating success: Employee Engagement, Organisational Agility, Talent Focus and Engaging Leadership. Kincentric identifies Best Employers that are in the Top Quartile and research shows that excelling across these four areas leads to better business results. Across each of the four parameters, the difference between the Top Quartile and their peers was at least 10 percentage points or more.

Engaging Leadership, Agility & Talent Focus Trump

Engaging Leadership, Organisational Agility and Talent Focus feature as the key factors that have enabled Singapore’s Best Employers to do exceptionally well. According to Kincentric’s insights, these Top Quartile companies are 10%* stronger on Engaging Leadership scores, 12%* better on Organisational Agility and 11%* committed on Talent Focus. This clearly demonstrates decisive and agile people centric business decisions that organisations have had to take through the pandemic.

Andrew How, Market Leader, Kincentric Singapore, said, “The last two years have been like no other and this pandemic has significantly changed the nature of work. Kincentric Best Employers distinguish themselves based on how well they rise to these challenges and provide a first-class employee experience to their people along the way. The strength of their people practices is what positions Kincentric Best Employers to be able to meet the ever-changing nature of work and evolving employees’ aspirations.”

Special Recognition for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I)

For the first time, Kincentric introduced a Special Recognition Award for Diversity, Equity & Inclusion best practices. DBS, Atkins Design Engineering Consultants Pte Ltd (a member of the SNC-Lavalin Group) and MSD International GmbH (Singapore Branch) have been recognised in this category for their development of diverse, equitable and inclusive work cultures, and have created a safe and inclusive space for their employees.

When evaluated, these organisations were found to have exemplified a robust and formal organisational approach towards DE&I, and were able to build an alignment between Employees, Managers and Leaders.

Special Recognition for Social Service Sector

To highlight the best people centric organisations in this sector, the Kincentric Best Employers 2021 assessment has provided a Special Recognition to:

AMP Singapore, Halogen Foundation (Singapore), Lutheran Community Care Services Ltd and TOUCH Community Services Ltd, for their contributions to the Social Service Sector this year. The assessment was based on a methodology to understand how well these firms engaged with their employees and demonstrated Best Employers’ attributes. To qualify, Employee Engagement scores had to be on par or higher than those belonging in the Top Quartile.

Trends from 2021 assessment

– The current pandemic has accelerated the megatrends of digitalisation and fundamentally
shifted how organisations work. The 2021 employee engagement data from Singapore validates that Top Quartile companies tend to fare better in Change Management (12%*) and their Senior Leadership have a much higher standing (17%*).
– In addressing more complex business issues arising from greater levels of ambiguity and uncertainty, Top Quartile companies put in place interventions to establish a better brand in the community (14%*), practical learning programs (13%*), create psychological safety for their employees (13%*), provide better workplace flexibility (12%*) and managers are effective at developing a positive team atmosphere (11%*).
– Kincentric has also found that Top Quartile companies do better in engaging the younger generations, notably the Geriatric Millennials (Age 35 to 44) (14%*) and Gen Z (12%*).
Kincentric’s global research has also shown that given the present challenges around talent retention, employees who do not see good career opportunities or agree with their organisation’s response to their well-being are four times more likely to leave.

Congratulating this year’s Kincentric Best Employers, Mr. Andrew How, said, “These are challenging times. Leading organisations have demonstrated agility to respond effectively to disruptions while being connected to the needs of their employees. Look around your organisation today and you’ll observe ways of working that are quite different to only a few years ago. This ability to stay agile to meet the demands of external customers and internal staff is a defining characteristic of Kincentric Best Employers.”

* Indicates % higher than their peers

Spritzer Again Bagged Brand of the Year Award 2021-2022

Spritzer Malaysia (“Spritzer” or the “Company”) is pleased to announce that the Company has won the national award for the water category of the World Branding Awards – Brand of the Year 2021-2022, a premier award recognition programme organised by the World Branding Forum.

Mr. Richard Rowles, Global Chairman, World Branding Forum and Dr. Chuah Chaw Teo, Director of Spritzer Bhd [L-R]

The national award was presented to Spritzer on 25 November 2021 in a virtual ceremony (video). The 14th edition of the World Branding Awards – Brand of the Year 2021-2022 saw more than 5,300 brands from over 60 countries nominated across multiple categories, with 500 brands winning awards, of which there are three categories – global, regional and national.

“Spritzer is very delighted to have again won the prestigious World Branding Award. This achievement is a very powerful endorsement of the popularity and trust of the Spritzer Brand to our loyal and faithful consumer, and I want to take this opportunity to appreciate and thank you all for your very strong support. Without you, Spritzer would not have been where we are today,” said Dr. Chuah Chaw Teo, Director of Spritzer Bhd.

The national award is presented to only the top household brands in each participating country that have been judged to be truly exceptional. Only one national award is given to a brand from each product or service category from participating countries.

The World Branding Awards has a judging and voting process that takes into consideration public participation through online voting, which is given a weightage of 30%. Brand evaluation by the World Branding Forum has a weightage of 30% while consumer market research conducted by the World Branding Forum has a weightage of 40%.

Spritzer Natural Mineral Water has also been awarded 3 stars by a panel of professional taste experts comprising chefs and sommeliers in the Superior Taste Award 2021 organised by the Brussels-based International Taste Institute. To be awarded 3 stars, products must have overall scores of over 90% and be considered an exceptional product by the 200 jury members from 20 countries that have been carefully selected based on their experience in tasting.

The jury of the Superior Taste Award 2021 noted that Spritzer Natural Mineral Water has a crystalline visual as well as refreshing and uplifting character with soft, delicate water and great mineral persistence at the end of the mouth.

Spritzer would like to thank our consumers for their endless support and loyalty as we strive to maintain the quality of our silica-rich natural mineral water from underground aquifers in a pristine 330-acre site located in Taiping, Perak neighbouring a tropical rainforest. As a business that cares, the Company will continue to give back to society and offer only the best quality to our consumers.

Avantor Provides Critical Personal Protection Supplies to Vulnerable Populations through NGOs

Avantor, Inc. a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the life sciences, advanced technologies, and applied materials industries, today announced a donation of 1.25 million non-surgical masks and 19,000 hand sanitizers to help protect our community from illness. This initiative, in collaboration with local charitable organizations, SATA CommHealth, HealthServe and Singapore Heart Foundation (SHF), supports Avantor’s community engagement work to improve global access to healthcare as part of its Science for Goodness sustainability commitment.

Avantor in kind donation of masks and hand sanitizers to SATA CommHeath Singapore – Mr. Chia Boon Khiang(left) and Ms. Sook Yee Loh, General Manager – South East Asia & Taiwan (SEAT) (right)

Ms. Sook Yee Loh, General Manager – South East Asia & Taiwan (SEAT) at Avantor said, “With new COVID variants emerging around the world, we need be conscientious of protecting our communities. This includes those who may not be aware of the personal protective products that are available or are unable to afford them. While Avantor is supporting life sciences companies as they work to detect, research, and fast-track treatments, we also aim to support the people in our communities.”

In addition, Avantor donated proprietary research consumables to the Kyung Hee University Medical School and Kyung Hee University Medical Centre to support scientific research and STEM education. Earlier this year to aid COVID-19 relief work in India, the Company donated 30,000 N95 masks, 600 infrared thermometers and 600 pulse oximeters to the Indian Red Cross Society, and the Avantor Foundation provided a US$30,000 grant to Project HOPE.

Mr. Chia Boon Khiang, Director & Head of Strategic Partnerships & Branding at SATA CommHealth, an organization that provides programs and services to seniors with limited access to healthcare facilities, expressed, “We are very heartened by the donation and hope this will encourage our beneficiaries, especially the elderly, to take into consideration how important hygiene and protective equipment are in preventing the spread of COVID-19. The elderly is especially vulnerable in these times and are more prone to the virus.”

About Avantor

Avantor®, a Fortune 500 company, is a leading global provider of mission-critical products and services to customers in the biopharma, healthcare, education & government, and advanced technologies & applied materials industries. Our portfolio is used in virtually every stage of the most important research, development and production activities in the industries we serve. Our global footprint enables us to serve more than 225,000 customer locations and gives us extensive access to research laboratories and scientists in more than 180 countries. We set science in motion to create a better world. For more information, visit avantorsciences.com and find us on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

Regional Media Contact
Christina Koh
Director, Communications – AMEA
Avantor
M: +65 9720 0169
Christina.Koh@avantorsciences.com

Gradiant Secures Five New DBOOM Projects in Indonesia and Vietnam, Appoints Managing Directors to Fuel Growth

Gradiant, a leading global cleantech water treatment solutions provider and projects developer, has announced the award of five design-build-own-operate-maintain (DBOOM) water treatment projects in Indonesia and Vietnam. Gradiant will provide end-to-end water treatment solutions through a customized approach using its proprietary suite of technologies to treat water and wastewater for industrial and municipal clients. These projects have a production capacity of 40,000 cubic meters per day. Gradiant has further announced the hiring of Managing Directors Thai Nam Nguyen for Vietnam, and K Sadanand for Indonesia. The new leadership appointments affirm Gradiant’s growth and investment priorities in the rapidly industrializing Asia Pacific region.

Sadanand brings over 35 years’ experience in the water industry, of which 10 years has been in the Indonesia market, working for leading companies of Solenis, Nalco Water, GE Water, Fichtner, and Ion Exchange. Nam has over 25 years’ experience in the water and wastewater treatment industry in various roles as country representative, and projects and business development director for leading multinationals such as Veolia Water Solutions.

“Customers are adopting our customized and complete solutions which they acknowledge will significantly reduce cost and simplify management of their water and wastewater treatment operations,” said Gradiant Indonesia MD K Sadanand. “Customers are delivered treated water, consistently and reliably, to their water quality and quantity requirements. With rapid industrialization pressures and increasingly strict environmental regulations, our clients will need to solve their water challenges in performance- and cost-optimized approaches. We are excited to help solve water and wastewater problems in Indonesia by providing sustainable end-to-end solutions.”

Since its inception in early 2020, the Gradiant Vietnam team has achieved substantial headway in the region with a growing pipeline of projects that are contracted, or in late-stage negotiations. “Our technologies are an apt fit for the value-driven Vietnamese market. This coupled with our team’s ability to develop, deliver, own, and operate as end-to-end solutions will enable our clients to fully address their water and wastewater challenges,” said Gradiant Vietnam MD Thai Nam Nguyen.

“Thai Nam Nguyen and K Sadanand will be incredible assets for our customers as they look to transform their businesses and infrastructure in these regions. Their local expertise will leverage Gradiant’s global resources and know-how, to ensure we are meeting the full needs of the regions’ customers,” said Sankar Natarajan, who heads the company’s project acquisition efforts for Southeast Asia. “Asia Pacific serves a critical role in the global supply chain with over 40% of the world’s manufacturing. Vietnam and Indonesia require effective and optimized water solutions to balance rapid industrialization with sustainable growth.”

The recent success in Indonesia and Vietnam further cements the company’s continuing rise in the Asia-Pacific region as a market leader. Gradiant has recently announced a major funding round to accelerate growth, and a series of new contract wins that demonstrate the market’s sustained demand for cleantech water solutions and DBOOM concession models.

About Gradiant Corporation

Gradiant is a leading global solutions provider and developer of cleantech water projects for advanced water and wastewater treatment. Gradiant’s robust, end-to-end solutions and proven technical delivery and operations expertise enable sustainable and cost-effective treatment of the most complex water challenges. Gradiant was founded at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to solve the most challenging water treatment problems through sustainable technologies to make a positive impact on the environment, society, and economy. Gradiant serves its clients around the world from its corporate headquarters in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, regional headquarters and R&D center in Singapore, and its subsidiaries in Asia, the United States, and the Middle East. For more information, please visit www.gradiant.com.

Contact:
Felix Wang
Gradiant, VP of Marketing
felix.wang@gradiant.com

Don Agro International achieves 8.9 thousand tonnes growth in crops harvested, driven by land bank acquisitions and implementation of innovative technologies

Don Agro International Limited (the “Company” or “Don Agro”) and its subsidiaries (collectively the “Group”), one of the largest agricultural companies based in the Rostov region of Russia is pleased to announce that it has achieved a 8.9 thousand tonne growth in total crops harvested, with 72.3 thousand tonnes of winter wheat and 19.0 thousand tonnes of sunflower harvested till date.

A key driving force which has enabled Don Agro to sustain this growth has been the expansion of the Group’s totalled controlled land bank via new strategic acquisitions.

Following its initial public offering in February 2020, the Group made its maiden post-listing acquisition at the end of 2020 of Volgo-Agro LLC, an agricultural company based in the Volgograd region of Russia operating a controlled land bank of approximately 10,040 hectares. Subsequently in July 2021, the Group acquired a neighbouring agribusiness, Rav Agro Rost LLC (“Rav Agro Rost”), located in the Millerovo District, Rostov Region of Russia. With an arable land bank of approximately 3,200 hectares, Rav Agro Rost alone contributed up to 3.1 thousand tonnes of winter wheat and 1.54 thousand tonnes of sunflower.

“While we are pleased with the robust harvest results achieved this year, we continue to look ahead to new horizons to capture growth. For us, the acquisition of new land banks is a strategic task, and is one that we have committed to our investors since listing in early 2020. At the moment, we operate a controlled land bank of approximately 67.3 thousand hectares, of which 17.2 thousand hectares are owned by the company, and we do not plan to stop there. Moving forward, we will continue to explore new acquisition prospects actively to raise our production capacity progressively, with the objective of achieving long-term sustainable growth,” commented Mr. Marat Devlet-Kildeyev, Chief Executive Officer of Don Agro International.

Mr. Devlet-Kildeyev also added that the Group is applying a variety of innovative technologies to raise crops yields and productivity for Don Agro.

Since 2020, the Group has been working closely with Russian-based autonomous driving software developer Cognitive Pilot to implement the Cognitive Agro Pilot(TM), an AI-powered autonomous driving system for agricultural machinery. Deployed on the Group’s crop harvesters, the Cognitive Agro Pilot(TM) system guides the harvester headers along the edge of unharvested crops with precision, maximising the width of the headers while optimising harvester movements. This reduces fuel consumption to make the harvesting process more environmentally-friendly. The technology also allows harvester operators to focus solely on managing machinery parameters, making work less tedious and safer in general.

The Group also employs no-till farming technologies for up to 7.5 thousand hectares of its arable land bank at present. Compared to conventional farming methods which can erode soil quality and require more manual labour and fuel, no-till farming reduces the impact farming has on the soil, providing an eco-friendly and sustainable alternative which has the potential to enhance crop yields as well.

More recently in September 2021, the Group announced its joint pilot project with Smart Polymorph Technologies to introduce the latest pharmaceutical innovations aimed at optimising crop production for the agricultural sector. As part of the pilot project, the Group earmarked experimental plots as a test bed for the application of a new growth bio-simulator which is expected to raise the Group’s crop yields and minimise production costs once it is ready to be deployed at scale.

About Don Agro International Limited

Don Agro is one of the largest agricultural companies in the Rostov region in Russia principally engaged in the cultivation of agricultural crops and production of raw milk. The Group is also engaged in crop production in the Volgograd region in Russia. The Group has a total controlled land bank of 67,340 hectares, of which more than 54,420 hectares are arable land. The Group owns approximately 17,200 hectares of its controlled land bank.

The Group’s operations are principally located in the Rostov region, one of the most fertile regions of Russia, situated close to the Azov and Black Seas and the Don River which house major international ports. The Group’s second operating division in the Volgograd region is located in close proximity to key trading routes including the Volga River. This allows the Group’s customers, who are mainly traders and exporters, to save on transportation costs and, as a result, be able to offer higher prices for the Group’s crops. Within the crop production segment, the Group is primarily engaged in the farming of commercial crops such as winter wheat, sunflower and corn.

In addition, the Group is the largest milk producer in the Rostov region and owns more than 4,000 heads of dairy cattle which includes approximately 2,200 milking cows.

Issued for and on behalf Don Agro by Financial PR

For more information please contact:
Romil Singh, Jonathan Wee
tech@financialpr.com.sg
Tel: +65 6438 2990, Fax: +65 6438 0064

Don Agro International Limited (the “Company”) was listed on Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the “Exchange”) on 14 February 2020. The initial public offering of the Company was sponsored by PrimePartners Corporate Finance Pte. Ltd. (the “Sponsor”).

This press release has been reviewed by the Company’s Sponsor. It has not been examined or approved by the Exchange and the Exchange assumes no responsibility for the contents of this document, including the correctness of any of the statements or opinions made or reports contained in this document.

The contact person for the Sponsor is Mr Joseph Au, 16 Collyer Quay, #10-00 Income at Raffles, Singapore 049318, sponsorship@ppcf.com.sg

Dusit International partners with leading educational and culinary institutes to develop Thailand’s first academy of gastronomy with business incubation facilities – ‘The Food School’

Dusit International, one of Thailand’s leading hotel and property development companies, is set to expand its hospitality education business in the kingdom with a unique joint venture offering experiential training in Italian, Japanese, and Thai cuisines – plus exclusive incubation services for food and beverage startups – in a state-of-the-art facility in Bangkok.

A winning partnership: Equity partners in the THB 336 million development include Dusit International; Glowfish Co-Working Space; Allied Metals; and La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana (ALMA).

Called The Food School, the project occupies 3,200 sq m of thoughtfully designed space set over three floors at the new Creative & Startup Village in the city’s Sam Yan district, just a five-minute walk from Sam Yan MRT underground station.

Equity partners in the THB 336 million development include Dusit International; Glowfish Co-Working Space (under privately owned real estate investment company, Heritage Estates Co., Ltd.); Allied Metals, one of Asia’s leading suppliers of professional kitchens and kitchen infrastructure; and La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana (ALMA), recognised as the world’s leading education and training centre for Italian cuisine.

Designed to provide an innovative, progressive and experiential learning environment, and targeted at young professionals, keen amateurs, career-switchers, and entrepreneurs seeking to get the best possible start for their food and beverage businesses, The Food School will bring together three globally recognised institutions – including Dusit’s own Dusit Thani College; Japan’s renowned Tsuji Culinary Institute; and ALMA. Each will offer long-course modules in Thai cuisine, Japanese cuisine, and Italian cuisine and bakery, respectively.

Students will also have access to The Food School’s unique entrepreneurial incubator platform, The Test Kitchen, which will offer facilities for product testing and experimentation; business planning services; professional coaching and mentorship from renowned local chefs; and exclusive opportunities to get financial support from investors during specially arranged pitching sessions.

Alongside sourcing sustainable produce from selected farms throughout Thailand, the academy will bring in premium imported ingredients to ensure authenticity. Regular events will showcase innovations and new food and beverage business trends. A community dining room, meanwhile, will serve as a venue for students, instructors, locals, visitors, mentors and mentees to exchange ideas and evaluate new concepts.

“The Food School aims to create a vibrant, dynamic and collaborative ecosystem that brings together Thailand’s food community to drive positive social, environmental, and economic developments in the food and beverage industry at large,” said Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, Group CEO, Dusit International. “Three clear highlights set The Food School apart as a unique proposition in Bangkok. First, it is the first mover in the market to offer multi-cuisine training and business incubation all under one roof. Second, its Test Kitchen facilities will provide an unrivalled opportunity for experienced or fledgling chefs and savvy entrepreneurs to trial new concepts, receive advice on these concepts from seasoned industry experts, and tap into Thailand’s dynamic food and beverage market. Third, the Food School will play an active role in the food and beverage community by hosting regular events that bring together key industry players to discuss the latest trends, evaluate concepts, and brainstorm the way ahead for established and upcoming food and beverage businesses alike.”

Ms Suthumpun said that no other facility offers such comprehensive services for culinary startups and young professionals in Bangkok.

“By responding to the professional needs of the market in the new normal, fully leveraging Dusit’s rich experience in providing hospitality education for more than 20 years, and offering direct access to mentorship from celebrated chefs and well-known restaurateurs in Thailand, and later globally, we look forward to helping The Food School’s students, entrepreneurial associates, and community supporters to fulfill their potential with services, facilities and hands-on learning specially created to equip them for success in the brighter post COVID-19 days ahead.”

Ms Prim Jitcharoongphorn, Chairperson of the Executive Board at Allied Metals, said, “The highlight of The Food School facility is the design of kitchen classrooms that fosters teamwork and collaboration among peers. Our facility is equipped with eco-friendly equipment which is energy-efficient, user-friendly, and versatile. Kitchens at The Food School are truly state of the art. We are delighted that our innovative solutions will contribute to the sustainable development of culinary talents in Thailand by facilitating maximum productivity with minimal environmental impact.”

Mr Gavin Vongkusolkit, Managing Director of Heritage Estates Co. Ltd & Founder of Glowfish Co-Working Space, said, “Glowfish is all about people, community, and genuine collaboration, and any partnership or project we undertake will always be built on these solid foundations. Bringing our expertise in value-driven collaboration to The Food School, we look forward to building a thriving ecosystem of creativity and innovation, not only for Thailand’s food industry but also for the wider benefit of tourism, agriculture, wellness, sustainability, entrepreneurship, education and many connecting parts of our society and economy.”

For more information, please contact: info@thefoodschool.com or www.thefoodschool.com

Photo caption:
A winning partnership: Equity partners in the THB 336 million development include Dusit International; Glowfish Co-Working Space; Allied Metals; and La Scuola Internazionale di Cucina Italiana (ALMA).
https://www.acnnewswire.com/topimg/Low_Dusit20211028.jpg

Pictured (from left):
– Mr Siradej Donavanik, Managing Director – ASAI Hotels and Vice President of Development & Projects – Dusit International
– Mr Gavin Vongkusolkit, Managing Director of Heritage Estates Co. Ltd & Founder of Glowfish Co-Working Space
– Ms Suphajee Suthumpun, Group Chief Executive Officer, Dusit International
– Ms Prim Jitcharoongphorn, Chairperson of the Executive Board of Allied Metals (Thailand) Co. Ltd
– Mr Yannis Janssens, Technical Director, The Food School
– Mr Laurent Casteret, School Director, The Food School

About Dusit International

Established in 1948, Dusit International is a leading hospitality group listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand. Building on its two core areas of business – Hotels & Resorts and Hospitality Education – the company has expanded its operations over the past four years to comprise five business units. The additional units include Foods, Property Development, and Hospitality-Related Services. Today, the company’s property portfolio comprises more than 300 distinctive hotels, resorts and luxury villas operating under six brands across 17 countries worldwide, as well as two leading hospitality colleges with campuses in Thailand and the Philippines. Following a three-pronged strategy for sustainable growth, including balance, expansion and diversification, the company has recently expanded into food production, on-demand hospitality services, and property development to reach new markets and add further recurring streams of revenue to the company. For more information, please visit www.dusit-international.com

Official photos of Dusit Hotels & Resorts can be downloaded at medialib.dusit.com

Media Contact:
Sureerat Sudpairak | Corporate Director of Public Relations | Dusit International
Tel: +66 (0) 2200 9999 ext. 3321 | Mobile +66 (0) 89 006 8697 | Email: sureerat.sp@dusit.com

Cloud Comrade is Finalist in 4 Categories in the Channel Asia Innovation Awards 2021

Cloud Comrade, a leading Singapore-based cloud computing consultancy and managed services provider (MSP) with a growing presence in Malaysia and Indonesia, has been shortlisted as a finalist in 4 categories for Partner & ASEAN-wide Innovation in the prestigious Channel Asia Innovation Awards 2021. Drawing from a pool of over 90 organizations and 300 nominations, the awards showcase and recognize excellence in the ecosystem – spanning partner, start-up, telco, vendor, and distributor businesses- for delivering transformative customer solutions across Southeast Asia. Winners will be selected by an executive panel of industry judges and announced at a virtual celebration event on December 2, 2021.

Andy Waroma, Co-Managing Director, Cloud Comrade

Cloud Comrade has been chosen as a finalist in the Enterprise, Mid-market and SMB segments for Partner Innovation, an acknowledgement of the company’s ability to deliver innovation, excellence, and value for customers irrespective of their size. Another feather in its cap is being picked in a shortlist of four companies for ASEAN-wide innovation. This is a new category that recognizes companies headquartered in the ASEAN region that has been tough and transformative and continues to raise the bar for industry excellence, despite the enormous challenges posed by Covid-19.

“We are thrilled to be selected as a finalist from such a large pool of capable organizations that are doing some amazing work. It is indeed fulfilling and humbling to not only see the rapid strides we have made in the last few years but also to be recognized by the industry,” said Andy Waroma, Co-Founder & Co-Managing Director of Cloud Comrade.

“The Covid-19 pandemic has presented incomparable challenges to most businesses. It has also tested our resilience, adaptability, creativity, and ability to deliver excellence for our clients. It is a huge credit to our team for being able to do all of that and win multiple accolades during these times. We have been fairly successful in facing these challenging conditions head on and converting them into opportunities for adding value, for ourselves and our customers. We are also thankful to our customers and partners for trusting us in this incredible journey and would like to reiterate our commitment to deliver innovative, value-adding solutions.”

“Customer innovation is no longer a marketing slogan, rather a refreshing reality in ASEAN given the wealth of transformative projects and examples of best practice featured in 2021,” said Cherry Yumul, vice president of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at IDG, publisher of Channel Asia. “Enormous credit to the market-leading companies and individuals continuing to press ahead in helping customers innovate at pace – despite the notable difficulties – which once again demonstrates the depth of transformation taking place across the region. Congratulations Cloud Comrade, nothing can stop your pursuit of excellence.”

Selection as finalist in multiple categories for the Channel Asia Innovation Awards 2021 marks a continuation of a great 2021 for the company. Earlier this year, Cloud Comrade won the 2021 AWS APN Consulting Partner of the Year Award for its consistently stellar performance in service delivery, growth in AWS business and a significant contribution to Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) in Singapore/ ASEAN region. The company also received the SAP Service Authorization for SAP HANA, making it one of the first companies in Singapore to achieve it.

About Cloud Comrade

Cloud Comrade (https://cloudcomrade.com) is a Singapore-based cloud computing consultancy company with a regional footprint in Indonesia and Malaysia. The company offers a comprehensive range of services from strategy and design to deployment, migration, and management of customers’ IT infrastructure. Cloud Comrade partners with the best solution providers in the field of cloud computing and is a preferred Amazon Web Services (AWS) consulting partner in ASEAN, as well as a managed service provider for AWS, Google, and Alibaba Cloud. In January 2019, ST Telemedia (sttelemedia.com), an active strategic investor specializing in communications & media, data centers, and infrastructure technology businesses, acquired a majority stake in the company. For more information on Cloud Comrade, visit cloudcomrade.com

Media Contact
Cloud Comrade:
Andy Waroma, Co-Managing Director
Tel: +65 v9863 7235
E-mail: andy@cloudcomrade.com

SMEStreet Global Women Leadership Awards 2021 Successfully Conducted

SMEStreet in association with WASME has successfully organized a Forum For ECONOMIC EMPOWERMENT THROUGH WOMEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP along with SMEStreet Global Women Leadership Awards 2021. The Awards were announced along with a panel discussion over digital platforms on 22nd October 2021.

The event was supported by the Ministry of MSME, Govt of India and SAVE (Society for Advancement of Village Economy).

The Chief Guest of the event Shri BB Swain, Secretary of MSME Ministry, Govt of India delivered a keynote Address in which he emphasized on the important role of women entrepreneurs in shaping up our socio-economic scenario. Shri Swain congratulated the winners of SMEStreet Global Women Leadership Awards 2021 and highlighted the Government of India’s schemes and programs that are aimed to deliver motivation for women-driven MSMEs. CA Dr. GP Agarwal, Secretary-General of WASME delivered a special welcome address and he spoke about the importance of motivating women in the workforce.

The topic of the forum to be organized was “The Role and Impact of Women Empowerment through MSME Development” in the panel discussion the distinguished panelists such as Shri Kishwar Janaki, Ambassador of Mauritius to Moscow, Russia, Ms Sampa Banerjee, Executive Director of WASME and Secretary SAVE, Shri Amit Dua, DVP, of Axis Bank. The session was moderated by Shri Faiz Askari, Secretary-General, SMEStreet Foundation and Founder Editor of SMEStreet.

Speaking at the forum, Ms. Alka Arora, Jt Secretary and CMD of NSIC, Ministry of MSME stated, “Women Empowerment is a major priority of the Government. We at MSME Ministry are working on structured motivation for women entrepreneurs and have several schemes and programs which are aimed to uplift the level of women in business.”

The panel discussion highlighted and discussed the aspect of ‘Shaping up Entrepreneurship through Empowered Women and Women Workforce’.

Ms Sampa Banerjee, Executive Director, WASME also congratulated the winners of the awards and mentioned, “Our society and socio-economic structure requires a new perspective towards empowered women. Issues such as Gender Budgeting are some topics which require detailed consideration and role of women in entire socio-economic activities must be brought up.”

Shri Chandan Keshwar Jankee, Ambassador of Mauritius to Moscow, emphasized the need for change in perspective towards the subject of Women Empowerment and urged that the diverse relevance of women’s power for the social upliftment should be emphasized.

Shri Amit Dua, DVP of Axis Bank presented his views while emphasizing the importance of giving proper acknowledgement to the women’s power around us.

Shri Faiz Askari, Founder of SMEStreet emphasized the need to have a fresh perspective towards the contribution of women in the workforce. The status of women in the workforce is a critical aspect of our social stability and socio-economic growth. The contributions of women in our economic and business ecosystem are very dynamic. All we need is to acknowledge their importance.

Giving an overview of the SMEStreet Global Women Leadership Awards, Shri Faiz Askari stated, “The campaign of these awards started around three months ago. During this period the organizing team and editorial team of SMEStreet received nominations from over 65 countries and we have so far selected a few women leaders who can be termed as Game Changers of their own ecosystems. The nominations were kept free purposely for ensuring maximum outreach.”

The winners of the SMEStreet Global Women Leadership Awards 2021 are:

– Ms Alka Arora, CMD NSIC, Jt. Secretary – MSME Ministry
– Ms. Firdous Khan – Philanthropy and Women Empowerment
– Ms Gaitree (Vanessa), Associate Professor, Academics
– Dr Lulwa Al Mutlaq – Founding President, GOLDEN TRUST
– Ms. Rose Mboya : Head of Intellectual Property Division at Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute, Kenya
– Ms. Sabina Kamal Co-Founder of Paytm M?Loyal
– H.E Denisa Gokovi , Founder & CEO at Hoinser Media Group, Albania
– Mrs. Monideepa Mukherjee, Director general, Yojana Magazine, Ministry of Information & Broadcasting
– Ms. Deeksha Ahuja Founder of Encubay Angel Fund -Pune
– Ms. Christina A Petrakis, from Argentina & United States for Women Leadership
– Ms. Lata Dagar, Founder of Shiksha Kraft
– Ms. Sonal Jindal, Founder Exim Bank
– Ms. Nidhi M Hola, Director Marketing, Microsoft
– Ms. Pooja Khanna, Senior Medical Professional

The webinar hosted over 10000 Women Leaders across the world on that day through SMEStreet.in, Digital and Social Media platforms and is expected to connect and educate over 50000 aspiring women entrepreneurs over the next few weeks through SMEStreet.in and its social media platforms.

On this occasion, SMEStreet-Women Leadership Forum (Pink Power Group) is also getting formed with an aim to discuss, develop and empower entrepreneurship through Women Leaders and influence the positivity for Women @ Workforce. This will be a consortium of Women Leaders from Entrepreneurial Backgrounds.

The organizing agency of this webinar is Vertical Business Media Pvt. Ltd. and SMEStreet Foundation which is the parent organization of SMEStreet.in.
Facebook Link: facebook.com/smestreet.in
Linkedin: linkedin.com/company/smestreet
Instagram: Instagram.com/smestreet.in
SMEStreet’s Youtube Channel – SMEStreet ViewPoint (Youtube).
www.youtube.com/c/SmestreetIn22/

Freedom Business Summit 2021 Online Will Bring Together 2000+ Worldwide Freedom Business Entrepreneurs

This year on 6-7 November, 2021 we decided to bring together 2000+ the world’s best entrepreneurs to learn proven strategies, get proven systems to build a freedom business, build a winning mindset, and run your business globally from freedom entrepreneurs, world travelers, global investors and remote startups founders.

Freedom Business Summit – is not just a regular summit, it is a philosophy of location independent lifestyle that is organized in official partnership with e-Residency Estonia, Insured Nomads, Binance and citizenship agency Migronis.

Summit Agenda

Bringing together topics that don’t cover in big media, the summit aims to educate those who value their freedom on things like:

Self-sovereignty 101 – embracing prepper mentality and becoming a free man.
Jurisdictional Arbitrage – playing the game of flag theory, why having a second passport is necessary, how do you pick the right jurisdiction and what the paperwork is like.
Global incorporation – seeking a better regulatory environment for your business.
Bitcoin through a macro lens – your hedge against the money printer.
Building a citadel – building a self-sufficient housing.
Unschooling – teach your kids critical thinking.
Taxation – legal ways to minimize or entirely avoid the burden of capital gains and income tax.

Meet Our Speakers

More than 20 speakers and entrepreneurs from 20 countries: Brazil, USA, Estonia, France, Spain, Malta, Canada, Portugal, Romania will join Freedom Business Summit to share their experience about managing and running a remote business.

Bryan Benson – Managing Director at Binance LATAM
Brett Estep – Vice President at Insured Nomads USA
Daniel Prince – The Once BITTen podcast USA
Kemal Nicholson – Expert in Citizenship Programs Antigua and Barbuda
Liam Martin – Co-Founder timedoctor.com (Canada)
Alla Adam – Smart Human, Life Coach (Chicago, USA)
Alex Huditan – Entrepreneur at Amazon & Lifestyle (Romania)
Katie Ananina – CEO PlanBPassport (USA)
Viktorija Simulynaite – CEO Sovereign Man (Worldwide)
Marat Kurbanov – Senior analyst at Sovereign Man, (Chile, Spain)
Marvin Liao – VC, ex-partner at 500 STARTUPS (USA)
Andreas Wil Gerdes – Entrepreneur, World Citizen #8 (Malta)
Jeff Ruiz – Online Entrepreneur (France)
Gil Petersil – Professional Networker (Singapore)
Hannah Brown – Head of Content, e-Residency of Estonia

Each expert will share their experience from managing remote online teams and a virtual company, to investing abroad, obtaining a second citizenship, registering companies in low-tax countries, opening bank accounts and obtaining visas for online entrepreneurs.

Once you attend Freedom Business Summit – it may change your life, and you will get a one-way ticket to a life full of freedom, a remote business lifestyle, and unstoppable traveling to the world’s best destinations.

More details here www.freedomsummit.net

Summit organized and produced by Travel MBA

Please contact us at media@travelmba.net

Entry into 3-Year Lease for an Industrial Property in Singapore to Commence Production of Lab-Grown Diamonds

SGX-listed Metech International Limited (“Metech” or the “Company”, and together with its subsidiaries, the “Group”), is pleased to announce that its joint venture company, Asian Eco Technology Pte. Ltd. (“AET”) has entered into a 3-year lease agreement for an industrial property located at Kallang for the production of lab-grown diamonds.

Diamonds are more widely known to be used in jewellery but diamonds are also commonly used for industrial applications in oil & gas, medical equipment, aerospace, among others.

There are also continual discoveries of greater uses for diamonds in industrial applications, which could herald future electronics with powerful new properties that will enable next-generation military, aerospace and telecommunications applications(1).

Lab-grown diamond is chemically, physically and optically identical to a mined diamond, hence without the need for mining, lab-grown diamonds is a sustainable source of this important material.

According to the tenth annual report on the global diamond industry, prepared by the Antwerp World Diamond Centre (AWDC) and Bain & Company, global lab-grown diamond production reached 6-7 million carats produced in 2020 alone, with up to 60% of it manufactured in China. However it is still a very small market segment as compared to diamond mining, which peaked at 152 million carats in 2017 and currently stands at around 111 million carats(2).

Ms. Samantha Hua, Deputy Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Metech, said: “The establishment of our specialised and high-tech production facility for lab-grown diamonds in Singapore is a pivotal part of our business strategy.

Sustainability is a core focus for Singapore’s future development and we believe that the sustainability features of lab-grown diamonds and its increasing applications are aligned with the growth trends of the future.

Building on our current momentum, we look forward to expand our production capabilities in Singapore and grow our business presence globally.”

(1) https://medium.com/thelabs/diamonds-could-be-the-crown-jewel-in-future-electronics-40b1211e91a1
(2) https://www.bain.com/insights/global-diamond-industry-2020-21/

About Metech International Limited

(Bloomberg: CENR:SP / Reuters: METE.SI / SGX Stock Code: V3M)

Listed on the Singapore Stock Exchange, Metech International Limited (“Metech”) has a multi-pronged business model that aligns with the macro trends in the area of environmental and sustainability.

While proactively evaluating new business opportunities to broaden its business model, Metech continues to build on its capabilities and extend the value propositions of its business units.

Issued on behalf of Metech International Limited by 8PR Asia Pte Ltd.
Media & Investor Contacts:
Mr. Alex TAN
Mobile: +65 9451 5252
Email: alex.tan@8prasia.com

This announcement has been prepared by the Company and its contents have been reviewed by the Company’s Sponsor, RHT Capital Pte. Ltd. (the “Sponsor”) for compliance with the relevant rules of the Listing Manual Section B: Rules of Catalist of the Singapore Exchange Securities Trading Limited (the “SGX-ST”). The Sponsor has not independently verified the contents of this announcement.

This announcement has not been examined or approved by the SGX-ST and the SGX-ST assumes no responsibility for the contents of this announcement, including the correctness of any of the statements or opinions made or reports contained in this announcement.

The contact person for the Sponsor is Mr Khong Choun Mun, Registered Professional, RHT Capital Pte. Ltd. at 6 Raffles Quay, #24-02, Singapore 048580, sponsor@rhtgoc.com.