Dutch firm to invest Rs 250 crore in Kerala's Technopark
Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 23 : Dutch firm Flytxt, which specialises in Artificial Intelligence (AI), data analytics and marketing automation, has announced expanding its R&D facility at the Technopark campus here by further investing Rs 250 crore.
Speaking to IANS, Flytxt Group CEO Vinod Vasudevan said that even though they are headquartered in Amsterdam, the nerve centre of the company is its Technopark campus.
"The entire R&D (Research and Development) activity takes place here... We are going to increase our staff strength from 300 to 500 shortly and it will touch 1,000 in the next five years," said Vasudevan, a PhD from IIT.
Flytxt was formed in 2008 after a group of European investors wanted to invest their money in some business and Vasudevan was roped in from Mumbai.
Their client list of Flytxt includes telecom operators such as Vodafone, Airtel, MTN Group, Viettel, America Movil, Zain.
"Today our software solutions are mostly from the telecom sector as 70 companies worldwide use our products. The fresh investments is being done to enter retail banking,airlines, hospitality industry and digital wallet segments, which too have a huge customer data," said Vasudevan.
Apart from engaging in their own work, Flytxt conducts regular workshops in AI, machine learning and data analytics across campuses in Kerala and outside.
"Kerala did miss the first bus when it delayed its entry into the IT industry due to opposition towards computers. Now here is the chance to see that they do not miss the bus in the automation segment. The need of the hour is to see that engineering curriculum should undergo an overhaul to meet the future demands," added Vasudevan, who operates from Flytxt's Dubai office.
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Modi should leverage his ties with world leaders to de-escalate war in West Asia: Omar Abdullah
Jammu (PTI): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said India can play a meaningful role in de-escalation in West Asia, given Prime Minister Narendra Modi's strong relations with the warring countries and their neighbours.
He said Pakistan was leveraging ties with Iran and the United States, and that any effort towards ending the war should be welcomed.
"As I said in the House (Assembly), we would like the war to end as soon as possible. The role that the prime minister can play may not be possible for anyone else because of his good relations with all these countries," Abdullah told reporters on the sidelines of a function here.
He, however, said any escalation would not be easy to manage.
"Any such move by US President Donald Trump, despite the long history of Iran resisting external domination, would not be easy," the chief minister said.
Asked about Pakistan mediating in the war, he said, "I will simply say that if any country can play a role in preventing this war, no one should have any objection to it."
He added, "I will repeat what I said … our prime minister has good and close relations with all countries — whether it is Israel, the United States, Iran, or the countries around Iran. If those relationships can be used to make some progress and help ease the situation, it would be a good thing."
Abdullah said attacks by terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed in India, as suggested by a report from the United States, are not unlikely.
Meanwhile, he asserted that any efforts to end the war, be it from Pakistan, must not be resisted.
"Pakistan is using its good relations with Iran and the United States to its advantage, and it has done so. How can we object to that? If that angle helps in stopping the war, would you want them not to act and let the war continue? We want the war to stop. If any country can play a role in that, it should. And if we can play an even better role, then we should do so," he said.
On unemployment in J-K, the chief minister said the issue cannot be resolved overnight, and government jobs alone are not the solution.
He stressed the need to explore alternative avenues, highlighting the importance of Mission Yuva in promoting entrepreneurship.
"Mission Yuva provides not just funding but also support in preparing DPRs and post-startup assistance, such as marketing. In just nine months, distributing Rs 1,000 crore and approving numerous schemes is a significant achievement," he said.
Abdullah credited the coordination between the government and Jammu and Kashmir Bank for the scheme's progress.
