In Brief: Oyo denies mass layoffs report; Dunzo, Throttle’s drone plans get DGCA’s approval

Softbank-backed Oyo does not have any plans to let go of 2,000 people from its workforce, the hospitality chain said in response to a TechCircle request for comment on an Economic Times report. The report had claimed that the hospitality chain is likely to lay off about 2,000 employees across India by January end in a bid to save on manpower costs and make some of its processes “more tech enabled.” Divisions like sales, supply and operations will account for a chunk of the layoffs, the report had added early Thursday.

“OYO has a performance-based system of grading where every month we evaluate employees, and if there is no improvement, they are replaced by relevant candidates,” the Ritesh Agarwal-founded company added in its emailed response. It has been moving some partner engagement roles from field to a combination of technology and centre-led specialized roles, it clarified.

Streamlining costs would however not appear a surprise move as parent company Oravel Stays saw a five-fold increase in expenses of its 2018-2019 financials, as revealed in a valuation report in November. Losses for the reported period stood at Rs 2,385 crore versus Rs 360 crore a year ago.

Dunzo and Throttle Aerospace get DGCA approval for piloting drones

Hyperlocal delivery app Dunzo and Bengaluru-based drone maker Throttle Aerospace Systems have received an approval to test long-range and autonomous drone use, according to another ET report citing sources. India’s civil aviation authority DGCA (Directorate General of Civil Aviation) has selected the applications as part of its programme called beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operations, which was notified in May. The two companies are likely to begin experimental drone flights from mid-to-late February 2020 and have identified airspaces outside of Bengaluru.

The companies will have to each clock 100 hours of drone flights before submitting the proof of concept to the DGCA, according to the requirements of the programme. The test flights are meant to evaluate the safety and robustness of the solutions.

Bengaluru-based Dunzo extended its losses nearly eight-fold for the financial year ended March 31, 2019, primarily on account of significant increase in its operating costs.

 Amazon’s Small Business Day concludes with 3,300 pin codes deliveries

Amazon India concluded its Small Business Day 2019, with a record participation from thousands of MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), SMBs (small and medium-sized business), artisans, weavers and women entrepreneurs showcasing their selection of products, it said in a statement Thursday. Businesses from over 3,300 pin codes received orders from customers during the event. Small Business Day in India, is an initiative to help boost sales for MSMEs, at the Seattle-headquartered company, which is also set to host SMBhav – another SMB summit in India, next month.

IT firms Mindtree, PTC partner on augmented reality centre in India

Michigan-headquartered information and technology firm Mindtree, in collaboration with Boston-headquartered software company PTC, launched a new India-based centre called Immersive Aurora. The facility will help develop immersive technology experiences and provide opportunities to enhance customer experience across augmented, virtual and mixed reality touchpoints, Mindtree said in a statement Tuesday. 

L&T-Chiyoda arms itself with Trend Micro’s cybersecurity solutions

Cybersecurity solutions provider Trend Micro has deployed its Trend Micro Apex One and ScanMail Suite for IBM Domino solution offerings to engineering, construction giant Larsen & Toubro’s engineering consultancy arm L&T-Chiyoda, Trend Micro announced in a statement Wednesday. Trend Micro Apex One which was successfully implemented on LTC’s endpoints, provides maximum protection through automated detection and response, whereas the Trend Micro ScanMail Suite for IBM Domino is an on-premises secure email gateway that offers top-of-the-range protection against targeted email attacks and spear phishing, the Tokyo-based company claimed in the statement.

Vadodara, Gujarat-based LTC was established by L&T and Japan’s Chiyoda Corp in 1994. It has helped execute several refineries, petrochemicals and oil and gas complexes, globally.

Quess’ Simpliance deploys compliance, risk mitigation app at security services provider Terrier

Another technology-based firm leveraging the use of enterprise technologies is Terrier Security Services with its deployment of Simpliance Mobility Task Management app to drive process compliance. The app will digitize Bengaluru-based electronic security, intruder alarm services provider Terrier Security Solutions’ internal and external checklists, improve compliance and develop effective risk mitigation plans business improve current compliance levels and risk mitigation plans, a statement from business services provider Quess Corp-owned Simpliance Technologies said Wednesday.

With nearly 1 lakh subscribers, Simpliance provides GRC (governance, risk management and compliance) solutions to 639 blue-chip companies in India including manufacturing, consulting, telecom, retail, logistics, IT & ITes industries among others, the statement added.

The app’s industry application includes fire and safety compliance, facility management, asset management, quality control, physical business process management, security guard compliances, among others.