1. Ola inks partnership with Microsoft for enhanced passenger experience.
Together with Microsoft, Ola is building a new connected vehicle platform for car manufacturers worldwide. As part of the partnership, Ola on Tuesday announced that Microsoft will be its preferred cloud provider and will use Microsoft Azure to power Ola Play, the company’s existing connected car platform for ride-sharing that was launched last year.
At the heart of the partnership is Ola Play, that will leverage Microsoft Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet of Things (IoT) to enhance driver experiences with telematics, vehicle diagnostics, advanced navigation and predictive maintenance of vehicles; and enhance passenger experiences with cloud-based infotainment and passenger productivity during rides with the use of Office 365, Skype for Business and voice-assisted controls built using Microsoft technologies. It will also provide auto manufacturers with custom digital experiences for their customers.
2. Dubai based Emirates NBD bank begins operations in India.
Dubai, Nov 9 (PTI) Emirates NBD, the UAEs second-largest lender, has started operations in India with an aim to invest USD 100 million capital into its Indian operations, the bank said.
The Mumbai branch, marks the banks fifth international branch outside of its UAE network.
The branch will offer a range of services to corporate, SME and institutional clients including trade finance, treasury services, bilateral and syndicated loans in addition to supporting NRI (non-resident Indian) customers looking for cross-border wealth management solutions.
The bank plans to invest USD 100 million capital into its Indian operations, Emirates NBD said.
"We are delighted to expand our footprint to India, building on the UAEs strong historic, cultural and commercial ties with the country. As a key trading partner of the UAE and as one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India represents an important and strategic growth market," Shayne Nelson, Group CEO of Emirates NBD said.
"Emirates NBD is the only UAE-based bank with physical presence across all of Indias important trade corridors from the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) across to Asia and the United Kingdom (UK) and our aim is to be the bank of choice for Indian corporates and individuals looking to invest and do business in the MENA region," Nelson said.
Indians constitute the largest expatriate community in the UAE and a third of Emirates NBDs customer base is from India. The banks 60 second online funds transfer service to India, DirectRemit, has facilitated nearly a billion dirhams of NRI remittance flows this year, the company said.