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ASM CSR Summit and Awards 2025: A Resounding Success in Fostering Responsible Leadership and Youth Empowerment

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PUNE, India, Jan. 28, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — The ASM CSR Summit and Awards 2025, a landmark event dedicated to advancing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives, concluded with great enthusiasm on January 21, 2025. Organized by the ASM Group of Institutes, this prestigious gathering brought together changemakers, industry leaders, NGOs, and students to celebrate impactful contributions and discuss transformative strategies in the realm of CSR.

The summit focused on nurturing socially responsible leadership, with an emphasis on empowering youth to actively participate in CSR initiatives during their college years. From engaging keynote speeches to thought-provoking panel discussions, the event provided a comprehensive platform for attendees to exchange ideas, share CSR best practices, and inspire action for a better tomorrow.

Inspiring the Next Generation of CSR Leaders

Delivering the welcome address, Dr. Sandeep Pachpande, Chairman of ASM Group of Institutes, highlighted the critical role of CSR in shaping a sustainable future. “At ASM Group, we believe that education extends beyond academics. Through platforms like the ASM CSR Summit, we aim to instill a socially responsible mindset among the youth, equipping them to align their skills with initiatives that create lasting societal impact. Today’s discussions and recognitions reaffirm our commitment to building leaders who drive change with purpose and compassion.”

This year’s theme, “Youth in Action: Cultivating a CSR Mindset in College,” resonated deeply with the audience. Panelists shared actionable strategies for integrating CSR principles into educational programs, providing students with opportunities to engage in real-world projects and CSR internships that create meaningful community impact. The CSR internship program was lauded as a practical way to integrate academic knowledge with actionable projects, empowering students to lead by example in addressing real-world challenges.

Keynote Address: Driving Transformative Change

The keynote address, “Driving Transformative Change: Aligning Purpose with Business Goals,” was delivered by Dr. Ravi Moro, from the Ministry of Science & Technology, Government of India. His speech emphasized the power of aligning business goals with community welfare, inspiring attendees to rethink CSR as a vehicle for both organizational growth and societal development.

Engaging Panel Discussions

Moderated by Sarang Gosavi, Founder-President of Aseem Foundation, the panel discussion brought together industry veterans and NGO leaders to explore how students can become active participants in CSR projects. The discussion was enriched by insights from panelists, including:

Ganesh Thorat, CEO, NAAM FoundationDr. Rajashree Joshi, Program Director, BAIF Development Research FoundationMs. Leena Kurup, Head of Facilities Management, Globant Technologies

The dialogue emphasized the importance of volunteerism, project-based learning, and internships to cultivate a deeper understanding of community challenges and solutions among students.

A Youthful Vision: Aditi Pachpande’s Call for Action

One of the engaging moments of the summit was the inspiring address by Aditi Pachpande, the 14-year-old Co-founder of NextGenInnov8 and a dynamic young changemaker. Aditi brought a fresh and innovative perspective to the summit, urging individuals and organizations to cultivate a CSR mindset that drives meaningful social impact.

“Innovation, collaboration, and youth involvement are essential to building sustainable solutions that align with the broader goals of CSR,” Aditi emphasized during her address. She encouraged the audience to think beyond conventional approaches and actively engage in efforts to create a more inclusive and socially conscious world.

Aditi’s leadership in the innovation and entrepreneurship space is supported by her dedication to learning from prestigious global programs such as the Harvard Student Agencies’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship program, the Business, Innovation & Entrepreneurship program at Oxford University, and the Social Entrepreneurship program from Northwestern University. Currently pursuing a Wharton economics course, Aditi continues to equip herself with the tools needed to inspire impactful change. 

Her passionate address left attendees motivated to embrace innovation and collaboration as key drivers of social change.

Recognizing Excellence in CSR

A key highlight of the summit was the presentation of the prestigious ASM CSR Awards 2025, honoring exceptional contributions that have driven positive change. The winners of the awards are:

ASM CSR Impact Award 2025 – Aseem Foundation (accepted by Sarang Gosavi)ASM CSR NGO of the Year 2025 – Happy Indian Village (accepted by Ravi Bapatale)ASM CSR Leadership of the Year 2025 – Monisha BanerjeeASM CSR Impact Award 2025 – CREDAI Pune Metro (accepted by J.P. Shroff)ASM CSR NGO of the Year 2025 – Anudip Foundation

These awards stand as a testament to the unwavering dedication of individuals and organizations to creating meaningful societal impact.

Shaping the Future of CSR

The ASM CSR Summit and Awards 2025 provided attendees with valuable insights into emerging CSR trends, innovative practices, and strategies for aligning business goals with social impact. From networking opportunities to actionable takeaways, the event proved to be an invaluable platform for fostering collaboration and building a community of responsible leaders.

As the summit drew to a close, attendees left with a renewed commitment to driving positive change. With its emphasis on youth empowerment and actionable dialogue, the ASM CSR Summit and Awards 2025 has set the stage for a brighter, more socially responsible future.

About ASM Group of Institutes
ASM Group of Institutes, established in 1983, is a leading education group in India committed to fostering academic excellence and holistic development. Offering education from KG to PG, ASM Group has been a pioneer in bridging the gap between academia and industry. The group comprises leading institutions such as ASM’s Institute of Business Management and Research (IBMR), ASM’s Institute of International Business and Research (IIBR), ASM’s Commerce, Science and IT College, among others, providing a wide array of programs in management, Through initiatives like the ASM CSR Summit and Awards, the group continues to lead by example in creating socially responsible leaders for tomorrow.

For Media enquiries, please contact:
Saurabh Kulkarni
Digital Marketing Head,
ASM Group of Institutes
Email: saurabhkulkarni@asmedu.org

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v4c Promotes Michael Gibson to Chief Executive Officer

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Promotion follows 765% year-over-year revenue growth, investment from Databricks Ventures, and recognition as the 2026 Databricks C&SI Emerging Partner of the Year as v4c continues to expand its world-class Databricks practice

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — v4c.ai, a strategic boutique pure-play Databricks services partner, today announced the promotion of Michael Gibson from Chief Revenue Officer to Chief Executive Officer. Gibson’s appointment builds on his leadership in scaling v4c’s global sales organization and expands his responsibilities to leadership across the business as the company continues to strengthen its market-leading position in the Databricks ecosystem.

As Chief Revenue Officer, Gibson helped scale v4c’s global sales organization during a period of 765% year-over-year revenue growth and a 350% increase in its worldwide client base. Central to that expansion has been his focus on aligning v4c’s go-to-market strategy with Databricks, building relationships across its field organization, and connecting enterprise customers with the expertise needed to advance their Databricks initiatives.

Gibson brings experience on both sides of the enterprise technology relationship: building sales teams within a global software organization and leading growth within technology services. Having been a driving force behind v4c’s success, he will build on that foundation with broader responsibility for the company’s continued growth and evolution. As CEO, he will work closely with the Board to define v4c’s strategy and vision, uniting leaders across all functions to translate that direction into company-wide execution. His focus will span business performance, leadership development, and a culture of collaboration and accountability, while advancing customer success and delivery excellence as v4c enters its next chapter in the Databricks ecosystem.

“Mike has been a key driving force behind v4c’s meteoric rise, translating our vision into a pace of growth that we believe is unprecedented in the Databricks ecosystem,” said Vijay Rao, Founder and Board Member of v4c. “He has built an organization that earns the confidence of Databricks leaders and field teams, wins the trust of enterprise customers, and turns those relationships into shared success. His understanding of where Databricks is going—and how v4c can help our mutual customers get there—will be critical as we continue to expand our capabilities within the ecosystem. The Board is confident that Mike is the right leader to build on this momentum and advance our vision of becoming the world’s best Databricks SI.”

Previously, Gibson served as Senior Area Vice President at MuleSoft, where he led nationwide sales teams serving enterprise customers across banking, retail, consumer goods, and manufacturing. His leadership and performance earned him multiple MuleSoft Owner’s Awards for management and culture building, two AVP of the Year honors, and Chairman’s Club recognition. His tenure spanned the company’s initial public offering and subsequent acquisition by Salesforce, giving him firsthand experience navigating rapid growth and organizational change. That experience also shaped his understanding of how platform providers and services partners work together to earn customer trust, support complex technology decisions, and expand enterprise adoption.

Gibson transitions into the CEO role following two major milestones in v4c’s relationship with Databricks: an investment from Databricks Ventures and recognition as the 2026 Databricks C&SI Emerging Partner of the Year. Together, these milestones reinforce the strategic alignment between the organizations and provide a foundation for further investment in Databricks expertise, joint field engagement, and global delivery capabilities.

“I’m proud of what this team has built and grateful to Vijay, Venkat and the Board for the opportunity to lead v4c,” said Gibson. “Databricks is at the heart of our go-to-market, and our vision is to become the world’s best Databricks SI partner. That means earning the confidence of Databricks teams in every market we serve and delivering for the customers who trust us with their data and AI priorities. As CEO, I’ll focus on deepening those relationships and investing in the people and capabilities that make v4c a partner Databricks can count on as we grow together.”

In this new role, Gibson will lead v4c’s global strategy and execution, deepening strategic alignment with Databricks and guiding investments in the people and capabilities behind the company’s growth. His leadership will focus on scaling the business while preserving its culture, advancing delivery excellence, and strengthening the trust v4c has earned with customers and partners.

About v4c

v4c.ai is a premier IT services consultancy specializing in Databricks, helping organizations modernize their data platforms and build enterprise AI capabilities. As a Databricks Ventures portfolio company and the 2026 Databricks C&SI Emerging Partner of the Year, v4c brings expertise across data engineering, AI strategy and governance, generative AI, and machine learning. Learn more at www.v4c.ai.

Media Contact

Savannah Cole
press@v4c.ai

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SOURCE v4c.ai

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Synteq Launches Apps & Serverless Functions in Developer Platform Expansion

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Synteq brings managed application hosting and serverless compute to its own infrastructure and network, so developers can run their code alongside their VPS instances, GPUs, and storage.

WILMINGTON, Del., Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Synteq today announced the launch of Apps and Serverless Functions, two managed products that let developers deploy applications and code without provisioning or operating servers. The launch is the first release in Synteq’s expansion into developer tools and platform services.

Apps run web services, APIs, and workers directly from source. Users can point Synteq at a GitHub repository or run a single CLI command, and the platform detects the language, builds the image, deploys it, and serves it over HTTPS on a Synteq subdomain or custom domain. Every app runs in its own isolated microVM with dedicated CPU, memory, and network. Deployments use readiness checks and zero-downtime rolling updates with one-command rollback. Live logs, per-replica metrics, and request data live in the Synteq Cloud, where custom domains, automatic HTTPS, and first-class secrets are built in.

Serverless Functions run individual handlers on demand, each invocation isolated in its own microVM. They support Node.js and Python runtimes, can be triggered by HTTP or cron, and deploy from the web editor, CLI, or GitHub.

Apps and Functions run on the same hardware and network as Synteq’s VPS, GPU servers, and block storage, so customers can put their application layer in the same location as the infrastructure it depends on.

“Great infrastructure is only half of a great product. The other half is how it feels to use,” said Ben Haupt, Director of Growth & Product at Synteq. “Functions let teams run scheduled jobs, webhooks, and automation right next to their existing Synteq servers, with every invocation isolated. Apps give developers a git-push path to production. Building a platform that’s easy for developers to operate is at the core of our roadmap, and this is the first step.”

“Our customers already trust us with their most demanding workloads, but have been asking for a broader product ecosystem to migrate their full workloads away from other providers,” said Eric Yingling, Chief Executive Officer of Synteq. “Apps and Functions give developers one place to ship everything, from a weekend project to the production API at the core of their business.”

Launch highlights

Deploy from source: GitHub, direct upload, or a single CLI command, with automatic builds and Dockerfile supportServerless Functions: run scheduled jobs, webhooks, and automation on demand, with no servers to manageFull tenant isolation: every app and function invocation runs in its own Firecracker microVMBudget-bound autoscaling: apps scale with demand up to a spending limit you setLocations at launch: Dallas (DFW) and Chicago (CHI)99.99% uptime SLA

Apps and Functions are available today in Dallas and Chicago and are managed from the same API, CLI, and Synteq Cloud control plane customers already use for GPU servers, virtual machines, and block storage.

In the coming months, Synteq plans to add Virtual Private Clouds (VPCs), floating IPs, load balancers, and cloud firewalls to its platform. Apps will also gain SSO and password protection for preview environments. VPC support will let Apps and Functions connect privately to customers’ existing Synteq servers and storage.

About Synteq

Synteq delivers GPU compute, bare metal, and virtualized infrastructure to enterprises, researchers, and developers worldwide, operating its own network (AS400304) and infrastructure footprint across multiple sites. Synteq combines enterprise-grade infrastructure with exceptional price-performance compute, storage and virtualization. Learn more at synteq.com.

Media Contact: pr@synteq.com, https://www.synteq.com

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NC AI Officially Releases VARCO Sound, the Generative AI Sound Production Service

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Text, image, and video inputs generate audio and enable detailed modification through “Multitrack” Special release promotion offers 50% discount on the first month’s subscription fee and bonus points Conversational AI “Sound Agent” uses natural language processing, allowing intuitive and accurate arrangements Desktop application and Unity plugin allow seamless integration with existing workflows

SEOUL, South Korea, Oct. 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Create and arrange a variety of sounds for a single scene with VARCO Sound, the multitrack AI sound generator.

Multimodal AI company NC AI announced the official release of its generative AI platform, VARCO Sound, on the 20th. Users can easily generate and edit scene-appropriate audio using text, images, and videos. VARCO Sound is designed to help developers and producers who are unfamiliar with sound design bring their creative ideas to life with high-quality soundtracks.

Users can also access the web version of VARCO Sound by signing up on the official website.

NC AI also announced a promotion for VARCO Sound and the AI 3D generator VARCO 3D, running until Nov. 30 following the release. The offer supports continued creation by making AI-based content generation tools more accessible and is available to both new members and existing members who have been using the free version.

Users who make their first purchase during the promotion can receive a 50% discount on the first month of their subscription. Additional bonus points will also be provided, with higher-tier subscriptions receiving even more points. This offer is available once per account for VARCO Sound and VARCO 3D each.

Events will also be held in the official VARCO Discord community. Users who join through the dedicated links provided in each service announcement can enjoy one month of free access to the VARCO 3D Plus plan or the VARCO Sound Lite plan. The first 100 users to join the community will receive the exclusive “VARCO OG” title. In addition, the top five users who share game assets created with VARCO 3D in the community will be selected to receive service credits and titles. Event periods and participation details are available in the Discord announcements for each service

VARCO Sound is a comprehensive platform that allows users to generate and fine-tune audio tracks for content such as games, videos, and animations. Users can describe the desired audio through text or upload an image or video, and the AI analyzes the input to generate scene-appropriate Foley sounds, sound effects, ambient audio, and more.

The tool’s most unique feature is its ability to provide separate tracks for each audio source rather than a single audio file. Users can check each track individually, adjust its volume, or replace specific sound effects to further polish the result and better realize their creative vision.

In addition, the “Variation” feature allows users to build on their existing work. Users can upload an original sample to generate variations while preserving its texture and nuance. This substantially reduces the time required to refine ideas and develop prototypes.

The entire generation and editing process can be conducted through natural language using the conversational AI “Sound Agent.” A simple description of the desired outcome is analyzed by the AI agent, which automatically applies the appropriate features, lowering the entry barrier for new users.

Furthermore, VARCO Sound comes with an automatic volume mixer feature that prevents sounds from clashing when multiple tracks are played simultaneously. The AI examines and adjusts the volume balance between different tracks so that no sound is too loud or too quiet.

Currently, the maximum length of an audio file that can be generated is 60 seconds, and NC AI plans to continue improving the tool’s performance to support video inputs of up to 120 seconds.

NC AI has also released a desktop application and a Unity plugin that allows the tool to seamlessly integrate into the existing workflows of creators. Assets created through the desktop application can be dragged and dropped into other DAWs for immediate use. A personalized library search feature based on natural language and audio will be added in the future to further streamline each user’s workflow.

Moreover, the Unity plugin was selected as a Unity Verified Solution, demonstrating its performance and compatibility. The plugin allows game developers to stay within the Unity engine while creating audio tracks using just text and images and immediately apply them to their projects using the built-in editing tools.

NC AI’s CEO Yeonsoo Lee said, “VARCO Sound has evolved into an ‘AI platform designed for professional needs’ that boosts creators’ efficiency without disrupting their existing workflows.” Yeonsoo Lee added, “We will establish a new paradigm in the global audio creation ecosystem through continuous technological advancement and seamless integration with a wide range of external platforms.”

About NC AI

NC AI leverages over a decade of game AI expertise to develop advanced multimodal and Physical

AI solutions for digital content and industrial sectors. Under its proprietary VARCO brand, the company delivers generative AI tools spanning text, audio, and 3D assets. Under the VAETKI brand, NC AI expanding into Physical AI including Digital Twins, World Models, and Robot Foundation Models (RFM). NC AI applies virtual simulation and reinforcement learning to mission-critical industries like defense and smart manufacturing, seamlessly connecting digital intelligence to physical execution.

NC AI Official Website and Social Media

| Websites   Company Website: https://nc-ai.com/  
                    Official LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nc-ai/
                    Official Blog: https://medium.com/nc-ai
                    Official Instagram Account: https://www.instagram.com/ncai_official/
                    Official YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/@nc_ai/  
                    Official Discord: https://discord.gg/uTBqazNuKr 

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SOURCE NC AI

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