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5th Hyderabad Retail Summit by RAI (The Retailers Association of India) Sees Participation of More than 300 Retailers of Hyderabad

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Sri. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Spl. Chief Secretary for Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Govt. of Telangana addresses the Retailers & Gives Awards to Iconic Brands of Hyderabad. 

 5th Hyderabad Retail Summit by RAI Discusses the Next Phase of Retail Growth

HYDERABAD, India, May 6, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Retailers Association of India (RAI) hosted the fifth edition of the Hyderabad Retail Summit (HRS), at Hotel Trident, Hyderabad. The summit served as a content-driven platform that brings together industry stakeholders across categories to learn, connect, and engage in meaningful discussions on key retail trends and challenges in the region. Built on RAI’s cornerstone of ‘Connect–Converse–Collaborate–Catalyse’, the platform aims to help retailers identify the right partners and opportunities to take their businesses to the next level. Avnish Kumar, Managing Director, Neeru’s | Chairman, RAI Hyderabad Chapter, speaking on the retail landscape in Hyderabad, said, “The Hyderabad consumer has changed faster than most retailers anticipated. Disposable incomes are up, aspirations are higher, and people are no longer willing to compromise on experience. But here is what is often missed — this is not just a Hyderabad phenomenon. What is happening in this city is a preview of what will happen in Warangal, Nizamabad, and Karimnagar in the next five years. Regional retailers who build the right capabilities today — in product, in experience, in technology — will have a significant head start when those markets mature. The window to build that advantage is right now.”

Speaking about the developments in the retail industry, Kumar Rajagopalan, Executive Director and CEO, Retailers Association of India (RAI), said, “Telangana is one of the few states where retail policy and retail reality are actually aligned. The state has made it easier to open stores, hire, and invest, and the market is responding. Hyderabad has become a national benchmark for how a city can build a modern retail ecosystem. What we are seeing here –the convergence of physical expansion, digital adoption, and rising consumer aspiration — is the template other cities will follow. The retailers who will lead the next decade are those who treat technology not as a cost centre, but as the engine of customer relationships.”

Speaking on the Occasion Sri. Jayesh Ranjan, IAS, Spl. Chief Secretary for Industries & Commerce (I&C) and Information Technology (IT) Govt. of Telangana addressed the Retailers on Telangana Government Initiatives in Enhancing the Retail Sector and asked the RAI – Hyderabad Chapter to Provide their inputs in developing Retail Sector.

Highlights of the Hyderabad Retail Summit (HRS) 2026 were the in-depth panel discussions on topics such as The Regional Champion’s Advantage: Building Brands That Outlast Trends, Quick Commerce, Connected Commerce: Where Does the Store Fit Now? and The Expansion Playbook: What Works Beyond the Metros.

Sharing valuable insights on these panels were some prominent faces of the retail industry in the region, namely – P Jayakumar, CEO, Apollo Pharmacy; Kiran Shinde, CEO, PMJ Jewels; Avnish Kumar, Managing Director, Neeru’s; Priyanka Vemuluri, Founder & CEO, Goyaz Silver Jewellery; Ashim Ashok Patil, MD & CEO, i-TEK RFID; Kavitha Mantha, Founding Partner, Green Organics & Akshara Ananda among others.

P Jayakumar, CEO Apollo Pharmacy, Vice Chairman, Hyderabad Retail Council, said, “As pharmacy retail has evolved into an omni-channel ecosystem, the difference between a transaction and a relationship comes down to context—a one-time purchase is a sale, but understanding a customer’s needs over time is a relationship. This shift from transactional to relational engagement, powered by data, is defining this decade across industries.

With a vast network serving millions of users, the omni-channel platform enables high-frequency interactions across the healthcare retail ecosystem—from medicine deliveries and doctor consultations to diagnostic bookings at scale—creating a true continuum of care. As a single destination for all health needs, it seamlessly brings everything together in one place.

These touchpoints build a dynamic, evolving view of the consumer, enabling a shift from fulfilling needs to anticipating them—from a service people use, to a health partner that truly knows them.”

Priyanka Vemuluri, Founder & CEO, Goyaz Silver Jewellery, added, “Building a regional brand today is genuinely harder and genuinely more exciting than it has ever been. Harder, because consumers are better informed and have more choices than ever. More exciting, because a small brand with the right product and the right use of digital tools can build a loyal customer base at a speed that simply was not possible ten years ago. What I would tell any regional retailer is this: do not wait to be big before you invest in understanding your customer. The data you collect in your first thousand transactions is more valuable than any consultant’s report. Start with that, and build from there.”

Sridevi Jasti, Founder, Vibrant Living | Holistic Nutritionist & Wellness Coach, expressed, “Wellness retail in India has stopped being a niche — it is now a primary category. But the consumers driving that growth are not buying products; they are buying outcomes. They want a brand that understands their health goals, not just their purchase history. Regional wellness retailers actually have an edge here — you know your customer’s context in a way no national chain can replicate. The ones who combine that closeness with smart use of data and content will build loyalty that is very hard to compete with.”

Aishwarya Gupta, Founder, Wondr Diamonds, said, “There is a perception that fine jewellery retail is about trust built over generations and that technology is somehow at odds with that. The opposite is true. The new consumer — and increasingly, this means younger buyers in Tier 1 cities who are the growth engine of the category — wants transparency, personalisation, and a seamless experience across digital and physical touchpoints. The brands that will win in jewellery retail are not the oldest or the largest; they are the ones that combine authentic craftsmanship with the kind of customer intelligence that modern technology makes possible. That is not a threat to heritage — it shows heritage stays relevant.”

Prasad Chalavadi, Founder & Managing Director, Kalamandir, said, “The Hyderabad consumer is more discerning than ever, but they haven’t abandoned their roots — if anything, their pride in regional identity is stronger. What has changed is their expectation of the experience around it. They want the warmth and authenticity of a brand that understands their culture, delivered with the convenience and personalisation they get from any world-class retailer. That is the challenge and the opportunity for regional fashion retail today. The brands that will endure are those that use data and technology not to become generic, but to become more precisely themselves — sharper on product, smarter on customer engagement, and deeper in community trust.”

HRS 2026 is presented by Ratnadeep Retail and Powered by National Mart. Platinum Partners included Neeru’s Indian Ethnic and Vara Mahalakshmi; Gold Partners included PMJ Jeweller; Associate Partners include Apollo Pharmacy, Apollo 24/7, Café Niloufer; Urban Casa, Newland AIDC, and 2CQR; i-TEKRFID as RFID Partner; Keka as HR Tech Partner Event Partners include Radiwalla.in, Kumar (shirts and trousers), Sen Security Solutions; TRRAIN as Charity Partner, STOrai as the Magazine Partner, Digital Magazine Partner – Replenish and RAI Global Linker as Networking Partner.

About Retailers Association of India RAI:

The Retailers Association of India is the national body representing India’s retail industry across all channels and formats, from large format and specialty retail to e-commerce, quick commerce, and connected commerce businesses. RAI works with governments, regulators, and industry stakeholders to enable a competitive, innovation-friendly retail ecosystem. Through policy advocacy, industry events, research, and learning programmes, RAI builds the conditions for retail to grow, invest, and create employment at scale. India’s retail future is connected. RAI is building for it.

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Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/2973720/Neeru_Avnish_Kumar.jpg

 

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Soprano Strengthens Global Security Credentials with Major Compliance Milestones

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July 13, 2026

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Soprano Reinforces its Position as a Market-Leading Communications Provider After Achieving Four Major Global Security Accreditations

SYDNEY, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Australian automated communications technology company, Soprano Design, has strengthened its global security credentials after achieving four major compliance accreditations across its business, reinforcing its position as a trusted communications provider for enterprise and government organisations.

Soprano has achieved SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001:2022, IMDA Security Framework and Cyber Essentials Plus compliance, reflecting the company’s continued investment in security, governance and operational resilience.

The accreditations come as enterprise and government organisations place greater scrutiny on the technology platforms that manage customer, citizen and employee communications. By meeting these recognised global standards, Soprano provides customers greater assurance that its platform, processes and controls are built to support secure, business-critical communications at scale.

“Achieving these accreditations is a significant milestone for Soprano and a testament to the discipline, rigour and hard work behind our technology, operations and people,” said Mohammed Odah, Chief Technology Officer, Soprano Design.

“As security threats continue to evolve, enterprise and government organisations need to know the platforms they rely on are backed by strong controls, independently tested processes and a culture that treats security as a core responsibility,” he said.

“These accreditations are not simply badges. They represent the strength of the systems, processes and governance we have built across Soprano to protect customer data and support organisations operating in highly regulated environments.

Behind each accreditation sits a specific part of Soprano’s business, spanning its Soprano Connect and Whispir platforms, its Singapore entities and its UK operations.

“Soprano has achieved SOC 2 Type II and ISO 27001:2022 across its Soprano Connect and Whispir platforms, the IMDA Security Framework across all five of its Singapore entities, and UK Cyber Essentials Plus in the United Kingdom, reflecting the company’s continued investment in security, governance and operational resilience across every market it serves,” said Simon Tipple, Director of Corporate IT and Security, Soprano Design.

“For our customers, many of whom operate in regulated industries, this is independent validation that the platforms they rely on for critical communications are built, run and continuously tested to the highest global standards.”

For more than 30 years, Soprano has supported enterprise and government organisations with secure, reliable and scalable communications technology. The latest accreditations further demonstrate the standards Soprano holds itself to as a long-standing partner to organisations managing business-critical communications.

“For three decades, Soprano has been trusted by enterprise and government organisations to support some of their most important communications,” said Dr. Richard Favero, Founder and Chairman, Soprano Design.

“That trust has always been built on more than technology alone. It comes from the standards we hold ourselves to and the responsibility we take in protecting the information that moves through our platforms,” he said.

“These latest accreditations are an important reflection of our commitment to our enterprise and government customers. They reinforce what has always been at the heart of Soprano: delivering secure, reliable and trusted communications for organisations that cannot afford to compromise.”

As organisations continue to modernise the way they communicate with customers, employees and communities, security and compliance have become increasingly important in the selection of communications technology partners.

“Our customers operate in environments where trust, security and reliability are non-negotiable,” said Antony Sault, Chief Revenue Officer, Soprano Design.

“These accreditations give them further assurance that Soprano is committed to meeting the standards required by enterprise and government organisations around the world,” he said.

“For current customers, this reinforces the confidence they already place in our platform. For organisations assessing their communication partners, it demonstrates that Soprano is built to support secure, high-volume and business-critical engagement at scale.”

These four accreditations sit alongside Soprano’s broader compliance programme, which is designed to support customers operating under regulatory frameworks including the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), APRA’s Prudential Standard CPS 230 in Australia, and the Australian Security of Critical Infrastructure (SOCI) Act. Together, they reflect Soprano’s commitment to secure, resilient communications for the enterprise and government organisations it serves worldwide.

Ends.

About Soprano Design

Soprano Design is a leading CPaaS provider trusted by 150+ Fortune 500 companies globally and serves over 32 billion automated interactions for its enterprise and government customers every year.

For more information about Soprano Design and its communication solutions, visit sopranodesign.com.

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/soprano-strengthens-global-security-credentials-with-major-compliance-milestones-302823534.html

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FocalPoint and STMicroelectronics enter into a commercial agreement to deliver enhanced GNSS reliability for automotive applications

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July 13, 2026

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The commercial agreement combines proven FocalPoint S-GNSS® Auto software with STMicroelectronics Teseo hardware to improve positioning reliability in challenging GNSS environments

CAMBRIDGE, England, July 14, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — FocalPoint, a UK-based leader in GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) software for automotive, wearables, and smartphones, today announced that it has entered into a commercial agreement with STMicroelectronics. The agreement marks a major step towards delivering highly reliable vehicle positioning in challenging GNSS environments. Building on the collaboration first announced in May 2025, FocalPoint and STMicroelectronics have now advanced their joint S-GNSS® Auto and Teseo solution to a full commercial offering.

The joint industry-leading solution delivers a significant leap in GNSS reliability, particularly in urban canyons, tree-lined roads, and other tough environments where conventional GNSS systems struggle. It is delivered as a simple firmware upgrade to Teseo devices, enabling automotive OEMs and Tier 1 suppliers to achieve substantially improved positioning accuracy in a straightforward and cost-efficient manner.

Backed by FocalPoint’s patented Supercorrelation® technology, S-GNSS® software has demonstrated consistent accuracy improvements in multipath and signal-degraded conditions. In recent rigorous global trials, S-GNSS® Auto on Teseo devices significantly outperformed standard commercial-grade solutions. The joint solution is advancing towards commercial deployment in both current and next-generation OEM platforms.

“We’re delighted to enter this commercial agreement with ST in addition to becoming an ST Authorized Partner, taking our collaboration to the next level. Our joint solution addresses the GNSS reliability pain points experienced by many OEMs when architecting their ADAS solutions,” said Scott Pomerantz, CEO at FocalPoint. “Together, we deliver significant improvements that make autonomous and connected vehicles safer and more reliable.”

“Through our commercial agreement with FocalPoint, and by leveraging the flexibility of Teseo’s open platform, we are expanding our portfolio with S-GNSS® Auto-powered products that help customers push performance beyond traditional GNSS receiver limits and gain a real competitive edge in the market,” said Luca Celant, Digital Audio and Signal Solutions Division General Manager, STMicroelectronics. “By adding the S-GNSS roadmap and innovations such as Precise+® to the state-of-the-art Teseo portfolio, we are working to deliver sub-meter accuracy in the toughest environments. Together, we’re helping OEMs add value and accelerate ADAS and V2X capabilities with confidence.”

This collaboration strengthens both companies’ commitment to enabling safer automated vehicles as well as improving everyday navigation.

More details are available on FocalPoint’s ST Partner page.

Evaluation kits (EVKs) integrating FocalPoint’s S-GNSS® Auto software on Teseo V and Teseo VI are now available for OEMs, Tier 1s, and ecosystem partners on the FocalPoint website.

Contact FocalPoint at contact@focalpointpositioning.com for the full results report of S-GNSS® Auto on Teseo devices.

About FocalPoint

FocalPoint develops advanced software that ensures GNSS reliability in the most challenging environments. Their flagship S-GNSS® Auto software delivers the positioning accuracy required to advance vehicle autonomy, especially in urban canyons and forest roads. Integrated onto STMicroelectronics Teseo V and Teseo VI devices, this joint solution is offered as a seamless firmware upgrade, empowering OEMs to advance their ADAS and V2X capabilities. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, FocalPoint is backed by a strategic investment from GM Ventures and has earned multiple awards and recognition from the Royal Institute of Navigation and the Institute of Navigation.

Website: focalpointpositioning.com

Media contact
Ramya Sriram; contact@focalpointpositioning.com

 

 

SOURCE Focal Point Positioning Ltd

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CGTN AMERICA & CCTV UN: Decades-old Radio Records Prove China’s Longstanding Sovereignty over Huangyan Dao

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July 13, 2026

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A decades-old piece of amateur radio history has resurfaced as evidence that the Philippines once formally acknowledged Huangyan Dao was not within the Philippine territory, according to archival records revealed by a Chinese expedition leader in an interview with China Media Group (CMG)

WASHINGTON, July 13, 2026 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ — (This material is distributed by MediaLinks TV, LLC on behalf of CCTV. Additional information is available at the Department of Justice, Washington, D.C.)

CGTN America & CCTV UN releases “Decades-old Radio Records Prove China’s Longstanding Sovereignty over Huangyan Dao”

A decades-old piece of amateur radio history has resurfaced as evidence that the Philippines once formally acknowledged Huangyan Dao was not within the Philippine territory, according to archival records revealed by a Chinese expedition leader in an interview with China Media Group (CMG).

Chen Ping, leader of several Chinese amateur radio expeditions to Huangyan Dao in the 1990s, said the Philippine Amateur Radio Association had consulted relevant government departments after the Chinese Radio Sports Association applied to register Huangyan Dao as a separate entity under the internationally recognized DXCC (DX Century Club) program.

According to Chen, the Philippine side’s reply confirmed that Huangyan Dao was not within the territorial sovereignty of the Philippines, clearing the way for the registration process.

The application was submitted in 1994. In January 1996, the American Radio Relay League (ARRL), which administers the DXCC program, officially recognized Huangyan Dao as a separate DXCC entity and approved the unique amateur radio callsign BS7H.

Under the international amateur radio system, callsigns are assigned according to territorial jurisdiction. The prefix “B” denotes China and character “H” stands for Huangyan Dao. Therefore, “BS7H” specifically identifies Huangyan Dao as part of China’s amateur radio callsign system.

Chen said Chinese amateur radio operators conducted four expeditions to Huangyan Dao between 1994 and 2007 after receiving approval from Chinese authorities to establish temporary radio stations on the island.

Recalling the 1997 expedition, Chen said Philippine personnel approached the Chinese team after arriving by patrol vessel and aircraft. He said the personnel asked about the team’s activities but made no territorial claim or demand before leaving.

Chen said he carried extensive documentary records during later expeditions, including correspondence related to the DXCC application, as evidence of China’s exercise of jurisdiction over Huangyan Dao.

The amateur radio callsign BS7H remains officially recognized today and, Chen said, stands as a lasting record of China’s presence and activities on Huangyan Dao.

Click here to watch the video: https://news.cgtn.com/news/2026-07-13/Decades-old-radio-records-prove-China-s-sovereignty-over-Huangyan-Dao-1OK0EG5LaOA/share_amp.html

Media Contact

Pan, CGTN America, 1 2023931850, distribution@cgtnamerica.com

View original content:https://www.prweb.com/releases/cgtn-america–cctv-un-decades-old-radio-records-prove-chinas-longstanding-sovereignty-over-huangyan-dao-302824303.html

SOURCE CGTN America

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