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Real Estate

$1.4 Million Homes in São Paulo, Brazil

Brazil’s most populous city offers contemporary brick houses, sleek condos with city views, and ranch-style homes.

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Education

Interview: AI will redefine learning, skilling and entrepreneurship in India, says Wadhwani Foundation CEO Ajay Kela

On April 29, speaking at the YUGM Innovation Conclave co-hosted by the Ministry of Education and the Wadhwani Foundation in New Delhi, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expressed confidence that the efforts to enhance India’s innovation capacity and its role in deep-tech would gain momentum through this event.

The Prime Minister congratulated the Wadhwani Foundation, IITs, and all stakeholders involved in these initiatives.

Also Read | Tech4Good Awards recognise AIIMS and Wadhwani Institute for AI-led solutions

Founded in the early 2000s by Romesh Wadhwani, the Wadhwani Foundation is a global non-profit dedicated to accelerating economic growth and job creation across emerging economies.

In an exclusive interaction with LiveMint Dr Ajay Kela, CEO and Board member, Wadhwani Foundation, spoke about the Foundation’s two-decade journey in India.

Q: How has the journey been so far since inception?

A: When I joined in 2010, we were a one-country, one-initiative, one-program. The country was India; the initiative was National Entrepreneurship Network designed to inspire and equip students with the skills and knowledge to become successful entrepreneurs.

We were a small team of barely 10–15 people. Today, we are working in probably a dozen countries or more with half a dozen initiatives, probably 10-12 programs under them. So that is how we have scaled. What has never changed, however, is our core mission, which is to enable people to secure dignified jobs and, through that, transform their families and future generations.

Q: Could you give me an example of the kind of people you’re focusing on?

A: On one side of the equation, we work with the vulnerable – these are 18-year-olds that finished high school or finished 10th grade and are looking to support themselves and their family, but they don’t go to college.

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We help people acquire skills so that they can command these level, mid-skill roles that have a trajectory. These aren’t daily wage roles, and they’re not high-end data science jobs either. They are stepping-stone careers, for example, a nurse’s aide or a home healthcare worker who can progress to becoming a nurse, and even a doctor if ambitious enough. It’s about building a ladder of opportunity.

Q: How do you identify which job roles to train them for?

A: We pick job roles that we know are going to be in demand. We start with employers and ask them what they are hiring for today, what their outlook is for the next three to five years, and what skills those roles will demand. Based on that, we develop programs, curriculums and then even influence the training organisations.

The key here is to know what the hyperlocal demand is.

Skilling is just one side of the equation. The other is job creation. While on the skilling side, we work with the vulnerable, this side we are working with the creme layer of society – top students and colleges because they are the ones that will create ‘Silicon Valley’ kinds of companies.

Q: Beyond entrepreneurship, another area you’ve worked on is research-driven job creation, right?

A: Yes, we have. India produces world-class research via PhDs and postdocs that ends up in papers and patents, not in the market. That’s a criminal waste. This research holds the potential to impact people’s lives, and of course, lead to business and job growth, but it wasn’t happening at all in India.

Also Read | Hyderabad-Based Life Circle Receives the DBS Foundation Impact Beyond Award

With this thought, we set up the Wadhwani Center for Biosciences and Biotechnology at IIT Bombay in 2015 to support projects with commercialisation potential. We funded 120 projects based on the sole selection criteria being:

Q- How has this translateed into startups, and job creation?

A- So far, 15 of those 120 have been commercialised, leading to 10 startups, 5 products and 40 more in the pipeline. This gave us confidence to amplify this approach.

In fact, at YUGM – an event we did in collaboration with Ministry of Education earlier this year, PM Modi acknowledged Wadhwani Foundation’s efforts towards research commercialisation. That validation reinforced that our model of supporting translatable research, rather than leaving it to languish in academic journals, can be a real driver of jobs and innovation in India.

Q What does the philanthropy landscape in India, especially in the tech and education sector, look like right now?

A: In India, philanthropy in the education has primarily been focused on K12. Even though the focus on improving early schooling by developing teachers and building stronger primary education systems is important, this needs to be complemented with work on jobs and employability. This is where the Wadhwani Foundation fills the gap.

Q: How important is tech for your mission and what is the role that AI can play here?

A: Essentially, technology is the tool that we are leveraging to deliver quality at scale.

In a traditional setup, even an exceptional faculty can only teach 30 students. However, when you digitise this – use an AI tutor that is available 24×7 and is able to personalise learning for every student – you transform education entirely. We are already seeing similar shifts in other industries. E-commerce has transformed retail access. Platforms like Uber have transformed mobility.

In the same way, we believe AI will transform learning, skilling, and entrepreneurship. Our Genie AI platform is designed exactly for this; to act as a personalized guide, counselor, and mentor, available to millions of learners and entrepreneurs. It serves as a knowledge dissemination and mentorship platform with three layers: short-form video content, a family of AI agents (mentors and tutors available 24/7), and a human layer where experts and mentors from our WIN centers guide innovators.

Q: India is projected to be the third-largest economy. What structural reforms and policy decisions are needed to achieve that goal?

A: I mean, there will be a gamut of them, but I will focus primarily on the jobs, employment and skilling – where our demographic dividend can be leveraged. India is a young country, with the median age of 29, which also makes us a young workforce. If we can leverage this human capital that is available to us where the productivity of each of these individuals is dramatically increased through their own capacity.

Also Read | Interview: Rahul Mehta of MFF on why India needs strategic philanthropy

We’ve already seen how outsourcing and IT services put India on the global map. That happened because we had a skilled workforce that could meet global demand. Now, we need to replicate that success in other growing sectors. To do that, we need three things: massive investment in skilling, strong industry-academia linkages, and policy frameworks that encourage lifelong learning and upskilling.

Q: Wadhwani Foundation is working in India and 13-14 other countries as well. There must be some learning from other countries that you want to replicate in India or some learnings from India that you want to replicate there. What is your say on this?

A: We get exposed to what works and what doesn’t work in each country.

Essentially, technology is the tool that we are leveraging to deliver quality at scale.

For example, in Brazil, the government has mandated for every company to fund an apprenticeship program where a 12th grader who doesn’t pursue higher education spends four days a week apprenticing in a company, and one day in formal training. The stipend is paid by industry, which keeps companies motivated to engage seriously. As a result, apprentices graduate job- ready, and the program is not just on paper, it works in practice.

India also has apprenticeship schemes, but they are underutilized. If we could adapt elements of the Brazilian model here, it could transform how industry participates in skilling.

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Gaming

Lenovo Coupon Codes and Deals: Up to $100 Off PCs

Lenovo is currently the biggest PC and laptop company in the world, and they just so happen to make some of our favorite laptops and PC peripherals. In fact, our list of the Best Laptops you can buy include a number of Lenovo devices that we’ve tested and fully recommend, ranging from high-end premium laptops to options for budget-minded shoppers. If you are looking to save a few bucks while shopping for a new Lenovo product, here are the Lenovo coupon codes and special offers you need to know about.

Save up to $100 on Lenovo Back-to-School Deals

Back to school season is a great time to shop for a laptop, and there are already tons of deals across Lenovo’s portfolio of Chromebooks and Windows laptops to search through. We’re a big fan of some of Lenovo’s Chromebooks, in particular, which do a good job straddling the line between price and quality. The Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 for example, is currently our pick for the Best Chromebook you can buy and is easily the best Chromebook I’ve ever made. Meanwhile, the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is a close second, finding a great price around the $500 mark.

If you are shopping for the upcoming return to school, right now it’s the last call to save an extra $100 off for PCs, tablets, and peripherals. You’ll get the extra savings on all orders that are over $500. The deal ends on August 24 though, so now’s your chance to save some extra cash.

Score Weekly Tech Deals, Price Match Guarantee, and Free Shipping

Beyond the back to school deal, Lenovo has a number of other current offers available when shopping through Lenovo.com. There are weekly deals on PCs and tech that include free shipping with no minimums. For certain products, you can even choose to buy online and pick it up in-store at Best Buy. If you’re looking for more Lenovo recommendations, we’re big fans of the Lenovo Idea Tab Pro, an Android tablet that’s currently on our Best Tablets list. It’s currently discounted by 26%, bringing the price down to $280.

Lenovo is also offering price-matching on any comparable PC, including from many online retailers. That’s really helpful, as it’s not uncommon to see price discrepancies between different retailers.

Get Exclusive Savings With Lenovo Discount Programs

Lenovo does offer a fairly generous discount program for certain demographics as well. These include a 5% off Education, Healthcare, First Responder, and Senior (over 55) discount.

You can use this discount on anything you find at Lenovo.com, which includes a lot more than just Lenovo-branded laptops. For example, Lenovo sells one of our favorite laptop docking stations, the Kensington Triple Video Mobile Dock. Despite its tiny size, this tiny device can power up to three 1080p (or two 4K) displays simultaneously. It’s a great example of the wide diversity of products you can use these discounts and coupon codes on.

My Lenovo Rewards and Sweepstakes Offers

Lenovo has a My Lenovo Rewards system that can earn you points that can be spent on future purchases from Lenovo.com. Almost everything you buy gets you between 3% and 9% back in the form of reward points, and you can start redeeming points right after signing up for an account. 1,000 points is equal to $1 that you can spend on future purchases.

There’s also Lenovo’s Gear Up Sweepstakes that’s currently running for My Lenovo Rewards members. You can enter to win a Legion 5 Gen 10 gaming laptop, a Bluetooth Mouse, a backpack, and true wireless earbuds. The sweepstakes will end on August 24.

Lenovo Financing and Lease-to-Own Options

Lenovo uses Katapult to offer financing and lease-to-own options on its laptops. That might be useful if you’ve been eyeing one of Lenovo’s higher-end laptops. One of our favorite of these is the Lenovo Yoga 9i, a gorgeous 2-in-1 with a bright OLED screen and a luxurious design. This laptop is currently listed as one of our top recommendations for the Best Laptops and Best 2-in-1 Laptop.

Katapult allows you to buy now and pay over time, without charging late fees. If you put down a $45 initial payment, you can check out the laptop today. Katapult offers up to $3,500 in pre-approved leases and allows you to make minimum payments over time or buyout early.

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Health Fitness

Povrće broj 1 za smanjenje rizika od demencije, prema nutricionistima

ODRŽAVANJE oštrog uma ključan je dio zdravog starenja, a na zdravlje našeg mozga utječu brojni čimbenici, uključujući i prehranu. Iako nijedna namirnica ne može samostalno spriječiti demenciju, stanje koje smanjuje pamćenje i sposobnost razmišljanja, nutricionisti se slažu da jedno lisnato povrće zaslužuje posebno mjesto na tanjuru: špinat. Uključivanje salate od špinata ili zelenog smoothieja u svakodnevnu rutinu jednostavan je način da podržite zdravlje mozga, piše EatingWell.

Zašto je špinat saveznik zdravog mozga?

Stručnjaci ističu nekoliko ključnih razloga zbog kojih je špinat izvanredna namirnica za smanjenje rizika od demencije.

Poboljšava protok krvi u mozak

Naše stanice, uključujući i one u mozgu, za energiju ovise o sićušnim strukturama zvanim mitohondriji. “Špinat je bogat nitratima koji pojačavaju protok krvi i kisika u mozak za bolju mitohondrijsku izvedbu”, objašnjava nutricionistica Chrissy Barth.

Velika studija otkrila je da se za svakih 50 miligrama povećanja unosa nitrata iz prehrane rizik od razvoja demencije smanjio za osam posto, a najveća korist zabilježena je upravo kod nitrata iz povrća poput špinata.

Podržava pamćenje i fokus

Kronična upala u mozgu poznati je faktor rizika za stvaranje amiloid-beta plakova koji se povezuju s Alzheimerovom bolešću i gubitkom moždanih funkcija.

“Špinat je jedan od glavnih izvora luteina, antioksidansa koji voli mozak i štiti neurone od stresa te podržava pamćenje i fokus”, ističe nutricionistica Katie Schimmelpfenning. Istraživanja potvrđuju da su osobe s višim razinama luteina imale manje promjena na mozgu povezanih s Alzheimerovom bolešću, što ukazuje na zaštitnu ulogu ovog antioksidansa.

Prirodni je izvor folata

“Samo pola šalice kuhanog špinata osigurava otprilike jednu trećinu vaše dnevne potrebe za folatom, vitaminom B ključnim za zdravu funkciju mozga”, kaže nutricionist Hennis Tung.

Dok je uloga folata u razvoju mozga fetusa odavno poznata, novije studije pokazuju da je jednako važan i kasnije u životu. Starije osobe s nedostatkom folata imaju veći rizik od demencije, vjerojatno zbog njegove uloge u smanjenju razine homocisteina i potpori popravka DNA u moždanim stanicama.

Jača vezu između crijeva i mozga

Zdravlje naših crijeva izravno je povezano sa zdravljem mozga. Prehrana bogata fitokemikalijama, korisnim spojevima iz biljaka poput špinata, može povećati antioksidativnu aktivnost u crijevima i smanjiti upale. Uz to, bakterije u crijevima fermentiraju vlakna iz špinata i proizvode kratkolančane masne kiseline koje dodatno smanjuju upale i štite živčani sustav.

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