MAM
Ipsos completes acquisition of Synovate
MUMBAI: Ipsos has successfully completed the
acquisition of the Synovate business for an enterprise value of ?525 million.
Following this transaction, Ipsos becomes the third largest global market research company.
The acquisition was announced on 27 July 2011 and was conditional upon various approvals, which have been obtained since then: the transaction was approved by Aegis’ ordinary shareholders on 16 August 2011 and obtained the mandatory anti-trust clearances thereafter.
The completion of the transaction occurs following the successful capital increase with preferential subscription rights of €200 million launched by Ipsos on 8 September to fund part of the acquisition price, and completed on 30 September.
Ipsos co-president Didier Truchot said, “We are delighted to have completed the acquisition of Synovate which is transformational for our company. With Synovate, Ipsos strengthens its leadership position in its chosen areas of specialisation and enhances its intellectual and commercial offer to bring enriched and improved solutions to our clients.”
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Uidai partners with Google to help users locate Aadhaar centres
Verified Aadhaar centres to appear on Maps with services and access info
MUMBAI: Finding an Aadhaar centre may soon be as easy as finding your favourite café. In a move aimed at making public services more accessible, the Unique Identification Authority of India has partnered with Google to display authorised Aadhaar centres on Google Maps. The feature, expected to roll out in the coming months, will allow residents to locate verified centres quickly and confidently.
More than 60,000 Aadhaar centres, including state of the art Aadhaar Seva Kendras, will be mapped. When users search on Google Maps, they will be directed to authorised facilities rather than unverified listings, helping curb misinformation and confusion.
The listings will do more than drop a pin. Users will be able to see the nature of services offered at each centre, whether it is adult enrolment, child enrolment, or limited to address and mobile number updates. Details such as operating hours, parking availability and divyang friendly infrastructure will also be shown wherever applicable.
Uidai CEO Bhuvnesh Kumar, said the collaboration is part of the authority’s continued effort to improve ease of living for Aadhaar holders by making authorised centres simpler and faster to navigate.
The partnership will deepen in its next phase, with Uidai using Google Business Profile to manage information and respond directly to public feedback. Looking ahead, the two organisations are also exploring the option of enabling appointment bookings through the Google Maps interface, potentially allowing residents to plan their visits with greater efficiency.
Google India country head, strategic partnerships Roli Agarwal, said integrating verified Aadhaar centres would help millions access trusted services with confidence, bringing essential government infrastructure closer to the people who need it most.
If all goes to plan, a routine Aadhaar update may soon begin not with a queue, but with a search bar.
