Garmin Unveils Vivoactive 3 Element to Dazzle this New Year's Eve

Ensuring the festive season feels more unique and delightful, Garmin India, a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN) launched Garmin Vivoactive 3 Element with more than 15 preloaded sports apps and various other features to become the best workout companion on your wrist. 

Garmin Vivoactive 3 Element will support its users with diverse features like monitoring fitness level with VO2 max, keeping an eye on stress levels, heart rate monitoring, GPS Navigation and much more. The smartwatch will be available for sale on Amazon.in, Tata CLiQ & Thegarminstore.in at a special price of Rs. 15,990.

Talking about the smartwatch launch, Mr. Ali Rizvi, Director, Garmin India said, “The festive season is here and it’s that time of the year when people exchange gifts with family and friends. Keeping a note of the festive cheer we are very happy to launch Garmin Vivoactive 3 Element which can definitely be a healthier festive purchase for the customers. The feature loaded smartwatch will definitely help users stay healthy and keep a track of the basic vitals and health information about their bodies.”

Bringing more convenience to the users, the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Element supports battery life of up to 7 days in smartwatch mode, and up to 11 hours in GPS mode.

For Purchase: visit Amazon.in, Tata CLiQ & The garminstone.in (Limited time offer)

About Garmin: Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin, Instinct and Trackback are registered trademarks, and Garmin Connect, Garmin Explore, and UltraTrac is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. For more information, visit garmin.co.in.

A Single Guest Stayed 128 Times at an OYO in 2020, While Delhi Emerged as Most Booked City: OYO’s Annual Travelopedia

 The world’s leading hospitality chain, OYO Hotels  & Homes released its third annual year-end travel index - OYO Travelopedia 2020 today. According to the index, while 2020 started on a happy note, with January 2020 (pre-covid) being the most travelled month, April 2020 witnessed most cancellations across the country owing to the government’s precautionary lockdown. Hospitality was one of the worst affected industries worldwide, however, with cities unlocking and global restrictions easing gradually, India topped the charts for OYO as the most booked country while Delhi clocked in the most bookings across the world in 2020. With the unlocking of cities, December 2020 emerged as the month that’s witnessing the most demand around the holiday season.

A single user stayed at OYO hotels 128 times in 2020, showcasing complete trust in the brand to provide safe and hygienic accommodations by following all the necessary precautions. Another OYO customer spent approx 50,000 seconds (13.88 hours) on the app throughout the year showcasing the desire to finally step out and travel. Interestingly, an OYO Hotel in Shahjahanpur and another in Chennai witnessed an average occupancy of 100% since lockdown.

Detailed findings from OYOs Travelopedia 2020:

● Five reasons why people loved OYO during the pandemic:

* Approximately 73,000 repatriated Indians completed their institutional quarantine at OYOs across India. Amongst these, most bookings were made by guests travelling from the Middle East, primarily UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Kuwait and Qatar

* OYO Care tied up with 24+ state ministries and 50+ government and private hospitals

* The hotel chain housed 250,000+ hospital staff and asymptomatic patients since April 2020

* 200+ sailors were safely quarantined at OYOs across India

* OYO served 2500 pincodes in 2020

● India’s favorite holiday: Around India, the gradual unlocks led to a rise in consumer confidence to travel again safely. With majority bookings - the 02nd October or Gandhi Jayanthi long weekend and Christmas weekend were India’s favorite holidays to travel in 2020

● Lost & Found at OYO: Around 2112 people forgot their belongings at OYOs across India

● Travel on my mind all the time: In 2020, 10:00 - 11:00 AM, 4:00 - 5:00 PM and 7:00 - 8:00 PM were the most popular hours for Indians to book their stays

● What’s new: Over 8.5 million new user bookings were made on the OYO app and website in 2020

● India turns to spirituality: Puri emerged as India’s top pilgrimage destination, followed by Vrindavan, Tirupati, Shirdi, and Varanasi

● Chal Beach Chalein? Across India, without any surprise, the tourist hotspot of Goa emerged as the most booked beach destination, followed by Kochi, Vizag and Pondicherry

● Incredible India: Since India began unlocking, the northern cities of Jaipur, Udaipur and Agra are the most loved heritage cities for Indians

●  A December to Remember: In December 2020, over 17 lakh people checked-in over the weekends. December 12, 2020 saw the most number of bookings (so far). The next estimated date is December 31, 2020 (bookings still coming in)

●  Welcome 2021: At present, guests are opting to bring in the New Year across Goa and Himachal Pradesh, with the highest demand for 30th December 2020 and 01st January 2021

● Social Media trivia

* Total reach: Across all OYO Social Media platforms was 204.8M

* Most liked post: Inspired from the Netflix series with a cheeky caption ‘Peaky Climbers’ was OYOs most liked social media post with 1 lac+ likes on Instagram

* Most engaged post: Namaste Video on Facebook and Instagram with 3.14lac+ engagement

Rohit Kapoor, CEO, OYO Hotels & Homes, India & South Asia said, “We’ve all heard the saying ‘Safe Travels’ hundreds of times, but today, we understand the true value of those two words, with the entire whole world putting the age-old saying to practice. The findings of OYO’s Travelopedia is a testament that India is ready to travel again and we at OYO are here along with our partners ready to welcome them again. One of the most humbling things we found out that has stayed with me is that a guest has stayed with us 128 times this year, something that tells us that we are on the right path and that our customers have immense faith in us even in tough times. Things like these fuel our passion and I can confidently say that OYO is emerging stronger out of this crisis compared to when we entered it. 

While 2021 will be a new learning in itself, we’re hopeful that the changes we have brought in 2020 will set new precedents in the travel and hospitality sector and we are completely motivated to work towards providing safe stays to all our customers.”

Additionally, the data revealed that Delhi NCR, Karnataka, Telangana led the pack as the most welcoming states in the post-lockdown world. Also, Delhi, Bangalore and Hyderabad ranked as the most popular cities among business travellers while Jaipur, Goa, Kochi were travellers’ favorite domestic leisure hotspots.

About OYO Hotels & Homes:

Opening its doors in 2013, OYO Hotels & Homes, a young hotel startup, is today the world’s leading chain of hotels and homes. OYO operates in over 800 cities in 80 countries, including the U.S., Europe, U.K., India, Middle East, Southeast Asia, and Japan.

Nickelodeon Celebrates the New Normal With Kids’ Choice Awards 2020 - Virtual Edition

* KCA is back in a new format, new style and with new nomination categories~

* As a category-first, Nickelodeon to partner with Teach for India to bridge the digital education divide caused by the new normal~

It is time to forget about the challenges we have faced and rejoice the ultimate celebratory festive time. The one-of-a-kind award show that is for the kids and by the kids -Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards 2020 is back! While this year has been unprecedented, Nickelodeon follows through on its promise to entertain and empower kids. This year with Nickelodeon Kids’ Choice Awards the promise is to present the show in a whole new format, focused on taking it virtual and getting kids to not only vote but also get closer to their stars in a never seen before avatar. That’s not all, KCA 2020 will witness 6 new and relevant categories for kids to vote for their favorite entertainers during the lockdown and decide who takes home the coveted Nickelodeon Blimp.

Over the years, Kids’ Choice Awards have featured a glittering host of celebrities gracing the orange carpet and with our iconic Nicktoons. With mind-blowing performances by renowned celebrities like Sara Ali Khan, Varun Dhawan, Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh and more, as well as raking in more than 5 lakh votes, kids had a gala time at the legendary award show. This year’s edition will witness nominees that have come through a special online research to determine who entertained children the most during the lockdown. Always turning lemons into lemonade, kids will get a chance to vote for a whole lot of nominees across several new categories such as favourite online learning apps, youtubers, Instagram personalities, sportspersons, food enjoyed during the lockdown amongst others. The voting starts on January 4, 2021 exclusively on www.voot.com and the Voot App.

Nina Elavia Jaipuria – Hindi Mass Entertainment & Kids TV Network at Viacom18, said, “In these challenging times our commitment is to ensure that our young viewers remain entertained and positive. Keeping this in mind we at Nickelodeon are going to celebrate all that is new with Kids’ Choice Awards 2020. In the virtual format, with the introduction of new categories, we aim to encourage and empower kids to cast their vote and choose their favourites who kept them going through the lockdown. Nickelodeon will also support Teach for India to help provide smart devices to children to enable online education.”

The uniquely curated awards will support a cause that has emerged during the pandemic while emphasizing the need to celebrate the new normal. Due to the ongoing social distancing, the shift to e-learning, India’s education system is going through a reform. The prolonged closure of schools to maintain social distancing has caused an educational inequality, especially due to limited access to internet and technology. To bridge the digital education divide and enable a smooth transition for all stratas of society, Nickelodeon has partnered with Teach for India, for the latter’s existing program “Sponsor A Device”. The partnership will kickstart during the voting process of the Kids Choice Awards 2020 where Nickelodeon will donate Rupee 1 for every vote garnered. Teach for India is a non-profit organization that works towards educational equity at all levels of the education system. Under the existing program, the community aims to enable the new form of learning by raising funds for putting a gadget in the hands of every student who needs one.

Commenting on the initiative, the Director of Communications and Marketing of Teach For India said, “We are delighted to partner with Nickelodeon for their most prestigious awards show. Their support to our #DontStopLearning campaign is important and we are deeply grateful to their commitment to sponsor a device to ensure our students continue learning. We are confident that this partnership will play a significant role in bridging the digital divide."

Pivoting the media mix to the new normal, the marketing campaign is being promoted through a robust digital and social media plan, interesting on-line interactivity, support across the Nickelodeon franchise and social media challenges along with a push from the entire network. There are various innovations lined up on the digital front, including tons of quirky communication on YouTube. There will be a #KCAsquad with influencers giving the audiences all the latest updates on #KCAIndia2020.Further adding to the slime-tastic experience will be slime inspired digital games, contests, AR filters, virtual face offs and series of engaging and interesting on-line interactivity that will create fun experiences for kids.

While box office collections and critic reviews foretell how successful a film or performer is, it is time to find out which of them would make it to the hearts of the young ones. Get your kids ready to cast their vote and decide who takes home the Nickelodeon blimp!

Krazybee Services Pvt Ltd Appoints G Gopalakrishna as an Independent Director

Krazybee Services Private Limited, a Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC-ND-SI), has appointed Mr. G Gopalakrishna, former Executive Director (ED) of Reserve Bank of India (RBI) as an Independent Director on its Board. 

Mr. Gopalakrishna has been a career Central Banker with RBI for over 33 years in various capacities and retired as Executive Director (ED) in 2014. During his stint as ED RBI, he was overseeing the Department of Banking Supervision, Dept. of Non-Banking Supervision and Foreign Exchange Department, among others. He was later appointed as Director, Centre for Advanced Financial Research and Learning (CAFRAL) promoted by RBI (2014-17). Presently, he is also on boards of a few other financial institutions and companies.

Talking about the development, incumbent NBFC Director Vivek Veda said, “We are delighted to have Mr. G Gopalakrishna on our Board. His strong supervisory and regulatory background and significant experience in the finance industry will help the company achieve its ambition of becoming a trusted and performance-oriented consumer lending NBFC for all associated stakeholders.”

On the appointment, Mr. G Gopalakrishna said, "Financial inclusion in a diverse demographic in India is the need of the hour. What impresses me about Krazybee Services Private Limited is not just the social sensitivity they have showcased by extending the credit line to consumers which are underserved largely by banking institutions & traditional NBFCs, but also the austerity with which they have managed their business and operations.”

The other members on NBFC Board include Mr. Adesh Kumar Gupta (Non-executive), Mr. Abhishek Singhvi (Non-executive), and Mr. Madhusudan E (Executive).

About Krazybee:

Krazybee Services Private Limited is a Systemically Important Non-Deposit taking Non-Banking Financial Company (NBFC-ND-SI) registered with the RBI in May 2017, and currently lends on its partner platform KreditBee. The loan products primarily include personal loans with the tenure ranging between 2 and 15 months, with ticket size going up to Rs. 2,00,000.

Emirates Unveils Airbus A380 Premium Economy, Enhancements Across all Cabins

Emirates is taking its signature Airbus A380 experience to the next level with the unveiling of a brand new Premium Economy cabin product, together with enhancements and a refreshed look across all cabins onboard its newest A380 aircraft.

Sir Tim Clark, President Emirates Airline said: “The Emirates A380 is already one of the most sought-after travel experiences in the skies, and now we’ve made it even better. While others cut back, Emirates is working hard to restore the products and services that we’ve had to suspend or adjust due to pandemic precautions, and introduce new offerings and enhancements. True to our fly better promise, Emirates continues to invest to offer our customers the best possible experience.”

The airline received its newest A380 aircraft from Airbus’ Hamburg facility last week, and its remaining order of 5 A380s will also be delivered with premium economy cabins over 2021 and 2022. Emirates’ premium economy seats will also be installed on some of its Boeing 777X aircraft which are only due to join the fleet in 2023. Emirates is considering plans to retrofit its existing A380 fleet.

Commenting on Emirates’ premium economy cabins, Sir Tim said: “Our Premium Economy product was carefully developed in keeping with Emirates’ brand positioning as a full-service airline of the highest quality. Our First, Business and Economy experiences reset industry standards when they were introduced, and we are confident that our Premium Economy will also make its mark as a distinct premium offering. Until we have a viable number of seats in our inventory to bring to market, we plan to offer the Emirates Premium Economy experience as a complimentary upgrade to valued customers. We’ll also deploy our newest A380 aircraft on various routes so that our customers can experience our latest offering in all classes.”

Emirates will announce details of where its A380 aircraft with Premium Economy will be deployed in the coming weeks.

Premium Economy: comfort and space

Emirates today unveiled details of its highly-anticipated premium economy cabin, which offers 56 seats in a 2-4-2 cabin layout.

With a generous pitch of up to 40-inches, Emirates’ premium economy seat is 19.5 inches wide, and reclines 8 inches into a comfortable cradle position with ample room to stretch out. Covered in cream-coloured anti-stain leather with stitching details and a wood panel finishing similar to Business Class, each seat is designed to provide optimal comfort and support with 6-way adjustable headrests, calf rests and footrests.

Each seat has a 13.3” screen, one of the largest in its class, to enjoy the unmatched array of music, movies, TV, news and other content on Emirates’ award-winning ice.

Customers will also find thoughtful touches including easily accessible in-seat charging points, a wide dining table and side cocktail table.

Emirates Premium Economy is located at the front of the main deck, with 2 lavatories dedicated to customers.

First Class: even more privacy and luxury

On this latest Emirates A380, the airline’s 14 First Class private suites have been enhanced from the original suites, being slightly wider with taller doors, for even more privacy and comfort.

Cabin detail and finishes have also been refreshed with new motifs and colours, from the sweeping stairs that lead from the main deck to the upper deck, to refreshed design trims and modern fittings in the Shower Spa.

Business Class: new luxury finishes

Emirates has retained its popular A380 Business Class seats which offer direct aisle access for every passenger, reclines to a fully-flat position, and offers personal mini bars, ample personal storage and a high degree of privacy.

All 76 seats have been refreshed to feature champagne-coloured leather covers and wood finishing, inspired by executive jets, similar to the Business Class on Emirates’ Boeing 777 Gamechanger aircraft.

The same classic colour scheme has also been applied to the Onboard Lounge at the back of the upper deck, for the exclusive use of First and Business Class passengers.

Economy: gamechanger seats

Emirates has replaced all 338 Economy seats onboard its newest A380 with ergonomically designed seats that come with full leather headrests and flexible side panels which can be adjusted vertically for optimum support.

This latest seat model is a step up from the version currently installed on Emirates’ Boeing 777 Gamechanger aircraft. It is lighter, without compromising on comfort or function. Each seat features a classy wood grain finish on tray tables, as well as a 13.3” personal screen to enjoy Emirates’ award-winning ice.

Refreshed cabin interiors

Throughout the Emirates A380 interior, customers will see new finishes and design touches featuring the Ghaf (prosopis cineraria) tree motif, as well as the clean and airy champagne colour scheme with wood panelling and bronze accents from Emirates’ latest Boeing 777 Gamechanger interiors.

An indigenous evergreen plant, the Ghaf is a considered the national tree of the United Arab Emirates, and has deep cultural and ecological significance.

All cabin classes are equipped with the latest generation of Emirates’ award-winning ice inflight entertainment system offering improved and superior image quality. Each in-seat screen will feature ultra-wide viewing angles, a capacitive touch screen, LED backlight and full HD display.

Godrej Consumer Products Launches ProClean, Forays into Home Cleaning Products Category

Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), a leading emerging markets company, forayed into the home cleaning products segment by launching Godrej ProClean, a brand that provides surface cleaning and disinfecting solutions. The brand offers three products including ProClean Toilet Cleaner, ProClean Bathroom Cleaner and ProClean Floor Cleaner. ProClean aims to cater to the rising demand for home hygiene products especially in the current context where there is emphasis on products that offer protection against germs. The brand’s USP is its ‘best quality at best price’ offering.

The market size of home cleaning products (branded floor, toilet and bathroom cleaners segment) is pegged at INR 2600 crore, as per AC Nielsen. Due to increased awareness about cleanliness and hygiene, consumers are opting for products that will enable them to keep their homes clean and germ-free. This is likely to fuel further growth of home cleaning products category in the coming days. Consumer preferences have also shaped the demand for durable, new-age products as against the traditionally used cleaners like phenyl.

Commenting on GCPL’s foray into home cleaning products category with Godrej ProClean, Sunil Kataria, Chief Executive Officer - India & SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Limited (GCPL), said, “Indian consumers are becoming more hygiene conscious. Demand for cleaning products continues to grow due to consumer alertness concerning the importance of hygiene and the spread of infectious diseases. Our main objective to launch Godrej ProClean, is to create a home cleaning brand that evokes trust, ensuring best quality at the best price.”

He further added, “ProClean is a one-stop home cleaning, hygienic solution for everyday use. It offers 99.99% germ kill while ensuring value for money pricing in branded segments through its consumer offers. At GCPL, we are committed to creating delight for our consumers by prioritizing hygiene, safety and germ protection, and our new launch is another step towards reinforcing this commitment.”

Godrej ProClean provides consumers with one-stop home cleaning, hygienic solutions for everyday use. The three ProClean products come with the proposition to kill 99.99% germs. The toilet and bathroom cleaner come with the proposition of removal of toughest stains and floor cleaner comes with the promise of long lasting fragrance (available in 2 variants).

Godrej ProClean Floor Cleaner is available in two fragrance options of lavender and citrus. Godrej ProClean Toilet cleaner is available at INR 86/- for 500 ml and INR 168 for 1 ltr. Godrej ProClean Bathroom cleaner is available for INR 91 for 500 ml and INR 172/- for 1 ltr and Godrej Proclean Floor cleaner is priced at INR 93 for 500 ml and INR 179/- per litre.

However, the entire range is available to consumers at aggressive consumer offers of Buy 2 Get 1 free on all 500 ml packs and 500 ml free with all 1 ltr packs. Godrej ProClean is available across general and modern trade along with e-commerce platforms.

About Godrej Consumer Products Ltd:

Godrej Consumer Products is a leading emerging markets company. As part of the 123-year young Godrej Group, we are fortunate to have a proud legacy built on the strong values of trust, integrity and respect for others. At the same time, we are growing fast and have exciting, ambitious aspirations.

Today, our Group enjoys the patronage of 1.15 billion consumers globally, across different businesses. In line with our 3 by 3 approach to international expansion at Godrej Consumer Products, we are building a presence in 3 emerging markets (Asia, Africa, Latin America) across 3 categories (home care, personal wash, hair care). We rank among the largest household insecticide and hair care players in emerging markets. In household insecticides, we are the leader in India, the second largest player in Indonesia and are expanding our footprint in Africa. We are the leader in serving the hair care needs of women of African descent, the number one player in hair colour in India and Sub-Saharan Africa, and among the leading players in Latin America. We rank number two in soaps in India and are the number one player in air fresheners and wet tissues in Indonesia.

But for us, it is very important that besides our strong financial performance and innovative, much-loved products, we remain a good company. Approximately 23 per cent of the promoter holding in our Group is held in trusts that invest in the environment, health and education. We are also bringing together our passion and purpose to make a difference through our 'Good & Green' approach to create a more inclusive and greener India.

At the heart of all of this, is our talented team. We take much pride in fostering an inspiring workplace, with an agile and high performance culture. We are also deeply committed to recognising and valuing diversity across our teams.

DGT-MSDE Announces Result of 110th All India Trade Test for Apprentices

* Close to 96000 candidates appeared for 110th AITT for apprentices conducted in September 2020

* Km. Sneha, IHMCT, Panipat-Haryana tops the evaluation scoring 95.96% in the National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC)

* Kalyan Rana, Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd, West Bengal and Thiruselvam M, BHEL-Pudukottai-Tamil Nadu rank 2nd and 3rd respectively

The Directorate General of Training (DGT) operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE) has announced the result of the 110th All India Trade Test (AITT) for apprentices. The examination was conducted in September 2020 that engaged close to 7,300 industries in over 200 trades. Nearly 96,000 candidates appeared for AITT out of which over 50,000 candidates passed the exam. The overall percentages of girls and boys who passed are 58.41% and 51.44% respectively, which stands testimony to increasing female participation in apprenticeship. Km. Sneha, IHMCT, Panipat-Haryana topped the evaluation scoring 95.96% in the National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC). Kalyan Rana, Texmaco Rail & Engineering Ltd, West Bengal and Thiruselvam M, BHEL-Pudukottai-Tamil Nadu ranked 2nd and 3rd in the examination respectively. 

After completion of apprenticeship training, an evaluation through All India Trade Test (AITT) for National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) is conducted twice in a year. AITT is a skill-oriented evaluation done by DGT and the industry, and it requires continuous practice, dedication, devotion, and hardwork to succeed. DGT-MSDE certifies apprenticeship training in association with establishments and industry to make youth across the country employable by providing them relevant industry exposure. This training is under the Apprentices Act, 1961 and supported through National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS). The training is as per the course curriculum designed by the DGT in the designated trades, that provides an apprentice the opportunity to receive on-the-job training by key players in the industry and get stipend.

Congratulating the successful candidates, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, said, “Over the years, DGT-MSDE has undertaken several measures to increase the number of apprentices hired by enterprises across the country. We have brought significant reforms to the apprenticeship rules in 2019 to drive greater participation in the programme. National Apprenticeship Certificate (NAC) plays an integral role in our relentless efforts to strengthen the Indian apprenticeship ecosystem in order to rightly skill the youth and provide them opportunities for sustainable livelihood. My heartiest congratulations to all the successful candidates and I wish them the very best for their future. I am certain that these bright, dynamic and talented young professionals will make a mark in their respective industries and hugely contribute in fulfulling our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

Apprenticeship has been recognized as an effective way to empower young people to smoothly shift from school and college to work whilst at the same time improving links between industry and training institutions. The National Apprenticeship Programme plays a large part in the task of up-skilling India’s workforce, offering the opportunity to share costs among different parties (employers, individuals and the government) and to involve governments, employers and workers in partnership. Apprenticeship is a win-win situation both for industry and youth in coming together to help make the vision of ‘Skilled India’ a reality in future.

Sharing her thoughts in this regard, Ms. Neelam Shammi Rao, Director General (Training), DGT said, “Our mission is to fill the gap in supply and demand for skilled workforce and meet the aspirations of the Indian youth through gaining on-the-job training and securing better opportunities for employment. We realized that apprenticeship training needed to be accorded as high priority to create an industry-led, practice-oriented, effective and efficient mode of formal training. With a ‘new normal’ in place, as market dynamics are rapidly evolving, enhanced focus on apprenticeship becomes all the more important for the future of jobs. Recognized for employment both nationally and internationally, NAC helps us ensure that our initiatives align with national as well global industry standards and requirements.”

The list of the toppers and results can be seen by the candidates on the DGT website -  http://apprenticeship.gov.in

Godrej Strengthens Vaccine Cold Chain to Help India be Covid-19 Vaccine Ready

* Delivering storage units offering optimal temperature needed for the Covid 19 Vaccines being evaluated for India

* The brand ramps up medical refrigerator production capacity by 250% to meet the demand.

* Received multiple orders valued close to INR 150 Cr exclusively for Covid-19 vaccine storage purpose

The pandemic has disrupted businesses and the lives of people around the world. As the world is eagerly awaiting the vaccine to be released to the masses, India - the world's second worst-hit country with over 10 million cases -- is gearing up for a huge Covid-19 vaccination drive in the coming months. Government of India along with State governments and PSU’s, is preparing to deploy vaccines to the masses by getting the vaccines as well as the critical cold chain infrastructure to support the drive, ready.

As the country prepares for what may be one of the most significant immunization drives in history, Godrej Appliances, leading player in Indian home appliances, is getting ready for providing end-to-end solution for the Covid-19 Vaccine Cold Chain.

Like most vaccines, Covid 19 Vaccines also are extremely temperature sensitive. Undercooling and over cooling both affect vaccine potency and lead to vaccine wastage. This has a direct implication on both citizen health and the cost over runs of the vaccination program. Given the huge economic implication of the vaccination drive, any wastage or inefficiency in the vaccination process due to logistical issues related to cold chain must be avoided.

To cater to the urgent demand for Covid-19 vaccine storage in India, the brand has a range of vaccine refrigerators which operate in the precise temperature band of 2-8°C and now, also offers advanced medical freezers with cooling upto -20°C.  These temperature ranges are completely suited for the multiple Covid 19 Vaccines being evaluated by India. 4 of the 5 front runners amongst the vaccine variants being evaluated for India need to be stored at 2-8°C (as reported in public domain so far), while the diluents and freezing ice packs required for outreach programs, must be stored at -20°C.

Powered by patented Sure Chill Technology, Godrej Medical Refrigerators help maintain the optimum temperature range of 2 to 8°C - a necessity for vaccine preservation, despite intermittent power outages. In the event of power outages, this refrigerator retains its temperature for as long as 8-12 days even at ambient temperatures of 43°C. In regions without electricity supply, the equipment can be teamed with solar power to deliver the same result. On the other hand, Godrej Deep Freezers with D-cool Technology use D-shaped Copper Refrigerating Tubes to deliver quick and uniform cooling. It also has Penta Cool Technology for 5-side cooling to deliver high refrigeration efficiency. These technologies help in providing precision cooling at -20°C and a holdover time of 3 – 4 hours. Given the nature of deployment, the precision cooling and hold over time are both critical requirements. Thanks to the years of building robust appliances for tough conditions, our medical refrigerators operate at a low start up voltage of even 130 V - an added benefit making it extra suited for deployments all over the country. Godrej Medical refrigerators are made in India and use eco-friendly (CFC, HFC and HCFC free) R600A and world’s greenest R290 refrigerant which also deliver maximum energy-efficiency, in line with Godrej’s cherished value of environment.

The brand has received multiple orders valued close to INR 150 Cr from the central government, various state governments and International aid bodies as well, solely for the purpose of Covid-19 vaccine storage. It is also receiving enquiries now from PSUs who are joining the immunization effort. Godrej Appliances has already ramped up medical refrigerator production capacity from 10,000 units per annum to 35,000 units per annum, to meet the growing demand.

Godrej & Boyce has been committed to serving the country especially in the trying pandemic times, through its efforts across its offerings – be it through medical components - Hospital Bed Actuators and  Electro-magnetic valves for ventilators, or through disinfectant devices aimed at keeping the population safer at home, or setting up socially distant offices to keep people safe at work; and is proud to serve the country with Made in India medical refrigerators and freezers, at a time when they are most needed.

Commenting on these developments, Mr. Kamal Nandi, Business Head and Executive Vice President, Godrej Appliances said, “Over the years, Godrej Appliances has gained its expertise in refrigeration and has extended this further into the medical refrigeration domain. We are proud that this expertise is proving to be useful today in times when the country needs a strong vaccine cold chain and are glad to be able to contribute to the cause. Our medical refrigerators and also our medical freezers, deliver the precise cooling temperature of 2°C - 8°C and -20°C respectively, needed for the vaccines being evaluated by India at the moment. We are partnering with various stakeholders in strengthening the healthcare cold chain and aiming to solve other potential vaccine roll out challenges as well, to make India Covid-19 vaccine ready.”

Mr. Jaishankar Natarajan, Associate Vice President and Head - New Business Development, Godrej Appliances further added “The Covid-19 vaccines being rolled out in India are temperature sensitive and require storage at a specific temperature band to stay potent. Our medical refrigerators are designed to deliver such precision cooling despite power cuts, and have qualified tough international WHO PQS certification standards. Our 62 years of existence in the cooling industry coupled with extensive service network in the country positions us to deliver quick and reliable service to this critical healthcare challenge. Currently, to meet the increasing demand, we have enhanced our production capacity of these specialized products by 250 percent. Together with the government and health workers, we are committed to provide last mile immunization for Covid-19 vaccine distribution, to safeguard millions of lives.”

About Godrej Appliances

Godrej Appliances, a business unit of the highly diversified Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd. is one of the leading Home Appliances players in India. Godrej was the first Indian Company in 1958 to manufacture Refrigerators and has since then, expanded its portfolio across many other categories like Washing Machines, Air Conditioners, Microwave Ovens, futuristic Thermo-electric cooling solutions, Air Coolers, Deep Freezers, highly specialized Medical Refrigerators and more recently, UVC Technology-Based Disinfecting devices and Dishwashers, all powered by the driving philosophy of 'Things made thoughtfully’/ ‘Soch Ke Banaya Hai’. 

This thought extends from human-centric design to planet centric design. Environment is a core value at Godrej Appliances. Both manufacturing units of Godrej Appliances’ - in Maharashtra and Punjab, became the first in the country to win the coveted Platinum Plus Green Co certification for its pioneering green manufacturing practices. 

The brand takes pride in not just its carefully designed products and environment-friendly technologies, but also best in class after-sales service delivered through over 680 service centers and more than 4500 SmartBuddy service experts spread all over the country.

3i Infotech Announces Sale of its Software Products Business to Funds Advised by Apax Partners

3i Infotech Limited, a global information technology company, today announced that it has entered into definitive agreements to sell its Software Products business to funds advised by Apax Partners, for a total consideration of INR 10 billion. The Software Products business will be acquired by a newly formed company named Azentio Software, wholly owned by the Apax Funds. The transaction, subject to shareholder approval and relevant regulatory approvals, is expected to close in early 2021. 
Since its incorporation in 1993, 3i Infotech has been providing a range of IT services and software products to 1,200+ customers across multiple industry verticals in over 50 countries. The company operates through two business segments: 

Services and Software Products. The Services segment, under the brand Altiray®, provides consulting services, business optimization services and an extensive expertise in mobility, data analytics, big data, testing and application development. The Software Products business comprises a comprehensive set of core software products for customers in banking, financial services and insurance (“BFSI”) verticals and includes key products such as Kastle™ (universal banking platform), AMLOCK™ (financial crime detection and compliance software suite), Premia™ Astra (core insurance software), MFund™ Plus (asset management platform) and Orion™ (enterprise resource planning software). 

 Following the transaction, 3i Infotech will continue to pursue strategic growth initiatives in the             IT services business,  supported by a stronger balance sheet. The transaction will revitalise                     growth and accelerate value creation for all stakeholders of 3i Infotech, including customers,                 employees and shareholders. The newly formed Azentio Software will be supported by Apax                 Funds, with increased investments in R&D and sales and marketing. Azentio Software will focus          on investing in its current product portfolio, launching new products and providing best in class            service levels to all customers. The Apax Funds will also use Azentio as a platform to do M&A              across the BFSI software space in the region. 

Padmanabhan Iyer, Managing Director & Global CEO, 3i Infotech, said: “Today’s announcement is transformative and value accretive for all stakeholders of 3i Infotech. I foresee a very exciting future for both the IT services and the software products business. Both businesses will have the resources to capitalise on market opportunities and build long term value for employees, customers and shareholders. I want to thank the entire 3i Infotech team for their commitment and contribution towards the successful journey of the company and I am sure that the teams will be infused with renewed vigour going forward.” 

 

Shashank Singh, Partner and Head of the India office at Apax Partners, commented: “Increasing technology spend on core software systems across the BFSI industry and ERP space is driving rapid growth in the enterprise software market in the region. The newly formed company, Azentio, has a strong portfolio of feature rich products that run the core operations for customers. We are excited to unlock Azentio’s potential and help transform the business into a true regional leader in the software space.”

 

Umang Kajaria, Partner at Apax Partners, added: “ERP, core Banking and Insurance software are key areas of focus for the Apax Funds, with numerous successful investments to date. Azentio provides critical, vertical-specific software that allows its customers to stay competitive. We look forward to partnering with the Azentio management team in driving continued innovation and creating a software leader for the MEA and APAC regions.” 

 
About Apax Partners LLP  
Apax Partners is a leading global private equity advisory firm. Over its more than 40-year history, Apax Partners has raised and advised funds with aggregate commitments of approximately $50 billion. The Apax Funds invest in companies across four global sectors of Tech & Telco, Services, Healthcare and Consumer. These funds provide long-term equity financing to build and strengthen world-class companies. The Apax Funds have a strong track record in the software sector having previously invested in companies such as Duck Creek, MyCase, Eci and Lexitas. For more information see: 

www.apax.com.   

 
About Azentio  
Azentio Software, a newly formed company in 2020 that has been carved out of 3i Infotech, a global information technology  company in 2020. Azentio Software provides critical, vertical-specific software products for customers in banking, financial services and insurance verticals and includes key products such as Kastle™ (universal banking platform), AMLOCK (compliance software suite), Premia™ Astra (core insurance software), Orion™ (enterprise resource planning software) and MFund™ Plus (asset management platform).  

About 3i Infotech  

Headquartered in Mumbai, India, since its inception in 1993, the Company has been committed to driving business value across all industry verticals. The Company has over 5500 employees in 32 offices across 12 countries and over 1200+ customers in more than 50 countries across 4 continents. With a comprehensive set of IP based software solutions and a wide range of IT services, 3i Infotech has successfully transformed business operations of customers globally. The company has a very strong foothold and customer base in geographies like North America, India, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa, South Asia and Europe. 

Tesla to Start Selling Cars in India in Early 2021; Likely to Setup R&D Centre in Bangalore

* Union minister Nitin Gadkari has confirmed that Tesla will start selling operations in India next year. The company may also set up a manufacturing plant in India if it gets a good response.

US Based Billionaire Elon Musk’s clean energy and electric vehicle company Tesla will start operations in India early next year, confirmed Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.

Tesla is initially expected to sell its vehicles in India, and it would also look at setting up a manufacturing facility at a later stage depending on demand, Gadkari told the media.

Gadkari has already held a few rounds of talks with top Tesla executives. Some states have also held meetings with the electric car company for sales of its vehicles in India.

At a recent media event, Gadkari said there is focus on developing electric cars and added that a lot of Indian firms are also looking at developing electric cars.

US electric vehicle maker Tesla is in talks with the Karnataka government to set up a Research & Development (R&D) centre as well as their manufacturing bases in the state, said Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister CN Ashwath Narayan during curtain  raiser meet for the 23rd edition of Bangalore Tech Summit.

On Sunday, Musk said Tesla plans to enter the India market in 2021, but not in January. This, however, is not the first time Musk said that Tesla is entering the Indian market. In October, too, the billionaire CEO of Tesla suggested that the company will start India operations “next year for sure".

The report indicated that Tesla would open pre-bookings for its Model 3 vehicle and the deliveries would be made by June. It is unlikely that the company will stitch partnerships with dealerships to sell its car.

Potential customers should note that even though the Model 3 is one of Tesla’s more affordable cars, it will not be cheap in India as they will arrive as completely built units (CBU) with a high import duty charge. While there is no confirmation on the pricing, reports suggest that one Tesla Model 3 will cost Rs 55 lakh in India.

Indira IVF’s Successful Clinical Outcome Rate is a Result of its Cutting-Edge ART Technology in India

* India’s biggest fertility chain incorporates Electronic Witnessing systems and Closed Working Chambers technologies

Indira IVF, India’s leading fertility chain credits it clinical success rate to their commitment in implementing advanced technology like – Electronic Witnessing systems and Closed Working Chambers across its centres. Indira IVF was the first organisation in the country to have conducted over 100,000 procedures and has established itself as the largest infertility specialist clinics chain in India.

The Electronic Witnessing technology imported from Denmark and Closed Working Chambers technology from Australia address two very critical facets of assisted reproductive techniques (ART). The former utilises RFID (radio frequency identification) chips that are tagged on test tubes of sperm samples and dishes where eggs are stored; this ensures monitoring and that there is no mix-up of unrelated samples. Closed Working Chambers provide a controlled and suitable environment, similar to the human body, for the handling of these samples; this provides clean and safe processes that increases the likelihood of success by manifold.

Speaking about the development, Mr. Nitiz Murdia, Co-founder and Director at Indira IVF said, “We understand that infertility in India is not only a medical condition, but it also comes with societal consequences. Couples undergoing treatment face a host of challenges, and uncertainty related to outcome is a major concern. Thus, the assurance that an IVF cycle will lead to a successful pregnancy is paramount.”

“With the aid of unique, advanced cutting-edge technologies from abroad such as Electronic Witnessing systems and Closed Working Chambers, it is our humble attempt to give equal access to all who trust us for their treatment and help put their mind at ease. It is by means of empathy and meticulous standardisation processes that we have been able to attain a 74% success rate at Indira IVF so far,” Mr. Murdia added.

Dr. Rajeev Kayestha, Regional Director (N/W) of CooperSurgical, the company that provides the Electronic Witnessing technology, RI Witness™, to Indira IVF said “We are proud to partner with Indira IVF who is the biggest employer of our technology in the country. Given the fact that IVF specialists work on several procedures at a time, the RI Witness™ technology is a fool proof system that completely eliminates the chances of any kind of mix-up at all stages of an IVF procedure.”  

The foundation for Indira IVF is set on the principle of increasing access to affordable state-of-the-art IVF treatment to aspiring individuals and couples. The introduction of these technologies furthers this cause and empowers people to take control of their reproductive health.

Witnessing a huge influx of inquiries from Tier II and Tier III cities, and in its effort to provide affordable and best in class treatment, the company added five new centres in Tier-III cities namely, Nanded, Warangal, Sirsa, Gulbarga, Ujjain, and the recent one being in Noida. Indira IVF today has a total of 94 centres across India.

About Indira IVF

Indira IVF is India’s largest infertility speciality clinics chain with 94 centres across the country, supported by a passionate workforce of over 2200 people. Indira IVF performs about 33,000+ IVF procedures a year – the highest number in the country.

As a responsible leader, Indira IVF constantly strives to dispel the stigma, taboo, myths and misinformation about infertility. Indira IVF is also committed to developing and grooming talent for fertility treatments. Through the Indira Fertility Academy, it collaborates with like-minded organisations and institutions to further this cause. Having perceived the potential of Indira IVF in the sector, TA Associates, a leading global equity firm from the U.S., invested in the organisation in 2019.

Indira IVF was founded in the year 2011 in Udaipur, Rajasthan by Dr Ajay Murdia.

JK Tyre Gets Recognition From CII for its Sustainable Manufacturing Practices Globally

JK Tyre & Industries Limited, a leading Tyre manufacturer, has been on the forefront of sustainable growth.  As its ethos, it has been making all out efforts to maintain its leadership in energy usage and this reduction in carbon footprints.

JK Tyre’s efforts have been recently recognized by ‘being’ conferred with two prestigious recognitions from Confederation of Indian Industry (CII).

JK Tyre’s plant in Kankroli, Rajasthan won National Water Award for its exemplary efforts in water conservation taking a 3M approach to water conservation – Measure, Monitor and Management. The award was announced during the 14th CII National Awards for Excellence in Water Management 2020.   JK Tyre’s Kankroli plant has the lowest water consumption in the world, in the Tyre Industry.

The Company’s Chennai plant was recognized as Excellent ‘Energy Efficient Unit’ for the sixth consecutive time since 2015. Additionally, the plant also qualified for the recognition of ‘National Energy Leader’ during the 21st National Award for Excellence in Energy Management 2020 Forum by CII.

Commenting on the occasion, Mr. Anil Makkar, Manufacturing Director, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd said, “JK Tyre has set industry benchmarks for its efforts towards carbon footprint reduction and judicious use of resources. Our effort to create an environmentally conscious organization will help pave the way for industries to go green in the future.  Both Kankroli and Chennai are special projects and receiving such prestigious recognitions for our efforts will further motivate us to continue in this path towards sustainable development. Our aim is to adopt and promote sustainable practices across our plants globally.”

The Company has successfully provided a plethora of water saving solutions in its Kankroli plant. The Air Handling Unit has had a replacement from nozzle type to cellulose pad, to decrease water loss through evaporation. Additionally, rainwater harvesting points have been set up across 4 points in the plant, which has led to a decrease in lake water consumption from 620 KLD to 348 KLD and an increase in rainwater consumption to 13.6% of total fresh water use.

The Chennai plant has effectively reduced the energy consumption by 11.6% that resulted into excellent cost savings in the span of three years. The plant has also achieved 13% reduction in total CO2-e Emission intensity at 0.88 ton/ton of production. Additionally, the plant is using 57% of total power from renewable source of wind and solar.

JK Tyre & Industries Limited:

The flagship company of JK Organisation, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd is amongst the top 25 manufacturers in the world. Pioneers of radial technology, the Company produced the first radial tyre in 1977 and is currently the market leader in Truck Bus Radial segment. The Company provides end-to-end solutions across segments of passenger vehicles, commercial vehicles, farming, Off-the-Road and two & three-wheelers.

A global force, JK Tyre is present in 105 countries with over 180 Global distributors.  The Company has 12 globally benchmarked ‘sustainable’ manufacturing facilities - 9 in India and 3 in Mexico – that collectively produce around 35 million tyres annually. The Company also has a strong network of over 4000 dealers and 550+ dedicated Brand shops called as Steel Wheels and Xpress Wheels.

JK Tyre’s unwavering commitment towards innovation is reflected through its state-of-the-art global research and technology centre – the Raghupati Singhania Centre of Excellence - in Mysore, which houses some of the world’s finest technologies and techniques.

JK Tyre launched India’s first ever ‘Smart Tyre’ technology-and introduced Tyre Pressure Monitoring Systems (TPMS) which monitors the tyre’s vital statistics, including pressure and temperature. The company recently rolled out its 20 millionth Truck/Bus Radial tyre becoming the first and the only Indian company to achieve this milestone.

It is the only Indian tyre manufacturer to be included in the list of Superbrands India in 2019 for the seventh consecutive year. JK Tyre has been conferred the Sword of Honour for Safety across its plants by the British Safety Council,UK. The company entered the Limca Book of Records with the country’s largest off-the-road tyre - VEM 04.

JK Tyre is also synonymous with motorsport in the country. For over three decades, the Company has relentlessly worked towards shaping India’s positioning as the motorsport hub of Asia, developing the right infrastructure for the sport and promoting young talent in the arena.

Ghadi Detergent Launches #BachaavMeinHiSamajhdaariHai Awareness Campaign in India

To encourage health and safety amidst the Covid-19 pandemic, RSPL Group, manufacturers, and marketers of Ghadi – India’s no. 1 detergent powder unveiled its all-new #BachaavMeinHiSamajhdaariHai campaign. Ghadi detergent is India’s first brand to create awareness through its packaging.  

India’s first awareness initiative via packaging aims to reach more than 10 crore Indian households. They will be reminded of always wearing a face mask and to be more responsible and committed to public safety.  

The awareness initiative will be showcased on the Ghadi detergent packet wherein the actual logo is covered with a printed mask. In addition to the messaging on the pack, Ghadi detergent is also activating a huge network of distribution channels, simultaneously asking their retail partners to join the movement to spread the message.  

Ghadi has supported this initiative with a digital film that shows a small girl in a shop making her dad realise that the best way to show you care is by wearing a mask – just like the exhibit on Ghadi pack. The film also shows the importance of washing face masks regularly. 

Speaking on this occasion, Mr Rahul Gyanchandani, Joint Managing Director of RSPL Group said “These are challenging times for each one of us. During this tough period, we need to stay and fight this challenge together. Everyone should take care of our near and dear ones and do our bit for the society. Under this initiative, we are also distributing one million masks. Ghadi detergent reaches millions of homes across India and we decided to do our bit to spread this important message.” 

Nakul Sharma, VP and ECD, ADK Fortune said, “For us, this initiative is not limited to just a message. Thus, we wanted to put a mast on the Ghadi itself and reach it to every household. So, we dressed Ghadi with a mask to take this idea to the common people, as Ghadi reached millions of the households in India. This mask message film has already notched 65 million views during the initial few days only, which is very encouraging and is proof that this campaign is having an emotional impact and accelerating change.” 

About Ghadi Detergent: 

Ghadi Detergent is manufactured by RSPL, a Kanpur based approx Rs 7,000 crore diversified conglomerate in India. The detergent brand was founded by Shri Muralidhar Gyanchandani and Shri Bimal Kumar Gyanchandani in 1987. The vision of the brand is to give superior brand experience and value for consumers’ money. The tagline “Pehle Istemaal Kare Phir Vishwaas Kare” (First use then believe) is on the tongues of millions. Ghadi detergent is India’s number one detergent. 

Teachers Adopting Online Tutoring Witness 400% Average Growth in their Teaching Practice: Teachmint

* Data based on the analysis of increase in student enrollments observed by teachers within 8 weeks from sign-up on the Teachmint app

* Teachers’ claim this growth can be attributed to 5 main factors: ease with which business can be digitized end-to-end, capacity to overcome logistical limitations & increased geographical reach, ability to create customized teaching methodologies, access to time & resource saving features and the capability to leverage positive word of mouth on connected social networks

Teachmint, India’s leading EdTech company focused on India relevant digital tutoring solutions, today revealed that teachers who have made a switch to online tutoring from the conventional physical classroom set-up have witnessed an average 4x growth in their teaching business in 8 weeks of signing up. This data is based on the analysis of the spike in the number of student enrollments observed among active teachers on the platform. 

There are 2.5 lakh teachers who have signed up on Teachmint till date and this number is growing by more than 50,000 new registrations every month. Through this period of growth, the trend of tutors on the platform scaling their practice has stayed its course even after the pandemic induced lockdown had started to wind down over the last two months. Individual teacher growth stories range from a 200% growth to 1000% growth in student enrollments, with some teachers now adding as many as 1600 students to their classrooms, clearly underscoring the value educators can derive by switching over to digital platforms. 

A deeper analysis of factors driving this growth has thrown up a few major reasons for the switch. The first of which is the fact that teachers are now easily able to digitize their entire teaching businesses including content delivery, student engagement and administrative workflows.

A digital presence also means that tutors are now able to take their classroom to any corner of the world and are no longer inhibited by their own geographical location. Another reason for this unprecedented growth can be attributed to the fact that digital classrooms create time and resource efficiency like never before, allowing tutors to cater to a significantly larger number of students.

An interesting byproduct of achieving such scale is that tutors, who are now also armed with a powerful set of online tools, can create imaginative and tailored teaching methodologies for their students, thereby providing a more immersive learning experience. All these aforementioned factors have thus resulted in a new generation of tech savvy tutors unafraid of leveraging the positive buzz from within their own social networks, enabling to add students to their classrooms at an unprecedented rate.

Mihir Gupta, Co-Founder and CEO, Teachmint said, “Face to face tutor lead teaching is the mainstay of the Indian education sector, making a strong case for digitization of tutor services as opposed to content based self-learning models. However, this form of teaching is traditionally cost-heavy and is difficult to scale. Digitization has dissolved boundaries and unlocked opportunities for teachers to scale beyond physical & geographical limits without any capital investment. Today, teachers on Teachmint are seamlessly teaching a greater number of students from neighboring cities and imparting a superior learning environment and experience.” 

“Now, teachers can focus on their specialty and subject expertise to address a much larger student segment more efficiently and at much lower cost per student”, he added. 

Exemplifying the benefit of scale that can be achieved through digital teaching is Ajay Gupta, a Delhi based tutor who prepares students for CA examinations. Mr. Gupta has been able to expand his student base from 3 to 50 students within a month of subscribing to Teachmint. Sharing his experience Mr. Gupta said, “I am really fortunate to be a part of Teachmint. It is simple, easy to use and extremely user friendly. Once I adopted digitization my students started to spread the word among their networks and I now have students from as far as Jammu all the way to Chennai. It is amazing that I was able to bring on-board all these new students within the first month itself. The operational challenges of attendance, tests etc. are managed easily on the app which helps teachers focus more on the content than the management.” 

Udit Narayan Sahu, who runs an English class on the Teachmint app, is yet another success story of grassroot digitization. A teacher who had been running a physical institute in the Janjgir-Champa district of Chattisgarh for about 4 years, Mr. Sahu lost almost all his students due to the COVID-19 pandemic. He joined the Teachmint app in early December. “This is my first experience teaching online and I have found it to be easier than expected. In my two weeks on the app, I have been able to reach out to add 37 new students to my classroom from surrounding areas.  In the beginning I thought this will be how I tide over till things are back to normal. Now I have realised that I would probably never want to teach offline full-time again.”

It is no secret that the ongoing global public health crisis has fast-forwarded the adoption of online learning solution. Students, teachers and even parents have adjusted to the new normal of online education enabled by brands like Teachmint who enable tutors with the tools to run their classes in a manner that enhances the learning experience and allows them to customize their unique method of imparting education. As per teachers’ feedback, the best part of Teachmint is how easy it is to use. The platform also helps them create a real-life classroom experience digitally with various tools to choose for conducting classes, and most importantly ability to have uninterrupted and clear classes even in low network/bandwidth areas. 

India’s Leading Coaching Institute Veranda Race Launched in Kerala

The Kalpathi Group owned, Veranda Learning Solutions today announced the launch of Veranda Race, in Kerala. Veranda Race, India’s leading coaching institute for Banking, SSC, and PSC exams, will initially offer result oriented online training programs for Banking and Staff Selection Commission in Kerala. 

Veranda Race has launched two courses for students in Malayalam, namely, Bank Video Package for Banking, Insurance & RBI Exams and SSC Video Package for SSC, Railways & CPO Exams. The Bank Video Course fee is Rs.7500 and SSC Video Course is priced at Rs.8000. Veranda Race has a unique ‘6 level practice program’ which helps students improve their speed and accuracy in a short span of time, and their result oriented, strategic curriculum is developed exclusively for each type of competitive exams. Aspiring students can log into the website http://verandarace.com and opt for classes in Malayalam.

Veranda had recently acquired Chennai Race, for over 100 crore, to create the new brand called Veranda Race. By December 2021, Veranda Race is planning to launch course content in 11 Indian languages. During the financial year 2019-20, Race recorded sales of about INR 45 crores and had trained over 145,000 students for various competitive exams. Race has seen its students filling up about 60 to 80 percent of Tamil Nadu’s vacancies in the past 4-5 years.

On the launch of Veranda Race in Kerala, Suresh Kalpathi, CEO, Veranda Learning Solution stated “the objective of Veranda Race is to provide equal opportunities for every student with emphasis on best outcome at an affordable cost. Veranda Race focuses on ensuring rigor and discipline amongst enrolled students thereby giving them the best opportunity to get jobs once they appear for written examinations. We expect Veranda Race to grow significantly in the coming months and years with the addition of more products and languages”. 

Speaking on the acquisition of Chennai Race Mr. Kalpathi said “Race is a great brand to bring under our newly launched venture, Veranda Learning Solution, as it opens new possibilities in the core areas of our business. The acquisition of Race will bolster our offerings and will further define our position in the sector”.

Talking at the launch of the program in Malayalam, Bharath Seeman, Head of Veranda Race, said "the Veranda Race programs are set for rollout nationally, in the coming months, targeting a revenue of INR 50 crores in the first year. By the end of 2021, our content will be available in 11 Indian languages and we would be training around 50,000 to 60,000 students across the country. We have priced our courses around INR 7500/- to INR Rs. 8000/- which includes course materials and mentoring support”. 

“At Veranda Race we take pride in our ‘real result-oriented coaching’ approach. Our unique curriculum focuses on helping our students to land PSC and Banking jobs. At Veranda RACE the key metric to assess our success will be ‘number of students getting jobs’, which is the main goal of this venture.” Bharath added.

About Veranda Learning Solution

Veranda Learning Solution, the new ed-tech venture from The Kalpathi Group, is India’s first comprehensive 360-degree online education platform. Veranda Learning Solution offers training programs in test preparation for all competitive exams in India and abroad, including IIT JEE, NEET, GRE/TOEFL/IELTS/GMAT, IAS, State PSC, Banking/Staff Selection/RRB, CA/ACS related exams, Medical, K-12, NTSE and Olympiads. Veranda will also offer courses in software development namely databases, languages, development tools, cloud/analytics/big data/AI/ML platform and at an affordable price point. 

Veranda is a unique online platform that combines the best of technology, processes, and methodologies that delivers high-quality content, seeking to be one of India’s first to offer a comprehensive 360-degree education. Focused on academic outcomes for its students, Veranda adopts a multi-modal delivery system backed by a rigorous and disciplined learning framework.

About Veranda Race

Veranda Race provides unique training to its students with an aim of achieving 100% results. Race provides best Level coaching for all competitive Recruitment Examinations like Bank Probationary Officers, Clerks, Specialist Officers, Central Government Staff, Insurance Sectors, Railway Officers and TNPSC (State Commission) Exams. Race is the most awarded coaching institute in India and has filled 78% of the Public Sector Bank state vacancies in Tamil Nadu. Race students are constantly filling up about 60 to 80 % of Tamil Nadu’s vacancies in the past 4-5 years. Race is also the only Private Institute which is also a Govt Certified Exam Centre for various competitive Exams. 

Karnataka CM BS Yediyurappa Praises Aditya Mehta Foundation for Raising Para Sports awareness as he Flags Off Infinity Ride 2020

The Karnataka Hon’ble Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa on Sunday flagged off Aditya Mehta Foundation's (AMF) ongoing Infinity Ride 2020 at Vidhana Soudha here on Sunday morning as India's first-ever para cyclist Aditya Mehta alongside members of country’s para cycling team resumed their journey.

A team of 30 cyclists as part of Infinity Ride 2020, a brain-child of Aditya Mehta Foundation which has so far covered 31 cities during their challenging 3842km-long journey from Kashmir to Kanyakumari visiting 36 cities in 45 days, arrived in the city on Saturday. The Infinity Ride aims to spread awareness about para sports and scout talent to train and nurture them at Asia's first-ever Infinity Para Sports Academy and Rehabilitation Centre in order to groom the talent and prepare them to win medals for the country at the international stage.

“I appreciate the support Aditya Mehta Foundation is giving to para athletes and people with disabilities to get them into sports. I wish them all the best in their journey and future endeavors. May they continue to organise such rides in the coming future,” the hon'ble CM Yediyurappa said.

Earlier after arriving in the city, the riders visited Mitti Cafe—a chain of inclusive cafes entirely run by specially-abled people, and shared their own life changing experiences with the specially-abled cafe employees highlighting the fact about how sports have not only empowered them but as sportsperson representing India has given a purpose to each of their lives.

"It’s great to see people coming in to support us in this mission. I would like to thank Karnataka Government and Hon’ble Chief Minister BS Yediyurappa who came to flag off the ride and motivated us," said Aditya Mehta, the founder of Aditya Mehta Foundation and also a Limca Book of Records holder who is currently on a mission to create para sports champions for India.

“We are also grateful for the support received from DGP CID PS Sandhu. We started building a strong relationship with BSF since the time he flagged off the ride in 2013 which I rode alone from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. Since then he has been a mentor to the cause and vision to Aditya Mehta Foundation. And during our visit to Karnataka he helped us in every possible way,” Mehta added.

Following a stop in Bengaluru, the sixth edition of Infinity Ride will resume their remaining journey of 705km and head towards Tamil Nadu through Dharmapuri and further visit three more cities before reaching their destination Kanyakumari on December 31.

About Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF):

“Our vision is to make India a superpower in the world of para sports.” Aditya Mehta Foundation (AMF) is a non-profit organisation which aids people with disabilities to pursue sporting careers while also providing them self-sustenance. The Foundation, which started in 2013, has grown by leaps and bounds in the short span of time. Based in Hyderabad, the foundation has managed to span out to virtually every corner of the nation and have contributed in creating para champions who have been winning medals for India. It represents a unique cause and seeks to help a neglected part of a fairly large population.

About Infinity Ride:

The AMF raises funds through its signature Fund-Raising event, the Infinity Ride, and also scouts for talent among the population of people with disability and trains them from the grassroots as well. With the money raised, it also provides counselling and helps them get better at their sport or even find a sport that is suitable for them. It provides the necessary equipment, training and funding for these athletes as well to help them grow in their sport and compete at the International level. Along with the civilian talent, a major part of the foundation’s efforts is directed at finding and nurturing talent from nation’s Central Armed Police Forces (BSF, CRPF and ITBP), which have a number of soldiers who have suffered debilitating or permanent injuries while serving the country at the border or in naxal-hit areas and now are trained to become potential talents for the 2021 Tokyo Paralympics. In its sixth edition, the upcoming ride will take place from Kashmir to Kanyakumari; traversing 3842 km through difficult and mountainous terrain with support of Border Security Force (BSF) who have partnered and supported AMF to execute the ride. Border Security Force (BSF) was the only organisation who believed in our cause from the very beginning and supported us since inception of this ride and later Central Armed Police Force (CAPF) also joined hands for this cause.

Yamaha Announces a Unique “Test Ride My Yamaha” Campaign for its Customers Across Indian Market

 

* The campaign aims to create awareness on the advanced safety features & technologies of Yamaha products like Stop & Start system, Silent Engine Start, Side stand engine cut off switch etc

Yamaha Motor India group of companies today announced the kick-off of its unique and an exciting test ride campaign “Test Ride My Yamaha” for its customers across the country. The overall aim of this special campaign is to establish a deeper connect with the existing customers and encourage them to further create awareness on the advanced safety features and technologies of the company’s 125 cc scooter models - Fascino 125 FI, Ray ZR 125 FI and Street Rally 125 FI among their family and friends.

Through this campaign, the company’s effort is to provide touch and feel as well as a personalized riding experience to more and more customers who aspire to own a Yamaha product and are curious to know about the new technologies and the safety features installed in Yamaha scooters like “Stop & start system”, “Smart motor generator (SMG)” and the “Side stand engine cut-off switch”. The existing Yamaha customer who participates and supports the campaign by motivating their family and friends to test ride the Yamaha 125 scooters stand a chance to win exciting Yamaha merchandise.

The new 125 cc Yamaha scooters have received a tremendous response from the customers across India in the year 2020 and the company is confident that this special and unique campaign will help in reaching out to its target customers who are looking for a product which is stylish & sporty and at the same time more powerful, fuel efficient, equipped with safety technologies and value for money. The potential customers willing to participate in the campaign can reach out to their nearest Yamaha authorized dealerships in their respective cities to test ride the Yamaha products. 

Mr Uday Shankar and Mr Sanjiv Mehta Takes Over as New FICCI President & Senior Vice President

Mr Uday Shankar, President, The Walt Disney Company APAC & Chairman, Star & Disney India, has taken over as FICCI President for 2020-2021, from Dr Sangita Reddy, Joint Managing Director, Apollo Hospitals Group, at the apex chamber's 93nd Annual Convention held virtually and inaugurated by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi. 

Mr Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman, and Managing Director, Hindustan Unilever Limited; President, Unilever South Asia and Member, Unilever Leadership Executive, has been elevated as Senior Vice President of FICCI. Mr Subhrakant Panda, Managing Director, Indian Metals & Ferro Alloys Ltd has joined FICCI leadership as Vice President. 

Mr Shankar is a multifaceted personality with an in-depth understanding of both the new-age businesses and the old economy, besides having an impeccable grasp on the geo-political developments and global business ecosystem. 

A journalist turned global business leader, he is all set to lead FICCI at a time when the Indian economy and businesses have just started coming out of the grips of deadly COVID-19 pandemic, supported by the pro-active government policies and decisions. Mr Shankar has led many business ventures to success and unprecedented heights and his experience is expected to provide a new dimension to the FICCI’s role and responsibilities as the oldest and largest industry chamber in the country. 

In his message as the incoming President of FICCI, Mr Shankar said, “It is a huge responsibility to lead FICCI in these trying times. 2020 has been an extremely tough year for the Indian economy and industry. However, as outlined by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi in his inaugural address on Saturday, India has shown the way to the world in dealing with Corona, and the economy is coming back to the track quickly. This has given me immense confidence to lead the chamber in providing solutions to the issues faced by not only our members, but industry on the whole”. 

“I congratulate my predecessor Dr Sangita Reddy for her tremendous work in tough times during the last one year and assure our members that bringing industry back to normal will be a relentless pursuit during my tenure as FICCI President. The government has utilised these trying times to usher in extensive reform measures and it is now the turn of the industry to quickly firm up the blueprint and the strategies to make full use of these measures in creating jobs and furthering growth. FICCI will fully support Prime Minister’s clarion call of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, which is much beyond just being self-reliant — it is a roadmap for India emerging as a major player in the global market and value-chains,” added Mr Shankar. 

“FICCI will play a lead role in providing inputs to the government and implementing the steps to regain the growth momentum and reach to a 8-10% GDP growth trajectory quickly,” he said. 

Star Movies Showcase “Back to 90s” Festival During the Year End

With the kick-start of the holiday season and end of the decade looming ahead, the feeling of nostalgia has overwhelmed us all! Going back to simpler times, when life was easier and social media did not exist, Star Movies has curated a 2 month long festival of joyful recollections of the 90s presenting the best Hollywood films of 90’s decade!

Now, who would not want to swap 2020 with 1990?

From December 26th, Star Movies will showcase “Back to 90s” festival transporting viewers to their favorite decade to create a sense of nostalgia and bringing back happy childhood and teenage memories

The exhaustive list of films being showcased as part of the “Back to the 90s” festival will include some of the biggest titles of the 90s including blockbuster Sci - Fi films - Armageddon and Independence Day, Action thrillers like Speed and Con Air, as well as some of the best comedy and animation films like Baby’s Day out, Toy Story and films featuring genius comedian Robbin Williams.

The festival will also showcase cultural headliners of the 90s like Macaulay Culkin, Keanu Reeves and Arnold Schwarzenegger’s movies.

And to bring alive the Christmas spirit, Home Alone will elevate viewer’smood into the blissful family holiday mood.

Tune in to “Back to the 90s”festival every Saturday on Star Movies and binge watch from 12 noon onwards till 9 PM. It’s time to put on those comfy pajamas and grab a bowl of popcorn to relive the 90s with your family this holiday season!

The last decade of the 20th century is famous for having produced some of the most beloved films worthy of remembrance. With a mix of heartfelt, bittersweet, family films to hard core action adventures with never seen before stunt choreography, the nostalgia of the 90s will ring true through any screen of the 21st Century!

To catchthe latest and best Hollywood films, subscribe to Star Movies, today. For more information contact your Cable/DTH operator today. 

Mytirth India – One Stop Spirituality and Darshan Shop for all Pilgrims' Across India

The pandemic has certainly altered life and this alteration extends not just to the work and social spaces but now its tentacles have spread to encompass spirituality too. As a result of the pandemic travel is restricted to bare essentials.

However when normalcy returns religious or visit to temple will be in first to take off and will be a must tick on most Indians and NRI’s wishlist..

My Tirth India.com is India’s one stop Spiritual Shop founded by Indraneel Dasgupta and Ankhon Ganguli. Any Temple, any Pilgrimage, any Yatra from travel to hotel to fooding to darshan to puja from group travel to customized travel to home to home service to special care for the elderly to online puja streamed direct to your home in your name and gotra from any temple to Astrology consultancy from eminent Astrologersof the country to Ayurvedic consultations from leading Ayurvedic practitioners to enjoying a leisurely evening listening to legends AnupJalota and Anuradha Paudwal screened live for your pleasure….My Tirth India , is here to serve.

In India the Religious and Spiritual travel industry accounts for more than 60% of the huge travel and tourism sector in India.Moreover the vastness of country leads to several linguistical and logistical problems specially for outstation pilgrims not to mention the fleecing by the middlemen and touts as also the lack of information of local rules and regulations.

The company received seed funding of Rs 2 cr in November 2020 and is now looking for second round of funding,

In religious tourism, people go on their own knowing the difficulties they may have to endure. With www.mytirthindia.com everything is made seamless to and prepaid so dependence on cash totally negated and everyone before initiating their trip knows exactly how much to spend. Before every trip all details are provided to clients be it the person who is incoming them at the airport or station to the details of the hotel to the Pujari who is to receive the pilgrims at the temple gate. www.mytirthindia.com is a friend that every pilgrim from any strata of society can rely on. My Tirth India also caters to people wanting to do special Pujas like Pitridosh, Pinddaan.

The tour packages are equally expansive, covering a large range of pilgrim spots across the country, from Vaishnodevi and Golden Temple in the North to Ramesharam and Tirupati in the South to Dwarka and Somnath in the West to JagannathPuri and Kamakhya in the East to Mahakaleshwar and Omkareshwar in the central part of India. From KailashManasarovar to Chardham to Amarnath to the twelve Jyotirlingas, to all the Shakti peeths to Ayodhya, Mathura, Gokarna, Thekkady, to Trimbakeshwar to Shirdi to Kalighat, BalajiSalasar to Nathduara to Dilwara and Ranakpur to Gaya, Haridwar to Rishkesh and everything in between.

Online Pujas and packages

The pandemic has certainly altered life and this alteration extends not just to the work and social spaces but now its tentacles have spread to encompass spirituality too. As a result of the pandemic travel restricted to bare essential however when normalcy returns religious or visit to temple will be in first to take off and will be a must tick on most Indians and NRI’s wishlist.

While pilgrimage and visits to pilgrim spots have become minimal or non-existent, the deep spiritual yearnings continue to simmer silently amongst devotees, prompting them to seek alternate ways to satiate this desire. My Tirth India.com addresses exactly this segment, offering multiple avenues to quench this thirst of devotees across the countrywhere pilgrims can avail of spiritual services offered online to meet the exigencies of the currently prevailing pandemic.

The company facilitates online pujas for devotees in Tirth Sthals across the country ranging from Badrinath, Haridwar, Ujjain, Kalighat, Dwaraka, Varanasi etc to a multiple other pilgrim locations, where devotees can book their required pujas in the designated locations and participate virtually in the same. The pujas offered are as varied as the pilgrim locations and historic temples that conventionally attract millions of devotees through the year.

The online pujas are not confined to merely festive offerings but extends to ceremonies too, where families can perform online ceremonies for their loved ones in some of the most holy spots by the River Ganges. Tour packages are also on offer to facilitate physical presence to perform some of the rituals, the guided packages ensuring this journey is hassle free for the bereaved families when they make the final offerings.

One stop Spiritual shop

Interestingly My Tirth India.com does not confine to pilgrimage packages and online pujas alone but extends its services to offer online Astrological consultations too, where a range of options are available, from Palmistry, Numerology,VaastuSastra, Horoscopes, Tantric Vedicology, Tarot card and even couple counselling and much more, the listing covering over thirty segments that clients can connect to relating to Financial, Marriage, Family, Career, Business, Health, Legal and all other solutions.

Health is an integral part of any life and My Tirth India.com recognises this as much as it does about the wealth of knowledge that our Vedas and Ayurveda holds. Not surprisingly, Ayurvedic consultations form an integral part of the facilities offered by the company, with specialist Ayurvedic doctors available for online consultations to treat multiple ailments in the most holistic manner.

Music is a self-healer and its impact on emotional health is widely known, especially the soulful Bhajans that soothe the mind and soul, not just for the seeker but any listener who chooses to tune in. Recognising the role and place of soulful music and Bhajans, My Tirth India.com plans to come up shortly with yet another segment in its online offerings, the Bhajan Sandhya.

My Tirth India.com prides in being able to offer any darshan, any puja, in any temple as the devotee may aspire, with the facility of booking the puja and the performing priest online, where personalised attention is guaranteed. Its strong USP is the ability to offer VIP darshan in the selected temples for the devotees, with special care given to the elderly and children, along with picking up and dropping facilities besides the end to end packages on offer that may be availed.

In short, My Tirth India.com promises the devotee not only a hassle free, memorable spiritual journey to satiate the deepest of desires that arise from the soul, it also purports to be a one stop shop for all things spiritual that is truly one of its kind in the country..