Timken Foundation of Canton in Collaboration with Association of 41, Round Table, Ladies Circle has Provided PPE Kits to Hospital Warriors

Kits for Warriors

* 7500 High Risk Personal Protective Kits

* 500  Ration Kits has been distributed to Hombegowda Nagar, Lakkasandra, Wilson Garden

The Covid-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented challenges for India and the world with the number of infected people on a steady rise. Timken Foundation of Canton in collaboration with Association of 41 India, Round Table India and  Ladies Circle India  has made several  efforts to support people in distress &  ramping up its community outreach programmes and reaching out to all stakeholders in this battle against the pandemic.

With the objective to ensure the protection of those who protect us by jeopardizing their lives and leading from the front during emergencies, Timken Foundation of Canton in collaboration with Association of 41 India Round Table India and  Ladies Circle India  has provided a total of 7500 HIGH RISK Personal Protective kits to Dr.B.N.Gangadhar, Director, NIMHANS, Mr.Venugopal Reddy, Finanace Director,Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiology, Dr.H.S.Chandrashekar, Director, Sanjay Gandhi institute of Trauma and Orthopedics, Dr.Ramesh, Prof and HOD, Radiology,Indira Gandhi institute of Child Health. Dr.Ramachandra, Director, Kidwai Memorial Institute of Oncology and Dr.Manjunath K.R, Director-cum-Dean, Bowring and Lady Curzon Medical College.

Also Timken Foundation of Canton in Collaboration with Association of 41 India ans Round Table India and Ladies Circle India  distributed over 500 Ration Kits has been distributed to Hombegowda Nagar, Lakkasandra, Wilson Garden to the vulnerable and most needy sections of society, who have been harshly impacted by the pandemic and have faced significant disruption in their livelihoods.

Mr. Sanjay Koul Chairman and Managing Director of Timken India Ltd , said, "This situation has united us all to help each other and I am hopeful that through our collective efforts, we will succeed in fighting this dreadful pandemic. Timken as a responsible corporate has been ramping up varied community outreach programs to reach out to the ones in need to battle against this pandemic."

Timken Foundation of Canton in collaboration with Association of 41 India, Round Table India and Ladies Circle India has recently, handed over One Lakh of 2 Ply Honeycomb Masks and 2 Ply Pure Cotton Masks to to Mr. Bhaskar Rao, Commissioner of Police, Bangalore City to support the Covid-19 Warriors.

Also present were   Prasanth Shah- Share your joy convenor 41 India & Round Table India Foundation Trustee. R Girish, National President, Round Table India 2003/04 & member 41 India, Rajesh Raghunandan, Chairman, Area5 Round Table India,  Srinivasu Saraswatula, Chairman Area IV, 41 India,  Anil Kesavan,  Yaps Convenor 41 India, Mahabir Somani Area 6 Project Convenor, Vikram Talreja, AHT, Area6 Round Tabler and Abhishek Agarwal - AHT Area6.

Blue Dart Ranked Amongst the ‘Top 50 of India’s Best Companies to Work For – 2020’

Blue Dart, India’s leading logistics services provider, as part of Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL), has been ranked amongst the Top 50 of India’s Best Companies to Work For – 2020 by the Great Place to Work® (GPTW) Institute and The Economic Times. In addition, Blue Dart has been awarded with the elite ‘Laureate Medal’ for being in the top 100 best organizations to have been featured in ‘India’s Best Companies to Work For’ list for 10 years. 

Commenting on being ranked amongst India’s Best Companies to Work For – 2020, Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart Express Limited said, “We are extremely honoured that Blue Dart has been recognised amongst the Top 50 of India’s Best Companies to Work For – 2020. We are even happier that our company has received the elite ‘Laureate Medal’ for featuring in the Top 100 Organizations recognised by Great Place to Work® for 10 years in a row. Blue Dart has always been an organisation that prioritizes its people. Our Blue Darters, the heart of our business, are the ones who make us market leaders with strong brand equity and market leadership. It is with their consistent prowess that we can call ourselves a Provider of Choice and an Investment of Choice to our customers. It is what makes us ensure that we remain an Employer of Choice for them. Through our ‘People First Philosophy’, we continue to invest in our people and create an enabling environment for their all-round development, which in turn drives and exceeds our customer and stakeholder expectations at all times. I am humbled to be part of this team.”

Rajendra Ghag, CHRO, Blue Dart Express Limited added, “We understand that the foundation of our business are our Blue Darters. ‘Highly engaged Blue Darters encourage Happy Customers’; this has been our motto from the very beginning. At Blue Dart, we understand that a good foundation for an organisation stems from strong brand values. We therefore instil, in our teams, our four values of Passion, Can Do, Right First Time and As One. We ensure our teams are taken care of through various HR initiatives, a few of which include, the Death Benevolent Fund (DBF) which aims to help resolve the financial crisis of the family rising due to the death of a team member as well as Upstairs, a program that aims to help children of team members by offering a scholarship program that provides them with Rs.1,00,000 per year along with a mentor.”

Since its inception in 1983, Blue Dart has been an organisation with a great workplace culture and strong talent retention. Most of the senior management team consists of home grown talent who have risen through the ranks. The organisation encourages growth and provides ample opportunity to skilled individuals ensuring they have a multitude of day one Blue Darters, including the current Managing Director, Balfour Manuel.

Recognized for their Best Practices such as the ‘Blue Way’ delivery program, an innovative initiative that allows every Blue Darter to participate in last mile delivery to ensure customer delight, Blue Dart paves the way as an organization that will always keep its people first and ensures dignity of labour. The Blue Way program sees the Senior Management Team, including the Managing Director, part-take in the delivery process. Blue Dart is South Asia’s undisputed express logistics leader that drives a culture of innovation, agility, excellence with a high focus on customer centricity.

Every year the Great Place to Work® study, which assesses the experience of over 12 million employees in more than 10,000 organisations across industries, recognises ‘India’s Best Companies to Work For’ based on their employee survey and people practices assessment. Bifurcating this further, Great Place to Work® (GPTW) Institute further recognizes 100 Best Organisations with an employee strength of over 500 which represent over 21 industry sectors.

GPTW primarily uses 3 dimensions to evaluate and identify the best cultures:

The first dimension measures the quality of employee experience through their globally validated survey instrument known as Trust IndexTM. The survey helps in seeking anonymous feedback from employees.

The second dimension is called the Culture AuditTM, a proprietary tool of the Institute that evaluates the people practices of an organisation, covering the entire employee life-cycle.

The third dimension is called Great Place To Work FOR ALLTM and ensures that everyone irrespective of their job role, tenure, age or gender at the Best Workplaces is having a consistently positive experience.

Dvara KGFS Facilitates Digital Banking Amongst the Remote India

Dvara KGFS, a leading NBFC in India, with a mission to maximise the financial well-being of every individual and every enterprise by providing complete access to financial services in remote rural India, announced transactions worth INR 7 crore achieved since 19th April, 2020 through its Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) which was implemented in the remote rural areas that they operate in.

Since the lockdown from 24th March 2020, the villagers, especially living in the remote rural areas were greatly encumbered to draw cash for daily use as there was scarce or no access to banks or ATMs. Looking at this challenge, Dvara KGFS initiated AEPS and rolled it out from 19th April 2020 to benefit the rural population that they cater to. This service was also made available at the door step of customers right on time as the government was transferring wages under MNREGA scheme & relief under COVID package directly to the Jan Dhan account of rural women. Started as a pilot in one branch on 19th April in partnership with RBL Bank, this has now scaled to 300 branches with a steady 1000+ daily cash withdrawals amounting to INR 25 – 30 lakhs per day.

Practising absolute safety and social distancing norms, more than 1000 wealth managers of Dvara KGFS, spread extensive awareness and acquainted the villagers with AEPS with the help of respective village heads and was able to facilitate over 36,000 cash withdrawals & 60,000 balance enquiries through this platform.

Commenting on the success of AEPS, Mr. Joby C. O., CEO, Dvara KGFS, said, “Since lockdown and the  announcement of Loan Moratorium by RBI, there has been limited activities across our branches on the loan disbursements & collections front & we have used this opportunity to reach out to our customers and support them to tide over the current situation. We are happy that we were able to provide AEPS service to around 45,000 villagers and facilitate a gross cash withdrawal of more than 7 Crores through our 300 odd branches in such a short span of time. Our Wealth Managers have received a lot of appreciation from the villagers on facilitating this service and we are seeing this as an effective tool which will help us move closer towards our mission of maximising financial well-being for every individual in remote rural India.”

About Dvara KGFS -  

Dvara KGFS, a systematically important NBFC in the Dvara Group regulated by RBI, works with a mission to maximise the financial well-being of every individual and every enterprise by providing complete access to financial services in remote rural India. Dvara KGFS has a strong presence in Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, spread across 48 Districts with 297 branches and more than 1 million enrolled customers.

Manipal Health Enterprises Collaborates with Government of Karnataka to Combat COVID Crisis in the State

Collaboration

* Manipal Hospitals Malleshwaram to be converted into a dedicated COVID facility

* Partnership with Hospitality players in Bengaluru to set up COVID care centres for mild and asymptomatic patients

* Receives statutory approvals by the regulatory authorities to perform COVID 19 Test at Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road Bangalore and Hospital, Manipal

In an endeavour to intensify the fight against the pandemic, Manipal Health Enterprises part of Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) collaborates with the Government of Karnataka and converts its 100 bed fully equipped facility at Malleshwaram as a dedicated COVID unit. The facility is equipped with a 14-bed respiratory ICU and state of the art equipment to ensure seamless and efficient treatment to COVID patients. The facility also has back up imaging and a full-fledged laboratory to ensure the highest level of care to COVID 19 patients. The Group has also been approved by the regulatory authorities to perform COVID 19 Testing at its Hospital on Old Airport, Bangalore and Udupi.

The group has been working closely with the Government of Karnataka since March when the pandemic started to breakout in the State. The Chairman of Manipal Hospitals, Dr. Sudarshan Ballal was a key member of the Task Force formed by the Govt to help combat the spread of the virus. Over the last 3 months, a specialist team comprising of a Physician/Geriatrician, Intensivist, Pulmonologists, Anaesthesiologist and Nephrologist have been monitoring critically ill COVID – 19 patients across 7 districts of Karnataka via the E-Rounds initiative. The dedicated team of specialists were part of the war room to provide video consultations to critically ill patients twice a day. In the month of April, Dr TMA Hospital, a 150 bed facility in Udupi was converted to a dedicated COVID centre and became the only private Hospital in Karnataka to be designated as a COVID – 19 Hospital and has treated over 150 patients. 

Dr. Ranjan Pai, Chairman, Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) said, “These are unprecedented times not only for the country but for the whole of humanity. Manipal Group as a responsible entity is committed to serving the country and will extend every possible support to the Government. In order to build a robust healthcare response and to be able to combat COVID, it is imperative to work as a combined force. We are also exploring possibilities of collaborating with Hospitality players to set up dedicated a COVID care center for mild or asymptotic patients to further ease the burden on the healthcare system. We have successfully engaged in a similar relationship with the ITC Group for their Hotel in Dwarka through our network hospital in New Delhi.”

Sharing his thoughts Mr. Dilip Jose, MD and CEO of Manipal Health Enterprises said, “Our team of experts have been working closely with various sub committees, task forces and working groups of the Government of Karnataka and have been providing immense support to tackle the pandemic. The dedicated unit at Manipal Malleshwaram will provide the highest quality of care for COVID patients. All our regular patients requiring urgent, elective tertiary and quaternary care, will be directed to our other network hospitals on Old Airport Road and at Jayanagar and Whitefield. This will ensure safety and significantly reduce the risk for non- COVID patients visiting our Hospitals”.

About Manipal Hospitals:

As a pioneer in healthcare, Manipal Hospitals is one among the top 5 established healthcare players in India serving over 3 million patients annually. Its focus is to develop an affordable healthcare framework through its multispecialty and tertiary care delivery spectrum and further extend it to homecare. With its flagship quaternary care facility located in Bangalore (India), 9 tertiary care and 5 secondary care spread across India and abroad, Manipal Hospitals today successfully operates and manages over 5,900 beds across 15 hospitals. Manipal Hospitals provides comprehensive curative and preventive care for a multitude of patients from around the globe. Manipal Hospitals is NABH, AAHRPP accredited and most of the hospitals in its network are NABL, ER, Blood Bank accredited and recognized for Nursing Excellence. Manipal Hospitals has also been the most respected and patient recommended hospital in India through various consumer surveys.

Media Statement from NPCI During June 2020 on Digital Payments

“We have come across some quotes on social media which suggest that transferring money through Google Pay is not protected by the law, since the app is unauthorised. RBI has authorised NPCI as a Payment System Operator (PSO) of UPI and NPCI in its capacity as PSO authorises all UPI participants.

We would like to clarify that Google Pay is classified as Third Party App Provider (TPAP) that also provides UPI payment services like many others, working through banking partners and operating under the UPI framework of NPCI. All authorised TPAPs are listed on the NPCI Website. 

Enclosed:

Annexure 1 – List of UPI Live Members and Annexure 2 – List of 3rd Party Apps) All transactions made using any of the authorized TPAPs are fully protected by the redressal processes laid out by applicable guidelines of NPCI/RBI and customers already have full access to the same. Further, we would also like to clarify that all authorised TPAP’s are already bound by full compliance to all the regulations and applicable laws in India. UPI ecosystem is fully safe and secure, and we appeal to the citizens not to fall prey to such malicious news. We also request UPI customers not to share their OTP (one time password) and UPI Pin with anybody”.

ICICI Lombard Introduces Cyber Insurance Cover for Individuals

In these unprecedented times owing to the COVID-19 crisis, remote working has become the new normal. Since the lockdown was announced, like everywhere else, S. Mohan’s company too announced remote working. Before everything shut down, Sameer wanted to buy a laptop, since his device was faulty. He kept browsing different websites to find a good deal for the new laptops. One day, he got a mail offering an unbelievable deal on his favorite brand.  However, buying the laptop needed his credit card information. Since the website offered home delivery within 48 hours (even in the lockdown) he made an impulsive purchase through his credit card. Next morning Mr. Mohan woke up to a message from his bank stating that he has surpassed his credit card limit which was around INR 3, 00,000. When he opened the mail again, the ‘page was not found’. It then dawned upon Mr. Mohan that he has fallen prey to online fraud. He had lost approx. INR 3, 75,000 in a single night. He could do nothing about it as he did not have any protection to see him through.

To help customers overcome such tragedies, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, India's leading private sector non-life insurance company, announced the launch of its Retail Cyber Liability Insurance policy. This policy offers complete protection to individuals and their families against any cyber frauds or digital risks that could result in a financial or reputational loss. The retail cyber insurance product is a form of insurance that protects individuals against losses that individually vary from online theft to unauthorized transactions.

India is one of the most prominent digital markets, with a vast potential for exponential growth. Data shows on a country level; we have over  560 mn internet subscribers and over 350 mn social media users. India is the second-largest App Market by Download and has over 180 Mn+ e-commerce users. When it comes to phone-based transactions, we have over INR 1 Trillion UPI transactions.  This lays the ground for a huge potential for cyberattacks. Undoubtedly, and this opportunity is followed by the menace of cyber risks and frauds which, too, have been growing considerably. Research shows that:

* Cyber-attacks have soared 86% in the four weeks roughly between March and April & overall 37% in first quarter of 2020

* Hackers based in China attempted over 40,300 cyber-attacks on India in 3rd week of week of June, mostly covid-19 based scams. The attacks aimed at causing issues such as denial of service, hijacking of Internet Protocol and phishing

* Rs 1.24 trillion is the amount lost in India in the past 12 months due to cybercrime.

* 131.2 million is the number of cybercrime victims in India in 2019 & 63% of them were impacted financially

According to the Internet Crime Report for 2019, released by FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3), India ranks third among the top 20 countries that are victims of cybercrimes. Going by this data, we are at a high risk of exposure, and personal cyber insurance seems the only respite.

The company's product is designed to secure the digital world against losses in the event of a cyberattack. The coverage will include protection against:

* Identity theft

* Cyber-bullying

* Cyber extortion

* Malware intrusion

* Financial loss due to unauthorized and fraudulent use of bank account, credit card and mobile wallets

* Legal expenses arising out of any covered risk

ICICI Lombard has Innovated by Covering Newer Threats Such As

* Reputation injury - all the expenses incurred in restoring digital reputation with means of removal of the harmful publication from the internet can also be claimed.

* Individual lost wages – if someone loses wages that would have been otherwise earned, for the time necessarily taken off from work to rectify facts arising out of any covered risk can also be claimed

The policy can be purchased at an affordable rate by all digitally active individuals. The premium ranges from INR 6.5 per day to INR 65 per day. The Sum Insured for the cover ranges from INR 50,000 to INR 10,000,000 as opted by the policyholder. The policy provides coverage to the entire family, including children for a duration of 1 year.  

Speaking on the launch, Sanjay Datta, Chief - Claims, Underwriting and Reinsurance said, "We are living in a digital world where data is being engendered, transmitted and deposited every nanosecond. Today, data is gold. And, to protect it, is paramount. While we live a digital life, the risks of cyberattacks have also grown exponentially. Our new product comes at an opportune moment when everybody is working remotely, using social media and net banking and is digitally active. The product is designed to protect individuals against the dangers that come with the connected life like cyber-bullying, identity theft and more. The policy asserts the company's pledge to provide innovative new-age risk solutions to our customers while protecting their reputation, prospective data breaches and losses in case any vital information is stolen or abused."

ICICI Lombard's commitment to providing the best for its consumers reflects through these offerings and more which ensure that the policyholders are stress-free while they work from home and even after. True to its ethos of "Nibhaaye Vaade" (Keeping Promises), ICICI Lombard always aims at being ahead of the curve to provide the customers with innovative and unique products against the new risks.

For more information on the policy and the full range of ICICI Lombard’s Insurance portfolio please visit the website www.icicilombard.com for further details on risk factors, exclusions, terms and conditions.

About ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd

We are the largest private sector non-life insurer in India based on gross direct premium income in fiscal 2020 (Source: IRDAI). We offer our customers a comprehensive and well-diversified range of products, including motor, health, crop, fire, personal accident, marine, engineering and liability insurance, through multiple distribution channels. 

Amazon Prime Video First Kannada Direct-to-Service Release, Law to Now Premiere on July 17, 2020

Amazon Prime Video today announced that the much-awaited Kannada film Law, will now premiere on July 17. The crime-thriller follows the journey of Nandini, played by debutant Ragini Chandran, to fight for justice against a gruesome crime. Taking on the legal system with the aid of her mentor, the movie raises voice against the injustice and crime committed against women. Law is produced by Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, M Govinda and directed by Raghu Samarth. 

The legal Kannada drama is led by Ragini Prajwal who makes her debut as a lead actress and Mukhyamantri Chandru, Achyuth Kumar, Sudharani among others. The film also features Siri Prahlad and veteran actor Mukyamanthri Chandru in prominent roles. 

Law is the first film from Sandalwood industry to have a digital release. Created by Puneeth Rajkumar’s PRK Productions, the film will launch on July 17, 2020 exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Godrej Appliances Unveils New Refrigerator Ranges and New Age Semi-Automatic Washing Machine Godrej EDGE Ultima

New Range 

* Newest additions to the brand portfolio – all three models perfectly combine style with functionality

* The brand introduced models through a virtual event to trade, another first in the Indian Home Appliance industry

Godrej Appliances, a leading player in the Home Appliances with a rich legacy of 62 years, has always put forth products based on consumer insights, and the pillars of innovation and sustainability. Staying true to the brand philosophy ’Things made thoughtfully’, Godrej Appliances recently launched 3 new models - Godrej EDGE RIO Refrigerator, Godrej EDGE NEO Refrigerator and Godrej EDGE Ultima Semi-Automatic washing machine. These new models attest the brand’s unabated commitment toward enabling brighter living for its consumers, always.

The brand took the baton of innovation a step forward by opting for a virtual medium for the Pan India launch, engaging its entire trade network. This is yet another attempt at breaking the barriers by the brand in its series of trade partner engagement initiatives.

Godrej EDGE RIO and EDGE NEO

Godrej EDGE RIO and EDGE NEO are uniquely designed to cater to the underlying need for more storage for the discerning Indian consumers. With the lockdown and social distancing increasing the need to store more in the refrigerator and for longer durations, Godrej Appliances has launched ‘Godrej EDGE RIO’ and Godrej EDGE NEO, the tallest refrigerators in the 192 litres single door category, standing at 1192 mm, with maximum space utilisation. It offers the largest freezer in the category of 16.3 litres capacity, and the Largest Bottle Space of 13.5 litres - making it a perfect companion for the harsh summers. It also comes with a large vegetable tray of 16.4 litres which gives consumers enough space to store all their veggies and also keeps them Farm Fresh for longer.

The 5-star rating as per the 2020 energy rating norms coupled with advantages of the Advanced Inverter Technology, makes Godrej EDGE RIO and EDGE NEO refrigerators highly energy-efficient and power-saving. With the PUF thickness of 54mm, the refrigerator models provide best-in-class cooling retention, even during power cuts. 

The refrigerators are equipped with ‘Turbo Cooling Technology’ that ensures up to 20% Faster Ice Making and up to 20% Faster Bottle Cooling. Its ‘Hygiene+ Inverter Technology’ ensures no defrost water spillage, convenient cleaning and no germ and insect breeding. In line with Godrej’s commitment to environment and sustainability, the refrigerator uses the most eco - friendly refrigerant, R600a, with zero ozone depletion potential and thus helps in reducing its carbon footprint.

A Curved Door design, alluring transparent interiors and an array of attractive and fresh floral fascia/ pre-coats the refrigerators are a treat. Available in 192L capacity with 5-star, 4-star, 3-star and 2-star variants, the new Godrej EDGE RIO and EDGE NEO refrigerators are priced starting INR 14000.

The 190 – 195 litres capacity segment is 50% of the single door refrigerators which in turn forms ~77 % of the refrigerator industry.

Godrej EDGE Ultima – the new age Semi-Automatic

Godrej Edge Ultima ushers in the new-age high performing Semi-Automatic washing machines, with mesmerizing looks thanks to its borderless design. The 5 Star Rated washing machine optimizes electricity consumption and provides higher savings.

Redefining the concept of cleaning, the range of Godrej Edge Ultima semi-automatic washing machines are designed to deliver a thorough and better wash with the 460W Power Max Motor, making it easy to wash heavy laundry as well as everyday clothes, while its 1440 RPM Spin Motor ensures faster drying, making it a must-have for your homes, especially during monsoons. 

A superior wash experience is assured with many distinct useful features built into these machines.

* Unique Active Soak feature to create turbulence in the drum during soak time, which helps in loosen tough stains.

* Spin Shower program to rinse clothes with a rainfall mechanism for better detergent removal

* Tri-Roto Scrub Pulsator that combines 3 ridges and 3 mini-pulsators to generate turbulence and scrubbing for a better wash every time.

* In-built Cartridge Lint Filter that collects lint, fluff, and particles even at low water levels, so that clothes come out clean and fresh after every wash.

* Soft-shut lid of Edge Ultima lifts and shuts gently to prevent any injury to the user.

* Its 100% rust-proof polypropylene body ensures greater durability while the toughened glass lids provide enhanced strength.

The Edge Ultima keeps you worry-free with a 5-year warranty on wash motor, and a 2-year warranty on the entire washing machine.

Godrej Edge Ultima washing machines place convenience at the heart of its design philosophy, making them easy-to-use whilst also standing out from the competition.

Available in 3 colours of Crystal Red, Crystal Black and Crystal Blue in 8 kg and 8.5 kg variants, the washing machines are priced at Rs. 16,400 onwards.

Currently, the 8 – 8.5 kg washing machine variant contributes to 23% of the Semi-Automatic Washing Machine segment and this segment is growing at the rate of 11% for the industry.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Kamal Nandi – Business Head and Executive Vice President, Godrej Appliance said, “Godrej Appliances has always been known for providing high-quality home appliances. As Indian households fight the pandemic, home appliances can go a long way in reducing their burden and easing out their stress. Our newly introduced range of appliances – Godrej EDGE RIO, Godrej EDGE NEO and Godrej Edge Ultima, available in the high volume popular segments are meant to cater to consumers across the country. Placing convenience and efficiency at the heart of its human-centric design, these products are an embodiment of Godrej’s meticulous product quality and design, guided by ‘Soch Ke Banaya Hai’ philosophy at the highest level of craftsmanship. These are being manufactured at our state-of-the-art factories, yet another step towards supporting ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic placed restrictions on large scale gatherings, Godrej Appliances has been the first in the industry to swiftly adapt to launching new products in a virtual format. These zone wise segregated launches were designed to engage with 5000+ trade partners from the comfort of their home. For a more interactive approach, the virtual event had a live chat window wherein all the participants could share their views and received tremendous feedback from the trade network.

Mr. Sanjeev Jain, National Sales Head, Godrej Appliances, further added ‘’At the beginning of the lockdown, we took the herculean task of enabling our network of trade partners to reach customers digitally. We have been breaking barriers across all fronts – from product cataloging and showcasing, multiple cashless online payment facilities to initiation of video-assisted remote selling initiative. By exploring alternative ways to communicate and engage, we were able to offer fantastic opportunities to our trade partners. The launch of our new models - Godrej EDGE Rio, Godrej EDGE Neo and Godrej Edge Ultima – is in sync with our ongoing approach of breaking the barriers through innovation. We plan to launch new products across the year across different segments. These launches are a testament towards our commitment to a culture of strategic and innovative thinking across the organization which enables us to live up to our brand promise of ‘Soch Ke Banaya Hai.’“

Takeda India Contributes ₹1.2 Crores to COVID-19 PM Cares Fund

Takeda India, part of the Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited, a global values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader, has announced a donation of ₹ 1.2 Crores to the PM Cares Fund to support India's fight against the novel coronavirus disease, COVID-19. The contribution to the PM Cares Fund aims to support patients and the Government to contain the spread of the disease. Bringing innovative therapies to patients, supporting them through their disease journeys, and playing its part in helping to strengthen healthcare systems is fundamental to Takeda's operating model, especially in Emerging Markets like India.

Koki Sato, General Manager, Takeda India, commented: "Takeda remains committed to standing together and supporting our communities in India during this unprecedented health crisis. As a company, we have always aimed to operate in-line with our Values - Integrity, Honesty, Perseverance, and Fairness - and will therefore never forget that our principal role in society is to serve patients. Together with key authorities and partners we look to addressing some of the world's most pressing and unmet health challenges, including COVID-19."

Takeda India has worked with credible NGO partners in the past to support patients and strengthen front-line caregivers through training programs, as part of their corporate social responsibility (CSR) mission.

Globally, Takeda works towards preventing disease, training health workers, strengthening supply chains, and improving access to quality diagnosis and treatment. The company actively partners with world-class organizations and NGOs with proven track records to address global health problems in innovative and enduring ways.

About PM Cares Fund

Keeping in mind the need for having a dedicated national fund with the primary objective of dealing with any kind of emergency or distress situation, like posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and to provide relief to the affected, a public charitable trust under the name of ‘Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations Fund’ (PM CARES Fund)’ has been set up.

About Takeda India

Takeda India is part of Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited's group of companies. Locally, the company currently focuses on the areas of Rare Diseases, including Hemophilia and Lysosomal Storage Disorders and plasma-derived therapies. Takeda has a presence across the Indian subcontinent, including in Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bangladesh.

About Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (TSE:4502/NYSE:TAK) is a global, values-based, R&D-driven biopharmaceutical leader headquartered in Japan, committed to bringing Better Health and a Brighter Future to patients by translating science into highly-innovative medicines. Takeda focuses its R&D efforts on four therapeutic areas: Oncology, Rare Diseases, Neuroscience, and Gastroenterology (GI). We also make targeted R&D investments in Plasma-Derived Therapies and Vaccines. We are focusing on developing highly innovative medicines that contribute to making a difference in people's lives by advancing the frontier of new treatment options and leveraging our enhanced collaborative R&D engine and capabilities to create a robust, modality-diverse pipeline. Our employees are committed to improving quality of life for patients and to working with our partners in health care in approximately 80 countries.

Delhi, Guwahati Top TRA’s Mental Well being Index During Covid

TRA Research, a consumer insights and brand analytics company, released a whitepaper today tracking the Mental Wellbeing of citizens across urban India during the lockdown period. The survey was conducted across 16 cities between 23rd March and 21st May 2020. The study measured Health Worry, Economy Worry, Family Worry and Financial worry of citizens and their ability to cope with them.

The demographic pattern of the Mental Wellbeing Index (MWBI) shows that citizens of Delhi (NCR) and Guwahati display the highest mental strength in their ability to cope with their anxieties since the coronavirus spread started in India. Hyderabad had 87% Mental Wellbeing Index score displaying ‘Excellent’ Mental ability. Indore and Chandigarh, both at 78% are rated ‘Very Good’ on Mental Wellbeing.

However in the South, most cities showed greater vulnerability in coping with their Covid worries with Chennai having the lowest MWBI score at 43% followed closely by Kochi at 45%. Nagpur was also in the same range with a 44% score.

Speaking about report N. Chandramouli, CEO, TRA Research, said that "Research shows that Mental Wellbeing impacts people's coping effectiveness, relationships, performance, mood, emotional balance, and also physical health. The necessity of measuring Mental Wellbeing is crucial as the most important indicator of how people, cities and countries may get impacted when faced with such a severe crisis, and how they emerge in its wake".

"The sharpening coronavirus curve, a long-drawn lockdown, with related health, economic and financial insecurities have pushed Indian citizens into a wave of mental wellbeing anxieties without enough coping mechanisms." N. Chandramouli added elaborating on the findings of report.

“Mental Wellbeing is ‘bi-directional’, implying that mental illnesses are not merely consequences of the pandemic, but an inability to deal with them effectively can lead to a greater collective impact of the disease”, TRA’s CEO said.

About TRA Research

TRA Research, a Comniscient Group company, is a consumer insights and brand intelligence Company dedicated to understanding and analyzing stakeholder behavior through two globally acclaimed proprietary matrices of Brand Trust and Brand Desire. TRA Research conducts primary research with consumers and stakeholders to assist brands with their business decisions based on Consumer Behaviour insights.

TRA Research is consulting brands on transitioning during and after the Covid-19 crisis, to help them be more aligned to consumer and client expectations. TRA Research is the also the publisher of TRA’s Brand Trust Report and of TRA’s Most Desired Brands.

VMSIIHE, Turismo de Portugal Offers Students from Hospitality Institutes an Opportunity of a 2 Week Online Programme

Five leading hospitality institutes based in Lisboa, Setubal, Coimbra, Algarve and Douro-Lamego have curated the online course. The course will be conducted in English and is free for students of hospitality. Prior registration is required. The course will cover a wide range of subjects ranging from gastronomy and wine pairing to demonstration of recipes unique to the region. Virtual tours of wineries, oyster farms and the neighborhoods of Lisbon and Coimbra are included in the course

 

As part of the existing knowledge exchange programme between India and Portugal, students from across hospitality institutes now have the opportunity to engage and participate in a 2 - week online programme initiated by V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) in collaboration with Turismo de Portugal (TBC). Five leading hospitality institutes based in Lisboa, Setubal, Coimbra, Algarve and Douro-Lamego have curated the online course.

Scheduled to be held from 29th June to 10th July, the courses will be held over two hours each day and will cover a wide range of subjects ranging from gastronomy and wine pairing to demonstration of recipes unique to the regions to sessions on understanding the nature of food ingredients from the Mediterranean regions more closely. Virtual tours of wineries, oyster farms and the neighborhoods of Lisbon and Coimbra are included in the course.

V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE) had recently renewed and extended the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Turismo de Portugal during the visit of the Hon’ble President of Portugal Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa while on a state visit to India. The MOU was signed by Prof. Irfan Mirza, Director/Principal of VMSIIHE and Louis Araujo Head of Turismo de Portugal (TBC), in the presence of the Hon’ble President of Portugal Mr. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, Honourable Chief Minister of Goa, Dr. Pramod Sawant, Smt. Dipti D. Salgaocar, Vice President Corporate Communication VMSalgaocar Corporation and Shri Ajit M. Gude, Director, VM Salgaocar Corporation at a ceremony held in February this year.

Held from Monday to Friday for two consecutive weeks, participants will have the opportunity to interact with professors from Portugal during demonstrations and classes.

The course will be conducted in English and is free for students of hospitality. Prior registration is required for which interested participants can reach out to V. M. Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education (VMSIIHE). In one of the sessions a professor from Coimbra will take students through the journey of grapes from the vineyard to the wine cellar and demonstrate some of the more popular cocktails in the region. The session on oyster breeding, opening techniques, conservation and a lesson on pairing oysters with wine being conducted by the Escola Setubal is another interesting one.

Said Professor Irfan Mirza, Director/Principal, V.M Salgaocar Institute of International Hospitality Education, “The lockdown has been hard on students. This opportunity which arises from our existing alliance between our institute and Turismo de Portugal will offer students of hospitality, a peek into the culinary intricacies and culture existing in regions in Portugal without having to travel to the country in these circumstances. We are opening the doors to students from other hospitality institutes who can avail of this opportunity without having to pay a fee.”

The existing MOU focuses on a shared vision, to encourage and develop the training and qualification of personnel working in the field of tourism, as well as to offer internship and placement opportunities to successful students. The two countries will continue to work together in the fields of research, trainings, teaching-learning methods and other aspects in the near future.

Five Must-Have Contactless Technologies for Safer Workplaces

As we enter the unlock phase of the lockdown, workplaces will continue tasks with a totally new arrangement of needs. Customary sanitization of regular regions before shifts and staggered break timings while keeping up social distancing are among the standards in an overhauled rundown of working methodology in working environments. 

While organizations need to work again to procure money, they will at present be cautious about keeping up social distancing measures. The significance of innovation is acknowledged in incredible greatness across divisions. Innovative new companies, maybe a couple of ones enduring this pandemic drove monetary slump.

Contactless procedures and safe removing measures are turning into the new typical basics because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is basic for ventures to execute preventive measures and remain maintainable as advanced change has developed as the new basic.

Here are 5 contactless technologies creating a safe workplace for you:

1.  Milagrow

Milagrow Humantech has deployed imap9, a floor disinfecting robot that can navigate and sanitize the floors without any human intervention at various places, including hotels, museums, hospitals, offices, etc. The robot moves around autonomously without falling, avoiding obstruction while planning its own path, guided by LIDAR and advanced SLAM technology. Milagrow’s patented Real Time Terrain Recognition Technology (RT2RT) scans at 3600, 6 times per second to make a floor map in real-time with an accuracy of upto 8mm over a 16m distance. This enables the iMap 9 to perform successfully in the first attempt, whereas other robots can take twice or thrice the time. Additionally, the robot can do zoning, virtual blocking of avoidable areas, and sequential cleaning of zones based on specific needs.

 2.  Zesta

Launched for the first time in India by Zestaindia.com , Wall Mounted Automatic Thermometer is exactly the product you need at your workplace. Gone are the times when you see a person standing with a handheld thermometer to check the temperatures. With Zesta’s Wall Mounted Automatic Thermometer, you can just install it at the entrances of your workplace and let everyone scan themselves with zero physical contact. This is most commonly used at the office, shops, hospitals, schools, malls and other public areas. This thermometer is easy to install anywhere and comes with color code alarm, fast and accurate detection. Priced at 10,999, it is available at all leading online platforms like Flipkart and Amazon.

3.  Candor

As the government has allowed various organizations to work with 33% workforce Candor TechSpace, managed by Brookfield Properties has brought in technology-oriented innovations to combat COVID-19 and to maintain a well-sanitized workplace. The employees from Candor TechSpace have come up with innovations like contactless sanitizer dispenser for hand- free sanitization and automatic sanitization apparatus by Mr. Baljit Singh, VP Operations Head of Brookfield Properties that enables sanitization of passenger vehicles, elevators, etc. These innovations are playing a very important role in ensuring hygiene and safety in the workplace.

4. Magneto Clean Tech

In order to fight the ongoing COVID crisis, Magneto Cleantech has launched an enhanced version of Central Air Cleaner which is co-powered by Filterless Magnetic Air Purification (FMAP) and Ultraviolet (UVGI) technology. This high productivity air filtration framework dependent on 'Trap and Kill' process consolidates with hostile to microbial UV-C beams which completely sterilize the indoor air by slaughtering more than 90 percent of airborne infections and diseases. It has become a pressing need given the possible airborne nature of coronavirus and air conditioner space being at a higher hazard for the spread of the infection. Magneto Central Air Cleaner consolidates the top tier innovation to free the demeanor of any hurtful infections and different particles.

5. Asimov Robotics

A startup situated in Kerala has built up a robot that can be utilized to serve food and drug to patients in separation wards.  The improvement comes when the nation is combating an expanding number of instances of individuals contaminated by the Covid-19 infection, a considerable lot of who require disconnection at medical clinics to keep the sickness from spreading.

Asimov Robotics says its KARMIbot can help diminish both the weight on social insurance experts just as the danger of them being presented to the infection.

NoBrokerHood Launches Touchless Entry with Face Recognition to Make Society Living More Secure

We would have seen countless sci-fi and James Bond movies with facial recognition technology as it is considered to be cutting-edge, safest, and fool proof in security systems. NoBrokerHood, the leading visitor and society management app by NoBroker.com brings the reel life experience to real life with its latest launch, Touchless Entry with facial recognition technology. Touchless Entry is designed to enhance the safety, security, and convenience of residents in building societies. The company has used the latest technology and adapted it to give the users a truly fool proof, intuitive, and no-contact experience using the NoBrokerHood app.

The tech-driven company continues its focus on bringing the technology of the future to your home. Touchless Entry starts with a Face Capture and your ‘Daily Help’ or servicemen will be added to the app. Here, 3 scans are taken of the person’s face – Left, Right and Centre to ensure high accuracy. This is a one-time process that takes less than 30 seconds.

Once the individual is added, every time they enter after that they will just have to face the guard’s mobile phone camera for a millisecond. Touchless Entry is fool proof and can process 5 faces in less than a second! Once the scan is done and matches with the records the entry is automatically approved. This is much more secure and faster process than any other technology available till now.

All the information including face scans are 100% safe and secure. The feature is centred around user’s security. It is not a third-party application which means, it’s completely made in India, by NoBroker, and data is not shared ANYWHERE or with ANYONE.

The face scanning and processing happens on the guard app in the device itself. Very minimal information is transferred and exchanged to the backend. The information saved is an encrypted representation of a face, and NOT an image of a face. There is no way to recreate a face using this high-level encrypted information.

Akhil Gupta, Cofounder and CTO of NoBroker said, “We noticed that the entries and attendance done for domestic help, and service staff, was done through two methods – Passcodes and Fingerprint scans (biometric). When you use the passcode method to monitor entry, there is a possibility that others can gain entry by proxy. They could use someone else’s passcode and enter your building society. To fix this issue, fingerprint scanning was introduced. This method is fool-proof and eliminates the possibility of proxy entries. But, when COVID-19 is causing chaos, we wanted to find a way to eliminate touch, without diminishing security. This technology meant to revolutionise the home security system was built completely inhouse.”

Societies that are already using NoBrokerHood can request a trial of this feature today! The company is rolling it out to a few select societies for FREE for a limited period. If you want to try it just sign up for NoBrokerHood and you too might get to try it for FREE.

About NoBrokerHood

NoBroker launched NoBrokerHood, a smart visitor and residential community management system that makes life more convenient and secure for residents of housing societies and townships. NoBrokerHood acquired Society Connect in February 2020 to integrate financial module with its services on one single platform and make society living easy and hassle-free.

NoBroker.com is a tech-enabled brokerage-free real estate platform that makes the real estate transactions seamless and efficient. It participates in the entire user journey starting from the house search to packers & movers, home loans, rental agreements, cleaning services, and NoBroker Pay. With more than 8.5 mn registered users, it’s the world’s largest C2C real estate platform. Founded by Amit Kumar Agarwal, Saurabh Garg and Akhil Gupta, it has raised total funding of $151 million.

MSME Day, 27th June 2020: 5 Companies Empowering Indian MSMEs

India’s Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is the second largest in the world and are considered as the backbone of the Indian economy.The pandemic hit the economy and caused  liquidity crunch in the market.  MSME sector faced the most challenging time due to lack of funds and labour as a result of which a lot of MSMEs had to pause or discontinue their business. The government has been taking necessary  decisions and is addressing these  solvency issues, which will help the MSMEs to  stay afloat. Apart from this, there are companies that are also lending a helping hand to support the MSMEs and bridging the market gaps.

Crediwatch

Crediwatch is a ‘Data Insights-as-a-service’ company that provides lenders, businesses with actionable credit intelligence on private entities they need to improve trust and increase their lending and trading activity. Crediwatch does this with no human intervention by deploying the latest practical AI and technology tools that provide the most reliable comprehensive real-time inputs.A bank only looks up 200 of data points while considering decision for a loan. On the other hand, Crediwatch  picks up data from 25,000 different points which is the highest in the industry from already existing information in the regulatory framework. The intelligence can further be deployed for risk management and analysis, due diligence and in future can be used for providing “TrustScore” for MSMEs who are new to credit.

Udaan

Udaan is a Business-to-Business (B2B) ecommerce platform, designed to solve core trade problems for small, medium and large businesses across India. It is the largest such national distribution platform of its kind enabling retailers and businesses to source merchandise from manufacturers, brands, white labels, importers etc. on a single platform. udaan brings to users the power of technology to grow their business.The easy-to-use app gives them the power to BUY & SELL on their terms with secure payments and hassle-free logistics,GROW their network through access to new regions and customers for brands,manufacturers and marketing & sales support for retailers and businesses,DISCOVER customers, suppliers and products across multiple categories,CONNECT directly with sellers and interested buyers to discuss trade

Tradeindia

Tradeindia is India’s largest online B2B marketplace, connecting buyers and suppliers. Their mission is to help SMEs and MSMEs to go Digital. Now more than ever, company is committed to provide SMEs with the resources they need to take their businesses online. As the shift from offline to online accelerates, during these times companies are being asked to do more with less. Tradeindia client Relations team helps SMEs with tools to digitize their business operations and make your business future-ready. 

 Signzy 

Signzy offers a digital on-boarding solution for banks, NBFCs and other financial  institutions. Most banking services are going digital but one key process that is still offline and hampers consumer experience is regulatory compliance. There is a pressure to dilute digital KYC however digital has higher risk. We at Signzy believe that through a combination of Artificial Intelligence and blockchain we can ensure that digital compliance is convenient but yet secure. 

LENDINGKART 

LENDINGKART Technologies Private Limited is a fin-tech startup in the working capital space. The Company has developed technology tools based on big data analysis which facilitates lenders to evaluate borrower’s credit worthiness and provides other related services.LENDINGKART Finance Limited (formerly Aadri Infin Limited), is a non-deposit taking NBFC, providing SME lending in India. The Company aims to transform small business lending by making it convenient for SMEs to access credit easily. The Company uses technology and analytics tools, analyzing thousands of data points from various data sources to assess the creditworthiness of small businesses rapidly and accurately.

Cyient Collaborates with Microsoft to Accelerate Internet of Things Solutions for Industry 4.0

Cyient, a global engineering and technology solutions company, today announced it has joined Microsoft Azure Certified for Internet of Things (IoT), ensuring customers get IoT solutions up and running quickly with hardware and software that has been pre-tested and verified to work with Microsoft Azure IoT services. Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT allows businesses to reach customers where they are, working with an ecosystem of devices and platforms, allowing for faster time to production.

Cyient combines 28 years of operations technology experience and industry domain knowledge with its digital solutions and services expertise to help businesses simplify complex IoT implementations and manage the convergence of OT/IT for improved outcomes.  From solving a single, high-impact customer challenge to mapping out a strategic roadmap for superior operations, Cyient helps customers Connect, Integrate, Analyze, and Act on data to drive actions. 

Cyient IoT Edge Gateway 5400, the flagship product in the company’s family of IoT gateways, is Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT. It provides customers with a modular and scalable edge gateway for seamless connectivity of legacy machines and next-gen intelligent devices to the Industrial IoT network and the cloud. Cyient’s IoT Edge Gateway 5400 provides diverse connectivity and communication protocol options, advanced data processing, and edge analytics capabilities for remote asset monitoring and predictive maintenance solutions.  Cyient’s modular platform approach to hardware and software, with plug-and-play modules and over-the-air firmware updates, ensure your long-life assets evolve as your business and technology evolve.

Speaking on the collaboration, Suman Narayan, Senior Vice President, Semiconductors and Medical Technologies and Healthcare at Cyient, said, “Industries today are increasing focus on digital technology and building intelligence into equipment for remote monitoring and to extend asset life, improve customer experience, and ensure regulatory compliance. The Microsoft Azure IoT Certification validates Cyient’s ability to accelerate IoT deployments for customers and ensure seamless integration from the edge to the cloud.”

“Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT extends our promise to bring IoT to business scale, starting with interoperable solutions from leading technology companies around the world,” said Jerry Lee, Director of Marketing for Azure Internet of Things, Microsoft Corp. “With trusted offerings and verified partners, Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT accelerates the deployment of IoT even further.”

IoT projects are complex and take a long time to implement. Customers find that choosing and connecting the right set of devices, assets or sensors to the cloud can be time-consuming. To jumpstart their IoT projects with confidence, customers are looking for certified devices and platforms that are tested for readiness, compatibility and usability with the Microsoft Azure IoT Suite. By choosing a partner from the Microsoft Azure Certified for IoT program, customers can save time and effort on project specs and RFP processes by knowing in advance what devices and offerings will work with the Azure IoT Suite.

Sanjeevanam Ayurveda Hospital Conferred with ‘Ayur Diamond Star Classification’ By Department of Tourism, Kerala

Sanjeevanam Ayurveda Hospital, the new age Ayurveda hospital combining the best of Ayurveda practices with modern concepts of medicine, is proud to announce that it has become the first ayurveda hospital in Kerala to bag the ‘Ayur Diamond Star Classification’ by the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala. This recognition celebrates the quality of treatment and services provided by the hospital.

Ayur Diamond is the highest classification awarded to the Ayurveda hospitals that fulfill all the essential conditions prescribed by the state department of tourism. The conditions include qualified ayurvedic doctors, high-quality treatments/programs and medicines, clean and hygienic equipment, environment, facilities, and infrastructure, etc.

This certification is an acknowledgement of Sanjeevanam’s commitment to providing the best ayurveda treatment and the quality & efficiency of the doctors and the team.

Dr. A.V.Anoop, Managing Director, AVA Group, said “It is a proud moment for us to be conferred with the highest classification by the Department of Tourism and this reinforces our commitment towards our guests. At Sanjeevanam we strive to deliver the best care, treatment and environment to our guests every day”.

Sanjeevanam Ayurveda Hospital combines the science of Ayurveda with other wellness practices like Naturopathy, Yoga, Physiotherapy and Modern Diagnostics to provide guests with a unique, effective and wholesome healing experience. Every healing program at Sanjeevanam is based on treatments drawn from across 5 Ayurveda specialties with an in-house medicine preparation centre to ensure that our guests receive the freshest medications as per the dosage suited for their body structure. The hospital has a team of qualified ayurveda doctors, allopathy specialists, dieticians, physiotherapists as well as trained and amenable therapists.

Sanjeevanam is equipped with modern amenities such as a fully equipped fitness centre, physiotherapy centre, e-library, movie theatre, yoga decks, separate vegetarian and non-vegetarian restaurants and recreation centres. Spacious and well-appointed rooms are available for the guests accompanying the patients to stay. The custom made Ayurveda treatment and interventions followed in the hospital finds takers from across the world who arrive in large numbers to experience the healing process.

About AVA Group: 

Sanjeevanam has been envisioned and developed by AVA group, an illustrious Ayurvedic group, world famous for the Ayurvedic soap, Medimix. AVA Group is a diversified conglomerate with interests in Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG), Health Care, and Entertainment. The group owns various successful brands like Medimix, Melam, and Kaytra in the FMCG segment. Over the last many decades, the group has established itself as a leader in each of the sectors it operates in. AVA group has an in-house R&D Centre dedicated to the study of Ayurveda. 

India Transitions to ‘Purpose-Driven’ Entrepreneurship from ‘Necessity-Driven’ Entrepreneurship: GEM Report

Report 

* The country ranks high on three out of four parameters introduced by GEM Consortium to understand motives behind starting a business

* India ranks first among 50 economies with around 87% of total early-stage entrepreneurs agreeing ‘to make a difference in the world’ as their motive to start their business

India has transitioned to a ‘Purpose-driven’ entrepreneurship from ‘Necessity-driven’ entrepreneurship as depicted by the latest ranking of the country in three out of four parameters introduced by Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) consortium. GEM Consortium, which studies entrepreneurship ecosystem in 50 countries every year, has incorporated four parameters in 2019-20 Adult Population Survey (APS) to fully reflect the nuances in motivations for founding contemporary start-ups.

India ranks first among 50 economies with around 87% of the total early-stage entrepreneurs agreeing ‘to make a difference in the world’ as their motive to start their business. In other two parameters ‘to build great wealth or very high income’ and ‘to continue a family tradition’; the country ranks third and second respectively with 87% and 80% agreeing for above as their motive. In the fourth parameter ‘to earn a living because jobs are scarce’; the country ranks tenth.

“Over the last few years, the approach towards entrepreneurship in India has largely been positive and is gaining strength among all stakeholders of the ecosystem. The entrepreneurship in India was mainly constrained to family businesses until a decade ago. However, today the ecosystem is much favourable to start-ups who want to chart their territory and build a business. Supportive government policies, positive perception of the society towards start-ups and availability of funds from the financial community has given much confidence to entrepreneurs for opting to start a business with a specific ‘purpose’ in mind, rather than just another option to the job,” said Dr. Sunil Shukla, Team Leader, GEM India and Director General, Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDII).

“Until 2018, GEM had distinguished opportunity and necessity as primary motivations for entrepreneurial activity. However, this distinction didn’t fully reflect the motivation behind starting the business and hence in 2019, the global consortium decided to further add parameters that could provide an insight into entrepreneur’s mind behind starting a business,” said Dr. Amit Dwivedi, Member, GEM India and Faculty, EDII.

“The fact that India ranks higher in parameters other than that related to job scarcity proves that the country is moving from necessity-driven to purpose-driven entrepreneurship. Going forward, the strengthening ecosystem will ensure the country moves into next phase of ‘innovation-driven’ entrepreneurship, which is the last step for any economy to become a country of job-creators, rather than job-generators,” said Dr. Pankaj Bharti, Member, GEM India and Faculty, EDII.

Companies are increasingly being held accountable for their environmental and social impacts and for their contribution to achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). In the majority of countries, entrepreneurs agree to most of the parameters listed above as their raison d’être for starting a new business, which is substantive evidence of ‘purpose-driven’ entrepreneurship taking hold at the grassroots level an encouraging sign of a collective will for future business sustainability.

Emirates SkyCargo to Transport Upto 17 Tonnes More Cargo on Select Boeing 777-300ER Aircraft

Emirates has introduced additional cargo capacity by using Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with seats removed from the Economy Class cabin. The measure has been introduced in response to the strong air cargo market demand for the rapid, reliable and efficient transportation of essential commodities such as Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, food, machinery and other supplies around the world.

Watch a video of how Emirates Engineering modified the aircraft here.

Emirates SkyCargo will be operating 10 Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with Economy Class seats removed allowing for up to 17 tonnes or 132 cubic metres of additional cargo capacity per flight on top of the 40-50 tonne cargo capacity in the belly hold of the widebody passenger aircraft. The modified Boeing 777-300ER aircraft are being deployed on routes to key production and consumer markets where Emirates SkyCargo sees maximum demand for movement of urgently required goods.

Nabil Sultan, Emirates Divisional Senior Vice President, Cargo said: “Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo has taken very seriously its responsibility of connecting people and businesses across the world with the commodities that they urgently require. To this end, we have been working flat out, first to re-connect a global network of more than 85 destinations and then to introduce capacity options that fit what our customers demand from us including passenger aircraft flying only with belly hold cargo and loading cargo in the overhead bins and on passenger seats. Now, with the Emirates Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with modified Economy Class cabins, we will be able to transport even more cargo per flight, allowing for more cargo to reach their destination faster and for more efficient cargo operations.”

The modification of the Economy Class cabins of the 10 Emirates Boeing 777-300ER is being executed at the state of the art Emirates Engineering facilities in Dubai with each aircraft requiring close to 640 man-hours of work for the modification. Engineers remove 305 Economy Seats from one aircraft, fixing safety equipment and implementing regular load bearing tests during the process. Seven aircraft have already been modified by the Emirates Engineering team, with three more aircraft due to be ready by mid-July 2020.

Ahmed Safa, Divisional Senior Vice President Emirates Engineering said: “Converting our passenger aircraft to these mini freighters is certainly a sign of the times. Our teams have shown resilience, an innovative spirit, and adapted quickly to the needs of the changing business environment. We have risen to the twin challenges of new procedures and safety protocols within set timelines, and we are extremely proud of what we have achieved.”

By the end of the project, the Emirates Engineering team would have removed 3,050 seats, which will be safely and hygienically stored away till the time the aircraft are required for passenger services. The seats will be fitted back into the aircraft and tested for passenger safety and comfort.

With its focus on safety of operations, Emirates SkyCargo has implemented strict rules on the type of cargo that can be loaded inside the modified Economy Class cabins. Some of the cargo commodities that can be loaded include general cargo such as PPE and garments, pharmaceuticals that can be maintained within a temperature range of 15 and 25 degrees Celsius and perishables such as cut flowers, and select dry and non-smelling fruits and vegetables. Cargo loaded in the passenger cabins would need to be packaged inside a suitable external container such as a plastic or cardboard box in accordance with the latest regulations outlined by IATA.

Emirates SkyCargo is the freight division of Emirates. The air cargo carrier operates a combination of scheduled and chartered flights to more than 85 global destinations every week. During the Covid-19 pandemic, Emirates SkyCargo has been acting as a global conveyor belt connecting markets across the world to supplies of essential commodities including PPE, pharmaceuticals, food and other perishables, e-commerce goods as well as machinery and other equipment.

Emirates Engineering ensures that Emirates’ wide-body fleet of more than 260 aircraft are maintained in peak condition. The team is conducting regular parking checks on the grounded aircraft and scheduled A-checks, C-checks and operational maintenance on the flying fleet serving a mix of cargo and an increasing number of passenger destinations.

SABIC Extends Humanitarian Support to Indian Communities and Frontline Workers in the Fight Against COVID-19

SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals has come forward to support people, communities and frontline workers through its CSR efforts across Vadodara, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru. These include monetary donations to central and state Governments, distribution of relief material to people and protective kits to the frontline workers.

The company, as part of the monetary aid, has donated INR 1 Crore towards the Prime Minister’s Care Fund. In addition to this, SABIC is continually extending support to the migrant and daily-wage workers across Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu region. SABIC is providing dry rations to help them navigate through these difficult times and to support 30, 000+ families.

SABIC is also undertaking the effort to support India’s frontline and essential services workers such as police and sanitation workers and more. The company will be doing so by donating protective equipment such as masks, gloves, visors and personal protection kits. 

Janardhanan Ramanujalu, Vice President & Regional Head, SABIC South Asia & ANZ said, “COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis and its sweeping impact continues in India. Our products are being used in producing personal protection wear and medical equipment such as COVID-19 test kits and ventilators, crucial for saving lives. SABIC team’s response in managing production and ensuring logistics during the lockdown, facilitated much of these equipment in India and around the world. We also fully understand our responsibilities towards supporting the communities we operate in. Therefore, through our CSR initiatives we are supporting those who have been affected by the pandemic.”

SABIC also launched an employee donation and corporate matching campaign. Employees across its India locations donated generously towards relief for COVID-19 and effectively doubled the amount collected with the company matched portion.

In close collaboration with its customers, SABIC is also leveraging its expertise by working with them to manufacture critical material that enables domestic production of COVID-19 test kits, gloves, ventilators, goggles, PPEs, sanitizers and high-grade bottles that can store disinfectants for a longer duration.

YES BANK Launches Yuva Pay - Digital Wallet for Smart Phone, Feature Phone in Partnership with UDMA Technologies

YES BANK announced the launch of ‘Yuva Pay’, a unique digital wallet in partnership with UDMA Technologies to enable contactless payments. This collaboration is in line with YES BANK’s fast-track innovation efforts of enabling communities to experience the convenience of digital banking services – as the nation slowly begins to unlock after the COVID-19 lockdown.  This innovation is a digital wallet issued under minimum KYC regulations, combined with bill payments via Bharat Bill Pay and Unified Payments Interface (UPI).

Through the app, utility bills like municipal, house, water tax, electricity, LPG, DTH, Mobile bill, license fees, Windmill & Solar park fees, building sanction fees and billboard taxes can be paid along with insurance renewal, fastag recharge, EMI payment, school fees and use at retail outlets. The first live program of the solution will be implemented by State Rural Development & Panchayat Raj Department, Karnataka and the first phase will cover 158 gram panchayats with 238 villages. Subsequently, this program will be rolled out to 6200 gram panchayats covering 12 million households across 29,000 villages in the second phase.

Speaking on the launch, Anita Pai, Chief Operating Officer, YES BANK, said, “This unique endeavour is yet another step taken by YES BANK towards achieving the Government’s vision of Digital India by converting all paper transactions into paperless digital transactions. The program also aims to make the low income groups transition to digital and contactless transactions by enabling wider access to secure electronic payment services.”

Prashanth Naik, CEO, UDMA Technologies, said “We envisage a long lasting business relationship. YES BANK is one of India’s leading digital payments facilitator and we intend to replicate this solution across the country, specifically in the rural segment where internet connections maybe an issue and feature phone is prevalent. Together, we now offer India’s strongest offline wallet solution that not only brings the world’s best payments experience to Indian Citizens, but is an important step towards eventually having cashless transformation in India.”

To activate the unique feature, customers need to follow a simple process:

Feature Phone Users

Users to visit the nearest ‘Yuva Mitra’ associate to complete minimum or full KYC verification process. Once the verification is complete, the wallet is activated and users can start using their services through Interactive Voice Response Services (IVRS) wherein all transactions are processed securely via OTP & T-PIN authentication.

Smart phone Users

Users can download the ‘Yuva Pay’ mobile application from Android play store, complete the minimum KYC requirements and add money to their wallet. As per RBI guidelines, the user will need to complete biometric based KYC process within 24 months after wallet activation. If internet connection is available, users can start using the services online while in case of no internet connection, the payment and collection request is converted into an encrypted SMS and the transaction is completed in offline mode.

63% of HR Managers are Hiring Amid COVID-19 Tension, Most Recruiting for Niche Job Roles Solely: TimesJobs Survey

Survey

* In the TimesJobs survey, 16% of respondents said that their top leaders are seeking ways to collaborate with competitors to ensure business growth

* A majority (42%) of HR managers stated that they are using talent assessment platforms to evaluate candidates 

* Around 21% of HR managers claimed that they conducted hiring audits to ensure they were recruiting a diverse set of talent 

With 63% HR managers at India Inc. buoyed about hiring amid the COVID-19 lockdown, this quarantine period may not be as gloomy as it seems. 

In a recent TimesJobs survey, a majority (63%) of HR managers said that their company had been hiring amid the COVID-19 crisis time. Out of these, nearly 65% of respondents stated that they were hiring for niche positions only. 

TimesJobs survey titled ‘The Indian workplace response to COVID-19’ gathered responses from 1,145+ HR managers working across different industries. The important takeaways from this survey include:

1. Diversity topped the hiring agenda: A majority (61%) of HR managers asserted that hiring diverse talent was their top priority even when compared to other factors as Learning & Development.

2. Leadership response was proactive: Around 34% of respondents said their executive management was working proactively to ensure business survival amid the crisis.

3. Employee well-being gained the centre stage: More than 34% of respondents stated that restructured the employee health initiatives in sync with the public health advisory. 

4. The virtual workplace is here to stay: Nearly, 49% of respondents claimed that companies were investing in preparing for virtual work-ready modules, followed by compulsory upskilling activities.

Explaining the findings of the TimesJobs survey, Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “The last few months have been a roller-coaster ride. However, on the brighter side, it forced companies to adopt virtual operations more seriously. The survey also pointed that most companies were hiring for the niche roles only, and in my sense, these are the organisations which are virtual-ready, and have restructured/are restructuring their products and processes for customers and employees via technology.”

Other notable insights from this survey were - 

‘Business survival’ crucial for top leadership:

Around 34% of professionals stated that their top management was working aggressively to find new solutions for business survival. Nearly, 24% of respondents said that their top brass was working on building a strong and transparent communication network within the organisation to smoothen the processes. While 16% of respondents asserted that their leaders were seeking ways to collaborate with competitors for business growth. 

Companies investing in assessment tools to evaluate skills: 

TimesJobs survey asked how the hiring managers were assessing candidates in the present lockdown. Around 42% of respondents stated that their company used assessment platforms to evaluate skills on candidates, this hints that companies are becoming more cautious of who they bring on board. 

Corporates held hiring audits to uphold D&I agenda while hiring amid COVID-19:

Around 24% of HR managers said that they wrote neutral job posting to encourage diverse hiring during the COVID-19 lockdown. About 21% of professionals said that their company conducted a hiring audit to ensure the Diversity & Inclusion mandate was fulfilled. While 16% of respondents said that they were writing job posting using a tech-based tool to ensure they were hiring a diverse talent pool. 

Lava Pledges to Contribute Rs. 40 Lacs for LAC Martyrs’ Families

Indian Mobile handset brand, Lava International Limited, has pledged to contribute Rs.40 lacs to the families of brave martyrs of LAC. This contribution will be made for the welfare of the bereaved families of soldiers who lost their lives protecting our country during a faceoff with the Chinese soldiers at Galwan valley recently. Lava plans to raise this amount through its July month’s sales. 

As per media reports, 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives on the night of 15th/16th June at Galwan district in Ladakh in a brutal skirmish at the Line of Actual Control. Lava intends to contribute Rs. 2 lacs for each of these 20 families. The contribution will be made to the Army Battle Casualties Welfare Fund at South Block, New Delhi.

Sunil Raina, President & Business Head, Lava international said- “As an Indian brand, we salute the Patriotism of our brave soldiers who fought hard at the LAC and gave their lives protecting our Motherland. As a nation, it is our collective responsibility to stand united against any threat to our nation and do our bit for the country. Being an Indian Brand, we salute the valour of our soldiers and this small contribution is our humble gratitude to the supreme sacrifice our soldiers make at the battlefield.” 

The contribution will be raised from Lava’s July sales, so every time you buy a Lava phone, you have a chance to contribute to India’s Brave martyrs. 

Lava International Limited is a leading Indian Mobile Handset Company with operations in 20+ countries. Right from its inception Lava has been at the forefront of building a strong ecosystem of design and manufacturing of mobile handsets. In line with Govt. of India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, Lava has taken a lead in support of this important nation building program and has set up a design team in India, becoming the first brand to do so in the country. With this ‘Design in India’ initiative Lava is now the only Mobile handset company that makes truly ‘Made In India’ phones with complete control on design and manufacturing within India.