Axis Direct Launches ‘YIELD’ To Make Investments In Bonds & Debentures Hassle-Free

* A one-stop-shop to buy bonds and debentures

* A seamless online buying process and a standardized sell process

* Only 'AAA' to 'A' rated bonds made available for investment transactions in the secondary market

Axis Direct,  announced the launch of ‘YIELD’ - an online platform to buy and sell bonds & debentures in the secondary market. Axis Direct is the online brand of Axis Securities, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Axis Bank. With a simple investment process, YIELD is the first-of-its-kind initiative that allows retail investors direct access to the debt instruments. This removes the hassle of filling up physical forms or the need for separate KYC with the bond institutions. To facilitate transactions only in secure options, it aggregates only 'AAA' to 'A' rated quality debt instruments available for investment in the secondary market. By offering competitive rates and technical know-how, YIELD empowers the investors to make the right investment decision. The trades and settlement of transactions executed will be reported on BSE NDS platform.

Investing in bonds through YIELD is the answer to the investors seeking new alternative investment avenues for safe and relatively higher returns. Apart from diversification, investment in bonds offers safety during market volatility due to fixed coupon rates. Bonds enable investors to earn better value from their investments with higher fixed returns. The intuitive product UX of YIELD makes understanding information on every bond extremely simple while creating a seamless and state-of-the-art browsing experience.

Speaking at the launch, Mr. B Gopkumar, MD & CEO, Axis Securities, said, “At Axis Securities, we endeavour to empower our customers to make the most of their investments by presenting them the best solutions as per their needs. We persistently strive to offer technology-driven, yet simple solutions, so that our investors stay ahead of the curve in any market situation. With YIELD, we intend to provide a seamless online platform that gives retail investors access to bonds available earlier only to the large corporations, family offices, or HNIs. We are confident that with our simple platform, research insights, and quality support, our investors will definitely find this product to be a value addition."

Key Features of YIELD

·         No need for separate KYC

·         No filling up physical forms

·         Buy bonds completely online

·         One stop shop to buy bonds & debentures

·         Make informed decision

·         Learn about bonds

About Axis Direct

Axis Direct is an online brand under which Axis Securities Limited offers its retail broking and investment services. Axis Securities Limited is a proud subsidiary of Axis Bank - India’s 3rd largest private sector bank. With a robust branch network across India, Axis Direct engages in offering simplified investment solutions to customers. It offers a bouquet of investment products to its customers e.g. Equities, Mutual Funds, SIPs, IPOs, Derivatives, Bonds, NCDs, ETFs, and Company Fixed Deposits. With over 2.4 million customers, Axis Direct is one of the fastest-growing players in the industry.

TOIPL Launches Innovative “LPG Cutting Gas” To Improve Customer Safety And Operating Performance

Total Oil India Private Limited (TOIPL), a subsidiary of Total, launched “LPG Cutting Gas” in Bangalore. The new product, developed by TOIPL’s LPG division, highlights the brand’s commitment to innovation and customer safety.  

Total’s LPG Cutting Gas is developed specially for the metal cutting industry including scrappers, fabricators and metalworking industries. Today, acetylene is commonly used in the metal cutting application. However, this has a high flammability range and is difficult to handle. Total’s Cutting Gas is an additized LPG that offers safer and superior performance for metal cutting and other high-temperature intensive applications. 

In its first phase of distribution, Total’s Cutting Gas will be marketed to the metal cutting industries in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.The product will be produced in Total’s LPG facilities in Bangalore, Namakkal and Maduranthakam. 

Alexis Thelemaque, Chairman & Managing Director- TOIPL said, “Total’s Cutting Gas shall give a boost to the use of LPG in metal cutting segment, as we aim to provide customers with safer operability, cost savings, and better cutting performance over acetylene and regular LPG. We believe the superior surface finish with high cutting speed makes cutting gas an excellent choice for applications such as metal cutting, straightening, hardening and others.”  

With soot-free emissions and low-glare flame at lower operating pressures, this technically advanced product has low oxygen consumption and heat throughout, and is thus a more environment-friendly option for the end-users. 

About Total Oil India Pvt Ltd. 

Total Oil India Private Limited (TOIPL) is a wholly owned subsidiary of TOTAL S.E.  It started operations in India since 1993. In India, the company has growing presence in businesses namely lubricants for automotive and industrial applications, LPG for domestic and commercial applications, and special fluids managed through a team of over 600 employees. TOIPL has seven industrial plants in the country and a retail network of Auto LPG Dispensing Stations.  

About Total in India  

With over 900 employees, Total is present in India since 1993. Through its fully owned subsidiary, Total operates in the chemical business (Hutchinson) and is active in LPG for domestic and commercial applications, lubricants for automotive & industrial applications and special fluids (Total Oil India Private Limited). The Group has also a growing presence in energy storage (SAFT) and solar energy (Total Solar Distributed Generation).  

Total’s Technical Center in Mumbai provides value added technical support in the areas of product development, product training and field-testing in Asian market. The Group has also established a Digital Innovation Center located in Pune, in partnership with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) to develop innovative solutions for the Group. 

More recently, as part of its strategy to further develop offers for the Indian market, Total has partnered from 2018 with the Adani Group through various joint ventures in Fuels, Gas and Renewables and with Indian Oil Corporation Limited for modified bitumen. 

About Total  

Total is a broad energy company that produces and markets fuels, natural gas and electricity. Our 100,000 employees are committed to better energy that is more affordable, more reliable, cleaner and accessible to as many people as possible. Active in more than 130 countries, our ambition is to become the responsible energy major. 

More Than 2000 Families To Benefit Under Sify’s Free COVID Vaccination Drive

* The cover extends beyond the employee to 6 of their immediate family members

Sify Technologies Limited (NASDAQ: SIFY), India’s most comprehensive ICT solutions provider announced extension of it free COVID vaccine drive for its employees to also cover their immediate family. A company spokesperson confirmed more than 2000 families will ultimately benefit from the pan India initiative.  

Employees can get their elderly family members vaccinated at designated hospitals across the country immediately and themselves, when the government extends the facility for all.

Commenting on the unique gesture, Mr. Raju Vegesna, Chairman, said, “One of the tenets of the Sify way is Always remember you are part of the Sify team. In rolling out this benefit, we just extended that tenet to the family”.

About Sify Technologies

A Fortune 500 India company, Sify Technologies is India’s most comprehensive ICT service & solution provider. With Cloud at the core of our solutions portfolio, Sify is focussed on the changing ICT requirements of the emerging Digital economy and the resultant demands from large, mid and small-sized businesses. 

Sify’s infrastructure comprising the largest MPLS network, top-of-the-line DCs, partnership with global technology majors, vast expertise in business transformation solutions modelled on the cloud make it the first choice of start-ups, incoming Enterprises and even large Enterprises on the verge of a revamp,

More than 10000 businesses across multiple verticals have taken advantage of our unassailable trinity of Data Centers, Networks and Security services and conduct their business seamlessly from more than 1600 cities in India. Internationally, Sify has presence across North America, the United Kingdom and Singapore.

TresVista Announces INR 50,000 As Bonus To Analysts And Associates Across The Board For Outstanding Performance In 2020

* One-time bonus of INR 50,000 to be given to Analysts and Associates across appraisal cycles 

TresVista, a leading provider of high-end outsourced support to corporates, asset managers, and entrepreneurs, has announced a one-time bonus of INR 50,000 to every Analyst and Associate (equivalent), across review cycles, as a gesture of thanks for outstanding performance despite the 2020 pamdemic. Tresvista will also undertake a firmwide pay revision exercise by July 2021, and plans to invest heavily in training and technology. At the current CAGR of ~30%, TresVista expects to have a strength of ~2,500 people in four years. 

Sudeep Mishra, Managing Director and Co-Founder TresVista, commented on the announcement, "TresVista has always been  an employee-centric organization and we strive to constantly do better. The bonus is a way of us thanking our employees who have stepped up despite the challenging circumstances caused by the pandemic. Our aim is for TresVista’s impact to be far wider and deeper, and be associated with excellence, thereby enhancing opportunities for all employees who have spent years at the firm.” 

In 2020, Tresvista hired close to 300 employees for its delivery centres in Mumbai, Pune and Bangalore. It also introduced a slew of employee-friendly measures to support employees during COVID-19 like Caregivers’ Special Leave, COVID+ve paid leaves, and WFH setup reimbursements. 

About TresVista 

Founded in 2006, TresVista has been the leading provider of high-end outsourced support for asset managers, entrepreneurs & corporates for over a decade. TresVista’s support functions include business plan development, all aspects of fund administration, portfolio management, valuation & research, and deal sourcing & execution. With over 700 employees across offices in Bengaluru, Mumbai, New York, Pune, and Singapore, TresVista delivers cost and operational efficiencies for over 1,000 clients across geographies and asset classes, who collectively manage over $10 trillion in AUM. 

Trident To Provide Free COVID-19 Vaccines To All Employees And Their Family Members

Trident Group, a USD 1 billion Indian business conglomerate and leading global player in home textiles, has announced that it will provide free COVID-19 vaccines to all its 14,000 employees and their family members free of charge. Eligible family members include parents, spouse and children of employees.

Expressing his delight, Padma Shri Rajinder Gupta, Chairman, Trident Group said, “Trident has always prioritized the well-being of its employees and their families. For us, our people and community comes first and we will continue to invest in their health and safety and comply with the government directives and advice on the situation. We are pleased to be able to touch the lives of so many people and together work towards a Covid free India.”

Additionally, Trident Group’s world-class Madhuban Hospital, situated in Budhni, Madhya Pradesh is one of the few hospitals selected to be a Covid Vaccination Centre catering to the residents of Budhni, Hoshangabad, Obedullaganj, Rehti, Nasrullahganj, Barkhedi and other areas. The hospital which was inaugurated last year is one of the many philanthropic ventures under the umbrella of the Group’s Corporate Social Responsibility, and extends state-of-the-art healthcare facilities to up to a radius of 50 km, comprising a populace of around two lakh people.

Since the onset of coronavirus pandemic, Trident has supported its employees in navigating the unprecedented situation. The company had released 15 days of advanced salaries when the first phase of lockdown started. Employees who were residing away from their homes were supported with essentials and medical support during this time.

The vaccines were made available for general public in India since March 1 this year. Strongly supporting the cause of vaccination, Trident has decided to roll out a phased vaccination drive contributing to lives of lakhs of people.

About Trident Group

Trident Limited (NSE: TRIDENT; BSE: 521064) is the flagship Company of Trident Group, a USD 1 billion Indian business conglomerate and a global player. Headquartered in Ludhiana, Punjab, Trident Limited is a vertically integrated textile (Yarn, Bath & Bed Linen), Paper (Wheat Straw-based) and Chemicals manufacturer with captive power generation facility. The manufacturing facilities are located in Punjab and Madhya Pradesh. It is also one of the largest players in home textiles globally. Trident’s towels, yarns, bed sheets and paper business have earned global recognition and are delighting millions of happy customers across the world. Supplying national, captive, and retailer owned brands; the organisation is accorded with multiple national and international awards from its customers, vendors and various government entities in recognition of advancing the highest standards in product quality, social responsibility and environmental stewardship.

Hero MotoCorp Continues The 100 M Celebration With Customer Offers

Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, today launched a four-day special service & exchange carnival for customers across the country.

Hero MotoCorp achieved the rare milestone crossing 100 million cumulative production on January 21, 2021. Continuing the celebrations for the landmark achievement, the Company has announced special exchange and service benefits for its millions of customers.

The Carnival will be from March 5 - 8, 2021 and will include offers such as –

* Paid Service @ Rs 100 + GST

* Rs 100 off on Road Side Assistance purchase

* Rs 100 off on Joyride (Annual Maintenance Contract) purchase

* Free Washing, Polishing & Nitrogen to all customers

The four-day service carnival also provides various exchange offers to owners of Hero MotoCorp motorcycles and scooters.

On March 8th, International Women’s Day, the company is offering special exchange and purchase bonuses on its entire scooter range.

The offers reaffirm Hero MotoCorp’s commitment to present delightful experiences to its customers. A highly customer-centric company, Hero MotoCorp continuously endeavours to excite and enthral its customers with the best products, services and offers.

Customers can visit their nearest Hero authorized customer touch-point to know more about the offers.

Ambassador Of Republic Of Estonia, Katrin KIVI Visits MaxiVisionsuper Speciality Eye Hospitals

MaxiVision, a leading super speciality eye hospital greeted Ms. Katrin KIVI, Ambassador of Republic of Estonia at their Hyderabad hospital. Ms. Katrin visited the eye check-up facility to gather deeper insights into eye check-ups. Maxivision brings forth years of well-established eye care services with advanced and Ultra-modern technology to treat critical eye illness. All their technologies are US-FDA, CE approved.

During Ms. Katrin’s visit their highly efficient staff presented a thorough guide of the technology used at the center. Maxivision is at the forefront of the vision care technology revolution and specializes in overall ophthalmic care covering diagnostics, treatment, and surgery. They also carry out their service as a One-stop shop for optical and contact lens.

Commenting on her visit, to Maxivision, Ms.Katrin KIVI said, “ I really appreciate the efforts of Maxivision in treating their patients with world-class technologies. The eye is a very critical part of our body and utmost care must be taken at all times by a facility that caters to patients with various eye related issues”.

Elaborating more on the same Dr.GSK Velu – Chairman ,MaxiVision group of eye hospitals  said, being pioneers in the eye care industry, the doctors and surgeons at Maxivision carry years of qualified experience that facilitates the handling of critical eye-related issues. Through the use of world-class technology, a sophisticated experience is always at the behest of the patients. Maxivision sets itself apart with a legacy of stellar eye care services that have treated over 4 million patients and 0.4 million eye surgeries. With 14 super speciality eye hospitals in 6 cities across India, they have established a brand identity like no other in ophthalmic care.

Maxivision Eye Hospitals has also treated thousands of patients internationally through their customized and tailor-made solutions that meet every patient's need. They stand true to their commitment to making quality and highly affordable eye care easily available to every citizen of India irrespective of any segment of the society

Keysight Maintains Leading Support Of 5G Device Acceptance Test Plans Mandated By Major U.S. Carriers

* Accelerates roll-out of 5G new radio services in both non-standalone and standalone mode

Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS), a leading technology company that delivers advanced design and validation solutions to help accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world, continues to maintain its leading support of 5G device acceptance test plans as mandated by US carriers, helping to accelerate the roll-out of 5G new radio (NR) services in both non-standalone (NSA) and standalone mode (SA).

Since December 2018, Keysight has maintained consistent and wide-ranging support of validated test cases specific to U.S. mobile operators’ 5G device acceptance plans. Continuous support of validated U.S. carrier acceptance test cases has enabled 5G mobile device vendors to rapidly verify that new 5G devices operate as intended on a carrier’s network.

“Keysight is committed to sustaining support of validated test cases for US service providers, which is critical to the rapid deployment of 5G new radio services in the US,” said Muthu Kumaran, senior director at Keysight. “Deep customer collaborations, combined with technology expertise and a widely adopted 5G test platform, allows Keysight to keep pace with a market deploying 5G new radio in multiple flavors.”

Keysight’s 5G network emulation solutions  enable a 5G device ecosystem to validate over five hundred and eighty devices in twenty different form factors across any 3GPP-specified frequency band. Built on common hardware and software, Keysight’s solutions enable users to cost-effectively and flexibly address protocol, radio frequency and radio resource management test requirements in both time division duplex (TDD) and frequency division duplex (FDD) mode.

Collaborating with global chipset and device vendors and major mobile operators in the US, China, Korea and Japan enables Keysight to closely track the industry’s deployment of 5G NR and supporting technologies, including dynamic spectrum sharing, MIMO and carrier aggregation.  The rise in 5G device testing will continue as 5G NR deployments in SA mode increase, deployments in new frequency bands take place and 3GPP Release 16 capabilities are implemented.

About Keysight Technologies

Keysight Technologies, Inc. (NYSE: KEYS) is a leading technology company that helps enterprises, service providers and governments accelerate innovation to connect and secure the world. Keysight's solutions optimize networks and bring electronic products to market faster and at a lower cost with offerings from design simulation, to prototype validation, to manufacturing test, to optimization in networks and cloud environments. Customers span the worldwide communications ecosystem, aerospace and defense, automotive, energy, semiconductor and general electronics end markets. Keysight generated revenues of $4.3B in fiscal year 2019. 

Infosys Bags $500 Million Deal From Global Search Giants - Google

 

After a $500 million deal from the Global search giant Google is really its remarkable and once again brought the limelight back on Infosys, strengthening the belief that large deal momentum continues to be strong for this Indian IT bellwether, which could translate into a windfall for its shareholders. The deal from Google to provide customer experience and engineering support for its product. In FY2021, Infosys has bagged deals worth $12 billion as against $9 billion in FY20. Out of the deals signed in the nine months to FY21, net new large deals stood at $8 billion.

Varun Ahuja and Krati Sankhlecha, research analysts at Credit Suisse, note that the deal with Google has strengthened the company's positioning in the technology vertical which has been one of the fastest-growing segments for the company over the past 12-24 months.

We believe the pace of deal signings would remain strong in the coming quarters, as it has been reaping benefits from accelerated investments on enhancing capabilities, sales transformation initiatives, and increased focus on large deals over the past three years," say analysts at Sharekhan in a note.

Covid-19 acted as a fortune for most of the IT companies including Infosys for accelerating the demand for digital and cloud transformation across industries in CY2020. The company’s digital revenue has reported a 7.6 per cent CQGR since Q1FY2018, and its contribution stood at 50.1 per cent in Q3FY2021.

The leadership in Infosys expects there will be higher spending on Cloud-related technologies by clients to drive the growth in FY2022E. And to tap into this opportunity, the company had launched Infosys Cobalt in August 2020.

In FY2021, Infosys has bagged deals worth $12 billion as against $9 billion in FY20. Out of the deals signed in the nine months to FY21, net new large deals stood at $8 billion..

PayPal To Employ Over 1,000 Engineers Across 3 Cities For India Development Centres

PayPal has announced to hire 1,000 engineers this year for its India development centres across Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad.

PayPal will hire 1,000 engineers for the development centres in these three cities over the course of the year across software, product development, data science, risk analytics and business analytics streams at entry, mid-level, and senior roles.

The India Technology Centres currently employs over 4,500 people across the three centres. PayPal India has also announced its plans for campus hires from top engineering colleges across India.

The company highlighted that the pandemic has accelerated the shift towards digital payments and highlighted the benefits of adopting a digital first approach.

PayPal’s products and services have become even more relevant now and hence, the need to focus on technology innovation across AI/ML, Data Science, Risk and Security, Customer Experience and other key areas, it said.

“Our India Technology Centres are the largest for PayPal outside of the US and play a pivotal role in enabling us to constantly innovate and remain ahead of the curve,” Guru Bhat, VP Omni Channel & Customer Success, GM” PayPal India, said.

As digital payments move from a nice-to-have to an essential service, the company is focused on investing in and nurturing world-class technology talent to continue to offer products and services that meet the needs of its growing base of consumers and merchants.

Last month, Paypal said it will stop offering domestic payment services within India from April 1, and instead focus on enabling more international sales for Indian businesses.

Twitter Research Reveals What Indian Women Talk About The Most

* A research commissioned by Twitter India surveyed 700 women and analysed 522,992 Tweets from 7,839 women’s accounts between January 2019 and February 2021. After studying the Tweets, nine overarching conversation themes were identified across 19 Indian cities

* Passion points and interests emerges as the top conversation theme, with fashion, books, beauty, sports and entertainment as the most talked about interests

* Current affairs, Celebratory moments, Communities and Social change also find a spot in the top five conversation themes

Tweets around Everyday chatter had the highest engagement in terms of average number of Likes and Replies per Tweet, while Passion points and interests is the most Retweeted category

* Chennai leads conversations around Celebratory moments and Creative showcase, while Bengaluru fronts Communities, Social change and Shared challenges categories

Ahead of International Women’s Day, Twitter commissioned independent research to uncover insights around what women in India are talking about on the service. A quantitative survey amongst 700 women on Twitter was carried out, along with the qualitative curation and analysis of 522,992 Tweets sent out by female Twitter accounts between January 2019 and February 2021 by women across 10 Indian cities.

The research found that women in India have carved their own space on Twitter with a diverse range of conversations. Nine dominant conversational themes emerged from an in-depth look at the Tweets. With a 24.9% share, Passion points and interests emerged as the top conversation theme, with women talking most about fashion, books, beauty, entertainment and food on the service. Current affairs (20.8%), Celebratory moments (14.5%), Communities (11.7%) and Social change (8.7%) also featured in the top five conversation themes among women on Twitter. While conversations around Everyday chatter and Celebratory Moments saw the highest engagement in terms of average number of Likes and replies per Tweet, Passion Points and Interests, Communities and Shared challenges were the most Retweeted categories.

Cities showcased their different points of conversation: Chennai led conversations around Celebratory moments, Creative showcase and Everyday chatter, Bengaluru dominated chatter around Communities, Social change and Shared challenges, while Guwahati fronted conversations around Passion points and interests and Current affairs.

Manish Maheshwari, Managing Director at Twitter India, said, “We commissioned this research to build our understanding about women on Twitter and were inspired by the results. These insights show us that Twitter is for every woman. Their communities and conversations highlight the uniqueness and diversity of the service. Access to a free and open Internet has made it possible for everyone to express themselves freely without barriers. As a service our goal is to build on this foundation, giving people new ways to converse, form communities and control who can interact with them in a conversation.”

Most talked about conversation themes among women on Twitter in India:

Passion points and interests (24.9%): Kpop to cricket, women Tweet the most about their passions; Guwahati, Lucknow and Pune lead the pack

From the research we know that one of the main reasons women (24.9%) come to Twitter is to pursue their interests, and represent their passions. Within this category are those who seek content on fashion (30%), books (28%), beauty (25%), movies and TV (21%), music (18%), food (18%), technology (17%), art (17%) and sports (14%). 41% women say they discovered a new interest on Twitter. The service is committed to making it easier for people to find and follow interests. It has simplified the ability for people to create a customised Twitter List, share and pin them and is heavily investing in machine learning to improve Topic recommendations. There are about 6,000 followable Topics today.

Current affairs (20.8%): Women turn to Twitter to stay informed; Guwahati and Delhi lead the discourse

20.8% of women use Twitter’s open, real-time nature to stay informed on local and international news. Tweets about #StudentExams, #COVID19 related updates and #DelhiElections2020 dominated the conversation in this category.

Celebratory moments (14.5%): From professional to personal wins, women Tweet to celebrate little joys of life; Chennai, Kolkata and Madurai lead the party

Women (14.5%) on Twitter love sharing their everyday wins – no matter how big or small, both personal and professional. Through hashtags such as #WomenWhoWin, #TheMomentOfLift, #SmallWins and #EverydayJoys, they are normalising the celebration of little and big wins.

Communities (11.7%): Be it #WomenInScience or #GirlGamers, women love Tweeting to connect; Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad ace making new connections

One of the special things about Twitter is the diversity of its communities and the ease with which people can form and participate in them. Women (11.7%) are using the power of virtual communities to reach out, connect and network with others. These women are coming together with hashtags such as #WomenInScience, #WomenInTech, #WomenInMarketing, and #GirlGamers. Through these conversations, women often find camaraderie and support. While 41% of women have sought advice/tips/recommendations on the service, 37% have given advice/tips/recommendations to others and 32% have gained real-life friendship(s).

Social change (8.7%): Women Tweet to empower and bring about a change in society through online movements such as #SheforShe and #TimesUp; Bengaluru, Guwahati, and Delhi lead the way in shining a light on critical matters

Women (8.7%) on Twitter don’t hold back when it comes to supporting their community and over the years, they have harnessed the power of Tweets to give rise to and participate in several social movements from #SheforShe, #TimesUp to #MeToo.

Shared challenges (6.9%): Women Tweet about everyday hardships such as #Parenting and #WorkingFromHome, seeking solace in online conversations; Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Mumbai are open about their realities and challenges

In India, women (6.9%) Tweet about challenges, be it working from home with kids or being a single mom. While personal, these shared experiences are relatable, allowing them to build a shared intimacy in public.

Creative showcase (4.2%): From #Photography to #Poetry, Indian women use Twitter to exhibit their creativity to a virtual audience; Chennai, Kolkata, and Mumbai lead the show With the opportunity to display their talent to a larger audience on Twitter, women (4.2%) from diverse backgrounds in India have been showcasing their creative best on the service. It’s common to see conversations about #Art, #Photography, #Dance, #CulinaryArts, among others, in one’s timeline.

Heartfelt confessions (4.2%): Tweets on #ModernDating, mental health, and much more. Women open up on Twitter about experiences in their personal lives; Madurai and Mumbai bare it all down

Women (4.2%) in Indian use Twitter to express their personal inhibitions and fears. These conversations are informal, intimate and raw, demanding people’s attention. These women find strength in being able to communicate freely, in fact, 39% of women surveyed feel that Twitter provides them with freedom of expression.

Everyday chatter (4%): From #SareeTwitter to #LockdownRecipes women love to Tweet and share their everyday experiences; Chennai and Mumbai lead conversations

Women (4%) Tweet about their daily activities making the service a huge part of their life. For instance, Tweets about regular outfits and accessories like #SareeTwitter, #JhumkaTwitter, and #BindiTwitter created a shared experience and harboured a sense of community. 33% of women use Twitter while commuting, 29% use it during breakfast, 24% use it upon waking up and 22% use it just before bed.

Protecting women’s voices -- and the voices of all those who use Twitter -- is a top priority and one the service is constantly working on it. Twitter has made progress when it comes to making it a safer place for public conversation. Over the past year, Twitter has introduced multiple features to make the experience more positive, safe and healthy.

Started including the sender’s profile information in Direct Messages and indicated how the sender is connected to the receiver in order to help people quickly identify potentially abusive content.

Introduced new settings to give people control over who can reply to their Tweet. Since August 2020, Twitter has seen more than 15 million Tweets created with conversational controls.

How to Hide Replies to Tweets: Twitter lets you choose the replies you would want people to notice to your Tweets and hide the ones you don’t want to be noticed. People can see and engage with hidden replies by tapping the grey icon that will appear on the Tweets.

Working Women Bear The Maximum Brunt By Performing Dual Role During COVID-19: Women@Work Report

With longer work hours and a work from home set-up during the COVID-19 pandemic, women bore the maximum brunt by performing a dual role as a working professional as well as a caregiver. Over 80% of working women in India have been negatively impacted in some form or the other during COVID-19 with the work-life balance becoming worse, a report on the effects of COVID-19 on the women workforce in the formal sector in India revealed.

According to the report, ‘Women@Work’, which was launched by Aspire for Her and Sustainable Advancements today, 38.5% of working women surveyed said they were adversely affected by the burden of added housework, childcare and eldercare while 43.7% stated that work-life balance has become worse.

As part of the launch, a virtual panel discussion was hosted with eminent panellists – Ms. Madhura DasGupta Sinha (Founder & CEO of Aspire For Her), Dr. Nayan Mitra (Founder of Sustainable Advancements), Ms. Nishtha Satyam (Dy. Country Representative, UN Women) and Ms. Navya Naveli Nanda (Founder, Project Naveli and Co-Founder & CMO at Aara Health), which was moderated by Ms. Poornima Shenoy, CEO - Hummingbird Advisors.

According to the report, the most common response received from the participants was having to work longer and harder during the pandemic. Thus, leading to a worsened work-life balance. 50.4% of mid-career women (16-20 years’ work experience) cited the reason as ‘added burden of housework, childcare, and eldercare’, more than any other demographic.

Talking about the report, Ms. Madhura DasGupta Sinha, Founder & CEO of Aspire For Her said, “The pandemic has had a perceptible impact on women in various stages of their lives, across different industry sectors, occupational status, work experience, and life stages. This is not just a research report for us. The Women@Work research has been a cornerstone to our strategy to build a winning mindset in aspiring women, in the backdrop of a sharp blow to the already-declining statistics around the labour force participation rate of Indian women. The findings of the research have helped us to craft the strategy around motivating women to enter and stay in the workforce. The research helped us enhance the 5-point mindset change model including mentors and role models, learning and reskilling opportunities, career previews and opportunities and the need for a strong, peer community.”

The research was conducted during the third quarter of the financial year 2020-21 on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the women workforce in the formal sector, correlating them to four variables - industry sector, occupational status, work experience and hierarchical position. The intensive research was conducted with a sample size of 800 women across the metropolitan cities of Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi, Jaipur, Pune and Ahmedabad.

The research had the highest representation from the Corporate sector (41%), followed by Academic (21%), Self-employed (10%), Healthcare/Essential Service (9%), Government (5%), Civil Society (1%) and Others (13%).

Gender Divide among various occupational status

61.1% of women who lost their job due to COVID-19 felt women be worse off than men, followed by women who took a break (46.7%), closely followed by working women (42.3%), students at 35.6% and self-employed women at 30.3%.

Ms. Poornima Shenoy, CEO - Hummingbird Advisors commented: “As the world was reeling under the impact of the COVID-19 virus, there was another virus that was affecting social structures. Working women, across the world, were the ones who suffered the most from rising unemployment. The report reveals that there were gender-based disparities in the pandemic. These could be stemming from differential treatment of women in the workforce or a disproportionate share of household responsibilities.”

Women in Entrepreneurship

The report pointed out that while the women in employment were feeling overwhelmed, the self-employed women were the worst hit. 41.6% of self-employed women shared that they were negatively affected by COVID-19. The largest impediments to adopting a new business model have been insufficient knowledge to predict demand patterns and a lack of financial resources. Even in cases where businesses did not see an immediate decline in revenue, growth has remained mute.

Ms. Navya Naveli Nanda, Founder - Project Naveli and Co-Founder & CMO at Aara Health stated: “The pandemic was becoming a lonely journey for women entrepreneurs. There is a need to have a common platform - an online community where stories can be shared and career resources can be provided. I applaud institutions like Aspire For Her and Sustainable Advancements who are actively studying the impact of COVID-19 on women entrepreneurs but, more critically, using their findings to come up with actionable solutions.”

Women in Civil Societies

Women in civil societies felt a unique set of challenges. A substantial part of their funding got diverted to healthcare. Moreover, the lockdown and subsequent social distancing rule greatly jeopardized the dynamics of the civil society organizations that thrived on physical connect. 33.3% of women in civil society organisations reported being negatively affected.

Dr Nayan Mitra, the author of the report, an expert in CSR and Founder of Sustainable Advancements added, “The report is a wake-up call for women, and men, in India. If we do what we have always done for the last 15 years, the country will lose out on a fantastic talent pool of a highly educated, diverse workforce to unleash the trillion-dollar opportunity.”

Women in Education Sector

50.6% of women working in the academic sector felt that women were worse off as compared to men during the pandemic. There was also increased teaching and service workloads where many of the teachers had to move to an online video platform to render their academic services. For most of the older generation teachers, this was the most strenuous task in their whole life. There were 21.8% of women who felt that they were negatively impacted, stating a majority (54.1%) of them had to work harder/longer, while 41.8% of them stated they had added burden of housework/childcare/eldercare.

Work Experience

The report says that women who are early in their careers, with work experience of 0-5 years were most adversely impacted (30.0%), closely followed by women who have 21-25 years of experience (29.2%). The reasons cited for this negative impact were increased working hours (20.3%), work-life balance becoming worse (16.7%), added burden of housework (10.6%), no increment/bonus (10.0%), financial worries (5.5%), and a pay-cut (5.2%). Women who had work experience of 0-5 years were mostly women in Entry-level/Junior Roles, who were at the nascent stages of their career and were subject to the threat of job loss and lack of alternate opportunities.

The declining percentage of women in the workforce for the last 15 years and the worsening rank in the Global Gender Gap Index is a huge cause for concern, exacerbated by the pandemic. The rich interviews and insights have helped AFH to craft a unique mindset-change proposition for women professionals and aspirants. The report has inspired AFH to redefine the community strategy and understand the importance of shared safe space - which can help women connect and communicate with each other and re-discover the power of togetherness.

MAHE Signs MoU With The University Of Sydney For Academic And Research Collaboration

The University of Sydney (USyd) has underpinned its partnership with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) with an agreement to enhance academic and educational exchange and research collaborations. The University of Sydney is one of the best universities in Australia and is consistently ranked in the top 50 universities in the world.

Professor Stephen Garton AM, Vice-Chancellor and Principal at University of Sydney and Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M. D. Venkatesh, the Vice-Chancellor of MAHE, signed the MoU in a high-profile virtual event on Thursday attended by heads of institutions from the Faculty of Health Sciences. Besides enhancing academic interaction between the two universities, the MoU shall facilitate two-way mobility of students and announce a call for research seed grant scheme that will build capacity based on collaborative research. Through this collaboration both the universities intend to identify opportunities for joint activities in areas of mutual interest that address the pressing issues globally.

In his opening remarks, Prof. Garton said “The institutions must explore opportunities to establish joint innovation to promote collaboration and commercialization activities between Australia and India”. He also expressed that the new collaboration will establish a long-term partnership that could help foster research and mobility. Central to the new agreement will be the recognition of jointly supervised Ph.D. programs across the proposed research clusters identified by the two universities. Ms. Amanda Sayan, Director of Partnerships, University of Sydney assured that “The university intends to launch a joint Global Strategic Partnership Fund to support research and other collaborative activities under this agreement. Dr. Raghu Radhakrishnan, Director of International Collaborations at MAHE stated that “MAHE is committed to this collaboartion. In the true spirit of internationalization, MAHE places diversity and adaptability through inclusion in the center of organizational matters” He also highlighted government schemes like Study in India (SII) and Scheme for Promotion of Academic and Research Collaboration (SPARC) in addition to the New Colombo Plan for hosting international students and facilitating academic and research exchange.

Lt. Gen. (Dr.) M. D. Venkatesh concluded the meeting expressing his delight at formalizing this MoU and exuded confidence that this collaboration will be mutually beneficial bringing the best of academics to scale new heights of excellence enshrining the knowledge triangle of education, research, and innovation..

Vahan Places 5000 Blue-Collar Workers Per Month Through WhatsApp

 *Over 1 lakh blue-collar workers in India have been placed through Vahan’s WhatsApp API chatbot 

Vahan, an AI-enabled livelihood platform, today announced that it has reached a significant milestone of providing employment opportunities to over 1 lakh blue-collared professionals through its WhatsApp API enabled chatbot called Mitra. With an increase of 400% since 2020, these workers have been placed in several blue/grey-collared jobs in sectors such as logistics, delivery, and BPOs. 

Vahan currently has 5 million users on its platform and is adding 2.5 lakh people every month. Given the simplicity and ease of use of the WhatsApp API, the digital startup is placing 5000 people every month and is growing at the rate of 25% per month. Mitra is emerging as India's employment exchange 2.0 for over 300 millionblue-collar workers in the country. 

To apply, job seekers need to simply text “Hi” to Vahan’s WhatsApp-enabled chatbot ‘Mitra’, answer a few questions, and expect to be placed in a job within 3 days. Being available on WhatsApp has helped the company reduce the barrier to entry while maximizing user adoption and engagement. 

Talking about the benefits of Vahan, Asha, a job seeker, said, “My husband and I both lost our jobs during the pandemic and were struggling to make ends meet. This is when someone advised me to reach out to ‘Mitra’ who found me a job in just one day. ‘Mitra’ is a godsend for people like us who struggle to find jobs matching their skills and often get harassed by middlemen. It is unbelievable that I can find jobs on WhatsApp itself!” 

According to Madhav Krishna, Founder and CEO, Vahan, “The blue-collar segment is an underserved market in India despite constituting the bulk of the workforce. Our partnership with WhatsApp allows us to seamlessly connect employers and job seekers thereby facilitating better livelihoods and financial inclusion especially for underprivileged households.” 

Vahan is leveraging the power of WhatsApp, AI and machine learning to bring a great value proposition to both recruiters and job seekers in this underserved blue-collar market. “We are set to become the country’s largest blue-collar recruiter in the next 18 months”, Madhav Krishna further added. 

“Vahan has grown into a key contributor and driver of growth in the gig workforce. We are excited that WhatsApp continues to bring value to such innovative models of growth and helps accelerate financial and digital inclusion among blue-collar workforce in India,” added Abhijit Bose, Head of WhatsApp, India. 

Specializing in high volume recruitment of delivery personnel for companies in the e-commerce and food delivery space, Vahan played an essential role in securing jobs for unemployed executives during the pandemic with more than 20,000 people relying on Vahan to look for a job on WhatsApp every day. 

About Vahan 

Vahan is leveraging the power of Machine Learning to not only help blue-collar workers find jobs that match their skills but is also helping employers find the right resource/candidate at the right price, at the right place, and at the right moment. The digital start-up uses matching tools effectively to find the right fit for client organizations thereby reducing the hiring cost by as much as 30% besides saving blue-collar workers from exploitation at the hands of middlemen. 

Vahan is working with clients across sectors including Retail, Hospitality, Healthcare, Logistics, Warehousing, and BFSI. Some of its clients include Shadowfax, Amazon, Zomato, and Swiggy. Currently, it has over 5 million users from over 1200 cities on its product and has already placed 100,000 people across India. Backed by Y Combinator, Khosla Ventures, Founders Fund, Airtel and many former and current Google and Flipkart executives, the company is well poised to become India’s largest placement firm in India in the near future. 

Steve Allen Appointed As The New Executive Vice President Of dnata’s Global Operations

The Emirates Group has announced the appointment of Steve Allen as the executive vice president of dnata, the global air services provider.

Steve Allen will be responsible for all dnata’s businesses covering ground handling, catering and travel across six continents. In addition, he will assume responsibility for managing Emirates Group’s relationships with its associated businesses, including MMI, Emirates CAE Flight Training and Premier Inn.

In his new role, Steve Allen will continue to report to Gary Chapman, president group services and dnata, until his retirement at the end of March. Thereafter, Steve Allen will report directly to Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman & chief executive of Emirates Airline & Group.

Sheikh Ahmed, said, "I’m pleased to announce the promotion of Steve to executive vice president. In his various management roles at the company, Steve has delivered outstanding results and demonstrated excellent leadership skills, making a significant contribution to the success of dnata and its customers. I’m confident that under Steve’s leadership dnata will cement its position as a global leader that consistently provides service excellence and the highest level of quality and safety across all its businesses."

"I wish to take the opportunity to thank Gary for his commitment and accomplishments over the last three decades. Gary has led dnata to fantastic new heights, transforming it into a strong global business with a first-class reputation when it comes to service, safety, and standard. I wish Gary a happy and fulfilling retirement."

Steve Allen has been with the Emirates Group for 12 years in various operational and support roles. Since 2016, he has been overseeing dnata’s ground handling and cargo operations and airport hospitality services in the United Arab Emirates as Divisional Senior Vice President. For the past nine months, he has also been leading dnata’s travel businesses and their ongoing transformation globally. Prior to joining the Emirates Group, Steve Allen spent 16 years with British Airways in various financial, regional and operational roles.

A trusted partner of over 300 airline customers, dnata provides quality and safe ground handling, cargo, catering and travel services in 35 countries. In the financial year, 2019-20 dnata’s customer-oriented teams handled 681,000 aircraft, moved 2.9 million tons of cargo, uplifted more than 93 million meals and recorded a total transaction value (TTV) of travel services of US$ 3.0 billion.

Honeyell Automation India Limited Names Ganesh Nataraan As New Chairman From March 8, 2021

 Honeywell Automation India Limited (HAIL NSE: HONAUT) today announced Dr. Ganesh Natarajan’s appointment as Independent Director (Non-Executive) and Chairman of its Board of Directors, effective March 8, 2021.

As Chairman of Board of Directors, Dr. Natarajan will offer guidance to HAIL’s management team on the company’s overall strategy, business, and financial matters. He will provide direction and Board support for strong corporate governance.

Dr. Natarajan succeeds Mr. Suresh Senapaty, who completes his five-year tenure as Independent Director and Chairman of HAIL on March 7, 2021. Mr. Senapaty has conveyed his desire not to seek reappointment as Independent Director of the company for the second term due to his personal commitments. Accordingly, his tenure as Director of the company will come to an end on March 7, 2021.

Mr. Ashish Gaikwad, Managing Director, HAIL, said, “Dr. Ganesh Natarajan brings with him a rich and varied experience as a seasoned CEO, a tech entrepreneur, and an industry thought leader. We look forward to his guidance and inputs to our strategic vision to become a software industrial company as we steer the company through an ambitious and aggressive growth path. We are also grateful to Mr. Suresh Senapaty for his valuable contribution to HAIL over the last five years. His legacy of good governance and controls will continue to serve us well.”

Dr. Ganesh Natarajan has more than 30 years of industry experience, including 25 years as CEO for Aptech and Zensar Technologies. He is a serial entrepreneur, having founded 5F World, a platform for digital start-ups, skills, and social ventures, and he co-founded Global Talent Track, Skills Alpha, and Lighthouse Communities Foundation. He also co-founded two Indo-U.S. joint ventures, namely Kalzoom Advisors and the Center for AI and Advanced Analytics. He completed his master’s in Industrial Engineering from NITIE Mumbai, Ph.D. from IIT Bombay, and Advanced Management Program from Harvard Business School.

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Ganesh Natarajan said, “I have always been keenly interested in the role of digital technologies in re-engineering processes for the corporate and social sectors. I am excited to be part of Honeywell, a software-industrial leader that has been driving India’s move towards Industry 4.0.”

HAIL is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) and the National Stock Exchange (NSE), and is a leader in providing integrated automation and software solutions, including process solutions and building solutions. It has a wide product portfolio in environmental and combustion controls, and sensing and control, and provides engineering services in the field of automation and control to global clients.

HAIL was established in 1984 with its manufacturing, design, and engineering facilities located in Pune. Today, this Fortune India 500 company, has more than 3,000 employees spread across Pune, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Chennai, Gurgaon, Kolkata, and Jamshedpur.

HAIL has the unique distinction of being one of the first automation companies in India to be awarded dual certification of ISO:14001 and OHSAS:18001.

BlueJeans By Verizon Announces 2021 Customer Award Winners

* Global customers across four categories honored for their innovative use of BlueJeans to drive business outcomes

BlueJeans by Verizon today announced the winners of the second annual BlueJeans by Verizon Customer Awards. The awards recognize customers around the globe who are deploying BlueJeans solutions to achieve outcomes that positively drive their business and society forward.

“With the Covid-19 pandemic necessitating more remote collaboration, the use of video conferencing within nearly every industry and organization rose to levels never seen before,” said John Knightly, CMO, BlueJeans by Verizon. “Whether our customers already had a unified communication strategy in place or were just starting their digital journey, we saw some truly exceptional uses of our platform to inspire, entertain, educate, and drive real business results over the past year—and we are honored by all of those who have chosen to partner with BlueJeans to support their teams and missions.”

The 2021 BlueJeans by Verizon Customer Award category winners and honorees are:

1. Biggest Business Transformation – Winner: Standard Chartered

Recognition of a personal story or organization that has documented return on investment as a result of their BlueJeans deployment.

Honorable Mention: RightsTrade, Terlato Wines, Transglobal Travel

2. Most Innovative Use Case – Winner: Phoenix Suns

Recognition of an organization that has demonstrated superior skills in applying video conferencing technology in support of an insightful and creative use case outside of standard meetings.

Honorable Mention: Northwood University, Snap Assessment & Education

3. Biggest Impact – Winner: ABB

Recognition of an individual or organization responsible for driving business change using BlueJeans to create new revenue streams and/or continuity in the current economy. 

Honorable Mention: US Club Soccer, Cleveland County District Court, FullCircle Program

4. Best Use of Events – Winner: Adobe

Recognition of the most creative or successful deployment of BlueJeans for Events  to support customer growth, marketing/awareness or HR initiatives— employee engagement, culture, onboarding, etc. 

Honorable Mention: innoVia Productions, Air Cadet League of Canada - BC Provincial Committee

To compete in the 2021 BlueJeans Best of Breeds Awards, customers submitted their deployment stories in one of four categories, where a panel of judges evaluated the submissions based on the creativity, impact and business value. This year's judging panel included:

Brandt Krueger – Meeting and Events Technical Producer and Consultant, Event Technology Consulting

David Maldow – CEO, Let's Do Video

John Knightly – Chief Marketing Officer, BlueJeans by Verizon

Eric Spadafora – VP, Business Sales, Verizon

Axis Securities To Become India’s 3rd Largest Brokerage Firm With Acquisition Of 1.15 Million Customers

* Karvy customers can start trading with Axis Securities to avail best of services & products

Axis Securities, a fully-owned subsidiary of Axis Bank, emerged as the successful bidder to acquire the trading accounts of Karvy Stock Broking Limited. Karvy customers can start trading with Axis Securities, one of the most trusted bank-led brokerage houses, to make the best of available market opportunities. To facilitate a seamless transfer, Axis Securities has made the entire journey digital and paperless. Simply by clicking on a link, Karvy customers can activate their trading account with Axis Securities and have access to a robust technology platform with a wide range of product offerings. With the acquisition of these 11.5 lac Karvy trading accounts, the customer base of Axis Securities to leap from 25 lacs to 36 lacs, making it the third-largest player in the industry. 

The migration process has been initiated by the Exchanges and once the process is completed, Axis Securities will share trading account details with Karvy customers along with login credentials. Customers can open a fresh demat account to shift their existing holding under Axis Securities DP. With Axis Securities, the customers have access to high-quality research and a wide branch network. Superior quality services and a customer-centric approach make investment with Axis Securities a delightful experience.

Commenting on the development, Mr. B Gopkumar, MD & CEO, Axis Securities, said, "At Axis Securities, we firmly believe that the right investment decision at the right time makes all the difference, and hence we work closely with our customers at every step to help them successfully navigate the markets. This acquisition of trading accounts is a perfect opportunity for us to empower Karvy customers to tap the right market opportunities backed by our research expertise and holistic range of offerings. We welcome Karvy customers to the Axis Family and assure them of excellent services, seamless onboarding, and a hassle-free trading experience." 

Axis Securities Limited (ASL) is one of the most trusted brokerage houses. It is built on the foundation of award-winning research, technology, and investment solutions. Its robust technology for trading and investing makes it one of the best online platforms. ASL is known for its high-quality research ideas that empower investors to make informed decisions.

About Axis Securities

Axis Securities Limited (ASL) is a proud subsidiary of Axis Bank – India’s 3rd largest private sector bank. With a robust branch network across India, ASL offers retail broking services under its flagship brand Axis Direct (www.axisdirect.in). Axis Direct engages in offering simplified investment solutions to customers. It offers a bouquet of investment products to its customers e.g. Equities, Mutual Funds, SIPs, IPOs, Derivatives, Bonds, NCDs, ETFs, and Company Fixed Deposits. With over 2.5 million customers, Axis Direct is one of the fastest-growing players in the industry.

IIFL Finance To Raise Upto Rs. 1,000 Crore Via Bonds, Offers Upto 10.03% Yield

IIFL Finance, one of India’s largest Non-Banking Financial Companies, will open a public issue of bonds on March 03, 2021, to raise up to Rs. 1,000 crore, for the purpose of business growth and capital augmentation. The bonds offer up to 10.03% yield and high degree of safety. 

The Fairfax and CDC Group backed IIFL Finance will issue unsecured redeemable non-convertible debentures (NCDs), aggregating to Rs 100 crore, with a green-shoe option to retain over-subscription up to Rs 900 crore (aggregating to a total of Rs 1,000 crore).

The IIFL Bonds offer highest yield of 10.03% p.a. for tenor of 87 months. The NCD is available in various options like monthly, annual and at maturity. 

In the current scenario, the rate of interest offered by IIFL Finance bonds is very attractive compared with other debt products. Liquid funds offer average net yields of 2.8%-3%, ultra-short-term funds offer average net yields of around 3-3.5%., short-term funds offer average net yield is around 4%-4.25%, while banks are currently offering an interest of around 5.1% for a 3 year fixed deposit.

This 10.03% rate is also getting locked in for 87 months. This is a big advantage as liquidity eases post Covid world for next few years, most experts believe that interest rates can head down and to lock-in good interest rate is a big advantage. Today the interest rates on a 10-year government securities are at 6%.

The credit rating has been AA by Crisil and AA+ by Brickwork. Through the crisis, credit rating of IIFL Finance has been reaffirmed by agencies, which indicates that the instruments are considered to have a high degree of safety for timely servicing of financial obligations and carry very low credit risk.

Rajesh Rajak, CFO, IIFL Finance said, “Through a strong physical presence of 2500 branches across India and a well-diversified retail portfolio, IIFL Finance caters to the credit need of underserved population. The funds raised will be used to meet credit need of more such customers and accelerate our digital process transformation to enable a frictionless experience.”

He added, “IIFL has an impeccable track record of more than 25 years and all the bond issues and the debt obligations have always been paid on time.”

IIFL Finance is one of India’s largest retail-focused financial services companies. IIFL Finance’s Loan Assets under Management is Rs 42,264 crore. Most importantly, 90% of the book is retail - which is focused on small ticket loans.

IIFL Finance had a gross NPA of 1.61% and Net NPA of 0.77%.  Total Capital Adequacy Ratio (CAR) stood at 21.4% at the end of December, 2020, including Tier I capital of 18.0%, as against the statutory requirement of 15% and 10% respectively. In Q3 FY21, IIFL Finance reported a profit after tax of Rs 268 crore, up 26% on year with a robust return on equity of 18.4%. It has strong relationship with multiple banks and financial institutions.

The lead managers to the issue are Edelweiss Financial Services Limited, IIFL Securities Limited and Equirus Capital Private Limited. The NCDs will be listed on the BSE Limited and National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE), to provide liquidity to investors. The IIFL Bonds would be issued at face value of Rs 1,000 and the minimum application size is Rs 10,000 across all categories. The public issue opens on March 03, 2021 and closes on March 23, 2021, with an option of early closure. The allotment will be made on first come first served basis.

About IIFL Finance

IIFL Finance Ltd is one of the leading retail focused diversified NBFCs in India, engaged in the business of loans and mortgages along with its subsidiaries - IIFL Home Finance Limited and Samasta Microfinance Limited. IIFL Finance, through its subsidiaries, offers a wide spectrum of products such as Home loan, Gold loan, Business loan, Microfinance, Capital Market finance and Developer and Construction finance to a vast customer base of over 4 million customers. IIFL Finance has widened its pan-India reach through extensive network of branches spread across the country and various digital channels.

Paytm Empowers “Bangalore Metro Rail Commuters With Smart Card Recharges On The App

* Offering smart card recharge facilities on the Paytm App 

* Promotes safe city commuting, no need to queue at metro stations for top-ups 

* Recharge smart cards using Paytm Wallet, Paytm UPI, net-banking & cards

India's leading digital financial services platform Paytm today announced that it is now enabling the smart card recharge facility for Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd (BMRCL) on its app. The brand new service empowers Garden City commuters to travel safely, seamlessly & avoid long queues to buy smart card top-ups at metro stations. Paytm has been extensively working with Metro Rail Corporations all over the country including Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, empowering them with digital payments, seamless recharges and QR-based ticket buying services.   

This feature will help commuters maintain social distancing and promote safe travel during transit. Paytm has launched a host of innovative services for Metro Rail partners across the country. It enabled QR-code based metro ticketing system in a strategic partnership with Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited. This service enables commuters in Hyderabad with a QR ticket on their Paytm app, which can be displayed at the Automatic Fare Collection (AFC) gates to proceed for the journey. It has in partnership with Jaipur Metro equipped all ticketing windows, across all metro stations with Paytm UPI QR. With this, the commuters can simply pay from any UPI app to purchase tickets or recharge their smart cards.

Abhay Sharma, Senior Vice President Paytm said, "The Smart card recharge feature launched exclusively in partnership with the Bangalore Metro Rail on Paytm app will help create a safe and seamless card recharge experience for the daily commuters while avoiding long queues and have a more seamless and pleasurable transit experience. We will continue to work towards the digitization of the transit ecosystem in the country while driving the adoption of smart mobility solutions.

BMRCL spokesperson said, "Namma Metro commuters can now recharge their smart cards through Paytm App. This facility is an additional step towards the continued efforts of BMRCL to provide convenient means of recharging their smart cards. For smart cards recharged through these online channels, the balance update on the card will take place automatically when a commuter shows the smart card at the AFC Gate at any Namma Metro stations.

Namma Metro has also provided the facility of updating their balance without any delay after online recharge of the smart cards by placing their cards at the RVCT terminals provided at the station Customer Care Centre of the newly commissioned five stations from Konanakunte Cross to Silk institute. This facility will be available in all the upcoming Phase-2 stations and will also be made available soon for the 40 operational stations of Phase-1.  

Paytm provides multiple products & services like Metro Card recharges, mobile-based ticketing and trip pass for Bengaluru Metro, Hyderabad Metro, Delhi Metro, and Mumbai Metro. Also, it is the first company to launch QR-based tickets for Mumbai Metro and is expanding this service to other major cities as well. 

MIT-WPU Now Offers Blockchain-Anchored Digital Degrees To Its Students In India

* MIT-WPU continues on its digital transformation journey and promises students digital degrees and diplomas using the Blockchain technology, empowering them with a credential that will allow them to be at par with the best in the world. 

MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) has added another feather to its cap and has become India’s first university to offer Blockchain-anchored digital degrees and diplomas to its students. MIT-WPU has signed a partnership agreement with CertOnce to implement its platform to offer Blockchain-anchored digital degrees and diplomas to over 2,568 students across programs from this year.  

This includes students from the Faculty of Engineering, Faculty of Commerce & Economics (PG), Faculty of Science (PG), Faculty of Management (UG and PG), Faculty of Education (UG and PG), Faculty of Governance (UG and PG), Faculty of Pharmacy (PG) and Faculty of Liberal Arts, Commerce & Science (UG). This is a hallmark initiative that marks a giant step in the digital transformation journey of MIT-WPU as a leading university in India.   

Driving Towards Digital Transformation 

Elaborating further on this path-breaking initiative, Shri Rahul V Karad, the visionary educationist, and the Managing Trustee & Executive President, MAEER’s MIT Group of Institutions & Executive President, MIT-WPU, shared, "Our university is always striving towards digital transformation and we are dedicated to finding new avenues to lead in this digital transformation journey and create new, inspiring ways of empowering our students. As our students continue to pass out with flying colours and secure jobs at the world's leading organisations in India and internationally, we wanted to empower them with a Credential that would put them at par with the best in the world – a document that embodies trust and global academic competence." 

Also speaking about the university’s digital transformation initiative was Dr N T Rao, Vice Chancellor, MIT-WPU, who explained, "CertOnce solution of Blockchain Anchored Digital Degrees that are tamperproof and instantly verifiable with One Click provide our students absolute control of their Credentials. Implementing this solution also allows us to automate the manual process of responding to several requests from potential employers of our students. Employers can now verify our students' degrees on Blockchain instantly, shortening their hiring cycle.” 

Instant Credentials Sharing & Verification 

The Background verification process that used to take weeks or even months at times can now be achieved in seconds, and that too without paying to any intermediaries or waiting for snail mail replies. “It required a personal favor from a friend, 30 dollars and 5 weeks, before my MBA school in US could get verified degree certificate from my undergrad school in India. That's when I knew that I wanted to solve this problem. This gave birth to CertOnce – solving the problem of Credentials Sharing & Verification," shared Rajesh Ranjan, Founder and CEO of CertOnce. 

Adding further to this, Pawan Khurana, Co-founder and COO of CertOnce, noted, "Blockchain is the future of Credentialing: secure, opensource, verifiable and tamperproof. Many institutions around the world are already deploying it." Beyond Diploma Certificates, MIT-WPU will also use the system to issue student transcripts, publish academic research papers, project reports, among many others. MIT-WPU has been setting global standards, whether it is by building global industry relationships or driving digital transformations. Implementing a Digital Verifiable Blockchain Anchored Credentialing system adds another one to the long list of its many firsts. 

About MIT-WPU 

With a 40-year legacy in education, MIT World Peace University (MIT-WPU) offers 100+ study programs (both UG and PG) and is the go-to destination for students looking to pursue higher studies. 

With a sprawling campus in the heart of Pune city, which is also known as the Oxford of the East, MIT World Peace University believes in delivering a value-based education, which not only exposes students to the best of opportunities but also promotes their holistic development. 

The university boasts of a global alumni network of over 1 lakh, has 1000+ faculty members, over 15,000 students on campus and offers 100+ study programs. 

About CertOnce 

CertOnce is a digital records creation platform for issuing verified digital credentials for high stake credentials using Blockchain and low stakes Open Badges, that are easy to share and verifiable with one click, with its most prominent uses being academic records, online learning, employee records, and recognition, health care, legal, government, and financial services industries. Founded in Princeton (NJ, USA) in 2019, with a vision to bring trust in every digital document, the company is fast changing the way the world creates digital credentials.  

JK Tyre Ties Up With Car Dekho And Auto Brix For The “JK Tyre Man”

Indian tyre industry major, JK Tyre & Industries Ltd., has announced a strategic partnership with Car Dekho and AutoBrix to launch “JK Tyre Man”, an online to offline doorstep tyre delivery-cum-fitment service.

Taking ahead the vision of a safe and efficient service delivery, JK Tyre uses its existing channel network to extend its products and services to consumer’s doorstep. CarDekho, India’s biggest automobile platform provides the online channel to purchase car tyres from JK Tyre and AutoBrix India’s leading Doorstep Auto Services Provider enabling Tyre delivery and Fitment at customer’s Doorstep. 

JK Tyre currently manufactures complete range of tyres for Commercial, Passenger, Farm, 2-3 Wheeler and Off-The-Road segments. In the Passenger Vehicle segment, JK tyre caters to luxury Sedan, SUV, Mid size Sedans and Hatchback customers through its popular range of Ux Royale, Ranger series, Ultima and Taximax brands. Car Dekho will have the entire range of car tyres available for purchase and AutoBrix will provide seamless express delivery and Fitment at doorstep.

Commenting on the association, Mr. Srinivasu Allaphan, Director - Sales & Marketing, JK Tyre & Industries said, “As seen with almost every industry, automobiles, and especially tyres, are finding a strong demand online. There has been a dramatic shift in the consumer behavior towards e-commerce, in the last few months due to the ongoing pandemic. Our partnership with CarDekho and AutoBrix for Tyre Man reinforces our motto of staying in Total Control, where we extend safety and convenience to our consumers and have the purchased tyres fitted right at their doorstep.”

Customers can purchase tyres online through the CarDekho platform and AutoBrix will complete the order by providing the fitment service at customer’s doorstep. The comprehensive information about vehicle fitment on CarDekho platform also allows the user to make informed choice about the kind of tyre to purchase.

"This partnership between CarDekho and JK Tyre brings two of the biggest brands in the automotive space together. As part of our journey of becoming the largest personal mobility player in the country, we are committed to give our customers the best online buying experience, which will be enhanced by this collaboration. The launch of Tyre Man will ensure that the customer cannot only buy a car online but also gets quality tyres delivered to their doorstep. As a leading full stack auto tech company, we are leaving no stone unturned in helping customers across their entire car purchase, ownership and sale journey and we are confident that this too will contribute in easing their requirement in current time." said Mr. Amit Jain, Co-founder and CEO, CarDekho. 

Mrs. Prathibha Shalini, Founder, AutoBrix said, “We all know how Covid has impacted the world so as the Auto Services industry. Today world is looking at more doorstep services in every sector and Auto services is no exception. This Partnership with JK Tyres and Car Dekho takes the tyre purchase experience to next level with our doorstep services. We at AutoBrix always put our customers first with Doorstep services. We are excited to partner with JK Tyres and Car Dekho in enhancing the customer experience in tyre purchase and fitment segment across India.”

Tyre Man will be rolled out first in Bangalore in its pilot phase from March 2021, before being rolled out to the major cities and towns in India by Q2’ 2021.

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.

The New MINI Countryman SAV Launched In The Indian Market

* Versatile, five-seater Sports Activity Vehicle (SAV) with an abundance of style and inspiration for new adventures.

* Available for the first-time with an all-in ‘Absolute Value’ offer for a comprehensive ownership experience.

* #AddInspiration #TheAdventurer #TheNewMINICountryman #MINI #MINIIndia #TheMINIThings

The new MINI Countryman was launched in India today. Locally produced at BMW Group Plant Chennai, the new MINI Countryman will be available in two petrol variants - MINI Countryman Cooper S and MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired. Bookings and test drives are open at all MINI authorised dealers and the MINI Online Shop (shop.mini.in).

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “The new MINI Countryman inspires you to take the path to new experiences and new horizons of the mind. This versatile sports activity vehicle (SAV) is just as home in an urban jungle as it is in the great outdoors. Its adrenaline pumping engine, elegant interior design features and latest technology blend harmoniously together. The new MINI Countryman guarantees exciting new experiences, whether on a planned holiday or a spontaneous getaway. We are pleased to launch the new MINI Countryman for the first-time with an all-in ‘Absolute Value’ offer for our customers that ensures a comprehensive ownership experience.”

The ex-showroom prices* of the two petrol engine variants are as follows:

MINI Countryman Cooper S                :INR 39,50,000

MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired   :INR 43,40,000

*Price prevailing at the time of invoicing will be applicable. Ex-showroom prices inclusive of GST (incl. compensation cess) as applicable but excludes Road Tax, Tax Collected at Source (TCS), RTO statutory taxes/fees, other local tax cess levies and insurance. Price and options are subject to change without prior notice. For further information, please contact the local MINI Authorised Dealer.

The new MINI Countryman adds a refreshed look with its inspiring design, new features and technology making it a perfect companion for long journeys or city drives and comes for the first-time with an all-in ‘Absolute Value’ offer.  For a fixed EMI, customers can own the versatile new MINI Countryman for a period of 3 or 4 years with a secure and comprehensive ownership package that includes Service Inclusive Plus, Repair Inclusive, MINI Secure, Assured Buy-back Value with MINI 360°, Loyalty/ Trade-in offer as well as an attractive 20% discount on MINI Accessories & Lifestyle. The all-in ‘Absolute Value’ offer will be available on both variants of the new MINI Countryman till end of June 2021. Further details on the offer are available at all MINI authorised dealerships.

The new MINI Countryman introduces two new colour options – White Silver and Sage Green, newly designed front and rear bumper, radiator grille, LED headlights and LED Rear Lights now with Union Jack Design. The new 5.5-inch/13.97 cm Multifunction fully Digital Display, new Leather Chester Upholstery in Malt Brown and Satellite Grey with matching colour line, MINI Yours Interior Style Shaded Silver Illuminated interior surface trim, John Cooper Works Aerodynamic kit and 7- Speed Double Clutch Steptronic Sport Transmission are exclusive to the new MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired.

The new MINI Countryman will be available in six striking colours including Sage Green (new), White Silver (new), Midnight Black, Chilli Red, Island Blue and British Racing Green.

The new MINI Countryman

Exterior of the new MINI Countryman expresses the vehicle’s versatility, agility and premium character. Its powerful proportions lend a particularly distinctive presence that combines iconic MINI design language with enhanced functionality. Precise contours on the surface underline the car’s athletic shape and vertical orientation. Contrasting roof, new LED headlight, LED rear lights in Union Jack Design, new radiator grille, new front and rear bumper and 17-inch/43.18 cm Imprint Spoke Wheel in the Cooper S variant add a fresh new look to the already captivating design. The roof-rails in satin-finished aluminium are combined with silver-coloured side sill tops, thereby lending greater visual emphasis to the height of the car. The slightly asymmetrically rounded contour of the LED headlamp together with the radiator grille produces a distinctive front view. The John Cooper Works Aerodynamic kit and 18 inch/ 45.72 cm John Cooper Works Thrill Spoke Wheel in the Cooper S JCW Inspired variant with Runflat tyres add to the overall style quotient of the vehicle.

The exquisite interior style blends modern aesthetics and refined craftsmanship with practical functionality. The typical MINI cockpit impresses with its clear horizontal structure, stretched lines and generously sized surfaces. The MINI Countryman Cooper S comes with Interior Surface Piano Back with Leatherette Carbon Black upholstery while the MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired offers a new trim MINI Yours Interior Style Shaded Silver with options of either Leather Chester Malt Brown or Leather Chester Satellite Grey upholstery. The colour lines seen along the door panel, armrest surfaces and knee pads under the dashboard are now matched with the individual upholstery colours.

The MINI Excitement Pack features LED interior and ambient lighting which illuminates the cockpit with a choice of selectable colours as well as a projection of the MINI logo from the exterior mirror on the driver's side when opening and closing the car door.

John Cooper Works influence continues in the illuminated cockpit with the JCW sports leather steering wheel. The car is equipped with premium features such as the Harman Kardon Hi-Fi Speaker System, Panorama Glass Sunroof, MINI Wired Package including MINI Navigation System with Touch Controller and Bluetooth mobile connectivity.

The MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired introduces a new Multifunction fully Digital Display that offers a clear view of speed, gear, fuel level, mileage, temperature and navigation instructions. The Head-Up Display further helps in keeping eyes on the road without missing essential details such as driving speed and navigation instructions. The iconic circular central instrument panel is surrounded by an LED ring offering a brilliant colour display in 8.8-inch/22.35 cm touchscreen (6.5-inch/16.51cm in the Cooper S variant). The intuitive use is complemented by the controller on the middle console for easy operation of multimedia, phone and car functions. Wireless charging is also offered as standard in this variant.

The electric seat adjustment with memory function now offers enhanced head and shoulder space for both the driver and front passenger. The three full-fledged seats at the rear make for ample and comfortable seating for rear passengers. Using the cargo function, boot capacity can be increased from 450 litres to 1,390 litres by folding down the rear backrest with its 40:20:40 split. The new MINI Countryman can be parked at a scenic space and the view can be enjoyed with the unique Picnic Bench that folds out of the luggage compartment to provide seating space for two while protecting the clothing with a fender dirt protection flap. Automatic Tailgate combined with Comfort Access System allows the boot to be opened and closed just by waving the foot under the rear fender.

When it comes to power, the new MINI Countryman makes no compromises. It is powered by the latest MINI TwinPower Turbo Technology offering outstanding performance and efficiency. The 2-litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with TwinPower Turbo Technology makes the new MINI Countryman high on performance and light on fuel. It mobilises a peak output of 192 hp/141 kW at 5,000 – 6,000 rpm and produces a maximum torque of 280 Nm at 1,350 – 4,600 rpm. It sprints to 100 km/hr in 7.5 seconds and the top speed is 225 km/hr.

The new 7-Speed Double Clutch Steptronic Transmission in Cooper S and the 7-Speed Double Clutch Steptronic Sport Transmission in Cooper S JCW Inspired offers even more efficient, comfortable and sporty driving due to a broader gear spread and smaller engine speed steps. The MINI Countryman Cooper S JCW Inspired features paddles shifters for even sportier driving experience.

MINI Driving Modes enable an individualised vehicle set-up focusing on ride comfort, enhanced sportiness or efficiency according to driver’s preference. In addition to the standard MID mode there is a choice of SPORT and GREEN mode. Driver Assistance Systems include Cruise Control, Park Assistant, Rear View Camera and Head-Up Display.

The new MINI Countryman is stacked with cutting-edge safety technology. The standard safety equipment comprises of front passenger airbags, Brake Assist, 3-Point Seat Belts, Dynamic Stability Control, Crash Sensor, Anti-lock Braking System, Cornering Brake Control and Run-flat tyres as standard.

The standard MINIMALISM technology includes auto start/stop function, brake energy recuperation, active cooling air flaps and electromechanical power steering.