SS Rajamouli & PVR Collaborate For The Biggest & Never-Heard-Before Association Of All Time!

One of Indian cinema’s most successful filmmaker - SS Rajamouli and the country’s largest cinema exhibitor PVR have entered into a first of its kind association of all time for the highly-anticipated action drama ‘RRR’ featuring Ram Charan, NTR Jr, Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt, scheduled to release on 7th January, 2022 world over.

For the first time in the history of world cinema, largest multiplex chain operator – PVR has decided to alter their brand identity and logo to the movie name ‘RRR’. Starting today, PVR will now be referred to as ‘PVRRR’. Announcing the same, filmmaker SS Rajamouli and Ajay Bijli – Chairman & Managing Director PVR Ltd have unveiled the new ‘PVRRR’ logo in front of the gathered media and spoke about this unique and never-heard-before movie association.

Post the logo unveil, the PVR team launched the special ‘PVRRR promo’ which will be played in all PVR multiplex chains across the country. The media personnel were taken in for a huge surprise, as they witnessed a special teaser of India’s biggest action drama ‘RRR’. Needless to say, the impressive teaser was highly appreciated by the media fraternity with whistles, cheer and uproar.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Ajay Bijli, Chairman and Managing Director, PVR Ltd, said, “‘RRR’ is one of the biggest, most expensive and greatly anticipated movies of 2022. We are proud to be associated with this larger-than-life spectacle, helmed by SS Rajamouli  and considered to be yet another game-changer in the movie business. I am sure this initiative will be able to generate good buzz for ‘RRR’ and build huge anticipation among the movie buffs.”

Echoing the same sentiment, Mr. SS Rajamouli added, “I am really happy that theatres are reopening, as I believe the magic of cinema is truly enjoyed in theatres. We are happy that ‘RRR’ will be releasing in cinemas in January next year and to announce the same what better way to associate with PVR which is now PVRRR.”

Set in pre-independence India, the film is a fictional take on the younger days of celebrated freedom fighters, Komaram Bheem and Alluri Seetharamaraju. The biggest multi-starrer of India features, Ram Charan, NTR Jr along with Ajay Devgn and Alia Bhatt. The project is helmed by SS Rajamouli, who was also the mastermind behind the record breaking Baahubali series.

PEN Studios has bagged the theatrical distribution rights across North India and have also bought the worldwide electronic rights for all languages. Pen Marudhar will be distributing the film in the North Territory.

‘RRR’ will hit the screens worldwide on 7th January, 2022.

About PVR Limited

PVR is the largest and the most premium film exhibition company in India. Since its inception in 1997, the brand has redefined the way entertainment is perceived in the country. PVR currently operates a cinema circuit comprising of 855 screens at 178 properties in 72 cities (India and Sri Lanka), serving over 100 million patrons annually. PVR offers an array of formats in the premium screen category, which stands at 8 screens of Director’s Cut, 39 screens of LUXE, 04 screens of Sapphire, 09 screens of IMAX, 18 screens of 4DX, 09 screens of P[XL], 13 screens of Playhouse and 01 screen of PVR Onyx across the country.

Many Drives, One Passion: BMW Golf Cup 2021 Concludes India Chapter

* Winners to participate in the prestigious World Final in United Arab Emirates

The BMW Golf Cup 2021 tournament lived up to its reputation as one of the most prestigious amateur golf tournaments in India when it came to an exciting climax at Classic Golf and Country Club today. The tournament’s regional winners, who fought for supremacy at the national grand finale, also had a chance to interact with India’s iconic cricketer Mr. Yuvraj Singh over the welcome dinner hosted by BMW India.

Mr. Karan Singhvi, Mr. Arpit Mashruwala and Ms. Sunita Singla are the national winners and will proudly represent India at the World Final of the BMW Golf Cup which is scheduled to be held at Jumeirah Golf Estates, Dubai, United Arab Emirates from 5 to 10 December 2021.

Mr. Vikram Pawah, President, BMW Group India said, “We are committed to present the sport of golf and its many valuable attributes to a broader audience across India. The BMW Golf Cup attracts not just our customers and prospects but also other patrons. Golf calls for precision, practice and an unwavering eye to detail - qualities of a perfectionist that BMW embodies in all aspects. The players have once again treated us to a splendid game in true BMW style. We congratulate all winners and wish them the best at the World Final of BMW Golf Cup.”

The exclusive, invitation-only BMW Golf Cup 2021 was held across 13 cities with 11 BMW Trackman Challenge Tournaments and 4 tournaments on the finest golf courses starting November 2020. Over 750 amateur golfers participated in 2020-21. The winners from these regional tournaments competed at the National Final.

BMW Golf Cup is an amateur golf tournament series designed for customers, prospects and opinion leaders and provides the right mix for an exclusive social interaction. India is one of the 50 participating countries at the World Final.

BMW Golf Cup 2021 has three categories - A (for handicaps up to 12), B (for handicaps 13 – 28) and Ladies Category (for handicaps up to 28). The winners, runners-up and second runners-up of the individual handicap categories qualify for the National Final. The winners in each of the three handicap categories in the National Final qualify to take part in the World Final.

BMW Golf Cup

BMW Golf Cup, one of the world’s largest amateur golf tournament series, can trace its roots back a quarter of a century to a British-based initiative that ran on its own for five years before going international. The tournament started as the BMW Invitation Tournament in UK. It has now developed into a global series with 1,000 qualifying tournaments involving 100,000 players in up to 50 countries. The best players from each nation qualify for the highlight, the BMW Golf Cup World Final.

Castrol India Announces 3Q 2021 (Jul-Sep) And 9M 2021 (Jan-Sep) Results

Highlights

Strong financial performance in nine months ended 30 September 2021

Continued revenue growth in 3Q 2021 while ensuring health and safety

Return to offices in a phased manner with sales force back on the field

Supporting our communities with vaccination drives across key transport hubs

Sandeep Sangwan, Managing director, Castrol India Limited:

Castrol India Limited reported a strong financial performance and resilient business growth in 3Q 2021 maintaining the momentum built over the previous two quarters in 2021. We also delivered a robust topline and bottomline growth in 9M 2021 versus 2020.

9M 2021 Revenue from Operations of ₹3,102 crores, marking an increase of 50% compared to 9M 2020

9M 2021 Profit Before Tax of ₹772 crores, marking an increase of 44% compared to 9M 2020

3Q 2021 Revenue from Operations of ₹1,073 crores, registering a sequential increase of 21% from 2Q 2021, and an increase of 22% compared to 3Q 2020

3Q 2021 Profit Before Tax of ₹250 crores, registering a sequential increase of 31% from 2Q 2021, and a decrease of 10% compared to 3Q 2020

Our 3Q 2021 net sales grew by 22% compared to 3Q 2020. The cost of goods sold (COGS) environment continued to be very challenging due to a sharp rise in input costs. We responded through timely pricing interventions and continued investment in our brands’ advertising and marketing spends to support value delivery to customers and reinforce brand salience. These measures helped us navigate the dynamic market situation. 

We launched new products with the latest BS-VI ready technology such as Castrol MAGNATEC for cars, and four BS-VI ready variants for Castrol CRB Turbomax and CRB Minitruck for commercial vehicles.

With the automotive sector rapidly gearing up for electric mobility in the passenger vehicle segment, we are exploring options with two-wheeler electric vehicle (EV) manufacturers for development of EV fluids. At the same time, we continue supplying EV fluids to two of the top OEMs in India.

We kicked off the fourth edition of the ‘Castrol Super Mechanic Contest’, a national platform for independent auto mechanics to showcase their talent, upskill themselves with the latest technologies and win the title of ‘Castrol Super Mechanic.’ The contest is a one-of-its-kind upskilling initiative and is also endorsed by the Automotive Skills Development Council (ASDC) of India. We hope to enroll over 100,000 mechanics across India through this platform.

Pioneering the concept of an express oil change while on-the-go, Castrol India Limited continued to expand its ‘Express Oil Change’ service at Jio-bp fuel stations. This will go a long way in providing a convenient and reliable service & brand experience for our customers.

In these challenging times, the safety of our work force and support to our communities continue to be our strategic priorities, along with protecting the financial health of our business. In 3Q 2021, our sales staff resumed market visits & customer engagement and our offices were opened in a phased manner. In addition, we are conducting Covid-19 vaccination drives across key transport hubs in India, where we plan to help administer more than 75,000 vaccine doses to truck drivers and mechanics. This initiative will include procuring vaccines for the beneficiaries through collaboration with local authorities, support with registration on the CoWin app and creating awareness on the benefits of vaccination.

3Q 2021 also saw Castrol India Limited gaining external recognition and accolades. These include:

Our Paharpur plant was awarded by the Indian Chamber of Commerce with its prestigious National Occupational Health & Safety Awards. We bagged the Silver award in the Oil & Gas Sector in the Large Enterprise category.

At the Tata Motors Supplier Awards 2021, Castrol India Limited was awarded the ‘Ramp up Agility’ award for our contribution towards ensuring supply continuity for Tata’s ICE & Electric Car manufacturing operations.

Our Silvassa plant received a GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standards) certification, which enhances our opportunities to work closely with textile machinery manufacturers.

Our Patalganga plant successfully commercialized a low temperature blending process for select product variants. This will enable us to reduce our overall energy consumption and reduce our carbon emissions in line with our global Path 360º sustainability goals.

About Castrol India Limited

Castrol is one of the world’s leading lubricant brands and has a proud heritage of innovation and fueling the dreams of pioneers. Castrol India Limited is one of India’s leading lubricants companies with iconic brands such as Castrol CRB, Castrol GTX, and power brands like Castrol Activ, Castrol MAGNATEC and Castrol VECTON being the brand of choice for millions of consumers and customers across the country. The company also has a presence in select segments like High Performance Lubricants and metalworking fluids used in a wide variety of industries such as automotive manufacturing, mining, machinery, and wind energy.

Castrol India has a large manufacturing and distribution network in India with three blending plants and a distribution network of 350 distributors who reach consumers and customers through over 100,000 retail outlets. In addition, Castrol sub-distributors reach additional outlets in rural markets while the company also directly services over 3,000 key institutional accounts. Along with providing world class products and services, Castrol India focuses on and prioritizes safety, compliance, and quality. For more information, please visit www.castrol.co.in

Zendesk To Acquire Momentive And Its Iconic SurveyMonkey Platform

* Beloved customer service and customer feedback brands will create powerful new Customer Intelligence company that enables businesses to build more meaningful relationships

* Combination expected to be growth accretive by 2023 and accelerate Zendesk’s revenue plan to $3.5 billion in 2024

Zendesk (NYSE: ZEN) and Momentive (NASDAQ: MNTV) have entered into a definitive agreement under which Zendesk will acquire Momentive, including its iconic SurveyMonkey platform. The terms of the transaction provide for Momentive stockholders to receive 0.225 shares of Zendesk stock for each share of Momentive stock, a ratio which represents an implied value of approximately $28 per outstanding share of Momentive stock based on the 15-day volume weighted average price of Zendesk common stock up to and including October 26, 2021.

Zendesk expects the combination to be growth accretive in its first full operating year and accelerate Zendesk’s revenue plan to $3.5 billion in 2024, one year ahead of its previous target. The companies’ respective sizable customer bases and complementary capabilities are expected to provide significant opportunity for joint product adoption and increasing Momentive’s enterprise traction. Zendesk will reinvest savings from scale efficiencies into compelling growth opportunities to support the combination. Upon the close of the transaction, Momentive CEO Zander Lurie will continue to lead Momentive’s strong management team.

“The SurveyMonkey brand is iconic and we’ve admired their business from afar since the inception of Zendesk. They truly democratized an industry—almost everyone in the world has responded to one of their surveys at some point,” said Mikkel Svane, CEO & Founder, Zendesk. “We’re very excited to have them join the Zendesk mission along with Momentive’s market research and insights products and together create a powerful new Customer Intelligence company. We will deliver a rich, colorful picture of every customer so businesses really understand their customers and can build more authentic relationships.”

“We look forward to combining with Zendesk to advance our mission and accelerate our long-term growth strategy,” said Zander Lurie, CEO, Momentive. “This is a testament to the strength of our agile products and talented team. Zendesk and Momentive share a culture centered around our people, our communities and the customers we serve. The synergies between our companies are proximate and compelling. We are uniquely positioned to make Customer Intelligence a reality while delivering significant value for our shareholders.”

Acquisition to Create Powerful New Customer Intelligence Company

In today’s digital-first economy, it is imperative to build more meaningful relationships with customers. Meaning comes from a deep understanding of the customer and their experiences. Although businesses often have an endless supply of data, they lack actionable and personalized customer intelligence. Instead, businesses are left with a picture of the customer that is one dimensional, impersonal and incomplete.

Zendesk pioneered the ability to respond to what customers say and do, making it easier to deliver superior customer service. Momentive is a leader in capturing how customers think and feel, helping companies make critical decisions quickly and confidently.

With Momentive, Zendesk will create what businesses really need—a customer intelligence company that connects what customers say and do, with how they think and feel. The combination will give businesses the ability to:

Listen to your customers: Collect critical information about customer needs, experiences and expectations

Develop a rich picture: Bring a customer into focus by combining transactional data with market research and insights for the context to truly understand them

Act on insights: Empower teams to take action with the full breadth of data about their customers as well as feedback and market insights to improve customer interactions

Transaction Terms

Following a comprehensive review, the boards of directors of Zendesk and Momentive have approved the transaction.

The terms of the transaction provide for Momentive stockholders to receive 0.225 shares of Zendesk stock for each share of Momentive stock, a ratio which represents an implied value of approximately $28 per outstanding share of Momentive stock based on the 15-day volume weighted average price of Zendesk common stock up to and including October 26, 2021. Upon closing of the transaction, Zendesk stockholders will own approximately 78% of the combined company and Momentive stockholders will own approximately 22% of the combined company. The transaction, which is anticipated to close in the first half of 2022, is subject to approval by Zendesk stockholders and Momentive stockholders, the receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Zendesk has published a presentation to provide an overview of the transaction, available on both Zendesk and Momentive’s investor relations websites. Additional details and information about the terms and conditions of the transaction will be available in Current Reports on Form 8-K to be filed by Zendesk and Momentive with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Quarterly Financial Results

In separate press releases issued today, Zendesk announced financial results for the third quarter of 2021 and Momentive announced preliminary results for its third quarter of 2021. Momentive will issue a press release to share its full third quarter financial results on November 9, 2021.

About Momentive

Momentive (formerly SurveyMonkey) is a leader in agile experience management, delivering powerful, purpose-built solutions that bring together the best parts of humanity and technology to redefine AI. Momentive products, including GetFeedback, SurveyMonkey, and its brand and market insights solutions, empower decision-makers at 345,000 organizations worldwide to shape exceptional experiences. More than 20 million active users rely on Momentive to fuel market insights, brand insights, employee experience, customer experience, and product experience. Ultimately, the company’s vision is to raise the bar for human experiences by amplifying individual voices. Learn more at www.momentive.ai.

About Zendesk

Zendesk started the customer experience revolution in 2007 by enabling any business around the world to take their customer service online. Today, Zendesk is the champion of great service everywhere for everyone, and powers billions of conversations, connecting more than 100,000 brands with hundreds of millions of customers over telephony, chat, email, messaging, social channels, communities, review sites and help centers. Zendesk products are built with love to be loved. The company was conceived in Copenhagen, Denmark, built and grown in California, taken public in New York City, and today employs more than 5,000 people across the world. Learn more at www.zendesk.com.

After Launch Of ‘Spoke-Shore Strategy For GCC’, KDEM Launches ‘Mangaluru Technovanza’

* Platform By Karnataka Digital Economy Mission Under Beyond Bengaluru Initiative

* Announcing Mangaluru -The Emerging Tech Cluster

With upcoming Bengaluru Tech Summit 2021, the Government of Karnataka and Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM) under Beyond Bengaluru initiative in the city of Mangaluru launched a big event called ‘Mangaluru Technovanza’. The program is aimed at enhancing growth in the IT /ITeS, Business Processing Outsourcing (BPO), Electronic System Design Manufacturing (ESDM), and Telecom sector industries located in emerging technology clusters in Tier II & III cities across the State. ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ is an initiative of KDEM and the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and S&T, Government of Karnataka. Earlier this month, the first ‘Beyond Bengaluru’ conclave was held in the cities of Hubbali and Mysuru.

The Beyond Bengaluru Event was inaugurated today in Mangaluru with a host of dignitaries such as Hon’ble Minister Ms. Shobha Karandlaje, Union Minister of State for Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Hon. Minister Electronics, IT, Bt, and S&T, and Minister for Higher Education, Skill Development; Sri Mohandas Pai, Co-Founder and Chairman at Aarin Capital;  Sri Kris Gopalakrishnan, Chairman of Vision Group on Information Technology; Sri. Prashanth Prakash, Chairman, Startup Vision Group, GOK and Partner at Accel; Mr. Praveen Kumar Kalbhavi, Co-Founder, Managing Director, Novigo Solutions Private Limited; Mr. Sanjeev Gupta, MD & CEO, Lahari; Dr. E. V. Ramana Reddy, ACS Dept. of Electronics, IT, Bt and S&T; Sri. B.V. Naidu, Chairman, Karnataka Digital Economy Mission; Mr. Prashanth Shenoy, Director, Mangalore Infotech Solutions; Sri. Biren Ghose, Country Head, Technicolor India; Mr. Harshil Mathur, CEO RazorPay; Mr. Rohith Bhat, CEO & Founder, Robosoft and K S Viswanathan, Vice President, NASSCOM.     

Bengaluru in the last two decades has emerged as the most preferred destination for investments by leading Indian and global multinationals. The Beyond Bengaluru initiative of KDEM will contribute to Government of Karnataka’s existing efforts to move the technology and innovation related activity to the cities beyond Bengaluru. The Government of Karnataka has already taken a number of steps and rolled out several initiatives aimed at enhancing the ecosystem in these cities, leading to an increase in demand from IT/GCC/ESDM companies for workforce in Tier II & III cities.

In India, 30% of the overall GDP is driven by the digital economy.  With the aim to attract at least 100 GCCs by 2025, KDEM announced Mangaluru as ‘A Strategic IT Destination’ at Mangaluru Technovanza held in the city. This initiative of the Beyond Bengaluru mission of KDEM, will focus on attracting and setting aspirational goals for GCCs as well as hosting IT companies. It aims at creating employment opportunities for 10,00,000 (direct and indirect) candidates by 2026. The Beyond Bengaluru initiative aims to attract and host 5000 IT companies and start-ups by 2026 in the Mangaluru, Mysuru and Hubbali clusters.          

Dr. C. N. Ashwath Narayan, Hon'ble Minister Electronics, IT, Bt, and S&T, and Minister for Higher Education, Skill Development inaugurated the KDEM Mangaluru office at COEL and announced the launch of FutureDigitalJobs@Mangaluru with 1000 positions in partnership with FUEL and Talential Global for fresh Engg graduates to get jibs in good companies. Speaking at the event, he said, “Through this initiative, new engineering graduates in tier 2 and tier 3 cities will have the opportunity build successful careers. Candidates selected through this initiative in the Mangaluru Cluster will also be provided launch pad training, specific to the job roles. KDEM office will facilitatae all companies to expand their businesses and work with Govt to provide all necessary support. As a part of the initiative to develop ‘Mangalore: An emerging Tech Cluster’ , select companies have been recognized and MoUs have been signed between KDEM and Shayadri, CEOL, IFSCA, Sapientury, and Gigvista.”

Speaking at the Inaugural program Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, Additional Chief Secretary- Department of Electronics, IT-BT & S&T said, “KDEM has shown that a strong partnership can be developed between Industry and government and both will work hand in hand to resolve the issues, built digital infrastructure and grow digital economy. Early results are coming where we have offices in Mysore, Hubballi and now in Mangalore. Our aspiration to create employment opportunities for 10,00,000 (direct and indirect) candidates by 2026 is possible. Further, the Beyond Bengaluru initiative is a harbinger to ushering dividends from IT, ITES, BPM & Electronics sector along with employment creation in tier 2 & 3 cities of Karnataka”

Mr B.V. Naidu, Chairman Karnataka Digital Economy Mission addressing the gathering explained that last two decades, Off-shore strategy has helped many GCC to come and create their off-shore Hubs in Bangalore.  Now the time has come for these hubs to be supported by ‘Emerging Tech Clusters’ and create their spokes at locations beyond Bengaluru such as Mangaluru, Hubli and Mysuru. This strategy will help IT companies and GCCs expand to these emerging clusters where the Talent is available. KDEM will help in creating such a transformation.

Mangaluru being a preferred destination for businesses across several industry verticals will play a key role in the digital transformation and development in the state. As a part of the event, Mohandas Pai, Co-Founder and Chairman at Aarin Capital highlighted the potential of Mangaluru for the Tech Industry in the New Normal, as a driving force for the future digital economy and businesses in India.

The event included two engaging fireside chats on Technology and Design.  The one by Mr Sanjeev Gupta with Sri. Biren Ghose, Country Head, Technicolor India and Sri. Sandeep Kamalasanan, Managing Partner, Unit9 explored the topic of Future Tech in AVGC. The second Fireside chat between Sri. Krishnamoorthy K, CEO, IESA with Sri. Vinay Shenoy, Managing Director, Infineon Technologies focused on Design house under Beyond Bengaluru initiative what next?

Further, the event also included a series of panel discussions by industry heads – Mangaluru as “The FinTech Hub”; Remote, Return or Reinvent: Defining the Next Hybrid Engagement Models; Reskilling or Upskilling workforce - Role of Technology in Education; and Startups – Son of Soil /Entrepreneurship Development @ Mangaluru focused on the future of cluster cities and technological changes in business across sectors, promising a level-playing field in new business opportunities and investments for cities like Mangaluru.

Industry experts who presided the event shared their views on areas of technological interest like Fin-Tech, EdTech, Agri-tech, artificial Intelligence, and the concept of Industry 4.0. The first event in this series ‘Impact & Innovation @ Hubli’ successfully concluded on October 5, 2021 at Hubli with the inaugural address by Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Sh. Basavraj Bommai. The second event ‘The Big Tech Show’ @ Mysuru was a success, held on October 25, 2021, before culminating into the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS 2021) event, scheduled for 17th to 19th November.

The Bengaluru Tech Summit 2021 is scheduled to be held in its virtual avatar between November 17 and 19th, 2021 with its central theme "Driving the Next". BTS 2021 will witness the coming together of Global Leaders, Indian Corporate, R&D and Start-Ups from IT, Deeptech and Biotech deciphering the future, showcasing next-gen technologies, forging partnerships and alliances.

Details of the Panel Discussions

Mangaluru as “The FinTech Hub” was addressed by Mr. Harshil Mathur, CEO, RazorPay with key panellists such as Mr. Miten Sampath, Founder, Cred; Mr. Anup Pai, CEO, e-Samudaay; Mahabaleshwar Bhat , MD & CEO, Karnataka Bank; Mr Joseph Joshy, CFO, IFSCA, GOI; and Timmana Gouda, Founder, Managing Director, Whatsloan. The panel was moderated by Mr. Ananth Pandit, Director at Gana Yantrika Enterprises Pvt Ltd. 

Remote, Return or Reinvent: Defining the Next Hybrid Engagement Models was addressed by Mr. Rohith Bhat, CEO & Founder, Robosoft with panellists such as Mr Parminder, Head of Policy, Wipro; Mr. Prashant Mishra, IAS, Managing Director, MESCOM; Mr Jose Jacob Kalayil, Chairman, Indo American Chamber of Commerce, Karnataka; and Ms Shuchika Sahay, Chief HR Officer, Firstsource. The panel was moderated by Mr. Praveen Kumar Kalbhavi Co-Founder, Managing Director, Novigo Solutions Private Limited

Reskilling or Upskilling workforce - Role of Technology in Education exploring the role of Digital Education in creating a Future-Ready Workforce was addressed by K S Viswanathan, Vice President, NASSCOM. The panellists included Mr Rupesh Tripathi, Partner and Head of People at KPMG Global Services; Mr. Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education; Mr. Abhimanyu Saxena, Founder Scaler Academy; Mr. Anilesh Seth, Co-founder and CEO, GigVistas; and Mr. Vinesh Menon, CEO, Ampersand Group. The panel was moderated by Mr. Johnson Tellis, CEO Technical Career Education.

Startups – Son of Soil / Entrepreneurship Development @ Mangaluru was closest to home that celebrated and spoke about the successful start-ups that Mangaluru has offered to the state and the industry. The panellists included Mr. Rohith Bhat, CEO, 99Games; Mr. Subodh Shetty, CEO, Prasanna Technologies; Mr. Suyog Shetty, CEO Niveus Solutions; Mr. Dikshith Rai, CEO CodeCraft Technologies; and Mr.Venkatesh P V, Director, Brevera Technologies. The session was moderated by Mr. Iqbal Mohammad, Founder MD Semnox Solutions.

About Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM)

With an objective to increase the share of Digital economy in the state, the Government of Karnataka set up the Karnataka Digital Economy Mission (KDEM), a Section-8 organization, which acts as a knowledge bridge between the industry and the government. To meet the objectives, KDEM has been working towards the five focus areas, viz. IT Products & Services, BPM & GCC promotion; Innovations & Start-ups; ESDM; Beyond Bengaluru; and Talent Accelerator.

The Beyond Bengaluru Program

The Beyond Bengaluru program of KDEM, in particular, is spearheading the objective of proliferating the growth of digital economy in clusters beyond Bangalore. This is done for select identified clusters in the state by developing and facilitating a product-based ecosystem. Building a community of key industry players, entrepreneurs, start-up owners, academia, accelerators, and student community, the Beyond Bengaluru program of KDEM is steering towards getting investments and generating employment in the State.

ICICIdirect Launches e-ATM For Mutual Funds For Instant Liquidity On MF Redemptions

* Instant payout of 50-70% of redemption value

* Facility available even post market and banking hours

ICICIdirect, an online platform for investments, protection and loan products, today announced the launch of a revolutionary new offering, e-ATM for Mutual Funds, wherein customers will get instant payout on their MF redemption orders, against 2-4 working days in the normal cycle.

With e-ATM for MFs, ICICIdirect customers get payout within 30 min of redemption. Clients would get redemption of 50-70% of their MF redemption value within 30 minutes, and balance amount as per the payout cycle of the fund, which can be 2-4 working days. Maximum redemption is capped at INR 10 lakh per customer right now. If client redeems amount after 7:30 pm s/he will get the redemption at 10 am the next working day.

Mr. Kedar Deshpande, Head - Retail Distribution, ICICI Securities, said “After the success of our e-ATM for equities, which provided instant liquidity on sale of shares, our customers had been seeking a similar facility for mutual funds as well. We are happy to introduce ICICIdirect e-ATM for MFs which is available even post market and normal banking hours, and hence will be of great use in meeting urgent and last minute liquidity requirements. For retail investors, access to money is a very important consideration while making their investment decisions. Their ICICIdirect account is almost like an ATM, wherein they can withdraw money within 30 mins of their share and MF sale. This is a very strong value proposition we offer.”

e-ATM for MFs can be availed by resident individuals holding their equity, debt, and liquid schemes in demat units. It is also available for domestic schemes with international exposure. The facility comes at a nominal cost.

About ICICI Securities

ICICI Securities Limited (I-Sec) is a subsidiary of ICICI Bank Ltd. The company began its operation in May 1995 and continues to grow its operation through expanding its client base and providing different type of services.

I-Sec operates www.icicidirect.com, India’s leading virtual financial supermarket, meeting the three need sets of its clients- investments, protection, and borrowing. Through its four lines of businesses -- broking, distribution of financial products, wealth management and investment banking-- I-Sec serves customers ranging from the retail and institutional investors to corporates to high net-worth individuals to government.

I-Sec is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE). For details, visit: www.icicisecurities.com

Goodknight Gold Flash And Kareena Kapoor Khan Partners For Digital Film, Urges Protection Against Malaria And Dengue

Goodknight, India's leading household insecticide brand, has partnered with actress Kareena Kapoor Khan for a new digital film to create awareness around mosquito-borne diseases. The film was showcased for the first time on Kareena’s Instagram account. Through this initiative, Goodknight and Kareena wants people to be cautious against malaria and dengue. The film features Goodknight Gold Flash which is India’s most powerful liquid vapouriser that protects against mosquitoes, hidden in the corners of homes, threatening the health of families.

Kareena Kapoor Khan is one of the most followed superstar in India. A protective mother and wife, the actress is extremely cautious about the health and wellbeing of her entire family.  Kareena herself is a regular user of mosquito repellent solutions for her family.  Thus, the partnership between Kareena and Goodknight works well as the brand itself is committed to ensure families are protected against mosquitoes. 

Conceptualized by Wunderman Thompson Mumbai, the digital film features Kareena in her original avatar- being concerned about her kids. She talks about how stepping out without a mask is dangerous as we are still fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic. But it’s equally important to stay protected indoors from a hidden enemy- mosquitoes. Even though you can’t see them, they are hidden in corners of your house and their one bite is enough to cause diseases like dengue and malaria. However, the actress reveals her solution to keep her home protected. She relies on India’s most powerful liquid vapouriser - Goodknight Gold Flash, which ensures the elimination of mosquitoes through its unique technology which automatically releases flash vapours to knock down mosquitoes.

Commenting on this collaboration, Sunil Kataria CEO - India and SAARC, Godrej Consumer Products Limited, said, “We are pleased to collaborate with Kareena Kapoor Khan for this awareness driven piece of communication which is credible and effective. Mosquito-borne diseases are currently surging across the country and what people don’t realise is that even one mosquito can be a threat to the family’s heath. Through this film, our intent is to reach out the masses across target groups and create awareness. Simultaneously highlight how Goodknight Gold Flash can help and empower households against mosquitoes. Apart from being one of India’s most followed and revered celebrity, Kareena symbolizes a commitment to ensure her family is healthy and protected. As a brand, we too share similar vision to ensure happy moments of families are protected uninterrupted.”

Sharing her perspective on the association, Kareena Kapoor Khan, said, “The pandemic has taught all of us to put family and health first above everything else. Seeing any family suffering from dengue and malaria pains me the most. I wouldn’t want my family or anyone else to go through the illness. Creating awareness and cautioning people is my humble effort along with Goodknight Gold Flash to ensure that people stay safe. I urge people to adopt basic precautions that can go a long way to make the country free of mosquito-borne diseases.”

Commenting on the film concept, Steve Priya, VPs & Executive Creative Directors, Wunderman Thompson Mumbai, said, “We’re all constantly aware of the invisible threat outside. And we will take every single precaution to stay protected for quite some time to come. But we forget that inside our homes too there’s a threat that’s constantly hiding. The dengue causing mosquito. And we may not even be able to spot it.We collaborated with one of India’s most loved and famous mom to create awareness and share our message of protection. To make sure that every home stays truly safe by switching on Goodknight every day.”

With upgraded heating technology and visible efficacy, Goodknight Gold Flash is a game changer in the liquid vapouriser category in India. The product comes with normal and flash mode, backed by a unique chip-based technology that switches between these modes automatically. Goodknight Gold Flash releases vapours for the first 30 minutes and then, automatically switches back to normal. The powerful yet simple repellent guarantees protection against mosquitoes, hidden in secret corners of homes, threatening the health of families.

Link of digital film: https://youtu.be/39UP93kKfNU &

https://www.instagram.com/p/CVj5khwoudS/?utm_medium=copy_link

About Godrej Consumer Products Ltd: 

Godrej Consumer Products is a leading emerging markets company. As part of the 124-year young Godrej Group, we are fortunate to have a proud legacy built on the strong values of trust, integrity and respect for others. At the same time, we are growing fast and have exciting, ambitious aspirations. 

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

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

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

Shikha Gupta, Ex-Creative Director, Swiggy, Now Joins slice As Its New Creative Head

slice, India’s largest credit card challenger start-up, today announced the appointment of Shikha Gupta as its Creative Head. 

Shikha comes with over 13 years of experience & was featured in Impact Magazine’s Top 50 most influential women in 2020. In her previous role as the Creative Director at Swiggy, she helped the team to scale up and delivered some notable creative campaigns for the brand. Prior to this, she was associated with brands and agencies like Urban Ladder, Rediffusion, ideas@work, and Grey Worldwide to name a few.

Commenting on this development, Shikha Gupta, Creative Head, slice, said, “As a brand built by and for the new generation who are always seeking for the simplest and coolest experience, slice is doing all the justification for the mission to demystify the world of finance. I’m excited by the creative challenge this poses and look forward to making slice one of India’s most-loved brands.”

Shikha’s appointment comes at a crucial point, as slice is scaling up the business. The brand rolled out its first ad campaign highlighting the key USP of its super card - its speed. The campaign demonstrated why slice is the card of choice for millennials & Genz.

About slice:

slice is India's largest credit card challenger to pay bills, manage expenses, and unlock rewards. Our members love us and swear by us. We're reinventing how traditional credit cards work by offering a simple and transparent app to help our members transact easily. We have about 4 million registered members with an average age of 27, making us a market leader in a fast-growing segment.

Oh, btw, we offer upto 2% cashback on every transaction, and our members have the option to convert monthly bills payable into 3 installments, with no extra charges. Yup, you can count on us.

For more information, visit: sliceit.com

FlexiLoans Makes It To Visa, MetLife Foundation ‘Inclusive Fintech 50 Cohort’ For 2021

* 48% of lending are to customers in Tier-II and Tier-III towns

* India’s top  SME-focused digital NBFCs growing at a CAGR of 500%

* 1200 crores + of disbursements to over 40,000 loans across 1600+ locations through 100%

* Largest embedded finance players in India with more than 120 partners like Amazon, PayPal, PineLabs, Flipkart, Mswipe, Xiaomi

* Flexiloans Top 50 Global Startups Driving Financial Inclusion and Resilience

FlexiLoans.com, India’s leading MSME-focused digital lending platform has been named a winner of the 2021 Inclusive Fintech 50 (IF50) for helping micro-enterprises grow by providing small business loans at the click of a button. 48% of its loans are to customers in Tier-II and Tier-III towns with 53% of the customers taking a business loan for the first time ever.

The 2021 IF50 awards recognize the top 50 inclusive fintech startups across the globe that are helping low-income customers and micro and small enterprises not just respond to the pandemic, but rebound, rebuild and recover after the past year’s devastation. IF50 is sponsored by Visa, MetLife Foundation, and Jersey Overseas Aid & Comic Relief, with support from Accion and IFC.

FlexiLoans, India’s fastest-growing MSME-focused Fintech NBFC, was selected among a pool of 300 plus applications received across the globe. With this, FlexiLoans joins a marquee group of 50 transformational FinTechs globally.

In its efforts to fuel “Atmanirbhar Bharat “growth, FlexiLoans has emerged amongst India’s top  SME-focused digital NBFCs growing at a CAGR of 500% with more than 1200 crores + of disbursements to over 40,000 loans across 1600+ locations through 100% digital origination and zero branches. The firm raised Rs 150 crore in an equity and debt funding round led by the Sanjay and Falguni Nayar Family Office in Oct 2020.  The firm has raised a total of Rs 500 crore in equity and debt funding so far. 

In the last five years of its inception, FlexiLoans.com has solved the MSME growth capital problem with its unique end-to-end digital sourcing, underwriting, and servicing technology. The company receives over 100,000 applications per month, largely from Tier III and Tier IV cities in India, and is currently disbursing at a run rate over Rs. 850 crores. Its business is powered by a large loan origination system making it one of the largest embedded finance players in India with more than 120 partners like Amazon, PayPal, PineLabs, Flipkart, Mswipe, Xiaomi, etc. using their lending services.  Its Co-lending platform ‘Bi-frost’ now has over 7 co-lending banks and NBFCs that seamlessly participate in funding the MSME customers originated and assessed by FlexiLoans.

Manish Lunia, Co-Founder, FLexiLoans.com said, "We are overwhelmed and delighted to be recognized as an 'Inclusive Fintech' amongst so many strong contenders globally. The award recognizes our mission and efforts to deliver accessible credit to MSMEs even in the most challenging of times such as the pandemic. This award will fuel the fire in our team to deliver on our mission of helping India’s MSMEs grow, prosper, and drive our country forward. Our approach puts the customer at the center and creates products around them by understanding their needs, hopes, and aspirations. We’re working hard on developing our products and growing our company to make a positive impact, so we’re very happy to receive this recognition for what we’re doing.”

About IF50

Inclusive Fintech 50 identifies promising early-stage fintechs driving financial inclusion around the globe through a competitive process led by an independent panel of judges from venture capital, technology, and financial services. Applicants are assessed on the degree to which their target market includes underserved people or businesses, and whether their innovation offers a new value proposition, shows early-stage traction, and can have a noticeable impact on the more than 3 billion financially underserved people globally. Inclusive Fintech 50 is sponsored by Visa, MetLife Foundation, and Jersey Overseas Aid & Comic Relief, with support from Accion and IFC. The initiative is managed by the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI).

About FlexiLoans:

FlexiLoans.com has been ranked amongst the top 100 fintech innovators globally and is one of the Leading Digital Lending Platforms started with a vision to provide "Loans at a click" to SMEs while solving their problem of accessing quick, flexible, and adequate funds. It uses proprietary technology and risk models that focus on advanced analytics and surrogate methods for scoring customers.

Having over 120 partnerships with Ecosystem players such as Flipkart, Amazon, PineLabs, and PayPal, it has been at the forefront of providing lending solutions to MSME ecosystems in India. www.flexiloans.com offers comprehensive details about its products and services. 

Honeywell Solstice Low-Global-Warming-Potential Technology Reduces Global Greenhouse Gas Emission

* Sustainable refrigerants, blowing agents and aerosols have resulted in potential reduction of more than 250 million metric tons of CO2 to date

* As one of the key signatories to the Kigali Amendment, India has committed to cutting down the use of HFCs by 85 percent of their values in 2024-26[1]

Honeywell (Nasdaq: HON) announced today that global adoption of its Solstice® low-global-warming-potential (GWP) refrigerants, blowing agents and aerosols has avoided potential release of the equivalent of more than 250 million metric tons of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, equal to eliminating the potential emissions from more than 52 million cars per year.

Honeywell’s breakthrough Solstice® hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) technology, which helps customers lower their carbon footprint and improve energy efficiency without sacrificing end-product performance, is used in various applications, including refrigerants for supermarkets, air conditioning for cars and trucks, blowing agents for insulation, propellants for personal and household care and solvents for cleaning solutions.

Honeywell has already invested a billion dollars in research, development, and new capacity for the technology, having anticipated the need for lower-GWP solutions to combat climate change more than a decade ago..

To strengthen the Make in India footprint, the Honeywell India Technology Center (HITC) opened a refrigerant technology development center in February 2017 to support local and regional OEM partners in designing, incubating and testing new refrigerants, while helping them transition to lower-GWP alternatives.

“The successful deployment of safe, lower GWP alternatives such as Solstice is critical to meet phasedown targets for higher-GWP materials that were agreed to in the Kigali Amendment to the Montreal Protocol,” said George Koutsaftes, President, Honeywell Advanced Materials. “Honeywell will continue to support the global effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.”

The Solstice line includes:

Solstice yf, an ultra-low GWP refrigerant for automobile air conditioning systems that is currently used in more than 100 million vehicles globally and is expected to grow to 125 million vehicles over the next few years.

Solstice N40, with a GWP approximately 60% lower than legacy hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) refrigerants, is the world’s most adopted, lowest-GWP replacement refrigerant for 404A in the supermarket industry, with more than 60,000 installations in supermarkets across North America, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Solstice Liquid Blowing Agent (LBA), an ultra-low GWP solution used in a variety of rigid foam insulation applications, including residential and commercial refrigeration equipment, spray foam, pour-in-place insulation, and insulated metal panels.

Solstice Propellant, a non-flammable, low GWP solution for aerosol applications, including personal care products, pressure dusters, lubricants and cleaners, and disinfectants.

Solstice ze, an energy efficient, ultra-low GWP refrigerant, has been adopted by heat pump manufacturers to deliver low-carbon and energy cost savings in groundbreaking projects throughout Europe. And Solstice zd, an ultra-low GWP solution is currently used to cool the Channel Tunnel, reducing the energy consumption and carbon footprint of the landmark railway tunnel.

“India is the world’s third-largest energy consuming country, and per one study[2], space cooling is likely to consume around 56% of the total primary energy supply by 2027-28,” said Hitesh Mehta, Regional General Manager, Advanced Materials, Honeywell India. “The use of our Solstice ze solution in sustainable heat pump technology that replaces fossil-fuel based heating is an economical solution for customers to maximize energy savings and reduce carbon emissions.”

About half of Honeywell’s investment in new product introduction research and development is directed towards products that improve environmental and social outcomes for customers, such as Solstice. This aligns with the company’s commitment to become carbon neutral in its facilities and operations by 2035, building on a track record to sharply reduce its greenhouse gas intensity as well as its decades-long history of innovation to help its customers meet their environmental and social goals.

Honeywell is a world leader in the development, manufacture and supply of refrigerants that are sold worldwide under the Solstice® and Genetron® brand names for a wide range of applications including refrigeration and air conditioning for buildings and automobiles.

Honeywell (www.honeywell.com) is a Fortune 100 technology company that delivers industry-specific solutions that include aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings and industry; and performance materials globally. Our technologies help aircraft, buildings, manufacturing plants, supply chains, and workers become more connected to make our world smarter, safer, and more sustainable. For more news and information on Honeywell, please visit www.honeywell.com/newsroom.

This release contains certain statements that may be deemed “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that we or our management intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Such statements are based upon certain assumptions and assessments made by our management in light of their experience and their perception of historical trends, current economic and industry conditions, expected future developments and other factors they believe to be appropriate. The forward-looking statements included in this release are also subject to a number of material risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting our operations, markets, products, services and prices. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results, developments and business decisions may differ from those envisaged by such forward-looking statements. We identify the principal risks and uncertainties that affect our performance in our Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Kalyan Jewellers’ 150th Showroom Launched In Delhi NCR Market

* Showroom inaugurated by regional brand ambassadors of Punjab, West Bengal and & Kerala

Kalyan Jewellers, one of India’s most trusted and leading jewellery brands, today launched its brand new showrooms at Noida The Great India Place GIP Mall and Vegas Mall, Dwarka. Inaugurated by Kalyan Jewellers’ regional ambassadors Wamiqa Gabbi (Punjab), Manju Warrier (Kerala) and Ritabhari Chakrobarthy (West Bengal), these outlets usher the brand towards the milestone of 150 showrooms across India and Middle East, reflecting its wide footprint across markets.

On the occasion of the launch, Wamiqa Gabbi, Kalyan Jewellers’ regional brand ambassador for Punjab said, ‘During my association with Kalyan Jewellers, I have been a part of many showroom inaugurations, but the ones we are launching today are especially special, as it marks the 150th showroom occasion.”

Manju Warrier, regional brand ambassador for Kerala added, “I have been a part of the Kalyan Journey since 2013, and I consider it a matter of personal pride and happiness that I am here for this landmark moment.”

Regional Brand ambassador for West Bengal, Ritabhari Chakrobarthy added, “After visiting the Kalyan showroom in West Bengal and now in Delhi, I have to add that I really admire the vast range of the collections here, and the hyper-local designs that are specially curated according to the region. I look forward to being a part of the journey where Kalyan Jewellers reaches new heights in the years to come.”

Talking about the new showrooms, Mr. TS Kalyanaraman, Chairman & Managing Director – Kalyan Jewellers said, “Today, marks a very special moment for us – with these two new showrooms in Delhi NCR, Kalyan Jewellers is at the golden milestone of 150 showrooms across India and the Middle East. Being a customer-first brand, our priority has always been giving our patrons maximum value from their purchases, and our showrooms reflect this focus with their extensive product range as well as the safe and best-in-class shopping experience they offer to everyone who visits us. We would like to reiterate our commitment to patrons as we continue expanding our footprint across our key markets.”

As part of the launch offer, customers at these showrooms will be able to maximise the value of their purchases with offers that include up to 25% cashback on VA or making charges of gold jewellery with VA starting as low as Rs. 199/- per gram. On diamond jewellery as well as on precious and uncut stone jewellery, a 25% cashback & a 20% cashback on stone charges is also applicable. Cashbacks can be availed in the form of instantly redeemable vouchers, and these offers are valid until 30th November, 2021 at showrooms across India. Customers can also opt for the Gold Rate Protection plan, by paying 10% advance on their intended purchase value.

With Kalyan Jewellers’ ‘We Care’ COVID-19 guidelines, the company has instituted the highest level of safety and precautionary measures across operational showrooms to safeguard the health and safety of both customers and staff alike.

Customers will also be able to avail the benefits of Kalyan’s new 4-Level Assurance Certification on gold jewellery. While jewellery retailed at Kalyan Jewellers goes through multiple purity tests and are all BIS hallmarked, the 4-level assurance certificate promises customers payment on the value of purity mentioned in the invoice during exchange or resale. Also, it ensures free lifetime maintenance of ornaments at any Kalyan Jewellers’ showroom in the country.

Kalyan Jewellers will offer its patrons Muhurat, the bridal jewellery line curated from across India along with exclusive sections featuring Kalyan’s popular house brands such as Vedha (heritage jewellery), Tejasvi (Polki jewellery), Mudhra (handcrafted antique jewellery), Nimah (Temple jewellery) and Glo (dancing diamonds). Other sections at the showroom include Ziah (Solitaire-like diamond jewellery), Anokhi (uncut diamonds), Apoorva (diamonds for special occasions), Antara (wedding diamonds), Hera (daily wear diamonds) and Rang (precious stones jewellery). Kalyan Jewellers will draw from its portfolio of over one lakh contemporary and traditional designs and will offer selections for everyday as well as bridal wear and festive occasions.

*T&C Apply

HyFun Foods Expands Portfolio By Launching Innovative Products For The HoreCa Channel; Eyes Growth Of 40% In 2022

* The company launched a range of frozen pizzas including four variants- Classic Margherita, Veggie Paradise, Garden Fresh and Tandoori Paneer, followed by other interesting products that have been made keeping in mind the Indian consumer’s taste

HyFun, one of India’s largest producers and exporters of premium quality frozen snacks, announced the expansion of its product portfolio with the launch of innovative products like the frozen pizzas which has four variants- Classic Margherita, Veggie Paradise, Garden Fresh and Tandoori Paneer for the QSR. Hyfun Foods is the only Indian brand offering frozen pizzas at a pan India level. The Pizza range has been introduced keeping in mind the time crunch at the QSRs and consumer expectation of quick deliveries as this range promises a pizza with baking time of just 7- 9 mins enabling QSRs to meet their customer’s expectations. The 100% vegetarian range offers Pizza’s in four exotic flavours that will fit in every QSR’s menu. Apart from the Pizza range, the company also offers ‘Super Crispy Fries,’ that stays crispy for 5x longer time as compared to regular French Fries. This is a great option for QSRs especially when delivering at the customer’s home.

The company also introduced various products in its Indian delight’s portfolio i.e. Pav Bhaji Patty, Sabudana Patty and Soya Patty. There is nothing more satisfying for a consumer than a delicious and hygienic meal. Hence, the company curated these products, paced with incredible Indian flavours and the aroma of exotic spices, so that the consumers can relish every bite. All these products will be available in 200+ cities across India with HyFun’s string distribution network of over 225 distributors, making it the only company to supply the frozen pizza range across India.

There is tremendous demand for ‘quick & yummy’ snacks in India due rise of urbanization, changes in the lifestyle of the people and the advent of the mall culture. Hence, QSRs, not only in metros but also smaller cities are adapting to this need of their customers. It is important to offer variety to customers today, along with sustaining hygiene and competent food service standards. Hence the Indian F&B industry has started depending on ‘Frozen Foods’ which can be personalised and offer convenience to the chef/restaurant owners, making their life easy with ready to cook food options that are hygienic and result in reduced turnaround time.

Commenting of the launch, Mr. Kamlesh Karamchandani, Director - Sales & Marketing, HyFun Foods “Over the years, people’s mindset towards consumption of frozen snacks is undergoing a change. QSR owners have started considering frozen snacks to save on time and effort to make tasty dishes. Especially, with the upcoming festive season and expected surge in demand QSRs are increasingly depending on frozen foods. We are eyeing a growth of 40% from this segment in the coming year looking at the increased demand. They are realizing the noteworthy advantages that frozen foods offer like being healthy, as they are processed and frozen within hours of being picked, multipurpose usage, consistency in taste, availability and even decreased overhead costs. Banking on this opportunity we thought of curating special products that cater to the taste of the Indian customers. This is a favourable time for us to invest in expansion and development of innovative products that appeal to our growing Indian consumer base and the export markets.”

In a short span of 5 years, HyFun saw tremendous success in HoReCa, & QSR’s, in both domestic and export markets. Apart from establishing a strong network in the Food Service/HoReCa segment, the company supplies to QSRs like Burger King, KFC, Pizza Hut, Carl's Junior, and Café Coffee Day and has recently entered into the Indian retail market as well.

Mr. Gagan Sidana, Head of Sales, Hyfun Foods, further added, “The ongoing pandemic and the hybrid work model has spurred the demand for frozen snacks, considering the growing demand for convenient snacks, we are excited to launch our frozen snacks that will be available for QSRs across the country. We have also seen an increase in demand for products like frozen pizzas that cater tastes of the Indian consumers. Hence, we have launched 4 variants under this category keeping this in mind. Further looking at this trend, we have introduced products like sabudana patty, pav bhaji patty, vada pav patty, etc. Our aim is to be a one stop solution for QSRs who are looking for products to woo the Indian customers. We are positively working towards the same and looking at expanding our footprint across the country.”  

To cater to the increasing domestic and international demand, the company will be increasing the manufacturing capacity of processing potato to 3,50,000 tonnes resulting in finished frozen products of 2,00,000 tonnes. The company further aims for 25% year-on-year growth to reach annual revenue of INR 1500 in the next 5 years, majorly driven by exporting frozen potato snacks to over 20 countries. In sync with the Government's Make in India initiative, the company has invested INR 250 Crore to set up a state-of-the-art potato processing plant in Mehsana, Gujarat, in 2015.

HyFun offers more than 25 ready-to-cook frozen snacks such as French Fries, Aloo Tikki, Burger Patties, Nuggets, and many more, available through its esteemed Indian and international channel partners/distributors in Food Service/HoReCa channels. The brand has made its products to suit the Indian palate, reflected in specialties such as Aloo Tikki, Mumbai Aloo Vada, Sabudana Patty, the most loved and popular Indian snacks. Another exciting and unique snack from their portfolio is "Potatobets" (mashed potatoes shaped into alphabets), made especially for kids. 

About HyFun

HyFun is a unit of M/s. Asandas & Sons Private Limited, a success story traversing over six decades in potato trading, based in Mehsana (near Ahmedabad), Gujarat. Today it is one of the largest producers and exporters of premium-quality frozen potato products. Established in 2015, HyFun Foods excels in offering a wide variety of delicious and convenient snacking solutions, comprising a range of globally cherished French Fries and delicious potato specialties.

The other delicacies from HyFun include different types of patties, hash brown, wedges, nuggets, and much more. Within five years, the company has grown its presence in more than 125 cities and has an export network spread across more than 15 countries, with a firm hold in the South-East Asian region. 

HyFun works on the seed-to-shelf model and looks after everything in-house, from seed multiplication to contract farming, storing, processing of potatoes and finally delivering the best ready to cook snacks to the last mile with its owned supply chain model. The company has contracts with over 2500 farmers and procures potatoes directly from farmers through their contract farming model. This model ensures a reliable supply of quality raw material, and in return, the farmers benefit through an assured income. The Government of India's dossier 'Putting Farmers First,' released in December 2020, also recognized HyFun's contribution to increasing wages of the farming fraternity. 

Tata Motors And BluSmart Mobility Partner To Expand The All-Electric Fleet In Delhi-NCR

* As a part of this MOU, Tata Motors will deliver 3,500 XPRES T EVs to BluSmart Mobility

As India achieves a major vaccination milestone and more people resuming work places, the shared mobility market is opening up rapidly. Following a nation-wide launch of the XPRES –T EV in September 2021, Tata Motors, one of India’s leading automobile manufacturers, today signed an MOU with BluSmart Mobility for expanding their all-electric fleet multi-fold across Delhi NCR, and for the same, the Company has bagged a contract to supply 3,500 XPRES T EVs. This contract marks a key milestone in the electric fleet market. as more customers now prefer to travel in environment-friendly vehicles.

According to Mr. Ramesh Dorairajan, Head – Electric Vehicles (Commercial), Tata Motors, “With the XPRES- T EV, Tata Motors has developed an electric sedan exclusively for the fleet customers. We are delighted to partner with BluSmart Mobility and we are thankful to them for their continued efforts in growing the electric fleet in Delhi-NCR. The XPRES-T EV comes with an optimal battery size, captive fast charging solution, which will ensure outstandingly low cost of ownership in addition to safety and passenger comfort, making it a comprehensive and attractive proposition for fleet owners and operators. We recently crossed a key milestone of 10,000 EVs on road, which is a strong testament to how our innovative electric vehicles are resonating well with customers. This order will further strengthen our roadmap of making EVs mainstream.”

Expanding their business with additional electric fleet, Mr. Anmol Singh Jaggi, Founder & CEO, BluSmart Mobility, said, “With our recent Series A funding of USD 25 million, we at BluSmart Mobility are well capitalized and expanding steadily into the Delhi NCR market. Tata Motors has been a great partner for a young startup like us and has supported our growth momentum significantly in times of a global supply chain crisis. This partnership with Tata Motors reinforces our belief in our electric journey and gears us well to achieve bigger scales at a much faster pace.“

BluSmart Mobility, which offers all-electric ride-hailing service across Delhi NCR has been gaining mind share across consumers who value reliability and service quality. With more than 250,000 app downloads the challenger brand in mobility has completed more than 700,000 rides till date covering over 22 million clean KMs on electric vehicles and takes pride in being the platform of choice for not just the women users but also women driver-partners who are getting a stress free equitable earning opportunity without any asset ownership hassles.

The all-new XPRES-T electric sedan packs a high energy density battery of 21.5 kWh and 16.5 kWh with 2 range options - 213km and 165km (ARAI certified range under test conditions). Available in two trim options, the XPRES-T EV comes with zero tail-pipe emission, single speed automatic transmission, dual airbags, ABS with EBD as standard across variants. The XPRES –T EV can be can be charged from 0- 80% in 90 mins and 110 mins (for 16.5 kWh and 21.5 kWh respectively), using fast charging or can also be normally charged from any 15 A plug point. The premium black theme interior with standard automatic climate control and Electric Blue accents across its interior and exterior will give it a differentiated presence from other Tata cars.

With over 70% market share (YTD FY22), Tata Motors has crossed the 1000 unit volumes in September 2021 and with a strong order book, the company’s vision of creating a sustainable future in the automobile industry is being recognized and appreciated by all customers.

Nikon Unveils The Latest UNSTOPPABLE Z 9 In The Indian Market

* Change is here: Seize the power of the flagship Z series mirrorless camera and the world-best, industry-and Nikon-first features within

A big change has arrived in the world of photography. Nikon India Private Ltd., 100% subsidiary of Nikon Corporation Tokyo, unveils the latest Nikon Z 9, the revolutionary full-frame (Nikon FX-format) Z series mirrorless camera designed to surpass expectations with its unrivalled performance and breakthrough features that are firsts for both in the mirrorless category and in Nikon.

Enhancing user capability, the introduction of the Z 9 allows professionals to capture stills and videos with ease. Nikon’s first 4-axis vertical and horizonal tilting monitor and integrated vertical grip will have users capturing the best moments in comfort, even under the harshest conditions. The Z 9 also features the world’s largest*[1] variety of simultaneous subject detection amongst mirrorless cameras, with its tenacious autofocus (AF) offering, and the Real-Live Viewfinder without blackout period. Users will be among the first to enjoy shooting with stunning 8K in-camera recording for up to 125 minutes for making it the most practical camera for location shoots.

“The latest Nikon Z 9 is a flagship Z series mirrorless camera with the world’s best, industry and Nikon first features within a single camera body. We are confident that the latest Z 9 will empower photographers & videographers in expressing their vision and narratives through images and videos. The flagship Z 9 was developed to empower users with ground-breaking capabilities, while ensuring smooth operation with state-of-the-art ergonomics, delivering utmost efficiency and reliability.” Said Sajjan Kumar, Managing Director of Nikon India Private Ltd.

“The new Nikon Z 9 is a perfect companion for creators shooting grand weddings, immortalizing fast paced races, fleeting wildlife moments and avant-garde fashion shows. Professionals will be truly unstoppable in their pursuit of capturing the best moments,”added Sajjan Kumar, Managing Director of Nikon India Private Ltd.

Myntra And Voot Partner To Bring Myntra Fashion Superstar Season 3

* A one of a kind digital fashion influencer talent hunt and reality show 

* All episodes to stream exclusively on Myntra and Voot, from 11th November 2021 

Myntra, a strong fashion and lifestyle destination, and India's leading video streaming platform, Voot, are set to present Myntra Fashion Superstar Season 3, exclusively on Myntra Studio on the Myntra App and Voot on 11th November 2021.  With an aim to provide an opportunity to fashion enthusiasts across the country to showcase their creative prowess, the third season of Myntra Fashion Superstar with the theme #MFSIWearMyStory will showcase the hunt to find India’s next big fashion influencer and leverage the synergy between iconic fashion trends and social media. #MFSIWearMyStory, celebrates unfiltered and authentic conversations, encouraging the influencers to be the truest versions of themselves by expressing their journey through their sartorial choices.

The Season 3 of MFS is geared to enthrall audiences after the massive success of Season 2, which drew over a billion impressions and 150 million views through Myntra Studio on the Myntra App. Known for creating engaging digital experiences for all its stakeholders, Voot, has successfully emerged as a one-stop destination for premium multi-lingual Indian content across genres and is now set to showcase the upcoming season of India's largest digital fashion reality show.

With viewers having the opportunity to binge-watch all eight episodes on Myntra and Voot, the fashion-lifestyle-based reality show will focus on combining fashion as a tool with social media as a platform to create thought-provoking conversations that actually matter to the youth. The season will witness several budding and established fashion, lifestyle, and beauty influencers battle it out based on their inherent talent, individual expression, and powerful engagement. The episodes have also been designed to highlight Myntra’s thriving influencer engagement channel such as Myntra Studio.

Speaking on the launch of its third edition of Myntra Fashion Superstar, Achint Setia, VP & Business Head, Social Commerce, Myntra, said, “As it enters its third edition, Myntra Fashion Superstar is a phenomenon to reckon with in the fashion, entertainment, and content space, creating a strong fan-following by driving relevant conversations around authenticity, inclusivity and challenging societal norms for the better. This edition will focus on shaping mindsets around celebrating unfiltered, and real conversations alongside the most relevant and credible voices. Our partnership with Voot will enable us to attract the highly engaged viewer base of VOOT and expand the pool of fans for the show. We are also thrilled about Myntra's proprietary technology allowing viewers to not just watch the show but also interact live with the contestants and the judges, as well as shop all the looks of the influencers (contestants) via Myntra Studio on the Myntra app. In addition to the launch of Season 3 of MFS, 11th November will witness Myntra Studio offer India’s largest assortment of shoppable looks handpicked by sought-after fashion and beauty influencers sharing the latest styling trends and hacks. It’s going to be a carnival of sorts on the day on the Myntra App. ”

Speaking on the association with Myntra, Chanpreet Arora; Head - AVOD (Voot), Viacom18 Digital Ventures said, “We’re extremely happy to have Myntra on board for Myntra Fashion Superstar. We respect the commitment that they have shown towards accepting and being a part of the pop culture community. While Myntra is the leader for young fashion, it’s great to see them actively adopting the pop culture trend. Voot is the leader for creating content for the youth and always being the youth whisperer. As a brand that strongly resonates with the youth, our association with Myntra will allow us to leverage our combined strengths to ensure the show achieves significant reach and scale.”

With engaging and entertaining content that is enthralling millions of its users, Voot has paved its way to becoming a leading digital entertainment platform in the country. With shoppable looks of the influencers (contestants), exclusive behind-the-scenes footage, and episodic reviews, Myntra Studio and Voot will be the ideal destinations to experience fashion superstars in the making at Myntra Fashion Superstar Season 3. Stay tuned to watch the power-packed fashion battle exclusively on the two platforms from 11th November 2021.

About Myntra :

Myntra is India's leading platform for fashion brands and pioneer in m-commerce play.  An integral part of the Flipkart Group, Myntra brings together technology and fashion to create the best experience in the fashion and lifestyle space in India. The company has partnered with over 5000+ leading fashion and lifestyle brands in the country such as Nike, Adidas, Puma, Levis, Wrangler, Arrow, Jealous 21, Diesel, CAT, Harley Davidson, Ferrari, Timberland, US Polo, FabIndia, Biba, and many more, to offer a wide range in latest branded fashion and lifestyle wear. Myntra services over 27,000 pin codes across the country.

About VOOT:

VOOT is India’s leading digital video-on-demand streaming service from the house of Viacom18. With a content library of more than 80,000 + hours across Viacom18’s network content, exclusive content around network shows and VOOT Originals, the platform caters to varying needs of discerning audiences across segments. VOOT is the Country’s most engaging platform in the ad-supported service space. VOOT continues to take the leadership mantle on innovation, across content, technology, and marketing initiatives, aimed at providing an immersive experience to its users.

About Viacom18:

Viacom18 Media Pvt. Ltd. is one of India’s fastest growing entertainment networks and a house of iconic brands that offers multi-platform, multi-generational and multicultural brand experiences. A joint venture of Network18, which owns 51%, and ViacomCBS, with a 49% stake, Viacom18 defines entertainment in India by touching the lives of people through its properties on air, online, on ground, in shop and through cinema.

Backed By Y-Combinator, Exly Aims To Acquire 1 Million Creators

* Exly is a monetization platform that empowers

* creators & knowledge professionals to become entrepreneurs

Exly is an all-in-one business platform built for creators & knowledge professionals to launch, manage and grow their business online in today’s digital revolution. Knowledge professionals are the most valuable assets of a 21st-century organization because of their high level of productivity and creativity. They include professionals in fields such as Fitness Instructors & Wellness Coaches, Stock Trading & Finance Experts, Digital Marketers, Tarot Card Readers & Astrologers, Fashion & Lifestyle Experts, Artists, etc.

Exly has grown ~20X in the last 9 months, since it’s MVP launch in Dec 2020, with creators & professionals earning more than $700K USD from the platform. There are about 100 million people who became creators and knowledge professionals in the last decade and in the next 3 to 5 years they will transition into becoming

businesses. Exly is a platform that aims to build and own the right infrastructure for this shift and acquire 1 million creators in the coming years.

The platform is a business-in-a-box solution optimized for capturing, converting, and managing leads professionally. It provides comprehensive Scheduling & Packaging Software for creators to run a complete Digital business. They can easily create, market, and sell their classes, recorded courses, workshops, 1-1 appointments, consultations, etc. all from one place. A growth marketing suite along with analytics provides them with the ability to run automated email campaigns, discounts, offers, 1-click-upsells at a cohort level to smartly grow their business.

Exly (previously Myscoot) is a Y-Combinator start-up (2019 batch) and had raised USD 1.7 Million from India's top VC funds like Mayfield Partners and renowned angel investors like Kunal Shah (Founder Cred, Ex-Founder Freecharge), Maninder Gulati (Global Chief Strategy Officer at OYO), to name some. The company is founded by alumni from top IITs, IIMs, BITS, Yale, including ex-entrepreneurs and from firms such as BCG, Hike, Dunzo, and P&G. 

The concept of Exly was brought alive by Suyash Sinha, Sidharth Rawat, Akhil Tripathi, along with the founding team - Swati Singh, Tanveer Chawla & Yash Gupta who have become an integral part since the Myscoot days.

Commenting on various offerings by Exly, Sidharth Rawat, Founder said “We started Exly to empower skilled creators to exploit their unique talents and convert that into a full-time business. The pandemic has hit many jobs and pay cuts have affected millions of people. We had creators from various verticals like tarot card readers, health and wellness coaches, growth experts, etc. from various cities across India approach us and eventually have successfully excelled in monetising their passion. We believe in advocating that no job should be boring and everyone is entitled to explore the opportunity of earning from what they enjoy doing.”

Sharing his views about Exly, Akhil Tripathi, Founder said “EXLY encapsulates all of our learnings from running multiple startups. Like their businesses would need, we enable our creators (Exlypreneurs) to create sales offers, take seamless payments, analyse their traffic sources, product performance, run ads and even run referral programs. Their fully responsive websites can already handle traffic of a million daily visitors. We've just started to scrape off the tip of the iceberg, and the future we bring to you would be even more exciting!”.

Expressing his views about the platform,  Mr. Sushant, Investment & Stock Trading Trainer at Exly : “So I was in search of a platform to automate my complete process for the classes I take. And finally, I got to know about Exly! The whole team is very cooperative. I no longer have to look after any technical things related to running my business - webinars, classes, payments, communications, etc. Everything is taken care of by Exly.”

Wearable Technology: Next Big Thing For Diabetes Management?

* FreeStyle Libre 14-Day System Reader - Lincoln Health Supply

The pandemic has brought forth many disruptions. In just a few months’ time, it has heightened the adoption of digital technology - wherein many are here for the long haul! With the world adopting to technological advancements in everyday care, one such area where technology has seen a huge disruption, is monitoring lifestyle diseases.

In India, an alarming number of 77 million adults currently have diabetes, clearly highlighting the need for close monitoring of the lifestyle disease1. With the onset of the pandemic, there is an increased awareness around one’s health, with a sharp focus on diabetes management. While patients become more aware and informed about living smartly with diabetes, there are breakthrough technologies that are currently being harnessed to improve the quality of life of people with diabetes. 

What one needs to know about smart diabetes management wearables:

Availability of affordable, easy-to-use wearables devices for diabetics with clinically proven benefits

Deployment of cutting-edge technology for continuous glucose monitoring that can identify weekly, daily or even hourly glucose patterns. 

Devices that help with continuous glucose monitoring presenting real-time information about glucose level trends that helps users respond immediately to hyperglycemia (high glucose levels) or hypoglycemia (low glucose levels). 

Does not sleep when you sleep; the device alarms for high and low glucose levels even whilst sleeping

Dr. Jothydev Kesavadev, Diabetologist and MD of Jothydev’s Diabetes Research Centres said, “Point-of-care or wearable monitoring solutions go well beyond convenience as they enable both the doctor and patient to link undesirable highs and lows to specific actions and habits. With the current pandemic, the use of modern technology to continuously monitor glucose has proven to be very useful. With wearable devices slowly enabling for precision medicine and remote monitoring, they will cut through the prevailing challenges and will continue to benefit numerous groups of people as we look at the next 10+ years and beyond.”

Benefits of using these devices

Sensor-based tracking - Glucose levels can be measured every minute in interstitial fluid through a small (5.5mm long) filament that is inserted just under the skin and held in place with a small adhesive pad. One such device is the FreeStyle Libre that shows the current and forecasted glucose levels along with 8 hours of history, so one can make more informed health decisions. A quick scan of the sensor with a reader provides a real-time glucose reading and a detailed picture of a person's glucose levels.

No finger-pricks required – The devices are designed to free people from the pain and hassles of finger sticks.

A future-ready model of care - Wearable devices can unlock insights and allow patients and doctors to course correct and achieve holistic diabetes management goals.

In the dynamic and rapidly changing environments we live in, technology in the form of monitoring devices, and virtual consultations will lead the way in helping people manage their diabetes and mitigate other risks.

Experts Suggest Newer And Advanced Treatment Therapies For Ankylosing Spondylitis

The prevalence of Ankylosing Spondylitis in India is currently around 1.65 million; estimated to grow at an annual growth rate of 2.95%, reaching 2 million in 2028[1]

Delayed diagnosis can lead to irreversible damage which may result in severe disability

Treatment options such as Biologics have dramatically transformed the lives of millions of AS patients worldwide

Bengaluru, October 29 2021: Affecting about 1.65 million in India alone, Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) is a painful chronic inflammatory disease primarily affecting the spine and sacroiliac joint. AS is a type of arthritis that primarily affects the spine but can also affect other joints. With advanced treatment options like biologics, it can help in slowing down the structural damage progression caused by AS and aim at preventing bone fusion, which could be disabling.

Delayed diagnosis, leading to deferred treatment, has also emerged as a significant challenge. Patients usually tend to consult an orthopaedic or a physiotherapist before they reach a specialist (rheumatologist), which in most cases results in a delay by an average of 7 to 10 years. This can cause irreversible structural damage to the spine which can adversely affect a patient’s mobility and quality of life.

Dr. B. G. Dharmanand, Consultant Rheumatologist, Vikram Hospitals, Bangalore said, “Sometimes patients and even general doctors find it difficult to distinguish the most common initial symptom of Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) which is back pain from other common causes for back pain. This usually leads to a delay in diagnosis. Lot of youngsters suffer from AS and it is an important cause of disability in this population.  So, it is very important that treatment for this condition is taken seriously. Around 10 patients are diagnosed with AS each week in a rheumatology clinic, with a male to female ratio of about three to one.”

In the past, traditional therapy such as physiotherapy or anti-inflammatory drugs were the only available treatment options. While they helped in reducing pain, it did not help in improving the quality of life. However, advance treatment options such as biologics have shown a sustained improvement and slowed down the radiological progression, allowing AS patients an opportunity to have a better quality of life. Biologics not only help reduce the inflammatory pain but also reduces the risk of other health conditions related to AS such as eye inflammation, cardiovascular diseases and even depression.

“When it comes to treatment, biologics are currently very effective in resolving symptoms and delaying progression. As doctors, we try and generate more awareness around this disease. Early diagnosis leads to correct and prompt treatment which will lead to better outcomes.”, added Dr. Dharmanand

When it comes to treatment, biologics are currently very effective in resolving symptoms and delaying progression. As doctors, we try and generate more awareness around this disease. Early diagnosis leads to correct and prompt treatment which will lead to better outcomes.”.