An Amazing Splendor “Diwali Décor” At Phoenix Marketcity, Bangalore

* The light marvel 

Diwali, in all its amazing splendor,  is definitely the festival of bling. Every year, Phoenix Marketcity revels in this bling and sets up breathtaking light installations. This year as well, the mall will be sparkling with “Diwali décor”. The spectacular experience begins at the stunning entrance of the mall making it look grand just in time for Diwali. 

“THE LIGHT MARVEL” is a beautiful masterpiece created with colorful pieces of acrylic and fascinating lights. The light marvel is staged at Phoenix Marketcity, Bangalore to bring delight to the eyes of those around. The lights play along with the intricate patterns and fine detailing to make it an outstanding art piece which aspires to bring in the joy of festivities. The adaptation of lights in a fountain structure giving it a mirage of running water is an interesting take on the famous light fountains. The Light Marvel stands 35ft tall in height and is constructed with an interesting blend of metal, lights, fabric and acrylic, making it a stunning piece, reflecting the spirit of Festival of Lights - Diwali. 

This Diwali, Enjoy Offers On TECNO Smartphones On Amazon And At Retail Outlets Near You

* Consumers can avail an instant discount of 10% via RuPay, ICICI and Kotak bank cards & EMI facility upon every online purchase of TECNO Product

* Consumers can also be benefited with complimentary gifts of TECNO Ace A2 Bluetooth Set & TECNO Ace A3 Earphone on the offline purchase of select TECNO products

TECNO, the global smartphone brand adds festive cheer this Diwali by announcing a series of exciting discounts & offers on some of the brand’s most popular smartphones. Consumers can grab their favorite TECNO smartphone that are coupled with sale deals like no-cost EMI, complimentary gifts, cashback and exchange offer. Consumers with RuPay, ICICI and Kotak cards can also enjoy a 10 percent instant discount on a variety of products.

With Diwali spirit around the corner consumers all over India can buy these amazing range of smartphones for gifting their loved ones to make this Diwali extra special. The new offers are valid on select TECNO products such as its unique all-around experience packed SPARK series, that is known for its best-in-class design, display, camera and overall smartphone experience in the affordable segment. The SPARK 7T flaunts a 48MP AI Dual primary camera enabling you to capture and preserve memorable moments with your family. Along with a 6.52-inch HD+ IPS display for a superior wholesome binging experience. Enjoy this festival season to the best with your family without burning a hole in your pocket with TECNO’s most popular and affordable SPARK series.

Smartphones in the CAMON series have been known for their segment defining camera capabilities. Make sure to seize your cheerful times even in low light in vibrant pictures with the multi-talented CAMON series. Experiment with a varied range of professional photography and videography modes such as Eye Auto focus, Super Slow Mo, Super Night, 4K Time lapse, 4K 30FPS recording, AR 3.5 and Video Bokeh, professional-grade blur effect and many more this Diwali with the top notch CAMON series.

The most powerful and premium TECNO POVA series aims at providing Incredible Power and at a competitive price point. The POVA smartphones assure a long-lasting battery enabling you to record and enjoy each and every moment of the festival banter and fun. Make sure to make unlimited memories this festive season without the worry of running out on battery with the Incredible and powerful POVA series.

Exciting smartphones across all these portfolios will be available at special offers across retail stores across India. Great deals can also be availed on Amazon, across brand TECNO’s popular smartphones such as SPARK 7T, SPARK7, SPARK GO 2021, CAMON 17 and POVA 2. 

Clubhouse Rolls Out Local, Foreign Languages Support On Android With 13 New Languages

* Rolls out local language support in French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Malayalam, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish, Tamil, and Telugu

In the year or so since Clubhouse hit the App Store, we’ve seen millions of people meet, make friends, have deep talks, share ideas, hang out and even get married (!) on the app. The variety of conversations is increasing each day — from Steve telling people how to load their dishwashers to entire rooms dedicated to debating cousin Greg’s true intentions in Succession. It has honestly amazed us that people in so many countries have managed to come together to do this on an app that only supports English.

We’re very happy to say that today, all of that is changing, as we are rolling out our first wave of local language support. We’re starting on Android with thirteen new languages launching immediately — including French, German, Hindi, Indonesian, Italian, Japanese, Kannada, Korean, Malayalam, Portuguese (Brazilian), Spanish, Tamil, and Telugu. We’ll be adding support for iOS and additional languages soon, so that people from Mumbai and Paris to Sao Pãulo and Jakarta can experience Clubhouse in a way that feels a bit more native to them.

Of course, we couldn’t take such a momentous step without ushering in a new app icon, as well — Anirudh Deshmukh!

Anirudh is one of our favorite creators in India. He’s part of an incredible corner of Clubhouse where hundreds of different languages are spoken. And just like his predecessor Mandiie Martinez, founder of the Chingona AF club, Anirudh is a multi-hyphenate human of many talents. He’s an architect turned singer, songwriter, composer, and more. Based in Mumbai, Anirudh joined Clubhouse at the start of the year and by the spring, had launched his now 72K member club, Anirudh, where he hosts his nightly show ‘Late Night Jam.’ Budding artists from around the world have come to love Anirudh for the authenticity and genuine support he shares, as he encourages them each night to take the stage and share their music, poetry, and life experiences.

We can feel how passionate Anirudh has been about helping build this musical corner of the Clubhouse community and we love how he encourages others to come as their authentic selves. We’ve also been impressed to see how audiences have responded to the ‘Late Night Jam’ rooms, and joined from across international borders and timezones just to listen in.

CyberArk Research: Lack Of Security Controls And Visibility Into User Activity Continue To Put Organizations At Risk

News summary:

* 80 percent of organizations report employee misuse or abuse of access to business applications

* Nearly half of organizations said they have limited ability to view user logs and audit user activity

* The average end-user has access to more than 10 business applications, many of which contain high-value data

New research released today by CyberArk (NASDAQ: CYBR), the global leader in Identity Security, reveals that organizations continue to operate with limited visibility into user activity and sessions associated with web applications, despite the ever-present risk of insider threats and credential theft. While the adoption of web applications has brought flexibility and increased productivity, organizations often lag in implementing the security controls necessary to mitigate risk of human error or malicious intent.

The global survey of 900 enterprise security leaders found that 80 percent of organizations experienced employees misusing or abusing access to business applications in the past year. This comes as 48 percent of organizations surveyed said they have limited ability to view user logs and audit user activity, leaving a blind spot for catching potentially risky behavior in user sessions.

The new research coincides with the general availability of the first-of-its-kind CyberArk Identity Secure Web Sessions, a cloud-based solution that enables organizations to record and protect user web application sessions.

Consider financial, healthcare, marketing or developer web applications that contain sensitive, high-value data like financial records, customer or patient information or intellectual property. Most security and compliance teams have limited resources, visibility and control over how confidential data is being handled, or what is being done during a user session.

According to the research, in 70 percent of organizations, the average end-user has access to more than 10 business applications, many of which contain high-value data – creating ample opportunity for a malicious actor. To that end, the top-three high-value applications that organizations were most concerned with protecting against unauthorized access were IT service management apps such as ServiceNow, cloud consoles such as Amazon Web Services, Azure and Google Cloud Platform and marketing and sales enablement applications such as Salesforce.

For many security teams, investigation into questionable user activity represents a significant investment of time and drag on thin resources, and must be balanced with other priorities such as improving incident response and enforcing consistent controls across applications to reduce threat of credential theft.

According to the research:

More than half (54 percent) of organizations investigate user activity stemming from security incidents or compliance at least weekly vs. 34 percent of organizations that investigate monthly

Forty four percent of organizations said they need to enable the same security controls across all applications amid disparate built-in application controls

Forty one percent of respondents said that better visibility into user activity would enable them to identify the source of a security incident more quickly

“Ensuring security and usability is key. As more high-value data migrates to the cloud, organizations should make certain the proper controls follow suit to manage risk accordingly while enabling their workforce to operate without disruption,” said Gil Rapaport, general manager, Access Management, CyberArk. “Today, any user can have a certain level of privileged access, making it ever more important that enterprises add security layers to protect the entire workforce as part of a comprehensive Identity Security strategy and Zero Trust framework.”

Secure Web Sessions Adds Layers of Security to High-Risk User Activity

CyberArk Identity Secure Web Sessions helps enterprises gain visibility into user activity within web-based applications protected by CyberArk Workforce Identity and third-party Single Sign-On (SSO) providers. Secure Web Sessions enables organizations to:

Record and search every click and data change made within a protected app while maintaining a frictionless user experience

Implement continuous monitoring and re-authentication, such as when a user steps away from a device during a session, reducing risk of abuse

Protect web sessions from threats originating on the endpoint and restrict data exfiltration actions, such as copying of data and file downloads.

About the Survey

Commissioned by CyberArk, this research is based on a Censuswide survey of 900 security decision makers and leaders at medium to enterprise-sized organizations in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and Singapore.

This Diwali, HelpAge India Brings Light Into The Lives Of Indian Elders, Through Its Campaign #AndheroSeRoshiniTak

As the country slowly steps towards some form of normalcy amidst the pandemic, this Diwali, non-governmental organization HelpAge India working for disadvantaged elders, celebrates the festival of lights with a message of hope and togetherness through its campaign and film, ‘Andhero Se Roshini Tak.’

In a marathon celebration, HelpAge marks the festival across 100 old age homes across the country, bringing happiness, hope and joy to senior citizens, many who were suffering from isolation, loneliness and a sense of abandonment during the pandemic. The campaign aims to bring them back into the fold and give them a ray of hope and support them.

The campaign highlights the impact of the pandemic on India‘s elders vis a vis their health, livelihood and the pervading sense of loneliness and feeling of being forgotten by their own, as social distancing, led to social isolation for many of our elders who were left to fend for themselves.

According to a survey done by HelpAge earlier this year, 36 % elders at home in India ‘were just waiting for the phone to ring’. During the first lockdown, 65% of elders lost their only source of livelihood, leaving them with no resources for medicines and no one to reach out to.

The core campaign message - Khushyion per hain unqa bhi haq, Iss Diwali le chalo Bado ko, Andhero Se Roshini Tak urges the younger generation and society at large, to bring hope, light and ‘Roshini’ back into the lives of elders. It encourages bringing elders back into the family fold and pushes for elder inclusion. A time to give back and spread the love, and reach out to those elders who have no one to call their own and support them.

“Diwali is a time synonymous with hope, positivity and togetherness. The pandemic took a heavy toll on the lives of our elderly, particularly to the disadvantaged. Identified as the most vulnerable, many faced challenges at multiple levels, from loss of livelihood, to having no money, no support and were left with a deep sense of isolation and constant anxiety. For those living alone, it was even worse. We hope through this campaign #AndheroSeRoshiniTak we can sensitize people to urgently come forward and celebrate this festival in its truest sense, by sharing the light and love with those who need it most. It is our responsibility to bring light into their lives, it’s time to give back.” said Rohit Prasad, Chief Executive Officer, HelpAge India.

Watch the full film here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBEHMkU_lHA

About HelpAge India

HelpAge India runs several programs on-ground in the field of agecare, healthcare, livelihood, disaster relief and advocacy and hopes through this campaign, it can make a difference and bring some light into the lives of the needy elderly.

HelpAge has created a special campaign page urging people to ‘Light a Diya’ and show their support. As people come forward and donate, more diyas are lit, which is shown simultaneously on the page.

Page link: www.helpageindia.org/diwali-2021/

Infosys Finacle And IBM Collaborate To Help Banks Accelerate Cloud Transformation Journeys

Industry-leading Finacle digital banking solution suite to be available on Red Hat OpenShift and IBM Cloud for financial services

Infosys Finacle, part of EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Infosys (NSE, BSE, NYSE: INFY) and IBM (NYSE:IBM) today announced that the Finacle Digital Banking Solution Suite will be available on Red Hat OpenShift and IBM Cloud for financial services. This collaboration will help banks scale business transformation, become more agile, and power their growth with an on-demand portfolio of products and services. It will also help banks achieve seamless ecosystem connectivity and provide a world-class banking experience for their customers, and enable them to meet required compliance and security requirements.

The Finacle solution suite deployment with fully managed Red Hat OpenShift on IBM Cloud for financial services is designed to provide several benefits, including:

Significant reduction in the total infrastructure readiness timelines, resulting in a shorter time period for customer onboarding and go-live

An easier and more consistent application deployment platform that helps speed up customer onboarding, while providing greater visibility, control, and data isolation

Banks can leverage the elastic infrastructure of the cloud deployment for Finacle applications to scale on-demand, significantly improving provisioning efficiency

The operations teams’ dependencies on the need for special skills will reduce, due to the unified container and cloud management capabilities

Genuine end-to-end automation will free up developers to innovate and gain greater agility in completing application releases on-demand

Enhanced security features for cloud environments will also reduce operational overhead, enabling partners and their customers to build applications, drive innovation and deliver value. 

Venkatramana Gosavi, Senior Vice President & Global Head of Sales & Alliances, Infosys Finacle, said, “The Cloud has evolved from a technical transformation enabler to a business transformation enabler that provides an agile, resilient, and scalable platform for innovation and growth. Given the benefits, cloud adoption is a necessity for financial institutions that aspire to lead the digital transformation race and achieve significant business performance improvements. Finacle’s industry-leading cloud-native solution suite is designed to help banks unlock this value. Together with Infosys Cobalt - a robust set of cloud services, solutions, and platforms, and our collaboration with Red Hat and IBM, we are helping customers realize the benefits of open hybrid cloud for the next generation of financial services innovation.”

Gaurav Sharma, Vice President, IBM Cloud and Cognitive Software, said, “At IBM, our mission is to de-risk the financial services industry. With more mission-critical workloads moving to the cloud, the IBM Cloud for Financial Services is designed to help institutions accelerate hybrid cloud adoption and drive revenue growth while addressing the need for security, open innovation, and compliance. With this collaboration, Infosys Finacle joins a growing ecosystem of more than 100 Independent Software Vendors (ISVs), SaaS providers, Global Systems Integrators (GSIs), and Fintechs leveraging the IBM Cloud for financial services.”

Kelly Switt, Senior Director, FSI Ecosystem and Strategic Partnerships, Red Hat, said, “In the banking industry, a new wave of digital disruption is compelling firms to innovate more quickly and better support customers. Red Hat OpenShift, the industry’s leading enterprise Kubernetes platform, offers financial institutions the necessary agility, scalability, and application development capabilities to deliver innovative solutions while helping them meet security and compliance requirements. By collaborating with Infosys Finacle and IBM, we are helping customers realize the benefits of open hybrid cloud for the next generation of financial services innovation.”

About IBM Cloud for financial services

The IBM Cloud for financial services is designed to help financial services institutions as they address their requirements for their regulatory compliance, security, and resiliency. IBM’s partner ecosystem fuels hybrid cloud environments by helping clients manage and modernize workloads from bare-metal to multi-cloud and everything in between with Red Hat OpenShift, the industry's leading enterprise Kubernetes platform. The industry’s first financial services-ready cloud, the IBM Cloud for financial services uses IBM’s fourth-generation confidential computing capabilities and “Keep Your Own Key” encryption delivered via IBM Cloud Hyper Protect Services to help partners and their customers retain control of their data and transact with financial institutions in a secure environment. The IBM Cloud Framework for financial services is designed to reduce third- and fourth-party risk in the digital supply chain through a common set of controls and processes that are adhered to by the entire ecosystem. The built-in controls are engineered to help customers accelerate innovation, unlock new revenue opportunities, and decrease the cost of compliance.

For more information on IBM Cloud for financial services, visit www.ibm.com/cloud/financial-services. Statements regarding IBM’s future direction and intent are subject to change or withdraw without notice and represent goals and objectives only.

Red Hat, the Red Hat logo and OpenShift are trademarks or registered trademarks of Red Hat, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the U.S. and other countries.

About Infosys Finacle

Finacle is the industry-leading digital banking solution suite from EdgeVerve Systems, a wholly owned product subsidiary of Infosys. Finacle helps traditional and emerging financial institutions drive truly digital transformation to achieve frictionless customer experiences, larger ecosystem play, insights–driven interactions and ubiquitous automation. Today, banks in over 100 countries rely on Finacle to service more than a billion consumers and 1.3 billion accounts.

Finacle solutions address the core banking, omnichannel banking, payments, treasury, origination, liquidity management, Islamic banking, wealth management, analytics, artificial intelligence, and blockchain requirements of financial institutions to drive business excellence. An assessment of the top 1250 banks in the world reveals that institutions powered by the Finacle Core Banking solution, on average, enjoy 7.2% points lower costs-to-income ratio than others.

To know more, visit www.finacle.com

InterMiles Survey Reveals That 75% Respondents Are Open To Spending Big This Festive Season

The pandemic has forced consumers across the globe to re-evaluate spending habits and prioritize differently. Moreover, it has also impacted and shaped methods of transacting. But to what extent? InterMiles explores.

InterMiles, a leading loyalty and rewards programme, has released the second edition of its ‘Consumer Spending Sentiment Index Report’ showcasing payment, purchasing and personal finance trends, along with shifting consumer spending patterns. The report is based on responses received from 1,697 InterMilers across India.

Key Insights from the InterMiles Consumer Spending Sentiment Index 2.0:

Indians are gearing up for big spends this festive season

When asked how open they were to making big shopping spends as compared to before to pandemic, a majority responded with optimistic enthusiam. A whopping 75% said that they were either more willing (33%) or just as willing (42%) to make big shopping spends as before the pandemic.

This spending boost can be attributed to rising consumer confidence levels in India, coupled with hopes of the economy catapulting back to normal. The maiden InterMiles Consumer Spending Report, released in March 2021, showed that close to 70% respondents placed greater emphasis on securing the future by increasing investments and savings. While this behaviour holds true even today, consumers are a little more eager to let down their hair, atleast during festivities.

The spotlight on gifting grows dimmer this festive season

While personal and household shopping is on the rise, gifting takes a comparative backseat. 2 in every 3 respondents (66%) say that traditional gifting does not rank high on their priority list at the moment. This implies a drastic change from pre-pandemic behaviours as Indians look to only gift immediate family (22%), be conservative about gifting (21%), narrow down their gifting lists (10%), given token gifts (5%) or not buy gifts at all (8%) this year.

That being said, 34% respondents stated that they will not cut down on gifting this festive season.

Majority respondents – around 40% – prefer to spend less than INR 10,000 on gifts for their loved ones, with an additional 7% stating that they would rather not spend on gifts at all. This is in stark contrast to high budgets that would typically be set aside for gifting during the festive season.

However, not all looks grim for the retail gifting industry this year, with a significant slice of the consumer pie still continuing to spend liberally on gifts – 28% consumers would be open to spending between INR 10,000 to 25,000 and 25% consumers will look at spending upwards of INR 25,000.

The what, why, where of festive shopping this year!

A whopping 78% respondents said they continue to prefer shopping online – this trend accelerated by pandemic-induced lockdowns, seems like it is here to stay. This can be attributed to the immense convenience that virtual shopping allows, along with consumer-friendly policies by online aggregators and vendors like expedited deliveries, easy no-cost returns, opportunities to customize orders and massive discounts.

With widespread online retail domination, only 14% respondents have called out shopping at physical branded stores as their preferred mode of shopping while 5% prefer shopping at hypermarkets and 3% at boutique stores.

When asked to point out their one-stop shopping destination of preference, Amazon emerged as a clear winner with close to 70% respondents stating that the US-based e-commerce giant was their go-to retail aggregator.

Flipkart (20%), Myntra (6%), Tata Cliq (02%) and Snapdeal (0.5%) follow at a distance on the consumer preference list.

When asked to rank factors that they actively sought in retail partners – online or offline, consumers largely prioritized them as below:

With value for money being more important for consumers more now than ever, it is no surprise that consumers are actively seeking out discounts and offers. Aware of this trend, the retail industry seems to be raining festive offers in a bid to attract more consumers. Reward points – which ranks 3rd on the list – is also crucial as consumers determine their shopping partners.

Given the lack of personal interface when it comes to online shopping, it is crucial for robust customer service systems to be in place as retailers seek to bridge the trust gap.

What are consumers shopping for this year? 30% respondents said that they will assign priority and invest in electronic/ gadget shopping this festive season. Given the growing dependence on technology and the lifestyle renaissance brought about by gadgets, it is not suprising to see a large focus on this essential commodity. These purchases are also anticipated to ease WFH pressures and lend an arm to those juggling household + professional chores by saving on time.

Additionally, 25% respondents say that they will invest in festive spends like gifting (9%), buying confectionary (2%) and purchasing apparel / accessories (14%). While material purchases seem to top spending charts, 16% respondents take another route by choosing to invest in experiences like travel (12%) or entertainment (4%) instead.

13% respondents will limit spending and focus on saving through the festive season.

Credit cards and cashless transactions are the latest buzzwords on the block

Credit cards are the most preferred form of payment this season, with close to 60% respondents choosing to swipe their cards as they seek to accumulate reward points, increase credit scores and gain access to exclusive discounts and benefits.

Other cashless forms of payments have also gained popularity with 20% respondents preferring to transact via UPI, 10% via debit cards and 5% via e-wallets.

However, the most standout trend here is the drastic reduction in the use of cash. This behavior change in India – induced and accelerated many times over by the pandemic, indicates a significant curve in a previously cash-based economy. This pattern is also fueled by the penetration of the internet even into deep pockets of India – consumers who were once vary of digital transactions now find assurance in the safety of it.

It is interesting to note that 44% respondents stated they have embraced going cashless seamlessly and with no difficulty at all. 21% respondents said they face minor inconveniences as they cannot make e-payments as frequently when visiting tier-II and tier-III cities (14%) or they do not have change for in-person tips (7%). Overspending seems to be the only significant concern that consumers have as they completely embrace a cashless economy, with 22% saying that going cashless causes them to overspend, while 13% state they cannot tracking digital spending as well as with physical cash.

About the InterMiles Consumer Spending Sentiment Index 2.0:

The InterMiles Consumer Spending Sentiment Index was introduced to identify trends that matter and enrich the industry’s understanding around the always evolving consumer payment and purchasing behaviors. This survey was conducted between 11th to 16th October 2021.

The programme which has a 10mn plus member base, is committed towards understanding the pulse of consumers across various travel & lifestyle categories. Data collected through these surveys will not only enable InterMiles as a programme to create unique and compelling value propositions for its members, it will also create meaningful business opportunities for its partners.  

The member base for the InterMiles Consumer Spending Sentiment Index comprises of multi demographics as well as diverse payment, lifestyle and travel preferences.

National Institute Of Ayurveda, Jaipur Celebrates National Ayurveda Day 2021 - , ‘Ayurveda for Poshan’

Importance of wellness and preventive care for a healthy life highlighted at two-day event

•             Theme of National Ayurveda Day 2021: ‘Ayurveda for Poshan’

•             Govt. has released Rs. 260 crores for expanding the infrastructure of NIA’s satellite centre of Panchkula, Himachal Pradesh

The National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur commemorated 6th National Ayurveda Day by hosting a two-day event to encourage the Ayurvedic principles of wellness and healing in alignment with the theme, ‘Ayurveda for Poshan’. The event started with Dhanwantri Poojan. India is striving to become the global centre for traditional medicine and there is increasing collaboration between states and central government to make advancements in field of AYUSH

Speaking as the chief guest of the programme, Union Minister of AYUSH, Shri Sarbanand Sonowal announced release of Rs. 260 crores for expanding the infrastructure of NIA’s satellite centre of Panchkula, Himachal Pradesh

Shri Sarbanand Sonowal, Union Minister of Ayush, Ports, Shipping & Waterways said on the occasion, “Ayurveda can play an important role in raising awareness among the public about the necessity and importance of leading a disease-free, healthy and long life, both physical and mental. The potential of Ayurveda in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and how it can contribute significantly to lower the burden of non-communicable diseases in India is immense. There is an urgent need to raise awareness about the strength of Ayurveda treatment as India has a rich resource for plant-based medicines along with a glorious ancient history of practicing Ayurveda Shashtra. Considering the tremendous achievements of NIA, Ministry of Ayush has decided to expand the infrastructure of NIA at Panchkula and Rs. 260 crores have been released to NIA and it is hoped that NIA will glorify the practice of Ayurveda globally.”

Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai, Union Minister of State for Ayush, Women & Child Welfare said, “The Covid pandemic has amply emphasized on the importance of wellness and preventive care to live a healthy life. We need to focus showcasing the tremendous potential of Ayurveda to the world. Today, many first world countries are also looking up to Ayurveda for treatment and cure. The current generation should uphold the Ayurveda principle of diet to lead a disease-free, healthy lifestyle.”

Dr. Raghu Sharma, Rajasthan’s Minister for Medical Education, Health and Indian Systems of Medicine said, “Ayurveda is integral to Rajasthan and it's culture. We have been practicing it for ages. This year's theme, Ayurveda for Poshan couldn't be more relevant to address the issue of malnutrition and sedentary lifestyle induced NCDs. The theme should resonate across the country to bring about a change in people's lives and for this we should strengthen the research in this field.” Hon'ble minster also reassured that the state government of Rajasthan will extend all help to National Institute of Ayurveda to build and strengthen capacities and resources and continue the path to make Rajasthan a global attraction in the field of Ayurveda.

Shri Ramcharan Bohra, Member of Parliament from Jaipur City, said “Rajasthan needs a special recognition in practicing Ayurveda under Ayushman Bharat and National Institute of Ayurveda will lead the field of Ayurveda research”.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush said, “Centre of Excellences under AYUSH has been doing pathbreaking work. The importance of same has been reflected across the country with inclusion of Ayurveda as part of Biology subject in JNU also. We also witnessed the release of important documents and films. It is hoped that this event will benefit the public in maintaining their health and well-being. We are committed to our mission in establishing Ayurveda as one of the most reliable and effective form of treatments in treating non-communicable diseases as well."

Prof. Sanjeev Sharma, Director and Vice-Chancellor of National Institute of Ayurveda said, “We are really happy and proud to be able to successfully organize the events celebrating the 6th National Ayurveda Day. National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur organized this two-day event with gaiety and enthusiasm and the series of insightful initiatives were attended and well appreciated by the Ministers, Policy Makers, Administrators, Scholars not only from Ayurveda but from other fields as well.” 

The event saw the release of Ayurveda Swasthya Samiksha, a handbook containing daily routines; Ayurveda for Poshan, a booklet; NIA Nutri Cookies suitable for children and adults; digitized versions of three rare publications: the Charaka Samhita with Charaka-Nyasa commentary of Acharya Bhattar Harichandra & Charak-Panjika of Acharya Swamikumar; Charaka Samhita with Charaka Pradipika commentary written in the early 20th Century by Acharya Jyotish Chandra Saraswati  and Chakradutta with Ratnaprabha of Nishchala Kar and Tattvachadrika. In addition, a special manuscript website portal was launched along with short videos, CCRAS publications and films on the occasion. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Mahavir Jaipuriya Hospital and National Institute of Ayurveda for research in patient care. The event was also attended by students of Ayurveda from 15 countries.

The other guests present at the event were Advisor to AYUSH, Vaidya Shri Manoj Nesari; Special Secretary Pramod Kumar Pathak along with DGs and head of institutes of AYUSH ministry.

Bank Of India Reports Operating Profit And Net Profit Growth Of 25.66%, & 195.42% On YoY Basis During Q2FY22

The Board of Directors of Union Bank of India today approved the accounts of the Bank for the Half year ended September 30, 2021. 

Key Highlights in Q2FY2022 

1.    Strong Financial Performance:  

Operating Profit and Net Profit of the Bank improved by 25.66% and 195.42% respectively on YoY basis during Q2FY22. Net interest income of Bank grew by 8.52% on YoY basis during Q2FY22. 

2.    Bank continues to demonstrate a strong liability franchise:  

The CASA deposits have increased by 10.77% YoY. We now have a total deposits base at Rs.9,14,022 Crores as at the end of Q2FY22. CASA ratio improved to 37.16% from 34.61% on YoY basis. 

3.    Credit in Retail, Agri and MSME (RAM) segments grown by 8.48% on YoY basis: 

Bank registered 9.35% growth in Retail, 13.06% growth in Agriculture and 2.76% growth in MSME advances on YoY basis. RAM advances as % of Domestic Advances improved by 574 bps on YoY basis to 58.51%. 

4.    Reduction in NPA: 

Gross NPA (%) reduced by 207 bps on YoY basis to 12.64% as on 30.09.2021.  

5.    Cost to Income ratio of the Bank reduced by 115 bps on YoY basis: 

Cost to Income ratio of the Bank reduced by 115 bps on YoY basis from 44.95% during Q2FY21 to 43.80% during Q2FY22. 

6.    Improved Capital Ratios: 

CRAR improved from 12.38% as on 30.09.2020 to 13.64% as on 30.09.2021. CET1 ratio improved from 8.91% as on 30.09.2020 to 10.16% as on 30.09.2021.  

Celebrate Diwali With Rose Gold Fandelier Series From Fanzart

The festival of lights is round the corner and what better way to celebrate than with a range of fans with classic light fittings that alter the ambience, ushering in the festive mood with beauty and class combined.

Fanzart launches its Diwali collection of  Rose Gold fandelier series. Complete with light fittings, the contraptions appearing more as chandeliers than fans. These Fandeliers feature in two models to cater to the varied palates, the Windflower Rose Gold and Victoria Rose.

Windflower Rose Gold

The Windflower Rose Gold collection with its convoluted long LED light strip appears as a chandelier, its 22 inch vortex blades tucked neatly into the light fitting. The 400 RPM fan with its patented 5D vortex blades and six speed options, offers copious air, combining the summer/winter feature. Its double rotation facility of clockwise and anti-clockwise is a boon to the dining area, enabling the air to circulate upwards and cool the space while the spread on the table remains unhindered, offering a comfortable dining experience.

The long LED strip around this contemporary styled fan comes with a dimmer facility and colour options of warm light, daylight and white light. Given the feature of the blades remaining tucked in to the light fitting even while on rotation, the Windflower Rose Gold continues to appear as a stunning chandelier even when the fan is operational, adding to the decorative element of the interior. The Rose Gold is the new addition to the matt coffee black finish and champagne gold finish fans that were earlier launched.

Victoria Rose

The Victoria Rose collection caters exclusively to the vintage classical sentiments. The exquisitely decorative antique finish fans sew in five individual lights under them, with a pull chain to control the lighting, the entire device reminiscent of Victorian times. The antique flavour is further highlighted by the 60 inch blades that offer a large span akin to the days of yore.

Speaking on the features of the fandelier rose gold series, Tarun Lala, Co- Founder & Director, Fanzart says, “These Rose Gold fandelier series are not only classic decorative elements in an interior, but they also serve to be futuristic and sustainable, given their savings in power consumption while providing a high level of performance. The BLDC motor ensures the consumption of power is only 22 watts as against 85 to 95 watts of a conventional fan.”

About Fanzart

In the 10 years since its entry into the market, Fanzart has risen to prominence as a pioneer and leader in the luxury designer fans segment. With showrooms across the country, Fanzart is a name to reckon with in the luxury interior segment with its niche offerings. The products are also shipped internationally and have made a mark for themselves.

For more details and online purchase please log on to www.fanzartfans.com

Internet Kitchens Start-Up TTSF Cloud One Raises $5.3 Million In Seed Funding Round

* The Internet first Kitchen entity has raised $5.3mn USD

* The Seed funding round is led by Times of India Group’s, Brand Capital

TTSF Cloud One, an Internet First Multi Brand Cloud Kitchen entity co-founded by the creators of India’s 1st premium Thickshake brand, The ThickShake Factory, today announced that it has raised $5.3 million in a Seed Funding round led by Brand Capital - the strategic investment arm of Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd. (BCCL) of The Times of India Group. Previous investments of BCCL include Flipkart, Byju’s, BigBasket, Thyrocare, Dunzo & Rebel Foods.

TTSF Cloud One plans to extend its reach to scale up tech infrastructure & brand building.

Yeshwanth Nag Mocherla, Co-Founder, TTSF Cloud One said, “The Indian food tech space is at the cusp of disruption right now with largely unorganized brands operating in the market.  We are now aiming to create, license, acquire & operate several brands using our technology stack which will enable our eco-system brands to rapidly scale like never before & consolidate some categories. We believe with economies of scale, it is very much possible to build an extremely interesting play within a short period of time. We understand what it takes to scale a food brand across multiple cities and countries via our experience with The Thickshake Factory having built 125 physical stores in India & the US across 25+ cities over the last 8 years, being bootstrapped & profitable. We are aiming to operationalize 50 cloud kitchens, operating at-least 350 Internet restaurants by the financial year end.”

Ashwin Mocherla, Co- founder, TTSF Cloud One commented that, “We are extremely thrilled to welcome BCCL, The Times of India group on this journey and are looking forward to create a strong portfolio of brands which will stand out with great fundamentals intact – serving great quality, tasty and affordable food to the people of India. We want to tap into the opportunity of making Food service brands operate like FMCG brands creating scale at a level which wasn’t possible previously. Now, due to Digitalization of India, post COVID and a mature E-commerce ecosystem in place even in the food sector, it is possible.”

TTSF Cloud One’s focus will be on usage of technology, creation of its own brands as well as brand acquisitions and expanding its footprint across tier 1 and tier 2 cities in India. 

Bank Of Baroda Signs MoU With NeML To Become A Clearing Bank For NeML

Bank of Baroda, India’s premium public sector bank, has signed a MoU with NCDEX e Markets Ltd to become a “Clearing Bank” for handling financial transactions for NeML market place and procurement/ auction platform.  The MOU was signed today by Mr. Mrugank Paranjape; MD & CEO NeML and Mr. Jagdish Tungaria; General Manager, Bank of Baroda.  

NCDEX e Markets Limited (NeML) is the leading Indian electronic web based, online, commodities spot market and Services Company. It combines best features of financial markets and spot markets. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Jagdish Tungaria, Zonal Head, Mumbai Zone, Bank of Baroda said, “This tie-up opens up multiple opportunities for both institutions. The Bank will partner with Agriculture marketing federations and other procurement agencies across the country and increase its presence in agri e-commerce through its wide network across the country.  

Mrugank Paranjape – MD and CEO of NCDEX e Markets Ltd., said “We welcome Bank of Baroda as our clearing bank partner. The well spread network and technology prowess of Bank of Baroda will help NeML members across the country to further their agriculture businesses. “ 

About Bank of Baroda:  

Founded on 20th July, 1908 by Sir Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Bank of Baroda is one of the leading commercial Bank in India. At 63.97% stake it’s majorly owned by Govt of India. Bank serves its global customer base of over 140 Mn through over 46,000 touchpoints spread across 19 countries in 5 continent. Through Its state of the art digital banking platforms it provides all the banking products and services in a seamless and hassle freeway. Recently launched bob World mobile app provides customers with saving, investing, borrowing and shopping experience, all under one single app. The app also serves non customers by enabling account opening through video KYC.    Bringing about a vision that matches the diverse clientele base and to instill a sense of the trust and security has been the paramount factor for Bank of Baroda. Its moving well in that direction and bob World has been a testimony for its roadmap towards Digital Transformation. 

Indians Prioritize Travel: Survey Shows 70% Respondents Are Willing To Spend Over INR 10,000 Per Person On Travel During Nov-Dec 2021

The world of travel and tourism has a new order in place, post-pandemic. With the spotlight now on consumers and their fast-evolving cares, it is important to understand what makes them tick, where their inhibitions lie and what their expectations are anticipated to be. Consumer-centricity is the only way forward, the industry agrees. 

With the aim of providing a birds-eye view of consumer behaviour, InterMiles, a leading loyalty and rewards programme, has published results of their third travel survey in the ‘Consumer Sentiment Index Report (Travel) 3.0’. Based on responses received from 2,276 InterMilers across India during mid-October 2021, the report showcases insights and changing consumption patterns of the evolved Indian traveller.

Key Insights from the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index (Travel) 3.0:

Close to 2 in 3 respondents look at firming up travel plans for November and December 2021, as they seek to escape WFH monotony and reconnect with loved ones

Rampant vaccinations and a decrease in the number of Covid-19 infections have boosted consumer confidence in travel. A whopping 95% respondents are either firming up travel plans (65%) or are contemplating travel (30%) during November and December 2021.

This comes as good news to the travel fraternity, who consider the Diwali and year-end period to be the second busiest period for travel, immediately after summer holidays. As like prior to the pandemic, religious festivities and year-end celebrations are estimated to play a major role in driving these numbers. Only a miniscule (5%) percentage of respondents are keen on staying indoors.

Why are they looking to travel? After a year and a half of tedious WFH routines and no separation between personal and professional lives, Indian travellers are keen on getting away from their homes – which also doubled up as their office! 34% respondents stated that they are looking to travel as they need a change of scenario and want to overcome WFH fatigue by connecting with nature. Staying home has also reignited the need for some adventure in 23% respondents, with them stating that they will travel to explore new domestic (14%) and international (9%) destinations.

Physical separation from loved ones during the pandemic has put a strong re-emphasis on relationships, with 31% respondents looking to travel to reconnect with loved ones, as they look to travel to either visit family & friends or go back to their hometowns. A small slice (12%) will travel to attend religious events or local festivities.

Bucketed as an essential expenditure, travel commands greater attention from consumer wallets

Given its role in re-energizing and re-motivating a population fatigued by the pandemic, by promoting mental health and wellness, travel is no longer grouped under non-essential expenditures. Additionally, with millennials choosing to invest in experiences rather than assets, it comes as no surprise that over 70% of the members surveyed are willing to spend over INR 10,000 (per person) on a trip.

15% members are willing to loosen purse strings even further and spend over INR 50,000 (per person) solely on travel.

Flights continue to be the preferred mode of transportation

Around 55% respondents planning to travel in Nov-Dec 2021, said they would opt for flights to get to their destination. This is in continuity to a similar trend observed during the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index (Travel) 2.0 released in March 2021 – where majority travellers stated that they felt more comfortable travelling by flights, as opposed to any other mode of transport. Self-drives – which emerged as a popular travel trend last year – continues to be popular with 20% respondents choosing to either travel by rented or personal vehicles.

It is encouraging to see that there is restored confidence in certain modes of public transportation – especially trains – with almost 1 in 4 respondents stating that they would actively opt for trains to get to their destination. This is in contrast to the survey released by InterMiles in March 2021, when majority respondents were not comfortable with any mode of public transport including taxis, autos, trains and buses. This increase in confidence can be attributed to the fact that the pandemic is now being considered an endemic, boosting the need to return to certain levels normalcy albeit with precautions and safety measures in place.

Safety considerations and pandemic protocols remain #1 when planning travel

Factors considered while choosing a destination

The traveller consideration list has evolved significantly during the pandemic – pushing health & safety to be primary factors when it comes to choosing a destination as well as accommodation properties. During the course of the survey, close to 50% respondents cited different aspects of safety as the most important factor while choosing a destination. Major deciding factors included Covid-19 protocols (26%), the number of current Covid-19 cases at the destination (13%) and the ability to have an isolated getaway (10%). It is interesting to note that respondents are more skewed towards gauging the safety ranking of a destination, by taking health protocols into consideration as opposed to the number of infections.

Experiences offered by the destination (22%), accessibility (14%) and value for money (13%) follow on the traveller priority list while scouting for destinations. 

Factors considered while choosing accomodation

Close to 1 in 2 respondents (45%) stated that safety & hygiene standards by the accommodation property was the most important deciding factor, while choosing a stay option. Price (16%), experiences offered (13%), accessibility to attractions (11%) and accessibility to transport hubs (9%) follow at a distance on the priority list.

With borders consistently remaining open for a while, reduced situational volatility and confidence in travel restored, flexibility no longer seems to be a major factor of concern while choosing a destination – only 6% respondents consider the flexibility to shift dates or cancel at no cost, to be the most important factor while choosing an accommodation option. This is in sharp contrast to the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index 2.0 released in March 2021, where potential travellers enlisted flexibility with regards to change date and last-minute free cancellations as a huge draw.

Vaccinate, test and mask-up please!

Post-pandemic, travellers do not believe that less is more, with them actively seeking out destinations that have strategic safety & hygiene measures in place. Vaccinations are working like a charm when it comes to boosting traveller confidence. This is evident as close to one 1 in 3 travellers state that they are comfortable travelling to destinations that allow only fully vaccinated travellers.

Another 27% respondents say that they would have most confidence in destinations that mandate negative RT-PCR tests, in addition to complete vaccinations. Furthermore, 16% state that in addition to the above stated criteria, they will be most comfortable with destinations that have short quarantine periods.

What masking protocols are consumers most likely to follow during travel?

Respondents seem to be divided on the correct masking protocol, during travel. However, a majority (32%) lean towards wearing single masks.

These are closely followed by those who prefer to don a single mask + face shield (28%), double masks (23%) and double masks + face shields (17%).

Increased dependency on technology in travel

With the onset of the pandemic, technology was predictably slated to play a huge role in reducing person-to-person contact. The InterMiles survey reaffirms its part in restoring consumer confidence, as a whopping 42% respondents say that contactless technologies boost confidence while travelling – these include contactless payments (22%) and digital IDs (19%).

Having a constant eye on travel developments via mobile applications also helps increase confidence in 24% travellers.

Along with dedicating attention to the latest travel news, travellers have also evolved to keep constantly keep a tab on physical health and again, technology comes to the rescue! 42% survey respondents said that they were likely to pack a smart band or watch that can track their fitness when travelling. Rather than tag around individual oximeters (29%) and thermometers (26%), majority travellers prefer smart bands and watches which are usually capable of monitoring both, temperature and Sp02 levels.

In addition to technology that monitors health, travellers also exercise adequate precaution – they state personal sanitizers (68%) and personal water bottles (60%) have now become absolutely essential travel accessories.

About the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index (Travel) 3.0:

The InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index was introduced to identify trends that matter and enrich the industry’s understanding around the always evolving consumer need and behavior. This survey was conducted between 11th to 16th October 2021.

The programme which has a 10mn plus member base, is committed towards understanding the pulse of consumers across various travel & lifestyle categories. Data collected through these surveys will not only enable InterMiles as a programme to create unique and compelling value propositions for its members, it will also create meaningful business opportunities for its partners. 

The member base for the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index (Travel) 3.0 comprises of members having diverse payment, lifestyle and travel preferences.

Honda 2Wheelers India Resumes The Hunt For Next-Generation Iconic Indian Rider

* Round 2 of 2021 Talent Hunt reaches Bengaluru to explore t­­­­­he young racing talent

* The Level 1 saw participation from 14 aspiring as well as experienced riders

* 6 young boys and 1 young girl promoted to Level 2 selection process

Giving wings to the next generation of riders who want to enter the world of professional racing, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. resumed the hunt for young racing talent by conducting round 2 of IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt 2021 at the Aruani Grid in Bengaluru.­­­­­

Since its launch in 2018, the IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt has gained success as a unique platform that identifies the best of young Indian riders and develops them for a racing career, spanning national and international road racing and endurance championships.

The second round of IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt 2021 in Bengaluru saw participation of 14 amateur riders from 8 cities (Bengaluru in Karnataka; Tirupur and Karur in Tamil Nadu; Kolhapur in Maharashtra; Kannur, Kottayam, Thrissur and Perintalmanna in Kerala). The round saw riders coming in from age as young as 11 years going up to 17 years. Interestingly, the round also saw a 11-year-old young girl break the ranks. The participants included both aspiring as well as experienced young riders who are looking for a platform to fulfil their dream of becoming an iconic rider.

Sharing an overview on the participation in Bengaluru, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Senior Vice President – Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt is a platform developed by Honda that gives an avenue to aspiring and budding racers from all over India to unleash their potential on racetrack. We kicked-off the 2021 hunt for next-gen racing sensation earlier this year in Chennai and shortlisted two riders who are now showcasing their racing talent in IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Cup CBR150R. Moving ahead with this round in Bengaluru, we have shortlisted 7 candidates for phase 2 and the best of 7 will get an opportunity to ride and compete in CBR150R class of talent up. It is just the start of their professional racing career. In long term, Honda’s focus is to put young Indian talent on multiple National & International platforms like Asia Talent Cup, Asia Road Racing Championship, Endurance championships. I am confident that these budding riders will change the scenario of motorsports in India and make the nation proud both at national as well as international level.”

In Level 1, all 14 candidates went through rigorous 3 levels of tests. First being a grueling physical fitness session followed by judging the young guns’ riding skills and maneuverability on the racetrack. This was followed by a one-on-one interview with candidates and their parents/guardians to understand both their motorsport passion and family support to become the next iconic rider from India.

After shortlisting 7 candidates including 1 female in phase 1, these top candidates of the Talent Hunt of Bengaluru were trained and given opportunity to ride on the track in Level II. It is from this pool of talent that Honda will pick up the best talent for future development. These final riders will now get an opportunity to race in the IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Cup CBR 150R category. 

MADAME Showcases Its Colours At The Delhi Times Fashion Week, Unveils Autumn/Winter Collection

MADAME, India’s leading western wear fashion brand, participated in the prestigious Delhi Times Fashion Week held at Roseate House, Aeroticty in the national capital. The brand showcased its premium Autumn/Winter collection in a fashion show on October 21.

The Delhi Times Fashion Week is hosted by the Times Group every year and the event witness’s participation from the most renowned fashion brands and designers during the event. This year, the sixth season of the event was organized for three days and opened by designer Rocky S.

MADAME’s Autumn/Winter collection served as an important highlight on day two of the event because of its subtle and neon hues, quality fabrics, and comfy attire. The ready-to-wear collection is designed to bring in a chic, practical, casual, and comfortable fashion for people sprucing up for Fall/Winter season.

“We are happy to have received a lot of appreciation for our latest collection. This reaffirms our faith in what we are doing and serves as proof of why we enjoy the loyalty of the customers from across the country,” said Akhil Jain, Executive Director of MADAME.

About MADAME:

Launched in the year 1993, MADAME opened its first store in 2002 and since then has made its presence in over 150 exclusive brand outlets across India and 600 multi-brand outlets. The brand was awarded the ‘Most Admired Retailer of The Year: Fashion and Lifestyle’ at the Images North India Retails awards in 2018. With rigorous expansion plans on the horizon, the brand has witnessed a demand surge, especially in Tier II cities, having already opened 8 new stores in 2021 and plans to open 5 more in the remaining months.

Vi And Ericsson Partner To Showcase The Power Of 5G To Transform Healthcare In India

As part of the ongoing 5G trials in India, Vodafone Idea Ltd. (VIL) and Ericsson (NASDAQ: ERIC) have partnered to showcase the power of 5G to revolutionize the healthcare sector in India by showing how 5G connectivity can enable access to healthcare in remote parts of the country.

The 5G trial network set up by Vi on Govt allocated 3.5 GHz mid band & 26 GHz mmWave band in Pune, deploys Ericsson Radios and Ericsson Dual Mode Core based on cloud native technology comprising of 5G SA, 5G NSA & LTE packet core functions.

Based on the high data speed, low latency and reliability of 5G, a doctor located in an urban center can actually carry out an ultrasound scan on a patient who is in a remote rural location. This is being trialed by Vi using Ericsson’s 5G infrastructure to showcase the power of 5G to reach healthcare to remote parts of the country.

States Jagbir Singh, CTO, Vi, “Vi has developed a 5G ready network which builds on India’s fastest Vi GIGAnet network verified by Ookla. With our 5G trials now, we are leveraging the power of 5G to provide healthcare access to remote parts of the country, amongst a range of other use cases for enterprises and consumers. Speed and latency are critical to 5G services, and therefore, our focus has been to achieve throughputs which can effectively enable relevant 5G use cases for the Digital India  of tomorrow.”

As part of the ongoing demonstrations, Vi and Ericsson also demonstrated the Enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB) and fixed wireless access (FWA) applications with 5G. “Enhanced mobile broadband and Fixed Wireless Access are expected to be the early use-cases for 5G in India. Over time, we expect more enterprise related use cases to come up leveraging the benefits of 5G in sectors like healthcare, manufacturing, education etc. The flexible Dual Mode Core set by Ericsson with Vi in Pune is helping enterprises leverage the network to deploy use cases like Remote video monitoring, Telemedicine, Digital twin, AR/VR etc. during the ongoing trials.” states Amarjeet Singh, Vice President, Ericsson.

With the launch of 5G, the digital transformation of enterprises in India will be further accelerated. 5G opens up opportunities for service providers beyond consumers to explore new revenue streams. Ericsson’s 5G Business Compass report estimates the total 5G-enabled B2B opportunity for Indian operators, across 10 industries, would be $17 billion USD by 2030. The top industries that are expected to leverage 5G for their digitalization include healthcare, manufacturing, energy and utilities, automotive and public safety.

About Vodafone Idea Limited

Vodafone Idea Limited is an Aditya Birla Group and Vodafone Group partnership. It is India’s leading telecom service provider. The Company provides pan India Voice and Data services across 2G, 3G and 4G platform. With the large spectrum portfolio to support the growing demand for data and voice, the company is committed to deliver delightful customer experiences and contribute towards creating a truly ‘Digital India’ by enabling millions of citizens to connect and build a better tomorrow. The Company is developing infrastructure to introduce newer and smarter technologies, making both retail and enterprise customers future ready with innovative offerings, conveniently accessible through an ecosystem of digital channels as well as extensive on-ground presence. The Company is listed on National Stock Exchange (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) in India.

The company offers products and services to its customers in India under the TM Brand name “Vi”.

For more information, please visit: www.MyVi.in and www.vodafoneidea.com

About Ericsson:

Ericsson enables communications service providers to capture the full value of connectivity. The company’s portfolio spans the business areas Networks, Digital Services, Managed Services and Emerging Business. It is designed to help our customers go digital, increase efficiency and find new revenue streams. Ericsson’s innovation investments have delivered the benefits of mobility and mobile broadband to billions of people globally. Ericsson stock is listed on Nasdaq Stockholm and on Nasdaq New York. www.ericsson.com

Intel Partners With Glance To Showcase Its Latest Processor On Millions Of Smartphone Lock Screens Throughout India

* Glance’s innovative campaign helps Intel reach nearly 24 million users through captivating visuals, and engaging storytelling on the lock screen.

Glance, one of Southeast Asia’s largest lock screen content platforms, partnered with technology giant Intel, to launch an innovative campaign for the latter’s 11th Gen Intel Core processors on Glance’s platform available on smartphone lock screens. With over 150 million Indians spending an average of 22 minutes on Glance daily, the campaign has enabled Intel to generate product awareness and discovery among PC shoppers, through impactful storytelling, surfaced on the lock screens of millions of smartphones across the country. 

The objective of the campaign was to drive home the uniqueness of the 11th Gen Intel Core processors and to reach out to people actively looking for PCs, in an engaging manner. Intel’s intention was to go beyond the clutter of social media and to utilize the power of the lock screen to reach the right consumers. With its AI-powered content discovery and personalization, Glance ensured that the message was delivered to accurate sub-sets of potential consumers. Millions of lock screens were lit up with a burst of the Intel blue, alongside crisp communication and a strong call to action. The striking imagery of PCs integrated with the 11th Gen processor ruled the spotlight, grabbing eyeballs on the mobile’s front page. One tap led users directly to Intel’s retail site, driving web traffic for the brand, while also simplifying the consumer journey immensely.

The success of the campaign came through in its user engagement numbers, with the campaign recording an impressive reach of 23.8 million users and 61.16 million impressions. According to Brand Lift Insights research done by Kantar India, 79% of the users found the ads to be relevant and non-intrusive to their inherent experience on Glance and 54% of the audience found the ads to be enjoyable. The research also showed that 67% of the users associated the ad with the brand thus reflecting a high recall value owing to the captivating visuals and communication. 

“Brands are increasingly looking for newer, faster and innovative ways of reaching their consumers. We believe Glance, with its novel lock screen real estate and over 150 million active users, adds immense value. We are excited to have partnered with Intel for the launch of their 11th Gen Intel Core processor, contributing to their business success, and look forward to working with them on many more such campaigns in the future,” said Devika Sharma, Director - Sales, Glance.

Recently, Glance launched Glance LIVE, a live content streaming service on smartphone lock screens. Glance LIVE aims to bring users the best of live content from some of India’s top content partners, across categories like entertainment, sports, current affairs, gaming, music, and commerce.

About Glance   

Founded in 2019, Glance is a consumer internet company that has created two of India’s largest digital content platforms, Glance and Roposo. Glance enables an estimated 175 million users across India and Southeast Asia to experience the ‘live internet’ on the lock screen of their smart phones. Roposo, a live entertainment commerce app, is India’s first dedicated destination for creator-led, live streaming commerce. Glance also owns full-stack e-commerce company Shop101 and is a majority shareholder in Glance Collective, which co-creates consumer brands across categories with leading celebrities and creators. Funded by Google and Mithril Partners, Glance is an unconsolidated subsidiary of InMobi. For more information visit glance.com   

About Intel

Intel (Nasdaq: INTC) is an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables global progress and enriches lives. Inspired by Moore’s Law, we continuously work to advance the design and manufacturing of semiconductors to help address our customers’ greatest challenges. By embedding intelligence in the cloud, network, edge and every kind of computing device, we unleash the potential of data to transform business and society for the better. To learn more about Intel’s innovations, go to newsroom.intel.com and intel.com.

© Intel Corporation. Intel, the Intel logo and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Blue Dart Announces Q2 Results With New All-Time Highs For Revenue And Earnings

* Revenue up by 30%; the EBITDA margin at 15%  

Blue Dart Express Limited, South Asia's premier express air and integrated transportation & Distribution Company, declared its financial results today for the quarter ended September 30 2021, at its Board Meeting held in Mumbai today. 

The company posted ?895 million profit after tax (previous year corresponding quarter was at ?414 million) for the quarter ended September 30, 2021; Revenue from operations for the quarter ended September 30, 2021 stood at ?11,236 million. Revenue from operations for the half year ended September 30, 2021 stood at ?19,884 million and profit after tax at ?1,189 million. 

Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart says, “The company witnessed strong pull back in demand during the quarter as wave II of pandemic started slowing down. All economic indicators like GDP growth, Index for Industrial Production, GST collections etc. reflected strong recovery. Growth during the quarter is testimony to heightened business activities of key industrial verticals.” 

Revenues during the quarter stood at ?11,236 Mn with a growth of 30% over previous year same quarter, sequentially quarter revenue growth is at 30%. EBITDA for the quarter is ?1,690 Mn, a growth of 46.6% over last year. EBITDA margin was also improved to 14.96% as compared to previous year at 13.31%. Revenues for the half year stood at ?19,884 Mn with growth of 55% over previous year. EBITDA at ?2,582 Mn which was negative ?7 Mn last year. Consolidated EBITDA margin for the quarter stood at 22%. Healthy top-line growth with better realization, continued cost efficiency program and financial re-engineering helped the company to improve its margin. The company together with its wholly owned subsidiary paid off majority of bank borrowings during the quarter which would help company in reducing its finance cost. Recently, Blue Dart Aviation purchased one more leased aircraft in its pursuit of improving efficiency to create value for stakeholders. 

Pandemic during last quarter created unprecedented situation in the Country. Without much bothering about adverse situation, Blue Darters played vital role in reaching medicines, testing equipment and other emergency material which was highly appreciated by the customers. To appreciate their efforts, the company has proposed a token ex-gratia payment of €300 equivalent in rupee term to all employees except senior management. A cost of ?359.50 million towards ex-gratia has been recognised in the current quarter financials as exceptional item.  

During the quarter, the Company successfully launched the Blue Dart Med-Express Consortium, which leverages the use of drone technology to provide a robust healthcare infrastructure to the interiors of the nation. 

The organisation’s commitments to being a ‘Great Company to Work for’ All and a ‘Highly Trusted Company’ focusing on Diversity & Inclusion remains unfaltering. Blue Dart has always believed in providing equal employment opportunities to all those who are willing to contribute towards the brand’s success. Company is working on sustainable solutions to reduce carbon emission including deploying electrical vehicles, reducing paper consumption, green facilities etc. The company has also planted over 555,000 trees to offset carbon footprint. Blue Dart is committed to its highest standard of compliance under its ESG journey. 

Exceptional Service Quality remains one of the organization’s major pivots alongside automation and technology, providing customers a one-stop, hassle-free solution to all their logistics requirements. In its journey to delight customers, the company carried 116.25 million shipments weighing 422,933 tons during the half year ended September 30, 2021. 

Government’s focus on improving infrastructure like constructions of new roads including dedicated corridors, logistics parks, economic zones, dedicated rail corridors, waterways is expected to smoothen movement of goods. Further, schemes like “Make in India” “Atmanirbhar Bharat” extension of PLI scheme to various sectors is likely to give boost to economic activities. Strong vaccination drive by the Government is also expected to improve pandemic situation. All these initiatives are expected to boost overall economic scenario in the Country. Blue Dart with its air and ground infrastructure, passionate Blue Darters and world class service delivery experience is well poised to encash the opportunity sustainably.  

About Blue Dart: 

Blue Dart Express Ltd., South Asia's premier express air and integrated transportation & distribution company, offers secure and reliable delivery of consignments to over 35,000 locations in India. As part of Deutsche Post DHL Group’s DHL eCommerce Solutions division, Blue Dart accesses the largest and most comprehensive express and logistics network worldwide, covering over 220 countries & territories, and offers an entire spectrum of distribution services including air express, freight forwarding, supply chain solutions, customs clearance etc. 

The Blue Dart team drives market leadership through its motivated people, dedicated air and ground capacity, cutting-edge technology, a wide range of innovative, vertical-specific products and value-added services to deliver unmatched standards of service quality to its customers. Blue Dart's market leadership is further validated by its position as the nation’s most innovative and awarded express logistics company for exhibiting reliability, superior brand experience and sustainability which include recognition as one of ‘India's Best Companies to Work For’ by The Great Place to Work® Institute, India, ranked amongst ‘Best Multinational Workplaces in Asia’ by The Great Place to Work® Institute, Asia, voted a ‘Superbrand’ and ‘Reader’s Digest Most Trusted Brand’, listed as one of Fortune 500’s ‘India's Largest Corporations’ and Forbes ‘India's Super 50 Companies’ to name a few. 

Under the DHL Group motto of “Connecting People, Improving Lives”, we focus our corporate responsibility under three pillars - GoTeach (Championing education), GoGreen (Protecting the environment) and GoHelp (Structures engagement with communities & Disaster management response).  

Hero Motocorp Sells 5.48 Lakh Units Of Mototcycles & Scooters In October 2021

* BRINGS FESTIVE DELIGHT WITH NEW PRODUCT OFFERINGS -  XTREME 160R STEALTH EDITION, XPULSE 200 4 VALVE, PLEASURE+ XTEC

Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, sold 547,970 units of two-wheelers in October 2021. 

This is a sequential growth over the volume sales in the month of September, when Hero MotoCorp despatched 530,346 units of motorcycles and scooters, indicating a gradual recovery in the economy.

Demand in the festive season has been building up as we move towards Dhanteras and Diwali, and we expect healthy retail over the coming weeks. With the economy gradually opening up with several other positive indicators, such as encouraging farm activity and surge in preference for personal mobility, a swift revival in sales is expected in the coming months. 

In line with its commitment towards bringing youthful products for its customers, Hero MotoCorp introduced a range of new two-wheelers during the month of October. The Company has brought two exciting additions to its ‘X’-range of premium portfolio - the Xtreme 160R Stealth Edition and XPulse 200 4 Valve. The Company’s scooter range also got a festive cheer with the new Pleasure+ XTec. 

With international markets gradually opening-up, Hero MotoCorp has also accelerated its global expansion plans. During the month, the Company inaugurated its new exclusive dealership in Dubai, further strengthening its presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

Continuing with its efforts to bring relief to COVID-19 affected families, Hero MotoCorp has launched a unique welfare initiative in the states of Haryana, Uttarakhand and Rajasthan. The initiative aims to support women from the affected families with livelihood opportunities, access to food and nutrition, and education for their children. 

                   Oct’ 21   Oct’20            YTD FY’22              YTD FY’21

Motorcycles   5,05,957  7,32,498        27,99,698      29,39,553 

Scooters           42,013      74,350           2,11,402        2,45,246 

Total        5,47,970 8,06,848        30,11,100      31,84,799 

Domestic        5,27,779   7,91,137        28,34,293      31,02,391 

Exports           20,191      15,711           1,76,807           82,408 

Bayer CropScience Limited Reports Q2 Results For FY 2021-22

 

* Revenue from Operations of ₹13,651 million

* Profit Before Tax of ₹2,195 million

Bayer CropScience Limited (BSE: 506285) announced today its unaudited results for the quarter (Q2) and half year ended (H1) September 30, 2021.

For Q2 ended September 30, 2021, Bayer CropScience Limited (BCSL) registered Revenue from Operations of ₹13,651 million as compared to ₹13,816 million in the corresponding period of FY 2020-21. Profit Before Exceptional Items and Tax stood at ₹2,195 million, compared to ₹2,960 million in the corresponding period of the previous financial year.

For the H1 ended September 30, 2021, BCSL reported Revenue from Operations of ₹27,810 million compared to ₹26,094 million for the corresponding period in FY 2020-21. Profit Before Exceptional Items and Tax for the H1 ended September 30, 2021 stood at ₹5,395 million, compared to ₹6,098 million for the corresponding period in FY 2020-21.

Speaking about the financial results, D. Narain, CEO & Managing Director of Bayer CropScience Limited, said, “Our half-yearly revenue growth of 7% was primarily driven by Crop Protection products including the herbicide Roundup™ and new product launches while our second quarter revenue declined by 1% compared to last year. Overall profitability was impacted by a challenging season for our Corn Seeds portfolio and pressure on margins in our Crop Protection business. The Kharif Corn season witnessed a drop in acreages owing to lower relative profitability of Corn for the grower versus other crops, as well as some weather-related events leading to higher seeds returns in the second quarter. Crop Protection business was impacted by higher material & logistics costs and product mix, partially offset by product price increases. Given unseasonal rains and subsequent slowing of liquidation in late September, we consciously reduced our channel placements.”

D. Narain added, “We will continue to focus our investments on capacity building programs for smallholder farmers in India, especially through the continuing expansion of the Better Life Farming program and new business models such as eCommerce and Food Chain Partnerships. With drones now being available for agriculture, we look forward to accelerating innovations that foster precision farming, resource efficiencies and sustainability.”

This year marks also 125 years of Bayer’s presence in India. The Company has made significant contributions towards advancing agriculture and healthcare in the country while promoting inclusive and sustainable growth through innovation. To commemorate Bayer’s presence in India for 125 years, the Board of Directors of Bayer CropScience Limited (BSE: 506285) declared a special dividend for the financial year ending March 31, 2022 amounting to ₹ 125/- per equity share for 44,942,092 Equity Shares of ₹10/- each. The record date for the purpose of determining the entitlement for payment of special dividend is fixed as November 13, 2021.

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to help people and the planet thrive by supporting efforts to master the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. Bayer is committed to drive sustainable development and generate a positive impact with its businesses. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. The Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability, and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2020, the Group employed around 100,000 people and had sales of 41.4 billion euros. R&D expenses before special items amounted to 4.9 billion euros. For more information, please visit www.bayer.com.

Add A Creative Sparkle To Your Diwali With Snapchat's AR Lenses, Bitmois, Festive Filters & More!

For Diwali 2021, Snapchat encourages its community to share their light for the world to see. It’s the sharing of hopes and dreams for the year to come, the sharing of ageless traditions passed down through generations and sharing the love and passion for colour and life.

Snapchat is all set to make Diwali celebrations brighter by introducing several new AR Lenses, cameos, stickers , games, Bitmoji’s to usher in the festival spirit.

On using Snapchat’s AR powered lens that activates based on wishes & greetings, your screen will light-up with firecrackers promising to elevate your Diwali experience.  Adding to the festive mood, Snapchatters will also get to experience a custom Diwali design to Snap Map that will feature lanterns and fireworks!

Commenting on the special festive offerings, Durgesh Kaushik, Head of Market Development, Snap Inc., India, said, “‘At Snap, we are focused on localizing the app experience for our Snapchatter community in India. Last year, Indian Snapchatters viewed our Diwali AR experiences over 430M times and this year we have introduced a range of exciting creative tools for our community to engage with. This year, our theme for Diwali is about sharing your light for the world to see and we hope the immersive experiences that we have created will make this Diwali really special for you and your loved ones.”

In the run-up to Diwali, Snap has also launched new Bitmojis around popular Diwali delicacies along with custom Hindi Bitmoji Stickers. The community will have access to hyperlocal geofilters across  20 cities in India to celebrate Diwali within local neighbourhoods, popular shopping streets, landmark locations and more. Snapchat has also introduced mini-occasion specific Lenses to celebrate all 5 days of Diwali- Bhai Dooj, Govardhan Puja, Dhanteras, and Chhoti Diwali and can also use a Diwali-themed version of the highly-popular Cartoon Lens.

That’s not all; Snapchatters will also have access to a fun and celebratory ‘Desi Music’ playlist on Sounds allowing you to add music to your Snaps.  Giving all gamers a Diwali twist, “ Color Together” game on Snap has launched four Diwali special sketches skin that users will be able to play.

With Snapchat there is something for everyone - whether it is showcasing individual creativity or uniquely celebrating with friends and family. Snapchat creates a unique and fun filled festival vibe on its platform for every festival. Diwali being one of the biggest festivals celebrated in India - Snapchat innovates every year with new and fresh concepts like Diwali themes takeovers that helps bring its community closer together.

Unity Small Finance Bank Limited Commences Business Operations

Unity Small Finance Bank Limited (Unity Bank), has commenced operations. Having complied with all requisite regulatory approvals, the Bank has begun operations in record time, with a quick turnaround from the RBI’s approval received on October 12, 2021. Unity Bank is founded by Centrum Financial Services Limited (Centrum), the established and profitable small business lending arm of the Centrum Group and Resilient Innovations Private Limited (BharatPe), one of India's fastest-growing fintech companies. 

Unity Bank will be a digital first bank with a business model of collaboration and open architecture, uniting all its stakeholders to deliver a seamless digital experience. The Bank commences operations with Centrum’s successful MSME and Micro Finance businesses and teams, a capital infusion of approx. Rs 1,100 crores, total assets of about Rs 2400 crores, active customer base of over 2 lakhs, 145 offices including a branch in Centrum House, Mumbai, getting off to a strong start. 

Jaspal Bindra, Executive Chairman, Centrum Group, said “We thank the RBI for giving us approval to commence operations at Unity Bank. We aim to make it a truly New Age Bank. The Bank is well capitalized, significantly higher than the minimum regulatory requirement, giving us the platform to build a robust technological infrastructure, hire the best talent and work with credible vendor partners. The combined expertise of Centrum and BharatPe, business strengths and our proven success, will provide a strong foundation to drive growth in the Bank.”

“I would like to sincerely thank the Reserve Bank of India for granting us the approvals for commencing the operations of Unity Bank. We are committed to work tirelessly to build India’s first truly Digital Bank. With the capitalization and approvals in place, we will now focus on building tech-first products that will redefine the way India banks.”, added Ashneer Grover, Co-Founder and Managing Director, BharatPe.