Godrej Appliances Introduces Compact Counter-Top Dishwasher For Smaller Families

* Eases dishwashing woes as consumers undergo pandemic induced home isolation across the country

Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, announced that its business Godrej Appliances has launched Godrej Eon Magnus Counter-Top Dishwasher to manage dishwashing requirements of smaller families.

Unlike earlier times, the pandemic has made dishwashers as a category more familiar for consumers at large. However, consumers are still grappling with some concerns: Bulk of India resides as nuclear families today and the apartment culture is catching on across cities. One of the concerns around regular dishwashers is their size which makes them difficult to fit in smaller kitchens. The newly introduced compact dishwasher fits over the counter or on the tabletop easily without occupying floor space. Another question that small families tend to grapple with is whether they need the regular sized dishwasher given their limited dishwashing needs. The Godrej Eon Magnus Counter-Top Dishwasher is an 8 place-setting compact model that can wash all the regular dishes for 2 – 3 membered families easily.

The model is lean in its size but comes loaded with features such as Intensive 70°C germ free wash program for normal to heavily soiled dishes with dried on food; Lite 90 for normally soiled dishes needing a quick wash, Quick 35 for lightly soiled loads that don’t need drying, Delicate for lightly soiled crockery and glassware; Delay start for up to 24 hours, Silent wash, 2 spray levels, interior lighting, easy-to-use control panel apart from higher drying efficiency. To take care of the growing need among consumers with respect to disinfection, this dishwasher has an in-built heater and an anti-bacterial filter that gives a hygienic and squeaky-clean wash. Also contrary to the popular belief that dishwashers consume a lot of water, the Godrej Eon magnus series of counter-top Dishwashers can be operated in an eco-wash mode which uses as little as 8 litres of water per cycle of wash.  

Commenting on the product launch, Kamal Nandi, Business Head and Executive Vice President – Godrej Appliances, part of Godrej & Boyce said, “As always, we are constantly working towards products that are relevant to consumers. The Godrej Eon Magnus series of counter-top dishwashers is yet another offering which caters to the needs and concerns of today’s consumers. With hygiene, convenience and efficiency at its heart, it delivers a better way to do the dishes to everyone needing a more compact dishwashing solution.”

Further, Rajinder Koul, Product Group Head – Dishwashers, Godrej Appliances, said, “Our newest offering of Godrej Eon Magnus counter-top dishwasher not just ensures a great wash performance, but as is expected out of every Godrej product, it is also environment friendly with A+ Rating as per European standards. It saves water and energy and coupled with its great features it is indeed true to our philosophy of things made thoughtfully. Designed for small families, keeping in mind the changing lives of consumers the product is particularly relevant in today’s time.”

The dishwasher which comes with 2 years of comprehensive warranty is currently available in two elegant colours -Silky Black & Silky Silver starting at MRP Rs. 27,490/- on Amazon and will soon be available across other ecommerce platforms as well as all the leading stores pan India. Currently the platform is also offering no cost EMI and exchange offers.

About Godrej Appliances:

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

This thought extends from human-centric design to planet centric design. Environment is a core value at Godrej. Both manufacturing units of Godrej Appliances became the first in the country to win the coveted Platinum Plus Green Co certification for their pioneering green manufacturing practices. The brand takes pride in not just its carefully designed products and environment-friendly technologies, but also best in class after-sales service delivered through over 680 service centers and more than 4500 SmartBuddy service experts spread all over the country.

To learn more visit : https://www.godrej.com/godrej-appliances 

Great Lakes Institute Of Management Organized “The 12th Great Lakes-Union Bank Finance Conference

* “The concern today is the low interest rates and enormous liquidity available in the system as is it could potentially disrupt financial stability”, Former Governor of RBI, Dr Duvvuri Subbarao. 

Great Lakes Institute of Management organized its 12th Great Lakes-Union Bank Finance Conference. The event was held virtually with Dr. Duvvuri Subbarao, 22nd Governor of Reserve Bank of India and Former Finance Secretary, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, delivering a talk on 'Policy making dilemmas during turbulent times'.  

At the event, Dr Suresh Ramanathan, Dean, Great Lakes Institute of Management said, “Dr Subbarao was a master of crisis having shepherded the country and its economic policy through one of the worst crisis the world had ever known. What happened in 2008-2009, finds some form of repetition in the events of the last two years. A different form of a crisis, but a crisis none the less. Various sectors of the economy have been affected, policy as a whole has been impacted.” 

Dr Subbarao shared his experiences with students and narrated how he began his career at RBI in the midst of an economic crisis. Some of the challenges he faced at that time include the Global financial Crisis (2008-2009), Eurozone sovereign crisis (2010-11), Stagflation scare (2012) and Taper tantrums (2013). 

He said that the five major dilemmas he faced were the global financial crisis, managing monetary policy, managing communication, managing the exchange rate and managing regulation. One of the main challenges he said was, “The market was not offering me credibility. I as an inexperienced governor lead the Reserve Bank through this extraordinary crisis.”  

Elaborating on the current scenario, he said, there was tension between growth and inflation. “The dilemma for the Reserve Bank today was how does it support growth at the same time maintain low and steady inflation. The mandate of the RBI is to maintain a balance and deliver on Price stability, that is, low and steady inflation and at the same time support growth. The instrument available is repo rate.” He also explained about the tension between giving what both savers and borrowers need. “The concern today is the low interest rates and enormous liquidity available in the system is it could potentially disrupt financial stability”, Dr Subbarao said.  

He commented that the challenges of managing monetary policy was juggling between maintaining price stability, supporting growth/employment, preserving financial stability and all this in a globalizing world.  

Dr Subbarao stressed on the importance of communication from Central bank. “Central bank communication is a very potent tool. But until recently, Central banks have been reticent about using communication as a policy tool. Markets pay very close attention to what central banks say. They analyse every word, turn of phrase and nuance.”  

Later, he interacted with students of Great Lakes Institute of Management answering several of their questions.  

The lecture was followed by a panel discussion by Mr. Saurabh Mukherjea, Founder and Chief Investment Officer of Marcellus Investments along with his team members Rakshit Ranjan and Salil Desai on their book 'Diamonds in the Dust - Consistent Compounding for Extraordinary Wealth Creation.'  

The event was conducted on zoom and was streamed live on the management institute’s official YouTube channel. It witnessed an enthusiastic participation from students and faculty alike.  

Phoenix Marketcity Announces “Love Feb” To Celebrate The Cupid Season

Watch out, Cupid! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner. Excitement is in the air and Phoenix Marketcity is all set to welcome the festival of love with its month-long celebrations, aptly named "Love Feb". This gala will showcase a multitude of attractions—from thematic décor to beautiful lighting, from stunning Instagram-able installations to non-stop entertainment with popular DJs, bands, and more, complete with tons of attractive gifts and prizes. The festival of Love Feb is all about celebrating Love for food, love for music, love for shopping, love for movies, love for celebration and love for all things glittering. 

Bengaluru’s favorite mall will delight all new lovers, couples, family, and friends through its astoundingly beautiful "LOVE CHARIOT" installation, which allows customers to get a chance to win exciting prizes through its "Shop, Click, and Win" proposition. 

And to top it all off, to indulge with young couples, family, friends, and foodies from across the city, Phoenix Marketcity will be hosting a 2-day ‘Hearty-Party’ food festival on the 12th and 13th of Feb, replete with delectable food stalls with lip-smacking baked, grilled, and desi-style food, along with the most loved sweets and savories from across the nation. 

When it comes to its customer experience and being pampered, Phoenix Marketcity always rises to the occasion and provides unbeatable offers. With all the festivities, Phoenix Marketcity is also offering a chance to win romantic couple dinners, holiday vouchers (for stay), jewelry including pendants, silver coins, luxury watches and more, on shopping for Rs. 10K and above. 

That’s not all. One can groove to the foot tapping live music performance by the renowned movie playback singer "Sangeetha Ravindranath" on Feb 12th, who will enchant people with her melodious voice and pump adrenaline with her energetic live performance. 

On Feb 13th, Vipul Khurana, one of the best DJs in India will perform live to set your foot tapping and have you groove to his beats. 

With a host of safety initiatives in place, Phoenix Marketcity invites all its patrons to be a part of this magnificent festival to shop their hearts out, and at the same time win over the hearts of their special someone! 

About Phoenix Marketcity Bengaluru 

Classified as a “Larger Lifestyle Engagement Destination”, Phoenix Marketcity Bengaluru offers visitors an array of unforgettable experiences. With its truly international look and feel, tastefully done interiors, and the best of food, fashion, and entertainment from the world over, Phoenix remains ‘The’ destination for the premium discerning customers of the city as well expats. With over 300 stores, representing an exhaustive mix of International, National and Regional premium brands, the mall offers the most comprehensive and compelling lifestyle shopping experience in Bangalore. More than just a Mall, Phoenix Marketcity, Bengaluru is in fact a veritable melting pot of fascinating cultures, beautiful clothing, and high-end couture. It is a city within a city, an urban space where retail, entertainment and leisure offerings co-exist. 

QuEST Global Announces Winners Of The 10th Edition Of ‘Ingenium’

* Team from P.E.S. Institute of Technology, Bengaluru wins top honors for their software concept that detects Parkinson’s disease at an early stage 

* Bennett University, Noida, and P.E.S. College of Engineering, Mandya teams recognized as first and second runners-up positions respectively

* Mentored by a dedicated team of industry experts from QuEST, the winning teams demonstrate innovative thinking that help solve real world challenges and pave the path for a better, safer and smarter world

QuEST Global, a global product engineering services company, announced the winners of the 10th annual ‘Ingenium’ competition. Ingenium is an initiative aimed at fostering innovation and an entrepreneurial mindset amongst engineering students. Through Ingenium, QuEST provides a platform for the young talent of India to apply their engineering skills to solve real world problems. This year’s winners are selected from over 6000 teams and were selected based on the uniqueness of their ideas, application into the real world, demonstrability and cost effectiveness.

We are happy to congratulate the P.E.S. Institute of Technology (PESIT), Bengaluru, for their first place win. PESIT’s Loganyaa Senthil, Niraj Anil Babar, and Rohan Pillai created a software proposition to aid doctors in the early detection of Parkinson's disease. It not only detects the disease but is also designed to predict the stage of the disease, helping doctors adopt the right course of treatment from an early stage. 

Penumudy Tanvi and Vysyaraju Sampath Raju from Bennett University, Noida, and Manikant Amaresh Savadatti and Suryakantha from P.E.S. College of Engineering (PESCE), Mandya are the first and second runners-up respectively. Bennett University students developed solutions intended to effectively reduce the time of image search on the web. The second runners-up utilized artificial intelligence to create an advanced, cost effective robot that acts as an assistant to primary healthcare providers in hospitals. The robot helps reduce front line workers contact with patients by delivering medicines, basic health monitoring and delivering audio and video messages.  

Speaking on the announcement Shrikant Naik, Global Head – Delivery, QuEST Global said, "Ingenium demonstrates QuEST’s commitment to investing in people and our community by providing young engineering talent a platform for experiential learning. The creativity, resiliency and uniqueness of the ideas presented by the students fuels my belief in the young engineering talent of our country. I appreciate our sponsors, Wabtec Corporation, India, and Ingersoll Rand Technologies and Services Private Limited for their shared vision in nurturing young engineers and helping to provide a platform to showcase talent.”

Mr. Yogesh Kumar, Vice President – Technology & India Engineering, Wabtec Corporation, said, “Innovation is the core belief of Wabtec. We have partnered with QuEST for Ingenium as it amplifies that belief and it is one of the key drivers for our strong relationship with the company. I am overwhelmed to see the depth and breadth of ideas coming from our young minds. These have true potential to solve complex problems of tomorrow across industries. Congratulations to all the winners and participants!”

“It feels great partnering with QuEST and making life better for communities around us. I am delighted to witness the next generation of engineers work on unique ideas that utilize technological advancements for the benefit of the society. Makes me feel proud of the students who participated. We wish all the winners the very best for their future.” added Mr. Ramesh KV, Engineering Director, IRETC, Ingersoll Rand Technologies and Services Private Limited.

Ingenium demonstrates the company’s commitment to successfully utilize its engineering expertise to bridge the industry-academia gap and create a pool of a skilled workforce who will eventually help bridge the skill gap that currently looms over the industry. For the past 10 years, this annual forum has provided an opportunity to identify, support and nurture the skills of engineering students and help them live their dream of bringing their ideas to life.

About QuEST Global:

For nearly 25 years, QuEST Global has been a trusted global product engineering services partner to many of the world’s most recognized companies in the Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Energy, Hi-Tech, Healthcare and Medical Devices, Rail and Semiconductor industries. With a presence in 13 countries, 54 global delivery centers and 12,000+ personnel, QuEST Global is at the forefront of the convergence of the mechanical, electronics, software, and digital engineering innovations to engineer solutions for a safer, cleaner, and sustainable world. QuEST Global’s deep domain knowledge and digital expertise help its clients accelerate product development and innovation cycles, create alternate revenue streams, enhance consumer experience, and make manufacturing processes and operations more efficient.

Bharat Celebrates Valentine’s Day, Meesho Observes Spike In Demand For Couple T-Shirts, Soft Toys, Coffee Mugs And Health Products

* Meesho witnessed 2X rise in orders from cities like Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Agartala, Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada, Raipur and Coimbatore compared to metros

* Ahead of Valentine’s Day, 2X more women are shopping for gifts as compared to men

* The demand for sexual health products has surged by 57% in the weeks leading up to Valentine’s Day

Ahead of Valentine’s Day, Meesho, India's fastest growing internet commerce platform, has witnessed a considerable rise in the sale of apparel, personal care, jewelry, soft toys and sexual health products. This has led to a 50% average increase in orders across these categories. The season of love has seen 2X more women shopping for gifts as compared to men this year.

Meesho has also witnessed a 2X rise in orders from cities like Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, Agartala, Bhubaneswar, Vijayawada, Raipur and Coimbatore compared to metros.

Key Valentine’s Day shopping trends include:

* The top-searched keywords on Meesho are ‘rose gift boxes’, ‘soft toys’ & ‘valentine's day gifts’.

* The platform is seeing an 80% increase in demand for couple t-shirts, with more than 50% of the demand for couple t-shirts, sweatshirts and watches being driven by tier 4 cities like Bhadravati, Kota, Salur, Hospet, Valsad, Panchkula.

* Jewelry and Personal Care items like makeup, facial kits and massagers registered a 50% increase in orders.

* Gift hampers are seeing ~4X increase in demand from tier 2+ cities compared to tier 1 and metros

* The demand for sexual health products has surged by 57%

According to Utkrishta Kumar, CXO, Business at Meesho, ”The value e-commerce market in India presents immense potential. At Meesho, we are solving for both accessibility and price for customers across the country. We have witnessed a 1.5X rise in orders as people set out to celebrate Valentine’s Day. It is interesting to see 80% of this demand emerging from tier 2+ cities. Today, customers are digitally-savvy and are increasingly veering towards e-commerce as a safe means to shop for their needs.”

Meesho provides access to over 77 million unique products from a plethora of categories. Customers have the convenience of shopping for a wide assortment of products at the lowest prices from the comfort of their homes. In 2021, Over 71% of all new Meesho users came from India’s Tier 3+ markets.

About Meesho:

Meesho is India’s fastest-growing internet commerce platform. With a vision to enable 100 million small businesses, including individual entrepreneurs, to succeed online, Meesho is democratizing internet commerce and bringing a range of products and new customers online. The Meesho marketplace provides small businesses, which includes SMBs, MSMEs and individual entrepreneurs, access to millions of customers, selection from over 700+ categories, pan-India logistics, payment services and customer support capabilities to efficiently run their businesses on the Meesho ecosystem. 

CO2 AI By BCG And CDP To Launch The Tech Platform Of Reference To Enable The Exchange Of Scope 3 Data, Accelerate Decarbonization

Emissions Must Be Cut by 50% by 2030 in Order to Reach Net Zero by 2050, and Industries Need to Move Beyond Addressing the Issue at Just Company Level

CO2 AI by BCG and CDP Join Forces to Enable Scope 3 Data-Sharing at the Product Level and Power Collaboration Within Ecosystems  

Platform Provides a Solution for Organizations, Suppliers, and Customers to Seamlessly Share Their Sustainability Data, Facilitating Net-Zero Journeys for Entire Ecosystems

In order to reach net zero by 2050, emissions must be halved globally by 2030. Accordingly, organizations have a clear and urgent need to be able to accurately measure the full scope of their emissions before they can effectively manage them. Companies cannot achieve this individually. Tracking and measuring must also extend across value chains in an end-to-end manner, providing entire ecosystems with the product-level data they need to act on reducing their overall carbon footprints.

Today, CO2 AI by BCG and CDP are pleased to announce their strategic partnership to co-develop a platform that enables companies to collaborate on—and accelerate—their emissions optimization journeys by sharing product-level sustainability data in a secure, auditable, and action-oriented manner. The platform’s key benefits include the enablement of transparency at scale and accurate measurement of scope 3 emissions (external emissions that occur in the value chain of the reporting company). 

The platform will support organizations in measuring and sharing their primary sustainability data more comprehensively by allowing all members of their ecosystems to exchange data in an easy and transparent way. The platform will be enabled by best-in-class technology to ensure a secure and high-quality data exchange, including the use of artificial intelligence (AI). 

CDP’s Supply Chain program is currently the go-to reference for sustainability data at the company level. The partnership will complement and expand on CDP’s existing work on scope 3 data disclosure and expand its product-level data with access to important technological and infrastructure capabilities. 

For BCG, the partnership represents the next step in the development of CO2 AI by BCG, an end-to-end AI-powered solution that organizations from all industries can deploy to quantify current emissions and find ways to reduce them at scale. 

CDP is also publishing its 2021 Supply Chain report, Engaging the chain: driving speed and scale, today. Produced in collaboration with BCG, the report reveals that although progress is being made when it comes to direct environmental impacts, only 38%, 47%, and 16% of reporting companies are engaging with their suppliers on climate change, deforestation, and water security, respectively. It is urgent that companies cascade measurement and action down the entire supply chain to achieve the speed and scale required to avert environmental crisis.

“We are truly excited and proud to partner with CDP – the gold standard of environmental reporting. This platform will provide a critical unlock in the fight against climate change. Together, we will help organizations around the world take targeted action to decarbonize value chains,” said Christoph Schweizer, BCG’s CEO. 

“There is a critical need for companies to collaborate with their value chains on environmental action, especially decarbonization. Through our partnership with BCG, we can accelerate insights into action, leveraging digital, advanced analytics, and AI solutions to revolutionize emissions management,” said Paul Simpson, chief executive officer at CDP. 

“The AI-enabled platform will allow organizations, suppliers, and customers to exchange product-level data and empower them to compute their own carbon footprint. It provides a seamless way to share sustainability data across supply chains and collaborate on levers and roadmaps, facilitating net-zero journeys for entire industries,” said Charlotte Degot, managing director & partner at BCG, and founder and global leader of CO2 AI by BCG.

“CDP looks to continually improve the speed and scale of supplier engagement globally, leveraging over a decade of sustainable supply chain experience. The development of this platform complements our long-standing work on scope 3 emissions data, further enhancing collaboration across ecosystems at a product level,” said Dexter Galvin, global director of corporations and supply chains at CDP. 

Valentine Special: 5 Outdoor Date Ideas For When You Plan For Holiday Across South Africa

Travelling together can be incredibly romantic, especially after being cooped up for so long – together or separately. Now that borders have opened, the big question is, where to go? The fact is, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to South Africa! Would you rather watch the sunset on the beautiful coastline that stretches for about 3750 kilometers in total, or spend nights getting to know each better in the magnificent and royal national parks of the Rainbow Nation? Would you rather devote time in a boutique bedroom on a rocky outcrop with your partner – with no walls or a night under the starlit skies with all the comforts of a suite? Or, looking out of the cage into the deep blue sea to view a shark emerging from the murky depths?

A South African style romantic vacation can be as laid-back or as active, as you would like it to be. You can go on a safari, indulge in adventure activities, enjoy a city break, relax by the beach or sample delicious food and wine. Breathtaking landscapes, awe-inspiring wildlife, warm local hospitality, rich history and culture come together to weave unforgettable memories. There is the formidable and astoundingly beautiful Drakensberg Mountain Range in KwaZulu-Natal – as well as the wild stretches of bushveld in Mpumalanga, Limpopo and the North West provinces. The Free State offers big skies and homegrown hospitality and the Northern Cape's mesmerizing lunar landscapes offer a new way to interpret romance.

Read on to find out where you can enjoy the best expert-recommended dates in South Africa:

Cuddle by Coffee Bay: Nestled within the Wild Coast of the Eastern Cape Province is Coffee Bay – a beautiful coastal town that draws in enormous interest from visitors due to its unspoilt beaches and rich, traditional Xhosa lifestyle. The Coffee Bay is also widely known for the Hole in the Wall, a geographical marvel that rests within its gates. It is an offshore stack of rock through which the elements have eroded a hole; this hole amplifies the sound of the waves onto the rock, inspiring the local Xhosa people to name it esiKhaleni which means ‘place of sound’.

Explore Winelands by the Moonlight - Experience the cape winelands from a completely different perspective lit by moonlight! A trail by moonlight on horseback will take you back in time and offer a truly magical experience in the Witzenberg Valley. Just 90 minutes from Cape Town, away from city, lights, and pollution – you will be blown away by the brightness of the moon and be fascinated by your very own moon shadow.

Live it up in East London: A contemporary setting and a laidback charm gives East London a distinctive identity. Well-travelled Indians would appreciate this picturesque city, still untouched by tourist commercialization as the perfect solution for leisurely vacations clubbed with a variety of adventure experiences in very untouched natural settings. East London is also one of the few places where one can see the White Lion at the Inkwenkezi National Park.

Hot Air Ballooning in Gauteng: You rise ever so slowly into the sky and drift gently in the wind. A hot air ballooning adventure is a low-anxiety adventure which will take you to an emotional high as you look down like a bird in flight at the landscape that unravels below. And tradition requires that a hot air balloon flight ends with a toast of sparkling wine. Say cheers to a good time!

Overnight at a Luxury Game Reserve: There is nothing quite as stirring as the sight of a lion, elephant or rhino roaming free in the bush; as haunting as the sound of a hyena laughing in the dead of night; as electrifying as the tension one feels when following spoor along a dry riverbed.  This is what makes the Game Reserve experience so memorable. Day and night safaris in open safari vehicles, led by highly trained Game Rangers and qualified Trackers, follow the animals on and off-road, deep into the heart of the wild African bushveld. The quaint, luxurious properties offered by these reserves are only an added bonus!

Elgi Equipments Ltd, Posts A PAT Of Rs. 41.73 Crores For The Third Quarter 2021-22

Elgi Equipments Ltd, manufacturer of air compressors, posted a PAT of Rs. 41.73 Crores for the December 2021 quarter, compared to Rs. 34.61 Crores in the same period in 2020-21, on a consolidated basis. The standalone PAT for the quarter was Rs. 45.78 Crores as compared to Rs. 33.47 Crores in the same period in 2020-21.

Consolidated sales for the quarter was Rs. 656 Crores as against Rs. 547 Crores in the corresponding quarter in 2020-21. Standalone sales for the quarter was Rs. 409 Crores compared to Rs.323 Crores for the same quarter in 2020-21.

Except for the Australia where the impact of COVID was more pronounced, the Company performed well in India and other international markets. The Company’s automotive business also performed well.

Outlook for the fourth quarter -2021-22

The Company expects to deliver moderate growth over the corresponding period of the last financial year.

About ELGi: Elgi Equipments Limited is a global air compressor manufacturer with a broad line of innovative and technologically superior compressed air systems. ELGi has consistently worked towards ensuring that its customers achieve their productivity goals while keeping the cost of ownership low. ELGi offers a complete range of compressed air solutions from oil lubricated and oil free rotary screw compressors, oil lubricated and oil free reciprocating compressors and centrifugal compressors, to dryers, filters and downstream accessories. The company’s portfolio of over 400 products has found wide application across industries. For further information on the organisation and its products, please visit http://www.elgi.com

Tata AIA Life & Neeraj Chopra Redefine The Meaning Of Trust

* Launches unique campaign ‘Bharosa’ to emphasize significance of trusting the right insurance partner

Tata AIA Life Insurance (Tata AIA Life), one of India’s leading Life Insurance Companies unveiled its latest digital brand campaign ‘#TataAIAKaBharosa’, highlighting the significance of trust when it comes to taking the right decisions in life about securing one’s financial future. 

Tata AIA Life’s ‘#TataAIAKaBharosa’ campaign highlights the significance of trust, especially when planning for one’s financial future with life insurance. While trust can mean different things to different people, this digital first campaign captures the core idea of trust from an athlete’s perspective. It provides a glimpse into Neeraj Chopra’s trust in his javelin and training regime to succeed in the Olympics. The film creates a synergy between the trust placed by the athelete on his training and equipments and the trust placed on Tata AIA Life by consumers when choosing to invest in life insurance. 

The narrative is woven through the eyes of Tata AIA Life’s brand ambassador, Neeraj Chopra, and his journey from a talented, hard-working athlete into a global champion and pays tribute to the trusted enablers that were instrumental in this achievement. The film ends with the message from Neeraj where he urges people to believe in themselves and take help from trusted enablers, similar to how he trusts Tata AIA Life for best in class Protection and Savings solutions.

Venky Iyer, Executive Vice President and Chief Distribution Officer, Tata AIA Life Insurance, said “In life, many of our decisions are not just a result of detailed analysis but an outcome of the trust we place in others or in something. When it comes to solutions such as Life and health insurance, the ‘Trust’ factor becomes even more critical .  Hence, choosing the right brand and solution to ensure the financial security of our loved ones becomes a matter of trusting the one name that will fulfil its promise of protection at all times. Our latest campaign ‘#TataAIAKaBharosa’, highlights the trust that Tata AIA enjoys among its consumers given its rich parent heritage and demonstrated capabilities over 2 decades as a Life Insurer.”

Girish Kalra, Chief Marketing Officer, Tata AIA Life Insurance added, “The film is shot in warm surroundings and shows Neeraj emphasizing on the importance he places on his javelin and technique in getting the maximum throw in. It is an interesting take to show Neeraj in one of those reflective moments in life, away from the action at the field.  In the end, he urges all of us to believe in ourselves and take help of trusted enablers, similar to how he has trusted Tata AIA Life for best in class Protection and Savings solutions.”

Neeraj Chopra, said, “In sport and in life, I am a firm believer in the importance of being well prepared and life insurance is one aspect that can help us plan for future needs related to financial security, family protection and wealth creation. Through this campaign, I want to share the importance of trusting the right life insurance brand in order to secure your and your family's future. I want to urge everyone, especially India’s youth, to think about this and take the steps necessary to ensure that your loved ones are adequately protected for life’s uncertainties.Just like I place trust in the javelin I chose and my equipment to help me win on the field, I believe in Tata AIA Life Insurance to help me plan better for the uncertainties and win at the game of life." 

Over the last two decades of its existence, Tata AIA Life has built the identity of a Trusted Life Insurance solutions provider with its simple and transparent product offerings, customer-oriented service delivery and best-in-class Claim Settlement performance. An internal research recently conducted by Tata AIA Life, indicates that ‘Trust’ is the most dominant attribute in the minds of consumers when they think of Tata AIA Life Insurance.

Neeraj’s association with Tata AIA comes from his own experience and understanding of the need to trust a brand like TATA AIA Life Insurance for adequate life cover. The synonymy between Neeraj’s attritubutes as an athelete and commitment to his sport, highly resonate with Tata AIA Life’s core brand values of consumer centricity and a passion for excellence.

Last year, Tata AIA Life announced a multi-year brand partnership with Neeraj Chopra as its brand ambassador. This association was the first brand partnership to be signed by the champion athlete after his historic Olympic win. Neeraj, who embodies Tata AIA Life's vision of enabling dreams and inspiring healthier and happier lives, will support Tata AIA's efforts in offering the best-in-class life protection and health & wellness solutions to its consumers across the country.

Fernandez Hospital Inaugurates Its Third Human Milk Bank

* Reinforcing its commitment towards breast milk

Fernandez Hospital inaugurated the third human milk bank at its Bogulkunta in-patient facility. This milestone bolsters Fernandez’s comprehensive breastfeeding care services for mothers and newborn, including Kangaroo Mother Care wards, a dedicated lactation helpline, human milk banking and lactation counselling. 

Fernandez Hospital started its first human milk bank in 2007. The milk banks receive approximately 1000 litres of expressed milk annually, which helps over 500 neonates in the NICU.

On the occasion, Dr Pramod G, CEO, Fernandez Foundation, said, “It gives us immense pleasure to announce the inauguration of our third human milk bank. At Fernandez, we are committed to breastfeeding and ensure that every newborn is on mother’s milk. The milk bank services are offered free of cost at our units. We firmly believe that every Neonatal Intensive Care Unit should be equipped with human milk banking facility.

Dr Tejo Pratap, HOD, Neonatology, said, “Some mothers face challenges in establishing and maintaining an adequate supply of milk. Our quality improvement initiative studies have shown that comprehensive breastfeeding care services, which includes educating the mother, supporting them for milk expression, and facilitating mother-infant interaction through Kangaroo Mother Care and other family-centred care initiatives, help improve and sustain milk output. Human milk banks are vital for coordinating and providing comprehensive breastfeeding services.”  

Human milk banks at Fernandez receive milk from donor mothers with excessive milk production after meeting the needs of their own babies and having undergone careful screening for underlying health conditions. Expressed milk is then refrigerated in special containers. This milk is then pasteurized, screened for infections, and stored in a deep freezer. When the need arises, the frozen milk is thawed and fed to a newborn.

About Fernandez Foundation: Fernandez Foundation is a not-for-profit healthcare organization committed to equitable and respectful care for women & children and is the parent organization to Fernandez Hospitals, Fernandez Outpatient Clinics, Stork Home and Fernandez Child Development Centre. 

For more information, visit - https://www.fernandez.foundation

MM Agrawal Group To Launch ‘Moonshot’, A Mega Omni-Channel Digital Platform To Power Brands

MM Agrawal Group (MMG), unrivalled leaders in distribution of global brands in India, is set to launch its mega Omni-channel tech platform, Moonshot. MMG, founded in 1964, is one of India’s leading, well-respected, and trusted conglomerates with deep domain knowledge and expertise in sectors such as food & beverages, hospitality, education, oil & gas, and many more. The soon to be launched platform, “Moonshot” will bring together the best-in-class technology & digital team to work closely together with an excellent distribution & marketing team. After being one of the biggest bottlers for Coca Cola and responsible for running McDonald’s in North and East, MMG is one of the most sought-after brand in the country, with a very deep understanding of the Indian consumer market, proven expertise in PAN-India distribution, marketing, and sourcing across all channels (offline, retail and online).

MMG is now primed to leverage its strengths to empower a wide spectrum of brands, SMBs and individual entrepreneurs operating in the competitive Indian consumption ecosystem. In its first phase, Moonshot will provide an omni channel distribution platform to brands in the Food & Beverages, Personal Care & Home care space giving them access to touchpoints in General trade, Modern trade and E-commerce covering all aspects of B2C, B2B, D2C and exponentially growing online marketplaces. In the next stage, Moonshot will make equity investments (both minority and majority) in emerging and promising brands, thus creating a house-of-brands under one roof.

Commenting on the launch of this pioneering digital platform, Anant Agarwal, Promoter Director, MM Agrawal Group (MMG), said, “India is a land of innovation and opportunities. Whether it is an international brand planning market entry or an emerging business expanding its reach to market, everyone is looking to scale up their business. Moonshot, backed by MMG’s strong legacy of more than 50 years, combined with deep domain knowledge and winning team will prove to be a winning formula for ambitious brands seeking to create successful operations. Moonshot is an industry-first omni[1]channel platform that will act as a trusted aid to these brands and enable them to soar through Indian consumer landscape effortlessly. With this web and app enabled platform our intent is to scale up local and new age brands/ products and give them an opportunity to truly take their products to the Moon.”

What You All Need To Know About Pandemic and Diabetes?

 

* Blood sugar control and good nutrition are essential factors for supporting people with diabetes

The coronavirus pandemic is unchartered territory and healthcare providers are learning more about the disease as they are simultaneously taking care of patients. What we do know is that those with underlying health conditions are more at risk for complications with COVID-19, and there may be some unique considerations for people with diabetes, specifically.

For example, diabetes and hyperglycemia, a condition in which blood sugar is high, are linked to less favorable outcomes in people who have tested positive for the virus. Helping people achieve good blood sugar control can help improve outcomes, and appropriate nutrition therapy can serve a key role in helping people with diabetes manage their condition, enhance glucose control and improve health outcomes.

Prevalence and Impact of Diabetes and the pandemic

India has the second-largest share of individuals living with diabetes in the world with one in 11 Indian adults managing the condition.1 Globally, people with diabetes have a 50% higher decease risk than those without.2

People with diabetes can be more vulnerable to viral infections because of their impaired immune response, and some viruses may thrive in an environment of elevated blood glucose. 

Nutrition’s Vital Role in Diabetes Management

Nutrition is a vital component to helping people manage their diabetes, achieve good blood sugar control, and improve health outcomes. Physicians caring for individuals with type 2 diabetes, including those infected with the virus, strive to keep blood sugar levels within normal ranges. For those who need nutritional support, diabetes-specific formulas (DSF), which are specifically designed for people with diabetes, can help blood sugar control. Diabetes-specific formulas provide key nutrients and health benefits such as:

slow-digested carbohydrates with a low glycemic index that can help minimize the effect on blood sugar levels

monounsaturated fatty acids that can replace saturated fats and support lipid levels such as cholesterol

prebiotics and dietary fiber that promote bowel health and improve cholesterol levels

High-quality protein and other nutrients for immune system support, including antioxidants (vitamins C, E, selenium), vitamin D, vitamin A and Zinc

Studies have shown that diabetes-specific formulas can result in improved health outcomes in people with diabetes. Consuming diabetes specific oral nutrition supplements, like Ensure Diabetes Care, can help manage blood glucose levels and support weight management in adults given its slow-release carbohydrate system.

Although there are still many unknowns with virus, what we currently know is that there are some unique considerations for people with diabetes that can put them at more risk for serious complications. Good nutrition is especially important for people living with diabetes, to help them manage their condition and improve their overall health outcomes.

Gift Your Loved One Vi Personalised Number And Curated Photobook To Make Your Valentine’s Day Memorable

It is that time of the year when people are gearing up to celebrate the festival of love on the special ‘Valentine’s Day’. And what better way to express your love with photo albums that take you down the memory lane and a customised sim card as a gift! Vi, leading telecom brand, is here to make your Valentine’s Day truly memorable with a special offer in association with Zoomin.

Gift your loved one a customised mobile number – be it birthday, anniversary date or any other special series with a Vi postpaid SIM and avail a customised photobook from Zoomin worth Rs 299 for free. Vi’s partnership with Zoomin allows you to select your best pictures and take your partner down a memory lane with a specially designed 20 page photobook. The offer is valid from 9th – 14th February, 2022.

To avail this, visit: https://www.myvi.in/new-connection/buy-postpaid-sim-connection-online?utm_source=Valentine   

-          Select Vi postpaid sim  - individual or family plan

-          Select VIP mobile number and place the order (SIM delivery with zero delivery cost)

-          Get the coupon code for your Zoomin photobook

-          Visit Zoomin website/App

-          Select your 20 Page 5.5" customizable Photobook worth Rs. 299

-          Add your favorite pictures and preview your photobook

-          Apply the given coupon and get your valentine gift delivered (delivery charge/taxes for photobook applicable)

For more details, visit:  https://www.myvi.in/new-connection/buy-postpaid-sim-connection-online?utm_source=Valentine  

About Vi:

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 and has a 5G ready network. 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

Spinny Acquires AI-Powered Car Connectivity Solutions’ Startup, Scouto

* The deal adds another technology solution in Spinny’s capabilities to serve unparalleled car ownership experience in the county

Pre-owned car retailing platform Spinny has acquired a 100% stake in AI-powered Connected Car startup Scouto. The deal will mark one of the first consolidations in the AI-powered used car solutions segment where Spinny is gunning big to emerge as the market leader.

Founded by ex-racecar driver Akshay Gupta (CEO) & Shubham Sharma (CTO), Scouto has built an end-to-end Connected Car technology suite that provides detailed intelligence on car's health & performance, connects the vehicle owner to automotive service providers (e.g., insurers, Fast Tag players etc.) and improves the overall car ownership experience significantly. The company is focused on the consumer car industry and caters to the various start-ups in the Automotive Aftermarket & used car space in India. In FY22, Scouto clocked approx INR 5 crores in revenue.      

The Ahmedabad based startup was backed by DevX Venture Fund, iCreate & Bhuva Family Office before being acquired by Accel,Tiger Global & Elevation Capital backed Spinny.

Niraj Singh, Founder & CEO of Spinny said “as part of the acquisition, Scouto’s founders will become an integral part of Spinny & help build and drive our connected car offerings forward. We are very excited about the integration & the synergies of Scouto with Spinny. By augmenting each other’s capabilities, we can accelerate towards building the country’s largest and the most trusted used car brand”

Scouto has built the entire technology-stack in-house and boasts of industry-beating hardware & software capabilities. The company believes that by building the entire technology ground-up with an integrated, Make-in-India approach, every vehicle in India can be transformed into a smart and connected vehicle.

“We absolutely love what we do & have been working with the Spinny team for a very long time. We admire Niraj’s vision of building with a highly customer centric approach. The more we worked together, the more we realized that the synergies are plentiful and hence decided to join hands. It is Day 1 for us at Scouto again, and our goal is to ensure that every car in India is connected. We will accomplish our goals with Spinny and continue to design, build, and innovate new technologies that provide an unparalleled customer experience”, says Akshay Gupta

In December 2021, Indian cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar partnered with Spinny as a strategic investor and a lead brand ambassador. Sports icon, PV Sindhu, a believer and a customer of Spinny who would also be a part of a series of marketing initiatives focused on realizing the aspirations of a billion car dreams.

About Spinny

Founded in 2015, Spinny is a used car retailing platform that aims to bring about transparency and convenience in the car buying and selling process in India. Spinny operates across the entire value chain of pre-owned cars, embedding superior technology and processes to deliver a premium experience to customers. As a testimony of Spinny's commitment to transparency and quality, every car on the Spinny platform comes with a 200-point inspection checklist, 5-day no questions asked money-back guarantee and 1-year after-sales warranty. Currently, Spinny has 36 car hubs & operational in 22 cities - Delhi, Gurugram, Noida, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Indore, and Coimbatore.

For more information visit: https://www.spinny.com/

Defy - India’s First Social Crypto Exchange Club Launches Baskets

* Enables investors to diversify their portfolio with the help of crypto experts

To make investing easier, India’s first social crypto exchange club Defy has introduced Baskets. With the help of Baskets one can diversify their portfolio while keeping a track of what experts are investing in. Baskets consist of a set of coins based on a theme and curated by experts who strongly believe in those coins, themes, and investment strategies. Some of the theme-based Baskets that have been made available are Blue-chip basket, Metaverse basket, Gaming basket, Defi basket, NFT basket, and Altcoins basket.

Investing in crypto is confusing and to an extent daunting and those are the issues Baskets is looking to resolve. Since its inception, crypto has been home to much volatility and the number of budding coins since then has not made things any easier.

From the Cofounder/CEO, Bhagaban Behera, on the release of Baskets:

“Crypto is increasingly getting complex and crypto investors need to continuously keep themselves updated. Defy Baskets will help crypto investors invest quickly and smartly by enabling access to themes, ideas and strategies crafted by experts instead of just investing in individual coins. This will also help investors diversify their portfolio and learn to predict trends by observing experts.”

The Baskets on Defy have been created by leading professionals, researchers and industry experts who have a deep understanding and knowledge of the movements in the crypto market. 

Baskets enable investors to diversify their portfolio thus reducing the risk that each coin carries, and maximizing the returns for their portfolio. One can also create their own Baskets, have discussions with friends and even invite them to invest in Baskets that the investor and their friends are passionate about.

You, as an investor, can explore the entire range of Baskets, learn about the people investing in them and make informed, independent decisions. You can leverage the knowledge and expertise that other crypto investors carry so that you can grow your investments together.

HDFC ERGO Partners With Visa To Partner Banks And Platinum Cardholders From Fraud

 HDFC ERGO General Insurance, India's leading private sector general insurance company in the private sector, announced its first-of-its-kind partnership with Visa, the global leader in digital payments to offer curated insurance covers for Visa’s Platinum cardholders for select Public Sector banks.

The usage of cards as a form of payment has witnessed an increase and seen tremendous acceptance as a preferred mode of payment during the pandemic. Banks, the issuers of cards, are at the forefront of driving usage by creating a network of merchants accepting cards and providing discounts and offers to incentivize increased spend. However, card usage often gives rise to concerns around payment safety and potential unauthorized/fraudulent transactions in the minds of consumers. RBI has mandated banks to offer Zero Liability to cardholders for frauds reported. Through this association with Visa, HFDC ERGO aims to insure the risk of fraudulent transactions and enable the issuing banks to offer Zero Liability to their cardholders.

Speaking about the partnership Mr. Sanjay Kaw, President – Commercial Business, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company said, "This policy is applicable for Visa’s Platinum cardholders and will provide security to Visa’s partner banks. This in turn will give the card users peace of mind while performing any transaction. We are glad to have partnered with Visa to offer yet another first-of-its-kind cover to its consumers.  According to RBI, fraudsters siphoned off ?615.39 crore in more than 1.17 lakh cases of credit and debit card frauds over 10 years”

“India has seen a rapidly increasing number of new consumers use their cards for digital payments in the past year and Visa is committed to providing them a secure payment experience. We are delighted to partner with HDFC ERGO to offer a complimentary fraud insurance cover for our Platinum Debit & Credit cardholders across participating issuers. The proposition is aimed at addressing consumer concerns around making payments with cards and ensures that our cardholders remain protected in the unlikely event of card fraud,” said Sujai Raina, Head – Business Development, India, Visa.

The policy will offer all Visa Platinum Credit & Debit Cards of participating issuers with fraud insurance cover for an amount up to ? 1 lac. For this program, Visa is the master policyholder and the insurance coverage is provided by HDFC ERGO General Insurance Co Ltd., complimentary to Visa Platinum cardholders of participating banks.

About HDFC ERGO:

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company is a joint venture between HDFC Ltd. and ERGO International AG; the primary insurance entity of the Munich RE Group of Germany. HDFC ERGO is one of India’s largest non-life insurance company in the private sector. A digital-first company, transforming in to an AI-first company, HDFC ERGO is a leader in implementing technology to offer consumers the best-in-class service experience. The company has created a stream of innovative & new products as well as services using technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning (ML), Natural Processing Language (NLP), & Robotics. HDFC ERGO offers a range of general insurance products and has a completely digital sales process with ~93% of retail policies issued digitally. The self-help tech platform developed by HDFC ERGO has empowered the customers to avail 58% of the services virtually in a self-help mode on a 24x7 basis with ~40% of the customer requested services digitally.

The Company offers a complete range of General Insurance products including Health, Motor, Home, Agriculture, Travel, Credit, Cyber and Personal Accident in the retail space along with Property, Marine, Engineering, Marine Cargo, Group Health and Liability Insurance in the corporate space. Be it unique insurance products, integrated customer service models, top-in-class claim processes or a host of technologically innovative solutions, HDFC ERGO has been able to delight its customers at every touch-point and milestone to ensure consumers are serviced in real time.

About Visa:

Visa (NYSE: V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at Visa.com.

Seagram’s Royal Stag Proudly Sponsors The West Indies Cricket Team For Their Tour Of India During 2022

Seagram’s Royal Stag is proud to announce its collaboration as Official Sponsor of the West Indies cricket team for the ongoing tour to India. Team West Indies is synonymous with performance that is enhanced by natural Caribbean flamboyance, and this style fits in perfectly with the Royal Stag brand philosophy – “It’s your life. Live it large.” True to its iconic status and love for the ‘gentleman’s game’, Royal Stag is all set to root for these cricketing titans who are loved by cricket aficionados across India.

Cricket has always been central to Royal Stag’s brand communication. Over the years, the brand’s continuous association with the world’s top cricketers and teams has bolstered its engagement with cricket lovers across the country. This year, Royal Stag raises a toast to the game by associating with a team that plays with heart and passion, and celebrates its successes with style, panache, and exuberance – a perfect alignment with the brand core.

Speaking on the sponsorship, Kartik Mohindra, CMO, Pernod Ricard India, said “For a whole generation of cricket fans, West Indies embodied the perfect blend of unmatched talent, positive attitude and unparalleled flair. In the last decade, the team has rediscovered that unique spirit and has players who have helped the Caribbean win two T20 World Cups. Royal Stag has over the years celebrated all these qualities, which makes this association even more special. What's more, several players in this squad are adored in India because of their remarkable game-changing performances in T20 cricket. Royal Stag has been synonymous with the excitement and pulsating action of limited overs cricket for almost two decades now. By becoming the official sponsor of the West Indies for the ongoing series, we continue our association with the magic of the sport.”

Dominic Warne, Cricket West Indies Commercial Director, said: “We are really pleased to develop this new partnership with Royal Stag in India with our exciting West Indies Men’s team. Fans in India and around the world have always had a great love and following for the West Indies teams and players.  In a busy year of intense cricket with India due to the Caribbean tour later in 2022, we’re excited about this association with an action-packed ODI and T20I Series ahead of us.“

ABOUT ROYAL STAG:

Seagram’s Royal Stag is the flagship brand of Pernod Ricard India. Royal Stag has been a consistent star since launch, and a brand quite often credited to have changed the rules of the game. It is for the young, confident, progressive, and inspiring individual who embodies self-belief. The brand has been inspiring the youth of India through its communication around the philosophy of “It’s your life. Live it large”.

ABOUT PERNOD RICARD INDIA

Pernod Ricard India (P) Ltd. is a fully owned subsidiary of Pernod Ricard SA and is a fast-growing multinational alcohol beverage company delivering quality products to its consumers across the country. With leading brands in each category, Pernod Ricard holds one of the most dynamic and premium portfolios in the industry led by Seagram’s whiskies such as Royal Stag, Royal Stag Barrel Select, Blenders Pride, Blenders Pride Reserve Collection, Imperial Blue, 100 Pipers and a wide range of International premium brands that include Chivas Regal, Ballantine’s, The Glenlivet, Royal Salute and Jameson Irish whiskey. Some of the eminent brands in white spirits category include ABSOLUT vodka, Jacob’s Creek and Campo Viejo wines, Martell cognac, Beefeater and Monkey 47 gin, Kahlúa and Malibu liqueurs, Mumm and Perrier-Jouët champagne. Pernod Ricard India is recognized as an industry leader with various recognitions and achievements that help the company deliver quality products to the consumers. Seagram’s whiskies are exported to 26 countries across the world. Pernod Ricard India is a socially responsible organization with a strong belief to strengthen corporate citizen by addressing social, economic and environment sustainability in all key states.

Airtel Launches Xstream Premium – India’s Largest Collection Of Entertainment Content In A Single App

* In an industry first, Airtel Xstream Premium to aggregate content from 15 leading Video Apps

* with a single login, single search and single subscription at an introductory price of Rs 149* per month only

* Exclusively available to Airtel customers for viewing across all screens (TV, Smartphone, Tablets and PC)

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communications solutions provider, today took a giant leap towards democratizing and growing the Digital Entertainment ecosystem in India with the launch of its new video streaming service - Airtel Xstream Premium.

According to Media Partners Asia, by 2025, India’s OTT subscription market is expected to grow to $2 billion from the current $500 million. This will be led by 3X growth in subscriptions to appx 165 mn. A large proportion of these new subscriptions will come from new users from tier 2/3 markets. A number of high quality content houses have launched their OTT apps to tap into this opportunity, but are facing pricing and distribution challenges.

For the customers today, dozens of OTT entertainment app options are available to choose from; which are offering them the latest content. However, customers end up managing multiple apps and subscriptions simultaneously.

Airtel Xstream Premium launch, unlocks the exciting world of Video Streaming entertainment, for India’s growing tribe of digitally connected customers, with its latest launch addressing just what they wanted.

Firstly, it aggregates content from 15 Indian and global video OTT’s in one app. Customers will get access to one of the largest catalogue of over 10,500 movies & shows plus LIVE channels from SonyLIV, ErosNow, Lionsgate Play, Hoichoi, ManoramaMax, Shemaroo, Ultra, HungamaPlay, EPICon, Docubay, DivoTV, Klikk, Nammaflix, Dollywood, Shorts TV on Airtel Xstream Premium.

Secondly, it offers a great experience with a single app, single subscription, single sign-in, unified content search and AI driven personalized curation for each user. Users can access Airtel Xstream Premium across Mobiles, Tablets, Laptops through the app or web and on the TV through the Xstream set-top-box.  

All of this content is available exclusively to Airtel customers at an attractive price of just Rs. 149*per month.

For the content developers, this provides an opportunity to build distribution into the emerging market with Airtel’s scale and digital distribution capabilities.

Commenting on the launch Adarsh Nair, CEO - Airtel Digital said: “Airtel Xstream Premium is a game changing innovation to democratize OTT content in India by solving the key challenges of content discovery, affordability and distribution. As a unified digital platform, it’s a win-win proposition for customers and OTT players alike as we begin an exciting journey to make digital entertainment mainstream in India.” 

Airtel is targeting 20 million subscriptions through this disruptive offering and is collaborating with many more OTT players to make Airtel Xstream Premium the go to destination for digital entertainment in India.

Manish Aggarwal, Head - Growth and Monetization, SonyLIV, said: “We are thrilled to join forces with Airtel Xstream to accelerate India’s video OTT ecosystem. Our partnership with Airtel Xstream will bring premium content – from Originals, Movies, Sports and Sony India network content in all the leading languages and top shows from Hollywood to over 340M Airtel customers. SonyLIV’s rich content library coupled with Airtel Xstream’s deep distribution reach and massive scale capabilities make it for a perfect partnership for both sides and we look forward to a long and successful association”

Soumya Mukherjee, CEO, Hoichoi, said: “Hoichoi has always been committed to making its content available to a wider audience base. Airtel, being one of the most widely used network, with a similar aim of serving people from all corners of the country, makes this partnership a truly dynamic one. This will enable Hoichoi to penetrate deeper into the Tier - II and Tier - III cities as this collaboration will provide the Airtel users with a Hoichoi subscription bundled with an attractive Airtel recharge pack."

Ali Hussein, Chief Executive Officer, Eros Now, said: “Eros Now is a mass market consumer proposition with thousands of movies, original series, music videos, short form content and more in multiple languages. This symbiotic partnership with Airtel Xstream will further accelerate Eros Now’s adoption in India and allow an even larger number of video users to access our popular and engaging content. I am confident that consumers will enjoy the experience of accessing the best of entertainment and internet on a single platform.”

About Airtel                                                                                

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 480 Mn customers in 17 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high speed 4G/4.5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud based communication. For more details visit www.airtel.com  

Pre-Order To Get The New All-Rounder OPPO Reno7 5G Priced At INR 28,999

OPPO, the leading global smart device brand, will start accepting pre-orders on Feb 11, 2022 for its Reno7 5G smartphone at OPPO E-Store and Flipkart. The smartphone is priced at INR 28,999.

The Reno7 5G comes with the MediaTek Dimensity 900 SoC, 4500mAh battery, 65W SUPERVOOC fast charging with 256GB storage, 8GB RAM, and proprietary RAM Expansion technology. The Reno7 5G can be fully charged in 31 minutes, and you can get up to two hours of gaming with just five minutes of charging. The device also has an updated HyperBoost system optimizer that balances power consumption for enhanced performance and reduced battery consumption.

For enhanced gaming, the OPPO Reno7 boasts customized features like Quick Start-up that keeps games active in the background so the users can resume gaming with just one click. Features like Ultra Touch Response increase the touch sampling rate up to 1000Hz while AI Frame Rate Stabilizer ensures steady frame rates for smoother gameplay. Reno7 5G is the first series of smartphones to include the new ColorOS 12.

The Reno7 5G brings DSLR-like professional imaging and videography experience to a smartphone with its 64MP AI triple-camera setup and advanced AI capabilities such as its newly-introduced Portrait Mode, updated Bokeh Flare Portrait Video with cinematic Bokeh flare effect, and the upgraded AI Highlight Video.

The rear surface of the Reno7 5G sports an OPPO Glow finish—along with Laser Direct Imaging (LDI) technology—which gives the surface a premium glossy-matt finish that is fingerprint-resistant and scratch proof. The device weighs just 173g; is 7.81mm thin and is available in two colour variants, Startrails Blue and Starry Black. 

OFFERS

Offline

•        The new OPPO Reno7 5G will be available with attractive schemes and offers. Customers can avail of no-cost EMI for up to 6 months and 10% Cashback (up to INR 2899) on ICICI Bank, Kotak Bank, Standard Chartered, IDFC First Bank, Bank of Baroda Credit/ Debit Cards and many more.

•        Long tenure EMI schemes are also available from all leading financiers. Customers can also get up to INR 2000 exchange bonus for any smartphone brand and an INR 1000 extra exchange bonus on OPPO devices

•        Complete damage protection is also being offered for 180 days, applicable exclusively for loyal OPPO users

•        Customers will also receive an assured buyback offer of up to 70% via OPPO Upgrade if a user wishes to return their handset within 12 months

Online

·         Customers can get their hands on an OPPO Power bank at INR 1 and as a part of the introductory offer

·         Customers can also get M32 Bluetooth neckband at INR 1399

·         Customers can avail of no-cost EMI for up to 6 months & instant discounts up to INR 3000 on Axis Bank, Standard Chartered, Yes Bank and Bank of Baroda Credit Cards/ Debit Cards

·         Credit card EMI up to 5% instant discount on HDFC Credit Card/ Debit Cards

·         An exchange bonus of up to INR 3000 and complete damage protection of 180 days is also available for loyal OPPO users

National Skill Development Corporation & Common Services Centers Sign MoU For Delivery Of Services To Accelerate Development

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Common Services Centers today to collaborate for the delivery of services related to various skill development programmes to youth in rural and remote areas of the country under the Skill India initiative.

Under the partnership, CSCs at the village level will act as a Skill Desk, creating awareness about the various available skill development programmes. Registrations of the candidates will be carried out under the available programme for skill development training, along with Aadhaar seeding of  candidates and certificate distribution.

Ved Mani Tiwari, Chief Operating Officer, National Skill Development Corporation said, “Through CSC, NSDC will be able to identify skill seekers at the grassroot level and connect them with the right skilling opportunities in the ecosystem. This strategic partnership will help NSDC leverage the database and analytics of CSC and plan intended skilling for the youth who aspire to be skilled.” 

Dr. Dinesh Kumar Tyagi, Managing Director, CSC SPV said, “The association with NSDC will be pathbreaking as it will allow the Village Level Entrepreneurs managing the CSCs to identify the candidates, help them in registration, link them with training providers, thereby fulfilling the aspirations of large number of rural youth interested in upskilling or enhancing employment opportunities.”

About National Skill Development Corporation 

National Skill Development Corporation (NSDC), under the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship (MSDE), Government of India, is a unique Public Private Partnership (PPP) that aims to catalyse the creation of large and quality vocational training ecosystem in India. Since inception in 2010, NSDC has trained over 3 crore people through its collaboration with 600+ training partners and over 11,000 training centres spread across 600+ districts in the country. NSDC has established 36 Sector Skill Councils (SSCs) and implements the Government’s flagship skill development schemes such as Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendra (PMKK), National Apprenticeship Promotion Scheme (NAPS), among others.

About CSC e-Governance Services India Ltd.

Common Service Centres (CSCs) scheme is one of the mission-mode projects under the Digital India Programme. CSCs are the access points for delivery of essential public utility services, social welfare schemes, healthcare, financial, education and agriculture services, apart from a host of B2C (business-to-consumer) services to citizens in rural and remote areas of the country. It is a pan-India network catering to the regional, geographic, linguistic and cultural diversity of the country, thus enabling the Government’s mandate of a socially, financially and digitally inclusive society.

Lam Research Introduces Groundbreaking Suite Of Selective Etch Tools To Accelerate Chipmakers’ 3D Roadmaps

* New Portfolio Leapfrogs the Competition with Innovative Etch Techniques and Chemistries to Support Development of Advanced Logic and Memory Solutions

Lam Research Corp. (NASDAQ: LRCX) today announced a new suite of selective etch products that apply breakthrough wafer fabrication techniques and novel chemistries to support chipmakers in the development of gate-all-around (GAA) transistor structures. Composed of three new products – Argos®, Prevos™ and Selis® – Lam’s selective etch portfolio provides a powerful advantage in the design and manufacture of advanced logic and memory semiconductor solutions.

As modern technologies and devices continue to evolve, the need for greater device density for improved performance and efficiency increases. To keep pace with Moore’s Law, chipmakers are now developing transistor structures vertically – an exceptionally complex process that requires ultra-high selectivity, precision etching and uniform isotropic removal of material without modifying or causing damage to other critical material layers.

Lam’s selective etch solutions provide the ultra-high, tunable selectivity and damage-free material removal required to support advanced logic nanosheet or nanowire formation, enabling chipmakers to make the next evolutionary leap from planar to three-dimensional structures for DRAM as it reaches its planar scaling limit.

Developed in collaboration with the world’s most innovative logic and foundry chipmakers, Lam’s selective etch products are already being used in the fabs of industry leaders like Samsung Electronics to support nearly a dozen critical steps in the advanced logic wafer development process.

“The semiconductor industry is continuously driven toward more powerful and faster device capability. As the density and complexity of the devices have been increasing significantly, selective etch technology is critical to manufacturing our most advanced logic device,” said Dr. Keun Hee Bai, Master of Semiconductor R&D Center at Samsung. “As global demand for Samsung’s technologies continues to soar, we rely on the extensive innovation and capabilities of selective etch to bolster production and accelerate our logic device roadmap toward advanced logic GAA and beyond.”

The Lam selective etch portfolio is composed of three new tools: 

Argos, with revolutionary MARS (Metastable Activated Radical Source)

technology, selectively modifies and decontaminates wafer surfaces. Its groundbreaking treatment and conditioning capabilities enable chipmakers to treat wafer surfaces precisely, optimizing them for peak performance.

Prevos enables atomic layer precision, ultra-high selectivity etching for oxide, silicon, and metal by combining novel chemistries and innovative vapor technology with agile temperature control. Prevos leverages a new proprietary chemical technology solution developed by Lam; additional chemistries can be added to support chipmakers’ production needs.  

Selis uniquely employs both radical and thermal etch capabilities to enable ultra-high selective etching with uniform top to bottom process control without causing damage to the wafer structure.

Prevos and Selis can also be delivered as a single, integrated tool to provide unique multi-layer selective etching, improved queue-time control, and maximum production flexibility.

"Lam Research is driving the wafer fabrication advancements needed to support the chip industry's move to 3D architectures and make the next generation of digital technologies a reality," said Tim Archer, president and chief executive officer at Lam Research. "For more than 40 years, Lam has led the industry in etch innovation. We are proud to continue that tradition with the delivery of the most cutting-edge suite of selective etch solutions for advanced logic and memory available in the market today."

India's first 100% Project-Based Learning School Tapas Making Learning Meaningful, Enjoyable And Relevant

Providing first-of-its-kind project-based learning, tailored to suit the needs and skill sets of learners, Tapas? India's first  100% project-based learning school is making learning meaningful, enjoyable and relevant for students. The students here are presented with real world problems and challenges, and are given a chance to solve them on their own to make studying more fun and contextual as well. This method also helps them to prepare for the future challenges. At the heart of this project-based learning approach is the Cambridge Syllabus imparting STEAM education. The syllabus is customised by the educationists at Tapas to make it more interconnected and holistic.

"We intend to provide students an active form of learning where they can learn by doing activities which are enjoyable and engaging. We have kept the learning format dynamic so that students can acquire real-world knowledge through active exploration. The activity-based learning helps students to learn from  the little things around them. These simple little experiences and the interactions between students, facilitators and industry experts help to shape their personalities for the future. This will help them become global and digital citizens of tomorrow," said Preethi Vickram – Founder – Tapas

The unique way of learning at Tapas helps students to move away from the traditional  'textbook rote learning' and 'sage on a stage' methods of teaching and learning. It also introduces students  to masterclasses on various topics throughout the academic year. These not only help students to understand difficult concepts but also help to pick up a lot of real-world skill sets 

Moreover, putting the focus back on value-based learning, Tapas is also making efforts to encourage students to become contributing citizens and not just consumers. Learning about and practicing sustainability is at the core of the value-based learning here. The school believes it will help them to develop skills and habits that are most important for success in life. Value-based learning coupled with inspiration from Indic wisdom offers students an understanding of life and the greater concepts at play. It provides answers on how to live a healthy life, how to be happy, and how to deal with difficult situations in life. This enables students to make better decisions in their lives when they are faced with difficult choices.

Budget Boost For India’s Manufacturing Sector Pushes Up Demand For Industrial Machinery By 83%: JD Mart Consumer Insights

 

* Demand for industrial machinery in Tier-II is now almost at par with Tier-I

* Searches for industrial electrical equipment saw a spike of 30%

* Indore and Coimbatore leading demand growth among Tier-II cities

With the union budget providing impetus towards promoting India as an industrial hub for the world, there was a significant uptick in demand for industrial machinery and industrial electrical equipment on JD Mart.

The surge in demand also comes on the back of rapid strides made by India’s manufacturing sector, which has grown the fastest in 10 months in November 2021. This has increased searches across a wide range of categories on JD Mart, India’s latest B2B platform by Just Dial.

JD Mart Consumer Insights suggests that YOY searches for industrial machinery went up by 83% on the platform while that for industrial electrical equipment saw a 25% surge. What was encouraging was that Tier-II towns and cities saw a high demand growth rate for industrial machinery, almost at par with Tier-I.

Commenting on the trends, Mr. Prasun Kumar, CMO, Just Dial, said: “The latest union budget has provided a much-needed fillip for India’s manufacturing sector. Over the last 10-12 months, manufacturing activities have ramped up across the country and hence, we are witnessing a sharp rise in demand for a host of B2B categories for industrial usage on JD Mart. It is interesting to note that the demand growth rate in Tier-II cities is at par with that of Tier-I when it comes to industrial machinery. This augurs well for the MSME sector across the country as we partner them in their growth journey.” 

Across Tier-I cities, demand for industrial machinery saw a spike of 68%, industrial electrical equipment by 30%, while that for industrial and engineering spare parts saw a marginal uptick of 3%. Among Tier-II towns and cities, searches for industrial machinery grew by 64%, electrical equipment by 20% but that for engineering spare parts remained stable.

For industrial machinery, maximum demand was generated from Delhi with Mumbai and Pune in the second and third place, respectively. Among Tier-II cities, Coimbatore, Ludhiana, Indore, Nagpur, Patna, and Guwahati were the top-5 Tier-II cities that saw maximum traction. 

For electrical equipment, Delhi saw maximum demand among Tier-I cities while Hyderabad and Mumbai made up the top-3. Among Tier-II, Ranchi, Agra, Surat, Jammu, and Guwahati were the top-5 cities that generated maximum demand. 

Demand for industrial and engineering spare parts also saw a rise with Hyderabad, Delhi, and Bangalore being the top-3 Tier-I cities with maximum searches. Among Tier-II, Indore, Jaipur, Coimbatore, Rajkot, and Bhopal were the top-5 cities that generated maximum demand for spare parts.

Modicare Limited Forays Into Consumer Durables With The Launch Of Modicare Cuckoo Air Purifier

Modicare Limited, one of India’s leading direct selling companies, has strengthened its commitment towards providing world class products to customers with the launch of an all-new Air Purifier. The Air Purifier has been launched in collaboration with Cuckoo, Korea’s No. 1 leading kitchen and living appliances brand. The launch marks Modicare’s foray into consumer durables, further strengthening the brand’s 25 year legacy.

Modicare Cuckoo Air Purifier comes with three levels of filtration to enable its users to breathe air as pure as nature throughout the day. First level of filtration is the Pre-Filter which gets rid of dust and hair, while the second layer, True HEPA Filter, eliminates up to 99.9% airborne particles and allergens. The third level of filtration is the Active Carbon Filter which fights off unpleasant odours and VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds). The Modicare Cuckoo Air Purifier is also equipped with UV LED which produces UV-C type rays, neutralizing airborne bacteria and viruses.  With this launch, Modicare seeks to provide easy access to clean and fresh air to Indians, besides consolidating its presence in the consumer durable space altogether.

Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ESTazB6n0U

Announcing the launch, Mr. Samir Modi, Founder and Managing Director, Modicare Limited said, “Pollution is a major problem for India, and reports suggest that during 2019, we had about 1.7Mn premature deaths. Over the years, Wellness has been a key focus for us and we have developed products that have made a difference in consumer’s lives. Keeping up with our commitment of helping consumers lead a healthier lifestyle, we have launched a world-class Air-Purifier in partnership with Cuckoo, Korea’s No.1 kitchen and living appliances brand.  With our base of over 53 lakh direct sellers, we aim at reaching the last-mile consumer and help safeguard their health.  The KK Modi Group’s philosophy of people, planet and technology has been at core of what we do. As a company that cares, Modicare will continue developing our Well Range to further drive our focus to bring enhanced Wellness products to our consumers.”

Modicare Cuckoo Air Purifier is portable with built-in handle, and has intuitive control panel, child lock, automatic fan speed control. It has Clean Air Delivery Rate (CADR) of 329.23 m3/hr, covering an area up to 550 square feet. The Air-Purifier comes with Air Quality Sensor indicating real time air quality with 3-coloured LED lighting. The blue light is indicative of Best Air Quality while yellow light and red light indicate Normal Air Quality and Poor Air Quality. It is also equipped with Filter Change Indicator which alerts when filter needs to be changed. Depending upon usage and environmental conditions one filter can last up to 2 years

Priced at INR 18,999 /-, the air purifier is available across the country through Modicare consultants and comes with 3 years warranty.

About Modicare:

Modicare is one of India’s leading Direct Selling Companies and the pioneer of Direct Selling industry in India. This year is even more special as Modicare celebrates its 25th Anniversary. Modicare has also been ranked 5th among India’s 50 Great Mid-size Workplaces by Great Place to Work® Institute for second consecutive year. Great Place to Work® Institute has also ranked Modicare Limited number 30th amongst the top 100 Best Small & Medium Workplaces in Asia.

Today, the company has over 53 Lakh Direct Sellers and 2,00,000+ new Direct Sellers are joining each month. Modicare offers over 350 products, 700+ SKUs across 14 categories - Personal Care, Wellness, Consumer Durables, Skin Care, Colour Cosmetics, Food & Beverage, Homecare, Auto Care, Laundry Care, Technology, Jewellery, Watches, Divine, and Agriculture. It has a national presence through its 12000+ Distribution Points and 55 Modicare Centres.