Greenply Ensures that We Breathe Clean and Safe Air in Indian Market

Safeguarding the health interests by way of assuring to improve indoor air quality in homes of its consumers, Greenply Industries, one of India’s largest interior infrastructure brands with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing a comprehensive range of plywood, block boards, decorative veneers, flush doors, and other allied products announced that the Company has brought in its California Air Report Board (CARB) certified and compliant Green Gold Platinum Plywood to the market. 

The Breathe Healthy Green Gold Platinum Plywood combines health and durability of the highest quality and conforms to E-0 grade emission of Formaldehyde (European Standard) and low Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) which makes it the best solution to improve the indoor air quality of our interiors and enable us to breathe clean and safe air. The product is available in various standard thickness viz. from 4 mm to 25 mm with a warranty of 27 years.

California Air Resources Board (CARB) is the "clean air agency" in the government of California. Being a CARB compliant product means that this Green Gold Platinum Plywood has been manufactured in compliance with CARB air pollution rules and regulations and has attained and maintained all the parameters those ensure a healthy indoor air quality and protects the consumers from exposure to toxic air contaminants.

Remarking on the new product which has hit the market, Mr Sanidhya Mittal, Joint Managing Director – Greenply Industries Ltd said “With increasing awareness about the harmful consequences of air pollution on human health, consumers today are extremely concerned not only about their’ s external environment but also about the Indoor Air Quality where they live. This rising concern pushed us to come with an innovative product which will be free from emission of any harmful gases and ensure a complete peace of mind for our consumers in the aspects of indoor air quality, and environmentally friendliness. Green Gold Platinum Plywood being a CARB compliant product, our consumers using it in their homes will now breathe clean and safe air.”

The Compliance made sure that the plywood emits negligible formaldehyde and that its manufacturing facility has an on-site testing mechanism to monitor quality of the product in this regard. CARB standards are usually stricter than those required in other regions of the world and thus products which are CARB compliant are generally considered as one of the most environmentally friendly and safest products when compared to the many others.

About Greenply Industries

GREENPLY INDUSTRIES LIMTED (Greenply), is among India’s largest interior infrastructure brands with over 30 years of experience in manufacturing and marketing a comprehensive range of plywood, block boards, decorative veneers, flush doors, and other allied products.

Greenply commands a 26% market share in the organised plywood market. The company has a strong leadership presence with 55 branches (including virtual branches) and 7,500+ channel partners across India. However, Greenply is currently making its presence felt across the globe, with 4 state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities, which includes the operations in Gabon, West Africa. The organisation has received several awards and certifications for implementing best work practices across factories, maintaining eco-friendly manufacturing, and ensuring quality and guaranteed products, including the prestigious FSC-COC, CE and E1.

Strengthening the business – Greenply is constantly striving on building a sustainable operational framework crucial for continued value creation by working on capacity building and securing resource availability. Therefore, Greenply is amongst the first ones in this sector to use Okoume – a natural timber harvested under the Sustainable Forest Management plan. Greenply has been encouraging timber plantation and agroforestry in marginal and degraded farmlands near their manufacturing sites, ensuring environmental sustainability. For the future, Greenply plans to put in place the right building blocks for sustainable long-term growth and value creation for all stakeholders.

Blue Dart Encourages the ‘Bonds of Solidarity’ Thanking COVID-19 Warriors with Special ‘Rakhi Express’ Offer

Blue Dart, India’s leading logistics service provider and part of Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL), announces the launch of its annual ‘Rakhi Express’ on the occasion of Raksha Bandhan. Straying from tradition, Blue Dart aims to go one step beyond the celebration of the bond between siblings. This year, Blue Dart encourages the ‘Bonds of Solidarity’ to ship rakhis, not just to siblings within India and internationally, but to go one step beyond and send your love and spread the joy of the festival to all protectors including our COVID-19 warriors who have safeguarded the nation through the Coronavirus Pandemic.

Blue Dart’s ‘Rakhi Express’ is a unique opportunity that has been loved by customers for years. Through its widespread Indian domestic network, Blue Dart will deliver rakhis to 34,000+ locations across India and to 220 countries and territories across the globe, as part of the DPDHL Group’s ‘Express Easy Rakhi’. Customers can avail a special rate of ₹200/- to send rakhis to COVID-19 warriors and ₹250/- to send rakhis to their loved ones between 10th July, 2020 and 05th August, 2020. The special rate applies for up to 0.5kg for domestic shipments (anywhere within India). These offers can be availed at any of the Blue Dart – DHL retail stores across India or by calling 1860 233 1234. Customers can send their rakhis through a specially designed ‘Rakhi Envelope’ and a greeting card for their personalized messages.

Speaking about the initiative, Ketan Kulkarni, CMO & Head - Business Development, Blue Dart said, “The year 2020 was different on every vertical. This year, the world crumbled around us, giving way to a Pandemic that shook businesses and individuals across the world. The only common underlying theme across industries, cities and nations was the ‘Bonds of Solidarity’ amidst people. While most of us stayed in the safety of our homes, our COVID-19 warriors geared up at their action stations to ensure the health and safety of all.

Our goal during this festive season is to ensure that Raksha Bandhan 2020 is more than a festival for sisters to send brothers their love; rather, it is to ensure that Raksha Bandhan 2020 is a festival that celebrates love in all its forms – to parents, to friends and most importantly to send gratitude to all our protectors including our COVID-19 warriors.

This initiative is a tribute to every Government Worker, Health Care Worker, every Armed / Paramilitary / Police Force personnel, every Civil Aviation / Railway / Bank employee who has tirelessly worked through the pandemic for the greater good.”

He further added, “We want to give families that live apart, the opportunity of experiencing Raksha Bandhan to the fullest by staying connected across the country and globe. In the world of social media, the Rakhi and personal note from a loved one delivered with care, holds a very special place. We strive to provide a hassle-free, accurate and timely delivery so that people may enjoy their Raksha Bandhan without any worries.”

Customers can register for the Rakhi Service at any of Blue Dart’s conveniently located stores across the nation. At the store, the customer needs to verbally confirm that the sender or receiver is a COVID-19 warrior. Blue Dart staff then offer the Domestic Rakhi Express at Rs.200/- on domestic Rakhi shipment up to 0.5kg. The Rakhi the customer brings is then inserted in the rakhi envelope along with the Blue Dart greeting card where the sender can write their personal message for their unwavered fighting spirit.

To avail our service or for any further enquiry, customers can call us on Customer Care Number - 1860 233 1234 or email us on - customerservice@bluedart.com.

Loyal Textile Mills Launches First Reusable PPE with Triple Viral Shield Technology in India

Loyal Textile Mills Limited today launched VIRAL SHIELD a Line of Covid-19 Anti-Viral, Reusable Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), Masks and Protective Fashion Wear Range. The series has been launched in collaboration with Reliance Industries India and HeiQ from Switzerland. This PPE emerges as the World’s first Reusable PPE that has passed the Viral Penetration Test, Synthetic Blood penetration test and the SBPR test.

Triple shield protection

i) R|Elan™ FeelFresh fabric which is inherently anti-microbial inhibiting bacterial and viral* growth

ii) HeiQ Viroblock anti-viral treatment on the fabric

iii) Viral barrier PU film lamination for the first time in the world.

Loyal has strived hard to innovate a range of products that would meet the current demand for reliable and reusable protective gears during this Covid-19 pandemic. Loyal Textile Mills Limited collaborated with Reliance Industries India and HeiQ from Switzerland to innovate this reusable protective PPE, mask and fashion wear.

R|ElanTM FeelFresh (from Reliance Industries India) fibre used in manufacturing this fabric is inherently anti-microbial that inhibits any viral* or bacterial growth. The fabric is then specially treated with “HeiQ Viroblock” a latest technology innovation from Switzerland, proven to have astounding Anti-Viral efficacy of 99.99% against Coronavirus SARS-Cov-2 (COVID-19).

Loyal Textile Mills limited has engineered the fabric with a Viral Barrier PU film lamination from Taiwan that adds up as another powerful protective later.

Launching the triple viral shield products from Loyal’s signature brand SUPERA SHIELDTM, Mrs. Valli M Ramaswami, Chairperson of Loyal Textile Mills Ltd., said “Loyal Textile Mills Ltd has a heritage of 125 years of continuous existence in Indian Textile Industry. Our R&D Centre recognised by the Government of India and Technical teams have 27 years of experience in Technical Textiles. During Feb/ March 2020, Loyal Management team felt the need to join the war against COVID-19 Pandemic and designed Reusable Masks and PPE Kits and today has reached a stage of offering a range of PPE clothing, masks and a range of fashion wear and casual wear, which have a triple protection technology from viruses and bacteria”.   “This is first of its kind in the world. Guided by the philosophy of our late Chairman Sri Manikam Ramaswami, we will continue to keep abreast of the technology and add several more firsts to our credit, as in the past”, she added.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Dhamodaraswamy Devadas, Chief Technology and Business Development Officer of Loyal Textiles Mills Limited said, “This reusable PPE products can be washed ten times and sterilized 10 times for reuse. Heat Sealing PU tapes have been used to seal the seams. All the three  components of the PPE have been tested and passed for Viral Penetration test ASTM F 1671 – 2013, Synthetic Blood penetration test ASTM F 1670/F and the seams have passed SBPR test ASTM 1670-08 (2014). This is the World’s first Reusable PPE that has passed the Viral Penetration Test. ” 

Mr. Dhamodaraswamy Devadas, also added, “SS 95 medical respiratory type Mask launched today is a Reusable N95 type of mask with the same level of protection of 95% Particulate Filtration Efficiency and 99.9% Bacterial Filtration Efficiency. These masks are treated with HeiQ Viroblock and have the inner layers powered by R|Elan™ FeelFresh woven fabric that are inherently antimicrobial. Loyal is also launching an antiviral fashion wear range with an emphasis on safety and style for domestic and export markets.”

Talking about the collaboration to reach out to the Indian consumers, Mr Gunjan Sharma, CMO, Reliance Polyester said, “We are pleased to join hands with Loyal Textile Mills Ltd, a pioneering player in Indian Technical Textile industry to support them launch Masks and PPE kits powered by R|Elan™ FeelFresh fabric. This collaboration underlines the performance that R|Elan™ FeelFresh fabric provides to the consumer in improving wellness and hygiene through its inherent antimicrobial attribute.”

Mr. Carlo Centonze, CEO and co-founder of HeiQ Viroblock, highlighted the special features of HeiQ Viroblock “HeiQ Viroblock was recently tested at one of the world’s leading virology institutes and showed  99.99% reduction of SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) in 30 minutes. Its synergistic dual mode of action leaves viruses no chance and can enhance the protection factor of a mask by a factor 100. Tested repeatedly by industry standards such as the ISO 18184 and ISO 20743, it is effective against all enveloped viruses, bacteria and fungi. This novel Swiss technology uses 100% skin proved hypoallergenic cosmetic ingredients and features a 72% bio-based renewable content. HeiQ Viroblock respirator masks have recently been approved by the US FDA under EUA. The technology is registered by the US EPA (FIFRA), EU BPR (REACH) and JP MITI and is homologized with ZDHC, Oekotex and Bluesign.”

Explaining the salient features of the Reusable PPE Gown set Prof. Dr. Sanjay Gupta, Vice Chancellor of World University of Design said, “The design features include - Easy donning and quick doffing without any assistance and without any danger of touching the inner garments or skin; a full head cover offering full protection for head, face and neck region; and Shoe covers up to the knee. Special

ergonomic features have been incorporated to assist operations like Thumb loops, Side knots and longer length of the gown. A unique aspect of the design is that they have been sized as per Indian body shapes and so do not face any problem of bulk & overflowing as is faced in imported PPEs.”

Mr. Valerio Cagnoli, Director of Gruppo P&P Loyal S.p.A., Italy, a joint venture company of Loyal Textile said, “We operate mainly in Italy with a focus to European markets. With the help of Loyal Textile we developed many technical fabrics which allowed us to get very important clients. Some of our fabrics are cutting-edge innovations in the fire protection field. We succeed in this field mostly thanks to the wish and will of the former chairman of Loyal Textile Mr. Manikam Ramaswami. Still today I personally follow his philosophy not to be second to anyone in the safety of human workers. We need to highlight the HeiQViroblock and the R|Elan FeelFresh performance along with the opportunity of 10 times washes of the products. We congratulate Loyal’s R&D team for their success in coming out with the Virus penetration Resistant PPE by using a Special Virus PU Barrier film.”

A ramp walk by the staff and workers of Loyal showcasing the antiviral products made by them & a Dance titled ‘Kirumi Nashini’ were the other highlights of the launch event.

TradeIndia Announces India’s First Virtual B2B Event "COVID 19 Essentials Expo India 2020

B2B Event

* The pioneering virtual tradeshow will be held during August 5-7, 2020

* The event is set to boost trade and commerce between different brands across the country by showcasing their products

As several small and medium industries have been adversely impacted by the ongoing COVID-19 contagion in the country, the business community is roping in all efforts to stabilize the situation and rejuvenate the ailing economy. While government-sponsored relief, and financial relaxations are helping industries regain lost ground, inch by inch, there is also a new lease of hope dawning upon the market that every hurdle that is crossed is a step closer to the victory lap.

In a bid to transform the black swan Covid-19 pandemic into a lucrative business opportunity, TradeIndia, India’s largest B2B marketplace offering global buyers and sellers a reliable platform to identify trustworthily business partners shall be organizing the country’s first virtual tradeshow titled, “COVID-19 Essentials Expo India between August 5-7,2020. The trade expo that is targeted will be in the same lines as of a traditional the exhibition, but due to the pandemic concerns will be conducted via the virtual medium.  

The event will be targeted towards reviving the various SMEs and MSMEs of the country whose operations have been affected due to the dire effect of the corona virus crisis and helping them maintain business continuity in such turbulent times. As the pandemic has vehemently increased the demand for essential products, the market is amuck with a plethora of companies selling all kinds of essential wares, but only those companies will triumph who couple their essential product offerings with innovation. Besides revealing and brainstorming on the various innovative guidelines that companies can instill in their product development, the expo will also aim to discover alternate channels of revenue for companies that are suitable for the current market dynamics.

The trade expo will feature a multitude of brands, their products through a virtual exhibition solution that enables exhibitors to showcase their products at a very low cost but with high scalability. The tradeshow will also feature 3D stalls or immersive virtual spaces that enable attendees to sift through the various product lineups, access business catalogues while interacting with exhibitors via chat or video conference.

Featuring more than 60 booths and with an experience spanning over 20 years in online marketing space and event promotion, TradeIndia enjoys the largest industry database in the country that holds countless prospective visitors and investor’s for one’s brand. the essential range products that will be the central to the trade show are Surgical dressing and Disposable; Personal safety equipment; Personal care products; Common medicines and drugs; Temperature instruments; Medical, diagnostic & hospital supplies; Home cleaning appliances, etc.

Commenting on this highly enterprising initiative, the spokesperson for Trade India said, ”While the pandemic has wreaked havoc upon industries and the resultant economy, it has also opened up hitherto unlocked vistas of promising opportunities, As businesses across the world are united in their transition from the offline mode to the online mode of presuming their operations, We, at TradeIndia, endearingly strive to tap into the exuberant potential of the digital business model and also extend a much-needed lift-up to the struggling factions of SMEs and MSMEs and help them shift to the online medium of  commencing business through this first of its kind landmark virtual tradeshow. We welcome everyone to participate and grace this novel event as together we can adapt and thrive in this new normal, no matter how great the challenge.”  

About TradeIndia:

TradeIndia.com is an online Business to Business (B2B) portal for small businesses based in India and around the globe. The portal was started in 1996 by Bikky Khosla and is maintained and promoted under the flagship company, Infocom Network Ltd. The company is headquartered in New Delhi, India, and has branch offices in more than 42 cities across India.

Canada layoffs 34,400 employees in December 2008

The Canadian economy lost 34,400 jobs in December, driving the unemployment rate to 6.6 percent, Statistics Canada said in a fresh sign of recession gripping the nation.

It was the second month of heavy job losses, after 70,600 were shed in November. The unemployment rate rose to 6.6 percent from 6.3 percent in the prior month.

The numbers were worse than most analysts's projections of 22,000 job losses and a 6.5 percent jobless rate in December.

And Finance Minister Jim Flaherty said the situation will only get worse in the short term.

"We're in for a very difficult year," Flaherty told reporters. "We regrettably are going to have to expect continuing job losses in Canada.

"We are going to have substantial job losses," he added.

December's employment decline was led by a drop in construction, one of the biggest monthly losses for that industry in the past three decades.

Some 44,000 construction jobs were lost, as housing starts decreased to their lowest level in seven years the previous month, according to the Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation.

This was partially offset by an increase in transportation and warehousing.

"The job market is running out of steam," said analyst Pascal Gauthier of TD Securities.

"We believe that the Canadian economy entered a recession in the fourth quarter. Or if we're not there yet, we're knocking at the door," he told the media.

Sherry Cooper, chief economist of BMO Capital Markets, echoed in a research note: "Today's dismal data offer additional strong evidence that the Canadian economy has quickly waded knee-deep into the recession swamp."

For all of 2008, Canada's employment rate increased 0.6 percent with the creation of a total 98,000 jobs, significantly slower than the 2.2 percent job growth observed the previous year.

Gauthier too commented that the dismal December figures are "indicative of what's to come."

"In a typical recession, we can expect 15,000 to 30,000 jobs being cut each month," he said.

But Canada is still faring better than its neighbor and biggest trading partner, the United States, Flaherty and analysts agreed.

The United States lost 524,000 jobs in December.

Agencies

India gets more room to grow with Stimulus-II package

The government on Friday announced the second and final installment of its fiscal stimulus package. Complementing monetary easing by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI), the Centre enhanced the spending power of states with specific measures to boost credit availability.

It offered additional sops to exporters and the small-scale sector, besides raising the level of protection for cement and steel sectors a tad. It has also incentivised purchase of commercial vehicles.

Credit availability has been hiked in a variety of ways, the interest ceiling on external commercial borrowings has been removed; the cap on foreign institutional investments in the domestic corporate debt market has been jacked up two-and-a-half times from $6 billion to $15 billion; a special purpose vehicle is being created to lend to non-banking finance
companies to the tune of Rs 25,000 crore; Indian Infrastructure Finance Company is being permitted to raise another Rs 30,000 crore by means of tax-free bonds, and states are allowed to borrow an additional Rs 30,000 crore from the market.

In addition, public sector banks would be given additional capital to the extent of Rs 20,000 crore over the next two years, so they can lend roughly 10 times as much additionally.

The latest measures, which come in less than a month after the first package was unveiled on December 7, are aimed at benefiting housing, NBFCs that lend to infrastructure and finance commercial vehicles.

Announcing the measures, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia said: “By no measure can we insulate our economy from slower growth, when the external factors are of such enormous magnitude. However, we will be able to manage a 7% growth this fiscal through these measures.”

Mr Singh added that these contra-cyclical steps and fiscal policy “in these truly exceptional circumstances” would ensure that growth momentum would be maintained next fiscal, which, he said, would be tougher than this year. But such counter-cyclical fiscal activism has to pay a price in the form of a higher fiscal deficit.

“Considering the implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission, the consensus within the government was a fiscal deficit of 3%. The mid-term review of the economy said that the fiscal deficit would be over 5%, excluding the below-the-line items such as fertiliser and oil subsidy. If we include these items, the fiscal deficit could exceed by 3% of gross domestic product, what was being targeted,” said Mr Singh.

The budgeted target for the fiscal deficit is 2.5% of GDP. The global financial meltdown has already forced the US and some other major developed countries into recession, and hit India too. This year, the economic growth is expected to be around 7%, down from the 9% average of the past three years.

The first stimulus package, estimated at over Rs 30,000 crore, included a 4% across-the-board cut in excise duty for the remaining part of the financial year and an additional Plan spending of Rs 20,000 crore.

“Because of slowing industrial output and resultant tax receipts, the government will have to forego about Rs 40,000 crore this fiscal. This is a rough estimate in a dynamic situation and improved production because of the steps taken could offset part of it,” said finance secretary Arun Ramanathan.

To facilitate access to funds for the housing sector, companies developing integrated townships have been allowed to borrow overseas with prior approval of RBI. The ceiling on interest rates for all overseas borrowings has been removed to provide flexibility to companies to borrow abroad.

Source: Agencies

Has US economy sunk deeper into recession?

Bleak housing data showed the United States and Britain were sinking deeper into recession and authorities from Washington to Tokyo worked hard to spend their way out of the worst downturn in decades.

Japan's government on Wednesday approved its biggest-ever budget to revive its economy while US President-elect Barack Obama sought to clinch a deal with congressional lawmakers on a massive stimulus package even before the Christmas Day.

"Japan cannot avoid the tsunami of the world recession, but it can try to find a way out," Japanese Prime Minister Taro Aso said announcing the budget.

"The world economy is in a once-in-a-hundred years recession. We need extraordinary measures to deal with an extraordinary situation," he said.

A record drop in U.S. existing home sales and prices last month reported on Tuesday showed the world's biggest economy was on track for what one Federal Reserve official said could be the longest downturn since the World War Two. Housing is at the root of the U.S. slump and the global malaise and economists expect the economy to decline much more in the current quarter after a 0.5 percent contraction in the third quarter. Britain, the world's fifth-largest economy, is in an equally dire shape.

The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors said house prices were set to fall by 10 percent next year, confirming the bleak outlook after Tuesday's data showed the economy shrinking by 0.6 percent in the third quarter.

The relentless flow of bad news overshadowed rescue efforts and prompted a warning from European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet that investors could be overlooking the importance of steps already taken by policymakers.

Japan had its share of gloom this week, reporting a record drop in exports -- the mainstay of an economy dogged by weak consumer spending -- and a similarly sharp collapse in business sentiment.

RECORD BUDGET FOR JAPAN

Grim data and warnings from the central bank that the worst may not be over fanned expectations that it will cut its key rate to zero from 0.1 percent and revive a policy of flooding banks with interest free cash it abandoned just two years ago.

Doing its part, Japan's cabinet approved a record 88.5 trillion yen ($980.6 billion) budget for the next fiscal year starting in April. The plan boosts overall spending, excluding debt servicing costs, by 9 percent compared to this year's initial budget and aims to accommodate part of 12 trillion yen in extra spending on government stimulus packages.

Source: Agencies

Where has the US bailout money gone?

The US Treasury Department said on Tuesday that it completed purchases of equity in 49 banks on Friday and 43 on Tuesday as part of a plan to stabilize the financial system and restore normal lending.

The 49 banks that received Treasury capital on Friday included 14 privately held institutions, marking the first government capital injections into private banks since the Treasury widened the reach of its capital purchase program.

Congress approved a $700 billion financial rescue program in early October, and the Treasury has said it would use $250 billion to bolster banks' capital position. Currently, the Treasury has authority to use only half of the overall $700 billion approved by Congress.

Following are details on what has been spent or pledged so far of the $350 billion the Treasury currently has authority to draw on:

What has been spent so far

==> $250 billion to buy senior preferred shares and warrants in banks and thrifts.

The latest equity purchases brought the total of investments made so far to $162 billion. A further $10 billion is approved for Merrill Lynch but has been deferred pending its merger with Bank of America.

==> $40 billion investment in troubled insurer American International Group, which has been completed.

==> $20 billion investment in Citigroup pledged as part of a bailout announced on November 23.

Global stimulus package I 2008: Year of financial crisis

Recession hits IT companies I India battles credit crisis I Credit crisis strikes Europe I Financial turmoil grips Europe

What has been spent so far

==> $13.4 billion to prop up General Motors Corp and Chrysler LLC. The Treasury has said GM could qualify for a further $4 billion in March, which would have to come from the final $350 billion tranche of the financial rescue fund.

==> $5 billion pledged to cover potential losses on a portfolio of Citigroup mortgage-related assets.

==> $20 billion pledged to cover potential losses for a Federal Reserve program aimed at improving consumer access to credit.

Source: Agencies