Amazon Prime Video, Excel Media and Entertainment Confirm Oct 23 Release for Second Season of Amazon Original Mirzapur

 

* The star-studded cast features Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal, Divyenndu, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Rasika Dugal and Harshita Shekhar Gaur as they navigate the dark and intense world of Mirzapur 

* Mirzapur season 2 will be available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in 200 countries and territories, in multiple Indian languages, including Hindu, Telugu and Tamil

* Prime offers incredible value with unlimited streaming of the latest and exclusive movies, TV shows, stand-up comedy 

* Amazon Original series, ad-free music listening through Amazon Prime Music, free fast delivery on India’s largest selection of products, early access to top deals, unlimited reading with Prime Reading and mobile gaming content with Prime Gaming, all available only for ₹129 a month 

Amazon Prime Video has announced that the second season of its much anticipated Amazon Original Series Mirzapur, will launch on 23rd October, 2020. Set in Mirzapur, the hinterland of North India, season 1 of the crime drama had taken the audiences into a dark, complex world of guns, drugs and lawlessness. It’s relentless pace, well etched-out characters and nuanced narrative had left the fans wanting more.  With Season 2, the canvas of Mirzapur gets bigger but the rules remain the same! With a stellar ensemble cast featuring Pankaj Tripathi, Ali Fazal , Divyenndu, Shweta Tripathi Sharma , Rasika Dugal , Harshita Shekhar Gaur , Amit Sial, Anjum Sharma, Sheeba Chaddha,  Manu Rishi Chadha and Rajesh Tailang returning to the action-packed series,  get ready for a  journey into the stylish yet rustic world, where crime, drugs and violence rule and one needs to fight to survive. The sequel of the show will also feature Vijay Varma, Priyanshu Painyuli, and Isha Talwar. The much awaited Amazon Original Series is created and produced by Excel Media and Entertainment and will launch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Speaking on this momentous announcement, Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video, commented, “Mirzapur has truly been a game-changer title for us. The show heralded a new idiom of storytelling for Indian audiences - its characters have become a part of the popular culture. We are certain that the riveting narrative of season 2 will leave our audiences mesmerized once again. ”

“Excel Entertainment has received immense love for constantly pushing the envelope when it comes to creating impactful and powerful content,” said Ritesh Sidhwani, Producer, Excel Entertainment. “Mirzapur was a step in that endeavor. It was not just about breaking boundaries for the audiences, but also for ourselves as content creators. Bringing thrilling and untold stories from India’s hinterland without losing authenticity has been our biggest win. All the praise that season one of Mirzapur has received, not just in India, but across the globe, is heartening. It pushes Excel Entertainment and Amazon Prime Video to continue the momentum with the second season of the show.”

“The love and appreciation that the show has garnered since its launch has been simply overwhelming. Taking it a notch higher, we’re certain that the audiences are in for a visual treat in the sequel” said Creator Puneet Krishna. “Seeing their excitement for the season 2 for months now made each one of us deliver a performance that matches up to the scale at which the show has now placed itself. We are thrilled to take the fans to another dynamic world of Mirzapur that they have been waiting for a very long time.”

The series is produced by Excel Media and Entertainment, created by Puneet Krishna and directed by Gurmmeet Singh and Mihir Desai.

YouTube Link of the date announcement video- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D5ZU8uS6KEM

Mirzapur season 2 will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalog. These include Indian films Gulabo Sitabo, Shakuntala Devi, Ponmagal Vandhal, LAW, French Biriyani, Sufiyum Sujatayum and Penguin along with Indian-produced Amazon Original series like Bandish Bandits, Breathe: Into The Shadows, Paatal Lok, Four More Shots Please, The Family Man, Inside Edge, and Made In Heaven and the award-winning and critically acclaimed global Amazon Original series like Tom Clancy's Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Fleabag, and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel. All this is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members. The service includes titles in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi, and Bengali.

Show credits of Mirzapur 2:

Directed by - Gurmmeet Singh & Mihir Desai

Created by - Puneet Krishna

Executive Producers - Ritesh Sidhwani & Farhan Akhtar 

Prime members will be able to watch all episodes of Mirzapur Season 2  anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, Airtel, Vodafone, etc. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in India  at no extra cost to a Prime membership for just ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly, new customers can find out more at  www.amazon.in/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.

Acronis True Image 2021 Unites Award-Winning Backup With Advanced Antimalware, Creates Personal Cyber Protection Solution

Acronis, a global leader in cyber protection, has today announced the release of Acronis True Image 2021. The new release integrates advanced cybersecurity capabilities with unmatched personal backup to create the first complete personal cyber protection solution for home users, prosumers, and small businesses around the world.

Delivery comes as the COVID-19 pandemic exposes gaps in traditional solutions and strategies. Securing home machines has never been more important, yet a recent Acronis survey found nearly half (47%) of remote workers never received clear guidance on working from home.

Incorporating cybersecurity capabilities such as real-time antimalware protection, on-demand antivirus scans, web filtering, and videoconference protection into Acronis True Image ensures users have complete cyber protection. For individuals and small business users, unifying these vital capabilities in one solution makes their protection easier to manage and more affordable, while greatly improving the security.

“As more people work or attend classes from home, the FBI documents a 400% increase in cyberattacks because hackers know home systems are not usually as well-defended as an office,” said Serguei “SB” Beloussov, founder and CEO of Acronis. “Backup without cybersecurity is an incomplete option in that situation, as is cybersecurity without backup. Acronis True Image 2021 delivers the easy, efficient, and secure cyber protection needed today.”

Standalone backup and cybersecurity are obsolete

With the modern reliance on everyday devices like computers, smartphones, and tablets, the data they contain has an inherent value. Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their attacks to reach that data, which is why security research firms such as AV-Test report more than 350,000 new malware threats every day.

Since backup software and files are often the targets of these new attacks to prevent recovery, backup alone no longer provides suitable protection for users. Similarly, conventional cybersecurity solutions do not provide the data protection and recovery capabilities users need.

Relying on multiple products that were not designed to work together creates security gaps, is more complex to manage, and is more costly. With a single, integrated solution, Acronis True Image 2021 users can proactively stop any malware attack and then quickly restore affected files. The single, intuitive interface reduces the complexity of managing their security and backups.

Integration delivers superior cyber protection

For the last few years, Acronis True Image has been the only personal backup solution with a built-in antiransomware that stops attacks in real-time, while automatically restoring any affected files.

With the launch of Acronis True Image 2021, those capabilities are expanded with the addition of the company’s advanced antimalware technology, which is currently deployed in Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud. This next-gen, full-stack antimalware has been shown by independent security labs such as Virus Bulletin and AV-Test to return a 100% detection rate with zero false-positives.

As a result, home users gain advanced capabilities with Acronis True Image 2021, including:

* Real-time protection, driven by AI-enhanced behavioral heuristics, which stops all malware – including zero-day attacks by never-before-seen threats

* On-demand antivirus scans of the full system or quick scans of at-risk files, either of which can be scheduled in advance or run instantly

* Web filtering that automatically blocks Windows users from accessing malicious websites that harbor malware, disinformation, scams, and phishing attacks

* Videoconference protection prevent hackers and malware injection attacks from exploiting popular apps like Zoom, Cisco Webex, and Microsoft Teams

* Comprehensive detection, with both behavioral analysis and signature-based analysis engines

These advanced antimalware capabilities are included with Advanced and Premium licenses, and offered as a three-month trial with Standard and Essential licenses.

Acronis True Image 2021 gives individuals and small businesses access to the same protection technologies relied on by global companies and top teams in the world’s most high-pressure professional sports.

“Cyber protection is a top priority for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing,” explains Bobby Rahal, co-owner of Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing. “When our races were on pause, Acronis continued to provide protection for our team working remotely. Now, with Acronis True Image, everyone can safeguard their personal data against the worst-case scenario.”

Pricing and availability

Four versions of Acronis True Image are available: Standard, Essential, Advanced and Premium. One-computer licenses starting at $59.99 for Standard and $49.99 for Essential. Special launch prices for Advanced and Premium licenses (starting at $69.99 and $99.99, respectively) are available until November 2020, at which time the full MSRP will be in effect (starting at $89.99 and $124.99, respectively).

It’s Time to Play the Game with VOOT Select’s All New Original – The Gone Game

 

Voot Select, India’s fastest growing premium video-on-demand service, is all set to launch its next big original The Gone Game. Coming on the back of critically acclaimed and popular shows like Asur, Marzi, The Raikar Case and Illegal, the next from  VOOT Select - made for stories is The Gone Game – A show that breaks the barriers of space and location to deliver on a gripping and compelling story. Punctuated with moments of deception, suspicion, and unexpected twists, the show will provide an edge of the seat experience and take the viewers on a thrilling ride.

Set in a global pandemic, with a nation in lockdown, the story starts amidst a mysterious disappearance.  Sahil Gujral is gone. Did he fall prey to the virus? Or is something more sinister at play? 2020 has changed the world forever, but for the Gujral family, the nightmare has just begun.Backed with a power-packed cast including Sanjay Kapoor, Arjun Mathur, Shriya Pilgaonkar, Shweta Tripathi Sharma, Rukhsar Rehman, Lubna Salim, Indraneil Sengupta, Dibyendu Bhattacharya and produced by Bodhi Tree Multimedia, The Gone Game will stream on Voot Select 20th August, 2020 onwards. 

Shot entirely in isolation during the lockdown, The Gone Game has been executed through remote direction, ingenious cinematography and limited equipment. Marked by nuanced performances and inimitable viewing experience, the show will build intrigue and unravel a mystery at every step of the way. Directed by Nikhil Nagesh Bhat, The Gone Game is a one of a kind and a never-seen-before concept that put creative freedom in the hands of the cast of the series to innovate while shooting from their homes.  

Commenting on the launch of The Gone Game, Ferzad Palia, Head – Youth, Music and English Entertainment, Viacom18 said, “Voot Select has had a tremendous first 150 days. Subscriber growth has surpassed all estimates by a long, long way. This spectacular success of the platform comes on the back of Originals, Before TV Content & our International offering. The lockdown has provided a further boost to the rapid rise in subscriber growth. We have innovatively navigated through the challenges of the lockdown and continued to create the best in content and viewing experience for our audience. The Gone Game has a gripping storyline, top drawer cast, and has been shot entirely from home with utmost precision and skill. The thrill and excitement of the show will deliver top-notch entertainment.”

Director Nikhil Nagesh Bhat said, “The Gone Game is an original series in every sense. Be it the storyline, the characters, or the overall visual appeal, we have tried to make it authentic while keeping the current lockdown scenario as the backdrop of the show.  We also had to use some innovative techniques to ensure that the performances do not suffer because of the constraint of physical proximity. We learned and unlearned many aspects from our test shoots as due to the conditions, the process was limited, but it also gave the actors and the technicians a lot of freedom to innovate. It has been an unconventional journey and we hope that the audience will appreciate our vision.”

Sukesh Motwani of Bodhi Tree Multimedia said, “It will not be wrong to say that we made it from scratch as we were working with very limited resources and shooting entirely from home. It was challenging but our entire team in association with Voot Select and Nikhil Nagesh Bhat built the concept and storyline of the show creatively without compromising on the output. We were lucky to have a fantastic cast and crew that collectively helped us put a great show together. We are certain that the audience are in for a thrilling ride.”

Veteran actor, Sanjay Kapoor said, “Creating a show from home has been an incredible experience. We had to take care of everything from makeup to costumes, on our own. The family members became our crew companions and tirelessly helped us put a great show together. Our director Nikhil has done a phenomenal job in managing all of us virtually and the outcome is fantastic. Shooting for The Gone Game has been one of the best experiences and I hope the audience enjoys watching it as much as we enjoyed making it.”

Arjun Mathur said, “I never thought of shooting for a show remotely, but I am so glad that I was a part of the crew that made it happen. The Gone Game has a mix of everything - creativity, a gripping plot, fantastic crew, and of course a multi-talented director. It was not an easy task coordinating with so many people virtually but we made it happen. While I cannot wait to go back on sets, no taking away from the fact that this was indeed a fantastic experience. Kudos to Voot Select for introducing the audience to a concept like that. I am sure, they are going to enjoy it.”

Digital star Shriya Pilgaonkar said, “ Working on The Gone Game was so exciting and a wonderful learning experience . Everyone from the cast and crew was extremely patient and amazing to work with. It is great that platforms like Voot Select are introducing such concepts to their viewers and making sure that they always have some good  content to consume no matter what the circumstance . This experience will always be memorable and I am so glad that Voot Select has given all of us this unique concept to work with.”

Shweta Tripathi Sharma said, “  As an actor, I am always looking to do some creatively challenging work. The Gone Game is something I was always confident of only because of the makers of the show . I just loved the concept when I heard it and I instantly decided to take it up. The entire experience has been one of a kind. It is not easy to bring out emotions when you are shooting remotely but the creators of the show impeccably brought alive every emotion on screen. I loved the experience and I hope the audience loves it too.”

“The Gone Game – Streaming from August 20, 2020 on Voot Select”

Yamaha Unveils Online Sales Through New Website with Virtual Store

 Highlights 

* The new website of Yamaha with Virtual Store will host an end-to-end online buying platform of Yamaha two wheelers

* The online sale will cover more than 300 dealerships pan India in 2020

* A class-leading customer experience at https://www.yamaha-motor-india.com/ and a hassle-free booking & purchase at https://shop.yamaha-motor-india.com/

The excitement of Yamaha is all set to get intensified as the company introduces the “New user friendly website with online sales facility” in India today, as a part of the brand’s continued effort to provide exciting experiences to its customers under its strategic campaign “The Call of the Blue”. 

In the current scenario, customers are preferring to stay indoors and they want to minimize their visit to showroom. Considering the convenience of the customers, India Yamaha Motor has introduced the online sales on its website with VIRTUAL STORE to enhance the buying experiences of its customers.

The new website will have all the latest features like the VIRTUAL STORE with 360 degree view of the products along with the specification comparison between Yamaha Products bundled under the Buyers Guide option on the website. The Yamaha dealerships will also provide their support in promoting the contactless delivery and use digital communication tools like WhatsApp etc. for communication with the customers. Through this website, customers can also opt for doorstep service for their purchase related enquiries based on his/her requirements.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Motofumi Shitara, Chairman, Yamaha Motor India Group of companies said, “Digital is future, and our new website with VIRTUAL STORE is ready to offer an enhanced buying experience and personalized customer services (One to one service) to the two-wheeler customers in India. Yamaha’s philosophy to offer excitement that goes beyond the customer expectations will unfold a new chapter with the new Yamaha website as we accelerate the digital transformation of Yamaha’s retail operations through a safe, reliable and engaging online portal. Bringing more innovation to the concept, in future our customers will also be able to purchase apparels & accessories on the same platform thus providing a ready solution with enhanced buying experience. Our existing after sales activities like extended warranty offers and roadside assistance will be an added advantage to the customers.”

Yamaha will start the online sales module from Chennai and will cover 300 dealerships across the nation by the end of 2020.

Revive Both Demand and Supply Drivers Say FAITH Bodies to Ministry of Tourism

 - Dual task forces strategy

- Safe gatherings learning from holy temple site templates

- Focused multi - language social media product advertising spurts

- Free E visa across categories

- Uniform quarantine policies

- Create consumer confidence, dispel fear

Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality, the policy federation of all the national associations representing the complete tourism, travel and hospitality industry of India (ADTOI, ATOAI, FHRAI, HAI, IATO, ICPB, IHHA, ITTA, TAAI, TAFI) had an inter association meeting with ministry of tourism.

FAITH and its 10 member associations in a multi association meeting with Ministry of Tourism proposed multi-step strategies for revival of tourism. These issues were identified to enhance tourism demand while protecting tourism supply in India.

Tourism encompasses multiple ministries and happens across states. It thus requires a coordinated approach across all the ministries at the central government level and between centre and state. FAITH Associations have proposed a dual task force strategy. An inter- ministerial task force at the central government level and an inter- state task force. These two task forces need to be empowered and need to be agile to fast track decision making as tourism will be the last sector to revive.

To stimulate domestic tourism FAITH associations recommended dispelling consumer fear and confusion by ensuring uniform inter-quarantine air & land border policy across all states. This will provide confidence and give knowledge to bath business and leisure tourists.

FAITH 10 associations proposed incentivising two segments domestic conferences and domestic consumers to travel within India by creating structured tax breaks.

As travel bubbles have started between India and international countries, FAITH associations proposed a multi-year e-visa holiday for all visa categories as and when till inbound demand to India stabilises. This needs to be complemented by publicising widely the revised 96 hour RT PCR policy for COVID testing and ensuring standardisation across all airports.

They also discussed holding the Indian Tourism Mart for international tour operators to establish confidence and showcase the incredible Indian tourism products in the first or the fourth week of November.

Marketing communication of tourism should be kickstarted which should focus on positivity & safety of Indian tourism while weaving these messages around different product segments, destinations, and incredible concepts of Indian tourism.

These could be multiple series of social media ads each with different versions of Indian and international languages to help stimulate both domestic & international tourism

Tourism demand can truly be activated if the tourism supply and value chain is healthy and doesn’t break down anywhere across travel agents, hotels, tour operators, tourist transporters or restaurants. Faith associations recommended multiple support and revival strategies for the same.

Tour operators and travel agents recognised by tourism ministry should be allowed to operate tours for adventure, religious, or education purposes which are recognised as LTC enabled agents & operators.

For the tourist hinterlands, remote last mile air connectivity must be enabled through a hub & spoke system under the Udaan policy with increased state support till private demand picks up. To ensure best practices in adventure, satellite phones and helicopter search and rescue needs to be enabled for adventure tours across the beautiful Indian adventure spots.

The meetings segment has to begin its revival process and FAITH associations said guidelines must be  considered to be revised upwards by allowing 300 indoors and upto 500 in open areas. A fine example of safe gatherings is the inauguration of the holy temple site by the honourable PM which can be showcased as a role model gatherings format. Meetings segment must now formally also include, recognise and officially support all forms social gatherings and movie shoots and virtual meetings. It is also critical for IGST to be enabled for hospitality industry which will enhance cross-state Indian meetings industry movement with companies getting gst credit while using hotels for meetings tourism in other states

FAITH Associations have requested Delhi Hotels to be unlocked as Delhi is the gateway of North India. They have also requested for all states to support hospitality by giving a statutory waiver on all fixed liabilities power costs, liquor permits, property cesses and so on. They have suggested that GST be rationalised for hotels above ₹7500 to be brought down to 12% from 18% which will stimulate domestic travel.

FAITH Associations to revive restaurants also requested for the GST option with full setoff made available for restaurants and restaurant GST be delinked from hotel tariffs.

To financially protect the tourism companies, till the resolution plan is set in motion by the RBI, FAITH Associations proposed extension of the moratorium of tourism & hospitality companies. They have also requested for automatic extension of all tourist transport and tour operators  permits , liquor licenses and other extensions.

The Indian travel agents are key enablers of the travel distribution. FAITH Associations requested for an even more healthy partnership approach between Indian travel agents, IATA & Air India. Travel agents and consumers also need to insured against airline payment defaults of their advances and cancellations and mechanisms need to be put in place.

FAITH spokesperson said that the FAITH Associations are hopeful that the demand generation measures and supply protection measures for tourism will be implemented quickly to kick start Indian tourism and express their gratitude to Tourism Ministry for initiating this exercise.

 About FAITH: FAITH, Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality, is the National Federation of the 10 National Tourism, Travel and Hospitality organisations of India. These associations are ADTOI, ATOAI, FHRAI, HAI, IATO, ICPB, IHHA, ITTA, TAAI & TAFI.

IDBI Bank Launches “IDBI Swarna Kalash” - Specialized Gold Loan Branches

IDBI Bank announced the launch of four specialized gold loan branches branded as “IDBI Swarna Kalash”, by remodeling its existing branches. These branches are located at Neelamangalam, Sivaganga, Vijaya Nagar, Bengaluru and L .B. Nagar, Hyderabad.

IDBI Bank in their Q1 FY21 Financial Results reported an increase in the growth trajectory with Gold Loans as one of the premium product with minimum delinquencies.

These specialized Gold Loan Branches will facilitate quick, transparent and hassle free Gold Loan financing. The Gold Loans are offered at a competitive interest rate, starting from 8% p.a., to cater to the increasing credit demand in the Agri, PSL, and rural markets. Overdraft facility is also available under these loans and can be applied via a digital platform.

Shri. Rakesh Sharma, MD & CEO, through a virtual mode, inaugurated these four branches in the presence of Deputy Managing Directors Shri Samuel Joseph and Shri Suresh Khatanhar, and Executive Director Shri Rajeev Kumar.

Speaking at the launch program, Shri Rakesh Sharma MD & CEO said that “We have witnessed a surge in the demand gold loan and have conceptualized “Swarna Kalash” as a premium offering of IDBI Bank. Our focus is on creation of such specialized branches to cater to the demand in the market and facilitate an easy access to our gold loan customers.”

Indian Short-Form Video App Mitron Clocks 9 Billion Videos in a Month

Video App

* Mitron app has been downloaded by more than 33 million users on Google Play Store since launch.

* Strong traction reported from smaller cities and towns

Mitron, a short-form video app, has garnered a massive viewership on its platform with a total of 9 billion videos viewed in one month since the government’s ban on Chinese apps. The company also announced that Mitron app crossed 33 million downloads on Google Store.

Speaking on the development, Shivank Agarwal, Founder & CEO, Mitron said “The idea behind the development of the app was to provide a platform that lets users upload and watch an array of short videos. It is heartening to see the app popularity gained by Mitron within a short span of time. 

It is incredible to see millions of new videos created on the Mitron platform. We thank all our users who have been using this app as their daily dose of entertainment.” 

With a mission to create a short-form video app that reimagines digital engagement and entertainment, co-founders Shivank Agarwal, an alumnus of Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, and Anish Khandelwal, an alumnus of Visvesvaraya National Institute of Technology in Nagpur, launched the Mitron app in April, 2020.

“We are seeing strong traction from smaller cities and towns across the country, with towns like Karnal, Hubli, Bhavnagar, Aligarh, Ludhiana and Vijayawada clocking more than 100,000 users”, Shivank added.

Anish Khandelwal, co-founder & CTO said, “While our user growth is very encouraging, we are keenly focusing our efforts on increasing engagement and retention of the users. On an average each user is watching 80 videos per day and with many new product features, we are confident of increasing engagement further".

Experience Contactless Dining at Phoenix Marketcity, Whitefield

Phoenix Marketcity, Bengaluru’s ultimate Shopping & Lifestyle destination has reopened its food court by implementing ‘Contactless Dining’ – a unique and safe dining experience to its patrons. The initiative of contactless dining and ordering solution at the food court aims to offer a hygienic dining experience for the visitors. Contactless dining has minimised human contact by eliminating the use of high-touch elements at restaurants in the food court. Phoenix Marketcity has deployed this technology to make the entire process, from ordering to payment seamlessly digital.

With business activities resuming earlier this month, Phoenix Marketcity has reoriented its focus towards health and safety of its patrons and partners. Anticipating the challenges in food service, specifically the dining segment, Phoenix Marketcity has taken a major step to reinvent eating out experience through contactless dining to curtail contamination risk.

"The present situation demands all of us to prioritize safety and hygiene standards at all times. At Phoenix Marketcity we have set stringent SOPs that are constantly monitored. The contactless dining at our food court will ensure our patrons have minimal human contact to place their order or pay the bill. By deploying technology, we have eliminated the need for menu cards and bills that are often touched and could potentially be a source of concern. Thus, making the entire experience seamless, safe and convenient for our customers. We believe a proactive approach as this towards safety and hygiene will go a long way in building customer confidence and creating a safe environment all around” said, Mr. Gajendra Singh Rathore, Senior Centre Director, Phoenix Marketcity.

Introducing Contactless Dining at Phoenix Marketcity

Contactless Menu: Scan the QR code placed on the table / or from anywhere inside the mall to land on the home page of the Food Court to explore restaurant menu and pairing recommendations for digital orders. The user lands on the landing page of the food court where all the food court brands are visible.

Contactless ordering – order through the app (eliminates contact with the waiter/ staff to place an order or modify an order).

The order is then authenticated by the merchant and the User gets real time order status in his phone via WhatsApp

Contactless payment – Pay the bill via the app & leave the restaurant premises

 

4 Simple Steps for contactless dining/ordering

1 SCAN THE QR CODE WITH YOUR MOBILE CAMERA   

2 TAP ON THE NOTIFICATION LINK

3. ORDER FOOD (DINE-IN/TAKEAWAY)                                                                                         

4. Pay Online

Contactless Dining is a step forward in the right direction for the Food courts and we are sure this will provide for a safe and hassle-free dining experience for customers and improve the economics of the restaurant industry.

Our Food Court brands include : Wow Momo, Naga's, Subway, Eat Fit, Purani Delhi, Kababji, Shiv Sagar, Kailash Parbat, Squeeze Juice Bar, Bao & Grills, Smoke The Sizzler House, Hunan Express, Gongura, Marhaba, Keventers, Gelato, Asia 7 Express, Papa Roti.

Quarantinder How Gen Z Is Dating During Quarantine Globally

There’s a large, important, cultural shift happening - one we’ve seen for a while in Gen Z, but it’s now expanding because of COVID-19. The pandemic has accelerated a generational shift in the way we date and meet new people, and we’ve learned that connection is enduring, and despite social distancing, Gen-Z will find a way to sustain it.  

Here’s everything that happened on Tinder in the last few months. 

COVID got us to open up. 

The combination of being stuck at home and the fact that we were all going through the same thing at the same time led folks on Tinder to get chattier than ever. Globally, April 5th was the peak of this chattiness: on that day Tinder members sent an average of 52% more messages vs. the start of lockdowns in early March. 

In India, May 3rd was the peak of this chattiness: on that day Tinder members sent an average of 60% more messages vs. the start of lockdowns in early March - above the global average. 

“2020 made me realise”

To help users better introduce themselves to potential matches, Tinder recently released Prompts, a new in-app feature that lets members respond to questions or finish a sentence to display on their profile. Of all available Prompts, ‘2020 MADE ME REALISE’ had the highest adoption, signaling how much our daily lives have changed from every perspective--including how we gauge compatibility with potential matches on Tinder.

Quarantine led to creative hacks for hanging out. Social distancing turned us into creative digital daters. Forced to stay home, browsing Tinder became a way to socialize. At its peak, swipe volume* among members in India was up 32%. And with most places closed, many on Tinder looked to Animal Crossing to rendezvous. Early quarantine saw a 5x increase in Animal Crossing mentions in bios. 

Masks became the talk of Tinder. The early days of quarantine saw an uptick in mentions of toilet paper and hand sanitizer stockpiles within member bios, but come April there was only one accessory on everyone’s minds: face masks.  Members touted their own mask-wearing habits (show me your mask and I’ll show you mine”’) or looked for shared mask POV, (‘if you don’t wear a mask while grocery shopping, we’re not compatible’). 

While dating and socializing out of quarantine looks different around the world right now, hanging out on Tinder is showing no signs of letting up. 

Methodology

Data was pulled from March through May 2020

The information included in this campaign represents overall Tinder trends, not the personal information of any specific, identified individual or member. App activity, messaging, and biodata are representative of global Tinder activity between March and May 2020. When analysis references ‘at the peak of quarantine’, this refers to the highest point of a metric measured during the March-May 2020 period.

*Swipe volume/swipe activity defined as when a member swipes left or right on a profile.

Centuary Mattresses Launches Pocketed Spring Rollpack Mattress Under Sleepables By Centuary Brand

In continuation to its extension of advanced and innovative products, Centuary Mattresses, one of India’s leading mattress company, has now ventured into ‘Online Exclusive category’ of mattresses with the launch of ‘Sleepables Mattress’ - India’s first ‘Pocketed Spring Mattress in Box’. The company has forged partnerships with the major e-commerce players for this Online exclusive range of mattresses that offers superior quality with the luxury in stylish designs of mattresses. The high-quality pocketed spring mattress will be compressed, rolled, and packed in an easy-to-carry box. All the consumer needs to do is just unpack it, unroll it, and wait for a few seconds as it automatically decompresses making it convenient to transport and handling. The Rollpack range is available on Amazon, Flipkart, Pepperfry and Centuary’s website as well. These Rollpack mattresses are manufactured at Centuary’s own manufacturing plants in Hyderabad. 

‘Sleepables By Centuary Pocketed Spring Mattress’ is a first of its kind technologically superior mattress designed with independent pocketed springs, which ensures zero motion transfereven if someone is tossing and turning on the other side of the bed. Sleepables pocket spring mattress uses an advanced spring technology with active edge support and plush PU (Polyurethane Foams) Foam comfort layer and quilt.  The ‘Sleepables’ range of mattress is available in all standard sizes of Single, Double, King, and Queen size beds with an option of customized size also. The sleepable range is available in 6 inches and 8 inches thickness with a starting price of INR 8,000 to 24,000 depending upon the size of the mattress. 

Speaking about Centuary’s launch of the Online Exclusive range, Mr. Uttam Malani, Executive Director of Centuary Mattresses said, " Sleepables By Centuary is expected to be the growth driver for Centuary’s push into Online sales leadership of the mattress category, which is currently dominated by multiple unorganized players and private labels. It also strengthens our positioning in the segment of the superior product configuration since Rollpack spring mattresses need high-quality technology that has never been deployed in India earlier.  

Sleepables by Centuary is the first and only Online exclusive range in India of Rollpack Pocketed Spring Mattresses which comes as a bed in a Box. Many customers enjoy this hassle-free version of new-age mattress shopping. Instead of spending a weekend or two testing mattresses out in a showroom, the customers can order this mattress online in just a few minutes that are easy to deliver and handle. It is delivered from Centuary’s manufacturing plant straight to the consumers’ doorstep, thereby ensuring convenience and comfort. 

All New CRETA Establishes Supremacy Records Over 55 000 Bookings

* All New CRETA dominates India’s SUV landscape - Becomes India’s Best-selling SUV for two consecutive months in May and June 2020

* Most enquired and searched car on Hyundai ‘Click to Buy’ with 30 % enquiries and 76% bookings 

* Diesel models constitute 60% of bookings, indicating strong customer sentiment for Hyundai’s advanced Diesel BS6 technology

Hyundai Motor India Ltd. (HMIL), country’s First Smart Mobility Solutions provider and the largest exporter since inception continues to receive overwhelming response for its recently launched All New CRETA – The Ultimate SUV that has now recorded more than 55 000 Bookings. 

Commenting on the achievement, Mr Tarun Garg, Director(Sales, Marketing & Service), Hyundai Motor India Ltd. said, “Ever since its launch in 2015, CRETA has been a benchmark in the industry, a household name that has represented distinction and success for over 4.85 lakh valued customers. With the launch of All New CRETA in March 2020, Hyundai has once again redefined SUV leadership in the segment and established its supremacy, recording over 55 000 Bookings and more than 20 000 Happy Customers in just 4 months. This achievement stands testament to All New CRETA’s superior looks, feature rich package and dominant performance that has won hearts across India, even during these trying times.”

All New CRETA established its leadership in the SUV segment by attaining highest sales in the month of May and June 2020. The contribution of Diesel in the All New CRETA bookings continues to increase and is now 60% of the total bookings received, indicating a strong demand for Hyundai’s advanced and globally proven Diesel BS6 Technology. The All New CRETA is also the most researched model on India’s First and Most Comprehensive end-to-end Car Buying Platform ‘Click to Buy’ with over 30% customers enquiring about All New CRETA.

A bestseller in its segment, All New CRETA has consistently been the most admired and preferred SUV in India, with customers opting for its ultimate features such as

-          Voice Enabled Smart Panoramic Sunroof

-          Drive Mode Select

-          Traction Control Modes

-          Bose Premium Sound System (8 Speakers),

-          Auto Healthy Air Purifier with Digital Display

-          Paddle Shifters

-           Ventilated Seats

Further, All New CRETA offers a thrilling drive, powered by Hyundai’s new 1.4 l Kappa Turbo GDi Petrol (BS6) engine with 7DCT (Dual Clutch Transmission) gaining immense popularity among buyers. All New CRETA also offers customers complete peace of mind with WONDER Warranty Options - 3 Years/unlimited kms or 4 years/60 000 kms or 5 years/50 000 kms. 

Canadian Wood’s Hold Webinar on ‘Architecture with Wood in India’

FII-India, popularly known as Canadian Wood has been actively promoting building with wood in India using wood legally sourced from the sustainably managed forests of B.C., Canada. In case of structural applications of wood it works closely with architects, developers, contractors, and hospitality professionals and extends technical support by suggesting appropriate species and grades most suitable to the type of construction chosen or preferred, i.e. T&G (Tongue & Groove), WFC (Wood Frame Construction), posts-and-beams or even hybrid in tandem with local stone/bricks. It also conducts educational seminars and training workshops that help create awareness about its wood species, specific applications, and appropriate methods of use.

As a part of this continued effort during the COVID19 period, Canadian Wood introduced webinars on topics of interest to the wood working industry at large. Its third webinar titled ‘Architecture with wood in India’ conducted on July 24, 2020, was a part of the continuing series and a first-of-its-kind virtual panel discussion, presented by Indo-Canadian Business Chamber (ICBC) and sponsored by Artius Interior Products Pvt. Ltd.

The webinar began with a warm welcome by Ms. Nadira Hamid, CEO, ICBC and opening remarks by Hon. Andrew Smith, Minister (Commercial), High Commission of Canada. This was followed by an introduction of the event curator & moderator Prof. Gurdev Singh by Mr. Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, FII India. Prof. Gurdev Singh is an industry icon and the Ex-Dean of the School of Environmental Design and Architecture, Navrachana University. With over 40 years of invaluable experience in the field of architecture and several awards at national and international levels to his credit, his portfolio includes Teaching, Design (Architecture, Interior and Urban), Project Management and Construction Coordination, Quality Control and Site Management, as well as experience on projects as an Owner/Builder.

As the webinar progressed exciting sections began to slowly unfold itself in the form of extensive, informative presentations by eminent Indian architects namely Ar. N Mahesh from Iyer & Mahesh, Ar. Gurpreet Singh from Aakar Design Consultants and Ar. Kamal Malik from Malik Architecture. Each glorified through their unique pieces of work the various features, strengths, and possibilities in the world of architecture with wood.

Ar. N Mahesh is known for his decades of experience in reviving traditional timber architecture in India using ‘Green’ reforested timber. He presented beautiful pieces of work that drew inspiration from heritage architecture in Kerala and merged it with the technological prowess of changing times. His presentation showcased rich examples of wooden buildings and captivating visuals of projects spanning across premium hotels and resorts like the Ananta spa & resort - Rajasthan, the Lalit resort & spa, Bekal – Kerala and the Zuri Kumarakom resort & spa - Kerala to name a few. Besides these, he also showcased an eye-catching structure, his prized possession called the ‘Bell Museum’ located in Trivandrum. The building’s interiors featured successful use of Canadian manufactured Tongue and Groove panelling made with western hemlock, one of the five Canadian wood species available across India.

This was followed with a presentation by Ar. Gurpreet Singh who unveiled some truly exemplary work. His projects included well-recognized and awarded ventures like the Royal Academy of Bhutan and large scale in-making projects like the Dining hall for the World School of Environment in Coorg. He also showcased Aakar Villa; a luxury private villa displayed at 1970 sq. ft. in Himachal Pradesh. The villa exhibited how Canadian Wood specie Douglas-fir was optimally used to build posts-and-beams, multiple doors and windows that created a beautiful open space in oneness with nature.

The final presentation was made by Ar. Kamal Malik. His slides were iconic in their representation of his love for nature and the inspiration drawn from it. He defined architecture as a synthesis of ‘Ecology’ and ‘Spirit’. ‘Ecology’ implying a seamless, cohesive, and integrated approach to design and ‘Spirit’ implying balance, understanding and tranquility. His pieces of work included a luxury resort in Morgiri in Lonavala and in Alibaug where he elaborated upon how nature united with the applied contemporary architectural elements.

The three presentations were followed by a very engaging panel discussion, innovatively curated by Prof. Gurdev Singh. The event finally concluded with an insightful Q&A session of the panelists with the well-informed audience. The queries raised by the enthusiastic audience to the panelists clearly indicated the rising positive sentiment and trend towards use of wood in structural applications – we see an emerging trend of country homes, farm houses and resorts especially in hills and coastal areas being designed with wood (from sustainably managed forests) as the most ecofriendly building material.

Commenting on the response to the webinar, Mr. Pranesh Chhibber, Country Director, FII India said, “Canadian Wood is delighted to have the three stalwarts of architecture together as panelists on this platform along with Prof. Gurdev as the curator and moderator. It has been an enriching experience for us to listen and see them share their experience and expertise with the audience on the topic of “Architecture with Wood in India”.

It has been highly satisfying, encouraging and inspiring for us have had such an illustrious team of panelists on the Canadian Wood webinar – Ion behalf of Canadian Wood, thank Architects Mahesh, Gurpreet and Kamal from the bottom of my heart to having spared time for not just today but for having put in many hours preparing their presentations with their respective teams in their offices. Needless to mention that we are also thankful to Prof. Gurdev for being a great sport and taking on the mantle of being the curator and moderator for this webinar.

I must acknowledge the support and encouragement from Hon. Andrew Smith – Minister (Commercial), High Commission of Canada in India and thank him for taking time out for the webinar to further strengthen Indo-Canadian business ties. Needless to mention that without the support and collaboration of ICBC this webinar would not have been possible – so thank you Nadira for being such a sport. I also thank Ms. Bhawna Sharma – Director of Artius Interior products, Gurgaon for sponsoring the webinar and sharing with the audience the great work that Artius is doing with the Canadian Wood species.

Last but not the least, this webinar would not have been a success without the registration and participation of such an enlightened audience. There is a lot for us to take from this webinar and be encouraged to keep such conversations alive on the Canadian Wood forum. I assure our stakeholders that we intend continuing to organize more such sessions with eminent personalities connected with wood from India and abroad.

About FII India

FII is a crown agency of the government of British Columbia (B.C.), the western most province of Canada. Its mandate is to promote wood products from B.C. Canada in the offshore markets and to position it as a global supplier of quality, environmentally responsible wood products from sustainably managed forests by creating awareness and spreading education through information on the wide variety of timber products available from B.C. Canada and the technical support. Its brand/logo Canadian Wood was established in 2013 to reach out to and facilitate the understanding of its activities to its target audience.

Voot Select Takes its Premium Content to Regional Audiences in India

Fulfilling every entertainment need of its diverse and multi-cultural userbase, Voot Select is all set to make its regional content slate more dynamic and relevant to its audience with the launch of its Originals - Asur, Marzi, The Raikar Case and Illegal in Kannada. Furthering Viacom18’s existing content proposition in the  the Kannada market, Voot Select’s new language play will enable viewers to enjoy the platforms’ incredible Hindi original content in their local language and overturn the language barrier. While Asur, The Raikar Case and Illegal are all live on the platform, and will be followed by Marzi.  Apart from this, the subscribers will also get exclusive access to popular Kannada movies like Bell Bottom, Ayogya, Kirik Party and other movies like Thrayambakam, Eedhiga Bandha Suddhi, Dayavittu Gamanisi, Theory, Alamelamma on Voot Select.

Commenting on the new offerings, Ferzad Palia, Head - Voot Select, Youth, Music, and English Entertainment, Viacom18 said, “When we launched Voot Select, the idea was to share compelling stories with the audience all over the country. The appetite for regional content consumption is huge and by making Voot Originals available in Kannada, we are not only expanding our reach but also adding to the content experience of our audiences in Karnataka.  We as a network already have a strong presence in the Kannada market with Colors Super, Colors Kannada Cinema and  Colors Kannada with its content available 24 hours on Voot Select. With this move, the viewers can now access its premium Originals and movies in the language of their comfort and choice.”

Expressing his views on the announcement Neil Bhoopalam said, “Being a theatre and stage actor, I have had plenty of opportunities to work with people from different parts of the country and understand the demand to consume different genres of content. The Raikar Case has been appreciated by the audience all over India and I hope my viewers down South also enjoy watching the show and appreciate my performance in it.”

Illegal star, Kubbra Sait said, “Shooting for Illegal has been a very special experience for me as an actor. Being a Kannadiga, I get a lot of requests from fans and friends to work in Kannada based projects and this gives me the perfect platform to come closer to my fans. I cannot wait to see the reactions of the audience.”

With the introduction of this language proposition, Voot Select has opened a myriad of opportunities for the regional markets. With the most compelling stories and top notch premium content, the Kannada speaking audience can surely look forward to some of the finest content in their own language.

Voot Select’s premium content will soon launch in multiple languages including Tamil, Bengali, Marathi and Telugu.

SonyLIV Brings ‘Avrodh: The Siege Within’ - The Untold Story Behind India’s Surgical Strike

On 18th September 2016, the Indian army woke up to the deadliest attack on our security forces in Uri, Kashmir. 10 days later, a Surgical Strike happened to redress the same. While the event is well known, the conspiracy behind it and the details of immense planning by the Indian army remains untold. Unfolding that story for the first time ever, SonyLIV brings the most authentic account of the landmark event in its next original Avrodh: The Siege Within. The 10-part series goes live on the platform on 31st July.

Based on ‘We Don’t Really Know Fear’, the first chapter of Rahul Singh and Shiv Aroor’s celebrated book ‘India’s Most Fearless’ and produced for Applause Entertainment by Samar Khan’s Irada Entertainment LLP, Avrodh revolves around a covert mission. After months of extensive research and consultation with army officials, the narrative was sketched out from different perspectives. To ensure Avrodh gives viewers an authentic view of the events in an engaging and entertaining manner, the makers invested over two years in production of the series.

Directed by Raj Acharya, Avrodh has Amit Sadh play Major Tango, the on-screen version of the 35- year old real-life hero who spearheaded the mission along with an ensemble of actors like Darshan Kumar, Pavail Gulati, Neeraj Kabi, Madhurima Tuli, Anant Mahadevan, Vikram Gokhale and Arif Zakaria.

Comments:

Ashish Golwalkar - Head-Content SET, Digital Business, Sony Pictures Networks India

“SonyLIV’s purpose of existence is to tell ‘the stories of India’, and we could not miss the biggest narrative of our time - the story behind the Stunning Surgical Strike executed by brave Indian Soldiers. We are delighted to partner with Applause who have invested in the best resources, time, and research into bringing this series alive on SonyLIV. Avrodh details the conspiracy behind URI attack and the immense planning, precision and strategy that went into the strike. We are confident that the audience will enjoy this pulsating series that will keep them at the edge of their seat”.

Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment

“Stories pertaining to homeland security, the defense forces and our national spirit are important tales to tell and interest widespread audiences. We are proud to present the true story behind the incident that sent shockwaves across the country, and our nation’s determined strike-back. A dedicated and passionate team conceptualized the story from book to screen and that is what makes Avrodh a deeply rooted and inspiring tale. After successfully launching two of our premium shows on SonyLIV, we are excited to present our next offering with them.”

Amit Sadh, Actor, Avrodh

“It’s a delight for an artist to portray a character so iconic and deeply rooted in history. At the same time, it’s about filling in huge shoes so there is a lot of accountability in being Major Videep and in leading the most talked about mission by Indian armed forces. I am glad to have got this opportunity and I hope I have been able to do justice to the role. Avrodh has been a very special experience for all us and we can’t wait to gauge the audience reaction.”

Starting 31st July, 2020, SonyLIV is proud to present Avrodh: The Siege Within

Prepareness Is On For Reopening of Indian Schools Across India Safely

Popcorn Furniture, India’s largest educational furniture manufacturing company, held a webinar on ‘Reopening schools safely post COVID-19’. The one and a half hour long webinar was attended by five renowned panelists from education, health and sanitization sectors, and was followed by an insightful half-an-hour Q&A session.  

The session was organized with the aim to discuss a framework and guidelines to support educational institutes in facilitating the reopening of schools. It covered the changes in the education module post the lockdown and a way forward to the new SOPs framed in order to respond to the child’s learning, health and safety needs. The webinar reported the participation of over 1000 attendees including teachers, principals, school owners, school trustees, consultants, students and media. Mrs. Deepika Goyal, Founder and Director, Popcorn Furniture was the moderator. Dr. Shayama Chona, Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan Renowned Educationalist, Dr. Monika Arora, Director Health Promotion Division, Public Health Foundation, Dr. Vidya Gupta, Senior Consultant in Pediatrics & Neonatology, Apollo Hospital, Ms. Nupur Goenka, Director GD Goenka Group, Mr. Sumit Nadgir, CEO, HiCare MD, TrueNorth were the five eminent panelists for the session.

The major points discussed during the webinar were- the key challenges and effects in reopening schools post COVID-19, trust issues between parents and school authorities, challenges or difficulties for differently abled students, sanitization and safety process and implementation of hybrid education module. Adding to the same, panelist gave their quick opinion on public health guidelines and detailed SOPs that can be followed for student’s safety. The webinar had a long Q&A session and the questions ranged from physical to virtual problems faced by school kids, parents and teachers during the lockdown, discussion on getting a blue print by schools to ensure the safety of kids and a relief package from government to educational institutions.

Mrs. Deepika Goyal, Founder and Director, Popcorn Furniture, said, “We at Popcorn have sold furniture to over 8000 schools across India and abroad and we have always been concerned about the safety of the kids. We wanted to do our best to keep these kids safe once schools reopen.   We came up with the idea of doing a webinar on “Reopening schools safely” as we really feel that a society cannot open fully without reopening the schools. We worked with a few experts and came up with a health curriculum on reopening schools safely which is now on our website. It was amazing to see so many thousand people on the webinar as our intension was to help as many stakeholders in the reopening of schools safely”.

Dr. Shayama Chona, Padma Shri & Padma Bhushan Renowned Educationalist, said,”I have attended so many webinars but I have to say that one stood out as the most exceptional one I have ever done. It was the amazing effort by Popcorn Furniture and it stood out because of thousands participants and the amazing panelists. Each one was a master in their field and had done a lot of research on reopening schools safely. The purpose of the webinar was to help the schools and the society.”

Ms. Nupur Goenka, Director GD Goenka Group, said, “Reopening schools will be a practice in the art of collaboration of all the major stakeholders, management, parents and the students. Winston Churchill said “never let a good crisis go to waste”. There is a big opportunity in the crisis for a major channel of our education system. The need of the hour is to be adaptable, patient and resilient.”

Dr. Monika Arora, Director Health Promotion Division, Public Health Foundation, said,” I loved that the webinar had such a multi-disciplinary panel and audience.  They were bringing out such relevant sources spreading the reopening of schools safely as we were all tied by the common thread of concern for the safety of our kids. I know that there are lot of issues all stakeholders whether its panelists or schools are facing regarding the challenge of safety and there is a lot we can learn from connection which have already reopened the schools.”

Dr. Vidya Gupta, Senior Consultant in Pediatrics & Neonatology, Apollo Hospital, said, “I think the webinar was very important to develop a systemized thinking as to how schools should reopen. The multi-disciplinary group that looked into the different aspects of opening schools was an excellent choice. I am glad that I could contribute to alleviating the worries and concerns that people have had about reopening schools.”

Mr. Sumit Nadgir, CEO, HiCare MD, TrueNorth, said,”The topic of reopening schools safely was a very relevant topic and was definitely a need of the hour. Whether schools go for a staggered or full opening, the webinar has immense information to help them out to reopen safely. The panel was an amazing mix from different disciplines and I am sure that with great sanitization and safety measures, we can all look at a safe opening for schools and educational institutions.”

Central Square Foundation and Omidyar Network India Release ‘State of the Sector Report on Private Schools’

Central Square Foundation, a non-profit organisation that works towards ensuring quality school education, and Omidyar Network India, an investment firm focussed on social impact, released the first-of-its-kind report today on the state of the private school sector in India. The report highlights the need to improve learning outcomes in private schools which educate nearly half of India’s school-going children.

The report is a comprehensive analysis of existing research and evidence on the sector. It suggests reforms to streamline the operations of private schools with a focus on improving student learning. It aims to be a ready reckoner for policymakers, academicians, researchers, philanthropists and educationists amongst other stakeholders associated with the sector.

About 70% children in urban centres and a quarter from rural households attend private schools. Over 50% students in 16 Indian states are enrolled in private schools. The increased enrollment can be attributed to the rising demand by aspirational parents. A large number of parents — about 70% — pay less than Rs. 1000 per month as school fees. The report finds that 73% of parents with children in private schools believe these schools provide a better learning environment. However, student performance in private schools is only marginally better than government schools after adjusting for disadvantages in student backgrounds. About 35% of rural private school students in Grade 5 are unable to read a basic Grade 2-level paragraph.

The report finds that parents lack the means to make informed decisions while choosing schools based on learning performance. Board Examinations, among the only few reliable and standardised metrics to assess learning, are held in the last few years of schooling making it difficult for parents to judge the quality of schools during the early years of education. Moreover, nearly 60% of the private schools across India do not go up to a Board Examination grade.

Amitabh Kant, CEO of NITI Aayog, released the report at a digital event and said, “An educated and literate India is not possible without the private sector working towards our nation building. We must pay attention to getting it right. We need to bring reforms using access, equity and quality as guiding factors. More importantly, we need to shift the focus from monitoring of inputs to monitoring of outcomes. Quality education has been this government’s priority and NITI Aayog is drafting a model regulatory act in consultation with all stakeholders. We believe we will see fruitful results based on the references and results underlined in this report."

Highlighting the fact that private schooling is not popular among the elite alone, Mr Ashish Dhawan, the Founder-Chairman of CSF, emphasised that many families from underprivileged households send their children to private schools as well. “Today the private school sector in India is the third-largest school system in the world. These numbers are mainly made up of parents from low- and middle-income backgrounds who believe their children will have better learning outcomes in private schools. It’s critical now to institute a system that will give parents assessment-based information based on key stage examinations at Grades 3, 5, and 8, as the NEP suggests. They can use this information to compare school quality and pick the best school for their child.”

And speaking about the creating a demand for quality education among parents, Roopa Kudva, Managing Director, Omidyar Network India, said, “We need to empower parents to make informed decisions based on learning quality when choosing a school. In the absence of meaningful information on how schools perform on learning, parents tend to give weightage to tangible parameters like school infrastructure or English as the medium of instruction. Philanthropy capital can play a vital role in setting the ground in three main areas: greater awareness building, increased transparency from the schools themselves and improving the quality of engagement between parents and the schools.”

About the Report Launch

Mohandas Pai, Chairman, Manipal Global Education delivered a special address and spoke about the need for bold reforms to improve the quality of education and help India’s children acquire 21st Century skills for gainful employment. Other key speakers included Baijayant Panda, National Vice President & spokesperson of BJP; and Gurcharan Das, author and former CEO of Procter & Gamble India.

The release of the report was followed by two panel discussions. The first session on ‘Never waste a crisis: re-engineering the private school sector post Covid-19’ witnessed Baijayant Panda; Gurcharan Das; Arun Bharat Ram, Chairman, SRF Limited; and Geeta Gandhi Kingdon, Chair of Education Economics and International Development at the Institute of Education discuss how learning can be incentivised for private schools. The session was moderated by Ashish Dhawan.

The second session on ‘The need for reforms in the private school sector: Voices from the ground’ saw a very engaging discussion on the impediments in running and scaling private schools between Prabhat Jain, Co-Founder, Pathways World Schools & Pathways Early Years; Kulbhushan Sharma, President of NISA, and President, Federation of Private Schools Association, Haryana; Bhuvana Anand, Director, Research at Centre for Civil Society; and Vikas Jhunjhunwala, Founder & CEO of Sunshine Schools. Dilip Thakore, Co-founder and Managing Editor of EducationWorld moderated the session.

State of the Sector Report on Private Schools in India: About the Report

The report highlights the importance of private schools in educating India’s children. It provides details on the size of the sector, deep-dives into the challenges and outlines potential reforms to ensure improved learning outcomes for students. Specifically, the report stresses on two key challenges that need to be addressed urgently:

Under-regulation of learning outcomes

73% of parents believe their children will receive a quality education and have better learning outcomes in private schools. However, in the absence of a standard metric to measure learning outcomes, it may be hard for them to judge how much their children are learning in school in absolute terms, or how good their school actually is in comparison to other schools in their neighbourhood that charge similar fees. Grade 10 and 12 board exam pass percentages, sometimes used as a school learning marker, do not cover 60% of India’s private schools which end at Grades 5 or 8. Subsequently, parents tend to choose schools based on proxies for learning like "English medium" or the "School Infrastructure".

The information gap that exists for parents also means that schools are less likely to invest in learning-focused, invisible improvements like teacher training and quality, and more likely to spend on things that are observable by parents but may not lead to much improvement in learning - like computer labs, or marketing that proclaims English medium instruction.

Over-regulation of inputs

The second barrier is the over-regulation of inputs and a lack of policy focus on learning. Input-focused regulations prescribing playgrounds, computer labs, teacher salaries, etc., tend to be contextually unfit for under-resourced low-fee schools which make day-to-day operations difficult for them. Extensive licensing requirements deter quality providers from entering the sector and limits competition. For instance, opening a private school in Delhi calls for 125 documents, and applications move through at least 155 steps within the Directorate of Education. The non-profit nature of the education sector also discourages high-quality providers from entering or scaling up. These regulations have a direct impact on the capacity of private schools to deliver high-quality education.

The report also dives into the five-pillar sectoral reforms that account for the above-mentioned challenges and can help improve learning outcomes:

Create a universal learning indicator to help parents compare learning performance across schools and make informed decisions

Develop a pragmatic accreditation framework that factors in constraints of low fee schools and state capacity to implement while focussing on learning outcomes and child safety                    

Establish an independent regulatory agency for the private school sector

Review non-profit mandate and existing fee regulations to attract investment and enable easy access to credit for schools

Strengthen RTE Section 12(1)(c) which mandates 25% reservations for underprivileged children to ensure more robust targeting and fee reimbursements

While the report focuses on private schools, many of the regulatory issues raised in the report are also relevant for the public education domain.

ASSOCOHAM Launches Illness to Wellness, a Awareness Programme Aimed at Promoting Healthy Living in Association with SAVLON

Healthy Living

* Programme to promote healthy living with focus on wellness and preventive health through healthy habits, diet, exercise, and holistic health

* Programme kicked off with a webinar titled ‘Illness to Wellness – The Yoga Way’ with discussion on the role of yoga in fighting the COVID-19 health crisis

* Webinar revealed that the Delhi Government has deployed 30 yoga instructors in COVID centres to help the patients; and yoga therapy is being extended to the contact chain like family members, police personnel, medical professionals among others 

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India has started a national health & wellness awareness program called ‘Illness to Wellness’ to promote healthy living and preventive health through holistic measures. 

Supported by the hygiene brand SAVLON, the programme was kicked off with a webinar on the topic “Illness to Wellness – The Yoga Way” which saw leading health and yoga experts and recognized industry leaders deliberate on how Yoga could be the answer for mitigating threats caused by viruses and other ailments like the COVID 19.

A key speaker at the session Dr Ishwar V. Basavaraddi, director, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga, Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, revealed that, “we have deployed 30 instructors in COVID centres run by the Delhi government, who would teach patients yoga for three hours in the morning. Additionally, we have undertaken yoga lessons for COVID patients in the neighbouring 11 districts. We received 500 applications from Department of Science & Technology to understand the beneficial aspects of yoga especially for COVID patients and so are working on three projects with renowned yoga institutes to arrive at findings.” The programme is being expanded to cover people who have come in contact with COVID patients like family members, police personnel, medical professionals etc. 

For centuries yoga has proven to be a tool for mental and physical well-being. As the focus on boosting immunity grows due to the widespread adverse health effects caused by the COVID 19 pandemic, the role of this ancient and spiritual practice has become prominent in the journey from illness to wellness. Other eminent speakers emphasised the importance of wellness, not just in challenging times, but in general as a way of life.

While sharing his perspective, Mr Rajiv Chandran, director and office-in-charge, UN Information Centre emphatically stated that United Nations embraced the Yoga and 175 out of 193 countries unanimously agreed to celebrate Yoga as an annual International Day. The COVID–19 pandemic has completely transformed the concept of wellness. Now, wellness is not merely an individual's concern rather a community strategy and is being viewed in a very broader perspective of people's relationship with planet and the society.”

Promoting adoption of correct lifestyle and wellness strategy, (Padma Shri) Guruji Dr. H. R. Nagendra, Chancellor, Swami Vivekananda Yoga Anusandhana Samsthana & President, Indian Yoga Association said, “During the present COVID pandemic situations, Yoga – A Way of Life – can bring wellness for people at large. Coronavirus has the potential to infect and affect the human lives, however our immune system is also very strong as WBC (white blood cells) acts a gigantic robust army to defend from many viruses including corona. Stress weakens our immunity system and thus it becomes a victim of virus (corona) attack. He further stated that although one can cure through medicines, vaccinations and other supplements, the solution to strengthen our immunity is Yoga only.” 

Sharing his views, Mr Anil Rajput, Chairman, ASSOCHAM CSR Council said, “COVID pandemic has taught human race the hard lesson that medical science may not have readymade answers to emerging health crises. Therefore, we need to go back to the basics by putting focus on preventive measures and healthy living. Illness to Wellness has been timely conceived to bring the spotlight back on aspects we perhaps know at the back of our mind, but many are not able to practice in the rush of a busy life, such as the importance of healthy diet, exercise, hygienic habits, timely preventive practices among others.”

JFrog Launches First Security-Focused, Immutable Chart Repository for Helm, the Package Manager for Kubernetes

JFrog, the Universal DevOps technology leader known for enabling liquid software via continuous update flows, announced the launch of ChartCenter, the first free, security-focused central repository of Helm charts for the community. The ChartCenter repository ensures that developers can easily access consistent versions of any publicly available Helm charts, which are currently stored in various locations across the web and can be changed or removed at any time.

“Helm plays a critical role in the fast-growing Kubernetes ecosystem, and it’s important for developers to be able to access and share consistent and secure versions of Helm charts for their applications,” said JFrog CTO and co-founder Yoav Landman. “We are creating a true unified and open repository that allows developers to set up a single, trusted location to consume immutable charts from every chart creator, together with important security information and metadata attached to these charts.”

Helm is an application package manager running atop Kubernetes that simplifies the process of defining, storing, and managing applications through convenient Helm charts. With different Helm charts and versions traditionally stored on various sites across the internet, it has been hard for developers to trust, locate, and learn about them all. Developers also risk losing access to a specific chart if the host removes it. ChartCenter joins the JFrog “centers” family, already encompassing GoCenter, ConanCenter and JCenter as hubs for immutable artifacts. JFrog’s centers are provided as free services, which already support millions of developers globally.

“While security and immutability are very important, another critical concern is observability of transitive dependencies,” said JFrog VP of Community Engineering, Jagan Subramanian. “Installing Helm charts results in pulling in container images and other sub charts that may contain security and license issues, deprecated artifacts, or outdated library dependencies. Making this information readily available promotes higher quality in managing open source dependencies by making the community aware and enables consumers to take proactive measures to safeguard their production deployments”.

JFrog’s ChartCenter addresses this issue by offering a one-stop shop that includes all major Helm charts currently available across the web today, along with important security information and metadata around dependencies and application versions. Organizations can use ChartCenter to find immutable and highly available versions of Helm charts and can even add their own.

ChartCenter was built with the help of Rimas Mocevicius, the co-creator of Helm, to address the needs of the Kubernetes developer community. Along with serving as the first immutable repository for Helm charts, ChartCenter offers super search and other important features and functionality, including:

* Robust metadata about each chart version including downloads, license information, apiVersion, application version, and more!

* Superior search by name, description, and keyword

* Free security scanning that shows vulnerabilities in dependencies

* Ability for developers to add their own charts to the UI

* Dependency tree showing all dependencies of each chart and version

 * ChartCenter is available to the general public immediately.

OVHcloud Launches Managed Web Hosting Offers for India Businesses

OVHcloud is responding to India’s rapidly growing digital economy by introducing a new all-in-one web hosting and domain names solution, to further its commitment to partners and resellers competing in the web hosting market. In addition to its extensive portfolio of Cloud solutions, OVHcloud offers small and medium tech businesses, regional web hosting service providers, and web and digital agencies a comprehensive suite of solutions with the best price-performance ratio to give them an edge in pursuing small office/home office (SOHO) and small and medium enterprise (SME) markets.

OVHcloud’s decision to provide its web hosting and domain names offerings in India to resellers and partners comes at a time where businesses are looking to accelerate or kickstart their digital presence upon witnessing the digital economy’s massive potential in the current digital-first world. It has been predicted that by 2021, digital transformation will add an estimated US$154 billion to India’s GDP, and increase the growth rate by 1.0% annually. Beyond Asia Pacific, the web hosting and domain name offerings are also available in Europe, Latin America and Canada, enabling OVHcloud to support international scaling and development.

A secure offer, a predictive price, a powerful plan

The addition of web hosting and domain names enhances OVHcloud’s Asia Pacific portfolio of solutions which already consists of Dedicated Servers and Public Cloud offerings. From the design of servers, management of datacenters to the orchestration of the fiber optic network, OVHcloud maintains the integrity of the entire chain in order to generate maximum value, ease of use and seicurity.

With a diverse set of tools, OVHcloud’s new offerings are easy to use and scale for a wide variety of users, ranging from small businesses to large multi-faceted organisations, making it simple for resellers and partners to support professional websites, blogs, online retailers – any project that needs the support of the cloud to launch and scale.

In India, OVHcloud's web hosting offers guaranteed optimal online visibility and centralisation of all services, with the Performance Hosting package catering to web agencies, developers and resellers in particular. Designed for the most complex or growing web activities, including multi-sites or ecommerce sites, the Performance Hosting package allows the easy adjustment of resources to manage the most demanding projects on an ad hoc basis, using the Boost option or permanently leveraging the four performance levels.

These adjustments ensure users always have the resources guaranteed to help to absorb peak loads. In an all-inclusive offer with content delivery network (CDN), structured query language (SQL) and SSL, the Performance offer will support the development of online stores, web agencies and developers, small and medium enterprises, software as a service (SaaS) publishers, resellers and corporate websites. The high performance and ultra-competitive hosting include unlimited monthly traffic, anti-DDoS protection, free domain name for the first year, free Let’s Encrypt Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate, choice of four content management system (CMS) modules and the following features:

1 free domain name

500 GB of disk space

Boost Option

Up to 1000 email addresses

Optimised for WordPress, Joomla, Drupal and Prestashop

An idea, a project, a domain name

Every web project starts with a domain name that is included* across all hosting options. With over 800 extensions available (generic, thematic, geographic), professionals and distributors can build a project in their own image. They also benefit from OVHcloud's security expertise to safeguard their digital identity and protect against fraudulent transfers.

Additionally, the ultra-competitive price and the absence of hidden fees upon renewal makes OVHcloud domain names the ideal offer to optimise the lifespan of online projects. Advantages of OVHcloud domain names include:

Domain Name System Security Extensions (DNSSEC): protection against cache poisoning (Domain Name System (DNS) server poisoning)

Easy Redirect: simplified implementation of a redirection from your domain name to a social network, for example

DNS zone management for greater flexibility and customisation

Renewal without hidden fees

For Indian users, OVHcloud will provide local extension i.e. “in” as a TLD (Top Level Domain) for businesses looking to create country-targeted websites; Will be available at US$ 10.49 (ex. GST) per year.

OVHcloud will also provide SLDs (Second-Level Domain) such as .co. in, firm.in and .ind.in

Since 1999, OVHcloud has established itself in Europe, North America and Asia Pacific as the Cloud alternative, perfecting an open, reversible and transparent model that places freedom of choice and data protection at the heart of its priorities. Today, the European leader in Cloud solutions powers more than 3 million websites and 18 million applications in its 30 data centres around the world, with strict respect for the digital sovereignty of each of its users.

OVHcloud also supports local customers with Sales, Research & Development and Support teams based in Bengaluru.

*Free domain name offered for the first year on all hosting offers

About OVHcloud

OVHcloud is a global player and the leading European cloud provider operating 400,000 servers within its own 30 data centres across 4 continents. For 20 years, the Group has been leveraging an integrated model that provides full control of our value chain, from designing our servers to managing our data centres through to orchestrating our fibre-optic network. This unique approach enables OVHcloud to cover, independently, the full spectrum of use cases for our 1.5 million customers in more than 130 countries. OVHcloud now offers customers latest-generation solutions that combine high performance, predictable pricing and full data sovereignty to support their unfettered growth.