Jaguar Land Rover Inaugurates New 3S Retailer Facility in Bengaluru

 New 3S in the city

* Jaguar Land Rover unveils new state-of-the-art 3S (Sales, Service and Spare parts) Retailer Facility on New Airport Road

* Spread over a total area of over 4 160 m2, the facility offers a showroom display of a wide range of products from Jaguar and Land Rover’s portfolio, and a fully equipped service workshop with 19 service bays. 

* Jaguar Land Rover India distribution network is spread across 27 outlets in 24 major cities across India.

Jaguar Land Rover India today announced the opening of a new 3S Retailer facility in Bengaluru by Marqland in a fast developing area on New Airport Road.

This new 3S Retailer facility in the prominent location of New Airport Road complements the Boutique showroom in City Centre on Cunningham Road to offer exceptional Customer Experience and Convenience. Marqland previously operated its 3S facility on Hosur Road.

This Retailer facility is spread over 4 160 m2 and is designed to provide the highest quality of sales and after-sales service. It provides an enhanced premium customer experience, displaying a wide range of products from the Jaguar and Land Rover portfolio, and has an impressive handover bay for delivering vehicles to customers. 

This facility also has a Jaguar Land Rover approved pre-owned car section and showcases a wide range of Jaguar Land Rover branded accessories and merchandise for its discerning customers. It also has a fully equipped workshop, with state-of-the-art tools and equipment and highly trained technicians and staff to provide the highest quality after-sales experience. 

Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India Ltd (JLRIL), said, “Post the opening of the Boutique Showroom in City Centre in  2019, this new, ultra-modern integrated 3S facility on New Airport Road will further strengthen JLR’s presence in the Bengaluru area. It will ensure that our customers are able to enjoy world-class sales, service, and spares under-one-roof from a location that is convenient and easily accessible.”

Customers can even book their cars by visiting the online booking platform at www.findmeacar.in for Jaguar and www.findmeasuv.in for Land Rover..

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance Launches ABSLI Assured FlexiSavings Plan in Indian Market

 Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), today announced the launch of its new plan ABSLI Assured FlexiSavings Plan. It offers fully guaranteed benefits and allows policyholders an instant access to their money by giving them the flexibility to make unlimited withdrawals from their policy. The flexibility to make unlimited withdrawals is hitherto unseen in the insurance market- making it a market differentiator for this product. Besides life cover, it aims to provide guaranteed benefits to provision for future goals while empowering customers with liquidity at hand, to fulfil short term goals or unplanned money needs.

ABSLI Assured FlexiSavings Plan is a fully guaranteed, non-linked non-participating life insurance plan. This plan provides annual Income to the policyholder which is accumulated for 10 years or 12 years till the end of the policy term. These annual incomes grow with a 5% Income Booster added every year to augment savings, provided it is not withdrawn. Additionally, the specialty of this plan is that it provides flexibility to withdraw the accrued amount as and when needed, with no restrictions or charges on withdrawals. Moreover, the plan returns 110% of total premiums paid, back to the policyholder during policy maturity. It also offers a one-time loyalty addition on the accumulated amount under the policy.

Commenting on the launch, Kamlesh Rao, MD & CEO, Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance said, “During unprecedented times, most people become risk averse, while enhancing their liquidity provisioning. This results in customers taking a conservative approach, which leaves them with limited options of saving and growing their hard-earned money. ABSLI’s Assured FlexiSavings Plan aims at locking in the benefit of long-term guaranteed returns while unlocking the flexibility of withdrawals or liquidity, as and when required. Guaranteed tax-free returns with liquidity along with life cover, will enable customers to continue achieving their financial milestones in a break-free and stress-free manner”.

ABSLI Assured FlexiSaving Plan provides four benefits-

1. Upto 105% of annual premium added every year (depending upon the premium payment term chosen by the policyholder)

2. 5% Income booster annually which enhances the accrued amount further

3. Upto 25% (depending on the premium payment term and policy term chosen by the policyholder) loyalty addition on the total accrued amount is added to the policy at the end of the policy term

4. 110% of total premiums paid is additionally paid as maturity benefit in addition to the accrued amount under the policy

ABSLI Assured FlexiSaving Plan is designed for customers who are looking for guaranteed wealth and ease of liquidity, while protecting their loved ones during the time of uncertainties. Besides offering guaranteed returns and an instant access to money, it also provides protection with a comprehensive life cover across the policy term, additional riders and a variety of Premium Payment Terms.

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Empowers 1 Lakh People to Fight Against the Spread of COVID-19

 In its mission to help citizens fight the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has been undertaking several initiatives. One such initiative is the distribution of health and hygiene kits through an employee led CSR program, Sanjeevini.

Under the Sanjeevini initiative, TKM distributed health and hygiene kits to 5,000 employees, each of whom took it upon themselves to distribute the kits to five families in their neighbourhoods in Bangalore urban and rural areas benefitting totally 25,000 families. The kits comprised sanitizer bottle, three-ply facemasks and hand-wash soap. The volunteering employees also created awareness on the safety precautions vital to contain the viral outbreak with special emphasis on maintaining health and hygiene in these times. The intention behind involving the employees was to propagate important hygiene practices and the use of masks to as many people as possible in their neighbourhoods.

Commenting on the successful completion of the initiative, Mr. Vikram Gulati, Country Head & Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility & Corporate Governance, TKM, said, “Since the onset of the pandemic, TKM has been proactively responding to the crisis according to the needs of the community as well as by supporting the Government efforts. The distribution of the health and hygiene kits carried out over the last one month is another such program aimed at empowering the community we live in. The idea for distribution of the kits stemmed from the view of safeguarding not just our employees but also the other families residing in their neighbourhoods. In all, 25,000 families or about 1,00,000 people were benefited by the health and hygiene kits. As a responsible corporate citizen, we will continue with such endeavours in the battle against the coronavirus spread.”

In the recent past, TKM has contributed INR 2 Crore to the Karnataka Chief Minister’s Relief Fund followed by the handing over of 3,000 Hazmat suits to the Government Health Volunteers in the state. About 3,500 essential kits, benefitting over 15,000 members were given to daily wage workers. TKM deployed 14 buses to support the health department in the state in addition to the distribution of sanitizers and masks to the state police. TKM also supported its supplier partner, Stump Schuele and Somappa Springs to ramp up its production of face shields from 275 to over 17,000 units per day.

Further, TKM handed over a Mobile Medical Unit to the Indian Institute of Science to help scale up COVID-19 testing in the state. TKM has also provided 45 thermal scanners, 45,000 hand sanitizers, 100 beddings, consumables for 100 patients, 20 sets of equipment such as intravenous stands, blood pressure monitors and safety gear including 12,000 examination gloves, 70,000 three-ply face masks and 7,500 N95 masks to the Health Department, Government of Karnataka and Bangalore police personnel. The company handed over 10 fumigation equipment to Victoria Hospital through Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute and another 10 to the Town Municipal Corporation of Bidadi, Ramanagara District as per their requirements.

Phoenix Marketcity Introduces Curbside Service & Phoenix @Doorsteps for Seamless Shopping Experience

Embracing the ‘new normal’, Bengaluru’s favourite shopping and lifestyle destination, Phoenix Marketcity has introduced Curbside service for its customers who may want to shop at the mall at the comfort of their homes. Curbside service ensures comfort and convenience to consumers by offering a seamless retail experience designed with safety in mind. The mall has set up a Curbside pickup desk keeping in mind minimal interaction and trouble-free experience to get the shopping orders picked. Another modest initiative is Phoenix @ Doorsteps which is basically a home delivery service where customers will get their shopped bags delivered at their doorsteps.  

Phoenix Marketcity is now offering these concierge services for its patrons where they can place their shopping orders through the Whatsapp application platform, which will direct customers to select merchandise and products from their catalogues or through assisted virtual shopping. Customers can shop from the favourite brands and make payments online while easily enquiring about, timings and delivery with a chatbot to respond to frequently asked questions and connect with individual stores for brand related queries at the same time. The orders would be ready for contactless a Curbside pickup at an allotted time. 

Speaking on the launch of Curbside service, Mr. Gajendra Singh Rathore said “Curbside service is being introduced to keep the interest of customers alive with a hassle-free experience and smart shopping. The initiative has been introduced with an understanding towards the needs of the consumer and the changing scenario. We intend to offer seamless access to products and a process with minimal human interaction ensuring safety”. 

Other than this, the mall is taking utmost care of the safety of all with mandatory temperature checks at entry points, sanitisation, social distancing and limiting the number of people on the escalator to four at a time.  

Curbside Service: Steps to Follow  

SHOP ON THE GO – CURBSIDE PICK-UP 

Step 1- Send a Hi message on our WhatsApp number +916366940002. You will be assigned a Personal Shopping Assistance  

Step2: Select Merchandise/products from the Catalogue we share with you, or through assisted virtual shopping. 

Step 3: confirm your order and pay online securely 

Step 4: Choose a time slot to collect your safely packaged items from Curbside Pick-up 

Step 5: Drive to the curbside Pick-up point at your designated time. Your shopping bags will be placed in your car or Opt for home delivery  

Samsung Offers 15% Cashback, Easy EMI Options and Exciting Deals this Ganesh Chaturthi

Festival Offers

* Get Galaxy S20+ worth INR 77,999 with QLED 8K TVs and Note 10 Lite worth INR 37,999 free with SpaceMax Family Hub Refrigerator 

Celebrating the auspicious festival of Ganesh Chaturthi, Samsung India, country’s most trusted consumer electronics brand, today announced exclusive offers for its televisions, refrigerators, smart ovens, washing machines and air conditioners.

These exciting offers, coupled with bundled deals, attractive finance schemes with up to 15% cash back, and easy EMIs of as low as INR 990 will be valid till August 31, 2020.

The unique offers provide assured benefits to consumers purchasing Samsung consumer durable products such as Samsung QLED TVs, 4K UHD TVs, Smart TVs, SpaceMax Family Hub™ Refrigerator, Side-by-Side and Frost Free Refrigerators, FlexWash Washing Machines, AddWash Washing Machines, Fully Automatic Front Load and Top Load Washing Machines, Smart Ovens and WindFree Air Conditioners, among others. Expanding its wide consumer electronics portfolio, Samsung recently launched Soundbars with the unique Q-Symphony feature in select models, to give an immersive sound with the TV.

During the offer period, consumers purchasing Samsung QLED 8K TVs will get a Galaxy S20+ worth INR 77,999. Additionally, consumers will get a 10-year no screen burn-in warranty on panel on select QLED TVs.

Consumers buying Samsung Smart TVs will get a cashback of up to INR 15000 and easy EMIs as low as INR 990 along with the convenience of one EMI off on 43-inch and above models. Delivering on the entertainment front, Samsung TVs come with one month free Zee5 subscription and 30% discount on Zee5 premium packs.

In the refrigerator category, consumers buying Samsung SpaceMax Family Hub™ Refrigerator will get a Galaxy Note10 Lite worth INR 37,999. Additionally, on purchase of Samsung refrigerators and washing machines, consumers can avail up to 15% cashback and easy EMI options as low as INR 990, along with one EMI off on refrigerators above 300L capacity.

While refrigerators will come with 10-year Warranty on the Digital Inverter Compressor, washing machines will come with 12-year Warranty on the motor and 30year Warranty on the complete machine. These offers are applicable on Family Hub, Side-by-Side and Frost-Free refrigerators, and on FlexWash and AddWash Washing Machines as well as Fully Automatic Front Load and Top Load Washing Machines.

Consumers purchasing Samsung Air Conditioners can avail easy EMIs of as low as INR 990. On purchase of Samsung’s Wind-Free™ Air Conditioner that comes with 23,000 micro-holes to gently spread air evenly throughout the room, maintaining a comfortable level of coolness without any draft, consumers will get up to 15% cash back Additionally, benefits such as 5-year condenser and PCB controller warranty, 10-year Warranty on the Digital Inverter Compressor on select air conditioner models along with free installation and free gas recharge will also be offered.

On purchase of select models of convection Smart Ovens, above 28L, consumers will get a free Borosil kit, a 10-year warranty on the ceramic enamel cavity along with 5-year warranty on the magnetron.

Adding to the occasion, Samsung with its My Samsung My EMI offer provides consumers with an option to choose EMIs and down payment as per their budget on select televisions, refrigerators, microwave and washing machines. Consumers can further avail options such as EMIs of up to 36 months and one free EMI on select TV and refrigerator models.

Festive season is the time when consumers upgrade to newer and smarter technologies to reimagine their homes. Being a consumer centric brand, our focus is to deliver unparalleled technology for our consumers. Samsung is committed to deliver the best products and our latest offers come with guaranteed benefits on a wide range of products across price points. With consumers seeking value proposition, we are confident these unique offers will meet their expectations and enrich their lives with meaningful innovation,” said, Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India.

Samsung’s Diverse Product Line-up

Samsung QLED Televisions:

Samsung QLED TV breaks new ground for premium TVs and home entertainment, delivering beautiful design that is supported with the most advanced picture quality. Powered by HDR10+ technology that optimizes the TV’s brightness levels and delivers brighter and deeper colors, to deliver the visual experience intended by creators. The technology also features Direct Full Array Elite for enhanced contrast and precise picture quality.

The QLED TV features an Ambient Mode which turns the TV into a piece of art, building on the Ambient Mode’s ability to blend in with the home interior, the TV can be hung on the wall with a No Gap Wall-Mount, intelligently embedded in the back of the TV so that it blends in seamlessly. It also allows the users to take voice control one step further with the new Bixby feature on One Remote Control allowing connections to all connected devices without additional connectors or complicated setups.

4K UHD Televisions

Samsung’s 4K UHD TVs offers distinctive features through integration, consumption and interaction of TV in the everyday lives of its consumers. Driven by PurColor technology, Samsung UHD TVs are aimed to deliver superior colours with unmatched sharpness and contrast levels. With a host of features such as Live Cast, Tune Station, Screen Mirroring, Lag Free Gaming, Real 4K resolution and 60+ Titles. These TVs empower consumers to enjoy enhanced picture quality and superior content consumption capabilities.

Samsung Spacemax Family Hub™:

The Family Hub™ works with the SmartThings ecosystem, allowing users to control and monitor their connected appliances – Flex Wash Washing Machine and Smartphone – from the Family Hub™ screen. The built-in View Inside camera allows users to digitally label their food with expiration dates or use a mobile device to peek inside their fridge from anywhere. So now, consumers can see what is inside their fridge from the grocery store and/or leave a note on screen to remind the kids to clean their rooms after school. Users can do countless other things without ever leaving the kitchen.

Consumers can manage food, with the View Inside app that enables users to see inside the fridge from anywhere. The recipes app offers multiple recipes to choose from around the world and prepare the food that the family loves.

Samsung Side-by-Side and Frost Free Refrigerators:

The Spacemax Side-by-Side Refrigerators and Frost Free Refrigerators cater to the diverse storage needs of Indian consumers. Samsung refrigerators are a blend of freshness, energy efficiency, even cooling and durability. They are the perfect solution to provide savings on electricity bills, retain uninterrupted cooling and freshness even during power cuts.

WIND-FREE 2.0 SERIES:

Samsung’s Wind-Free™ 2.0 system uses 23,000 micro-holes to gently spread air evenly throughout the room, maintaining a comfortable level of coolness without any draft. Once the desired temperature is reached, the system disperses fresh air uniformly. The design has been upgraded to rectangular from the previous triangle design and with this change the micro-holes have been increased to 23,000 from 21,000 in the previous version.

The Wind-Free 2.0 enables users to control their ACs using the Smart Home App through Wi-Fi. The ACs allow the user to remotely control the functions and schedule operations along with live feedback. Users can also monitor and limit power usage as per their needs. The latest Wind-Free ACs are equipped with Motion Detect sensors (MDS) and automatically go into an energy saving mode if it does not detect any human presence for 60 minutes. Another option which users get through this feature is to choose the wind direction.

Samsung Digital Inverter Air Conditioners:

Samsung Air Conditioners have been designed carefully keeping in mind the consumers’ needs and expectations, which are faster cooling, less electricity consumption and uncompromised cooling even in hot summers. Convertible Mode, introduced this year, is Samsung’s another technology, which when activated allows consumers to save more energy when they are sitting alone in a room.

Samsung Microwave Ovens:

Samsung has revolutionized Indian cooking with innovations in microwave ovens that have been made specifically for India. Consumers can now prepare Masala, Tadka and Sun-dry food, in addition to making Roti/Naan and Curd in the new Microwave range.

Samsung Digital Inverter Motor Washing Machines:

Samsung Washing Machines, powered by digital inverter motors, consume less energy while producing minimal noise and vibration, when the washing machine is running. Having less friction makes the washing machine run much quieter and smoothly, which makes it perfect for open plan living and keeping that budget in check.

Mswipe Launches “Bank Box” to Revolutionize the Digital Payment Landscape for SMEs

 * New affordable offerings comprising of zero rental and zero MDR solutions

* Small businesses can collect and pay digitally even without a bank account

* Enters issuance business with Mswipe Moneyback Card to help merchants earn as they spend

* One-time digital KYC for hassle free and instant signup

Mswipe announced today the launch of Bank Box, a digital acceptance and payment solution designed to meet the cost-centric needs of MSMEs and merchants, as well as provide for a seamlessly integrated experience. Through this launch, Mswipe aims to pave the way for a futuristic payment solution platform and address key challenges that merchants and MSMEs face, with recurring costs on POS terminals like PoS rentals and Merchant Discount Rate (MDR).

Mswipe, India’s largest merchant acquirer with a network of 6.75 lakh POS and 1.1 million QR merchants, set out with the vision to build a cutting edge product – one that combines their acquiring and issuing platforms into a one-stop-shop, “Bank Box”, which enables easy signup, instant activation of the terminal and lifetime zero rental and zero effective MDR for merchants.

Manish Patel, Founder and CEO, Mswipe said, “COVID-19 has significantly impacted the earnings of small businesses, which in turn has led to curbed expenditures from their end. As a market innovator, Mswipe is helping MSMEs and merchants control costs incurred while accepting digital payments and further incentivize them to make digital payments. Essentially, Mswipe’s Bank Box facilitates small, medium and micro businesses to break into the digital ecosystem at the lowest possible TCO and sign up - even if they do not have a bank account.”

With a one-time digital KYC, businesses can choose between Bank Box Go - a POS solution with zero rental and zero MDR or Bank Box Lite - a QR solution with 0 rental and 1% cashback on all transactions and instantly go live. In both offerings a merchant gets a UPI QR and a Moneyback Card. Bank Box Go additionally provides an affordable mPOS capable of accepting chip + pin and contactless card payments. For Bank Box Go merchants have to pay a one-time fee of Rs. 4,000 plus taxes while for Bank Box Lite, they pay only Rs.199 plus taxes.

Sameer Hoda, President, Strategy and Operations, Mswipe said, “With Bank Box we have democratized the digital acceptance and payments ecosystem for the smallest of businesses by giving them a choice. With Mswipe now both an acquirer and issuer, we have provided an end-to-end digital enablement of MSMEs and merchants and empowered them to join the Digital Bharat movement.”

While mPOS allows acceptance of multiple modes of payments including UPI, Visa, Mastercard and American Express, mQR accepts payments from more than 150 UPI and mobile banking apps like PayTM, Axis Bank and BHIM among others. To spend digitally, merchants can load their Mcard with up to Rs. 1,00,000 per month.

Mswipe is targeting merchants with an average daily digital collection of Rs. 2,000 - Rs.2,500 in tier 3-4 markets and Rs. 8,000 - Rs. 10,000 in Metro and semi-urban areas.

About Mswipe:

Mswipe aims to be India’s largest financial services platform for SMEs and merchants by providing seamless mobile POS and value-added Services. It is the largest independent mobile POS merchant acquirer and network provider with 6.75 lakh POS and 1 million QR merchants across the country. Mswipe offers a host of POS solutions for all types of payment acceptance - cards, wallets, mobile payment apps and bank apps, contactless and QR payments. Headquartered in Mumbai, Mswipe began operations in 2011. Its key investors include B Capital, UC-RNT, Falcon Edge Capital, Matrix Partners India, DSG Partners and Epiq Capital. 

Stride Ventures Invests Rs 15 Crores in ZipLoan; Marks First Foray into Fintech Lending

Stride Ventures, one of India’s leading venture debt funds, has led a debt round of INR 15 crores in ZipLoan, a technology-enabled lending platform that provides loans to MSMEs. Through their customized offerings and deep relationships across banks and corporates, Stride aims to be a strategic partner in Ziploan’s journey.

This is Stride’s first foray into Fintech lending and the amount will be disbursed across two tranches. The investment underlines the firm’s commitment to leverage traditional banking capital to cater to the startup ecosystem.

ZipLoan caters to the need of working capital loans for kirana stores and micro industries. Its proprietary ZipScore platform, that tests creditworthiness of a borrower, has so far helped it maintain its non-performing assets (NPA) at under 3%. 

Ishpreet Gandhi, Founder and Managing Partner, Stride Ventures, said “We are excited to partner with ZipLoan in their pursuit to revolutionize lending to small business owners. It is our endeavour at Stride to make credit accessible and efficient as we try to prevent equity dilution and make entrepreneurs truly ‘Atmanirbhar’. The company has exhibited tremendous growth without compromising the quality of the loan book. We are confident that the company will continue to scale even in these challenging times.”

Kshitij Puri, Co-founder & CEO, ZipLoan, added, “We are privileged to partner with Stride Ventures as they help us realise our mission of addressing funding needs of small business owners. The MSME segment is the most important contributor to our economy, but still continues to be credit starved. Even during the current crisis, the MSME segment has shown great resilience demonstrated by strong collections we have had.” 

Stride Ventures launched its maiden fund in 2019 with a target corpus of INR 500 crores and plans to invest in 35-40 startups over the next 3 years.

About Stride Ventures 

Stride Ventures is focused on providing debt solutions to growth stage start-ups. Stride provides tailor-made debt solutions to start-ups, enabling them to strategically allocate capital. Bringing more than six decades of collective underwriting experience, the fund helps its portfolio companies leverage the banking ecosystem through their domain expertise and extensive network.

About ZipLoan

Ziploan is a tech-driven digital lender focused on small ticket business loans. Till date, Ziploan has disbursed approx. INR 400 Cr across 10,000 borrowers. Ziploan is present in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Indore, Jaipur, Lucknow and Dehradun. Ziploan is addressing the key pain point of small businesses i.e. access to formal credit by customizing the loan sourcing and underwriting process for its target customer base.

VN Finance Announces Small Ticket Loans – ‘Shramik Loan’ and ‘Rozgar Loan’ for Migrant Workers and Financially Excluded

Small Loans 

* 24X7 service; Within 1-day loan disbursal; minimal no of documents

* Funds even for those who cannot provide security or existing assets

In sync with the Prime Minister and RBI Governor’s clarion call to provide credit/ loans to the financially excluded and the unbanked, VN Finance, a tech-enabled NBFC, has announced small ticket loan offerings – ‘Shramik Loan’ and ‘Rozgar Loan’ for migrant workers and financially excluded small business men and women on the eve of Independence Day 2020. In the aftermath of Covid-19 and the problems faced by lakhs of people, VN Finance's approach is to deploy 24X7 service and disburse loans within a day with the least number of documents and hassle-free interaction using technology.

The ticket size of the loan starts from Rs. 25,000 onwards. Those people, who need unsecured loans and have no security or no existing assets, can directly (or through intermediaries) approach VN Finance and share their creditworthiness and repayment capacity. They will get the funds at the best of terms to achieve their dreams.

VN Finance also offers Secured Loans such as Loan Against Property, Loans against Gold Jewellery and Loans against Inventories. Every business needs ongoing working capital and this requirement keeps increasing with the growth of business. VN Finance's professional team fully understands business needs and provides funding against the goods and inventories already lying in the shops/godown. The small business owner just needs to furnish the inventory list, its value and their needs.

Mohit Kakkad, Director & Founder, VN Finance, said, “We stand committed to our vision of changing the society by helping people to follow the dreams by easy and quick financing. We are focusing on the segments who cannot afford to wait and cannot meet or understand the complex and time-consuming processes of conventional lenders. We work tirelessly to develop delivery mechanisms with technology to make our disbursal process easy, efficient and widespread. We plan to expand aggressively in Mumbai MMR region, Maharashtra State and gradually across India.”

VN Finance is also developing a network of banking intermediaries, Self-Help Groups (SHGs), NGOs and correspondents who can help facilitate credit to migrant workers, unbanked and financially deprived business men and women. Since the target segment is not necessarily highly literate and educated in technology, VN Finance is using technology to help them and the financial intermediaries in the easiest of ways.

Mohit Kakkad firmly believes that if India has to achieve financial inclusion in the true sense, NBFCs such as VN Finance have to play a significant role in enhancing financial literacy, seeking minimal collateral, shorter processing time and building distribution network while grappling with lack of credit history, absence of formal identity, cyclical income and paper work.

The Union Government and regulators have taken various initiatives such as Basic savings bank deposit account (BSBDA), Lead banking scheme (LBS), Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana (PMJDY) and set up payments’ infrastructure like BHIM, UPI, DBT to jumpstart the process of financial inclusion. The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) in its National Strategy for Financial Inclusion 2019-24, announced that public credit registry has to be made fully operational by March 2022 so that authorised financial entities can leverage the same for assessing credit proposals. NBFCs can also access and analyze data from Google Pay, Walmart-owned PhonePe and Whatsapp Pay (to launch soon).

About VN Finance

VN Finance Pvt. Ltd. (VNF) is an innovative financial company Incorporated in March 2019 as a Non-Deposit taking NBFC (ND). The company is founded by 31-year old Mohit Kakkad with a vision to use technology to provide finance to hitherto unbanked section of society. The company is mainly engaged is providing the small and medium size ticket loans on secured and unsecured basis. Unsecured loans are being provided based on creditworthiness and repayment capacity of the borrowers. The senior management of the company consists of senior leaders from banking industry and mentored by some of the highly qualified professionals. VN Finance has put in place an interest rate policy, adopted by the Board, taking into account relevant factors such as, cost of funds, margin and risk premium, etc and determine the rate of interest to be charged for loans. It has a robust KYV Policy, Fair Practices Code and Corporate Governance Policy.

Paytm Launches India's “First Pocket Android POS Device” for Contactless Ordering & Payments

 

* Styled like a mobile phone this sleek device has been launched at an introductory monthly rental of Rs 499 

* It comes bundled with Contactless Ordering software for SMEs, restaurants and takeaway joints 

* Enabled with integrated billing software, camera for QR scanning, works with 4G sim cards, Wi-Fi & Bluetooth connectivity 

* Company to invest Rs 100 crore on distribution & marketing of these devices in FY21 

On a mission to equip SMEs with technology-led solutions, India's homegrown financial services platform Paytm has launched the country's “first pocket Android POS device” for contactless ordering & payments. The company has introduced 'Paytm All-in-One Portable Android Smart POS' at an introductory price of Rs 499 per month rental. Styled like a mobile phone for accepting orders and payments on the go, this is the first such Android-based device to be introduced in India and is much more powerful than the portable Linux based POS devices presently available in the country.

It also comes bundled with Paytm's 'Scan to Order' service that is fast getting adopted by thousands of restaurants and takeaway joints the country. Paytm is offering this high-end POS device effectively at the lowest price in the market, in an effort to empower a large number of SMEs to kickstart their businesses with contactless ordering and payment solutions. This device enables delivery personnel logistic players, Kirana stores, and small shopkeepers to accept digital payments on the go.

The robust, featherweight & ergonomic device weighs only 163 grams, 12mm thick, and has a 4.5-inch touch screen. It comes bundled with a powerful processor, all-day battery life, and an inbuilt camera to scan QR codes and instantly process payment. This fully-loaded device has many industry-first features & services including cloud-based software for billing, payments, and customer management. It works with 4G sim cards, Wi-Fi and has Bluetooth connectivity to ensure payments never fail and stays round the clock connected with all of Paytm's bouquet of services. The company aims to issue over 2 lakh devices within the next few months which will generate over 20 million transactions per month.

This smart POS device is integrated with the ‘Paytm for Business’ app to generate GST compliant bills and also to manage all transactions & settlements. Besides this, Paytm for Business app also helps merchants to avail of numerous business services and financial solutions such as loans, insurance, and Business Khata to manage digital ledger of all their transactions including udhaar, cash, and card sales. It also has a merchandise store on the app offering Paytm All-in-One QR integrated utility items such as soundbox, calculator, power bank, clock, pen stands, and radio. The Paytm for Business App has witnessed over 20 million downloads and is one of the most popular merchant apps on Google Play Store and App Store. 

Renu Satti, Sr. Vice President at Paytm said, "We innovate products & services that are aligned with our mission of enabling SMEs with technology-led solutions. We are confident that this affordable pocket-sized Paytm Android POS device will enable everyone from SMEs to delivery personnel of Kirana Stores to collect payments safely. It is our endeavour to help merchants & traders to easily digitize their business operations, without any investment in technology or backend infrastructure. Our Paytm for Business app, Khata, and payout services are providing the much-needed digitization support to businesses to improve their efficiency & supporting them to join the Digital India mission."

Launched this year, Paytm Payout is fast becoming a must-have tool for businesses to make regular payments to their employees, vendors, and business partners. During the ongoing pandemic, more businesses have used the service to process payments of over Rs. 1500 crores either to the Paytm wallet, food wallet, gift voucher, or bank account of millions of beneficiaries. 

Mswipe launches “Bank Box” to Revolutionize Digital Payment Landscape for SMEs

 * New affordable offerings comprising of zero rental and zero MDR solutions

* Small businesses can collect and pay digitally even without a bank account

* Enters issuance business with Mswipe Moneyback Card to help merchants earn as they spend

* One-time digital KYC for hassle free and instant signup

Mswipe announced today the launch of Bank Box, a digital acceptance and payment solution designed to meet the cost-centric needs of MSMEs and merchants, as well as provide for a seamlessly integrated experience. Through this launch, Mswipe aims to pave the way for a futuristic payment solution platform and address key challenges that merchants and MSMEs face, with recurring costs on POS terminals like PoS rentals and Merchant Discount Rate (MDR).

Mswipe, India’s largest merchant acquirer with a network of 6.75 lakh POS and 1.1 million QR merchants, set out with the vision to build a cutting edge product – one that combines their acquiring and issuing platforms into a one-stop-shop, “Bank Box”, which enables easy signup, instant activation of the terminal and lifetime zero rental and zero effective MDR for merchants.

Manish Patel, Founder and CEO, Mswipe said, “COVID-19 has significantly impacted the earnings of small businesses, which in turn has led to curbed expenditures from their end. As a market innovator, Mswipe is helping MSMEs and merchants control costs incurred while accepting digital payments and further incentivize them to make digital payments. Essentially, Mswipe’s Bank Box facilitates small, medium and micro businesses to break into the digital ecosystem at the lowest possible TCO and sign up - even if they do not have a bank account.”

With a one-time digital KYC, businesses can choose between Bank Box Go - a POS solution with zero rental and zero MDR or Bank Box Lite - a QR solution with 0 rental and 1% cashback on all transactions and instantly go live. In both offerings a merchant gets a UPI QR and a Moneyback Card. Bank Box Go additionally provides an affordable mPOS capable of accepting chip + pin and contactless card payments. For Bank Box Go merchants have to pay a one-time fee of Rs. 4,000 plus taxes while for Bank Box Lite, they pay only Rs.199 plus taxes.

Sameer Hoda, President, Strategy and Operations, Mswipe said, “With Bank Box we have democratized the digital acceptance and payments ecosystem for the smallest of businesses by giving them a choice. With Mswipe now both an acquirer and issuer, we have provided an end-to-end digital enablement of MSMEs and merchants and empowered them to join the Digital Bharat movement.”

While mPOS allows acceptance of multiple modes of payments including UPI, Visa, Mastercard and American Express, mQR accepts payments from more than 150 UPI and mobile banking apps like PayTM, Axis Bank and BHIM among others. To spend digitally, merchants can load their Mcard with up to Rs. 1,00,000 per month.

Mswipe is targeting merchants with an average daily digital collection of Rs. 2,000 - Rs.2,500 in tier 3-4 markets and Rs. 8,000 - Rs. 10,000 in Metro and semi-urban areas.

About Mswipe:

Mswipe aims to be India’s largest financial services platform for SMEs and merchants by providing seamless mobile POS and value-added Services. It is the largest independent mobile POS merchant acquirer and network provider with 6.75 lakh POS and 1 million QR merchants across the country. Mswipe offers a host of POS solutions for all types of payment acceptance - cards, wallets, mobile payment apps and bank apps, contactless and QR payments. Headquartered in Mumbai, Mswipe began operations in 2011. Its key investors include B Capital, UC-RNT, Falcon Edge Capital, Matrix Partners India, DSG Partners and Epiq Capital. For more information, visit https://www.mswipe.com

Experience Driving Pleasure of the New Tata Nexon EV with Just a Monthly Subscription

 Key Highlights:

* Tata Nexon EV available at an all-inclusive fixed rental starting at only Rs. 41,900/- per month

* Select the tenure of your choice from 18, 24 or 36 months

* Available in 5 key cities during the inaugural launch – Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru

* Comprehensive insurance cover, instant roadside assistance and a hassle free end-to-end maintenance- all included

* End-to-end digital engagement to eliminate any common and shared touch points

Tata Motors, India’s leading automobile manufacturer, today announced the launch of a first of its kind subscription model for electric vehicles (EV). Designed to make EVs more accessible to a rapidly growing base of future conscious citizens, Tata Motors is making available its flagship EV, the Tata Nexon at an all-inclusive fixed rental starting at just Rs. 41,900/- per month. Discerning customers can select the tenure of their subscription from a minimum period of 18 months to 24 and 36 months. Through a collaboration with Orix Auto Infrastructure Services Limited, amongst India's top leasing companies, this service is being offered in 5 major cities - Delhi/NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, during the inaugural phase of the launch.

With no hassle of vehicle registration and road tax, the entire process of subscribing to the Tata Nexon EV has been made seamless via end-to-end digital engagement. Additional benefits include comprehensive insurance coverage, on call roadside assistance plus free maintenance with periodic servicing and doorstep delivery. Additionally, customers can have their own EV charger installed at their home or office, as convenient.

Announcing the launch of this unique EV subscription programme, Shailesh Chandra, President, Passenger Vehicles Business Unit, Tata Motors said, “EVs are the future, and as the leader of this fast growing segment, Tata Motors is committed to popularise their access and use in India. With this novel subscription model, we are making it more convenient for interested users of EVs to experience their myriad benefits. It is ideal for customers preferring ‘usership’ over ownership in the rapidly growing era of shared economy.”

The subscription model is customised and perfectly suited for corporates who prefer to lease, individuals with frequent inter-city job transfers, and expatriates who stay for a fixed tenure, among others. Further, the partnering with Orix Auto provides a comprehensive value proposition, inviting customers to easily experience the magic of EV. Post the tenure of their subscription, customers can either choose to extend it or just return the vehicle.

To know more about the Tata Motors EV Subscription Program, please visit https://evsubscription.tatamotors.com

Zebra Survey: The Future of Retail Depends on Seamless Experiences

Zebra Technologies Corporation, (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today revealed the results of its 12th Annual APAC Shopper Study, which analyzed retailers’ technology plans for solving chronic shopping issues. Results show that retailers are looking to harness technologies like intelligent automation, cloud computing and mobility to drive economic growth. To strengthen retailers position in these unprecedented times, the launch of the 12th Annual APAC Shopper Study is aligned with the unveiling of array of products by Zebra Technologies.

As businesses reopen and rebuild from the COVID-19 pandemic, the resiliency of retailers and supply chains are being tested more now than ever before. One monumental shift relates to the concept of “Economy at Home,” which addresses the way consumers have completely changed their shopping habits. The frequency and volume of online spending on food has increased across the region, with consumers expressing a preference for self-checkout rather than assistance from cashiers for safe distancing.

To meet rising customer expectations, retailers need to rethink the safety of the customer journey, whether it is in store or via delivery. Click-and-collect, or buy online, pick-up in store (BOPIS), are becoming preferred methods of shopping, with 55% of consumers requesting more retailers to offer mobile ordering options. This is forcing businesses to rethink their fulfillment strategies given that only 36% of respondents agreed that their stores are equipped to fulfill web orders.  The study expects this trend to continue, while retailers implement additional solutions that minimize in-store contact and improve customer convenience at the same time.

“COVID-19 has significantly altered the retail sector, forcing both essential and non-essential retailers to assess their omnichannel fulfillment capabilities and quickly adapt their operating models in a matter of days – some implementing changes within hours,”  said Deep Agarwal, Regional Sales Director of India, Zebra Technologies. “We’re seeing how retailers are transforming ‘dark stores’ to serve as temporary distribution facilities inside their establishments. Retailers should prioritize the expansion of click-and-collect service offerings and invest in technologies that increase shopping capacity and speed. This reduces in-store traffic and aids in social distancing efforts, while providing retailers with inventory visibility across every corner of the shop floor.”

Putting a mobile device into the hands of a retail associate simplifies tasks like inventory management, yet an estimated 64% of retail associates are not equipped to maximize the benefits of technology. In response, retailers are moving away from dated green-screen technology to enterprise-class devices with intuitive, user-friendly interfaces with smartphone-like operating systems.

The pandemic has proven this true as click-and-collect orders have surged, creating the need for store associates to enable contactless transactions via curbside pickup with handheld mobile computers and tablets. When paired with a mobile printer, the likes of the TC52 touch computer and TC21 touch computer form Mobile Point of Sale (mPOS) solutions that can drive contactless fulfilment by alerting associates of new online orders, enabling them to pack merchandise, label products and print receipts prior to the customer’s arrival .

The adoption of mPOS solutions is expected to hit 98% by 2026, up from 76% today. The same trend is also observed for handheld mobile computers with scanners as retail associate device usage is expected to reach 96% by 2026, up from the current 75%.

Zebra Technologies has also launched Self-checkout solutions like the DS9900 Series Corded Hybrid Imager, DS9300 Barcode Scanner and the upgraded MP7000 Grocery Scanner Scale that are helping retailers to reshape the front-of-store experience. Growing up with technology and automation, 89% of surveyed shoppers agree that self-checkout improves their shopping experience. Additionally, self-checkout has become even more relevant during this pandemic as both shoppers and retailers strive to minimize in-store contact to ensure safety.

Returns are another pain point for shoppers and poses a significant challenge for retailers. Up to 51% of retail executives report that they have started or are planning to start upgrading their returns management technologies in the next five years. Meanwhile, 83% of retailers currently have or plan to implement automated inventory verification systems within the year to advance real-time inventory accuracy.

ASIA-PACIFIC HIGHLIGHTS

88% of retailers agree maintaining real-time inventory visibility is a significant challenge, and 85% say their companies need better inventory management tools to ensure accuracy.

Retailers also cite robot assistance (83%), smart check-out and real-time store IoT platforms (89%) as extremely important to their operations over the next five years.

81% of retailers plan to provide mobile ordering as a fulfilment option by 2021.

70% of retailers are integrating social media within their ecosystem for digital native shoppers to provide feedback.

SURVEY BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

Zebra’s 12th Annual Shopper Study surveyed over 6,300 global respondents, including over 1,200 APAC region respondents (retail executives, store associates and shoppers) to gauge the attitudes, opinions and expectations that are reshaping brick and mortar and online retail. The results, summarized in a two-part series, are essential reading for industry leaders seeking actionable insights to serve today’s tech-savvy shoppers.

YES BANK Launches KuchNayaSocho Campaign Across India

As India unlocks in phases from the current COVID-19 situation, YES BANK has launched a campaign, ‘KuchNayaSocho.’ Through this campaign, the Bank endeavours to instill hope amongst people and give a positive message to the society that we can adapt to the new normal through collaboration and innovative thinking. Since the lockdown was announced, the Bank launched a range of innovative solutions to help its customers adapt to the new normal.

All through our lives, be it at school, college or workplace, we have been encouraged to think innovatively and this approach has become an indispensable part of how we think. Building on this, the Bank has launched a campaign to partner communities and support them by building a bridge to a new future - KuchNayaSocho, a campaign embracing change and innovation to support customers and partners, alike. The campaign is being amplified across YouTube and Facebook.

Commenting on the launch, Jasneet Bachal, Chief Marketing Officer, YES BANK said,” While the last few months transformed our lives beyond imagination, bringing in a whole new world of isolation and social distancing, it has also reminded us that we are all interconnected like never before - a part of one another. The ‘#KuchNayaSocho’ campaign mirrors the way this transformation has impacted us, and how innovative thinking will pave the way for us to embrace the ‘new normal’. Through this campaign, we have also showcased how YES BANK is supporting all our stakeholders in adapting to the COVID-19 induced normal through digital solutions. The campaign urges ‘innovative thinking’ in order to adapt to the evolving changes, in readiness for the new.”

Keeping in mind the financial health, well-being, and daily travel requirements of commuters, the Bank recently launched solutions such as Fixed Deposit + COVID-19 Insurance Cover, an Overdraft against Fixed Deposit to meet financial and liquidity needs, a tap and go card for making contactless payments during bus travel, and a UPI payment solution for excess baggage during flight check-in for travelers of a renowned airline.

eBay Announces its Association with the International Gemological Institution for its Seller Community

With an objective to drive precedence in one of the most significant categories in Indian exports, eBay in India announced its association with the International Gemological Institute (IGI).The largest organization of its kind, IGI is a highly trusted name in certifying the widest variety of gemstones and jewelry in the world.

The Gems and Jewelry Certification program (GJCP) introduced by eBay for Indian sellers primarily aims to support the country’s jewelry industry in the global market and establishing eBay as an ultimate destination for fine jewelry products.  The sellers can now get their products certified from IGI at the most competitive pricing available exclusively to the Indian domiciled eBay seller community.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Vidmay Naini, India Country Manager at eBay said, “At eBay our aim is to provide our sellers avenues to win more customers across the world and to get global customers the best quality of products. Our association with IGI is a step in that direction. Transparency and authenticity are the topmost considerations while making a purchase for fine jewelry. In the current scenario, with most of the purchases happening on the e-commerce platforms, it is only fair to say that consumers expect authenticity in what they purchase. The certification of Diamond Jewelry and loose stones will foster that confidence in the buyers and sellers alike on eBay.”

He further added, “Loose Diamonds & Gemstones category has witnessed a healthy push in the previous quarter with the introduction of GJEPC certification program. Meeting the demand for higher priced gemstones along with building trust amongst the buyers globally through certification has been the strategic approach at eBay INCBT, and we will continue to build upon the same in 2020 and onwards.”

Mr. Tehmasp Printer, Managing Director at IGI said,” We at IGI, consider the association with eBay as the beginning of a revolutionary consumer experience. With IGI certification, customers can now purchase their jewelry online, validated as per internationally acclaimed grading standards and practices. We look forward to empowering buyers on eBay with our services.

eBay Sellers domiciled in India can avail Gems and Jewelry Certificate Program benefits in three simple steps:

1.      Sell the Gemstone and Fine Jewelry Items on eBay marketplace

2.      Apply and obtain IGI certification for such Fine Jewelry items

3.      Ship the certified Fine Jewelry items with the IGI certificate to buyers

For more details, check https://bit.ly/GemsAndJewelryCertification

The Indian jewelry industry holds prominence on the platform and has shown a steady growth in recent years, providing a shining example of achieving international competitiveness. With real-time insights into the global market demands, eBay- INCBT has enabled some of India’s top diamond jewelry manufacturers and exporters who offer latest designs best quality diamonds and free customization at aggressive price points to the world.

eBay is committed towards understanding the concerns of both the buyers and sellers alike. The IGI certification provides a global standard of excellence to the diamonds and loose stones exported from India and gives much needed impetus to this commitment.

About eBay:

eBay Inc. is a global commerce leader that connects millions of buyers and sellers across 190 countries around the world. eBay has over 1.4 Billion live listings. eBay marketplace boasts of $90.2 Billion GMV (FY2019), $10.7 Billion revenue (FY2019)

eBay in India is focused on driving cross border trade and providing Indian MSMEs and artisans a platform to expand their reach to global customers. The cross-border trade business has more than 1,00,000 sellers registered on the website with over 16.8 million product listings. eBay is working towards building a robust ecosystem for Indian sellers and facilitating with the requisite skills and knowledge to undertake retail exports and provide them with an opportunity to expand their reach out to millions of buyers across the globe.

Worldmark Aerocity Re-Opens its Doors to Renewed Contactless Dining Experience Driven by Innovation

Contactless dining: 

* ‘The Walk’ opens its doors to fine dining with strict protocols for safety and introduction of contactless dining through QR code menus

* Innovation for safety: Keeping in tandem with the times, the requirements for sanitisation and hygiene has led them to develop innovative solutions to ensure a safe environment for all visitors

* Crowd management: The need for crowd management for their commercial spaces led them to venture into practices ahead of time to meet social distancing norms

As Delhi-NCR slowly unlocks itself in phases, Bharti Realty’s Worldmark  Aerocity is leading the commercial sector in innovative dinning-in experience by setting forth examples through its avant-garde solutions to COVID-19 challenges. They are leading the way in hygienic practices of retail food establishments to provide a contemporary, safe and hygienic environment to all diners.

Worldmark Aerocity’s ‘The Walk’, home to some of the top gourmet restaurants, cafes, and bars in Delhi-NCR, is following a strict repository of measures to ensure a comfortable and convenient dining experience for its customer. This is being done while maintaining its upscale dining standards of providing world class food through contactless dining. 

One of the crucial steps of contactless dining being followed by the restaurants is doing away with paper menus. They are instead offering QR codes that diners can scan using their smartphones at their respective tables and view the menu. They are also offering contactless digital payment options for both dining and takeaways. The restaurants are focusing on efficient crowd management through measures like reduced dining capacity, rearrangement of tables and pre-bookings. 

Tackling the challenges of COVID-19 with innovation, ‘The Walk’ has installed contactless kiosks at its entry points that will offer no-touch temperature screening and sanitizer dispersion. To ensure social distancing norms, escalators have been marked in three-step gaps. 

These innovations to the fine-dining experience are being maintained at both standalone restaurants and the food court of the curated food hub. These guidelines are part of a comprehensive SOP by ‘Bharti Care’, the facility management function of Bharti Realty, issued to all functioning establishments to operate responsibly. 

The video link for Worldmark Aerocity demonstrates the preparedness:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDQVi3XgI4t/?igshid=88ydtapub85f

Microsoft Occupies Top Spot as India’s Most Attractive Employer Brand

Randstad Employer Brand Research 2020

* Employees seek work-life balance, attractive salary & benefits and job security

* 69% of the survey respondents indicated that they stayed with their employer in the past year and 81% agree that non-monetary benefits are equally important when choosing an employer

Microsoft India, the technology giant emerged as India’s most ‘attractive employer brand’, reveals the findings of Randstad Employer Brand Research (REBR) 2020 - the most comprehensive, independent and in-depth employer brand research in the world. Microsoft India scored high on financial health, strong reputation and utilization of the latest technologies – the top 3 EVP drivers for the organization, as per the survey. Samsung India emerged as the runner up, followed by Amazon India.

The annual employer brand research, based on perceptions of the general audience (students, employed and unemployed workforce) has been conducted by Randstad, the global leader in the HR services industry. REBR has been providing valuable insights to help employers shape their employer brand for over 20 successful years globally and it is the 10th edition in India this year.

The Randstad Employer Brand Research, covering 75% of the global economy with 33 participating countries and more than 1,85,000 respondents worldwide, clearly revealed that in 2020, work-life balance (43%) emerges as the top EVP driver for the Indian workforce while choosing an employer, followed by attractive salary and employee benefits (41%) and job security (40%). These are also the areas where there is a significant gap between what employees want and what they think employers offer in India.

This year, it is interesting to note that there are no gender differences in the top two EVP drivers. Both male and female respondents attributed equal importance to work-life balance (43%) and attractive salary and employee benefits (41%) as key factors while choosing an employer. However, more men (40%) considered job security as a key factor while choosing an employer than women (39%).

A higher percentage of male respondents (36%) also accorded more importance to career progression opportunities compared to their female (33%) counterparts.

Presenting the REBR 2020 survey insights, Paul Dupuis, MD & CEO Randstad India said, “This is the 10th edition of REBR in India and 20th edition globally. For the last 10 years, our research has been consistently adding value to India’s HR community, by bringing out remarkable insights on workforce sentiments and allowing them to evaluate their employer brand. Employer branding is an evolving journey based on newer and deeper insights that unravel with time, so organizations must make this a strategic business agenda”.

“I believe that effective employer branding is a function of an organization’s purpose. If the company has clear visibility of its true north, a great culture and can define and articulate why they exist, while making real connections, the process of creating a ‘meaningful employer brand’ that resonates with their audience will become easier. This process has become increasingly important since the onset of COVID19 – when the job market is undergoing a paradigm shift and the need for organizations to transform their employer branding proposition to make it more ‘humane’ in the new world of work becomes even more critical”, he added.

Top 10 most attractive employer brands in India for 2020:

1.         Microsoft

2.         Samsung

3.         Amazon

4.         Infosys Technologies

5.         Mercedes-Benz

6.         Sony

7.         IBM

8.         Dell Technologies Ltd

9.         ITC Group

10.       Tata Consultancy Services

Other key findings from the Randstad Employer Brand Research 2020

What do potential employees want by generational profile:

38% of Gen Z’s (18-24 years) are looking for good training opportunities from their employer, while 34% of the Millennials (25-34 years) are attracted to forward-thinking and tech-savvy organizations and deem the use of latest technologies as a very important attribute. 46% of Gen X’s (35-54 years) find good work-life balance a very important pull-factor towards an employer, whereas 32% of the Boomers (55-64 years) find a convenient location as the key factor.

Switchers, Stayers and Intenders In Focus:

69% of the survey respondents mentioned that they stayed with their employer in the past year and 43% mentioned that they plan to change their employer within the next year.  Work-life balance emerged as the top factor for stayers (45%) while 71% of switchers and intenders mentioned that they changed their employer or plan to do so shortly because of a lower salary compared to elsewhere. 35% of the survey respondents who left their previous employer received a salary increase between 1% and 10%. 81% of the respondents find non-monetary benefits like company phone/car, childcare services and support, flexible working hours etc. important.

The top 5 most attractive benefits for the Indian workforce are healthcare (85%), flexible working hours (84%), the possibility of working from home (83%), internal training and subsidized higher education like short-term courses, certifications etc. (80%) and group life insurance (79%).

Top 4 sectors in India by awareness and attractiveness:

The survey also highlights that the Indian workforce prefers to work for companies operating in sectors like IT, ITeS & Telecom, Automotive, followed by FMCG, Retail & E-commerce and BFSI.

MYPINPAD Expands Global Presence Through Partnersip with Mswipe and Visa in Indian Market

Global secure personal authentication expert joins forces with Mswipe - India’s leading independent financial services platform for SMEs and merchants, and Visa – the world’s leader in digital payments

MYPINPAD, the global leader in secure personal authentication solutions today announces new strategic partnerships with Mswipe, India's largest independent mobile POS merchant acquirer and network provider, and the world’s leader in digital payments, Visa, to propel contactless payments in India.

The announcement follows MYPINPAD becoming the first, and currently only company in the world to achieve Payment Card Industry (PCI) Security Standards Council (SSC) certification for its software only Contactless Payments on Commercial off-the-shelf (CPoC) solution. 

This is an especially important market for MYPINPAD, given that tap-to-pay or contactless card payments in the Indian market are in hypergrowth, led by Visa with over 30mn contactless cards issued.

Mswipe is at the forefront of driving tech innovations that enable micro, small and medium Enterprises (MSMEs), and merchants to accept payments through cards, wallets, mobile payment apps and bank apps, contactless and QR payments.  With over 675,000 POS and 1.1 million QR merchants, it is the largest independent mobile POS acquirer and network provider in India.

The global impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has fuelled the need for contactless transactions, with Visa recently announcing a commitment to support 10 million small businesses across Asia Pacific. The pledge is part of a global program that sees Visa supporting 50 million small businesses worldwide. As part of the commitment, the company is introducing a range of programs and solutions to help small and medium enterprises (SMEs) drive efficiency and sales by accepting and making digital payments to meet increased demand for cashless payments – both online and in-store.  

CEO of MYPINPAD, Colin Greene, commented: “MYPINPAD makes it easy and affordable for merchants to become a part of digital acceptance and the payments ecosystem. Mswipe has spearheaded technology innovation in digital acceptance and payments for small and medium businesses in India. This important milestone, following our recent world-first PCI SSC CPoC certification, is another huge step for the industry in simplifying digital acceptance for the smallest of businesses to the larger retailers.”

CEO of Mswipe, Manish Patel adds: “What we plan to achieve alongside MYPINPAD will be incredibly significant for consumers, merchants and India in its entirety. The company’s technology will enable true democratisation of payments and accelerate the contactless revolution in India, which will result in huge socioeconomic benefits. We look forward to deploying the solution, and where the partnership will take us in the future.”

Shailesh Paul, Head, Merchant Sales & Acquiring and Cybersource, India & South Asia, Visa said:

“Consumer preference for tap to pay or contactless payments offers a transformational opportunity for our collaboration with MYPINPAD and Mswipe. By empowering small merchants to use their mobile phones to accept tap to pay digital payments and without the need to invest in a standalone terminal, this solution should truly help propel digital payments far and wide across India.”  

MYPINPAD’s solution is easily integrated into third party applications and delivered ‘As-a-Service’. It significantly reduces cost across the entire face-to-face payment ecosystem by meeting PCI security standards through software updates alone. This relieves pain-points such as the cost of traditional payment and POS hardware for the smallest retailers, while also serving larger retailers by significantly reducing maintenance, replacement costs of aging hardware-centric POS systems and ultimately providing stronger customer service with trusted and familiar devices.

About MYPINPAD:

MYPINPAD is the global leader in secure personal authentication solutions residing on commercially available smartphones and tablets. Our proprietary and globally patented technology secures and protects the input of sensitive information on touchscreens creating a trusted environment. MYPINPAD’s innovative solution set removes the reliance on specialised hardware for personal authentication; reduces cost and complexity, promotes rapid adoption and leverages the connected capabilities of smart devices. 

About Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. is the world’s leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network - enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company’s relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of digital commerce on any device for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce.

Innoviti Enhances ESOP Pool to US$10 Million to Create Payments Business

Leading provider of intelligent payment solutions, Innoviti, announced has that it has enhanced its ESOP pool to US$ 10 million.  This pool was created as a part of the structuring carried out during the recent fund raise from FMO and Bessemer.

Innoviti’s ESOP scheme, constituted during pre-Series A, is open to all full-time employees of the company and is awarded based on performance and loyalty.  With the recent enhancement, more than 30% of all employees, from senior leaders to system architects, field officers and call center executives are now covered. The objective is to motivate, retain, and attract employees to participate in Innoviti’s vision of transforming digital payments in India at scale. ESOPs provide an opportunity to these employees to create significant wealth, that would not be possible through life-time savings from salaries.

Innoviti’s payment solutions help merchants extract the full power of digital payments by using data and design intelligence, not possible with stand-alone terminals and QR stickers. Innoviti's solutions help merchants get extra sales, extra savings, and extra customers, by using data intelligence to form digital partnerships with banks and brands, enabling them to collaborate and create targeted offers for common customer pools and intelligently and instantly enabling them at the point of sale, driving unmatched marketing efficiencies.

Processing over 6.5B$ of annualized offline merchant payment volume (~5% of India’s offline merchant volume, based on RBI data), Innoviti is transforming digital payments at scale. The company leads monthly terminal throughput at 7000$ per terminal, 2X of India’s average of all other payment providers (RBI data). The use of technology to relentlessly drive reliability and automate processes has further fuelled gross margins, making Innoviti the most capital-efficient company in this space (based on publicly available data). This reflects the speed and scale of impact, number of lives touched and the exponential learning team Innoviti has created along the way.

Innoviti is backed by marquee investors including Bessemer Venture Partners, USA, SBI Venture Capital, Singapore, FMO, Netherlands, and Catamaran, India.  Series C funding was led by FMO and Bessemer.

Quotes:

“Great companies require great teams, and great teams need exceptional talent.  We love to spot and nurture talent that demonstrates outstanding levels of commitment, curiosity, and capability.   While for these people their joy is their high in discovering and solving tough problems, ESOPs are one other way to make their contributions to the company worthwhile for them.

As a start-up our team members fight against several odds to create successes.  It is a difficult journey and its moving to see how some people relentlessly drive this fight, dedicating their time, often way beyond office hours, to leap over hurdles and create phenomenal successes. ESOPs are a small token to make those victories that much sweeter.

Our shares have been quite liquid, and over the years several of our team members have sold their shares to fulfill their dreams.  When we hear stories from our former team members of how they used this wealth to build their home, buy a car or even start their own business, the real purpose of ESOPs comes alive - to enable employees to fulfill their dreams, as they help the company fulfills its.

We are very thankful to our investors who have supported the company time and again in not only expanding the ESOP pool, but also making it accessible and attractive for team members to see meaningful benefits during their journey at Innoviti.” – said Mr. Rajeev Agrawal, CEO, Innoviti.

Tech Mahindra bags Satyam Computers sale bid

IT services provider Tech Mahindra is the new owner of Satyam Computer Services. The company bid the highest at Rs 58 per share,
pipping rivals engineering firm Larsen & Toubro and billionaire investor Wilbur Ross to the post.

Engineering firm L&T bid at Rs 45.90 per Satyam share, Kiran Karnik, chairman of the govt constituted Satyam board told reporters.

Karnik also said that the Cognizant-Wilbur Ross combine had put in their bid at Rs 20/share for the fraud hit IT co.

Tech Mahindra will have to pay Rs 1,757 crore to buy a 31% stake in Satyam Computer Services. The IT co will have a market cap of Rs 5,666 crore on expanded equity. Tech Mahindra will have to pay a total of Rs 2890 crore for 51% stake in Satyam.

The acquisition will help the company, an arm of the Mahindra & Mahindra Group, to diversify into new areas instead of just depending on the telecom sector.

The Satyam acquisition will help Tech Mahindra diversify its software services business, and compete aggressively with bigger rivals such as TCS, IBM, Infosys and Wipro.

Satyam, which serves customers such as GE, GM and Ford will also help Tech Mahindra build a better portfolio of customers.

Satyam has a 46,600 strong work force, land assets of 450 crore, besides the order book position. Its liabilities include the legal liabilities arising out of the class action suits filed by shareholders in the US, besides any liability arising out of the tussle with UK based mobile payments services provider Upaid.

Agencies