#ChooseYourFeed on Twitter with Lists Curated by your Favourite Food Influencers

While Twitter serves up a buffet of conversations, product features like Twitter Lists and Topics empower people to customise their ‘feed’ and follow discussions that appeal to their palate and resonate with their interests. Through these features, you can choose the content you see on the service and organise your timeline as per your preference. 

Twitter Lists are a compilation of various Twitter accounts, and you can create your own Lists or follow Lists created by others. With Lists, you can put together your favourite accounts that Tweet on a particular subject such as food, parenting or any other, and populate a List timeline. Viewing a List timeline will show you a stream of Tweets from only the accounts on that List. 

Topics, on the other hand, use machine learning to find related Tweets on a subject. Twitter has Topics across numerous interest categories that you can follow to see the best Tweets about what’s happening on the things that matter to you. When you choose to follow a Topic – whether it’s your favorite band, sports team or celebrity – you’ll see Tweets from a whole host of accounts that are experts, fans or just tend to talk about that thing a lot on Twitter. 

Feast your eyes and feed your soul - these Twitter features let you follow food conversations

Expand your culinary horizons and #ChooseYourFeed with Twitter Lists curated by some of India’s most well-known food influencers and celebrity chefs. Through these Lists, you can personalise your Twitter timeline and inject food conversations into it. Moreover, viewing a List timeline shows a stream of Tweets from only the accounts on that List, making it easier for people to find what interests them, in this case, all things food. Some of India’s most celebrated chefs including Thomas Zac (@ChefTZac), Maria Goretti (@mariagorettiz), Prateek Sadhu (@PrateekSadhu), Kelvin Cheung (@chefkelvincheung) and Ranveer Brar (@ranveerbrar) have put together Lists of their favourite food accounts on Twitter. 

Here’s a look at these lip-smacking Twitter Lists curated by culinary influencers and celebrity chefs on Twitter: 

Maria Goretti (@mariagorettiz), who was a VJ with MTV in the ‘90s, is now a Cordon Bleu certified chef and baker. Here’s the List of food accounts that Maria follows on the daily.

Embeddable Tweet: https://twitter.com/mariagorettiz/status/1296082272014270465

MTV Brings a Beatbox Rendition of A.R. Rehman's "Maa Tujhe Salaam", this Independence Day

For the last two decades and more, this iconic song has been instrumental in instilling a sense of patriotic pride and national unity amongst millions. Even after garnering a Guiness World Records for being the song performed in the most number of languages, the legendary A.R. Rahman’s Maa Tujhe Salaam doesn’t cease to amuse us and infuse a plethora of emotions. As we step into the 74th year of India’s Independence, India’s No. 1 Youth Brand, MTV aims to scale up the celebrations with a musical innovation. In partnership with BBXINDIA, MTV is all set to launch a recreated version of A.R. Rahman’s iconic track Maa Tujhe Salaam, with a beatbox version.

This heartfelt rendition of Maa Tujhe Salaam, purely created with human mouth and vocal chords (vocal flute, Konakkol, and Beatbox only) for the first time ever, is a modern day tribute to the resilience of our nation on 15th August. Through this offering, the channel brings MTV Beatbox Hustle, an innovative extension to its flagship property, MTV Hustle- India’s first rap reality show. With this collaboration with BBXINDIA, an organization that has pioneered the culture of beatboxing in India, MTV brings a platform for all budding talents to showcase their expertise, create awareness about the subculture and give it a push that it rightly deserves.

This unique track owes its newness to three of the most talented beatboxers in India. Raka Vee, a Chennai-based beatboxer and founder of BBXINDIA, who with his decade-long expertise, has over 100 live shows worldwide to his credit. Ajinkya, a self-trained mouth musician from Mumbai who recreates the wind flute using his vocal cords only; Shivaraj Natraj, a well-trained Carnatic vocalist and Mridangam artist from Bangalore, also known as the Konnakol beatboxer who combines the oldest vocal percussion (Konnakol) with modern age beatboxing and brings the true mix of Indian beatbox flavor. 

This partnership would also entail a series of LIVE sessions with the founder of BBXINDIA, Raka Vee, who will be interviewing talented artists from the Beatbox community for 4 weeks from MTV Hustle’s Instagram page.

So, this Independence Day, rejoice in the spirit of freedom with a vibrant beatbox rendition of Maa Tujhe Salaam, only with MTV India.

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/mtvindia/posts/10158326873070102

Twitter- https://twitter.com/MTVIndia/status/1294178070518099968

“Main gaya jahan bhi, bas teri yaad thi

Jo mere saath thi, mujhko tadpa thi rulati

Sab se pyaari, teri soorat

Pyaar hai bas tera, pyaar hi

Maa tujhe salaam” 

‘Made in India’ Social Media App, Explurger, Built on AI to be Launched on the Independence Day for Global Audience

 

APP 

* The new-age social media app ready to be launched on Aug 15, to further India’s ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ Mission

* Packed with exciting features such as sharing high-quality pictures, videos, creating a bucket list, achieving Explurger levels, sharing future travel plans, automatic Travelogue and much more

* India’s own social media app for the world to connect

* Go #VocalforLocal with Explurger

Centered on user experience, a completely home-grown new-age social media app ‘Explurger’ is ready for a long-awaited global launch on Aug 15, 2020. The app is built to stimulate Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Mission and promises to put India on the world map with the world social media giants.

Explurger is proud to be a truly ‘Made in India’ app — fully conceived, designed, coded by Indians — that offers a safe and secure platform for all its users spread across the globe.

With its simple yet innovative AI-based features, Explurger is packed with exciting features like sharing high-quality pictures, videos, creating a bucket list, achieving Explurger levels, sharing future travel plans, automatic travelogue and much more. 

Jitin Bhatia, Founder, Explurger, talking about the inspiration, says, “Being a software developer at heart, I have always wondered about the fact that despite some of the best apps in the world being powered by Indian brains, there is no social media app in the top category which could be called truly Indian.

So, I was looking for an idea to build an Indian app. Some three years back, upon returning from a business trip, my staff told me that it was probably my 30th trip in that year. That had me thinking that if there were a way to keep a count of the number of times one travels away from home, or tells people how many miles they have travelled, that would be something. And that was my Eureka moment. That’s how Explurger was born. Finally my labour of love, some 2.5 years later, Explurger is all set to be my Independence Day gift to India and the world. I hope people download it and reciprocate my love. I’d love to see PM Modi, US President Trump and Mark Zuckerberg Explurging.”

Although there are several Indian-origin social media apps available in iOS and Android, but Explurger outshines them with its following features:

Complete Travelogue: Check-ins are temporary, Explurge-Ins are forever. Every time you create a post, the AI automatically updates your personalised Travelogue.

Bucket List: When a friend shares a picture/video from a cool place, just add it to your bucket list. So, whenever you’re in the area, Explurger would remind you to check out that place.

Future Travel Plans: Make your future travel plan announcements exciting with a ‘Live Countdown Timer.’

Explurger Levels: Now for the first time ever, gamify your social media experience with Explurger. Everytime you explore a new country, city, cafe, or share a post or get Kudos on your wall, your Explurger level goes up. Go, flaunt it! 

Kudos: Show your approval, give your fellow Explurgers Kudos. Why stick with one like when you can give up to three kudos!

Spread: With a click of a button, now share all your exciting Explurges on other social media apps out there as you post it on Explurger!

Rate on the go: This app allows you to rate an experience, cafe, city, or place!

Explurger is all set to make its mark in the global market.

Hyundai Receives Over 1.2M Customers' Response to ‘Industry First’ Smart Mobility Service ‘Hyundai on Whatsapp’

Hyundai Motor India Ltd, India’s first smart mobility solutions provider and largest exporter since inception, today announced an overwhelming response to Industry First Transactional Chat Based Medium - Hyundai Service on WhatsApp with over 1.2 million customers. Launched in October 2019, Hyundai Service on WhatsApp was aimed to strengthen Hyundai’s 360° digital & contact-less service experience.

Commenting on the overwhelming response, Mr. Tarun Garg, Director (Sales, Service & Marketing), Hyundai Motor India Ltd. said, “Hyundai has always been at the forefront of widening its purview of services and providing a wholesome experience to our valued customers. The remarkable response to our Whatsapp Service with over 1.2million strong customer base is a testimony of Hyundai’s impeccable service support and we stand committed to provide ‘Peace of Mind’ to the evolving needs of the New Age Indians. I’m glad to inform that the continuous trust and support of our patrons for brand Hyundai has helped us rank No.1 in JD Power Customer Service Index for 3 years consecutively. We look forward to keep creating more and more Brilliant Moments in the lives of our customers and set new service-related benchmarks.”

Hyundai Service on WhatsApp is a communication platform which provides updates to customer during the entire vehicle service process. Prominent features like service reminders, service booking, in-service updates, invoice, online payment and feedback ensure a 360° Digital and contactless Service experience to customers. Additionally, customers can also chat directly with the trained agents to receive instant customized response.

With its strong network of over 1300 workshops PAN India, Hyundai has always been at the forefront in providing the best ownership experience to its customers through numerous initiatives like Hyundai Care App, Wonder Warranty, Door Step Advantage and much more.

Honda Cars India Unveils the All New 5th Generation Honda City in Indian Market

Experience ‘Rush of Supremacy’

* Designed on the concept of ‘Ambitious Sedan’, 5th Generation model – Longest and Widest Sedan in its segment

* India’s first connected car with Alexa remote capability

* Honda Connect with Telematics Control Unit (TCU) – Standard offering across all grades with 5-year free subscription and over 32 connected features

* BS-6 compliant Powertrains – All New 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC Petrol engine with VTC and India exclusive refined 1.5L i-DTEC Diesel engine

* ASEAN N-CAP 5 Star rating equivalent

* First in segment features such as Full LED headlamps, Z- Shaped wrap-around LED Tail lamp, 17.7 cm HD full color TFT meter with G-meter, LaneWatch camera, Vehicle Stability Assist (VSA) with Agile Handling Assist (AHA) and many more

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, today launched its much-awaited All New 5th Generation Honda City in India.  First introduced in India in January 1998, Honda City has been the country’s most successful mid-size sedan. Now in its 5th Generation, the City has always defined the original authentic shape of sedan in India and reinvented itself according to the needs and aspirations of its customers. The much awaited All – New Honda City has been conceptualized to carry forward its legacy, deliver supremacy and exceed previous benchmark by offering superior value proposition to its customers.

The new Honda City has been developed at Honda R&D Centre located in Tochigi, Japan following extensive market surveys in India, ASEAN countries and other markets for people’s driving needs and lifestyles.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gaku Nakanishi, President & CEO, Honda Cars India said, “Honda City has been our key pillar of business for more than 22 years, being one of the longest running nameplates in the Indian automotive history. With cumulative sales of more than 4 million units worldwide, it has provided joy to almost 8 lakh customers in India and many more aspiring to own the model. Each generation of the City has raised the bar on design, technology, quality, driving pleasure, comfort & safety, and has come with several industry firsts or segment first features.” “Our vision has been to offer our customers with a new value that is unprecedented in the history of City and we are confident that the All New City will create fresh excitement in the mid-size sedan segment,” he added.

In the All New 5th Generation Honda City, the length and width has been expanded making it the longest and widest sedan in its segment. The All New City takes a huge leap in Connected Car Services with Next Generation of Honda Connect available as standard offering across all grades along with 5-year free subscription. It is India’s First Connected Car with Alexa Remote Capability.

The all-new Honda City has been introduced in both Petrol and Diesel, powered by Honda’s superior EARTH DREAMS TECHNOLOGY range of BS-6 compliant powertrains – All New 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC Petrol engine with VTC and India exclusive refined 1.5L i-DTEC Diesel engine respectively delivering high fuel efficiency, low emission and spirited driving performance. 

The Grand Concept of the 5th Generation Honda City is ‘Ambitious Sedan’ which aims to complement its customer’s ambitions and provide them a strong sense of confidence to upgrade their lives. Its design concept accentuates enhanced stance, higher strength, sportiness and sophistication. The All New City boasts of the largest in segment dimensions including 4549 mm length and 1748 mm width. The height of the new model stands at 1489 mm and wheelbase of 2600 mm.

Mr. Rajesh Goel, Sr. Vice President & Director, Marketing & Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd. said, “Our aim was to make an ambitious sedan for an ambitious customer. The City has always enjoyed strong brand equity and with the 5th generation, we have further enhanced the Intelligent, Confident & Secure presence. City customers have always been very discerning and want a car that is class above the rest. Hence multiple ‘industry first’ and ‘best in segment features’ for Styling, Connectivity, Safety and Convenience have been offered as standard from the entry V variant of the All New City, setting a new benchmark for the segment.”

Supremacy of Design

The overall styling of the All New City with its Full LED Headlamps with 9 LED Array Inline Shell, Integrated LED DRL, L Shaped LED Turn Signal and distinct Z- shape 3D wrap-around LED tail lamps with Uniform Edge Light, One-touch Electric Sunroof, R-16 Diamond cut alloy wheels and shark fin antenna will surely be eye catching on Indian roads and immediately identifiable as ‘City’ even at a glance. In addition to stylish exterior, the 5th Generation Honda City delivers ambition of spaciousness and comfort within the car. Inspired by putting people first, the interiors are based on ‘Man Maximum Machine Minimum’ philosophy. The new City offers Best in class knee room and legroom, enhanced rear seat shoulder room, an ergonomically designed cockpit, multiple storage spaces and top Class Trunk Capacity of 506L.

Supremacy of Powertrains

In addition to grandeur, strength and stance, the 5th Generation Honda City offers Supremacy with Honda’s Earth Dream Series advanced and innovative powertrains which greatly enhance driving performance and fuel economy.

The Petrol variant of the All New City is powered by new 1.5L i-VTEC DOHC petrol engine with VTC, which is Honda’s first in India.  Based on the High Accuracy Valve Technology DOHC + VTC, this newly introduced BS-6 engine improves combustion efficiency, reduces friction and lowers emissions. This high performance engine delivers 89 kw (121PS) @6600 rpm best in segment power and 145 Nm@1750 rpm torque, with quicker torque increase at lower engine speed. It has been mated to an All-New 6 speed Manual Transmission and New 7 speed CVT (Continuously Variable Transmission) offering fuel efficiency of 17.8 kmpl and 18.4 kmpl respectively.

The Diesel variant of the All–New City is powered by new 1.5L i-DTEC DOHC Diesel engine mated to the 6-speed manual transmission. It delivers best balance of powerful performance and high fuel economy with 73 kW [100 PS] @ 3600 rpm power, 200 Nm @1750 rpm torque and impressive fuel economy of 24.1 kmpl. Application of advanced exhaust gas after-treatment system with NSC (NOx Storage Catalyst) and DPF (Diesel Particulate Filter) has been done to meet the challenging target of particulate matter (PM) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emission in case of diesel engines.

Supremacy of Connectivity

The All New City is India’s first connected car with Alexa remote capability and is equipped with Next Generation Honda Connect with Telematics Control Unit (TCU) standard across all grades with 5-year free subscription. The Next Gen Honda Connect, with over 32 features, aims to provide a sense of safety & security, convenience and peace of mind for customers. By giving voice commands to Alexa, the cloud-based voice service from Amazon, customers can use 10 key features of Honda Connect to monitor and control their car from home. Hence, they can remotely access features such as car AC On/ Off, door lock/ unlock, check fuel status, locate the car, and status from the car dashboard, for unparalleled comfort and convenience.

Supremacy of Safety

The City’s Advanced Compatibility Engineering™ (ACE™) body enhances self-protection while mitigating damage to other vehicles in the event of a collision.  The 5th Generation Honda City offers host of active and passive advanced safety features like 6 Airbags system, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, Vehicle Stability Assist with Agile Handling Assist, Hill Start Assist, Honda Lane Watch™ camera, Multi angle Rear Camera, Emergency Stop Signal, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System, ISOFIX compatible Rear Side Seats with Lower Anchorages & Top Tether, and Immobilizer with anti-theft alarm.  

Supremacy of Convenience

In the All- New City, convenience reigns supreme in the form of Honda Advanced Smart Key System with the Walk Away Auto Lock feature, Remote Engine Start (in CVT) & Keyless Window Remote Operation, Fully Automatic Climate Control with Max Cool, Click feel AC dials with red blue elimination, Rear AC vents with Charging Ports, Driver Seat Height Adjuster, LED map and Rear reading lamps.

Cockpit of Supremacy

The ergonomically designed and thoughtfully laid instrument panel sports the 20.3 cm Advanced Touchscreen Display Audio which connects with Apple Car play and Android Auto opening new ways of staying social and digital on the drive. The other features include 17.7cm HD full color TFT meter with Multi-function driver information interface with G-meter, Digital Speed and Cruise Control display, Web Link smart connectivity, 8 speakers premium surround sound system, Ambient Lighting and LED Interior Lamps, Steering Mounted Paddle Shifters for CVT.

The All New 5th Generation Honda City will be available in 3 feature packed grades offered in Petrol and Diesel variants – V, VX and ZX. The Petrol model will be offered in 6-Speed Manual Transmission and 7-Speed CVT and the Diesel model will be offered in 6-Speed Manual Transmission, across the 3 grades. Multiple ‘industry first’ and ‘best in segment features’ for Styling, Connectivity, Safety and Convenience have been offered as standard in all the three grades setting a new benchmark for the segment.

The All New City will be available with a choice of 5 colour options – Radiant Red Metallic, Platinum White Pearl, Modern Steel Metallic, Lunar Silver Metallic, Golden Brown Metallic.

5th Generation City also offers wide array of accessory choices to customers with wireless charger (with smartphone holder), front parking sensor with switch, leg room lamp, trunk spoiler with LED, front & rear bumper protector, Side air bag compatible seat cover, Door visor with chrome among many others.

HCIL will start deliveries of the Petrol variants of the new City immediately from HCIL dealer network across the country. The deliveries for the Diesel variants would begin from August 2020.

The All New City offers complete peace of mind with 3 years Unlimited Kilometres warranty as standard benefit to the customer. Additionally, customers can opt for Extended Warranty for additional two years Unlimited / Limited kilometres for extra peace of mind. The car offers low cost of maintenance with Service interval of 1 year/ 10,000km whichever is earlier. 

Customers can also book the All New City online from the comfort of their home through Honda's online sales platform "Honda from Home", alongside HCIL authorized dealership network across the country.

About Honda City

Honda City is one of the most successful car brands in India with very high brand equity. It was first introduced in India in its 1st Generation in January 1998 and later launched as 2nd generation in November 2003, 3rd Generation in September 2008, 4th Generation in January 2014 and has cumulatively sold 8 lakh units so far. The Honda City is currently sold in 60 countries with cumulative sales of 4 Mn units globally and is the leading brand of Honda in Asia and Oceania region.

About Honda Cars India Ltd

Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), a leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, was established in December 1995 with a commitment to provide Honda’s latest passenger car models and technologies, to the Indian customers. HCIL has two state-of-the-art manufacturing facilities at Greater Noida, U.P and at Tapukara, Distt. Alwar, Rajasthan. The company’s product range includes Honda Jazz, Honda Amaze, Honda WR-V, Honda City, Honda Civic and Honda CR-V, which are manufactured in India. Honda’s models are strongly associated with advanced design and technology, apart from their established qualities of durability, reliability and fuel-efficiency.

Snapchat Rolls Out ‘Here For You’ Features in the Indian Market

Snap Inc. (NYSE: SNAP) today, launched Here for You in India, a feature that provides in-app support to Snapchatters who may be experiencing a mental health or emotional crisis or those who want to learn more about these issues in order to help friends. Mariwala Health Initiative and the Manas Foundation are the first partners in India, who have created resources around anxiety, depression, loneliness, suicide and general mental health.

The creation of Here for You was informed by research conducted late last year into how Snapchatters and their friends experience mental health. Snapchat found an overwhelming majority of Snapchatters experience feelings of stress and anxiety and that their friends are the first people they turn to when they need help, more than professionals - or even their parents. They also see their friends as the most positive force in their lives - consistent with other studies that have shown that spending time with friends can be one of the most effective ways to combat feelings of loneliness and depression. The research also revealed that many young people are deeply interested in understanding these issues, and how they can support friends who are struggling with them. 

“At Snap, we have always been inspired by the power real friendships have in supporting health and happiness. Now more than ever, in a socially distanced world, we see friendship and connection is vital to our wellbeing. Here For You was designed to empower our community with resources to help themselves, as well as educate on how to spot signs in loved ones. It’s great to partner with Mariwala Health Initiative and the Manas Foundation to do this - organisations with a great wealth of experience and expertise in India,” said Jennifer Park Stout, VP of Global Public Policy, Snap.

“These are unprecedented times. COVID-19 has changed how we live our lives, how we work or study, how we connect with each other and more. We are collectively experiencing feelings of worry, stress, tension, anxiety, numbness, sadness - which are all routine responses to periods of crises. It is therefore crucial to have mental health resources available and accessible for those experiencing distress. Platforms like Snapchat provide a powerful medium to disseminate these resources. Our videos discuss how to deal with stress and anxiety, how to support a loved one experiencing distress and ways to enhance mental well-being through mindfulness/grounding exercises,” said Raj Mariwala, Director, Mariwala Health Initiative.

“For over two decades we have been striving to demystify mental health in India. Students, facing school and college closures, are missing out on robust dialogues, outdoors, experiential learning and interpersonal interactions that add to their well-being. For many, the loss of routine is also leading to erratic eating and sleeping schedules; which is directly linked to one’s mental health. This launch is a unique opportunity for users to relate with mental health as part of their everyday life. We want to tell them that it is ok to talk about mental health and Snapchat and Manas are here for you,” said Naveen Kumar

Trustee & Psychologist, Manas Foundation.

Here For You will be available to Snapchatters in India from today. They can access resources by searching for words such as ‘anxiety’, ‘depression’, ‘loneliness’, ‘suicide’, ‘mental health’ and ‘wellbeing’. The content covers topics such as ways to cope with mental health issues and how to spot signs in loved ones, as well as questions from the community, answered by clinical psychologists and mental health professionals. Each ends with further information on the Manas Foundation and Mariwala Health Initiative, and advice on how to contact a trained counsellor directly for help.

The Here For You feature  is part of a concerted effort designed to educate and empower the Snapchat community to look after themselves, and support friends who might be struggling with their own social and emotional wellbeing. Other features announced recently at Snap’s Partner Summit in June include a partnership with Headspace, new Snap Originals and expanded in-app tools.

Mamaearth Starts a ‘Goodness Revolution’ with the Promise of #GoodnessInside

In its latest brand campaign, Mamaearth, a toxin-free personal care startup, announced its brand purpose as “Goodness Inside”. 

Goodness starts with the small things that each one of us can do every day! It resides in the little choices we can make in our daily lives. Mamaearth’s latest video brings forth this idea of ‘Goodness is a Choice’ to its consumers. It is a digital and social media led campaign with the key message that goodness isn’t a superpower or a special gift. It is simply a choice that you make every day, just like the choices that Mamaearth makes in its products and as a brand.

In 2016, Mamaearth came into being with the same philosophy. The brand has always chosen goodness in their products by using only the best of nature and not using any harmful chemicals or toxins in their products. Their philosophy of being animal cruelty free (PETA certified) and plastic positive, further adds to the goodness in the brand. Mamaearth recognises that millennial consumers have the same belief system. 

Mamaearth is Asia’s first brand with products that have Madesafe certification. It offers 100% toxin-free baby care, skincare, and hair care products, made from the best of nature. Started with six products in the baby care range, Mamaearth has now diversified into skin and hair care products for men and women across 100+ SKUs. Their growth story is fuelled by the "Generation good" – millenials who identify with the brand purpose.

“Millennials want to do good and steer their families into a better tomorrow. That’s why we call this generation as ‘Generation Good’.  At Mamaearth, we share the same values and moral compass as Gen Good. Our new tagline ‘Goodness Inside’ is a promise that we will do what is right for our consumers and for Mother Earth by staying loyal to our product roots of toxin free purity and natural goodness.” Said Ghazal Alagh, Co-Founder and Chief Mum at MamaEarth.

The brand purpose of Goodness Inside comes from what Mamaearth has stood for all along since its inception. It is also an environmentally conscious brand working towards the conservation of Mother Earth for future generations by recycling more plastic than they use. Their toxin-free products promise purity and natural goodness which is better not just for people but for the planet as well.

Commenting on the ‘Goodness Inside’ campaign, VS Kannan Sitaram, Venture Partner at Fireside Ventures said “We at Fireside firmly believe that great brands serve a larger purpose beyond delivering product benefits. Mamaearth is an outstanding example of a brand that lives its purpose in an admirable manner. Its values resonate strongly with its consumers and creates a loyal, growing community of consumers. With this firm anchoring, Mamaearth is set to grow multifold."

In its 4 years of existence, Mamaearth has stood by the promise of honesty and goodness in everything they do. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, Mamaearth decided not to profit from the situation by selling sanitizers. Instead, they distributed 50,000 sanitizers to people in need through 2500+ Goodness Ambassadors across the country. Recently, they’ve also distributed cotton reusable face masks with smiles printed on them, through these Goodness Ambassadors.

Nestlé India Introduces MILO HOMEGROUND Videos for Indian Kids

MILO HOMEGROUND brings forth a path-breaking extension of its worldwide legacy of over 86 years of nourishing young champions by providing nutritious energy and the inspiration to grow with sports.  MILO HOMEGROUND will roll out workout videos inspiring kids to enjoy effective and easy exercises demonstrated by leading AFI sporting heroes like Hima Das, Neeraj Chopra, KT Irfan, Md. Anas Yahiya, MR Poovama and many more. These videos will be available for free on the social media handles of MILO (@MiloIndia) and MILO NIDJAM (@MiloNidjam).

And MILO HOMEGROUND won’t leave parents behind! Sports and fitness role-models like Shikhar Dhawan, Mandira Bedi and other celebrities are stepping-up to share their own experiences of MILO® HOMEGROUND with their kids. They want to encourage their followers and the community at large to start inculcating physical exercise into the child’s routine with MILO® HOMEGROUND – and share their experiences online. For every exercise video that is posted on the MILO® Facebook and Instagram handle (@MiloIndia), the parent will be given a MILO GREEN CARD to reward their child as appreciation and encouragement for having completed the exercise.

Each MILO GREEN CARD is a fascinating collectible autographed by a famous athlete. Parents can motivate their kids to collect all 6 MILO GREEN CARDS:  some exciting surprises await those who earn the entire collection.

Commenting on the launch of the campaign, Mr. Vineet Singh, Director – Dairy, Nestlé India said, “In more than 50 countries, MILO® inspires parents on the importance of sports in helping their kids achieve everyday victories that instil values to help them succeed in life. MILO® HOMEGROUND aims to create opportunities for these everyday victories and get kids to stay active even while staying home. In collaboration with the Athletics Federation of India and the AFI athletes as part of MILO® NIDJAM, we are excited to offer fun exercise routines that children can do at home – by themselves or with parents. When a child successfully completes an exercise, they can win the MILO® Green Card, which rewards positive behaviour”

The President of Athletics Federation of India, Mr. Adille Sumariwalla said, “Sports in the life of a growing child is most fundamental. An active lifestyle leads to healthier families and this kind of lifestyle begins at home. The partnership with MILO®, a brand who stands for giving nourishing energy to kids for an active and healthy lifestyle, is going to help us to spread this message to the country at large. What started as a partnership at back of the National Inter District Junior Athletics Meet last year, has grown to a digital playground led by AFI’s top athletes and India’s loved celebrities. We are proud to associate with MILO HOMEGROUND and will encourage people to spread the message of active energy far and wide.”

Mai Phir Aunga Sparks Our Desire to Rediscover Travel with Club Mahindra

Club Mahindra, India’s leading vacation ownership brand, is inspiring people to reignite their passion and zest for travelling, with their digital campaign, #LoveIndiaSeeIndia. Through their ‘India Dekho’ initiative, they’re calling upon people to share their favourite holiday destinations in India and relive those magical memories once again, while staying indoors. As part of the #LoveIndiaSeeIndia campaign, the brand will now engage with audiences through the eyes and voice of Ayushmann Khurrana, one of Bollywood’s most popular and loved artistes.

The actor, who has won over social media with his poignant verses and couplets, will be sharing an evocative message online, through the digital film ‘Mai Phir Aunga’. In this video, the actor professes his love for India and its multi-dimensional attractions – the beautiful terrains, mesmerising experiences, mouth-watering cuisines – and his deep desire to be back and enjoy all of these.

Talking about the campaign, Ramin Saherwala, Chief Marketing Officer, Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited, says, “All of us have fond memories of our favourite travel destinations and experiences, and it is during these times that there is a sense of nostalgia about them. This film builds a resonance with the audience and evokes a strong desire to relive their travel memories and recreate magical moments with their loved ones.”

Though the lockdown has forced people to stay indoors, their love for travel has not diminished. They are yearning to reconnect with engaging and exquisite experiences that only travel can offer.

Club Mahindra offers access to over 100 resorts in India and abroad, with over 200 immersive experiences. As the country steadily emerges from the lockdown, the brand is evolving their resort experience to prioritise the safety and well-being of their members and staff, ensuring that they exude the same warmth and service while delivering the signature ‘Club Mahindra’ experiences.

About Mahindra Holidays and Resorts India Limited

Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited (MHRIL), India’s leading company in the leisure hospitality industry, offers quality family holidays primarily through vacation ownership memberships. While Club Mahindra is the flagship brand, the other brands offered by the company are – Club Mahindra Fundays and Svaastha Spa. As on March 31, 2020, MHRIL has 70 resorts across India and abroad and its subsidiary, Holiday Club Resorts Oy, Finland, a leading vacation ownership company in Europe has 33 resorts across Finland, Sweden and Spain.

Homegrown Startup Trell Surpasses International Social Networking Giants like Twitter and Pinterest in India

Homegrown Startups 

* With over 45 million downloads, 20 million monthly active users, the lifestyle community commerce app witnesses a 25x surge in last 1 year

With the increasing demand for home-grown apps in India, the Lifestyle content commerce platform Trell has surpassed International Social Networking Giants like Twitter and Pinterest in India with more than 5 million daily active users. Trending at #1 in Free Lifestyle Apps, the platform has received 1.2M uploads in a single day with 400K+ New content creators.

 

With the bold decision by the Indian Government, budding startups like Trell are emerging as a leading industry player in the space. In comparison with Trell, Pinterest and Twitter have also seen an upsurge after the ban on the Chinese app with more than 2 Million DAU on Pinterest and 4.4 million DAU on twitter.

Popularly known as Video Pinterest for Bharat, Trell is the go-to platform for users to share their experiences, recommendations, and reviews across various categories including health and fitness, beauty and skincare, travel, movie reviews, cooking, home-décor and much more. The lifestyle vlogging platform allows users to create 3-5-minute videos in their native languages along with a ‘shop’ feature that lets them purchase the products featured in the vlogs. Additionally, the platform also allows users to earn rewards, goodies and vacations through its interface.

Commenting on the development, Pulkit Agarwal, Co-Founder - Trell said, “We are very excited to see the regular developments on the platform and the increasing interest from users and content creators. With this opportunity, the Indian Internet Startups can grow faster and build a superior experience for the consumers in the long run which was being capped by the established players earlier.”

Since its inception in 2017, Trell has been committed to serving the Lifestyle content needs of vernacular consumers across the country with over 60% of its users hailing from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Trell has recently launched its platform in three new languages; Marathi, Kannada and Bengali, making the total count to 8 languages (Additionally, Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam) active so far. 

Beauty of the Omnipresent Cloud During the Pandemic Globally

By Nilesh Jain, Vice President, Southeast Asia and India, Trend Micro

The fog has lifted to reveal photos of cities around the world with clearer skies – an unexpected silver lining in this pandemic. The next time you look skyward, may I suggest that you take a closer look at the clouds dotting the sky too?

We often miss not only the beauty of the atmosphere’s omnipresent cloud but also cloud interfaces integrated all around our homes, offices and public spaces.

Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries across the world opted to go under a ‘lockdown’ to ‘flatten the curve’ of infection. These lockdowns meant confining the citizens to their homes and shutting down businesses. While it has definitely slowed down economic activity, certain kinds of businesses have experienced tremendous growth. Take Netflix, for example. Owing to social distancing and stay-at-home orders, it is but obvious that people are keeping themselves entertained through multimedia streaming apps. For the first quarter of 2020, new Netflix subscriptions reached 15.8 million surpassing the earlier prediction of 8.8 million.

This brings us to the question of how Netflix could cope with such a massive surge in usage. The answer is the public cloud. Apart from the almost instant scalability it brings, the cloud-based business model used by companies such as Netflix allows them to not just scale when required, but also handle shifts in traffic patterns—all the while remaining reliable to their customers.

It is clear that the pandemic will accelerate cloud adoption. The opting for a cloud environment, once viewed as an option, will now witness greater urgency, due to the many benefits it brings. According to the annual State of the Cloud Survey, 30% of large enterprises expect their cloud usage to significantly increase as a result of the present crisis. Furthermore, among SMBs and enterprises, a net 47% of organizations plan for increased cloud usage because of the changes that the pandemic has brought on. However, this increasing reliance on the public cloud comes with several underlying challenges, the biggest of which is misconfigurations.

Misconfigurations—the biggest challenge in cloud environments

It is vital to remember that moving to the cloud does not mean all risks are eliminated. While some risk factors are reduced, others are introduced. Cloud environments face security vulnerabilities on several counts, from the failure to maintain proper security hygiene to system vulnerabilities at the end-user level. In fact, according to research conducted by Crowd Research Partners, nine out of ten cybersecurity experts are highly concerned when it comes to cloud security.

Biggest among these threats are misconfigurations, which to put it in the simplest of terms are the mistakes of the IT teams as they set up the organization’s cloud infrastructure. According to a study conducted by Trend Micro, it was found that on an average 165 million misconfigurations take place on the cloud every day. The same study also pointed that four out of ten—40%—of cloud related incidents can be traced back to misconfiguration in the cloud environment.

It is necessary to understand why misconfiguration is such a big threat. Let’s take an example we are all familiar with—an iPhone. Before starting to use a new phone, the security settings on the phone needs to be configured, to be changed from the default setting. Setting up privacy measures such as passcodes, fingerprint analysis, whether one wants to upload a picture of oneself to their Apple account, etc., has to be set up. Similarly, when an organization migrate their workloads to a cloud platform, security needs to be configured. Nevertheless, inadvertent misconfigurations are common. For instance, an application team configuring a workload whose prime concern would be application connectivity, may unintentionally misconfigure the connectivity, thereby overlooking network security.

Another reason for the rise in cloud misconfigurations can be attributed to the lack of visibility and rapid public cloud adoption. Without adequate visibility, security teams are unable to secure cloud environments. Furthermore, as the percentage of adoption grows, the volume of activity proportionally increases, leading to additional misconfigurations such as a lack of awareness of cloud security and policies, lapse in supervision, lack or insufficient control and negligent internal activities. Add to this the number of services being provided by public cloud providers and it is easy to understand why misconfigurations occur. AWS, for example, between the years 2007 and 2017, have added 100 services to their portfolio, which roughly works out to around 10 services each year. This number spiked in the last two years alone, with their portfolio of services adding over 75 offerings.

On top of configuration visibility issues, container which has emerged as a solution for complicated micro service based cloud native applications (through the flexibility it provides) causes security teams to have very less visibility. This can be primarily attributed to the shared responsibility shift in DevOps, which then results in forgotten systems and undeleted logs which can turn out to be a hidden vulnerability.

Underlying all these challenges is the fact that the pace of technology adoption is much faster than the adoption of security technology. For instance, by the time an enterprise adopts the use of containers, serverless technology emerges as another level of abstraction on top of containers—making it all the more difficult for security teams to keep up.

Steps to avoid misconfiguration

The number of security breaches steadily increasing due to misconfiguration makes it all the more important for enterprises to take the right steps to prevent these. The need of the hour is for security teams to deploy a single security tool that offers the equal amount of visibility and security for both on-premise applications and new generation container and serverless based micro services applications. The next best practice would be for organizations to deploy custom design tools which can perform an auto-audit of any misconfiguration, thereby matching the best practices guidelines offered by vendors and provide solutions on the go. Finally, it’s always best to partner with professional security consultants, who can help design security cloud architectures that will match future needs. Additionally, simple measures such as integrating security in DevOps from the very beginning and employing least privilege controls which restricts access to only those who need it will also go a long way in protecting cloud infrastructures.

Enterprises are equally responsible for their assets on the cloud

Most public cloud providers operate with a shared responsibility model. While the onus is on them to protect the infrastructure, it is up to enterprises to be responsible for securing their applications, data, operating systems, access management, and firewalls. Preventing misconfigurations then becomes the vital first step in ensuring security for assets on the cloud.

Media Statement from NPCI During June 2020 on Digital Payments

“We have come across some quotes on social media which suggest that transferring money through Google Pay is not protected by the law, since the app is unauthorised. RBI has authorised NPCI as a Payment System Operator (PSO) of UPI and NPCI in its capacity as PSO authorises all UPI participants.

We would like to clarify that Google Pay is classified as Third Party App Provider (TPAP) that also provides UPI payment services like many others, working through banking partners and operating under the UPI framework of NPCI. All authorised TPAPs are listed on the NPCI Website. 

Enclosed:

Annexure 1 – List of UPI Live Members and Annexure 2 – List of 3rd Party Apps) All transactions made using any of the authorized TPAPs are fully protected by the redressal processes laid out by applicable guidelines of NPCI/RBI and customers already have full access to the same. Further, we would also like to clarify that all authorised TPAP’s are already bound by full compliance to all the regulations and applicable laws in India. UPI ecosystem is fully safe and secure, and we appeal to the citizens not to fall prey to such malicious news. We also request UPI customers not to share their OTP (one time password) and UPI Pin with anybody”.

Cure.fit Celebrates International Yoga Day with 5.6 Million Surya Namaskars

Cure.fit, India’s leading integrated holistic healthcare platform, witnessed an incredible turnout for its Surya Namaskar Challenge as a part of International Yoga Day. On 21st June, close to 1 million yoga enthusiasts participated in the challenge throughout the day and together clocked in over 5.6 million Surya Namaskars across cure.fit platforms, social media & corporate tie ups.

Since all cure.fit and mind.fit centres are currently shut due to lockdown regulations, the challenge was executed entirely online, with a live counter to track progress. There were 170+ sessions including various forms of Yoga and meditation for users to partake in. Surya Namaskars were integrated as part of warm up and cool down across all our formats for the day.

To keep users engaged, Cure.fit hosted an in-app Yoga quiz, expert session on the benefits of yoga by Nandita Das, masterclass sessions by Vidya Malwade & Aashka Goradia. In addition, cure.fit experts Rishabh Telang, Shwetambari Shetty & Divya Rolla also conducted sessions. More than 100 cure.fit employees also showed enthusiastic participation in the Surya Namaskar Challenge.

Commenting on the success of the campaign, Ankit Nagori, Co-founder, cure.fit, said: “Knowing how important a practice like Yoga is we felt it was appropriate to encourage people, in a fun way, to embrace the Surya Namaskar asana on Yoga Day. It is at the very core of Yoga and has numerous physical and mental health benefits. We are so happy that close to 1 million people took part in this and spread the message with us. Going forward, we hope to see many more people adopt it as a way of life.”

About Cure.fit

cure.Fit Healthcare Pvt Ltd is a holistic integrated healthcare platform headquartered in Bangalore. Founded in 2016 by Mukesh Bansal and Ankit Nagori, cure.fit aims to address preventive healthcare through a combination of engagement, coaching and delivery using a mix of online and offline channels. cure.fit caters to living a healthy life through three critical dimensions- eat.fit, mind.fit and cult.fit. While cult.fit focuses on physical strength and fitness; eat.fit for healthy and nutritive food, mind.fit for mental wellbeing and care.fit for integrated medical and lifestyle care. cure.fit is an app based service provider and is available on Android and ios.  

Web Abuzz with news of attack on Sri Lankan Cricket Team

Within hours of attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team near the Gaddafi cricket stadium in Lahore, Pakistan, the web was loaded with videos, links and discussions

A few gunmen attacked the Sri Lankan cricket team near the Gaddafi cricket stadium in Lahore, Pakistan. This news broke out a few hours ago and got the social media enthusiasts active over the web along with the news media.

All media was affected -- starting with news channels like IBN Live streaming a live video about the news to the micro-blogging service Twitter which was the one heavily impacted with 140 character discussions.

This attack on Sri Lankan cricket team has become one of the trending topics on Twitter. Here are a few links which lead to Sri Lankan Cricket team related news and discussions on Twitter:

keyword: Sri Lankan
keyword: #srilanka

Few of the reactions on the micro-blogging site Twitter that were noted:

SuaveRepublique: Suave is wishing that the Sri Lankan Cricketers are OK, and that cricket is never played there again.

tajdaroc: HOW is it that the attckers were able to escape having been in plain sight? The access logistics are as simple as can be #SriLanka #Pakistan

CXOtoday

Techies turn to social media to reach consumers

Recognizing the limits of traditional advertising, established technology companies are diving headlong into the sometimes chaotic landscape of social media to promote their products.

Companies ranging from PC maker Dell Inc to storage equipment maker NetApp are increasingly turning to outside blogs, viral videos and websites such as FaceBook, Twitter, FriendFeed and Digg — and their tens of millions of users — to reach consumers.

These social networking sites harness the age-old power of the word-of-mouth recommendation and can be potent marketing tools. If nothing else, they demand a higher level of consumer engagement than conventional ads.

“This is 180 degrees from that sort of advertising,” said Debra Aho Williamson, a senior analyst at eMarketer. “Having a conversation with them (consumers) is a very new skill.”For tech companies with big marketing budgets, the shift to social media is an implicit acknowledgment that television and print are not necessarily the most effective ways to reach buyers, particularly younger ones.

In addition, with a recession looming, corporate budgets are being slashed. UBS has forecast global ad spending will fall 3.9 per cent in 2009. In such an environment, social media could prove to be a cost-effective way to sell to consumers.

But the strategy is not without some risk. While every company wants to generate buzz, online backlash can be brutal.

Consumer healthcare giant Johnson & Johnson learned that the hard way with a recent Web video ad for its Motrin painkiller. While apparently trying to be irreverent about the pain of wearing a baby in a sling, the ad offended many mothers who savaged it on Twitter, the wildly popular “micro-blogging’’ site where users communicate with short “tweets’’ of 140 characters or less. J&J was forced to apologize on Monday.

Brian Keeler, a vice president at media consultancy VShift, said the key to social media is credibility and enlisting consumers in the act of marketing itself. But if you upset your audience, it can mean trouble. “With the online media, things can go viral and spin out of control really fast,’’ he said.

Dell has a dedicated team of around 40 people that interacts with consumers through its blogs, community forums and third-party sites. The company began its social media push last year as it moved to repair its public image.

“There’s been a realization over the last several years that your customers are going to talk about you online and you have a choice to join that conversation,’’ spokeswoman Caroline Dietz said.