CMR Study Reveals Consumers are Prioritizing Audio Quality Over Camera in their Smartphone Purchase

 Consumer Study 

* Indians consider audio quality as one of the most important factors in their next smartphone purchase with a score of 66 out of 100, followed by battery life at 61, and camera at 60

As per a new study by CyberMedia Research (CMR), Indian Consumers are now prioritising audio quality as a key smartphone purchase driver ahead of camera and battery. In fact across all parameters one in every four users have stated audio quality as the most important factor while selecting their smartphone. For the first time ever, consumers are more tuned into ‘audio quality’, possibly driven by long hours spent alone in a homebound economy. In doing so, they are also seeking better, immersive experiences.

“Given the advancements in smartphone camera and battery, I believe consumers are mostly satisfied with industry-leading innovations therein. On the other hand, in the current homebound economy, consumers are getting more aware, and paying more heed to audio quality. As such, they are putting it on priority for the neo normal, from a communication and content consumption point of view,” said Satya Mohanty, Head-Industry Consulting Group, CMR.

According to Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group, CMR, “These interesting study findings provide us with a basis to better understand evolving consumer aspirations around smartphone audio. Consumers are now seeking infinitely better and immersive listening experiences, whenever and wherever they go. Across use cases, ranging from OTT consumption to mobile gaming & even UGC, consumers seek more high-quality sound. This is where brands with industry-leading innovations, such as Dolby, will stand to shine and fulfill consumer aspirations.”

The CMR study titled “What Audio Means for Indian Smartphone users?” categorizes Indian consumers, based on their audio consumption patterns, into three broad cohorts:

* Digital Natives who spend >20 hours weekly (39%)

* Digital Dependents who spend 10-20 hours weekly (44%)

* Digital Laggards who spend < 10 hours weekly (17%)

Online content consumption – movies and music, have witnessed a tremendous growth, driven by the ubiquitous smartphones. Over the past few years, the rise of affordable and value for money smartphones has fueled content consumption, on-the-go, and at home.

India loves to binge watch on video streaming platforms, cutting across genres, including episodic content and user-generated video content on social media. In the midst of the pandemic, OTT platforms are benefiting from increased viewership, as well as new subscribers. Amongst the three cohorts, Digital Natives tend to spend more time on OTT platforms & rate audio as the most important factor considered while buying their current smartphone. 

Here are some of the most interesting study findings:

* Audio quality matters. Indians consider audio quality as one of the most important factors in their next smartphone purchase with a score of 66 out of 100, followed by Battery Life at 61, and Camera at 60. Smartphone users consume audio mostly through

* listening to music on popular audio OTT platforms (94%),

* watching video – movies, OTT content, or user-generated content on social networks (96%).

* Preferred audio accessories include wired earplugs and earbuds. 78% of the consumers prefer wired earplugs, while 65% indicate using earbuds.

* Video consumption differ with consumer personas. For instance, Digital Natives prefer videos of shorter duration (38%) whereas Digital Laggards prefer videos of longer duration (23%).

* Better audio experience means differently to different consumer personas. For instance, Digital Laggards associate better audio experience to voice and dialogue clarity (69%), whereas Digital Natives associate it to an immersive experience (61%).

* Five in every eight users (62%), use audio during gaming. 72% of those users are satisfied with it.

* Indians more tuned to audio problems. Three in every seven users face some problems in smartphone audio on a regular basis. Problems faced include

* Audio being too soft (33%)

* Audio being too loud (30%)

* Distorted audio (24%)

Note for Editors:

The CMR study titled “What Audio Means for Indian Smartphone Users?” is based on a digital survey covering 1012 respondents, across six cities of India, namely New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, and Ahmedabad, covering the age groups of 18 to 40, and socio-economic levels of SEC A and B. The study was conducted in early to late July 2020.

For results based on a randomly chosen sample of this size, there is 95% confidence that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3% of what they would be if the entire population had been surveyed.

To know more, and download the report, visit www.cmrindia.com/shelf

Mahindra University Outlines a New Paradigm for Higher Education

Higher Education 

* To develop multi-skilled Leaders capable of Reflection, Innovation, and a commitment to Inclusive and Sustainable progress.

* Focus on both IQ and EQ, combined with the power of Emerging Technologies to educate Future Citizens for and of a Better World.

The Mahindra Group today launched Mahindra University (MU), which is focussed on offering a world-class, futuristic education in India. Its mission is to develop multi-skilled leaders, capable of reflection as well as innovation, and ones who are ethical and empathetic. To drive a meaningful shift in the way that higher education is imparted in the country, MU will drive interdisciplinary academic excellence, integrating the study of science and technology with the Humanities, Ethics & Philosophy, and Design.

It will operate as an autonomous University, with its contemporary, new-age curricula being curated to fully leverage emerging technologies like Data Science, Blockchain and Data Analytics. MU will uniquely enable the holistic development of its students, combining the Emotional Intelligence (Right Brain) and Artificial Intelligence (Left Brain) paradigms.

Mahindra University is part of the Mahindra Educational Institutions (MEI), a not-for-profit subsidiary of Tech Mahindra. It reflects the standards and reputation of the entire Mahindra Group, mirroring its core purpose of Driving Positive Change in the lives of both peoples and communities, enabling them to Rise.

The university will also be a platform to balance education with real world experience through entrepreneurial projects to solve complex challenges facing society. This, combined with the provision of extra-curricular activities like sports and music, will help revolutionize higher education for millennials and help build a hyper-skilled, future-ready talent pool.

Anand Mahindra, Chairman, Mahindra Group and Chancellor, Mahindra University, said, “High quality education has transformative powers for individuals and nations, alike. Mahindra University will strive to deliver a more balanced education, combining the latest technology with Liberal Arts, to create next generation leaders that have a holistic world view.”

The sprawling 130-acre, multi-disciplinary campus in Hyderabad will offer undergraduate, post graduate and PhD courses. MU includes the Ecole Centrale School of Engineering that was set up in 2014.

Vineet Nayyar, Board of Management, Mahindra University, said, “With the education landscape continuously evolving, there is a need for a dynamic and empowering approach to education that goes beyond business and is at par with the technological demands of the industry globally. In line with this, the Mahindra University will be a key enabler in providing a holistic educational and learning experience that involves analytical and design-led thinking, quantitative and creative problem-solving skills and a passion for innovation and entrepreneurship.”

CP Gurnani, MD & CEO, Tech Mahindra and Board of Management, Mahindra University, said, “The Mahindra University is a testimony of our commitment towards bridging the skill gap and creating global leaders that are willing to change, adapt and transform according to dynamic market needs and business environment. The university will also provide access to multi-disciplinary learning focused on leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence and Emotional Intelligence. This will help the students to develop new-age competencies and inculcate entrepreneurial thinking to enable them solve complex challenges faced by the society.”

As a part of the immediate roadmap, the University will launch the School of Management (2021-22), School of Law (2021-22), Indira Mahindra School of Education (2021-22), School of Media & Liberal Arts (2022-23) and School of Design (2023-24).

An estimated 4,000 Students and over 300+ Faculty members will be in place across the various Schools at Mahindra University over the next five years.

The Minerva Fund - Mahindra University Scholarship Program is available to ensure that deserving students have access to a quality education. Efforts are also being made to drive inclusion in awarding scholarships across geographies, gender, and academic excellence, among others, to create a stronger society and a wider talent pool for industry and academia, alike.

Prof Yajulu Medury, Vice-Chancellor, Mahindra University, said, “Mahindra University aims to revolutionise the educating environment for the future workforce of our country through necessary industry-academia collaborations to prepare the students for present challenges and future industry needs. The university will bring together expertise of international faculty and will provide access to innovation and research hubs with top academic partners. We plan to be a holistic learning platform for the students, providing access to studies related to Engineering, Law, Management, Education, Media & Liberal Arts, Design and others.”

MU will also to bring the Corporate and Industrial ecosystems together through its Centres of Excellence. Students will have access to the Mahindra Group’s expertise through a Centre of Excellence, visiting faculty and other strategic engagements. Students will be provided opportunities to interact with CEOs, CXOs of organizations across the country.

MU already has a Supercomputer Lab with an advanced NVidia GPU-based supercomputer, the DGX-1. It also has a Centre for Artificial Intelligence (CAI), a Centre for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) and a Centre for Sustainable Infrastructure and Systems (CSIS).

Additional CoEs being considered include, the Centre for Computational and Experimental Mechanics (CCEM), the Centre for Research in Optics and Photonics (CROP) and a Centre for Executive Education (CEE).

About Mahindra University:

Mahindra University marks a significant milestone in the Mahindra Group’s journey in the higher education sector since its entry in 2014, with the Mahindra Ecole Centrale (MEC) College of Engineering. Aimed at educating and developing ‘Global Thinkers and Engaged Leaders,’ the Mahindra University is headquartered in Hyderabad, India. It is supported by the Mahindra Educational Institutions (MEI), a subsidiary of Tech Mahindra, the flagship IT company of the US$ 19.4 billion Mahindra Group. The. Mahindra University was notified by the Government of Telangana vide Ordinance No.1 dated 20th May 2020. Mahindra University has already received 100+ admissions till date.

Garmin and PhysioQ Join Hand to Drive Data-Driven Study to Accelerate COVID-19 Research

Garmin India has announced an exclusive partnership with PhysioQ, a non-profit organization that will connect registered users’ health data from Garmin smartwatches to PhysioQ-Neo platform. The platform has been launched specifically focusing on the COVID-19 research. This connected self-monitoring system allows users to proactively monitor their own and their family members’ vitals through the Neo mobile app.

PhysioQ- Neo is working exclusively with Garmin to collect key health data – Heart Rate, Respiration and SpO2 through their smartwatches. Data shared by PhysioQ-Neo  users will be anonymized and aggregated to aid medical researchers studying novel coronavirus to combat this and future pandemics. This will be a freely available tool for all researchers.

Sharing his thoughts on the new partnership to fight COVID-19, Mr. Ali Rizvi, Director of Garmin India said, “We at Garmin, are extremely delighted to partner with PhysioQ. It is a big step that we have taken towards fighting the battle against the pandemic. With the collected data and the support from PhysioQ research tools, we will be able to provide people with the ability to monitor their health status and well as their family members. This will provide peace of mind to families who are feeling anxious, and worried about the health of their loved ones. We are looking forward to a fruitful association and we are confident that this data driven research will help the researchers in studying the future trends.”

Talking with immense experience of taking care of 50+ Covid-19 patients, Dr. Andrew Cei Ahn, MD, MPH Assistant Professor of Medicine & Radiology at Harvard Medicine School said, “I think it is a game-changer to have an oxygen sensor while being at home, using a wearable device that is affordable. To have Garmin onboard and to have the data available to the researchers is just extremely great for us clinical researchers. Many device manufacturers simply don’t make the raw data available to the user. For Garmin to willingly make the data available to the users and the researchers is just a huge step because that enables us to really analyze the data. Garmin is at the forefront of pioneering in this area and it is a big opportunity for us to fight COVID-19 together.”

Medical professionals around the world are still trying to understand the implications and effects of COVID-19. Early recognition of symptoms will allow for timely medical treatment, and the data can easily be exported for medical professionals to refer to.

Receiving an overwhelming response for PhysioQ-Neo, Christopher Peng, PhysioQ-NEO Co-founder & President said, “In Addition to Garmin’s reputation as a leader in wearable devices as well as with the work they have already done for clinical and medical researchers, we are working with Garmin because they will provide the data we need to see, including high resolution heart rate variability, all day monitoring of blood oxygen saturation, respiration and a lot more. ‘The share your data to defeat COVID-19’ initiative that we have started with Garmin is an effort to help the researchers get the information they need outside the hospital to understand the disease. Garmin users can actually donate their data and make a difference in fighting against this pandemic diseases. We hope that maximum number of people will join NEO in supporting this initiative.”

PhysioQ’s Neo app will be available on Android and iOS platforms for free and is compatible with Garmin’s range of smartwatches that tracks SpO2, including the latest Venu, vívoactive 4, vívomove 3 series, Forerunner 245/245M, Forerunner 945, fēnix 6 series, vívosmart 4, and fēnix® 5X Plus.

To know more about Garmin and PhysioQ-Neo partnership and how to access the app please visit: https://physioq.org/neo?SG-PROMO

About Garmin

Garmin International Inc. is a subsidiary of Garmin Ltd. (Nasdaq: GRMN). Garmin Ltd. is incorporated in Switzerland, and its principal subsidiaries are located in the United States, Taiwan and the United Kingdom. Garmin, Instinct and Trackback are registered trademarks, and Garmin Connect, Garmin Explore, and UltraTrac is a trademark of Garmin Ltd. or its subsidiaries. Wi-Fi is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Survey Finds Low Levels of Awareness About Typhoid Prevalence and Ways to Prevent It

Summary 

* Nationwide survey of 1,337 respondents across eight cities shows low awareness on typhoid prevalence and ways to prevent it including vaccination

* More than one sixth (17%) of respondents in Bangalore who did not vaccinate their children considered typhoid to be ‘not at all serious’ or ‘mild/easily manageable’

* With 2.2 million cases of typhoid recorded in India in 2016, the country has one of the highest incidence rates in the world, with the disease affecting mainly children

* Typhoid symptoms are often non-distinguishable from other illnesses but early preventative treatment measures including education play a key role in protecting children

Abbott, one of India’s leading healthcare companies, partnered with Babygogo (part of the Sheroes Network), to conduct a nationwide survey across eight cities* to assess awareness around typhoid fever. With 2.2 million cases of typhoid being recorded in India alone in 2016,[1] typhoid fever poses a serious disease burden in the country. In fact, in Karnataka alone, there were 137,973 cases in 2017, contributing 6.21% to India’s total burden.[2]

Typhoid fever, which is a bacterial infection, tends to affect children most, with peak incidence occurring in children aged 5-15 years.[3] Currently available evidence shows that vaccination against typhoid is effective and tolerable.[4] The survey results highlighted that only 66% of respondents reported being aware of a typhoid vaccination.

Key Survey Findings

* There are higher levels of awareness for mandatory vaccines, i.e., vaccines given in National Immunization Program of the country (NIP) such as rotavirus (82%) compared to vaccines not given in NIP such as influenza (67%) and typhoid (66%).

* The survey revealed that more than one sixth of respondents in Bangalore who did not vaccinate their children (17%) considered typhoid to be ‘not at all serious’ or ‘mild/easily manageable’, unaware of the fact that the bacterial infection can lead to serious complications  if left untreated or treated with inappropriate medicines.

* Other findings suggest that key reasons for not vaccinating include absence of vaccine recommendation by the pediatrician (48%) and non-inclusion in the list of NIP vaccines (36%).

Misleading Symptoms and Delay in Treatment

Commenting on these findings, Dr. R. Kishore Kumar, Senior Neonatologist & Founder Chairman of Cloudnine group of hospitals said, “The Indian subcontinent has the highest incidence of typhoid worldwide.[5] The illness is characterized by prolonged fever, headache, nausea, loss of appetite, and constipation or sometimes diarrhoea[6]. Since these symptoms are often clinically non-distinguishable from other illnesses causing fever, typhoid is frequently not treated appropriately at the early stages when such treatment is most effective – which makes prevention all the more important. In a yet unpublished study carried out at Cloudnine, we found many children affected now a days are much younger – as young as 7 months in contrast to the olden days when children were school going age group. The findings of this survey carried out by Abbott indicate that physician recommendation can play a key role in ensuring higher immunization rates to protect children from this disease, as can efforts to educate patients. I encourage parents to seek guidance from their doctors about this vaccination.”

Myths on Causes for the Disease

Survey findings also show that myths about the disease are highly prevalent. As a bacterial bloodstream infection, typhoid fever spreads through contaminated water and food, often due to lack of hygiene and access to drinkable water. Yet 57% of survey respondents nationwide inaccurately attributed the cause of typhoid to a change of weather or season. Significantly, less than half of mothers from Bangalore identified close contact (37%), touching contaminated surfaces (20%) or eating food cooked by a typhoid patient (25%) as risky behaviours that could spread typhoid.

Prevention Helps Lessen Infections and Drug Resistance

Studies have shown that vaccinations can help lower the incidence of infection, but 13% of the respondents in Bangalore stated that they prefer to take the risk of getting a serious medical condition than to receive a vaccination for it.

Dr. Kishore Kumar added, “Prevention through vaccination will help reduce typhoid burden and mortality. IAP has recommended now the vaccine can be given to children as young as 6 months along with the influenza vaccine. Given the rising emergence of drug-resistant strains of typhoid, administration of typhoid vaccination to populations at high risk of infection is a public health priority. [7]  The survey findings indicate the vast majority of mothers have low levels of awareness about typhoid and the specific precautions that need to be taken to protect themselves and their families. Educating mothers about the benefits of getting their child vaccinated is the need of the hour.”

Dr. Srirupa Das, Medical Director, Abbott India, explains, “The findings shed light on awareness levels, motivation and behaviors around typhoid vaccination in India. They suggest that increased awareness on typhoid and ways to prevent it, such as improved hygiene levels and vaccination, can contribute to lessening India’s health burden due to typhoid infections. As part of our mission of helping people live healthier lives, we support educational initiatives on typhoid fever in India, especially amongst new mothers and parents in general.”

About the survey

Abbott India, in partnership with Babygogo (part of the Sheroes Network), conducted a survey across eight cities* namely Ahmedabad, Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, New Delhi and Pune to understand the perceptions and barriers surrounding typhoid vaccination. A total of 1,337 respondents were surveyed online on awareness levels, motivation and behaviours surrounding vaccination against typhoid in India. 37% of caregivers surveyed had children aged 0 to 6 months, 39% had children aged 6 months to a year and 24% of people had children 1-2 years old.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 107,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries. In India, Abbott was established in 1910, and is one of the country's oldest and most admired healthcare companies. With over 12,000 employees in the country, Abbott in India is helping to meet the healthcare needs of consumers, patients and doctors throughout urban and rural India.

Ormax - Momspresso Launches Report That Decodes The New Age Digital Moms Of India

* ‘A Definitive Guide to New Age Digital Moms of India 2020’ is a comprehensive study covering 21+ metros& non-metros, 2100+ online surveys and 270+ hours of consumer interactions & expert interviews

* Rise of Nuclearisation: With a highly nuclearized lifestyle, a majority of moms are exploring & finding their own way by turning towards social media for answers

* Social Media Se PuchteHain: 47% of moms trust online reviews & platforms like parenting websites/ blogs for kids’ clothes and accessories  while 42% rely on online resources for baby care products

* Hi, Hello Ya Namaste: 52% of moms consume online content in Hindi while 34% consume English language content

* The Warrior Mom During Lockdown: 81% of moms are concerned about their child’s immunity while 71% of them are looking for ways to keep their kids engaged

* A series of discussions will  be hosted as part of the launch, the first of which is the CMO’s Roundtable on ‘New Age Digital Moms– what brands need to know’

Ormax Consultants, India’s foremost consumer understanding company and Momspresso.com, India's largest platform for moms, jointly launched the much-awaited report, ‘A Definitive Guide to New Age Digital Moms of India 2020’. The report gleans insights into the changing face of motherhood in an increasingly nuclearized and digital world and a modern approach to childcare. It also touches upon ongoing trends such as the rise of mompreneurs and the impact of COVID-19 on mothers.

According to the report, even while living in a joint families, mums are experiencing physical and mental nuclearization of families, which has led to the evolution of their approach to parenting. Today, mums rely more than ever before on social media for parenting tips, tricks, and advice instead of family members. This bears out in the fact that a high percentage of mums turn to online websites and portals to discuss crucial aspects, read/watch reviews for kids’ clothes & accessories (47%), babycare products (42%),academics (41%), extra-curricular activities (21%) and food and nutrition (17%).

With the country under lockdown due to the outbreak of COVID-19, moms have taken the responsibility of being the ultimate shield for their kids – building kids’ immunity (81%) & keeping a check on their nutrition intake (73%) on one hand, and keeping them engaged in some activities at home (71%) on the other.

PrashantSinha, Co-Founder & COO, Momspresso adds, “At Momspresso, we believe that no one understands Moms the way we do, due to the volume of content that is created, consumed and engaged with, on our platform. The study reflects that in-depth understanding and is a definitive guide to the new age digital mom – not only in her ever-evolving role as a mother but also her multifaceted journey as a woman. This comprehensive report covering Bharat moms, not only in tier 1 but also tier 2 and tier 3 cities, is going to be an essential tool for all brands to leverage.”

Interestingly, the study has revealed that modern mums are relinquishing control when it comes to parenting, moving past the dated ‘my way or the highway’ approach. Instead of being in the driver’s seat, new-age mums are adopting a more balanced parenting style. They believe that they stand to learn from kids as much as they can teach them.

The steady growth of vernacular content has also been covered by the in-depth report with Hindi emerging as the language of choice for a majority of mums. 65% of the respondents stated that they prefer watching television content in Hindi while 52% of moms consume internet content in Hindi.

Commenting on the launch, Priya Lobo, CEO of Ormax Compass, said, “The title, “A Definitive Guide to New Age Digital Moms of India 2020”, is about digging deep to understand a mother from different perspectives. Ormax has been at the forefront of consumer understanding and behavior for over 35 years, and nothing gives me more pleasure than bringing the voices of mothers to the forefront. Over the years, the role of mothers and motherhood has been changing drastically, and today, more than ever, moms depend on digital platforms to raise their children. This 'over-dependence' on social media as the source of information is creating newer levels of confusion on how mothers should really raise their children - the best practices, is it good enough? The experiences of these mothers have stirred me. Having just been on this journey and concluding this report, I already look forward to the next exciting one.”

The report is a result of a knowledge collaboration between Ormax and Momspresso, both accomplished names in their respective industries. At its core, the report prides itself on being the ultimate authority on ‘Digital Moms of India’ at a day and age where most decisions pertaining to motherhood and childcare are made using technology. The study is a pan India research conducted through 2100+ online surveys with 270+ hours of consumer interactions. It covered 21+ metros and non-metros, including a wide scope of mothers and children from working and non-working, nuclear, and joint families across SECs. 

As a part of the launch of Momspresso-Ormax study, the brand is hosting a series of discussions, the first of which is the CMO’s Roundtable on ‘New Age Digital Moms – what brands need to know’ moderated by Ms. ParulOhri, Founding Member & Chief Editor Momspresso and Ms. Priya Lobo, CEO Ormax Compass. This session will bring together top-level CMOs who are Moms from across industries to share their perspectives on the findings of the study.

About Ormax Consultants:

Ormax Consultants is India’s foremost qualitative research company. Established 35 years ago, Ormax has been a leader in providing consumer understanding and market insights across categories. Ormax Compass, an integral part of the Group, focuses on supporting brands in understanding consumer psychology and keeping humans in the equation. Today, Ormax uses its rich, diverse experience of deep human understanding to support companies in generating business growth and mitigating market challenges through its products and services.  

About Momspresso:

Momspresso.com is India’s largest user-generated content platform for women. The finely-brewed content on Momspresso.com  offers support to moms across the country, not just in their journeys as parents but also in their lives as wives, daughters, and – most importantly – as women! Launched in 2010, Momspresso.com  is based out of Gurgaon, Haryana. The platform attracts users and bloggers to create content on subjects as diverse as conception, pregnancy and baby care, teenage and adolescent issues, beauty, fashion, healthcare, and travel. Momspresso.com  users can quickly set up their own blog and express themselves to like-minded mothers in 10 different languages including English, Hindi, Gujarati, Bengali, Marathi, Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Punjabi and Kannada. The brand has now extended its commitment to empowering Moms financially, with the introduction of MyMoney, a simple way to make money by participating in campaigns by brands they love and use.   

Only 11% Truckers and Farmers in India Prioritise Healthy Lifestyle: Castrol India Study

Study Report 

* As per a recent study by Castrol India, 65% truckers and farmers do not indulge in any form of fitness due to a lack of interest and time

* On the occasion of International Yoga Day, Castrol India, in partnership with The Yoga Institute of Mumbai, refreshes the Castrol CRB Turbomax Truck Aasana and CRB Plus Khet Aasana programme to support a healthier lifestyle and to build immunity among truckers and farmers

* Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, endorses the initiative and actor Randeep Hooda joins the campaign to amplify the importance of healthy living

* Castrol India will launch an exclusive helpline to assist truckers and farmers know more about these specially curated Truck Aasana and Khet Aasana

The trucker and farmer communities have served as the backbone of India for generations. While they work tirelessly even through the current testing times, these communities continue to lead sedentary lifestyles, neglecting their health and immunity. A recent study by Castrol India reveals that while 1 in 3 truckers and farmers admitted to having health related issues including back pain, lack of sleep, tiredness and joint pain; only 11% of them were inclined towards building a healthier lifestyle and immunity, which features as one of the lowest priorities among these communities.

The study also brings to light that over two-thirds (68%) of the respondents were concerned about the health of their families as well as themselves. However, the research underlines a lukewarm approach towards healthy lifestyle and wellbeing as nearly two-thirds (65%) of the respondents admitted to not indulging in any form of fitness due to a lack of interest and time. Despite the aforementioned health concerns, 1 in 3 truckers and farmers also admitted to not making any efforts to lead healthier lives.

Reiterating the importance of Yoga for a healthier lifestyle and wellbeing, on International Yoga Day, Castrol India has partnered with the Yoga Institute of Mumbai, as in the past two years, refreshing its health programme for truckers and farmers to strengthen their wellbeing and introduce ethos of healthy lifestyle in their daily routine through a curated set of aasanas.

Talking about the initiative, Sandeep Sangwan, Managing Director, Castrol India Limited said, “Our truckers and farmers have been working relentlessly to ensure our lives remain undeterred during these extraordinary times. We salute them for keeping India moving. Castrol continues to play its part of being a responsible brand and supporting communities by facilitating a culture of fitness through Castrol CRB Truck Aasana and Khet Aasana programmes for our truckers and farmers.”   

As part of the health program, Castrol India will additionally launch an exclusive helpline to assist these communities know more about these specially curated aasanas.

The initiative will feature Bollywood actor Randeep Hooda paying tribute to the communities for their selfless service and persuading them to prioritize their health. 

“It’s critical we change the outlook of these communities and help them lead a healthier life. It’s important considering the tough times we are living in. This International Yoga Day, Castrol CRB and I hope to encourage truckers and farmers across the country to adopt the practice of yoga, work towards leading a healthy lifestyle and make themselves strong from within,” said Randeep Hooda.

"This programme is in line with the Government of India and our Hon'ble Prime Minister's vision of yoga being a way of life and reaching every household. Congratulations to Castrol India on initiating this programme that ensures our truck drivers and farmers are healthy so they can continuously support our country,” said Shripad Naik, Hon’ble Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India.

Over the past two years, Castrol India has touched the lives of over 3,25,000 truckers and farmers with Castrol CRB Turbomax Truck Aasana and CRB Plus Khet Aasana, reaching over 50 cities and 2,000 villages, advocating the role of these aasanas to improve their lifestyle. 

About Castrol India: Castrol, is one of the world’s leading lubricant brands and has a proud heritage of innovation and fuelling the dreams of pioneers. Castrol India Limited is one of India’s leading lubricants company and has established itself as a pioneer and innovator in the Indian lubricants industry. Its iconic brands such as Castrol CRB, Castrol GTX, and in more recent times power brands like Castrol Activ, Castrol MAGNATEC and Castrol VECTON, are used by millions of consumers and customers across the country. The company also has a presence in select segments like High Performance Lubricants and metalworking fluids in industries as varied as automotive manufacturing to mining to machinery and wind & energy.

Castrol India has a large manufacturing and distribution network in India with three manufacturing plants and a distribution network of 350 distributors who sell to consumers and customers through over 100,000 retail outlets. Castrol sub-distributors also reach additional outlets in rural markets whilst Castrol India also directly services over 3,000 key institutional accounts.

Besides providing world class products and services, Castrol India is focused on safety, compliance and quality as its number one priority.

Check out the latest update of SaaS studies

Software-as-a-service (SaaS) is playing an important role in changing the fundamentals of business for user companies and for SaaS providers themselves. These changes are part of a multi-year 'loop' cycle that reciprocates between users and providers, with each side influencing the other in unforeseen ways.

Mismanaging this 'endless loop of innovation' will prevent user firms from being able to derive real competitive advantage from SaaS, prevent SaaS providers from competing on an increasingly global stage and trap ISVs (Independent software vendors) from growing along with the global user IT market.

Understanding how each side influences the others and how to manage it effectively through changing market scenarios, is the key theme of 'An Endless Cycle of Innovation: Saugatuck SaaS Scenarios Through 2014', the latest global research program developed and published by Saugatuck Technology.

On the launch of new study, Bruce Guptill, Managing Director of Research, Saugatuck Technology said, "The research shows us a combination of changing SaaS acquisition and adoption, both as a result of the global recession and as a result of the changing nature of SaaS itself. How users do business with SaaS is changing how providers develop and deliver SaaS and is changing how ISVs and other players will need to compete over the next several years. Failure to recognize and adapt to these changes will make it extremely difficult, and much more costly than it should be, for anyone to benefit from SaaS."

As the demand of SaaS is growing globally, the analysts expect that by year 2012, SaaS solutions is likely to become the de facto choice for the majority of user organizations that are replacing legacy applications or business systems as they reach the end of their useful lives or when driven by other important business considerations.

According to Guptill, by year 2014, SaaS and Cloud Computing will become an integral to infrastructure, business systems, operations and development within all aspects of user firms with variations in status and roles based on region and business culture. Prior to this time period, SaaS is likely to act as an important 'agent of change'.

Agencies

Does US lead among spam nations?

The US leads the world in the sending of spam, according to a study.

The study by IT security solutions provider Sophos showed that spam originating in Russia has dropped significantly. It also claimed that some 16.5 per cent of all spam mails sent in the second quarter of this year came from the United States.

Russian spammers - previously a highly active bunch - were only responsible for 3.2 per cent of all spam sent, which puts them in ninth place on the list.

Second place went to Brazil (11.1 per cent), followed by Turkey (5.2) and India (5.0).

Agencies

Does use of Facebook kill productivity?

Companies effectively lose an average of 1.5 percent of total office productivity when employees access social networking sites like Facebook during work hours, a study has revealed.

The study by Boston IT advisory firm, Nucleus Research shows that nearly half of office employees access social networking sites such as Facebook during work. Moreover, one in every 33 workers built their entire Facebook profile during work. Nucleus interviewed 237 randomly selected office workers about their use of Facebook for the report.

It has been found that nearly 77 percent of workers have a Facebook account. The average worker uses it for 15 minutes a day, and 87 percent of those who access it couldn't define a clear business reason for using it. "Given that 61 percent of employees access Facebook at work, companies can reasonably estimate a cost of 1.5 percent of total employee productivity," the report said. The findings are significant especially since most companies are facing constricting bottom lines due to recession.

Nucleus Research Vice President (research) Rebecca Wettemann said, "If your company is facing tight margins and low profitability, as many are now, then how can you accept any work distractions that drain your overall productivity?"

However since most organizations do not monitor and manage these sites as closely as email, it opens up the potential to violate corporate communication policies. The report concludes that companies should evaluate their Facebook policy and the cost in productivity in allowing access to Facebook, as blocking the site may actually result in a 1.5 percent gain in productivity.

"While it won't make you popular, restricting Facebook can reclaim lost productivity. If your profitability is say two percent, this could be the difference between staying open or closing shop," Wettemann added.

Agencies

Has Wipro set up new consulting R&D arm?

Technology major Wipro is planning a deep plunge into the global consulting market with the idea of competing with true-blue global consulting brands and IT consulting firms.

In preparation for this move, the company has carried out an in-depth study on select consulting majors including Ernst & Young, PriceWaterhouse Coopers, McKinsey and Bain & Company to understand what made them stay different in the consulting world.

Anurag Srivastava, head of Wipro Consulting Services (WCS) said, "The objective of the study was to gather a holistic understanding of the consulting business. We want to create differentiation in the global markets through innovation-driven consulting. Consulting will be the front-end service for most of our large business deals.''

Wipro has also set up a dedicated research and development arm, Global Research Centre, to support its initiatives in the consulting space. The R&D facility will seek to enhance the business value to clients through innovation. The company believes that consulting will work as a powerful tool during times of recession to gain customer confidence.

Wipro employs over 1,200 consulting professionals and 7% of them will now be part of the R&D team. The team will track 12 industry verticals. The research activity starts with profiling the customer, moves on to analysing industrial trends, followed by providing a macro-economic snapshot and culminating in a viable business strategy.

The job of the R&D team is to lay seeds of innovation. It will play a key role in bridging the divide between ideators and front-end workers.

"The researchers will work in tandem with consulting professionals, so that customers are increasingly benefited,'' Srivastava said. "Consulting will have a significant impact on our IT/BPO revenues. It will transform us from an outsourcing player to a transformational partner."

Agencies

Internet users rise 17 pc in 2008, says IAMAI study

The number of active Internet users in the country has grown by nearly 17 per cent in 2008 over the same period a year ago, a study says.

According to a study by Internet & Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB International, India has 45.3 million active users at the ended of September 2008, of which 42 million are from the urban community.

"Urban users continue to dominate Internet use contributing to 42 million of the 45 million odd users," a study by the organisations 'Internet in India' finds.

In the same period last year, the number of active users in urban India was 36 million, which shows a year-on-year growth of 16.66 per cent.

"The growth rate was alarming compared with the rest in past years as well as with some other countries notably China where the number of Internet users are more than 250 million," IAMAI President Subho Ray said.

Study defines active Internet users as those users, who have used the Internet at least once in the last one month, which is an internationally accepted benchmark for enumerating internet users

Meanwhile, the study also found that the number of "claimed" Internet users in September 2008 was 57 million compared with 48 million of last year. Claimed users are those, who have used the Internet sometime but not in the last one month.

I-Cube (Internet in India) study is conducted annually by IMRB International and Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI).

Agencies

Computer sales across Asia drop

Sales of computers in the Asia Pacific region outside Japan fell for the first time in a decade during the fourth quarter, as the global meltdown hit consumer spending, a study said on Monday.

Preliminary figures showed 17.2 million desktop computers and laptops were sold in the December quarter, down 14 per cent from the previous quarter and 5 per cent lower than a year ago, global market intelligence firm IDC said.

The figures marked the first year-on-year decline since the third quarter of 1998 when the region was grappling with the Asian financial crisis, it added.

"This quarter was quite a jaw-dropper" not just in China but also in India, said Bryan Ma, regional director for personal systems research with IDC.

"The clouds are darkening in 2009, although there might be some pockets of shelter in the region's public sector."

For 2008, struggling Chinese computer giant Lenovo was the region's number one vendor with market share of 18.3 percent, followed by US rival Hewlett Packard which had 14.1 per cent, and Dell at 9.1 per cent, IDC said.

Taiwanese computer firm Acer was fourth with market share of 7.5 per cent and China's Founder ranked fifth, with 4.0 per cent.

Agencies