Aspirational Bharat Sees 120% Spike in Work Productivity on Smartphones During COVID-19: TECNO-CMR MICI Survey

 

Survey Report

* Consumers in Aspirational Bharat are seeing a >50% spike on smartphone usage during lockdown, including 120% on productivity.

* Beyond work, consumers spent increased time on their phone for consuming content, including video OTT (70%) and audio OTT (60%), and gaming (62%).

* Fast-depleting Battery life and limited screen size were the biggest challenges that consumers faced with their smartphones.

A new Mobile Industry Consumer Insights (MICI) Survey, conducted by CyberMedia Research (CMR) in association with TECNO Mobile, has for the first time provided a comprehensive understanding of changing consumer behaviour and smartphone usage patterns in Aspirational Bharat. The CMR MICI survey revealed that consumers of Aspirational Bharat saw a 120% spike in smartphone usage for productivity compared to pre-COVID levels.

According to Prabhu Ram, He ad- Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, “The smartphone is a key daily driver for consumers living in cities and towns beyond Tier I. We call this the Aspirational Bharat. What the survey highlights is how smartphone usage is changing, during lockdown and in the neo-normal, cutting across use cases, such as productivity, personal development, and leisure. In preparation for the neo normal, consumers in Aspirational Bharat are seeking smartphones that offer larger screen size and much better battery life.”

Echoing the sentiment from TECNO’s perspective, Mr. Arijeet Talapatra, CEO, TRANSSION India said, “As a leading smartphone company commanding substantial presence and market share in the Aspirational Bharat’, we have iterated the growing importance of telecommuting and productivity usage of smartphone in the wake of COVID-19. In Aspirational Bharat, where affordability and utility go hand in hand, smartphones have emerged as a primary medium of work, information and entertainment. The CMR MICI Survey reinforces the fact that TECNO has the sense of the pulse of its aspirational consumers. And with our SPARK series, which focuses on battery, display, and camera in sub-10K smartphone category is a testimony to TECNO’s deep commitment of introducing products with segment-first features at a disruptive price point where the consumer is more ready to experiment with the product. We are optimistic that our latest launches Spark 6 Air smartphone and TWS Minipod M1 will be well-received by the audience and enable our consumers to find a work-leisure balance in this Neo Normal.”

(A) COVID-19 and Impact on Smartphone Usage in Aspirational Bharat during lockdown

* During COVID-19 Lockdown (March 25 - May 31), smartphone usage spiked by 50%, with smartphone usage for work surging by >100%.

* Smartphone users in Aspirational Bharat depend on their smartphone to empower their professional and personal life.

* 84% of consumers depend on their smartphones, for instance, for accessing information on government schemes, weather patterns, and market linkage information for farm produce.

* 83% of consumers use their phones for content consumption including creating and consuming short-form videos, music and videos.

* 83% feel empowered, using their smartphones for online banking, shopping, and utility bill payment, among others.

* Beyond work, consumers spent increased time on their phone for consuming content, including video OTT (70%) and audio OTT (60%), and gaming (62%).

* Around three in every seven users in Aspirational Bharat have started some new activities and hobbies during the period of lockdown. For instance, 21% of the consumers have learnt new skills, 19% have listened to music, while 18% have taken up new hobbies on their phones.

* One in every three parents depend on their smartphone for facilitating their kid’s online education during lockdown.

(B) Smartphone Usage in the Neo Normal (June onwards)

* Two in every seven users (29%) have faced some challenge while working from home.  One in every seven users (15%) faced difficulty in managing work-life-balance as well as productivity issue.

* The top three smartphone features that consumers have started relying more in the neo normal are Camera (61%), battery life (57%) and sound quality (51%).

* Some consumers faced problems with their smartphones –  phone overheating (58%), limited screen size (47%) and swift battery drainage (46%) were the top three challenges.

* When it comes to their next smartphone purchase, consumers are looking for smartphones that offer long battery life (54%) and large screen size (53%) for viewing to cope with neo normal.

About CMR – TECNO Mobile MICI Survey

The Mobile Industry Consumer Insights (MICI) Survey by CyberMedia Research (CMR), in association with TECNO Mobile, is the first-ever, comprehensive study of changing consumer behavior on smartphones in Tier-I, Tier-II and Tier-III cities and towns of India, across three phases: pre-COVID-19, during pandemic, and neo-normal.

The CMR Mobile Industry Consumer Insights (MICI) Survey covered 1052 respondents cutting across ten study locations, including, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Surat, Indore, Guwahati and Sonipat. The study covered consumers in the age groups of 20 to 35, and socio-economic levels of SEC B & SEC C, having a affordable smartphone in the price range of INR 6000 – 10000.

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.

Five Platforms Enabling Seamless Functioning Between Teams During Remote-Working

Usually, in an office setting, it’s easy to coordinate the work. You likely have your manager and the team around to discuss and close the set tasks. But since the outset of the pandemic, things have changed. As the remote-working setup has become normal for small as well as big organizations, teams are several or thousands of miles away from each other. Unquestionably, it has made individuals more disciplined to stay on track and meet the deadlines.

However, not every day with work-from-home is the same. There are days we struggle to make it productive for the assigned tasks. Thus, we have curated a list of some of the best apps and platforms for you that can manage your tasks efficiently and effectively during remote-working.

1. Microsoft Teams: Microsoft Teams is your hub for teamwork, which brings together everything a team needs: chat and threaded conversations, meetings & video conferencing, calling, content collaboration with the power of Microsoft 365 applications, and the ability to create and integrate apps and workflows that your business relies on

2. Clink: The recently launched app helps organizations and teams to advance themselves on a higher growth trajectory. It does so by improving their feedback sharing in real-time and unlocking relevant actionable insights. This app is amazing because it has a ‘Cheer’ and ‘Boost’ framework, plug-ins easily with Gmail and Slack, and Integrates with Jira and Google Calendar thus Enabling feedback sharing to encourage continuous performance.

3. Dropbox: Dropbox lets anyone upload and transfer files to the cloud, and share them with anyone. Back up photos, videos, docs, and other files to cloud storage, and access files synced with any of your computers or mobile devices—from anywhere. And with advanced sharing features, it’s easy to send files—large or small—to friends, family, and co-workers.

4. Workplace by Facebook: Workplace by Facebook is a collaboration and communication tool that connects employees to one another via an internal social network.

5. Slack: Slack brings team communication and collaboration into one place so you can get more work done, whether you belong to a large enterprise or a small business. Tick off your to-do list and make progress on your projects by bringing the right people, conversations, tools, and information you need together. Slack is available on any device, so you can find and access your team and your work whether you’re at your desk or on the go.

Raymonds Offers New Work from Home in Style and Comfort Outfits

 As we witness couches, dining tables, bedrooms transform into work spaces, and log on to video conferencing for our daily professional interactions, what we wear during the work hours has also become essential.

The right outfit is not only comfortable, but also helps us don a professional look, creating a formidable impression and setting the right mental state to get down to business. With this in mind, Raymond brands including Park Avenue, ColorPlus, Parx, and Ethnix have launched exclusive Work-from-Home collections, to keep you ready to handle every work situation from home.

“Working all day from home is new for most us, and it is very crucial that we don the right attire during work hours not only to look sharp but also feel comfortable wearing them all day. Our work-from-home collection has been designed specifically keeping the needs of the new-age professionals in mind, as it weaves together styling with comfort.”, says Mr. Suman Saha, COO, Group Apparel.

Chic cotton shirts are wardrobe staples - especially in case of work-from-home, for those sales pitches you want to nail or the team meetings you want to shine in. The Prime Shirts Collection from Park Avenue with 100% cotton shirts is the perfect choice to get that pro look along with the comfort to wear it all day long. But getting the perfect fit in trousers can get tricky in times like these when staying home might have taken a toll on one’s size. Countering this problem effortlessly is the Auto-fit Trouser Collection by Park Avenue. As the name suggests, these trousers auto adjust your size gain or loss, making them more comfortable and long lasting.

It is also essential to stay refreshed all day long while working from home. The more refreshed you feel, the more productive you will be. Delivering this freshness and unmatched comfort with it’s sweat-proof attribute is the Cool Max Collection by ColorPlus, that includes shirts and tees.

Some days you might prefer something more relaxed, but still want a professional edge to your look. The colorful Polo Collection from ColorPlus, and Cool T-shirts from Parx and Park Avenue bring just that to the table – basic, yet amazingly comfortable, trendy and perfect for work. Pair these with the trendy Chinos from ColorPlus, Parx and Park Avenue, and you have added the perfect new-age work-from-home staples to your wardrobe.

Variety is absolutely needed, not only in life experiences but also in clothing. Adding variation from the western attire is Ethnix, with a range of classy kurtas, in subtle colors for the desi look, and all-day comfort.  

As long as this lockdown extends or even after, these comfortable, trendy and functional outfits are sure to turn heads and keep your productivity always on high. Now is definitely the time to upgrade your wardrobe with the Work-from-home collections by these Raymond brands, giving you an assurity on quality and style, as well as flexibility in pricing. Suiting your pocket, you can cruise through a range of outfits, starting from just Rs. 699. Check them out on myraymond.com.

Restrategize Your Workspace with Qpro by Qdesq Across India

Qdesq recently launched Qpro, a new vertical to accelerate the restrategizing of workspaces. As the world is amidst the battle with COVID-19, people who started work from home are still sticking to it post lockdown. The fear of the pandemic is restricting many professionals to step outside of their homes and sit out of office. 

Qpro provides on-demand dedicated desks and promotes work near home. You can book any number of desks and pay monthly. Qpro stresses highly on the word 'flexibility' and hence ensures no-security deposits and no lock-in period. 

The traditional days of having a single office are to be left behind. The new world workforce seeks flexibility to work from anywhere. The head office should be reformed as the place for top executives and conduction of data-sensitive operations. While the teams can work remotely from various managed offices. Qpro acts as the business contingency plan and creates a framework to segregate your team in various offices inter/intra city and puts your business back in action. 

"Qpro will enable all firms to have a financially prudent and productive parallel to work from home, having a fruitful workspace with no strings attached that too on-demand basis in terms of location and flexibility," says Paras Arora, CEO & Co-Founder, Qdesq.

All the offices booked through Qpro are affordable and aesthetically designed. The presence of premium facilities will increase the level of productivity. The managed offices have all the basic and advanced amenities like high-speed internet, transport accessibility, CCTV/security, cafeteria, centralized A.C., etc. One of the key advantages is all the spaces available for booking, abide by the COVID-19 precautionary and check measures, including regular sanitization, social distancing, and adherence for masks

"Qpro not only upgrades the performance factor of the quality but also applies on your financial front where you save capital in the form of no Capex, add of multi-year leases, add or removing a desk as per your requirement, zero fit-out cost etc. which makes it a viable option,” says Lavesh Bhandari, CTO & Co-Founder, Qdesq

Productivity and growth-oriented environment comprise various factors such as infrastructure, energy, and team collaboration. All of these traits are present in a good working milieu and will have a positive impact on your performance. The future of the workspaces is not working from home rather work near home. 

From a single desk to an enterprise solution, Qpro believes in flexibility and productivity for you and your team. It currently caters to Bangalore, Hyderabad, Delhi-NCR, and key micro-markets in other cities. 

OYO and Unilever Partner to Lead the Way on Indian Hotel Cleanliness

Highlights

* Extension of OYO’s recently launched ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative to ensure customer and hotel employees’ safety with minimal touch Standard Operating Procedures

* The in-progress changes made by OYO may include additional deep-cleaning of high-touch surfaces, individual Unilever hygiene kits for guests as well as "last cleaned" charts and further social distancing practices at OYO properties

* Unilever will provide education for hospitality workers and products from its portfolio of trusted hygiene and sanitation brands to help OYO create a cleaner and more hygienic stay for OYO customers

* Partnership will begin in India and then go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, US, LATAM and Europe

OYO Hotels & Homes, one of the world’s leading hotel chains has partnered with Unilever, the global consumer goods company, to enhance OYO’s ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative with the help of Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene brands which will be used in the cleaning and disinfecting of OYO properties.

With higher hygiene standards, minimal-touch services, and enhanced credibility topping the list of customer requirements, Unilever’s R&D team will work with OYO to co-create Standard Operating Procedures for cleaning to maximise the positive effects of Unilever products. OYO properties where these operating procedures are used will display a tag on booking pages to show Unilever products have been used in cleaning services. This global partnership will begin in India and then go live across Indonesia, Vietnam, the US, LATAM and Europe.

Through this partnership, select OYO properties will have Unilever hygiene kits for guests and cleaning supplies for staff, including products from brands such as Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif.

To provide a cleaner and more hygienic experience to guests right from check-in to check-out, OYO has upgraded its cleanliness and hygiene protocols to suit the ‘new normal’ with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’. These include the following upgraded in-progress protocols using Unilever products:

* Deep cleaning and disinfecting in-room high touch zones: Disinfecting most frequently accessed touchpoints in the room like TV/AC remotes, phone, switches, door handles/knobs, bathroom surface & bath fittings, closets and all hard surfaces

* Hand hygiene products for guests: Alcohol-based hand gel will be made available at all key entrances, exits and high traffic areas for guests

* Sanitised common areas: Common areas (registration desk, lobby, elevators, business centres, dining rooms, etc.) will be cleaned at least four times a day

* Safety gear for staff: Hotel staff will be provided with personal protective equipment such as face masks and gloves. Housekeeping staff will be required to wear required protective gear while cleaning rooms. It will be mandatory for all hotel employees to wear masks and gloves at all times 

* Restricting housekeeping during the stay: Guest rooms will be thoroughly cleaned and disinfected between guests. Housekeeping services/room cleaning will be performed only at checkout, or on-demand, when the guests are not present in the room as they may not prefer staff entering their room.

* Laundry & linen: Linens will be put in special, marked laundry bags and handled carefully to avoid potential contamination to surrounding surfaces or people. Linen will be changed at the guest’s request only. Linens will be laundered keeping in mind the high safety standards and best practices

* Encouragement of in-room dining: When ordering room service, guests will experience contactless delivery, with orders and single-use dishes placed outside their guest room door

Ritesh Agarwal, Founder & Group CEO, OYO added, “As the world begins to travel again, we must all collectively ensure that health and safety remain the absolute priority. The scientific expertise of Unilever and assurance of their brands Lifebuoy, Domex, Sunlight and Cif are second to none and we are confident that our guests will have a quality and stress-free experience with ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products. We’re pleased that by partnering with Unilever and providing their trusted products, we are able to help customers, as well as our staff, stay as safe as possible. With our committed asset owners, we are ready to host consumers across the world and we promise to give our customers the confidence to enjoy the OYO experience as we help drive higher standards in hygiene”

Sanjiv Mehta, Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Unilever said, “With Hindustan Unilever’s long history in India, we are determined to do our part to protect lives and livelihoods and are glad to have found a strong partner in OYO who shares this vision. Through this partnership, Unilever is pleased to be able to help, through our known and trusted home and personal hygiene brands and education on correct use. We remain committed to improving the health and wellbeing of millions across the globe, and keeping our communities safe during these times.”

Harshal Sharma, asset owner of two OYO properties in Gurgaon, India added, “As a hotel owner, my first priority is the health and safety of my guests and staff. I have been associated with OYO for over two years. Over the last couple of months, the OYO team has been on their feet, coming up with innovative solutions to ensure that the customer’s changing requirements due to the pandemic are followed. My property is one of the first to have introduced ‘OYO Sanitised Stays’ with Unilever’s leading home and personal hygiene products and I am committed to continuing working closely with OYO to create a comfortable, safe and secure experience for my guests.”

With the Centre’s decision to open hotels in a phased manner, under Unlock 1.0, OYO, has begun welcoming guests across multiple states from June 8, 2020 onwards. Recently, OYO’s senior leadership including Rohit Kapoor, CEO, India & South Asia, Ankit Gupta, COO, Frontier Business, Abhishek Thard, Region Head - West II checked into various OYO Hotels in Gurgaon, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Bhubaneswar among others to experience the ‘Sanitised Stays’ initiative.

Gen X and Boomers More Willing to Return to Work, While Gen Z and Millennials Prefer to Wait: LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index

LinkedIn, the world’s largest professional network, today announced the findings of the sixth edition of the LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index, a fortnightly pulse on the confidence of the Indian workforce. Based on survey responses of 1,351 professionals in India, findings from the fortnight of June 1-14 reveal how India’s workforce feels about returning to work, and how professionals from different generations exhibit varied confidence levels towards returning to the physical workplace.

This fortnight’s LinkedIn Workforce Confidence Index shows that India’s overall confidence remains steady with a composite score of +48, as India gets ready to return work. The cautious optimism also reflects in the strong short-term and long-term employer confidence levels of professionals from sectors such as Corporate Services and Manufacturing. India’s workforce is also beginning to feel more confident about their personal finances as 1 in 4 professionals in India expect their earned incomes (25%) and personal spending (26%) to increase in the next 6 months. In fact, about 1 in 3 professionals also expect their personal savings (31%) and personal recurring debt payments (29%) to increase in the next 6 months. This financial confidence comes at a time when India’s economy is gradually restarting.

Commenting on this rise in financial confidence, Leadership Coach Harsh Johari says, “Professionals will continue to be prudent about money management, given the prevailing uncertainties. While some businesses in the digital space are seeing growth, the actual financial impact on India Inc will only become clear when listed companies unveil their results for the quarter ending June 30.”

Working remotely for the past three months has encouraged businesses to adapt innovative and digital measures for business continuity. However, as India ‘unlocks’ and workplaces reboot, findings of the sixth Workforce Confidence Index underscore a pronounced difference in how the older and younger professionals feel about returning to the physical workplace.

About 1 in 3 Gen Z and Millennials will continue working remotely until safer

As the business landscape resumes, older professionals appear keen on stepping out into the post-Covid-19 world while younger professionals are not rushing to embrace it. Findings reaffirm this difference in perception as 38% of Gen X and 29% of Baby Boomers said they will willingly return to the workplace as soon as they are allowed, whereas 1 in 3 Gen Z (29%) and Millennials (32%) said they will continue working remotely until they feel safer about being around others. One reason for this, as HR expert Abhijit Bhaduri states, “Younger workers are adept in using digital means of communication. Senior professionals may find it challenging to hire and manage performance of remote teams.” Hence, varied levels of digital prowess could be one of the reasons behind such contrasting outlooks from different generations.

Risk of exposure, commute to work, and close proximity worry Indian professionals

While the nationwide lockdown is gradually being lifted, the stigma around COVID-19 prevails due to uncertainty around safety measures. Findings reveal that more than half (55%) of Indian professionals think being exposed to people neglecting safety precautions is a key concern. 58% of Millennials and 56% of Gen X professionals are shown being concerned about the same problem. Probing further, findings highlight that 42% Millennials are concerned about commuting to work while nearly half (46%) are worried about eating and sharing resting/collaborative spaces. The report also shows that inadequate space between workstations is cited as another primary concern with returning to work, as it could make it tough for professionals to practice healthy measures of social distancing.

Corporate Services and Manufacturing professionals most confident about the future of their companies

This fortnight’s findings also gauge how Indian professionals feel about the short-term (6 months) and long-term (1 year) future of their companies. With regards to short-term employer confidence, survey findings show that 50% of Corporate Services professionals, 46% of Manufacturing professionals, and 41% of Education professionals think their companies will be better off six months from now. When it comes to long-term employer confidence, findings reveal that 64% of Manufacturing, 60% of Corporate Services, and 59% of Software & IT professionals believe their companies will be better off one year from now. Based on these findings, it is observed that professionals from Corporate Services and the Manufacturing sectors have the strongest short-term and long-term company outlook, respectively.

Will BT take back 2,000 Desi jobs to UK?

BT chief executive Ian Livingston has announced that the company will revert at least 2,000 call centre jobs from India back to Britain.

The company has a significant presence in India where the telecom major has a customer service staff of 11,000 employees.

At the group's annual meeting Livingston was asked by an investor, about the group's planning to close call centres in India. Livingston disclosed the plans to revert jobs in his response to the question.

However, BT said the move had nothing to do with the quality of service offered in India. A BT spokesperson said, “This is not about customer service as the service in our operations around the globe is of very similar standards. It is about the effective deployment of our resources.”

“We have opportunities to bring some activities, carried out by our partners, back from outside the UK to permanent BT employees in the UK who are skilled to do this work,” he said.

CNet.com

New technology that will allow users to talk to web

Giving a new dimension to the internet, the Indian research arm of the US-based IT giant IBM has developed a technology that will allow users to talk to the web and create voice sites using mobile phones.

"People will talk to the web and the web will respond. The research technology is analogous to the internet. Unlike personal computers it will work on mobile phones where people can simply create their voice sites," IBM India Research Laboratory Associate Director Manish Gupta said.

For this technology, IBM has developed a new protocol -- Hyperspeech Transfer Protocol (HSTP) -- which is similar to the Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP).

"India now has over 360 million cell phone subscribers. Last month we added 15 million," he said pointing out that the research technology targets ordinary mobile phone users, all of whom may not be literate.

The spoken web is a network of voice sites or interconnected voice and the response the company got in some pilot projects in Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat and the kind of innovations that people came up with were just mind-boggling, Gupta said.

Agencies