Hyatt Launches India-Focused Customized Lifestyle Rewards Program ‘Hyatt Dining Club’

Hyatt announced the launch of an all-new annual subscription lifestyle rewards program for India, Hyatt Dining Club. Recognising the importance of India as a travel destination and the needs of the discerning consumer in India, Hyatt Dining Club provides customised experiences across the country. The program is built on the foundation of extensive research conducted in association with Kantar IMRB and Coral Research Services. Based on the understanding that guests value holistic experiences, Hyatt Dining Club aims to move beyond standard dining rewards programs, with incentives not just limited to restaurants but also in-hotel elements such as spa treatments and social events and more through exclusive deals with third parties like Xoxoday and PVR Cinemas.

Providing exciting deals and handpicked experiences inside and outside the Hyatt ecosystem, Hyatt Dining Club is an annual subscription-based lifestyle rewards program that offers unique experiences to members with customized program options, third-party deals and easy online enrolments. Paytm, India’s largest digital payments platform, is the exclusive official payments processor for the program

Research findings show that rewards program subscribers seek benefits that add value to their complete stay or dining experience. By going beyond restaurants and in-hotel elements, Hyatt Dining Club has been created as a customizable program that allows people to pick what they care for. Its simplicity is reflected in its structure – there are no tiers or points.

Seamlessly digital, the program offers online enrollments and rewards – with every membership linked to a unique mobile number. Along with a 30% eligible food and beverage purchases at participating hotels, the program offers a variety of benefits such as suite upgrades, exclusive offers on meeting and event spaces, added personal perks at the spa or on special occasions. Keeping in mind that guests look forward to experiential benefits, Hyatt Dining Club allows members to pick one of the five unique packages focusing on stays (Suite Life), spa (Pamper Me), food (Food Fanatic), meetings (Down To Business) and social events (Life Of The Party).

Beyond the numerous restaurants and in-hotel rewards, Hyatt Dining Club offers benefits of curated lifestyle experiences to members through exclusive deals with third parties like PVR Cinemas and Xoxoday. Valid across all Hyatt properties in India, the program treats its members to other perks such preferred member seating and invitations to special events.

Sunjae Sharma, Vice President, Operations, Hyatt India remarked, “Devised after careful research, Hyatt Dining Club is an easy-to-use program, especially crafted for Hyatt guests in India. We understand that guests value benefits that go beyond in-hotel experiences and dining, and as a result Hyatt Dining Club seamlessly weaves restaurants offerings at Hyatt hotels with exclusive lifestyle experiences, through in-hotel services and third-party deals. We are extremely grateful to PVR Cinemas, Xoxoday and Paytm for collaborating with us.”

The research (both qualitative & quantitative) conducted by Coral Research Services and Kantar IMRB indicates that consistency across outlets is an important factor for guests. The survey conducted by Hyatt and Kantar IMRB involved 60+ focus groups and depth interviews across key cities in India and quantitative research with 700+ customers. The research surveyed working men and women aged 26-55, belonging to SECC A1 & A, who are members of airline and hotel programs, and dine out at least twice a month.

The research highlighted that members seek benefits which add value to their complete stay or dining experience, by going beyond restaurant and in-hotel elements. It also found that guests possess a desire for customization, building a relationship and a preference for rewards over discounts. Taking into account these insights, Hyatt Dining Club is crafted to address guest preferences to meet each person’s individual needs.

With an annual fee, members of Hyatt Dining Club can avail various benefits and discounts at all Hyatt hotels across India. The program also provides a free trial that allows members to experience select dining benefits.

Jaguar’s All-Electric I-PACE Earns Five-Star Euro NCAP Safety Rating

The all-electric Jaguar I-PACE has achieved a five-star Euro NCAP safety rating, confirming it as one of the safest vehicles on the road.

Jaguar’s first electric performance SUV scored 91% for adult occupant protection, 81% for child occupant protection and 81% for safety assist. I-PACE scored maximum points for both the side barrier impact and the more severe side pole test, with good protection of all critical body areas.

This latest result means all three members of Jaguar’s PACE SUV family, E-PACE, F-PACE and I-PACE, have the maximum five-star Euro NCAP rating, demonstrating Jaguar’s commitment to engineering some of the safest family cars. I-PACE is the tenth consecutive model from Britain’s biggest vehicle manufacturer to receive five stars.

Simon Black, Senior Project Leader, Body Engineering Jaguar Land Rover said: “The Jaguar I-PACE has already received awards for its design, performance and handling. This latest award from Euro NCAP confirms the I-PACE’s exceptional safety standards. The SUV has been expertly engineered with a lightweight aluminium body structure and integrated battery pack to provide outstanding crash protection for occupants. Safety is our biggest priority and it is fantastic to see the Euro NCAP results reflect this.”

The I-PACE’s lightweight aluminium body structure delivers inherently high levels of stiffness, and when combined with the integral battery pack – protected by a structural aluminium frame – delivers the highest torsional rigidity of any Jaguar yet, at 36kNm per degree.

Highlights of the body design include industry-first use of aluminium forgings, and Jaguar-first applications of post-form heat treatment to increase the strength of the aluminium alloys used in crash-critical areas.

I-PACE, also features advanced safety technologies to protect road users and pedestrians. Technologies include a deployable bonnet and Autonomous Emergency Braking with Pedestrian and Cyclist Detection. Jaguar also designed a unique Audible Vehicle Alert System (AVAS) for its first electric vehicle that warns road users when the vehicle is approaching. The sound can be heard at speeds up to 20km/h and exceeds the 56dB(A) minimum required by forthcoming European legislation. The system was tested in conjunction with members of Guide Dogs for the Blind, the UK’s leading charity for people affected by sight loss.

In addition to safety technologies, the performance SUV offers a full suite of advanced driver assistance systems including Adaptive Cruise Control with Steering Assist, Blind Spot Assist, and 360° Parking Aid.

HDFC ERGO Announces Corporate Agency Tie-Up with Federal Bank

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company, India’s leading private sector general insurance company and Federal Bank, announced tie-up for the distribution of HDFC ERGO’s range of non-life insurance offerings to the customers of the Bank through its network branches.

The two entities have joined hands and entered into a corporate agency partnership to offer comprehensive general insurance products through the network of Federal Bank’s 1250+ branches spread across entire country. The Bank with its Pan India network and technological edge comes as an advantage for HDFC ERGO. Federal Bank’s deep rooted presence in Southern markets also allows the Company to strengthen its foothold within the region. Also, this enables Federal Bank to offer their customers’ a comprehensive solution for all their financial requirements under a single roof.

Commenting on the tie-up, Anuj Tyagi, Executive Director & Chief Distribution Officer, HDFC ERGO General Insurance said, “Our Bancassurance practice over the years have matured to offer comprehensive Insurance solutions to end customers both digitally and physically, which  benefits the customers in many ways. Our alliance with Federal Bank is an important milestone and allows us to collaborate and expand our reach by offering our Insurance products to a wider audience across the country through the Banks branches and digital network. It is our constant endeavour to make our products more widely available for the consumers from all sections of the society and we see immense opportunity in our association with Federal Bank.”

Jose K Mathews, Executive Vice President & Head Retail Business, Federal Bank said, “Our aim has always been to create greater value for our customers and the tie up with HDFC ERGO will give our customers access to a host of general insurance services which are designed to address their needs. We are delighted to announce HDFC ERGO as our Bancassurance partner. This alliance marks the reaffirmation of our commitment towards our customers’ financial well-being by providing them with comprehensive insurance solutions.”

ACT Fibernet Join Hands with Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) to Provide Mobile Toilet Units for its Battalion

ACT Fibernet (Atria Convergence Technologies Ltd.) India’s largest fiber-focused wired broadband ISP (Internet Service Provider), has teamed up with the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) to provide mobile toilets for the KSRP battalion.

Taking a step towards the KSRP’s Swachh Bharat Mission and as part of its CSR program, the initiative will enable police personnel to maintain their personal hygiene while on duty.  Additionally, the mobile toilets can be towed by the KSRP vehicles and used even in remote places where there are no toilet facilities.

Commenting on this, Sunil Yajaman, Vice President, ACT Fibernet said, “Our partnership with the Karnataka State Reserve Police (KSRP) has given us any opportunity to give back to the service members who have sacrificed so much to keep us and our city safe. Being able to express our gratitude in this small way means a lot to us. We hope to continue our collaboration with the Karnataka police towards building a safe, clean and green society.”

Commenting on this, Bhaskar Rao, IPS, Addl. DGP KSRP said, "Karnataka Police is extremely grateful to ACT Fibernet for this gesture under their CSR project. Usually the KSRP Batallion while on duty find it very difficult to answer the call of nature and get criticized if the right thing is not done. This contribution from ACT Fibernet comes as a huge relief to them and is certainly very helpful to our force. I thank ACT Fibernet for this and for all that they do under CSR for Karnataka Police."

Bengaluru Hosts Roadshow for 9th Edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2019

With the 9th edition of the Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit 2019 fast approaching, Gujarat Education Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama led the official roadshow for the Global Summit in Bengaluru at The Sheraton.

Addressing a hall filled with IT and service sectors leaders and industrialists of the city, Chudasama laid out the theme and focus for the 9th edition of the biennial summit. He spoke in detail about the investment potential in Gujarat and gave a glimpse of the government policies designed for different sectors that have furthered growth and investment in the state of Gujarat.

Inviting participation at the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit, Chudasama said, “We expect more than 35,000 participants at the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Summit, including not just business leaders and investors, but also a large number of traders, exporters and importers. Vibrant Gujarat 2019 is proposed to have a much sharper focus on networking and B2B interactions; and hence events such as Buyer-Seller Meet and Conclave of Global Chambers of Commerce would be of immense relevance to serve this purpose. I am sure that you will be able to identify and tap business opportunities arising out of Gujarat, not just in conventional manufacturing, but also in sectors such as financial services, aerospace, defence, electronics, logistics, retail, tourism; and even media and entertainment”

Chudasama also spoke about mega projects such as the Special Investment Regions at Dholera and Mandal-Becharaji; GIFT City; Saykha Industrial Estate within PCPIR; Coastal Economic Zone in Kachchh; and India’s first 1 GW offshore wind energy park, the Delhi-Mumbai Industrial Corridor and Ahmedabad-Mumbai Bullet Train.

Along with industrial growth, he emphasized the government’s focus on providing good healthcare and education for the citizens of Gujarat through the implementation of the Aayushman Bharat program. In terms of education and skill development, he said, “The Government is laying a strong emphasis on collaborating with global organizations and corporations, to establish skill development infrastructure and programs. Such skill development would be aimed at making Gujarat’s workforce more deployable and skilled, in the face of the upcoming Fourth Industrial Revolution.”

Gujarat has set an example for rest of the states of the nation as to how investment opportunities could be explored and employment can be generated by laying proactive policies for investment.  Chudasama also spoke of the fact that while Vibrant Gujarat may have started out as a summit to attract investments to the State of Gujarat; today it caters to the global audience. Vibrant Gujarat is opportunity for other states also to interact with the global business community, which will eventually benefit their state.

Elaborating further on the investment potential of Gujarat, Commissioner of Health Jayanti Ravi, IAS, said, “Gujarat is one of India’s most industrialized and urbanized economies, and is among the leading Indian States on several economic and social indicators such as GDP growth rate, industrial output, per-capita income and so on. Gujarat’s economic development is built on the strong foundations of a strategic location, robust physical and social infrastructure, proactive governance, and Ease of Doing Business. Hence, the State has traditionally been an ideal choice for investment, for both domestic as well as multinational businesses. In addition to actual investments in business ventures, the State also offers a strategic trade and exports gateway to the global commerce community.”

During the event, Government of Gujarat signed an MOU with Texport Industries Pvt. Ltd. for their investment intension of setting up Garment Manufacturing unit under the Gujarat Garment and Apparel Policy 2017. The proposed garment manufacturing unit will be established at Miyawadi (Bardoli) near Surat and will generate employment of 2000 which consist mostly of women.

The Education Minister also held one to one meetings with CEOs and MDs of key industries in the region and apprised them about investor friendly policies of the State Government and invited them to participate in the upcoming Vibrant Gujarat Global Summit.

The roadshow in Bengaluru closely follows the recently concluded Vibrant Gujarat Curtain Raiser held in New Delhi, Mumbai and Pune.

Senior officers from Government of Gujarat including, Dr. Jayanti Ravi, Principal Secretary, Health and Family Welfare Department, Government of Gujarat, Mamta Verma IAS, Industries Commissioner, Dr. Dhananjay Dwivedi IAS, Secretary Department of Science and Technology, and RK Beniwal, IAS Managing Director, Industrial Extension Bureau, Government of Gujarat were in attendance.

SpaceX Puts India's First Private Startup Satellite in Polar Orbit

California-based SpaceX has announced the successful launch of India’s first homegrown satellite built by a Mumbai-based private startup, which is part of the 70-odd satellites from 16 countries, that were launched in a sun-synchronous polar orbit.

The ExseedSat-1, built with the contributions of several ham operators and with the help of small Indian firms, is expected to play a major role during natural disasters as it facilitates effective two-way communication through a simple hand-held walkie-talkie with a beam antenna.

Euphoria gripped India's southern city of Hyderabad on Tuesday after SpaceX announced that all 64 satellites on board the Falcon-9 rocket had been successfully placed on orbit.

The mission, launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California, included a one kilogram CubeSat named ExseedSat1 which was fully conceived, designed and made by Indian start-up Exseed Space without taking any help from the state-owned space agency ISRO.

The startup was founded by Ashhar Farhan and Kris Nair. The startup claims that it is also part of the private consortium who won the historic AIT bid last year to build large satellites for the Indian government.

"ExseedSat-1 carried an amateur radio payload. Licensed radio amateurs around the world will be able to access, receive and talk through it using a simple hand-held walkie-talkie with beam antenna", Kris Nair, one of the founders said.

Exseed Space is working towards setting up India's first contract satellite manufacturing facility. Once operational, the facility will cater to the growing global demands of manufacturing CubeSats, NanoSats, and MicroSats (1U/2U/3U/6U). Platforms the start-up builds are based on units of 10cm by 10cm by 10cm CubeSats.

The power output is selectable between 1 watt and 0.5 watts. The purpose of the mission is to interest student outreach. Depending on the life of the battery, the satellite may provide service for two years and then the satellite would de-orbit naturally.

The SpaceX mission have launched 70 spacecraft from 50 different organisations, including 15 microsats and 56 cubesats, that will rank it as the single largest ride-share mission from a US-based launch vehicle, the report added.

It includes payloads from 18 countries: India, United States, Australia, Italy, Netherlands, Finland, South Korea, Spain, Switzerland, UK, Germany, Jordan, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Poland, Canada, South Africa, and Brazil.

IIA Held International Mr & Miss World Grand Finale in Bangalore

The fourth edition of International Iconic Federation (IIF), Bangalore have successfully hosted and organised, Mr & Miss World Grand Finale for the first time at the Royal Orchid Resort, Yelahanka in Bangalore on a grand note.

Nearly forty foreign participants both men and women represented their countries mainly from Indonesia, Cuba, Kazakhstan, Iran, Middle East and African countries at the glamorous event. India’s Miss Sangitha was crowned as a Second Runner Up. In men section, Indonesia and Iran sealed their First Runners Up position.

Bollywood celebrity Sara Khan judged the show along with CEO Nasagman IIF. CEO, who assured to make India a desired destination for fashion lovers in times to come and has also promised to deliver international experience to the participants and assured that Bangalore would be the most ideal location to celebrate the events.