HSIL’s Benelave Signs on Bollywood Actor Shraddha Kapoor as the Brand Ambassador

Benelave, from the house of HSIL, the largest ceramics in India, has signed leading Bollywood actor Shraddha Kapoor as its brand ambassador to elevate brand awareness and visibility.

Benelave offers a wide range of bath space products to suit the needs of value-seeking consumers. It is a brand for young Indians who are looking for good designs coupled with modern aesthetics for their bathrooms.

Commenting on the new association, Sandip Somany, Vice Chairman and Managing Director, HSIL Limited said, “Shraddha is one of India’s most loved youth icon, and we believe that our core audience resonates with her grounded and girl-next-door personality. We are excited as this association will enable us explore new avenues for our continued growth and success.”

He further added, “Benelave is on a high growth trajectory and is doing extremely well in in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities since its launch a few years ago. Shraddha’s versatile acting skills have made her extremely popular among the masses and this association will help us widen our existing consumer base”

“HSIL is one of the most trusted and iconic companies in India and I am delighted to be their brand ambassador. It is great to see that HSIL is not only committed towards delivering unmatched designs and quality in their offerings, but also towards creating welcoming bath spaces for the entire family.” said Shraddha Kapoor on the new partnership.

Shraddha will be the face of Benelave’s upcoming campaigns. She joins the likes of Shahrukh Khan, Jacqueline Fernandez among others, who already front HSIL various bath space brands. 

Benelave encompasses the entire bathroom category with various offerings under faucets, showers, sanitaryware, accessories and allied products. Over the years, HSIL Limited has bolstered its distribution network for Benelave with 100 distributors and 2500 retailers across 300 cities.

Array's Virtual Application Delivery Controller Now Available on Google Cloud Platform Marketplace

Array Networks Inc., a network functions platform company, today announced the immediate availability of its vAPV virtual application delivery controller on the Google Cloud Marketplace. Running on Google Compute Engine, Array's virtual ADC provides organizations deploying applications or services on Google Cloud the ability to enhance the availability, performance and security of these applications and services either in a pure public cloud environment or in conjunction with private datacenters. What's more, the availability of the vAPV virtual application delivery controller on Google Cloud Platform enables new deployment models for customers seeking portability and utility pricing for applications and services.

Array's vAPV is a full featured, all-in-one ADC product that offers a broad range of functions such as Layer 3 through 7 server load balancing, content routing, SSL offloading and bridging, caching and compression, multi-layer security, clustering and high availability, link load balancing and global server load balancing (GSLB). This functionality is critical as organizations increasingly move to private, public and hybrid cloud architectures. These enterprises need solutions that allow services and applications to scale to accommodate growing user bases. Array's vAPV virtual load balancer intelligently load balances traffic loads across multiple virtual servers, allowing applications and services to scale up, scale down, or scale out on the fly.

"We are very pleased to join the Google Cloud Platform Marketplace and offer our application delivery solutions that are optimized for Google Cloud," said Paul Andersen, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Array Networks. "The ability to deploy on Google Cloud is an important step toward our vision of supporting our customers' business-critical applications whenever and wherever they choose to deploy them."

Array's vAPV virtual application delivery controller has been verified for compatibility with Google Cloud, helping to ensure reliability and ease of deployment and use. Array offers perpetual, monthly and yearly subscription licenses on a bring-your-own-license (BYOL) basis for Google Cloud.

OBOPAY Launches New Generation Pre-Payment Instrument for Enterprise Customers

In an effort to empower enterprises with a comprehensive disbursement and payments solution, OBOPAY, the global financial technology company, today announced the launch of a new generation pre-payment instrument in partnership with Federal Bank and Mastercard.

Enterprises often have to deal with legacy systems for disbursements and payments to employees and ecosystem partners. At the same time, users have to use different modes for different payments like, bank accounts for using salary, digital wallets for payments, food coupons, insurance cards for insurance claim, etc. All these existing solutions are restrictive in terms of their usage and there are gaps existing in these systems. The OBOPAY card is built as a one-stop solution that addresses all needs of the enterprise and users seamlessly and can be used at over three million Mastercard outlets in India.

The highlights of the card include unique innovations such as the multi-wallet facility that allows dedicated payments and allocation of money for various purposes, the ‘Split transaction’ feature which provides payment flexibility to users and multiple payment scenarios among many others. While Cardholders will be able to use the OBOPAY card as a prepaid card, the card will also provide them with a host of additional features such as card to card money transfer, making online payments, withdrawing cash at ATMs among many others. The card can be availed by all the business entities including corporate, distributor – retailer ecosystem, colleges, factories etc. The account can be operated with zero minimum balance and the users will not be levied any service charge on usage. 

Commenting on the card launch, Shailendra Naidu, CEO, OBOPAY, said “Launch of OBOPAY card is another significant landmark in our journey as it reinstates our position as a global mobile payment solutions company. We are delighted to join hands with Mastercard and Federal Bank for promoting digitization and creating a robust digital payments solution which will provide end users with the highest level of convenience. OBOPAY will play a vital role in facilitating the program management and customer life cycle management for the end-users. The Card is a customer-centric innovation from OBOPAY and we are keen that it helps us do our bit for the cause of Financial Inclusion.”

Vikas Varma, Senior Vice President, South Asia, Mastercard said, “Mastercard is excited to partner with OBOPAY and Federal Bank to provide a convenient and safe payment method to the Indian consumers. OBOPAY card will encourage the use of digital payments for several needs, where the consumers often use cash. This initiative also highlights Mastercard’s continuous commitment to bring digitally empowered financial inclusion to life, especially in tier 2 & 3 cities in India.

Nilufer Mullanfiroze, Senior Vice President, Federal Bank, said, “We are pleased to partner with OBOPAY and Mastercard for promoting payments throughprepaid cards. The card will act as a holistic solution to tackle issues in existing card payment systems in India. The prepaid card can serve multiple purposes such as food coupons,online purchases, fuel purchase, payments to cab aggregators, pharmacies, hospitals, online purchases etc. As a digital payment option, it is a firm step towards less-cash society. ”

The OBOPAY card is a holistic payment ecosystem in itself as it caters to the needs of users, corporates and merchants and addresses multiple payment gaps that exist for corporates, distribution companies, EPC players, Pharma industry etc., which do not have a complete solution for all types of disbursements and payments to their employees, daily wage earners, distributors, retailers, doctors, etc. OBOPAY card is an answer to all the aforesaid concerns. The card has multi-wallets facility with each wallet having the potential to handle a distinct and specific role/ usage as required. Users can use this card for multiple payments such as, bank accounts for using salary, digital wallets for payments, food coupons for food coupons, insurance cards for insurance claim, etc.

Royal Stag ‘Makes it Large’ for Cricket Fans by Partnering with ICC as Official Sponsors

Royal Stag has partnered with the International Cricket Council (ICC) that further strengthens the brand’s ties with Cricket, the sport loved by more than one billion adult fans the world over. The partnership, which runs through 2023, confirms Royal Stag as official sponsors of cricket's international events, including the upcoming big-ticket calendar events – the ICC Cricket World Cup, ICC T20 World Cup and ICC World Test Championship.

Cricket has always been central to Royal Stag’s brand communication. Over the years, the brand’s continuous association with the world’s top cricketers has bolstered its engagement with cricket lovers across the country.

“Royal Stag has always stood by its brand philosophy of “Make It Large” – inspiring people to dream large and be the creators of their own destiny. In India cricket transcends from being a sport to a religion, with an ever-increasing set of devoted cricket lovers. Our journey with cricket started in 2000 and since then we have only strengthened our brand associations with the sport, creating a huge impact on cricket fans across the country”, says Kartik Mohindra, CMO, Pernod Ricard India.

Commenting on the deal, Kartik Mohindra further added, “Our aim is to share the excitement of the game with cricket fans around the world. Partnering with ICC, one of the most coveted sports bodies in the world, allows us to deliver a truly “Make it Large” experience for die-hard cricket fans, especially with the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup around the corner”.

On this momentous occasion, Guillaume Girard-Reydet, MD, Pernod Ricard India said, “We are delighted to partner with the prestigious International Cricket Council, and look forward to an action-packed calendar in the next five years of which two events in India only. As India gets ready to host two of these upcoming tournaments, this partnership firmly cements our position in the international sports arena. We continue to stay committed to the sport and cherish the spirit of the game.”

Commenting on the agreement, David Richardson, Chief Executive, International Cricket Council, said: "The ICC is pleased to welcome Royal Stag on board as our Proud Partner. We look forward to working together for the next five years in delivering a meaningful experience to cricket fans across ICC global events.”

ThoughtWorks’ First Ever ‘Interning with Pride’ Program Concludes with Job Offers to all Interns

ThoughtWorks, a global software consultancy celebrated the completion of ‘Interning with Pride,’ a unique internship program designed exclusively for candidates from the LGBTQI+ community. The unique 5-month program was organized at the company’s Hyderabad office with an aim to provide graduates with a safe space to pursue their technical ambitions.

The program received 57 entrees out of which a total of 4 were shortlisted. The program helped interns sharpen their programming skills through hands-on sessions on object-oriented programming practices and principles. It also provided them with exposure to both, agile practices and the latest industry trends. After successful completion of the internship, ThoughtWorks extended job offers to all 4 interns.

Speaking on completion of the successful pilot internship program, Tina Vinod, Diversity and Inclusion Head at ThoughtWorks India said, “We always have and will continue to stand in solidarity with India’s LGBTQI+ community. We truly hope the success of our ‘Interning with Pride’ program encourages many more organizations to run similar initiatives that will embrace and promote diversity in all its forms.”

During the course of the paid internship, candidates were provided with accommodations, laptops and travel support.

Karthik D and Jayanthi, who were amongst the 4 interns extended job offers, they said, “‘Interning With Pride’ helped hone our technical and communication skills amidst open conversations. The intensive training program was set in an environment that encouraged discussion of the LGBTQI+ history, culture, and issues. This experience affirmed our belief in the power of LGBTQI+ allies. We are extremely excited to work at ThoughtWorks and are proud to have been part of the pilot ‘Interning with Pride’ program.”

ThoughtWorkers, Archana Chillala and Srujan Kumar Bojjam who anchored the ‘Interning with Pride’ program added to this positive sentiment by saying, “This internship program has helped us engineer a more aware and inclusive workplace than we had before. At every step of the project, our intention was to ensure the safety and comfort of all the interns which in turn empowered them to bring their authentic selves to work, and do their best work as they felt both, comfortable and confident. Today, we are extremely proud to have such passionate and inquisitive technologists join us as full-time employees.”

‘Interning with Pride’ aligns with ThoughtWorks’ core belief that diversity of thoughts, perspectives, ideas, and solutions enhance innovation. The program is part of ThoughtWorks’ efforts to make the company and the technology industry more inclusive and reflective of the society that we live in. For updates on future editions of the internship program, watch this space.

BT and IISc to Establish a Collaborative Research Centre in Bangalore

BT is partnering with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), one of India’s leading research institutions, to launch a new collaborative research centre in Bangalore, it was announced today.

The new BT India Research Centre (BTIRC) will join BT’s network of collaborative research facilities around the globe, including centres in Northern Ireland, China, the US, and the UAE. These global locations support the company’s strategic research agenda, generate insight into emerging technologies and develop new generations of products and services for BT and its customers. This global innovation network is centred on the BT Labs at Adastral Park, Suffolk, UK, one of the world’s leading centres for telecommunications research.

The BTIRC will focus on the development of cutting-edge artificial intelligence, mobility and cyber-security technologies for use in BT’s strategic programmes, products and services. The centre’s structure and organisation will follow a well-established model used for the company’s other global research locations, combining academic, industry and government partnerships and BT’s own commercial and research expertise.

Howard Watson, Chief Technology and Information Officer, BT, said: “India is an IT and technology powerhouse. We’re proud of our long-standing presence there, which is second only to the UK in terms of our global footprint, with over 10,300 people in the technology, service and support areas serving our customers around the world. The BT India Research Centre will create an exciting new hub for communications innovation, in partnership with the Indian Institute of Science, building new collaborative links between the UK and India in this crucial technology sector that is so central to economic growth.”

Prof Anurag Kumar, Director IISc said: “Collaboration between academia and the industry is essential for making progress in the complex emerging telecommunications technologies. This will be a partnership between one of India’s premier research institutes, and a world leader in telecom technology and services. We at IISc are looking forward to exciting research results and new technologies emerging from this partnership.

In July 2018, BT opened a new Cyber Security Operations Centre (Cyber SOC) in Gurugram. Using a range of advanced cyber security tools, the Cyber SOC monitors threats against BT’s own assets and its customers’ networks on a 24/7 basis, and is able to detect, analyse and mitigate cyber threats in real-time. The Cyber SOC will initially employ around 100 cyber security specialists, in addition to the team of 250 security people based separately in Gurugram, and signifies BT’s commitment to investing in its security capabilities in the region.

BT has a long history of working with leading Indian universities on the development of new technologies and is a significant employer of highly-skilled IT and technology experts in Bangalore and other locations across India. The BTIRC will complement BT’s existing relationship with the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology, Delhi, which is focused on elastic optical networks and quantum key distribution technologies.

Axis Bank's QuikPay Home Loan Offers Big Savings to Home Buyers

Axis Bank, the country’s third largest private bank, has launched ‘QuikPay Home Loan’, a first-of-its-kind home loan offering that will let home buyers save big on the interest amount component of the loan. Essentially, as against the industry norm, QuikPay Home Loan will offer an alternative repayment structure, wherein the customer repays an equal amount of principal every month along with interest on the outstanding balance. Thus an equated principal amount combined with reducing interest amount component will lead to reducing monthly instalments. As a result, there will be an overall reduction in total interest amount component paid over the entire tenure of the home loan, thereby benefitting the customer.

Instead of EMIs (equated monthly instalments), the customer will pay reducing monthly instalments. While the initial instalments will be higher (than the EMI on the same loan amount for the same tenure), the instalment amount keeps reducing throughout the loan tenure.

Speaking at the launch, Rajiv Anand, Executive Director (Retail Banking), Axis Bank, said, “For the benefit of our customers, we have launched QuikPay Home Loan, which is an innovative product that will reduce the overall interest burden on the borrower. We are confident that this unique concept of ‘reducing monthly instalments’, along with big savings on interest, will be an attractive proposition for home buyers.”

To illustrate the offering, let’s consider a typical home loan of Rs. 50 lacs for a 20 years at 9.00% pa. This loan will have a total interest outgo of Rs. 57.96 lacs over 20 years for the customer. However, with Axis Bank’s QuikPay Home Loans, for a loan of Rs. 50 lacs for the same tenure, even with a slightly higher annual rate of interest of 9.20%, the overall interest outgo will be only Rs 46.19 lacs, thereby resulting in an overall saving of Rs 11.77 lac for the customer.

Refer to the annexure for a detailed comparative break-up of the loan repayment schedule.