Design Dekko by Godrej debuts in India’s Garden City, Bengaluru

After the success of its first edition in Pune, ‘Connections by Design Dekko’, a unique platform initiated by Godrej witnessed the best of the design fraternity get together to share ideas on sustainable designs that will shape future ready living spaces in Bengaluru. The event was hosted at Godrej Lake Gardens, Sarjapur Road.

As part of its third edition, Connections by Design Dekko, Bengaluru brought together a mix of workshops, conversations and experience zones. Leading architects, interior designers, celebrities, home décor enthusiasts and students participated in this specially curated one-day event.

Popular TV host, author and chef Maria Goretti inspired the audience with interesting and personal anecdotes on how one can ‘Make Space for Passion’ with the help of interactive and sustainable home spaces. She spoke about how she engages with her family and friends while pursuing her passion for cooking; especially her favorite East Indian recipes from her kitchen.

This was followed by an evening that celebrated the minds who make sustainable spaces. Leading architect Dimple Mittal of Maya Praxis in conversation with Uday Bhasker, Business Head – South, Godrej Properties shared her experience on thinking radically for transforming spaces. Renowned fashion designer, Sounak Sen Barat of House of Three  spoke on Sustainability at Scale. What brought a very interesting twist to the evening was the presentation by two 15 year old water conservationists, Param Nayar and Ashwin Raghavan, who inspired the AID community with a thought-provoking session on water conservation.

Commenting on the initiative, Sujit Patil, Vice President & Head Corporate Brand and Communications, Godrej Group, said, “Godrej Group has always been at the forefront of creating platforms that foster engagement and collaboration. We are overwhelmed with the response received for our third pop-up event ‘Connections’ by Design Dekko in Bangalore. Design Dekko, today, is a preferred platform not just for established design professionals but also students across the nation. We have recently launched a nationwide school connect program preparing our future generation of architects to take on the role of securing and driving sustainable spaces in India”.

Connections by Design Dekko’s Bangalore edition was supported by Locator, India Circus, Godrej Interio, Godrej Security Solutions, Godrej Locks & Architechtural Fittings and Systems, and Godrej Properties. The ‘break in challenge’and experience zone by Godrej Security Solutions encouraged participants to attempt breaking open a home locker and win exciting prizes. Godrej Locks & Architectural Fittings and Systems showcased their new and innovative digital locks range. Godrej Properties offered homeowners a free consultation from leading architects. At the U&Us zone, homeowners received a free consultation from interior designers.

Deloitte Marks its 10th Consecutive Year of Growth; Record Revenue of US$46.2 Billion

Key highlights:

All Deloitte businesses, regions, and industries experienced continued growth in fiscal year 2019
The number of Deloitte professionals grew 9 percent to more than 312,000
Deloitte continues to advance its commitment to making a positive societal impact by preparing its people, clients, and communities to meet the evolving demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution

Deloitte has reported aggregate member firm revenue of US$46.2 billion for the fiscal year ending 31 May 2019 (FY2019). This is a 9.4 percent revenue increase in local currency and a US$3 billion increase over last year.

“At the core of Deloitte’s culture and business model is the fundamental belief that we exist to make a positive impact for clients, our people, and the communities in which we live and work. Our performance in FY2019 is evidence that a purpose-led approach works,” says Punit Renjen, Deloitte Global CEO. “Disruption and transformation are shaping business and society today, imposing new and urgent responsibilities on business leaders. Deloitte is meeting the challenges by building an equitable and sustainable business for the long term and holding itself accountable for the triple-bottom line of people, profit, and planet.”

People – Diversity and inclusion power the workforce of the future

Deloitte believes that its workforce must reflect the world around it if it is to succeed in solving its clients’ toughest challenges.

This year, Deloitte launched an initiative to globally coordinate its diversity and inclusion efforts. This is part of Deloitte’s long-standing commitment to talent development and building a workforce with the skills to solve the business and societal challenges of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. The key focus of the initiative is an effort to attract, retain, and increase the representation of women and minorities at all levels within Deloitte.

“While we are proud of our progress, we know we have more work to do to enable the next generation of leaders to reach their full potential. We are making conscious efforts to take steps to increase the number of women and underrepresented minorities in our leadership ranks throughout the organization, while recognizing that diversity and inclusion efforts are most successful when supported by the right environment, culture, and policies,” says Michele Parmelee, Deloitte Global Chief People and Purpose Officer. “Our strategy includes using data analytics to inform actions, modifying talent processes, setting global standards, and providing our people with more development, sponsorship, and leadership opportunities.”

In FY2019, Deloitte increased its workforce to approximately 312,000 professionals, a 9 percent increase. Growth occurred across all regions, with more than 90,000 professionals hired.

As Deloitte’s workforce continues to grow and as transformative technologies─such as digital, cloud, analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI)─become increasingly pervasive, Deloitte is focused on equipping its people with new capabilities that will enable them to be more tech savvy and future-ready. This, in turn, will allow Deloitte to help clients capitalize on these revolutionary innovations.

Deloitte combines common curricula, technology, and innovative learning facilities, such as Deloitte University (DU), to provide its people with consistent leadership, industry, and technical capabilities. Deloitte’s significant long-term investment in the Deloitte University system enables its people to advance their careers and participate in leadership-development programs in a world-class learning environment. In FY2019, nearly 133,000 Deloitte people around the world experienced DU. Additionally, a new personalized digital experience, powered by AI and machine learning, will provide Deloitte professionals with learning recommendations and access to the latest knowledge and skills-based learning they need, when and where they need it.

In addition to preparing its people and clients with the skills required for the jobs of the future, Deloitte is committed to helping millions of people around the world find meaningful work in the new economy. By 2030, Deloitte’s global societal impact initiative, WorldClass, aims to empower 50 million people by improving education outcomes, developing job skills, and providing access to opportunities. Since launching two years ago, WorldClass has reached 5.3 million people. This year, WorldClass continued to expand, reaching 3.8 million people and launching new programs in India, China, and South Africa.

In alignment with Deloitte’s global diversity and inclusion initiative, WorldClass includes a focus on identifying community opportunities and stakeholders who can raise the aspirations, confidence, and engagement of girls and young women, thereby preparing them for jobs, entrepreneurial endeavors, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution. For example, WorldClass in India is focused on accelerating high-impact solutions and promoting cross-sector collaboration with businesses, government, and nonprofits in order to help 10 million girls and women be better prepared for the future of work.

Profit – Record revenue marks 10th consecutive year of growth

Deloitte’s strategy and multidisciplinary business model continued to drive success globally in FY2019. All five business areas—Audit & Assurance, Consulting, Financial Advisory, Risk Advisory, and Tax & Legal—grew during this time.

All six industries also contributed to Deloitte’s growth in FY2019. Growth among the industries was led by Energy, Resources & Industrials, which grew at 20.4 percent, followed by Life Sciences & Health Care at 12.4 percent, Technology, Media & Telecommunications at 10.3 percent, Consumer at 8.5 percent, Financial Services at 5.9 percent, and Government & Public Services at 2.9 percent. Financial Services was the top contributor with US$12.4 billion in aggregate global revenue for FY2019.

Among the regions, revenue in Asia Pacific grew fastest with a local currency growth of 11.6 percent, followed by the Americas at 10.4 percent, and Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) at 7.9 percent.

“Our FY2019 results are a validation of Deloitte’s strategy to deliver high-quality, globally consistent service to our clients while continuing to serve the public interest and working to restore trust in capital markets. We evolved and innovated our offerings to address current and emerging client needs, and we increased our investments in learning and development to build a workforce with deep knowledge, capabilities, and leading-edge insights,” says Renjen.

Key growth drivers for Deloitte’s businesses in FY2019 included:

Audit & Assurance revenue experienced aggregate growth at 3.0 percent. Ongoing investments in audit quality, transformation, innovation, and technology demonstrates Deloitte’s commitment to restoring trust in the capital markets and serving the public interest, with audit quality being Deloitte’s top priority. Deloitte’s innovation and technology investments are anchored by its next-generation, cloud-based audit platform, Omnia. The platform enables the audit of the future, incorporating everything from data analytics to engagement project management and audit applications. Deloitte’s market-leading portfolio of audit innovation tools also includes Cortex, an analytics platform which was recognized as the “Audit Innovation of the Year” in October 2018. Deloitte’s Assurance services business continues to grow at a rapid pace, delivering confidence and additional value across a broad range of service offerings, with revenue totaling US$1 billion for FY2019 and strong continued growth expected.

Consulting revenue grew the fastest globally, at 15.2 percent, by helping leading organizations imagine, deliver, and run the future of their businesses in an era of unprecedented change. Deloitte was ranked number one in worldwide consulting for its market share in April 2019, based on revenue from 2018. Growth and market share increased across the board in mature and emerging markets, with the highest growth occurring in Asia Pacific, as Deloitte helped clients execute their digitally enabled business transformations. This growth was fueled by sustained and successful orchestration of assets and ecosystems across digital, cloud, cognitive and AI, and internet of things (IoT) in collaboration with key alliance partners, such as Adobe, Alibaba Cloud, Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud, IBM, Informatica, Salesforce, SAP, ServiceNow, and Workday. Areas of hypergrowth included the Consumer industry and Energy, Resources & Industrials industry verticals, and solutions to signature issues clients face in areas like the future of work, smart cities, and the future of health.

Tax & Legal saw the second-highest revenue growth globally among Deloitte businesses at 8.5 percent, driven by client demand for globally integrated, digitally enhanced services to provide them with confidence in a rapidly changing and complex environment. Radical and emerging global tax reforms (including the digitization of reporting, an evolving policy landscape, and increasing transparency expectations for multinational businesses) and demand for integrated legal services underpin this growth. In addition, the ongoing development of key strategic alliances, including with Berry Appleman & Leiden LLP in immigration law and Epstein Becker & Green, P.C. in employment law, are laying the foundation for global leadership in end-to-end global mobility and workforce-management services.

Risk Advisory grew at an aggregate 8.4 percent with double-digit growth in its Cyber Risk and Financial Risk offerings. Gartner ranked Deloitte #1 in Security Consulting Services for its market share in July 2019, based on revenue from 2018. Deloitte is globally recognized as a leader in cyber strategy consulting and Fusion Managed Services (FMS). Risk Advisory delivered innovative, digitized, tech-enabled solutions, driving growth, efficiency, and modernization for clients. Strong results for Government & Public Services, Life Sciences & Health Care, and Energy, Resources & Industrials clients led the way from an industry perspective. Risk Advisory focused on helping clients transform the way they strategically approach risk in what is an ever-evolving and complex environment.

Financial Advisory grew 8.1 percent globally, delivering impact for clients and society through Mergers, Acquisitions, Divestitures, and Forensic services. Growth was fueled by serving as a trusted advisor on many of the world’s most iconic M&A transactions for corporations, private equity, and sovereign wealth funds. Deloitte’s market-leading Forensic practices prevented and remediated complex disputes, investigations, and crises and addressed the global impact of financial crime through innovative technology and digital solutions.

“In today’s hyperconnected world, the best solutions to address client challenges are developed by ecosystems of problem solvers. Deloitte’s success is driven, in part, by our alliance relationships with many of the world’s most powerful and innovative companies that help our clients solve their most complex problems, shape new markets, and create sustainable value,” added Renjen.

Planet – Shaping our future through environmental sustainability

Deloitte believes business has a critical responsibility to help mitigate the impacts of climate change.

Deloitte has committed to the global reduction of carbon emissions as part of its ongoing and increasing efforts to preserve the planet and natural resources for future generations. Deloitte strives to lower its carbon emissions in line with the Paris Agreement and has set specific reduction goals for its buildings, fleet, and business travel by FY2025 from its FY2017 levels. The building and fleet goals were formulated in line with methodologies put forth by the Science-Based Targets Initiative aimed at limiting emissions in accordance with the Paris Climate Agreement.

Deloitte’s greenhouse gas emissions goals cover the entire global organization and address its major sources of emissions. The goals include a 36 percent per unit of area reduction in building emissions, 11 percent reduction in fleet emissions, and 10 percent per FTE reduction in travel emissions. And furthering Deloitte’s commitment to sustainability, emissions arising from Deloitte air travel during FY2019 are being offset through the purchase of carbon credits.

To learn more about Deloitte’s societal impact and FY2019 performance, please read Deloitte’s 2019 Global Impact Report.

About the Deloitte societal-impact commitment

Addressing the complex challenges society faces today has become a mandate for business, and one that requires a new mindset for action.

Deloitte is taking action through WorldClass, a societal-impact initiative to empower 50 million futures by 2030. Our ambition is to create pathways for people to fulfill their aspirations and find meaningful work in the new economy. Deloitte is also empowering women around the globe, promoting environmental sustainability, investing in new insights and methodologies, and serving clients to fulfill their purpose.

CBSE and Microsoft to Build Capacity for AI Learning for Schools

The Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) has announced that it will conduct Capacity Building Programs for high school teachers in association with Microsoft India with an aim to integrate cloud and AI-powered technology in K12 teaching.  Meant for teachers of grades 8-10, the program will be conducted in 10 cities across the country, starting September 11, 2019.

AI and intelligent technologies are becoming all-pervasive today, transforming organizations across sectors and redefining the way we work. To equip the workforce of tomorrow, it is critical to the ramp up the institutional set-up and build capability among educators as well as integrate advanced technologies into the teaching process.

This program will provide teachers better access to the latest Information and Communication Technology (ICT) tools and help them to integrate technology into teaching in a safe and secure manner, thereby enhancing the learning experience and 21st century skills of all students. The 1000 teachers nominated by CBSE will undergo a 3-day project-based training for practical, hands-on knowledge of Microsoft 365 tools such as OneNote, Flipgrid, Teams, Outlook & Minecraft and Paint3D Microsoft.

They will also learn about digital story telling; creation of personalized learning experiences for diverse learners; use of Teams for virtual lessons and how to leverage Artificial intelligence tools to create BOTS and demystify concepts around Artificial Intelligence. The program will also offer them the opportunity to become Microsoft Innovative Educators. With this they will have access to free resources, tools and software; as well as mentoring sessions and discussions with global educators. Please read more here about it here: http://www.cbseacademic.nic.in/web_material/Circulars/2019/48_Circular_2019.pdf

In the next phase the program will be extended to cover skilling workshops for 400 CBSE School on the Microsoft K-12 Education Transformation Framework. . https://info.microsoft.com/ww-landing-Transforming-Education-eBook.html

Manish Prakash, General Manager, Microsoft India said, “AI has become a strategic lever for economic growth across nations around the world. Through this initiative, we are empowering institutions, educators and students of India to acquire early education/skills in new technologies like AI and cloud to lead that growth in that rapidly changing world.  We are excited at the opportunity to partner with CBSE, as our very first endeavour in any country, to transform the education eco-system with the power of AI and cloud.”

Microsoft works closely with schools throughout the entire transformation journey – from research and planning to creating tailored solutions and implementing the technology.

TKM, Toyota Group of Companies Employees Pledge One-Day Salary Towards Karnataka Chief Minister’s Relief Fund

Key Highlights

* Showcasing joint efforts by Toyota Group of Companies: Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts, Toyota Industries Engine India, and Kirloskar Toyota Textile Machinery collaboratively contribute towards Karnataka Chief Minister’s Relief Fund
* Extends support towards rehabilitation and rebuilding of lives affected by the unprecedented rains and landslide in several parts of Karnataka

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) and Toyota Group of Companies handed over contributions to the Karnataka Chief Minister’s Relief Fund for rebuilding cities affected by the recent floods and landslides in the state. A cheque worth ₹ 3,72,07,674 was handed over to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri B. S. Yediyurappa by Mr. Shekar Viswanathan, Vice Chairman & Whole-time Director, Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Mr. K. G. Mohan Kumar, Managing Director, Toyota Kirloskar Auto Parts and Mr. T. R. Parasuraman, Deputy Managing Director, Toyota Industries Engine India Pvt. Ltd.

This voluntary initiative by Toyota and its employees amassed strong support for the swift relief activities currently being undertaken by the authorities.

Further to the assessment of the on-ground realities and magnitude of the devastation, Toyota Kirloskar Motor jointly with its 6,000 plus employees, initiated a collection drive, where the employees wholeheartedly came forward to donate a day’s salary contributing to the betterment of the lives affected by the aftermath caused by the floods in Karnataka. The companies made a matching contribution to the employees contribution for the relief fund.

As a responsible corporate citizen, Toyota has always been at the forefront of supporting the society in addressing critical social issues. The company made some key contributions to rebuild lives in the affected regions of Kodagu District (Karnataka) and Kerala, post the floods and landslides last year. Furthermore, as part of its employee voluntary initiative – ICARE, TKM employees came together to provide ‘Emergency Relief Kits’ to the families affected by the aftermath caused by Cyclone Fani in Odisha, earlier this year.

Toyota stands with the state of Karnataka in this time of crisis caused by the floods and landslides, claiming unprecedented loss to lives and property, and prays that life in the affected regions take a speedy return to normalcy.

Singapore Airlines Partners Condé Nast Traveller & Himalayan to Create Culinary Magic

For the first time, Singapore Airlines is collaborating exclusively with the Condé Nast Traveller and Himalayan India’s Top Restaurant Awards 2019 to bring India’s finest gastronomy to its First and Business Class passengers.

The results of the 3rd edition of the Top Restaurant Awards will be announced in November. At the same time, one restaurant from the Top 50 list will be chosen to work with Singapore Airlines in Singapore to recreate a dish to be served in-flight from April 2020.

A special jury will select the winner from the Top 50 list. On the panel are:

Senior management of Singapore Airlines
Sanjeev Kapoor, celebrity chef, part of Singapore Airlines’ International Culinary Panel
Divia Thani, Editor, Condé Nast Traveller India
Kuttiah KS, Vice-President & Head of Marketing, NourishCo Beverages

The chef and team of the winning restaurant will have the exciting opportunity to travel to Singapore and experience the state-of-the-art in-flight kitchen facilities used by the airline, to understand the challenges and nuances of cooking for air travel, and to recreate a signature dish in this environment. The dish will be served to First and Business Class passengers for one month starting April 2020.

Singapore Airlines has always strived to offer exceptional gastronomical experiences and has tied up with eight world-renowned chefs to create new dishes inspired by their cultures and experiences. These award-winning chefs of global stature form the airline’s International Culinary Panel. Set up in 1998, the panel works closely with the carrier’s own chefs to specially create the unique selection that is available for Singapore Airlines passengers.

The panel of internationally celebrated chefs currently includes:

Alfred Portale - New York, USA
Carlo Cracco - Milan, Italy
Georges Blanc - Vonnas, France
Matthew Moran - Sydney, Australia
Sanjeev Kapoor - Mumbai, India
Suzanne Goin - Los Angeles, USA
Yoshihiro Murata - Kyoto, Japan
Zhu Jun - Shanghai, China

Singapore Airlines Senior Vice-President (Customer Experience) Yeoh Phee Teik says, “We are delighted to partner with Condé Nast Traveller & Himalayan Top Restaurant Awards 2019 to recognise the best culinary talent in India and showcase a flavour of their offerings on board Singapore Airlines. Taking the winning dish to the skies demonstrates our continued efforts to bring top-quality dining to our customers.”

Divia Thani, Editor, Condé Nast Traveller India, says, “We are delighted to announce this unique partnership with Singapore Airlines, which is a testament to its commitment to excellence in the skies. Singapore Airlines’ in-flight meals truly reflect the cultures and experiences of its superlative line-up of international chefs—something exceptionally difficult to manage in the air. It is also a true recognition of India's Top Restaurant Awards, which is only two editions old and already the new benchmark for excellence in the premium dining space in India. Our Top 50 list is the list that matters most to the F&B industry and to consumers across India, and thanks to this new partnership with Singapore Airlines, it will receive a well-deserved global spotlight. Our restaurants across India deserve word recognition, and this is a great step. We have always believed that travel and food are inextricably linked, and this is an alliance we can all be very proud of.”

Launched in 2017, the Condé Nast Traveller India and Himalayan Sparkling Top Restaurants Awards list is already the most revered in the Indian culinary world. Voted for by more than 100 of India’s top tastemakers and influencers, the property is a definitive list of the 50 finest premium restaurants in the country. Indian Accent took the top spot in 2017, followed by The Bombay Canteen in 2018.

Olectra-BYD Enables Financial Capital Expand its Fleet of Electric Buses; Continues its Efforts to Go Green

Leading the adoption of Electric Buses in Public Transport system in the country, Brihan Mumbai Electricity Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) deployed 10 state of art 9-Meter (eBuzz K7) electric buses procured from Olectra-BYD - a leader in eBus mobility in the country - as part of its 40 AC & non-AC bus order on Gross Cost Contract basis. The deployment of this lot of buses follows the hugely successful trial deployment of 6 electric buses of 9-meter length (eBuzz K7) in November 2017 by BEST. The move to add 40 more eBuses by BEST is basis the extremely positive response it received from the passengers on a daily basis for the level of comfort, smooth ride and making every passenger feel proud for contributing to a greener Mumbai. These eBuses were deployed under FAME 1 (Faster Adoption and Manufacture of (Hybrid and) Electric Vehicles) Scheme of Ministry of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Government of India.

Olectra-BYD is also the first EV company to achieve the coveted milestone of crossing 5 Million KMs cumulatively driven by its eBuses under commercial operations in Himachal Pradesh, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kerala and Pune – a testimony to its quality and sturdiness.

The 10 new 9-meter electric buses (eBuzz K7) were flagged off by Mr. Uddhav Thackeray in the presence of high-profile dignitaries including Arvind Sawant, Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises, Govt of India; Mr. Vishwanath Mahadeshwar, Mayor of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation; Dr. Surendrakumar Bagde, General Manager – BEST, Mr. Anand Swaroop, Chief Operating Officer – Olectra, amongst others from BEST office at Colaba, Mumbai. Post the deployment of all the 46 eBuses, BEST will transport around 1 Million passengers every month in this zero-emission public transport. In addition to these, BEST is also planning to procure 250 more electric buses to facilitate the commuters to travel in environment friendly electric buses.

On an average, running of the 46 eBuses will result in huge reduction in Carbon emissions to the tune of 1.2 Crore tons of CO2, avoids using 37 Lac liters of diesel saving significant costs on fuel each year by BEST and equivalent to planting 60,000 trees.

On the latest deployment under BEST, Mr. Anand Swaroop, Chief Operating Officer - Olectra Greentech said, “Olectra is committed to make zero emission Public Transport available for the commuters with an objective of curbing the alarming rate at which the Air pollution is increasing in the country. Olectra is introducing different models to suit the various requirements in various Indian cities. Our leadership in the segment is backed by continued expansion and innovation in eBuses that have proved their competency in functioning efficiently across varied terrains and geographies. As of now, Olectra has the largest market share in Electric Buses commercially operating on India roads.”

“In the long run, Electric Vehicles would play a significant role in not only preserving the nature but also in yielding macro-economic benefits including conserving the valuable forex for the nation due to reduced dependency on fossil fuel,” added Mr. Swaroop.

Deployed under BEST, the new fleet of 9-Meter Air-Conditioned and non-Air-Conditioned low floor buses, can travel up to 200 KMs in a single charge based on traffic conditions. The high-power fast AC charging system enables the battery to get fully charged within 2-3 hours. It has a capacity of 32+1 (Driver) seats with an electronically controlled air suspension to ensure a comfortable ride to the passengers. The buses are also equipped with 3 CCTV cameras with continuous recording of data offering enhanced safety to the passengers during the commute. The technologically advanced eBuzz K7 has a regenerative braking system which enables the bus to recover part of the kinetic energy lost in braking. eBuzz K 7 also provides protection from short circuit, over temperature function and lightening to ensure a safe ride to the passengers.

Gojek Launches GoGames to Address Needs of Gamers in Indonesia

Gojek, Southeast Asia’s leading mobile on-demand services and payments platform, today announced the launch of GoGames, the latest service available on the Gojek app in Indonesia, designed specially for gamers.

GoGames includes three key features:

GoGames Top-up, which allows gamers to seamlessly top-up gaming credits and buy virtual items for their favourite games using their GoPay balance. Gamers will also be able to access promotional information, discounts, gaming vouchers, and special offers from GoPay including cashback for game top-ups;

GoGames Recipe, which contains tips and tricks for gamers to improve their gaming techniques and the latest information on national and international gaming tournaments; and

GoGames TV, which features curated content from some of the biggest names in Indonesia’s gaming scene, including Belletron, Bigetron, and RRQ, as well as well- known gaming YouTubers like Afif Yulistian, BTR Zuxxy & Luxxy, and Frontal Gaming, who will share their perspectives on different games and gaming strategies.

As part of Gojek’s continuous efforts to listen closely to customer needs, GoGames is aimed at supporting Indonesia's rapidly growing gaming industry. In 2018, the number of mobile gamers in Indonesia reached 60 million and is expected to hit 100 million by 2020.1 This makes Indonesia the largest market for gaming in Southeast Asia.

Kevin Aluwi, Gojek Co-founder, said, “At Gojek, it is in our DNA to constantly innovate and bring more benefits to our users. This includes the gaming and esports industry that is quickly growing in Indonesia. The introduction of GoGames is the next step in our efforts to further build our ecosystem as we aspire to meet the daily needs and wants of all our users.

“As a gamer myself, I understand that the market needs easier access to gaming information and a more hassle-free way to pay for gaming credits. GoGames has been developed by gamers, for gamers, and I am so excited that it will bring a more seamless gaming experience to Indonesia.”

GoGames follows Gojek’s initial foray into gaming through GoPay’s partnerships with Codashop, Unipin, and Tencent, aimed at facilitating easy top-ups of gaming credits. Most recently, GoPay became the first e-money payment option on the Google Play store in Indonesia, enabling millions of unbanked Android users in Indonesia to easily access popular games and entertainment, without a credit card. Since the introduction of gaming top-up services one year ago, GoPay has experienced a 40% growth in monthly transactions.

Timothius Martin, Head of GoGames, said, “We have seen firsthand the growing demand for digital services such as gaming, with our initial efforts to enable a more seamless payment experience for gamers in Indonesia.

1POKKT, Decision Lab, Mobile Marketing Association (MMA), The Power of Mobile Gaming in Indonesia, 2018.

“There are still many problems faced by gamers that have not been solved, such as the difficulty of getting information on how to improve gaming skills and the limited payment options when it comes to topping-up gaming credits. This is just the beginning in our efforts to fill these gaps, as GoGames aims to be a leading mobile content, features, and payments platform for gamers in Indonesia.”

The content available on GoGames does not only aim to improve the skills of gamers, but also helps them better manage their time and spending when playing games.

Liona Lee (also known as BTR Lea), a professional gamer for Belletron, said, "We appreciate the innovations developed by Gojek for gamers like us. Following GoPay’s support for us in world-class competitions, the introduction of GoGames further demonstrates Gojek's commitment to the esports industry. We hope that GoGames will boost the enthusiasm level of game lovers across Indonesia.”