cult.fit Launches #MovementForMovement Challenge to Donate to PM CARES Across India

For every person taking the challenge and completing 12 days of online workout, cure.fit will contribute ₹ 100 to the Prime Ministers COVID Relief Fund

With all movement and activity completely ceased under this lockdown due to the Coronavirus outbreak, more Indians now stand a risk of developing issues that stem from not moving enough or exercising enough. This may lead to a rise in illnesses due to sedentary lifestyles that may, in turn, put unwanted pressure on the health care system in these unprecedented times. To raise awareness of this issue and make India move- starting from Friday 27th March, cult.fit launched the #MovementForMovement campaign. Under this challenge, a user has to first accept the challenge via cult.live and work out for any 12 days between 27th March-15th April, 2020 . For every challenge completion - a contribution of ₹ 100 will be made to PM CARES Fund by cure.fit to help COVID191 relief efforts.

What is cult.live?

cult.live is a group fitness class led by star Cult trainers, that lets you experience the energy from the comfort of your home and work out with thousands of others. It is FREE for anyone to join from anywhere on the cure.fit app. Currently, these LIVE classes are being  offered across fitness formats like strength, HRX, dance fitness and yoga on all seven days of the week. These classes are safe for all types of users whether beginner, intermediate or advanced and allows the user to track real-time performance data and even challenge family and friends.

Use these free cult live online classes for 12 days on the cure.fit app and complete the #MovementForMovement challenge to make your contribution.

Automotive OEMs and Car Dealers Must Improve Online Sales Models to Mitigate a Corona Virus-Related Sales Slump

To mitigate a likely slump in car sales and to ensure employee and customer safety during the coronavirus pandemic, automotive original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and car dealerships must transition to simple, end-to-end online selling and services, according to Gartner, Inc.

COVID-19 containment measures are forcing the closure of car showrooms in many countries, and this is also increasing the requirement for a full and effective online purchase process. “Currently, most OEMs and car dealerships in major markets including the U.S., China, Germany and the U.K. don’t offer a real end-to-end online sales channel that optimizes the purchase process,” said Pedro Pacheco, senior research director at Gartner. “OEMs and car dealerships must set up direct sales platforms on which users can buy a car in just three clicks and have it delivered to their home. This model should be used for both car configuration and inventory.”

Gartner recommends investing in augmented- and virtual-reality technologies to give online shoppers a more comprehensive experience when specifying car requirements. Additionally, investing in an advanced artificial-intelligence-powered chatbot could assist by answering a broad range of questions from customers. OEMs and car dealerships should also ensure complete price transparency to avoid pricing issues and lengthy negotiations, which frustrate buyers.

Although many consumers will be hesitant about purchasing a car in the present circumstances, OEMs and car dealerships still need to offer more flexibility. “OEMs and dealerships could consider a digital platform that offers a usage-based subscription model which enables the consumer to choose a car, with the freedom to exit the contract at very short notice,” said Mr. Pacheco.

In addition, OEMs and car dealerships need to consider enhancing their after-sales strategy. They should create an online hub where users can purchase parts, set up maintenance appointments and find all the information on “contactless” after-sales services. With these options, customers will have no physical contact with any other person, and these services can cover service booking, vehicle collection and drop-off, roadside assistance and online payment. This is a model that car dealerships and repair shops can also adopt to continue serving customers in the future.

“Speed of change is crucial for OEMs and car dealerships’ survival in times of confinement and insecurity,” said Mr. Pacheco. “Given factory and showroom closures, it is essential that car makers draw up a strong online order book to ensure that, once factories and showrooms reopen, they can quickly rebound financially."

Gartner clients can learn more in the report “COVID-19: Technology Can Mitigate Car Sales Slump.”

Additional analysis on the actions CIOs and IT leaders should take to remain resilient during coronavirus business disruptions is available in the Gartner webinar “Pandemic Preparedness Requires Strong Business Continuity Management.”

Learn more about how to lead organizations through the disruption of coronavirus in the Gartner coronavirus resource center, a collection of complimentary Gartner research and webinars to help organizations respond, manage and prepare for the rapid spread and global impact of COVID-19.

Punjab National Bank MD & CEO Mallikarjuna Rao Reaction to Measures Announced by RBI

"Today RBI's decision has been very bold in terms of addressing current challenges faced by the economy. All the measures taken, whether Repo rate reduction, CRR cut, TLTRO, moratorium on repayments, infusion of liquidity, etc have been unprecedented and in right context.

The 3 month moratorium on all term loan installments along with deferment of interest on working capital will help mitigate the debt servicing burden due to covid 19 disruption and prevent transmission of financial stress among  various sectors of the economy.

Total liquidity injection of RS 3.74 lakh crore through TLTRO, CRR & MSF will address the liquidity stress in view of highly volatile financial markets. Considering the potential stress, the last tranche of 0.625 percent of CCB has also been deferred to Sept' 30 2020.

However challenges remain in terms of transmitting these measures to customers amid social distancing. Effective digital and electronic delivery to the last mile will remain the key issue."

Attached is the image of MD & CEO Of Punjab National Bank- Sh CH. S. S. Mallikarjuna Rao for your reference.  Request you to kindly use the same in your esteemed publication.

FGII Introduces An Exclusive Coronavirus Group Insurance Product in Indian Market

Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited (FGII), the general insurance arm of the joint venture between retail giant Future Group and global insurer Generali, announced the launch of an exclusive Coronavirus group insurance product.The policy will provide a lump sum benefit in case the insured is diagnosed or quarantined for a suspected sign and symptoms/or infection of COVID-19. Amid the contagious pandemic, the product offers cover for everyone from an infant who is 1 day old to a senior citizen upto 75 years of age.

It is afiled group health insurance product as defined by IRDAI guidelines.

Dr.Shreeraj Deshpande, Chief Operating Officer, Future Generali India Insurance said, “It is very important for all of us to come together and protect the citizens against this virus infection. We have designed our corona virus group insurance product in such a way that it will offer maximum help to the affected. If the policyholder is diagnosed with COVID-19 infection and is confirmed by a medical practitioner along with government/ a WHO-approved lab then a lump sum benefit of 100% of Sum Insured would be paid. To provide maximum benefit to our customers, no past medical history or travel record is required while purchasing our product.”

A lump sum benefit of 50% of sum insured will be paid, if the policyholder is required to be quarantined at a Government/Government approved hospital for at least 14 days for a suspected COVID-19 infection. An additional benefit of 10% of the sum insured will be paid to quarantined persons towards incidental expenses.

About Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited

Future Generali India Insurance Company Limited is a joint venture between Future Group – the game changers in Retail Trade in India and Generali – a 189 years old global insurance group featuring among the world’s 60 largest companies*. The Company was incorporated in September 2007 with the objective of providing retail, commercial, personal and rural insurance solutions to individuals and corporates to help them manage and mitigate risks.

Future Generali India has been aptly benefitting from the global Insurance expertise in diverse classes of products of Generali Group and the Indian retail game-changer Future Group. Having firmly established its credentials in this segment and effectively leveraging on the skill set of both its JV partners, Future Generali India has evolved to become a Total Insurance Solutions Company.

*As per Fortune Global 500 Ranking (2017)

*Future Generali India Insurance is certified ‘Great Place to Work’ (December 2019-November 2020)

About Generali Group

Generali is an independent, Italian insurance Group, with a strong international presence. Established in 1831, it is one of the largest global insurance providers present in over 60 countries with total premium income exceeding €68 billion in 2017. With nearly 71,000 employees in the world and 57 million customers, the Group has a leading position in Western Europe and an increasingly significant presence in Central and Eastern Europe as wellas in Asia.

IPRS Announces "Emergency Relief Package" from COVID-19 Crisis to Its Members

The creative community has been hit hard by the COVID-19 crisis. Creators whose earnings arise from individual projects, have been left reeling from this unprecedented crisis which has now been compounded by an equally unprecedented lock down aimed at keeping all Indian citizens indoors and safe. The lockdown has a significant human cost in terms of lost earnings and the consequent inability of many creative community members to sustain themselves and their families during the next three weeks.

The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (“IPRS”) is mindful of the stark concerns faced by its author and music composer members and as a responsible copyright society mandated by the Government of India is determined to do its bit to help its members across the country.

Accordingly, IPRS has declared an Emergency Relief Package to support its members, who are facing significant financial pressure during the Corona pandemic. The money will be paid to around 3150 author and music composer members across various geographies, to meet their basic needs for the next three weeks as we battle the virus.

Mr. Javed Akhtar, Chairman of the IPRS said, “It is our duty to support the call made by our Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi for society to support each other through this 21-day lock down period. IPRS is what it is because of all its members. In these challenging and trying times, IPRS as a custodian of its creator members, stands shoulder to shoulder with all its members. This payment by IPRS is our contribution for the time being to help our creator members tide over this period of the 21-day lock down to be able to purchase basic necessities”.

Mr. Rakesh Nigam, CEO of the IPRS said, “It is in times like these that bodies like IPRS can provide much needed help and succor to its members. I am glad that we can contribute in this fashion to our members. I want to convey our Chairman Javed Saab’s message to all our members, that IPRS is there for them in this time of crisis.”

IPRS will be reaching out to its members to facilitate disbursement of the relief amounts on an immediate basis.

QuEST Global Puts a Strong Business Continuity Plan in Action with 80% of its India Workforce Working from Home

QuEST Global, a global product engineering and lifecycle services company, today said that it has worked with its customers to enable upwards of 80% of its employees across seven cities in India to work from home. The company is continuing to work closely with its customers and government authorities to enable work from home for the remaining employees who are safely staying back at their homes.

The company said that currently only critical personnel from IT and admin teams, who need to arrange workstations for remaining employees, are commuting to office with special approvals from the authorities. QuEST implemented these measures to ensure the safety of its employees and ensure business continuity in the wake of the nationwide lockdown due to the Covid-19 outbreak. The Global Crisis Management team at QuEST has been monitoring the situation daily and has been taking all appropriate decisions including ensuring physical, facility and IT security and creating a safe work environment for its employees.

As a trusted thinking partner to its customers, QuEST has been taking decisive and proactive measures to address the challenges faced by its customers to continue their operations without any impact. The company has been closely working with its customers and stakeholders to understand their needs and take necessary actions to ensure business continuity. This includes getting swift approvals to provide remote high-end computing power to its employees working from home without compromising on data security norms.

Commenting on the ongoing situation and company’s preparedness to tackle the situation, Ajit Prabhu, Chairman & CEO, QuEST Global said, “In such difficult times, we believe that the well-being of our employees is foremost. At the same time, we are also ensuring that the integrity of our global operations is maintained so that customer deliverables remain unaffected. We are continuously evaluating the situation and working hard to enable all our employees to work from home. I would like to thank our customers for extending their support.”

“Over the past two decades, we have strived to be a trusted thinking partner to our customers, whom they can count on in both challenging and prosperous times. We will not waver from that goal and will always stay committed to our stakeholders. We will overcome this together as we have done in the past,” Ajit added.

About QuEST Global

For more than 20 years, QuEST Global has aimed to be a trusted global product engineering and lifecycle services partner to many of the worlds’ most recognized companies in the Aero Engines, Hi-Tech, Aerospace & Defense, Transportation (Auto and Rail), Power and Industrial, Oil & Gas and Medical Devices industries. With a global presence in 15 countries, 67 global delivery centers, and 12,800+ personnel, QuEST Global believes that it is at the forefront of the convergence of the mechanical, electronics, software and digital engineering innovations to engineer solutions for a safer, cleaner world. QuEST Global’s deep domain knowledge and digital expertise aim to help its clients accelerate product development and innovation cycles, create alternate revenue streams, enhance consumer experience and make manufacturing processes and operations more efficient.

Emirates Ground Crews Give An Emotional Send-Off to Last Flights Back to Dubai from London Heathrow

Emirates ground crews around the world have bid farewell to their last operating flights back to Dubai. EK 005 to London Heathrow, which departed at 1605hrs on 24 March was the last flight to take off from Dubai. EK 262 from Sao Paulo, which landed at 2235hrs (local time) was the last flight to arrive on 25 March into Dubai.

Emirates’ outstation airport teams from 39 stations including Prague, Newark, Seoul, London Stansted, and Zurich devotedly sent off their last passenger flights, maintaining social distancing rules, before the suspension took effect. Over the next weeks, Emirates’ operational teams will focus on preparing for service resumption.

As per UAE government directives to protect communities against the spread of COVID-19, Emirates has temporarily suspended all passenger flights from 25 March 2020. The airline will resume passenger services as soon as it is possible to do so. In the meantime, Emirates is still busy deploying its fleet of Boeing 777 freighters, bolstering international air cargo links for the transport of vital goods, including medical supplies and food, around the world.

About Emirates

Emirates’ 34 years in India have been defined by progressive investment, partnership and growth. In October 1985, Emirates launched flights from its Dubai hub to Delhi and Mumbai which formed the base of its initial route network. Since then, Emirates has grown its India operations to serve a total of nine destinations across India – Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram – with 170 weekly flights. The Emirates Group currently employs more than 13,700 Indian nationals globally, most of them in high-skilled employment. Globally, the airline flies to 157 destinations in 83 countries and territories.