How Tinder Members are Making Connections During Lockdown with Tinder Passport?

Tinder opened up its paid feature Passport for all members; the majority of members are using the feature to Passport between Indian cities

(Note on background: Tinder Passport is typically a paid feature for Tinder Plus & Gold subscribers. Members can search by city or drop a pin on the map and you can begin Liking, matching, and chatting with Tinder members in a destination of their choice. They can navigate between their current location and new destinations. This was made free for all Tinder members.)

With social distancing becoming the norm, meeting people is a no go. That’s why Tinder made its Passport™ feature free through April — Tinder wants to facilitate making new connections and maintaining social interactions during this challenging time. By allowing members to temporarily change their location, Tinder Passport lets them connect with matches all over the world, no matter how far away they are. Because — louder for the people in the back — social distancing doesn’t mean you can’t still connect with people virtually. And based on recent data, Tinder members are most definitely doing just that.

By looking at data from March to April, we learned which cities and countries members are virtually traveling to, and which cities are frequently interacting with each other. The majority of Tinder members are using the feature to change location within the country, with Delhi-Mumbai and Mumbai-Delhi as the top 2 cities Passporting to each other. Tinder’s resident psychologist Sonali Gupta thinks it is very telling that majority location change is between members within India,  “One of the reasons could be that while there is a global pandemic world over, what's different is how countries are dealing with it. When people are reaching out to other people in Indian cities, they could possibly feel that their context and personal reality would be better understood by other Indians. This could be a reflection of realistic expectations - as people see that international travel is unlikely and they stand a greater chance of meeting someone who is based within the country.”

Excuse us while we virtually check out how Mumbai is doing during the lockdown.

Please find below a full factsheet on top cities and countries Indian Tinder Members are Passporting to.

Key:

Top 15 Passporting Pairings means cities Passporting to each other

Top 5 destinations in India means top 5 cities members in India are Passporting to

Top 5 global destinations mean top 5 countries members in India are Passporting to

3.6 Million People Joined Online Meditation Sessions at Sahaja Yoga

Millions of devotees from more than 70 countries will come together for collective online meditation  during May 1st to May 5th celebrations to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Sahaja Yoga, a unique discovery by H. H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.

Subtle System Sahaja Yoga meditation 

Sahaja Yoga is a movement, a practice and a lifestyle. This is well described in ancient texts, prophesized and mentioned by incarnations although it is a lesser-known form of meditation because of its non-glamorous and non-commercial nature. Practitioners are known to experience deeper and holistic transformations from this form of Yoga meditation. The knowledge and practice of Sahaja Yoga, meaning the spontaneous experience of unification of the inner Kundalini power inside the person with the all-pervading power all over the cosmos, was gifted to mankind by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi on 5th May 1970 and called as World Sahastrar Day by the practitioners of Sahaja Yoga.

As said by Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi , ‘’You cannot know the meaning of your life until you are connected to the power that created you. It is everyone's right to achieve this state of ones evolution and everything necessary is already inbuilt. But as I respect your freedom, you have to have the desire to achieve this state, it cannot be forced upon you!” -- H. H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi.

“We voluntarily visit schools, colleges, corporates, government offices and, medical colleges besides visiting villages and distant rural areas to help people for them to get their Self realisation and learn true process of Meditation absolutely free of cost. Sahaja Yoga techniques even helps the farmers in agriculture. The knowledge is priceless, and our volunteers help people of all faiths across religions, castes, creed and colour in achieving their Self- Realisation,” said Dinesh Rai, Vice Chairman, H. H. Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi Sahaja Yoga Trust (National Trust).

The 50th year celebrations will also be commemorated by continuous online meditation sessions and musical performances from 1st May till 5th May to celebrate the event and help people overcome anxiety and stress in these troubled times.

During lockdown, this free meditation initiative has been taken up by volunteers through various social media platforms like YouTube Live, Facebook Live, Mixlr and National television collectively twice a day. New seekers from across the country started calling for more information on the trust helpline 1800 30 700 800 after free live relay of meditation on the YouTube channel “Pratisthan Pune” and Facebook channel “India Sahaja Yoga”.

“In the last 40 days, we received over 25,000 thousand calls from new seekers that increased five times in the past one week as the word spread. The intent of all such initiative is to share en- masse self -realization free of cost so that people can start attaining complete balance in life,.” Mr Rai said.

Vidyadhan Distributes Daily Essential Kits to Underserved Families in Karnataka Amidst COVID 19

Vidyadhan, a flagship scholarship program under The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives announced the distribution of daily essential kits as part of its COVID-19 relief program.  In the first phase, 10,000 grocery kits are being distributed in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra. This will be followed by a similar exercise in other states where Vidyadhan has a presence. The outreach is aimed at extending a helping hand to the needy and the underserved sections of society impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. As the nationwide lockdown continues to be in force, livelihoods of daily wage workers and those without stable jobs face a higher risk of economic uncertainty. The kits have 18 essential food items such as rice, flour, cooking oil, tea, pulses and sugar among others.

Launching the COVID-19 relief program, Mrs Kumari Shibulal, Founder and Chairperson, The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives said, “We are passing through an unprecedented and unexpectedly difficult time. Times like these test our commitment to the well-being of humanity and call for greater unity and compassion among us. This daily essential kit is a humble attempt to express our support and solidarity.  While Vidyadhan is sponsoring the kits, we are collaborating with various local partners across different states to ensure seamless and effective distribution.”

In Karnataka, the focus groups include migrant labourers, differently-abled people, sex workers, tribal villagers and pregnant women. Vidyadhan has partnered with different NGOs to identify the beneficiaries and distribute 2000 daily essentials kits across Gulbarga, Dharwad, Davangere, Belgaum and Kolar districts. Another 1000 kits will be distributed in the tribal areas and other districts in Karnataka in the coming days.

Talking about the distribution drive, Basavaraj Patil Sedam, former Member of Rajya Sabha from Karnataka and the driving force of the NGO Vikas Academy said, “On account of the critical COVID-19 situation, about 750 bags were sent to Gulbarga district by the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives. We are happy to share that these bags contained about 18 essential food items, which were distributed in different parts of the Gulbarga district including 15 villages in Sedam, Chinchwadi, Chitapura talukas, Gulbarga rural area, Sedam town, Chitapur and 65 educational centres.”

He added, “Non ration-card holders were identified in Taranhalli village in Sedam Taluka the grocery kits were distributed to them along with about 40 widows. I am thankful to the Shibulal Family as previously also, they had made a big contribution for educational and other purposes. For the betterment of this country and its future, I once again thank the Shibulal Family for their philanthropic initiatives.”

Vidyadhan currently operates in 10 states. The present phase of distribution of 10,000 daily essentials kits is expected to be completed in the next few weeks.

About The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives:

Born out of a sense of responsibility to society, the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives has been actively supporting those in need through initiatives in education, healthcare and organic farming for the last 20 years, starting from 1999.

The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives started with focus on education, based on the simple belief that the founders – Mrs. Kumari Shibulal and Mr. S.D. Shibulal achieved what they did because of it. Our initiatives such as  Vidyadhan, Ankur, The Samhita Academy, Vidyarakshak, Sikhskalokam, Edumentum, etc. are based on the premise of uplifting the underserved communities and providing them with the opportunity to build a better future.

Mrs Kumari Shibulal is the Founder & Chairperson of the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives. Passionate about doing her bit for the underserved communities, her vision (and that of the Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives) is to spread knowledge and create an environment focussed on social change through a solution-oriented approach.

About Vidyadhan:

Vidyadhan is the flagship higher education scholarship program of The Shibulal Family Philanthropic Initiatives. We identify students in need of financial assistance after matriculation, to support them through senior school and graduation of their choice. We have given over 17000+ scholarships through this initiative. Many have gone on to become productive citizens after completing the program over the years. 4300 students across 10 states are currently in the program.

To make this program more scalable and self-sustainable, a new model has been introduced called ‘Each One, Teach One’. The primary mission is to enable academically brilliant but financially weak students to achieve their dreams. Launched in May 2015, this initiative provides need-based financial assistance to those pursuing degree courses such as medicine, engineering, nursing, etc.  The Shibulal family has pledged their support to Each One, Teach One’s vision to increase its impact from 17,000 scholarships in 10 States to 100,000 scholarships in all States in the next 5-7 years. Vidyadhan was launched in Karnataka in the year 2014 and currently has around 675 students in the state. 

Toyota Kirloskar Motor Pledges Support for Superior Healthcare Services to Counter COVID

In an unwavering endeavor to support the authorities in their battle against COVID 19, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has undertaken a several measures in the areas of health, safety and food in support of Karnataka Government and local administration to safeguard the health and well-being of the care givers.

TKM has pledged to support the authorities with 45 thermal scanners (20 to the Bangalore police and 25 to quarantine hospitals) to enable quicker detection and proactive support to affected individuals. In addition, the company has provided 45,000 hand sanitizers bottles, 100 bedding, consumables for 100 patients, 20 sets of equipment’s such as IV stands and BP monitors and safety gears including 12,000 examination gloves, 70,000 3 ply face masks, 7500 N95 masks to  Health Department, Government of Karnataka, Bangalore police personnel and community.

In order to safeguard the citizens and to stop the virus from spreading further, TKM has also offered fumigation equipment, 10 numbers to Victoria Hospital through BMCRI and 10 numbers to the Town Municipal Corporation, Bidadi, Ramanagara District, Karnataka as per their requirements.

Commenting on these initiatives, Mr. Vikram Gulati, Country Head & Senior Vice President, External Affairs, Public Relations, Corporate Social Responsibility & Corporate Governance, Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “In such perilous times, when the whole country is battling the repercussions of the COVID 19 pandemic, Toyota, in line with its safety and security philosophy has taken numerous measures to aid the Government and the citizens. We have been continuously monitoring the evolving situation to identify major problem areas wherein we can provide our aid and support to those individuals who are risking their lives to protect us. Our endeavor has always been to be with the people in these uncertain times and to provide relief whenever and wherever we can.

Toyota salutes and supports the police force, healthcare workers and the Government in its initiatives and pledges to be instrumental in this war against the virus. We believe that together we can and together we will be able to overcome this adversity.”

Since the onset of the pandemic, TKM has been monitoring the fast-evolving situation and proactively responding appropriately in accordance with needs of the community & the Government. TKM, along with its multiple stakeholders have responded in multiple ways to deal with the COVID-19 crisis. Recently, TKM contributed to 2 crores to Karnataka Chief Minister’s Relief Fund. 3000 Hazmat suits were handed over to the Government Health Volunteers in Karnataka, 3500 essential kits to daily wage workers while benefitting over 15000+ members, sanitizers & masks to police dept. This was followed by deployment of 14 buses to support the health department in the state. TKM also supported its supplier partner, Stump Schuele & Somappa Springs Pvt Ltd., to ramp up the production of “Face Shields" for healthcare workers from 275 to over 17000 units per day.

In its commitment to support the authorities, TKM has been and will continue to study and observe the evolving situation, determined to devise effective and efficient solutions to arising problems in hopes to aid the nation into a speedy recovery from the inflictions of the COVID 19 pandemic. The company has also aggregated the efforts of its partners and other stakeholders to ensure maximum support to the Government. TKM along with Dealer partners from across all-India network has undertaken several initiatives in the terms of safety and wellbeing of the society by distributing food rations to the needy families benefitting thousands of people. The dealer partners also supported the government by donating  their share of contribution in terms funding, followed by distribution of safety gears such as masks and hand sanitizers. This ensures that the brand unifies its strength and efforts towards the common mission of alleviating the ramifications of the pandemic.

Pune-Based FITTR is Motivating People to Stay Fit Amidst Lockdown with Prize Money of Rs 1 Lakh Each for 5 Winners

Notes

* This year, Fittr expects 15,000 people to participate in Transformation Challenge 10, India’s Biggest Online Transformation Challenge
* Melwyn Pawar, the winner of Transformation Challenge 9, goes home with a brand-new Harley Davidson Street 750

Due to the lockdown, gyms and fitness centers across the country are shut. With the Covid-19 situation being far from resolved, it is feared that this closure will continue for some more time. As people are staying indoors and physical movement is restricted, it becomes all the more important for them to stay fit. To help people in these times and to motivate them to embrace a fitter lifestyle, Pune-based online fitness platform Fittr is back with the 10th edition of its much-awaited Transformation Challenge (TC).

TC 10 launches on May 1st and is a 12-week online challenge that will be hosted on the company’s fitness app (also called FITTR). Registration for the challenge is free and anyone above the age of 18 can participate in it, no matter where they are located.

Speaking about TC 10, Founder Jitendra Chouksey said, “The entire world is facing a major challenge right now in the form of the Covid-19 pandemic. At such a time, it’s important to stay positive and motivated. That’s what Transformation Challenge 10 wants to do: motivate people to rise up to the challenge and make the most of it. We’re all in this together and the best thing we could do is to invest in our own health and fitness.

Transformation Challenge represents the ethos of Fittr. We firmly believe that anyone can get fit, provided you have the proper mindset. Fittr App provides all the free tools that one needs to get healthy and stay fit. In addition, Fittr Coaches are conducting free live online sessions every day and helping people stay fit in these times.”

Apart from the chance to get fit, Fittr has further sweetened the deal for TC 10 participants. Instead of just 1 winner, this time, there will be 5 winners and each winner will take home INR 1 Lac in cash.

Melwyn Pawar, the winner of Transformation Challenge 9, took home a brand-new Harley Davidson Street 750 as the top prize. “It has always been my dream to get shredded and look aesthetic. When TC 9 was announced, I knew this was a golden opportunity to achieve my dream. Those 12 weeks of the challenge were incredible. I received a lot of support from the community and that really pushed me to give my best.”

Fittr was founded in January 2016 by Jitendra Chouksey, a software engineer who transformed himself while working a 12-hour/day IT job. Today, Fittr is the largest online fitness community in the world with over 850,000 members. Fittr has been profitable since inception & has achieved a cumulative revenue of $13 million USD.

Recently, the company was in the news when it announced that it was part of Surge, Sequoia’s rapid scale-up program for startups in India & Southeast Asia. Under the arrangement, Fittr has raised $ 2 million as part of the pre-Series A investment.

Staying at Home is Now More ‘Rewarding’ Across Indian Cities

Staying at home is the best thing you can do right now and InterMiles is rewarding members for it. Members can earn as much as 1800 InterMiles by making the responsible choice to #StayHome.

Here’s how it works: With the InterMiles app running in the background, members shall be credited with 100 Bonus InterMiles for each day that the member doesn’t venture beyond their Home location.

Free medical consultation on MFine

InterMiles members faced with medical queries, can avail access to India’s leading AI-Powered online doctor consultation platform, MFine that connects them to leading doctors across the country. InterMiles members will be able to benefit from free-consultation for their health-related queries starting April 24, 2020.

Free subscription to Magzter GOLD

To keep members engaged through meaningful breaks during the lockdown, while keeping updated with the news InterMiles has leveraged its collaboration with Magzter to offer free and unlimited access to 5,000+ magazines and newspapers until the end of April 2020. Members will be able to gain these benefits through a free subscription to Magzter GOLD.

Pledging support to the PM CARES Fund

InterMiles is empowering members to make a difference in the lives of others. Members can contribute to the PM CARES Fund, for relief efforts against the outbreak via InterMiles. All contributors through InterMiles will receive an 80G certificate for their contribution.

Earn Miles when shopping on Kindle & attending TEDxGateway Webinars

In an ongoing effort to grant members access to some of the best content platforms, InterMiles’ has tied- up with Amazon Kindle. Members will be able to earn 5 Miles for every INR 100 spent to purchase Kindle E-books on Amazon via shop.intermiles.com. On their first purchase, members will be directly given a flat 50 InterMiles.

To keep engaged, informed and entertained, InterMiles is collaborating with TEDx for a 6-part ‘The World has Changed’ webinar series. Under this, InterMiles members can register for the webinar and get rewarded with 500 InterMiles.

Non-Expiry of Miles

To ensure that members gain the utmost value from this programme under these extraordinary circumstances, InterMiles has decided to temporarily suspend expiry of Miles. In accordance with this, members who had Miles expiring in March, April, May or June 2020 will get an extension till 31, July 2020 with a follow-up expiry rule being announced on 31, July 2020.

ServiceNow Reports First Quarter 2020 Financial Results

ServiceNow, the leading digital workflow company making work, work better for people, today announced financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2020, with subscription revenues of $995 million in Q1 2020, representing 34% year‑over‑year growth, 36% adjusted for constant currency.

During the quarter, ServiceNow closed 37 transactions with more than $1 million in net new annual contract value (ACV), representing 48% year‑over‑year growth. Deals included the company’s second‑largest new customer transaction ever, as well as the Asia Pacific region’s largest customer service management deal ever. The company now has 933 total customers with more than $1 million in ACV, representing 30% year‑over‑year growth in customers.

"This pandemic has allowed us to engage our customers in new ways, enabling them to focus on their most critical workflows,” said ServiceNow CEO Bill McDermott. “Businesses are splitting apart old value chains and reassembling them in end‑to‑end, mobile‑first experiences on the Now Platform. Our Q1 results are a direct reflection of ServiceNow’s unique position as the workflow platform to create great employee and customer experiences ‑ even in these challenging conditions. With our outstanding team and culture, I am extremely confident in the long‑term growth trajectory of this company.”

“We are working closely with our customers to support them in this challenging environment,” said Gina Mastantuono, ServiceNow CFO. “In Q1, we exceeded the high end of our guidance for subscription revenues and billings and delivered another strong quarter of operating profit and free cash flow. With our recurring revenue model, we are in a strong financial position to manage through near‑term uncertainties and for long‑term growth. We continue to focus on customer‑driven innovation and remain confident in our path to $10 billion in revenue and beyond.”

Financial Outlook

While we believe we are in a strong financial position to weather impacts caused to our business by COVID‑19, many of our customers are now operating under very challenging circumstances, especially those in industries highly affected by COVID‑19, and may re‑evaluate their spend. As such, the second quarter 2020 guidance and updated full‑year 2020 guidance we are providing today factor in the expected impacts of COVID‑19 based on information available to us today. Our guidance is also based on the assumption that generally the most significant headwinds will occur in the second and third quarters of 2020 and there will be increased uncertainty around new business, renewal timing or billings terms, particularly with customers in these highly affected industries. We are further assuming that economic conditions will begin to open up more broadly by the end of the year. Significant variation from these assumptions could cause us to modify our guidance higher or lower.

Our guidance includes GAAP and non‑GAAP financial measures.