HDFC ERGO to Launch On-Demand ‘Pay As You Fly’ Insurance for Drones with TropoGo

HDFC ERGO, the country’s third largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, and TropoGo, a Deep Tech start-up, have partnered to offer commercial drone owners and operators Third Party Liability claims cover for property damage and bodily injuries. This policy is the first-of-its-kind in the non-life insurance segment in India which will be offered on-demand to customers on ‘Pay as you Fly’ concept.

In the current pandemic, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) or drones are being considered and also actively used actively by State and Central Government in the fight against Covid-19. While the world has come to a grinding halt, drones are proving to be efficient and beneficial for public surveillance, crowd monitoring and; in certain areas; even for delivery of essentials like medicines. Moreover, the use of drones may also become central to various functions of different businesses in future, where humans may be unable to perform the tasks.

Despite the advantages drones offer to its commercial users, the safety towards third-party assets remains unanswered. Addressing this need, HDFC ERGO’s new policy provides commercial drone owners/operators Third Party Liability claims cover which may be incurred while conducting activities like survey, mapping, monitoring, disaster relief initiatives, civil administration services, use during festivals & events, property management and travel & tourism purposes among others. This cover will be offered to registered drone owners and operators holding a commercial drone pilot’s certificate or a license issued by certified training schools in India.

Commenting on the launch of the new product, Mr. Ritesh Kumar, MD & CEO, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Ltd., “The risk landscape continues to evolve. With the advancement in technology, new risks are emerging that open up new horizons for us to offer innovative products. Today, drones are becoming more and more popular in events and other outdoor commercial activities, which require skilled professionals to operate them. But, mistakes in operating and equipment failure may cause damage to third parties. Considering this we are launching this cover under our Aviation Insurance, which is a first in the industry, to safeguard drone owners and pilots from any third-party liability while flying a drone commercially.”

Mr. Sandipan Sen, Founder & Product owner, TropoGo said, “Third-Party Liability insurance is mandatory for drone operations, and there has been a demand from the Indian Drone Community for Insurance as well. Unfortunately, until now, no insurer offers such a cover and the flexibility to buy the policy through a digital platform. We identified this as the problem statement and partnered with HDFC ERGO General Insurance to offer India’s first on-demand ‘Pay As You Fly’ Third-Party Liability cover for drone owners and operators that is Smart, Affordable & Fit-for-Purpose."

TropoGo mobile app will be available for both Android and iOS users, which will allow registered members to choose a policy cover based on the duration of time the drone is being used. Members may opt for 4 hours, one-day or a one-month cover to insure themselves against third-party liabilities. For more information about the policy cover, drone users can logon to www.tropogo.com or download the TropoGo app on their Android or iOS based mobile phones, or simply connect with a HDFC ERGO General or TropoGo representative.

India’s MSME Hold the Key to an Economic Restart at the Grassroots - NRI Consulting Report

Key Points               

* Financial Stability, Availability of Skilled Labour in MSME clusters, and Market Competitiveness of products to be the driving factors for a robust MSME sector

* Using a cluster approach to help upgrade MSMEs to suit the changing global landscape

The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has drastically changed the global economic landscape. World Trade Organisation estimates that global merchandise trade will reduce by 13% to 32% in 2020 due to COVID-19 pandemic. This global phenomenon is going to make countries think about strengthening their local supply chains.

With this backdrop, India has already announced its vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ - A Self-Reliant India which will push for strengthening local industries and give them a boost to compete at a global stage.

The latest report by Nomura Research Institute (NRI) Consulting & Solutions India endorses this view by stating that MSMEs can play a significant role in achieving this vision, however, a lot more needs to be done for MSMEs to become a growth driver for India. Three key parameters for the success of MSMEs are Financial Stability, Availability of Skilled Labour in MSME clusters, and Market Competitiveness of their products to both achieve import substitution as well as exports.

The report identifies some of the key areas that need to be focused:

 

1) Capability of Supply – It is essential to improve the capability of Indian MSMEs to supply quality products especially with new norms of operations being introduced due to COVID 19. Maintaining social distancing, running on reduced capacity, etc. would further aggravate the situation for the cash stripped MSMEs. Hence, it is imperative to provide immediate support for ensuring they keep up their capability of supply

2) Capability of demand - Indian MSMEs need to be adaptable with changing market trends. Recent global developments have also reduced the planning horizons in global supply chains making it crucial for the sector to be able to adapt to a variable demand scenario

3) Capacity - Ensuring capacity and availability of raw materials is also crucial. The disruption in global logistics has broken the chain for some key raw materials.

4) Cost competitiveness – The impact of COVID 19 on business operations will require innovative methods to reduce cost. MSMEs could be introduced to low-cost automation techniques which work in tandem with the human workforce while implementing distancing and also for quality control.

5) Customer perception – Branding and advocacy will also be needed to leverage the positive connotations associated with certain Indian products and assess negative connotations that can be removed

Ashim Sharma, Principal & Division Head – Business Performance Improvement (Auto, Engineering & Logistics), NRI (Nomura Research Institute) Consulting & Solutions, said, “The Indian MSMEs have traditionally been catering to the domestic market either through directly selling to the consumers (B2C) or are a part of the value chain driven by large organised private players (B2B). Factors like evolving consumption and increasing competition have led to the increasing relevance of integrating customers’ voice in product design for MSMEs to stay relevant. Therefore, it becomes extremely important for the MSMEs to design, manufacture and sell products which the customers need. They need to be connected to a demand led environment, where their business strategy and processes are aligned to the changing market dynamics through a market-oriented strategy.”

With the manufacturing ecosystem is constantly evolving under the influence of several trends around changing consumer behaviour and technological shifts happening across the globe, NRI Consulting & Solutions has put forward a set of recommendations. These are:

The report also highlighted multiple manufacturing clusters across India to help create a conducive environment for development of small and medium enterprises, as identified by the United Nations Industrial Development Organisation (UNIDO). Clusters across India hold the key for developing a self-reliant ecosystem based on local skills and expertise. The cluster approach becomes all the more important with the localised nature of lockdown opening policies. Measures for development of MSME clusters can be aligned with the strategy to fight the impact of COVID 19.  “E.g. The state of Punjab has multiple MSME clusters with majority of them located around Jalandhar and Ludhiana. These MSME clusters provides an opportunity to significantly upgrade the overall manufacturing economy of the state. Jalandhar for example has clusters for sports good, agricultural implements, hand tools, leather works, etc. Similarly, Ludhiana has clusters for bicycle parts, hosiery, forging, hand and machine tools, etc. All these MSMEs, if developed in a collaborative approach while keeping a market oriented strategy, can provide significant boost to the economy as well as employment in the state of Punjab. “added Mr. Sharma

The report further emphasizes on the fact that clusters can also be used for identifying synergies between various stressed MSMEs which can then be used to create collaborating firms. MSMEs that cannot stand alone might be able to succeed as combined firms by utilising various synergies. These synergies can be across various areas such as demand synergies, geographic synergies, logistics synergies, etc.

“Using a cluster approach will help in upgrading the MSMEs to suit the changing global landscape. Financially it might not be feasible for an individual MSME to develop all the capabilities but at the cluster level it can be achieved by sharing resources and realising cluster level synergies. A good example will be the Jalandhar cluster for sports good. Through focussed efforts, this cluster can combine resources for tracking the latest trends and demand requirements across the globe and manufacturing market-oriented products that can easily adapt to the changes in consumer preferences.” Mr. Sharma concluded.

The Indian Performing Right Society Ltd (IPRS) Launches #CreditTheCreators Campaign

Did you know that Jaddanbai, actress Nargis Dutt’s mother was India’s first female music composer? Did you know the most unforgettable song, ‘Itni shakti hame de na daata’ was written by lyricist Abhilaash and composed by Kuldeep Singh? Every song is a musical story written by the composers and lyricists but the creators of many such brilliant creations remain lost in the pages of music sheets.  With World Music Day just round the corner, IPRS in association with Music Plus has launched a thought provoking campaign, “#CreditTheCreators” acclaim the Creators and Celebrate THEM along with their work! The multifaceted campaign will witness veterans and musicians like Javed Akhtar, Sameer Anjaan, Raju Singh, Swanand Kirkire, Sandesh Shandilya, Mayur Puri, Manoj Muntashir, Kuldeep Singh, Abhilash, Kausar Munir, Leslee Lewis, Shashaa Tirupati, Priya Saraiya, Paroma Dasgupta, and many more driving the initiative on social media and traditional platforms.

The first leg of the campaign will roll out on digital with the associated artists performing and talking about their favourite songs and the creators behind such timeless creation. Unfolding stories and talents who remained lost in obscurity. Further, the activation will see association with artists for real life stories, testimonials, UGC, panel discussions and innovative content partnership to drive the message across social and traditional media. Spread over two weeks, the campaign will serve as a thought starter encouraging all of us to acknowledge those behind the power of words and melodies that have shaped our moments of merriment and misery equally, forever etching those songs in our memories.

Speaking on the campaign Mr. Javed Akhtar, Chairman, IPRS commented, “Although popular music and even light classical music in Northern America had influences of Latin and African traditional beats and compositions, what we call fusion today is an international phenomenon that can be called a post Woodstock revolution. It was the performance of Pandit Ravi Shankar and Ustad Allah Rakkha at Woodstock that ultimately broke so many cultural and traditional barriers in the world of western music. Even the conservatives reassessed their “musical morality” and eventually in the whole western world fusion got accepted as a respectable genre. I guess not many people are aware that while in the West, Fusion was recognised in mid-sixties, Indian film music directors were not only using but had mastered fusion as early as late thirties. There are a number of songs in the forties and fifties recorded by maestros like Pankaj Mallik, Naushad, Anil Biswas and C Ramchandra in which the tune of the lyric is based on Indian Ragas but the orchestra uses instruments like guitar piano, trumpet, cello, violin. Some songs have an Indian tune backed by a Western choir.

On this occasion of World Music Day, I salute every such genius who was decades ahead of the world. We must ensure that every creator in India is recognised & remunerated for their creations and their right to be identified as authors of their creations remains sacrosanct.

Happy World Music Day to everyone because as the Bard has said “Music is the food of love”.

Commenting on the initiative Mr. Rakesh Nigam, CEO, IPRS said, “Our endeavour has always been to provide a platform that encourages creativity and fair value for music and its creators. With this campaign, “#CreditTheCreators” we aim to build a strong proposition for acknowledging and honouring the authors and composers of music who spend their lifetime in creating their masterpieces. The way music is consumed has changed significantly over the years. While avenues for distribution and consumption of music has grown manifolds, limited efforts have been made to encourage and acclaim the creators of music.  We are hopeful that through this campaign we will be able to initiate a positive change and will be supported by many to drive the cause.”

As Covid-19 Crisis Unfolds, Awign Creates a Unique Compliance Platform in Indian Market

As the country gradually opens up after the lockdown and people get back to work, protocols of social distancing, sanitization and personal hygiene are required to be followed by employees of all organizations. To ensure that all the guidelines mentioned by the government and health authorities are followed meticulously by organizations and that there are timely audits of compliance measures, Awign, India’s largest and most trusted work-fulfilment platform, has created a unique compliance platform called ACCP or Awign Covid Compliance Platform.

ACCP is a tech-based platform that can be deployed in any kind of work environment and modified according to the needs and requirements of on-field norms and workflows. This platform not only ensures that employees follow the Covid-compliant Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) but also deploys Awign’s vast network of gig workers to carry out actual physical audits of enforcement measures.

Underlining the need for such a solution that makes the enforcement of Covid-19 compliance measures easier, Gurpreet Singh, Co-founder, Awign shares, “Indian Economy is finding a way to work through the unprecedented circumstances. As the factories, warehouses, large corporate offices reopen amidst COVID-19, they need solutions which ensure all regulations and best practices for mitigating COVID-19 are followed every minute. We have built ACCP to this effect and have made sure that our solution is inclusive of all the actual stakeholders who are responsible for COVID compliance at any workspace.”

In a similar vein, Annanya Sarthak, Co-founder, Awign says, “Having created livelihood through 5 million tasks in past 2 years, Awign has now launched ACCP and is impacting the workforce across various industries, enabling a way for them to come back to work and earn a living amidst the pandemic. We aim to scale fast and impact more than a million employees by getting them back to their workspaces in a safe, controlled and monitored environment.”

The platform has three main benefits:

Enforce: Implement Covid-compliant measures among the workforce so that protocols of social distancing, implementation of personal hygiene, among others, are taken care of.

Monitor: The application detects breaches of protocols and alerts the stakeholders regarding the same through dashboards.

Audit: Timely and regular physical intervention by Awign’s gig workforce in case of violations.

The way ACCP works is simple yet highly effective and easy to deploy. It provides a mobile app-based platform for employers, supervisors and those who are in charge of enforcing protocols. The platform is easy to operate even by the non tech savvy employees like a security guard and Awign provides end to end training and operational support customized for every organization that deploys its platform. It constantly flags violations of protocols through dashboards, notifications, emails and SMSs to all the stakeholders involved. Finally, periodic and detailed physical audits are undertaken by Awign’s professional auditors who carry out inspections of office premises through both mystery and non-mystery means. Awign charges a minimal user based subscription fee from the corporate basis the usage of the platform. 

ACCP has customizable modules to ensure Covid Compliance for a wide variety of scenarios including corporate offices, manufacturing setups , supply chain centres, mobility and last mile delivery solutions, retail establishments, etc. Backed by investors like Unitus Ventures, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation and Work10M, Awign has already partnered with some of the top corporate organizations in the country to ensure Covid-19 compliance among their workforce.

Amazon Prime Video Confirms July 10, 2020 Release for All-New Amazon Original Breathe: Into The Shadows

 

Amazon Prime Video announced today that the much-awaited new chapter of the Amazon Original Series Breathe, will be unveiled on 10th July 2020. The all-new psychological crime thriller Breathe: Into The Shadows is created and produced by Abundantia Entertainment and sees Bollywood superstar Abhishek Bachchan make his digital on-screen debut, alongside the return of acclaimed actor Amit Sadh in his award-winning role as senior inspector Kabir Sawant. This Original Series also features one of South India’s leading actors, Nithya Menen, who makes her digital debut. Sayami Kher also joins the cast in a prominent role. The highly anticipated Amazon Original Series will launch exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

“We are extremely excited to bring a brand new show Breathe: Into The Shadows, featuring exceptional cast including Abhishek Bachchan, Amit Sadh, Nithya Menen and Saiyami Kher. We are confident that our customers will love this edge-of-the-seat emotional thriller across India and beyond.” Aparna Purohit, Head of India Originals, Amazon Prime Video.

“Abundantia Entertainment has always been at the forefront of creating engaging and impactful content across genres,” said Vikram Malhotra, Founder & Chief Executive Officer, Abundantia Entertainment, “We are excited to collaborate once again with Amazon Prime Video for an all-new chapter of the successful Amazon Original Series Breathe. I’m also delighted to get Abhishek in the mix with Amit, Nithya and Saiyami and with Mayank delivering a gripping narrative and a fresh and elevated storyline, we are confident that the show will resonate strongly with fans all over the world.”

“We are happy to bring Prime members an all-new avatar of Breathe,” said Director Mayank Sharma. "While each character in the show has its own story to tell, viewers will discover just how intriguingly these storylines eventually get interwoven. With this new chapter I am excited to take Prime members on a new roller-coaster journey of emotions and thrills that will leave you gasping for breath.”

The series is produced by Abundantia Entertainment and directed by Mayank Sharma. The show has been deftly written by Bhavani Iyer, Vikram Tuli, Arshad Syed and Mayank Sharma.    

Breathe: Into The Shadows will join the thousands of TV shows and movies from Hollywood and Bollywood in the Prime Video catalogue. These include Indian-produced Amazon Original series such as Four More Shots Please, Paatal Lok, The Forgotten Army – Azaadi Ke Liye, The Family Man, Mirzapur, Inside Edge and Made In Heaven, as well as award-winning and critically- acclaimed global Amazon Original series like Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan, The Boys, Hunters, Fleabag and The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, all on Prime Video, which is available at no extra cost for Amazon Prime members. The service includes titles available in Hindi, Marathi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Punjabi and Bengali.

Prime members will be able to watch all episodes of Breathe: Into The Shadows anywhere and anytime on the Prime Video app for smart TVs, mobile devices, Fire TV, Fire TV stick, Fire tablets, Apple TV, Airtel, Vodafone, etc. In the Prime Video app, Prime members can download episodes on their mobile devices and tablets and watch anywhere offline at no additional cost. Prime Video is available in India  at no extra cost to a Prime membership for just ₹999 annually or ₹129 monthly, new customers can find out more at  www.amazon.in/prime and subscribe to a free 30-day trial.

Acer India Launches Business PC at Just Rs 9999; Aims to Support Education, SMBs & Enterprises

Editorial Summary:

*The new Acer Veriton N series PCs is launched to support the immediate need of e-learning and business to go digital without high investment

*Latest Intel Dual Core/Quad-Core Processors equipped Acer Veriton N series is a space-saving and Power saving system which can easily accomplish the needs of students, education institutes and businesses

*Veriton N series comes with Microsoft Windows 10, 6 USB ports with at least 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1

*The PC comes with fully loaded specifications with security and manageability features.

 

Acer, the global PC brand, today unveiled affordable Acer Veriton N series powered by latest Intel Dual Core/Quad-Core Processors paired with 4GB RAM expandable upto 8GB and a host of connectivity options it is designed for e-learning, Small-Medium Businesses and Enterprises to help them in digital transformation. The new Acer Veriton N series comes with Microsoft Windows 10, WiFi b/g/n ac for wireless connectivity along with security and manageability features. It is an ultra-small form factor desktop with VESA mount which can fit behind a monitor easily saving space and giving a clean work desk.

Speaking on this occasion, Sudhir Goel, Chief of Commercial Business Group, Acer India said, “We are excited about the launch of the new Acer Veriton N series which is an affordable PC for meeting the rising demand of E-learning, Enterprises and Small Medium Business across all segments. With lockdown and changing business strategies, there is a need of IT products to adjust the remote working requirements. To address the immediate task of keeping the workforce functional with minimum losses in productivity, Acer India launched this product that is enterprise ready and delivers a smoother, more responsive, and fast computing experience. This launch will support the industry prediction on the rising demand for PCs in the enterprise segment for the coming quarters.”

By expanding its line-up of affordable devices, Acer India will continue to support education, enterprise and Small Medium Businesses, as part of the education and work style transformation. This performance-oriented PCs support up to two displays to maximize productivity, and 6 USB ports with at least 2 USB 3.1 Gen 1 that provide high-speed data transfer and best-in-class connectivity.

Pricing and Availability:

The Acer Veriton N series is priced from Rs. 9999 onwards and will be available at Acer E-store (https://store.acer.com/en-in/) and at over 1500 Acer channel partner stores across India. To know more write to ail.enquiries@acer.com

Omnichannel Mobile Phone Retail Brand Gabbardeals Secures Funding from Venture Catalysts

Venture Catalysts, India’s first, largest and pioneering integrated incubator and accelerator platform, has recently invested in Gabbardeals, an omnichannel O2O platform for mobile phones and accessories. The latest funding will allow Gabbardeals to ramp up its operations, expand services and forge new partnerships.

Founded by industry expert & serial entrepreneur Niraj Raka, and co-founded by seasoned professional Poonam Gugale and Piyush Raka, Gabbardeals is committed to transforming the billion-dollar unorganized mobile retail space. The company works on a unique phygital (physical + digital) model that combines the advantages of both offline and online retail, creating a win-win situation for all players – brand, retailer and consumer. The USP of Gabbardeals is that it synergizes offline and online retail to offer fast, seamless delivery of products while bringing down the customer acquisition cost for retailers.

Sharing his insights, Niraj Raka, Founder and CEO, Gabbardeals, commented, “When customers purchase a phone from an e-commerce platform, it takes at least 24 hours for the phone to get delivered. Taking into account the supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 crisis, the delivery can even get delayed by a few days. Through Gabbardeals, however, customers will get their hands on the brand new phone within two hours. We have made this possible by bridging the gap between online and offline retailers. This way Gabbardeals helps e-commerce platforms to cut down their logistics costs and offline stores to acquire a larger customer base.” Bhavesh Solanki who has joined Gabbardeals will be targeting 10000+ Mobile phone sellers to sell on our platform.

Talking about the investment, he added, “We now have the cash runaway to scale our operations, develop technology and achieve sustainable growth.”

Speaking on the investment, Dr Apoorv Ranjan Sharma, Founder, Venture Catalysts, said, “Within a short span of time, Gabbardeals has emerged as a promising player in the mobile retail space. Their omnichannel approach has proven to be effective and profitable, which gives them a winning advantage. This is besides the fact that all the co-founders of Gabbardeals are dynamic leaders and have shown exceptional growth in their own capacities. We are confident that it will fulfil its vision of becoming the fastest-growing omnichannel platform for mobile phones in India and globally.”

Speaking on the occasion, lead investor Tharun Dhariwal of Dhariwal Group, said, "Brands and Customers are discovering channel for Online and Offline with regards to Price and Service respectively. Gabbardeals will be connecting chain through O2O model with the traditional retailers. We are confident on the growth of Gabbardeals with many hands joining together for the fortune of our nation. Standalone shops will be getting a new life in the current E-commerce industry. During this COVID-19 pandemic situation, Gabbardeals is the only hope to provide support many small/medium retailers to double their business."

Aalesh Avlani - Partner, Samyakth Capital said, ‘’ After speaking to a lot of mobile retailers in the market we realized that these retailers struggle with customer acquisition costs & a lack of technology. Gabbardeals has perfectly positioned itself to be a blend of traditional retail and ecommerce by empowering these mobile retailers address these challenges. The Asset-light business model of Gabbardeals will allow them to scale with minimal burn and help them focus on being profitable at a unit-economic level, a theme that has been made more prevalent post the COVID-19 pandemic’’

With a widespread presence spanning across India, Gabbardeals has already established a strong footprint in both metros and small towns. So far, it has tied up with 30+ mobile phone franchise stores. Gabbardeals has sold 26,000+ mobile phones and 17,000+ accessories, registering a gross merchandise volume (GMV) of over Rs 50 crore.