Blue Dart Ranked Amongst the ‘Top 50 of India’s Best Companies to Work For – 2020’

Blue Dart, India’s leading logistics services provider, as part of Deutsche Post DHL Group (DPDHL), has been ranked amongst the Top 50 of India’s Best Companies to Work For – 2020 by the Great Place to Work® (GPTW) Institute and The Economic Times. In addition, Blue Dart has been awarded with the elite ‘Laureate Medal’ for being in the top 100 best organizations to have been featured in ‘India’s Best Companies to Work For’ list for 10 years. 

Commenting on being ranked amongst India’s Best Companies to Work For – 2020, Balfour Manuel, Managing Director, Blue Dart Express Limited said, “We are extremely honoured that Blue Dart has been recognised amongst the Top 50 of India’s Best Companies to Work For – 2020. We are even happier that our company has received the elite ‘Laureate Medal’ for featuring in the Top 100 Organizations recognised by Great Place to Work® for 10 years in a row. Blue Dart has always been an organisation that prioritizes its people. Our Blue Darters, the heart of our business, are the ones who make us market leaders with strong brand equity and market leadership. It is with their consistent prowess that we can call ourselves a Provider of Choice and an Investment of Choice to our customers. It is what makes us ensure that we remain an Employer of Choice for them. Through our ‘People First Philosophy’, we continue to invest in our people and create an enabling environment for their all-round development, which in turn drives and exceeds our customer and stakeholder expectations at all times. I am humbled to be part of this team.”

Rajendra Ghag, CHRO, Blue Dart Express Limited added, “We understand that the foundation of our business are our Blue Darters. ‘Highly engaged Blue Darters encourage Happy Customers’; this has been our motto from the very beginning. At Blue Dart, we understand that a good foundation for an organisation stems from strong brand values. We therefore instil, in our teams, our four values of Passion, Can Do, Right First Time and As One. We ensure our teams are taken care of through various HR initiatives, a few of which include, the Death Benevolent Fund (DBF) which aims to help resolve the financial crisis of the family rising due to the death of a team member as well as Upstairs, a program that aims to help children of team members by offering a scholarship program that provides them with Rs.1,00,000 per year along with a mentor.”

Since its inception in 1983, Blue Dart has been an organisation with a great workplace culture and strong talent retention. Most of the senior management team consists of home grown talent who have risen through the ranks. The organisation encourages growth and provides ample opportunity to skilled individuals ensuring they have a multitude of day one Blue Darters, including the current Managing Director, Balfour Manuel.

Recognized for their Best Practices such as the ‘Blue Way’ delivery program, an innovative initiative that allows every Blue Darter to participate in last mile delivery to ensure customer delight, Blue Dart paves the way as an organization that will always keep its people first and ensures dignity of labour. The Blue Way program sees the Senior Management Team, including the Managing Director, part-take in the delivery process. Blue Dart is South Asia’s undisputed express logistics leader that drives a culture of innovation, agility, excellence with a high focus on customer centricity.

Every year the Great Place to Work® study, which assesses the experience of over 12 million employees in more than 10,000 organisations across industries, recognises ‘India’s Best Companies to Work For’ based on their employee survey and people practices assessment. Bifurcating this further, Great Place to Work® (GPTW) Institute further recognizes 100 Best Organisations with an employee strength of over 500 which represent over 21 industry sectors.

GPTW primarily uses 3 dimensions to evaluate and identify the best cultures:

The first dimension measures the quality of employee experience through their globally validated survey instrument known as Trust IndexTM. The survey helps in seeking anonymous feedback from employees.

The second dimension is called the Culture AuditTM, a proprietary tool of the Institute that evaluates the people practices of an organisation, covering the entire employee life-cycle.

The third dimension is called Great Place To Work FOR ALLTM and ensures that everyone irrespective of their job role, tenure, age or gender at the Best Workplaces is having a consistently positive experience.

Dvara KGFS Facilitates Digital Banking Amongst the Remote India

Dvara KGFS, a leading NBFC in India, with a mission to maximise the financial well-being of every individual and every enterprise by providing complete access to financial services in remote rural India, announced transactions worth INR 7 crore achieved since 19th April, 2020 through its Aadhar Enabled Payment System (AEPS) which was implemented in the remote rural areas that they operate in.

Since the lockdown from 24th March 2020, the villagers, especially living in the remote rural areas were greatly encumbered to draw cash for daily use as there was scarce or no access to banks or ATMs. Looking at this challenge, Dvara KGFS initiated AEPS and rolled it out from 19th April 2020 to benefit the rural population that they cater to. This service was also made available at the door step of customers right on time as the government was transferring wages under MNREGA scheme & relief under COVID package directly to the Jan Dhan account of rural women. Started as a pilot in one branch on 19th April in partnership with RBL Bank, this has now scaled to 300 branches with a steady 1000+ daily cash withdrawals amounting to INR 25 – 30 lakhs per day.

Practising absolute safety and social distancing norms, more than 1000 wealth managers of Dvara KGFS, spread extensive awareness and acquainted the villagers with AEPS with the help of respective village heads and was able to facilitate over 36,000 cash withdrawals & 60,000 balance enquiries through this platform.

Commenting on the success of AEPS, Mr. Joby C. O., CEO, Dvara KGFS, said, “Since lockdown and the  announcement of Loan Moratorium by RBI, there has been limited activities across our branches on the loan disbursements & collections front & we have used this opportunity to reach out to our customers and support them to tide over the current situation. We are happy that we were able to provide AEPS service to around 45,000 villagers and facilitate a gross cash withdrawal of more than 7 Crores through our 300 odd branches in such a short span of time. Our Wealth Managers have received a lot of appreciation from the villagers on facilitating this service and we are seeing this as an effective tool which will help us move closer towards our mission of maximising financial well-being for every individual in remote rural India.”

About Dvara KGFS -  

Dvara KGFS, a systematically important NBFC in the Dvara Group regulated by RBI, works with a mission to maximise the financial well-being of every individual and every enterprise by providing complete access to financial services in remote rural India. Dvara KGFS has a strong presence in Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Odisha, spread across 48 Districts with 297 branches and more than 1 million enrolled customers.

Manipal Health Enterprises Collaborates with Government of Karnataka to Combat COVID Crisis in the State

Collaboration

* Manipal Hospitals Malleshwaram to be converted into a dedicated COVID facility

* Partnership with Hospitality players in Bengaluru to set up COVID care centres for mild and asymptomatic patients

* Receives statutory approvals by the regulatory authorities to perform COVID 19 Test at Manipal Hospitals, Old Airport Road Bangalore and Hospital, Manipal

In an endeavour to intensify the fight against the pandemic, Manipal Health Enterprises part of Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) collaborates with the Government of Karnataka and converts its 100 bed fully equipped facility at Malleshwaram as a dedicated COVID unit. The facility is equipped with a 14-bed respiratory ICU and state of the art equipment to ensure seamless and efficient treatment to COVID patients. The facility also has back up imaging and a full-fledged laboratory to ensure the highest level of care to COVID 19 patients. The Group has also been approved by the regulatory authorities to perform COVID 19 Testing at its Hospital on Old Airport, Bangalore and Udupi.

The group has been working closely with the Government of Karnataka since March when the pandemic started to breakout in the State. The Chairman of Manipal Hospitals, Dr. Sudarshan Ballal was a key member of the Task Force formed by the Govt to help combat the spread of the virus. Over the last 3 months, a specialist team comprising of a Physician/Geriatrician, Intensivist, Pulmonologists, Anaesthesiologist and Nephrologist have been monitoring critically ill COVID – 19 patients across 7 districts of Karnataka via the E-Rounds initiative. The dedicated team of specialists were part of the war room to provide video consultations to critically ill patients twice a day. In the month of April, Dr TMA Hospital, a 150 bed facility in Udupi was converted to a dedicated COVID centre and became the only private Hospital in Karnataka to be designated as a COVID – 19 Hospital and has treated over 150 patients. 

Dr. Ranjan Pai, Chairman, Manipal Education and Medical Group (MEMG) said, “These are unprecedented times not only for the country but for the whole of humanity. Manipal Group as a responsible entity is committed to serving the country and will extend every possible support to the Government. In order to build a robust healthcare response and to be able to combat COVID, it is imperative to work as a combined force. We are also exploring possibilities of collaborating with Hospitality players to set up dedicated a COVID care center for mild or asymptotic patients to further ease the burden on the healthcare system. We have successfully engaged in a similar relationship with the ITC Group for their Hotel in Dwarka through our network hospital in New Delhi.”

Sharing his thoughts Mr. Dilip Jose, MD and CEO of Manipal Health Enterprises said, “Our team of experts have been working closely with various sub committees, task forces and working groups of the Government of Karnataka and have been providing immense support to tackle the pandemic. The dedicated unit at Manipal Malleshwaram will provide the highest quality of care for COVID patients. All our regular patients requiring urgent, elective tertiary and quaternary care, will be directed to our other network hospitals on Old Airport Road and at Jayanagar and Whitefield. This will ensure safety and significantly reduce the risk for non- COVID patients visiting our Hospitals”.

About Manipal Hospitals:

As a pioneer in healthcare, Manipal Hospitals is one among the top 5 established healthcare players in India serving over 3 million patients annually. Its focus is to develop an affordable healthcare framework through its multispecialty and tertiary care delivery spectrum and further extend it to homecare. With its flagship quaternary care facility located in Bangalore (India), 9 tertiary care and 5 secondary care spread across India and abroad, Manipal Hospitals today successfully operates and manages over 5,900 beds across 15 hospitals. Manipal Hospitals provides comprehensive curative and preventive care for a multitude of patients from around the globe. Manipal Hospitals is NABH, AAHRPP accredited and most of the hospitals in its network are NABL, ER, Blood Bank accredited and recognized for Nursing Excellence. Manipal Hospitals has also been the most respected and patient recommended hospital in India through various consumer surveys.

Media Statement from NPCI During June 2020 on Digital Payments

“We have come across some quotes on social media which suggest that transferring money through Google Pay is not protected by the law, since the app is unauthorised. RBI has authorised NPCI as a Payment System Operator (PSO) of UPI and NPCI in its capacity as PSO authorises all UPI participants.

We would like to clarify that Google Pay is classified as Third Party App Provider (TPAP) that also provides UPI payment services like many others, working through banking partners and operating under the UPI framework of NPCI. All authorised TPAPs are listed on the NPCI Website. 

Enclosed:

Annexure 1 – List of UPI Live Members and Annexure 2 – List of 3rd Party Apps) All transactions made using any of the authorized TPAPs are fully protected by the redressal processes laid out by applicable guidelines of NPCI/RBI and customers already have full access to the same. Further, we would also like to clarify that all authorised TPAP’s are already bound by full compliance to all the regulations and applicable laws in India. UPI ecosystem is fully safe and secure, and we appeal to the citizens not to fall prey to such malicious news. We also request UPI customers not to share their OTP (one time password) and UPI Pin with anybody”.

ICICI Lombard Introduces Cyber Insurance Cover for Individuals

In these unprecedented times owing to the COVID-19 crisis, remote working has become the new normal. Since the lockdown was announced, like everywhere else, S. Mohan’s company too announced remote working. Before everything shut down, Sameer wanted to buy a laptop, since his device was faulty. He kept browsing different websites to find a good deal for the new laptops. One day, he got a mail offering an unbelievable deal on his favorite brand.  However, buying the laptop needed his credit card information. Since the website offered home delivery within 48 hours (even in the lockdown) he made an impulsive purchase through his credit card. Next morning Mr. Mohan woke up to a message from his bank stating that he has surpassed his credit card limit which was around INR 3, 00,000. When he opened the mail again, the ‘page was not found’. It then dawned upon Mr. Mohan that he has fallen prey to online fraud. He had lost approx. INR 3, 75,000 in a single night. He could do nothing about it as he did not have any protection to see him through.

To help customers overcome such tragedies, ICICI Lombard General Insurance, India's leading private sector non-life insurance company, announced the launch of its Retail Cyber Liability Insurance policy. This policy offers complete protection to individuals and their families against any cyber frauds or digital risks that could result in a financial or reputational loss. The retail cyber insurance product is a form of insurance that protects individuals against losses that individually vary from online theft to unauthorized transactions.

India is one of the most prominent digital markets, with a vast potential for exponential growth. Data shows on a country level; we have over  560 mn internet subscribers and over 350 mn social media users. India is the second-largest App Market by Download and has over 180 Mn+ e-commerce users. When it comes to phone-based transactions, we have over INR 1 Trillion UPI transactions.  This lays the ground for a huge potential for cyberattacks. Undoubtedly, and this opportunity is followed by the menace of cyber risks and frauds which, too, have been growing considerably. Research shows that:

* Cyber-attacks have soared 86% in the four weeks roughly between March and April & overall 37% in first quarter of 2020

* Hackers based in China attempted over 40,300 cyber-attacks on India in 3rd week of week of June, mostly covid-19 based scams. The attacks aimed at causing issues such as denial of service, hijacking of Internet Protocol and phishing

* Rs 1.24 trillion is the amount lost in India in the past 12 months due to cybercrime.

* 131.2 million is the number of cybercrime victims in India in 2019 & 63% of them were impacted financially

According to the Internet Crime Report for 2019, released by FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Centre (IC3), India ranks third among the top 20 countries that are victims of cybercrimes. Going by this data, we are at a high risk of exposure, and personal cyber insurance seems the only respite.

The company's product is designed to secure the digital world against losses in the event of a cyberattack. The coverage will include protection against:

* Identity theft

* Cyber-bullying

* Cyber extortion

* Malware intrusion

* Financial loss due to unauthorized and fraudulent use of bank account, credit card and mobile wallets

* Legal expenses arising out of any covered risk

ICICI Lombard has Innovated by Covering Newer Threats Such As

* Reputation injury - all the expenses incurred in restoring digital reputation with means of removal of the harmful publication from the internet can also be claimed.

* Individual lost wages – if someone loses wages that would have been otherwise earned, for the time necessarily taken off from work to rectify facts arising out of any covered risk can also be claimed

The policy can be purchased at an affordable rate by all digitally active individuals. The premium ranges from INR 6.5 per day to INR 65 per day. The Sum Insured for the cover ranges from INR 50,000 to INR 10,000,000 as opted by the policyholder. The policy provides coverage to the entire family, including children for a duration of 1 year.  

Speaking on the launch, Sanjay Datta, Chief - Claims, Underwriting and Reinsurance said, "We are living in a digital world where data is being engendered, transmitted and deposited every nanosecond. Today, data is gold. And, to protect it, is paramount. While we live a digital life, the risks of cyberattacks have also grown exponentially. Our new product comes at an opportune moment when everybody is working remotely, using social media and net banking and is digitally active. The product is designed to protect individuals against the dangers that come with the connected life like cyber-bullying, identity theft and more. The policy asserts the company's pledge to provide innovative new-age risk solutions to our customers while protecting their reputation, prospective data breaches and losses in case any vital information is stolen or abused."

ICICI Lombard's commitment to providing the best for its consumers reflects through these offerings and more which ensure that the policyholders are stress-free while they work from home and even after. True to its ethos of "Nibhaaye Vaade" (Keeping Promises), ICICI Lombard always aims at being ahead of the curve to provide the customers with innovative and unique products against the new risks.

For more information on the policy and the full range of ICICI Lombard’s Insurance portfolio please visit the website www.icicilombard.com for further details on risk factors, exclusions, terms and conditions.

About ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd

We are the largest private sector non-life insurer in India based on gross direct premium income in fiscal 2020 (Source: IRDAI). We offer our customers a comprehensive and well-diversified range of products, including motor, health, crop, fire, personal accident, marine, engineering and liability insurance, through multiple distribution channels. 

Amazon Prime Video First Kannada Direct-to-Service Release, Law to Now Premiere on July 17, 2020

Amazon Prime Video today announced that the much-awaited Kannada film Law, will now premiere on July 17. The crime-thriller follows the journey of Nandini, played by debutant Ragini Chandran, to fight for justice against a gruesome crime. Taking on the legal system with the aid of her mentor, the movie raises voice against the injustice and crime committed against women. Law is produced by Ashwini Puneeth Rajkumar, M Govinda and directed by Raghu Samarth. 

The legal Kannada drama is led by Ragini Prajwal who makes her debut as a lead actress and Mukhyamantri Chandru, Achyuth Kumar, Sudharani among others. The film also features Siri Prahlad and veteran actor Mukyamanthri Chandru in prominent roles. 

Law is the first film from Sandalwood industry to have a digital release. Created by Puneeth Rajkumar’s PRK Productions, the film will launch on July 17, 2020 exclusively on Amazon Prime Video in over 200 countries and territories worldwide.

Godrej Appliances Unveils New Refrigerator Ranges and New Age Semi-Automatic Washing Machine Godrej EDGE Ultima

New Range 

* Newest additions to the brand portfolio – all three models perfectly combine style with functionality

* The brand introduced models through a virtual event to trade, another first in the Indian Home Appliance industry

Godrej Appliances, a leading player in the Home Appliances with a rich legacy of 62 years, has always put forth products based on consumer insights, and the pillars of innovation and sustainability. Staying true to the brand philosophy ’Things made thoughtfully’, Godrej Appliances recently launched 3 new models - Godrej EDGE RIO Refrigerator, Godrej EDGE NEO Refrigerator and Godrej EDGE Ultima Semi-Automatic washing machine. These new models attest the brand’s unabated commitment toward enabling brighter living for its consumers, always.

The brand took the baton of innovation a step forward by opting for a virtual medium for the Pan India launch, engaging its entire trade network. This is yet another attempt at breaking the barriers by the brand in its series of trade partner engagement initiatives.

Godrej EDGE RIO and EDGE NEO

Godrej EDGE RIO and EDGE NEO are uniquely designed to cater to the underlying need for more storage for the discerning Indian consumers. With the lockdown and social distancing increasing the need to store more in the refrigerator and for longer durations, Godrej Appliances has launched ‘Godrej EDGE RIO’ and Godrej EDGE NEO, the tallest refrigerators in the 192 litres single door category, standing at 1192 mm, with maximum space utilisation. It offers the largest freezer in the category of 16.3 litres capacity, and the Largest Bottle Space of 13.5 litres - making it a perfect companion for the harsh summers. It also comes with a large vegetable tray of 16.4 litres which gives consumers enough space to store all their veggies and also keeps them Farm Fresh for longer.

The 5-star rating as per the 2020 energy rating norms coupled with advantages of the Advanced Inverter Technology, makes Godrej EDGE RIO and EDGE NEO refrigerators highly energy-efficient and power-saving. With the PUF thickness of 54mm, the refrigerator models provide best-in-class cooling retention, even during power cuts. 

The refrigerators are equipped with ‘Turbo Cooling Technology’ that ensures up to 20% Faster Ice Making and up to 20% Faster Bottle Cooling. Its ‘Hygiene+ Inverter Technology’ ensures no defrost water spillage, convenient cleaning and no germ and insect breeding. In line with Godrej’s commitment to environment and sustainability, the refrigerator uses the most eco - friendly refrigerant, R600a, with zero ozone depletion potential and thus helps in reducing its carbon footprint.

A Curved Door design, alluring transparent interiors and an array of attractive and fresh floral fascia/ pre-coats the refrigerators are a treat. Available in 192L capacity with 5-star, 4-star, 3-star and 2-star variants, the new Godrej EDGE RIO and EDGE NEO refrigerators are priced starting INR 14000.

The 190 – 195 litres capacity segment is 50% of the single door refrigerators which in turn forms ~77 % of the refrigerator industry.

Godrej EDGE Ultima – the new age Semi-Automatic

Godrej Edge Ultima ushers in the new-age high performing Semi-Automatic washing machines, with mesmerizing looks thanks to its borderless design. The 5 Star Rated washing machine optimizes electricity consumption and provides higher savings.

Redefining the concept of cleaning, the range of Godrej Edge Ultima semi-automatic washing machines are designed to deliver a thorough and better wash with the 460W Power Max Motor, making it easy to wash heavy laundry as well as everyday clothes, while its 1440 RPM Spin Motor ensures faster drying, making it a must-have for your homes, especially during monsoons. 

A superior wash experience is assured with many distinct useful features built into these machines.

* Unique Active Soak feature to create turbulence in the drum during soak time, which helps in loosen tough stains.

* Spin Shower program to rinse clothes with a rainfall mechanism for better detergent removal

* Tri-Roto Scrub Pulsator that combines 3 ridges and 3 mini-pulsators to generate turbulence and scrubbing for a better wash every time.

* In-built Cartridge Lint Filter that collects lint, fluff, and particles even at low water levels, so that clothes come out clean and fresh after every wash.

* Soft-shut lid of Edge Ultima lifts and shuts gently to prevent any injury to the user.

* Its 100% rust-proof polypropylene body ensures greater durability while the toughened glass lids provide enhanced strength.

The Edge Ultima keeps you worry-free with a 5-year warranty on wash motor, and a 2-year warranty on the entire washing machine.

Godrej Edge Ultima washing machines place convenience at the heart of its design philosophy, making them easy-to-use whilst also standing out from the competition.

Available in 3 colours of Crystal Red, Crystal Black and Crystal Blue in 8 kg and 8.5 kg variants, the washing machines are priced at Rs. 16,400 onwards.

Currently, the 8 – 8.5 kg washing machine variant contributes to 23% of the Semi-Automatic Washing Machine segment and this segment is growing at the rate of 11% for the industry.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Kamal Nandi – Business Head and Executive Vice President, Godrej Appliance said, “Godrej Appliances has always been known for providing high-quality home appliances. As Indian households fight the pandemic, home appliances can go a long way in reducing their burden and easing out their stress. Our newly introduced range of appliances – Godrej EDGE RIO, Godrej EDGE NEO and Godrej Edge Ultima, available in the high volume popular segments are meant to cater to consumers across the country. Placing convenience and efficiency at the heart of its human-centric design, these products are an embodiment of Godrej’s meticulous product quality and design, guided by ‘Soch Ke Banaya Hai’ philosophy at the highest level of craftsmanship. These are being manufactured at our state-of-the-art factories, yet another step towards supporting ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’.

Since the COVID-19 pandemic placed restrictions on large scale gatherings, Godrej Appliances has been the first in the industry to swiftly adapt to launching new products in a virtual format. These zone wise segregated launches were designed to engage with 5000+ trade partners from the comfort of their home. For a more interactive approach, the virtual event had a live chat window wherein all the participants could share their views and received tremendous feedback from the trade network.

Mr. Sanjeev Jain, National Sales Head, Godrej Appliances, further added ‘’At the beginning of the lockdown, we took the herculean task of enabling our network of trade partners to reach customers digitally. We have been breaking barriers across all fronts – from product cataloging and showcasing, multiple cashless online payment facilities to initiation of video-assisted remote selling initiative. By exploring alternative ways to communicate and engage, we were able to offer fantastic opportunities to our trade partners. The launch of our new models - Godrej EDGE Rio, Godrej EDGE Neo and Godrej Edge Ultima – is in sync with our ongoing approach of breaking the barriers through innovation. We plan to launch new products across the year across different segments. These launches are a testament towards our commitment to a culture of strategic and innovative thinking across the organization which enables us to live up to our brand promise of ‘Soch Ke Banaya Hai.’“