Hyundai Motor India Nationwide Freedom Drive from August 14–21

 Hyundai Motor India Ltd., country’s first smart mobility solutions provider and largest exporter since inception, today announced the commencement of Nationwide Freedom Drive across all Hyundai workshops, with an objective to make customers mindful of Periodic Maintenance Schedule. Customers can avail special offers on Labour, Car Sanitization & Under body coating for their Hyundai cars from August 14 – 21, 2020.

Commenting on the Freedom Drive, Mr. Tarun Garg, Director – Sales, Marketing & Service, said, “Hyundai’s philosophy is to be the Lifetime Partner of its customers and Freedom drive is a step towards providing a delightful customer experience. This unique service initiative is aimed at educating customers about periodic maintenance with an intention to provide seamless service experience, enhancing customer’s peace of mind.” 

Customers’ offers and benefits for Freedom Drive at select Dealers include:

• Free 50-point check & hi-touch points sanitization

• Complete interior sanitization packages starting from ₹ 599

• Up to 20% discount on labour charges

• 15% discount on Underbody Coating

With over 1300 service outlets, HMIL is committed to provide the most comprehensive and qualitative service. Hyundai service facilities can also be experienced via 360° Digital & Contact-less Service. From online service booking through Hyundai Care App, Vehicle status update via WhatsApp, Pick & Drop from home/office and online payment facility, a touch free service experience is ensured for the customers, wherever they are and whenever they want to. Hyundai has endeavoured to establish service benchmarks in the industry with its leading service initiatives and No.1 rank in JD Power Customer Service Index study for 3 years consecutively.

‘Made in India’ Social Media App, Explurger, Built on AI to be Launched on the Independence Day for Global Audience

 

APP 

* The new-age social media app ready to be launched on Aug 15, to further India’s ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ Mission

* Packed with exciting features such as sharing high-quality pictures, videos, creating a bucket list, achieving Explurger levels, sharing future travel plans, automatic Travelogue and much more

* India’s own social media app for the world to connect

* Go #VocalforLocal with Explurger

Centered on user experience, a completely home-grown new-age social media app ‘Explurger’ is ready for a long-awaited global launch on Aug 15, 2020. The app is built to stimulate Aatma Nirbhar Bharat Mission and promises to put India on the world map with the world social media giants.

Explurger is proud to be a truly ‘Made in India’ app — fully conceived, designed, coded by Indians — that offers a safe and secure platform for all its users spread across the globe.

With its simple yet innovative AI-based features, Explurger is packed with exciting features like sharing high-quality pictures, videos, creating a bucket list, achieving Explurger levels, sharing future travel plans, automatic travelogue and much more. 

Jitin Bhatia, Founder, Explurger, talking about the inspiration, says, “Being a software developer at heart, I have always wondered about the fact that despite some of the best apps in the world being powered by Indian brains, there is no social media app in the top category which could be called truly Indian.

So, I was looking for an idea to build an Indian app. Some three years back, upon returning from a business trip, my staff told me that it was probably my 30th trip in that year. That had me thinking that if there were a way to keep a count of the number of times one travels away from home, or tells people how many miles they have travelled, that would be something. And that was my Eureka moment. That’s how Explurger was born. Finally my labour of love, some 2.5 years later, Explurger is all set to be my Independence Day gift to India and the world. I hope people download it and reciprocate my love. I’d love to see PM Modi, US President Trump and Mark Zuckerberg Explurging.”

Although there are several Indian-origin social media apps available in iOS and Android, but Explurger outshines them with its following features:

Complete Travelogue: Check-ins are temporary, Explurge-Ins are forever. Every time you create a post, the AI automatically updates your personalised Travelogue.

Bucket List: When a friend shares a picture/video from a cool place, just add it to your bucket list. So, whenever you’re in the area, Explurger would remind you to check out that place.

Future Travel Plans: Make your future travel plan announcements exciting with a ‘Live Countdown Timer.’

Explurger Levels: Now for the first time ever, gamify your social media experience with Explurger. Everytime you explore a new country, city, cafe, or share a post or get Kudos on your wall, your Explurger level goes up. Go, flaunt it! 

Kudos: Show your approval, give your fellow Explurgers Kudos. Why stick with one like when you can give up to three kudos!

Spread: With a click of a button, now share all your exciting Explurges on other social media apps out there as you post it on Explurger!

Rate on the go: This app allows you to rate an experience, cafe, city, or place!

Explurger is all set to make its mark in the global market.

Aspirational Bharat Sees 120% Spike in Work Productivity on Smartphones During COVID-19: TECNO-CMR MICI Survey

 

Survey Report

* Consumers in Aspirational Bharat are seeing a >50% spike on smartphone usage during lockdown, including 120% on productivity.

* Beyond work, consumers spent increased time on their phone for consuming content, including video OTT (70%) and audio OTT (60%), and gaming (62%).

* Fast-depleting Battery life and limited screen size were the biggest challenges that consumers faced with their smartphones.

A new Mobile Industry Consumer Insights (MICI) Survey, conducted by CyberMedia Research (CMR) in association with TECNO Mobile, has for the first time provided a comprehensive understanding of changing consumer behaviour and smartphone usage patterns in Aspirational Bharat. The CMR MICI survey revealed that consumers of Aspirational Bharat saw a 120% spike in smartphone usage for productivity compared to pre-COVID levels.

According to Prabhu Ram, He ad- Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, “The smartphone is a key daily driver for consumers living in cities and towns beyond Tier I. We call this the Aspirational Bharat. What the survey highlights is how smartphone usage is changing, during lockdown and in the neo-normal, cutting across use cases, such as productivity, personal development, and leisure. In preparation for the neo normal, consumers in Aspirational Bharat are seeking smartphones that offer larger screen size and much better battery life.”

Echoing the sentiment from TECNO’s perspective, Mr. Arijeet Talapatra, CEO, TRANSSION India said, “As a leading smartphone company commanding substantial presence and market share in the Aspirational Bharat’, we have iterated the growing importance of telecommuting and productivity usage of smartphone in the wake of COVID-19. In Aspirational Bharat, where affordability and utility go hand in hand, smartphones have emerged as a primary medium of work, information and entertainment. The CMR MICI Survey reinforces the fact that TECNO has the sense of the pulse of its aspirational consumers. And with our SPARK series, which focuses on battery, display, and camera in sub-10K smartphone category is a testimony to TECNO’s deep commitment of introducing products with segment-first features at a disruptive price point where the consumer is more ready to experiment with the product. We are optimistic that our latest launches Spark 6 Air smartphone and TWS Minipod M1 will be well-received by the audience and enable our consumers to find a work-leisure balance in this Neo Normal.”

(A) COVID-19 and Impact on Smartphone Usage in Aspirational Bharat during lockdown

* During COVID-19 Lockdown (March 25 - May 31), smartphone usage spiked by 50%, with smartphone usage for work surging by >100%.

* Smartphone users in Aspirational Bharat depend on their smartphone to empower their professional and personal life.

* 84% of consumers depend on their smartphones, for instance, for accessing information on government schemes, weather patterns, and market linkage information for farm produce.

* 83% of consumers use their phones for content consumption including creating and consuming short-form videos, music and videos.

* 83% feel empowered, using their smartphones for online banking, shopping, and utility bill payment, among others.

* Beyond work, consumers spent increased time on their phone for consuming content, including video OTT (70%) and audio OTT (60%), and gaming (62%).

* Around three in every seven users in Aspirational Bharat have started some new activities and hobbies during the period of lockdown. For instance, 21% of the consumers have learnt new skills, 19% have listened to music, while 18% have taken up new hobbies on their phones.

* One in every three parents depend on their smartphone for facilitating their kid’s online education during lockdown.

(B) Smartphone Usage in the Neo Normal (June onwards)

* Two in every seven users (29%) have faced some challenge while working from home.  One in every seven users (15%) faced difficulty in managing work-life-balance as well as productivity issue.

* The top three smartphone features that consumers have started relying more in the neo normal are Camera (61%), battery life (57%) and sound quality (51%).

* Some consumers faced problems with their smartphones –  phone overheating (58%), limited screen size (47%) and swift battery drainage (46%) were the top three challenges.

* When it comes to their next smartphone purchase, consumers are looking for smartphones that offer long battery life (54%) and large screen size (53%) for viewing to cope with neo normal.

About CMR – TECNO Mobile MICI Survey

The Mobile Industry Consumer Insights (MICI) Survey by CyberMedia Research (CMR), in association with TECNO Mobile, is the first-ever, comprehensive study of changing consumer behavior on smartphones in Tier-I, Tier-II and Tier-III cities and towns of India, across three phases: pre-COVID-19, during pandemic, and neo-normal.

The CMR Mobile Industry Consumer Insights (MICI) Survey covered 1052 respondents cutting across ten study locations, including, New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Ludhiana, Lucknow, Surat, Indore, Guwahati and Sonipat. The study covered consumers in the age groups of 20 to 35, and socio-economic levels of SEC B & SEC C, having a affordable smartphone in the price range of INR 6000 – 10000.

For results based on a randomly chosen sample of this size, there is 95% confidence that the results have a statistical precision of plus or minus 3% of what they would be if the entire population had been surveyed.

BPO and IT Sectors Lead Talent Demand Recovery with Double-Digit M-o-M Growth: RecruiteX

* BPO (15%), IT (10%) and BFSI (7%) emerged as the top three sectors with maximum M-o-M growth in talent demand in July 2020   

* BFSI – had shed most talent demand in June 2020 - picked up the pace and gained 7% growth in talent demand in July 2020 M-o-M study

* Customer Services/Tele Calling, Front Office/Administration and IT/Telecom were the most sought after job profiles in July 2020

* Vadodara (over 30% growth) and Hyderabad/Secunderabad (16%) were the top gainers for talent demand in July 2020 study

* Professionals with 5-10 years of experience were most in-demand in the review month

With ‘recovery’ as the key focus in ‘Unlock3’, talent demand is already picking pace as BPO and IT/Telecom sectors noted a double-digit growth in July 2020 analysis. TimesJobs RecruiteX noted that BPO (15%), IT (10%) and BFSI (7%) emerged as the top three sectors with maximum M-o-M growth in talent demand in July 2020.      

TimesJobs RecruiteX is a monthly recruitment index that records the demand and supply of talent at India Inc.

Overall, talent demand in July 2020 grew by 2% M-o-M, pushed largely by growth in high volume sectors like BPO, IT and BFSI.

Talking about the details of RecruiteX July 2020 edition, Sanjay Goyal, Business Head, TimesJobs and TechGig said, “The talent demand trends for July 2020 are heartening. Though the overall growth in July 2020 is only 2% since it’s based largely on high volume sectors as BPO, IT and BFSI, I’m very confident that this trend will continue in the coming months. I foresee the talent demand to pick up from here on as India Inc has actively started working towards the road to recovery. Smart companies are, now, focussing on constructive learnings from this difficult situation which would help them to grow in future. ”

Industry-wise (MoM growth):

Following its growth pattern of June 2020, the BPO sector saw an impressive 15% M-o-M increment in talent demand in July 2020 too. The IT/Telecom and BFSI sectors had witnessed (-6%) and (-2%) de-growth respectively in June 2020 but bounced back in July 2020. Here are the top three sectors for talent demand in July 2020:

·         BPO: 15%

·         IT/Telecom: 10%

·         BFSI: 7%

Functional areas:

Customer Services/Tele Calling job profile jumped from 4% growth in talent demand in June 2020 to 18% growth in July 2020. On the other hand, Front Office/Administration profile had clocked 21% growth in June 2020, but could only register 11% growth in July 2020 analysis of talent demand. Here are the top three job profiles as per talent demand in July 2020:

·         Customer Services/ Tele Calling: 18%

·         Front Office/ Administration: 11%

·         IT/Telecom: 8%

Location-wise:

Most talent demand in July 2020 was posted in Tier-II cities, with Vadodara recording a growth of over 30%. Among the metropolitan cities, Chennai saw the most growth with 10% increment. Mumbai and Delhi noted 8% and 1% growth in July 2020. Bengaluru noted de-growth of (-7%) in July 2020.  Here are the top three cities as per talent demand in July 2020:

·         Vadodara: over 30% growth

·         Hyderabad/Secunderabad: 16%

·         Ahmedabad: 11%

Work experience-wise:

Professionals with 5-10 years of work experience were most in demand, and this category noted 11% M-o-M growth in talent demand. Here are the categories of work professionals as per talent demand in July 2020:

·         5-10 years of work experience:11%

·         2-5years of work experience: 8%

Brigade Group Announces India’s 1st Virtual Property Expo from August 15-16, 2020

 Brigade Group today announced conducting the first Virtual Property Expo by a developer on 15th and 16th August 2020. While we have conducted many online exhibitions in the past, this virtual expo will be different from the regular online exhibitions. This will be the first of its kind by any developer in the country, where the experience of going through an Expo will be simulated virtually with specific stalls for our various projects, similar to an on-ground event.

The Virtual property Expo will showcase our 30+ residential properties across Bengaluru, Mysuru, and Chennai. Various offers like flexible payment plans, free interiors and price protection specifically address the current situation of uncertainty and at the same time give the discerned buyers an opportunity to own a dream home, from a trusted developer like Brigade. Also, every customer who books a home during this Expo will get an assured Gift worth Rs.40,000.

Commenting on this event, Mr. Rajendra Joshi, CEO Residential, Brigade Group, said, “Brigade has been at the forefront of innovation and we are happy to bring to you India’s first virtual property Expo by a developer. We believe true freedom is having a home of your own and the aftermath of the pandemic has established that owning a home is better than dealing with the uncertainties of living in a rented accommodation. We invite you to choose your dream home during these two days”

The Virtual Expo event will be held on 15 &16 August 2020 and will be open to buyers between 10 a.m. and 7 p.m. on the two days.

Nu-Shakti Releases its Report on ‘Diet Paradox’ for Indians

Nutritious Diet

* Survey reveals a gap between awareness and action in consuming a nutritious diet

* 97% are aware of the essential nutrients and micro-nutrients required for their body

* 60% of the respondents ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ make a conscious effort to add nutritive elements or additional supplements to their diet

Nu-Shakti – a brand of Royal DSM – today released its report on India’s ‘Diet Paradox’. Highlighting the importance of a healthy immune system in protecting people from infections and ailments, the report stresses the role of adequate nutrition in building immunity. Based on a survey conducted with more than a thousand people across all age groups in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata, the report highlights that unprecedented awareness levels in terms of health and nutrition are very often matched with a lax attitude in adopting healthy practices.

Virtually all respondents of the survey (98%) agree that a nutritious diet is essential for a healthy lifestyle, however, 60% of the respondents ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ make a conscious effort to add nutritive elements or additional supplements to their diet. According to the findings, even though nearly three-quarters (73%) of respondents know the connection between healthy eating and losing weight, more than half (55%) admitted that they had not consumed leafy vegetables in the required quantity the previous day.

In fact, the Global Burden of Diseases study ranked India 118 on its global index because poor dietary habits accounted for 310 deaths per 100,000 people. Despite awareness levels about proper nutrition and diet being high, these do not necessarily result in the right action. Nu-Shakti terms this behaviour the ‘Diet Paradox’.

Contextualising the research findings, Alok Kohli, Business Director – DSM India said: “Today people are aware that adhering to a healthy and nutritious diet promotes their overall well-being. But their challenge arises in taking practical action and adding nutritive elements in the daily diet.”

“As per our data, of the respondents who are well aware of the required quantity of leafy vegetables, (which are a rich source of micronutrients like iron) they need to consume daily, 55% did not actually partake the previous day. The same was true for more than a third (42%) of fruit consumption. This is a clear reflection of the need for adequate action in terms of nutrition,” adds Alok.

The ‘Diet Paradox’ survey revealed a gap between awareness and the need to make the necessary changes in their diets. Insights on the gap in action include 60% of the respondents admitting ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ making a conscious effort to add nutritive elements or extra supplements in their diet.

On being asked if they had consumed specific items on the previous day in the required quantity:

* 57% claim they did not consume dairy or milk products

* More than half (55%) did not consume leafy vegetables

* Even though they know the right amount of fruits to eat daily, more than one in three respondents (42%) did not consume these items

The survey revealed one of the reasons for this gap between awareness and action is because meals were being skipped regularly:

* 84% of respondents admitted they skipped meals

* 46% confessed they would forgo a meal because of an important work meeting

* 42% claimed they ‘rarely’ or ‘never’ consumed healthy or nutritious home-cooked meals during festivals

Additional survey highlights:

* Nearly one-third (31%) consider working timings the top barrier to a healthy lifestyle

* More than one-in-five (22%) believe their family is the constraint

* 62% claimed it was ‘extremely difficult’ or ‘difficult’ to influence family members to eat a healthy diet

In conclusion, Alok Kohli, Business Director – DSM India said: “Nutrition plays a key role in building a healthy immune system and in turn, protecting people from infections and ailments. Given this backdrop, dietary supplements can help in eliminating the ‘Diet Paradox’ by providing the proper quantity of nutrients. Significantly, dietary supplements can boost disease protection by 83%, improve immune function by 42% and raise energy levels by 31%. Considering the threat of infection posed by the coronavirus pandemic, dietary supplements, including home food fortifiers, can play a pivotal role in adding required micronutrients to the daily diet that can in turn support in safeguarding people’s health and well-being.”

Based on the concept of home fortification, Nu-Shakti increases the micronutrient value of home-cooked staple foods. This can help consumers more easily achieve a healthier, more balanced diet without altering taste, and appearance of the food or changing dietary habits. Nu-Shakti product range includes Powermix for Rice (Fortified Rice Kernels), Powermix for Atta (Atta/flour fortifier), and MixMe (Fortified orange-flavored beverage mix). MixMe beverage powder that contains 12 vitamins & 5 minerals, includes the key micronutrients like Zinc, Vitamin C, Selenium and others required for immunity building. As per ICMR RDA, each serving of MixMe beverage powder provides up to 30% of the recommended daily allowance of micronutrients for a child between 7-9 years.

Consumers can know more by visiting: www.nu-shakti.com.

DSM – Bright Science. Brighter Living. 

Nu-Shakti is a brand of Royal DSM – a global purpose-led, science-based company in Nutrition, Health and Sustainable Living. DSM’s purpose is to create brighter lives for all. Through its products and solutions, DSM addresses some of the world’s biggest challenges while simultaneously creating economic, environmental and societal value for all stakeholders: customers, employees, shareholders and society at large. DSM delivers innovative solutions for human nutrition, animal nutrition, personal care and aroma, medical devices, green products and applications as well as new mobility and connectivity. With approximately 23,000 employees, DSM and its associated companies register annual net sales of about €10 billion. Founded in 1902, the Company is listed on Euronext Amsterdam.

Phoenix Shopping Festival is Back with a Bang from from August to September 2020

With the festive season just around the corner, Phoenix Marketcity is all geared up to offer its customers an experience of a lifetime with its third edition of “Phoenix Shopping Festival”. Just like the previous two seasons, this year’s edition spans over from August to September 2020 and is filled with shopping, entertainment, amazing food, surprises, winning fabulous prizes and lots more. 

This year, Phoenix Shopping Festival gets more rewarding with INR 1cr worth prizes to be won on shopping, along with the entire mall on up-to 60 percent off. It is pouring deals at Phoenix Marketcity where one can shop for Rs. 10,000 or above and stand a chance to win grand prizes like Hyundai Creta Car, Harley Davidson Bike and much more. There is more when a customer shops for Rs. 50,000 or above stands the chances of winning assured gifts like gold coins, mobile phones, Swarovski products, TV, Fridge and much more. Shopaholics can get their hands on the latest styles of the year at the End of Season Sale and get up to 60% off. Shop from more than 300 luxurious brands and revamp your closet with your favorite outfits, jewelry, footwear, bags and much more. 

Apart from this, Phoenix Marketcity has also introduced contactless parking and contactless dining to ensure minimal human interaction. Contactless Dining is a unique and safe dining experience which has minimized human contact by eliminating the use of high-touch elements at restaurants in the food court. This technology makes the entire process, from ordering to payment seamlessly digital. 

Commenting on the launch of Phoenix Shopping Festival Season 3, Mr. Gajendra Singh Rathore, Sr. Centre Director said, “This Year Phoenix Shopping Festival 3rd edition is pepped up with days of happiness, shopping, and dining. To make sure Phoenix Marketcity is the right place to be this festive season, we are practicing all the preventive steps and have set stringent SOPs that are constantly monitored to give our customers a safe and happy shopping experience” 

This Shopping festival, Phoenix Marketcity is also offering concierge services like the Curbside service for its customers who may want to shop at the mall at the comfort of their homes. Curbside service ensures comfort and convenience to consumers by offering a seamless retail experience designed with safety in mind. The Curbside pickup desk has been set up keeping in mind minimal interaction and trouble-free experience to get the shopping orders picked. Shopping enthusiasts can place their shopping orders through the Whatsapp application platform by just sending a ‘Hi’ on WhatsApp number +91 6366940002 where a personal shopper shall assist customers immediately. The service platform will direct customers to select merchandise and products from their catalogues or through assisted virtual shopping. Customers can shop from the favourite brands and make payments online while easily enquiring about, timings and delivery with a chatbot to respond to frequently asked questions and connect with individual stores for brand related queries at the same time. The orders would be ready for a contactless Curbside pickup at an allotted time. Another modest initiative is Phoenix @ Doorsteps which is basically a home delivery service where customers will get their shopped bags delivered at their doorsteps. 

To ensure safe and peaceful shopping, the mall has been thoroughly sanitized, each customer and staff are mandatorily checked for temperature before entering. There are thermal scanners which scan the body temperature and sanitizing footwear mats at the entry points, frequent sanitization of touch points. In accordance with global guidelines, social distancing is mandatory, as will be wearing masks by both customers and staff throughout their stay at the mall. Sanitizers have been placed at multiple locations and customers are encouraged to use them regularly. The staff too has been trained in enforcing these safety guidelines. In addition to their own safety, the staff & our retail outlets shall ensure that the guidelines are being followed across the mall. Only a limited number of customers are allowed into the mall and inside lifts, escalators at a time. In a mall with 1 million sq ft area, social distancing is practised at its best. Digital transactions are preferred over cash transactions. 

With a host of safety initiatives, Phoenix Marketcity invites all its patrons to be a part of this magnificent festival to shop their heart out. 

About Phoenix Marketcity Bengaluru 

Classified as a “Larger Lifestyle Engagement Destination”, Phoenix Marketcity Bengaluru offers visitors an array of unforgettable experiences. With its truly international look and feel, tastefully done interiors and the best of food, fashion, and entertainment from the world over, Phoenix remains ‘The’ destination for the premium discerning customers of the city as well expats. With over 300 stores, representing an exhaustive mix of International, National and Regional premium brands, the mall offers the most comprehensive and compelling lifestyle shopping experience in Bangalore. More than just a Mall, Phoenix Marketcity, Bengaluru is in fact a veritable melting pot of fascinating cultures, beautiful clothing, and high-end couture. It is a city within a city, an urban space where retail, entertainment and leisure offerings co-exist.