Live a Heart Healthy Life On This World Heart Day Across India

September 29 is observed as World Heart Day to spread awareness about cardiovascular diseases (CVD), including heart disease and stroke. In the time of COVID-19, people are faced with a double-edged threat. Not only are they more at risk of developing severe forms of the virus, but they may also be afraid to seek ongoing care for their hearts. The population of cardiovascular patients is rising rapidly, and the disease is afflicting younger people at their peak. In India, half of all reported heart attacks are caused due to cardiovascular diseases in people under the age of 50, and 25% of those occur in people below 40.Over the last few months, there has been a revival of interest in alternate methods of fitness and well-being accompanied by correction of diet and lifestyle.               

A healthy heart is imperative for healthy living. Thus it is important to understand what it takes to live a heart healthy life and to act on that knowledge, changing your behaviour for better quality of life now and in the future. In line with the campaign of World Heart Federation, #Useheart to beat cardiovascular diseases, Ms. Anjali Malhotra, Chief Customer, Marketing, Digital and IT Officer, Aviva Life Insurance suggests some easy ways to live a heart healthy life.

Exercise regularly

Since the outbreak of Covid-19, lives are becoming increasingly sedentary with people spending most of their time sitting in front of laptops, televisions or mobile screens with no physical activity or workout. Adapting healthy habits like walking around at home while working or taking online fitness classes will help in relaxing mind and body. Incorporating physical exercises such as walking, running, cycling and aerobics as part of the daily routine is beneficial for heart health.

Adopt healthy eating habits

Common heart diseases are caused due to high cholesterol, obesity and diabetes. Therefore, it is important to consume a balanced diet. Including healthy food and an adequate amount of nutrients in the diet can protect heart diseases. Therefore, ensure enough intake of green and leafy vegetables, fibre-rich whole grains, fatty-fish, nuts, and exclude sugar and aerated drinks from the diet, and replace sweetened beverages with water.

Listen to your heart and go for regular screenings

Regular screening is essential for monitoring overall health. This becomes even more imperative with increasing age and one should not let COVID-19 stop from attending your regular check-ups. One way of healthy heart is to check if your heart is as young as you, with the help of Aviva Heart Age Calculator  which tells the actual age of your heart in few simple steps.

Get Enough Sleep

Adequate sleep is key to maintaining a healthy heart. Lack of sleep increases the risk of cardiovascular diseases, despite maintaining other health habits. According to the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, (NHLBI), one must get at least 7 – 8 hours of sleep every day as it has the ability to optimize both mental and physical energy levels.

Be financially prepared to protect your heart

In today’s fast paced world, one should always be prepared for uncertainties. To attain a healthy heart and secured future, financial Planning is of utmost importance. Liquidity is another problem people are facing now so, one should invest in comprehensive insurance plans to protect oneself from medical exigencies. It is suggested to be futuristic in picking investment options and opt for insurance plans that offer coverage against cardiovascular conditions and allows lump-sum pay-out irrespective of the cost of treatment.

Focus on health and wellness

Apart from focusing on exercising and healthy eating habits, it is imperative to focus on overall wellness for healthy heart. In today’s times, happiness plays a key role in determining wellness and to ensure mental peace. Picking up a passion or hobby have a therapeutic effect on the mind and soul. Attaining a good work life balance helps one stay positive and focus on the larger aspects of life like leading a quality life, attainment of personal goals, and self-actualisation. This helps in better stress management and lead a healthy living.

Few Tips to Enjoy Dream11 IPL 2020 from the Comfort of Your Homes

For over 10 years, Dream11 IPL has been a constant source of entertainment for Indians. The fandom for the series has grown phenomenally with each passing year and viewers wait with bated breath for the next season. After multiple deliberations, Dream11 IPL is now set to make a comeback this month with its 13th season. The league will premiere on September 19th in the UAE.

While fans will miss out on the stadium energy and vibe, here are a few things that you can do at home to make this experience an equally enjoyable one. 

Upgrade to HD channels: The most important tip to start your Dream11 IPL 2020 season is to switch to the High Definition (HD) channels for your television, if you haven’t already. HD will give you enhanced clarity, sharpness and better graphics, making the overall viewing experience richer and comfortable. One might not be in a stadium, but the quality of the picture with HD channel will make you feel like you’re right there with your favourite cricket stars.

Get on a healthy diet: Stock up on healthy snacks while you enjoy the league. Eat clean and healthy food to stay fit and energetic.

Physical activity: To maintain the vibe of the stadium at home, stand up to cheer when your favourite player hits a 4 or a 6. Get up and walk around during breaks, jump up when a wicket falls. This will help you stay active throughout the match.

Family time: Enjoy watching every match with the family. To make the environment fun, pledge your allegiance to the team which is up against your sibling’s favourite team. After all, a family that cheers together, stays together.

Virtual meet-up with friends and colleagues: You might have not met your friends and colleagues in person in the past few months but this is the perfect opportunity to virtually connect with them to “chill” together and enjoy the Dream11 Indian Premier League 2020.

Reliance General Insurance Introduces New Offering Across India - "Insurance Giftcard"

Reliance General Insurance, a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Capital, has introduced first-of-its-kind offering, ‘Insurance Gift Card’, a smarter and never before opportunity of gifting ‘Insurance’. The product has been chosen as one of the few ideal and innovative offerings under the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) sandbox guidelines. The product is specially designed keeping in mind the gifting scenario in India during the festive season and is super easy to buy and gift. 

This ‘Insurance Gift Card’ is like any prepaid card, available with denominations of ₹500 and ₹1000 and can be bought instantly from the reliancegeneral.co.in website. As soon as you buy the ‘Gift Card’ online, you will receive the voucher on your emailalong with instructions to redeem the voucher. You can then easily share that card electronically with the person you’re gifting it and the bearer can buy a health insurance protection. The gift card is available at a discounted rate of 10% for bearer of card or self for any personal lines of Insurance products. The transactions will be completely digital in nature which will bring convenience and transparency for customers. The usage period of the Gift Card would be 6 months from the date of purchase and is refundable if unused. 

Talking about this launch, Mr. Rakesh Jain, CEO, Reliance General Insurance said, “In India gifts are like blessings, a small token on every festive or celebratory occasion is a way to express care towards our loved ones. And this year with the pandemic around, people are more concerned about the health of their friends and family, so what can be more better than gifting a protection of health insurance. An health insurance cover bought from this ‘Insurance Gift Card’ will take care of their medical uncertainties, which prove to be a financial blessing in time of need.” 

The country is slowly and steadily opening to the ‘new normal’ and is getting into the festive mood with Dussehra, Diwali and the wedding season around and this ‘Insurance Gift Card’ comes across as a smart choice of gifting during this time. 

About Reliance General Insurance - Reliance General Insurance, a part of Reliance Capital, is one of the leading general insurance companies of India.  The Company offers a well-rounded and comprehensive bouquet of products including Motor Insurance,  Health Insurance, Travel Insurance, and Home Insurance, and offers customized solutions to meet the protection needs of each customer. Reliance General Insurance has a wide network of more than 40,000 intermediaries across 136 branch offices across India for offering its products and services to retail, corporates and SME clients   

Bayer’s Aflibercept Injection (EyleaTM) for intravitreal Use Receives DCGI Approval for Diabetic Macular Edema Indication

* Intravitreal Aflibercept is a highly targeted, evidence-based treatment administered via injection directly in the area of swelling in the eye.

* Diabetic macular edema is the most common cause of moderate vision loss in Indian diabetic patients with diabetic retinopathy 

* This new indication for intravitreal aflibercept (EyleaTM) provides an additional treatment option for patients with diabetic macular edema in India

Bayer in India today announced that the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI) has approved a new indication for intravitreal Aflibercept (EyleaTM) injection solution to treat Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). The approval of Aflibercept injection for intravitreal use presents a new and alternative treatment option to currently available therapies, for patients with DME.

India is estimated to have the second highest number of diabetes cases in the world, with 77 million cases projected to grow to more than 100 million cases by 2030.[1] Diabetic macular edema (DME) is the most common cause of moderate vision loss in patients with diabetic eye diseases, and is expected to affect 22.4 million Indians within the next two decades.[2]

Explaining the magnitude of this disease burden, Dr. Shobhit Chawla, Sr. Vitreo-Retina Consultant, Lucknow and President, Vitreo-Retina Society of India  said, “Based on existing medical literature, we can estimate that diabetic eye disease is found approximately in every fifth person living with diabetes in urban India, and every tenth person living with diabetes in rural India.[3] However, very few diabetic patients get screened proactively. The current pandemic has exacerbated this situation, with many patients waiting until symptoms of vision loss worsen.

Manoj Saxena, Managing Director Bayer Zydus Pharma said, “India has a large and growing prevalence of diabetes, coupled with low levels of awareness and diagnosis of vision-related complications resulting from the condition. Since a significant number of people living with diabetes are under 50, are working and may have dependent families, the economic and social burden of such complications is high.[4] Intravitreal Aflibercept (EyleaTM) offers patients impacted by diabetic vision loss a new option to be proactive and stay ahead of the disease, thereby allowing patients to maintain their vision and to continue to participate in important daily activities such as reading, working and driving.”

He continued, “We are also ensuring this innovative and effective treatment remains accessible through our unique patient support program as well as financing partnership for patients. We look forward to extending our commitment to preserving healthy vision for patients in India, and continue to emphasize a proactive approach to disease management that best maintains and supports their journey to better health.”

About Diabetic Macular Edema (DME)

Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) occurs when high blood sugar levels damage capillaries that leak fluid into the retina, resulting in swelling and blurred vision. By targeting and stopping the release of the VEGF protein that causes fluid leakage and new blood vessel growth, anti-VEGF therapies like intravitreal aflibercept (EyleaTM) rapidly reduce swelling and restore central vision.   

About Bayer

Bayer is a global enterprise with core competencies in the life science fields of health care and nutrition. Its products and services are designed to benefit people by supporting efforts to overcome the major challenges presented by a growing and aging global population. At the same time, the Group aims to increase its earning power and create value through innovation and growth. Bayer is committed to the principles of sustainable development, and the Bayer brand stands for trust, reliability and quality throughout the world. In fiscal 2019, the Group employed around 104,000 people and had sales of € 43.5 billion. Capital expenditures amounted to € 2.9 billion and R&D expenses to € 5.3 billion. 

Indira IVF is Now Available in 92 Centres Across Indian Market

* Improving accessibility for couples seeking treatment for infertility

* Adds 4 new centres (Nanded, Warangal, Sirsa and Gulbarga) in the first half of FY20-21

Indira IVF, the largest player in the infertility treatment space in India, in its efforts to provide affordable and best in class treatment to couples seeking infertility treatment has added four new centers in Tier-III cities namely, Nanded, Warangal, Sirsa and Gulbarga in the first half of FY20-21. The infertility specialist clinics chain now runs 92 centres across the country helping desirous couples fulfil their dream of parenthood.

Indira IVF’s intent for their patients' wellbeing goes beyond their reproductive health, and hence, abiding by the guidelines laid by the government, the organization had shut down all their treatment centers for over two months. On June 3, 2020, Indira IVF once again opened its doors to aspiring couples, and is optimistic that the pre-COVID volume of IVF procedures will restore by December this year. Currently, all Indira IVF centers strictly adhere to government protocols of running the centers and ensures that the utmost safety standards are maintained for their staff and patients visiting the clinic. 

Speaking on the development Dr. Kshitiz Murdia-CEO, Indira IVF said, “We are living in unprecedented times and everyone is dealing with a number of challenges and uncertainties in their lives. The inability to bear children can be emotionally distressing for desirous families. Living by our vision to make infertility treatment affordable and accessible to all desirous couples, we have improved our reach by adding four more centers.”

He added, “We are witnessing a huge influx of inquiries from Tier II and Tier III cities. The growing awareness, knowledge about IVF and fertility issues has helped the sector to grow and craft a niche segment in the healthcare space. Young individuals and couples have become increasingly cognizant of their reproductive health and constitute a major share of all IVF procedures carried out at Indira IVF.”

Indira IVF today is the largest and the most recognized fertility chains of hospitals in the country. Armed with state-of-the-art infrastructure, Indira IVF helps countless couples navigate the often-complicated journey of infertility and ultimately realize their dream of starting a family.

About Indira IVF

Indira IVF is India’s largest infertility speciality clinics chain with 92 centres across the country, supported by a passionate workforce of over 2200 people. Indira IVF performs about 31,000+ IVF procedures a year – the highest number in the country.

As a responsible leader, Indira IVF constantly strives to dispel the stigma, taboo, myths and misinformation about infertility. Indira IVF is also committed to developing and grooming talent for fertility treatments. Through the Indira Fertility Academy it collaborates with like-minded organisations and institutions to further this cause. Having perceived the potential of Indira IVF in the sector, TA Associates, a leading global equity firm from the U.S., invested in the organisation in 2019.

Indira IVF was founded in the year 2011 in Udaipur, Rajasthan by Dr Ajay Murdia.

upGrad Enrols 350+ Learners for its 1st Cohort of LL.M. Program; Most Successful Batch Launch Till Date

upGrad, India’s largest online higher education company, wraps admissions for the first cohort of LL.M. in Corporate and Financial Law, blended learning in partnership with Jindal Global Law School. It is ranked as India’s No.1 Law School by the prestigious QS Ranking 2021. upGrad is now the only edtech major to introduce a first-of-its-kind LL.M program in India through blended learning for tomorrow’s legal professionals. The program has secured enrolments from over 360 learners for the first cohort, thereby booking revenue of ₹ 11 crore without having to offer any special scheme during the admission cycle.

Learners on-board carry strong profiles with an average of 4 years of work experience in top corporate law firms, in-house counsel, independent practitioners, and litigators in high court & Supreme Court who are looking forward to climbing up the ladder in their professional career through the dynamic law program. Learners from across 85 law schools have enrolled under this program from across the country including tier I, II, and III cities/regions.

Commenting on the announcement Phalgun Kompalli, Co-founder, upGrad said: “This is a breakthrough moment for us. We are delighted to partner with Jindal Global Law School to aid towards upskilling and help seasoned professionals to navigate through the ever-changing business environment. Our program structure will enable learners to continuously evolve and develop accurate subject knowledge to attain a desired professional outcome. As COVID-19 has already fast-tracked the edtech sector, the introduction of such a blended online learning program will now help professionals/individuals convert the parked upskilling programs.”

From being a Data dominated company, upGrad has massively diversified its portfolio of online programs with strong additions on Tech & MBAs in the past few months and the introduction of Law is another milestone achieved.

About upGrad:

upGrad is India’s largest online higher education company. Founded in early 2015, upGrad has on-boarded over 34.5K paid learners and impacted around 8 lakh individuals globally, within a short span of 5 years.

upGrad provides online programs in the areas of Data Science, Technology, Management and Law to college students, working professionals and enterprises. These programs are designed and delivered in collaboration with top-notch universities like IIT Madras, IIIT Bangalore, MICA, NMIMS Global Access, Jindal Global Law School, Duke CE, Deakin University, Liverpool John Moores University and others.

With an 80% program completion rate, robust tech platform, outcome-based learning approach, industry-relevant curriculum, finest university credentials, strong mentorship, and steadfast placement support, upGrad has established its position as the leader in the Indian education system.

upGrad Elevate, a virtual hiring drive for upGrad users/alumni offers the opportunity to interview with 300+ hiring partners ensuring successful career outcomes they deserve.

IIIT Bangalore and upGrad's PG Diploma in Data Science is India’s first-ever PG Diploma to be recommended and validated by the National Association of Software and Services Companies (NASSCOM). The program is India's largest Data Science program with over 10,000 alumni & learner-base, which now provides learners with certification from NASSCOM FutureSkills, thereby making the program aligned to Government approved National Occupational Standards (NOS) to facilitate the upskilling of India’s IT workforce and make them abreast of the new-age skills. Through this first-of-its-kind collaboration, upGrad joins NASSCOM’s mission to make India a hub for innovation and a global hotspot for a skilled talent pool.

upGrad has ranked No.1 in the #LinkedInTopStartups 2020 list. This is the third time in a row that upGrad has been featured in the #LinkedInTopStartup list. upGrad has been awarded the title of ‘Best Tech for Education’ by IAMAI in 2019. Also, received the ‘Best Education Brands’ award by Economic Times in 2018, and Most Innovative Companies in India' by Fast Company in 2017.

Omidyar Network India Announces ‘Digital Society Challenge’ Aimed at Innovators Addressing Online Risks

Omidyar Network India, an investment firm focused on social impact, today announced a call for proposals for innovations to help Indians cope better with online risks. The program will fund the most creative and scalable proposals aimed at the next half billion (NHB), i.e. the 500m low and lower-middle-income Indians coming online between 2017 and 2022.

Shilpa Kumar, Investment Partner at Omidyar Network India, said “India is digitizing rapidly, especially since the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis. The internet helps us address the development needs of the country faster, better, and cheaper. To consolidate these gains, we need better privacy, protection from cybercrimes, recourse from frauds, and authentic information online. Such efforts will help build individual trust and pave the way for India’s digital deepening. This is why we are launching the Digital Society Challenge to support entrepreneurs in tackling this issue through creative and innovative ideas.”

What type of innovations will be considered?

The challenge will shortlist tech and non-tech innovations that directly impact individuals, especially, the NHB. e.g. apps or digital training programs for users and data management platforms for non-profit organizations. 

The challenge is sector agnostic as long as the solution addresses one or more online risks such as privacy, cybersecurity, misinformation, or digital exclusion of vulnerable groups (e.g. elderly, disabled). The innovation can be at any stage right from being a concept to a minimum viable product or a locally-implemented solution and even scaled-up innovation.

Who can apply?

The challenge is inviting proposals from three categories of applicants. Start-ups can apply for equity investments, and non-profits can apply for grants to undertake projects or strengthen their organizations. Organizations that provide services to clients can also apply for service contracts to execute their ideas.

Selection Criteria: 

Reach – the solution should reach and empower a large segment of Indians, especially those in the NHB

Depth of Impact – the solution should have a deep impact on the lives it touches

Innovation – the solution should have either tech or non-tech innovation that meaningfully strengthens online safety 

Application Timelines:

The call for proposals will end on 23 October 2020. The shortlisting of applicants will happen on a rolling basis, and applicants are therefore advised to apply early.

Where to Apply: 

More details and the application form can be found on www.digitalsociety-india.com 

About Omidyar Network India

Omidyar Network India invests in bold entrepreneurs who help create a meaningful life for every Indian, especially the hundreds of millions of Indians in low-income and lower-middle-income populations, ranging from the poorest among us to the existing middle class. To drive empowerment and social impact at scale, we work with entrepreneurs in the private, non-profit, and public sectors, who are tackling India’s hardest and most chronic problems. We make equity investments in early-stage enterprises and provide grants to nonprofits in the areas of Digital Identity, Education, Emerging Tech, Financial Inclusion, Governance & Citizen Engagement, and Property Rights. Omidyar Network India is part of The Omidyar Group, a diverse collection of companies, organizations, and initiatives, supported by philanthropists Pam and Pierre Omidyar, founder of eBay.