Now Do Banking at BPCL Petrol Pumps with Fino’s Human ATMs

For people living near Hebbal Housing and Industrial area, be it small business owners, workers, daily wagers or residents, a neighbourhood petrol pump is doing great service by providing access to banking at their convenience.

M/s Sri Varaprada Fuels, a Bharat Petroleum (BPCL) outlet located on Hebbal Ring Road, also works as a banking point of Fino Payments Bank. Equipped with Fino’s Micro ATM and Aadhaar enabled payment system (AePS) devices, the staff at the outlet transform into a human ATMs, helping people deposit, withdraw, transfer money and even open new accounts.

In addition to BPCL outlets, around 3000 neighbourhood small business owners such as kirana, mobile repair, dairy outlets are part of Fino’s banking network spread across South Karnataka.

Biswajeet Sinha, Senior Divisional Head, Fino Payments Bank (South) said, “Towards our endeavour of making banking simple and convenient for people, we are focussing on three critical elements. Firstly, improve access in villages to avoid travel by transforming the neighbourhood kirana, dairy and other shops into banking points. Secondly, provide the convenience of digital banking with micro ATMs. Thirdly, we have partnered with NBFC companies wherein their customers can pay their EMIs at our points without having to go to a bank branch.”

“We intend to penetrate deeper into the interiors of the state by doubling our banking network to over 6000 points this year,” added Mr. Sinha

“The advantage of the local shops and BPCL outlets is that they are close by and are open till late in the evening allowing customers transact at their convenience either using a debit card or through Aadhaar authentication. Importantly, customers can focus on their work or business, while merchants can earn on every transaction.  Also, cash is always available at these outlets unlike at some ATMs,” said Praveen Kumar, State Head, Fino Payments Bank

Along with banking, at these neighbourhood outlets and BPCL points, customers can also purchase insurance (health, life, Covid and motor) pay utility bills, do mobile and DTH recharge. Beneficiaries of government DBT schemes found the human ATMs convenient to withdraw cash. 

Speaking about the two-year old BPCL-Fino banking partnership, VVS Gunnaji Rao, Territory Manager (Retail), Mysore, BPCL said, “The association isunique in the oil industry as it allows our petrol bunks to facilitate banking services for customer convenience. During the COVID pandemic, our dealer network added tremendous value by providing ATM services to customers all the time.  Various NBFCs also appreciated EMI collection services offered at BPCL retail outlets which otherwise would have been very difficult. All India we have around 5786 petrol pumps that provide banking facility clocking a GMV of Rs 2208 crores. During the first half of the year, 48.16 lakh transactions were done with around 15 lakh people in the South states and around 3 lakh people in Karnataka using this facility.”

Since the start of FY 20-21, Sri Varaprada Fuels has been facilitating customer transactions worth over Rs 2 lakh per month. During the same period, Fino’s network in South Karnataka facilitated transactions worth around Rs 200 crores!

Dining Out Numbers Projected at 70% this Festive Season Across India

COVID has impacted the F&B industry like never before in the history of mankind. Restaurants are struggling to get back to their feet by gradually adapting to the new normal. As the lockdown is lifted in most of the Indian cities, restaurants are welcoming the people for dine-in services. 

Dineout, India’s largest reservation and restaurant tech platform, has recovered 60% of its business compared to pre-COVID times. Delhi, Bangalore and Ahmedabad are moving fastest towards normalcy with a 70% recovery rate projected to be achieved in this festive quarter, followed by Kolkata, Chennai, Jaipur and Hyderabad with a 55% recovery rate. Mumbai and Pune that opened up last week have seen a promising 10 fold increase in Diner count compared to the previous week’s numbers. 

This growth curve can be credited to restaurants that are leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the safety of their customers and staff. Restaurants are promoting QR Code driven digital menus as well as digital payments to minimise contact at the outlets. As per Dineout partner data, 65% partner restaurants have already switched to QR code based digital menus in the last 3 months. Mobile ordering is expected to grow further as more consumers view mobile ordering a safer and convenient option. 

Ankit Mehrotra, CEO & Co-founder, Dineout, commenting on the update, “It’s amazing to see restaurants aligning their operations to the new normal and adapting to new strategies to secure a strong comeback. We’ve recovered 60% of our pre-covid business numbers and expect to reach 100% by the end of this year. The use of digital payments via Dineout pay at partnered restaurants have also increased to 80% as more & more users are opting for digital means for settling the bill.”

Restaurants are paving the way by introducing new and innovative initiatives to make it #SafeToEatOut again for their customers while attributing utmost importance to social distancing and hygiene. 

Robot Experience - Restaurants like Robot(Porur) & Moti Mahal - Robot Themed Restaurant in Chennai, Robot Restaurant in Bangalore and Jaipur are serving food with the help of Robots to reduce the human contact. People can enjoy an unforgettable Robot experience with exquisite cuisines and mocktails. 

Private Dining pods - Dragonfly restaurant at Aerocity Worldmark, New Delhi ensures a safe dining experience with its specially created private dining pods. These pods are made up of Hard acrylic walls and can accommodate a group of 10 to 12 people. People looking for a safe and new experience in times like this can choose to dine-out with family and friends. 

Drive-In and  Drive-Through Restaurants - People anxious about social distancing within the restaurants can also opt for drive-in and drive-through restaurants across the country. Ping’s Orient in Kolkata and Just FoodInn in Ahmedabad offers diners a special drive-in menu from within the comfort of their own vehicle. At DLF Cyber hub Gurgaon,  diners can pre-order food using the Dineout app and choose for self-pickup at these specialty created Drive through. 

Food Conveyor: Cloves restaurant in Ahmedabad, Gujarat came up with India’s first Techno-Dining Experience. Here Food is delivered in covered bowls through a food conveyor right from the kitchen to the customer’s table without any human-contact in between. Customers can pick up their own bowl that has their table numbers mentioned therefore eliminates handling of food in between by stewards.

UV sterilised cutlery and Plexiglass barriers: Mocha and Smokehouse Deli cafe across India are using UV sterilised cutlery wrapped in paper before serving the diners. Along with sterilised cutlery, restaurants have also installed Plexiglass barriers following the social distancing norms while serving clean and hygienic food to its customers.

Nano Disinfection Treatment -  Madras Canteen and grill in Chennai uses Graphene-Based Nano disinfection treatment which assures 24*7 anti-viral and anti-bacterial protection to its customers and staff. All surfaces of the entire restaurant including the floors, walls, kitchen cutlery, the counters, food service areas, toilets, lounge bar, smoking zones and the security area are being disinfected on a daily basis. 

About Dineout

Dineout is India’s largest dining out and restaurant tech solutions platform in B2C and with inresto in the B2B front, processing more than 100M diners and $900M worth of transactions for its partner restaurants across its network of 50,000 restaurants in 20 cities, providing a collective savings of more than $100M on restaurant bills annually. Founded in 2012 by Ankit Mehrotra, Nikhil Bakshi, Sahil Jain and Vivek Kapoor, Dineout is a pioneer in Contactless Dining with the easiest way to discover the best restaurants in the city, save time & hassle by booking a table in advance, get discounts, enjoy 1+1 privileges on Food, Drink & Buffets through Gourmet Passport, as well as earn instant discounts on every restaurant bill payment via Dineout Pay. For more information, please visit –  https://www.dineout.co.in/

Amazon.in Great Indian Festival Starts October 17 – Deals Preview

* The Great Indian Festival (GIF) starts from October 17; Prime members to get 24 hours early access starting tomorrow, October 16

* 6.5 lakh+ sellers offer crores of products to customers on Amazon.in; Customers can shop from over 4 crore products from Small & Medium Businesses (SMBs) and products from over 20,000 local shops across 100 cities

* Customers can look forward to over 1,100 new product launches from top brands. They can shop for deals every day across a wide range of categories including smartphones, large appliances & TVs, consumer electronics, home & kitchen products, fashion & beauty and more

* Up to 40% off on the latest Smartphones from top brands; Up to 75% off on Home Appliances and TVs; Up to 80% off on Amazon Fashion and Home & Kitchen products

* 6,000+ deals on Consumer Electronics and Accessories; Up to INR 30,000 off on Laptops; up to 70% off on Headphones; up to 60% off on camera devices

* Customers can avail up to 50% off on Amazon Devices - Echo, Fire TV and Kindle  

* Stretch your budget with 10% instant discount with HDFC Bank Debit & Credit cards; no-Cost EMI on Credit and Debit Cards; exchange offers

* Win daily shopping rewards worth INR 500 using Amazon Pay UPI, send Amazon Pay gift cards and extend your budget with Amazon Pay Later and Amazon Pay ICICI bank Credit card

* MSME buyers can save big on their business purchases with bulk discounts and exclusive deals on a wide range of commercial selection on Amazon Business

* Prime members can enjoy streaming an entertaining festive lineup of Indian and International titles on Amazon Prime Video

Amazon.in’s biggest celebration the Great Indian Festival brings a host of never-seen-before deals & offers on unique products from lakhs of sellers, Small & Medium Businesses (SMBs) and popular brands. Customers can get amazing deals on the widest selection of products from top brands across categories including smartphones, appliances, TVs, consumer electronics, fashion & beauty, Amazon Devices, home & kitchen and more.

Customers will also have the opportunity to shop for unique products from thousands of Amazon sellers under various programs such as Local Shops, Amazon Launchpad, Amazon Saheli and Amazon Karigar and enjoy deals & offers extended by lakhs of small businesses.

Great Indian Festival starts from October 17, 2020. Prime members will get early access starting tomorrow, October 16, 2020.

Here are some top deals & offers by participating sellers & brands this Great Indian Festival –

Smartphones and Mobile Accessories

·         Up to 40% off on smartphones on ‘India’s No.1 Online Smartphone Store’ (Source: Counterpoint India Handset Marketing Analysis Q2, 2020)

·         Exciting exchange offers up to INR 6,000; No cost EMI up to 12 months

·         Much awaited sale of the latest Amazon Specials smartphones - OnePlus 8T, Samsung Galaxy M31 Prime and OPPO A15. OnePlus Nord available with a new colour variant this festive season

·         Limited period offers: Additional Amazon pay cashback up to INR 1,000 on Redmi 9, Redmi 9 Prime, Samsung Galaxy M31

·         Festive deal of the year: iPhone 11 available at only INR 47,999

·         New price – up to INR 5,000 less on OnePlus 8 series. Additional exchange benefits of INR 3,000 on OnePlus 7T series.

·         India’s first 7000mAh smartphone Samsung Galaxy M51 available with at a discount of INR 6,500 and 12 months no-Cost EMI. Bestselling sAMOLED smartphones from Samsung M will be available starting at a never before price of INR 12,999.

·         Samsung M31 Prime, the new variant launch of M31, will be available starting INR 16,499 and will have 6 month no-Cost EMI offers and complimentary 3-month Amazon Prime membership

·         New price – up to INR 34,000 less on Samsung flagship smartphones

·         Up to 20% off on Xiaomi smartphones. Redmi 9A will be available on flash sale every day. Powerhouse Note 9 series available with first ever price revision of up to INR 3,000 less and no-Cost EMI up to 12 months.

·         Budget smartphones Redmi 9 and 9 Prime available with limited period Amazon Pay cashback of INR 500. Redmi 9 Prime available with a new price of up to INR 3,000 less

·         Up to 30% off on Vivo smartphones with an additional cashback up to INR 4,000 on exchange

·         Up to INR 23,000 off on OPPO smartphones with up to 12 months No cost EMI

·         Great offers on popular brands like Tecno, iTel, Coolpad and Lava

·         Mobile Accessories starting as low as INR 49

·         Up to 80% off on Power banks

·         Headsets starting at just INR 149

Appliances & TVs

•         Up to 75% off on TVs & appliances with additional cashback, no-Cost EMI starting INR 291/month, 1 Year Extended Warranty starting INR 99, Total Protection Plan starting INR 169 and 48-hour installation with safe, scheduled deliveries

•         Offers from top TV brands including OnePlus, Xiaomi, Samsung, LG, Sony and more

•         Upgrade to 4K TVs starting at just INR 19,999. Large screen (50 inches) TVs starting at INR 18,999

•         No Cost EMI on TVs starts as low as INR 833

•         Smart TVs starting at just INR 8,999

•         Offers from top brands in appliances including Samsung, LG, Whirlpool, Bosch, IFB and more

•         Side-by-side refrigerators starting INR 29,999 with No Cost EMI starting INR 2,500 per month and exchange up to INR 12,000

•         Double door refrigerators starting INR 15,990 with exchange offers and no-Cost EMI starting INR 666 per month

•         Fully Automatic Top load washing machines starting INR 8,499 with No Cost EMI starting INR 941 per month

•         Up to 45% off on split air conditioners with No Cost EMI starting INR 1,166 per month

•         Dishwashers starting INR 18,999

•         Microwaves starting INR 3,699 with No Cost EMI starting INR 433 per month

•         Up to 60% off on Chimneys with No cost EMI starting INR 403 per month

Consumer Electronics

•         Up to INR 30,000 off on top laptops and up to INR 35,000 off on gaming laptops; enjoy up to 12 months No Cost EMI on Laptops from top brands and up to INR 25,000 off on exchange

•         Truly wireless headphones from Boat, Sony, Boult, Bose, Noise and others starting at just INR 999

•         Soundbars with subwoofers from Boat, JBL, Sony and others starting at INR 3,699

•         Noise cancelling headphones from Bose, Sony, Sennheiser and JBL starting INR 5,399 and No Cost EMI from just INR 625

•         Speakers from Boat, JBL, Sony and others starting at just INR 499

•         Mi Smart Band 5 will be available at a special price of INR 2,399 for Prime Members on 16th Oct

•         Flat INR 17,000 off on Samsung Galaxy watch 46mm LTE. No Cost EMI starting at just INR 50/day

•         Up to 60% off on camera devices from Canon, Fujifilm, Sony & more

•         Wireless security cameras - Starting INR 1,499 from Mi, TP link & more

•         Pianos & Keyboards starting INR 1699

•         Fitness Tracker and Smartwatches starting at just INR 999

•         Pen Drives and Memory Cards starting as low as INR 199

•         1 TB and above Hard Drives starting INR 3,199 from WD and Seagate. No Cost EMI available on 4 TB and above Hard Drives

•         Wireless Ink Tank Printers starting at INR 12,299 with 6-month No Cost EMI starting INR 2,050 per month

•         All-in-One colour printers starting INR 2,599

•         Up to 65% off on shredders, note counting machines and office supplies

•         Gaming accessories starting as low as INR 349

•         Computer accessories from top brands starting at just INR 199

•         Up to 60% off on Computer components, minimum 40% off on Samsung solid state drives

•         Networking: high-speed WiFi router for work from home starting INR 1499

Amazon Fashion

·         Up to 80% off on India’s largest online fashion store across 50 lakh+ styles

·         Enjoy up to 75% off on over 1000+ brands

·         Pocket friendly fashion starting under INR 349

·         Up to 70% off on top clothing brands and top footwear brands

·         Up to 60% off on top watch brands

·         Up to 80% off on ethnic and fashion jewellery

·         Up to 80% off on luggage and handbags

·         Enjoy up to 70% off on designer boutique with designers like Ritu Kumar, Ashima Leena, Shaze

Satya Paul and many more

·         Enjoy up to 50% off on RIVER - an affordable, multi-designer brand created in partnership with some of India’s most celebrated designers - JJ Valaya, Ashish Soni, Suneet Varma & Manish Arora

·         Enjoy up to 70% off on plus size clothing

·         Enjoy up to 40% off on premium watches like Michael Kors, Emporio Armani, Hugo Boss, Seiko, Oris and more; premium luggage like Samsonite, Victorinox and more; premium eyewear like Tom Ford, Mont Blanc, Victoria's secret and more; premium handbags like Aldo, Tommy Hilfiger and more

·         Best prices on big brands including Max Fashion, Bata, Puma, UCB, Levi’s, Mothercare, CASIO, Biba, American Tourister and many more

Home and Kitchen

•         Up to 80% off on Home & Kitchen with lowest prices of the year on 50,000+ Home & Kitchen products

•         Up to 75% off on over 10,000 kitchen & home appliances

•         Up to 45% off on top brands including Prestige, Eureka Forbes, Milton and more

•         Up to 80% off on Kitchen and Dining products | Dinner sets starting at just INR 999

•         5 Lakh+ home products from top brands including Wipro, Bombay Dyeing, Nayasa and more at half price

•         Premium Diwali string lights starting at just INR 99

•         Up to 80% off on Diyas, Candles and Candle holders

•         Up to 70% off on Bedsheets, Curtains and more. Double bedsheets starting at just INR 299

•         Gifting Made Easy with Clocks starting at INR 150 and Live Plants starting at INR 299

•         Up to 60% off on Pots and Gardening tools, Live Plants, and Solar Products

•         Gardening essentials: Live plants, pots & planters and more starting at just INR 79

•         Safety products, Sanitizers & more starting at INR 99 and up to 70% off on Masks

Offers by Small & Medium Businesses and Local shops:

·         Up to 70% off on chairs & bean bags by Orka

·         Up to 20% off on Sofas by Furny

·         Dinnerware, serveware & casseroles starting at INR 999 by Classic essentials

·         Juicer mixer grinder starting at INR 949 by Sunmeet

·         Up to 80% off on baby bedding and safety products by Dearjoy; Up to 70% off on mattresses by Durfi and Boston Basics

·         Up to 60% off on WFH furniture by Graphitos

·         Minimum 40% off on dumbbells & home-gyms by Aprodo

·         Up to 40% off on immunity boosters from Upakarma Ayurveda 

·         Kitchen storage containers starting at INR 153 from Nano nine

·         Up to 50% off on TouchBeauty Essentials

·         Up to 60% off on Luxura Sciences, Cubelelo Cubes and Puzzle  

Explore great deals and offers from more small Indian manufacturers:

·         Minimum 60% off on traditional jewellery by Jewel Pari

·         Up to 80% off on occasion wear Sarees by Yipsy Fashion & Cotton Shopy

·         Up to 50% off on Klikfit exercise bikes & dumbbells

·         Up to 45% off on orthopedic memory foam mattresses by Insleep

·         Up to 60% off on bedsheets & pillow covers by Urban Magic

·         Up to 50% off on herbal teas by Yogafy

·         Up to 80% off on women's dresses by Klook and Kurta & tops by Banas

·         Minimum 60% off on men’s casual t-shirts and sweatshirts by Tfortees

·         Minimum 60% off fashion blouses and unisex apparel by Tinsie

·         Minimum 60% off on comfort slippers by The Slipper Factory

·         Minimum 50% off on hats & shields by Coreteq

Buy hand-crafted heritage products from artisans and weavers from Amazon Karigar:

·         Flat 20% off on handloom Sarees from Tantuja, West Bengal

·         Up to 70% off on handcrafted shoes from Agra

·         Up to 50% off on home furnishings from Blocks of India

·         Up to 70% off on Sambalpuri Sarees from Odisha Handloom

·         Up to 60% off on Blue Pottery home décor from Jaipur

·         Up to 60% off on handloom Sarees from Morvi

Shop from exciting deals and top offers by women entrepreneurs from Amazon Saheli:

·         Up to 15% off on dry fruits and nuts from Sahana Spices

·         Up to 40% off on office and stationery products by Greensouls

·         Up to 50% off on fashion jewellery from Swara Creations 

·         Up to 20% off on electronics and wireless accessories from Brain Freezer

·         Up to 15% off on healthy grocery products by SIRIMIRI

Grab exciting deals and offers from emerging brands and start-ups from Amazon Launchpad:

·         Minimum 80% off on handbags and combos by Lapis O Lupo

·         Flat 22% off on Dr. Vaidya's immunity products

·         Up to 55% off on home décor products by iHandikart

·         Up to 30% off on baby products by Softsens

·         Up to 40% off on gardening equipment by Bio Blooms Agro India Private Limited

·         Minimum 50% off on men's sleepwear by Dream of Glory Inc

·         Up to 35% off on PC and wireless accessories by Adcom

·         Up to 25% off on anti-theft laptop backpacks by Gods

Daily Essentials & Personal Care

·         20% -70% off on over 40,000 daily essentials products across Grocery, Beauty, Baby, Toys, Healthcare & more

·         Up to 15% extra savings with over 15,000 combos

·         Collect & save up to 20% on 80,000 products

·         Save minimum 20% extra on top brands with repeat delivery & free shipping - Subscribe, set, forget!

·         Up to 70% off on the largest selection of remote-control vehicles, educational toys, soft toys, toddler toys, games & more

·         Up to 60% off on 50,000+ products across baby shampoos and lotions, strollers, walker, carriers, wipes and diapers

·         Up to 70% off on grooming & wellness devices form top brands Philips, Omron, Dr. Trust & more

·         Up to 40% off on health essentials like apple cider vinegar, vitamin supplements & ayurvedic products

·         Up to 70% off on the largest selection of Skincare, Haircare, Premium Perfumes, Deos and Makeup products. Get additional INR 1,000 cashback on purchase of Luxury Beauty products

·         Pet Food from Pedigree, Whiskas, Royal Canin & more at the lowest prices of the season. Up to 65% off on wide range of bestselling Pet Accessories, grooming & healthcare

Amazon Business

•         Amazon Business customers can get access to exclusive deals, new launches and special offer prices on business relevant selection through their Amazon Business account

•         Additionally, businesses can save more on account of bulk purchase discount and GST invoice for input tax credit

•         Amazon Business customers can also avail a special 5% cashback on a purchase of above INR 1 lakh

•         Amazon Business customers can buy from among a wide variety of Corporate Gifting selection a few of which are listed below-

o   Fujifilm Instax Mini 8 Instant Film Camera starting at INR 2,999

o   Cello Signature Carbon Gift set - Premium Metal Ball Pen with Keychain & Passport Holder with attractive quantity discounts starting at INR 377

o   Premium dry fruits combo from Happilo starting at INR 778

o   Nonstick cookware starting at INR 499

·         Amazon Business customers can also avail big savings by availing the business exclusive offers on commercial selection

·         Much awaited launch - Philips 600 Series 4K Ultra HD LED Smart TV

·         New Launch - Affordable Mini PC under INR 30,000 with Win 10 Professional  

·         Epson EB-U05 Full HD Projector (White) at INR 63,345

·         boAt Stone 1401 Portable Wireless Speaker at just INR 4,299

·         Lenovo ThinkPad E14 i5 Thin and light laptop at an amazing price of INR 58,490

·         Lenovo V14 Intel Core i3 Laptop at INR 31,490

·         HP Neverstop Laser Printer at INR 17,499

Amazon Devices and Alexa Exclusives

·         Get top offers on the bestselling Amazon Devices this Great Indian Festival

·         Flat 65% off on Echo Dot (3rd Generation) + Wipro smart bulb. Get it for just INR 2,299

·         Lowest price ever on Amazon Echo (3rd Generation), available at just INR 6,999

·         Flat 50% off on Echo Plus, get it for just INR 7,499

·         First time on sale - get flat INR 1,250 off on Echo Dot (4th Generation)

·         Lowest price ever- get Echo Show 5 for just INR 5,000

·         Get newly launched Amazon Smart Plug for just INR 499 when purchased with any Echo smart speaker

·         First time on sale - Flat 50% off on Fire TV Stick (Latest Gen, 2020) INR 4999 2499, lowest price for Fire TV Stick Lite (Latest Gen, 2020) INR  3999 2099

·         Flat 40% off on Fire TV Stick (3rd Gen, 2019) at INR  3999 2399, and Fire TV Stick 4K at INR 5999 3599

·         Fire TV customers to get exclusive offers on subscription on 10+ popular apps. Up to 60% off on Voot, Zee5, SonyLIV, Discovery+ and more.  

·         Get additional Alexa exclusive incentives up to INR 1000 on select Echo devices & smart home products when you shop using your Amazon Echo device. Just say, “Alexa, buy Echo Flex” or “Alexa, buy Amazon Smart Plug” or “Alexa, buy Wipro Smart Bulb”

·         Explore more with Alexa on the Amazon shopping app (Android only). Just say, “Alexa, what are my deals?”, "Alexa, take me to the Small Business store", "Alexa, take me to the Great Indian Bazaar" or pay your utility bills by saying “Alexa, pay my postpaid bill”

·         Up to INR 4000 off on Kindle e-readers

Books, Hobbies, Gaming and Toys

·         Up to 50% off on Fiction, Non-fiction and Children’s Books

·         Up to 60% off on Academic Books

·         Buy 3 or more Books and get additional 10% savings

·         Up to INR 3000 off on latest gaming consoles

·         Up to 65% off on Games & up to 50% off on Video Game Accessories

·         Up to 70% off on antivirus and business software

·         Minimum 40% off on Treadmills & exercise bikes

·         Dumbbells & Home Gyms starting at just INR 199

·         Up to 60% off on Sports bestsellers

Amazon Prime Video

•         Starting October 15, stream seven new, exciting titles across Indian and International movies and TV shows on Amazon Prime Video including the latest Amazon Original Series, Amazon Original Movies and global premieres of Indian language titles.

•         The festive lineup includes:

o   Halal Love Story (Malayalam) – October 15

o   Amazon Original Movie Putham Pudhu Kaalai (Tamil) – October 16

o   Amazon Original Series Mirzapur 2 (Hindi) – October 23

o   Amazon Original Movie Borat (English)– October 23

o   Bheema Sena Nalamaharaja (Kannada)- October 29

o   Soorarai Pottru (Tamil)- October 30

o   Chhalaang (Hindi)- November 13

Leather Sector Skill Council Launches SCALE India Android App for Enhanced Quality Assurance Under Skill India Mission

In an endeavour to provide a single platform to integrate quality assurance across all its services, the Leather Sector Skill Council (LSSC) today announced the launch of Skill Certification Assessment for Leather Employees (SCALE) India android app. Operating under the aegis of the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship(MSDE), LSSC is committed to strengthen its digital capabilities on quality assurance across training delivery, monitoring, assessments, verification and linkages to ASEEM portal. Synonymous with assessments, the cornerstone of quality assurance and the one of the main functions of LSSC, this unique initiative aims to provide a one-stop solution for the skilling, learning, assessment and employment needs of the leather and leather products industry.

The android app was launched by Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship at a virtual event organized by LSSC that witnessed participation of Mr. P R Aqeel Ahmed, Chairman, LSSC and Mr. Rajesh Rathnam, CEO, LSSC. The platform caters to the need of all the stakeholders of the skilling and employment ecosystem namely – candidate/trainee, employer, employee, assessor and trainer all at one place. The services are accessible through the web and android application that virtually works on any smart handheld device, desktop/laptop, smartphones, tablets or phablets. Apart from providing end to end quality assurance across training, assessment, and certification services, the app will also help employers engage with other stakeholders seamlessly and provide a marketplace for human capital for the leather industry.

Commenting on the initiative, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Hon’ble Union Minister of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship said, “The launch of SCALE India platform by LSSC will boost our relentless efforts to strengthen the leather skilling ecosystem and help us inch closer to fulfill our Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of making an ‘Aatmnirbhar Bharat’ the ‘Skill Capital of the World’. By leveraging technology to bring in efficient and intelligent tools to drive demand-driven and future-relevant skilling programs, this platform will ensure seamless convergence and coordination across various schemes and programs as a single point interface. It will play a crucial role in providing quality assured services to all stakeholders by aggregating demand and connecting supply to demand, all through one platform.”

SCALE will help candidates in the skilling ecosystem to get assessed and certified on their knowledge, skills and behaviour on a specific qualification pack. It also enables access to micro-learning modules for bridging the skill gaps that are identified and can be re-assessed and certified at the end of the learning on the specific qualification pack. It further assists the candidate to become a productive resource who is readily employable in the industry. The candidates can search for employment opportunities and connect with employers post completion of their certification. The assessments are currently available in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Bengali, with plans to add more regional languages in a phased manner.

From an employer standpoint, the platform will serve as a job portal with access to a certified talent pool of candidates to hire from, leading to increase in productivity and profitability. Employers also get to share their skill gap requirements and check for suitable training modules available to bridge the skill gap of their workforce and raise training requests for short term/customised training that would be serviced by the LSSC. The employment demand aggregation works through the integration of the ASEEM portal with the SCALE platform. Facility to raise requests for trained resources and Apprenticeship implementation based on NAPS has also been provided to promote adoption of NAPS by the employers. Further, requests for implementing RPL at the employer establishments can also be raised through the SCALE platform.

Employees across the leather and leather products industry can also register themselves to explore e-learning content for upskilling and get certified post learning, leading to improvement in productivity, better perks, and upward career movement. The SCALE platform assists employees to upgrade their skills basis changing market dynamics and evolving industry demands and get certified on the new skills acquired, with the facility to create a certification stack that acts as a key element of their curriculum vitae. For assessors, the platform provides centralised access to batches tagged to a qualification pack for conducting assessments on the scheduled date as the results are available instantaneously to the assessor and real time data of the candidates assessed are available to the LSSC as the assessing and certifying body.

The platform will also help trainers get complete access to all the learning and training resources required for effective delivery of standardised training for batches on schedule. The resources such as presentations, video clips, quizzes, classroom activities, on the job training exercises and activities are made available to the trainer as per the training session plan. This assists trainers by ensuring uniformity in learning and adherence to quality norms. The platform facilitates capturing attendance of the trainees, progress of training, feedback and other documentation required for compliance. This enables the trainer to manage time effectively and focus on the core job of training candidates to become skilled and employable resources.

‘It’s A Girl Thing’ Partners with UN Women for its India Edition

 

Brought to India for the first time by Zee Live in partnership with Branded, ‘It’s A Girl Thing’ is a platform with a purpose, to empower young women worldwide and encourage them to explore and achieve their dreams. To ensure the Indian audiences are provided with a unique experience and a powerful platform to express themselves, ‘It’s A Girl Thing’ has taken the initiative a notch higher announcing its recent partnership with the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women, also known as UN Women. 

The festival is hosted virtually over three days, from Oct 16 to Oct 18 and has International and Indian influencers in a live show engaging in talks, panel discussions and performances that enables young women to engage and interact with the top influencers and discuss various subjects including Fashion, Health, Education and Self Love. Featuring some of the well-known influencers in the country, the platform will also host performances by renowned singers and stand-up comedians.

Speaking on this association, Mohammad Naciri, the Regional Director for UN Women in Asia-Pacific said, “We are delighted to associate with a powerful  and one of its kind platform like ‘It’s A Girl Thing’ which will help us in reaching out to a large number of audiences, especially young girls in India. Young women in India and other Asian countries have immense potential to achieve their dreams provided they have a nurturing and conducive environment to unleash their talent. This is going to be a historic year as we aim at working towards Generation Equality and are targeting young people to celebrate women’s rights activism, women’s empowerment and youth leadership to achieve transformative change for women and girls globally. We look forward to the beginning of a great partnership through this platform.”

Swaroop Banerjee, COO and business head, Zee Live said, “It is incredible news for us at Zee Live that UN Women is now a partner to IT’S A GIRL THING INDIA. This purpose driven all girl global platform was created to inspire and empower young women worldwide. This partnership strengthens our resolve and effort in creating the IAGT community in India where young female fans and creators share their opinions on a plethora of topics.”

Jasper Donat, Co-Founder and CEO, Branded said, “We are extremely honoured to associate with UN women which is helping us drive such an important cause. This platform is going to open up countless opportunities, conversations and avenues for the young girls of India and around the globe.”

The festival will be held on a virtual platform from October 16-18, 2020 from 7 pm onwards.

Phalada Pure and Sure Join with Amrita Raichand to Support Cause By Signing a Petition on Change.Org, Requesting #CleanFoodForAll

Taking forward its vision to create awareness and availability of clean food, Phalada Pure and Sure, India’s leading organic and clean food brand joined hands with ChefAmrita Raichand to support  a petition on Change.org, requesting the government to ban the use of pesticides and ensure #CleanFoodForAll.  

Mothers play a pivotal in nurturing children, making sure they receive the right nutrition. Children need a holistic diet for their health and overall development. The food we consume today contain harmful chemicals like Carbendazim, Chlorpyriphos, Monocrotophos and Dimethoate. Exposure to pesticides and other pollutants in food obstruct cell development and can damage certain vital organs in the long run. Given the current scenario, it is of utmost importance to help a child build good immunity levels and guard them against the virus. It is imperative to ensure clean food for children, which means it is free from harmful chemicals. 

Speaking on the importance of clean food, Mr. Surya Shastry, Managing Director at Phalada Organic Consumer Products Pvt. Ltd. says, “At Phalada Pure and Sure, we believe that everyone deserves food that is clean – free of pesticides, additives or artificial ingredients. I believe this is a cause, which if dealt well will become a movement soon that honours our commitment of creating awareness and availability for #CleanFoodForAll. More so, in the wake of current pandemic, it is important to strengthen resilience and immunity in all of us. Our petition is to bring these harmful chemicals to the forefront and urge the government to ban these substances to ensure clean and healthy food for children. We are positive that we will receive support from across the industry and many people will join the movement by signing this petition. 

Commenting on the new association, Mr. Shastry said, “No one understands the importance of healthy food for children, other than a mother. Chef Amrita Raichand relates best with Pure and Sure’s vision towards clean eating and her connect with mothers of young children is unmatched. This opportunity connected all the dots together for us and made its way to Chef Amrita. And then, there was no looking back. We hope that as this campaign progresses, more parents will join and want clean food for their children.” 

Speaking on the association, Celebrity Chef, Amrita Raichand says, “ I am pleased to file this petition as this is very much aligned to the vision I have. Today, I believe this is the right time to initiate something as important as this cause. As a chef, a mother and a proponent of clean food, I always questioned myself and thought of ways to provide clean and healthy food to our children. It is every child’s right to consume food i.e. free of chemicals, pollutants, artificial ingredients and harmful additives. By highlighting harmful effects of adulterated food and how it effects children’s health, this petition provides a sensible path to advance the nation towards clean and healthy eating by empowering consumers with critical information. We are positive that our efforts will pay-off and we shall achieve our goals successfully.” 

Pure and Sure, and Chef Amrita Raichand urge people across the country to visit Change.org and sign the petition. With enough signatures, this can then be taken forward with the concerned authorities for a better future for our children. 

Hero Motocorp Furthers Strengthens Scooter Segment with Launch of New Pleasure+ PLlatinum

Delivering its commitment of providing customers with an appealing and comprehensive range of products, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, today launched the new Pleasure+ Platinum.

The new Pleasure+ Platinum comes in quick succession after the recent launch of the Maestro Edge 125 Stealth. Thus, highlighting the Company’s focus on further expanding its presence in the scooter segment and delighting the customers with its premium and youthful portfolio.

The Pleasure+ Platinum adds to the ever-growing appeal of the iconic Pleasure brand. The new scooter offers a differentiated experience with its enhanced aesthetics, accentuated Retro Design & Premium Chrome Elements

The new scooter will be available at all Hero MotoCorp dealerships across the country at an attractive price of Rs.  60,950/*.

*(Ex-Showroom, Delhi).

Naveen Chauhan, Head – Sales & Aftersales, Hero MotoCorp, said, “The iconic Pleasure brand enjoys a strong connect with the customers. The new Pleasure+ Platinum with its enhanced design elements is surely going to strengthen our scooter portfolio and provide a perfect combination of riding comfort with style.”

Pleasure+ Platinum

New Style & Design

The Pleasure+ Platinum, is available in a new Matt Black color scheme which is combined with brown inner panels which imparts a luxurious look to the design. The chrome additions including Mirrors, Muffler Protector, Handle Bar ends and Fender Stripe further enhance its retro style and relays the brand trust of quality.

The Pleasure+ Platinum also comes with Low Fuel indicator feature, a seat back rest for added comfort, a dual-tone seat with Platinum hot stamping, white rim tape and premium 3D Logo badging, which enhances the aesthetic appeal of the scooter.

BS-VI Compliant FI Engine

The Pleasure+ Platinum comes with a 110cc BS-VI Compliant Programmed Fuel Injection engine with ‘XSens Technology’ (Eight Sensors) - delivering a remarkable power output of 8 BHP @ 7000 RPM and torque-on-demand of 8.7 NM @ 5500 RPM. The Pleasure+ Platinum gives 10% higher fuel efficiency, with better performance and up to 10% faster acceleration.