Vi Partners With Aditya Birla Health Insurance To Offer Health Insurance Benefit On Mobile Recharges

* Launches industry-first Vi Hospicare on Recharge of Rs. 51 and Rs. 301, to offer in-built health insurance benefits to a large base of Indian users who remain uncovered

* Aditya Birla Health Insurance to offer Rs. 1,000 worth of hospitalization expenses per day on medical exigencies incl Covid, and Rs. 2,000/Day on ICU expenses, to Vi users who subscribe to these plans

The current pandemic has drawn the focus on the impact of unexpected illnesses on the socio economic fabric of countries. According to a National Survey Report (published in July 2020), only 14 percent of India’s rural population and 19 percent of urban India had health insurance coverage. Low awareness on health insurance combined with high medical expenses, places a significant burden on the out-of-pocket expenses of our population.

With this insight, Vi, India’s leading telecom operator in association with Aditya Birla Health Insurance (ABHI), has launched a first-of-its-kind product offering – ‘Vi Hospicare’. This unique offering of ‘Vi Hospicare’ provides hospitalization cover for Vi prepaid customers. Vi customers get a fixed cover of up to Rs. 1,000 for a period of 24 hours of hospitalization, and Rs. 2,000 of cover for ICU expenses, from ABHI. The offer covers hospitalization for ailments including Covid 19 or any pre-existing disease. Vi Hospicare’s bundled health insurance proposition can be availed by a large number of pre-paid customers with two affordable recharges at different price points of Rs. 51 and Rs. 301.

Commenting on the initiative of Hospicare, Avneesh Khosla, CMO, Vi said “At Vi, we strive to empower our consumers to thrive. We are focused on bringing innovative, affordable solutions for a better tomorrow for over 1 billion Indian mobile phone users. Vi Hospicare offering, in association with Aditya Birla Health Insurance, is another endeavor under our collaborative program to provide beneficial, value adding solutions to our customers. Health and Wellness is a prime focus area at Vi, and with this partnership, we have taken a significant step ahead that will help ease the financial burden of unexpected hospitalization for our users. I am sure this simplistic offering, with no hidden costs, and powerful benefits, will be immensely beneficial for our prepaid customers across different social strata.”

Commenting on the partnership, Mayank Bathwal, CEO, Aditya Birla Health Insurance, said, “The country is witness to issue of unplanned medical expenses where people pay for medical emergencies from their savings. These expenses can lead to a heavy financial burden and impoverishment for some. At Aditya Birla Health Insurance, we believe that healthcare protection should be universal and strive to offer need-based health insurance for all at an affordable cost. Vi Hospicare will serve as an easily accessible simplified health insurance cover that offers hospitalization benefit for necessary treatment with hassle-free claims. The partnership with Vi will provide the necessary reach and penetration to reinforce our commitment towards extending prudent health insurance solutions to customers across diverse economic backgrounds.”

ABHI Health coverage is applicable for all hospitals incl registered government hospitals, allopathy / AYUSH hospitals. Making the claims process hassle free, Vi customers can claim the benefit by just showing a scanned copy of the discharge certificate and basic verification.

Cashinvoice Strengthens Board Of Directors With Govind Sankaranarayanan, Former CFO And COO Of Tata Capital

Leading digital supply chain financing firm, CashInvoice has announced the appointment of Govind Sankaranarayanan,  founding CFO and COO at Tata Capital to their Board of Directors, as it pursues its goal of becoming a world-class digital Supply Chain Finance business. Govind Sankaranarayanan, is a highly regarded financial services leader, who was the CFO at global Internet giant Tata Communications and spent a decade establishing financial services powerhouse Tata Capital.

Speaking of his association with Cashinvoice, Govind Sankaranarayanan said, “I look forward to joining the board of Cashinvoice, which is founded by my former colleagues at Tata Capital. Digital supply chain finance, by streamlining working capital, helps cut costs for companies and drives growth for mid and small-sized vendors and dealers. Cashinvoice is well placed to transform this space through its deep understanding of finance and digital technology. 

Arun Poojari, Co-Founder and CEO of Cashinvoice, commented, “We are very excited to welcome Govind on our board. His extensive Board level experience and track record of  helping new businesses on their growth journey will be invaluable for Cashinvoice.”

CashInvoice comes under the ambit of the government’s Startup India initiative. The platform grew 12 fold in FY 20-21 and is currently a fast-emerging solutions provider in the invoice discounting and dealer finance space. Sankaranarayanan’s appointment reflects the organization's growth ambitions.

An alumnus of London Business School, IIM Bangalore, and BITS Pilani, Sankaranarayanan has been a Board Director at leading organizations such as Tata Capital Housing Finance, Tata Teleservices Maharashtra, Tata Motors Drivelines, VSNL International, etc. He is a board member of IndiaLends, Credright, and ECube Investment Advisors, among others.

About Cashinvoice:

Cashinvoice is a digital supply chain finance marketplace that offers dynamic invoice discounting to some of India’s leading corporates. The supply chain financing platform enables comprehensive payable and receivable management solutions that digitize the way businesses pay and get paid. Launched in 2018, Cashinvoice optimises working cashflows efficiently through digitalisation of invoices and leveraging supply chain finance to incentivize payables and receivables.

Jaguar Land Rover Retailers Network Gears Up For Launch Of The All-Electric Jaguar I-Pace In India

●  To supplement the launch of the All-Electric Jaguar I-PACE, 22 Retailer outlets across 19 cities in India are EV ready

●  These 22 Retailer outlets have installed more than 35 chargers across sales and after-sales facilities

●  Retailer personnel have undergone extensive training to cater to the requirements of EV customers

●  Select Retailer workshops have been provided with specialised tools and dedicated bays for servicing electric vehicles

Jaguar Land Rover India today has announced the readiness of its Retailer network to welcome its first All-Electric Performance SUV, the Jaguar I-PACE on 23rd March 2021.

Twenty two Retail outlets across 19 cities are now EV ready in terms of infrastructure, as well as sales and after-sales support. The current Jaguar Land Rover Retailer charging infrastructure extensively covers the metro cities and key urban hubs across the country. Retailer staff have been extensively trained by Jaguar Land Rover with in-depth and dedicated courses on EVs, thus enabling them to cater to all requirements and queries of customers.

Rohit Suri, President & Managing Director, Jaguar Land Rover India said, “Electric Vehicles will not just be a new mobility solution, but owning one will also be a new ownership experience. We recognise this and have worked relentlessly with our Retailers to ensure that owning an EV is truly a hassle-free experience for our customers.”

Currently over 35 EV chargers have been installed at Retailer facilities across India and more are underway. In addition, Jaguar Land Rover customers will be able to charge their Jaguar I-PACE using Tata Power’s EZ Charge Network with over 200 charging points across the country. These are present at convenient locations like malls, restaurants, offices, residential complexes and along the highways. These charging options are in addition to the home charging solutions that will be provided as standard with the Jaguar I-PACE by way of a domestic charging cable and a 7.4 kW AC wall mounted charger. 

Bookings for the Jaguar I-PACE are open. For more information on All-Electric Jaguar I-PACE, kindly visit www.jaguar.in

Jaguar Product Portfolio in India

The Jaguar range in India includes XE (starting at ₹ 46.64 Lakh), XF (starting at ₹ 55.67 Lakh), F-PACE (starting at ₹ 66.07 Lakh) and F-TYPE (starting at ₹ 95.12 Lakh). All prices mentioned are ex-showroom prices in India.

Jaguar Land Rover Retailer Network in India

Jaguar Land Rover vehicles are available in India in 24 cities, through 28 authorized outlets in Ahmedabad, Aurangabad, Bengaluru (3), Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Chennai (2), Coimbatore, Delhi, Gurgaon, Hyderabad, Indore, Jaipur, Kolkata, Kochi, Karnal, Lucknow, Ludhiana, Mangalore, Mumbai (2) , Noida, Pune, Raipur, Surat and Vijayawada.

OPPO F19 Pro Series To Launch With Varun Dhawan As The New Ambassador

·  Ropes in Varun Dhawan as a Product Ambassador for F series

·  Unparalleled videography performance, enabled by AI Highlight Portrait Video

·  Superior network performance, ultra- fast download speeds and seamless video streaming, powered by OPPO Smart 5G

OPPO, a leading global smart device brand is all set to introduce yet another 5G videography expert, the OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G, in the Indian market. The OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G is the latest addition to the popular F series and is packed with videography-enhancing features ideal to redraw the boundaries of users’ creativity. OPPO today also announced its association with leading Bollywood superstar Varun Dhawan as their Ambassador for the F series.

Speaking on how the association with Varun Dhawan, Mr. Damyant Singh Khanoria, Chief Marketing Officer, OPPO India, said, “At OPPO, we are committed to bringing bold innovations stemming from industry leading technology that speaks to consumers that seek and want to be their best. Varun Dhawan is at the vanguard of the next generation of actors who are pushing themselves and their art to new heights. His effervescent personality and staggering ability as an actor made him the natural choice for the OPPO F series. We look forward to partnering with him in positioning the F series position as the smartphone of choice for youth”.

The OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G features AI Highlight Portrait Video that allows anyone to become a video expert. The feature optimises video portraits by automatically detecting and adjusting for light. Be it low light night or bright backgrounds, portrait videos on the OPPO F19 Pro+ 5G are vivid, with sharp details, balance and natural skin tones.  The AI enabled portrait shots truly puts this smartphone “Ahead in Photography and videography.”

Once the AI determines the type of video you’re filming, it will correspondingly apply either or both Ultra Night Video and HDR Video algorithms to brighten up the shot. The Ultra Night Video leverages proprietary algorithms to ensure more dynamic night-time videos and photos. The AI Highlight Portrait Video will be the ideal feature for capturing brilliant and exquisite portrait shots with ease.

The F19 Pro+ 5G will also be the first F series smartphone to be equipped with OPPO Smart 5G 3.0 compatibility that will enable faster download and upload speeds. Not only this, OPPO F19 Pro+ will feature 8 Antennas in a new 360° wrap-around design for better signal performance whether the mobile phone is in landscape or portrait mode or however it is held. Depending on the network availability, F19 Pro+ will also support 4G/5G Seamless Data Switch enabling the device to switch between 4G and 5G networks automatically.

As a consumer-focused brand, OPPO has strived to delight consumers with amazing products and experiences. OPPO’s F Series has been a massive hit with consumers in India. Starting from the very first model, the F Series showcased OPPO’s commitment to bringing the trendiest technology to customers and has been committed to make technology meaningful and easy to use. The last generation in F Series, F17 Pro and F17, garnered a great deal of love from users, especially from the generation of trendsetters and this has since been the reason that OPPO has continued to push the boundaries and make a product that allows our users truly stand out.

Establishing new benchmarks, OPPO’s expertise lies in bringing industry first features to its end consumers and OPPO’s F series has been a testimonial of the same by offering smartphones that are a perfect blend of future ready technology, innovation and style. Launching in India soon, OPPO F19 Pro series will take forward the legacy of the F series with future ready technology

About OPPO:

OPPO is a leading global smart device brand. Since the launch of its first mobile phone - “Smiley Face” - in 2008, OPPO has been in relentless pursuit of the perfect synergy of aesthetic satisfaction and innovative technology. Today, OPPO provides a wide range of smart devices spearheaded by the Find and Reno series. Beyond devices, OPPO provides its users with the ColorOS operating system and internet services like OPPO Cloud and OPPO+. OPPO operates in more than 40 countries and regions, with 6 Research Institutes and 5 R&D Centers worldwide, as well as an International Design Center in London. More than 40,000 of OPPO's employees are dedicated to creating a better life for customers around the world.

OPPO’s Hyderabad R&D center is the largest research center outside of China and is playing a pivotal role in innovation across fields including software, imaging and communication network. Aimed at elevating global 5G experience, the brand also launched its first overseas 5G innovation lab in Hyderabad. In line with its commitment to Make in India, OPPO has a manufacturing plant at Greater Noida, established in 2016.  As per IDC, OPPO stands at the third position with a record 40.2% Year-over-Year Growth, as of October 2020.

Abbott Researchers Find Rare Group Of People With Controlled HIV Who Could Be A Key To Unlocking Cure

* Study of more than 10,000 people identifies a rare group with controlled HIV in the Democratic Republic of Congo, suggesting additional research could uncover links between natural virus suppression and future treatments

* Discovery is a result of Abbott’s continued virus hunting efforts, which also uncovered a new strain of HIV in 2019

* Abbott’s decades of work in global viral surveillance has advanced the understanding of HIV and allowed the company to quickly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic with its diagnostic tests

Abbott announced today that a team of scientists has found an unusually high number of people in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) who test positive for HIV antibodies, but have low to non-detectable viral load counts – without the use of anti-retroviral treatment.[i]  These people are referred to as HIV elite controllers. These groundbreaking findings published today in EBioMedicine (part of The Lancet), may help researchers uncover biological trends within this population that could lead to advancements in HIV treatments – and potentially vaccines.

Researchers from Abbott, Johns Hopkins, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, University of Missouri – Kansas City and the Université Protestante au Congo found that the prevalence of HIV elite controllers was 2.7-4.3% in the DRC – compared to a 0.1-2% prevalence worldwide. This new research will fuel additional studies that look to understand this unique immune response. Findings from the study could lead researchers closer to their goal of ending the HIV pandemic by uncovering links between natural virus suppression and future treatments.

"The finding of a large group of HIV elite controllers in the DRC is significant considering that HIV is a life-long, chronic condition that typically progresses over time," said Tom Quinn, M.D., director of Johns Hopkins Center for Global Health, and chief of the International HIV/AIDS Research Section of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, and one of the study authors. "There have been rare instances of the infection not progressing in individuals prior to this study, but this high frequency is unusual and suggests there is something interesting happening at a physiological level in the DRC that’s not random."

Since the beginning of the global AIDS pandemic, 76 million people have been infected with HIV and 38 million people today are living with the virus.[ii] As the first to develop an approved FDA test for HIV more than thirty years ago, Abbott understands the importance of HIV research and established its Global Viral Surveillance Program to identify HIV and hepatitis mutations – ensuring its diagnostic tests remain up to date. With the origins of the HIV pandemic traced to sub-Saharan Africa, specifically the DRC, this region is of specific interest to the scientific community.[iii],[iv] These new findings from Abbott researchers and partners are a continuation of virus hunting efforts that led to the identification of a new strain of HIV in 2019.

"Global surveillance work keeps us ahead of emerging infectious diseases – and in this instance we realized we had found something that could be another step toward unlocking a cure for HIV," said Michael Berg, Ph.D., an associate research fellow in infectious disease research at Abbott, and lead author of the study. "The global research community has more work to do – but harnessing what we learn from this study and sharing it with other researchers puts us closer to new treatments that could possibly eliminate HIV."

Plasma samples from surveillance efforts collected in 1987, 2001-03 and 2017-19 in the DRC – home to the oldest known HIV strains – allowed researchers to rule out false positives, collection site bias, high genetic diversity and anti-retroviral treatment as the cause of non-detectable viral counts in 10,457 patients from 2017 to 2019. Abbott’s ARCHITECT HIV Ag/Ab Combo tests and m2000 RealTime HIV-1 tests were used in the study to detect HIV antibodies and viral load ranges, respectively, in participants.

"Every new HIV discovery is another piece in the evolutionary jigsaw puzzle that we’re trying to understand," said Carole McArthur, Ph.D., M.D., professor in the department of oral and craniofacial sciences, University of Missouri — Kansas City, director of residency research in pathology, Truman Medical Center, and one of the study authors. "Each of these pieces helps us see a bit more clearly as to where we need to look next and contributes to the knowledge bank that all researchers will turn to in the next phase of our work."

More than twenty-five years of hunting viruses across the globe

As a leader in blood screening and infectious disease testing, Abbott created its Global Viral Surveillance Program more than 25 years ago to monitor HIV and hepatitis viruses and identify mutations, which helps ensure the company’s diagnostic tests remain up to date. The surveillance program continues to be a pathway fueled by collaboration, enabling researchers to proactively evaluate and solve infectious disease challenges.

Abbott’s surveillance and emerging virus discovery work allowed the company to quickly respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Abbott will increase its efforts to identify, track and prevent future pandemics across many different types of infectious diseases.

About Abbott

Abbott is a global healthcare leader that helps people live more fully at all stages of life. Our portfolio of life-changing technologies spans the spectrum of healthcare, with leading businesses and products in diagnostics, medical devices, nutritionals and branded generic medicines. Our 109,000 colleagues serve people in more than 160 countries.

'MAHE Paves The Way To Atma Nirbhar Bharat For Students And Becomes A Role Model For Others To Follow'

* Shri Mohan Madhukar Bhagawatji, Sarsanghchalak of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh  visited Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) on 1-2 March 2021.

Shri M M Bhagwat received by  Dr Ranjan Pai, President MAHE & Chariman Manipal Education & Medical Group, Bengaluru and  later  was welcomed by  Dr H S Ballal, Pro-Chancellor MAHE at administrative building of MAHE and interacted with the top management of MAHE on March 1, 2021. The Vice-Chancellor Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh gave him an overview of MAHE and the future plans in the presence of Dr Ranjan Pai, Dr HS Ballal and other dignitaries. He visited the Manipal Destination - experience theatre, and various academic and research facilities of MAHE. Shri Bhagwat ji also interacted with the faculty members of MAHE during his visit.

Shri Bhagwat ji has expressed his deep sense of appreciation to MAHE for its significant contribution towards Higher Education, Healthcare, Research and Social activities.  Adrressing the people at MAHE, he said, “ It was heartening to see that all the necessary elements required to strengthen the foundation of Indian education and student life are present at MAHE campus. To make India Atma Nirbhar, the kind of goodness,  self confidence, intent to serve the people, respecting elders is required and I am happy to witness that all these essential elements are all being practiced and implemented at MAHE . Infact according to me MAHE has become a role model for other institutions to follow all the best practices in Education towards  building a strong future for students.”

Shri Bhagwat ji visited the Museum of Anatomy and Pathology (MAP) of Kasturba Medical College, Manipal and inaugurated the Digitization process of MAP on March 2, 2021. The museum is a popular destination in coastal Karnataka for educational trips of schools and colleges.  It has 3000+ specimens of different parts of the Human Body. The digitisation process is an interdisciplinary activity being carried out by the faculty of Anatomy department, Manipal Institute of Communication and the IT department. In the first phase of digitisation 100 core specimens have been taken. Shri Bhagwat Ji deeply impressed with the MAP and mentioned,“This museum is most instructive, laboriously collected and meticulously  maintained. Now, I know why medical  students  from India and aboard speak about MAHE and its exceptional Infrastructure & Museum”. This new digitisation effort  will help the students of health sciences across the nation to study Anatomy in a detailed fashion, free of cost. It is an initiative of MAHE which is truly  “Vocal for Local”.

ManipalCigna Lifetime Health Plan Launched For Indians Domestic And Global Healthcare Needs

ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Limited today announced the launch of ‘ManipalCigna Lifetime Health’ plan. This new regular premium lifetime renewable plan is thoughtfully designed after a period of research which identified that post Covid-19 pandemic, consumer conversation has finally changed from ‘do I need health insurance’ to ‘how much do I need’. Thus keeping in mind the increasing healthcare incidences and cost, the plan offers the benefit of high coverage, optional packages and provides a comprehensive healthcare financing solution to secure an individual’s and a family’s domestic and global healthcare requirements at every stage of life.

Speaking about the product launch, Mr. Prasun Sikdar, Managing Director and CEO, ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Limited said, “At ManipalCigna, we’ve always made sure that our customers get easy access to quality healthcare and now, with our new ManipalCigna Lifetime Health we are taking a step further in our commitment by partnering our customers in illness and in wellness for their lifetime. The plan comes with two variants Lifetime Health India Plan and Lifetime Health Global Plan that offers a high level of protection with Sum Insured ranging from Rs.50 lacs to Rs.3 crores to give people financial access to cover advanced treatments and procedures, globally for up to 27 major illnesses, and most importantly looks after their unique healthcare requirements for a lifetime.”

Sikdar further added, “Every stage of a lifetime is laden with different health needs and priorities. Thus, through our new ManipalCigna Lifetime Health plan we want to give customers much more flexibility of choice. The new plan lets you customize the cover you need for your family using optional packages like Health+, Women+ and Global+ along with Critical Illness rider that provides extensive coverage like screenings, vaccinations, and many more healthcare benefits thus keeping you and your family clear of financial burden for lifetime.”

The launch of our Lifetime Health product is the next phase in the evolution of ManipalCigna’s journey to serve the evolving needs of its customers and to put all their medical concerns to rest. According to several reports, medical expenses have been surging at a double digit rate in India, and the trend is likely to persist. Thus, by anticipating and understanding a variety of health challenges people could possibly face over their lifetime, the new ManipalCigna Lifetime Health plan, is an adequate no-compromise health insurance cover to secure not just the current health needs of consumers but also the ones people are likely to require at different stages of their life.

The new ManipalCigna Lifetime Health plan offers some enticing benefits, including:

COMPREHENSIVE COVERAGE

>    Sum Insured up to Rs 3 Crores each,  for domestic and global coverage

>    Inpatient Hospitalization in India

-      For Sum Insured updated INR 2 Crores – Any room category except suite or higher category

-      For Sum Insured INR 3 Crores – Any room category including suite

>    No room rent capping for hospitalization outside India under Global coverage

>    Unlimited restoration of Sum Insured for unrelated illnesses for coverages in India, to ensure you never run out of cover

ASSURANCE OF SUPPORT

>    Waiver of Premium

-      For one policy year, upon occurrence of any of the covered contingencies.

>    First of its kind, Continuity of benefits on the entire chosen Sum Insured under portability

-      For those with existing sum insured (excluding bonuses) of Rs. 10 lacs and above

REWARDING RELATIONSHIP

>    Loyalty premium discounts on the applicable renewal premium from 4th policy year onwards till lifetime.

>    Family discount of 15% on covering 2 or more family members under single individual policy.

>    If you pay renewal premium through NACH or standing instruction (where payment is made either by direct debit of bank account or credit card) you can avail 3% discount on the renewal premium

>    Adult (Annual) health check-up from the first policy year onwards

PERSONALIZED PLANS

>    Choice of various need based, value covers comprising Health+, Women+ and Global+ along with Critical Illness rider.

QUALITY ACCESS

>    Lifetime access to quality healthcare in India and abroad

>    Cashless hospitalization abroad for up to 27 Major Illnesses covered under the Global plan

>    Access to wide range of treatments and advanced medical facilities across the hospitals of the world under Global coverage

About ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Limited

ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Limited (Formerly known as CignaTTK Health Insurance Company Limited) is a joint venture between Manipal Group, an eminent player in the field of healthcare delivery and higher education in India, Cigna Corporation, a global health services company with over 200 years of experience and Indian conglomerate TTK Group. ManipalCigna is headquartered out of Mumbai and has 47 branch offices covering major metros and towns. The company has built a strong multi-distribution network of over 20,000 agents, 250+ major brokers and is present in over 7,000 point of sales locations across the country through its distribution network. ManipalCigna also has tie-ups with 9 leading Banks, over 30 NBFCs, MFIs and Corporate Agents for distributing health insurance solutions and has a network of over 6500 hospitals across cities including tier I, tier II and tier III towns in India.