An Update On Twitter’s Efforts To Support The COVID-19 Conversation In India

More ways to find credible information

Along with the event pages we shared last week, we’ve launched new State-specific COVID-19 pages that surface the latest Tweets from people asking for SOS resources, as well as those offering help. We currently have six State-specific pages available in the places hardest hit by COVID-19, including: Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Punjab.

The COVID-19 SOS page helps surface information from those offering or seeking immediate help during this crisis. We have also built a series of Twitter Moments to help you get the facts from the most reliable sources about vaccine safety, how to stay safe and more.

Twitter Lists curate all the Tweets from accounts on that list in one place, making it easy to navigate and keep up with specific accounts during fast-moving events. We have curated a series of Twitter Lists of health authorities, public health experts, health journalists, fact-checkers, and other authoritative sources, so you can stay up to date about information during the second wave of the pandemic. We’ve also created a List of verified organisations who are engaging in COVID-19 relief work that you can follow on Twitter.

As India opens up vaccination to everyone above the age of 18 years on May 1st, you may be looking for up-to-date, localised information about vaccine safety, vaccine eligibility, and more. To meet this need, we’re expanding our efforts to surface credible COVID-19 information with home Timeline prompts featuring the latest information about COVID-19 vaccines in both English and Hindi.

We are partnering with news and media organisations as well as journalists across India to bring the latest, most credible news about COVID-19 to your timeline. These diverse and trusted voices share valuable information in real-time and in multiple languages across formats like video, Twitter Moments, threads and livestreams.

Enabling developers to build tools in real-time

Developers in India are building creative tools and apps using the Twitter API to help people source information about medical services, oxygen, medicines, food, and more. We've been working closely with developers to ensure their services are able to have the widest impact, and reach the most people while operating in compliance with Twitter's developer policies.

A couple of examples include covid19-twitter.in and covidsos, developed by Umang Galaiya and Mashrin Srivastava respectively. These tools, built using the Twitter API, make use of Twitter’s Advanced Search functionality by providing easy-to-use filters that help people navigate Tweets about COVID-19 in real-time by applying location filters or other search parameters.

To surface the most recent Tweets about COVID-19 resources and requests, Shivam Dhruva and Mahendra Rathod have developed CovidTweet, which is an interface that lets volunteers see recent, verified requests in one place.

Sprinklr has built a comprehensive dashboard to give people a way to see city-specific requests for medicines, oxygen, hospital beds, plasma, and other critical necessities.

CovidVerified, developed by Shikhar Saxena and Siddharth Bulia is enabling volunteers on-the-ground  to verify the availability and fulfilment of requests related to oxygen, hospital beds and many other essentials.

Helping you donate to organisations

Prompt: We have launched a prompt that will show up for anyone searching key hashtags such as #helpIndia and #donateIndia, or even combinations of key terms like ‘help’ + ‘India’ or ‘donate’ + India’. The prompt will direct you to a Twitter List of verified organisations that we work with, and to an event page featuring the latest Tweets from some of the organisations on the front lines of India’s COVID-19 response.

Tip Jar: Last week we launched Tip Jar, a new way for people to support others with money and lend a helping hand. It allows you to link to an existing account with the following payment providers: PayPal, Cash App, Patreon, Bandcamp and Venmo, and takes you off Twitter to the selected app where you can show your support in the amount you choose. Twitter takes no cut.

This feature is particularly relevant during a crisis like the one we are in, which is why we are in the process of expanding the number of accounts that have access to this feature in the country. We are also working to bring Indian payment providers to Tip Jar, along with the ability to use Tip Jar in multiple languages.

Our approach

Ads for Good Credits: Following our earlier commitment to provide Ads for Good credits to help amplify Tweets from five non-profits and organisations supporting COVID-relief efforts, we have extended credits to six new organisations including: Give India, Akshaya Patra, Milaap, Rise Against Hunger India and the Hemkunt Foundation.

Protecting the public conversation with our policies

We are committed to protecting the public conversation, and our policies help us do that. A global team of specialists are working around the clock to make it easy to find credible information on Twitter and to limit the spread of potentially harmful and misleading content.

COVID-19 Misinformation Policy: We know people are concerned about misinformation circulating on the service in the midst of a public health crisis, and we want to ensure we are clear when articulating our policies. We tackle COVID-19 misinformation based on the highest potential for harm using a combination of product, technology, and human review. In order for content related to COVID-19 to be labeled or removed under this policy, it must:

●        Advance a claim of fact, expressed in definitive terms

●        Be demonstrably false or misleading, based on widely available, authoritative sources

●        Be likely to impact public safety or cause serious harm

As of 1 March 2021, following the update to our COVID-19 misleading information policy regarding misleading information about vaccines, we apply a label warning on Tweets that advance unsubstantiated rumors and disputed claims, as well as incomplete or out-of-context information about vaccines. Tweets which advance harmful false or misleading narratives about COVID-19 vaccinations will continue to be removed.

Golmaal Fun With Donuts: Mad Over Donuts And Nickelodeon Collaborate To Make Summer Brighter For Kids

* Inspired by Nick’s Golmaal Jr. Prank Gang and mangoes, the specially curated donuts will be available in 3 different mango flavour variants 

This summer is all about staying indoors and being safe at home, and that means children are confined to their homes their entire vacation, away from friends and fun. To make these gloomy, tougher times lighter, India’s loved brands Mad Over Donuts and Nickelodeon have collaborated with one another to spread cheer amongst children and gift them several unforgettable experiences with #NickKaMangoficentSummer

Mad Over Donuts and Nickelodeon India are all set to introduce a limited edition of mango flavoured donuts called ‘Golmaal Jr. Treat Box’ inspired by none other than Nick’s Golmaal Jr, an animated show by director Rohit Shetty based on the comedy movie series Golmaal.

Known as the pranksters, Gopal, Madhav and the rest of the Golmaal Jr gang have always been the favourites of kids. This summer, through this one-of-its-kind partnership, the best thing for our young viewers in the afternoons is to indulge in the seasonal mango treats as they watch the all-new episodes of the mischievous escapades of Golmaal Jr every Monday to Friday at 12.30 PM on Nick channel.

Bite into Happiness with the exclusively curated ‘Golmaal Jr. Treat Box’ that consists of soft, fluffy donuts which are available in season special mango flavours: Mango Cheesecake, filled with mango-infused cream cheese, topped with mango chocolate curls and mango jam; Mango Tango, stuffed with mango jam and topped with mango chocolate shavings; and Mango Berry, oozing with white chocolate, mango chocolate and dark chocolate ganache. These extremely delicious donut flavours are available across the cities of Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Bangalore and Chennai.

The limited edition of the Prank Gang donuts will have the characters come to life with creative toon designs on the package and box toppers of the toon characters greeting the little customers who have ordered them online. For our little fans, these treats call for loud hurrahs and mid-week high fives in the comfort of one’s home. Fun designs on the outside and delicious mango donuts inside -- have you seen a better combination that could make a child smile?

The formula of good food plus favourite toons has worked with kids ever since the lockdown happened, says Mr.Tarak Bhattacharya, Executive Director, Mad over Donuts. “We have partnered with Nickelodeon to provide comic relief to our tiny little customers. In fact, one of the most popular food items that has helped kids perk a bit is donut. As we have entered May, a month that kickstarts with season of mangoes, who better than our prank gang to take the onus of spreading happiness and cheer and make the month more humorous for our little audiences!” shares Bhattacharya.

This collaboration will be promoted by a 360-degree marketing and communications plan which will include digital promotions. Year after year, brands like Mad Over Donuts and Nickelodeon work towards innovative and fun ideas for customer engagement across all age groups.

Speaking about keeping kids engaged through the summer, Sonali Bhattacharya - Head – Marketing, Kids Entertainment Cluster at Viacom18 said, “We believe that as the category leader we have a very important role to play in keeping kids in a positive frame of mind in these difficult times. Nothing can lift the spirit as well as a pack of donuts curated specifically keeping the kids’ favourite Nicktoons in mind! The bond that kids have with the Golmaal Jr. gang is very strong and this innovative collaboration with Mad Over Doughnuts is our attempt in bringing cheer to kids while they remain indoors during the summertime. We are certain that the Golmaal Jr. Prank Gang donuts will infuse happy moments in the days of kids and their families.”

Keeping in mind the current scenario, all Mad over Donuts stores are maintaining the highest hygiene and safety standards in their workstations and are offering contactless home delivery options. We encourage our customers to stay at home and get happiness delivered. The brand offers 100% eggless and freshly made products. You can order them from the comfort of your home, through Zomato or Swiggy or by visiting www.madoverdonuts.com. Spreading happiness is the core mantra of Mad Over Donuts and we want the contagious cheer of happiness to be a constant in the lives of our fans, young and elderly alike.

Technology Business Incubator Of SRM University-AP Launched The First Start-Up Venture Cohort

Technology Business Incubator of SRM University-AP launched the first venture cohort with 36 selected start-up business ventures, on May 15, 2021, in the presence of the special guest of honour from industry, Prof Ramesh Loganathan, Head of Co-innovation and Outreach at IIIT Hyderabad and Ex-Chief Innovation Officer of the Telangana State Innovation Cell (TSIC).

“From the initial years onwards, SRM University-AP is focused to create entrepreneurs who can be the leaders of tomorrow. The University signed an MOU with the University of California, Berkeley to design the curriculum to promote entrepreneurship,” Said Prof V S Rao, Vice-Chancellor, SRM University-AP, in his welcome speech.

Advancing the proceedings of the event, the guest of honour Prof Ramesh Loganathan gave a brief understanding of the scope and future of entrepreneurship in India and the global scenario. “The entrepreneurial journey should start with identifying the problems in the ecosystem. A great example can be the face recognition software that started with the idea of capturing student attendance in colleges. Similarly, the budding entrepreneurs should identify such similar problems, do thorough market research and then prepare the business plan. The price of the product/idea should matter the last.”

SRM University-AP, Andhra Pradesh established the ‘Innovation, Design and Entrepreneurship Academy (IDEA)’ as part of the strategic alliance with UC Berkeley to create an academy combining their Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Jacob Center of Design and Innovation to foster the culture of innovation, design and entrepreneurship among the students of all streams including engineering, liberal arts and sciences, and management. Dr Prakash Jadav, Associate Professor and Head of IDEA opined, “It is exciting to see so many students submitting their business ideas in the first business cohort. I am sure that with our guidance and mentorship, they all can reach new heights in setting up their ventures in the industry.”

62 teams, which comprises 192 students applied for the opportunity. After rigorous screening and evaluation on various parameters like innovation, scalability and commercialization, 36 teams/ ventures were selected to be a part of the SRM TBI’s first cohort.

The selected ventures will be mentored and supported for a period of a minimum of 12 months where they will be facilitated with infrastructure support, mentoring and networking support, seed fund, and innovation fund support, hardware and software support, industry connectivity, learning resources, market exposure and several others.

The selected ventures will be mentored and supported for a period of a minimum of 12 months will all the services of a regular technology business incubator. SRM TBI will also provide an opportunity to pitch to the investors, connects with industry experts, market linkage, and a global network of mentors. The start-ups developing prototypes and MVP can apply for the Product validation track and pre-revenue/ revenue stage start-ups can apply for the Market validation track. Each of the 36 start-up ventures will get hands-on mentoring and guidance from the mentors and experts from their respective working areas. The start-ups go through physical interactions through contact sessions at SRM AP and virtual interaction with mentors through online workshops during the program.

Mr Udayan Bakshi, CEO SRM TBI & Associate Director Entrepreneurship cordially thanked all the speakers and panelists for their efforts to make the SRM TBI cohort launch a grand success. He also highlighted that TBI will not limit to just this batch of students or to the SRM University-AP, but shall extend its vision and activities to the entire ecosystem.

Hero Motocorp & Gurugram Districts Administration Partner To Set-Up 100-Bed COVID-19 Care Centre

In keeping with its commitment towards Covid-19 relief efforts, Hero MotoCorp, the world's largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, has partnered with the District Administration of Gurugram in Haryana to set-up a makeshift 100-bed Covid Care Centre in the city.

Hero MotoCorp is supporting the Covid-19 Care Centre - set up at the Government Girls College in Sector 14, Gurugram – under its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) platform “Hero We Care”.

Dr. Yash Garg, lAS, Deputy Commissioner, Gurugram, Haryana said, “The support from Hero MotoCorp towards Covid-19 relief is extremely heartening and we are grateful to the company and its employees for extending a helping hand during this hour of crisis. The Covid Care Centre will help augment our medical infrastructure and enable us to widen the scope of our relief activities for the affected people in the district. This is an excellent example of the public-private partnership in contributing towards the larger cause of the society. At a challenging time such as this, we urge more corporates and private organisations to come forward for similar initiatives.”

Bharatendu Kabi, Head – Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) & Corporate Communication, Hero MotoCorp said, “As a responsible corporate citizen, Hero MotoCorp has always believed in contributing towards the wellbeing of the ecosystem that we operate in. We are truly glad to partner with the district administration in setting up this 100-bed Covid Care Centre, which will go a long way in supporting the healthcare infrastructure in the Gurugram.”

Hero MotoCorp continues to keep expanding its initiatives towards Covid-19 relief across the country by partnering with local hospitals, state governments and local authorities.

Hero MotoCorp’s Covid-19 Relief Measures

· Hero MotoCorp recently partnered with the Ramakrishna Mission Sevashrama, Kankhal (RMSK) at Haridwar in Uttarakhand for strengthening their healthcare system and response to Covid-19

· Additionally, Hero MotoCorp is also extending support to Covid-19 hospitals in various states, including Delhi, Rajasthan, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.

· The company is also providing its motorcycles and scooters for safe, personal commuting by health workers and medical staff in several states, including Delhi & NCR, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan and Gujarat

· Hero MotoCorp has contributed oxygen cylinders for emergency medical use by some of the hospitals in Delhi and Haryana. The Company has been donating PPE Kits to the health authorities in various states for use by health workers

RapiPay To Facilitate “Covid-19 Vaccination Search And Registration Through Its Website And App”

RapiPay Fintech, one of the leading assisted payments Fintech companies has reiterated its commitment to the society by facilitating Covid 19 vaccination registration through its agent app and website. Currently, RapiPay’s B2B app has more than 5 Lakhs installs from retailers and merchants.  

RapiPay has used a tool on its website and app that redirects users to Covid vaccination data available on CoWIN website on live basis. Lakhs of RapiPay agents access this app daily to serve crores of customers for payments, AEPS and remittance services. Using the same app, the agents will be able to seamlessly assist their customers to check vaccination availability in their area and accordingly register for the vaccination slot.  

The second wave of COVID-19 has hit the country at a faster pace and to overcome this pandemic, the public at large needs to get vaccinated at the earliest. The government has now opened vaccination drive for 18+ age group population also and has made prior registration and appointment mandatory. 

Commenting on this announcement, Mr. Yogendra Kashyap, CEO, RapiPay said, “In this hour of need, all of us must do our bit to combat this pandemic. Millions of non tech users, especially in the rural markets, might not be able to register on CoWIN or Aarogya setu app on their own. With this initiative, their vaccination registration can be facilitated through our direct business outlets (DBOs) who use RapiPay daily for their business.  We are hopeful that with this facility a lot of people will not crowd the immunization center and help maintain social distance which is the need of the hour.” 

Renault India Extends Free Service & Warranty Period For Its Customers

In line with its commitment to customer satisfaction and in order to mitigate the challenges faced by customers in current times, Renault India has announced extension on Warranty and Periodic Free Service schedules for its customers. 

The extension would be applicable to free service and warranty period expiring between April 1, 2021 and May 31, 2021. These services will be extended up to 31st July 2021. Renault India’s 24X7 roadside assistance continues to ensure support for its customers in case of an emergency.  

COVID-19 is a challenge unlike any other faced by humanity in recent times. In the interest of all Renault employees, dealers and other partners, their families, and the community at large, Renault India has implemented multiple preventive measures across its offices, dealerships and continues to communicate and create awareness among all stakeholders. Renault India has also been sharing regular advisories with its dealer partners as well as directives to comply with the guidelines issued by the local authorities and regulatory bodies.  

Renault is fully committed to offer a safe and hygienic experience to its customers. In order to maintain utmost safety, Renault has significantly enhanced its digital capabilities and portfolios with online booking options and other interventions, providing the best of the services in these challenging times. The digital services include demo through the Renault virtual studio, website booking facility with full payment option, the smart finance calculator through which a customer can apply for and get loan approval online. Additionally, Renault India has tools like The Renault Virtual Assistant (RVA) and MY Renault App for customer convenience. MY Renault App is a customer app widely used by Renault’s existing customers, updating them on all the latest information about Renault. It is also used by prospects to explore Renault’s product range or book one online. 

ABOUT RENAULT  

Renault India Pvt. Ltd. is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault S.A.S. France. Renault India cars are manufactured in the manufacturing facility located in Oragadam, Chennai, with a capacity of 480,000 units per annum. Renault India also has a widespread presence of more than 500 sales and service touchpoints, which include 200+ Workshop On Wheels locations across the country, with benchmark sales and service quality. 

Renault India’s product line up and services have seen strong recognition among customers and industry experts alike, winning more than 60 titles, making Renault India one of the most awarded automotive brands in a single year in India. 

Hero Motocorp To Restart With Staggered Operations In Select Plants From May 17

* More than 90% of employees above the age group of 45 years already vaccinated 

Hero MotoCorp - the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – is gearing up towards a gradual resumption of operations by starting single shift production at three of its plants – Gurugram and Dharuhera in Haryana and at Haridwar in the northern hill state of Uttarakhand – from Monday, May 17. 

In addition to producing for the domestic market in India, these plants will also have enhanced focus on catering to the Global Business (GB) markets across the world. 

The Company continues to monitor the situation closely and the remaining manufacturing plants and other facilities will also open up gradually. 

Meanwhile, with the ongoing concerted vaccination drive across the organization, more than 90% of Hero MotoCorp employees above the age of 45 have already been vaccinated. 

Strict safety and hygiene protocols are in place at all plant locations and offices in preparation for the gradual resumption of operations. 

Hero MotoCorp had proactively halted the plant operations temporarily in a staggered manner for four days from April 22-May 2, which was then extended till May 16. 

All corporate offices of the company have already been in Work from Home (WFH) mode.