Get A Life-Like Virtual Shopping Experience From Home With Augmented Reality Demo For Samsung’s Flagship Refrigerator & TV

* As a part of Samsung’s contactless offerings, AR Demo allows consumers to experience the product virtually in their homes, check product dimensions and make informed decision

* Consumers can also take an appointment to visit a store, get a live video demo of their favourite products or make online purchases directly from their nearest retail stores

Samsung, India’s largest and most trusted consumer electronics brand, has expanded its contactless offerings for consumers with a new Augmented Reality (AR) enabled demo for its flagship refrigerator and TV that will let them virtually experience how their favourite Samsung products would look like in their homes.

Consumers can use the AR Demo to virtually place Samsung’s lifestyle TV The Serif in their living room or have a 360-degree view of how the latest SpaceMax FamilyHub™ refrigerator would look like in their kitchen, while also exploring detailed features of the products. Consumers can also check for dimensions of the product and match it with the space and décor of their homes.

The AR Demo makes it easy for consumers to explore and discover Samsung products from the comfort of their homes and make informed purchase decisions, without stepping out of their homes.

Samsung Has Launched AR Demo With The Serif lifestyle TVs And SpaceMax Family Hub™ Refrigerators

“As consumers spend more time at home and continue to look for smarter lifestyle choices, we wanted to ensure they can experience their favourite Samsung products right in the comfort of their homes and close transactions without stepping out. The new AR Demo enables our consumers with technology so they can make an informed decision in an experiential way,” said Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India.

How Does the AR Demo Work?

Samsung Experience Consultants will share a link to the AR demo with consumers interested in a product. Consumers can also access this link from Samsung’s Facebook page. Once the link is clicked, the AR demo would be activated on their smartphones. The user can then view the product in his/her home environment, placing the television or refrigerator at the desired location using their smartphone camera.

The camera will scan the space and place the product to scale, providing a clear idea of how the product would look aesthetically in their homes. In the case of a refrigerator, users can even open the doors and look inside for a holistic experience of the product.

After the virtual experience the customer has the option to “Request Callback” and connect with their nearest Samsung retailer, ensuring they can purchase Samsung products without stepping out their homes.

Check out the AR Demos here:

The Serif: https://web2.avataar.me/samsungce/serifcta/index.html

SpaceMax Family Hub™: https://web2.avataar.me/samsungce/spacemaxcta/index.html

Untact 2.0

Over the last few weeks, Samsung has rolled out several contactless offerings for consumers that allows them to experience and purchase their products in a safe environment and with ease.

Shop by Appointment

Consumers can now set up appointments at their nearest retailer by simply filling up an online form - https://www.samsungindiamarketing.com/Promotions/promo-of-the-month/. Once the form is filled, a Samsung Experience Consultant contacts the customer and assists in setting up an appointment for store visit.

Live Video Demo at Home

Samsung Experience Consultants will take consumers through the demo of any product via a video call, helping them select products from the comfort of their homes. Post selection, consumers can also make an online payment and get the product delivered to their homes, all without stepping out.

Buy Products Directly from Neighbourhood Retail Stores

With a simple Google search, consumers can now find websites of their nearest neighbourhood retail stores that sell Samsung products. They can select and make payments for the products on these store websites through digital payments platform Benow.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter @SamsungNewsIN

PhonePe Partners With Flipkart To Digitise Cash-On-Delivery Payments

 

* Customers just need to scan the PhonePe QR code to make contactless payments from home

PhonePe, India’s largest digital payments platform today announced that it has partnered with Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace to launch contactless Scan and Pay for Flipkart’s pay-on-delivery orders.

PhonePe’s dynamic QR code solution will enable customers who earlier opted for cash on delivery to pay digitally through any UPI app at the time of delivery. This will help reduce personal contact while ensuring safety, and drive contactless payments for customers who are traditionally more comfortable with cash on delivery.

Commenting on the partnership, Ankit Gaur, Director of Business, PhonePe said, “Digital payments adoption has become widespread over the past few years thanks to UPI. However, there still continues to be a preference for cash on delivery among some customers at the time of delivery. Digitising these cash-based payments would give a major boost to not just e-commerce but also contribute to the larger goal of Digital India. Our partnership with Flipkart to enable contactless and safe payments for its Pay on Delivery customers is a big step in that direction. Our solution not just offers a seamless and contactless payment experience to customers but also helps to reduce cash handling costs for e-commerce and logistics companies.”

Ranjith Boyanapalli, Head – Fintech and Payments Group at Flipkart said, “As the lines between e-commerce marketplace and digital payments continue to converge, it becomes imperative to solve for customers' evolving needs and attitudes. While the pandemic has urged several consumers to make a shift to online shopping, some trust deficit during checkout remains in pockets. With ‘pay-on-delivery’ technology, we want to ensure that customers have peace of mind with their payments and at the same time can shop within the safety of their homes.”

Airtel Launches ‘Airtel Black’ – India’s First All-In-One Solution For Homes

One Plan for all plans –Fiber, DTH, Mobile services 

One Bill - Freedom from managing multiple bill payment dates 

One Customer Care number, dedicated relationship managers, priority resolution 

Flexibility to create customised plans on Airtel Black   

Amazing value – Airtel Xstream Box at no additional cost, zero installation &  service charges  

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communications solutions provider announced the launch of its latest innovation Airtel Black – India’s first all-in-one solution for homes.  

In today’s world, the customer’s home has become the single place for both work life and personal life. The need for high speed data, the need for entertainment at home and the need for seamless connectivity on mobile, is now one holistic need.   

Yet these services have historically been bought and managed, as individual services. Customers have expressed their frustration on multiple bills to be paid on different due dates across the months, services getting switched off due to forgotten recharges, and difficulty in managing services from multiple local service providers. We decided to innovate to solve this customer problem. 

Airtel Black is the new program for the discerning, quality-seeking customers. A customer can bundle 2 or more of Airtel services (Fiber, DTH, Mobile) together to become Airtel Black – which entitles the customer for one single bill, one Customer Care number with a dedicated team of relationship managers, and priority resolution of faults and issues. All of this, also comes with amazing value of zero-switching and installation costs coupled with free service visits for life. 

Airtel Black elevates the customer experience with a host of industry-first features: 

Simplify your life: Airtel Black is super convenient and liberates customers from the hassle of managing multiple bill payment dates, navigating customer care IVRs, or interacting with separate service providers. 

Get the Priority you deserve: A customer will connect to a care representative within 60 seconds of calling. The team of experts managing the customer relationship keeps in touch for all your requirements and solves them on a priority basis. All service visits needed for your service come to you on priority, and free of charge. 

No TV service disconnection: Airtel Black also helps customers enjoy uninterrupted TV viewing, due to DTH being offered as a billed service. All the user needs is to pay their one bill monthly.  

Customise it to your needs: Airtel Black offers a simple feature where users have full choice of selecting their suitable plans for each service, and then bundle them together for billing.   

Says Shashwat Sharma, Director – Marketing and Communications, Bharti Airtel: “Airtel Black is another step in our obsession for solving our customer problems at Airtel. This squarely addresses the need for convenience and peace of mind for our customers, as they navigate their lives in the new normal. As an integrated operator, Airtel is uniquely positioned to deliver an exceptional experience on all home services –Fiber, DTH and Mobile, to our customers. And Airtel Black is focussed on doing just that.” 

Paytm Launches Postpaid Mini To Offer Small-Ticket Instant Loans To Help Users Manage Monthly Expenses

In partnership with India’s leading NBFC Aditya Birla Finance Ltd. (ABFL) 

Introduces Postpaid Mini as the latest addition to the offerings of Paytm Postpaid, which is already helping individuals with instant credit 

Extends credit ranging between Rs 250 and Rs 1000 to pay for expenses like mobile & DTH recharges, gas cylinder booking, electricity & water bills, and more 

With Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) service, users can easily pay bills without upsetting their budget 

Provides interest-free credit for a period of up to 30-days 

Establishes presence in over 550 cities in India for convenience of more users 

India’s leading digital financial services platform Paytm announced the launch of Postpaid Mini,an extension of its Buy Now, Pay Later service, driving affordability amongst those new to credit. These small ticket instant loans will give flexibility to users and also help manage their household expenses to maintain liquidity during the ongoing pandemic. This service has been launched in partnership with Aditya Birla Finance Ltd.  

With the launch of Postpaid Mini, the company will offer access to loans ranging from Rs 250 to Rs 1000, in addition to Paytm Postpaid’s instant credit of upto Rs 60,000. This will help users pay for their monthly expenses, including mobile & DTH recharges, gas cylinder booking, electricity & water bills, shop on Paytm Mall and more. With this service, Paytm Postpaid is offering a period of up to 30-days for repayment of loans at 0% interest. There are no annual fees or activation charges, only a minimal convenience fee.  

Through Paytm Postpaid, users can pay at online and offline merchant stores across the country and not have to worry about upsetting their monthly budgets. Paytm Postpaid is currently accepted at thousands of petrol pumps, neighbourhood kirana stores or pharmacy shops, popular chain outlets (such Reliance Fresh, Apollo Pharmacy, etc.), internet apps (such as Myntra, Firstcry, Uber, Dominos, Ajio, Pharmeasy, etc.) and popular retail destinations (such as Shoppers Stop, Croma, etc.) among others. Paytm Postpaid is available in over 550 cities in India. 

Bhavesh Gupta, CEO - Paytm Lending said, "We want to help new-to-credit citizens start their credit journey and develop a financial discipline. Through Postpaid we are also making sincere attempts to help drive consumption in the economy. Our new Postpaid Mini service helps users manage their liquidity by clearing their bills or payments on time." 

Sportz Village’s Active Club Ensures That Children Can Play Anytime Anywhere And Remain Fit During The Pandemic

Sportz Village, World’s No. 1 youth sports organization on a mission to get 100 million kids to play, ensures that children remain active and fit during the pandemic, through Active Club- A special virtual program targeted at children between the ages of 4 to 19 years. Close to 40,000 children have used the Active Club platform to get active and healthy.  

Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic as well as with continuous lockdowns, children are spending more time at home as schools remain shut. Covid or No Covid, physical activity and play are imperative for a child’s holistic development. Therefore, there is a requirement to make home a child’s new playground.  

With the ongoing covid crisis in the country, Sportz Village was quick to adapt to the digital world and come up with a virtual program called Active Club for children between the ages of 4 to 19 years in 2020.  

Benefits of Active Club Program: 

Better Physical Health 

Better Mental Health 

Opportunity to Interact with Peers 

The program intends to include sports and fitness as a part of a child’s daily routine. The program not only ensures that children get to play and have fun but also lays a foundation towards their sports journey. The instructor-led program revolves around getting children and parents to subscribe to different online training modules wherein certified trainers would train the children on various age-appropriate, sports-specific fitness activities. Moreover, since the child would be performing the physical activities at a particular distance from the screen, the probability of straining one's eyes is reduced.  

Customized activities around martial arts, yoga and general fitness were well-received by children with Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Chennai, and Pune being the most active cities.  

Speaking about the Active Club program, Saumil Majmudar, Co-founder and Group CEO, Sportz Village said, “With an aim to revolutionize the way fitness and sports can be implemented in a child’s routine, we were quick to adapt to the new normal and conceptualize the idea of Active Club. We had an overwhelming response in the past year and hope to reach more children through our program. Holistic development of children has been the prime focus for Sportz Village and though Active Club we have tried to ensure that children stay active, healthy, and happy during these difficult times.” 

About Active Club:  

Young kids need physical activity to build strength, coordination, and confidence to lay the groundwork for a healthy lifestyle. Active Club, an initiative by Sportz Village is on a mission to promote sports & physical fitness into children’s everyday routine. 

Kids who enjoy sports and exercise tend to stay active throughout their lives. Staying fit can improve how kids do at school, build self-esteem, prevent obesity, and decrease the risk of serious illnesses such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and heart disease later in life. 

Mercedes-Benz Research And Development India (MBRDI) Recognized As ‘ER&D Organization Of The Year’ By NASSCOM

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) has won the ‘ER&D Organization of the Year’ award at the first edition of Engineering & Innovation Excellence Awards 2021 organized by NASSCOM. With the vision to present and evangelize India as a powerhouse of innovation, next-gen think-force and high impact service delivery, NASSCOM has launched this showcase to demonstrate India’s role as a global leader in engineering and research and development (R&D).

Celebrating this achievement, Manu Saale, Managing Director and CEO, MBRDI said, “It is a proud moment for us to be recognized by NASSCOM as the 'ER&D Organization of the Year’. Our efforts in providing best-in-class digital solutions to our headquarters, that contribute towards building world-class products, have been duly acknowledged. We firmly believe that digital technologies can address the challenges posed by technology disruption in the auto industry. We will continue to push the digital boundaries to arrive at the best possible solutions. The ER&D community has been amongst the unsung heroes of the Indian product engineering industry. It is indeed inspiring to see the technological depth that India has to offer to businesses across the world.”

Since its inception, MBRDI has established itself as the centre of excellence for Daimler in engineering and R&D. With the vision to bring the India-advantage closer to the Group and strengthen competitiveness for long-term success, the company has made several key contributions towards new-age technology of connected, autonomous, and electric driving technologies. MBRDI has also been working on some cutting-edge technologies through its active engagement with start-ups, facilitated through its flagship program called Startup Autobhan.

About Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI)

Mercedes-Benz Research and Development India (MBRDI) headquartered in Bengaluru was founded in 1996 as a captive unit to support Daimler’s research, IT, and product development activities. We focus on topics ranging from computer-aided design and simulations (CAD, CAE) for powertrain, chassis, and exteriors to embedded systems, telematics and developing various IT applications and tools. The satellite office in Pune specializes in interior component designs and IT engineering. The establishment of MBRDI is in line with the Daimler group’s ambition to attract the world’s best engineering talent and form a global footprint for its R&D and IT competencies. MBRDI also aims to partner closely with suppliers in India for its activities in product development and IT services. It is now one of the largest global development centres outside Germany, employing more than 6000 skilled engineers; and has established itself as a valuable partner to all business units and brands of Daimler worldwide.

Adopting Water Stewardship Practices In Water Intensive Textile Industry Can Alleviate Karnataka’s Water Crisis

* Reuse of wastewater is imperative for the sustainability of industries in the region, especially water-intensive sectors such as textiles

Karnataka, a frontrunner in the garment industry in the country, has emerged as a hub for the textile industry with several spinning mills, weaving and finishing units. With favorable state textile policies and integrated apparel parks, the garment industry in the state is flourishing. The capital city of Bengaluru has the presence of global apparel brands along with several large-scale factories that employs lakhs of workers. The concern however, with its groundwater resources running low, and Cauvery River giving limited yields of freshwater annually, is the impending water crisis, which needs immediate course correction. Vrishabhavathi river, a tributary of the Arkavathy river, once a freshwater source for residents of Bengaluru and nearby villages, has become a release point for toxic effluents from several mills and industries in its proximity. Research conducted by Ashoka Trust suggests that Peenya Industrial area that has several textile units and electroplating units, discharge 50% of metals in the river[1].

To promote wastewater reuse and water stewardship practices to address water contamination and water crisis in the state, Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) and The ReFashion Hub has come up with a set of policy recommendations. This is a part of a nationwide campaign launched in collaboration by CRB and ReFashion Hub along with Alliance for Water Stewardship & YWater to raise awareness on wastewater reuse in the textile industry.

Ms. Devyani Hari, Director – Programmes, CRB, said, “Over 20% of the municipal water supply is wasted, while a lot more usage is unaccounted for or unbilled. Most individual houses in the city are equipped with borewells; even these are mostly non-functional as the water table has gone down below 80 feet. Industries and households are both forced to often rely on tankers for water supply. Cauvery water, which is pumped from about 100 kilometres away, costs about USD 6 million in electricity bills per year. With Bengaluru’s population on the way to reach 20 million by 2031, the pressure on existing resources will only increase. In such a scenario, reuse of wastewater is imperative for the sustainability of industries in the region, especially water-intensive ones like textiles.”

Several virtual consultations and meetings were organized with stakeholders in Karnataka by CRB with support from The Refashion Hub to evaluate awareness on water reuse and wastewater treatment in the textile industry. Inputs were sought on the current scenario of wastewater reuse in the textile industry and what policies and incentives can promote textile wastewater reuse and overall water stewardship in the state.

AS per the recommendations, incentivizing water-saving technology is a much-needed intervention. The New Textile and Garment Policy 2019-2024 already provides infrastructure incentives; it should also offer subsidies and incentives for water-efficient technologies. Government can also provide financial and tax subsidies to encourage industries to invest in technologies like waterless dyeing, colour separation, etc. Similarly, the IPDS Scheme (Integrated Processing Development Scheme, 2017), notified by the Ministry of Textiles, can provide financial assistance to set up Zero Liquid Discharge (ZLD) in textile units/parks. The scheme offers infrastructure aid by inculcating 25% of the project cost. With financial assistance to set up ZLD, industrial parks, especially textile clusters, can be equipped with ZLD and captive power plants (thermal or preferably solar), which will help in power supply and steam generation.

At the regional level, Bengaluru Municipal Corporation can set up small-scale Sewage Treatment Plants (STPs) which can cater to designated areas in the city. STPs will help in recycling sewage water for various industrial and non-industrial purposes. Surat is a leading example of such a collaboration between industry and municipality. Different departments such as Urban Development Department, Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), can collaborate to implement STPs.

KSPCB had already notified STP norms in 2016, which mandated all apartment complexes to treat their sewage water. However, instead of individually investing in STPs, a zone-wise STP model will be more viable, operating like a PPP model, where apartment complexes or homeowners can partially fund the setups. Bengaluru receives sufficient rainfall annually. If the city’s resources are tapped strategically, it can help alleviate the water table and ease the pressure on households and industries which rely on water tankers.

Several stakeholders opined the need for rigorous research and data collection to understand the scope of utilization of treated sewage water and implement water stewardship practices. Ganesh Shankar, Founder, FluxGen Technologies and The Sustainability Mafia said, “data collection helps map patterns to forecast crisis and take corrective actions in advance. Regular water audits and monitoring of water-intensive operations can help address problems at all levels. Data collected on water consumption, water quality and how quality is changing with respect to water availability also enables cost-effective prescriptive maintenance of water treatment equipment with the use of machine learning.”

Comprehensive data on water consumption by industry is lacking. Regular surveys and audits must be undertaken to help understand the scope of utilization of treated sewage water and to implement other water sustainability measures. Such data can help both the industry and policymakers to identify water-intensive operations and make recommendations accordingly. A similar exercise has been undertaken by Gujarat Cleaner Production Centre (GCPC), to understand water usage and scope for improvement, especially in the textile clusters in Gujarat.

About The Refashion Hub:

The ReFashion Hub is a collective working to bring together multiple stakeholders invested in wastewater reuse and management in the textile industry with long term positive climate impact. The stakeholders include fashion businesses, textile bodies, industry leaders, young designers, artisans and consumers. The Fashion Hub will collectivise and engage stakeholders in 4 states - Maharashtra, Gujarat, Punjab and Karnataka to raise awareness and drive conversations about water usage and wastewater generated by the fashion industry, call for commitment from textile bodies and fashion businesses to reduce the fashion water footprint and for treatment of textile wastewater and engage with government departments on reuse or management of textile wastewater.

About Centre for Responsible Business:

Centre for Responsible Business (CRB) was established in 2011 as a think-tank to pursue its vision: ‘businesses integrate sustainability into their core business practices’. Given that sustainability is a multi-dimensional problem especially in the context of India and other emerging economies, CRB has adopted a model of engaging multiple stakeholders to develop action plans for promoting sustainable/responsible business, across various sectors in India.