Skit Launches On Microsoft Azure Marketplace To Accelerate Innovations And Target Over 140 Global Geographies

●      Through this significant integration, Bangalore-based voice AI company aims to reduce buyer friction and speed up innovations to enhance customer journeys

●      Availability will help the company scale and unlock growth opportunities, while driving digital transformation through voice across multiple international geographies

Leading Voice AI Company, Skit today has announced that its solution has launched on Microsoft Azure Marketplace, to unlock its growth capabilities. The availability will help Skit accelerate innovations and scale operations, reaching Microsoft Azure customers.

Customer service function has evolved significantly, and today experiences are as important as the final product or service. However, customers still face issues of rigid or complex menu options, long wait times in call centre queues, multiple call transfers or even call disconnects. The missing element is Skit’s technology, which can both automate call centre queries as well as kick-start real-time intelligent human-like conversations.

The Azure Marketplace launch comes after Skit joined Microsoft for Startups. The program is designed for high-potential start-ups and solutions targeting enterprise customers. It helps businesses unlock growth opportunities with a set of technical benefits that are exclusive to participating start-ups. The collaboration will positively impact both Skit and Microsoft customer-journeys.

“Joining the Microsoft for Startups program was an important step in our effort to get more enterprise customers to explore the future of multilingual customer interaction,” said Sourabh Gupta, CEO and Co-founder of Skit on the collaboration. “We have had a very successful year, and the momentum continues. So far, we have automated over 15 million calls and considering the current uptake, we expect these numbers to grow exponentially. We are working with enterprises in India to cater to new-age customers, who demand updated experiences. This collaboration with Microsoft will help us accelerate innovation and fine-tune our product for global enterprises,” he added.

Jake Zborowski, General Manager, Microsoft Azure Platform at Microsoft Corp. said, “We’re pleased to welcome Skit to the Microsoft Azure Marketplace, which gives our partners great exposure to cloud customers around the globe. Azure Marketplace offers world-class quality experiences from global trusted partners with solutions tested to work seamlessly with Azure.” 

Leveraging its proprietary Machine Learning (ML) and Natural Language Processing (NLP) technology, VIVA, a voice AI-based platform, helps automate contact centre operations. Backed by 100 million hours of training data, VIVA supports over 16 languages with over 160 dialects and automates 80% of contact centre operations. Taking the voicebot a notch above, Skit has added a layer of emotion and intent sensing feature, giving them the ability to have multi-turn personalized conversations with context retention capabilities. Enterprise clients have recorded 40-50% reduction in average call handle time, a 40-60% drop in operational costs and CSAT scores of 4.5+ post-deployment of VIVA.

About Skit

Skit is an AI-first SaaS voice automation company. Its suite of speech and language solutions enable enterprises to automate their call centre operations. With over 10 million hours of training data, its product - Vernacular Intelligent Voice Assistant (VIVA) can currently respond in over 16+ languages, covering over 160+ dialects and replicating human-like conversations. Skit serves a variety of enterprise clients across diverse sectors such as banking and financial services, including insurance, securities and NBFCs, food and beverage, ecommerce, automotive, and travel and tourism. Few prominent clients include Axis Bank, Hathway, Porter and Barbeque Nation. In May 2020, the Bangalore based start-up secured its Series A funding of USD 5.1 million and recently raised a Series B round of USD 23 million, and has grown to over 150 employees. The company has been featured as one of the top-notch start-ups in the Cisco Launchpad’s Cohort 6, and is a part of the World Economic Forum’s Global Innovators Community. The voice AI leader has also been listed in Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia start-ups 2021 for its remarkable industry innovation, and recently been awarded ‘Tech Startup of the Year’ in Artificial Intelligence 2021 by Entrepreneur India, further underscoring its market dominance and unparalleled expertise. The company is now expanding in the United States and Southeast Asian markets in a bid to take its unique platform to global enterprises.

Paytm Offers Rewards Of Upto Rs. 500 On Mobile Bill Payments, Assured Benefits On All Transactions

 

India’s leading digital ecosystem for consumers and merchants (1) Paytm has announced cashback & other rewards for post-paid mobile bill payments. On every bill payment, users can now get rewards of up to Rs. 500. They will also get up to 5000 assured cashback points on every bill payment, which can be redeemed for amazing deals and gift vouchers from top brands.  

These offers are applicable on all bill payments for postpaid services from Jio, Vi, Airtel, BSNL and MTNL. Besides availing rewards for recharges & bill payments, users can win additional cashback by participating in the company’s referral program. Whenever a user invites friends & family to start recharging on Paytm, both the referrer and the referee earn up to Rs 100 cashback. 

To bring more convenience to its users Paytm has recently enhanced its mobile bill payment experience with features such as 3-click instant payment and a user-friendly display of plans. Unlike other platforms which restrict users to UPI, Paytm gives its users the flexibility to select their preferred payment mode from Paytm UPI, Paytm Wallet, debit and credit cards, or net banking. Users can also choose to pay using the post-paid feature, which enables them to recharge now and pay later. Paytm also seamlessly reminds the users about their latest bill amount and due date. 

Paytm spokesperson said, “Over the last several months we have seen a significant shift in the way mobile users across the country pay their phone bills. More people are realizing that they do not need to stand in a queue or go to the nearest drop box just to pay for a utility bill. Several of our users from small towns and cities are now paying mobile phone bills online in a fully digital and hassle-free manner. Looking at the growing trend we have now decided to incentivize such payments and offer them 100 percent cash back, and reward points. This will further encourage our users to make mobile phone bills on the Paytm App." 

Paytm offers mobile recharges and bill payments and continues to serve millions of users in this segment. Paytm users can also make payments for their electricity bills, credit card bills, cylinder bookings, and many more day-to-day needs from the comfort of their homes. 

Ecom Express Launches Delivery Partner Program Empowering Gig Workforce

* Aims to create opportunities for 1000+ gig workers in Karnataka across key cities and districts

Ecom Express, a new-age technology-driven end-to-end logistics solutions provider to the e-commerce industry announced the launch of its delivery partner program called Ecom Sanjeev Program (ESP) aimed at creating part time work opportunities where individuals can work in flexible timings to maximize their earnings by delivering ecommerce packages to customers.   

This flagship program besides empowering gig workforce will help to scale the Company’s delivery capabilities in assuring speed, reliable and effective logistics solutions to deliver online-ordered products safely at customers’ doorstep. In Karnataka, Ecom Express is looking at engaging 1000+ gig workforce as independent delivery partners to handle the upcoming e-commerce festive season shipment load in key cities and districts. 

Any individual – fresher or experienced - can take up this part-time job for additional income by applying online using Ecom Sanjeev appavailable on Google Playstore. They will have flexibility to choose their preferred time slots and workdays. The delivery partner can be a male or a female, must have passed 10th Standard and possess a valid driving license with two, three or four-wheeler, and must have a smartphone. All personal documents for enrollment can be uploaded through the app and the verification will be done at the nearest Ecom Express center. 

Announcing the launch, Saurabh Deep Singla, EVP and CHRO, Ecom Express, said, “The pandemic has pushed more traditional workers towards the gig working culture, especially in the current times when the country is trying to revive its economy. As we launch the program across the country, it will add tremendous value in not only helping communities wade through the crisis and provide them with opportunities to earn but also enable the company to perform seamless end-to-end last mile distribution. Karnataka is a key market for us and with increasing cases in the state, ecommerce has taken precedence to contain the virus spread. For every delivery person on the street, more than 50 people are safe in their homes”  

Since its pilot run last year, the program has created opportunities for 15000+ students, homemakers and individuals looking to supplement and maximize their income by delivering e-commerce packages during their spare time.  

Interested delivery partners can sign up, choose their own schedule, and deliver packages – all using the Ecom Sanjeev app. For more details, visit: https://ecomexpress.in/delivery-partner/  

About Ecom Express: 

Ecom Express Private Limited is a leading end-to-end technology enabled logistics solutions provider to the Indian e-commerce industry. Headquartered in Gurugram, Ecom Express was incorporated in 2012 by T.A. Krishnan, Manju Dhawan, K. Satyanarayana and Late. Sanjeev Saxena with their 100+ years of cumulative experience in the Indian logistics and distribution industry. Ecom Express has its presence in all 29 states of the country and operates in over 2650 towns across 27,000+ PIN-codes in India. The company is the first private logistics company in India to envision a full-state coverage strategy, offered in 25 states, including Andhra Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Delhi, Goa, Gujarat, Haryana, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal. Through this deep reach strategy, the company has a capability to deliver to over 1.2 billion people. 

Pvt Sector Participation In Infrastructure Development Encouraging, But Innovative Financing Holds The Key: Infomerics

 
* Regional imbalances and uneven growth accentuated during 2020-21 

* Banks and FIs need to step up mobilizing financial resources 

* Growing private sector participation is a positive sign 

India’s infrastructure development has witnessed growing private sector participation in 2020-21 according to Infomerics Valuation and Rating Pvt Ltd, the noted SEBI-registered and RBI-accredited financial services credit rating company. However, requirements of infrastructure have surged because of inadequate coverage and service level, poor service quality, institutional delinquencies and high administrative costs, among other factors. 

These are among the major findings of the Roads and Highways Industry Report: Trends and Prospects report released today by Infomerics Valuation and Rating Pvt Ltd. The report has revealed that while infrastructure financing underwent a paradigm shift in the post-reforms period, there is still a fair distance to traverse. There are also issues of poor maintenance and cost recovery, unsustainable resource management practices, high investment needs and project costs and low priority accorded to certain basic services.  

Whie releasing the report, Dr. Manoranjan Sharma, Chief Economist, Infomerics Valuation and Rating Pvt Ltd said, “The report notes that the evolving pattern of the level of basic infrastructure indicates accentuation of regional imbalances and associated spatially uneven patterns in infrastructure across States because of deeply ingrained historical, demographic, structural and institutional factors, infusion of large and continuous investment and divergent priority of different State Governments.”  

Key highlights of the Roads and Highways Industry Report: Trends and Prospects report released today by Infomerics Valuation and Rating Pvt Ltd include: 

Challenges  

The Infomerics report states that given the control of a single bank/ financial institution in meeting all the credit requirements of a large project, syndication of lenders is usually resorted to. The issue of securing synergies in technology and infrastructure also provided an impetus to the rapid move to convergence. It is desirable to orchestrate the flow of the production cycle across a wide spectrum and provide an impetus to the growth process through increased private sector investment in infrastructure to broaden growth horizons.  

The report delineates the catalytic role of banks and financial institutions because debt constrains infrastructural projects. All variants of the basic approach, viz., Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT), Design-Build-Finance-Operate (DBFO), Build-Own-Operate-Transfer (BOOT), Build-Transfer-Lease-Operate (BTLO), Build-Own-Operate-Sell (BOOS), Lease-Refurbish-Operate-Transfer (LROT) stress the role of the government as a limited regulator in respect of safety, security, environment, etc. with the flexibility to developers regarding fixation and collection of tariff, suitable manpower policies, area development, operation and marketing of its facilities and finalisation of means of finance and structure of the project finance.  

The way ahead 

The Infomerics report recommends that banks and financial institutions have to become instrumental in mobilising domestic savings with innovative instruments - with differentiation in price-period-hedge against inflation, legal statutory relaxation, exit options and deepening of the secondary market to provide momentum to the growth process.  

Renewed focus on the role of banks and financial institutions in infrastructure financing could overcome the constraints of the development process, the report states. The incentives need to be changed, through commercial management, competition and stakeholder involvement by the two approaches of the Concession and the Structured Financing Option (SFO) to planning, development, management and financing of infrastructure projects. 

It further emphasizes the need to tap the capital market through an innovative credit rating system, launching of innovative borrowing instruments, development of an active secondary market in such securitised assets, as also greater rigour and market-oriented lending activities by these institutions.  

The report recommends “Putting in place and significantly upscaling innovative infrastructure financing mechanisms, restructuring and regulatory reform progresses, monitoring and evaluation systems to track unfolding developments and effect mid-course correction, where ever necessary”. 

It states “Dichotomy between social and private costs (and benefits) necessitates the selection of projects not justified based on the conventional and extended cost-benefit techniques to avoid both the monopolistic abuses of infrastructure operations and the vagaries of the market”.

The Pioneer Of Dum Handi Biryani Delivering Now Across Bangalore

Biryani by Kilo (BBK),biggest and most loved Biryani & Kebab chain in India known for its Khansama style fresh Dum Cooked Handi Biryanishas now 5 outlets in Bengaluru. Kannada Cine Actress Sonu Gowda was present and celebrated the Success of  Biryani By Kilo Outlet in Bengaluru.

BBK is now delivering across Sarjapur, Koramangala, Akshay Nagar,Whitefield and HSR area. And will be launching its Marathahalli outlet as well soon. Ever since it opened, BBK has received lots of love and appreciation from foodies & connoisseurs in Bengaluru.

BBK has 55+ outlets in Delhi NCR, Mumbai, Pune, Lucknow, Punjab, Kolkata, Jaipur, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Patna, Guwahati, Goa making it pan India most loved & premium Biryani and Kebab Delivery Chain.

The USP of BBK is to make fresh Handi Biryani for every individual order, and the Biryani is delivered in the same Handi in which it is Dum cooked. BBK is the pioneer of Fresh Handi Biryani concept which many F&B companies have tried to imitate.

Keeping everyone safety in mind, BBK has added extra hygiene measures and following allCOVID protocols such as sanitizing kitchen on hourly basis, taking employees temperature every day, sanitizing delivery bags and contactless delivery of fresh Dum Cooked HandiBiryanis in tamperproof sealed bags which are opened only by customers.

Biryani by Kilo has lovingly served Hyderabadi, Kolkata and Lucknowi Dum Cooked biryani in the traditional way to over2 Millionsatisfied customers so far. All the meals are cooked at more than 250`C that ensures the food is absolutely safe to have. Majority of BBK staff has taken atleast one dose of Covid Vaccination.

Apart from Biryanis, BBK menu also features dishes such as Chicken Ghee Roast; Chicken & Paneer 65, Veg & Mutton Galoutis, loved desserts like Phirni. For vegetarians there areKathal&Paneer Biryanis; Paneer 65, Paneer Nawabi and Burani Raita, all of which are from Nizami tradition & utterly delicious, BBK also has premium melt in mouth - Veg &Non veg Kebab Platters.

BBK has also added local delicacies to satiate the taste buds like Guntur &Nilgiri Chicken Biryani, Chettinad Chicken Roast, Bengaluru Chicken Kebab and many more.

For exciting offers &orders:  www.biryanibykilo.comor download BBK App or Call/whatsapp 9555-212-212

FedEx And Salesforce Partner To Deliver Fast And Easy Shipping, End-To-End E-Commerce And Supply Chain Management

* New integration between FedEx, ShopRunner and Salesforce Commerce Cloud lets companies speed up and simplify shipping, and make supply chain and fulfillment more efficient

Today, FedEx (NYSE: FDX) and Salesforce (NYSE: CRM) announced a new, multi-year partnership that integrates Salesforce Commerce Cloud and Salesforce Order Management with innovative capabilities from FedEx and ShopRunner, its e-commerce platform and subsidiary. 

E-Commerce growth is putting pressure on retailers to ensure great customer experiences while keeping up with growing demand. Also, retailers have to manage multiple, complicated inventory management systems to fulfill orders and process returns while struggling to reach their customers in a crowded e-commerce ecosystem. With Salesforce and FedEx, companies now have a single platform that helps remove the complexity and protect the customer experience.

“Brands and merchants have to move quicker than ever to meet their customers’ expectations,” said Claude Russ, COO of FedEx Dataworks and CEO of ShopRunner. “With the combined power of Salesforce and FedEx, we will provide them the speed, control and economics they need to help them exceed those expectations. From optimizing their inventory management and fulfillment operations, to faster delivery and attracting new buyers, together we’re helping change the game so brands and merchants can have greater control over the links of their supply chain and increase their competitiveness.”

“We are in a world of commerce anytime and anywhere,” said Lidiane Jones, EVP & GM, Salesforce Commerce Cloud. “Commerce Cloud and Order Management let companies sell wherever their customers shop and fulfill on any channel. Pairing that with FedEx’s logistics capabilities lets us deliver an even faster, easier, and cost-efficient experience for our customers. Now, retailers can better meet shoppers' two-day shipping expectations without accumulating extensive costs or sacrificing their time or brand.”

Bringing together Salesforce Commerce Cloud with ShopRunner and FedEx will redefine how brands and merchants manage the e-commerce journey from promotion and purchase to delivery and returns — delivering a fast and easy end-to-end shopping experience. Companies can harness the power of Salesforce’s trusted Commerce Cloud, Salesforce Order Management and Einstein AI technology to quickly innovate, automate processes, and drive demand with deeply personalized digital commerce experiences at scale. With FedEx data-driven supply chain insights, comprehensive shipping network and ShopRunner e-commerce capabilities, companies can optimize and extend the post-purchase journey. 

Through this partnership, companies can leverage next-generation intelligent supply chain and fulfillment capabilities to optimize their e-commerce operations. With an integrated platform to run some of the most essential parts of their business independently, companies will be able to unify the customer journey to help drive new demand and increase conversion on their owned channels, which can help in reducing reliance on third parties and preserving time and money.

With FedEx and Salesforce, companies can expect:

Increased Loyalty and Customer Lifetime Value: Access to millions of high-value shoppers actively purchasing through ShopRunner’s platform, offering Salesforce merchants a pool of loyal consumers. 

Early Network Insights: Advanced insights to help merchants provide their customers with more precise information on when their purchases will arrive.

Supply Chain Optimization: Access to tools that optimize transportation and fulfillment, deepen supply chain intelligence, simplify shipping, manage costs, and take control of their business throughout the supply chain.

With FedEx and Salesforce, end-users can expect:

Two-Day Shipping: The option of two-day shipping from the brands they love.

Easy Returns: An easy return process backed by FedEx with services like label-less returns, access to return-packaging at FedEx locations, easy drop-off and more. 

Real-Time Order Visibility: Enhanced insights into delivery dates and times on the product detail page, in the shopping cart, and throughout the delivery journey to increase confidence and peace of mind on when orders will arrive.

Availability & Pricing

The first solution from FedEx and Salesforce is expected to be available to customers in the U.S. in Spring of 2022. Pricing will be announced at the time of general availability.

About FedEx 

FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) provides customers and businesses worldwide with a broad portfolio of transportation, e-commerce, and business services. With annual revenue of $84 billion, the company offers integrated business solutions through operating companies competing collectively, operating collaboratively, and innovating digitally under the respected FedEx brand. Consistently ranked among the world’s most admired and trusted employers, FedEx inspires its 570,000 team members to remain focused on safety, the highest ethical and professional standards and the needs of their customers and communities. 

About ShopRunner

ShopRunner, a FedEx subsidiary, connects its millions of high value members with Free 2-Day Shipping and Free Returns as well as exclusive, member-only offers and benefits from their favorite stores. For retailers, ShopRunner helps to drive frictionless e-commerce through a comprehensive product suite backed by rich consumer insights and data science.

About Salesforce

Salesforce, the global CRM leader, empowers companies of every size and industry to digitally transform and create a 360° view of their customers. 

Any unreleased services or features referenced in this or other press releases or public statements are not currently available and may not be delivered on time or at all. Customers who purchase Salesforce applications should make their purchase decisions based upon features that are currently available. Salesforce has headquarters in San Francisco, with offices in Europe and Asia, and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol "CRM." 

FSS Strengthens Footprints In Europe; Signs Partnership With Vopy Payments

FSS (Financial Software and Systems), a leading global provider of integrated payment products and a payment processor, has been selected to work with Vopy Payments in a partnership designed to support European digital commerce growth through a premium embedded finance approach.

Embedded finance – which supports the integration of financial services into products and business processes of non-banks – is becoming increasingly relevant in Europe fuelled by Open Banking and digital transformation, with global growth predicted to exceed $138 billion in 2026[1].  FSS is among the leading providers of card issuance products globally, managing 800 plus million payment cards for Tier One banks and payment processors and is already helping to support the growth of embedded payments across multiple global markets. Vopy and FSS will collaborate closely, offering greater value to customers by combining FSS’s Unified Card Issuance Platform with particular emphasis on card management, support around 3DSecure adoption with FSS’s Access Control Server and integration of FSS’s Reconciliation Solutions.

Speaking on the partnership Vopy CEO, Kim Forsell said; “Our goal is to fully maximise the embedded finance opportunity with a broad solution set encompassing not only payments but also digital lending, saving and investment applications and ultimately a fully rounded business proposition enriched with unique marketing and business services. We therefore needed a partner who shared our vision and selected FSS because it has a proven and robust payment processing solution and an experienced team of domain specialists to support continual innovation. Leveraging their know-how, we can refine our payment solutions bringing innovative added value services to the market to deliver superior, secure payments experiences.”

The partnership will focus on driving payments excellence for leading consumer brands among telecom providers, social network platforms, consumer tech and other business verticals across multiple markets in Europe, before extending into other markets in other regions.

“The global demand for embedded payments is increasing but none more so from businesses within Europe,” commented Krishnan Srinivasan, Chief Operating Officer FSS PayTech. “It’s testament to players such as Vopy that consumers and businesses across the region are already benefiting from their innovative, robust and secure solutions. We are confident that this partnership will accelerate their development even further and, in turn, contribute significantly to Europe’s digital payments ecosystem.  We are happy that we can play a part in this, as a key contributor and partner to Vopy.”

About FSS                 

Financial Software and Systems (FSS) is a leader in payments technology and transaction processing. The company offers an integrated portfolio of software products, hosted payment services and software solutions built over 27+ years of experience. FSS, end-to-end payments products suite, powers retail delivery channels including ATM, POS, Internet and Mobile as well as critical back-end functions including cards management, reconciliation, settlement, merchant management and device monitoring. Headquartered in Chennai, India, FSS services leading global banks, financial institutions, processors, central regulators and governments across North America, UK, Europe, ME, Africa, and APAC and has 2,500 experts on-board.

About Vopy                 

Vopy provides cloud-based infrastructure, built on blockchain technology, to integrate financial services into the customer user experience of any business. Vopy provides a variety of white labeled digital services such as payments, lending, and savings. Vopy´s target partners are recognized consumer brands with global market reach. Our mission is to enhance our partners customer experience by embedding financial services seamlessly into their core service offerings, leveraging our value proposition;  to increase customer lifetime value and enable new revenue growth. Vopy is based in Stockholm, Sweden. Since the beginning of 2017 the company has established a presence in several regions in different continents.