Seven-In-10 Hospital Executives Acknowledge Need To Invest More To Maximize Staff Efficiency

* Zebra study reveals plans to mobilize urgent care teams, automate workflows, and regain control of supply chains

Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today released the findings of its latest healthcare vision study. The “Smarter, More Connected Hospitals” Global Report reveals a stronger commitment to advanced technology tools as acute care providers strive to become more resilient and digitalize the patient journey.

Eighty-nine percent of executive decision-makers and 83% of clinicians surveyed agree real-time intelligence is essential for optimal patient care, and hospitals are increasingly investing in clinical mobility tools, real-time location systems (RTLS) and intelligent workflow solutions to support smarter, more connected workflows. However, more than two-thirds (67%) of hospital executives still don’t feel their organizations are investing enough to maximize staff efficiency and more must be done moving forward.

“The COVID-19 pandemic has tested the efficiency of both clinical and administrative workflows,” said Chris Sullivan, Global Healthcare Practice Lead, Zebra Technologies. “As a result, today’s healthcare leaders face the challenge of recalibrating technology systems to better support the needs of clinicians and patients.”

Need for Intelligent Workflow Automation

Approximately two-thirds of executives acknowledge physicians and caregivers are overextended during their shifts and spend too much time locating medical equipment and supplies. Over half report their administrative staff is equally overburdened and unable to complete their work during their shift. With people’s safety and well-being always the top priority, hospital executives are turning to technology to help combat fatigue, reduce errors caused by manual processes and workarounds, and refocus clinicians’ time on patients:

Approximately 80% of executives plan to automate workflows in the next year to improve supply chain management, make it easier to locate critical equipment and medical assets, better orchestrate emergency rooms and operating rooms, and streamline staff scheduling.

About three-quarters plan to use locationing technologies such as radio frequency identification (RFID) to better track equipment and specimens and improve patient flow and security. They are also turning to locationing solutions to create more dynamic workflows and improve staff efficiency, safety and compliance.

Just as many executives say they will integrate visionary solutions like Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, prescriptive analytics, and artificial intelligence (AI) to help improve both inpatient and outpatient care as the opportunities for remote physician-to-patient and clinician-to-clinician consulting grow.

“Hospital staff must be able to identify, track, locate and monitor the condition of every patient, staff and asset. A mobile device alone can’t do that. That’s why we're seeing rapid investment in locationing and automation solutions,” explains Sullivan. “It’s the technology that will work behind the scenes to improve front-line clinician workflows and the patient experience.”

Purpose-Built Mobility Solutions Drive Manageability

The majority of respondents (84%) believe the quality of patient care would improve if nurses, physicians and non-clinical healthcare workers had access to collaboration tools and the convenience of using their mobile devices to access healthcare applications.

This may come as a surprise considering that mobile technologies have been used in both clinical and non-clinical workflows for several years. By 2017, most bedside nurses, doctors and lab technicians were already using mobile devices, and adoption among pharmacy staff and intensive care unit nurses was on the rise. However, several acute care facilities were allowing staff to use their personal devices to connect to healthcare information systems and workflow applications at the time.

The approach to mobility is now changing. Nearly half (49%) of the surveyed executives now provide employees with hospital-owned devices intended for healthcare as more clinicians need durable and rugged devices, hospitals require more remote device management capabilities, and data security becomes a top priority. Those who have already adopted clinical mobility solutions are seeing the positive impact on the quality and cost of patient care with 8-in-ten citing an increase in medical workflow accuracy and precision as well as a reduction in preventable medical errors among other benefits.

All Technology Investments Tied to Workforce Transformation

Most hospital executives expect to have devices deployed across nearly all staff types in the next five years. However, the focus now is on nurses assigned to emergency departments, critical and intensive care units (ICU), and operating rooms as well as those responsible for IT, supply chain/inventory management and patient transport. This is a bit of a shift from 2017, when bedside nurses and facilities management staff were being prioritized for device deployments.

“Improving team communication is now a top goal of many hospitals, and executives are highly concerned about preventing the spread of infection and current staff burnout,” says Rikki Jennings, Chief Nursing Informatics Officer (CNIO), Zebra Technologies. “There is also a push to automate the orchestration of high traffic areas such as emergency rooms and operating rooms in the next year, which requires departmental staff to have mobile devices in hand.”

In addition, telehealth and remote patient tracking are rising on executives’ priority lists, both of which are poised to benefit ICU and emergency room staff, and forward-thinking leaders want to start the transition from manual, reactive processes to more responsive, predictive systems in the next few years.

As a result, most procurement and IT teams are now working to equip all staff with mobility solutions that enable them to access intelligent communications and locationing tools and take full advantage of automation solutions designed to streamline workflows and improve care delivery models. In fact, just as many doctors, pharmacists, radiologists and lab technicians are expected to have a device in hand in the next two years as emergency and critical care clinicians.

“More than ever, it is vitally important that all hospital functions work together as a cohesive ecosystem. That is only possible if they are plugged into the right information systems and one another,” adds Jennings. “Most of hospital’s transformation ambitions are either rooted in or dependent on mobile technology in some capacity. So, ensuring each staff member has a clinical device in hand is the first step to achieving a new standard of patient care and operational efficiency.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS  

Zebra’s Smarter, More Connected Hospitals global report reveals hospitals are investing in clinical mobility tools, real-time location systems (RTLS) and intelligent workflow solutions. Yet 67% of hospital executives agree more must be done moving forward.

Most hospitals are committed to giving the “right device to the right worker”, a shift from 2017 when “bring your own device” (BYOD) strategies were equally popular.

Though hospitals are aiming to give nearly all staff mobile devices in the next five years, priority is being given right now to urgent care team members who need clinical mobility solutions to better manage patient surges and collaborate with physicians and nurses on the move.

Technologies that automate workflows and deliver real-time intelligence to hospital staff will benefit both patients and clinicians by reducing the time spent trying to track down critical medical assets and information. This optimized information ecosystem can lead to smarter decisions and fewer mistakes.

Telehealth and remote patient monitoring will be transformative for both clinicians and patients in the next few years, and most hospital executives plan to increase spend to support new applications.

SURVEY BACKGROUND AND METHODOLOGY

Zebra’s “Smarter, More Connected Hospitals” global report was conducted via an online survey among more than 500 senior-level hospital leaders within the clinical, IT, and procurement disciplines. The study’s goal was to better understand the role of technology in acute care hospitals. All data was collected and tabulated by third-party research firm, Azure Knowledge Corporation who surveyed respondents in Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America and North America. The full report can be downloaded here.

ABOUT ZEBRA TECHNOLOGIES  

Zebra (NASDAQ: ZBRA) empowers the front line in retail/ecommerce, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, healthcare, public sector and other industries to achieve a performance edge. With more than 10,000 partners across 100 countries, Zebra delivers industry-tailored, end-to-end solutions to enable every asset and worker to be visible, connected and fully optimized. The company’s market-leading solutions elevate the shopping experience, track and manage inventory as well as improve supply chain efficiency and patient care. In 2020, Zebra made Forbes Global 2000 list for the second consecutive year and was listed among Fast Company’s Best Companies for Innovators. 

GOFRUGAL Secures Next Phase Of Growth; Expands Presence In Tier 2 Markets Across India

* Opens new office in Tier 2 location in TN (Madurai)

* Gains proximity to customers

GOFRUGAL, a leading cloud ERP company with over 30000+ customers in retail, restaurant and distribution in India, is expanding their presence in emerging markets through their first office launch in Madurai, Tamil Nadu. GOFRUGAL launches its Madurai office with the current employee strength of 90 and aims to grow its’ talent pool to 150 in the region.

With an existing customer base of 2000+ SMBs in the town, GOFRUGAL aspires to maximize digitization of retail businesses in Madurai as advanced as their contemporaries in Tier 1 cities through simplified solutions. The Madurai office is multi-floor with about 15,000sq feet where about 150+ employees can work. The company also plans to set up an exclusive walk-in experiential center for customers to get a firsthand understanding of a digital store. This will give them the confidence to automate their processes and transform their businesses through technology.

During the launch, V Needhi Mohan, Chairman of Young Entrepreneur School, said, “GOFRUGAL's plan to start with 150 employees and tap the talent pool in the South will definitely be a boon to the economic development of Madurai and South Tamil Nadu. I believe theirs will be the first step for many more companies to follow"

“For all the problems the pandemic has caused, it has also presented us with new opportunities to go rural and grow more rural. Apart from the enormous amount of talent in tier 2 market, we also witnessed small towns having a large share of aspirational businessmen who long for our hand-holding and digital support,” said Mr. Kumar Vembu, CEO and Founder, GOFRUGAL.

He further added, “After carefully studying the market opportunity, challenges and business growth strategies, we at GOFRUGAL wish to launch full-fledged development offices in smaller cities of the country. Our mission is to empower all MSME business in tier2 tier3 with right tech and tools so that they stay ahead of competition and enable them to compete against big players. This is one of the predominant reasons for us to shift our growth to these markets. We believe the tier 2 cities are finally ready to be the tech-hotspot and we consider this as our small contribution towards nation-building by spotting hidden talents and tapping untouched human resources!”

While Indian businesses in emerging tier 2 cities were not fully utilizing the power of technology due to lack of awareness and need for better infrastructure, Covid-19 pandemic has pushed small businesses, traders, retailers from tier 2 and tier 3 cities to go digital and meet the needs of changing consumer’s behavior. From selling products online to sending 'digital copy of invoices to consumer’s phones, business owners can greatly use tech and obtain their objective via contactless business process.

Moreover, Covid- 19 brought in change in the working style of corporates; it seeded the thought of taking work closer to staff’s hometowns. In the quest for talent and new sources of profitable growth, GOFRUGAL is increasingly shifting the focus towards lesser-known but emerging tier 2 markets like Madurai and Thane. 

About the company:

GOFRUGAL is a digital-first company offering cloud and mobile ERP solutions to Retail, Restaurant and Distribution businesses. Established in 2004, it helps businesses embrace agility and transform digitally to stay competitive in the dynamic market. The company helps businesses grow with minimal staff, least skills along with 100% accurate and reliable solutions.  GOFRUGAL's products and solutions helps businesses delight its customers, manage them efficiently, connect and collaborate with its stakeholders and most importantly take timely decisions on the move. More than 30,000 customers across 60+ countries experience simplicity in running their businesses with GOFRUGAL. The company addresses the needs of a wide spectrum of customers from small independent stores to local chains and large enterprises.

GOFRUGAL, a global player headquartered in Chennai, envisions a ‘Happiness First’ environment to provide a friction less experience to all the stakeholders. 

Ayu Health Raises $6.3M Series A From Vertex Ventures And Stellaris Venture Partners

 

* To expand to 5000 beds in 6 cities by December 2022

Ayu Health, a health-tech startup with a network of hospitals providing high-quality, affordable healthcare, announced today that it has raised $6.3M in Series A financing from Vertex Ventures and Stellaris Venture Partners. The round also saw participation from marquee angel investors including Varun Alagh of Mamaearth, Ashish Gupta of Helion and Rajat Goel of EyeQ Hospitals.

Founded in 2019, Ayu Health has over 20 hospitals in Chandigarh and Bengaluru - all accredited by National Accreditation Board for Hospitals & Healthcare Providers (NABH) - making it one of the largest hospital chains in these cities. The startup enables its network hospitals with technology to maintain high clinical standards and provide a better patient experience at an affordable cost.

This fund infusion will help Ayu expand its hospital network and build new technology solutions to enable insurance processing, efficient procurement and clinical quality management at network hospitals. Ayu Health expects to grow its business 10x in FY22 and expand its bed capacity to 5000+ beds in 6 cities by Dec 2022.

Speaking about the investment, Himesh Joshi, Co-founder, Ayu Health said, “Our mission at Ayu is to democratize hospital care by using technology to improve both the quality, efficiency and reach of stand-alone hospitals. Our partner hospitals use our technology platform to improve clinical quality, procure medicines and consumables, and process insurance claims; this results in better clinical outcomes, a smooth in-hospital experience and transparent pricing for patients.

We are thrilled to partner with Stellaris and Vertex, as well as our angel investors to take our cause forward”, he added.

Ayu Health was co-founded in 2019 by repeat entrepreneurs Himesh Joshi, Arjit Gupta and Karan Gupta. The trio had previously founded used-goods marketplace Zefo, which was acquired by Quikr in 2019.

Ritesh Banglani, Partner at Stellaris Venture Partners said, “We have partnered with Himesh, Karan and Arjit previously when they were running Zefo, and have a very high regard for their capabilities. Their plan to tech-enable the $100 billion private hospital market and create India’s largest branded hospital chain resonated deeply with us. With their technology-led approach, they can provide high-quality and affordable hospital care to the mass market of patients.”

Piyush Kharbanda, Partner at Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia and India said, “At Vertex, we are continuously looking for ways in which technology can drive efficiencies in healthcare by demystifying complex tenets of care such as pricing, insurance and non-medical interventions. We are excited to partner with Ayu Health on this mission, especially with evolving customer behavior towards healthcare in the post pandemic world.”

About Ayu Health

Ayu Health is a chain of hospitals that provides high quality healthcare at affordable prices.

Ayu Health partners with high quality doctor entrepreneurs and provides them with an operating system to run their hospitals, which includes technology for a range of non-clinical services like marketing, patient management, insurance processing, procurement, etc.

The Ayu Health network currently consists of 20+ hospitals in Chandigarh and Bangalore. For more information, visit www.ayu.health.

About Stellaris Venture Partners

Stellaris Venture Partners is an early-stage venture capital firm that invests in tech and tech-enabled consumer and enterprise startups in India. Since its inception in 2017, Stellaris has backed market leaders such as Mamaearth, Whatfix, mFine, Slintel and Propelld.

For more information on Stellaris Venture Partners, visit http://www.stellarisvp.com.

About Vertex Ventures

Vertex Ventures is a global network of operator-investors who manage portfolios in the U.S., China, Israel, India and Southeast Asia. The firm is a trusted partner to some of the world’s most innovative entrepreneurs, supporting them with unmatched operating experience and deep access to the capital, talent, partners and customers they need to build truly global businesses. Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India invests in high-growth startups seeking institutional venture capital funding across Asia (excluding China), with a focus on Singapore, India, Indonesia and other emerging hubs of innovation in the region. As part of Temasek Holdings, Vertex enjoys close relationships with the region’s top decision makers, talent and influencers. For more information, go to http://www.vertexventures.com/southeast-asia-india/.

AIFISPA Welcomes The Path Breaking Reforms Announced By Government Of India For The Telecom Industry

* Hopes to get similar reforms in Fixed Line Broadband too

All India Fixed Internet Service Providers Association (AIFISPA) would like to congratulate and thank Govt of India for remarkably futuristic and enabling reforms for the Telecom Industry. The reforms announced by India’s Hon’ble Minister for Communications Mr Ashwini Vaishnaw, today are indeed a new beginning for the Telecom Industry in the country. These reforms would augur well for the industry to invest for the future and successfully steer the Government of India’s Digital Mission. AIFISPA thanks the Hon’ble Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi for his futuristic vision with these bold moves and encouraging the industry to accelerate India’s mission for digitalization.

While Welcoming the reforms and relief package announced by the Government of India,  AIFISPA hopes that the Government will take similar path breaking and much needed reforms for the Fixed Line Broadband Service providers in the country, which will help the industry to fulfil the national broadband mission. Fixed line Broadband involves 1200 plus small Internet Service Providers (ISP) across the country and has delivered much needed high speed connectivity during the pandemic. The fixed line broadband players have enabled entire industry to seamlessly transition to  “work from home setup”, keeping the wheels of the economy running. School from home, tele medicine, video conferencing, streaming entertainment, are all some of the ways in which fixed broadband players have critically supported and enabled everyday lives during this pandemic. This yeoman’s service was rendered by lakhs of on-field employees relentlessly braving the virus in pursuit of the prime purpose  of keeping customer connected. Further, fixed Internet Industry is set to play a critical role in building a ‘Digital India’ and support the Union Government’s initiatives to enhance fibre optic infrastructure across the country as envisioned under NDCP 2018 and the National Broadband Mission.

AIFISPA is hopeful that the Government of India, under the visionary leadership of Mr. Narendra Modi would look into the challenges faced by the fixed line broadband industry and seeks the much needed helping hand and encouragement to the industry. The Recent proposal to levy 8% licence fee on this industry , that does not use any natural resources like spectrum, will be a major bottleneck for the industry to exist and thrive . Fixed line broadband industry is besought with many challenges including very high investment in ROW, infrastructure and cost of building network upto  the last mile of  customer’s home. Industry is hopeful of positive legislative encouragement through exemption from license fee.

While commenting on the reforms, President of AIFISPA, Sunil Yajaman said “We sincerely thank the Hon’ble Prime Minister, Hon’ble Finance Minister and the Hon’ble Minister for Communications for this much needed support to the Telecom Industry and would like to make a humble request for them to hand hold and nurture fixed line broadband service providers, an industry which is suffering greatly over last few years on many fronts. We are more than happy to assist all endeavours of Government of India and are looking forward to work towards making National Broadband Mission, a resounding success soon.”

About AIFISPA: All India Fixed Internet Service Providers Association (AIFISPA) , which consists of Fixed line Internet Service providers serving more than 30 lakh homes across the country. Some of the founding Members of AIFISPA include leading Fixed Broadband service providers namely - ACT Fibernet, Shyam Spectra, You Broadband, Microsense, D-Vois, Vizag Broadcasting Company, Pioneer Elabs, Mithril Telecommunications, Bell Tele Services,  BBNL etc. Currently these members cater to more than 3 million subscribers of the Fixed line internet industry representing more than 35% of the pure play ISP universe.

The Chennai Angels Partners With Native Angels Network To Co-Invest In TN Start-Ups

The Chennai Angels (TCA) and Native Angels Network signed an agreement yesterday to co invest in start- ups across Tamil Nadu. Both angel networks will coordinate and plan common pitch sessions on a case-to-case basis. They intend to not only fund but also mutually support start-ups for select activities. The intention is to ensure that Tamil Nadu based start-ups get a wider reach to a larger number of investors that are relevant to their industries.

Mr K Chandran, CEO, The Chennai Angels said, “The coming together of two of the largest leading angel networks in Tamil Nadu is certainly a landmark initiative. This will benefit promising start-ups across the State gain access to a huge pool of elite mentors and capital for scaling up their early stages of growth. We look forward to a fruitful and rewarding partnership with the Native Angels Network.”

Mr R Sivarajah, Founder & CEO, Native Angels Network said, “We are mainly concentrating in investing in early-stage start-ups emerging from small towns of Tamil Nadu. The association with The Chennai Angels will enable us to explore newer horizons in investing. This partnership will strengthen the investment ecosystem in Tamil Nadu.”

About TCA

The Chennai Angels (TCA) is one of India’s leading Angel Investment Networks. In an effort to help a new generation of entrepreneurs, a group of prominent successful entrepreneurs came forward to form a consortium called The Chennai Entrepreneurship Trust Fund in Nov 2007, which is now The Chennai Angels (TCA). These members and those that followed have successfully built, run and in many cases exited enterprises across multiple domains. 

Besides providing capital, TCA members act as mentors for those venturing into the business world. TCA has among itsmembers several Venture Capitalists who are available to partner with TCA on more significant outlays. TCA investors can handhold the entrepreneur through the fundraising life cycle and open doors to customers and partners of a very high order. As of today, TCA has invested over INR 130 Cr across 60+ Startups. The Chennai Angels is sector and location agnostic in its investments.

About NAN

Native Angels Network Association commonly referred to as “Native Angels” or NAN is India’s first Angels driven ecosystem building organization for the small towns. The parent body Nativelead Foundation was founded in the year 2012 as a trust and its investments focused arm Native angels was incorporated in the year 2015.

Native Angels is a community driven model and currently having 6 local chapters (Madurai, Coimbatore, Erode, Karur, Trichy and Tuticorin) and three Native Connect chapters (Chennai, Washington DC and Tokyo). Native Angel’s core objectiveis to nurture and invest in Startups emerging from the small towns of Tamil Nadu. They also co-invest with other like-minded agencies across the country.

They prefer to invest in startups working in the domains of Agri -Tech, Retail, Healthcare, Edu-tech, Clean- tech venture with social impact and ESG compliance.

De Beers Forevermark Launches The 'Forevermark Avaanti’ Collection

* One Ripple Can Start a Wave

* #THEFIRSTRIPPLE #FOREVERMARK

De Beers Forevermark launches its latest jewellery collection. Forevermark Avaanti™ embodies a spirit of possibility, inspiring the wearer to realise their power and make a lasting statement every day.

Each piece in the Forevermark Avaanti™ jewellery collection sweeps around like a ripple, symbolising the start of something new. The thirty-six stand-out pieces all feature a rare De Beers Forevermark diamond in 0.10, 0.18 and 0.30 carats at their centre. Set in 18k yellow, white or rose gold, the clean, circular designs are also available with the added brilliance of pavé diamonds. Worn together or alone, these rings, earrings, pendants, and bracelets make a bold statement of confidence, adding verve to your style.

“The global Forevermark Avaanti™ collection has been crafted with rare and natural De Beers Forevermark diamonds. Each piece from the collection is like a personal representation of those who wear it and reminds them that they can bring about change with just a single ripple. To support the collection De Beers Forevermark introduced The Forevermark Avaanti™ campaign that is a reminder that if you believe in yourself and seize the day, you can be unstoppable.” said Mr. Sachin Jain, Managing Director, De Beers India.

To accompany the launch of the jewellery collection De Beers Forevermark introduces its Forevermark Avaanti™ campaign. Driven by a single belief that what the future holds can unfold from a single ripple, the campaign stands as a powerful reminder that the moments we seize today can become the unstoppable momentum of tomorrow. Harnessing a unique visual style, the Forevermark Avaanti™ campaign; ‘The First Ripple’ celebrates the power of possibility and encourages women to unleash their own ripple on the world. 

The campaign was brought to life by an all-female creative team, including award-winning director, Vicky Lawton and photographer Anya Holdstock. Together they realised the execution of the campaign’s inspirational film and striking photography.

Accelerating equal opportunities, and challenging gender stereotypes are values deeply rooted in everything De Beers Forevermark represents as a jewellery house. We live and breathe this belief in all we do, and the Forevermark Avaanti™ collection is no exception. It is fine jewellery designed to connect with the mindset of our consumer.

The Forevermark Avaanti™ collection is available for sale at all authorized De Beers Forevermark jewellers across the country. For further details, visit: www.forevermark.com

Epson Global Survey Reveals Startling Climate Reality Deficit — 73.4% Of Indians Are Still Optimistic We Will Avoid A Climate Crisis

* The survey is a part of Epson Group’s effort to bring about greater awareness and understanding about Climate Change

* India has highest Climate Reality deficit in the world as new research highlights a significant gap between perceptions of climate change and the severity of the emergency

With just 45 days to go to the start of the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP 26) in the UK in November, Epson announces the results of its Climate Reality Barometer. Epson’s research discovers a potentially damaging gap between climate reality and people’s understanding of its catastrophic effects. The survey captures global experiences and perceptions of climate change from 15,264 consumers across Asia, Europe, North America and South America, including 1,207 consumers in India.

Timed to help frame discussions at COP 26, the goal of the Epson Climate Reality Barometer is to raise greater public awareness of climate change impacts, influence transformative business decisions, and better inform policy makers.

Reality deficit: Optimism vs evidence

When questioned about their views on humanity’s ability to avert a climate crisis within their lifetimes, almost three in four (73.4%) of people surveyed in India as part of the Epson Climate Reality Barometer, state they are “very” or “somewhat” optimistic, while just one in 10 (11.4%) claim to be very or somewhat pessimistic. This significantly outweighs the global trend, with close to half of the respondents worldwide (46%) stating that they are optimistic and 27% expressing pessimism in this regard. Results show a worrying climate reality deficit between participants perception of, the scale and immediacy of the climate emergency on one hand and the actions to tackle the same on the other. In India 4.1% of respondents do not believe that there is a climate emergency at all. The US tops the list of climate deniers at 11%.

Optimism in India is driven most by the opportunity to use science and technology to solve problems (31.9%), the fact that people are not aware of climate change dangers (26.4%) and the ability to move away from fossil fuels like coal to renewable sources like wind energy (21.4%). On the other hand, those who are pessimistic are driven mostly by a belief that people are not aware of climate change dangers (32.6%), a lack of government action (30.4%) - with 17.4% believing we are not switching to renewable energy sources link wind energy fast enough.

The latest Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) report warned that India will suffer more frequent and intense heat waves, extreme rainfall events and erratic monsoons, as well as more cyclonic activity, among other weather-related calamities in the coming decades (source). Epson’s Climate Reality Barometer’s findings suggest a damaging triumph of optimism over evidence, with potentially devastating consequences.

Reality check: Understanding vs. action

The Barometer suggests that optimism may be the result of a failure to recognise climate change and, therefore, its scale. Around three quarters of respondents in India see the link between climate change and rising global temperatures (81.6%), extreme weather (78.5%) and declining water supplies (75.6%). In contrast, awareness falls to just over half for other important events such as famine (58.4%), thawing permafrost (54.1%) and insect outbreaks (59.8%).

Many in India, however, still believe action should come from elsewhere: a quarter (25.8%) believe governments are “most responsible for tackling the climate emergency”, and 26.9% say businesses are the “most responsible” for tackling climate. The findings also suggest a lack of consistency between individual intention and action. While 66.2% of Indians are already reducing plastic use, worryingly 8.8% of people say they have no intention of doing so, or don’t know how to. Similarly, 42.6% of Indians claim that they are boycotting unsustainable brands but 16.7% of those surveyed say they don’t intend to or aren’t sure how to go about this. And while 65.1% of Indians claim that they are walking or cycling more often, 8.9% still say they don’t intend to change their travel habits.

There is evidence, however, that the idea of personal and collective responsibility is gaining currency. Encouragingly, 21% of respondents see that they are personally “most responsible”, while (21.5%) believe that we are all responsible — with action incumbent on governments, businesses, and individuals alike.

The Climate Reality Barometer suggests that for many, climate crisis remains something that happens to someone else. As the survey reveals that globally only 14% of respondents recognise big businesses as most responsible for tackling the climate emergency, and just 3% small companies (fewer than the 5% of climate change deniers), it also suggests that now is the time for companies of all sizes to play a bigger role.

Companies can empower other businesses and consumers with sustainability supporting innovations. At Epson, this has seen the development of, for example: initiatives to reduce customer impact through the use of highly energy efficient Heat-Free printing technology; and R&D into environmental technologies such as naturally derived (non-plastic) materials.

Beyond product and materials innovation, businesses can make a big difference by promoting and demonstrating climate responsibility. Epson carries this forward by: transitioning to 100% renewable electricity and engaging with initiatives such as the RE100 renewable energy project; working to close the resource loop for example, by promoting product refurbishment and reuse; and engaging in high impact partnerships such as its work with National Geographic to protect permafrost.

Yasunori Ogawa, Global President of Epson, commented: “The discovery of the Climate Reality Deficit shows that awareness coupled with action, will be critical to tackling the emergency. Epson’s goal is to bring this awareness and the technologies needed — by our company, other businesses and consumers — to action transformational change. Sustainability is central to our business plan and backed by significant resources — because while we know there is a long way to go, we believe we can build a better future.”