discovery+’s New Original, ‘India’s Space Odyssey’, A Riveting Watch On ISRO’s Inspirational Journey!

* Premiering on October 7th, the documentary narrated in Hindi by supremely talented Bollywood actor R. Madhavan captures India’s remarkable 60 years journey in Space Exploration

discovery+, country’s first and leading aggregated infotainment streaming platform famously known for engrossing cosmology content among other fun and facts-based content from more than 55 sub-genres is back this space week with an all-new original titled India’s Space Odyssey. This engrossing documentary premiering on 7th October 2021 only on discovery+ celebrates the 60 year long successful journey of India’s space programme. Narrated in Hindi by the versatile Indian cinema actor and space enthusiast R. Madhavan, the documentary captures the landmark endeavours achieved during India’s Space Programme which helps understand the tough circumstances under which ISRO succeeded, a victory considered impossible by some around the world. The journey was commenced by Dr. Homi J. Bhabha and Dr. Vikram Sarabhai on India’s quest to become a leader in space exploration and pioneering space technology. 

Produced by Miditech Studios, ‘India’s Space Odyssey’ features different experts from ISRO as well as space historians & researchers and most notably, the former Chairman of ISRO, Dr. G. Madhavan Nair. Experts speak about their challenging yet wholesome journey working in the India’s Space Programme. The film documents how India decided to go to space with the visionary Dr. Vikram Sarabhai, the founding father of the Indian Space Programme at the helm. The documentary highlights the foundation setup by Homi J. Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai who guided ISRO in upholding its mission of bringing the benefits of space to the service of the nation, making it one of the most decorated and largest space agencies in the world. Successors of the same vision were the Former President of India, Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, Prof. Satish Dhawan and Dr. G Madhavan Nair, some of the scientists responsible for successfully steering India into an era of rapid space exploration and technology development, taking off with the SLV3, India’s first individual rocket launch Vehicle.

Using a combination of expert interviews, archive footage and graphic representations this special documentary captures the journey so far and further highlights India’s most revolutionizing space developments with the highly complex Chandraayan and Mangalyaan missions. With historical advances in India’s rocket technology, ISRO then proceeded to develop different technologies from the Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) which recorded a remarkable success rate of 95% and is the workhorse of ISRO’s satellite launch programme; to the most ambitious and historical Gaganyaan Programme, which will be India’s first manned mission to space. The documentary takes the audience through the ambitious, struggle and daring Indian Space Programme which with each mission expands India’s presence in space and humanity’s knowledge of the universe. 

“The Indian Space programme since its inception has achieved significant feats, thanks to the contributions of all the people who have worked alongside the programme. We are delighted that a platform like Discovery has been taking these initiatives to the people in an attempt to encourage and inspire them.” said Dr. K. Sivan, Chairman ISRO, Secretary DOS.

R. Madhavan on narrating ‘India’s Space Odyssey’ said “Curiosity has brought humans to where we are today, and it will continue to do so. I thank Discovery India for this wonderful learning opportunity, and I feel honored to have lent my voice to a project that could inspire future generations to embark on their quest to explore space”.

At Discovery, we focus on exploring content that will give the audience an enriching and inspiring experience. Discovery is invested in being a worldwide leader of original edutainment with an immersive range of space-related documentaries and is now bringing to you a detailed and truly inspirational documentary on the much-appreciated Indian Space Programme. We believe ‘India’s Space Odyssey’ will delight Discovery fans and draw in all the space enthusiasts from across the country who are looking to satisfy their curiosity.” said Sai Abhishek, Original Content Head- South Asia, Discovery Inc.

About discovery+ 

‘discovery+’ is an exciting new D2C streaming app, launched to satiate the unmet need of a differentiated product offering premium real-life entertainment. Priced competitively with an introductory offer of INR 299 per annum, the app has been developed and curated specifically for India. discovery+ offers thousands of hours of exclusive content across 55+ genres, including Science, Adventure, Food and Lifestyle, in 7 languages including Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Kannada and Bengali. The premium subscribers have access to a vast selection of never-seen-before Premium Discovery titles, must-watch documentaries, India originals and exclusive acquisitions. Free users of the app have access to all-time favorites from the Discovery library.

CrowdStrike And UiPath Partner To Secure Robot-Led Processes With First Of Its Kind Integration

* Alliance extends the power of the CrowdStrike Falcon platform to robotic process automation, providing unparalleled capabilities to enhance protection and speed of response

UiPath (NYSE: PATH), a leading enterprise automation software company, and CrowdStrike Inc. (NASDAQ: CRWD), a leader in cloud-delivered endpoint and workload protection, today announced that the companies have partnered to deliver a new level of security protection and visibility with the UiPath Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform and the CrowdStrike Falcon® platform.

UiPath and CrowdStrike, leaders in their respective fields, are the first RPA and Endpoint Security vendors to come together to extend endpoint security to RPA, enabling full visibility to enhance protection and speed of response. The partnership offers joint customers unprecedented capabilities to correlate events to originating RPA processes to enable and accelerate threat hunting, investigation and remediation with CrowdStrike for their UiPath environment.

RPA makes it easy to build, deploy and manage software “robots” that emulate human actions interacting with digital systems and software, bringing scale, speed and consistency for improving business productivity and accelerating digital transformation. Automation needs access to systems and the right privileges to be able to execute and perform tasks with speed and consistency, without the need for manual intervention. While the UiPath platform has been architected with security at the center and its security is attested to via multiple recognized standards, the integration with CrowdStrike helps build a trusted automation environment for allowing RPAs to access critical systems and data with escalated privileges, improving business resiliency.

Together, CrowdStrike and UiPath automatically detect threat activity, whether initiated by humans or robots, to grant the security team real-time visibility across the environment and enable proactive responses. The ability to quickly and easily distinguish between an RPA-initiated process and a human-initiated process will provide security teams with real-time visibility across the environment for proactive threat hunting, incident investigation and remediation.

The partnership provides joint customers:

●        Fortified protection: The first-of-its-kind integration provides unparalleled coverage to defend against all types of attacks from malware to sophisticated and stealthy nation-state attacks. Full endpoint detection and response (EDR) prevents silent failure by capturing raw events, including those originating from RPA processes, to ensure automation is included in an organization’s strong security posture. 

●        Complete visibility: The security organization gains better insight into more of the organization’s systems, specifically germane robot actions. Rich, contextual telemetry enables deep understanding of the attacks in the environment and reduces time and effort to investigate and respond to incidents, without compromising business agility. 

●        Increased efficiency: Tight integration between UiPath and CrowdStrike adds rich contextual RPA details to endpoint events, streamlining hunting and investigation across the enterprise in a single console, and speeding granular, targeted response action to ensure business continuity in the event of an incident. It also simplifies security operations by using the same lightweight Falcon agent, management console, and cloud-native architecture.

“CrowdStrike and UiPath together bring unparalleled capabilities to the market to mitigate potential risk and increase the visibility of the security organization into robot-led activities,” said Amol Kulkarni, CrowdStrike chief product officer. “As automation becomes a core part of the enterprise technology stack and protecting against threats becomes more complex, strengthening our joint customers’ security posture will positively impact their business outcomes.”

“RPA is extending further across the enterprise to automate more processes, making it a fundamental operational asset that companies must protect,” said Ted Kummert, executive vice president of Products and Engineering at UiPath. “The challenge of keeping companies, customers and employees safe increases every day. By partnering with CrowdStrike’s leading cloud-based security technology, our customers gain the unique advantage of a highly secure and easy to implement end-to-end automation platform.”

Manipal Institute Of Technology Conducted A Distinct BTech Orientation Program

Manipal Institute of Technology, conducted a distinct BTech Orientation program for the Undergraduate students for MIT Manipal as well as Bengaluru campuses on 04th Oct 2021. The event was attended by Chief Guest Mr Sanjay Goel, Executive Vice President & President, Asia Pacific at American Tower, Singapore and the Guest of Honour, His Excellency Mr Kamlesh Prakash, High Commissioner of the Republic of Fiji to the Republic of India.

Speaking on the occasion, Vice Chancellor of MAHE Lt Gen (Dr) Venkatesh congratulated the students for having secured a seat in the prestigious MITs, constituent units of MAHE, an Institution of Eminence. He informed the students about the great legacy of MAHE and about the facilities and opportunities it provides to the students not only in terms of education but also research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

Chief Guest Mr Sanjay Goel, an alumnus of MIT, Manipal stressed upon the need for holistic learning and delivered an inspirational address to all the freshers of MIT. He appreciated the diversity in the campuses and encouraged the students to be open to learning for life.

Also sharing his thoughts on the occasion, Director of Manipal, MIT Commander (Dr) Anil Rana congratulated the students and apprised them about the excellent system of open electives that provide inter-disciplinary and multi-disciplinary educational opportunities to the students.  He informed the students and parents about the very strong support system that exists in MIT for the first-year students. Director MIT Bengaluru Dr Jagannath also addressed the students and welcomed the Bengaluru campus students stressing upon the special responsibilities they were endowed with as the first batch of students.

The guest of honour stressed upon the students to focus on C&D (connect and develop), exposure and reading for life. He stressed on the importance of learning new skills, particularly communication and interpersonal skills along with the professional knowledge for being successful in life. He emphasized on networking with people from all walks of life and to gain from their experiences. Further, encouraged the students to learn and adapt to the fast-changing world and dedicate their knowledge, expertise and skills for changing the lives of the underprivileged in the societies of today’s developing world. He informed all present about the opportunities that exists for collaboration with the universities in Fiji and expressed his willingness to work in this direction.

About the guest of honour (information)

The guest of honour for the occasion was His excellency Mr Kamlesh Prakash High Commissioner of the Republic of Fiji to the Republic of India based in New Delhi. He is also the Non-Resident High Commissioner accredited to Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.  Before resuming his office as High Commissioner of Fiji to India, he served as the Ambassador of the Republic of Fiji to the United Arab Emirates and was based in Abu Dhabi from 2016-2021. He was also the non-resident Ambassador accredited to the Kingdom of Bahrain, State of Qatar, State of Kuwait, Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, Sultanate of Oman and the Islamic Republic of Iran. High Commissioner Prakash also served as Fiji's Permanent Representative to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), and was the President of the Asia-Pacific Ambassador’s Group in Abu Dhabi.

Goldmedal Electricals Announce Launch Of Hero Prime Decorative Fan

* The decorative ceiling fan is available in two exciting colours Imperial Gold and Metallic Lustre Brown

Goldmedal Electricals, one of India’s leading Fast Moving Electrical Goods (FMEG) Company unveils the latest ceiling fan ‘Hero Prime’ under their decorative ceiling fans category. As the company is in line with the government’s mission of making India truly Atmanirbhar, Goldmedal Electricals have manufactured the Hero Prime ceiling fan in India. This latest addition is a stylish yet practical option for modern Indian homes and offices. 

The Hero Prime is a high-speed fan that is incredibly quiet despite having an extremely powerful motor. The motor is laced with an extra high-grade copper which ensures a lifetime of trouble-free and efficient performance. This new age fan offers a clean, sophisticated design with the attachment of stylish metallic trims. The wider aluminium blades ensure a better air thrust and uniform circulation than any regular fan. The Hero Prime is coated with superior, anti-corrosive metallic paint that protects and maintains its high gloss finish for years. 

Commenting on the new addition, Bishan Jain, Director, Goldmedal Electricals, said “Earlier this year we forayed into the fans segment and since then we have consistently added new and innovative variants of fans. Hero Prime is one such invention where we aim to offer our customers a high-speed fan with anti-corrosion properties that comes with an aesthetic look. Hero Prime is not only an amazingly efficient and elegant-looking fan but also designed to resolve the inconvenience caused by fans that are prone to weathering. The response for our fans segment has been phenomenal and we are confident that the new Hero Prime will also garner the same amount of support.”  

Available in a single 72-watt variant, Hero Prime is an effective fan with a sweep of 1200 mm and offers exceptional air delivery of 230 CMM at a speed of 380 RPM. An amazingly efficient, high-speed, and durable fan, the Hero Prime decorative ceiling fan is available in two exciting colours Imperial Gold and Metallic Lustre Brown. Goldmedal’s Hero Prime can be purchased at retail stores for a price of Rs. 3600/-.

Link to the video of the fan: https://youtu.be/eYmL_nwpuN0

Goldmedal is steadily growing its base by launching consumer-centric range of fans and leveraging its reliable brand image to expand its footprint across India. Goldmedal fans come in multiple categories, including Ceiling fans, Table fans, Wall fans, Personal, Pedestal, Portable, Axial as well as Ventilation fans. Goldmedal fans are available in South India across Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka, East India states including West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, as well as Delhi NCR, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Assam. 

About Goldmedal Electricals

Goldmedal Electricals is a home grown electrical company which was established in the year 1979 with a vision to create electrical switches and accessories that make a positive difference to the lives of consumers. The company is known in the industry for manufacturing high quality wiring devices and introducing a host of innovations in the industry. The company has manufacturing units in Vasai outside Mumbai, Bhiwadi in Rajasthan, and Vijayawada in Andhra Pradesh. It is one of the few companies in the industry to have a completely in-house, state-of-the-art tool room and testing facility. Today, the company manufactures a vast range of electrical products including various types of Switches, Home automation systems, Fans, Security Systems, Entertainment devices, Doorbells, Wires, Cables and more for residential buildings as well as commercial establishments.

Garmin India Launches New Campaign To Promote The Spirit Of Outdoor Travelling

* Introduces online travel platform ‘Open the Door to the World’ to connect travelers across the country

In a unique initiative, Garmin India, a unit of Garmin Ltd. (NASDAQ: GRMN), is delighted to announce the launch of an ultimate Virtual Travel Platform with the digital campaign ‘Open the Door to the World’, with the aim to promote the spirit of outdoor travelling and connect travel enthusiasts to create more memorable experiences of travelling across the country.

This initiative comes against the backdrop of COVID-19 pandemic, which had largely restricted mobility due to the enforcement of necessary, but overwhelming, curbs across the nation, which significantly aggravated the travel genes of people.

Through this website, Garmin intends to connect travel enthusiasts virtually to explore and fulfil their travel aspirations. People who are unable to travel currently can visit the Online Virtual Travel website.

The platform features major travel destinations from across the globe with 360 degree imagery. With Garmin’s technology taking the lead role, the user can generate their virtual photo by choosing a door and then select the destination from the 3D Map.

The website would automatically assist in removing the background of the initial picture and would create a virtual travel image of the user which can be further downloaded. Committed to provide more immersive and exciting travel experiences, the virtual site would satisfy the urge of the travelling felt by hundreds of people.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Ali Rizvi, Director, Garmin India, said, “In the current market scenario, where COVID-19 has largely restricted traveling, Garmin India has actively brought up this unique initiative to provide memorable travel experiences to our customers. To bring positivity and the spirit of traveling, we have developed a platform where the users can enjoy and take their pictures across beautiful locations. We at Garmin are constantly thriving to deliver innovative services and engage our audience in bringing the best of the experiences."

Garmin believes there is a unique door for everyone which leads to true explorations. Considering social distancing, health and sanitization protocols due to the pandemic, Garmin with their Online Virtual Travel initiative aims to bring people closer to the nature and help them venture into the world of adventure and passion by opening doors to a different travel paradigm. 

Garmin India is also running a contest where the participant has to complete the ‘Open the Door to the World’ trip and share the virtual travel photo on social media platforms like Facebook or Instagram (public post or Facebook/Instagram Stories) with the designated hashtag: #GarminOutdoorSpirit. The deadline of the contest is October 31, 2021.  The winners of the contest to be announced on November 4, 2021.

Link of the website: https://www.garmin.co.in/event/2021/outdoor/

The Garmin Instinct Solar is built to harness the power of the sun. The device provides unprecedented battery life and has been loaded with tactical features like the stealth mode, the night vision mode, etc. The smartwatch is also equipped with multiple sports modes which includes running, cycling, swimming, climbing, skiing, rowing, weightlifting and yoga.

The Garmin Fēnix Solar is designed with solar charging lenses and features industry leading technology. The devise has been integrated with power management to provide the user with advanced battery management during the activities.

About Garmin: Engineered on the inside for life on the outside, Garmin products have revolutionized the wellness industry. Committed to developing wearables and health measurement tools that help people of all activity levels lead healthier lives, Garmin believes every day is an opportunity to innovate and a chance to beat yesterday.

For more information, visit Garmin's virtual pressroom at garmin.co.in/news/pressroom/

Radisson Hotel Group Adds To The Festive Fervor With The Expansion Of ‘Meetha’; Introduces Premium Retail Outlet In Mumbai

Following the successful launch of Meetha, a premium offering of curated Indian sweets by Radisson Hotels in Delhi-NCR last year, the Group today announced its expansion in Mumbai where it welcomed its first premium retail outlet at Radisson Mumbai Goregaon. Further launch plans for Meetha include cities like Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Bhopal, Amritsar, Guwahati and Pune. A medley of special, premium-quality treats curated to add sweetness to festivities, celebrations and auspicious new beginnings, Meetha is the perfect giveaway for the upcoming festive and wedding seasons.

With the expansion of Meetha, the Group aims to strategically strengthen its Food and Beverages (F&B) portfolio and pioneer innovation in the lucrative branded mithai (sweets) industry in India. The high-quality mithais are freshly made using the finest, handpicked ingredients and are currently available for take away or home delivery in Mumbai and Delhi NCR.

“We are pleased to strengthen our F&B portfolio by introducing Meetha. India’s ever-growing branded mithai industry offers a significant opportunity in the premium space and we are ready to unlock this potential with Meetha. We are encouraged by the response to our first retail outlet and will continue to expand the offering across India while evolving it into a strong revenue stream for enhancing the Group’s market positioning in the country. Meetha is a significant enabler that’s steering us ahead in this direction,” said Zubin Saxena, Managing Director and Vice President Operations, South Asia, Radisson Hotel Group.

The first Meetha retail outlet at Radisson Mumbai Goregaon embodies the festive spirit of India with state-of-the-art design and premium look and feel. The outlet is managed by a passionate team of all-women professionals, who are called Meetha Ambassadors and this practice would be carried on to future Meetha outlets. Guests have the option to select from a wide variety of 60 mithais, including vegan and sugar-free options, made à la minute using the finest ingredients. The orders can be personalized depending on the requirements and occasion. The outlet offers over 15 packaging options of Meetha suitable for various occasions like weddings, festivities, social and corporate gifting with an exclusive Classic Rose Gold packaging for liquid Bengali mithais. The orders are available for take away or door-step delivery which is facilitated keeping all safety protocols in mind.

“We are delighted to partner with Radisson Hotel Group for launching India’s first Meetha outlet. We are pleased with how the concept has taken shape and the overwhelming response from the guests during the first 10 days of its opening. We are positive that the Group’s operational expertise and brand reputation would establish Meetha as the go-to choice for the upcoming festive and wedding seasons,” said Mr. Rafiq Balwa, Director, Balwa Group.

The Meetha menu and its signature recipes are curated by Rakesh Sethi, Corporate Executive Chef, Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia. Guests can choose from an assortment of collections, including Premium, Classic, Festive, Baby Shower, Corporate and Weddings which are priced between INR 700 – 2,500 per box.

“Meetha is really close to our hearts. While traditional mithais will always be the core of Meetha, through consumer insights, we recognized that our guests also want to experiment with the classics. Keeping the upcoming festivities and wedding season in mind, we have given an innovative twist to classic mithais and introduced Mocha Milkcake and Red Velvet Cheese Laddoo to the menu along with an artisanal range which includes options like Rose Petal Gulkand Laddoo and Mewa Gur Laddoo,” said, Rakesh Sethi, Corporate Executive Chef, Radisson Hotel Group, South Asia.

The elaborate menu includes popular Indian mithais from across the country such as Kaju Katli, Kalakand, Motichoor Laddoo, Besan Laddoo, Kheer Kadam, Kesar Peda and many more. The artisanal range has unique and innovative options such as Mocha Milkcake, Brown Sugar Besan Laddoo, Pista Sphere, Rocher Peda, Almond Chocolate Burfi and the exotic options include Red Velvet Cheese Laddoo/Roll, Rose Petal Gulkand Laddoo, Mewa Gur Laddoo and Stuffed Dates. All the mithais are freshly made using only the highest quality ingredients which are curated by experts.

Meetha is available for take away or home delivery in various packaging options with 12, 16 or 25, 36 pieces of mithais. In Mumbai, guests can call on 95949 71605 to place their orders or visit www.meethamumbai.com. In Delhi NCR, guests can place orders by contacting Radisson Blu Hotel New Delhi Paschim Vihar, Radisson Gurugram Udyog Vihar or Radisson Blu Faridabad or schedule home delivery through the EazyDiner app.

Meetha is prepared and packaged in accordance with the highest standards of health and hygiene to ensure its freshness and most importantly, the safety of guests. All packs are made to order.

RADISSON HOTEL GROUP

Radisson Hotel Group is one of the world's largest hotel groups with nine distinctive hotel brands, and more than 1,500 hotels in operation and under development in 120 countries. The Group’s overarching brand promise is Every Moment Matters with a signature Yes I Can! service ethos.

The Radisson Hotel Group portfolio includes Radisson Collection, Radisson Blu, Radisson, Radisson RED, Radisson Individuals, Park Plaza, Park Inn by Radisson, Country Inn & Suites by Radisson, and prizeotel brought together under one commercial umbrella brand Radisson Hotels.

Radisson Rewards is our global rewards program that delivers unique and personalized ways to create memorable moments that matter to our guests. Radisson Rewards offers exceptional loyalty benefits for our guests, meeting planners, travel agents and business partners.

Radisson Meetings provides tailored solutions for any event or meeting, including hybrid solutions placing guests and their needs at the heart of its offer. Radisson Meetings is built around three strong service commitments: Personal, Professional and Memorable, while delivering on the brilliant basics and being uniquely 100% Carbon Neutral.

The health and safety of guests and team members remain a top priority for Radisson Hotel Group. All properties across the Group’s portfolio are subject to stringent health and safety requirements, as outlined in the Radisson Hotels Safety Protocol.

More than 100,000 team members work at Radisson Hotel Group and at the hotels licensed to operate in its systems. 

AMI Survey Reflects Cautious Optimism; Respondents Prefer Small Ticket Purchases Over White Goods, Cars, Property And Jewellery

* 40% Of Indians Have Watched IPL At Least Once This Season, 31% Of Those Watched Have Viewed It On A Digital Platform (OTT)

* Over 10639 people surveyed across rural and urban India in between 10th September and 30th September 2021.

* 46% of families will shop clothes over big ticket items on account of Dusshera/Diwali

* 76% of the families will use their personal savings for making purchases this festive season

* 40% of India has watched IPL atleast once, 31% of those watched have viewed it on a digital platform.

* Overall consumer sentiment rises by 1 point in October over last month.

* 33% are buying electronics online while high value items like jewellery; and groceries, are still bought physically

* 27% have increased their usage of UPI/wallet payments, 49% still don’t use it

Axis My India, a leading consumer data intelligence company, released its findings of the India Consumer Sentiment Index (CSI), a monthly analysis of consumer perception on a wide range of issues, for the month of September.

The net CSI score, calculated by percentage increase minus percentage decrease in sentiment, was recorded at +7, rising at a constant pace over the last three months, indicative of a positive shift in consumer consumption metrics.

The sentiment analysis delves into 5 relevant sub-indices – Overall household spending, spending on essential and non-essential items, spending on healthcare, media consumption habits & mobility trends.

This month, Axis My India’s Consumer Sentiment Index also delved deeper to understand perception around festival spends, pre and post Covid behavioural changes in terms of online purchase and UPI/wallet payment and citizen’s interest in IPL.

The surveys were carried out via Computer Aided Telephonic Interviews with a sample size of 10639 people. 59% belonged from Rural India while 41% belonged from urban counterparts covering 28 states and 8 union territories.

Commenting on the September report, Pradeep Gupta, CMD, Axis My India, said, “As the pandemic retreats, we are seeing a steady return to normalcy, but with a cautious control over spending considerations. This is highlighted in the survey as 46% of the respondents will prefer spending on small ticket items such as clothes, while only 11% of the respondents will consider buying a two-wheeler or car. Expenditure on household essentials is more or less same since the last two months. However, expenditure on healthcare decreased compared to last month, suggesting people are being decreasingly affected by the pandemic. While 27% respondents reported an increase in UPI transactions, almost 49% still don’t use UPI/Wallets, suggesting a tremendous opportunity in digital payments. IPL has proved its unparalleled reach and what is emerging as a trend is that audiences are increasingly viewing it on digital especially in tier 3/rural markets which still have electricity cuts & are single TV households." 

Key findings:

* Overall household spending has increased for 56% of families which is same as last month.

* The spends increase on essentials like personal & household care is at 45%. The net score is almost the same as last month which is at +20.

* Spends on non-essential & discretionary products like AC, Car, Refrigerator increased for 19% of families. This increase is highest in North & East whereas the increase in South is only 8%. This increase still reflects an overall decrease by 2 percentage points from the previous month which stood at 21%. This can also be because 20th Sep – 6th Oct is considered the ‘Shradh period’ when high value purchases are postponed. The non-essentials September net score is at +7.

* Health continues to be an important consideration, with consumption on health-related items being increased for 44% of families and decreased only for 19% families. The health score which has a negative connotation i.e. the lesser the spends on health items the better the sentiments, has a net score value of -25.

* Consumption of media reflects increase for 26% families, with an increase of 1 percentage point over last month & consumption remained same for 48%. Net score has improved from -3 last month to the base value of 0 this month.

* Constant improvement in mobility net score is being recorded since past three months which indicates a steady return to normalcy.  In terms of mobility 88% families are saying they are going out the same or more on short vacations/mall/restaurants, with the overall mobility score is at -5 which is an improvement over last month which was at -8. This reflects a slight progress in people’s sentiments in terms of conducting outside activities.

On topics of current national interest:

* When asked on shopping plans for Dusshera/Diwali, 46% of families said they will shop clothes while only 11% intend to buy a 4-wheeler or a 2-wheeler. More than 88% of the families denied any interest in buying white goods (AC, TV, Washing Machine, and Refrigerator) or jewellery this festive season. In addition, 92% showcased negative sentiment towards buying home, plot, or a commercial property. The consumer sentiment for the month also reflects that 76% of the families will use their personal savings for making these purchases while only 21% would prefer taking loan from the bank or financial companies. This gives an indication that while buying spirit is moderate this festive season, the ticket size for purchase still remains small reflecting a cautious spending behaviour without denting one’s personal savings.

* In terms of online shopping behaviours 33% are buying electronics like laptop, mobile etc. online while high value items like jewellery and groceries (fresh food, rice, oil and meat) are still bought physically, indicating the view of 90% and 92% of the consumers respectively. Furthermore, banking and investment behaviour reflect a combination of both offline and online hybrid behaviour standing at 19%.

* 40% of Indian’s mentioned that they have watched IPL at least once. When asked, where will you continue to watch the remaining season of IPL, 31% of those who watching mentioned that they are watching it online. Interestingly percentage of audience watching online is higher in Rural India.

* Reflecting a transformation in consumer payment behaviour in the post-covid period, 27% have said that they have increased their usage of UPI/wallet payments (Paytm/Phonepe, Google Pay) while 49% still don’t use these online transaction mediums. Interestingly the increase in usage of UPI payments is gradually decreased with increase in age of respondents. The increase is highest for the age group of 18-25 years which is at 36%.