Toyota Kirloskar Motor Launches The Innova Crysta Limited Edition This Festive Season

* The iconic Innova is the unrivaled leader in the MPV segment for over 16 years since the first-generation model was introduced in India in 2005 having sold over 9,00,000 units till date (including Innova Crysta)

* The Innova Crysta is loaded with over 100 awesome features, underlining its unique personality. In addition, Limited Edition is now surrounded with more tech features and gadgets

To make this festive season more exciting, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) today announced the launch of Toyota Innova Crysta Limited Edition with cool new Tech features to bring thrill and fun to its existing legacy of Quality, Durability & Reliability. Designed to offer exclusivity and convenience, the package is crafted to elevate the practicality and enhance user experience of the legendary MPV. The Innova Crysta is loaded with many features like Apple Car Play and Android Auto with a new display, loaded with advanced connectivity functions, Imposing Trapezoid Piano Black Grill, Piercing Headlamps, Enticing Diamond Cut Alloys, Multiple Interior Color option of Black, Camel Tan & Hazel Brown, Ambient illumination, 7 SRS Air Bags, Vehicle Stability Control, Hill Start Assist Control , Eco & Power Drive modes, Cruise Control and with over 100 awesome features.

Innova Crysta Limited Edition, an exclusive well-crafted package is introduced for customers

Multi Terrain Monitor (360-degree Camera)  - To experience a virtual bird's-eye view of the car for easy parking or to navigate uneven terrains

Head Up Display (HUD) - Get all the information at eye level while the driver focuses on the road ahead

Tyre Pressure Monitoring System - Displays the tyre pressure to maintain properly inflated tyres all the time

Wireless Charger - Conveniently placed in the second row to never let the phone run out of charge

Door edge lighting – with 16 scintillating colors for welcoming and to set the mood

Air Ionizer – To feel refreshed all the time with clean and fresh air inside the cabin

Innova’s legendary capabilities are beyond comparison, putting the MPV in a league of its own. Well-appointed interior is steeped in luxury and elegance while the exterior design spells dominance. Thanks to its distinctly styled bold front grille and bumper, it exudes unmistakable road presence that takes it miles ahead of the rest. Limited edition feature availability and fi­tment at dealership till stock last.

Speaking about the offer, Mr. V. Wiseline Sigamani, Associate General Manager (AGM), Sales and Strategic Marketing, TKM, said, “Innova has undisputedly been the leader in the MPV segment since its launch, making it one of our flagship products. We have planned for a campaign to bring over 100 awesome features of Innova Crysta representing technology, luxury, unrivaled comfort, convenience combined with Toyota’s Quality, Durability and Reliability, reaffirming its top position in the segment. It has been our continuous endeavor to constantly upgrade our products in line with the evolving trends, mobility needs and customer preferences.

The Innova Crysta Limited Edition (*Special Festival Offer) is designed to offer exclusivity which is a perfect blend of technology and convenience that complements the travelling needs, be it daily commute or long drive on weekend. The package is specifically timed during the festive season in accordance with our tradition of customer-first approach. Further, we would like to thank our over 9 Lakh loyal customers for their unrelenting support and trust” he added.

* Disclaimer – Terms and conditions apply

PhonePe Pulse Unveils Digital Payment Trends For Q3 2021

●     Money transfers and merchant payments each hit a new milestone of 200+ crore transactions in Q3 2021

●     The number of registered users grew by 7.5%

●     Chandigarh topped the charts in transaction growth, while Karnataka & Maharashtra showed the highest growth in number of users

PhonePe, India’s leading fintech platform, today announced key digital payment trends from PhonePe Pulse’s Q3 (July - September) 2021 data. The new data shared on the Pulse website, and as part of the Pulse quarterly report, shows the tremendous pace at which digital payments continued to grow in Q3 2021.

The key highlights of the quarter were:

The Total Payments Value (TPV) of transactions processed grew 23.3% QoQ to INR 921,674 Cr while the number of transactions grew by 33.6% to 526.5 Cr transactions. The continued growth in both these metrics is a clear indication of increasing consumer trust in digital payments.

For the first time ever, money transfers with UPI and merchant payments hit a new milestone of 200 Cr.+ transactions clocking 221 Cr. and 231 Cr. transactions respectively.

Offline merchant payments grew faster than online merchant payments registering a QoQ growth rate of 65% which is an indicator of recovery post the second wave of the pandemic and stores rapidly opening up.

Furthermore, the trend of digital payments becoming a Pan-India habit also continued, with 720 out of 726 districts in the country registering positive growth in digital transactions volume. This is also shown in the number of registered users which grew from 30.5 Cr. to 32.8 Cr.

Geographically, Chandigarh topped the growth charts with 50%+ QoQ transaction volumes growth, while Karnataka and Maharashtra topped the charts in terms of increase in QoQ transactions volume with both registering a 22 Cr. increase.

Speaking on the release of the Q3 2021 Pulse insights, Karthik Raghupathy, Head of Strategy and Investor Relations at PhonePe said, “When we launched PhonePe Pulse, we committed to publishing data periodically, and we are delighted to share the insights from the first Pulse data refresh. The rapid growth we are seeing quarter on quarter is a strong indicator that digital payments are truly penetrating across the length and breadth of the country. It is going to be an exciting next quarter with the festivities and the holiday season, we are already looking forward to interesting insights and trends from Q4 2021.”

Launched in September 2021, PhonePe Pulse is India’s first interactive website with data, insights and trends on digital payments in the country. The PhonePe Pulse website showcases more than 2000+ Cr transactions by consumers on an interactive map of India. More details and some interesting fun facts are available on pulse.phonepe.com.  

MMTC-PAMP Launches 999.9 Purest Gold & Silver Products Inspired From India’s Rich Heritage This Festive Season

For the first time in India, buy a 24K, 999.9 purest Gold 1 Ounce (31.1 gm) bar with MMTC-PAMP’s famed Lotus motif

Introducing a 50gm pack of unique Shankh shaped Lakshmi and Ganesha coins of 25gm each in 999.9 purest silver in our devotional series

All MMTC-PAMP products in silver and gold come with industry-leading  999.9 purity standard

October 21 , 2021: As the festive season sets in, MMTC-PAMP, India’s only London Bullion Market Association (LBMA) Good Delivery gold & silver refinery, has launched new designs, adding to its wide-range of exquisitely crafted products chosen extensively for investment and gifting alike.

Speaking about the launch, Mr. Vikas Singh, MD & CEO, MMTC-PAMP said, “Diwali is synonymous with investment in precious metals such as gold and silver. This festive season, we have crafted distinctive new products which can serve as auspicious gifts as well as excellent investment options for all. As the leading trusted brand in precious metals, our products are known for their unmatched purity and are crafted to the highest standards using the latest Swiss technology. We are now pleased to present the 24K, 999.9 one ounce (31.1 gms) Lotus Gold bar, and unique Silver Shankh shaped coins featuring Lakshmi & Ganesh.”

Weighing 25gms each, the pair of Shankh coins etched on 999.9 purest silver, are symbolically rich, precision-minted, and feature finely etched coloured portrayals of Lakshmi and Ganesh. Together Lakshmi and Ganesh symbolise prosperity and auspiciousness. This design is available in an exclusive festive packaging within a custom made capsule to showcase the coins in your office or home temple.

The 1 ounce (31.1 gram) gold Lotus bar has MMTC-PAMP’s distinctive Lotus motif that is exceptionally minted on 24K, 999.9 purest gold and is an ideal choice for investment.

Every gold coin created by MMTC-PAMP goes through a rigorous purification process to ensure 999.9 + purity of the metal.  To ensure the products’ authenticity, each MMTC-PAMP product carries a unique number and comes packaged in an Assayer certified certicard. Each gold and silver product bought from MMTC-PAMP offers positive weight tolerance, which guarantees that every coin or bar you buy weighs more than the listed weight, ensuring customers get the highest value for their investment.

Both newly launched products also come with MMTC-PAMP’s stamp of authenticity and deliver on the promise of highest purity and finest Swiss craftsmanship available in the world.  The new silver and gold offerings symbolize the diverse cultural celebrations in the country during this festive season, and showcase MMTC-PAMP’s strong inclination to create offerings which tell the story of Indian culture, etched on purest gold and silver.

IVM Podcasts Launches Hindi Audio Magazine Hans Vaani With Hans Magazine And Jashne-e-Qalam

* Hindi literature enthusiasts can now access their favorite Hindi literature in audio

IVM Podcasts has launched a new show – Hans Vaani – in partnership with Hans, the largest read and the most prestigious Hindi literary magazine and Jashne-e-Qalam, a theatre company that specializes in solo narrations and dramatizations of stories by renowned Hindi authors. This partnership is aimed at reaching a wider audience comprising Hindi literature enthusiasts.

Currently, Hans enjoys a large audience base and is the only Hindi literary magazine to have subscribers across the world, with the new audio format it aims at expanding its reach to people, who are interested in Hindi literature but may not be proficient readers or don’t prefer a visual medium.

Amit Doshi, Founder, IVM Podcasts said, “Hindi language content has been gaining a lot of followers over the last few months. We are delighted to partner with a prestigious and renowned magazine like Hans to bring forth selected Hindi literary masterpieces to our vast audience. We are hopeful that through this collaboration, we will be able to offer our listeners India’s rich literary heritage, which they can tune into anytime and from anywhere.”

Some of the most important issues that Hans has churned up and incessantly worked on and highlighted are concerns regarding women. It has encouraged women writers and writings - giving them a voice and a creative platform and also recognition to the marginalized sections of the society and nurturing young, budding writers to think with an open mind and give an expression to their thoughts.

IVM Podcasts provides high-quality podcasts of all shapes and sizes created with locally-farmed, organic, free-range hosts with ladles of intricately seasoned knowledge, a penchant for silliness and available in a variety of genres.

All episodes are available on the IVM Podcasts website, app and across your preferred audio platforms.

https://shows.ivmpodcasts.com/show/hansvaani-imnd-RQAvwW3OGGD5w7DT

About IVM Podcasts

IVM Podcasts, founded in 2015, is India's premiere podcast network, that aims to serve listeners with a wide portfolio of audio content across genres. The network produces, distributes and monetizes talk and narrative based audio content across genres from comedy and politics to advertising and business.

In 2020, Pratilipi and IVM Podcasts came together to create a sustainable and scalable model for the podcasting industry in India. IVM Podcasts will continue to create content under the Pratilipi banner, with an even larger and more diverse portfolio of podcasts across genres.

BAFTA Breakthrough Opens Applications In India For A Second Year

 
●        Netflix is the supporting partner to BAFTA Breakthrough in the UK, USA and India

●        Award-winning composer and BAFTA Breakthrough ambassador A.R. Rahman will offer his support for a second year

●        To register interest visit www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/breakthrough

The British Academy of Film and Television Arts (BAFTA) invites a new round of applications in India for its Breakthrough programme, in partnership with Netflix, from prospective talent across the film, games and television industries. The BAFTA Breakthrough India programme will once again identify, promote and support Indian talent within these industries on a global scale.

Akin to the debut initiative, BAFTA Breakthrough aims to celebrate Indian talent by offering a bespoke programme of support – helping participants develop knowledge about the industry, develop their craft, address barriers to progression, and network globally with people who can influence their careers.  The programme provides a bursary to support international networking opportunities, further to this, recipients will also receive:

●        One-to-one industry meetings and group roundtable sessions

●        Global networking opportunities with BAFTA membership, industry and peer to pee Breakthrough cohorts

●        Access to Career Coaching sessions and support with professional skills development

●        Access to BAFTA’s virtual programme of events and screenings for 12 months

●        PR support and showcasing as part of Breakthrough

Netflix and BAFTA support emerging talent around the world, exchange ideas and stories in social networks, and celebrate diverse voices from diverse cultural backgrounds. This will be Netflix’s second year supporting BAFTA Breakthrough in India and third year in the UK and US.

The incredibly talented list of BAFTA Breakthrough’s first cohort comprised of the future stars of the film, games and television industries: Akshay Singh (Writer), Arun Karthick (Director/Writer), Jay Pinak Oza (Cinematographer), Karthikeya Murthy (Composer), Palomi Ghosh (Actor), Renu Savant (Director/Writer), Shruti Ghosh (Game Developer & Art Director), Sumit Purohit (Director/Writer), Tanya Maniktala (Actor) and Vikramaditya Singh (Director)

A. R. Rahman, composer and BAFTA Breakthrough Ambassador said, "BAFTA Breakthrough India is an awe-inspiring initiative that offers the unique opportunity to promising artists to connect with influential experts in their field, serving as a life-changing experience. India has supreme talent to offer which was evidenced by the overwhelming response received during the first round of Breakthrough India that compelled the jury to select ten deserving participants instead of five as originally planned. I am delighted to be back working with BAFTA and once again look forward to unearthing remarkable Indian talent in film, games and television for the world stage.”

Amanda Berry OBE, Chief Executive of BAFTA, said, “India has a wealth of talent waiting to be discovered and showcased. For the second year, we are delighted to open applications for BAFTA Breakthrough in partnership with Netflix. The high quality of applicants in our first year prompted the jury to select ten individuals rather than five, and we look forward to receiving applications from the very best emerging talent in film, games and television again."

Monika Shergill, VP, Content, Netflix India, said, "Coming together to create opportunities for fresh talent and offering them a global platform is vital to the growth of the entertainment industry. Through the BAFTA Breakthrough India initiative, we want to drive progress in creating a more inclusive industry where many tales are told, and many voices tell those stories. We look forward to an equally enthusiastic and quality response as in the first year.”

Application Requirements

●        The programme is looking for candidates who:

●         Will be aged 18 or over at the time of application

●        Have been primarily resident in India for at least 2 years

●        Are conversationally fluent in English

●     Are emerging as an exciting new performer, writer, director, producer, music composer/director, *choreographer, cinematographer, costume designer, game director, game producer or game developer within the Indian film, games or television industries

The candidates are required to have:

●        A letter of recommendation from a relevant regional film, games or television industry organisation

●        A leading professional credit on a piece of work that has been theatrically released in India; or broadcast on a television channel or OTT platform in India; or released in India and is playable by these audiences

●        A demonstrable ambition to work in the UK, to collaborate and share their expertise with UK practitioners and/or to produce content for UK audiences

Information

Though choreographers are not explicitly represented in BAFTA's global membership, applicants can apply for the Breakthrough programme, where, if selected, they will receive the opportunities to develop knowledge and be connected with other departments and creatives across film, games and television reflected in BAFTA's membership and network.

For more information on the BAFTA Breakthrough India 2020/21 participants visit: www.bafta.org/supporting-talent/breakthrough/breakthrough-india-2020

Airtel Launches ‘Airtel IQ Video’ – A CPaaS Solution To Democratize Video Streaming In India

* Airtel IQ Video allows entertainment companies and broadcasters to offer OTT video services with minimal investment by leveraging Airtel’s cutting edge and secure video cloud platform Will enable more companies to participate in India’s digital entertainment economy and bring quality content to the mainstream 

* Raj TV and Eros Now amongst early customers in India. CG Telecom of Nepal also using the platform. 

Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”), India’s premier communication solutions provider, today announced the launch of its Video Platform as a Service (CPaaS)  – ‘Airtel IQ Video’. The solution has been developed by Airtel’s in-house engineering teams.

By leveraging Airtel’s resilient cloud, and cutting edge video technologies, Airtel IQ Video allows businesses to build world-class video streaming products for large and small screens with minimal investment in infrastructure and technology. Airtel IQ Video is an end-to-end managed solution that brings convenience along with cost benefits. It encompasses a variety of features ranging from app development, content hosting, curation and lifecycle management to search and discovery, analytics and monetisation models (advertising, subscriptions, transactions).

Take the example of Raj TV, who have used Airtel IQ Video to take the OTT route to serve increasingly digitally savvy consumers. Says M Raajhendhran, Managing Director at Raj Television Network “We had a content library of over 30,000 hours with some of the best Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam films. But most of this content was on tapes/analog formats and audiences also want to access these through OTT. Using Airtel IQ Video, we have been able to digitize our content, host it on Airtel’s cloud platforms and offer it to audiences both in India and across the global through our own OTT app. Importantly, we have been able to achieve this at the fraction of the cost in very quick time with access to the best technology that has ensured the user experience is excellent. We look forward to deeping our relationship with Airtel.”  

According to RBSA Advisors, India's video OTT market is expected to touch USD 12.5 billion by 2030, from USD 1.5 billion, currently. The report also highlighted that the next wave of growth in the OTT landscape will come from tier II, III and IV cities and regional languages at the centre of this growth story.  Keeping these changing trends in sight, existing regional OTTs are looking to scale their technology platforms to accommodate the rising number of users. Traditional content providers such as regional TV broadcasters are looking to digitize their content libraries through OTT applications.

Adarsh Nair, Chief Product Officer, Bharti Airtel said: “Airtel IQ Video brings an easy-to-use platform that can enable anyone to quickly build and scale their business in video streaming. This will encourage enterprises to focus on content while Airtel IQ Video anchors the end-to-end technology ensuring a great viewing experience for customers. With Airtel IQ Video, we expect to see more content startups and traditional content companies coming online and directly engaging with consumers digitally.”

During the beta phase, Airtel IQ Video has also been deployed by Eros Now and CG Telecom of Nepal. Airtel is expecting to onboard 50+ brands on the platform in coming year as interest from market has been high.

Niravana Chaudhary, Managing Director, CG Group shares, “We have aspirations to launch a cutting edge IPTV and Video OTT platform as part of our telco offering in Nepal. Airtel’s proven execution in video based offerings with Airtel Xstream and keen understanding of a telecom company paved the way for our partnership. Airtel IQ Video will power both our Video OTT app and IPTV, bringing seamless streaming to our customers in Nepal on devices of their choice.”

Ali Hussein, CEO, Eros Now, says, “We have cherished our partnership with Airtel over the years and are now excited about our technology collaboration. Their robust infrastructure and extensive network coverage has been helping us deliver blockbuster content seamlessly to the end consumers. Airtel’s latest ‘Airtel IQ Video’ platform is an innovative offering that is built to scale and can assist Eros Now in reinforcing its value proposition to the rapidly expanding video subscriber base.”

Airtel IQ, a cloud-based omni-channel communications platform, enables brands to deepen engagement with customers through timely and secure communication. Airtel IQ eliminates the need for multiple communication platforms for different channels. With just a slice of code, businesses can embed communication services such as Voice, SMS, IVR, Video in their applications and digital properties across desktop and mobile, all through a unified platform. For more details visit www.airtel.in/iq

About Airtel

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global communications solutions provider with over 474 Mn customers in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its networks cover over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated communications solutions provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. Airtel’s retail portfolio includes high speed 4G/4.5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds up to 1 Gbps with convergence across linear and on-demand entertainment, streaming services spanning music and video, digital payments and financial services. For enterprise customers, Airtel offers a gamut of solutions that includes secure connectivity, cloud and data centre services, cyber security, IoT, Ad Tech and cloud based communication. For more details visit www.airtel.com

Jeep Brand Brings Customers And Community Together To Reduce 1500 Kilograms Of Plastic Waste Along The Ladakh Himalayan Range

* Jeep India launches ‘Mission One Earth’ to promote Responsible Adventure

Jeep India, today announced the launch of its flagship Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative called ‘Mission One Earth’. This initiative, through various programs, will encourage Jeep Customers and Community to enjoy adventures responsibly.

Kicking off its first project under this initiative, Jeep India gathered customers and the local community of the Ladakh region, home to the legendary Himalayas, to collect 1500 kilograms of plastic waste from the roads leading to the mountain range, which is home to the highest motorable roads in the world.

This year, Mission One Earth was integrated with Jeep India’s exciting annual customer drive experience, Legendary Jeep Trails. Jeep customers drove in twenty Jeep SUVs from Shimla to Srinagar via Leh for over 2000 kms for this plastic reduction drive. Over three hundred people from the local Ladakh community participated in this initiative.

Roland Bouchara, CEO & Managing Director, Stellantis India said, “For eight decades, Jeep has brought people together through driving adventures. Mission One Earth gives a special purpose to this adventure, which Jeep customers can enjoy responsibly.”

Nipun J Mahajan, Head of Jeep India. “Mission One Earth is another step towards achieving a larger goal of empowering our customers to enjoy JeepLife responsibly with our moto ‘Responsible Adventure’. We will be giving scale to Mission One Earth over the coming months by sharing our objectives with Jeep network partners and Jeep customers across the country.” 

Through this initiative, Jeep Brand placed specially designed and digitally enabled ‘reverse vending machines’ in high-footfall tourist locations along the high altitude passes in the Himalayas. The collected plastic waste will be recycled into Jeep merchandise. Tourists who feed the reverse vending machines with plastic waste will receive a coupon which can be redeemed for environment-friendly Jeep merchandise that will be sent to the individuals directly by Jeep India. The reverse vending machines will continue to remain at these tourist locations and, will be monitored and maintained by Jeep India for a year.

Jeep brand has identified a variety of social causes that will be taken up under Mission One Earth, every year, going forward. The highlight of this campaign is to encourage customers to enjoy their adventures responsibly while maintaining the sanctity of the terrain they drive their Jeep SUVs on.

Rahul Pansare, Head of Marketing and PR, Jeep India said, “Legendary Jeep Trails, our annual customer drive experience property, was an ideal platform for us to introduce Mission One Earth to our participating customers. Jeep Trails has grown to be hugely popular in the Jeep Community with over 15,000 members already signed up on the Jeeplife platform. We wanted to spread the message of Responsible Adventure via Mission One Earth and we have achieved considerable success in underlining our intent. The next step is to take Mission One Earth to the rest of India.”

Jeep India plans to spread the message of Responsible Adventure to every part of the country through its Dealer network and 50,000-plus customer base. Therefore, in the coming months, every Jeep dealership in India will have an element of Mission One Earth that will help spread the message. Jeep has been an evocative brand for over eight decades, has bought people together and shaped communities across the globe. Jeep customers will always be central to the brand’s cause, which will ride on Mission One Earth.