Hero Motocorp Inaugurates Its Flagship Dealership At The Al Gazal MallI In Dubai

Further strengthening its presence in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Hero MotoCorp Ltd., the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, has inaugurated a new exclusive dealership in Dubai.

Expanding its footprint in the UAE, the company commenced operations at the new exclusive showroom located in the Al Gazal Mall, on 2nd December Street, Jumeirah 1, Dubai. The state-of-the-art workshop, enabling 3S (sales, service, spares) operations, is located at Al Quoz Road No.318, Al Quoz Industrial Area III, Dubai

The showroom spread over 625 sq. ft. displays the range of Hero MotoCorp motorcycles and scooters, while the workshop with two service bays provide the best-in-class aftersales service experience and spare parts to customers.

Speaking on the occasion, Sanjay Bhan, Head – Global Business, Hero MotoCorp, said, “The Gulf region is a strategically important part of our aggressive global expansion plans. Our aim is to bring world-class products and services to customers here and excite the market. We are focusing on providing extensive after-sales support to our customers and keep expanding in this market.”

During the inauguration, 100 Hero MotoCorp motorcycles were also handed over to SS Delivery Services LLC, the preferred partner for prominent food delivery aggregators in the region.

Having forayed into the region in 2018, Hero MotoCorp - along with its Afriventures FZE - its exclusive distributor in this market, is aiming to further expand its operations in the Gulf countries.

The Company caters to its customers in this region through a fast-growing network of over 10 touch points including six dealerships and service centers and four spare part outlets across five countries in the region, including the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar and Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Hero MotoCorp’s comprehensive product range in the region includes motorcycles from the entry to premium levels, including the Ignitor 125, Hunk 150, ECO 150 cargo and ECO 150.

The company also plans to launch its other globally successful products such as the Xpulse 200, Hunk 160R motorcycles and a range of scooters here in the near future.

Hero MotoCorp, along with Afriventures, has been consistently engaged in ensuring customer delight in the Gulf countries through various initiatives, including free service camps, customer meet & greet sessions, training technicians across the region and providing strong aftersales support.

WebEngage Startup Program Edition 2 : Bigger In Impact, Bolder In Ambition

* Second edition of the WebEngage Startup Programme will offer select early-stage startups access to its powerful Marketing Automation Suite with credits worth US $25,000 for six months 

* The program includes exclusive masterclasses on retention, brand building, key metrics to watch, planning subsequent fund-raises and more 

WebEngage, a new age Retention Operating System, has today announced the launch of the second edition of WebEngage Startup Program, a growth accelerator for early-stage B2C startups. WebEngage has launched this Startup Programme with an objective to help startups nail the customer experience right from first impression, on boarding to post purchase. This year the programme will be open for startups across E-Commerce, D2C, Marketplaces, EdTech and FinTech segments. Applicants can enrol themselves free of cost by visiting https://webengage.com/startup-program.

Once shortlisted, 50 startups will  have a dedicated team of WebEngage advisors coach them accelerate their business. Selected startups will get access to WebEngage’s comprehensive Marketing Automation Suite with credits worth $ 25,000 for a period of 6 months. Members of the programme will get to participate in exclusive masterclasses on best practices in retention and engagement so that they can pave a path to accelerated growth.

Avlesh Singh, Co-founder & CEO, WebEngage, says, “While we’re in the middle of  a unicorn boom, startups  need to remember that engaging and retaining their customers is a key to building an enduring business. 90% startups fail because they run out of money to continue acquiring customers while they’ve not paid adequate attention to retaining earlier customers - which is unfortunate. Through the Program, we aim to help startups to lay the groundwork for long-term retention, in setting the right dashboards and running highly personalized engagement across channels.”

The first season of the WebEngage Startup Program saw applications from over 80 startups across India, South East Asia, Middle East and Latin America. These startups include now known brands such as Fampay, Mudrex, Bare Anatomy, Phool, Air Black, Crejo, among others. The Program has helped increase the brands’ user engagement, retention and transactions alongside growth in their user base. For example, Fampay witnessed a 2X improvement in the on boarding funnel, a 22% increase in transactions made by the teenagers and a 40% boost in the number of referral users. Another social impact D2C brand Phool saw 23% increase in its revenue.

Kush Taneja, Co-Founder at FamPay said, "The WebEngage Startup Program helps us engage with users effectively, provide delightful experiences and build long-term relationships with them."

Ankit Agarwal, Founder at PHOOL said, "By enrolling in the WebEngage Startup Program, we've adopted a growth marketing approach that shall help us scale our business faster and bring down acquisition costs over time."

For application and more information on the WebEngage Startup Programme please visit: https://webengage.com/startup-program.

Applications close on 25th November, 2021.

About WebEngage

WebEngage is a new age Retention Operating System, a single suite for marketers to store user data, provide actionable insights, orchestrate Omni channel campaigns by leveraging user insights to provide a hyper-personalized end-user experience. The platform helps brands drive more revenue from existing customers and anonymous users across 10 communication channels. WebEngage goes above and beyond a marketing automation platform and powers the user engagement for thousands of enterprise brands worldwide, working across several industries like E-Commerce, Edtech, Fintech, Foodtech, Media & Publications, Gaming, BFSI, Healthcare, Online Retail. The key clientele includes marquee brands like HUL, Bajaj Finserv, Unacademy, ALT Balaji, Make my Trip, Zivame, First-Cry, and many more.

Edtech Startup - Avishkaar Receives Accreditation From STEM.org

* Showcases commitment to delivering quality STEM education to its community of 100K+ young innovators

Avishkaar, a category leader in next-generation technology education for children between 5 and 15 years of age, has received STEM accreditation from the prestigious independent credentialing and education research organization STEM.org. Avishkaar earned both the STEM.org Accredited™ brand trust mark and STEM.org Authenticated™ trust mark for developing and delivering authentic STEM experience and content to its community.

Commenting on the accreditation, Pooja Goyal, COO & Co-Founder, Avishkaar, said, “We are honoured to be accredited by STEM.org. This is a testimony of the seamless education experience put forth by our team at Avishkaar, while reiterating our commitment towards achieving excellence in STEM education and delivering value to our community of young innovators. 

Our aim is to continue working towards developing a global platform that encourages an innovative mindset among children at an early age, and to build with #Tech4LargerGood,” she added. 

Manipal Academy Of Higher Education Unveiled The 5th Edition Of Its Flagship Marathon “Race To Beat The Wave” Event In February 2022

 

* Marathon will attract Participants from India as well as Abroad

Manipal Academy of Higher Education in association with Udupi district Amateur Athletic Association has decided to hold the 5th edition of Manipal Marathon that is MM 2022, on 13th February 2022. The announcement was made in the pre-event press conference today MAHE’s University building in the presence of Shri. Raghupathi Bhat, MLA of Udupi and President - Udupi district Amateur Athletic Association and Dr H S Ballal, Pro-Chancellor, MAHE, Dr Narayana Sabhahit, Registrar of MAHE, Mr. S P Kar, Director, PR, Media & Social Media Cell, MAHE along with Dr Vinod Nayak, Secretary, Sports Council, MAHE.

During the marathon, all COVID protocols and majors will be in place as defined by Government and various Regulators, will be strictly implemented.

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE) will give all the facilities to enhance the student's abilities. We give a lot of importance to academic activities. Students should make sure that they focus on their studies and participate in extra-curricular and co-curricular activities. It will help in the overall development of personality. MAHE has a large indoor stadium to keep pupils fit and active. We at MAHE believe that physical and mental fitness should go hand in hand.

Dr. H S Ballal, Pro-chancellor, MAHE said “Running is an excellent approach to improve both your physical and emotional wellbeing. It benefits almost every part of your health, gives a stress-relieving outlet, and boosts your mood and general enjoyment. We are excited to bring back our legacy Manipal Marathon in 2022 keeping all Covid protocol in mind”. MAHE along with Udupi District Amateur Athletic Association is excited to bring the Marathon season back to the district, which was gravely missed last year due to the pandemic. We strongly feel that physical activity is a must to keep immunity in check and we are gearing up for this mega event.

Sri K Raghupathi Bhat, MLA, Udupi, who was present at the press meet who believes that “The marathon is organized in order to support fitness movement, a call given by Prime Minister Modi ‘Fit India’. It is advised to exercise for at least half an hour to keep our body and mind healthy. Udupi District Amateur Athletic Association and MAHE have together been part of Manipal Marathon from decades and we continue this journey with MM 2022. I wholeheartedly urge the people of the district to take part in this event and stay fit always.”

Dr. Narayana Sabhahit, Registrar, MAHE said “Running is not only beneficial for your health, but it is also a tremendous physical exercise that may help you meet new people and form strong relationships. Running is also a good approach to set and then achieve goals. If you're looking for some direction in your life, now is the time to put on your running shoes and get to work. We are happy to announce the 5th edition of the Manipal Marathon scheduled for February 2022. We at MAHE are taking all the necessary precautions and adhering to the government guidelines for Covid-19”

The conference was moderated by Mr. SP Kar, Director, PR, Media & Social Media Cell, MAHE, along with Dr Vinod Nayak, Secretary, MAHE Sports Council who further shares “At MAHE we believe in all-round development. Our flagship marathon event is an example of our belief. In this event, he showcased how MAHE is planning to conduct MAHE’s 5th edition of Manipal Marathon 2022 scheduled for 13th February 2022 keeping COVID protocols and guidelines at its core”

The Press Meet was attended by Col Prakash Chandra, Director (General Services), MAHE, Dr Shobha Erappa, Joint Secretary, Sports Council – MAHE, along with other dignitaries.

eXp India Attracts 1000+ Agents Within 10 Months Of Launch

* The cloud based real estate brokerage continues to grow rapidly with  a presence in over 15 Indian states

eXp India, a subsidiary of eXp World Holdings  (NASDAQ: EXPI)  has on-boarded over a thousand real estate agents across India since their launch 10 months ago. A growing number of agents continue to join the cloud-based brokerage every day, signalling a marked trend in the way real estate transactions are being conducted post-pandemic. 

eXp’s cloud-based brokerage is powered by the company’s immersive and collaborative platform, which enables its agents to communicate, meet and conduct business in a virtual world.  Named eXp World, the cloud-based platform comes replete with meeting rooms, presentation collateral, conferences, extensive training and networking opportunities, myriad ways to personalize the virtual avatar, and much more. eXp India also offers a unique remuneration model for agents with attractive incentives and options to earn additional income by helping grow the company’s agent base globally and earn through listing and selling activities."We entered the Indian market in the last quarter of 2020 excited about the opportunities here, and the last 10 months have seen phenomenal growth. The Indian market has incredible potential, and the real estate agents themselves are talented and well-versed in market trends. We have seen extraordinary adoption of eXp's work model, and are confident that our footprint will continue to grow and attract agents who are looking to break the status quo," says Michael Valdes, the President of eXp.

“We are working towards building a strong foundation for an extremely progressive and transparent real estate sector in India. With that in mind, we give all our agents world-class training, flexibility and support, and have seen immense interest in the market as a result. Our agents have industry-first perks like a chance of acquiring equity shares and an attractive commission model which encourages more entrepreneurial minded agents, as well as existing brokerages to join our growing virtual community” says Shashank Vashishtha, the Executive Director of eXp India. 

In India, eXp conducts business in Delhi & NCR, MMR & Pune, Goa, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Indore, Lucknow, Agra, Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Chandigarh, Ludhiana, Amritsar etc with a focus on both commercial and residential real estate. The brand began its operations by obtaining RERA licences in 15 states. At present, eXp India works with over 25 developers with 100+ projects and over 3000 property listings on their website and is looking to soon obtain RERA licences for an additional 5 states. The company has also witnessed exponential growth internationally in the last 12 months. eXp Global has launched operations in 14 countries, including India, in the past 12 months and has exceeded 67,000+ agents, making it the fastest growing real estate brokerage. eXp now operates in 18 countries worldwide.

About eXp India - eXp India and its global brokerage, eXp Realty, is one of the fastest-growing real estate tech companies in the world with more than 67,000 agents in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, South Africa, India, Mexico, Portugal, France, Puerto Rico, Brazil, Italy, Hong Kong, Colombia, Spain, Israel, Germany and Panama. As a publicly traded company, eXp World Holdings provides real estate professionals the unique opportunity to earn equity awards for production goals and contributions to overall company growth. eXp World Holdings and its businesses offer a full suite of brokerage and real estate tech solutions, including its innovative residential and commercial brokerage model, professional services, collaborative tools and personal development. The cloud-based brokerage is powered by an immersive 3D platform that is deeply social and collaborative, enabling agents to be more connected and productive.

Safe Harbor Statement: The statements contained herein may include statements of future expectations and other forward-looking statements that are based on management’s current views and assumptions and involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such statements. Such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date hereof, and the company undertakes no obligation to revise or update them. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the economic and social effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; continued growth of our agent and broker base; expansion of our residential real estate brokerage business into foreign markets; demand for remote working and distance learning solutions and virtual events; development of our new commercial brokerage and our ability to attract commercial real estate brokers; and revenue growth and financial performance. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance. Important factors that may cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in forward-looking statements include changes in business or other market conditions; the difficulty of keeping expense growth at modest levels while increasing revenues; and other risks detailed from time to time in the company’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to the most recently filed Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q and Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Jupiter Brings ‘Mission Invite’ Program For Its 100% Digital Banking App

* Get an invite for a personalised banking experience that keeps pace with you

Why Jupiter:

●        India's first co-created digital banking experience

●        Customer service is not differentiated based on a customer’s account balance

●        Instant Chat Support for customer resolution with in the App

●        1% Rewards on UPI & Debit Card Spends

Bringing an instant, personalized and seamless banking experience to everyone, Jupiter- a 100% digital bank, has opened its app to more users today. . Founded by Fintech veteran Jitendra Gupta, Jupiter is built on a ‘user-first’ ethos.

To win users’ trust, Jupiter has introduced its ‘Mission Invite’ program to let existing users invite their friends. If you don't know any Jupiter user, you can still get in: just request  the existing community for access.  Or, try downloading the app to see if you can get one of the limited exclusive invites, right from the makers of the app.

Jupiter’s beta release in June recorded more than 1.5 lakhs requests from users for early access with in 2 weeks of launch.

Having received a phenomenal response from early users thus far, Jupiter aims to on-board 1 Million accounts in the next 6 Months. As on date, Jupiter is onboarding more than 3000 new customers for saving account every day. The app witnessed INR 100 crore+ customer deposits in last 30 days.

Jupiter offers more than just a bank account. Co-created with a strong community of fans, it’s tailormade to the needs of the modern consumer. It provides an intuitive, personalised experience that will change the way you think of banking forever.

The app is equipped with smart features that are intuitive to a users’ core financial needs:

●        Insights – A real-time breakdown of purchases, automatically sorted into categories, so you know exactly where and how you spend. 

●        Networth & Debt Tracker – Track all your bank balances or active loans from one place.

●        Pots- Hit all your saving goals by saving easily with Money Pots. Save for your next trip, the cool gadget on your wishlist, or even retirement.

●        Jewels – Earn 1% instant rewards on Debit Card and UPI spends, which can be redeemed as cash

●        Quick, easy payments - Pay from Jupiter or any other bank account, using your Jupiter UPI ID

Jupiter has partnered with Federal Bank and Visa to issue zero-balance savings accounts and debit cards. The app is available, both, on iOS and Android. 

Speaking on the launch, Jitendra Gupta, Founder & CEO, Jupiter Money, said, “Banking requirements are evolving at a fast pace, especially for the younger audience. Today, consumers don’t see bank as place where you go but it’s what you do with your money.. At Jupiter, we are approaching the banking experience with the mindset of an internet company by offering instant resolution to their needs. The ‘Mission Invite’ program is a way to convey our gratitude to initial customers and provide them an opportunity to expand and build a community that is waiting to experience a change in digital banking.”

Founded in 2019, Jupiter is a 21st century, digital banking platform, and is Gupta’s latest fintech venture, aimed at disrupting the financial services industry, after CitrusPay, which, in 2016, recorded one of the then-largest exits in the Indian fin-tech services ecosystem. The company counts the likes of Brazil-based Nubank, Sequoia Capital, Mirae Assets Venture, 3one4 Capital, amongst others and was last valued at INR 2000 crores in last round.

About Jupiter

Founded in 2019, Jupiter is India's first co-created digital banking experience. It has been conceptualised as a digital banking app with one simple aim – to deliver a banking experience that is nicer to the customer, his wallet and his financial goals. It cuts through the banking jargon, offers smart insights based on spending, and provides a range of new-age features to enable sensible financial decision-making.

Anthology Completes Merger With Blackboard, Launches Next Chapter In EdTech

 

* Anthology names new, combined leadership team

Anthology, a leading provider of higher education software solutions that support the entire learner lifecycle, and Blackboard Inc., a leading global EdTech software and solutions company, today completed their previously announced merger.

By bringing Blackboard and Anthology together, the combination will create the most comprehensive and modern EdTech ecosystem at a global scale for education. The company is uniquely positioned to enable deeper insights about the learner so that institutions can deliver unmatched personalized experiences and outcomes across the full learner lifecycle.

The parent company of the newly combined organization will be Anthology, with the Blackboard name continuing as an integral part of its brand portfolio. The Anthology brand represents the collection of the best and signifies the continued focus on creating the next chapter in EdTech. The company will tap its leading global position — with more than 150 million users across 80 countries — and a comprehensive portfolio of innovative solutions, to enable institutions to remove the historical barriers between administrative and learning ecosystems and drive learner and institutional success.

Led by Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Milton, a team of top-tier executives has been identified across both organizations to lead the combined company. The company’s headquarters will be in Boca Raton, Florida. The company also will maintain its global facility footprint including the main Blackboard office in Reston, Virginia.

“The closing of the transaction represents the next chapter for Anthology and Blackboard as our collective offerings can deliver unmatched personalized experiences and insights across the full learner lifecycle,” said Milton. “Our combined broad set of capabilities – including teaching and learning, student information systems, enterprise resource planning, community engagement, student success and student engagement – will provide our clients with a full suite of enterprise-level products and services that enable institutions to not only focus on data-driven decisions but completely transform both student and institutional success.”

Clients across higher education, K-12 schools, government and business sectors of the combined companies will benefit from:

·       Accelerated Investments and Innovation in Current Solutions: Anthology will continue to support the solutions of both companies with key strategic investments and a focus on accelerating innovation. It also will ensure that the various solutions integrate to a heterogeneous EdTech ecosystem.

·       The World’s Largest Modern EdTech Ecosystem and Expanded Portfolio of Solutions: Clients will have access to an expanded product portfolio and global reach to meet institutions’ learning and administrative needs.

·       A Commitment to Privacy, Security and Openness: Ensuring the privacy and security of clients’ data is a foundational principle and the combined company will continue to meet the high privacy standards globally. The combined company believes openness is a critical element for innovation and will continue to integrate and connect with other solutions.

“With this combination, Anthology is poised to accelerate the data-driven higher ed ecosystem that the market has been demanding,” said Ramzi Musallam, CEO and Managing Partner of Veritas Capital. “Under the leadership of Jim Milton and the company’s proven senior leadership team, Anthology will serve as an industry force to improve outcomes for students and institutions and ensure the advancement of connected knowledge.”

The combined entity is majority owned by Veritas Capital (“Veritas”), a longstanding technology investor with a focus on companies operating at the intersection of technology and government. Leeds Equity Partners (“Leeds”), a private equity firm focused exclusively on partnering with companies in the Knowledge Industries, holds a minority stake in the company as well as Providence Equity Partners LLC (“Providence”), Blackboard’s previous majority owner.

Milbank LLP acted as legal advisor to Anthology and Veritas. Deutsche Bank served as financial advisor to Blackboard, and Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP acted as legal advisor to Blackboard. Debevoise & Plimpton LLP acted as legal advisor to Providence.

About Anthology

Anthology exists to help higher education advance and thrive using modern cloud technology and services that keep the learner at the forefront. Drawing on a fully connected data experience, Anthology solutions create operational efficiencies, provide intelligence for staff and administrators, and empower institutional leaders to support and guide students on a path to success.

The full suite covers admission and enrollment management; student success and retention; institutional and learning effectiveness; alumni and advancement; and enterprise applications and infrastructure, offering solutions to the challenges facing campuses today. Working with more than 2,000 colleges and institutions in over 30 countries, Anthology is constantly discovering new ways to revolutionize higher education.