National Institute Of Ayurveda, Jaipur Celebrates National Ayurveda Day 2021 - , ‘Ayurveda for Poshan’

Importance of wellness and preventive care for a healthy life highlighted at two-day event

•             Theme of National Ayurveda Day 2021: ‘Ayurveda for Poshan’

•             Govt. has released Rs. 260 crores for expanding the infrastructure of NIA’s satellite centre of Panchkula, Himachal Pradesh

The National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur commemorated 6th National Ayurveda Day by hosting a two-day event to encourage the Ayurvedic principles of wellness and healing in alignment with the theme, ‘Ayurveda for Poshan’. The event started with Dhanwantri Poojan. India is striving to become the global centre for traditional medicine and there is increasing collaboration between states and central government to make advancements in field of AYUSH

Speaking as the chief guest of the programme, Union Minister of AYUSH, Shri Sarbanand Sonowal announced release of Rs. 260 crores for expanding the infrastructure of NIA’s satellite centre of Panchkula, Himachal Pradesh

Shri Sarbanand Sonowal, Union Minister of Ayush, Ports, Shipping & Waterways said on the occasion, “Ayurveda can play an important role in raising awareness among the public about the necessity and importance of leading a disease-free, healthy and long life, both physical and mental. The potential of Ayurveda in maintaining a healthy lifestyle and how it can contribute significantly to lower the burden of non-communicable diseases in India is immense. There is an urgent need to raise awareness about the strength of Ayurveda treatment as India has a rich resource for plant-based medicines along with a glorious ancient history of practicing Ayurveda Shashtra. Considering the tremendous achievements of NIA, Ministry of Ayush has decided to expand the infrastructure of NIA at Panchkula and Rs. 260 crores have been released to NIA and it is hoped that NIA will glorify the practice of Ayurveda globally.”

Dr. Munjpara Mahendrabhai Kalubhai, Union Minister of State for Ayush, Women & Child Welfare said, “The Covid pandemic has amply emphasized on the importance of wellness and preventive care to live a healthy life. We need to focus showcasing the tremendous potential of Ayurveda to the world. Today, many first world countries are also looking up to Ayurveda for treatment and cure. The current generation should uphold the Ayurveda principle of diet to lead a disease-free, healthy lifestyle.”

Dr. Raghu Sharma, Rajasthan’s Minister for Medical Education, Health and Indian Systems of Medicine said, “Ayurveda is integral to Rajasthan and it's culture. We have been practicing it for ages. This year's theme, Ayurveda for Poshan couldn't be more relevant to address the issue of malnutrition and sedentary lifestyle induced NCDs. The theme should resonate across the country to bring about a change in people's lives and for this we should strengthen the research in this field.” Hon'ble minster also reassured that the state government of Rajasthan will extend all help to National Institute of Ayurveda to build and strengthen capacities and resources and continue the path to make Rajasthan a global attraction in the field of Ayurveda.

Shri Ramcharan Bohra, Member of Parliament from Jaipur City, said “Rajasthan needs a special recognition in practicing Ayurveda under Ayushman Bharat and National Institute of Ayurveda will lead the field of Ayurveda research”.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush said, “Centre of Excellences under AYUSH has been doing pathbreaking work. The importance of same has been reflected across the country with inclusion of Ayurveda as part of Biology subject in JNU also. We also witnessed the release of important documents and films. It is hoped that this event will benefit the public in maintaining their health and well-being. We are committed to our mission in establishing Ayurveda as one of the most reliable and effective form of treatments in treating non-communicable diseases as well."

Prof. Sanjeev Sharma, Director and Vice-Chancellor of National Institute of Ayurveda said, “We are really happy and proud to be able to successfully organize the events celebrating the 6th National Ayurveda Day. National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur organized this two-day event with gaiety and enthusiasm and the series of insightful initiatives were attended and well appreciated by the Ministers, Policy Makers, Administrators, Scholars not only from Ayurveda but from other fields as well.” 

The event saw the release of Ayurveda Swasthya Samiksha, a handbook containing daily routines; Ayurveda for Poshan, a booklet; NIA Nutri Cookies suitable for children and adults; digitized versions of three rare publications: the Charaka Samhita with Charaka-Nyasa commentary of Acharya Bhattar Harichandra & Charak-Panjika of Acharya Swamikumar; Charaka Samhita with Charaka Pradipika commentary written in the early 20th Century by Acharya Jyotish Chandra Saraswati  and Chakradutta with Ratnaprabha of Nishchala Kar and Tattvachadrika. In addition, a special manuscript website portal was launched along with short videos, CCRAS publications and films on the occasion. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed between Mahavir Jaipuriya Hospital and National Institute of Ayurveda for research in patient care. The event was also attended by students of Ayurveda from 15 countries.

The other guests present at the event were Advisor to AYUSH, Vaidya Shri Manoj Nesari; Special Secretary Pramod Kumar Pathak along with DGs and head of institutes of AYUSH ministry.

Bank Of India Reports Operating Profit And Net Profit Growth Of 25.66%, & 195.42% On YoY Basis During Q2FY22

The Board of Directors of Union Bank of India today approved the accounts of the Bank for the Half year ended September 30, 2021. 

Key Highlights in Q2FY2022 

1.    Strong Financial Performance:  

Operating Profit and Net Profit of the Bank improved by 25.66% and 195.42% respectively on YoY basis during Q2FY22. Net interest income of Bank grew by 8.52% on YoY basis during Q2FY22. 

2.    Bank continues to demonstrate a strong liability franchise:  

The CASA deposits have increased by 10.77% YoY. We now have a total deposits base at Rs.9,14,022 Crores as at the end of Q2FY22. CASA ratio improved to 37.16% from 34.61% on YoY basis. 

3.    Credit in Retail, Agri and MSME (RAM) segments grown by 8.48% on YoY basis: 

Bank registered 9.35% growth in Retail, 13.06% growth in Agriculture and 2.76% growth in MSME advances on YoY basis. RAM advances as % of Domestic Advances improved by 574 bps on YoY basis to 58.51%. 

4.    Reduction in NPA: 

Gross NPA (%) reduced by 207 bps on YoY basis to 12.64% as on 30.09.2021.  

5.    Cost to Income ratio of the Bank reduced by 115 bps on YoY basis: 

Cost to Income ratio of the Bank reduced by 115 bps on YoY basis from 44.95% during Q2FY21 to 43.80% during Q2FY22. 

6.    Improved Capital Ratios: 

CRAR improved from 12.38% as on 30.09.2020 to 13.64% as on 30.09.2021. CET1 ratio improved from 8.91% as on 30.09.2020 to 10.16% as on 30.09.2021.  

Celebrate Diwali With Rose Gold Fandelier Series From Fanzart

The festival of lights is round the corner and what better way to celebrate than with a range of fans with classic light fittings that alter the ambience, ushering in the festive mood with beauty and class combined.

Fanzart launches its Diwali collection of  Rose Gold fandelier series. Complete with light fittings, the contraptions appearing more as chandeliers than fans. These Fandeliers feature in two models to cater to the varied palates, the Windflower Rose Gold and Victoria Rose.

Windflower Rose Gold

The Windflower Rose Gold collection with its convoluted long LED light strip appears as a chandelier, its 22 inch vortex blades tucked neatly into the light fitting. The 400 RPM fan with its patented 5D vortex blades and six speed options, offers copious air, combining the summer/winter feature. Its double rotation facility of clockwise and anti-clockwise is a boon to the dining area, enabling the air to circulate upwards and cool the space while the spread on the table remains unhindered, offering a comfortable dining experience.

The long LED strip around this contemporary styled fan comes with a dimmer facility and colour options of warm light, daylight and white light. Given the feature of the blades remaining tucked in to the light fitting even while on rotation, the Windflower Rose Gold continues to appear as a stunning chandelier even when the fan is operational, adding to the decorative element of the interior. The Rose Gold is the new addition to the matt coffee black finish and champagne gold finish fans that were earlier launched.

Victoria Rose

The Victoria Rose collection caters exclusively to the vintage classical sentiments. The exquisitely decorative antique finish fans sew in five individual lights under them, with a pull chain to control the lighting, the entire device reminiscent of Victorian times. The antique flavour is further highlighted by the 60 inch blades that offer a large span akin to the days of yore.

Speaking on the features of the fandelier rose gold series, Tarun Lala, Co- Founder & Director, Fanzart says, “These Rose Gold fandelier series are not only classic decorative elements in an interior, but they also serve to be futuristic and sustainable, given their savings in power consumption while providing a high level of performance. The BLDC motor ensures the consumption of power is only 22 watts as against 85 to 95 watts of a conventional fan.”

About Fanzart

In the 10 years since its entry into the market, Fanzart has risen to prominence as a pioneer and leader in the luxury designer fans segment. With showrooms across the country, Fanzart is a name to reckon with in the luxury interior segment with its niche offerings. The products are also shipped internationally and have made a mark for themselves.

For more details and online purchase please log on to www.fanzartfans.com

Internet Kitchens Start-Up TTSF Cloud One Raises $5.3 Million In Seed Funding Round

* The Internet first Kitchen entity has raised $5.3mn USD

* The Seed funding round is led by Times of India Group’s, Brand Capital

TTSF Cloud One, an Internet First Multi Brand Cloud Kitchen entity co-founded by the creators of India’s 1st premium Thickshake brand, The ThickShake Factory, today announced that it has raised $5.3 million in a Seed Funding round led by Brand Capital - the strategic investment arm of Bennett Coleman & Co Ltd. (BCCL) of The Times of India Group. Previous investments of BCCL include Flipkart, Byju’s, BigBasket, Thyrocare, Dunzo & Rebel Foods.

TTSF Cloud One plans to extend its reach to scale up tech infrastructure & brand building.

Yeshwanth Nag Mocherla, Co-Founder, TTSF Cloud One said, “The Indian food tech space is at the cusp of disruption right now with largely unorganized brands operating in the market.  We are now aiming to create, license, acquire & operate several brands using our technology stack which will enable our eco-system brands to rapidly scale like never before & consolidate some categories. We believe with economies of scale, it is very much possible to build an extremely interesting play within a short period of time. We understand what it takes to scale a food brand across multiple cities and countries via our experience with The Thickshake Factory having built 125 physical stores in India & the US across 25+ cities over the last 8 years, being bootstrapped & profitable. We are aiming to operationalize 50 cloud kitchens, operating at-least 350 Internet restaurants by the financial year end.”

Ashwin Mocherla, Co- founder, TTSF Cloud One commented that, “We are extremely thrilled to welcome BCCL, The Times of India group on this journey and are looking forward to create a strong portfolio of brands which will stand out with great fundamentals intact – serving great quality, tasty and affordable food to the people of India. We want to tap into the opportunity of making Food service brands operate like FMCG brands creating scale at a level which wasn’t possible previously. Now, due to Digitalization of India, post COVID and a mature E-commerce ecosystem in place even in the food sector, it is possible.”

TTSF Cloud One’s focus will be on usage of technology, creation of its own brands as well as brand acquisitions and expanding its footprint across tier 1 and tier 2 cities in India. 

Bank Of Baroda Signs MoU With NeML To Become A Clearing Bank For NeML

Bank of Baroda, India’s premium public sector bank, has signed a MoU with NCDEX e Markets Ltd to become a “Clearing Bank” for handling financial transactions for NeML market place and procurement/ auction platform.  The MOU was signed today by Mr. Mrugank Paranjape; MD & CEO NeML and Mr. Jagdish Tungaria; General Manager, Bank of Baroda.  

NCDEX e Markets Limited (NeML) is the leading Indian electronic web based, online, commodities spot market and Services Company. It combines best features of financial markets and spot markets. 

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Jagdish Tungaria, Zonal Head, Mumbai Zone, Bank of Baroda said, “This tie-up opens up multiple opportunities for both institutions. The Bank will partner with Agriculture marketing federations and other procurement agencies across the country and increase its presence in agri e-commerce through its wide network across the country.  

Mrugank Paranjape – MD and CEO of NCDEX e Markets Ltd., said “We welcome Bank of Baroda as our clearing bank partner. The well spread network and technology prowess of Bank of Baroda will help NeML members across the country to further their agriculture businesses. “ 

About Bank of Baroda:  

Founded on 20th July, 1908 by Sir Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, Bank of Baroda is one of the leading commercial Bank in India. At 63.97% stake it’s majorly owned by Govt of India. Bank serves its global customer base of over 140 Mn through over 46,000 touchpoints spread across 19 countries in 5 continent. Through Its state of the art digital banking platforms it provides all the banking products and services in a seamless and hassle freeway. Recently launched bob World mobile app provides customers with saving, investing, borrowing and shopping experience, all under one single app. The app also serves non customers by enabling account opening through video KYC.    Bringing about a vision that matches the diverse clientele base and to instill a sense of the trust and security has been the paramount factor for Bank of Baroda. Its moving well in that direction and bob World has been a testimony for its roadmap towards Digital Transformation. 

Indians Prioritize Travel: Survey Shows 70% Respondents Are Willing To Spend Over INR 10,000 Per Person On Travel During Nov-Dec 2021

The world of travel and tourism has a new order in place, post-pandemic. With the spotlight now on consumers and their fast-evolving cares, it is important to understand what makes them tick, where their inhibitions lie and what their expectations are anticipated to be. Consumer-centricity is the only way forward, the industry agrees. 

With the aim of providing a birds-eye view of consumer behaviour, InterMiles, a leading loyalty and rewards programme, has published results of their third travel survey in the ‘Consumer Sentiment Index Report (Travel) 3.0’. Based on responses received from 2,276 InterMilers across India during mid-October 2021, the report showcases insights and changing consumption patterns of the evolved Indian traveller.

Key Insights from the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index (Travel) 3.0:

Close to 2 in 3 respondents look at firming up travel plans for November and December 2021, as they seek to escape WFH monotony and reconnect with loved ones

Rampant vaccinations and a decrease in the number of Covid-19 infections have boosted consumer confidence in travel. A whopping 95% respondents are either firming up travel plans (65%) or are contemplating travel (30%) during November and December 2021.

This comes as good news to the travel fraternity, who consider the Diwali and year-end period to be the second busiest period for travel, immediately after summer holidays. As like prior to the pandemic, religious festivities and year-end celebrations are estimated to play a major role in driving these numbers. Only a miniscule (5%) percentage of respondents are keen on staying indoors.

Why are they looking to travel? After a year and a half of tedious WFH routines and no separation between personal and professional lives, Indian travellers are keen on getting away from their homes – which also doubled up as their office! 34% respondents stated that they are looking to travel as they need a change of scenario and want to overcome WFH fatigue by connecting with nature. Staying home has also reignited the need for some adventure in 23% respondents, with them stating that they will travel to explore new domestic (14%) and international (9%) destinations.

Physical separation from loved ones during the pandemic has put a strong re-emphasis on relationships, with 31% respondents looking to travel to reconnect with loved ones, as they look to travel to either visit family & friends or go back to their hometowns. A small slice (12%) will travel to attend religious events or local festivities.

Bucketed as an essential expenditure, travel commands greater attention from consumer wallets

Given its role in re-energizing and re-motivating a population fatigued by the pandemic, by promoting mental health and wellness, travel is no longer grouped under non-essential expenditures. Additionally, with millennials choosing to invest in experiences rather than assets, it comes as no surprise that over 70% of the members surveyed are willing to spend over INR 10,000 (per person) on a trip.

15% members are willing to loosen purse strings even further and spend over INR 50,000 (per person) solely on travel.

Flights continue to be the preferred mode of transportation

Around 55% respondents planning to travel in Nov-Dec 2021, said they would opt for flights to get to their destination. This is in continuity to a similar trend observed during the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index (Travel) 2.0 released in March 2021 – where majority travellers stated that they felt more comfortable travelling by flights, as opposed to any other mode of transport. Self-drives – which emerged as a popular travel trend last year – continues to be popular with 20% respondents choosing to either travel by rented or personal vehicles.

It is encouraging to see that there is restored confidence in certain modes of public transportation – especially trains – with almost 1 in 4 respondents stating that they would actively opt for trains to get to their destination. This is in contrast to the survey released by InterMiles in March 2021, when majority respondents were not comfortable with any mode of public transport including taxis, autos, trains and buses. This increase in confidence can be attributed to the fact that the pandemic is now being considered an endemic, boosting the need to return to certain levels normalcy albeit with precautions and safety measures in place.

Safety considerations and pandemic protocols remain #1 when planning travel

Factors considered while choosing a destination

The traveller consideration list has evolved significantly during the pandemic – pushing health & safety to be primary factors when it comes to choosing a destination as well as accommodation properties. During the course of the survey, close to 50% respondents cited different aspects of safety as the most important factor while choosing a destination. Major deciding factors included Covid-19 protocols (26%), the number of current Covid-19 cases at the destination (13%) and the ability to have an isolated getaway (10%). It is interesting to note that respondents are more skewed towards gauging the safety ranking of a destination, by taking health protocols into consideration as opposed to the number of infections.

Experiences offered by the destination (22%), accessibility (14%) and value for money (13%) follow on the traveller priority list while scouting for destinations. 

Factors considered while choosing accomodation

Close to 1 in 2 respondents (45%) stated that safety & hygiene standards by the accommodation property was the most important deciding factor, while choosing a stay option. Price (16%), experiences offered (13%), accessibility to attractions (11%) and accessibility to transport hubs (9%) follow at a distance on the priority list.

With borders consistently remaining open for a while, reduced situational volatility and confidence in travel restored, flexibility no longer seems to be a major factor of concern while choosing a destination – only 6% respondents consider the flexibility to shift dates or cancel at no cost, to be the most important factor while choosing an accommodation option. This is in sharp contrast to the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index 2.0 released in March 2021, where potential travellers enlisted flexibility with regards to change date and last-minute free cancellations as a huge draw.

Vaccinate, test and mask-up please!

Post-pandemic, travellers do not believe that less is more, with them actively seeking out destinations that have strategic safety & hygiene measures in place. Vaccinations are working like a charm when it comes to boosting traveller confidence. This is evident as close to one 1 in 3 travellers state that they are comfortable travelling to destinations that allow only fully vaccinated travellers.

Another 27% respondents say that they would have most confidence in destinations that mandate negative RT-PCR tests, in addition to complete vaccinations. Furthermore, 16% state that in addition to the above stated criteria, they will be most comfortable with destinations that have short quarantine periods.

What masking protocols are consumers most likely to follow during travel?

Respondents seem to be divided on the correct masking protocol, during travel. However, a majority (32%) lean towards wearing single masks.

These are closely followed by those who prefer to don a single mask + face shield (28%), double masks (23%) and double masks + face shields (17%).

Increased dependency on technology in travel

With the onset of the pandemic, technology was predictably slated to play a huge role in reducing person-to-person contact. The InterMiles survey reaffirms its part in restoring consumer confidence, as a whopping 42% respondents say that contactless technologies boost confidence while travelling – these include contactless payments (22%) and digital IDs (19%).

Having a constant eye on travel developments via mobile applications also helps increase confidence in 24% travellers.

Along with dedicating attention to the latest travel news, travellers have also evolved to keep constantly keep a tab on physical health and again, technology comes to the rescue! 42% survey respondents said that they were likely to pack a smart band or watch that can track their fitness when travelling. Rather than tag around individual oximeters (29%) and thermometers (26%), majority travellers prefer smart bands and watches which are usually capable of monitoring both, temperature and Sp02 levels.

In addition to technology that monitors health, travellers also exercise adequate precaution – they state personal sanitizers (68%) and personal water bottles (60%) have now become absolutely essential travel accessories.

About the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index (Travel) 3.0:

The InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index was introduced to identify trends that matter and enrich the industry’s understanding around the always evolving consumer need and behavior. This survey was conducted between 11th to 16th October 2021.

The programme which has a 10mn plus member base, is committed towards understanding the pulse of consumers across various travel & lifestyle categories. Data collected through these surveys will not only enable InterMiles as a programme to create unique and compelling value propositions for its members, it will also create meaningful business opportunities for its partners. 

The member base for the InterMiles Consumer Sentiment Index (Travel) 3.0 comprises of members having diverse payment, lifestyle and travel preferences.

Honda 2Wheelers India Resumes The Hunt For Next-Generation Iconic Indian Rider

* Round 2 of 2021 Talent Hunt reaches Bengaluru to explore t­­­­­he young racing talent

* The Level 1 saw participation from 14 aspiring as well as experienced riders

* 6 young boys and 1 young girl promoted to Level 2 selection process

Giving wings to the next generation of riders who want to enter the world of professional racing, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. resumed the hunt for young racing talent by conducting round 2 of IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt 2021 at the Aruani Grid in Bengaluru.­­­­­

Since its launch in 2018, the IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt has gained success as a unique platform that identifies the best of young Indian riders and develops them for a racing career, spanning national and international road racing and endurance championships.

The second round of IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt 2021 in Bengaluru saw participation of 14 amateur riders from 8 cities (Bengaluru in Karnataka; Tirupur and Karur in Tamil Nadu; Kolhapur in Maharashtra; Kannur, Kottayam, Thrissur and Perintalmanna in Kerala). The round saw riders coming in from age as young as 11 years going up to 17 years. Interestingly, the round also saw a 11-year-old young girl break the ranks. The participants included both aspiring as well as experienced young riders who are looking for a platform to fulfil their dream of becoming an iconic rider.

Sharing an overview on the participation in Bengaluru, Mr. Prabhu Nagaraj, Senior Vice President – Brand & Communication, Honda Motorcycle and Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. said, “The IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Hunt is a platform developed by Honda that gives an avenue to aspiring and budding racers from all over India to unleash their potential on racetrack. We kicked-off the 2021 hunt for next-gen racing sensation earlier this year in Chennai and shortlisted two riders who are now showcasing their racing talent in IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Cup CBR150R. Moving ahead with this round in Bengaluru, we have shortlisted 7 candidates for phase 2 and the best of 7 will get an opportunity to ride and compete in CBR150R class of talent up. It is just the start of their professional racing career. In long term, Honda’s focus is to put young Indian talent on multiple National & International platforms like Asia Talent Cup, Asia Road Racing Championship, Endurance championships. I am confident that these budding riders will change the scenario of motorsports in India and make the nation proud both at national as well as international level.”

In Level 1, all 14 candidates went through rigorous 3 levels of tests. First being a grueling physical fitness session followed by judging the young guns’ riding skills and maneuverability on the racetrack. This was followed by a one-on-one interview with candidates and their parents/guardians to understand both their motorsport passion and family support to become the next iconic rider from India.

After shortlisting 7 candidates including 1 female in phase 1, these top candidates of the Talent Hunt of Bengaluru were trained and given opportunity to ride on the track in Level II. It is from this pool of talent that Honda will pick up the best talent for future development. These final riders will now get an opportunity to race in the IDEMITSU Honda India Talent Cup CBR 150R category.