Influenced By Pop Culture, Korean Is Now The Fastest Growing Language In India: Duolingo Language Report 2021

* End of year campaign showcases learning trends, most popular language courses, phrases and reasons people use the world’s leading mobile language learning platform

* Personal & professional growth are the main reasons for studying a new language

* Digital language learning is preferred by most, with a keen focus on mobile applications and video platforms

Unveiling language learning patterns, attitudes and perceptions in India, Duolingo (Nasdaq: DUOL) – the world’s most popular language learning app – today released the 2021 Duolingo Language Report in the country. Taking a deeper dive into the impact of culture on language learning, Duolingo also conducted additional research in India in association with an international data and analytics group.

Commenting on the 2021 edition of the Duolingo Language Report, Country Marketing Manager in India, Karandeep Singh Kapany said, "With a young  India wanting to stay connected to local and global culture we have witnessed most traction on Duolingo from the 17 to 25 age bracket, across languages. As Indians increasingly move to virtual learning platforms that are fun and effective, we look forward to further tailoring courses for the Indian learner and meeting their language learning needs.”

Key Insights from the Duolingo Language Report 2021 (India):

Korean leads the language learning growth curve in India

Influenced by pop culture, Indian millennials and Gen-Z – especially between the age groups of 17 to 25 – are responsible for the rise of Korean learning in India. Korean has climbed up the ladder of most popular languages becoming the fastest growing language in India and has comfortably established itself as the 5th most popular language in the country. This rise can be attributed in-part to the release of popular TV series Squid Games in 2021.

As India tunes into more Korean entertainment and listens to more K-pop, language study has been reframed as something that complements and supports interests and other activities—not just something required in a classroom. In fact, according to a survey conducted by Duolingo, over 56% respondents said that they were influenced to learn a new language by pop culture trendsetters including movies, OTT shows and web series.

English, Hindi, French and Spanish are the other top languages that Indians are currently learning on the Duolingo app. It is interesting to note that English, Spanish, French, German and Japanese are the most popular languages on Duolingo globally.

Improving career opportunities and personal growth are main reasons in India for learning a new language

Close to 40% of respondents stated that they were currently studying a new language.

While the range of reasons to study a new language is diverse for Indian learners, professional and personal growth remain top motivators. This trend is observed across age groups as well as across metro and non-metro cities in India.  

Interest in a different culture, staying connected with the community and pursuing a new hobby are reasons that follow closely.

Equal focus on learning English and regional languages

When asked which languages they would be interested in learning in the future, 38% respondents picked a European language with French, Spanish and German being the top choices. With the corporate and entrepreneurial sectors getting increasingly global, it is not surprising that Indians are looking to expand their professional boundaries by learning these globally popular languages.

Interestingly, an equal number of respondents stated that they would be interested in learning English and an Indian regional language. This showcases the need to branch and seek new opportunities, while also staying connected to cultural roots.

Digital learning is the most preferred medium of learning especially via mobile applications and video platforms

Spurred by the pandemic, virtual learning has taken precedence over physical classrooms. It also allows learners the freedom to upskill either on-the-go or from the comfort of their homes. Respondents said that they were most comfortable learning a new language from mobile applications and video tutorials. Physical classrooms are the next preferred medium of learning followed by distance learning language courses.

Most 2021 Phrase

To coincide with the report Duolingo announced its Most 2021 Phrase. ‘I’m mentally exhausted’. Duolingo selected this phrase, found in its Japanese course, to reflect the tone and overall feeling of the year after much of the globe continued to cycle through lockdowns, delayed return-to-office plans, and ever-changing health policies.

Additionally, Duolingo is rolling out a new Year in Review experience which provides a visualized deep dive on individual user activity, showcasing eight different types of learners based on a variety of factors including hours spent learning, number of courses a learner has taken, what time a learner tends to practice, and more. The Year in Review experience is available for all Duolingo learners who completed at least 10 lessons in 2021. Duolingo learners can see their personalized Year in Review snapshot in the app and can share their learner style directly to social media.

Duolingo revealed that in 2021, over 700 million hours were spent learning on the Duolingo app with nearly 10 billion lessons completed and 15 billion words learned. It also revealed that 25 million people worldwide were learning more than one language.

About Duolingo:

Duolingo is the most popular language-learning platform and the most downloaded education app worldwide. The app makes learning new languages fun with bite-sized lessons that feel like playing a game. The company's mission is to develop the best education in the world and make it universally available. Duolingo offers over 100 total courses across 40 distinct languages, from Spanish, French, German and Japanese, to Klingon. www.duolingo.com.

About the Duolingo 2021 End of Year Language Report

The 2021 Duolingo Language Report includes information about learners who studied languages on Duolingo between October 1, 2020 and September 30, 2021. The data was aggregated by country or by language to ensure learner privacy. Country aggregations are based on internationally-recognized, independent, self-governing entities as outlined here. Also to the end of protecting learner privacy, rankings exclude countries where there are fewer than 5,000 Duolingo learners.

About the additional research by YouGov

The survey was conducted with 1,013 Indian respondents across 10 key Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Pune, Ahmedabad and Lucknow. The gender split was 50:50 and age groups considered were between 18 to 50 years.

Aviva Unveils A Life Insurance - Aviva Nivesh Bima In Indian Market

* Chotey Dreams se Bade Goals tak

* A life insurance plan that gives Guaranteed Moneyback to help fulfill short-term and long-term goals 

Aviva Life Insurance, India’s most trusted private insurance company, has announced the launch of Aviva Nivesh Bima. This is a non-Linked, non-Participating, Individual Savings Life Insurance Plan that provides guaranteed moneyback at every 5th policy year, in addition to a lump sum payout at the maturity. This value proposition ensures that customers enjoy the protection of a life cover while building up a corpus to fulfill their short-term and long-term needs.

Aviva Nivesh Bima offers attractive features such as fixed benefit pay-out on maturity or death, limited premium paying term, and an option to enhance the coverage through an add-on Accidental Death Benefit. The plan also offers tax benefits to customers.

Moreover, the Product is designed to attract the Aspiring Value Seekers in the society who’re looking to get guaranteed assured returns for their investments. The minimum annualized premium for the policy is as low as INR 25,000 up to a maximum of INR 1,00,00,000 so that the policy may be beneficial to customers with varying budgets and having low to moderate risk appetite.

Mr. Vinit Kapahi, Head, Marketing Function, Aviva Life Insurance said, “During uncertain times, customers increasingly seek life insurance plans with guaranteed gains, especially in the foreseeable future. By aligning our prospects with this future-oriented customer mindset, we have brought Aviva Nivesh Bima which will enable policyholders to fulfill their short- and long-term financial goals.”

He further explained, “The thought behind this campaign is encapsulated in ‘Chotey dreams se Bade Goals Tak’ as this sentiment speaks to our customers’ aspirations for getting a financial boost they may need at any time, whether immediately or in the long-term future, thus safeguarding their loved ones against uncertainties in life.”

Some of the key features of the Aviva Nivesh Bima Plan are:

Choice of premium payment term and policy terms

Annual, Semi Annual and Monthly modes for paying premiums

Option to add additional protection through Add on Accidental Benefit cover

Death cover of 11 times Annualized premium

Guaranteed Survival Benefit of 10% of Maturity Sum Assured every 5th policy year except at maturity

Guaranteed Maturity Benefit after deducting survival benefits already paid

Tax-free payouts, as per prevailing tax laws

 To know more about the product and its features, visit: https://www.avivaindia.com/saving-investment-plans/aviva-nivesh-bima

About Aviva Life Insurance:

Aviva Life Insurance Company India Limited is a joint venture between Dabur Invest Corp, one of India's oldest and most respected business houses, and Aviva International Holdings Limited, a UK based insurance group. Aviva International has been associated with India since 1834. Aviva stands by people when it really matters, throughout their lives. Aviva has been taking care of people for more than 320 years, in line with the purpose of being ‘with you today, for a better tomorrow’. Aviva aims to craft simple and relevant products and propositions that help customers protect what’s important to them and help them look to the future with confidence. Aviva’s focus is to provide the finest customer experience and the highest levels of service through digital innovations. Globally, Aviva serves 33 million customers across 10 countries.

Website:www.avivaindia.com

Renault KWID Crosses 4,00,000 Sales Milestone Celebrates With ‘Mileage Rally In Bangalore

* Introduces KWID Virtual Studio for Customers to experience its class leading features from the comfort of their home 

* The Rally witnessed an overwhelming response from the customers, with 22 customers participating 

 * An SUV-inspired design language, segment first features and industry-first innovations has scripted the success of KWID  

 The Renault KWID has recently crossed the groundbreaking landmark of 4-lakh sales milestone in India and continues to be a major disruptor in India’s mini-car segment. Renault celebrated this milestone with a special event in Bangalore – ‘Renault KWID Mileage Rally’ organized for all KWID owners. This rally was flagged off from Renault Yeshwanthpur Showroom, covering a total distance of 80 kms. 

The rally presented a platform for existing customers to drive their KWID across Bangalore with the objective of getting the maximum mileage. The event witnessed an overwhelming response from customers’, with 22 customers participating and revving with enthusiasm and delight. The top 3 participants reported an outstanding average mileage of 37.35 Kmpl. Once again, KWID proved that together with outstanding design and innovation, it offers great mileage, enabling an unmatched value proposition.    

Renault has introduced innovative ways of reaching out to the customers and has introduced Virtual Studio for its product range. Customers can now experience the KWID’s class leading features through the immersive and interactive Virtual Studio from the comfort of their home. The Virtual Studio offers a 360 degree view of Renault KWID in a seamless manner and allows customers to configure and accessorise. From checking out the price of KWID to booking a test drive, there is a lot that can be done online with the Virtual Studio.  

The Renault KWID is designed and developed specifically for the Indian buyers, keeping in mind global standards of quality & performance. It strongly resonates with the ideology of the ‘Make in India’ program, which advocates making globally competent products for India and the world by co-opting Indian expertise and skill. 

Available in 9 trims, including RXE, RXL, RXT and Climber variants in both 0.8L and 1.0L SCe powertrains with Manual and AMT Options, Renault KWID has been instrumental in the growth of the Renault brand across the country. Renault KWID’s SUV-inspired design, first-in-class 20.32 cm touchscreen MediaNav evolution with Android Auto and Apple Car Play, and the floor console-mounted AMT dial come together to make driving effortless. 

As part of the ongoing 10th Anniversary celebrations, Renault has launched the all-new KWID MY21 recently. The MY21 range complies with all the safety regulations applicable in India, and comes equipped with dual front Airbags as a standard feature across all the variants. Accentuating the attractiveness of the car, the MY21 Climber Edition features the Dual Tone Exterior in White and Black combination along with the Electric ORVM and Day and Night IRVM. The Front driver side pyrotech & pretensioner further elevates the safety quotient of the vehicle. 

Renault has also announced special offers including 10% discount on Spare Parts & Accessories and 20% discount on Labour Charges for all the KWID customers. 

ABOUT RENAULT  

Renault India Pvt. Ltd. is a fully owned subsidiary of Renault S.A.S. France. Renault India cars are manufactured in the manufacturing facility located in Oragadam, Chennai, with a capacity of 480,000 units per annum. Renault India also has a widespread presence of more than 500 sales and 530 service touchpoints, which include 250+ Workshop On Wheels locations across the country, with benchmark sales and service quality. 

Renault India’s product line up and services have seen strong recognition among customers and industry experts alike, winning more than 60 titles, making Renault India one of the most awarded automotive brands in a single year in India. 

Skill-Lync To Build A Talent Pipeline For Cyient, To Support The Hiring Of 4,000+ Embedded Professionals

* Skill-Lync launches new curriculum to train professionals for Cyient

* Cyient will be interviewing Embedded Professionals trained by Skill-Lync for roles at the company

* Newly hired Cyient employees will also be trained through Skill-Lync's customised program

Committed to equipping Engineers with the technical skill sets and delivering quality education, India's leading engineering EdTech start-up - Skill-Lync has announced its partnership with Cyient, a leading global engineering, manufacturing, and digital technology solutions company to support them in adding ~500 Embedded professionals trained by Skill-Lync to their workforce by February 2022 and support their ambitous plan to add 4,000 embedded professions over time.

Embedded Systems are critical to industries including aerospace, rail, automotive, medical technology, communication networks and utilise a combination of hardware and software to enable programmable or specified functions. Skill-Lync has invested in and launched a new curriculum on "Embedded Systems Development and Validation" to meet the requirements defined by Cyient, bridging the skill gap and reducing the training costs for the incoming workforce. These students will be required to have the expertise and will be required to have the necessary skills sets to be interviewed. Skill-Lync has witnessed a rise in the demand for embedded professionals across sectors such as Auto, Avionics, and Medical with Corporates showing increasing interest in recruiting Skill-Lync Engineers trained in Embedded skills.

Skill-Lync is now ramping up the pipeline to service the increasing demand for these in the industry. It has hired full-time technical experts with 10+ years of experience and is creating cutting-edge content and increasingly taking up upskilling partnerships across ER&D Sector.

Speaking on the partnership, SuryaNarayanan, CEO, Skill-Lync said, "We at Skill-Lync want our candidates to be industry-ready, hence, we aim at creating programs that will help them become industry-ready. We are customizing the curriculum to meet the learning outcomes that are specially curated as per Cyient requirements, such as the 'Embedded Systems Development and Validation' program."

Skill-Lync has revolutionized engineering education by bridging the skill gap between students and the industry. Followed by curating coursework in partnership with industry experts and ensuring a balance between practical exposure and fundamental theories. It allows students to work on practical projects with the aid of industry-oriented computational software/tools like ANSYS, MathWorks, Converge, GT-Suite, and many more.

Commenting on the partnership, Rajendra Kumar Patro, SVP & Head – Global Delivery Operations, Cyient, said, "While the hiring for growth in other technologies and domains at Cyient will continue as usual, we have partnered with Skill-Lync to ensure we hire qualified professionals for Embedded and to up-skill Cyient's new hires as well. Bridging the skill gap in Embedded software at scale is critical across industry sectors at Cyient. We hope this partnership will ensure that we have the required expertise in Embedded to deliver innovative solutions to our global customers."

Cyient is a global engineering and technology solutions company that engages with customers across their value chain, helping design, build, operate, and maintain the products and services that make them leaders and respected brands in their industries and markets. Customers draw on Cyient's expertise in engineering, manufacturing, and digital technology to deliver and support their next-generation solutions that meet the highest safety, reliability, and performance standards.

An Opportune Time For IT Employees To Look For Their Dream Job And Focus On The Long Term

By Rishi Agrawal, Global Delivery Head & SVP – Application, Automation and Analytics Services, 3i Infotech 

Recently, I got a panic request from one of a technical professional who has worked with me, for an urgent job change without any salary hike. While reviewing his profile, I saw that he has recently switched his job around three months back and changed two jobs in last one year with almost 3X salary, so I discussed with him about his reason for the change again. Based on this discussion and few incidents recently, I thought of writing my point of view with recommendation and guidance around the current IT employment situation. Recently, there has been a rush to hire technical resources as freshers and lateral hiring across all levels & roles with expertise in technology, digital technologies e.g., cloud, AI, Machine Learning, deep learning, data science and analytics etc. 

I started my career 21 years back during the dotcom bubble. Then onwards, I have seen multiple cycles of ups and downs in the demand for technical and technology-based experts which has gone for years. But now we could see a complete swing of opportunities in last 3-4 months where salaries and expectations are skyrocketing due to a gap created during the pandemic. 

Now, remote working/work from home is stabilised and corporates are ready to track productivity across the globe with significant increase in skilled / lateral manpower to start executing all available work and also build the right business continuity, to make sure there will be no disruption due to any future pandemic wave. Hence, there is a significant increase in salary for junior resources to augment/build the team. The instances resulting from these changes include: 

Employees have started getting multiple offers and counteroffers are increasing multifold 

Projects which are in progress are impacted severely due to cost factor and rotation of employees. Hence, project managers need to explore ways to reduce the cost  

All contingencies and buffers of the engagements are exhausted from higher CTC 

Now with high CTC, productivity expectations have also increased manyfold, which means employees need to perform better

Considering above points, below are some of the suggestions for the employees, both experienced and freshers - 

Select right company: With multiple job opportunities in hand, every employee has the option to choose the right company 

Along with salary, employees should look into other details to make sure they have the capabilities to deliver 

With higher salary comes higher expectations, so employees have options to select best suited opportunity in line with their capabilities and continue to be star performers

As the hiring demand increases and continues to grow, here are some recommendations for employers: 

Provide a career growth and job clarity to employees, instead of giving counteroffers with salary hike. Companies need to spend to create their brand value, career growth opportunities and project activities, to make sure they hire the right candidates for long term 

Avoid using fail-fast strategy on employees: Sometimes organizations hire buffer candidates and if they don’t meet the expectations, they are asked to leave. Instead, candidates must be assessed thoroughly and made sure they are given enough time to perform 

Short notice period: 4-6 weeks of notice period is a good time for knowledge transition. Also, during notice period, many employees are non-productive as they spend time to complete HR formalities 

Right references: If candidates work with a company for longer duration, they build good references. There is no point having references if candidates have spent less than one year in a company 

Faster onboarding: Most of time the onboarding process is very long with many steps involved. It starts with HR onboarding, followed by practice/BU and project team. It is good to show a collaborative approach while onboarding candidates. But it is also important to have quick discussions with relevant teams 

Clear job role and description: This is the most important area in finalising the right candidate. Many a times, JDs have content which doesn’t match with candidates. The hiring team focuses only on keywords and not on actual job role, profile and work. There should always be a discussion with the team that the candidate will join, to make set the expectations right before onboarding 

Job location: As work from home and remote work has become a reality, at present no has clear roadmap for future of work. The HR should discuss with the employees on back to office plan, so that it doesn’t impact business continuity post pandemic

Every employee should understand their capabilities, interest, and passion to work with full dedication, build their competency to justify their salary hikes, instead of considering it as a market driven opportunity and fall short of their deliverables. In short, this is a good time for employees to decide on their future, look for their dream job and focus on the long term.

Homegrown D2C Brand Brillare Launches It’s First Exclusive Outlets For Enhanced Customer Experience

* India's first brand to offer zero dilution personal care products launches its offline stores in Delhi and Surat 

India: 100% vegan and cruelty-free, homegrown personal care brand Brillare has recently launched it's first exclusive retail outlets in Pacific Mall, Delhi, and VR Mall, Surat. Brillare products are currently available for customers at premium salon chains, the official Brillare website, and leading e-commerce platforms such as Nykaa, Amazon, Flipkart, Purplle and Tata Cliq. With its foray into the offline space, Brillare eyes aggressive growth by expanding its pan India presence with more than 50 offline outlets by 2022.

Brillare's science-backed concern-specific product range is formulated to deliver superior dermatology grade results with real natural products. It proudly upholds the mission of formulating products with zero dilution promise that suggests their products are made with zero added water, zero chemicals and zero preservatives. Some of their best selling products like Real Face Washes, Oil Shots, Power Drops, Face Toners and Ultimate Soothing Oil are available in Zero Dilution formulation. 

The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the shift to a more virtual era and induced changes in online shopping behaviour, providing consumers with a multitude of 19,000+ e-commerce platforms to choose from. But, despite the tremendous expansion of e-commerce, India's massive $900 billion retail business still sees the majority of purchases made offline. Several digital-first beauty and personal care firms are rapidly developing retail stores and selling through supermarkets and neighbourhood shops, recognizing the tremendous potential of the offline sales channels. As the world resumes normalcy, digital-first brands are keen to provide their customers with a one-of-a-kind brand experience through product innovation, trendy promotions, and omnichannel presence across online and offline mediums.

Jigar Patel, CEO of Brillare, a formulation scientist, says, "The idea behind establishing Brillare was to address the real beauty concerns with science and nature and extend sustainable healing over a quick-fix approach. With the launch of our exclusive retail outlets, we hope to reinforce our commitment to providing only the finest quality products made with a blend of science and natural ingredients. We intend to increase our existing personal care portfolio and introduce innovative products with Zero Dilution formulation by 2022. Furthermore, we intend to open 50 retail outlets by 2025, as well as increase our digital footprints by penetrating Tier II areas and pursuing global expansion opportunities."

CAMLA Barcelona, Premium Western Fashion Brand, Launches Its Fall/Winter’21 Collection

CAMLA Barcelona, the premium and international western wear fast-fashion brand is thrilled to unveil the Fall Winter’21 collection that is characterized by dark and pastel hues, heavy fabrics, casual and formal attire. This season is geared up to embrace extravagance and self-affirmation. The ready-to-wear collection is designed to bring in a chic, practical, casual and comfortable fashion for people sprucing up for the winter season.

The brand, which is known for its premium quality fabric and trendy clothing, caters to both men’s and women’s fashion needs. “With CAMLA Barcelona, our aim is to make the latest trends at international runway available to Indian customers. We understand the expectations and demands of our shoppers and that helps us in manufacturing clothes which add value to their lives. I am really excited about our latest collection as it is going to up the fashion game of millennials and Gen Z,” says Ashish Jain, Director, CAMLA Barcelona.

There is a wide range of options available in categories like sweaters, sweatshirts, jackets, tracksuits, long coats, blazers, etc., for both men and women. The Fashion collection for women includes capsules like Color Block, Pastel Art and Denim Fever, while for men the focus is on Winter Essentials and Shades of Burgundy, etc.

The collection is available in its network of retail stores as well as online at glamly.com across the country.  The brand is offering its latest styles at an affordable price range starting from Rs 2590 for men and Rs 2290 for women. It is a unique offering for all the modern Indians looking for a premium western wear winter collection.

About CAMLA Barcelona

CAMLA Barcelona was launched in the year 2015 and its first store opened in Gurgaon’s Ambience Mall to a huge reception by the public. Currently, the brand boasts of an exclusive business outlet in Rohtak, Haryana while the brand is present via shop-in-shop format at 19 stores of MADAME and via 50+ multi-brand outlets.

Additionally, CAMLA products are also available on online marketplaces like Amazon, Flipkart, Ajio, Myntra, Tata Cliq, and the in-house e-commerce platform glamly.com.