Medvarsity Partners With Clove Dental To Launch Fellowship In Endodontics

* 110 BDS graduates admitted in week one of the launch

Endodontics or ‘undertaking treatments to save teeth’, is a highly specialized science which requires an advanced set of skills for a predictable and positive outcome. The high incidence of tooth decay and lack of awareness amongst the population makes it all the more important that every single dentist is provided specialized training to develop these skill sets.

Medvarsity, the leading healthcare ed-tech brand and Clove Dental have partnered to launch a Fellowship course in Endodontics. This 6 months fellowship program includes a 3-month contact program with Clove Dental across all major Indian cities. This allows the students to apply their knowledge in a real-world clinical setting.

Lt. General Dr. Vimal Arora, Chief Clinical Officer (PVSM, AVSM, VSM & Bar), Clove Dental said “The number of Endodontists, in the country, is woefully inadequate and there exists a definite need and requirement, not only for additional number of seats in Post-Graduation in Endodontics across the country but also for skill development in the field of Endodontics to improve treatments related to Root Canal, Re-Root Canal, Single sitting root canal, Surgical Endodontics and Post Endodontic Rehabilitation. Our partnership with Medvarsity is aimed at addressing these issues, and giving our dental surgeons the right training platform required to grow their practice, and serve their patients better”.

Clove Dental will provide Medvarsity students with the right infrastructure across the country as well as highly experienced and trained faculty in this discipline to provide the right kind of training to young dentists.

Gerald Jaideep, CEO Medvarsity said, “The oral care profession in India is faced with dire problems ranging from professional education, to practice and employability. We currently have the second highest number of dentists in the world, with 2.7 lakh registered practitioners. Our dentists-to-population ratio of 1:5,000 trumps the 1:7,500 recommendation by the WHO.

Still our dental surgeons do not have programs other than their formal education, to increase their employability and dental practice. We are happy to partner with Clove Dental to launch this 6 month Fellowship program. It's very satisfying and  humbling to see the first batch kickstart with 11O admissions within the first week of the launch of this program”.

The program allows BDS graduates to learn through the clinical application of knowledge rather than rote learning, allowing students to understand and recall concepts better in a clinical setting. The program further provides a framework for optimal diagnosis, treatment planning, and management of all endodontic lesions.

Social Pressure Drives Indian Consumers' Hygiene Habits Across India

Maintaining good hygiene has been heavily promoted as the best measure consumers can take to combat the spread of COVID-19. As a result, many consumers’ hygiene habits are now being driven by social pressure.

According to Mintel’s latest research, the majority of Indian consumers (84%)* agree that personal hygiene, such as sanitising hands and wearing masks, is a social, rather than individual, responsibility. Moreover, three in five (60%) Indians say it does not matter if they keep good hygiene practices if others do not.

Triveni Kulkarni, Senior Beauty and Personal Care Analyst at Mintel said:

“For consumers, maintaining a good social image drives the use of more cleaning and personal hygiene products. It is imperative for brands to provide consumers with a sense of pride through brand and product ownership and help them appear at the top of their hygiene game by offering a sense of discernment through innovative features and sleek packaging. Brands can also focus on initiatives and promotional activities that help consumers display their cleaning efforts to their peers in order to embed behaviours and boost engagement with the category.”

Indians prioritise hand hygiene?

Hand sanitisation is still believed to be the easiest way to protect against COVID-19. Two in five (41%) Indians strongly agree that using hand sanitisers regularly is still the best hygiene practice, even after the pandemic subsides. Moreover, Mintel research shows that consumers want sanitisers that are suitable for sensitive skin (50%), have natural ingredients (48%), and smell like they contain high-quality scents (46%).

Ease of use is the top growing claim in hand sanitiser launches in India which has significantly grown from 3.7% to 39% between Oct 2018 to Sept 2021, according to Mintel Global New Products Database (GNPD).

Triveni Kulkarni, Senior Beauty and Personal Care Analyst at Mintel said:

“With the hand sanitiser category now commoditised, consumer involvement doesn't translate to brand loyalty. There is therefore an opportunity to create brand loyalty by offering differentiation. The continuous use of alcohol-based hand sanitisers can cause skin dryness and this negative user experience can impact frequent usage and brand consideration. Brands could enhance the application experience through sensory elements such as scents, gentle formulas and incorporating skin-conditioning benefits such as hydration or moisturisation to reduce discomfort and dryness and strengthen brand affinity.”

Notes to Editors

*3,000 Indian internet users aged 18+, August 2021

About Mintel

Mintel is the expert in what consumers want and why. As the world’s leading market intelligence agency, our analysis of consumers, markets, product innovation and competitive landscapes provides a unique perspective on global and local economies. Since 1972, our predictive analytics and expert recommendations have enabled our clients to make better business decisions faster. Our purpose is to help businesses and people grow. To find out how we do that, visit www.mintel.com

to the support and the cooperation of all the people in India and the local society. Our suppliers and partners stood by us and believed in our common vision – delivering continuously even in acute times such as pandemic and I am grateful for their efforts all along. Our network of dealers, channel partners played excellent role as our extended arms in providing 3S - Sales, Service and Spare Parts support ensuring delightful experience of our customers all along. HIPP will continue to contribute to India and its society as a company that is expected to exist”.

Upscalio Acquires Popular Consumer Brands Gizga, Tizum, AirCase, And HomePuff

* The company will leverage a mix of geographical and product expansion to help the brands achieve INR 200 cr Annual Revenues in 2 years

In a stellar 4-in-1 win, Upscalio, a roll-up e-commerce company that invests in and grows online-first brands, has picked up a stake in Gizga, Tizum, Aircase, and HomePuff brands. The brands are category leaders and operate in the next-gen Computer, PC and Phone accessories, Laptop Bags, and Kitchenware segment respectively.

These brands have a significant market share in their respective verticals and hold a unique stance as category leaders on Amazon with positive reviews, ratings and recall. Established by Dinesh Vardhan, Vikram Vardhan and Amit Hingarh over 7 years ago, the brands are bolstered with a scrupulous procurement system which have contributed to their steady growth.

Upscalio envisions scaling these brands into INR 200 cr Annual Revenues in the next two years. To achieve its ambitious goals, the company will focus on expanding the brands’ geographical footprint while also ramping up new product development. UpScalio will also plan an eventual B2B foray to unlock new growth avenues for all three brands.

Speaking on the development, Saaim Khan, Co-Founder and COO, UpScalio said, “Laptops and mobile devices are becoming intrinsic to every household, especially in the work-from-home era. Along with kitchenware, their utility is extremely high and the category is poised to be disrupted by the technologically-superior and aggressive growth-minded brand. We look forward to helping these brands achieve Scale new heights by leveraging our core capabilities around Brand building, Marketing , NPD and Supply Chain optimization.

Dinesh Vardhan said, “Upscalio has created a fabulous strategic roadmap for Gizga, Tizum, AirCase and HomePuff. We are excited to see a greater section of customers enjoy and appreciate our efforts in building a category defining house of brands. The brands are in the right hands as they enter their next phase of hypergrowth, and we are confident that UpScalio will bolster the market position of these brands .”

About UpScalio

UpScalio is India's next generation, data-driven consumer goods company. We invest in e-commerce businesses that sell on Amazon, Flipkart and other marketplaces, and their own websites. Then, our A-team shoulders the responsibility to grow the business 5-10X. UpScalio unlocks wealth for original founders, by providing a full exit over time.

Mphasis Ltd Sees Strong Demand For Environment To Sustain Globally

BUY

CMP: Rs2952  

Target Price: Rs3650

* Mr. Nitin Rakesh, CEO, and Mr. Manish Duggar, CFO, in an interaction with us, highlighted that cloud migration, data, core modernization and customer experience are major tech consumption trends, and the company's investments have enabled it to capitalize on growth opportunities in those areas and sustain growth momentum.

* Focus on proactive large deal origination, client mining, new logo additions and a steady increase in deal sizes and tenure led to robust deal TCV wins and revenue conversion. Traction in BFSI, Hitech, Travel and Healthcare augurs well for sustainable growth.

* Mphasis remains confident of delivering organic EBITM within 15.5-17% in FY22. The integration of Blink will have an incremental 100bps negative impact for the first two years. It expects margins to remain stable with an upward bias, considering the offshore shift, flattening pyramid and lower dilutive impact from Blink, with growing revenue negating wage inflation.

* We retain Buy on Mphasis with a TP of Rs3,650 (33x Mar'24E EPS) on continued strength in the Direct business with stable margins. Overall revenue growth should converge with the Direct business as the share of the DXC business shrinks further.

21K School Becomes World’s First Web 3.0 School; School Introduces NFT Marketplace And Metaverse For Students

* Introduces ‘Learn to Earn’ through Gamification

* Student to list their creations on School’s NFT Marketplace and redeem their earnings as scholarships

* Metaverse for students and teachers to redefine learning and teaching

21K School, India’s first online only school, has launched its very own NFT Marketplace, as well as, introduced Metaverse and Web 3.0 for their K12 students around the world. Transitioning online schooling from Web 2.0 to the world’s first Web 3.0., the visionary 21K School founders have taken their keen interest in technology and are adopting it for the school of the future, where students will be encouraged to use technology to amplify their learning journeys.

21K School students will soon be able to create and sell their Artwork, Books, Podcast, Music, Videos on 21K School’s NFT Marketplace. They can earn reward points in the form of coins for all activities, timely submission of assignments, assessments and marks scored in examinations, which can be redeemed for scholarships, etc. This ‘Learn to Earn’ model is truly one of its kind in the world! Students can also invite their friends to be part of a gamified learning journey and build the ecosystem.  The Web 3.0 school is also launching a blockchain based solution to identify marksheets, profiles of students and teachers with their accomplishments.

Santosh Kumar, Co-Founder & CEO, 21K School, said, “We are the world's first school to transition into Web 3.0. At 21K School, we are immensely proud to reimagine education with emerging technologies like Blockchain, Metaverse, NFTs, and more to instil learning, thinking, and creativity in the DNA of our students. We are the world's first Web 3.0 school to be implementing an NFT Marketplace, so children can have the opportunity to understand how cutting-edge technology can help them turn their creativity into financial empowerment. The NFT revolution is sure to impact countless industries unprecedentedly, and we are bringing it straight into our classrooms! We are thrilled to usher in a new era of learners who would be well poised to drive technology-led entrepreneurship in times to come.”

21K School is also introducing gamification within its classrooms, where students can complete their homework and assignments in a gamified manner, driven by the digital school’s artificial intelligence enabled Learning Management System. This will not only create deeper engagements for students, but will also encourage them to finish their given tasks with perfection. 21K School will also provide rewards based on views on their class videos, assessment scores and student’s feedback by 21K school, while parents can also earn points for their involvement in their child’s education journey, all in the form of 21K coins.

21K School is the first online-only school in India, offering children aged 3 to 18 years a choice of three curriculums to study in – Indian, American and British. The school recently raised Pre Series A funding of $5 million from Ronnie Screwvala, Co-Founder and Chairman, upGrad. Founded in 2020 by Santosh Kumar, Yeshwanth Raj Parasmal, Dinesh Kumar and Joshi Kumar, the 21K School model aims to disrupt the traditional K12 school system and offer personalised, affordable and flexible schooling for students, regardless of where they are located or their time zone. The company already has nearly 3,500 students enrolled from over 400 cities across India and 35 + countries.

For more information on the new technologies, refer to: https://21kschool.ai/

For more information on 21K School, refer to: https://21kschool.com/

About 21K School:

Founded in 2020, 21k School is the first online-only school in India. Co-founded by Santosh Kumar, Joshi Kumar, Dinesh Kumar and Yeshwanth Raj Parasmal, the school’s objective is to make world-class education accessible to all children irrespective of their geographical location and fluid lives. The school is known for its intellectual rigor, application-based learning, flexible options, trained faculty, and an environment of collective learning in a community that grows together instead of competing with each other. The school has over 3,500 happy students from over 35 countries and is well poised for global expansion. Mr. Ronnie Screwvala has recently invested in 21k School’s vision to expand the reach of quality International Education.

Himalaya Wellness Company Reiterates Its Commitment To Feed Government School Children Through Akshaya Patra Foundation

* Facilitating support to over 13,000 government schoolchildren with the mid-day meal scheme

* Himalaya also supports with a CAPEX requirement at the Akshaya Patra kitchen in Bengaluru

As part of its continued commitment to spread Wellness in every Home and Happiness in every Heart, Himalaya Wellness Company has strengthened its ongoing partnership with the Akshaya Patra Foundation, a not-for-profit organization, which strives to address issues like hunger and malnutrition in India. Through this initiative, Himalaya is supporting over 13,000 children studying in government schools across the city, with the mid-day meal scheme. Himalaya has also extended CAPEX support to refurbish the existing kitchen with a heavy-duty mixer, roaster machine, and bench drilling machine at the Bengaluru facility.

School-going children, especially in the age group of 6-12 years, are prone to nutritional deficiencies suffering from malnutrition. The mid-day meal scheme, which provides children with timely, healthy, and nutritious food, aims at addressing the issue of malnutrition. It further plays a contributory role in reducing the dropout rate and increasing attendance in government schools.

“Undernutrition, hidden hunger, and obesity are deemed to be key factors that threaten the survival, growth, and development of children and young adults. It is vital to provide essential nutrition to children during their early years to ensure their healthy future. Himalaya has always been a strong believer in empowering and enabling communities to lead healthier and happier lives. Our endeavor is to create a positive and long-term impact through health, education, and hygiene interventions. This is the very spirit of our association with Akshaya Patra that we have strengthened since 2016. We will continue to provide the required support to bring joy among children, by providing them with a strong and healthy foundation through good nutrition and nourishment,” says Jayashree Ullal, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer.

Expressing his gratitude, Mr. Sundeep Talwar, CMO of The Akshaya Patra Foundation said, “We are immensely grateful to Himalaya for becoming our valued partner over the years in our journey of providing health and nutrition to millions of children. We are thankful to Himalaya for their continued support of the noble cause of delivering healthy mid-day meals. This collaboration has taken us closer to our aim of providing nutritious meals to underprivileged children across India.”

The Akshaya Patra Foundation provides nutritious meals to children studying in government schools and government-aided schools. As its corporate partner since 2016, Himalaya, so far, has supported more than 50,000 children in government schools, and around 5 million meals have been served to needy schoolchildren, along with sponsoring 7,146 ”Happiness Kits” or dry ration kits during the lockdown.

About Himalaya Wellness Company:

In 1930, a young visionary by the name of Mr. M. Manal foresaw the benefits of herbal remedies while riding through the forests of Burma. After diligently researching the science of the traditional field of Ayurveda, he decided to dedicate his life creating products that would improve millions of lives across the world. Today, with a history spanning more than nine decades in herbal research, Himalaya has positioned itself as a brand that cares about not only enriching people’s lives but also the environment. With their “head-to-heel” range of products, Himalaya aims to provide a holistic solution to everyday ailments that affect our bodies.

Seeped in a legacy of researching nature, Himalaya has successfully been able to harness the science of Ayurveda through cutting-edge research to become a brand that is safe, gentle, and trustworthy. For more information, please visit: himalayawellness.in

About the Akshaya Patra Foundation

The Akshaya Patra Foundation is a not-for-profit organization headquartered in Bengaluru, India, which strives to address issues like hunger and malnutrition in the country. By implementing the Mid-Day Meal Scheme in government and government-aided schools, Akshaya Patra aims to fight hunger and at the same time, bring children to school. Since 2000, Akshaya Patra has worked towards reaching out to children with wholesome food on every single school day. The Foundation is continuously leveraging technology to cater to millions of children. Its state-of-the-art kitchens have become a subject of study and attract curious visitors from around the world.

In partnership with the Government of India and various State Governments, and the inestimable support of many philanthropic donors and well-wishers, Akshaya Patra has grown from humble beginnings serving just 1,500 schoolchildren across five schools to becoming the world’s largest (not-for-profit run) mid-day meal scheme, serving wholesome food to over 1.8 million children from 19,039 schools across 12 states and 2 union territories in India. For more details, please log on: www.akshayapatra.org

Honda India Power Products Limited Reaches 5 Million Units Production Milestone In February 2022

Honda India Power Products Limited (HIPP), a leading manufacturer of power products in India, successfully crossed 5 million units accumulated production milestone in February 2022. HIPP has been consistently introducing latest technology products with global standards and bringing joy to its customers since 1985. The company has been a trusted partner in progress for its valued customers in line with its vision of “Empower People, To Do Better”.

HIPP launched its first product namely Portable Generator Model EM650 manufactured at its Rudrapur factory in 1988. Buoyed by a strong demand from the customers, the company soon launched other well differentiated Generator models catering to the varying demands from a vast and well diversified market. HIPP made foray into the export markets in 1989 and its products were very well received in the competitive overseas markets. After having enlightened lives of many customers in domestic and overseas markets, HIPP made foray into agriculture by starting production of Engine range in 1991 followed by Water Pump range in 1992. Farmers across India immensely appreciated portable, reliable, and efficient Engines and Water Pumps meeting their timely irrigation, spraying and mechanisation needs. In the year 1995, HIPP established its second manufacturing plant at Puducherry to meet the ever-growing demand. HIPP undertook a major reconsolidation exercise in 2000 and amalgamated its production plants into its present “State-of-the-art” manufacturing facility at Greater Noida thereby achieving economies of scale while pursuing its mission of “Helping people get things done” by manufacturing products that have successfully established themselves as a benchmark for their performance and quality.

Takahiro Ueda, Chairman & Management Director, President & CEO, Honda India Power Products Limited said, “We were able to reach 5 million production units thanks to the support and the cooperation of all the people in India and the local society. Our suppliers and partners stood by us and believed in our common vision – delivering continuously even in acute times such as pandemic and I am grateful for their efforts all along. Our network of dealers, channel partners played excellent role as our extended arms in providing 3S - Sales, Service and Spare Parts support ensuring delightful experience of our customers all along. HIPP will continue to contribute to India and its society as a company that is expected to exist”.