Blue Dart Brings In The New Year With The Launch Of “Ugadi Express”

 
* The offer is valid till April 02nd 2022 on International shipments ~ 

Blue Dart, India’s leading express logistics service provider and a part of the Deutsche Post DHL Group has introduced the 'Ugadi Express' offer to commemorate the New Year festivities. Ugadi Express enables customers to send their loved ones the warmth and joy of the New Year, in the form of gifts, sweets and much more. Offering a reach to over 220 countries and territories across the globe, Ugadi Express offers premium and reliable services at discounted rates. Leveraging this offer, customers can avail a 40% discount on international shipments weighing 5kgs and a 50% discount on international shipments weighing between 10kgs to 20kgs. The offer is valid in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Telangana till April 02nd, 2022 

Blue Dart’s focus on curating premium experiences for customers has always set its services apart in a highly competitive environment. The brand has successfully stayed ahead of the curve by understanding the pulse of its customers and introducing relevant services even before the need arises. 

Ketan Kulkarni, Chief Commercial Officer, Blue Dart says, “World over, people are eager to address and accept the pandemic as an ‘endemic’; however, fear of contagion continues to linger.The festivities of the New Year necessitate being in the presence of loved ones, presenting and receiving the festive spirit in the form of gifts, sweets and much more. Given the fear of contagion, our customers continue to remain wary. To provide a reliable, responsive and resilient solution for them, we have launched ‘Ugadi Express.’ Our customers deserve to experience the closeness of their loved ones and their support, no matter where they are in the world. Moreover, even as the pandemic increases distances, Blue Dart works hard to ensure that the world continues to remain a small place for our customers – picking up and delivering their shipments from anywhere to everywhere.” 

Blue Dart has always been a customer-centric organization that has worked towards continual improvement through future-ready technology solutions. The brand’s market leadership is a testament of its technological prowess, inclusive people culture and its ability to maintain high standards of service quality at every juncture. Customers can have a seamless express logistics experience with Blue Dart’s Contact Less Delivery feature that has digitized the entire process of billing, collections and payment. Customers have the option of choosing from an array of payment modes including 16 digital wallets, QR code, UPI interface (BHIM), Credit & Debit Cards and Netbanking. Further, the ‘My Blue Dart’ App, available on Apple Store and Google Play helps customers track their package, find out the most cost-effective prices to send their shipments across horizons as well as access important contact information etc. in a user-friendly and ‘on-the-go’ manner.  

Find the nearest Blue Dart counter at www.bluedart.com 

To avail Blue Dart’s services or for any further enquiries, customers can call on the following Customer Care Number - 1860 233 1234 or email us at customerservice@bluedart.com.  

Godrej Interio Business Aims To Clock INR 300 Crore Revenue In FY23

* Seeks to acquire 15% market share by FY25 

Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group announced that its business Godrej Interio, India’s leading furniture solutions brand, in home and institutional segments, announced that it will strengthen its infrastructure arm of business and eyes INR 300 crore in the next fiscal. The brand plans to acquire 15% market share by FY25.

Since 2019, the brand has already booked infra projects worth 450 Crore. The general scope of work in the infra projects include civil finishes, cladding, block works, facade glazing, interiors, art forms and architectural finishes. Godrej Interio is committed to strengthening its market position via their infra arm by providing complete end-to-end solutions from concept to completion. The team of experienced space planning professionals includes architects, interior designers and project managers to ensure a seamless experience. In addition to general contracting, Godrej Interio offers design and execution of civil and interior work, MEP systems, security and surveillance, green consultancy, and audio-visual solutions.

Anil Sain Mathur, COO, Godrej Interio said: “Infrastructure projects in India have always been a focus area for us and one that we believe has a lot of growth potential with the estimated addressable market around INR 5,000 crore. Currently, our turnkey projects contribute up to 40% of our turnover from the B2B segment. Through our expertise in delivering turnkey solutions and participating in India's vision to build a strong public transportation network across the country, we have been working closely with the respective metro rail corporations and airport authorities to deliver a world-class experience for commuters. We are certain that these innovative design solutions will help our partners, metro projects immensely and meet the highest standards in both looks and functionality.”

Godrej Interio continues to use numerous new and innovative ways to provide enhanced design in its ongoing assignments. Some of the new materials being used in the AAI-Chennai project includes Zinc Composite panels imported from Italy and high-end finishes like HPL, Lacquered glass.

Godrej Interio has already partnered on four metro rail projects across the country including Kolkata, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kochi. As metro stations in many parts of the world reflect the culture of the city, Godrej Interio on customer request has also helped in implementing the city culture at its metro projects.  For eg. Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) has two elevated metro station projects. In Kochi Metro, each station has a particular theme. The theme has been fixed by Kochi Metro Rail Limited (KMRL) considering all the local factors and contributions done in different fields either in Kerala or across the country. While the first station was developed keeping the ‘Ayurveda’ theme in mind considering the remarkable contribution of Ayurvedic Medicine towards the history of Kerala and India, the second station’s theme has been decided as a tribute to the country as India will be celebrating its 75th Independence Day in 2022.

FedEx Study Reveals Top Priorities For Gen Z Across Indian Market

 

·         Over half of Gen Z have incorporated more technology and reduced their environmental impact over the last year

·         30% of Gen Z respondents state sustainability is a key consideration in their employment and career journey

FedEx Express, a subsidiary of FedEx Corp. (NYSE: FDX) and the world's largest express transportation company, today revealed the findings of its 'Future is Now' study* among Gen Z (18-24 years old).

As the fastest growing economy today, India is home to a fifth of the world's youth with half of its 1.3 billion population below the age of 25[1].The study offers valuable insights into the priorities of the younger generation in the country.

With the future becoming more dynamic than ever, there is a substantial shift in the way generations are embracing 'what's next', with new technologies, and an interest in sustainability impacting both business and individual lifestyles.

This is particularly true for Gen Z. According to the 'Future is Now' study, 38% of Gen Z respondents associated the phrase 'Future is Now' with technology advances in business, healthcare, education, and transportation, 33% to sustainable development, 13% to the rise in the use of robotics and artificial intelligence, 10% to living on Mars and a mere 6% to expecting everything to be personalized for them.

"The results of this study and particularly the responses of the younger population, reinforce our commitment to experimenting with sustainable technologies that benefit and align with our customers' goals. As an industry leader, we have a responsibility towards the next generations and take bold actions by constantly innovating to meet future expectations," said Mohamad Sayegh, Vice President Operations for FedEx Express in India

"FedEx is a vocal advocate for modernizing technologies that enhance the next generation of transportation vehicles and devices. Globally we are testing Roxo™, the autonomous FedEx SameDay Bot for last mile deliveries, which is designed to reduce carbon emissions, traffic congestion, and noise pollution," added Sayegh.

The study also highlights what Gen Z considers when working with a future employer. 30% of Gen Z respondents stated they would consider a company's sustainability agenda and its way of conducting business as a critical measure for choosing work, while 20% viewed the adoption and use of technology as most important. Interestingly, around 16% of Gen Z respondents cited a company's research and development credentials and volume of patents as determinants while choosing future employers.

72% of Gen Z respondents also agreed that sustainability would be an indispensable part of their business in the future, and 76% agreed that being 'planet-conscious' is integral to a futuristic outlook.

Mohamad Sayegh added: "FedEx is working toward delivering a more sustainable future, with a goal of carbon neutral operations globally by 2040. We're working to reduce emissions and waste, replace older technologies and vehicles, and revolutionize our facilities and packaging because we understand our role in helping to protect and preserve our planet.”

The ‘Future is Now’ study focused on three main views: being dynamic, how open the Indian population is to experimentation and innovation, and to what degree are they are sustainability conscious.

*FedEx ‘Future is Now’ study Methodology

The above findings are based on research fieldwork conducted by Innovative Research Services (India) Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, through face-to-face and telephonic interviews with respondents in 18 Tier 1 and Tier 2 cities. Out of these 18 cities, nine are Tier 1 cities which include Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Mumbai, Pune, and Secunderabad, while the other nine are Tier 2 cities which include Coimbatore, Dehradun, Gurgaon, Jaipur, Kochi, Lucknow, Surat, Udaipur, and Varanasi.

Respondents were a representative sample of people from the above cities aged between 18-24 years.

QNB Deploys FSS Smart Recon To Modernise Reconciliation Operations

* FSS strengthens its global footprint with growing portfolio of customers for their smart reconciliation solution, which includes Airtel India, Askrindo Indonesia, and BancNet Philippines to name a few

* Smart Recon solution helped the bank rationalises manpower costs by 30 per cent and further helped achieve a 50 per cent improvement in exception handling time, resulting in higher customer satisfaction

FSS Technologies, a leading global provider of integrated payment products and a payments processor, today, announced a multi-country engagement with QNB, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, to boost efficiency of its reconciliation operations. FSS Smart Recon and Dispute Management has been implemented QNB Qatar and QNB Oman and the FSS Dispute Management module will soon be deployed by QNB Sudan to address customer disputes.

The surge in digital payments adoption combined with the emergence of new payment rails and greater regulatory oversight in the region has fuelled the need for digitalising critical reconciliation systems. FSS Smart Recon is a crucial component of QNB’s strategy to be digital to the core and will automate and provide greater control over financial close processes. 

Post-deployment, FSS Smart Recon has helped QNB reap substantive efficiency gains. By optimising time-intensive, manual tasks, FSS Smart Recon lowers reliance on busy IT support teams and rationalises manpower costs by 30 per cent. The streamlining of reconciliation processes has further helped achieve a 50 per cent improvement in exception handling time, which translates into lower dispute volumes and higher customer satisfaction.

FSS Smart Recon extends a centralised solution to manage the complete reconciliation process for multiple payment types, enabling QNB to achieve greater agility through streamlined back-office operations. FSS Smart Recon’s integrated functionality spans crucial aspects of the reconciliation lifecycle - data aggregation and transformation, transaction matching, exception analysis and management, dispute management and settlement.

Commenting on the partnership, Nedhal Al-Nuaimi, General Manager Group Operations, QNB Group said; “In an era of rapid payments digitalisation, as a market leader, it is imperative that our back-office operations are in step with market-facing innovations. FSS’ extensive experience in serving reconciliation needs of multiple financial institutions globally has helped us transform our core reconciliation operations to better manage risk, address need for timely compliance with regulatory demands and achieve operational excellence.”

Commenting on the partnership, Jaishankar A L, CEO FSS PayTech, said; “FSS Smart Recon draws on our extensive experience of serving diverse and evolving transaction reconciliation needs of global banks. We are pleased to be working with QNB to modernise reconciliation operations while protecting its cost base as volumes ramp up. With our zero-touch, future-ready solution, we are confident that we would help Qatar National Bank scale to address reconciliation needs for new payment opportunities that lie ahead.”

QNB leverages FSS Smart Recon to perform two-way and three-way card reconciliation between the Switch, Interchange, and the Core Banking Systems for Master Card, VISA, China Union Pay, JCB and Amex.  FSS Smart Recon supports transparent and auditable workflows that provide complete visibility into reconciliation process through each stage of the financial close cycle – from data ingestion to financial posting. Dynamic dashboards empower reconciler and management teams with business and operational insights for improved operational and business decisioning. Benchmarked to support 1 billion transaction records in an hour, can efficiently accommodate diverse reconciliation workloads.

More People Are Opting To Shop On Meesho This Wedding Season

Wedding shopping is always an enjoyable experience, whether you’re the bride, close family or a guest. In India, traditions may differ across regions, but the significance a wedding outfit holds to a wedding ceremony is uniform across cultures. 

Nowadays, wedding shopping is largely driven by e-commerce due to the wide range of options available and the convenience of shopping from the comfort of their homes. People prefer online shopping since it offers the opportunity to shop 24/7 along with great offers and prices.

Meesho, the fastest growing e-commerce app in India, has witnessed a considerable rise in the sales of both men and women’s ethnic wear such as Sarees, Lehenga Cholis, Kurta Sets, Ethnic Gowns, Sherwanis and Ethnic Jackets during the months of January, February and March, due to the onset of the festive and wedding season. During this period, demand for kids ethnic apparel also saw a rise with Lehenga Cholis, Kurta Sets and Ethnic Gowns emerging as the top selling items in 2021. Preferred fabrics include Silk, Rayon, Cotton, Poly Silk and Net. Popular colors include pink, blue, red and black.

There has also been an increase in the sale of sarees leading up to the wedding season. Notably, there has been an uptake in saree orders from July 2020 with a considerable increase in sales around the wedding season beginning October since the past 2 years. Meesho saw a 3X growth in the sale of sarees since October.

Customers from Karnataka prefer party wear, traditional, celebrity inspired and wedding wear sarees in fabrics like Georgette, Cotton Silk, Banarasi Silk, Satin and Chanderi Cotton. They also prefer to experiment with prints, woven zari, woven design, embroidered and embellished patterns. The most popular colors in the state include multicolor, green, pink, blue, and yellow.

To complement these stunning drapes, the purchase of ethnic jewelry has seen a visible uptick on Meesho. Top selling items include Jewelry sets, mangalsutras, necklaces, and chains. Interestingly, we received the highest orders for ethnic jewelry from tier 4 cities in 2021.

Today, customers are digitally-savvy and are increasingly veering towards e-commerce as a safe means to shop for their needs.

Union Bank of India Launches “25 next-gen MSME Branches” Taking The Tally To 50 Locations Across India

* Union MSME First Branches (UMFB’s) will now be present across 50 locations in the country 

* With sole focus on MSME customers, these branches will enable fast processing & better servicing of its MSME client needs  

Union Bank of India launched another set of its next-gen MSME focused branches i.e., Union MSME First Branches (UMFB’s) at 25 locations across the country, taking the total of UMFB’s to 50 locations pan India.  

The branches were inaugurated by Shri Nidhu Saxena, Executive Director of the bank at a virtual event.  

The Bank had earlier launched 25 such MSME focused branches which resulted in enhanced customer experience and quantity of business generated.  

The new branch locations were identified based on geo-analytics, field discussions and are located close to SME clusters to enable easy access for its clients. In keeping with its aspiration of delivering maximum value & fast turn-around time to its SME customers, the branches will have dedicated relationship managers & product teams who will provide all products like MSME Loans, deposits, forex services, LC/BG, credit cards, insurance products etc. under one roof.  

The initiative is an extension of the bank’s strong focus on the MSME segment which is a strong pillar of the Indian economy. 

Airtel Payments Bank Customers Can Now Get Smartphone Insurance From ICICI Lombard On The Airtel Thanks App

* Smartphone Insurance offers protection against damage due to accident or liquid spillage

* Customers can purchase it with a paperless, secure, and fast digital process

* Allows users to make two claims during the policy tenure up to the sum insured

Airtel Payments Bank customers can now buy Smartphone Insurance from ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company on the Airtel Thanks app. With this, Airtel Payments Bank has further strengthened its insurance offering available on its digital platform. Customers can now buy insurance through a fast, paperless, and secure digital process.

With the rise in digital adoption, smart devices, particularly smartphones, have seen a multi-fold increase in demand. The smartphone insurance solution from ICICI Lombard provides financial protection against damage to the phone and its screen resulting from accidents or liquid spills. As part of this smartphone insurance, customers can file up to two claims during the policy period, and it also includes free pickup & delivery, making it a unique offering in the market.

With a monthly premium starting at INR 1299, customers can get an insurance sum that is equivalent to the purchase price of their smartphone. Customers can get this insurance on their own until ten days after purchasing a smartphone priced between INR 10,000 to INR 100,000. After submitting smartphone details, the insurance is automatically issued without a device health check. The connectedness that smartphones enabled during the epidemic will make this device insurance more beneficial to individuals than ever before.

Commenting on the launch, Sanjeev Mantri, Executive Director, ICICI Lombard said,“There are over 750 million smartphone users currently in India and this number is likely to reach 1 billion by 2026[1] representing a burgeoning opportunity and huge potential for a product like smartphone insurance. We are excited to partner with Airtel Payment Bank to offer a protection plan that will provide customers with additional security in the case of accidental damage or theft to their smartphones and encourage them to opt for such insurance policies.”.”

Ganesh Ananthanarayanan, Chief Operating Officer, Airtel Payments Bank, said, “In today's digital age, a smartphone is our lifeline. From connectivity to photography to banking, smartphones today help us with virtually anything. Its repair cost is typically very high, and thus we need to protect it right from the beginning. We are delighted to partner with ICICI Lombard General Insurance to offer this smartphone insurance.”

ICICI Lombard has been at the forefront of providing millions of customers with access to personalize and simplified insurance plans based on their diverse needs. With this aim, the company has been introducing innovative collaborations and technology-enabled non-life insurance solutions to its customers.

Keeping user experience at its core, the company also offers tech-driven solutions such as the ‘IL TakeCare App’ where customers can purchase policies, manage claims, and renew policies seamlessly. Additionally, the company offers its customers the option to buy insurance through different channels at their convenience. Furthermore, it has been committed to deploying the latest technology, including Machine Learning, Artificial Intelligence, and Robotics, to facilitate seamless customer service, policy renewals, claim settlements, etc, making it easy for consumers to gain the best-in-class insurance protection conveniently anywhere and anytime.

About ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company Ltd.

We are one of the leading private sector non-life insurers in India. We offer our customers a comprehensive and well-diversified range of products, including motor, health, crop, fire, personal accident, marine, engineering and liability insurance, through multiple distribution channels. More details are available at www.icicilombard.com

About Airtel Payments Bank Ltd.

Airtel Payments Bank, India’s first payments bank, was launched in January 2017. The Bank offers a diverse range of simple, safe and rewarding banking solutions through a strong network of 500,000 bank points spread across the country and its digital platforms. Airtel Payments Bank aims to take digital banking services to the doorstep of every Indian, particularly in unbanked rural areas, and contribute to the Government’s vision of Digital India and Financial Inclusion.