Upskilling And Reskilling Will Boost The FMCG Sector At A Faster Pace “CII National FMCG Summit”

~Speed and agility required across all elements of the organization for long term success ~ 

~FMCG companies working on sustainability models to reduce carbon footprint~ 

Post the COVID 19 pandemic consumers are switching to more eco-friendly products and to cater to the conscious customers, FMCG companies are looking at more progressive models as a future necessity to minimize the environmental effects stated Mr. Bharat Puri, Chairman National Committee on FMCG & Managing Director, Pidilite Industries.  

Speaking at the CII FMCG National Summit 2022 organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). 

Mr. Puri explained that the FMCG sector is called as the bell weather of the economy. “Speed and agility are a must to succeed however this needs to translate across all elements of the organization for long term success. There is also a need to focus on creating sustainability and become environmentally friendly in the long run,” he said.  

Mr Deepak Iyer, Managing Director, Mondelez India explained that a lot of changes have taken place in the FMCG sector in the last couple of years. “It is a digital consumer that we are looking at today. This means that even within the organization a lot of skill sets have begun to change. So, people need to be reskilled and given the new age skill sets to get more future ready workforce,” he informed. 

According to Mr Iyer, there is a social responsibility of saving the planet. “There is a need to reduce the carbon emission at source. There is no ban on plastic use, but one need to recycle or dispose plastic more responsibly,” he added. 

He stated that technology is being leveraged to optimize the workforce. “FMCG products used to be transported in specially designed vehicles but what is the guarantee that the operator does not switch off the vehicle. This would mean that products worth lakhs of rupees would stand the risk of getting destroyed because of changes in the temperature. Now with the help of special sensors, the same can be monitored and the risk eliminated,” he added.  

Mr Prashant Peres, Managing Director - India & South Asia, Kellogg stated that brands today are living off a purpose of doing some good for the people.  

“Companies are looking at partnerships and are taking steps to put sustainability on their agenda. However, the industry will have to take collective steps in this regard and one individual company cannot do it alone,” he said. 

He explained that post the pandemic, how you communicate with the consumer has. also changed. “A lot of reskilling is needed not just for individuals but for the entire team. People today trust influencers and there is a need to adapt to the change to mark success,” Mr Peres added. 

Success of FMCG companies in this new era will rely as much on developing new skills as it would on precise leadership and decision making, often with disparate information.  

Mr Navneet Saluja, Area General Manager, Indian Sub-Continent, Haleon stated that there is a need to create a culture that drives innovation. “Though surviving for larger brands would be possible in the future, the revenue pie will keep growing smaller. So, there is a need to challenge ourselves,” he said. 

According to Saluja, the FMCG sector has been delivering pricing which is lower than the inflation. “We have done a great job on the pricing. We need to percolate our purpose to our brands as well which would define the boundaries. In the next 20 years, all brands would have a social purpose as well,” he pointed out. 

He added that even if the company generates a lot of revenue, unless there is a social agenda, their multiplier would be zero. “This has set a serious direction and gives a better multiplier effect,” he said.  

Mr Abheek Singhi, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Asia- Pacific Leader, Consumer and Retail Practice, Boston Consulting Group (BCG), Mumbai explained that there has been a double- digit growth rate in the FMCG sector in India since the last two decades.  

“Almost two third of the revenue generated is from the unorganized sector. The share of the FMCG profits have also grown from 5 percent in the year 2010-14 to around 7 percent in the year 2020-22. The Indian FMCG market has outperformed globally,” he said.   

Photo Caption: Ms.  Indrani Kar, Principal Advisor, CII & Head, CII Suresh Neotia Centre of Excellence for Leadership, Mr. Sameer Satpathy, Chief Executive, Personal Care ITC, Mr. Bharat Puri, Chairman, CII National Committee on FMCG & MD Pidilite Industries, Mr. Prashant Peres, MD-India & South Asia, Kellog, Mr. Navneet Saluja, Area GM, Indian Sub-Continent, Haleon, Mr. Deepak Iyer, MD, Mondelez India.

“Women Employees Constitute Upto 41 Percent Of The Workforce” At PreludeSys

PreludeSys Pvt Ltd announced that women employees account for more than 41 percent of their workforce in India. 

This news builds upon the successful recognition of PreludeSys as a “Great Place to Work” a few months ago and underscores the company’s commitment to equity in the workplace. PreludeSys has emerged as one of the top employers in the country, and women are a vital component in its talent pool.  

Reflecting on the development, Prasad Reddy, AVP – HR & IT for PreludeSys, said, "Gender equality is still one of the most pressing workplace issues. PreludeSys recognizes the importance of this balance and has embarked on a mission to empower women by providing them with platforms and opportunities. We also celebrate women leaders in the technology industry with the explicit goal of encouraging more women to pursue careers in this field, which will impact and raise the hiring pool's diversity." 

PreludeSys has earned recognition for its work culture and ethics before. In October 2022, the organization—specializing in digital transformation, enterprise application integration, and business process services—was certified as a “Great Place to Work” for a consecutive year.  

Many industry leaders across technology, media, and telecommunications (TMT) focus on workforce diversity and making workplaces gender-neutral to impact the company positively. As a brand, PreludeSys combines industry knowledge, technology, and the business experience of its seasoned professionals to provide services that consistently meet client expectations and deliver measurable results.  

About PreludeSys-  

PreludeSys is a global technology solutions provider founded in the year 1998. It has been certified as a ‘Great Place to Work in Sep 2021. As a brand PreludeSys is considered as a trusted technology partner serving more than 300+ customers. As a solution provider, PreludeSys goes the extra mile in helping its clients enhance business value through digital transformation. They offer services such as Enterprise Application Integration, Application Modernization, and Cloud Migration, Business Intelligence, and Data Analytics, Business Application Services (CRM / ERP), Testing, and Business Process Services. As a company, they believe in working with young and mature enterprises across the globe in a diverse set of verticals by leveraging their in-house technical expertise, technology partnership, industry experience, and global delivery model. Overall, PreludeSys will help transform your brand inside out and guide you through your Digital Transformation journey solely committed to success. 

AU Small Finance Bank And ICICI Lombard Announce “Bancassurance Tie-Up”

AU Small Finance Bank, India's leading small finance bank (by balance sheet size) entered into a Bancassurance tie-up with ICICI Lombard General Insurance. The partnership will provide the Bank’s diverse customers access to the insurer’s portfolio and enhance penetration across India. 

AU Bank is rapidly expanding its distribution footprints across India and this tie-up between two giants in their respective industries will aim to further enrich its general insurance offering with agile, digital & paperless solutions offered by ICICI Lombard. The entire suite of products will be offered across 980+ banking touchpoints spread over 20 states & 2 union territories. The customer centric products will provide long term financial security to customers and their families. With both organizations believing in offering the best to the customers through innovation and consistency, this partnership would offer customers the best of both worlds.  

Speaking about the partnership Mr. Sanjeev Mantri, Executive Director, of ICICI Lombard said, “At ICICI Lombard, we are constantly striving to reach out to consumers and businesses to provide them with effective risk management solutions based on their evolving needs. We are delighted to collaborate with AU Small Finance Bank to offer an entire scope of financial propositions to deepen our customer relationships. This will only improve our resourcefulness to boost services through value-enhancing offerings. The technology-driven and customer-centric approach of both partners make this collaboration an ideal alliance between two brands, which eventually paves the way for organised customer-centric growth”.  

Highlighting the key aspects of this strategic partnership, Mr. Uttam Tibrewal, Executive Director, AU Small Finance Bank, said, “AU Small Finance Bank always prides in providing customer centric solutions and services. Expanding our bouquet of financial services and customer value proposition, we wanted to associate with additional general insurance partner to add value to our existing range of products & services while helping our customers plan for better financial security. We welcome ICICI Lombard as our valued insurance partner who, we believe, has the ability and experience to understand customers’ needs and offer them customized need-based solutions and provide seamless services. I am sure, the customer-friendly products of ICICI Lombard, combined with our extensive presence and robust technological capabilities, will be the right mix to increase insurance penetration.” 

About AU Small Finance Bank:     

AU Small Finance Bank Limited (AU Bank) is a scheduled commercial bank, a Fortune India 500 Company, and the largest Small Finance Bank in the country. Starting its journey from the hinterlands of Rajasthan, today AU Bank is the largest Small Finance Bank with a deep understanding of the rural and semi-urban markets that has enabled it build robust business model facilitating inclusive growth. With 27+ years legacy of being a retail focused and customer- centric institution, AU started its banking operations in April 2017 and as on 30th September 2022, it has established operations across 980 banking touchpoints while serving 33.3 Lakh customers in 20 States & 2 Union Territories with an employee base of 28,677 employees. The Bank has a net worth of ? 10,114 Cr, deposit base of ? 58,335 Cr and Gross Advances of ?52,452Cr. AU Bank enjoys the trust of marquee investors and is listed at both the leading stock exchanges viz. NSE and BSE. It has consistently maintained a high external credit rating from all major rating agencies like CRISIL, CARE Ratings and India Ratings. 

Zee News And BARC Exit Poll Predicts A Robust Win For BJP In Gujarat And Himachal Pradesh

* AAP might sweep Delhi in MCD elections

Zee News, one of the leading and most trusted news channels in India, along with Broadcast Assessment and Rating Council conducted exit polls for the Delhi MCD elections and Gujarat & Himachal Assembly Elections on Monday. The Exit polls predict BJP reigning in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh while AAP sweeping Delhi MCD elections.

The Zee News Exit Polls result of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh Assembly Election 2022 showed that the vote share is majorly titled towards the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). As per Zee News and BARC Exit poll the most critical issues in Gujarat are corruption, inflation, mass urbanisation and unemployment. The BJP has been in power in Gujarat for more than two decades and as per the exit poll of it has been predicted to win a record number of seats (110-125) out of 182 seats. Interestingly, the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections also included a vote share of 47% for BJP, Congress - 41%, AAP minimum 2%, including 10% for others. Additionally, it was also observed that CM Jairam Thakur received 35 percent of support in the Himachal Pradesh Assembly Elections as the Chief Ministerial candidate. 

The Delhi Municipal Corporation, in total, has 250 wards. The Zee News network has been extensively reporting on the vision expressed by Corporators, Party candidates, and Contestants for the betterment of the nation. As per the exit poll conducted by Zee News, the Aam Aadmi Party by Arvind Kejriwal is predicted to have a massive vote share in the MCD Elections 2022. In terms of vote share, BJP 39%, Congress 11%, AAP is expected to get 46%, and others 4%.

Commenting on the Zee News Exit Polls result projections, Abhay Ojha, CBO said, “We, at Zee News, always look forward to presenting news to our viewers and readers from a national perspective, with an in-depth analysis and fact-based information. Zee, as a reliable news network, strongly believes that a positive change in people’s thought process can bring a positive change for the whole nation.”

The exit polls help in projecting the number of seats several political parties are likely to win in an election. The polls were conducted using Random Sampling Quantitative Data Collection of Assembly Constituencies by Field Survey & CATI Methodology and the results were further telecasted on Zee News and Zee Delhi NCR Haryana. 

About Zee Media Corporation Ltd: Zee Media Corporation Limited is one of India’s leading media and entertainment companies with strong presence in the news and regional entertainment genres and is India's one of the largest News Network with 14 news channels in 7 different languages touching more than 183 Million viewers and digital properties like zeenews.com and dnaindia.com

Airtel Launches ‘World Pass’ – One Pack For Travel Across 184 Countries

Four transformative changes :

* Significantly higher value in terms of data and voice benefits. More economical even compared to local connections abroad

* 24/7 call centre support on call and WhatsApp chat

** Unlimited data for emergency usage and messaging applications

* Power to Manage everything yourself on the Airtel Thanks app

As the worst effects of the COVID-19 pandemic ebb, we are beginning to witness a massive surge in international travel both for work and leisure. India, in fact, has seen a jump of 3X in international travellers this year, which is likely to double next year.

In order to make staying connected easy, intuitive and compelling, Airtel has launched ‘Airtel World Pass’. The World Pass revolutionises the experience for all international travel because it works seamlessly across 184 countries. So even if you are en-route at an Airport or travelling to two or more countries one pack now covers all your roaming needs.

This change comes on the back of extensive customer research conducted by Airtel that showed that many customers find International Roaming packs in general confusing across the whole global Telco industry. As a result, many are not connected when they want to be. Or they seek complex alternatives of temporary connections abroad. Airtel has now solved this problem structurally with the launch of the Airtel World pass.

Commenting on the launch of the Airtel World Pass, Shashwat Sharma, Director Consumer Business, Bharti Airtel said, “At Airtel, our mission is to solve customer problems so that our experience speaks for itself. The feedback that we have heard on international travel related concerns has compelled us to launch a defining proposition for our customers – the Airtel World Pass. This offers our customers one pack for the globe, significantly greater value, allows them to control what they use on the app and allows for emergency data usage long after the pack allowance is over.” 

“With Airtel World pass, we have set a new standard in the global telecom industry. I am certain our customers will benefit hugely from it as they travel the world, keeping their phones switched on, no matter where they are. As a matter of fact, our new plans offer significantly better value than travel or local sims in most countries.” Sharma added.

Airtel World Pass – Key Features

·               One Plan for travel to 184 countries. No confusion over which zone or pack to select. No need for multiple packs across multiple countries or transit airports

·               24X7 Call centre support for the customer from any corner of the world, absolutely free of cost. A dedicated number 99100-99100 available on call and WhatsApp for all international travelling customer, serviced with a network and experience specialist squad for a real-time resolution of issues.

·               Special Packs for long stay/frequent travellers - Prepaid and postpaid packs specifically designed for frequent travellers and long stay customers that offer up to 1 year validity at an affordable cost.

·               Plans packed with significantly higher value for customers. In addition, customers will have Unlimited data available for emergency usage and messaging applications.

·               All control in the customers hand where they can manage their entire International roaming needs on the Airtel Thanks app, with updates on usage, billing amount or addition of data or minutes as needed.   

For complete details on the new packs, and our entire catalogue of international packs, visit https://www.airtel.in/ir-packs/

KMC Manipal Is Set To Welcome Indian Neurobehavior Researchers And Clinicians To The 1st Indian Neurobehavior Conference

Kasturba Medical College, MAHE is organizing their 1st Indian Neurobehavior Conference between 19th to 21st December 2022 wherein Neuroscientists from various renowned Indian institutes will be attending the event.

The conference is aiming to bridge the gap underlying neuropsychiatric disorders and basic neurobiological mechanisms by bringing together Indian neuroscience researchers and clinicians working on various model organisms like flies, mosquitoes, mice, monkeys, and patient population.

There will be a session for talks and poster presentations which will focus on the function of brain at the molecular, genetic, and neural circuit level which is fundamental for the development of novel therapies targeting the neurodegeneration and neuroimmune dysfunctionalities. 

Speaking about the Conference Dr Pavan Agrawal said, “We are very excited to discuss the function of the brain at molecular, genetic & circuit level with fellow neuroscience researchers. In this unique meeting, we will provide a shared platform to clinicians and basic biomedical researchers and focus on targeting neuronal disorders. I am sure it will be a very stimulating conference for all”

This unique conference will encourage sharing of experiences through round table discussions and mentoring sessions between senior and young researchers in the field. There will be a shared platform for clinicians and basic biomedical researchers with an aim of targeting neuronal disorders.

Disney Grants To Benefit Communities And Wildlife In 25 Countries

-    India grants to protect the Indian Rhinoceros, Snow Leopard and Black Soft-Shell Turtles

Continuing its ongoing efforts to support a healthier planet for people and wildlife, The Walt Disney Company has announced the award of grants to 43 non-profit organizations working with communities across 25 countries to protect more than 60 animal species this year. In India, three non-profits – International Rhino Foundation, Panthera and Turtle Survival Alliance – are beneficiaries of the grants being extended.

The International Rhino Foundation, which creates Rhino habitats in India, will use its grant to protect the Indian rhinoceros by addressing threats of habitat loss and poaching by improving the range and effectiveness of anti-poaching patrols and increasing numbers through a conservation breeding and translocation programme.

Panthera’s snow leopard conservation programme will deploy its grant towards educating villagers, children and religious figures about snow leopards and the threats they face in northern India. Building predator-proof corrals to protest livestock, supporting community income diversification and livestock insurance programmes as well as conducting ecological studies to understand the impact of climate change on habitat use of snow leopard prey species.

The Turtle Survival Alliance, through its Indian Turtle Conservation Programme, is focused on ensuring efficient and effective captive breeding of critically endangered black soft-shell turtles in temple bonds in Assam in north-east India, through breeding and expansion of the head-starting facility at Nagsankar Temple in Tezpur. The programme also seeks to engage local fishermen in the conservation programme apart from community education and awareness efforts and establishing a reintroduction protocol to aid in the recovery of the remaining populations of the turtle.

“As stewards of the environment, we have an obligation to future generations to pass on a cleaner and greener planet to them. Protecting our wildlife and nature is at the heart of our various sustainability programmes and it’s heartening to see the dedication of our NGO partners who are so deeply  devoted to making a happier and healthier planet possible for all,” said George Cherian, Head - Corporate Communications & Enterprise Social Responsibility, Disney Star.

Disney is committed to saving wildlife and building a global community inspired to protect the magic of nature together. Since 1995, Disney has directed more than USD120mn and the expertise of our dedicated teams to support organizations working with communities to save wildlife, inspire action and protect the planet.