Coca-Cola India And ICC Introduces Recycled PET National Flags Of 10 Playing Nations For ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023

* National Flags of the playing nations and ICC Unity Flags will be used during the ‘match opening anthem ceremony’ throughout the tournament.

As the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup 2023 begins today, Coca-Cola India and ICC aim to bring together the country’s excitement for cricket with a commitment to sustainability. During the match opening ceremony of the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023, Coca-Cola India and ICC introduced National Flags made from post-consumer PET bottles. These PET bottles were recycled to produce yarn which was subsequently used for the flags. These flags will be used during the ‘national anthem ceremony’ before each match takes place in the stadiums.

Heralding a new era of environmental responsibility, Coca-Cola India has enabled creation of national flags of the ten playing nations, and ten ICC unity flags. This makes Coca-Cola India the first company in the world to introduce recycled PET national flags in the sport of cricket, setting a precedent for future events.

Approximately, 11,000 PET bottles were used for creating one national flag and approximately 2000 bottles were used to create an ICC Unity Flag. The flags are manufactured by GoRevise by Ganesha Ecoverse Limited which is engaged in manufacturing recycled yarn and garments. A dedicated team of 100 workers devoted 25 days and over 300 hours to bring these magnificent flags to life.

Thums Up and Limca Sportz are the official beverage and sports drink partners for the ICC Men's Cricket World Cup India 2023. Coca-Cola India will undertake many activations during the World Cup, including online and offline fan and consumer engagements, to build awareness around waste management.

Arnab Roy, Vice President, Marketing, Coca-Cola India & Southwest Asia, “Coca?Cola ahas a mission to support sustainability efforts as an integral part of all sporting events. Aligned with this mission, we take pride in unveiling national flags made with recycled PET at the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2023 today. With these recycled national and ICC Unity flags we are dedicated to advancing the principles of a circular economy.”

With sports being an integral part of both the organisation’s DNA and cricket being the biggest sporting in India, Coca-Cola India and ICC are committed to creating a sustainable sporting experience in this world cup.

About Coca-Cola

Coca-Cola in India is one of the country's leading beverage companies, offering a range of high-quality and refreshing beverage options to consumers. The company in line with its vision of 'Beverages For Life' offers a wide portfolio of products which includes hydration, sports, sparkling, coffee, tea, nutrition, juice and dairy based products. In India it's beverage range includes Coca-Cola, Coca-Cola Zero Sugar, Diet Coke, Thums Up, Charged by Thums Up, Fanta, Limca, Sprite, Maaza, Minute Maid range of juices. The company also offers hydration beverages including Limca Sportz, Smartwater, Kinley, Dasani and Bonaqua packaged drinking water and Kinley Club Soda. Premium products constitute Schweppes and Smartwater. In addition, it offers Costa Coffee range of tea and coffee. The company is constantly transforming its portfolio, from reducing sugar in its drinks to bringing innovative new products to market.

The company along with its owned bottling operations and franchise bottling partners has a strong network of close to 4 million retail outlets through which it refreshes millions of consumers across the country. It seeks to positively impact people's lives, communities and the planet through water replenishment, packaging recycling, sustainable agriculture initiatives and carbon emission reductions across its value chain.

Globally together with its bottling partners, The Coca-Cola Company employs more than 700,000 people, helping to bring economic opportunity to local communities worldwide. Learn more at www.cocacolacompany.com and follow us on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook and LinkedIn

UNICEF Executive Director, UNICEF India National Ambassador And Public-private-Youth Partners Launch ‘YouthHub’ Platform

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell joined UNICEF India National Ambassador Ayushmann Khurrana, government officials, the private sector and young people at the launch of an innovative, digital YouthHub app to connect young people in India to future job opportunities, especially girls and marginalised youth.

The platform, which functions as a digital ecosystem, was jointly launched by them along with Mr. Shombi Sharp (United Nations Resident Coordinator in India), Smt. Meeta Rajivlochan (Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports), Ms. Cynthia McCaffrey (Representative, UNICEF India), Mr. Ashwin Yardi (CEO, Capgemini India),  Mr. Ranen Banerjee (Government Sector Leader, PwC India), Ms. Vandana Bahri (Head, Skills and Livelihood, Children’s Investment Fund Foundation - CIFF India), Ms. Dhuwarakha Sriram (Chief of YuWaah, Youth Development, and Partnerships at UNICEF), Mr. Abhishek Gupta (COO, YuWaah at UNICEF) and two young leaders - Ms. Zakira Ganji and Ms. Jagriti Pandey.

The YouthHub - co-created by YuWaah at UNICEF, PwC India, Capgemini, and CIFF - aims to connect young people to curated jobs, skills, and volunteering opportunities, and enable access especially for girls and youth from marginalised backgrounds.  In its first phase, which was launched on Tuesday, the YouthHub app has become accessible to young individuals via the Google Playstore. Serving as a unified platform, it offers free access to aggregated job opportunities in nine Indian languages, simplifying the job search process for young people: http://bit.ly/youthhubapp

Intersecting technology and innovation, the hub is a ‘one-stop’ application that integrates diverse platforms, tools, and resources, which aggregates curated economic opportunities for young people. The launch of the YouthHub marks a significant step in convening public, private, and youth partners to foster a generation of informed and skilled young people who can transition well from learning to earning.

Ms. Russell is visiting India this week to meet with government officials, members of the private sector as well as young people, children and some of India’s frontline community workers.  

UNICEF Executive Director, Catherine Russell, said: “Investing in children and youth is the best way to deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals and create a brighter future for generations to come. Collaborative initiatives such as this YouthHub are a good way to reduce inequalities and ensure that girls are included and have access to future job opportunities. We can create a lasting impact when young people are involved in decision-making and when their voices are heard.”   

Ayushmann Khurrana, Bollywood star and UNICEF India National Ambassador said, “Being a UNICEF India National Ambassador has allowed me to peek into the lives, dreams, and hurdles faced by the children and young people of our country. They are our future, and ensuring they have a fair shot at success is not just a choice, it's our duty. YouthHub app by YuWaah at UNICEF and partners is like a script for success for every young person in India. It's not just a platform; it's a dream factory that opens up doors to economic, skilling, and volunteering opportunities. But it's much more than that. It's a symbol of hope and the belief that every youngster, no matter their gender or background, deserves a shot at greatness. And we begin with equal opportunities for all. That’s what the YouthHub app will extend to young people.”

Other Quotes:

Smt. Meeta Rajivlochan (Hon’ble Secretary, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports) said, “In India, today's youth require phy-gital platforms to access more economic opportunities and fully realize their potential and passion. UNICEF and private sector agencies have been collaborating with us in the past and collaboration with multiple agencies, is important to increasing outreach and to fostering youth empowerment."

Ms. Cynthia McCaffrey, Representative, UNICEF India: “India has the largest population of young people in the world. Our mission is to give them the tools to drive change themselves and reach 300 million people by 2030 through all our initiatives spanning across access to economic and skilling opportunities, innovation, entrepreneurship, civic engagement, and volunteering. We have already fostered meaningful connections with over 65.5 million young people and these numbers represent lives transformed, dreams ignited, and communities strengthened and a better world in the making. YouthHub converges our efforts through YuWaah into a ‘hub’ for young people across the country which would help open doors to economic opportunities for the underserved communities.”

Mr. Sanjeev Krishan, Chairperson, PwC in India said, “It is an honour to be a part of this transformative single-window platform to address young people's socio-economic needs. This platform was envisioned because of co-creation between PwC and YuWaah (Generation Unlimited in India at UNICEF) back in 2019, where we had three key motivations: youth centrality, scale, and innovation. PwC takes pride in the fact that we have helped develop the blue book for the platform and have supported the creation of this platform."

Ashwin Yardi, CEO – India, Capgemini said, "Capgemini is delighted to have co-created the YouthHub platform in partnership with YuWaah at UNICEF and PwC India. Serving as the co-chair of the YuWaah board in India, I have personally witnessed the inspiring passion, unwavering resilience, and boundless potential of young individuals. Their invaluable insights have been pivotal in shaping the development of this platform, a true collaboration designed to meet their unique needs. I am confident that our partnership will thrive as we remain steadfast in our dedication to innovation, ensuring that meaningful solutions touch the lives of every young individual. "

Ms. Manjula Singh, Executive Director, India Children's Investment Fund Foundation (CIFF) said, “We, at CIFF, believe that when girls and young women are connected with the right force multipliers education, right skills and opportunities for income generation, they are able to navigate multiple barriers they face in their journey to adulthood and gain agency for their life choices among many others. Therefore, for us, investing in girls and young women is not just a moral imperative but also a strategic imperative to contribute to the Government’s vision for women-led development. Through YouthHub, we are working towards bringing a digital transformation in the lives of over a million young women by empowering them with access to a platform that aggregates job opportunities, fostering connections to 21st-century skills and socio-economic prospects.” 

Hero MotoCorp Received 13,688 Bookings For Its Flagship Motorcycle, Karizma XMR

Riding the wave of an overwhelming response for its premium product launches, Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters, has received 13,688 bookings for its newly launched flagship motorcycle, Karizma XMR.  

Dispatches of Karizma XMR to Hero MotoCorp dealerships have already started and customer deliveries will begin in the festive period this month.

Hero Karizma XMR was launched at an introductory price of INR 1,72,900/- and the bookings for the initial set of customers commenced on August 29th, 2023 and were closed on September 30th, 2023.

The new Karizma XMR will now be available at Rs. 1,79,900/- (ex-showroom Delhi) and the company will announce the new booking window soon.

Mr. Ranjivjit Singh, Chief Business Officer (India Business Unit), Hero MotoCorp said, “We are thrilled and humbled by the incredible response to the Hero Karizma XMR. The overwhelming number of bookings speaks volume about the trust and enthusiasm that our customers have shown for the flagship motorcycle. The Legend is truly back in its modern, contemporary avatar and the customers are loving it. We are committed to delivering an exceptional premium riding experience to every Karizma owner, and are confident of adding cheer to the upcoming festive season.”

The new Karizma XMR is the most powerful motorcycle in its class, producing the highest torque. The motorcycle is powered by 210cc Liquid Cooled DOHC Engine, 6-speed transmission that comes with Slip and Assist Clutch and Dual Channel ABS.

With today’s customers looking for advanced technology, the new Karizma XMR is packed with the segment-first adjustable windshield, Intelligent Illumination Headlamp and Turn-By-Turn navigation guaranteeing an unparalleled motorcycling experience.

Thanks to the enriched ergonomics, sporty agility, comfort and dynamic performance, the new Karizma XMR embodies a fresh new take in the 210cc category. It offers a versatile mix of sporty character and touring abilities, thus providing a unique riding experience.

Bengaluru Gets Its First Interactive Mobile Travelling Bus Stop Created By Women

* Bengaluru's first interactive mobile bus stop highlights mobility gaps in the city

This travelling bus stop, created by women from the informal workforce, will tour through four chosen communities in the city throughout October_

The recent Karnataka Shakti Scheme facilitates women to travel across Karnataka free of cost is a positive step forward but does not resolve the lack of connectivity in underserved areas. And now Alli Serona, a women's collective, is addressing this mobility gap with Bengaluru's first collapsible and mobile bus stop, which hopes to demonstrate how the transportation needs of the informal sector can be met. This 'mobile bus stop' will journey through four chosen areas in Bengaluru namely, Hosa Nagar, Seegahalli, Thursday Sante Area, and Byrasandra, across October.

The bus stop will be installed from October 5 - 7 behind Baiyappanahalli Metro Station, Hosa Nagar, from where it will move to Seegehalli and Priyanka Nagar on October 9 - 10, at the Thursday Sante Area on October 16-18, and at Byrasandra on October 20-21. Designed to resemble a wooden, scaled-down version of a typical bus stop, the installation will have a ticket counter, seating arrangements, a shared space for waiting, and a newsstand. "Through this installation we have created a platform with and for women working in the informal workforce of the city, to increase their participation in decision-making for improved public transport services for all," says SureshaKantha B, a community coordinator from APSA for the Jayanagara constituency.

Ms Sujatha, a woman leader and tailor from Vijayanagar, Whitefield, shares, "We're a family of four. My husband, maternal uncle, and I share a two-wheeler for work. Each of us having a vehicle increases carbon emissions. Many families do the same. Buses accommodating 50-60 people significantly reduce emissions. Leaving early doesn't always help due to traffic. I've seen cars carrying one person, though they can seat five to six. Imagine if everyone used buses. This could positively impact the environment, leading to better rains, enhanced greenery, improved air quality, and overall better quality of life and health.”

Since 2022, Alli Serona has worked to pass the mic to women who are invisibilized even though they are an intrinsic part of the city. Mallika Arya of Bengaluru Moving says, "Goal 11 of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals appeals to member countries to provide safe, affordable, and accessible transportation to all, especially those in vulnerable situations. Inclusive mobility in urban areas is however often overlooked. The Alli Serona Mobile Bus Stop demonstrates how a good public transport system can bring people into the fold of the city."  

831 Unique Compliances For A Small Agricultural And Dairy Product FMCG: Reports Teamlease Regtech

TeamLease Regtech, India’s leading Regulatory Technology (Regtech) solutions company, has released its report titled ‘Simplifying Compliance Management for the FMCG Sector.’ The report provides an overview of the complexity of compliance and the challenges entrepreneurs and employers face in the FMCG sector. It also delves deep into the present regulatory framework and suggests actionable recommendations for enterprises and policymakers.

India, the fifth largest economy in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product (GDP), also stands as the second runner-up in terms of purchasing power parity (PPP). Reaching the $5 trillion mark by 2027 will translate into $16 trillion in GDP in terms of PPP.  This brings to immediate notice that Indian consumer spending is expected to grow to $6 trillion by the end of the decade and that there is explosive growth in the number of high-income and middle-income households. This growth is not limited to tier 1 cities, as tier 2 and tier 3 cities have already overtaken metropolitan cities in retail consumption. The FMCG sector is set to experience increased demand from rural and semi-urban areas as the average household gets access to more and more disposable income, with FMCG accounting for 50% of the total rural spending.

This new report takes a deep dive into the regulatory requirements and challenges FMCG enterprises face. It finds that an enterprise needs at least 23 licenses and registrations under 14 Acts to start a manufacturing facility. Once the enterprise starts operations, it must adhere to over 1,252 unique compliance obligations. These include maintenance of records, returns, and filings under the state-specific labour laws; Food Safety & Standard Act, 2006 and Food Safety & Standard Rules, 2011; and Warehouse Rules, among others.

Rishi Agrawal, CEO and Co-Founder TeamLease RegTech says, “The FMCG sector is a key indicator and driver of economic growth. Food processing continues to be one of the biggest contributors, approaching a $1 trillion domestic market size. PLI has made the industry more attractive. However, the industry has to understand its regulatory obligations if it has to continue to grow. A small agricultural and dairy product company deals with 831 unique and over 3,000 total compliance obligations in a year. These compliances include at least 23 different types of licenses, permissions and registrations. In addition, the employer also needs to comply with 421 unique compliances for every warehouse it operates. This report is an exploration of the complexities present in the regulatory framework for FMCGs.”

Enterprises must ensure compliance with industry-specific acts, rules, and regulations such as the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 and Food Safety & Standard Rules, 2011; Food Safety & Standards (Advertising and Claims) Regulations, 2018; Essential Commodities Act, 1955; Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963; Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 and Prevention of Food Adulteration Rules, 1955; and Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 & Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 among others.

The report reveals that an enterprise operating as an agricultural and dairy product manufacturer has to comply with 831 unique compliances. Of these, labour constitutes 28% (232), industry-specific constitutes 27% (224), and commercial constitutes 25% (209) of the total obligations. In addition, 138 of these need to be complied with annually, while 156 have to be kept up with on a monthly basis. Tracking and managing all applicable regulatory obligations can be exceedingly difficult when done with Excel sheets dependent on people and done on an ad-hoc basis. The report concludes with recommendations for compliance reforms that can further improve the ease of doing business and provide a new-age solution for compliance management for employers.

About TeamLease RegTech

TeamLease RegTech is India’s leading regulatory technology company transforming Compliance. Its solution helps Corporate India stay on the right side of the law with a real-time environment that is trusted by over 1500 entities and 25,000 enterprise users in 45 industries.

TeamLease RegTech offers a cloud-based, multi-tenant, web, and mobile Compliance SAAS solution that tracks all compliances and now has advanced workflows for the automation of Labour and Secretarial compliance. A subsidiary of Teamlease Services, the company envisions a national open compliance grid towards a cashless, paperless, and presence-less compliance in digital India. 

Greening Enterprise Eco System- SIDBI And Shell Collaborate To Pilot Risk Sharing Facility To Compliment National EV Mission 30@30

* Strategic product to uptake access to finance 

Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI), the country’s principal financial institution for MSMEs and Shell Foundation, the UK foundation that catalyses clean energy innovation in Africa and India announced the launch of a Risk Sharing Facility (RSF) to compliment EV Mission 30@30 through SIDBI Mission 50K-EV4ECO (enable eco system to foster 50000 EVs). This will improve access to finance and ramp-up the adoption of electric two- and three-wheelers across India.  

The $6m ($3m SIDBI + $3m Shell Foundation) will provide partial credit guarantee to electric vehicle (EV) eco-system players who support EVs for commercial use.  The agreed cap is 7.5% of second loss layer, that will unlock approximately $81m of commercial capital for EV asset financing.  

It may be mentioned that SIDBI has been conceptualising EV risk sharing facility/financial products with the support of multilaterals after discussing with key stakeholders and experience gained in the sector. While EVOLVE is under consideration but in order to get going SIDBI has commenced 50KEV4ECO programme from April 2nd, 2023. SIDBI been operating two schemes – one for focussed NBFCs operating in EV space and other for EV value chain actors/players and MSMEs. To further strengthen the confidence, SIDBI in partnership with shell foundation, is introducing pilot risk sharing program.  

Shri Sivasubramanian Ramann, CMD, SIDBI said “In line with national mission of EV30@30 SIDBI has adopted EV as thrust segment. By launching mission 50K- EV4ECO we are promoting the entire EV value chain. We at SIDBI, are pioneer in managing risk sharing facility. We have witnessed that RSF is an important instrument to provide initial comfort to the lenders operating in emerging and unserved or underserved segments. Two development institutions, SIDBI and Shell Foundation, have come together to be the first mover and change maker for commercial EV market.  Development remains our partnership essence. We expect that the Risk sharing facility for EV will address the lack of access and affordability of commercial financing due to actual and perceived risks associated with EV lending.  

This Risk sharing facility shall be followed by scaling up support to eco system from multilaterals support under EVOLVE programme. 

Shri Sudhendu J. Sinha, Adviser (Infra & e-mobility), NITI Aayog said “It is heartening to see another differentiator initiative taken by SIDBI along with shell foundation to de-risk the EV financing. This pilot RSF initiative will further strengthen our resolve to move the EV ecosystem upward. It will also enable picking up of learning threads and weave the scaling up EV RSF version under bigger and broader multilateral institutional support. As we know that electric vehicle financing is predominantly being done by small/ unrated NBFCs. These NBFCs have deep and extensive knowledge of the EV sector. It is expected that commercial banks and NBFCs will speed up financing EV assets for commercial use.  This would address the challenges of access to affordable finance. 

Mr. Jonathan Berman, CEO of Shell Foundation said “This partnership with SIDBI is directly aligned with our mission to empower five million urban transporters to earn a living income by transitioning to electric mobility by 2032.  The creation and launch of RSF facility will stimulate the EV Financing sector for 2W & 3W which are used as income generating assets. This will scale access to two- and three-wheeler electric vehicles for 50,000 urban transporters and empower them to increase their incomes by up to 70%.”  

Greenply MDF Unveils New Product Offerings – “EPA Certified CARB P2 And BOIL PRO 500”

The latest milestone for Greenply Industries, one of India’s largest interior infrastructure companies has been the obtainment of certification by the California Air Resources Board (CARB) & Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) for its recently launched CARB P2 MDF. Greenply is first in the industry to be certified with CARB and EPA for its Zero Emission plywood product range and now with the CARB certification for Greenply CARB P2 MDF, it is increasing its portfolio of zero-emission products, to fulfill the promise of healthy interiors.  

The CARB certification for Greenply MDF CARB P2 underscores the company's commitment to healthy interiors and reflects Greenply's dedication to meeting global quality standards. Greenply has always been an industry leader in creating products that are safe for both consumers and the environment. 

Greenply commissioned its MDF production line in April 2023 at Vadodara, Gujarat. The facility uses state-of-the-art PRODIQ NEO technology in collaboration with Siempelkamp Germany. Ever since its launch, the brand has been capturing the market with its thrust on quality and product innovation.  

In line with its innovative streak, Greenply Industries is also set to unveil its new product offering - Greenply MDF BOIL PRO 500, a boil proof 500 HDF that brings the promise of boil-proof and fire-retardancy in MDF.  

Greenply MDF Boil PRO 500 is manufactured using HYDROFIRE BLOCK TECH, ensuring waterproof and fire-proof performance. It can bear heavy loads, and is resistant to termites, borers, and fungus. Additionally, it is environmentally friendly and possesses antibacterial, antifungal, and antiviral properties, offering a safe and hygienic solution. With high dimensional stability and production powered by renewable energy sources, Greenply MDF Boil Pro 500 is the responsible choice for today's construction and interior design needs. 

The Greenply MDF Boil PRO 500, a revolutionary new product from Greenply Industries, will soon hit the market. It has been developed for a wide range of uses and offers several advantages over competing products. 

Mr. Sanidhya Mittal, Joint Managing Director of Greenply Industries, proudly expressed, "The CARB certification for Greenply MDF CARB P2 represents our quest for innovation and healthy interiors. Ever since the launch of Greenply MDF, we have been aggressively pushing for new innovative products. In the line, our new product Greenply MDF BOIL PRO 500, will substantially bolster our product portfolio, offering even more choices and possibilities for consumers seeking waterproof and fireproof MDF." 

This remarkable product finds its applications across a wide range of areas, including restroom toilet cubicles, thermal insulation, load-bearing areas like decking and warehouse shelves, container and truck floors, bus and bathroom partitions, fire-retardant applications, flooring, wall paneling, furniture, fixtures, modular kitchens, wardrobes, and moisture-prone areas.