Yakult Danone India Expands Its Product Portfolio By Introducing “Yakult Light Mango” Flavour

* Adding a refreshing twist to its probiotic beverage portfolio

Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd, a globally renowned probiotic brand, has announced that it is expanding its product portfolio by introducing a new variant – “Yakult Light Mango” Flavour. The launch event was graced by Bollywood star Sanya Malhotra, Mr Takashi Ariyoshi, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Japan in India, Mr Eiji Amano, Managing Director of Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd, and Dr Neerja Hajela, Head – Science and Regulatory Affairs of Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd.

Yakult Light Mango Flavour is a sister product of the signature Yakult. The new product contains the same unique probiotic, Lactobacillus casei Shirota (SHIROTA strain), in the same amount of 650 crores as the original and flagship Yakult. The original probiotic drink was invented by a Japanese medical doctor called Dr Minoru Shirota and designed to take in the human-friendly bacterium that had the ability to reach the gut alive and impart tremendous health benefits. Saddened by the death of children caused by infections due to inadequate hygiene and poverty in Japan in the early 1900s, he emphasised on preventing diseases with the power of probiotics rather than curing diseases and infections after they occur. He embodied his ideal by launching SHIROTA strain as a food in the market so that as many people as possible could get the benefit of the probiotic bacterium while enjoying the delicious taste. Through more than 90 years of research, SHIROTA strain has been scientifically proven to help improve digestion and build immunity when consumed regularly. Based on Dr Shirota’s philosophy, the Yakult company in India came to launch Yakult Light Mango Flavour, a national-favourite-fruit-taste product, to contribute to the health of more people in India.

The retail price of Yakult Light Mango Flavour is Rs. 100/—for a pack of 5 bottles, which will be available at retail outlets in 28 states and 5 union territories from 25th July 2024 onwards. Also, Yakult has a unique home delivery sales channel, where nearly 300 ‘Yakult Ladies’ deliver the products to the customers' doorstep in Delhi NCR, Chandigarh, Jaipur, Mumbai, and Pune. Yakult products, including Yakult Light Mango Flavour, are also available through e-commerce.

Speaking about the launch of Yakult Light Mango Flavour, Mr Eiji Amano, Managing Director, Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd, said, “At Yakult, our core philosophy is to enhance the gut health of consumers worldwide using our unique probiotic strain “Lactobacillus casei SHIROTA strain”. With over 2 lakh bottles of Yakult consumed daily in India, we have become a household name, enjoyed by many families as part of their daily routine. With the launch of Yakult Light Mango Flavour, we are expanding our product portfolio to cater to the tastes and preferences of Indian consumers. This new variant maintains the same health benefits as our classic Yakult while introducing a delightful mango flavour that is widely loved. We believe this addition will appeal to our consumers who relish mango taste.”

Taking centre stage at the launch, Bollywood actress Sanya Malhotra said, “I am super excited to be a part of this exciting launch. There is great concern about the increasing rise in lifestyle disorders due to erratic lifestyles, poor nutrition, stress, lack of adequate sleep, pollution and generally poor gut health. I take my daily dose of probiotics to keep my gut healthy, and Yakult has been an integral part of my diet for a long time now. Today, I am pleased that the company has introduced Yakult Light Mango Flavour, which tastes delicious and refreshing. I am sure it will be a favourite among all mango and Yakult lovers.”

Dr Neerja Hajela, Head - Science and Regulatory Affairs, Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd, added that Lactobacillus casei strain Shirota (SHIROTA strain) is unique to Yakult, and is backed by more than 100 human studies conducted across the globe, including India. Probiotics are essential as they increase the good bacteria in the gut and reduce the harmful disease-causing bacteria. By doing so, they ensure better digestion of food, proper absorption of nutrients and stronger immunity to reduce the risk of infections. A decrease in probiotic bacteria in the gut, coupled with poor lifestyle, can lead to poor gut health and weak immunity, manifesting as fatigue, poor growth and development, malnutrition and repeated infections. To keep the gut healthy, it is essential to introduce probiotics into the daily diet through scientifically validated probiotic products.

Photo Caption: Bollywood Actress Sanya Malhotra, Mr. Takashi Ariyoshi, Minister and Deputy Chief of Mission of Embassy of Japan in India and Mr. Eiji Amano, Managing Director of Yakult Danone India Pvt Ltd at the launch of Yakult Light Mango flavour.

Blue Dart Announces 'Rakhi Express Offers’ On Domestic And International Shipments

Blue Dart Express Limited, South Asia's premier express air, integrated transportation, and distribution logistics company, is delighted to announce its annual “Rakhi Express” offer, celebrating the special bond between siblings, this festive season. Customers can enjoy an all-inclusive discounted price of Rs. 250/- for Rakhi shipments up to 0.5 kg for their loved ones. Additionally, there is a flat 40% discount on domestic shipments across India for packages weighing 0.5 kg to 2.5 kg, and up to 50% off on international shipments for packages weighing 0.5 kg to 2.5 kg, 5 kg, 10 kg, 15 kg, and 20 kg in key markets. This offer is valid until 19th August 2024, with conditions applied.

This offer provides a comprehensive and economical solution for all logistics needs, ensuring Rakhi gifts reach loved ones on time. Adding to the festive cheer, customers sending Rakhi shipments domestically during the offer period stand a chance to win exciting prizes.

As a customer-centric company, Blue Dart has been working on enhancing its products and services, providing added value to its customers during this festive season. With the 'Rakhi Express' offer, customers can spread the joy of the festive season by sending gifts to over 56,000+ locations within India, as well as to 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company employs technology and automation to ensure speed, safety, and reliability in seamless deliveries, enabling it to consistently deliver excellence at every touchpoint.

For service inquiries, customers can contact the Customer Care Number at 1860 233 1234 or email customerservice@bluedart.com. To find the nearest Blue Dart counter,  visit http://www.bluedart.com/ or use the 'My Blue Dart' mobile application, available on the Apple Store and Play Store.

CredAble Partners With Finastra To Provide A Holistic Supply Chain Finance Offering To Banks Globally

* CredAble’s Working Capital Finance Platform, integrated with Finastra Trade Innovation, enables banks to grow their trade and supply chain finance business and deliver enhanced customer experiences

CredAble, a working capital technology platform announced its partnership with Finastra, a global provider of financial software applications and marketplaces, to expand the functionality of Finastra Trade Innovation. CredAble’s feature-rich platform is now integrated with the solution, providing new and existing customers with a comprehensive supply chain finance offering. As a result, banks can increase their revenue growth, accelerate business expansion and customer satisfaction by offering corporates a wider range of financial services within a single platform.

“In today’s tough economic climate, it is more important than ever that corporates optimize their working capital and maintain real-time liquidity for long-term growth,” said Satyam Agrawal, Global Head of Product & MD ASEAN & ME at CredAble. “By combining our AI-powered supply chain finance platform with Finastra’s leading trade finance solution and global reach, we are delivering a holistic, front-to-back trade and supply chain finance offering to more banks worldwide. This enables them to broaden and enhance their operations to facilitate business growth, while ensuring the services they offer continue to meet the demands of corporates today.”

Trade Innovation is a trade services platform that uses straight-through processing, digitalization and data analytics to enable intelligent trade for growth, and to evolve with compliance, customer and competitive demands. CredAble is a working capital platform that enables banks to provide extensive supply chain financing solutions, serve diverse enterprise and small and medium-sized (SME) businesses, and unlock lucrative revenue opportunities. The partnership combines best-of-breed functionality to provide an enhanced, end-to-end offering for trade and supply chain finance.

“To facilitate truly innovative, relevant and open trade finance services, our partner ecosystem plays an important role,” said Anastasia McAlpine, Head of Product for Trade and Supply Chain Finance at Finastra. “By augmenting the functionality of Trade Innovation with CredAble’s feature-rich supply chain finance offering, we are giving our current and future customers access to a wider array of services that allow them to meet the growing needs of their customers. The partnership ensures institutions can continue to innovate at speed, decrease time to value and utilize data for decision-making across the whole of their working capital and supply chain finance portfolio, ultimately supporting increased growth for both their business and that of their customers. It’s another example of how Finastra is harnessing the power of open finance and APIs to build powerful ecosystems that deliver additional value”

Budget Reactions From Industry Leaders Of Oil, Energy And Education Sectors

 

BUDGET REACTION from Oil and Energy Sector:  

 Mr Baroruchi Mishra, Group CEO, NET Enterprise says overall a balanced budget aimed at job creation which in turn will lead to increased consumption and propel growth. It also has a good focus on energy transition.

1.Focus on Water Management including solid waste management for large cities is particularly heartening. Proper implementation of the solid waste management will key to success.

There is great scope for 3 way collaboration here - Centre,States and private sector. The agencies that need to implement this will need to get innovative with the technology choices - proven techs like chemical recycling of single use plastics, plasma gasification of solids wastes etc should be evaluated. This should not be mired into the bureaucratic red tape as this can lead to reduction in fossil fuel use if done correctly.

2. Aspiration to involve private sector in modular nuclear reactors for green energy is a positive step in energy transition.

3. Instead of promising free electricity @300 units for I Cr households under PM Surya Ghar Bijli Yojna, the government should have announced more enabling subsidises for solar panel installations and battery procurement. And let the population get addicted to using Solar as much as they can. The word “free” is toxic for the economy and kills enterprise. 

4. Emphasis on Climate Finance is good; Banks and lending Financial institutions should not stall the noble intent of the government.

I assume “ mitigation related investments” will cover carbon capture and storage (CCUS) as this is the only pathway to carbon reduction in the hard-to-abate sectors like cement and steel. Widespread use of DRI for making green steel will take at at least 10-15 years; we cannot wait that long as the EU’s Carbon Border Adjust Tax will hit steel exports by 2026. US and other countries may follow suit making our steel exports uncompetitive.

BUDGET REACTION FROM THE EDUCATION SECTOR

Usha iyer, Principal and managing director of The Green School Bangalore says that it is indeed commendable to see such a significant budget allocation today towards education, employment, and skilling in the Union Budget 2024 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.

There has been an impressive Rs. 1.48 lakh crore earmarked specifically for education as compared to the previous year's allocation for the education sector in 2023 which stood at ?1,12,898.97 crore The budget places a pronounced emphasis on fostering education, employment, and skilling across the nation. For the last nine years we haven’t seen large impact on youth through the skill India movement, now we have to see how it brings a change with these policies Commencing her address, Minister Sitharaman introduced a Prime Ministerial Package worth Rs. 2 lakh crore, encompassing five transformative programs designed to invigorate employment and skilling sectors.

The emphasis placed on these crucial sectors is vital for the overall development and growth of the nation. Of this, employment, and skill development, surpassing the previous year’s allocation. However, it does raise the question as to why such a substantial allocation did not happen in previous budgets, considering that it is the same Prime Minister Narendra Modi who has been leading the country. One possible explanation could be that the government is now prioritizing these areas more than before, recognizing the importance of investing in education and skilling to boost employment opportunities and overall economic growth.

A notable highlight is the initiative offering internships at 500 top companies to 1 crore students over the next five years, each receiving a stipend of Rs. 5,000 and a one-time assistance payment of Rs. 6,000. Furthermore, the introduction of model skill loans up to Rs. 7 lakh aims to benefit 25,000 students annually, significantly boosting their career prospects and employability. In my opinion the introduction of initiatives such as the Prime Ministerial Package and internships at top companies for students, along with model skill loans, are steps in the right direction towards empowering the youth and preparing them for a competitive job market. It is crucial for the government to sustain and expand upon these efforts in the future budgets to ensure long-term benefits for the country workforce and economy.

Coca-Cola India Wins Award For Circular Economy Initiatives At Indian Circular Economy Forum 2024

~Recognition highlights Coca-Cola India’s successful launch of Recycled PET bottles in India

~Coca-Cola India pioneered Recycled PET (rPET) bottles in the Indian beverage industry, starting with Kinley's 1-litre and followed by rPET Coca-Cola in 250ml and 750ml variants.

Coca-Cola India has been honored with an award for its circular economy initiatives at the Indian Circular Economy Forum 2024, a testament to its innovative approach in sustainable packaging, held on 12th July. The award acknowledges Coca-Cola India’s eco-friendly packaging innovations, notably its launch of 100% recycled PET bottles—a first in India’s beverage sector. This initiative is a cornerstone of Coca-Cola India’s World Without Waste campaign, aiming to foster a circular economy for plastic packaging.

The forum, which took place at the Indian Habitat Centre, Delhi witnessed notable speakers such as Smt. Rupinder Brar, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Coal; Smt. Roopa Mishra, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA); Sh. Dinesh Jagdale, Joint Secretary at Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE); and Mr. Michael Bucki, Counsellor & Head of Section - Sustainable Modernization, Delegation of the European Union.  

Speaking about the achievement, Neeraj Porwal, Senior Director Technical & Supply Chain Sustainability – India & South West Asia, The Coca-Cola Company, said “We are honored to receive this award. Our commitment to driving a circular economy for our packaging is central to reducing waste and carbon emissions. We are focused on increasing the recycled content in our packaging, expanding the use of refillable bottles, and enhancing our recycling efforts through the World Without Waste initiative. This recognition strengthens our resolve to build a more sustainable future for the beverage industry.”

Coca-Cola India is the first company in India to launch 1 litre Kinley bottles made from 100% recycled PET (rPET), followed by rPET Coca-Cola bottles in 250 ml and 750 ml, further underscoring its focus on reducing carbon footprint and promoting environmental responsibility.

About Coca-Cola India:

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 its 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 and juice beverages. 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 range and Smartwater. In addition, it offers Costa Coffee and organic green tea based beverage- Honest Tea amongst its range of coffee and Tea. 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.

Sunfeast Yippee Is Back! With Rahul Dravid, Jasprit Bumrah & Surya Kumar Yadav Unveil YiPPee!’s Latest Campaign 'YiPPee! Toss'

With cricket fervor in the air, the internet was abuzz with curiosity to know about the cryptic posts shared by Jasprit Bumrah & Surya Kumar Yadav on their Instagram handles about ‘The Toss’. Interest piqued as the players’ respective wives also posted about it soon after.

Multitude of accounts took to social media and shared their desire to know “What is the Toss all about?”. With widespread speculations by people, the conversation grabbed eyeballs garnering millions of views across social media making it viral.

While the internet kept wondering about what the cricketers were ‘tossing’ about, the brand Sunfeast YiPPee! took to Instagram and did the grand reveal of its latest campaign ‘YiPPee Toss’, thus, putting all speculations to rest.

Sunfeast YiPPee!, a leading instant Noodle & Pasta brand from ITC Ltd is back with a brand-new campaign featuring the country’s most-loved cricketers – Rahul Dravid, Jasprit Bumrah and Surya Kumar Yadav.  This fun-filled campaign leverages the popularity of top cricketers in a playful fashion highlighting the unique qualities of YiPPee! Noodles which are: Long & Non-Sticky.

The recently launched TVCs showcase Dravid, Bumrah and ‘SKY’ in lighthearted scenarios where they use the ‘YiPPee Toss’ to settle day to day friendly banters in a playful manner using YiPPee! Noodles. It’s an innovative play on the brand’s core USPs of Long & Non-Sticky Noodles. The campaign positions YiPPee! as ‘India’s Choice’.

Speaking about the campaign, Kavita Chaturvedi, Chief Operating Officer, Snacks, Noodles & Pasta, Food Business, ITC Ltd., said, “Cricket is an emotion in India and what better way to connect with our consumers than by bringing together the sport and the deliciousness of YiPPee! Noodles. This campaign celebrates the playful energy of our brand and the joy of relishing a bowl of YiPPee! with friends and family.”

Popular Cricketer Jasprit Bumrah remarked “It’s a very playful campaign and we had a lot of fun. If there is one way to settle a banter, it is through YiPPee!”

Much loved Batsman Surya Kumar Yadav said “I am thrilled to be part of this campaign as it perfectly mirrors our camaraderie both on and off the field. With YiPPee! settling our playful banter just got a whole lot easier”

Legendary Rahul Dravid said “I had a wonderful time while working with Bumrah and SKY on this campaign. We've created something enjoyable, and I hope everyone likes it.”

The YiPPee! Toss, campaign will be rolled out in multiple media platforms across the country. The brand is confident that the campaign will resonate with its vibrant target audience and inspire them to do the YiPPee! Toss to settle playful disputes amongst friends, just like our favorite cricket stars!

Grand Launch Of Exclusive Kancheepuram Silk Saree Exhibition By Varahi Lakshmi silks

* Exhibition starts from 26th July 2024 till 28th July 2024.

Varahi Lakshmi Silks Presents the one & only Pure Kanchipuram Sarees on different verities on Various New Collections, starting 26th July 2024 till 28th July 2024.

Varahi Lakshmi silks will launch their first exclusive exhibition at Bangalore with pure silk wedding sarees at Kanchipuram’  and offer genuine quality Kanchipuram sarees, Aranisarees, Dharmavaram sarees, Uppada sarees and handloom sarees.

Varahi Lakshmi silks owns more than 1000 handloom weaving machines, their exclusive collection is available at wholesale pricing, eliminating the middleman and passing on the price benefits to the consumers as they serve them directly.

The exhibition will be an abode for the rare and eternal pure Kancheepuram Sarees, Aarani Sarees, Banaraas Sarees, Dharmavaram Sarees, Uppada Sarees, Handloom Sarees, Real Jari Kota Sarees and Designer Sarees. Each saree purchased will receive the Silk mark and purity certificate to endorse that it is genuine. Sarees are available right from Rs.500 to Rs. 2 lakh.

Day & Date: Friday, 26th July 2024

Time: 10am till 8:00pm

Venue: Jagadish Hotels

(Basement of Italian Bake House)

New No: 51, Old No.664, 11th Main Road, 4th Block, Jayanagar,

Bengaluru – 5600011

ENTRY FREE ALL ARE WELCOME !!!