ICICI Prudential Life Launches Industry’s First ‘Increasing Income’ Feature In ICICI Pru Guaranteed Pension Plan Flexi To Manage Inflation

·       Industry’s first regular pay annuity product offering increasing income to retirees

·       Offers a 5% increase in annuity pay-out annually enabling customers to manage inflation

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has launched the ‘Increasing Income’ feature, an industry first, for its regular pay annuity product, ICICI Pru Guaranteed Pension Plan Flexi.

This feature offers customers a five percent increase in the annuity pay-out annually, which can aid retired individuals to cope with inflation.

ICICI Pru Guaranteed Pension Plan Flexi with the ‘Increasing Income’ feature can enable customers to maintain their standard of living as inflation reduces their purchasing power over time.

Mr. Amit Palta, Chief Product and Distribution Officer, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, said, “Annuity products are designed to provide a guaranteed permanent income to retired individuals. We recognise that inflation impacts the standard of living of individuals, especially retirees who don’t get the benefit of a periodic hike in salary. To address this challenge, we have introduced the ‘Increasing Income’ feature. This is the first-of-its-kind feature in the industry being offered in our regular premium payment annuity product – ICICI Pru Guaranteed Pension Plan Flexi.

The introduction of the ‘Increasing Income’ feature exemplifies our approach in delivering enhanced experience to customers by equipping them with the essential resources to navigate their financial journey with confidence.”

Mr. Palta, further added, “we designed ICICI Pru Guaranteed Pension Plan Flexi to enable a broader segment of the country’s population to plan for retirement in advance giving them the flexibility to make wallet-friendly contributions over the long-term to build their desired retirement corpus.

As India continues its transition to becoming a developed economy, the interest rates are expected to fall. We believe, the current high-interest rate regime provides an excellent opportunity for customers to purchase an annuity product and lock-in the rate of interest and receive permanent guaranteed income for life.”

Mr. Palta, concluded, “we are committed to innovating across products and processes to deliver the right product to the right customer at the right price and through the right channel and enhance customer experience. Also, technology solutions implemented have enabled us to become the most customer and distributor friendly life insurance Company.

The ICICI Prudential Life Insurance brand is known for delivering on its promises made to customer and their families, this is reflected in our industry leading claim settlement ratio of 99.3% in H1-FY2025. Notably the average claim settlement turnaround time was just 1.2 days for non-investigated claims.”

For further queries please e-mail on corpcomm@iciciprulife.com

About ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company (www.iciciprulife.com)

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company Limited is promoted by ICICI Bank Limited and Prudential Corporation Holdings Limited. The Company began its operations in fiscal year 2001 and has consistently been amongst the top private sector life insurance companies in India on Retail Weighted Received Premium (RWRP) basis.

The Company offers an array of products in the Protection and Savings category which match the different life stage requirements of customers, enabling them to provide a financial safety net to their families as well as achieve their long-term financial goals. The digital platform of the Company provides a paperless buying experience to customers, empowers them to conduct an assortment of self-service transactions, provides a convenient route to make digital payments and facilitates a hassle-free claims settlement process.

The Company has introduced ICICI Pru Stack, a first-of-its kind suite of platform capabilities that combines digital tools and analytics. This innovative suite aims to enhance the understanding of customers' requirements and enable distributors to offer suitable insurance products, deliver seamless experiences, and provide exceptional pre- and post-sale services. By deploying this comprehensive solution, the Company aspires to transform into the most customer-friendly and partnerable insurance provider in the country.

At September 30, 2024, the Company had an AUM of ` 3.20 lakh crore and a total in-force sum assured of ` 36.37 lakh crore with over 9.7 crore lives covered. ICICI Prudential Life is also the first insurance company in India to be listed on both the National Stock Exchange (NSE) Limited and Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) Limited.

Tata Motors’ CSR Initiatives Transform 1 Million Lives In FY24, Releases Its 10th Annual CSR Report

Tata Motors, India's leading automobile company, today released its 10th Annual Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Report, celebrating the transformative impact of its strategic community interventions. Highlighting the sustainable impact made on the lives of over 1 million people, this milestone report, titled “Building Together a Million Dreams,” is dedicated to the crucial role that partnerships have played throughout this decade-long journey. With more than 40 percent of beneficiaries belonging to the SC and ST communities, Tata Motors has significantly broadened its CSR footprint beyond the proximate communities, reaching 94 aspirational districts across 26 states and 8 union territories.

Commenting on the launch of the 10th Annual CSR Report, Vinod Kulkarni, Head of CSR at Tata Motors, said, “We are immensely proud of the strides we have made in transforming over one million lives through our committed CSR initiatives. Our innovative ‘More for Less for More’ strategy has empowered us to drive efficiencies, adopt technology, optimise resources and scale up programmes, broadening our reach and deepening our impact nationwide. This success is a testament to the unwavering support of our partners and the trust of the communities we serve. As we advance, we remain dedicated to addressing critical social issues and leveraging government schemes to promote sustainable development in education, health, employability, and environmental protection.”

Throughout the year, Tata Motors emphasised on the convergence of strength across the government, non-government, and private sectors to implement focussed social interventions in Health (Aarogya), Education (Vidyadhanam), Employability (Kaushalya), and Environment (Vasundhara), with a special emphasis on Water Conservation and Integrated Village Development.

Key highlights of Tata Motors' CSR report for FY24

Advancing Water Security

Through a partnership with NAAM Foundation, MGNREGA Department, and the Government of Maharashtra, Tata Motors has rejuvenated and developed 106 water bodies in rural Maharashtra under the Government of India’s   Amrit Sarovar Mission. This initiative to date has created a capacity of  1,860 million litres of water across Palghar, Pune, and Satara districts, enhancing agricultural productivity, raising water tables, providing access to potable water, and ensuring year-round irrigation.

Enhancing Rural Livelihoods Through Integrated Community Development

Tata Motors adopts a holistic approach to engage with rural communities with a specific focus on strengthening local governance. The Integrated Village Development Programme (IVDP), which began in the tribal block of Jawahar in the Palghar district of Maharashtra, has now been replicated in proximate communities of other plant locations like Pune, Sanand, Jamshedpur and Lucknow.

Expanding its engagement to five-gram panchayats in Jawahar, IVDP has reduced migration from 45 percent to 25 percent, increased average household income by 60 percent, and ensured year-round availability of water in this tribal belt. Tata Motors has transformed the barren hamlet of Navapara in Ahmedabad district, inhabited by an underprivileged tribal community. With year-round access to potable water, 190 of the 230 households have adopted fishery as the key source of income. Migration of the community has reduced by 40 percent and there is a 10 percent decline in the rate of school dropouts

Creating a Greener and More Sustainable Environment

In collaboration with the Government of Maharashtra and the BAIF Institute under the Mahatma Gandhi NREGA scheme, Tata Motors has planted 1.7 million saplings across Palghar district in Maharashtra, benefiting 13,000 farmers and converting 13,000 acres of unutilised farmland to productive use.

Tata Motors’ Urban Forestry initiative, in partnership with the TERRE Policy Centre, has planted 125,000 trees over a cumulative area of 200 hectares in and around Pune. These urban forests absorb 300,000 kg of carbon annually, protect biodiversity, and improve air quality.

Empowering Students through Enhanced Educational Support

The Engineering NEET Admission Bridge Accelerated Learning Engagement (ENABLE) Programme, in collaboration with Navodaya Vidyalaya Samiti, Avanti Fellows, and Ex-Navodaya Foundation, supports over 550 Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalayas with coaching, live classes, and mock tests for JEE and NEET exams. Annually, ENABLE coaches and counsels 18,000 science students of Std XI and Std XII via a digital platform to prepare for medical and engineering entrance examinations. In 2023-24, 27 percent of students from the ENABLE online programme qualified for IIT JEE while 79 percent qualified in the NEET exams.

Building New Career Paths for Youth

Learn, Earn and Progress (LEAP), a flagship social responsibility programme, imparts auto trade skills in Motor Mechanic Vehicles (MMV) to youths from underserved communities, especially school dropouts who lack the skills to be employed. Partnering with ITIs, Skills for Progress (SKIP), and Tata Motors dealers, it provides three months of theory training followed by nine months of On-Job-Training (OJT). With its footprint in 16 states, LEAP trains around 1500 youth annually, ~80 percent of whom get placed within or outside the Tata Motors ecosystem. A significant segment of LEAP’s beneficiaries are first-generation learners.

Improving the livelihood of the tribals'

Despite having first and natural rights over forest produce, tribal families from Junnar and Ambegaon talukas in Pune district of Maharashtra were not permitted by the government to undertake commercial purchase or sale of hirda berries. In 2020, a Farmers Producer Group (FPG) was established under the guidance of Tata Motors and Shashwat Sanstha to train and employ local youth for the procurement and sale of hirda.

The FPG has grown from 300 families in 11 villages to over 5,000 families across four talukas. The real-time, fair pricing provided to the farmers has resulted in generating INR 4 crore in revenue over four years. This initiative has enhanced family incomes, arrested migration, and promoted sustainable agricultural practices.

Holistic Health Initiatives

In 2023-24 the Malnutrition Treatment Centre (MTC) in Jamshedpur, in partnership with Parivar Kalyan Sansthan (PKS), extended its healthcare services in remote areas and increased capacity-building programmes for the Anganwadi workers. MTC, which treats 5,500 children with severe acute malnutrition (SAM) annually, achieved more than two-fold growth in its outreach.

Building on this success, Tata Motors has expanded its efforts to combat malnutrition by collaborating with the Institute of Social Development (ISD) and the Child Development Department in Uttarakhand to establish the Parvarish Kendras and improve the quality of life of vulnerable communities.

Strengthening Employee Volunteering

Tata Motors undertook transformative measures to fortify volunteering as an organisational culture. The company reported the highest-ever employee participation of 59 percent as they volunteered 1,17,000 hours for community service.

About Tata Motors:

Part of the USD 165 billion Tata group, Tata Motors Limited (BSE: 500570 and 570001; NSE: TATAMOTORS and TATAMTRDVR), a USD 44 billion organization, is a leading global automobile manufacturer of cars, utility vehicles, pick-ups,  trucks, and buses, offering an extensive range of integrated, smart, and e-mobility solutions. With ‘Connecting Aspirations’ at the core of its brand promise, Tata Motors is India’s market leader in commercial vehicles and ranks among the top three in the passenger vehicles market.

Tata Motors strives to bring new products that captivate the imagination of GenNext customers, fuelled by state-of-the-art design and R&D centres located in India, the UK, the US, Italy, and South Korea. By focusing on engineering and tech- enabled automotive solutions catering to the future of mobility, the company’s innovation efforts are focused on developing pioneering technologies that are both sustainable and suited to the evolving market and customer aspirations. The company is pioneering India's Electric Vehicle (EV) transition and driving the shift towards sustainable mobility solutions by developing a tailored product strategy, leveraging the synergy between Group companies and playing an active role in liaising with the Government of India in developing the policy framework.

With operations in India, UK, South Korea, Thailand and Indonesia, Tata Motors markets its vehicles in Africa, the Middle East, Latin America, Southeast Asia, and the SAARC countries. As of March 31, 2024, Tata Motors’ operations include 90 consolidated subsidiaries, two joint operations, five joint ventures, and numerous equity-accounted associates, including their subsidiaries, over which the company exercises significant influence.

Prasanna School of Public Health Launches Training Modules On Prevention & Control Of Zoonotic Diseases For Field Staff In Udupi

Prasanna School of Public Health (PSPH), Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), in collaboration with the District Health and Family Welfare Services, Udupi, has launched online Training Modules on Prevention & Control of Zoonotic Diseases for field-level staff. This initiative, supported by the DA Prasanna Endowment Seed Grant, aims to equip frontline workers with essential knowledge to detect and prevent zoonotic diseases, particularly in rural areas.

The modules, developed in the regional language, are designed to enhance the capacity of field staff in managing zoonotic diseases, which are illnesses transmitted between animals and humans. The launch event was held at the Taluk Health Office in Udupi, where dignitaries inaugurated the programme by unveiling a video trailer that highlighted the content and scope of the modules. Dr. Prashant Bhat, District Vector Borne Disease Control Officer, Udupi, addressed the gathering and emphasized the pressing need for well-trained frontline staff to combat zoonotic diseases. He pointed out the unique challenges posed by such diseases in rural communities and how the modules would strengthen field response capabilities. Taluk Health Officer, Udupi, Dr. Vasudev Upadhyay, highlighted the importance of a One Health approach in addressing the transmission of diseases between animals and humans. Associate Director of PSPH, Dr. Asha Kamath, underscored the significance of public sector collaboration in driving impactful social responsibility initiatives.

The event was attended by a range of health workers, including ASHAs, lab technicians, Primary Health Centre Officers (PHCOs), Community Health Officers (CHOs), para-veterinary staff, and Block Health Education Officers (BHEOs) from Udupi Taluk. Their involvement demonstrates a collective commitment to strengthening community health systems and addressing the risks posed by zoonotic diseases. This initiative highlights PSPH, MAHE’s dedication to community health and capacity-building efforts. The training modules will also be launched at Kundapura Taluk Health Office on November 7 and Karkala Taluk Health Office on November 13, ensuring broader accessibility and impact across the region.

BSP Senior Secondary School From Bhilai Chhattisgarh Wins TCS Rural IT Quiz National Finals 2024

* This year marks the 25th anniversary of the TCS Rural IT Quiz, which had participation from over 5.6 lakh students from smaller towns across India, aiming to enhance IT awareness among young learners

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) (BSE: 532540, NSE: TCS), a global leader in IT services, consulting, and business solutions, in collaboration with the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka, announced the winners of the 25th edition of the TCS Rural IT Quiz. The national finals were held on November 21, 2024, as part of the Bengaluru Tech Summit.

Tanish Kumar Sahu {14yrs), from BSP Senior Secondary School, Bhilai Chhattisgarh emerged as the National Final champion, while Eklavya, (14 yrs), from Swami Vivekanand Govt. Model School, Suratgarh Rajasthan secured the runner-up position. TCS felicitated both students with educational scholarships of Rs 100,000 and Rs 50,000, respectively. Smaran Suthar from Anandalaya School, Anand Gujarat and Shivam M Thakare from St John’s High School, Wardha Maharashtra came joint third. All finalists also received scholarships of Rs 10,000 from TCS.

This year, the quiz marks its 25th anniversary and saw participation from over 5.6 lakh students from smaller towns in India. Open to students from classes 8 to 12, the program included online tests, virtual rounds, and physical quiz competitions. The national finals assessed students' knowledge in technology through five engaging segments. The ten regional finalists who qualified for the national finals included:

-          Eklavya: Swami Vivekanand Govt. Model School, Suratgarh Rajasthan

-          Piyush Rakhunde: CM Rise Govt. Model Higher Secondary School, Indore Madhya Pradesh

-          Smaran Suthar: Anandalaya School, Anand Gujarat

-          Adithyadas U: Govt. Model Higher Secondary School, Calicut Kerala

-          M. Kusheel – Zilla Parishad High School, Eluru Andhra Pradesh

-          Harit Choudhary: ASM Modern Academy, Amroha Uttar Pradesh

-          Shivam M Thakare: St John’s High School, Wardha Maharashtra

-          Srujan Gupta Nomula– Teja Vidyalaya, Nalgonda Telangana

-          Mayur Hegde – St Michael’s Convent High School Karnataka

-          Tanish Kumar Sahu: BSP Senior Secondary School, Bhilai Chhattisgarh

The awards were presented by Dr. M.C. Sudhakar, Minister for Higher Education, Govt. of Karnataka, N.S. Boseraju, Minister for Minor Irrigation, Science & Technology, Govt of Karnataka and Sunil Deshpande, Regional Head, TCS Bengaluru. The event was also graced by Dr. Ekroop Caur, Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, BT, and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka, Darshan H.V. – Director, Dept of Electronics IT, BT and MD KITS, Govt of Karnataka and Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, former Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, Bt, and Science & Technology, Govt. of Karnataka.

TCS, in collaboration with the Department of Electronics, IT, BT and Science and Technology, Government of Karnataka, has been organizing the Rural IT Quiz since 2000. The initiative aims to enhance IT awareness among students from smaller towns and districts across India, equipping them with knowledge about the latest advancements in technology. To date, the program has reached over 21 million students and has been recognized by the Limca Book of Records as the first IT Quiz for rural students in India.

Photo caption: (Winner): TCS Rural IT Quiz National Winner  with (from L to R) Darshan H.V. – Director, Dept of Electronics IT,  BT and MD KITS, Govt of Karnataka, Dr. E.V. Ramana Reddy, former Additional Chief Secretary, Department of Electronics, IT, Bt, and S&T, Govt. of Karnataka, Dr. M.C. Sudhakar, Minister for Higher Education, Govt. of Karnataka, N.S. Boseraju, Minister for Minor Irrigation, Science & Technology, Govt of Karnataka and Sunil Deshpande, Regional Head, TCS Bengaluru.

MVIT Organises Faculty Development Program To Promote Innovation In Sustainable Energy

The Department of Electrical and Electronics at Sir M. Visvesvaraya Institute of Technology (MVIT), Bengaluru, in partnership with the AICTE Training & Learning (ATAL) Academy, New Delhi, inaugurated a six-day Faculty Development Program (FDP) on "Empowering Futuristic Research Avenues in Energy, Sustainability & Climate Change for Industrial Innovation." Sponsored by AICTE’s ATAL initiative, the program aimed to advance research and innovation in sustainable energy.

The inaugural session was led by Mr.N. Pradeep Kumar, Executive Engineer, Power System Studies, KPTCL(STU), who emphasized the vital role of research in energy sustainability and industrial innovation.

The event was graced by Dr. H. L. Suresh, Head of the Electrical and Electronics Department; Dr. Mahesh K., Professor department of EEE.

The FDP has drawn participants from AICTE-approved institutions and industry leaders, fostering a collaborative platform for knowledge-sharing and advancements in sustainable research.

Yamaha Motor Collaborated On Original Sci-Fi Anime, Netflix Series Tokyo Override

* Set in a world 100 years in the future, featuring concept motorcycle designed by Yamaha

Yamaha Motor Co., Ltd. announces it has collaborated with Netflix, one of the world's leading entertainment services, on the production of Tokyo Override, an original anime streamed globally, exclusively on Netflix on November 21, 2024.

Tokyo Override is set in Tokyo 100 years in the future where AI has been integrated into daily life and all aspects of urban living is automated. In this sci-fi anime full of motorcycle action, existing and originally designed motorcycles roar through the streets of Tokyo.

Yamaha Motor’s collaboration with Netflix for this project began when we received their request for permission to select and use Yamaha motorcycles in the anime. We cooperated by providing 3D data, images, and sound recordings of the YZF-R1, superbike, and the VMAX, muscle cruiser. In addition to these iconic models, hoping that we could attract the audience to become interested in the world of motorcycles, we also assisted in building the anime’s world of 100 years in the future, offering ideas for mobility, designing the race machine concept “Y/AI”, and providing other support such as supervising the sound effects.

The YZF-R1, VMAX, and Y/AI are all featured in the anime series. We also created a full-scale concept model of the Y/AI, to be world premiered at the Motor Expo 2024 in Bangkok, Thailand running from Nov 29 to Dec 10.

https://global.yamaha-motor.com/showroom/tokyooverride/

Secures Approval To Extend Instant ‘Ready-To-Use’ National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) Solution Across All Chennai Metro Stations

AGS Transact Technologies Limited (BSE: 543451 & NSE: AGSTRA), one of the leading providers of integrated omni-channel payment solutions in India, providing digital and cash-based solutions to banks and corporate clients, today announced its plans to extend deployment of ‘Ongo Ride’, an instant National Common Mobility Card (NCMC) solution, across 41 Chennai Metro Stations. Compliant with the RBI’s updated guidelines, ‘Ongo Ride’ requires Zero-KYC, for making payments across NCMC enabled transit services.

Building on its initial success at 13 Chennai metro stations, Ongo Ride continues to resonate positively with commuters. Ongo’s industry-first instant NCMC issuance process allows commuters to purchase ready-to-use NCMC cards via unique card dispensers installed at Chennai metro stations. This streamlined process encourages faster adoption of NCMCs across India. Ongo Ride will be available across all additional Chennai metro stations by the end of December 2024. Furthermore, the Company aims to replicate this model across other metro railways in the country.

Commuters can purchase the instant NCMC cards for Rs 100 from these card dispensers in three easy steps: Select Card - Pay via UPI – Collect ready-to-use Ongo NCMC card. Each card comes preloaded with a balance of Rs 50. Commuters can conveniently top up their instant NCMC cards with a maximum fund limit of Rs 2,000 at ticket counters across all Chennai metro stations. Additionally, commuters have the option to upgrade their cards by completing full KYC, enabling them to enjoy all the benefits of an NCMC, including in-store and online payments.

Ongo is a fast-growing omnichannel digital payment platform by AGS Transact Technologies, which offers convenient payment solutions. Launched in 2015, Ongo offers merchant Acquiring and Prepaid Issuance services. Ongo is a non-bank prepaid payment instrument and offers dedicated open-loop prepaid solutions for consumers across segments.

About AGS Transact Technologies Limited (AGSTTL)

Established in 2002, AGS Transact Technologies Limited (BSE: 543451| NSE: AGSTRA) is one of the largest integrated omni-channel payment solutions providers in India in terms of providing digital and cash-based solutions to banks and corporate clients. AGS Transact provides customised products and services comprising ATM and CRM outsourcing, cash management and digital payment solutions including merchant solutions, transaction processing services and mobile wallets. The company operates in three broad business segments, namely, Payment Solutions; Banking Automation Solutions; and Other Automation Solutions.

Ongo is a fast-growing omnichannel digital payment platform by AGS Transact Technologies, which offers convenient payment solutions. Launched in 2015, Ongo offers merchant Acquiring and Prepaid Issuance services. Ongo is a non-bank prepaid payment instrument and offers dedicated open-loop prepaid solutions for consumers across segments.

AGS Transact Technologies serves diverse industries such as banking, retail, petroleum, toll and transit, cash management and fintech in India and other select countries in Asia. For more information, visit www.agsindia.com