This Independence Day, Samsung Extends CSD Benefits To Defence Personnel At Samsung Smart Plazas On Consumer Durables

* Initiative is aimed at enhancing buying experience and offering a wider range of Samsung products to defence personnel at select Samsung Smart Plazas across the country

Samsung, India’s most trusted consumer electronics brand, is celebrating this Independence Day with a brand new initiative for defence personnel. Serving and retired defence personnel can now avail Canteen Stores Department (CSD) rates while buying Samsung TVs and digital appliances such as Air Conditioners, Refrigerators, Microwaves, and Washing Machines from select Samsung Smart Plaza stores as well, in addition to Canteen Stores Department (CSD) depots.

This initiative is aimed at enhancing buying experience and offering a wider range of Samsung products to defence personnel at select Samsung Smart Plazas across the country. Samsung Smart Plazas offer an exclusive and complete range of consumer electronics and Samsung Experience Consultants (SECs) at these stores ensure that consumers get live demos and detailed understanding of product features. 

“Keeping in mind the upcoming festive season, Samsung has created one-of-its-kind initiative by offering CSD benefits at Samsung Smart Plazas to defense personnel and their families. This Independence Day, our endeavour through this program is to create an intimate brand experience by enhancing shopping convenience for them. We hope to continue adding value to their lives with our innovative products and services,” said Raju Pullan, Senior Vice President, Consumer Electronics Business, Samsung India.

To ensure consumer and employee safety, all Samsung Smart Plazas follow social distancing and sanitization guidelines. Only a limited number of customers are allowed within the store at any given point to ensure social distancing norms are followed. Customers are encouraged to use digital contactless payments and swiping machines are sanitized before being given to the customer to ensure the highest standards of hygiene is maintained in Smart Plazas.

About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. 

Samsung inspires the world and shapes the future with transformative ideas and technologies. The company is redefining the worlds of TVs, smartphones, wearable devices, tablets, digital appliances, network systems and memory, system LSI, foundry and LED solutions. For the latest news on Samsung India, please visit Samsung India Newsroom at http://news.samsung.com/in. For Hindi, log on to Samsung Newsroom Bharat at https://news.samsung.com/bharat. You can also follow us on Twitter @SamsungNewsIN

MAHE Unveils Plans For Back To Campus And Maintaining Continuity Of Learning And Development Of Students

Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), an Institution of Eminence and one of India’s leading academic and research institutions unveiled its plans on back to college campus and the preparations that are underway for a smooth transition from online to classroom mode for all its students. The press conference was addressed by Dr. HS Ballal - Pro-Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, Lt Gen (Dr) M D Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education Dr Narayana Sabhahit – Registrar, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, and Mr. SP. Kar, Convener of Press Conference and Director, PR Media & Social Media Cell- Manipal Academy of Higher Education.

Further to the announcement made by the Government of Karnataka for students of Higher Education and professional colleges to return to campus, MAHE too has paved the way for all its students to make this transition seamless and how all the colleges and universities of MAHE will function as per the protocols and ensure the students are safe and continue their learning in the shadow of the pandemic. In addition, since the announcement of NEP 2020, MAHE is aligning all its courses across its colleges inline with the proposed guidelines by the Government of India last year.

Dr. HS Ballal - Pro-Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education said “At MAHE we want the best for our students, starting from proving covid vaccination or be it financial aid to covid impacted students. During these challenging times, we have been resilient and providing all the support to our students. The impact of COVID in the Education sector has been massive. Institutes and universities have adopted the “new normal” and “virtual education”, so the students do not have to suffer in their studies and career. With students now slowly returning to campus, we will ensure covid protocols are followed with utmost sincerity while the students learn and grow . “

Sharing his views, Lt Gen Dr. Venkatesh – Vice-Chancellor, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, said, “Considering the evolving changes in the education sector especially in the COVID era, colleges and universities are trying to build a future-ready and pandemic proof environment and we are happy to say that MAHE has achieved significant progress. We are all set to welcome our students to the college campus. Our COVID 19 vaccination drive for all our students and staff has made us better prepared for a smooth transition from online to classroom mode. We will continue to implement all Government protocols of maintaining high standards of safety for students on campus with COVID appropriate measures. MAHE has already created a road map for implementation of NEP 2020”.

Dr Narayana Sabhahit – Registrar, Manipal Academy of Higher Education, said “At MAHE we have always kept our students as our topmost priority. We have achieved a seamless and uninterrupted education continuity for all our students across all departments/courses. We have guided our students at every step since the pandemic in 2020 last year. Fortunately, all the exams, tests and courses were conducted seamlessly. We have received overwhelming response from students seeking new admission at MAHE. We are proud to say that our faculty and students have collaborated to sail through the pandemic. With the implementation of the new NEP policy, we aim to build a stronger and value-based higher education system.”

Mr. SP. Kar, Convener of the Press Conference and Director, PR Media & Social Media Cell- MAHE, informed and highlighted “the achievements of MAHE on the ranking and accreditation by various national and international agencies. He further added, most of the constituent Institutions of MAHE have either improved or maintained their ranking as compared to previous year”.

About Manipal Academy of Higher Education MAHE, (Institution of Eminence Deemed to be University)

MAHE is now recognized as a leading quality academic and education service provider and has significantly contributed to continuously improving the standards and penetration of higher education in India. It provides a great variety of graduate and postgraduate skill enhancement educational courses covering several important disciplines like medicine, engineering, dentistry, pharmacy, nursing, allied health, management, communication, life sciences, hotel administration etc. through its 21 constituent units. It has also teaching and research departments in Statistics, Commerce, Geopolitics & International Relations, European Studies, Philosophy & Humanities, Atomic & Molecular Physics etc. Over 30,000 students from all over the world pursue undergraduate and postgraduate programmes in diverse subjects. The finest of the infrastructure facilities, the state-of-the-art equipment’s, well equipped laboratories and dedicated and competent faculty have enabled the University to be reckoned as one of the best universities, attracting students from all over India and 57 English-speaking countries of the world. The University currently have 2856 faculty and 9035 support and service staff. The University is a Wi-Fi-enabled campus and has excellent facility for sports and games.

The University has two Off-Campus centers, one each at Mangalore and Bangalore, and two Off-Shore campuses, one in Dubai (UAE) and the other in Melaka (Malaysia). The University and its Off-center campuses and Off-shore Campuses have world class infrastructural facilities and follow pedagogy, which are constantly reviewed and upgraded to reflect the latest trends and developments in their respective disciplines.

BADLAAV Humse Hai: AU Bank Unveils Brand Campaign And Launches AU 0101, Its Digital Bank & Credit Card

* Aamir Khan and Kiara Advani roped in as Brand Ambassadors 

* First SFB to launch its own Credit Card 

* Launched digital bank AU 0101, a super app with Video Banking  

Promising to bring about a radical shift in Digital banking practices, AU Small Finance Bank, India’s Largest SFB has unveiled a mega Brand Campaign, aptly titled ‘BADLAAV Humse Hai’. This is the first integrated marketing communication campaign from AU Bank since its inception – a creative endeavor that will showcase the bank’s passion for innovation. 

Also at the event, heralding the arrival of ‘nextgen’ banking, AU Small Finance Bank launched its avant-garde digital banking platform AU 0101 to enable its customers avail a full-suite of banking services digitally, including face-to-face interaction with a banker over a video call, . Alongside, the Bank unveiled its range of Credit Cards to serve the entire spectrum of customers. 

The concept of BADLAAV campaign: The genesis of the new Brand Campaign comes from AU’s flourishing banking business conducted through 750+ banking touchpoints spread across 15 states and 2 Union Territories. The campaign brings forth AU as a changemaker in the Indian banking sector. With this, the Bank hopes to amplify its message of challenging the status quo and augment its reach across India’s major cities and towns. 

As a part of this campaign, AU will release a series of ad films on products and practices such as monthly interest, anywhere banking, Video banking, UPI QR and new age Credit Cards to bring alive the proposition of BADLAAV through tangible offerings.  

Commenting on the essence of the campaign and the timing, Sanjay Agarwal, MD & CEO, AU Small Finance Bank, says, “AU was founded two and a half decades ago for the purpose of taking formal financing to the unbanked and in the last four years as a bank we have successfully expanded both our range of services and our geographical reach. Our success is a result of our innovations across the banking spectrum. We take utmost pride in doing things ‘differently’ to the delight of our customers and with the launch of AU 0101, our digital bank, we will work towards ushering in Badlaav in banking.” 

To make the campaign more impactful and bring a universal appeal, AU has roped in two of the most accomplished actors on Indian cinema, Aamir Khan and Kiara Advani. One of Indian film industry’s most influential personalities, “Mr. Perfectionist” Aamir Khan will energize this multi-media campaign. He has always signified change throughout his professional journey, much like AU Bank in the lives of millions of customers. ActressKiara Advani will also be seen championing the motto of ‘Badlaav’ in the campaign, to be shown across TV channels in the initial phase. 

Commenting on the association, Aamir Khan said, “When I met Sanjay and his team from AU Bank, their sincere and single-minded focus on making banking simpler for the average Indian really impressed me. They have been fearless in challenging the norm for providing better service. This spirit really resonated with me. Our philosophies match and I am looking forward to work with Sanjay and his team.” 

Speaking on the occasion, Kiara Advani said, “I am a firm believer of the fact that ‘Change is the only constant’. Living in an ever-evolving society, I strongly feel we need to adapt to the changes around us. I am very impressed by the success of AU in such a short span., a remarkable journey with many landmark achievements so far. Personally, I identify with AU’s professional ethos and commitment to its core audience.” 

Commenting on AU’s new brand ambassadors, Mr. Sanjay Agarwal said, “Aamir Khan’s passion for work and efforts to bring about changes in the society through his projects makes him a perfect ambassador for BADLAAV. I think, Aamir perfectly symbolizes the change that India has always yearned for, and experienced at times - just like the brand AU.”  

“Kiara Advani is one of the most popular Indian film actors and a youth icon. Her professional choices and repertoire of work find perfect resonance with AU’s journey so far.” said Sanjay Agarwal.  

BBLUNT Salon Secret Hair Colour Launches Its All New Fashion Shade Cherry Red With Jennifer Winget

BBLUNT, India’s premium hair care and styling brand from the house of Godrej Consumer Products Ltd., has roped in actress Jennifer Winget to be the face of their all-new, bold, fashion shade, Cherry Red – an extension to their at-home crème hair colour range, Salon Secret.

Coming in straight after the lifting of a countrywide lockdown, this association is aimed at encouraging everyone to express themselves through their hair, thus breaking the monotony that came with being couped up and returning with a fresh new look. To mark this launch, the brand also unveiled a new digital film featuring Jennifer showcasing “the why and how” of her bold transformation. The video highlights the new fashion shade Cherry Red, along with its benefits and the convenience of its application with an aim to create awareness around the launch.

Jennifer Winget is one of the most versatile and experimental actresses, making her the perfect fit for BBLUNT, a brand synonymous with individuality and cutting-edge style. The new Salon Secret Cherry Red fashion shade is all about feeling empowered, confident and making a bold comeback after a long and boring lockdown, and Jennifer Winget sure seems to effortlessly embody that bold return with red.

Since they first launched in 2014, BBLUNT has been constantly breaking boundaries offering up their stylists in a bottle to their consumers through a wide array of innovations in hair care and styling products. An on-the-go lifestyle and no access to a salon or stylists in the lockdown backs the launch of BBLUNT Salon Secret High Shine Crème Hair Colour bringing salon-like finish to home hair colour users.

The range is developed by the experts at BBLUNT and was created especially to compliment Indian skin tones, hair textures and the weather. What’s unique to it is that it’s the first-of-its-kind, 3-part formula (v/s the regular 2-part formula) that comes with a colourant, developer and the BBLUNT salon secret ingredient - Shine-Tonic enriched with silk proteins. This revolutionary addition, when added to the creamy colourant and developer locks in the moisture and boosts the richness of the colour giving it the ultimate salon-like high shine - one that your regular at-home hair colour had been missing for so long. It also contains no ammonia! The Cherry Red fashion shade additionally comes enriched with super fruit extracts like Apple, Kiwi and Strawberry which protects your hair as you colour it and leaves it smelling fresh. 

Speaking on this collaboration actress Jennifer Winget said, “When you think of BBLUNT, you think of trend setting styles, a legacy of 25+ years working with Indian hair on their salon floors, on film sets and on the runway, and then of course, an entire range backed by expertise. How can one NOT be thrilled to be part of the BBLUNT family!? And to be the face their all-new fashion shade, Cherry Red; I am over-the-moon excited! This colour transformation is my way of beating the boredom that came with the lockdown and I can’t believe I did it all by myself. It is a proud accomplishment, indeed. I love colouring my hair, but always feared the damage, but with experts on your side, damage is no longer a concern. I am thoroughly loving the vibrant colour and I am definitely basking in the shine. I strongly encourage everyone to express themselves through their hair – Go bold, Go Cherry!”

Thomas Dawes, BBLUNT Business Head, said, "Consumers are becoming more demanding from their hair products. They want natural ingredients blended with the latest in science, and they want to know their products will work on their hair type, water and weather. They want it all – and so they should!

From our salons we picked up on the growing consumer demand for vibrant red tones – we think that as people come out of lockdown they want to have some fun and express themselves! Taking a cue from these insights, we launched the new, bold and vibrant BBLUNT Salon Secret Cherry Red Fashion Shade and packed the Super-Fruit extracts of Apple, Kiwi & Strawberry and the salon secret ingredient- Shine Tonic.

A DIY hair colour that gives you a bold salon-like colour transformation at home in just 30 mins! The product ticks all the right boxes- it’s expert-developed, enriched with natural ingredients and the latest in hair colour science and as a thumb rule, is tested first across all our salons on Indian hair.”

Commenting on the association, Adhuna Bhabani, Founder and Creative Director, BBLUNT said, “Indian hair is different from the canvas in the west. We can’t stress that enough. But if there’s one thing we work best with and understand, it is Indian hair. All the 7 shades in the BBLUNT Salon Secret range have been especially curated keeping in mind Indian skin tones, hair textures and our weather. We wanted to really spread our wings and take our Salon-in-a-box to every Indian household and have them experience a salon-quality colour transformation in the comfort of their own homes.  The launch of our new fashion shade, Cherry Red is a shout out to everyone looking to experiment and have fun with their hair and there is no better crusader than Jennifer Winget – she epitomizes the brand’s confidence and attitude and being a BBLUNT loyalist for so many years, was the perfect choice”

With this announcement and digital film, BBLUNT and Jennifer aim to communicate the convenience of indulging in a salon-quality transformation, at home! The new Cherry Red shade is priced at Rs. 199 and is available across modern trade and premium beauty retail outlets and all leading e-commerce platforms like Nykaa, Amazon, Flipkart and Purplle.

About BBLUNT:

Synonymous with cutting-edge hairstyling, hair care and expertise since its launch in 2004, BBLUNT is India’s premier hair destination. With pioneers in the Indian hair industry, Adhuna & Osh Bhabani together with Avan Contractor, at the helm of the brand, BBLUNT created a niche for itself in Bollywood. With 60+ films to their name, breaking the traditional mold of hair styling, setting trends way ahead of the curve; and with 20+ salons, 2 academies and a million haircuts in the bank, if there’s one thing they understand and know, its Indian hair.

In their continuing initiative to create new standards in Indian hairstyling, the brand introduced India’s first integrated hair care and styling range in association with Godrej Consumer Products in 2014.  The range was carefully curated to cater to Indian hair, weather and water and comprises of hair-specific daily care through shampoos and conditioners, styling and colour products to give you salon-like expertise in the comfort of your home. 

Post Office Studios Partners With NOMINT, A UK-Based Production Company To Accelerate Growth Of The Animation Industry

* Through innovation and expansion, the home-grown animation and motion design studio comes together with the international production company to diversify and deliver rich, entertaining content globally.

In a massive leap for India’s animation industry, Mumbai-based Post Office Studios has partnered with NOMINT, a production company based in London. The remarkable collaboration will witness NOMINT represent the Post Office Studios in the UK and the USA markets as well as the expansion of Post Office’s international presence, thus marking a prodigious development in the Indian animation industry. 

The goal of the move is to merge the creative power of both parties and build a smooth mechanism that enables collaborations with some of the largest brands in the world, propelled by novel narratives and experienced storytelling. 

With the overall development of the M&E sector, the Indian animation industry has evolved sufficiently, although still deemed relatively younger than its American or European counterparts. However, the partnership opens up new avenues overseas as Post Office will be represented in the European and American markets, thus strengthening the foothold of the country’s animation industry at an international level. 

The advantage of animation lies in thoroughly incorporating cultural relevance while catering to local tastes; yet remaining culturally multivocal when dubbed in regional languages of the world. Due to this and the rise of digital media, not only has animation reached the Indian diaspora but also the mainstream global market.  

While talking about the new development, Aditya Tawde, CCO and Co-Founder of Post Office Studios, says, “We are delighted to partner with NOMINT and help expand India’s global footprint in the animation industry. The partnership will bring with it innovation and diversity that will facilitate a successful cross-cultural collaboration and usher creators into new markets previously unavailable to them. With our combined expertise and talent, we aim to break creative boundaries and deliver new projects together.”

Marilena Vatseri - Managing Director of NOMINT said, “I am really excited to announce that the prominent animation studio, Post Office, has signed with NOMINT for representation in the USA and Europe. Post Office is one of the leading animation studios in the super exciting, bustling Mumbai animation scene. With a focus on high-end 2D and 3D, the animation studio is also celebrated for mixing styles and creating beautiful mixed media films. We have already been working with the team for the past year, and I am thrilled to show you the wonderful projects we have been collaborating on very soon!”

With the peak of OTT and content creation, studios have begun experimenting with a spectrum of ideas and thrive internationally. As the shrinking world gives a vast opportunity for animation companies to marry creative minds to work across multiple platforms, the association between Post Office Studios and NOMINT essentially seeks to accomplish that and flourish around the world. 

About Post Office Studios 

One of the three verticals of the Kulfi Collective, Post Office Studios is a Mumbai-based animation and motion design studio creating high-end moving image content in advertising, films and music - their wide-ranging roster including Netflix, Prime Video, Warner Records, Tinder, Ogilvy and many more.

About NOMINT

NOMINT is an award-winning animation production company based in the UK, delivering top production quality and thought-provoking creative content to the world’s leading agencies and brands.

Karnataka Chief Minister Inaugurates 11 Branches Of Axis Bank, Digitally

* The bank now has around 300+ branches & 1590+ ATMs in Karnataka 

Axis Bank, India’s third largest private Bank announced the opening of 11 branches in Karnataka, which includes 10 branches in Bangalore city and 1 in Mulki. These branches were digitally inaugurated by Shri. Basavaraj Bommai, Chief Minister of Karnataka, in the presence of Axis Bank representatives Ms. Baisakhi Banerjee – Regional Branch Banking Head - South; Ms. Mummidi Rama - Circle Head – Bangalore and Ms. Jasmine Shetty – Group Head - Government Business Banking - South.   

Commenting on the inauguration of the branch, Mr. Ravi Narayanan, Group Executive & Head – Branch Banking, Retail Liabilities and Products, Axis Bank said, ‘Around 65% of the services offered by our branches are now fully available through our Branch of the Future initiative. Though we continue to upscale our digital products and solutions, we strongly believe that retail branches are an important base for reaching out to our customers. We stand committed to providing superior banking services to cater to their ever-evolving needs.’’  

Axis Bank will leverage the branches to reach out to customers, empower them with digital offerings and facilitate services through Axis Pay, Axis Mobile application etc. It will educate and encourage customers to increasingly make use of the digital modes of payments for daily transactions. The branches will cater to all basic banking transactions and also specific needs of customers, offering the entire spectrum of banking products and financial services covering retail and institutional lending.  

With the addition of these news branches, Axis Bank will now cater to customers through 181 branches and 1075 ATMs in Bangalore.   

About Axis Bank:   

Axis Bank is the third largest private sector bank in India. Axis Bank offers the entire spectrum of services to customer segments covering Large and Mid-Corporates, SME, Agriculture and Retail Businesses. With its 4,600 domestic branches (including extension counters) and 11,061 ATMs across the country as on 30th June 2021, the network of Axis Bank spreads across 2,628 centers, enabling the Bank to reach out to a large cross-section of customers with an array of products and services. The Axis Group includes Axis Mutual Fund, Axis Securities Ltd., Axis Finance, Axis Trustee, Axis Capital, A.TReDS Ltd., Freecharge and Axis Bank Foundation.

Lenskart Ramping Up Workforce, To Hire 2000+ Employees Across India By 2022

 * Recent 100+ hiring at Hyderabad tech hub

Lenskart, India’s fastest growing omnichannel eye-wear brand plans to expand and strengthen its workforce, and add 2000+ employees across the country by 2022 , as part of its plan to increase its consumer base over the next few years. Lenskart has been aggressively hiring across verticals especially the tech and data science team, roping in data scientists, business analysts, data engineers, and experts.

Equipped with world-class and state-of-the-art systems and processes, the company is looking to add 1500 more retail employees to manage their rapidly increasing stores, 100+ engineers to the technology team across Bengaluru, NCR, and Hyderabad. Over 300 employees to join the supply chain & manufacturing operations, 100 to the corporate functions across finance, consumer insights, HR, and merchandising. In addition, Lenskart will also be expanding its international teams in Singapore, Middle East, and the USA by adding 300 more employees.

Peyush Bansal, Founder, and CEO of Lenskart said, “We have continued to grow exponentially, in international markets as well as in India, and we are building a strong presence in regional markets as well through our stores and e-commerce. This has opened up several job opportunities across Lenskart to serve and delight our customers at a huge scale. So, hiring is a key aspect in our growth journey and we are looking at actively hiring skilled talent across verticals for regions like Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Delhi among others.”

“At Lenskart, our goal is to hire the best talent and provide them the right environment and support so they can realize their potential. Our people and our teams are what differentiates Lenskart from other organizations. We are a highly entrepreneurial space with innovation and ambition at the core; encouraging and fostering our employees to think big, experiment, and aim for 10x impact together,” added Peyush.

Lenskart has over 200 engineers, data scientists, product designers assembled from diverse backgrounds – from ex entrepreneurs to promising new employees who want to start their career & learn a 10x growth mindset from the get-go. Lenskart has been scaling up with a strong focus on diversity, not only gender but also people with different domain expertise and backgrounds, and ideas that add value to the organization.

Established with an aim to solve the vision correction problem in India and beyond, help people see the beautiful world by revolutionizing the eyewear category, Lenskart now serves over 7 million customers annually in India, Singapore and Middle East through its omnichannel shopping experience, which spans online and mobile applications.

ABOUT LENSKART:

Founded in 2010, Lenskart is India’s largest omnichannel retailer and manufacturer of premium quality and stylish eyewear. Lenskart entered into the unicorn club in 2020. With a unique click and mortar business, Lenskart is revolutionizing the eyewear industry by offering disruptive services like home eye check-up, 3D try-on, home trial and prioritising the consumer needs above all else. The company aims to provide every consumer access to high-quality glasses by eliminating middlepersons, using hi-tech robotic technology, and incorporating world-class designs into its products.