Social Enterprise Thankyou Launches Bold Initiative to Help End Extreme Poverty by Seeking Partnership from Competitors P&G and Unilever, Two of the World’s Largest Companies

The Australian consumer products company is asking for people around the globe to join their movement to flip consumerism and change the world

Today, Australia-based social enterprise Thankyou announced an invitation to P&G and Unilever – two of the world’s largest and most influential consumer goods companies – to make and distribute Thankyou products globally to help end extreme poverty. To convince these companies to take this bold move, Thankyou is asking people around the world to get involved and show the collective power of the many who believe in this change, through its campaign aptly named “No Small Plan.” Thankyou offers consumer products – personal care and baby product ranges – for the sole purpose of funding life-changing projects.

Thankyou was created to close the gap between the 736 million people* living in extreme poverty around the world and the $63 trillion spent on consumer products each year**. After all the costs in running a business to get great consumer products to people are taken care of, every last cent that Thankyou makes goes toward ending extreme poverty. With this model, Thankyou seeks to flip consumerism…for good.

‘With $63 trillion spent on consumer goods each year while 736 million people are stuck in extreme poverty, we believe that business as usual is broken,” said Daniel Flynn, who founded Thankyou in 2008 along with Justine Flynn and Jarryd Burns. “But we also believe that we, together with people and a partnership with one of the two biggest companies in the world, can change this by funneling the dollars spent on consumer goods into helping end extreme poverty.”

Currently, Thankyou only sells its products in two of the world’s smallest countries – Australia and New Zealand – but with COVID-19 increasing both global poverty numbers and demand for personal care products such as hand sanitiser, the company feels that now is the time to expand, and quickly. If either P&G or Unilever choose to accept Thankyou’s invitation, together they could change the course of history and route millions of consumer dollars to ending extreme poverty.

To encourage P&G and Unilever to say “I’m in” and work with Thankyou to flip the system, Thankyou believes they need to see the collective impact of voices around the world rallying around one movement in the name of ending extreme poverty. To join Thankyou and show support, people can utilize their social media channels and follow these steps:

● Post a photo or share the campaign social title with the caption, “I’m in, are you?”

● Tag @proctergamble and @unilever

● Hashtag #thankyoutotheworld

● Share Thankyou’s video to help this spread even further

Thankyou has set virtual meetings with both P&G and Unilever to take place at the end of the campaign. On November 5, Thankyou will announce which company is “in” on one of the largest digital billboards in the world, in New York City’s Times Square.

Thankyou’s launch campaign is titled “No Small Plan” because changing the course of history by redirecting millions of consumer dollars to go toward ending extreme poverty in this lifetime is, indeed, no small plan.

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SBI Life unveils a comprehensive Financial Immunity survey, providing valuable insights into consumer predispositions in a post covid world

Key findings:

~ 8 in 10 Indians (78%) strongly feel that stress / anxiety affects mental & physical immunity

~ Over 50% Indians not sufficiently prepared to face financial emergency related to lifestyle diseases

~ Top 3 financial worries:

o Financial security against critical illnesses

o Family member getting infected by any lifestyle disease or Covid-19

o Job or income loss

~ 8 in 10 Indians (80%) associate Life Insurance with ‘Safeguarding the family’s future’

~ More than 6 in 10 Indians (61%) have bought or intend to buy critical illness plan/ cover to address the rising treatment costs and to avoid financial pressure on the family

~ 7 in 10 Indians (75%) not having a critical illness cover, intend to buy one in the next three months

Chandigarh, September 29, 2020: SBI Life Insurance, one of most trusted private life insurers in the country unveiled a comprehensive consumer survey, providing deep insights into consumer predispositions towards Financial Immunity in a post covid world. SBI Life commissioned the ‘Understanding consumer attitude towards Financial Immunity’ survey with The Nielsen Company, reaching out to over 2,400 consumers across 13 key cities covering the length and breadth of India.

Understandably, in the wake of COVID-19, maintaining personal physical immunity has been on the fore, with almost every respondent confirming to have increased focus on physical immunity in some way. In fact, 8 out of 10 Indians are aware that ‘stress’ lowers mental and physical immunity.

The survey further attempts to better understand the cause of stress, by enquiring about the top financial worries of the consumer today. The top three reasons for stress are attributed to (1) Financial Security against critical illness, (2) Family member getting infected by any lifestyle disease or Covid-19 and (3) Job or income loss. The reasons for financial worries cited by consumers underpin the stress caused by financial management of lifestyle diseases. Alarmingly, over 50% Indians are not sufficiently prepared to face any financial emergencies related to lifestyle diseases.

On the brighter side, the pandemic has brought in a realization on the need for protection, with 7 out of 10 Indians who currently do not own a Critical Illness cover, explicitly expressing an intention to buy one in the next three months. Another encouraging insight thrown up by the survey, is that 8 out of 10 consumers purchase Life and Health insurance with a clear motive of safeguarding family’s future.

Speaking about the survey findings, Mr.Ravi Krishnamurthy, President – Zone I, SBI Life said, “While personal and family safety is the biggest concern in the current situation, the pandemic has re-emphasized the importance of immunity for each one of us. While, the consumer’s current state of financial preparedness towards any health emergency is inadequate, there is an encouraging newfound awareness on the need to build a robust Financial Immunity to safeguarded one’s future.” Mr. Krishnamurthy further added, “At SBI Life, we believe that gaining financial immunity is the foundation of achieving one’s full potential and we shall continuously strive to provide the right protection tools for individuals across the country.”

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upGrad appoints Saranjit Sangar as CEO – UK, Europe, and Middle East

~ As the first appointed international CEO, Saranjit will be driving the edtech major’s 1 billion USD revenue goal from these markets in the next 4-5 years

upGrad, India’s largest online higher education company, in a move to strengthen its penetration into the international markets, announced the appointment of Saranjit Sangar as the CEO – UK, Europe, and Middle East.

Saranjit is an experienced leader with a diverse international career across e-commerce (Amazon, UK), last-mile logistics (Amazon, UK, and Honestbee, Singapore), cloud kitchens (Grab, Singapore) & FMCG (Godrej, India). She has a successful track record of building and scaling businesses, growing teams, and creating value for customers and partners for over a decade. In her last role as Director – Grab Ventures and New Businesses at Grab, South East Asia’s first decacorn leader in ride-hailing, on-demand deliveries, and payments, she has been instrumental in building Grab’s cloud kitchens in Thailand, Singapore from the ground up while defining the country targets, building the organisation structure & owning the entire P&L.

On welcoming the new leader at the helm of its UK, Europe, and Middle East business, Ronnie Screwvala, Co-Founder & Chairman, upGrad, said, “upGrad’s international expansion is a multi-pronged strategy. While last year we saw good traction for our existing programs from the large 40 million South Asian diaspora, we are now focused on leveraging our global tech platform, our strong wireframe model of deep learning, high-touch counselling in the digital world to replicate our success in these very large and interesting markets. Our goal was always to be a strong international edtech company and this is one step closer to achieving it. I welcome Saranjit whose passion for tech and building a consumer business resonates with upGrad’s vision of impacting a billion working professionals with LifeLongLearning.”

On her new role, Saranjit Sangar said, “In my personal experience, I have immensely valued and benefited from my education, guidance from my mentors, and their advice on continuous learning and self-improvement. But I also understand that these invaluable resources are not widely accessible to everyone. I want to help create a level playing field for the aspiring youth and professionals by democratizing education and making these resources available, to help them make the right choices through their careers. At upGrad, we will now be providing internationally, a) relevant programs to prepare them for the future of the workforce b) immersive learning experience with real-life work simulations c) mentors and counselors who are industry experts d) career services – matching the skills-sets of our students, and helping them achieve meaningful outcomes. And I am thrilled to be embarking on this mission with upGrad.”

Saranjit joins her new role from 1st October 2020 and will be based out of London UK.

“In line with our growth agenda to establish upGrad as the global leader in the Lifelong Learning space, we’re setting up our subsidiaries in the international markets. We will soon announce the appointment of our CEO – APAC,” concluded Ronnie Screwvala.

The best time to join Vi is NOW!

– Assured Delights on every feedback received through ViApp/Web

– Takes customer centricity several notches higher with the launch of GIGAnet

In a demonstrative indication of its commitment to customers, Vi has embarked on a unique customer engagement drive. With the objective of gaining definite feedback from customers on their new network – GIGAnet, Viis encouraging customers to reach out with their feedback through the Vi App. There are exciting and assured delights in the form of great benefits being offered for every feedback received.

Under the new customer engagement drive, new and existing Viusers stand to get huge delights by simply sharing their feedback on their network experience.

Inviting all mobile phone users and aspirants to join Vi, Avneesh Khosla- Marketing Director, Vodafone Idea Limited, said “We understand the importance of a strong and seamless network in today’s context where consumers are spending a lot more time on the Internet than ever before. We launched Viwith the promise of helping customers move ahead in life, for a better today and a brighter tomorrow. Taking another step in that direction, we have announced GIGAnet, the stronger and most modern 4G network in the country that enables a seamless, 24×7 high speed 4G connectivity to our customers and helps them thrive. Today, with the launch of this program, we want to invite one and all to come and experience our network and give us their valuable feedback and also get rewarded with great delights in the process. We encourage all our consumers to take part in this program.”

How to participate and get assured delights

For Existing Users	For New Users
Open the Vi App Locate the banner& give your feedback Delight benefit will be confirmed on App post rating	Switch to Vi. Download Vi App from Play store or iOs Create and log-in to your account Locate the banner & give your feedback Delight benefit will be confirmed on App post rating

Vi is committed to help every Indian move ahead in life, for a better today and a brighter tomorrow. It is for the new age and for the connected ecosystem. Vi is future ready and is committed to dynamically serve and enable a digital society to progress in life. In the months to come Viwill continuously unpack exciting possibilities for its customers.

IHCL & AB INBEV LAUNCH 7RIVERS BREWPUB AT TAJ MG ROAD, BENGALURU

Chandigarh, SEPTEMBER 29, 2020: Indian Hotels Company Limited (IHCL), South Asia’s largest hospitality company, in partnership with AB InBev, the world’s largest brewer, today announced the opening of India’s first 7Rivers Brewpub at Taj MG Road, Bengaluru. This first-of-its-kind brewpub with an on-site microbrewery at the hotel, is the first of 15 locations to be launched across IHCL hotels over the next five years.

Commenting on the announcement, Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL, said “In keeping with its moniker as the Pub Capital of India, IHCL is pleased to announce the opening of the first 7Rivers brewpub in Bengaluru with our partners AB InBev. From introducing global cuisines to the latest trend in bars, IHCL has led the way in pioneering F&B experiences for over a century. 7Rivers Brewpub at Taj MG Road is another such innovative offering, which we believe will add an interactive dynamic to the city’s vibrant social and entertainment culture.”

Spread across 2700 sq. ft. of indoor space, the 7Rivers Brewpub represents the synergies between the two leading companies – IHCL’sexpertise in delivering innovative F&B concepts, its culinary prowess and exemplary service, coupled with AB InBev’s 600-year-old brewing heritage. The brewpub will offer beer inspired by the quintessential flavors of the region, as well as those made from the finest locally sourced ingredients and crafted by experienced international and Indian brewmasters.

Commenting on the launch, Kartikeya Sharma, President – South Asia, AB InBev, said, “We are thrilled to unveil our first 7Rivers microbrewery through our exclusive partnership with IHCL, in the beer capital of India. We are constantly exploring avenues to offer the best beer experience to delight our consumers, as we see a growing trend towards artisanal beers in the country. We look forward to working with the emerging craft beer community and are confident that our synergies in this category will shape the craft beer industry in India.”

Designed by world-renowned designers, JOI Design from Hamburg, the brewpub blends the traditional charm of Irish taverns with modern 21^st century designs. Complemented by the best in music and entertainment, the brewpub features a curated menu brimming with a mix of inventive Indian cuisine and glocal fare, to perfectly pair with the unique flavours of the craft brews. The brewpub will also soon launch brewery tours for guests to experience first-hand the brewing process and all the craft that goes into making a superlative glass of beer.

7Rivers Brewpub at Taj MG Road Bengaluruopens its doors to welcome guests with all the safety, hygiene and contact-less protocols in place, while offering guests an authenticallybrewed beer escape.

Follow exciting news and updates, and share your favourite 7Rivers Brewpub experiences with us on:

Instagram| @Taj MG Road; Facebook | @tajmgroadand Twitter | @tajmgroad

This festive season, be ready to ruffle up some feathers with Fastrack x Ananya Panday

Chandigarh, 29^th September 2020: After successfully launching its Fitouts collection a few months ago, Fastrack has recently launched its new Ruffles collection of bags and watches, under the umbrella of Fastrack x Ananya Panday, co-created by the youth icon and Bollywood star.

The Gen Z’s of today have many varied facets in their personality and are constantly on the lookout for fashion accessories that can be coupled with multiple looks. The Ruffles collection is power packed with elegance and glamour. Inspired by pleats in pastel shades, a popular choice for the chic young girls of today and a rising fashion trend.

The new bags and watches incorporate the classic apparel design style of pleats and folds which sets the Ruffles collection an edge apart. The watches integrate patterns such as creases, wet folds, and pleats on dials and give them a detailed depth. The dial designs, subtle pastel straps, and other contrasting elements of the watches make this collection bold, sophisticated and eye-catching.

The Ruffles bags range from distinctly modern and hip fanny packs to the ever useful sling and satchel bags which are designed to add style to any and all outfits. These stylish bags in pastels & patterns from the collection are perfect for the girls because no matter what people say, a diva has to slay

Talking about the collection Ananya Panday says, “I’m really excited to introduce the latest, chic and very versatile all-new collection, Fastrack Ruffles. It has been designed to make a bold statement with a sophisticated and elegant flavour to it. This one is perfect for the girls who revel in the spotlight and don’t care how many feathers they ruffle. I love it and look forward to ruffling the world, together along with the divas out there!”

Mr. Ayushman Chiranewala, Marketing Head Fastrack shares his thoughts on the collection, “With a successful launch of Fitouts, the first collection under Fastrack x Ananya Panday collaboration, Fastrack is all set on its fashion journey with a second launch – The Ruffles. The variety in style that the Ruffles collection offers has a look for any unconventional diva. As the market scenarios continues to recover with the increase in excitement around the festive season, the young divas have a reason to dress up and celebrate. We’re betting big with the collection and confident it will touch a chord with our audience and be a hit “.

REVEL IN THE MAGNIFICENCE OF UTTARAKHAND WITH TAJ HOTELS

Chandigarh, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020: With the recent ease of restrictions in the state of Uttarakhand, the 4D – Dream, Drive, Discover, Delight offer gives guests the perfect opportunity to drive with families and friends to recharge and rejuvenate with Taj Hotels in Uttarakhand. Rishikesh, by banks of the majestic Ganges, is sought after by spiritual seekers and yoga practitioners worldwide, while the legend of Jim Corbett lives on in the famed tiger reserve at Corbett.

Enjoy a luxury getaway in the tranquil settings of the Garwhal region at Taj Rishikesh Resort and Spa or experience an unforgettable glimpse of the exciting wildlife and magical landscape of Jim Corbett National Park at Taj Corbett Resort & Spa. Plan a break with family and friends amidst luxurious living spaces, recreational activities and culinary delights, all curated with the highest levels of safety, just a drive away from home.

Dream, Drive, Discover, and Delight, an all-inclusive offer indulges you with many experiences. Guests can also rejuvenate at the spa. To add to the convenience of large families, special assistance will be offered for accommodation and meals for nannies and drivers. Completely sanitized cars with drivers can also be arranged at special rates. The offer allows for select cancellations/modifications and is fully refundable.

For more details and to book your stay, please visit here.

Sharekhan forays into discount broking with Espresso, offers a ‘Pay When You Profit’ pricing model

The key focus is to help clients succeed by ensuring they have more money in-hand by not paying brokerage on loss making trades

September 25 2020

Chandigarh

Sharekhan, a full subsidiary of BNP Paribas, and one of the leading retail full-service brokers in India, announced today the launch of Espresso (myespresso.com), a new discount broker via a separate company.

Three months ago, Beta testing of the project (Project Leapp) had commenced. Simplified Login (using mobile number/ email id), Holding Report, Ledger Report, and Tax Report have been considered as ‘above expectations’ by our Beta-testers. Key take away from Beta-testers is that the new platform was meeting their needs and requirements with specific features especially appreciated.

Importantly, beyond platform innovation, Espresso doesn’t believe that discount broking should be all about lower brokerage. It can serve a much larger &required purpose. Based on this mindset, Espresso sees itself as a brand that has been built with the purpose “We care that you succeed”. As a testimony to this philosophy and taking into account that most traders would have both, winning and losing trades, no brokerage will be charged on loss-making intraday trades. In addition, Delivery trades will be free of brokerage.

In order to help clients experience Espresso, a special 3 months FREE BROKERAGE offer will be provided to any customer opening an account before 22^nd Oct 2020

Sharekhan’s CEO Jaideep Arora says, “For us it was not about when we enter discount broking. Our quest was to find the right value proposition for the new generation of traders & investors. Once we arrived at ‘we care for your success’ as our main reason to be, the resulting ‘Pay When You Profit’ part was a natural outcome. We will continue to find more such promises to help people become better at trading & investing. Only then can one truly champion retail participation in equity markets.”

R. Kalyanaraman Espresso’s Chief Customer Officer says,“Our unique Beta testing approach shows we are -“ a listening organisation” and that is how we want to deliver Espresso’s promise of “We care for your success”. Only by listening to customers will we be able to work for their success and make their journey smooth and profitable.”

The Espresso ‘founding’ team, as they like to call themselves, are experienced Sharekhan hands -R.Kalyanaraman will be the Chief Customer Officer (20yrs at Sharekhan), Chandresh Khona will play the role of Product Offerings Head ( 10yrs at Sharekhan) and Rizwan Khan will be the Technology Innovation Head (18 yrs at Sharekhan)

Espresso’s “We care for your success” promise will be delivered via:

– Pay Rs.20 per order Only When You Profit (for Intraday trades across segments –Equity, F&O, Commodity & Currency)

o The brokerage waiver is only on one side (buy/sell) of the order

– Zero Delivery Brokerage

– 1 yr Premium Subscription free for MoneyFlix, wherein there are 100+ videos that have trading & investing strategies movie-fied

– Inaugural offer of 50% off on Trade Booster Program – a 7 day online course to learn disciplined trading

GINGER ANNOUNCES THE SIGNING OF ITS SECOND HOTEL IN GUWAHATI

~ Expands its presence in North-East India

Chandigarh, SEPTEMBER 25, 2020: Ginger announces the signing of its second hotel in the city of Guwahati. The hotel will be designed around the brand’s lean luxe philosophy of offering a vibrant, contemporary and seamless hospitality experience to its guests. The hotel is a fully fitted lease.

Commenting on the signing, Ms. Deepika Rao, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Ginger Hotels, said, “The signing of this hotel is in line with our strategy of being present in micro markets of all state capitals and commercial centres of India. It also renews our commitment to North East India. We are delighted to partner with Mr. Deepankar Deka for this hotel.”

The hotel, a Greenfield project, will be located on Rajgarh Road connecting the commercially vibrant Guwahati-Shillong Road and the old town area of Chanmari. The hotel will feature 76 rooms, an all-day restaurant and bar, meeting room, banquet hall and a fitness centre.

Guwahati is the largest metropolis of north eastern India and one of the 98 smart cities under a project embarked on by the Ministry of Urban Development, Government of India. Ginger Hotels was a pioneer in the hospitality industry in North East India, setting up branded hotels in the cities of Guwahati and Agartala over a decade ago.

With the signing of this hotel, Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) will have three hotels in Assam and eight hotels in North East India.

30% of Snapdeal’s users prefer its vernacular interface

~ Expanded vernacular options part of Snapdeal’s Diwali readiness ~

~ Snapdeal’s app is now available in eight languages including Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Marathi ~

~ Vernacular seen driving increased engagement with first-time users ~

Chandigarh, 21st September 2020: Snapdeal, India’s leading value-focused ecommerce platform, has seen 30% of its users prefer the vernacular language interface that it provides on the platform.

In addition to English, Snapdeal’s app is now available in eight Indian languages including Hindi, Tamil, Kannada, Telugu, Malayalam, Gujarati, Punjabi, and Marathi.

The Snapdeal app and m-site were launched in vernacular languages to a select number of users about six months ago. After testing the pilot roll-out, the vernacular options are now being expanded to a larger audience ahead of the Diwali season. This is in response to the growing number of users from smaller cities who prefer the comfort of browsing in their native languages.

“While e-commerce in India is about a decade old, the early buyers were mainly an English-speaking audience from metro India. Over the last few years, with the steady fall in the price of smartphones and data, buyers from all parts of India are coming online in massive waves. The next 400 million online buyers will be very diverse in terms of languages spoken. They are now starting to explore and buy from the vast choices available online. As a discovery-led platform, we are delighted to offer our users the option to browse and transact on Snapdeal using multiple Indian languages. We believe this will make shopping more fun and convenient for our customers, said Snapdeal spokesperson.

Snapdeal has seen a higher engagement on its platform from users utilizing the vernacular option. The higher engagement has been in terms of increased page views, time spent on the platform, interaction with various features like gaming and product videos, and purchases made. Snapdeal has added 5 million new shoppers on its platform amid the pandemic. Three in four of these new shoppers have accessed the platform in vernacular language.

Among the vernacular shoppers, the Hindi language is the most used interface on the app. Most of the shoppers using the Hindi language app come from Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, and Delhi NCR. Some of the other languages that have been used frequently include Tamil and Telugu. Nearly 96% of vernacular language users were from non-metros.

The vernacular language tech has largely been built in-house by Snapdeal.

SBI launches Online Portal for Restructuring of Retail Loans

• The Portal is available on https://bank.sbi/ or https://sbi.co.in
• Retail Borrowers can check their eligibility instantaneously for loan recasts by providing income details
• Borrowers have the option of requesting a moratorium of 1-24 months and extension in Loan Term

Chandigarh – September 25, 2020: State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, has come out with a Restructuring Policy as per directives of RBI with an aim to provide relief to its retail borrowers from the adverse impact of COVID-19. For Smooth and hassle-free implementation of the Restructuring Policy, SBI today announced the launch of an online portal. The customers can check their eligibility for the restructuring of their loans through this portal sitting at their home/office or from anywhere as per their convenience and comfort.

SBI’s retail customers upon logging in the portal will be asked to key in their account number. After completion of OTP validation and inputting a few necessary information, the customer will come to know their eligibility and receive a reference number. This reference number will be valid for 30 days and within which time customers can visit the branch to complete the required formalities. The restructuring process will be complete after verification of documents and execution of simple documents at branch/CPC.

On this occasion, Sri C. S. Setty, Managing Director (Retail & Digital Banking), SBI expressed the hope that with the launch of this portal, the customers will find it operationally convenient to check their eligibility before they go to a branch.

Under this resolution framework framed by RBI, such borrowers are eligible whose loan accounts were classified as standard and not default for equal to or more than 30 days as on March 1, 2020, and their incomes are impacted by COVID-19. The approval of borrowers’ loan restructuring application under this scheme – which is going to be governed by RBI guidelines – would be conveyed to them by the SBI branch/CPC.

One year ZEE5 premium subscription EXCLUSIVELY for Vi customers

One year ZEE5 premium subscription EXCLUSIVELY for

Vi customers with INR 405 Recharge

– For INR 405, Vi customers can now enjoy a ONE YEAR ZEE5 PREMIUM membership PLUS 90 GB data and unlimited voice calling for 28 days

– Activate and get access to the best in class originals, shows, movies across 12 languages

Chandigarh, September 19, 2020: The newest telecom brand Vi, today rolled out a very exciting proposition for its prepaid customers that will enable them to enjoy ONE year of ZEE5 premium membership at no additional cost. The offer is applicable on select data plans starting from INR 405 and will provide Vi customers access to ZEE5’s premium bespoke content in 12 languages across originals, shows and blockbuster movies.

Inviting all mobile customers with discerning entertainment choices to avail of this attractive offer, Avneesh Khosla- Marketing Director, Vodafone Idea Limited said, “Content consumption has seen an explosion as consumers today are spending 25%-30% more time (over 3 hours per day) watching varied content on their devices. ZEE5 as a leading OTT platform has a rich and diverse content repertoire which appeals to a wide cross section of society. Their large library of movies and original shows in Hindi and other regional languages makes them an ideal partner as it helps us appeal to a large cross section of the smartphone population in this country that is seeking to do more with their mobile devices. With the new INR 405 ZEE5 Recharge pack that we are launching – we are providing the consumer the best of both worlds – access to the best entertainment on ZEE 5 for one year coupled with huge telco benefits – an unbeatable combination that delivers great value to consumers.”

The annual ZEE5 membership is available with Vi data plans with recharge value of INR 355, INR 405, INR 595, INR 795 and INR 2595.

Speaking on the collaboration, Rahul Maroli, Senior Vice President and Head SVOD, ZEE5 India said, “ZEE5 and Vi are classic consumer first brands, and this collaboration exemplifies this core DNA that these brands have been built on, by bundling the best of entertainment offering for the ever-evolving digital consumers of India and Bharat. As part of this unique offering, Vi users will get one-year access to the premium bespoke content that ZEE5 has on offer across 12 languages with the 5 Vi prepaid recharge packs. This partnership is of many firsts and it aims to provide a superior content watching experience to the Vi users at their convenience”

How to activate

Note: The ZEE5 activation can be done only once by the customer. Once activated, even on subsequent purchase of the bundled packs the customer will see the message that he/she has already activated ZEE5 earlier.

With a free ZEE5 premium membership, Vi customers can binge watch critically acclaimed original series such as Abhay, The Forbidden Love, Lal Bazaar, Rangbaaz, Never Kiss Your Best Friend, CodeM, State of Siege, The Final Call and the best of AltBalaji shows library.. besides a choice of original movies in Hindi, such as Yaara, Omerta, London Confidential, Chintu ka Birthday, Pareeksha, Mee Raqsam, Uri to name a few. For the benefit of non-Hindi speaking users, there is an extensive library of movies and shows in 11 other languages including Marathi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, Bengali and Gujarati.

Vi is committed to help every Indian move ahead in life, for a better today and a brighter tomorrow. It is for the new age and for the connected ecosystem. Vi is future ready and is committed to dynamically serve and enable a digital society to progress in life. In the months to come Vi will continuously unpack exciting possibilities for its customers.

To know more about the offer, please go to https://www.myvi.in/zee5-subscription-offer

Bank of Baroda Launches Initiatives to Improve Tractor Financing

Chandigarh, September 19^th, 2020: Bank of Baroda, country’s leading public sector bank, has taken new initiatives towards improving credit penetration in farm mechanization and in order to take this forward, the Bank took three initiatives in single day, all focused on providing better financial service to farmers and empowering them towards farm mechanization.

Highlights of Initiatives

· Roll out of ‘Cluster Model for Tractor Financing’ in 11 Zones · MOU with Baroda based Tractor Manufacturer i.e. M/s Gromax Agri Equipment Limited, to provide price discount on Bank finance · Pan-India mega disbursement of Tractor Loans

Executive Director, Shri Vikramaditya Singh Khichi, launched the program virtually. Other executives connected through virtual mode were Mr. Rohit Patel, CGM- Rural & Agri Banking, Mr. M V Murali Krishna, GM & Head- Rural & Agri Banking, all Zonal Heads, Regional Heads and Priority Sector In-charge of Zones & Regions along with branches participating in the mega disbursement.

On the occasion, Shri. Khichi said “Agriculture sector is the only resilient sector with least impact by the COVID pandemic. With more than normal monsoon, the economy is expected to revive through contribution from agriculture sector. To boost the credit flow to agriculture segment, Govt of India has launched 3 schemes viz. Agri Infrastructure Fund, Infrastructure Fund for Animal Husbandry & Pradhan Mantri Formalization of Micro Food Enterprises (PM FME), which will be helpful as well. At Bank of Baroda we strive to make our products competitive and improve our processes keeping the customers at the centre. The new cluster model will help in maintaining TAT for customers and improvise the credit quality.”

The Bank replicated ‘Cluster Model for Tractor Financing’ presently operational in Lucknow Zone for additional Zones: Ahmedabad, Baroda, Rajkot, Jaipur, Bhopal, Pune, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, Mangaluru, Meerut and Chandigarh. ‘Cluster Model for Tractor Financing’ will ensure a focused approach at all levels with dedicated officers being assigned specific roles to ensure a qualitative and compliance oriented growth of the segment apart from reducing the turnaround time.

Secondly, Bank of Baroda entered into an MOU with Baroda based Tractor OEM M/s Gromax Agri Equipment Limited (GAEL). GAEL (erstwhile Mahindra Gujarat Tractor Ltd) is an entity of Mahindra Group, a leading Tractor Manufacturer in India. Besides, Government of Gujarat has a 40% stake in GAEL, which has its registered office and high-tech manufacturing plant spread over 55 acres land in Vadodara, Gujarat.

This MOU will help Bank of Baroda customers to get discount up to Rs. 1, 00,000/- on purchase of tractors directly from the company outlets. Further, on purchase in other states (except Gujarat), a discount up to Rs 15000/- will be given by GAEL in the form of payment of 1st EMI for its 45 HP & 50 HP models.

Thirdly, Bank of Baroda celebrated ‘Maha-Disbursement Day’ for Tractor Finance and sanctioned 600+ Loans in a single day through Cluster Model wherein few loans have been sanctioned using the Central Processing Centre (CPC). Sanction letters were handed over to eligible farmers at various locations across country.

Sonata Launches “CSK 2020 Edition” for Chennai Superkings Fans

Inspired by the CSK colours and themes, watches will be available in Analogue, Digital, and Ana-Digi functions.

Chandigarh, 18^th September 2020: As fans await the beginning of IPL 2020 and for their favourite players to strike on the field, Sonata hits a masterstroke with a collection of watches that celebrates the spirit of ‘Once a fan, Always a fan’. Sonata, the largest-selling watch brand from Titan Company Limited announces the launch of Sonata CSK 2020 collection, the second edition of its collaboration with the Chennai Super Kings. This exclusive collection celebrates the love of the ‘whistlepodu army’ and brings an exclusive variety of watches and smart wearables for the fans.

With the Sonata-CSK partnership, the brand wants to be a part of the CSK fans’ emotional journey during this much-awaited IPL 2020 series. The collection features watches with bold, vibrant designs, and CSK colours which make them an ideal accessory for stadium fashion as well as a great companion for the audiences viewing from the homeland.

Speaking about the occasion, Mr. Subish Sudhakaran, Marketing Head Sonata, Titan Company Limited, adds “All IPL teams see the passionate following, and the Chennai Super Kings team, especially has a massive loyal following, both in TN and across the country. Our first collection in 2019 saw a huge interest from across the country because love for cricket knows no boundaries. With Sonata CSK 2020 edition, we have not only added new variants of watches but have also given fans a way to celebrate the game, team and the spirit of ‘once a fan, always a fan’.”

Mahindra Insurance Brokers launches paybima.com A digital platform committed to making insurance accessible to all

– PayBima empowers informed customer decision-making from search and compare, to buying and renewing policies, online

– Powered by advanced analytics,paybima.com, the Digital First platform from Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd. (MIBL), is designed to provide end-to-end insurance solutions

– In line with its core proposition, ‘paybima hai na’, it is committed to supporting customers across their insurance journey, right from providing unbiased guidance on choosing the right policy, from a range of options, to assistance in claim management, the most vital element of insurance

– The platform is backed by MIBL’s extensive insurance broking experience of over 16 years, having serviced more than 1.5 Crore policies from 400+ locations across the country

– PayBima is geared to offer Complete Care to its customers across multiple channels – Online, On-call and Offline

Chandigarh, September 18, 2020: Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd. (MIBL), one of India’s leading composite insurance broking companies, has launched paybima.com, a digital platform that is set to redefine the online insurance buying experience and drive insurance penetration in India.

Powered by advanced analytics, PayBima offers the Indian customer an opportunity to make informed insurance decisions, through a Credible, Comprehensive and Convenient digital platform. Customers can evaluate a wide range of insurance products such as Car, Two-wheeler, Health and Life, with expert guidance and assistance, right from the first click to the claim settlement process.

The platform is backed by a robust technology architecture, seamlessly integrated with insurance companies on one hand, and with state-of-the-art Customer Relationship Management (CRM), document management and analytics systems on the other. This enables personalised customer journeys, customised solutions, high performance with near zero down-time, and quick and efficient turnaround. MIBL’s 400+ strong physical network pan-India provides PayBima customers the added comfort and assurance of a physical servicing set up for all insurance needs. Additionally, MIBL’s in-depth claims management experience, gives PayBima a distinct edge while supporting customers throughout the claims journey, with support for early detection of discrepancies that could delay the claim settlement.

According to Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI), insurance penetration in India was at 3.7% in 2018. This is amongst the lowest globally. Lack of awareness, access and affordability have been major hindrances to insurance penetration. The Government has been instrumental in rolling out a series of measures under its Digital India andInsurance for All initiatives, to address these challenges. While improved technology adoption will play an important role in making insurance more accessible, buying insurance online and servicing claims still remain a concern for many. In addition to a simplified insurance selection and buying process, the assurance of MIBL’s physical servicing network, when it matters the most, is what gives PayBima a unique advantage.

Dr. Jaideep Devare, ‎Managing Director, ‎Mahindra Insurance Brokers Ltd. said, “The financial services industry is witnessing the rise of a new tech-savvy millennial customer segment, augmented by increasing internet penetration and smartphone usage. However, the confidence of buying financial products through digital platforms is evolving. This is where trust in the Mahindra brand and the assurance of MIBL’s physical network for servicing come in. PayBima, with its advanced analytics and personalised customer journeys, supplemented with our proven expertise in claims servicing for over 16 years, will provide a visibly differentiated experience and service. We will continue to reinvent our offerings and leverage technology to cater to the evolving needs of our customers.”

Over 16 years of insurance broking experience in India, having serviced 1.5 Crore policies, gives MIBL a unique understanding of the Indian customers, across economic strata, offering relevant insurance products, depending on need and affordability. With this launch, MIBL writes the next chapter of its ‘Customer First’ story. PayBima, built on MIBL’s guiding principles – Innovation, Inclusion and Impact – is committed to providing every Indian, access to protection and risk management, most suited to their unique requirements, aspirations and preferences, while supporting the Government’s mission of Insurance for All.

IT’S THE TIME TO GOA

~ Experience Goa’s many facets with IHCL hotels

Chandigarh, SEPTEMBER 17, 2020: For most Indians, when they think holiday, they think Goa. The good news is, that it’s now possible. The recent relaxation of travel rules allows guests to indulge in their Goan fantasies at IHCL hotels spread across the length and breadth of the state.

Vincent Ramos, Area Director, IHCL, Goa said, “We have missed the warm presence of our guests and look forward to welcoming them back to the land of sun, sand, sea and susegad. Keeping their well-being and comfort at heart, all our hotels have implemented enhanced hygiene and sanitation measures and physical distancing protocols for safety. Take that much needed break and indulge in a true Goan holiday this season.”

Goa, with its vibrant culture, rich colonial past, culinary landscape and warm and welcoming people, captures your heart and leaves you wanting more. Explore the historic architecture and vibrant hues of Goa’s idyllic landscape at the Taj resorts located in North Goa on the picturesque Sinquerim beach, or in South Goa on the palm-fringed shores of Benualimbeach. Saunter through the by-lanes of Fontainhas in Panaji. Explore charming cafes, art galleries and colourful colonial buildings while staying at conveniently located Vivanta, SeleQtions and Gingerhotels in the capital city. Explore Goa’s Indo-Portuguese cuisine or just give in to the uniquely spicy and flavourful coastal cuisine. For those times when you want to spend some peaceful moments, enjoy an exclusive stay at the Goan heritage bungalows by amã Stays & Trails, and rejuvenate yourself amidst the laid-back languidness that is Goa’s joie de vivre.

Nature, space, seclusion, and above all, unique experiences that connect guests more deeply to the culture of Goa await as IHCL hotels welcome back guests to their favourite holiday destination.

Choose from a variety of special offers such as 4D –Dream Drive Discover Delight, Taj Holidays, New Beginnings, Suite Surprises, Bizcations, Goan Escapes with Ginger and more when booking your Goan holiday.

IIM Udaipur Incubation Center, with the support of DST, Announces Third Cohort of Launch-n-Zoom Accelerator Program

CALLING HEALTHCARE, EDUCATION, AND FINTECH STARTUPS TO APPLY FOR THE LAUNCH-N-ZOOM 3.0 ACCELERATOR PROGRAM

September 17th, 2020; Chandigarh: IIM Udaipur’s Incubation Center announced ‘Launch-n-Zoom 3.0,’ a 3-month accelerator cohort program designed to provide startups with the resources and support they need to grow quickly, test the market, and become viable. Startups who have their prototype/MVP ready and are in the process of scaling/marketing their products in the Education, Healthcare, and Fintech Sector stands eligible for this program.

“Designed with the idea of “Improving human well-being through entrepreneurship” the program will aim to scale up various startups profitably, and comes with mentor driven coaching, networking, and virtual classroom sessions.”

A small number of high potential startups will be selected to take part in the 12-week program beginning from November 1^st. Through three-months of interactive and intensive learning, mentoring, and networking, startups will undergo a lot of DIY exercises to develop and refine the product/service offerings. At the end of these three months, selected startups shall be very well prepared and be ready to pitch their validated growth story to investors and industry participants as part of demo day.

The program shall also provide up to ₹ 1 lakh Rapid Prototyping Support to selected startups, and $10,000 Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud credits to all participating startups for free.

“Mr. Kannan Soundararajan CEO, IIM Udaipur Incubation Center said, “The third edition of Launch-n-Zoom will deep dive into Education, Healthcare and Fintech Sector, building a strong and effective network with other leaders and entrepreneurs in the industry to enable meaningful partnerships with startups. I offer my heartiest congratulations and warmly invite young leaders to this cohort.”

The mentors and partners of this accelerator program have extensive experience in the local and international startup ecosystem, specialists in their domains, professionals from corporates having scaled and grown their businesses. A major distinction as part of this program is to offer a tailored mentoring based on each venture’s unique needs. Also, this program will have some founders from startups that passed the first round of investment, so they know what it is about and ready to share their experience.

Earlier this year, IIM Udaipur’s Incubation Center hosted its second successful cohort with 27 startups, and its first cohort in 2019 where 18 startups were selected out of 275 applicants following a thorough process of selection.

“through Launch-n-Zoom 2.0, we have gained a great network of both industry experts and other fantastic startups. The program enabled a collaborative environment and contributed to our future wins,” said Vignesh MS, Director at Statlogic.

The accelerator program is going to take place in a virtual mode due to the current COVID-19 situation. For more details on the program, please visit-https://iimuic.org/launch-n-zoom-3.0

South Korea donates One lakh masks to TVS Motor Company for free distribution to aid India’s fight against COVID-19

Social Welfare Corporation Anguk Zen Center donated health masks in a first-ever private exchange

September 16, 2020, Chandigarh: Social Welfare Corporation Anguk Zen Center in South Korea, headed by the Venerable Abbot, Subul Sunim, in an exceptional gesture of humanitarian support and solidarity between the two nations, donated one lakh health masks for free distribution to aid India’s fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. The donation was coordinated by K-Art International Exchange Association in Korea and InKo Centre in India.

The consignment (estimated at 150 Million Korean Won) was handed over today, to Mr. Venu Srinivasan, Chairman, TVS Motor Company, and Managing Trustee, Srinivasan Services Trust; Chairman, InKo Centre and Goodwill Envoy for Culture and Diplomacy of the Republic of Korea, for free distribution through the Srinivasan Services Trust, the social service arm of TVS Motor Company.

Mr. Venu Srinivasan Chairman, TVS Motor Company & Managing Trustee, Srinivasan Services Trust said, “I would like to extend my sincere gratitude and deepest appreciation to the Venerable Abbot, my revered teacher, Subul Sunim for this compassionate gesture of donating 1 Lakh masks to InKo Centre. We welcome what is indeed a most timely and valuable donation in these challenging times, when wearing masks, following strict rules of sanitation and hygiene and maintaining social distancing is the ‘new normal’. We will ensure that the masks are widely distributed to local communities across the country through the Srinivasan Services Trust, the social service arm of TVS Motor Company. This unique civilian gesture of goodwill and support from Busan to Chennai truly epitomizes the warmth and depth of the valued relationship between the two nations.”

Mr Young-seup Kwon, Consul General of the Republic of Korea in Chennai, said “The global pandemic is by far one of the most serious challenges humanity has ever faced. We can overcome this challenge by staying strong and working together. This cooperation at this civil society level clearly shows how much ordinary Koreans and Indians care for each other and we can overcome this challenge by standing together.”

These high-quality masks produced by BlueIndus Co. Ltd were specially provided by CEO Jeong Cheon-sik for distribution in India. The masks were shipped to India, courtesy Mr. Yang Jae-saeng, CEO of Eunsan Shipping Air, Korea.

Titan Company with SBI launches India’s first contactless payment watches

Introducing Titan Pay – the stylish contemporary watches that enable fast & hassle-free transactions through YONO SBI for today’s Smart Consumers

Chandigarh, September 16^th, 2020: The new normal has enforced upon an urgent need to bring about innovative & safer purchase solutions in the retail space. The fifth largest watch brand in the world, Titan Company Limited has partnered with country’s largest lender State Bank of India (SBI) to introduce Titan Pay powered by YONO SBI.

Through this partnership, Titan and SBI are launching a range of stylish new watches with contactless payment functionality for the first time in India. With this launch, SBI account holders can tap their Titan Pay watch on contactless payment POS machine without the need of swiping or inserting their SBI bank card. Payments of up to INR 2000 can be made without entering a PIN. A secure certified Near-Field Communication (NFC) chip embedded in the watch strap by Tappy Technologies enables all the functionalities of a standard contactless SBI debit card.

The payment feature on these watches will be accessible on over 2 million contactless MasterCard-enabled Point-of-Sale (POS) machines in the country. This exclusive collection of elegant watches include 3 styles for men and 2 for women and are attractively priced between INR 2995 and INR 5995 to make it widely accessible to all SBI and Titan consumers.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. C K Venkataraman, Managing Director, Titan Company Limited said, “Titan has always been at the pinnacle of design and innovation. We have always launched products to cater to the changing needs of our consumers. SBI is the perfect partner to introduce a payment solution for the new normal that is fast, secure and seamless. This product will not only satisfy the consumer’s banking needs but will also serve today’s evolving consumers with its classic and sophisticated designs.”

Sharing his thoughts on the association,Mr. Rajnish Kumar, Chairman, SBI said,“We are glad to be a part of the launch of this unique proposition in the contactless payments space by Titan. It gives me immense pleasure to join hands with one of the world’s 5^th largest watch manufacturer, to provide a smart and innovative shopping solution for our YONO customers with Titan Payment Watches. We believe this innovative offering will redefine the shopping experience for our customers with Tap & Pay technology. With latest technological advancements, State Bank of India has always been striving towards providing innovative, best-in-class banking services for our customers”.

Titan Company has always been at the centre of innovation and believes in harnessing technology for convenience and ease of the users. These watches address the needs of the new normal by eliminating payment barriers and making transactions quick, contactless, secure, and easy for consumers. Through constant investment in technology and design, Titan aims to continue advancing the products and offerings for the consumers in the smart segment.

The collection is exclusively available onwww.titan.co.in.

Mahindra introduces first of its kind Contactless Payment convenience for its customers

Chandigarh, September 16, 2020: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, part of the USD 19.4 billion Mahindra Group

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, part of the USD 19.4 billion Mahindra Group has introduced a new set of touchless, innovative & exciting payment convenience for all of its customer payment options. The company has extended these special and first of its kind offeringsfor accessories, extended warranty and workshop related payments for its entire range of vehicles.

In the current scenario, where the customers are encouraged to resort to cashless payment modes and avoid unnecessary travel, such touchless solutions add to customer convenience. These unique features (other than plastic money) will enable customers to make payment through various payment options, at their leisure. The company is in the process of installing the devices / software at its dealerships and the facilities would be soon available across the country.

About the Contactless Payment Options

The company will be providing contactless payment options to the customers not only in showroom or workshop, but it is also extended to the customer’s doorstep through physical POS / e-POS methods, which can accept all major credit / debit cards and e-wallets. Customers will also be able to make payment through QR code or payment link shared via SMS by the dealer, from the convenience of their homes. In addition to the true contactless experience, customer will also be able to avail instant EMI on major credit / debit card payments at attractive rate of interest, thereby making the payments more affordable. The company will extend this feature to all the purchases that the customer would make during the lifecycle of the vehicle. This includes purchasing wide range of accessories, extended warranty and availing periodic maintenance. While Mahindra has also worked out accessories and extended warranty funding convenience along with the vehicle loan with key financiers, the new contactless options will provide special instant EMI options to the customers at the time of purchase, giving additional flexibility to the customers.

Mahindra has taken several initiatives during the last few months and continues to offer innovative, digital and flexible options to its all segments of customers. The company has also continued the finance schemes for this month carried over from the previous month. The digital solutions / schemes are offered through various fintech / financial institutions and customers will need to get in touch with nearest dealer to avail of these offers.

JOHNSON’S® unveils the new Cottontouch® in India exclusively on e-commerce

~Uniquely blended with natural cotton the new range provides softness one has never experienced before~

Chandigarh, September 15, 2020:JOHNSON’S® today unveiled the innovative Cottontouch® range that is blended with natural cotton to provide the perfect way to care for a newborn’s delicate and sensitive skin. Exclusively launched on e-commerce, the new range of products comprises of a wash, lotion, cream and oil and is available on platforms – Amazon, Flipkart, Big Basket, FirstCry and Nykaa from today for the consumers.

JOHNSON’S® has a 125 year heritage of creating the safest products that moms have used with trust and confidence on their babies. This unique launch during these unprecedented times is an effort to address the increasing demand for efficacious products, based on science from trustworthy baby care brands in India. JOHNSON’S® has also on boarded over 700 influencers to welcome Cottontouch® in the Indian market.

Cottontouch® is an innovative range, a result of intensive research and development. It is a world’s first in baby care products that are infused with natural cotton and formulated for zero irritation. The soft, absorbent and naturally hypoallergenic cotton is suspended for the softest experience.

Stay Connected, Get Ahead with GIGAnet – the new-age, future ready network from Vi

Chandigarh, September 14, 2020

Vi launches new GIGAnet network campaign pan-India

Vi the new brand born through the integration of two of India’s most loved telecom brands- Vodafone and Idea, today announced the launch of GIGAnet, India’s strongest 4G network that will enable users to get ahead by staying connected with all that matters, in real time. India’s leading telecom operator, Vodafone Idea Limited has set up a world-class network with largest spectrum portfolio, huge capacity, and built on many principles of 5G architecture that help in delivering a superior network experience.

GIGAnet is the result of the largest network integration completed in record time and the first-of-its-kind spectrum refarming exercise in the world. Deploying India’s largest AI powered ma-MIMOs sites, GIGAnet has India’s largest deployment of universal cloud, making it the strongest, future-ready, new-age, dynamic network of these times, to accommodate the enormous amount of data traffic that the post Covid world has seen.

Announcing the launch of GIGAnet, Vishant Vora, Chief Technology Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited said, “The role of telecom networks is no longer restricted to calling or internet surfing, rather it has become the ‘oxygen’ to survive and thrive. GIGAnet is Vi’s effort to move beyond connectivity to be the platform for a digital society. It offers faster downloads & uploads, low latency and real-time connectivity. We have deployed technology whereby parts of the NW have the ability to self-optimize to meet demand where necessary. It delivers strong, consistent and uninterrupted performance and is the answer to the hyper connectivity needs of today’s individual smartphone users as well as large corporates, SMEs and Government Bodies. With more capacity and more coverage than ever before, GIGAnet will enable you to do a lot more, much faster and get ahead in life.”

GIGAnet is future fit and promises a stronger, better and faster network. VIL’s 4G population coverage now reaches nearly 1 billion Indians and the company continues to invest in 4G to increase coverage and capacity. VIL has successful deployed new age technologies and these network investments have delivered a significant capacity uplift and enabled VIL to offer fastest 4G speeds in many markets including metros as per Ookla. Vi customers will now be able to enjoy the combined strength of a high powered, unified network.

GIGAnet from Vi is being introduced to mobile phone users in India through a high decibel creative campaign on TV and Digital, beginning today. The campaign portrays GIGAnet as the network that is in tune with the needs of the customers in the ongoing disruptive times. A network structured to help customers move ahead in life, for a better today and a brighter tomorrow.

Commenting on the new GIGAnet campaign, Kavita Nair, Chief Digital Transformation & Brand Officer, Vodafone Idea Limited said, “The connectivity needs have undergone a major shift and as an answer to this, we have recently launched Vi, the future-fit network for Digital Indians. GIGAnet from Vi has been built by combining the power of both the Vodafone and the Idea networks into one, thus creating a super-charged network with the largest spectrum in India. Vi powered by GIGAnet will help you thrive and stay ahead. The new campaign highlights this network of future that offers new-age immersive experiences. It showcases how GIGAnet moves with you and helps you do more every moment, every day.”

The films show how Indians are constantly evolving. Be it a young girl who relies on the connectivity Vi provides, to learn and create an ingenious scarecrow; or a slightly hesitant professor who’s new to the world of remote classrooms – people are constantly pushing boundaries and exploring new territories. And GIGAnet is with them, helping them throughout their journey. Both the films show the new age applications enabled by connectivity, while at the same time, capturing the spirit of inclusivity through the choice of protagonists – at opposite ends of the digital adoption spectrum. It is a tribute to Indians and their quest to get ahead and create a better today and a brighter tomorrow.

Please find the link to the campaign TVCs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=is_uHUMX7IQ

The campaign surrounding the unveiling and familiarization of GIGAnet will keep the excitement going for young and young at heart Indian consumers during their favourite IPL 2020 the live broadcast of which is being co-presented by Vi on Star Sports.

L&T Construction Awarded (Significant*) Contracts for its Various Businesses

Chandigarh, September 14, 2020: The construction arm of L&T has secured orders from prestigious clients for its varied businesses.

Buildings & Factories Business:

The Buildings & Factories Business of L&T Construction has secured a Design & Build Lump sum Turnkey order from a prestigious client in India to construct a Grade – A office space in two locations in Bangalore, with a total built up area of 2 million sq. ft with 3 Basements + Ground + 13 floors configuration. Total seating capacity of both the projects combined will be 14,600.

The scope of works includes civil / structure works, MEP, façade works, common area finishes and external development works. As a part of the sustainable and green design initiatives, the project will be a Gold LEED certified building upon completion.

Water & Effluent Treatment Business:

The Water & Effluent Treatment Business of L&T Construction has secured an order from Punjab Water Supply & Sewerage Board, Punjab, to provide surface-based bulk drinking water supply to Jalandhar town on design, build, operate and transfer basis. The project is part of the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT) scheme.

The aggregate scope of the project includes design and construction of a raw water storage and sedimentation tank, raw water settling tank cum pumphouse, water treatment plant of capacity 275 MLD, clear water reservoir, underground storage reservoirs and pumping stations, raw and clear water transmission pipelines, associated electromechanical and instrumentation, control and automation works. The project involves automation including measuring input and output water quantity and quality through suitable SCADA and other instrumentation works.

The project is designed to cater safe and potable bulk drinking water to Jalandhar benefitting 13.8 lakh population and will help convert existing ground-based water supply system in the town to a surface-based system.

L&T GeoStructure:

L&T GeoStructure has been awarded projects to construct Down and Up Lines (Package 1 & 2) of a bypass grade separator in Katni district, Madhya Pradesh. The scope involves constructing about 2800 piles, pile caps, piers, pier caps, superstructure, embankment with retaining walls, etc. The project duration is 36 months.

Background:

Larsen & Toubro is an Indian multinational engaged in engineering, procurement and construction projects, manufacturing, defence and services with over USD 21 billion in revenue. It operates in over 30 countries worldwide. A strong, customer–focused approach and the constant quest for top-class quality have enabled L&T to attain and sustain leadership in its major lines of business for eight decades.

* Project Classification

Classification	Significant	Large	Major	Mega
Value in ₹ Cr	1,000 to 2,500	2,500 to 5,000	5,000 to 7,000	>7,000

Consumer Usage of Digital Banking and Contactless Payments Surges in India During Pandemic, New FIS Survey finds

Chandigarh Sept.14, 2020: Usage of digital banking and contactless payments has surged during the COVID-19 pandemic as Indian consumers are opting for digital and contact-free payment experiences instead of using cash. These findings are part of a new report from FIS^® (NYSE: FIS), a global leader in financial services technology.

A paradigm shift in consumer behavior is underway for where and how consumers make payments, carry out transactions and shop. FIS’ PACE Pulse Survey 2020 found that India has seen a surge in digital payments amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The results show that 68 percent of Indians are now using online or mobile banking to conduct financial transactions, and 51 percent expect to continue using these banking and payment methods after the pandemic. Nearly half (48 percent) of respondents stated they expect to use contactless payments instead of cash or cards in the post COVID-19 world.

Additionally, the report shows that young and senior Gen Y (24-39 years) consumers are more adaptive to changes in how they are making payments than other age groups.

“The payments landscape is witnessing a disruptive change, and consumer penchants have moved more voraciously toward contactless payments while offering new opportunities for innovation and growth,” said Mr. Mahesh Ramamoorthy, Managing Director at FIS. “What’s more, this survey shows that these new habits are likely permanent and will continue in the post-pandemic world. For financial institutions and merchants that serve these consumers, it’s imperative that they understand these trends and create products and services that cater to the changing needs of their customers.”

The report also shows that use of mobile payment wallets is on the rise in India. The total digital wallet transactions in India nearly doubled to 253.2 crore in May this year, from 124.3 crore in February 2020, according to Reserve Bank of India (RBI) data; the total value transacted from digital wallets grew even faster to ₹11,080 crore in May, from in ₹2,836 crore in February. The 2020 FIS PACE pulse survey shows, more than 93 percent of respondents stated they use mobile wallets to make payments, with young and senior Gen Y consumers the most active.

The COVID-19 pandemic has taken a toll on people’s personal finances in India, the FIS survey revealed. Nearly half (49 percent) of respondents said they have faced salary cuts over past three months, while twenty percent faced layoffs or furlough. Forty-eight percent of respondents said they will not be able to sustain themselves financially for more than three months if they face a decline in income.

Ashok Leyland expands LCV portfolio with the launch of ‘BADA DOST’

BADA DOST, the first product on the brand new LCV platform, is ‘Made in India, for the World’

14 September 2020, Chandigarh: Ashok Leyland, the flagship company of the Hinduja Group and India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, today launched the BADA DOST, reinforcing its offering in the LCV (Light Commercial Vehicle) range. Through this, the Company increases its addressable domestic LCV market. BADA DOST builds on the strong foundation laid by the DOST brand, which is known for reliability, mileage and comfort. It features customer-centric offerings on technology and driver comfort, while being contemporary and futuristic. Equipped with the latest BS-VI engine, it has two variants, i4 and i3, with a best-in-class payload capacity of 1,860 kg and 1,405 kg, respectively. BADA DOST is being launched initially in 7 states and will gradually be available pan-India over the next 3 months and is open for bookings and delivery through both, physical and digital platforms. The ex-showroom prices (Mumbai) is Rs 7.75 Lacs & 7.95 lacs (i3 LS and LX) 7.79 & 7.99 lacs (i4 LS and LX)

Mr. Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman, Ashok Leyland,said, “Today marks a milestone for us as we move towards our Vision of being amongst the Top 10 Global CV Makers. The new in-house developed platform is a key part of our long-term LCV strategy aimed at positioning AL as a serious and significant player in the segment. BADA DOST i3 and i4, the first two vehicles being launched on this new platform, along with other current offerings, close the gap in our LCV product portfolio. Our range will now be available in both right-hand-drive and left-hand-drive options, enabling us to look at international markets more aggressively. Plans are also on for introduction of electric versions in due course.”

Mr. Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, “LCV segment holds huge potential for us. The recovery of the CV industry is being led by this segment in the current market. With BADA DOST, we will now address an important part of this market which has tremendous promise. LCVs is one of our growth businesses accounting for about 40% of our sales volume in FY20, it continues to grow this year as well. With the new, robust BADA DOST product offering, we are sure to expand our family of customers worldwide who are looking for quality and profitability.”

Mr. Nitin Seth, COO, Ashok Leyland, said, “Our DOST LCVs are some of the most successful vehicles in their respective segments. Since the launch of first DOST in 2011-12, we continued to win market share, despite a lean portfolio. DOST brand with its car-like experience and customer centric approach, has earned customers’ trust. I am confident that BADA DOST is just the right product at the right time, and one which will take the legacy of DOST brand to greater heights. It will be built at our newly installed, state-of-the-art, first fully robotic cubing line at Hosur. Backed by 24×7 service support and best customer experience, this will truly be an example of our Brand Philosophy ‘Aapki Jeet, Hamari Jeet’.”

BADA DOST is the first product to be built on an all-new robust LCV platform and will have two variants, i3 and i4, at launch. It is equipped with an 80 hp BS6 engine that delivers best-in-class power & mileage, best-in-class payload and best-in-class load body length that helps customer earn more profit per trip. Owing to its low turning radius and best-in-class ground clearance, BADA DOST is the ideal vehicle for inter and intra city applications and can negotiate all terrains with ease.

The BADA DOST features a first-in-segment 3-seater walkthrough cabin that offers superior comfort. Featuring a foldable back rest and a collapsible hand-brake, the customer can use it to rest comfortably in between the trips. The ergonomically positioned dash mounted gear shift lever, dual tone dashboard and digital instrument cluster enhance the aesthetics and offer a premium car-like experience to the customer. The vehicle is equipped with power steering and customers also have an option of AC, that makes long trips a more pleasurable experience.

ICICI Bank introduces ‘iStartup2.0’, the country’s most comprehensive programme for start-ups

Chandigarh: ICICI Bank announces the launch of a programme for startups that takes care of their banking as well as beyond-banking needs such as regulatory assistance, analytics, staffing, accounting, customer acquisition and digital outreach to customers, among others.

Named ‘iStartup2.0’, the country’s most comprehensive programme, offers customers an eponymous Current Account which is available in three variants–Platinum, Gold and Silver– the widest range by any Bank for start-ups. New businesses (up to 10 years old) including partnerships, private and public limited companies as well as limited liability partnerships can opt for the Current Account. Further, startups can seamlessly open an account and get the account number instantly at the time of incorporation as the Bank has integrated its APIs with the website of the Ministry of Corporate Affairs (MCA). It offers significant convenience to founders/entrepreneurs as it saves time and efforts since they don’t have to fill details again to apply for an account. As further convenience, the Bank sends an official to startups at a time of their choice to verify the original documents for KYC.

Other benefits of this Current Account include availability of a dedicated Relationship Manager, premium savings account for promoters and salary accounts for employees and waiver of quarterly average balance for a year. Additionally, startups can customise and choose the facilities required in their account and use the single account for both domestic and international trade transactions with preferential pricing, both industry first services.

The beyond-banking services are available under an umbrella, named ‘Startup Assist’ that offers services, in association with partners, to help startups in their early stage as well as growth stage. Typically, start-ups spend a lot of time and bandwidth to reach out to individual service providers. With ‘Startup Assist’, they get the convenience of single-point access to a host of services. It consists of a ‘Set-up’ concierge, which gives them access toan array of experts at a discounted price to help the start up with complex services like company registration, taxation, compliance, logistics, facility management among others.

Additionally, for start-ups wanting to expand business digitally in the virtual world, a ‘Digital concierge’ is available. It offers a one-stop solution for services ranging from website development & hosting, social media marketing, SEO & SEM among others, thus making the digital transformation of a start simpler and easier. All of these services are available through a dedicated concierge helpline or via an app or an email. Further, the Bank has tied up with various other companies to bring in attractive offers on solutions for instance on ‘Work-From-Home’, IT hardware deals, web-hosting, accounting software, telecom packages, printing and stationery among others.

With the above array of services, ‘iStartup 2.0’ offers a 360-degree holistic and most comprehensive proposition for startups with a combination of banking and beyond banking services across their life stages in a single place.

Speaking about the initiative, Mr. Pankaj Gadgil, Head- Self Employed Segment, ICICI Bank said, “The MSME & self-employed segment in India is the backbone of the economy. Within this, we foresee that the startup segment in the country is poised for rapid growth with favourable regulations in the ecosystem and high spirit of entrepreneurship. We believe that ‘iStartup 2.0’ is the most comprehensive programme available in the country. It offers them unprecedented convenience of getting on-boarded with us instantly in a digital manner during incorporation with MCA. It undertakes all business, trade and personal banking requirements within this one relationship and transact digitally using the robust mobile and internet banking platforms on-the-go.

Our research shows that startups also need immense hand-holding initially for other areas of business like website development, digital marketing, staffing solutions, regulatory and tax solutions and accounting. Armed with this insight, we have tied up with companies who are leaders in their fields to offer services under ‘Startup Assist’. It provides a ‘one-stop shop’ for nearly all the early stage as well as growth stage needs of a startup. We believe that this ‘all-in-one’ and comprehensive iStartup 2.0 programme will provide easy banking and beyond- banking services to start ups, free up their bandwidth from paper-intensive procedures and thus boost their business growth by improving overall productivity and efficiency.”

FASTRACK LAUNCHES AUDIO SUNGLASSES ON AMAZON FASHION

Sakht Khabar correspondent,

~Consumers can purchase three variants of the smart eyewear portfolio starting at INR 3499 on Amazon.in~

Chandigarh, 11^th September 2020 – India’s foremost youth accessories brand, Fastrack, expanded its existing portfolio of smart eyewear with the launch of audio sunglasses on Amazon Fashion. With inbuilt Bluetooth speakers and mic, the product will enable users to manage a variety of everyday tasks like calls, navigation and music on the go. The smart eyewear has Bluetooth 4.1 connectivity with a range of 30ft and offers Android & Apple IOS interfaces.

The Fastrack sunglasses combine functionality and style into one device and will be available in 3 variants – Blue, Black and Clear. These are equipped with a rechargeable lithium battery with up to 3 hours of playback in a single charge, along with a Micro USB. Enabled with Polarized and UV 400 Protection, the sunglasses also help shield users from the harsh rays of the sun. The product boasts features like weather and traffic updates, music and navigation, and much more. Launched in square frames, the smart sunglasses also help you stream millions of your favourite songs via apps like Spotify and Pandora to help users stay entertained and connected.

“We are excited to announce the launch of Fastrack’s newest audio sunglasses on Amazon Fashion.Fastrack, India’s foremost youth accessories brand is known for its stylish range of products that are both fashionable and affordable. With a unique design that looks chic and polished, the all new Fastrack audio sunglasses provide modern smart features, which match the needs of our fashion-forward customers. Amazon’s wide reach in India will further ensure that the brand is made accessible to more customers across the country.” said Mr. Arun Sirdeshmukh, Business Head, Amazon Fashion India.

Speaking about the collection, Mr. Saumen Bhaumik, CEO, Eyewear Division, Titan Company Limited said, “Disruption is part of Fastrack’s DNA, with the new Audio Sunglasses we have democratised smart. Priced at Rs. 3499, the products have been designed keeping in mind the sunglasses wearer, they are lightweight, sleek and loaded with features which have novelty and utility while travelling.”

The Fastrack audio sunglasses are exclusively available on Titaneyeplus.in, Fastrack.in and Amazon.in.

TRAVEL ‘WELL’ WITH TAJ WELLNESS RETREATS

Sakht Khabar correspondent,

Chandigarh, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020:

The past few months, while unprecedented, have compelled us all to slow down and focus on our health and wellbeing. Reports indicate that the future of travel will shift to increasingly centre on experiences that positively impact one’s overall wellness. Statistics too show a forecasted growth of 7.5% for the wellness industry.

With Jiva Spa’s decades of expertise deep-rooted in the Indian traditions of Ayurveda and healing, the new offerTaj Wellness Retreats allows travellers to embark on a soulful journey to revitalize mind, body and spirit. Thoughtfully designed by Jiva Spa’s wellness experts, these retreats combine holistic healing techniques with serene locations to indulge, nourish and reenergise oneself. Be it at Rishikesh, Coorg, Bengaluru, Goa or Hyderabad, each destination offers guests an opportunity to immerse themselves in authentic local experiences. Be it the ethereal Ganga Aarti in Rishikesh, tranquil walks through Coorg’s coffee plantations, or breath-taking sunsets; disengage from daily monotony and embrace a natural way of living.

The customized 5-day Wellness Retreats and 14-day Ayurveda Retreats include a range of ancient therapeutic treatments under the careful consultation of our experts, guided yoga and meditation, and spa therapies alongside special wellness menus that initiate physical, mental and spiritual equilibrium.

Attain greater harmony with yourself and take the path to wellbeing when you book a Taj Wellness Retreat.

TRAVEL ‘WELL’ WITH TAJ WELLNESS RETREATS

Chandigarh, SEPTEMBER 10, 2020:

The past few months, while unprecedented, have compelled us all to slow down and focus on our health and wellbeing. Reports indicate that the future of travel will shift to increasingly centre on experiences that positively impact one’s overall wellness. Statistics too show a forecasted growth of 7.5% for the wellness industry.

With Jiva Spa’s decades of expertise deep-rooted in the Indian traditions of Ayurveda and healing, the new offerTaj Wellness Retreats allows travellers to embark on a soulful journey to revitalize mind, body and spirit. Thoughtfully designed by Jiva Spa’s wellness experts, these retreats combine holistic healing techniques with serene locations to indulge, nourish and reenergise oneself. Be it at Rishikesh, Coorg, Bengaluru, Goa or Hyderabad, each destination offers guests an opportunity to immerse themselves in authentic local experiences. Be it the ethereal Ganga Aarti in Rishikesh, tranquil walks through Coorg’s coffee plantations, or breath-taking sunsets; disengage from daily monotony and embrace a natural way of living.

The customized 5-day Wellness Retreats and 14-day Ayurveda Retreats include a range of ancient therapeutic treatments under the careful consultation of our experts, guided yoga and meditation, and spa therapies alongside special wellness menus that initiate physical, mental and spiritual equilibrium.

Attain greater harmony with yourself and take the path to wellbeing when you book a Taj Wellness Retreat.

ICICI Prudential Life partners with NSDL Payments Bank to offer insurance products

Chandigah, September 10, 2020:

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has entered into a corporate agency agreement with NSDL Payments Bank, a subsidiary of NSDL, the largest depository of India. Under the agreement, ICICI Prudential Life will provide its customer-centric protection and savings products to customers of NSDL Payments Bank. These insurance products will enable NSDL Payments Bank customers to provide financial security to their families and help them achieve their financial goals.

This is also an effort by ICICI Prudential Life Insurance to cover the uninsured population of the country by offering its innovative and easy to understand life insurance POS products on NSDL Payment Bank’s exhaustive point of sale (POS) network, across the country. POS life insurance products are very easy to understand and can be purchased in a completely hassle-free manner. To start with, ‘iProtect Smart’, a term plan that offers protection and ‘ICICI Pru ASIP’, a unique savings product offering guaranteed maturity benefits, will be provided.

Mr. N S Kannan, MD & CEO, ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, said, “We are delighted to partner with NSDL Payments Bank. The key objective of both the partners is to leverage technology to provide a hassle-free and immersive experience to customers. This partnership will help the bank’s customers leverage our digital platform to conveniently purchase life insurance products. We believe our customer-centric protection and long-term savings products will enable NSDL Payments Bank customers to provide financial security to their loved ones and help them achieve their financial goals. This partnership is also a step towards fulfilling our commitment to address the huge protection gap in the country.”

Mr. Ashutosh Singh, CEO, NSDL Payments Bank said on this occasion, “We are looking at offering the whole suite of products to our customers either by building them out ourselves or through partnerships. The partnership with ICICI Prudential Life Insurance is a significant one as it will allow our customers the opportunity to discover some of the most relevant products for their lifestyle and income levels. COVID-19 has only just emphasized the importance of having the right insurance plans and adequate insurance covers, both of which we want to address through this partnership. Also, as over 70% of our customer base is under the age of 30, given our thrust on digital and CLICK-CLICK fulfilment journeys, we are very excited to help shape the right attitude and approach towards insurance and investment for this segment from an early age so that they and their families can reap the rewards later and tide over eventualities such as these with little or no financial damage.”

Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited signs Agreement with DoF for release of Interest Free Loan

Chandigarh, 8^th September 2020:

Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd, a JVC of three energy giants, i.e., NTPC, Indian Oil & Coal India Ltd was incorporated to revive three old urea plants at Gorakhpur, Sindri & Barauni in the eastern part of India. The Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs in its meeting held on 01.08.2018 granted interest free loan to HURL to the tune of Rs.1258 crores. The final agreement for release of this fund to HURL was signed between Department of Fertilizer & HURL on 8th Sept 2020 in the august presence of the Hon’ble Minister for Chemical & Fertilizer, Shri D. V. Sadananda Gowda. Shri Arun Gupta, MD (HURL), while signing this agreement, expressed his deep gratitude to Department of Fertilizer and Niti Aayog for this unprecedented support and also requested the Government for early release of this loan. Speaking on this function, Shri D. V. Sadananda Gowda expressed his satisfaction on the overall progress achieved by HURL in all the three projects and wished that the delay caused by the Covid-19 pandemic will be minimized to the extent possible. He also promised to facilitate early release of the loan to HURL and hoped that all 3 urea plants will be made operational in year 2021, thus making the country self-sufficient and “Atma Nirbhar” in meeting its urea demand.

Ashok Leyland pays tribute to Mr. R J Shahaney, Chairman – Emeritus

8 September 2020, Chandigarh:

Ashok Leyland, the flagship Company of the Hinduja Group and India’s leading commercial vehicle manufacturer, lost its Chairman Emeritus, Mr. R J Shahaneyearlier today after a brief illness.

Mr. Shahaney was Ashok Leyland’s first Indian Managing Director and he served in that capacity from 1978 till 1998 and subsequently as Chairman until 2010. He was a visionary architect who laid the strong foundation in manufacturing, engineering and technology for the company, the magnificent edifice we see today. In an era when AL, being a foreign company, faced challenges for growth, he had the courage to embark on an expansion plan that was to grow the company manifold. Hosur, Alwar and Bhandara plants were his creations.

He had the innate ability to sense the futuristic technology trends in our country and took some pioneering actions years ahead, to place Ashok Leyland in a pole position. Through his singular efforts he forged Technology alliances for engine, gearbox, cabin as well as development efforts for multi axle vehicles and defence vehicles.

A person of sharp intellect, his memory, attention to detail and boundless energy despite the long hours he put in, were legendary. He set the bar of performance high and pushed all his colleagues relentlessly for perfection, which he led by example through sheer diligence and application. He had a tough exterior and yet a very humane approach to addressing people issues.

He had been President of SIAM and AIEI (CII) and used every forum and occasion to take up the cause of the commercial vehicle industry with government and industry bodies, earning the respect of his peers in business and industry. He went on to serve as Chairman of IndusInd Bank.

After his tenure in AL, he led Ashok Leyland Project Services and was involved in many Hinduja Group activities such as Hinduja National Power.

Mr. Dheeraj Hinduja, Chairman, Ashok Leyland, said, “We mourn the loss of a great leader, ally and friend. Mr. Shahaney was with Ashok Leyland and the group for over three decades, leading the Company to where we are today. Under his able leadership, we expanded our footprint and manufacturing capacity. Even after his retirement, he was always available to share his wisdom and was a personal friend of the Hinduja family. A towering personality, he will be sorely missed by a generation of professionals who interacted with him.”

Mr. Vipin Sondhi, MD & CEO, Ashok Leyland, said, “While I did not have the good fortune of working with Mr. Shahaney directly, I had the privilege of knowing him personally. I have always looked up to him and what he has done for Ashok Leyland, he had the courage and resilience like no one else. His vision has inspired leaders of all generations and Ashok Leyland is fortunate that we had a leader like him. His contribution to the Company and the industry is unparalleled. He was part of our family and we all will truly miss him.”

INTIMATE TIMELESS WEDDINGS BY TAJ

Sakht Khabar correspondent,

Chandigarh, SEPTEMBER 8, 2020:

Big fat Indian weddings have now become a more intimate affair. With the new norms around physical distancing, couples want to spend their life’s most special moments in exotic and awe-inspiring settings with far more personalisation and attention to detail. Recent trends show that the number of wedding bookings haven’t slowed down, just the size has reduced. As a part of its wedding proposition, Taj introduces Intimate Timeless Weddings offering unique locations, carefully curated menus, exotic themes and the quintessential Taj service, which has been re-strengthened with assurance of the highest standards of safety.

Thematic weddings steeped in heritage and grandeur, or breezy nuptials on the shore, Taj’s array of exceptional hotels, serve as breathtaking backdrops for a dream wedding. “Regally yours” is now a popular choice for couples who are rediscovering the magic and allure of Taj’s authentic grand palaces in Rajasthan and for those who have always envisioned a fairy-tale wedding. Goa has always been a wedding favorite. The balmy beaches and laid back inimitable Goa spirit comes alive in Taj’s sprawling and spectacular beach resorts located across the north and south-west coasts of Goa. For those seeking serenity, Taj’s resorts in Corbett at the foothills of the Himalayas and in Rishikesh by the banks of the majestic Ganges serve as peaceful and rejuvenating havens. Spectacular venues of iconic Taj hotels in Kolkata, Delhi and Mumbai, having played host to millions of Indian weddings, make for exceptional urban locations for intimate weddings.

In the current times, an E-Concierge service digitally assists guests in the wedding planning including virtual visits of hotels and locations. The dedicated concierge brings together a team of wedding specialists who will curate every whim, fancy or wish your heart desires; the most skilled and inventive Chefs who create culinary wonders; talented florists and dedicated staff, who make it their mission to transform dreams into reality.

To know more and book cherished intimate weddings, please visit www.tajhotels.com.

Mahindra Launches ‘PlantingMaster Potato +’ – An Advanced Precision Potato Planting Technology

Sakht Khabar correspondent,

Chandigarh, September 08, 2020:

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.’s Farm Equipment Sector (FES), a part of the USD 19.4 billion Mahindra Group, today announced the launch of its new advanced Precision Potato Planting machinery, the new ‘PlantingMaster Potato +’.

Designed and developed in collaboration with Europe-based partner Dewulf, a global leader in potato machinery, the newPlantingMaster Potato + has been developed to suit Indian farming conditions, to offer higher yields and enhanced quality.

Mahindra and Dewulf have in 2019, partnered with progressive farmers in Punjab to introduce the new precision potato planter technology. These farmers have reported a 20-25% increase in yields, over traditional methods, after they began using this system.

Mr. Hemant Sikka, President, Farm Equipment Sector, Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. said. “As the world’s second largest potato producing nation, advanced farm machinery is needed to drive up yields & improve quality. With the ‘PlantingMaster Potato +’, we are bringing this technology to Indian farmers to drive productivity and quality improvements in potato farming. As we launch this product, the precision planter is also available on a rental basis in some markets, and offered through easy financing for purchase, making this new technology accessible to Indian farmers.”

India is the second largest producer of potatoes in the world, but it lags behind in yield. Yield per acre in India is 8.5 tonnes/acre compared to say the Netherlands which is at 17 tonnes/acre, with many elements determining the level of crop yields. The use of appropriate farm machinery is one of the more important elements.

The new PlantingMaster Potato + will be available for sale in Punjab, on sale & rent in UP, and for rent in the Gujarat market through Mahindra’s rental entrepreneur network.

About the PlantingMaster Potato +

While traditional potato planting techniques are widely practiced in India, they have many drawbacks. Planting when done by hand is prone to the same drawbacks in addition to being very laborious.

PlantingMaster Potato + is a precision potato planter that ensures a high level of singulation and no missing potato seeds. (Singulation means only one potato is planted in one spot and there is no doubling – that is two potatoes planted in a single spot). Additionally, the planter ensures that potatoes are planted accurately ensuring uniform depth and uniform seed to seed distance. The ridges created over the planted potatoes have just the right level of soil compaction. This ensures that each plant has enough water, sunlight and space to grow developing healthy tubers and resulting in increased crop yields and potato quality.

The design of the planter is such that it can be adjusted for changes in agronomy practices, such as for whole potatoes or cut potatoes, straight line planting or zig zag planting and planting at various levels of depth.

The new PlantingMaster Potato + is backed by Easy Access to spares & service at the farmer’s doorstep through Mahindra dealerships, including finance options and a 1-year Manufacturing Warranty.

About Mahindra

The Mahindra Group is a USD 19.4 billion federation of companies that enables people to rise through innovative mobility solutions, driving rural prosperity, enhancing urban living, nurturing new businesses and fostering communities. It enjoys a leadership position in utility vehicles, information technology, financial services and vacation ownership in India and is the world’s largest tractor company by volume. It also enjoys a strong presence in renewable energy, agribusiness, logistics and real estate development. Headquartered in India, Mahindra employs over 2,56,000 people across 100 countries.

Learn more about Mahindra on www.mahindra.com / Twitter and Facebook: @MahindraRise

EXPLORE THE WONDERS OF WORK AND VACATION WITH IHCL’S BIZCATIONS

Sakht Khabar correspondent,

Chandigarh, SEPTEMBER 7, 2020: Guests can now enjoy the opportunity to work out of their own private office in a hotel or resort of their choice with

Guests can now enjoy the opportunity to work out of their own private office in a hotel or resort of their choice with Indian Hotels Company’s (IHCL) new Bizcation offer. For those looking to escape the confines of home and maximize work from rejuvenating environs like a beach, palace, mountains or by the pool, bizcations are an ideal choice.

The white sandy beaches of Goa make it a year round favourite. Guests can choose to soak in Goa’s unique susegad charm or revel in its rich heritage inspired by the Portuguese influences, for an uninterrupted family vacation with a side of work. Those missing the serenity of the mountains can head to the resorts inRishikesh, Shimla or Coorg, which are perfect to both, rejuvenate the soul and inspire a burst of professional creativity.

Or one can balance work and play like the Maharajas and Maharanis of yore at the stunning palaces across majestic locations in Rajasthan – be it the Lake City of Udaipur, Pink City of Jaipur or Blue City of Jodhpur. Guests can also choose to work while reveling in the serene backwaters of Kerala for a relaxing workcation.

From accommodation in a higher category rooms, hi-speed internet facilities and quiet work stations to specially crafted meals, wellness sessions, and array of recreational activities, the Bizcation offer has all the ingredients to balance work and some much needed rest and relaxation at a choice of Taj,SeleQtions and Vivanta hotels and resorts; andamã Stays & Trails villas.

Hinduja Foundation launches ‘iCare’: an interactive learning & engagement programme for Government school students & families

Sakht Khabar correspondent,

Chandigarh, September 7, 2020:

Hinduja Foundation, a philanthropic arm of the Hinduja Group, launches ‘iCare: Volunteer from Home’initiative that engages Hinduja Group Companies’ employees as COVID-19 warriors. The mission was to reach out to the deprived and the underprivileged students across the country and deliver quality education. As part of this initiative, employees of all Hinduja Group Companies including Ashok Leyland, Gulf Oil, Bharat Financial, NXTDigital, Hinduja Foundation and Hinduja Tech among others were given an opportunity to interact with students of government schools and their families across the country and engage with them in a wide range of activities through technology based online and offline interactive modes. With the programme being underway, the foundation looks to progressively examine the possibility of enhancing the scope of the program to support its (Road to School) RTS target group of 80000 kids across multiple states.

The programme covered more than 8 states namely — Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana. In order to reach out to students from different geographies, 6 different language preferences were offered wherein the highest number of sessions were undertaken in Hindi, followed by Tamil.

Learning Links Foundation, an NGO working with several of the Hinduja Group Companies, also extended its support to the iCare program by implementing all the on-field volunteering activities.

Commenting on the initiative, Mr. Paul Abraham, President, Hinduja Foundation said, “The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has been critical in the country’s education sector where all the stakeholders are affected, the most vulnerable are the children. Amid the physical closure of schools, Covid-19 has also restricted their social engagements like meeting their friends, family or simply playing outside in the playground, hence affecting their overall development. The ‘iCare: Volunteer From Home’ program is one of its kind initiative that seeks to not just constructively engage the volunteers, the children (4 to 8 grade level) and their families, but also supports in helping children learn subject based content, build crucial skills as self-confidence and self-esteem, while advocating physical, mental, and social-emotional health a priority during these challenging times.”

The interaction of the volunteers under iCare program was through technology whereby the volunteers, while staying at home, had a choice to conduct 30 minutes sessions using live audio/video calls or pre-recorded audio/videos sessions using commonly available communication mediums, thereby ensuring accessibility to all the beneficiaries.

As part of this initiative, children were engaged in diverse activities that focused on helping them learn subject-based content better and build skills critical in these challenging times. These included ‘fun with math’ activities and others that centred on the theme of COVID-19, which were aimed at generating awareness on preventive measures to be taken during the pandemic. In addition, story-telling sessions, poetry sessions, mentoring sessions, wellness sessions and craft activities kept students interested and gave a boost to their self-esteem and confidence while also nurturing their physical and emotional wellbeing.

Post their iCare journey, volunteers shared their positive experience of engaging with children and conveyed interest in continuing with the activities in future. All the target beneficiaries, the parents and especially the children expressed their satisfaction with all the sessions.

Team NTPC beats 112 organisations to emerge winner at AIMA – Chanakya (Business Simulation Game) National Management Games 2020

Chandigarh, September 7, 2020: Team NTPC overcame a stiff challenge to emerge as winner at the recently concluded All India Management Association (AIMA) – Chanakya (Business Simulation Game) National Management Games (NMG) 2020. The victory was also significant since NTPC won the prestigious National Management Games for the first time in five years. The team from NTPC Vallur, Tamil Nadu achieved the feat of being crowned the national champion after competing against teams from 112 organisations from different parts of the country.

Team NTPC overcame a stiff challenge to emerge as winner at the recently concluded All India Management Association (AIMA) – Chanakya (Business Simulation Game) National Management Games (NMG) 2020. The victory was also significant since NTPC won the prestigious National Management Games for the first time in five years. The team from NTPC Vallur, Tamil Nadu achieved the feat of being crowned the national champion after competing against teams from 112 organisations from different parts of the country.

The team comprised Shri Chinnathambi G, Manager, C&I Maintenance; Shri Senkguttuvan P J, Manager, Operations (Main Plant); Shri Yoginderkumar J, Manager, Operation from NTPC Vallur. Team NTPC Vallur qualified for the regional rounds, which was held online and subsequently qualified for the Finals.

Located in Tamil Nadu’s Tiruvallur District, the 1500 MW Vallur Thermal Power Station is operated by NTPC Tamil Nadu Energy Company Limited (NTECL), a joint venture between NTPC Limited and Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Company (TANGEDCO).

More teams from NTPC brought laurels for India’s largest power generating company with combined team of NTPC Talcher Kaniha and SSC-ER II (Shared Services Center-Eastern Region II) from Odisha emerging as runner-up in the southern regional round of AIMA Chanakya NMG 2020.

Shri Deepak Ranjan Sahoo, Shri Khageshwar Pradhan & Shri Ramani Kanta Jena from NTPC Talcher Kaniha & SSC-ER II were part of the team.

16 winning teams of NTPC Business Minds 2020 were nominated for the event and subsequently 2 teams qualified for the national finals.

NTPC won the competition earlier in 2015 while the power major had emerged as runner-up in 2016 and 2017.

AIMA Chanakya National Management Games, an online Business Simulation Game conducted every year is aimed at ensuring that participating executives from various industries get an introduction to the complexities of running an organisation and gain expertise and skills from this event.

National Management Games (NMG) is one of its kind platform for Corporate Managers to face the thrill of Managing Business in a competitive mode. It is one of the most anticipated and reputable annual events based on Business Management Simulation, conducted by AIMA (All India Management Association).

The participants experience the complexities of running a company by focusing on resource management, market trends, cost analysis, product positioning, production planning, and inventory control. NMG is conducted in 2 levels; one at the Regional round (includes two sub-levels: Preliminary and Regional Final), and the second is the Final round.

Making August beginnings, Honda 2Wheeler India crosses 4 lac unit sales mark in August 2020

Chandigarh, September 2, 2020: Entering the festival season amidst the new normal of Unlock 4.0; Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd. (HMSI) today announced its sales for August 2020.

Honda’s total sales stood at 443,969 units, including 428,231 domestic sales and 15,738 exports in August 2020. Making august beginnings to the festive season ahead, Honda’s domestic sales breached 4 lac mark for the first time in FY’20-21 and registered 1% YoY growth.

Continuing to ramp-up production step-wise while prioritizing safety of all stakeholders, Honda’s sales grew by a significant 38% in August’20 compared to July’20.

Noteworthy, that Honda’s domestic sales continue to add over 1 lac+ incremental units for the 3^rd consecutive month (2.02 lac unit sales in June’20, 3.09 lac units in July’20, 4.28 lac units in Aug’20).

Elaborating on the market scenario and August’20 sales trend, Mr. Yadvinder Singh Guleria, Director – Sales & Marketing, Honda Motorcycle & Scooter India Pvt. Ltd.said,

“In August, over 90% of our network is back to business and we are seeing some green shoots with higher customer enquiries. Honda’s domestic sales crossed 4 lac units’ mark for the first time this fiscal on back of improved supplies and higher utilization of production capacity. With festivals approaching, our line-up of 14 models including our latest motorcycle Hornet 2.0 will excite new customers.”

Key Highlights of August 2020:

· Brand New Model Launch: Honda made its debut in the 180 – 200cc segment with its all new muscular, sporty and advanced Hornet 2.0motorcycle. Transforming Honda’s racing DNA into thrilling performance on roads, Hornet 2.0 comes loaded with best-in-class features like golden USD front forks, fully digital negative liquid crystal meter, dual, petal disc brakes, all around LED lighting package and 6 patent applications with unmatchable street fighter style. Priced starting Rs. 1,26,345 (ex-showroom, Gurgaon), Hornet 2.0 will be available for sale at dealerships starting week 1 of September’20.

· Road Safety- Further spreading awareness and safety on road, Honda kicked off its Road Safety awareness drive regionally in Bilaspur, Korba, Rajgarh, Janjgir, Mungeli and Motihari. Till date Honda has educated more than 36 lac Indians on the subject of road safety and over 40,000 people across 68 cities and 19 States & U.Ts through its Road Safety E-Gurukul.

For more information, please contactpublic.relations@honda2wheelersindia.com

Westside brings to you ‘Get Back in Your Jeans’ campaign; supports ‘Let’s Get India Ticking’ movement~

Chandigarh, September 02, 2020: Denims will continue to be the perennial wardrobe staple for the Indian youth. And despite the quintessential rebellious image and the contrary beliefs, denims epitomize and stand out for their sheer variety and can fit the bill of any occasion. And to prove that denims will never go out of style, Westside is here to get India ticking with its ‘Get Back in Your Jeans’ campaign. So, be ready to let the shopaholic in you splurge till you drop and live up your mojo with a generous dash of denims thrown in. Add to that the lure of fashion’s favourite labels at the best prices?

Denims will continue to be the perennial wardrobe staple for the Indian youth. And despite the quintessential rebellious image and the contrary beliefs, denims epitomize and stand out for their sheer variety and can fit the bill of any occasion. And to prove that denims will never go out of style, Westside is here to get India ticking with its ‘Get Back in Your Jeans’ campaign. So, be ready to let the shopaholic in you splurge till you drop and live up your mojo with a generous dash of denims thrown in. Add to that the lure of fashion’s favourite labels at the best prices?

To mark the occasion, Westside has also leveraged the brand’s fashion at value lines to tell a stylish story through an energetic music video that celebrates optimism, cutting across all age groups. The 30-second video has been produced by renowned movie producer/director Devang Desai and the lyrics have been penned by Pratika. The music video presents people from all age groups grooving to vibrant beats in their favorite denims.

Whether you prefer classic skinny jeans or would opt for options with frayed edges, now is the time to score the styles you’ve been eyeing for quite some time now. Lay your hands on the super stretchy and super comfortable denims from NUON, LOV, Sassy Soda and WES that starts at only Rs.999! Shopping for your kids’ clothes can be exhausting, but not at Westside, as it presents to you a range of options for your kids starting only at 799. Add some edge to your next jeans look with a range of exciting tees starting at Rs.399 for women and Rs.599 for men! As you must have guessed by now, your jeans will never be relegated to the back of the closet, ever again.

So now that you know all that it takes to head out and shop at Westside, there’s really no excuse not to shop. Head to your favourite Westside store today and “Get Back in Your Jeans” with panache.

Happiest Minds Technologies Limited Initial Public Offer to open on 7th September 2020

Chandigarh, 02, September 2020:

Happiest Minds Technologies Limited, positioned as ‘Born Digital. Born Agile’, operating in the information technology industry and focusing on delivering a seamless digital experience to its customers, , will open the initial public offer of its equity shares (“Equity Shares” and such initial public offer, the “Offer”) on 7^th September 2020. The Offer will close on 9^th September 2020. The price band of the Offer has been fixed at Rs 165 to Rs 166 per Equity Share. The Offer comprises of fresh issue of Rs 110 Crore (“Fresh Issue”) and an offer for sale aggregating upto 35,663,585 Equity Shares (“Offer for Sale”), which includes 8,414,223 Equity Shares by Ashok Soota (the “Promoter Selling Shareholder”) and 27,249,362 Equity Shares by CMDB II (the “Investor Selling Shareholder,” together with the Promoter Selling Shareholder, the “Selling Shareholders”).

Bids can be made for a minimum of 90 Equity Shares and in multiples of 90 Equity Shares thereafter. The face value of the Equity Shares is Rs 2 each.

The Equity Shares offered in this Offer are proposed to be listed at both BSE Limited and the National Stock Exchange of India Limited (“NSE”) post the listing. For the purpose of the offer, NSE is the designated stock exchange.

ICICI Securities Limited and Nomura Financial Advisory and Securities (India) Private Limited are the book running lead managers to the Offer (“BRLMs”). KFin Technologies Private Limited is the registrar to the Offer.

The Offer is being made through the book building process, in terms of Rule 19(2)(b) of the Securities Contracts (Regulation) Rules, 1957, as amended (“SCRR”) read with Regulation 31 of the Securities and Exchange Board of India (“Issue of Capital and Disclosure Requirements) Regulations, 2018 (“SEBI ICDR Regulations”) and in compliance with Regulation 6(2) of the SEBI ICDR Regulations, wherein not less than 75% of the Offer shall be allocated on a proportionate basis to Qualified Institutional Buyers (“QIBs”) (“QIB Portion”), provided that the Company and the Selling Shareholders may, in consultation with the BRLMs, allocate up to 60% of the QIB Portion to Anchor Investors on a discretionary basis in accordance with the SEBI ICDR Regulations (“Anchor Investor Portion”), of which one-third shall be reserved for domestic Mutual Funds, subject to valid Bids being received from domestic Mutual Funds at or above the Anchor Investor allocation price. In the event of under-subscription, or non-allocation in the Anchor Investor Portion, the balance Equity Shares shall be added to the Net QIB Portion. Further, 5% of the Net QIB Portion (excluding the Anchor Investor Portion) shall be available for allocation on a proportionate basis only to Mutual Funds, and the remainder of the Net QIB Portion shall be available for allocation on a proportionate basis to all QIBs, including Mutual Funds, subject to valid Bids being received at or above the Offer Price. Further, not more than 15% of the Offer shall be available for allocation on a proportionate basis to Non-Institutional Investors and not more than 10% of the Offer shall be available for allocation to Retail Individual Investors in accordance with the SEBI ICDR Regulations, subject to valid Bids being received at or above the Offer Price. All Bidders (except Anchor Investors) are required to mandatorily participate in the Offer only through the Application Supported by Blocked Amount (“ASBA”) process by providing details of their respective ASBA accounts (including UPI ID in case of RIIs, if applicable) which will be blocked by the SCSBs, or the bank accounts linked with the UPI ID, as applicable, to participate in the Offer. Anchor Investors are not permitted to participate in the Anchor Investor Portion through the ASBA process.

64 YEARS- Protecting Lives, Ensuring Happiness LIFE INSURANCE CORPORATION OF INDIA

Sakht Khabar correspondent,

Chandigarh , September 2

Life Insurance Corporation of India enters 65th year of its existence on 1st
September, 2020. A premier financial institution of the country, it has immensely contributed to
propagating the message of life insurance.

In its 64 years of existence. LIC has spread its wings
from being the leading Life Insurance Company into an internationally recognized financial
conglomerate with the presence in fourteen countries. It has also ventured into other financial
services through its Subsidiaries and Associates viz LIC HFL Ltd, LIC Pension Fund Ltd, LIC
Mutual Fund, LIC Cards Services Ltd, IDBI Bank Ltd , LIC HFL Care Homes Limited, LICHFL
Financial Services Limited, and LICHFL Asset Management Company Limited.

Starting with an initial capital of Rs.5 Crore in 1956, today LIC has Asset base of Rs. 31,96,214.81
Crore, with Life Fund to the tune of Rs. 31,14,496.05 Crore. LIC has always been at the forefront in
Nation Building Activities by deploying the funds to the best advantage of the policy holders as well
as the Community as a whole, true to the spirit of nationalization.

National priorities and obligation of
reasonable returns to the policyholders are the main criteria of our investments. The total funds, so
invested for the benefit of the community at large are Rs 30,69,942 Crore as on 31st March 2020.
LIC is today serving its customers through Eight Zonal Offices, 113 Divisional Offices, 74 Customer
Zones, 2048 Branch Offices, 1526 Satellite Offices , 3354 Life Plus Offices and 31556 Premium
Points.

It has over one lakh employees, 12.08 Lakh agents and 28.92 crore plus policies In-force.
Today LIC offers a bouquet of 28 plans for sale under Individual Business, each catering to theneeds of various segments of the society viz Endowment, Term Assurance, Children, Pension,
Micro Insurance, Health Insurance and Unit Linked products etc. Customers are assured to be
provided with the best products as per their changing needs and changing times.

During 2019-20 Life Insurance Corporation of India has registered a growth of 25.17 % in the New
Business in terms of the First Year Premium. The Total First Year Premium amounted to
Rs 1.78 Lakh Crore at the end of 31st March, 2020 capturing 68.74% of market share. As on
31st March , 2020, LIC’s market share in terms of number of policies was 75.90%, garnering
2.19 Crore new policies, highest in six years inspite of major Corona impact at year end.

Pension & Group Superannuation Business created history, crossing one Lakh Crore and collected
Rs 1,26,696 Cr as New Business Premium Income registering a growth of 39.46%.
In 2019-20 LIC has settled 215.98 lakhs claims amounting to Rs. 1,59,770.32 Crore.

LIC has been a trailblazer in embracing technology for supporting its sales and servicing functions.
The focus has now shifted to improving the online and digital presence in order to remain customer-
centric, improve pricing and create operational efficiencies. LIC has a strong online presence and
has provided digital platform for new business and servicing operations to both internal and external
customers, including channel platforms like banks and other agencies.

The Customer Portal
system of LIC is designed to enhance the digital experience and provide online services to the
customers. The Customer Mobile App, which is available on both Android and iOS, has more than
34 lakh users. MPIN based access to mobile applications is in place for ease of use to the
customers.

LIC Golden Jubilee Foundation, established in the year 2006, caters to the Community
Development Initiative of the Corporation and works on a large variety of projects focusing
on Relief of poverty or distress, Advancement of education, Medical Relief and Advancement
of any other object of general public utility. Since inception, the Foundation has supported
NGOs dedicated to the above causes through 543 projects.

In all these achievements, Chandigarh Division of LIC has been playing an important role.
For the Financial year 2020-21, Chandigarh Division has set a target of 187000 policies and
Rs. 363 crores of First Year Premium Income for itself and out of this it has completed 45000
policies & Rs. 145 Crores First Year Premium Income.

Displaying sensitivity towards
prevalent unemployment in the society due to COVID-19, Chandigarh Division has
bagged First position in the entire Northern Zone in offering employment
through agency by running a special drive.

On this Anniversary We rededicate ourselves to the welfare of our customers in true spirit of our
moto “Yogakshemam Vahamyaham”, “Thy Welfare is Our Responsibility”.

Mahindra’s Auto Sector sells 30,426 vehicles in August 2020

Chandigarh, September 1, 2020:

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd. (M&M Ltd.), a part of the USD 19.4 billion Mahindra Group, today announced its auto sales performance for the month of August 2020.

In the Passenger Vehicles segment (which includes UVs, Cars and Vans), Mahindra sold 13,651 vehicles in August 2020, compared to 13,507 vehicles in August 2019, registering a marginal growth of 1%.

In the Commercial Vehicles segment, the company sold 15,299 vehicles in August 2020, as against 14,684 vehicles in August 2019, a growth of 4%.

Exports for the month of August 2020 were at 1,169vehicles.

The company’s overall automotive sales (Domestic+Exports) stood at 30,426 vehicles in August 2020, compared to 36,085 vehicles during August 2019.

Commenting on the performance, Veejay Nakra, Chief Executive Officer, Automotive Division, M&M Ltd. said, “At Mahindra, we continue to see good recovery in demand both for SUVs and Pick-ups in the Small Commercial Vehicles segment. For the month of August, we have registered growth in both SUVs and Pick-ups. We have been able to meet the uplift in demand by managing the supply chain challenges and going forward will continue to keep our focus on it.”

Sales Summary August 2020

Category	August			YTD August
	F21	F20	% Change	F21	F20	% Change
Passenger Vehicles	13651	13507	1%	36618	89738	-59%
Utility Vehicles	13407	13037	3%	36008	85135	-58%
Cars* + Vans	244	470	-48%	610	4603	-87%
Commercial Vehicles	15299	14684	4%	43989	82247	-47%
LCV < 3.5T	15097	13855	9%	43528	76197	-43%
LCV > 3.5T	98	475	-79%	197	3463	-94%
MHCV	104	354	-71%	264	2587	-90%
3W	307	5373	-94%	442	23183	-98%
Total Domestic Sales	29257	33564	-13%	81049	195168	-58%
Total Exports	1169	2521	-54%	4706	12748	-63%
Total Sales (Domestic + Export)	30426	36085	-16%	85755	207916	-59%

*Above Domestic Sales Includes sales made in subsidiary company Mahindra Electric Mobility Ltd

BAJAJ ALLIANZ LIFE ROPES IN AYUSHMANN KHURRANA AS ITS BRAND AMBASSADOR

Bajaj Allianz Life, one of India’s leading private life insurer, today announced the appointment of youth icon and thought-leader Ayushmann Khurrana, one of most talented and versatile Bollywood artists, as its brand ambassador to promote its products and digital services across offline and online mediums. Ayushmann will feature in the life insurer’s next campaign “Smart Living” that encompasses its Term Plan – Smart Protect Goal and the new digital service – Smart Assist.

Commenting on the new campaign and signing up Ayushmann Khurrana, a first for the life insurer, Chandramohan Mehra,Chief Marketing Officer, Bajaj Allianz Life, said, “The refreshed brand narrative, relevant to new customer risk-mitigation mindset, is anchored on Ayushmann, who embodies our brand ethos of trustworthiness, innovativeness, authenticity and responsibility. The pandemic has infused smartness in our lives, and it is reflected in how we are embracing remote ways of living or acquiring new skills. Our smart products and secured digital services are aimed at securing and enabling our customer’s Life Goals, in these uncertain times.

Ayushmann Khurrana, Actor and Brand Ambassador for Bajaj Allianz Life, said, “I am delighted to partner with Bajaj Allianz Life in its journey towards enabling Life Goals of India. A trusted and Smart Life Insurance plan is a reliable back up to your family’s Life Goals. Amongst several innovative offerings, its differentiated Term Insurance Plan and the innovative digital service – Smart Assist, precisely answers the needs of protection and contactless yet assisted transactions.”

In addition to the campaign on Smart Protect Goal, Ayushmann Khurrana will also feature in an ad film on Smart Assist, the revolutionary tech-enabled service the company has launched to ensure customers who are purchasing the company’s product are guided in a smart, transparent and a secure manner by a Bajaj Allianz Life expert, keeping all the social distancing norms in mind, and being with the customer at the same time. Bajaj Allianz Life’s Smart Protect Goal, one of the most comprehensive term insurance plans offers return of premium at maturity, 55 critical illness coverage and cover till 99 years of age for limited premium paying term as less as 5 years.

The latest Bajaj Allianz Life latest campaign will run on major TV channels and is rolled out on all major digital platforms.

Ayushmann Khurrana, embodies Bajaj Allianz Life’s values of trustworthiness, innovativeness, authenticity and responsibility.

In these times, Bajaj Allianz Life enables customers to get their #LifeGoalsDone through smart products #SmartProtectGoal and innovative digital services #SmartAssist.

Here is the first film of the multiple-films ad campaign that goes LIVE today !

YouTube Link –https://youtu.be/s1GQuXY9pIc