Employment is the Biggest Solution to Drug Problem In Punjab: Bhagwant Mann

The Chief Minister of Punjab was speaking at the second edition of ABP Network’s ‘Ideas of India’ summit

Chandigarh/Mumbai, 24 February 2023:“We want to push the youth of Punjab in the right direction and are implementing proper measures to increase employment in the state”, said the Chief Minister of Punjab, Bhagwant Mann. Speaking at ABP Network’s second edition of the ‘Ideas of India’ summit on the topic of “Naya Bharat – Reinventing Punjab Beyond Guns and Drugs”, he said, “When the people of Punjab will be working, they won’t have time to indulge in ill habits such as drugs as they will be focused towards work and spending time with their families.”

In the session, Bhagwant Mann discussed the efforts made by the Punjab government to fight the drug problem in the state. “We have announced recruitment of 2100-2200 Constables and around 500 Sub-Inspector positions every year for citizens of Punjab,” he said. The recruitment test will comprise of a written, physical and medical test, including a Dopamine test to prevent usage of drugs by the youth. Furthermore, the Punjab government “has requested MHA for anti-drone testing” in their mission to fight against drugs.

He also emphasized on the growth of the state in the past few months such as establishing better infrastructure and promoting industrialization. Punjab will be the pioneer in colour coding of stamp papers for sanction of all NOCs. “The possession of the green stamp paper means you have all NOCs and are legal to set up a factory in the region.” Furthermore, the Punjab government is also providing free electricity to around 87% of its population.

The summit promises an invigorating line-up of speakers with prominent figures from the world of business, politics, artists from the Hindi Film Industry, authors and other eminent sectors. The two-day conference confluences diverse ideas from various industries to promote India in becoming aburgeoning leader in the world.

NSE Indices launches India’s first Municipal Bond Index

Chandigarh, February 24, 2023: NSE’s index services subsidiary, NSE Indices Limited today launched India’s first ever Municipal Bond Index, Nifty India Municipal Bond Index at a SEBI workshop on Municipal Debt Securities at Bengaluru.

The Nifty India Municipal Bond Index tracks the performance of municipal bonds issued by Indian municipal corporations across maturities and having investment grade credit rating. The index includes municipal bonds issued as per the Securities Exchange Board of India Issue and Listing of Municipal Debt Securities Regulations, 2015. Presently, the index has 28 municipal bonds issued by 10 issuers all having credit rating in the AA rating category. The index constituents are assigned weights based on their outstanding amount.

Indian municipal bond market has seen a resurgence of issuances after the SEBI Issue and Listing of Municipal Debt Securities Regulations, 2015 came into effect and a renewed emphasis on municipal finance by policymakers. Raising money from capital markets incentivizes municipal corporations to fund new projects and improve civic infrastructure while encouraging them to become financially disciplined and governance oriented.

Mr. Mukesh Agarwal, CEO, NSE Indices, said, “The municipal bond market has a potential to play a pivotal role in financing the borrowing requirements of different municipal corporations in India. The proceeds from bonds issued by municipal corporations can be utilized to finance the expansion of essential municipal services through growth-driven infrastructure projects & can contribute to bridging India’s urban infrastructure financing gap. The launch of the Nifty India Municipal Bond Index – India’s first ever Municipal Bond Index aligns with NSE’s vision to provide market representative benchmarks. The Nifty India Municipal Bond Index will track the performance of Indian municipal bond market and act as a benchmark for passive funds which will provide more investment choices to Indian fixed income investors. I am confident that with the launch of the Nifty India Municipal Bond Index, an impetus will be created for asset managers to consider investing in the municipal bond market thereby providing an investment vehicle to fixed income investors.”

The index is computed using the total return methodology including price return and coupon return. The index has a base date of January 01, 2021, and a base value of 1000. The index will be reviewed quarterly. The index is expected to act as a benchmark for asset managers and be a reference index tracked by passive funds in the form of Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs), index funds and structured products.

For more information on index methodology and factsheet, please visit us at www.niftyindices.com or www.nseindia.com.

Godrej Lawkim Motors Unveils New Experience Centre in Maharashtra

Chandigarh, 24^th February 2023: Godrej &Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, has announced the inauguration of a new experience centre by its business Godrej Lawkim Motors. Owing to the increasing need of customers to explore an immersive experience and understand how today’s and next-gen electric motors can fulfill their needs and requirements, the business has unveiled a 2000-square-foot state-of-the-art experience centre at its Shindewadi Plant in Maharashtra. The Godrej Lawkim Experience Centre has been designed keeping in mind the evolving customer experiences and providing in-depth knowledge about the business capabilities on a virtual reality platform.

The centre is equipped with a touch-sensitive interactive wall to project the company’s capabilities, hologram imagery to visualise the construction of motors and components, miniaturised motor applications to help customers understand how motors perform under different environments, and informative wall graphics to showcase company numbers and quality processes. The centre also showcases initiatives on environment and community development, demonstrating the company’s dedication to maintaining a greener and more sustainable future.

Xercsis Marker, Executive Vice President & Business Head, Godrej Lawkim Motors, Godrej & Boyce says, “This state-of-the-art facility will offer our partners an immersive journey into experiencing our innovative products, technology, and services, providing them with the opportunity to learn, interact, and explore how our offerings can benefit their business. We are thrilled to offer our customers this unique, interactive experience and showcase our commitment to excellence.”

Godrej Lawkim Motor’s new experience centre will cater to both Indian and international customers The centre will showcase Hermetic compressor motors both induction and BLDC, Door closure motors, Motor laminations, motor components, and high-end customised motors for various applications using extensions of existing technologies and alternate and new technologies.

“EVs will become mainstream in India” says Shashank Srivastava Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales), Maruti Suzuki India Limited

Chandigarh, 24 February 2023: “EVs will become mainstream but when they will become that is unpredictable. Cost of the acquisition is one of the important factors impeding EV adoption in India, Maruti Suzuki India Limited Senior Executive Officer (Marketing & Sales), Shashank Srivastava said here today.

Speaking at the second edition of ABP’s Ideas of India Summit, he said, “If a normal car is 100 then EV is 160 due to the high cost of batteries. Maruti Suzuki is trying to bring down battery costs. Also, we will have six EVs in different segments by 2030. Our estimate is this market which is 1% today will be around 3% in 2024-25, and will be about 17% in 2030 which is about out of 6 million cars, 1 million will be EVs in 2030.”

Srivastava further added, “I think the attitude of trying to be better and that’s also something we have learnt from the Japanese system of Kaizen, which is you have to improve continuously and competition in one way helps that Kaizen and the desire to improve continuously and that is why we welcome the competition. One of the biggest strengths Suzuki has is its market share and we are looking forward to strengthening our SUV space.”

Speaking on the growth and market demand, Srivastava said, “Maruti is 60% by volume for the overall Suzuki Motor Corporation, it’s a great achievement of India. It shows the upswing in the Indian economy. Our demography is very young. In consumption terms, We expect car consumption in India will continue to increase. Our projections show almost 6 million by 2030 from current 3.8 million in 2022”

The ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit 2023 was discussing the topic of “Brand India-Ready for the World.” The summit has brought together policymakers, cultural ambassadors, industry experts, celebrities, and business leaders to discuss the critical role of India during the global churn and changing dynamics. ABP Network is a leading multi-language channel reaching 535 million individuals in India therefore this summit provides one of the biggest platforms for the brightest minds across various sectors to express their views.

Japan considers India a natural ally. Our relations are closest in the world: Consul-General of Japan in Mumbai, YasukataFukahori

“India & Japan share the same values & culture” said Yasukata Fukahori

Mumbai, 24 February 2023: “Spiritual closeness between India and Japan is very deep. Indian people and Japanese people can understand each other. Relations between the two countries are closest in the world. India and Japan are natural allies” said Yasukata Fukahori, Consul-General of Japan in Mumbai.

Yasukata Fukahori was speaking at the second edition of ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit 2023, on the topic of “India and Japan, Seventy Years of Friendship.” The summit has brought together policymakers, cultural ambassadors, industry experts, celebrities, and business leaders to discuss the critical role of India during the global churn and changing dynamics.

Commenting on the future of Indo-Japanese economic ties, Fukahori, said, “I predict a bright future between India and Japan economically.”

He further added, “Achieving the 5 trillion yen investment target in India within the next five years seems attainable. There is optimism that investments will continue to flow into India, and the cultural closeness between the nations also aids in this endeavour,”

The second edition of ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit is being held on the theme “Naya India: Looking Inward, Reaching Out.” Along with global leaders, 60 eminent national and international speakers will share the stage this time. The two-day event primarily addresses India’s stand as a burgeoning economy and global leader in shaping the future.

Census is important, can indicate trend of alarming change in demographic: RSS leader Krishna Gopal at ABP ‘Ideas of India’ Summit 2023

The RSS Sah Sarkaryawah was speaking at the second edition of ABP Network’s ‘Ideas of India’ summit

Chandigarh/Mumbai, 24 February 2023: Census is crucial for India and should be done in a precise manner. It declares the state of the country and can also indicate the trend of alarming changes in India’s demographics, said Krishna Gopal, Sah Sarkaryawah, Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS).

He was speaking at ABP Network’s second edition of the ‘Ideas of India’ summit, themed “Naya India: Looking Inward, Reaching Out”. Speaking on the topic “The Civilization Debate, Clash or Collaboration,” Krishna Gopal said Pakistan has to end its nature of enmity towards India, until that happens, relations between the two countries cannot normalize.”

The summit promises an invigorating line-up of speakers with some of the brightest minds from the world of business, politics, artists from the Hindi Film Industry, authors and other prominent sectors. The two-day conference primarily focuses on how India is emerging as the proliferating economic leader in global economic development.

India’s voice is going to be incredibly important,” says FormerBritish Prime Minister Liz Truss at ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit

“

“I do support a greater role for India as a key player internationally. India should become a permanent member of the UN Security Council” said Liz Truss.

Chandigarh, 24 February 2023: “In India, we see the greatest hope for our future, a free democracy that is growing rapidly, a country of pluralism, a country where free speech and the ability to get things done are improving all the time,” former British Prime Minister Liz Truss said here today. Speaking at the ABP Ideas of India summit which began here today, she said she supported a greater role for India as a key global player and that India should become a permanent member of the UN Security Council.

The second edition of ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit is being held on the theme “Naya India: Looking Inward, Reaching Out.” Reiterating India’s position as an emerging global economic superpower, Truss said India needs to make the case and fight back against capitalism. “We should work more closely economically, we should work closely together on security and deepen our relationship with India,” she said.

Commenting on India’s role in the new power play, Truss said, “India and UK need to back each other more closely on trade, and investment and need to make sure both the countries work together on critical supply chains. We are investing more in green energy, like solar panels. These economic decisions will affect freedom and democracy in future. We are looking forward to the India-UK trade deal finishing as soon as possible.” She further added that the next few years will be very crucial for our security and democracy and India’s economic clout is equally important. India has grown significantly in past years and security is a very critical part of it.

Expressing her confidence on India’s capabilities, Truss said, “India has a huge cultural and economic influence on Britain. I want India to do even more using the dynamism and opportunity this country is creating.”

The second edition of ABP Network’s “Ideas of India” Summit 2023 is being organized on the topic “India and the World, The New Power Play.” The summit has brought together policymakers, cultural ambassadors, industry experts, celebrities, and business leaders to discuss the critical role of India during the global churn and changing dynamics. ABP Network is a leading multi-language channel reaching 535 million individuals in India therefore this summit provides one of the biggest platforms for the brightest minds across various sectors to express their views.

Vedanta recognised as Kincentric Best Employer 2022

Chandigarh, 24 February 2023: Vedanta Ltd. today announced that it has been conferred with Kincentric Best Employer Award – India 2022, one of the most prestigious recognitions globally. The award comes as part of Kincentric’s robust assessment that measures and identifies organizations who have transformed their people practices driving better business outcomes.

Vedanta’s people-first approach is geared towards fostering a culture that is engaging and empowering. The core values of the organization nurture innovation, creativity and diversity. The company’s top class people practices make for an enriching experience for its employees. Vedanta’s HR philosophy encompasses an inclusive approach to become an industry leading employer across all businesses.

Receiving the award on behalf of the company at an award ceremony held in Mumbai, Mr. Sunil Duggal, Group CEO,Vedanta Ltd. said, “We are humbled on being conferred the prestigious Kicentric Best Employer award. This recognition by Kicentric is a testament of our people first approach. At Vedanta, people are our greatest asset, and we are very proud of our globally benchmarked people practices.”

Speaking on this recognition, Ms. Madhu Srivastava, CHRO, Vedanta said, “It is a matter of pride to have been recognized as a Kincentric Best Employer, that demonstrates our commitment to people and our continued focus on creating an engaging and agile environment built on trust and shared values.’’

Mr. Praveen Purohit, Dy CHRO, Vedanta Ltd, added, “The recognition is a testimony of our progressive HR programs, continuously setting benchmarks in best global people practices, creating a strong pipeline of leaders and sustaining Vedanta as an employer of choice through some of the industry leading key initiatives.”

Kincentric, a global HR Advisory firm performs a study of Best Employers across geographies. The study involves a four step rigorous selection process comprising of individual employee-experience questionnaires, CXO-experience questionnaires, and extensive auditing of HR Processes by industry experts.

With over 50 years of employee research and decades of experience and specialist expertise in culture and engagement, leadership assessment and development, HR and talent advisory, and diversity, equity and inclusion, Kincentric partners with organizations to improve their health from the inside, transform at scale and achieve Best Employer levels of performance.

Earlier in 2022, Vedanta was also certified as Great Place to Work, for the second consecutive year, an endorsement of its industry-leading people practices making it an employer of choice.

Chef Montu Saini, The Ashok Hotel becomes the first Indian chef to be honoured as Officier du Mérite Agricole de la République Française

24^th February 2023, Chandigarh/New Delhi: Making the entire country proud for his exemplary contributions to the culinary world, Chef Montu Saini of India Tourism Development Corporation Ltd (ITDC), former Executive Chef at President’s Secretariat, Rashtrapati Bhawan has been conferred with the prestigious French decoration “Officier du Mérite Agricole de la République Française” by Mr Guillaume GONEZ ( Ambassador of French Cuisine) on behalf of the Hon’ble President of France Mr Emmanuel Macron on 23rd February 2023 at the Embassy of France, Shantipath, New Delhi.

Chef Saini has dedicated this award to the farmers of India since cuisine is the ultimate celebration of the ingredients it uses. In his view, sustainable agriculture and food practices are India’s collective responsibility for the enrichment of its future. He is a member of the exclusive international gastronomic society le Club des Chefs des Chefs – Club of personal Chefs of Heads of States and the most exclusive gastronomic society of the world. He is the youngest Executive Chef to the President of India and was recently in news for designing the all-new millets-based menu at the Parliament of India in sync with the International Year of Millets.

Commenting on the same, Mr Piyush Tiwari, Managing Director and Director (Commercial & Marketing) ITDC, mentioned “We are ecstatic to hear that Chef Montu Saini from our Organization is the first Indian Chef to be honored with the prestigious Officier du Mérite Agricole de la République Française award. This is a tremendous accomplishment and a testament to his dedication and passion for the culinary arts. We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Chef Moutu Saini on this remarkable achievement.

This award highlights Indian cuisine on the world stage as the recognition comes from a country known as the world’s gastronomic capital. Chef Montu Saini attended the award function and provided valuable insights into his journey and his vision for the future. The French Ambassador also hosted a dinner in his honour which was attended by officials of the President House, India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), and executive chefs from various five-star hotels.

UPL JOINS SCIENCE-BASED COMMITMENTS TO URGENT GHG REDUCTION AGAINST CLIMATECHANGE

· UPL’s Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions reduction commitments approved by Science Based Targets initiative(SBTi) in-line with climate science

· UPL will make significant reductions to its GHG emissions by 2034 in-line with SBTirecognized well-below 2°Cglobal temperature risetrajectory

· CEO Jai Shroff describes commitment as recognition of the need to “one of the most urgentchallenges of our times” as part of UPL’s ReimaginingSustainability mission

Chandigarh, 24^th February 2023 – UPL Ltd. (NSE: UPL & BSE: 512070 LSE: UPLL) (‘UPL’) a global provider of sustainable agricultural solutions, announces that its near-term company-wide emission reductions commitments in line with climate science have been approved by the Science Based Targetsinitiative (SBTi).

UPL Limited commits to reduce scope 1 and scope 2 GHG emissions 63.12 % per ton of agrochemical by FY 2034 from FY 2019 base year, equivalent to a 37.5 % absolute reduction. UPLLimited also commits to reduce scope 3 GHG emissions from purchased goods and services, fuel and energy-related activities, and upstream transportation & distribution 42% per ton of agrochemical within the sametimeframe.

Jai Shroff, Global CEO, UPL Ltd., said: “Addressing climate change is one of the most urgent challenges of our times. At UPL, we’re Reimagining Sustainability by transforming agriculture into a climate positive industry – and that includes our own company. With this commitment to reducing GHG emissions we recognize that importance of rapid, deep and effective emissions cuts to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C and we call on all our partners and stakeholders in the agriculture sector to join us in thiscommitment to climate science-basedtargets to combat climate change.”

UPL will continue to advance measuresto reduce the emissions profile of itsmanufacturing and supply chain through several initiatives including increased reliance on renewable energy and reducewater consumption and waste generation across its operations.

Uber rolls out biggest app redesign in years, now customized for each rider

Chandigarh 23, February 23, 2023: Uber today announced a comprehensive global revamp of its app, adding a slew of new features to help riders go anywhere effortlessly.

Uber’s redesigned app has been made intuitive, customized to the individual preferences of each rider, offering easy access to all services, consistent experiences, and smooth flows through the booking process. Starting right at the redesigned homescreen, the new Uber app makes it way easier to book rides, taking into account most preferred destinations and products for each rider.

The list of updates that will show on the app as a result of the new App Redesign rollout include:

A new homescreen

The homescreen experience has been simplified to help riders book trips more easily, with fewer taps, right from the get-go. The new app also features a “Services” tab as a one stop shop to find all product offerings available to riders in their city – from a nearby Moto to Auto, Intercity, Rentals, Reserve, Connect and more. The new “Activity Hub” helps keep track of past and upcoming rides all in one place.

More personalized

Booking favorites – ride types, locations, and more – also gets more effortless with the new app.

Upon tapping “where to?” on the homescreen, “Saved Places” will appear for each rider, and the app will suggest a list of personalized destinations and ride types based on preferences, past trips, and most likely destinations. The app will also share personalized recommendations for ways to plan travel and save, based on how each rider uses Uber.

As an example, if a rider typically uses Uber Auto, it will likely be the first option they see; and the app will also suggest other affordable options.

A new way to track the progress of rides

Now, with Live Activities on the lock screen, riders can easily track the live progress of their ride and receive critical updates like vehicle details, the latest ETA information, and trip status – all on the Lock Screen without opening the app.

This feature is being rolled out for iOS devices, and will be available on Android devices soon.

Riders will need to ensure their device is up to date with the latest available software, and the latest version of the Uber app to experience the redesigned app and its new features.

Commenting on the updated Uber app, Nitish Bhushan, Director – Central Operations, Uber India and South Asia said, “We have always worked to provide mobility with few taps on the app for riders on the Uber platform. Seeing how fast-paced our lives are getting, we understand the need to be able to navigate through apps in seconds. We are introducing the redesigned Uber app to help our users more effortlessly navigate to ensure each rider sees an app designed for their specific needs, with their frequented routes and preferred products showing right at the top.”

SBI rolls out on BHIM SBIPay, the Foreign Inward and Outward Remittances facility

• This real-time payment systems linkage was launched on February 21, 2023, between India-Singapore Corridor

Chandigarh, February 22, 2023: Honourable Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, with the Prime Minister of Singapore, Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, launched the real-time payments system linkage between India and Singapore on February 21, 2023. UPI and PayNow (the online payment system of Singapore) will power this linkage. The State Bank of India, the country’s largest lender, is proud to partner in this cross-border facilitation. The facility is offered through SBI’s BHIM SBIPay mobile application. The linkage will allow fund transfers from India to Singapore through registered mobile numbers and from Singapore to India using UPI ID.

The UPI-PayNow linkage is a significant milestone towards development of infrastructure for cross-border payments between India and Singapore. The initiative closely aligns with the G20’s priorities of driving faster, cheaper, and more transparent cross-border payments. The inward bilateral remittance between Singapore and India is around USD 949 Mn as of 2021 (as per World Bank Bilateral Remittance Matrix Dec ‘22).

Shri Shaktikanta Das, Governor, Reserve Bank of India, and Mr. Ravi Menon, Managing Director, Monetary Authority of Singapore executed the first live cross-border transaction. The RBI Governor Shri Shaktikanta Das used BHIM SBIPay for foreign inward remittance.

Commenting on the initiative, Honourable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said, “The linkage of these two payment systems between India and Singapore would enable residents of both countries to initiate a faster and more cost-efficient transfer of cross-border remittances. It will also help the Indian diaspora in Singapore, professionals, students, and workers through an instantaneous and low-cost transfer of money from Singapore to India and vice-versa.”

Mr. Lee Hsien Loong, Prime Minister of Singapore said that “cross-border retail payments and remittances between Singapore and India amount to over USD 1 Bn annually. As we progressively add more users and use cases, the UPI-PayNow linkage will grow in utility and contribute more to facilitating our trade and people-to-people links.”

Shri Dinesh Khara, Chairman, State Bank of India, expressed “We are glad to be associated with this pathbreaking initiative. This will go a long way in boosting the digitization initiatives of the Government and provide easy, seamless cross-border payment facility to the users.”

IHCL SETS FOOT IN GANDHINAGAR, GUJARAT – SIGNS A TAJ RESORT & SPA

Chandigarh, FEBRUARY 21, 2023: Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of a Taj branded resort and spa in Gandhinagar. This brownfield resort is slated to open in early 2023.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Puneet Chhatwal, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, IHCL,said, “IHCL is renowned for its pioneering efforts in developing several destinations. The resort is located at a short distance from both Ahmedabad and Gandhinagar, opening a new tourist circuit in the state of Gujarat. With the expanding wellness travel market, this resort is well-positioned to cater to the growing need around the circle of wellness through its renowned and award-winning Jiva spa.

He further added, “IHCL is delighted to partner once again with the Sankalp Group.”

The highlight of the 118 keys sprawling resort will be the Jiva spa with an expansive spread. Jiva is rooted in the rich and ancient wellness traditions of India, offering holistic programmes including yoga and meditation. The spa facilities will include eight treatment rooms, relaxation lounge, sensory Lounge, spa café, meditation room, sauna and steam, Turkish hammam, swimming pool and a fitness centre. The resort will also have an all-day diner, a specialty restaurant, and a lobby lounge. A large banquet hall of over 400 sq m and 8,000 sq m of lush green lawns are ideal venues for conferences as well as sophisticated social events.

Dr. Kailash R. Goenka, Director, Sankalp said, “This resort will capture the latent demand in the state for luxury wellness. After the successful launch of Taj Skyline in Ahmedabad we are happy to work together once again with IHCL.”

Gandhinagar, the capital of the state of Gujarat is a blend of heritage, history and culture and is home to spiritually significant sites such as ‘Akshardham’.

With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have 21 hotels across Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta and Ginger brands across Gujarat including five under development.

THE ALL INDIA DIGITAL CABLE FEDERATION (AIDCF) MEMBERS CONTINUE TO NOT COMPLY WITH THE NEW PRICE REGIME AND MAKE FALSE CLAIMS, LEAVING MILLIONS OF SUBSCRIBERS IN A LURCH

Chandigarh, 20^th February 2023: The All India Digital Cable Federation (AIDCF), in its latest announcement, has made some inaccurate remarks regarding the new price regime, which came into force on February 1, 2023. After an extensive consultative process, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI), notified the amended Regulations and Tariff Order on November 22, 2022. AIDCF and its members also participated in the consultative process and were clearly aware of the timelines prescribed by TRAI. They understood that the law mandates that the TV channels could only be provisioned under a signed interconnect agreement. As of today, all the broadcasters, all DTH providers and most of the cable operators, including some AIDCF members, have implemented the amended regulatory framework. Consequently, more than 90% of the DPOs have signed the revised interconnect agreement issued by the broadcasters, thereby choosing to comply with the law and ensuring that the service is not disrupted for majority of the subscribers.

Under the new pricing regime, the subscriber has the flexibility of choice on whether to pick one channel or a bouquet of channels. The maximum monthly subscription fee for a channel to be included in bouquet is INR 19/- which is significantly lesser than the price of essentials in the country. The attempt of the AIDCF to invoke consumer sentiment on the price increase is belied by their attempt to increase that portion of the consumer bill that goes only to the AIDCF members, i.e. Network Capacity Fees (NCF).

TRAI’s 2017 regulations brought in a separate charge of Network Capacity Fees (NCF), which DPOs charge and collect from the subscribers for provisioning access to the TV services. DPOs collect subscription fees in advance from consumers but do not pass the share to broadcasters in a timely manner. The price hike during implementation is largely due to the demand of the increase in the NCF by the DPOs and not at the back of the channel prices. While no pay TV channel is provided against the said charge, the burden of this cost ultimately results in making the TV services expensive for the subscribers. As a result, the AIDCF’s claim that broadcasters are driving up TV channel prices and that 45 Mn households have been impacted by channel disruption is completely false. Having not been granted any interim relief in multiple High Courts, the AIDCF is seeking to invoke public sympathy through a false narrative.

While the broadcasters are under no legal obligation to provide any additional opportunity to the AIDCF members, they offered such DPOs additional 48 hours to sign the revised interconnect agreement in order to continue receiving TV signals without interruption, keeping in mind the interest of the subscribers. While some operators have signed the agreement, AIDCF members, have chosen to ignore it and deliberately refused to sign the revised Interconnect offer. The broadcasters, therefore, had no legal recourse but to disconnect TV services from the DPOs that refused to comply with the regulatory framework.

Furthermore, AIDCF is not only in defiance of the law but is also holding less than 25 Mn subscribers hostage, solely for its own commercial reasons and circulating misleading information. The press release issued by AIDCF tantamounts to an attempt to influence the public with respect to the matter pending consideration before the court. These DPOS are minority in number compared to the ones who have already signed and due to their non-compliance, are depriving consumers of their favourite channels. In this scenario, Indian Broadcasting and Digital Foundation (IBDF) would like to urge the impacted viewers to reach out to other operators to subscribe to their favourite channels.

Consumers are the centre of any broadcasters’ strategy and AIDCF members are only causing inconvenience to them by making false claims and leaving them without their favourite shows for selfish reasons. Broadcasters are constantly introducing new channels with engaging new content, further creating proliferation in the industry, creating avenues for employment and providing a variety of entertainment options to the consumers.

Uber sees resurgence of leisure travelers as Intercity trips rise during weekends

Chandigarh February 17 2023: Uber today released its annual travel index ‘Riding with Intercity’, encapsulating travel trends when it came to long-distance trips. The year gone by saw the highest number of Intercity trips being booked on Saturday, followed by Sunday, signaling a clear resurgence of the ‘#wanderlust’ chasers.

Uber Intercity enables riders to book seamless, on-demand intercity trips at the tap of a button, taking care of people’s travel needs for trips beyond their city. With doorstep pickups, digital payment options and in-app safety measures in place, Uber Intercity offers the same efficient, convenient and safe Uber experience, except for a new use case – travel beyond the city.

Having the option to reserve Intercity trips up to 30 days in advance gives riders the chance to use Uber for planned travel, too, beyond the on-demand rides that riders have traditionally used Uber for.

Uber Intercity is now available across over 2,000 routes in India, including popular leisure and business destinations around cities.

The index highlighted key travel trends, including top tourist destinations, popular off-beat routes, and most sought-after days of the week for ‘heading out’. Mumbaikars, for instance, flocked to retreats and wellness centers in Pune, Lonavala, and Alibaug. Bangaloreans chose to explore the Bannerghatta Biological Park and Nandi Hills.

Here’s some of the key highlights from the ‘Riding with Intercity’ index:

Top 5 Intercity Weekend Travel Months

(Top 5 months in 2022 with the highest number of Intercity trips booked during weekends, in no set order)

– April

– May

– June

– October

– December

Top 3 Days of the Week

(Top 3 days of the week with the highest number of Uber Intercity rides in 2022, in decreasing order)

1. Saturday
2. Sunday
3. Friday

Most Popular Getaways

(The top weekend getaways around major cities, going by Intercity trips booked in 2022, in decreasing order of popularity)

Mumbai	Pune, Lonavala, Alibaug
Bangalore	Bannerghatta Biological Park, Mysore, Nandi Hills
Delhi	Meerut, Sonipat, Rewari
Chennai	Thrivallur, Vellore, Puducherry
Hyderabad	Medchal, Mehbubnagar, Warangal
Kolkata	Hooghly, Basirhat, Nadia
Jaipur	Delhi, Chomu
Coimbatore	Covai, Pallakkad
Chandigarh	Patiala, Ludhiana, Solan
Ahmedabad	Vadodara, Kheda, Anand

Top Uses For Intercity
(Top uses for Intercity going by number of trips booked in 2022, in decreasing order)

1. Leisure Travel + Family Visits
2. Business Travel + Meetings
3. Visits to Places of Worship
4. Return trips to schools/colleges

Godrej Appliances Launches India’s First Leak Proof Split Air Conditioner

~ Its pioneering Anti-Leak Technology (patent applied), addresses the challenge of ACs leaking water

~ Targets 2x growth over last year in the upcoming summer season, for AC category

Chandigarh, 16^th February 2023: Godrej Appliances, business unit of Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, has launched India’s first leak proof split Air Conditioner with Anti-Leak technology and has also filed a patent for it. True to its brand philosophy of ‘Things Made Thoughtfully’, this powerful industry- first, pioneering innovation promises to solve a host of problems being faced by AC consumers today.

Water leaking from an air conditioner inside the home is a common problem faced by several AC users. An estimated 85% AC consumers suffer from this issue at least once in the product’s lifetime and consequently, the issue ranks amongst AC’s key concerns. Given that Air Conditioners are amongst the most expensive appliance investments made by customers and have an impact on home aesthetics as well, to have it drip water inside the room is a frustrating experience. People resort to repair services or adopt temporary solutions without really getting a lasting solution. The concern is not limited to aesthetics and embarrassment, but includes other costly repercussions also, like the wall paint or wallpaper getting spoilt needing replacement, safety issues like electrical short circuits if there are plug points underneath and so on. In the long run, damp walls are prone to mold growths, leading to potential health risks such as allergies and respiratory problems, with toddlers or asthmatic patients being even more susceptible.

The all-new Anti-Leak Technology incorporated in Godrej Leak Proof* Split ACs aims to offer a permanent solution to combat the above problems. This AC also offers a host of other relevant technologies and features such as 5-in-1 Convertible Cooling Technology that can be set basis the number of people in the room and help save energy, i-sense technology to match the set temperature for utmost comfort, powerful cooling even at 52°C with lower derating, inverter technology for power saving and ecofriendly R32 refrigerant that has zero ozone depletion and low global warming potential. In addition, it has 100% copper coils, and connecting pipe and anti-corrosive blue fins are fitted for efficiency, durability and resistance to corrosion.

Commenting on the launch of this innovative technology, Kamal Nandi, Business Head and Executive Vice President – Godrej Appliances, part of Godrej & Boyce said, “At Godrej Appliances, we have been working relentlessly to offer innovative solutions with cutting-edge technologies to address any challenges faced by consumers. After multiple trials at our research and design centers, we have perfected the Anti-Leak technology and pioneered India’s first Leak Proof Split AC which promises consumers much-needed relief from the problem of leaking ACs, which has plagued consumers for a long time. Coupled with a robust product portfolio for the upcoming summer season, we expect over 2x growth in AC sales compared to last year.”

Sabyasachi Gupta, Product Group Head- Air Conditioners, Godrej Appliances added, “We are elated to introduce India’s first Leak Proof Split Air Conditioner, that aims to deliver superior prevention of water leakages. A path breaking offering, it promises a much better and trouble-free AC experience for consumers – delivering more durability, unhindered performance, aesthetics, health, and safety. Along with this pioneering proposition, for the upcoming summer season, Godrej Appliances has a lineup of 25+ SKUs covering several advanced technologies and features like 4 Way-Swing, 5-in-1 convertible cooling, UVCool and Nano Coated Anti-Viral filtration technologies, Heavy Duty Cooling, Hot and Cold ACs and Smart IOT enabled ACs.”

Godrej Leak Proof Split ACs comes with 10 years-inverter compressor warranty. It will soon be available at Rs. 48,900/- MRP across stores and popular ecommerce platforms. Consumers can also avail easy finance options on it.

Kimberly-Clark relaunches its premium Huggies Nature Care™ diaper range in India

Chandigarh, February 16, 2023: Kimberly-Clark announces the relaunch of its premium diaper range, Huggies Nature Care™ for Indian consumers. The restage comes with an eye-catching new packaging design that makes it easier for moms to identify and choose Huggies Nature Care™ for their babies. Parents are increasingly leaning towards organic alternatives for their children. Huggies, with its new Huggies Nature Care™ wants to increase customer trust in the decisions they are making for their babies while selecting their diapers.

To complement the relaunch, the brand has released an endearing digital film that creatively highlights the brand’s commitment to baby skin health. The film effectively conveys the message that the new Huggies Nature Care™ understands the delicate nature of baby skin to help provide the best protection for it.

Backed by consumer research, Huggies Nature Care™ is the mom’s No.1 choice for preventing diaper rashes, with 8 out of 10 moms preferring Huggies Nature Care’s™ organic cotton & “no nasties” protection offered by the new range that is free of parabens, chlorine, and latex.

Baby skin is 30% thinner than adults, making it delicate and susceptible to diaper rash and other skin irritations. To address this issue, Huggies Nature Care™ has used 100% organic cotton liner in its premium range, which is gentle on baby skin and helps prevent diaper rashes.

With its 12-hour absorption, the new Huggies Nature Care™ provides breathability that is clinically proven to help prevent diaper rash, keeping the baby dry and comfortable. It is a preferred choice for babies and a trusted one for moms who believe in providing the best for their babies.

Ms Saakshi Verma Menon, Marketing Director, Kimberly-Clark India said, “At Huggies, we are passionate about providing the best for babies. Our consumer surveys highlighted a growing demand for organic cotton among moms for their babies. In response, we have created and developed Huggies Nature Care™, a range of premium diapers made with organic cotton. Our new campaign, which includes the release of a digital film, creatively conveys the attributes of this new range through the skin as an advocate. This campaign is aligned with our global message of ‘We got you, baby’ and showcases our dedication to meeting the needs and expectations of moms and as a protector for a baby’s delicate skin. “

Commenting on the film, Sukesh Kumar Nayak, Chief Creative Officer, Ogilvy India said, “Moms aren’t settling for basics anymore, and neither are babies. So, we had to up the game in terms of what we offered them and how we communicate with them. That’s why, to launch Huggies Nature Care™ we took a different approach. The campaign ‘We got you, baby’ is Huggies’ assurance to demanding moms and babies that these are the gentlest diapers for baby’s delicate skin. Spoiler alert: Watch out for the baby’s wink of approval!”

Huggies Nature Care™ range is now available in offline stores and on e-commerce platforms.

Link to the film:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHusZmQWtos

Tata Steel completes the first multi-modal shipment of TMT bars from West Bengal to Tripura via Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route

~ The first Company in the Indian steel industry to transport goods to Tripura using inland waterways via Bangladesh’s Ashuganj port ~

~ 960 tonnes of Steel TMT bars shipped from West Bengal’s Haldia Port to Agartala ~

Chandigarh February 16, 2023: Tata Steel successfully completed the first multi-modal shipment of 960 tonnes of steel TMT bars from West Bengal’s Haldia Port to Tripura’s Agartala, reiterating its commitment to a sustainable future.

On January 8, 2023, the barge “MV Bulker I” was flagged off from the Haldia port. The first leg of the journey was through the inland waterways using Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route to the transfer point at Ashuganj port in Bangladesh. The bars were then unloaded and the second leg transportation via road to a Land Port Authority of India warehouse at Agartala at the India-Bangladesh border was carried out. In the third and final leg of the journey, trucks were used to transship goods from this warehouse to the distributor’s warehouse in Agartala. Tata Martrade International Logistics Limited (TMILL) was in-charge of the entire logistics management for this maiden voyage. The entire transportation from flag-off to the receiving of material at distributor’s warehouse was completed in 17 days.

The flag-off event was virtually inaugurated by Peeyush Gupta, Vice President GSP and Supply Chain, Tata Steel. D. Samanta of TM International Logistics Limited (TMILL) and A.K. Mahapatra, GM (Traffic), Haldia Dock Complex also joined the ceremony.

Peeyush Gupta, Vice President, GSP and Supply Chain, Tata Steel, said: “The Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route serves as a reliable integrated logistics solution for both Bangladesh and India to use inland waterways and will further help expand our consumer reach to better serve the growing North-Eastern market. The route exemplifies efficient utilisation of the river-sea combination as a mode of transport and multimodal movement. This endeavour supports the objectives of the PM’s Gati Shakti programme and is an initiative to lower the Company’s Scope 3 carbon footprint and will contribute to decarbonising the steel sector.”

Ranjan Sinha, Chief Group Shipping, Tata Steel, said: “Tata Steel along with the TMILL team is proud of the efforts undertaken in the execution of this shipment. The Company hopes to shorten the timelines even further to serve its clients. The possibility of using this route to service additional, smaller-lot regions along the river is also worth exploring. The Indo Bangladesh Protocol route is more economical as well as environmentally more responsible.”

Earlier in 2022, the Company had successfully shipped 1,800 tonnes of finished steel products from Haldia Port in West Bengal to Pandu Port in Assam using the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route via the Brahmaputra River. The commencement of the use of Inland Waterways, a historic initiative to decarbonise the steel industry and the nation, was flagged off by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon’ble Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways & Ministry of Ayush.

India’s desire to realise its ambitions envisioned under the National Logistics Policy relies heavily on the utilisation of multimodal transportation, which would include an interconnected inland waterways system. This will lessen the amount of material moved through chicken neck, hence reducing the overall distance and reliance on rail and road, as well as aid in the decarbonisation of the logistics sector.

Tata Steel completes the first multi-modal shipment of TMT bars from West Bengal to Tripura via Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route

~ The first Company in the Indian steel industry to transport goods to Tripura using inland waterways via Bangladesh’s Ashuganj port ~

~ 960 tonnes of Steel TMT bars shipped from West Bengal’s Haldia Port to Agartala ~

Chandigarh February 16, 2023: Tata Steel successfully completed the first multi-modal shipment of 960 tonnes of steel TMT bars from West Bengal’s Haldia Port to Tripura’s Agartala, reiterating its commitment to a sustainable future.

On January 8, 2023, the barge “MV Bulker I” was flagged off from the Haldia port. The first leg of the journey was through the inland waterways using Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route to the transfer point at Ashuganj port in Bangladesh. The bars were then unloaded and the second leg transportation via road to a Land Port Authority of India warehouse at Agartala at the India-Bangladesh border was carried out. In the third and final leg of the journey, trucks were used to transship goods from this warehouse to the distributor’s warehouse in Agartala. Tata Martrade International Logistics Limited (TMILL) was in-charge of the entire logistics management for this maiden voyage. The entire transportation from flag-off to the receiving of material at distributor’s warehouse was completed in 17 days.

The flag-off event was virtually inaugurated by Peeyush Gupta, Vice President GSP and Supply Chain, Tata Steel. D. Samanta of TM International Logistics Limited (TMILL) and A.K. Mahapatra, GM (Traffic), Haldia Dock Complex also joined the ceremony.

Peeyush Gupta, Vice President, GSP and Supply Chain, Tata Steel, said: “The Indo-Bangladesh Protocol route serves as a reliable integrated logistics solution for both Bangladesh and India to use inland waterways and will further help expand our consumer reach to better serve the growing North-Eastern market. The route exemplifies efficient utilisation of the river-sea combination as a mode of transport and multimodal movement. This endeavour supports the objectives of the PM’s Gati Shakti programme and is an initiative to lower the Company’s Scope 3 carbon footprint and will contribute to decarbonising the steel sector.”

Ranjan Sinha, Chief Group Shipping, Tata Steel, said: “Tata Steel along with the TMILL team is proud of the efforts undertaken in the execution of this shipment. The Company hopes to shorten the timelines even further to serve its clients. The possibility of using this route to service additional, smaller-lot regions along the river is also worth exploring. The Indo Bangladesh Protocol route is more economical as well as environmentally more responsible.”

Earlier in 2022, the Company had successfully shipped 1,800 tonnes of finished steel products from Haldia Port in West Bengal to Pandu Port in Assam using the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol (IBP) route via the Brahmaputra River. The commencement of the use of Inland Waterways, a historic initiative to decarbonise the steel industry and the nation, was flagged off by Shri Sarbananda Sonowal, Hon’ble Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways & Ministry of Ayush.

India’s desire to realise its ambitions envisioned under the National Logistics Policy relies heavily on the utilisation of multimodal transportation, which would include an interconnected inland waterways system. This will lessen the amount of material moved through chicken neck, hence reducing the overall distance and reliance on rail and road, as well as aid in the decarbonisation of the logistics sector.

Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance launches ABSLI Anmol Suraksha Kawach

~ Simple and affordable term insurance plan addressing short-term protection needs~

Chandigarh, 16^th February 2023: Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI), the life insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), has announced the launch of a simple and affordable protection solution – ABSLI Anmol Suraksha Kawach. It is a non-linked, non-participating individual, life, pure risk premium, term insurance solution for policyholders’ short-term protection needs offering a life cover for up to 5 years.

People aged between 25-55 years can purchase ABSLI Anmol Suraksha Kawach and can stay covered for a maximum duration of up to 5 years. This plan provides flexibility in choosing premium payment terms and policy terms and sum assured, enabling the policyholders to customise their term plans.

Commenting on the launch of ABSLI Anmol Suraksha Kawach, Mr Kamlesh Rao, MD & CEO, Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, said, “Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance (ABSLI) has been a leader in developing modern, comprehensive life insurance policies that anticipate customer needs and help them create a stable financial future.

Our latest offering, ABSLI Anmol Suraksha Kawach will empower the policyholders by providing short-term protection at affordable prices so they can get the much-required life cover and live a worry-free fulfilling life. Its simplistic and affordable proposition, will position us to achieve deeper penetration and advance IRDAI’s vision of a fully insured India.”

Moneyboxx Finance: Driving financial inclusivity by empowering women entrepreneurs

Chandigarh, 16 February 2023: Moneyboxx Finance Limited – a BSE-listed NBFC (non-banking finance company) is driving financial inclusion and empowering micro entrepreneurs, especially women, by providing income-generating business loans. With cumulative disbursements of INR 440 crores up to Jan 2023, Moneyboxx has transformed lives of more than 26,000 borrowers across 6 states with over 50% of them being women entrepreneurs. In Madhya Pradesh, it has served more than 3,000 female borrowers within three years of its operations.

In meeting the needs of women customers, Moneyboxx plans to bridge the credit gap to improve their lives. The Company is committed to transforming the lives of micro-entrepreneurs in Tier 3 cities and beyond by providing unsecured and secured business loans for income generation purposes.

During the past decade, the country has witnessed a spike in the number of women-led small and micro enterprises, which soared from 2.15 lakh to 1.23 crore, accounting for 20% of domestic MSMEs. Given the pre-existing biases and paucity of access to movable and collateral assets, the nation ranks third in the entrepreneurship gender gap.

Elaborating on the efforts to bridge the gender gap, Mayur Modi, Co-founder, Moneyboxx Finance Ltd stated, “Emerging female entrepreneurs from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities lack networking opportunities with other founders and experts in the segment. To address the situation, one needs to emphasise qualitative, non-conventional credit evaluation approaches, product innovation, and the use of technology and policy reforms to improve access to credit for women entrepreneurs.”

Keeping these goals in mind, the Company intends to augment its presence by increasing the branch network to 60 and building an AUM of more than INR400 crore in FY2023.

Singapore Tourism Board ramps up recovery initiatives with travel trade partners

– Unveils Early Careers and Weddings as focus areas for 2023;

Trade engagement centered around the theme of

‘Ramping Up Pathways to Recovery, Together!”

Indian Government lifts all travel restrictions to Singapore

Chandigarh, February 16, 2023: The Singapore Tourism Board (STB) rolled out ambitious plans to make the city-state an even more desirable destination for Indian visitors in 2023 at South Asia’s leading travel trade event, SATTE, in Noida today, as it aims to build on last year’s post-pandemic travel rebound.

This comes in along with announcement by the Indian government of removing all RTPCR requirements, in addition to all covid restrictions being lifted, for Indian travelers returning from Singapore with effect from 13th February 2023, 11 am. This shall further facilitate fuss free travel for Indian visitors to Singapore.

Travel from India to Singapore has picked up pace since April 2022 with the [1]greater easing of travel restrictions. India accounted for 686,000 of the overall 6.3 million global visitor arrivals in 2022, emerging as Singapore’s second largest source market after Indonesia (1.1 million visitors). With direct flight connectivity between Singapore and 17 Indian cities[2], Singapore is poised to tap into the burgeoning travel demand from across the country.

Built around the theme ‘Ramping up Pathways to Recovery, Together!’, the STB’s vision for 2023 and the coming years includes a focus on positioning Singapore as a destination that offers rewarding travel experience to Indian travellers by broadening its appeal, both to a wider Indian demographic which includes young Indian travellers, and as an aspirational destination to celebrate life milestones such as weddings and anniversaries. STB will also sharpen its offerings in its family segment, Meetings and Incentive travel, and cruise tourism strongholds.

GB Srithar, Regional Director, India, Middle East, South Asia and Africa, said, “A total of 48 Singapore travel industry partners are exhibiting at the Singapore Pavilion at SATTE 2023, making this Singapore’s biggest ever presence at SATTE. India has long been one of Singapore’s largest tourism source markets, and is only set to become even more important in 2023, bolstered by a strong recovery in 2022 of close to 50% of the visitor arrivals achieved in 2019. The year ahead in Singapore is exciting, with hotly-anticipated tourism developments and we invite many more Indians with different passion points, travel desires, and aspirations to enjoy our diverse, vibrant, and reimagined offerings.”

The Singapore Pavilion showcases new attractions, initiatives and focus areas STB is working on. Upcoming tourism developments that will be launched in 2023 include Sentosa’s multi-concept family development and Sensoryscape experiential park, as well as Mandai Wildlife Reserve’s Bird Paradise. These developments are expected to further anchor Singapore’s destination attractiveness to travellers from all across India.

Alongside SATTE 2023, STB has lined up a series of trade outreach activities across India, which includes a B2B networking platform in Chennai on 13 February, and two wedding networking engagements with 35 top wedding planners in partnership with WeddingSutra on 7 and 8 February in Mumbai and Delhi respectively.

Singapore, over the last few decades, has established itself as a global business and leisure hub. It offers visitors a mix of eclectic experiences. Visitors can take in live sports, arts, entertainment, or a wildlife safari, indulge themselves in delectable cuisines that are reflective of Singapore’s cultural diversity, or engage in thrill-seeking adventure exploits. Singapore is increasingly also emerging as a wellness destination, with a whole host of emotional and physical well-being experiences on offer. At the same time, it takes the lead in pioneering sustainable tourism, with its ‘City in Nature’ vision a key pillar of the Singapore Green Plan 2030.

---

---

[1] All inbound travellers to the city must be fully vaccinated based on WHO’s guidelines, otherwise, they must submit a negative pre-departure test. We maintain vigilance, constantly monitoring the Covid situation. If necessary, we will make adjustments or implement new measures, based on science, evidence, and data.

[2] The 16 currently-connected cities are: Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore, Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Kolkata, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Kochi, Pune, Trivandrum, Vishakhapatnam and Thiruvananthapuram. In addition, there was recent announcement of direct flight from Bhubaneswar by Air Indigo.

HDFC Bank RuPay Credit Cards now live on UPI

Greater convenience and flexibility puts more power in the hands of credit card customers

Chandigarh, 16^th February 2023: HDFC Bank andNational Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) today announced that HDFC Bank customers can now use their RuPay Credit Card on UPI with BHIM App and other UPI-enabled apps. With this linkage, HDFC Bank is the first private sector bank in the country to go live on UPI with its RuPay Credit Card.

HDFC Bank RuPay Credit Cards will be linked to a UPI ID, thus directly enabling safe, and secure payment transactions.

HDFC Bank customers will benefit from the increased opportunity to use their credit cards on UPI, and merchants will benefit from the increase in consumption by being part of the credit ecosystem with the acceptance of credit cards using assets like QR codes.

Parag Rao, Country Head, Payments, Consumer Finance, Technology and Digital Banking, HDFC Bank said, “With the linkage of HDFC Bank’s RuPay Credit Cards to the UPI network, we are able to offer our customers even more flexibility and convenience to make digital payments. As India’s largest card issuer, it is our constant endeavour to ensure that our customers are able to choose the option that best suits their changing needs. Over time we are certain this will further enhance the payments landscape and we are honoured to be the first private sector bank to partner with NPCI for this initiative.”

Commenting on the announcement Praveena Rai, COO, NPCI said, “We are delighted to onboard HDFC Bank RuPay Credit Card customers to experience this path-breaking digital payments solution. We believe linking RuPay Credit Card on UPI to be a game-changer for the ecosystem and will give impetus to the adoption of UPI across businesses with multiple use cases. It will provide a seamless, digitally enabled credit card lifecycle experience to the customers and will enable consumers to make QR-based, e-commerce payments using the credit card on UPI which will fuel further economic growth.”

Financial security for family becomes India’s top Life Goal post-pandemic, finds Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance’s Life Goals Preparedness Survey 2023

· Over 2X increase in number of Life Goals for Indians from 5 in 2019 to 11 in 2023

· Health Goals gain priority across consumer segments. 65% Indians have health and fitness goals

· Retirement planning, leading a balanced lifestyle and providing for children’s education continues to remain a priority

· Career growth, travelling abroad and caring for ageing parents emerge among the top Life Goals

· Life insurance is the most preferred investment option for achieving Life Goals

Chandigarh, 16 February 2023: Leading private life insurer, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance today unveiled the second edition of its flagship survey Bajaj Allianz Life India’s Life Goals Preparedness Survey 2023, which identifies the Life Goals and aspirations of Indians. It isdesigned to capture a complete picture of the India’s Life Goals, aspirations, influencers, and readiness towards achieving these goals. The comprehensive study maps over 40 Life Goals and evaluates how Indians are preparing themselves to achieve these goals.

Providing financial security for the familyemerges as the top Life Goal for Indians post-pandemic with 71% Indians prioritizing it over other goals. Retirement planning, leading a balanced lifestyle, and providing for children’s education continue to feature among the top Life Goals, finds the Bajaj Allianz Life India’s Life Goals Preparedness Survey 2023. New focus areas like career growth, travelling abroad and ensuring adequate care for ageing parents are also emerging as important Life Goals for Indians. Interestingly, the average number of goals increased from 5 in 2019 to 11 in 2023.

Life Goals Preparedness Index, which is a function of confidence, knowledge and action taken towards financial planning for one’s Life Goals, stood at 47 as Indians aspire for more Life Goals post the pandemic.

INDIA’S TOP LIFE GOALS ACROSS CATEGORIES

· 71% of the respondents havefinancial security for their family as the most important Life Goal

· Post-covid, 84% Indians have the desire for living a balanced life as compared to 51% in 2019

o 1 in 2 Indians say living a balanced life is their priority Life Goal

· 2 in 3 Indians have health and fitness goals up from 35% in 2019

o Being physically and mentally fit is amongst the top 5 Life Goals for respondents

o Health goals see a sharp increase in non-metro regions with a 33% points jump

· 2X increase in Indians pursuingtravel goals over 2019, particularly in metros and among younger consumers

· 8 in 10 Indians across salaried or business segment have career related Life Goals, a 1.5X jump over 2019

o Pursuing higher education is a Life Goal for 1 in 4 Indians

· Ensuring adequate care for aged parents is a priority Life Goal for 40% of the respondents

· Philanthropy sustained as a new-age Life Goal, including avenues like providing employment opportunities, supporting other’s dreams or imparting knowledge through teaching

o 1.6X Increase in Indians looking to contribute towards creating a social impact

“It’s interesting to observe that India’s goals are a mix of accomplishing important goals like financially securing their family and leading a balanced life, along with having an aspiration to do more in one life. This reflects the strong tenets of the growth economy of India, and the increasing confidence amongst Indians. Post pandemic, the country has emerged stronger and our fundamentals to progress as a nation has outshone many, which I believe has fueled the aspirations of the nation,” said Tarun Chugh, MD & CEO, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance at the unveiling of India’s Life Goals Preparedness Survey 2.0, here in New Delhi.

DRIVERS OF LIFE GOALS

The Bajaj Allianz Life India’s Life Goals Preparedness Survey 2023 reveals that the average number of influencers increased from 3 to 4 in 2023, as people felt comfortable reaching out for more advice. Interestingly, social media sites and influencers enjoy widespread popularity, even as the reliance on family, elders and friends for advice continues to increase.

· Social media is amongst the top 3 influencers of Life Goals for Indians

o Over 2X increase in importance of social media in fueling new age health, travel & lifestyle goals

o Rising influence of social media amongst non-millennials in deciding Life Goals

“The pandemic has certainly shaped our outlook towards life, career, health and family. A deep realization about wanting to do more and living a holistic life encompassing self-care, family-security, and societal-wellbeing surfaces across cohorts of socio-economic profile. Further, the survey underlines a key finding that Life Insurance continues to be a reliable anchor and enabler to India’s Life Goals,” said Chandramohan Mehra, Chief Marketing Officer, Bajaj Allianz Life Insurance.

INDIA’S PREPAREDNESS TO ACHIEVE THEIR LIFE GOALS

The Life Goals Preparedness Index of Indians was 47 in 2023, indicative of their growing aspirations post Covid.

· Indians are confident of achieving 1 in 2 Life Goals. For 48% of their Life Goals, they are unsure of achieving them

· When it comes to financial planning of Life Goals, Indians feel that they have not done sufficient financial planning for 60% of their own Life Goals

o 61% people feel that it is difficult to fulfil the dream of building their own house

o 67% feel financial freedom for old age is tough to accomplish

o 58% expressed that achieving financial security for their family is difficult

WHERE INDIANS PREFER TO INVEST TO ENABLE THEIR LIFE GOALS

Life Insurance is the most preferred investment option for 65% of the Life Goals.

· For Retirement Life Goals, the preference for Life Insurance increase even further

o 82% Indians prefer investing in Life Insurance for financial freedom at old age

o 77% Indians prefer Life Insurance for a secure and carefree retirement

o 73% Indians prefer Life Insurance for financial security of family – the most important Life Goal post pandemic

RESEARCH DESIGN

Kantar IMRB conducted the Bajaj Allianz Life India’s Life Goals Preparedness Survey 2023 with 1936 people across 13 cities including metros, Tier 1 and emerging Tier 2 cities. Cities covered:

· North: New Delhi, Ludhiana and Bareilly

· East: Kolkata, Patna and Bhubaneswar

· West: Mumbai, Surat and Amravati

· South: Chennai, Bangalore, Madurai and Guntur

Demographics include:

· Age group 22-55 years

· New Consumer Classification System (NCCS) A1+, A1, A2/A3 (20:50:30 ratio)

· Salaried and Businessman/Self-employed (50:50)

· Investment decision makers

Statistically valid insights were gathered through quantitative approach to provide a holistic understanding of India’s Life Goals. The data collection was done using tablet-based faced to face interviews. The survey data was collected in October 2022.

Mahindra announces nation-wide Mega Service Camp for its SUV range

Chandigarh, February 15, 2023: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., pioneers of the SUV segment in India, has announced a nationwide mega-service camp for its full range of SUVs. Titled M-Plus, this grand customer-centric initiative will run from February 16 – 26, 2023 in over 600 Mahindra-authorized workshops across the country.

Mahindra is offering unmissable offers during the Mega Service Camp. The bouquet of special offers include:

1. 5000+ Free Services

2. 75 Points Free Check Up

3. Additional Discounts on Spares, Labour, Maxicare, Accessories etc.

The M-Plus Mega Service Camp will provide Mahindra owners with the opportunity to ensure that their vehicles are in top condition. Customers can avail of an exhaustive 75-point check on each vehicle, through trained technicians.

With Mahindra’s Contactless Service, customers can also choose to get digital repair orders and invoices, thus saving paper with each service. On Mahindra’s With You Hamesha app, users can access their entire vehicle history online and digitally stored SUV-related documents as the app is seamlessly integrated with DigiLocker. This eliminates the need to print and carry paper during the time of service. With You Hamesha app also provides easy service booking, service stage tracking, online payments, SOS requests and other convenient features. App download link – https://bit.ly/WYHdownload

Additionally, all the workshops are equipped to carry out Qwik service, where periodic maintenance and minor repairs will be done within 90 minutes. Customers can avail this facility at the Mega Camp with a prior appointment. Customers can also book an appointment on Mahindra’s With You Hamesha’s WhatsApp account or via the app and avail free pick-up and drop.

Social Media Addresses:

· Brand website:https://auto.mahindra.com/

· Twitter:https://twitter.com/Mahindra_Auto

· YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@MahindraAutomotive

· Instagram:https://www.instagram.com/mahindra_auto

· Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/MahindraAutomotiveIndia/

NSE signs a Data Licensing Agreement with CME Group for WTI Crude Oil and Natural Gas contracts

Chandigarh, 15 February 2023

India’s leading stock exchange, National Stock Exchange (NSE), has signed a data licensing agreement with CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, allowing NSE to list, trade and settle rupee denominated NYMEX WTI Crude Oil and Natural Gas (Henry Hub) derivatives contracts for Indian market participants.

The addition of NYMEX WTI Crude Oil and Natural Gas (Henry Hub) contracts will expand the NSE product offering and its overall commodity segment. NSE has applied to the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) seeking approval to launch the additional futures contracts.

Shri Sriram Krishnan, Chief Business Development Officer, NSE said: “On receiving approval from SEBI, NSE would make available trading in futures of these two global benchmarks, which will be settled in INR, on the NSE platform. The NYMEX WTI Crude Oil and Natural Gas (Henry Hub) contracts are amongst the world’s most traded commodity derivatives contracts generating interest from across the globe. It gives us immense pleasure to enter into this agreement, as it will help us to broaden our energy basket and we are hopeful that these contracts will be beneficial for the Indian market participants to meet their price risk management activities as well as trading objectives.”

IndusInd Bank felicitates Indian Blind Cricket Team for historic three-peat win at 3rd T20 World Cup for the Blind

Chandigarh, 15 February, 2023: IndusInd Bank proudly felicitated the Indian Blind Cricket Team for their historic three-peat win at the 3^rd T20 World Cup for the Blind in the month of December, 2022. Felicitation event was conducted on 13^thFebruary 2023 at IndusInd Bank’s office in Mumbai. In partnership with the Samarthanam Trust’s Cricket Association for Blind in India (CABI), IndusInd Bank has been supporting 700+ blind cricketers (men and women) under its IndusInd Blind Cricket CSR programme for over 6 years now.

The felicitation took place in the presence of the Managing Director & CEO of IndusInd Bank, Mr. Sumant Kathpalia, along with CABI President Mr. Mahantesh G Kivadasannavar and other senior Bank officials. As a token of appreciation, the Bank awarded the team with a cash prize for their consistency, unwavering spirit and dedication to the sport.

Congratulating the Indian Blind Cricket team, Mr. Sumant Kathpalia, Managing Director & CEO, IndusInd Bank, said, “The Indian Blind Cricket team has made the country proud by winning the T20 World Cup for the Blind three times in a row, setting a new standard for excellence in the sport. We at IndusInd Bank feel proud of this historic achievement and honor the team for their hard work and passion for the game. The Bank would like to congratulate the team on this well-deserved victory and we look forward to their continued success in the sport. We at IndusInd Bank recognize that sports have the ability to bring about inclusivity and transformation in society and may the achievements of this team further inspire many more differently-abled individuals.”

IndusInd Bank supports the Indian Blind Cricket Team under its CSR programme, in collaboration with the Cricket Association for the Blind in India (CABI) – a Sports Initiative of the Samarthanam Trust for the Disabled. In 2016, IndusInd Bank had launched IndusInd Blind Cricket Programme in partnership with CABI. The Indian Blind Cricket Team has won several international tournaments – Bilateral series, triangular series, T20 world cup and ODI world cup.

Photo caption: (From Right to Left) – Mr. Sumant Kathpalia, Managing Director & CEO, IndusInd Bank felicitating the Indian Blind Cricket Team (represented by the Captain – Ajay Kumar Reddy) for a historic three-peat win at the 3rd T20 World Cup for the Blind held in Dec 2022.

Muthoot FinCorp launches Vyapar Mitra- collateral-free daily instalment loans for micro and small businesses

Chandigarh, February 15, 2023: It is no secret that India’s economic growth revolves around millions of retailers, traders, and self-employed individuals. As a mean to cater to their business growth through providing working capital and loans for business improvement, Muthoot FinCorp is introducing a novel and custom-made product, ‘Vyapar Mitra Business Loans.’

With Vyapar Mitra business loans, Traders, Business owners and self-employed individuals can avail business loans based on their daily cash flow without any additional collateral. Making Vyapar Mitra stand out in the financial market, one can get business loans without Income Tax Return papers and no prior CIBIL score records. Shop owners who earn a daily income can benefit from the daily repayment option, lowering their interest outflow which makes Vyapar Mitra more attractive than bank loans. The new product also offers benefits like no pre-payment charges, loan renewals up to three times a year, simple and fast documentation, and quick disbursal of loans. Vyapar Mitra is set to be launched on the 15th of February 2023 and will be available in 3600+ Muthoot FinCorp branches across the country.

“Muthoot FinCorp has always stood to transform the lives of the country’s common man and give the unbanked their first entry point to the formal banking sector through MFL. This is a custom-made product for meeting specific customer requirements, especially for the daily income groups and this time we wanted to do it for the micro and small enterprises of the country which keep our economy vibrant. I hope that ‘Vyapar Mitra’ plays a significant role in boosting the economy through empowering the retail traders and shopkeepers of the country’’ said Shaji Varghese, CEO, Muthoot FinCorp Ltd.

Adding another golden feather to its 136+ years of transforming lives, Vyapar Mitra is yet another customer-centric solution developed by Muthoot FinCorp. Praised for its empathetic and thoughtful products, Vyapar Mitra is no different. It is tailor-made exclusively for each business segment keeping their specific needs and requirements in mind.

Muthoot FinCorp Ltd., the flagship company of the Muthoot Pappachan Group, is one of the leading NBFC’s in the country, providing loans against gold and MSME loans. Over the years, Muthoot FinCorp, an organization built on trust has delivered a wide range of products and services targeting low and middle-income families. Serving more than 1,25,000 consumers every day, Muthoot Pappachan Group has left its mark in multiple sectors, including financial services, tourism, transportation, real estate, IT services, healthcare, precious metals, international services, and alternative energy.

BPCL sponsors the 16thedition of BAJA SAEINDIA event in India

Chandigarh, February 15, 2023: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a ‘Maharatna’ & a Fortune Global 500 Company, today announced its sponsorship for the 16^th edition of BAJA SAEINDIA 2023 event to be held from 15^th Feb to 18^th Feb, 2023 at Natrix, Madhya Pradesh.

BAJA SAE is a competition organized globally by the Society of Automotive Engineers, USA simulating real world engineering design projects and its related challenges for the undergraduate engineering students. Over 15 editions, the competition has engaged thousands of students and professionals from the engineering community.

The 16th edition with its strategies revamped, redefines the definition of competitive motorsports.

This year as well BAJA SAEINDIA will be conducting the event in two categories mBAJA for Motorist vehicle in Peethampur and EBaja for electric Charging vehicle in Punjab. Both the events, are expected to witness a total participation from 195 teams and over 6000 budding engineers from colleges across India with 20% of participation coming in from women engineers.

The objective of the competition is to provide students with a challenging project that involves designing, planning and manufacturing tasks while introducing a new product to the consumer market. In a series of events, teams will construct and validate single seater and four-wheeled off-road vehicles. The vehicles will not only be tested for their ability to endure back-breaking durability, undertand the sound engineering principles that went into it, and agility in terms of gradeability, acceleration, and manoeuvrability, but also for their capacity to raise funds for their project and manage their academic priorities.

Since inception, BPCL has been a major partner in organizing BAJA SAEINDIA to promote BPCL’s premium fuel “Speed”. Speed is a premium fuel that keeps vehicle’s engine clean which in turn maximizes its power and makes the journey truly comfortable. Speed also remarkably lowers vehicular emissions, ensuring reliable engine performance and a smoother drive.

Commenting on the event, BPCL spokesperson said, “We are glad to be associated with this remarkable event that provides us an opportunity to interact with the budding Engineers of India. Through our efforts we look forward to motivate and encourage young talent that will shapre the future of our country. “

Air India Signs Letters of Intent to Acquire Modern Fleet

Chandigarh, 14 February 2023: Air India, India’s leading airline group and part of the Tata Sons conglomerate, today announced that it has signed letters of intent with Airbus and Boeing to acquire both widebody and single-aisle aircraft.

The order comprises 40 Airbus A350s, 20 Boeing 787s and 10 Boeing 777-9s widebody aircraft, as well as 210 Airbus A320/321 Neos and 190 Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft. The A350 aircraft will be powered by Rolls-Royce engines, and the B777/787s by engines from GE Aerospace. All single-aisle aircraft will be powered by engines from CFM International.

Commenting on the occasion, Tata Sons and Air India Chairman, Mr N Chandrasekaran,said:
“Air India is on a large transformation journey across safety, customer service, technology, engineering, network and human resources. Modern, efficient fleet is a fundamental component of this transformation. This order is an important step in realising Air India’s ambition, articulated in its Vihaan.AItransformation program, to offer a world class proposition serving global travellers with an Indian heart. These new aircraft will modernise the Airline’s fleet and onboard product, and dramatically expand its global network. The growth enabled by this order will also provide unparalleled career opportunities for Indian aviation professionals and catalyse accelerated development of the Indian aviation ecosystem.”

The first of the new aircraft will enter service in late-2023, with the bulk to arrive from mid-2025 onwards. In the interim, Air India has already started taking delivery of 11 leased B777 and 25 A320 aircraft to accelerate its fleet and network expansion.

The acquisition of new aircraft, which will come with an entirely new cabin interior, complements Air India’s previously announced plan to refit its existing widebody B787 and B777 aircraft with new seats and inflight entertainment systems. The first of these refitted aircraft will enter service in mid-2024.

The Air India group currently comprises full-service Air India, as well as two low-cost subsidiaries Air India Express and Air Asia India which are in the process of merging. Its parent, Tata Sons, recently announced its intention to merge Air India with full-service airline Vistara, a joint venture between Tata Sons and Singapore Airlines in which the former holds a 51% share. In steady state, subject to regulatory approval, the Group would comprise a single full-service airline, Air India, and a single low-cost airline, Air India Express.

65% of Indian Businesses have seen a positive outcome from digital transformation, finds DBS and FT Longitude Survey

Improving efficiency and enriching customer experience are vital outcomes that businesses are looking for from Digital Transformation.

Data privacy and talent upskilling were identified as areas of improvement for scalable implementation.

Chandigarh, 14 February 2023 – DBS and Financial Times (FT) Longitude surveyed over 1,225 senior executives from Commercial and Finance/Treasury teams of organisations across 22 markets on their digital transformation journey. The survey sheds light on corporate ambitions, successes, and lingering concerns, while revealing that Indian companies have reported the highest impact from digitisation at 65%.

The survey reaffirms that India has firmly entered the digital age with the determination of an economic powerhouse. India’s drive for digitalisation is embodied by the government’s Digital India program and the rapid rise in internet users to 700 million. The findings revealed that the most important goals of digital transformation are boosting efficiency and enriching customer experience (40% respectively). This is followed by improving collaboration across functions and teams (33%).

The research found that for Indian businesses, cultural elements that most support digital transformation are collaboration across functions (47%) and diversity in transformation teams (38%). Sales and marketing (38%) and supply chain/procurement (21%) emerged as critical areas of an organisation that urgently need digital transformation. The survey further enlightens the growing role that treasury and finance play in enabling change and innovation.

Indian businesses see cloud technology as essential to realising digital transformation within the treasury and finance function. The research shows that Indian companies (72%) are more likely to prioritise it than the global average of 67%. It is interesting that nearly three-quarters of the respondents contend that migration to the cloud is a crucial aspect of the transformation journey, showing positive signs for India’s cloud technology sector, which is expected to be worth $13.5 bn by 2026. Respondents also showed confidence in advanced analytics (38%) and APIs (36%) as tools to transform treasury and finance. Within treasury, financial reporting (51%) is the top priority for digitalisation, followed by investments (45%) and procurement (34%).

It further reveals that strategic partnerships are likely to be a prominent feature of digital transformation, with banks (36%) and fintech partnerships (34%) being the most popular among Indian respondents. For example, DBS Bank India recently partnered with Gofrugal Technologies to help SMEs digitise their supply chain and expand sales channels via ONDC.

Divyesh Dalal, Managing Director & Head – Global Transaction Services, DBS Bank India said, “The DBS-FT Digital Transformation Survey reaffirms that companies in India recognise the benefits of digitisation. Indian companies have seen the highest transformation success among all the countries at 65% over the global average of 58%. The survey mirrors our interactions with companies in India that are looking for increased efficiency and improved customer experience as the goals of digitisation, as well as their challenges while adopting emerging technologies. At DBS Bank India we have been at the forefront of enabling customers to embrace digitalisation through intelligent banking solutions. We are well positioned to lend our expertise to enable greater collaboration between commercial and finance teams so that digital adoption is scalable.”

Although India’s digital transformation is accelerating, a few areas for improvement exist- including the professional skill gap and data privacy. According to the research findings, the skill gap (47%) and data privacy concerns (38%) are major roadblocks for organisations. Given the significant outcomes accrued by companies through digitisation, working on these areas will be a key priority.

The research survey also identifies businesses based on their performance in digitalising their businesses. They are categorised into ‘transformation leaders’, ‘developing leaders’ and ‘transformation laggards’. 12% of Indian respondents are transformation leaders, the second highest proportion of leaders among Asian respondents. Additionally, 30% of Indian businesses are in the developing leaders’ group, which indicates that the country’s overall count of transformational leaders is poised to increase. However, India’s transformation leaders currently are lower than the laggards (14%).

The findings give a deeper understanding of the digital transformation trends in India and will be useful for companies aiming to offer digital solutions that help organisations address these challenges and achieve business priorities. Digital transformation is a continuous endeavour, adapting to new technology, revising internal processes and enhancing skills to adopt digital solutions at scale.

Hershey India enables consumers to express their love on Valentine’s Day with a 360-degree experiential campaign

~With the launch of Valentine thematic packaging, interactive be-spoke microsite, phy-gital activations, influencer outreach, content collaborations with Terribly Tiny Tales’ flagship property butterflies, supported by TV, print media and a strong retail presence, the brand is geared up for Valentine’s Day~

Link: https://nuttyforyou.hersheyland.in/

Chandigarh, 14^th February 2023: Hershey India Pvt. Ltd., a subsidiary of The Hershey Company, a leading global snacking and confectionery company and the largest producer of quality chocolates in North America, kicked off an integrated 360-degree Valentine’s Day campaign inviting and enabling consumers to express their love with its #YourForevers campaign.

The multi-platform integrated campaign celebrates love in multiple ways with an interactive ‘Nutty For You’ microsite featuring Hershey’s Kisses dedicated to love. The 360-degree experience includes TV and print campaigns, bespoke packaging, phy-gital activation, influencer outreach, collaboration with Terribly Tiny Tales, and exclusive partnerships with Swiggy and Reliance, with huge scale on-ground activations and sampling.

Central to the campaign, the ‘Nutty For You’ microsite encourages users to submit a proclamation of love for their “Forevers.” Participants receive a shareable card for their loved ones and select winners from Delhi and Mumbai get the chance to have their message shared as a public declaration on Valentine’s Day on exclusive screens at Palladium Mall in Mumbai and Ambience Mall in Delhi. To further amplify the experience, Hershey India is hosting a massive on-ground activation where consumers and their loved ones can use a digital selfie slingshot to capture their love and depart with a chocolate hamper and printed copies of their photographs.

The brand is also collaborating with Terribly Tiny Tales (TTT) to showcase the dynamics of modern relationships with their much-celebrated web show “Butterflies.” The show celebrates love in many forms of connections, such as the bond between a daughter and her mother or the bittersweet relationship between a brother and his brother-in-law. The season also celebrates the everlasting relationships of friends and couples. These heart-melting webisodes feature Sonali Kulkarni and Ayushi Verma as the mother-daughter duo, Yahya Bootwala, Ankita Sharma and Urvi Singh as classic gal gang, popular actor-cum-host Rithvik Dhanjani and Paras Kalnavat as best buddies, renowned influencer Dolly Singh and Pranya Pachauri as a dynamic couple, and Sanaya Irani and Arjit Taneja as mature friends.

Commenting on the campaign, Ankit Desai, Marketing Director, Hershey Indiasaid, “At Hershey, our constant endeavour is to be an enabler and an active part of our consumers’ lives, by creating unique and memorable experiences. Our selection of premium, indulgent chocolates is designed to bring people together and create meaningful moments. We are thrilled to launch ‘YourForevers’ for Valentine’s Day. Consumers can express love for their forevers, with our delicious range of chocolates including specially curated Valentine packs. The campaign awareness is built on back of heavy on-air media support for Hershey’s Kisses and Hershey’s Exotic Dark, supplemented with print media, activations, sampling and strong in-store presence, across channels. Digital has been a key pillar for us and through clutter-breaking full funnel experiential campaigns, we have garnered massive consumer love. Through in-content collaboration with TTT’s ‘Butterflies’ season 4 and influencers we have created an experiential route for consumers to proclaim their love and make a grand gesture for their ‘Forevers’ this Valentine’s Day. We aim to amplify the message of love and are excited to see the beautiful declarations from our participants.”

To expand its reach and share the love, Hershey India has also partnered with influencers including husband-wife duos, Durjoy Dutta & Avantika Mohan and Arushi Kapoor & Krishanu B Singh and sisters Srishti Chhabria & Avantika Chhabria. The brand has also launched Valentine Day Special Gift Packs which are available exclusively on e-commerce and at select stores.

Club Mahindra’s Unique Holiday Experiences for all travellers

Chandigarh, February 14, 2023: Exploring local sites and engaging in one-of-a-kind experiences have been at the forefront of post-lockdown travel. While a staycation in bed is always rejuvenating, there are times when you want to do more than just check in and relax. Travellers are seeking out bespoke packages that incorporate immersive experiences such as relishing local cuisines, camping, star gazing, hiking, and bird watching to disconnect from their daily routine. The hill stations of Shimla and Manali in the north, Coorg and Munnar in the south, Mahabaleshwar in the west, the serene beaches of Goa, and Rajasthan’s culture and heritage may all be considered for a quick but memorable trip. If you are looking to do more than just check in and relax, Club Mahindra properties around India have you covered. Club Mahindra offers 2000+ unique experiences at 85+ resorts across India.

The resorts provide a variety of fun activities that parent-children duos can partake in, such as aqua zorbing, fish dance, and ziplining. Moreover, the resorts also provide a platform for kids to dress up as unique characters. You may watch your children play MasterChef while they prepare delectable delicacies or marvel at their imagination as they create elaborate and colourful puppets. Go for a thrilling ATV ride through the aromatic coffee estates in Coorg or enjoy a fun-filled land zorbing experience at Club Mahindra Jaisalmer.

There is an unrivalled experience for everyone at Club Mahindra’s Resorts, ranging from adventure activities like rock climbing, trekking, river rafting, bungee trampoline, rope activities, nature hikes, and canoeing, to unique experiences such as staying in an igloo, dining in a tree house, and enjoying local traditions, art, and culture. Rekindle the joy of spending time with your loved ones with Club Mahindra’s signature experiences that help strengthen bonds. Visit Club Mahindra Resorts to enjoy our warm hospitality, charming interiors, vibrant menus and unforgettable travel experiences and return with magical memories created with your loved ones.

Consumers are now more health conscious and financially prepared, however need to be more consistent in following a healthy lifestyle

“”

Aditya Birla Health Insurance Report Unveils India’s New Health Normal

· 85% of the population prefer cutting down on some luxury items and spend more on health insurance

· 89% of the respondents believe that mental health consulting should be included in their health insurance

· 35% believed that people were hesitant of reaching out to mental health experts because of the cost implication

· 84% of people believe their awareness of health and wellness-related issues has increased post-COVID

· More than half of the respondents (52%) in our survey claim to have set aside money to use in case of medical emergencies.

· Nearly one in every three respondents (32%) admit that they do not monitor health stats regularly, such as weight and blood pressure

Chandigarh, February 14, 2023: Aditya Birla Health Insurance Co. Limited. (ABHICL), the health insurance subsidiary of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL), a significant non-bank financial services conglomerate, unveiled The New Health Normal report. As a key player in the health ecosystem in India, ABHICL undertook the survey, designed to identify the key changes in consumer behavior from a health perspective. This research was conducted with 6600 respondents across 19 key cities covering the length and breadth of India.

The rise in uncertainty and anxiety that came hand in hand with Covid-19 has brought a strong focus on the issue of mental health. The report shows that two out of three respondents still feel hesitant in reaching out to an expert to talk about their mental health because of cost implication and society’s perception whereas 89% of the respondents believe that mental health consultation should be included in their health insurance. Hence, there is an urgent need to increase awareness on mental health. The insurance sector is now getting actively involved as the scale of mental health issues in the ‘New Normal’ has never been bigger.

Speaking on the findings of the research, Mr. Mayank Bathwal, CEO, Aditya Birla Health Insurance, said, “Due to the pandemic, in the ‘New Health Normal’, people are realising the importance of a health-focused lifestyle and are actively seeking avenues that can support this healthy lifestyle – both online and offline. It has impacted their behavior as well in many ways – the technology they use, how closely they monitor their diet, do they exercise regularly etc. However, as ever, adopting a new habit is a challenge for most, and the need of the hour is to motivate and encourage people to complete the last mile in their health journey.”

The survey findings further attempt to decode people’s view towards exercising. It shows that more than half of our respondents (50%) searched and watched online fitness videos whereas 69% of the respondents use wearables to check their health stats and to track their targeted number of steps. However, nearly one in every three respondents (32%) admit that they do not monitor health stats regularly, such as weight and blood pressure. Another interesting revelation was the attention among people toward financial preparedness. The pandemic has certainly changed the outlook toward financial readiness among people, especially regarding medical urgency.

Health insurance awareness has increased in the past few years and more people are investing in health insurance with each passing year. Around 52% of respondents said that they have estimated the requirement and planned for such emergencies. Whereas 78.5 % of Indians believe that are actively seeking an employer that insures their family’s medical expenses.

“As a brand, we, at Aditya Birla Health Insurance, believe in the concept of ‘HealthFirst’. We want our offerings to be aligned with the same idea as we constantly invest in the innovation and designing of new products which are backed by cutting-edge technologies. Our aim is to reward our customers for practicing a healthy lifestyle and drive them to remain vigilant about their health,” Mr. Mayank Bathwal said.

The Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a drastic change in nearly every aspect of consumer behaviour. ABHI New Health Normal Report shows an evident behaviour transformation in the way Indians look at health and wellness. Consumers are more cautious about their overall health and more prepared for financial emergencies.

Bengaluru and Mumbai continue to be sunshine locations for jobs in Q4: states TeamLease Services

· Top cities in manufacturing sector: Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi

· Top cities in services sector: Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai

Chandigarh 14^th February, 2023: Continuing the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and benefitting from multiple government initiatives, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai have emerged as the cities with the highest hiring sentiment in the services and manufacturing sectors respectively, according to the TeamLease Employment Outlook Reports for Q4 (January to March, 2023). Close to 97% employers across both cities have expressed higher hiring intent for their corresponding sectors. For the services sector, Chennai (94%), Delhi (90%), Hyderabad (86%) and Mumbai (85%) follow suit as top locations; and for manufacturing, subsequent top cities include Bengaluru (94%), Chennai (89%), Delhi (84%) and Pune (73%). Incidentally, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Chennai have emerged as sweet spots from a holistic perspective across sectors.

Overall, while Tier 1 cities lead in terms of hiring intent, Tier 2 cities are also emerging, with close to 75% employers across both sectors indicating positive sentiment. However, Tier 3 (46%) and rural geographies (24%) are lagging considerably. In the manufacturing sector, the intent to hire is greater in metro and Tier 1 cities (94%) as compared to Tier 2 cities (73%), Tier 3 (43%), and the rural sector (23%). On the other hand, for services, in Metro & Tier-1 cities, the hiring intent is at an exceptionally high level (99%), followed by Tier 2 (77%), Tier 3 (49%) and rural (25%).

Sharing his insights, Mr. Kartik Narayan, Chief Executive Officer – Staffing, TeamLease Services, said, “Surplus public investment in PLI schemes, the Indian Government’s asset monetization program, increased private participation in key sectors, and the revisions in FDI laws in the defence and telecom sectors has fueled growth in companies across sectors, especially in Tier 1 and Tier 2 locations. Companies are therefore shoring up their talent pool to meet their increasing requirements. The positive hiring outlook will likely continue in the next quarter as well.”

Industry-wise, some of the verticals in the services sector looking to hire the most in these locations include, Ecommerce and Allied Startups (98%), Telecommunications (94%), and Educational Services (93%). In manufacturing, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals (98%), FMCG (86%), and EV and Infrastructure sectors (71%) aim to recruit the most across the top cities. On the other hand, while the global sentiment in the IT sector is not very positive, the Indian economy stands solid and will continue to show resilience even in the IT industry.

“India’s GDP vision and multiple domestic focused initiatives has provided the much needed impetus to the industry post the pandemic. This in turn has given a fillip to employment generation; improving the intent to hire across sectors, locations and industries. 60% employers in manufacturing and 77% in services, inclining to hire more, is a testament to the growing opportunities in the ecosystem,” added Mr. Mayur Taday, Chief Business Officer, TeamLease Services.

From a function perspective, within the services sector, Sales (91%), Engineering (80%), and Marketing (60%) are some of the functions with the highest hiring intent this quarter. The same functions, namely, Sales (98%) leading Marketing (86%) and Engineering (78%) remain in vogue in the manufacturing sector.

The TeamLease Employment Outlook Report reports forward looking statistics for ‘Intent to Hire’ for January 2023 to March 2023, for both Manufacturing (9 industries) and Services sectors (14 industries), in total surveying 874 small, medium and large companies.

Bengaluru and Mumbai continue to be sunshine locations for jobs in Q4: states TeamLease Services

· Top cities in manufacturing sector: Bengaluru, Chennai, and Delhi

· Top cities in services sector: Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Chennai

Chandigarh 14^th February, 2023: Continuing the recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic and benefitting from multiple government initiatives, Bengaluru, Mumbai and Chennai have emerged as the cities with the highest hiring sentiment in the services and manufacturing sectors respectively, according to the TeamLease Employment Outlook Reports for Q4 (January to March, 2023). Close to 97% employers across both cities have expressed higher hiring intent for their corresponding sectors. For the services sector, Chennai (94%), Delhi (90%), Hyderabad (86%) and Mumbai (85%) follow suit as top locations; and for manufacturing, subsequent top cities include Bengaluru (94%), Chennai (89%), Delhi (84%) and Pune (73%). Incidentally, Bengaluru, Mumbai, and Chennai have emerged as sweet spots from a holistic perspective across sectors.

Overall, while Tier 1 cities lead in terms of hiring intent, Tier 2 cities are also emerging, with close to 75% employers across both sectors indicating positive sentiment. However, Tier 3 (46%) and rural geographies (24%) are lagging considerably. In the manufacturing sector, the intent to hire is greater in metro and Tier 1 cities (94%) as compared to Tier 2 cities (73%), Tier 3 (43%), and the rural sector (23%). On the other hand, for services, in Metro & Tier-1 cities, the hiring intent is at an exceptionally high level (99%), followed by Tier 2 (77%), Tier 3 (49%) and rural (25%).

Sharing his insights, Mr. Kartik Narayan, Chief Executive Officer – Staffing, TeamLease Services, said, “Surplus public investment in PLI schemes, the Indian Government’s asset monetization program, increased private participation in key sectors, and the revisions in FDI laws in the defence and telecom sectors has fueled growth in companies across sectors, especially in Tier 1 and Tier 2 locations. Companies are therefore shoring up their talent pool to meet their increasing requirements. The positive hiring outlook will likely continue in the next quarter as well.”

Industry-wise, some of the verticals in the services sector looking to hire the most in these locations include, Ecommerce and Allied Startups (98%), Telecommunications (94%), and Educational Services (93%). In manufacturing, Healthcare and Pharmaceuticals (98%), FMCG (86%), and EV and Infrastructure sectors (71%) aim to recruit the most across the top cities. On the other hand, while the global sentiment in the IT sector is not very positive, the Indian economy stands solid and will continue to show resilience even in the IT industry.

“India’s GDP vision and multiple domestic focused initiatives has provided the much needed impetus to the industry post the pandemic. This in turn has given a fillip to employment generation; improving the intent to hire across sectors, locations and industries. 60% employers in manufacturing and 77% in services, inclining to hire more, is a testament to the growing opportunities in the ecosystem,” added Mr. Mayur Taday, Chief Business Officer, TeamLease Services.

From a function perspective, within the services sector, Sales (91%), Engineering (80%), and Marketing (60%) are some of the functions with the highest hiring intent this quarter. The same functions, namely, Sales (98%) leading Marketing (86%) and Engineering (78%) remain in vogue in the manufacturing sector.

The TeamLease Employment Outlook Report reports forward looking statistics for ‘Intent to Hire’ for January 2023 to March 2023, for both Manufacturing (9 industries) and Services sectors (14 industries), in total surveying 874 small, medium and large companies.

IHCL DEBUTS IN RAJAHMUNDRY, ANDHRA PRADESH WITH THE SIGNING OF A VIVANTA HOTEL

Chandigarh, FEBRUARY 14, 2023: Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of its first hotel in Rajahmundry, Andhra Pradesh. The Greenfield hotelwill be branded Vivanta.

Ms. Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, IHCL said, “This signing is in line with IHCL’s strategy of strengthening its presence in India’s emerging markets. Rajahmundry is home to large industries and is close to India’s largest off shore gas fields. It is also one of the largest bullion centres in India. We are delighted to partner with Sailaja Hotels and Resorts Pvt Ltd for a Vivanta hotel in the city.”

The 120 keys hotel is strategically situated at a comfortable driving distance from the Rajahmundry International airport as well as the satellite city of Kakinada, an important port. The hotel will have the signature all day diner Mynt, a bar and recreational facilities including swimming pool and fitness centre. It will also offer over 550 sq. mt. of state-of-the-art banqueting space including meeting rooms.

Mr. Chakka Subbarao, Director, Sailaja Hotels and Resorts Pvt Ltd said, “IHCL is renowned for its service ethos. We are happy to work with the company and offer the guests a flavor of the stylish Vivanta brand in Rajahmundry.”

Rajahmundry in Andhra Pradesh is one of the state’s most important commercial hubs. Known for its floriculture, the city is called the “nursery capital” of India.

With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have sixhotels across Taj, Vivanta, SeleQtions and Ginger brands across Andhra Pradesh including two under development.

Elderly Citizens gets a Health Boost: ManipalCigna Health Insurance launches ‘ManipalCigna Prime Senior’ a specialized plan for seniors

• ManipalCigna Prime Senior gives Immediatecoverage from 91^st day onwards
• No co-pays and no sub-limits
• No mandatory pre policy medical check-up required
• Restores Sum Insured unlimited times so that the insured is never short of coverage
• Offers Cumulative Bonus at 10% of Sum Insured
• Provides room category flexibility so that insured pays only the differential amount of room rent if opted for a higher room category than eligible without the worry of Proportionate Deductions
• Preventive Health check-up to keep a track of your parents health
• Coverage towards non-medical items toreduce the out of pocket spend
• Gives the tax benefit under 80D of IT Act, and many other benefits

Chandigarh, February 14, 2022: ManipalCigna Health Insurance Company Limited, today announced the launch of its new health insurance plan ‘ManipalCigna Prime Senior’, specifically designed for senior citizens to access quality healthcare they need for the golden years of life. The new plan gives flexibility with lower waiting periods and provides coverage for pre-existing disease conditions from 91st day onwards.

Speaking about the new health insurance plan, Mr. Prasun Sikdar, Managing Director and CEO, ManipalCigna Health Insurance said, “As health insurance expert, we at ManipalCigna are committed to drive product innovation to make it easier for various segments of people to get the quality healthcare they need. We understand that seniors have unique health needs, and they deserve access to better healthcare. With our new health insurance plan, we’re committed to making that a reality, by giving senior citizens better coverage, better control and better care to meet their day-to-day healthcare-related needs. We are confident that this new health insurance plan will make a real difference in the lives of seniors.”

Sikdar further added, “The new plan is designed after considering the various problems that people face in the golden years of their life. They may have suffered from medical complications earlier or may have an income problem as most of them are living on their retirement funds. Thus understanding the evolving needs of seniors and the rising medical inflation, we have launched ManipalCigna Prime Senior. Following the legacy of the ManipalCigna’s differentiated products, the Prime Senior plan provides top-notch facilities including Pre-Hospitalisation, Post-Hospitalisation cover, Road and Air Ambulance facility, Coverage for Donor expenses, Domicile and Day-care facilities among the wide range of benefits. The sum insured options range from Rs. 3 Lacs to Rs. 50 Lacs at an affordable price, to provide senior citizens with complete peace of mind, knowing that they have access to quality healthcare when they need it most.”

ManipalCigna Prime Senior’ plan comes in two different variants ‘Prime Senior Classic’ and ‘Prime Senior Elite’. The Prime Senior Classic plan is developed with an aim to offer coverage for a wide range of items to the insured seeking an all-inclusive, comprehensive yet value-for-money coverage, benefiting the seniors in their illness and wellness journey, and protecting their finances.Prime Senior Elite, on the other hand, is an enriched plan that enhances the advantages offered by the Classic plan and provides a variety of extra features, such as daily cash for shared accommodation, premium waiver benefit, guaranteed health checks and bonuses, and more, to ensure that the insured seniors receive the best possible care.

ManipalCigna is dedicated to helping seniors live their best lives, and this new health insurance plan is just one way that the company is doing so. The ManipalCigna Prime Senior plan also offers a wide range of value added features and optional covers which can be availed to make the product fully loaded.

1. Coverages towards consultation and check ups

a. Domestic second option

b. Preventive Health Check Up

c. Unlimited Tele Consultation

2. Rewards, discounts and waivers

a. Guaranteed Cumulative bonus up to 100% of the sum insured

b. Discount from network providers

c. Premium waiver benefit

3. Optional Covers

a. Any room upgrade

b. Premium Management Options

c. Unlimited restoration of Sum Insured

d. Reduction on PED waiting period to 90 days

e. Coverage towards Non-medical Items and OPD

Scan the below QR Codes to watch “ManipalCigna Prime Senior” product highlights and product explainer videos.

QR for English Product Highlights Video	QR for Hindi Product Highlights Video

For more detailed information on key features and terms & conditions, kindly read product brochure and policy wording here: https://bit.ly/primesenior

Air India resumes its non-stop service between Mumbai and New York

~ Resumption of flights on the BOM-JFK route to take place starting February 14, 2023

Chandigarh, 13 February 2023: Air India, India’s leading airline and a Star Alliance member, continues to expand its global reach with the resumption of its non-stop service between Mumbai and JFK airport in New York from February 14, 2023.

Resuming a service that was suspended in early 2019, the new flight is the third non-stop Air India service from Mumbai to the USA, joining flights to Newark (EWR) and San Francisco (SFO). The resumption is in line with the airline’s concerted endeavour to develop Mumbai as a significant hub, second only to Delhi, providing maximum international connectivity between India and the rest of the world.

The flight will operate daily with the newly inducted Boeing 777-200LR aircraft and take Air India’s India-US frequency to 47 non-stop flights per week. Presently, Air India operates non-stop flights from Mumbai to San Francisco and Newark, from Delhi to New York, Newark, Washington DC, San Francisco and Chicago, and from Bengaluru to San Francisco.

The first flight AI 119 from Mumbai to New York is set to depart Mumbai at 00:55 hrs and arrive in New York at 06:55 hrs (local time) on the same day. The return flight AI 116 will depart New York at 10:55 hrs (local time) to arrive in Mumbai at 11:35 hrs+1 day.

Mr. Campbell Wilson, CEO & MD, Air India, “A key element of Air India’s Vihaan.AI transformation is considerably improving connectivity between India’s major cities and major global destinations. Adding this new service from Mumbai to New York JFK, following December’s launch of non-stop flights from Mumbai to San Francisco, affirms our commitment to develop a major international hub in India’s commercial capital. With the opening of this route, Air India will offer 47 nonstop flights available each week between India and the United States, with a further 14 serving Canada every week.”

itel Mobile India aims to build deeper brand and customer connect with Hrithik Roshan as the New Brand Ambassador

Chandigarh, 13 February 2023: itel, India’s leading mobile phone brand, is proud to announce Indian Superstar Hrithik Roshan as its Brand Ambassador. Hrithik’s unparalleled popularity across all segments of consumers combined with his Mass Fan Appeal will flag off a new consumer story for itel Mobile India which has weaved its brand positioning on connecting heart of every Indian with its new tagline #JodeIndiaKaHarDil.itel.

itel has solidified its position as one of the most favored brand in the sub-INR 8,000 segment with a record number of repeat customers among first-time buyers. In a move to further reinforce the trust it has established with consumers and maintain its strong growth trajectory, itel has teamed up with Indian Superstar Hrithik Roshan as its new brand ambassador. Hrithik’s pan India stardom that extends to the remote interiors and his stature of being a Superstar that relates to the millennial era of embracing technology aligns perfectly with itel’s mission of making technology accessible and affordable to everyone. Hrithik brings a fresh and unique perspective through his captivating content, while itel offers groundbreaking products and unparalleled customer support. Hrithik and itel Mobile India are all set to excite the market and bring in new perspective and thrill for consumers on the days to come with their dynamic partnership.

Speaking on his association with itel Mobile India, Hrithik Roshan said, “I admire itel Mobile’s mission of fueling the aspirations and needs of Indian customers. With its trendy, new age yet affordable smartphones, itel Mobile is enabling and empowering consumers with a superior experience to lead a better life. With itel, I am eager to be a part of this magical journey leading towards a digitally progressive and empowered India.”

Commenting on the momentous brand association, Arijeet Talapatra, CEO, TRANSSION (itel) India, said, “We are extremely excited to have Hrithik Roshan on board as the brand ambassador for itel. With his charisma and mass appeal, itel is poised to reach newer heights fueling aspirations of Bharat and further cement our position as a leader in the sub-8k smartphone market. He embodies the spirit of hard work, determination and by far being the most versatile star, which aligns perfectly with our brand ethos. itel’s journey in India has been equally progressive and rewarding by virtue of trust, faith of 8 crore + Indians on our products, service and customized communication approach making us a brand which is more relevant in their life.” With our new brand tag line #JodeIndiaKaHarDil. itel, we aim to make a positive impact in the lives of every Indian and help them achieve their dreams through the power of technology” said Talapatra. itel has been at the forefront of fulfilling the aspirations of real Bharat since its inception, providing the latest features and specifications at a disruptive price. With Hrithik’s dynamic personality and powerful aura, itel is poised to make its portfolio more premium and aspirational to a larger, more affluent audience in segment below 10K.

Kalyan Jewellers unveils all-new lightweight lifestyle jewellery collection – ‘Lila’

~Comprises of 18K Rose Gold and Diamond Jewellery studded with semi-precious stones~

~Launch campaign features brand ambassadors Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Kalyani Priyadarshan~

Chandigarh 13 February, 2023: Kalyan Jewellers, one of India’s most trusted and leading jewellery brands, announced the launch of its newest collection, Lila. This range showcases lightweight jewellery that embodies the essence of today’s young Indian women. The collection features elegant rose gold and diamond pieces studded with coloured gemstones. Lila with its diverse selection of contemporary designs, embodies today’s women as she confidently navigates life with style and grace.

The jewellery brand’s Lila TVC features brand ambassadors Amitabh Bachchan and Kalyani Priyadarshan, the actors engage in a light-hearted and fun banter, exploring the exquisite range of designs introduced by Kalyan Jewellers, as part of this Collection. Following a holistic approach, Kalyan Jewellers has also launched a print campaign headlined by the global brand ambassador Katrina Kaif.

With the launch of Lila Collection, Kalyan Jewellers aims to strengthen its product portfolio with lightweight lifestyle jewellery. Following an aggressive approach, the jewellery brand is consistently diversifying its offerings to cater distinct audience segments.

Talking about the newly launched collection, Mr. Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director, Kalyan Jewellers said, “At Kalyan Jewellers, we understand that jewellery is not just an adornment but a celebration of femininity and the woman who wears it. The all-new Lilacollection brings with it, a range exclusive and curated studded lightweight jewellery designs with a timeless appeal. We believe that this collection will complement our existing brand portfolio and garner widespread popularity among the younger customers. With this unique collection that is both eye-catching and functional, we aim to consolidate our presence across various consumer segments and strengthen our market share significantly.”

The collection, with its hues of rose-gold, the sparkle of diamonds and the vibrancy of the coloured stones exudes grace and panache. It offers a diverse selection of dainty jewellery, which can be paired with traditional as well as western outfits. The pop of colour paired with the elegance of diamond creates a unique amalgamation of class and aesthetic.

Celebrating the new collection launch in unique style, the jewellery brand has announced up to 25% off on making charges for all items as well as the Kalyan Special Board Rate on gold, which is the lowest in the market. Customers can avail the exciting range of offers along with benefits of Kalyan’s 4-Level Assurance Certification on their jewellery purchases, ensuring a seamless service-backed shopping experience. The one-of-its-kind offers are valid until 15^th February, 2023.

Customers can also avail the benefits of Kalyan’s 4-Level Assurance Certification on gold jewellery. While jewellery retailed at Kalyan Jewellers goes through multiple purity tests and are BIS hallmarked, the 4-level assurance certificate promises customers payment on the value of purity mentioned in the invoice during exchange or resale. Also, it ensures free lifetime maintenance of ornaments at any Kalyan Jewellers’ showroom in the country.

The ad can be viewed in the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs3yGjfKeiw

Kalyan Jewellers unveils all-new lightweight lifestyle jewellery collection – ‘Lila’

~Comprises of 18K Rose Gold and Diamond Jewellery studded with semi-precious stones~

~Launch campaign features brand ambassadors Amitabh Bachchan, Katrina Kaif and Kalyani Priyadarshan~

Chandigarh 13 February, 2023: Kalyan Jewellers, one of India’s most trusted and leading jewellery brands, announced the launch of its newest collection, Lila. This range showcases lightweight jewellery that embodies the essence of today’s young Indian women. The collection features elegant rose gold and diamond pieces studded with coloured gemstones. Lila with its diverse selection of contemporary designs, embodies today’s women as she confidently navigates life with style and grace.

The jewellery brand’s Lila TVC features brand ambassadors Amitabh Bachchan and Kalyani Priyadarshan, the actors engage in a light-hearted and fun banter, exploring the exquisite range of designs introduced by Kalyan Jewellers, as part of this Collection. Following a holistic approach, Kalyan Jewellers has also launched a print campaign headlined by the global brand ambassador Katrina Kaif.

With the launch of Lila Collection, Kalyan Jewellers aims to strengthen its product portfolio with lightweight lifestyle jewellery. Following an aggressive approach, the jewellery brand is consistently diversifying its offerings to cater distinct audience segments.

Talking about the newly launched collection, Mr. Ramesh Kalyanaraman, Executive Director, Kalyan Jewellers said, “At Kalyan Jewellers, we understand that jewellery is not just an adornment but a celebration of femininity and the woman who wears it. The all-new Lilacollection brings with it, a range exclusive and curated studded lightweight jewellery designs with a timeless appeal. We believe that this collection will complement our existing brand portfolio and garner widespread popularity among the younger customers. With this unique collection that is both eye-catching and functional, we aim to consolidate our presence across various consumer segments and strengthen our market share significantly.”

The collection, with its hues of rose-gold, the sparkle of diamonds and the vibrancy of the coloured stones exudes grace and panache. It offers a diverse selection of dainty jewellery, which can be paired with traditional as well as western outfits. The pop of colour paired with the elegance of diamond creates a unique amalgamation of class and aesthetic.

Celebrating the new collection launch in unique style, the jewellery brand has announced up to 25% off on making charges for all items as well as the Kalyan Special Board Rate on gold, which is the lowest in the market. Customers can avail the exciting range of offers along with benefits of Kalyan’s 4-Level Assurance Certification on their jewellery purchases, ensuring a seamless service-backed shopping experience. The one-of-its-kind offers are valid until 15^th February, 2023.

Customers can also avail the benefits of Kalyan’s 4-Level Assurance Certification on gold jewellery. While jewellery retailed at Kalyan Jewellers goes through multiple purity tests and are BIS hallmarked, the 4-level assurance certificate promises customers payment on the value of purity mentioned in the invoice during exchange or resale. Also, it ensures free lifetime maintenance of ornaments at any Kalyan Jewellers’ showroom in the country.

The ad can be viewed in the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs3yGjfKeiw

BPCL Launches EV Fast Charging Highway Corridor On Delhi – Jalandhar Highway

By March 31^st 2023, BPCL will cover 200 National Highways, end-to-end, with EV Fast Charging stations to promote EV adoption in the country

· CCS-2 Fast Chargers starting with 30 KW installed at 12 strategically located BPCL Fuel Stations on the 750 Km long Delhi – Jalandhar – Delhi National Highway

· BPCL aims at converting its 7,000 conventional Retail Outlets into Energy Stations providing multiple fueling options

Chandigarh, February 11, 2023: Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited (BPCL), a ‘Maharatna’ and a Fortune Global 500 Company, today announced the launch of Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridor on the Delhi – Jalandhar National Highway with fast charging stations at 12 BPCL retail outlets strategically located along the highway (part of NH-44) as part of its initiative to address the range anxiety of electric vehicle owners.

The 750 Km long segment of NH-44 is the fourth such Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridor in the country, with fast charging station at roughly every 100 Kms on both sides of the highway. Chennai-Trichy-Madurai, Chennai-Bangalore and Bangalore-Coorg were the first three Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridors set up by BPCL.

The EV fast chargers at BPCL Fuel Stations will help customers recharge their EVs in just about 30 minutes to get a driving range of upto 125 kilometers after which there will be another BPCL EV charging station for EV owners going further ahead.All EV customers will be able to use the EV fast charging stations via a pay-per-use online service. The fast chargers can be self-operated without any manual assistance though support staff will be at hand when needed.

Located at BPCL retail outlets, these EV fast Charging stations offer long distance and inter-city travellers much needed safe, well-lit and secure pit stops together with amenities like clean and hygienic washrooms toilets, mATMs etc for their convenience while their vehicle is being recharged. BPCL has digitised the entire EV charger locator, charger operations and transaction process through the HelloBPCL app for an online hassle free and transparent user experience.

Going forward, 200 such Electric Vehicle Fast Charging Corridor under the brand eDrive which carries the tagline Clean. Fast. Easy will be set up along key National Highways by 31st March 2023 as part of the drive to support and accelerate the EV adoption in India.

BPCL also announced the launch of the Integrated Customer Program with MG Motors, a British automotive brand, who have so far sold 8900 electric vehicles in the country which will enable all MG’s EV customers while driving, to locate BPCL EV Charging stations through their car dashboards and fast charge their electric vehicles with specific benefits accorded to MG EV owners at all BPCL EV Charging stations across the country.

Subhankar Sen, Head Retail Initiatives & Brand, BPCL and Gaurav Gupta, Chief Commercial Officer, MG Motors jointly announced the launch of the Integrated Customer Program in an event held in Delhi on 11^th February 2023, in the presence of Rajiv Dutta, Head Retail North – BPCL, Mihir Joshi, State Head (Delhi, Haryana, HP & UK)-BPCL and other Senior officers.

Speaking at the launch, Subhankar Sen, Head Retail Initiatives & Brand, BPCL said“A cleaner planet is better for everyone and decarbonisation is a challenge that requires broad-reaching, multi-faceted solutions and we in BPCL are playing our part by setting up the network of electric vehicle fast charging highway corridors to address the range, discovery and time anxieties of EV owners which we firmly believe will hasten the adoption of Electric Vehicles in the country. Our initiative with MG Motor India in creating a rewarding experience for MG Motor EV customers today is an important initiative under our EV charging strategy and towards our larger objective of achieving our goal of net-zero emissions by 2040. We are excited about our innovative technology integration with MG Motors who have incorporated our EV charging network in their dashboard navigator providing unmatched convenience for MG EV owners. This truly reflects the the commitment of both our organisations to bring in cutting edge technology for the promotion of EV adoption in the country.

Together with MG Motor India, we will be working to improve the EV charging experience along key travel arteries connecting cities, tourist destinations and economic centres in the country.

Bharat Petroleum Fuel Stations offer the consumers with added convenience of clean and hygienic washrooms, cash withdrawals, safe and secure parking while charging, free digital air facility, 24 hour operations and much more. Select fuel stations also offer Nitrogen filling facility. Several of Bharat Petroleum’s highway fuel stations also offer hygienic food through its strategic alliances with leading brands such as McDonald’s, A2B, Cube Stop, Café Coffee Day and other local outlets. Bharat Petroleum has also planned to roll out its chain of In & Out convenience stores at key fuel stations on highways for added convenience to its customers.

Speaking on the occasion, Gaurav Gupta, CCO, MG Motor India said, “MG has been at the forefront of the development of a strong EV ecosystem since the launch of the ZS EV in 2020. It brings us immense pride to announce the inauguration of twelve new DC fast-charging facilities across the most significant highway of the country, in partnership with BPCL. We intend to establish a holistic ecosystem in India to accelerate EV adoption, and the new chargers at the BPCL fuel stations will provide the necessary impetus for people to switch to electric mobility.”

Indulge in Love this Valentine Season with Hershey’s Valentine Special Chocolate Packs

Chandigarh, February 10, 2023: The Valentine season is the perfect time to celebrate love and show your loved ones how much you care. And there’s no better way to express that than with a perfect gift! So, if you are still unsure of what to gift and surprise your loved ones, brand Hershey’s has got you covered with its exclusive range of Valentine Special Chocolate Packs.

The Valentine season is the perfect time to celebrate love and show your loved ones how much you care. And there’s no better way to express that than with a perfect gift! So, if you are still unsure of what to gift and surprise your loved ones, brand Hershey’s has got you covered with its exclusive range of Valentine Special Chocolate Packs.

Brand Hershey’s Valentine Special Chocolate Packs are the perfect way to express your love and appreciation for your special someone! This delicious selection of chocolates is sure to melt their heart and make them feel special. With a variety of flavours and formats to choose from, these gift packs are a great way to celebrate your bond with loved ones.

Valentine Special Chocolate Packs

Hershey’s selection of exclusive packs is sure to make your Valentine smile. It could be your partner, spouse, BFF, family member or anyone who is ‘your forever’. Do not forget to add a heart-warming note to make the gift even more meaningful.

Prices:

HERSHEY’S Kisses Valentine Edition (Carton pack)– 2 large packs – Rs. 400

HERSHEY’S Kisses Valentine Edition- (Tin pack) – 2 Large + 2 Small Packs – Rs. 530

HERSHEY’S EXOTIC DARK Valentine Edition (Carton Pack) – 2 large packs – Rs. 400

HERSHEY’S Bar Valentine Edition (Carton Pack) – 2 large bars- Rs. 400

Valentine Special Hershey’s Kisses packs available at stores

Prices:

Hershey’s Kisses Moments– 103.2 gm – Rs.175

Available PAN India at select stores.

Vi Launches Special Valentine’s Day Propositions

Chandigarh, 10^th February 2023

● Gift your loved ones upto 5GB extra data on recharges, at no extra cost

● Play the ‘Vi Love Tunes Contest’ and win a gift voucher worth Rs. 5,000

It is that time of the year when people are gearing up to celebrate the festival of love. Making this season more exciting and fun-filled, Vi, the leading telecom operator, has launched two special propositions to celebrate the upcoming Valentine’s Day.

On this special occasion, Vi users recharging with Rs. 299 and above on select recharges will be entitled to get 5GB additional data with a validity of 28 days at no extra cost. On select recharges starting Rs. 199 and upto Rs. 299, Vi users will be eligible for 2GB of extra data with a validity of 28 days. The exclusive offer is available to Vi customers recharging only on the Vi App until 14^th February, 2023. To recharge on Vi app, visit: https://bit.ly/3QeoXoB

Participate in special contest and win gift voucher worth Rs. 5,000:

Music is considered to be the best language of love. Igniting the sense of love, Vi is bringing a special social media contest #ViLoveTunes exclusively for the Vi users. Users will be asked to guess the right song from jumbled lyrics of a song from Valentine playlist in Hungama Music on Vi App. Participants will have to comment the right answer with hashtag #ViLoveTunes. One daily lucky winner of each question will be eligible for a gift voucher worth Rs 5,000. Being launched today
(Feb 10, 2023)
, #ViLoveTunes contest will go live from Vi’s verified social media handles like Instagram- @ViOfficialFanWorld, Twitter: @ViCustomerCare & Facebook- @ViOfficialFanWorld handles. To participate, Vi users should follow Viofficial handles on Instagram & Twitter. The contest will end on 13^th February, 2023.

Vi users can enjoy from the host of the Valentine special playlists on Hungama Music in Vi App. Also All Vi users are eligible for a one time access to HD quality Ad-free music and Unlimited downloads for 6 months at no extra cost. To download the App, click here: https://bit.ly/3jIEAdB and Enjoy the Hungama Music Service on Vi App.

Harsha Hinduja encourages young minds to learn the art of Bonsai to promote green living

Bonsai to promote strong ties between India and Japan

Chandigarh, February 10, 2023: Ms. Harsha Hinduja, President of the India Friendship Bonsai Society (IFBS) and Trustee of Hinduja Foundation and wife of prominent business tycoon – Mr. Ashok Hinduja, in collaboration with Jamnabai Narsee School inaugurated the Bonsai exhibition – “Bonsai Bonanza,” on 10^th February 2023, at the Jamnabai Narsee School Campus. The event was honoured by Cinestar Ms. Esha Deol as the Chief Guest, along with Padma Shri awardee Mr. Anup Jalota, the veteran singer known as ‘Bhajan Samarat’, and Dr Fukahori Yasukata, the Counsul General of Japan.

Commenting on the event, Mrs. Harsha Hinduja said, “I am thrilled to be a part of these celebrations. As a society we can learn a lot from Bonsai, it teaches us the art of patience and keeps us connected to our roots. Bonsai plants are said to be among the finest indoor plants for homes and workplaces. Not only can they improve the visual appeal, but they also offer several physiological and psychological advantages. Bonsai plants are beneficial to one’s health. It aids in the treatment of coughs, weariness, sore throats, and exhaustion. Aside from that, Bonsai has certain psychological advantages that can assist as a stress reliever. In today’s fast paced life coupled with a rise in airborne diseases the art of Bonsai is very important to save our ecosystem and contribute to a clean environment. Bonsai is a famous art form in Japan. Exhibitions like these can help connect India and Japan culturally.”

Ms. Esha Deol, actress and the chief guest for the event, said, “I have been exposed to the art of Bonsai at a very young age as my mother pursues this art actively. The verandas and the terrace of my home has a rich Bonsai collection. It’s an art form which is most relevant in modern times.”

Dr Fukahori Yasukata, Counsel General of Japan, “It is my immense pleasure to inaugurate the Bonsai exhibition organised by the India Friendship Bonsai Society supported by Mrs. Harsha Hinduja. Bonsai is an important part of Japanese culture and I am very happy for the Bonsai plants to be promoted in India. This is an event to unite Japan and India, culturally and spiritually. Through this exhibition I hope, that the friendship and understanding between the two countries Japan and India would be further strengthened.”

“It’s an honour for me to see this group of Bonsai enthusiasts grow. I would like to thank our President Mrs. Harsha Hinduja for promoting the art of Bonsai and being an innovator in this space. When grown these plants energise your workplace and environment.” said Urvashi Thacker Vice President India Friendship Bonsai Society.

The India Friendship Bonsai Society, established in 2003, is one of the prominent Bonsai clubs in India. The society celebrated its golden jubilee last year, displaying its dedication to preserving the environment and nurturing plants. With Mrs. Harsha Hinduja as the President and gardening enthusiast, the society is sure to bring a unique and memorable experience to the attendees of the ‘Bonsai Bonanza’ event.

M&M Results Q3 and cumulative nine months FY2023

Q3 Consolidated PAT at Rs 2,677 crores up 35%

· Consolidated Revenues at Rs 30,620 crores up 30%

· Standalone Revenue at Rs 21,654 crores up 41%

· Auto and Farm achieve highest ever Q3 volumes

· M&M continues to remain No.1 in SUV Revenue Market Share (20.6%) in Q3 F23. Open bookings of SUV at 266k+ (as on 1st Feb’23), reflecting continued strong automotive demand

· Farm: Q3 F23 Market share at 41.0% (gain of 160 bps vs PY)

· Successful launch of XUV 400 on 26^th Jan: Becomes the fastest booked Electric SUV in India with 15k+ booking within 13 days

Hyderabad, February 10, 2023: The Board of Directors of Mahindra & Mahindra Limited today approved the financial results for the quarter and nine months ended 31^st December 2022 of the Company and the consolidated Mahindra Group.

Key highlights below:

Rs. crores

	Q3 FY2023	Q3 FY2022		Growth% YOY		Cum 9m FY2023		Cum 9m FY2022		Growth% YOY
M&M Results
Revenue	21,654	15,349		41%		62,389		40,549		54%
EBITDA	2,814	1,803		56%		7,645		5,091		50%
PAT before (EI net of tax)	2,029	1,335		52%		5,794		3,935		47%
PAT after EI	1,528	1,335		14%		5,000		3,601		39%
Group Consolidated Results
Revenue	30,620	23,594		30%		88,903		64,236		38%
PAT** before (EI net of tax)	2,044	1,798		14%		6,293		4,246		48%
PAT** after EI	2,677	1,987		35%		7,645		4,340		76%
Volumes
Total Vehicles sold	1,76,094	1,21,167		45%		5,09,229		3,09,695		64%
Total Tractors sold	1,04,850	91,769		14%		3,14,853		2,78,923		13%

EI – Exceptional Items

**PAT is PAT after NCI – Non-Controlling Interest

Highlights of the financial results are:

– M&M operating margin at 13.0% up 130 bps YoY

– Vehicle sales up 45% YoY

Automotive

· M&M remains market leader in SUVs for 4 consecutive quarters (Revenue Market Share)

· LCV 2-3.5T: Consolidated market leadership with 60.1% market share in Q3 F23

· Scorpio N becomes the first Body-on-Frame SUV to secure 5-star GNCAP rating

· E-3Ws: Achieved highest ever quarterly billing of 11,801 units

Farm Equipment

· YTD Market Share at 41.4%, gain of 90 bps vs PY

· Highest ever Q3 volumes (104.9k tractors)

Commenting on Q3 FY23 performance …

Dr. Anish Shah, Managing Director & CEO, M&M Ltd, said, “We have had another robust quarter led by the robust performance of our Auto division. Our farm division also reported healthy growth with increased market share. Our capital allocation actions are continuing to show results and we remain committed to our journey of growth and returns.”

Mr. Rajesh Jejurikar, Executive Director, M&M Ltd, said, “Our efforts towards creating segment leading products and improving operational efficiencies have led to achievement of highest ever quarterly revenue and PBIT in Q3 F23 for Auto and Farm sectors. In SUVs, we continue to be leaders in revenue market share for the 4^th consecutive quarter and have celebrated another successful launch of the XUV4OO. In the tractor business, we have achieved 41% market share, highest Q3 market share in last 5 years.“

Mr. Manoj Bhat, Group Chief Financial Officer, M&M Ltd, said, “Our operating margins improved by 130 basis points YoY led by operating efficiencies and our focus on fiscal discipline. We recorded our highest ever quarterly group revenue reflecting strong growth across businesses.”

GIL Chemicals recognized among India’s Top 50 Best Workplaces in Manufacturing 2023

Chandigarh, February 10, 2023: Congratulations to GIL Chemicals on being recognized among India’s Top 50 Best Workplaces in Manufacturing 2023. Earlier in November ‘22, GIL Chemicals was also certified as a Great Place To Work.

GIL Chemicals’ excellence on people practices crafted for their employees and the continuous action on the employee feedback enabled them to create a High Trust Culture. This recognition is a testament of GIL Chemicals’ competitive presence in the Manufacturing industry and their contribution towards transforming this traditional industry into a sustainable domain.

Nitin Nabar, Executive Director & President, GIL Chemicals said “Culture and People empowerment are two strong pillars at GIL-Chemicals, which have been our growth stimulators. We strive towards building an atmosphere which brings in the right set of changes at our workplace. This ensures that we have the richness of culture and a diverse workforce throughout the years. Our Empowered and highly engaged team has been instrumental in transforming our business and creating value.”

Tata Steel featured among the Top 50 India’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing 2023 by Great Place to Work

~ Featured in the list for the 6th consecutive year ~

~ Recognised for inspiring trust and instilling pride among people, creating an environment that promotes camaraderie, and delivering a great workplace experience for all employees ~

Chandigarh February 10, 2023: Tata Steel has been acknowledged as one of India’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing for 2023 for the sixth consecutive year by Great Place to Work. This award recognises the Company’s ongoing efforts to promote a culture of high trust, honesty, professional development, and consideration for its workforce. Previously, the Company had received ‘Great Place to Work’ recognition for the sixth consecutive time for its efforts towards building an inclusive and sustainable organisation.

Atrayee Sanyal, Vice President, Human Resource Management, Tata Steel, said: “At Tata Steel, leveraging human capital is a key business imperative and the principle of always putting people first guides the Company’s policies. Our constant endeavour is to foster a work culture that promotes safety, health, diversity, competency enhancement, and the overall well-being of our employees. We are delighted to feature among India’s best manufacturing workplaces and this recognition encourages us to move forward on our journey towards a better tomorrow.”

Based on a rigorous evaluation methodology, the Top 50 organisations among India’s Best Workplaces in Manufacturing 2023 have been recognised. These organisations among other practices particularly excel both in people practices that they have crafted for their employees and proactively acting on the feedback to create a High Trust Culture.

Tata Steel has always been a pioneer in introducing welfare policies for employees from all walks of life. These initiatives include the onboarding of Transgender persons and Women in core mining operations, Agile Working Models, Extended Maternity Leaves, and benefits for LGBTQ+ partners. The Company has also been at the forefront in the areas of hiring, engagement, diversity & inclusion, incentives and recognition, and performance management. As a leader in progressive people first approach, Tata Steel’s aspiration is to be an employer of choice, taking care of the needs of its diverse workforce.

Great Place to Work, a leading global authority on workplace culture, has been researching employee experience and people management strategies across industries for more than three decades. More than 10,000 businesses from over 60 nations collaborate with the Great Place to Work Institute each year on assessment, benchmarking, and action planning to improve their workplace cultures.

Mahindra brings Formula E to India with its Gen3 race car

– Unveils XUV400 – Formula Edition

Chandigarh February 10, 2023: Mahindra Racing, India’s only racing team to compete in the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship, comes to India for its first home-race this Saturday, at the Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix. One of the founding teams in the world’s first all-electric street racing series, Mahindra brings home its Gen3 Formula E race car in the ongoing 9^th season of the Formula E Championship.

Celebrating the first Formula E race in India, Mahindra also unveiled the XUV 400 Formula Edition with a special livery inspired by the racing spirit. The Mahindra Formula E and the Mahindra Advanced Design Europe (M.A.D.E.) teams collaborated on the livery design of the Gen3 car, which brings alive the thrill of this exciting sport.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr Anish Shah, Managing Director & CEO, Mahindra Group, said, “For us at Mahindra, this is a momentous occasion as we get to race in front of a home crowd for the very first time. Mahindra Racing signifies our commitment to continue developing cutting-edge EV technologies and improving the next generation of consumer electric vehicles in the country. It is an important marker in our sustainability charter, and we pledge to greater ROCE (Return on Climate and Environment), as we direct our efforts in tandem with Mahindra Group’s commitment and quest to achieve group-wide carbon neutrality by 2040.”

Asha Kharga, Chairperson, Mahindra Racing said, “As one of the founding teams of Formula E and after racing across the world, this is a proud moment for Mahindra Racing as we come home to India for the first time. This race will help build Formula E as one of the premier sports in the country. More importantly, it outlines the kind of possibilities in race technology that can potentially inspire our road cars. I would like to thank all our partners and associates who help us compete in this electrifying sport. We have had a great start to this season with a podium in Mexico and we are very excited about the upcoming race on February 11.”

The Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix will be staged on the Hyderabad Street Circuit, located on the banks of the Hussain Sagar Lake. Mahindra Racing team consists of seasoned and accomplished drivers including Lucas Di Grassi who became the FIA Formula E Champion in 2016–2017 and has achieved three overall podiums at the 24 Hours of Le Mans and won the Macau Grand Prix in 2005. Oliver Rowland is an established and respected single-seater champion and Formula E race winner. The 29-year-old British driver joined the Mahindra Racing outfit for Season 8 of the ABB FIA Formula E World Championship. The team has also recently onboarded Jehan Daruvala, a young and accomplished racer, as the reserve driver, who is a protégé of the Force India F1 team after being one of three winners of a ‘One in a Billion hunt’ organized by the team in 2011.

The race begins at 3:00pm on Saturday, 11 February 2023.

Mahindra Racing has a strong set of partners, including Official Powertrain Partner ZF and e-fluids partner Shell. Maurice Lacroix, the luxury Swiss watchmaker, continues as the Official Timekeeper.

India Inc. needs 30 million digitally skilled professionals by 2026 – TeamLease

~ As over 50% employees need to reskill themselves, a robust skill development strategy will be instrumental for India Inc.’s strong bottom line growth this fiscal~

Chandigarh/National, 09^th February 2023: TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship, India’s fastest growing apprenticeship program, from the TeamLease Services group, has today released a niche report for CHROs on ‘Skills Strategies for a Strong, Sustainable and Balanced World of Work.’ The report, which analyses the current market sentiment, highlights a varied range of effective skill strategies that can help organisations assess and augment their existing skill-development programmes to improve productivity, revenue and bottom line growth. According to the report, India will need 30 million digitally skilled professionals by 2026 and 50% of the current workforce would need to re-skill themselves in areas of emerging technologies.

Sharing her views on the need for conducive skill strategies, Ms. Rituparna Chakraborty, Co-Founder & Executive Director, TeamLease Services, said, “Today India has about 500 million people of working age and despite that we continue to face a skill crisis. Industry data suggests that only 49% of total youth (age group of 22-25 years) in the country is employable. In fact, our own surveyed have indicated that 75% of companies face skill gap in the industry. Even among people, who can stay in their current jobs, 40% of fundamental abilities are likely to change and thus re-aligning the skill strategy will be crucial for companies.”

The report from TeamLease Degree Apprenticeship highlights a seven-step skills strategy for corporates, which can directly impact their workforce productivity, revenue and growth. From developing a skills matric, conducting skill audit to targeting specific learning journeys and intermingling upskilling within the company culture; a comprehensive skill development strategy will lead to a more sustainable future of work. The proposed recommendation also includes having an effective outcome focused learning approach with structured impact evaluation metrics.

“Labour and skill shortages are among the second most important external factors disrupting business strategy. In fact, over 2 million jobs in AI, Cyber Security, and blockchain are expected to remain unfilled in 2023. Additionally, the workplace is evolving so rapidly that 76% of the global workforce is not equipped with the requisite skills to function in the new digitally focused workplaces. As organizations across the globe adopt new pedagogies for skilling, it would serve them well to look upon skill development as an integral step to creating long-term value for the organization. Incidentally, degree apprenticeship programs can emerge as a tool for holistic skill development and long-term retention plans for employees which also facilitate the creation of a talent pool for the future. The long-term goal of all skill development programs must focus on the creation of a future-ready and future-proof workforce for that is the only way we can tackle the fluctuations in the world of work and infuse a sense of greater stability. The adoption of sustainable skill development thereby creating a healthy talent pipeline in any country is the only way to address the vagaries of talent Inequity. In this regard, HR Leaders need to assess their Skilling Strategy and come up with a democratic, long term plan integral to creating sustained value for the organization. Our study is an attempt to create that pathway for every HR Leader in India, which is co-created and co-opted with HR Leaders who are torch bearers in this discussion”, added Ms Chakraborty.

According to the World Economic Forum, investment in upskilling could potentially boost India’s economy by $570bn by adding 2.3 million jobs by 2030. According to TeamLease’s CHRO focused report, comprehensive skill programs based on real-life practices will be the future of skilling. The report also highlights prominent brand case studies (Accenture and Henkel, Amazon, AT&T, Infosys, HSBC), outlining the impact of advanced integrated skilling methods.

Skills Strategies for a Strong, Sustainable and Balanced World of Work’ is a comprehensive report, designed to be a source of market information that helps CHROs step up and fundamentally reexamine their skill development strategy as well as to assist in establishing a complete plan for the organization’s future skill-development programme. In this regard, a detailed analysis of skill strategies initiated by the global companies for their core employees are listed in the report along with a detailed action oriented skill strategy for CHROs. Additionally, it includes self-assessment questionnaire which is designed to help organizations assess their skill strategies.

***

Tata Consumer Products launches Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India, a tea collection celebrating the streets of India

Chandigarh, 09 February 2023: Tata Consumer Products Limited launches Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India, a range of chais celebrating the unique flavoured teas inspired by the streets of India. The core concept of the carefully curated tea range is to bring alive the flavour of teas that one gets at the chaiwalas and the experience that comes with it, which is deeply rooted in the culture of every city. Each city has a distinctive flavour and a typical milieu, which invokes a sense of pride and nostalgia for the people from the city and conjures a memory for the people who visit the city. The brand wants to create this experience for its consumers at the convenience of their home with this unique range inspired from four different regions of India.

The Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India features four iconic variants inspired by the signature flavours from the streets of India –Kolkata Street Chai, Mumbai Cutting Chai, Purani Dilli ki Mithai Chai, Hyderabadi Irani Chai. With this launch the brand aims to celebrate the authentic taste of local flavours of the East, West, South, and North regions. The authentic taste of these unique street-side chais can be hard to replicate at home, which is why the brand aims to help consumers to create the experience in the comfort of their homes. Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India is made to appeal to the chai lovers, taking them right back to their favourite tea stall in their hometown with every cup.

Commenting on the launch, Puneet Das, President – Packaged Beverages (India and South Asia), Tata Consumer Products said, “Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India is a one-of-a-kind range of tea made with the intention of bringing the taste of street style chai to the comfort of the consumer’s home. The feeling of comfort and longing associated with the street style tea is very close to people’s hearts and makes them feel closer to their cities and homes. This innovation aims to disrupt the tea segment with city local chai flavours. Built on the insight of rise in demand for regional flavours and localized menu across the country, the product highlights various quirks and styles of making tea in each city. It is basically the flavour of the city packed in a tea cup”.

Tata Tea Premium is known for its unique ‘hyperlocal’ approach of creating distinct blends, and Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India collection has further expanded on this approach by not only evoking pride and nostalgia but bringing alive the hustle and bustle of the city streets with the iconic street chais of these cities.

The classic green colour and the rectangular box rightly brings out the premium-ness of the brand and highlights the story behind each variant. The four packs have unique packaging, representing the pride of each city and its various iconic elements, such as Victoria Memorial, and the yellow taxi signifying the old-world charm of Kolkata; The Chhatrapati Shivaji terminal and the red double decker bus reflecting Mumbai’s hustle bustle. Similarly, the packs for Delhi and Hyderabad narrate the stories of these cities with an absolute sense of pride and nostalgia. Tata Tea Premium Street Chais of India is a collection that appreciates and celebrates the very local street flavours of India.

IHCL SIGNS ITS FOURTH GINGER HOTEL IN KOCHI, KERALA

Sakht Khabar Correspondent,

Chandigarh, FEBRUARY 9, 2023: Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of fourth hotel under the Ginger brand in Kochi, Kerala. With this addition IHCL will now have six hotels across its brands in the city. The hotel is a fully fitted lease.

Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of fourth hotel under the Ginger brand in Kochi, Kerala. With this addition IHCL will now have six hotels across its brands in the city. The hotel is a fully fitted lease.

Speaking on the occasion, Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, IHCL said, “IHCL has a long association with Kerala, with all its brands present in the state. Kochi, the largest metropolitan city in Kerala is also its financial capital. Addition of Ginger to the existing IHCL hotels will cater to multiple segments of the market. We are delighted to partner with Hotel Pearl Dunes Pvt Ltd.”

The 73-key hotel is strategically located in the central business district at MG Road. It is at a drivable distance from Cochin Airport as well as important tourist destinations. The hotel will house an all-day diner – Qmin, offering a variety of global and local favourites, a banquet hall, swimming pool and a fitness centre.

Mr. KM Abdul Latheef, Managing Director, Hotel Pearl Dunes Pvt Ltd. said, “The Ginger hotel with its central location will be a welcome addition to Kochi. We are delighted to partner with IHCL for its renowned service ethos and its vast network of distribution.”

Kochi is the most important commercial and industrial city in the state of Kerala. Called “Queen of the Arabian Sea”, it is also a major tourist destination.

With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have 16 hotels across Taj, SeleQtions, Vivanta and Gingerbrands across Kerala including four under development.

Zigly promises #NoCompromise on pet grooming, releases digital film to inspire quality ‘ME Time’ for pets

– As humans, we do not compromise on our grooming needs; the second film under #NoCompromise campaign intends to educate pet parents towards quality ‘Me Time’ for pets.

Chandigarh, 09^th February 2023: Zigly, (Cosmo First Limited) India’s first tech-enabled omnichannel pet care brand, has always been committed to ensuring quality pet grooming and services. Zigly, under the umbrella campaign #NoCompromise that strengthen voice to not compromise on quality pet care experience, releases a digital film that aims to encourage pet parents towards quality ‘Me Time’ for pets ensuring their overall well-being and hygiene.

The digital film starts with a snapshot of a lady at a salon, meeting her grooming needs and firmly stating that ‘when it comes to my ME Time, No Compromise. The film further draws equal importance towards quality pet grooming as the lady in the film strongly states that ‘when it comes to the pampering time of my pet with Zigly, No Compromise. The film intends to demonstrate how people prioritize ‘Me Time’ and appreciate its value in maintaining good health, hygiene, and appearance. In this regard, individuals seek the best for themselves and do not accept anything less. On the same note, pet parents should not skip grooming and spa time for their pets to ensure good health and hygiene.

Sharing his thoughts on the same, Mr Ambarish Sikarwar, Business Head, Zigly said, “Pet grooming is an important aspect of quality pet parenting. It requires time, effort, and commitment to help our furry friends look their best. Taking our pets for regular grooming sessions will help not only in maintaining their skin and fur but also make them more social and adaptable. We at Zigly, offer a wide range of services and products that are practical and affordable so that paw parents don’t have to make compromises on quality pet care experience. Through this campaign, Zigly is committed to not compromising on the happiness and health of pets, and helping the four-legged family members enjoy their Me Time.”

The second film is live from 7th February 2023 across social media, YouTube, Radio, My Gate app, OOH and will also be extended at all their Experience centres. Additionally, Zigly has set up #NoCompromise booths at their stores to shower love on furry friends. Being an omnichannel pet care brand, Zigly intends to provide an integrated and quality pet care experience.

Link to the brand campaign: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UIZ340SiCWc

To know more about Zigly’s experience centers and their offerings, please click on the link here.

ABP Network’s YouTube channels rule the news genre globally

• ABP News and ABPLIVE have a collective audience of 59.2 million subscribersworldwide, making ABP Network one of thetop subscribed news networks on YouTube!(Source: Social Blade)

• ABP News has become the second most subscribed news channel in the world on YouTube with 34.2 million subscribers.(Source: Social Blade)

• Both ABP News and ABPLIVE have secured spots in the Global Top 10 rankings, making it a remarkable achievement for the ABP Network. (Source: Social Blade)

Chandigarh, February 8, 2023: ABP Network — one of India’s leading media conglomerates — has reached a major milestone on the world’s largest video-sharing platform, YouTube, registering a combined subscriber base of 59.2 million. According to Social Blade, a global leader in social media analytics, ABP News and ABPLIVE are among the top 10 most-subscribed news channels on YouTube, with 35.2 million subscribers for ABP News and 24 million subscribers for ABPLIVE. ABP News is now the second most subscribed channel in the world on YouTube, and ABP Network, the second most subscribed news network, which solidifies its position as a leading player in the media industry globally.

With an impressive reach and widespread popularity, ABP News and ABPLIVE have clocked over 19 billion video views in a lifetime — the second highest in India under the News & Politics genre, according to Social Blade. The network’s impressive reach is further highlighted by a staggering 122 billion impressions recorded across all its YouTube properties in 2022, as per YouTube Creator Studio. These figures are a true testament to ABP Network’s commitment to delivering quality content and their success in connecting with the audience.

ABP Network’s regional news channels, including ABP Majha, ABP Ananda, ABP Asmita, and ABP Ganga, are also expanding their reach and providing in-depth and unparalleled news coverage to an ever-growing global audience. According to Social Blade, ABP Majha is the most-subscribed Marathi news channel, with over 10 million subscribers. ABP Ananda stands strong with over 8 million subscribers and 3 billion+ lifetime views, making it the most-subscribed and most-viewed Bengali news channel. ABP Asmita is also the most-viewed Gujarati news channel, with over 700 million lifetime views.

ABP Network’s commitment to delivering extensive and the most comprehensive news coverage was demonstrated in the 2022 Uttar Pradesh elections when ABP Ganga garnered 97,769,865 views and emerged on top of the news channels leaderboard, outpacing its competition by three times, according to Social Blade’s March 10, 2022, report. On the counting day of Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh elections, on December 8, 2022, ABP News achieved remarkable success by recording the highest real-time concurrent views on YouTube’s live stream among top news competitors.

On reaching the significant milestone of 59.2 million subscribers, Mr Avinash Pandey, CEO, ABP Network, said: “This momentous achievement is a testament to our commitment to becoming digital leaders and innovators. We are confident that with our sustained efforts, we can continually stay ahead of the changing times and grow our leadership in this space. We remain dedicated to pushing the boundaries and ensuring our network continues to record robust growth across all its properties and platforms. In our relentless pursuit of excellence, we will leave no stone unturned to remain the very best.”

With its comprehensive innovative strategy, ABP Network is looking forward to continued growth across its properties and platforms in the coming years.

Godrej Material Handling eyes 28% market share of Electric Forklifts in India by FY24

~ Godrej & Boyce scales up its Good & Green vision; aims to reduce carbon footprint with green forklifts

~ Electric Forklift trucks account for 65% of the market share in India and are expected to witness a rise in demand of 12-15% by FY24

~Owing to a rise in demand for green forklifts in the manufacturing industry, Godrej Material Handling will be doubling its production capacity between FY22 and FY24

Chandigarh, 8th February, 2023: Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, has announced that its business Godrej Material Handling has strengthened its portfolio in the green products category, eyeing 28% market share of Electric Forklifts in India by FY24. As India’s manufacturing industry is continuously transforming, it is not only witnessing significant industrial development but a conscious adoption of green manufacturing processes by corporate India. Godrej & Boyce is well-known for its commitment to sustainability and environmental stewardship. With a focus on green forklifts, the business is taking a major stride towards reducing its carbon footprint and creating a more sustainable future for the manufacturing sector in India.

As a part of Godrej & Boyce’s Good & Green initiative that ensures each business generates a share of its revenue from environmentally responsible products and solutions, Godrej Material Handling generates approx. 20% of its business is from such products. The electric forklift is an addition to this portfolio and is committed to providing a consumer experience that is technologically more enhanced and efficient. Electric-powered forklifts have operation costs as low as 20% and are highly maneuverable and versatile which gives them an edge over Diesel forklift trucks. The three electric forklifts offered by Godrej Material Handling are UNO, Bravo, and NEO. The Bravo electric series and Godrej PRO series reach truck offer easy-to-operate machinery that is safer for the environment and increases productivity in demanding applications and narrow spaces.

Commenting on this, Neville Mevawala, Head of Sales & Marketing, Godrej Material Handling, Godrej & Boyce says,“At Godrej Material Handling, we are continuously working towards increasing the share of our Good & Green products. We believe that it is not just the right choice to make but also one that has huge economic value. With this, we aim to bring products and solutions to the market that make the supply chain and logistics segment in India more efficient and sustainable. Switching from an ICE forklift to an emission-free forklift can have a major impact on business operations. The UNO Electric Forklift Truck is designed to provide maximum output. The new UNO platform is 10% more energy efficient than the older version due to low energy loss and a higher Volt system. The usage will lead to a significant reduction of carbon footprints and make material handling operations more efficient. We aim to reduce the need for diesel fuel and its associated emissions.”

Owing to the push by the government for Indian manufacturers to adopt sustainable manufacturing operations, there has been a significant shift from Diesel to Electric Forklift Trucks on the shopfloor and in warehouses. Electric trucks account for 65% of the market share, up from 57% four years ago.

The Electric Forklifts that are manufactured by Godrej Material Handling are powerful assets in the 1.5 to 5-tonne forklift class, that feature advanced ergonomics, increased protection, better visibility, and a longer operating time with each charge. With such advanced products, Godrej & Boyce has always been at the forefront of making global technology viable for Indian customers.

Godrej Interio launches the new ‘Solace’ Hospital Birthing Bed

~ The latest innovation from Godrej Interio ensures a healthy birthing experience for the new mother and the caregiver~

Chandigarh, 8 February 2023: Godrej & Boyce, the flagship company of the Godrej Group, announced that its business Godrej Interio, India’s leading furniture solutions brand, in-home, and institutional segments, launched a unique healthcare birthing bed – ‘Solace’. The Solace Bed is a unique concept that facilitates ease of movement and enables alternating between different postures during Labour, Delivery, Recovery and Postpartum (LDRP) process. With the new range, Godrej Interio is addressing the need for making birthing experience healthy for the mother and caregiver. The brand currently generates over 13% of Institutional revenue from the healthcare industry and provides furniture solutions to over 100 hospitals and healthcare institutions across the country.

According to data from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, quality of care is increasingly recognized as a critical aspect of the unfinished maternal and new-born health agenda, with over 40% death witnessed among new mothers and children at the time of labour and delivery. [1] The LDRP journey for the mother needs the best of medical care and support. For a smooth and safe delivery, it’s essential to ensure a less strenuous journey for both the mother and the caregiver. Addressing the concern, Interio – a reputed healthcare furniture brand has come up with a bed that aims to better the birthing procedure.

Godrej Interio’s feature-loaded Solace Bed is designed to offer comfort to the mother and hospital staff during birthing procedures. Considering the varying stages of giving birth, the bed has been designed to deliver a smooth and safe experience during childbirth. The key features include an electronically controlled backrest and height, 360° adjustable calf supports, manual & electronic CPR for emergencies and in case of power shutdown and retractable leg rest. It also comes with synchronous TR-height movement feature that brings back bed to its horizontal position after Trendelenburg. The adaptability and simplicity of the Solace bed make it a useful, affordable option for the contemporary, progressive labour suite while providing warm, comfortable, and ergonomic care in the hospital.

On the new product launch, Sameer Joshi, Vice President, Marketing (B2B), Godrej Interio said, “At Godrej Interio, it has been our mission to enrich the quality of life every day and in every way. Godrej Interio’s Healthcare business focuses on creating healthcare spaces that deliver ergonomically safe, healing experiences for the patient, family and caregiver. The newly launched Solace bed highlights our human-centric approach towards design using thoughtful design solutions for enhancing the maternity experience. Solace bed is the one-stop solution catering to all stages of the birthing process providing comfort & support to mothers and the caregivers. We take great pride in continuously innovating to uplift the quality of healthcare experience across India. Further, we plan to launch 5 new healthcare variants to our healthcare range of furniture in FY23-24 and target revenue growth of 30% in our Healthcare business.”

---

---

[1] https://nhm.gov.in/index1.php?lang=1&level=3&sublinkid=1307&lid=690

Aditya Birla Housing Finance launches #ApnaGhar campaign

~ A digital campaign encouraging consumers to fulfil their dream of building ‘Apna Ghar’ through Aditya Birla Housing Finance’s ‘Sahi Salaah, Sahi Saathi, Sahi Home Loan Rakkam’ offering ~

Chandigarh, February 8, 2023: Positioning itself as an enabler of dreams, Aditya Birla Housing Finance Ltd. (ABHFL), the Housing Finance arm of Aditya Birla Capital Ltd., rolled out its #ApnaGhar campaign. The digital campaign aims to inspire customers to build their ‘Sapno ka aashiyana’ and promises to support them at every step of the way through their ‘Sahi Salaah, Sahi Saathi, Sahi Home Loan Rakkam’ offering.

This Affordable and Informal Housing offering is built on a core promise of providing customers from the underserved segment with the advisory that’s just the right fit for fulfilling their dreams, thus guiding them towards the right path and providing them with a home loan that best suit their requirement. What’s noteworthy is that under the offering, consumers can avail of a loan of up to INR 50 lakhs without the need to submit income proof.

The campaign has been created on a relatable and touching note, showcasing the sentiments of a common man who usually suppresses his dreams due to insufficient funds, fear of approaching lenders due to lack of documents, and limited knowledge about the various financial solutions he can turn towards for achieving these dreams. Through this film, Aditya Birla Housing Finance intends to extend a lending hand and help the underserved segment set the ball rolling towards getting the right home loan and loan against property.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Pankaj Gadgil, MD & CEO, Aditya Birla Housing Finance Ltd. said, “At Aditya Birla Housing Finance, our constant endeavour is to listen to the customer’s stated and unstated needs and develop strategies to build convenience, simplicity, and trust. Through the #ApnaGhar campaign, we want to remove the doubts and fears that cloud the mind of the underserved segments and reassure them that ABHFL is committed to listening to them, understanding their needs, simplifying the procedures, and they can trust ABHFL with Sahi Salaah, Sahi Saathi, and Sahi Home Loan Rakkam”.

The intention of creating this digital film is to reach out to a diverse set of audience to showcase the array of affordable and informal housing loan solutions provided by Aditya Birla Housing Finance Ltd. under its ‘Sahi Salaah, Sahi Saathi, Sahi Home Loan Rakkam’ offering. The campaign will be amplified across the social and digital media channels of Aditya Birla Housing Finance, as well as OOH, to reach a wider set of audience across Indore and Madurai.

Credits:

Agency name: Pi Communications

Creative Director: Sharan Iyer

Account Director: Urmil Bhuta

Production House: Dora Digs Productions

Producer: Akshay Shah

Links:

Twitter: https://twitter.com/abhousingfin/status/1621815950319435778

YouTube: https://youtu.be/tVrb3AdiyEk

Facebook: https://fb.watch/itWTcLDCMI/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7027233683103203328

Mr. Nadir Godrej honored with ‘Most Respected Indian Industrialist of the Year’ Award

Chandigarh, February 08, 2023: Mr. Nadir Godrej was presented with the ’Most Respected Indian Industrialist of the Year’ Award by Hurun India for significantly contributing to the country’s growth by presenting innovative products and solutions to India through the business.

Hurun India’s annual ‘Most Respected Entrepreneurs Dinner’ was curated to be an evening celebrating a confluence of ideas of like-minded entrepreneurs and leaders from across generations and seasons in Indian business. Journeys and contributions to India Inc by some of India’s leading entrepreneurs were celebrated and brought to light through the awards ceremony.

Mr. Godrej expressed his appreciation for this recognition and said, “It is indeed an honor to receive this prestigious award from Hurun India. I believe we at Godrej are privileged to be a part of our country’s growth journey by being able to serve our nation through our innovative products and solutions. From providing agri-solutions to protecting the nation from vector-borne diseases or providing sustainable living, the Group’s various businesses have constantly aligned themselves to India’s aspirations. Our work over decades expresses our undying commitment to India and we shall continue with our endeavour to keep on transforming into something new to help bring out the best for our Nation. I wish to thank our 750 million plus consumers in India, our colleagues at Godrej, and Hurun India for this recognition”

Growth in Economy Brief authored piece by Shri Ashishkumar Chauhan, MD& CEO, NSE

Chandigarh, February 08, 2023: “This is a growth-oriented budget, one of the best in years, with a focus on both infrastructure and job creation, while reducing income tax for pretty much everyone, and lots of money to states. The fiscal deficit has been reduced from 6.4% to 5.9% of GDP, with a clear path to reach 4.5% in next three years. The focus on infrastructure, as seen in the rising capex outlay from Rs7.5lakh crore to Rs10 lakh crore, combined with PM Gati Shakti and this Government’s ability to execute, would be visible through roads, railways, ports and airports and would translate into demand for basic materials like cement and steel on one hand, and consumption goods from all sections of the society, jobs on the other.

For the financial sector, the focus has been on inclusion, credit support to MSMEs, and simplifying, enabling governance in the GIFT-IFSC through a number of proposed amendments. A single-window IT system across regulators would enhance business activity there. Establishment of data embassies would help against cyber threats. In this context, amendments proposed towards improving bank governance and investor protection are welcome. Having an integrated IT portal for the IPEF would help claims on shares and unpaid dividends.

The middle class would welcome the revised tax slabs, higher savings limit for senior citizens, and incentives for the New Tax scheme.

The Budget would support growth and the Indian consumption story, keep us in good stead, given global headwinds in China and developed markets, and until the rest of the world eases.

Before the budget was presented, investors worried about a rise in capital gains. No change there, has also created a positive reaction. Overall this is a very positive budget for the markets, with something for everyone. I give the Budget 10/10.”

Enlarged Air India Group Continues Progressive Network Optimisation

Strengthens network with convenient flight options

Chandigarh, 7 February 2023: Air India, India’s leading airline and a Star Alliance member, has announced the latest step in its progress optimisation of network following the full subsidiarization of Air Asia India in November 2022.

In this current phase, three stations – Bhubaneswar (BBI), Bagdogra (IXB) and Surat (STV) – will now be served by Air Asia India, rather than Air India. Delhi- Visakhapatnam and Mumbai-Lucknow will be operated exclusively by Air India. In all cases, the flight frequency remains the same.

Additionally, Air India will enhance connections from Delhi and/or Mumbai to Cochin (COK), Trivandrum (TRV), Visakhapatnam (VTZ) and Nagpur (NAG) to enable seamless, two-way domestic-international-connectivity with long-haul international flights operating from the two metros. Air India will also be increasing frequencies between Delhi and Chennai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru, and between Mumbai to Chennai, Kolkata and Bengaluru. These changes in schedule are set to commence from 13^th February, 2023.

Commenting on this expansion, Mr. Campbell Wilson, CEO and MD, Air India, said, “The acquisition of Air Asia India, together with the ongoing restructuring and expansion of Air India, accords an unprecedented opportunity to optimise the Group’s flight network. Specifically, it allows us to better match routes with the most appropriate airline business model, focusing the full-service airline on metro-metro markets and high connectivity routes, and the low-cost airline on more leisure oriented or price sensitive markets. This will improve our attractiveness to corporate travellers and leisure travellers alike, as well as improve connectivity between key domestic cities and Air India’s fast-expanding international network.”

Godrej democratises household insecticide formats through breakthrough innovation

· Biggest move to democratise safe mosquito repellents – making it affordable for lower income consumers

· Introduces world’s most affordable solution to eradicate dengue

· Goodknight Mini and HIT No-Gas Spray unveiled – cheapest Liquid vaporizer and instant kill spray solutions in the world

· Aim to target 100 million households who currently use unsafe and unregulated formats like incense sticks

Chandigarh, February 07, 2023: India takes a giant leap in the global fight against mosquito-borne diseases. Two homegrown innovations; the world’s lowest cost liquid mosquito repellent device and a no-gas instant mosquito–kill spray developed by Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL), was launched in the presence of experts from the National Center for Vector Borne Diseases Control, Malaria No More India, Fortis Hospital Noida, among others.

Branded Goodknight Mini Liquid and HIT No-Gas Spray, these innovations make safe & smoke free mosquito protection accessible for lower income consumers. Many of whom today use unsafe and unregulated high smoke incense sticks. Doctors caution against using these spurious repellent incense sticks as they may cause bronchitis, asthma, reactive airways disease, and other conditions. Till now, regulated and safe non-smoke solutions, while widely known, were only available at higher prices and with features that did not suit the needs of these consumers.

GCPL understood these needs in depth and have developed innovations with breakthrough R&D. Firstly, by recognizing that many lower income households have high mosquito infestation through the night and therefore need a consistent high repellent effect. This resulted in the engineering of Goodknight Mini as a single mode machine giving high all-night efficacy. Priced at just INR 50 (Repellent Machine + Refill) and refills for INR 35/-, this solution only costs INR 2.5 for a night’s use. With electrification in India crossing 95%+ milestone (as per The National Family Health Survey – 5 report released in March 2022), the device is expected to gain wide adoption.

Secondly, because lower income households have relatively smaller rooms, expensive LPG based aerosol sprays designed for large spread in big rooms were not suitable. GCPL took inspiration from no-gas deodorants and developed HIT No-Gas Spray, an innovative instant mosquito-kill, water-based spray for as low as INR 1.5 per use occasion. As per the tests undertaken by GCPL, HIT No-Gas Spray kills mosquitoes faster than spurious incense sticks, while being completely safe & smoke-free.

Commenting on the affordable innovations, Sudhir Sitapati, MD & CEO, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd (GCPL), said, “We have made great progress so far to lessen the impact of mosquito-borne diseases. The way forward, however, calls for empowering people especially in small cities, towns, and rural areas. Liquid repellents & aerosols are the most effective solution against mosquitoes, but they remained largely inaccessible to lower income households due to high pricing. We at GCPL, are proud to introduce the Goodknight Mini and HIT No-Gas Spray. These innovations bring down the cost of liquid repellent and spray categories in India by upto 50% and thus make them accessible for everyone. With these innovations, we are democratising safe mosquito repellents for lower income consumers. Supporting the government’s vision of easing the nation’s health burden is our greater commitment.”

Speaking as part of a panel discussion at the launch event, Pratik Kumar, Country Director, Malaria No More India, opined, “Mosquito-borne diseases, particularly Malaria, has been a public health issue and our goal should be its complete eradication. If we are to enable our Prime Minister’s vision of a Malaria free by 2030, we need a different strategy that goes beyond prevention and ensures elimination. New age tools and technologies will play a vital role. Private health providers have a major role to play. Malaria elimination needs all sections joining hands to focus on a disease that needs more attention. We must develop new solutions, high-end technology to accelerate access and timely last-mile intervention. More importantly, enabling lower income groups with low-cost solutions in high endemic zones should be a key focus area amongst the next steps.”

“Factors such as climate change have led to increased occurrence of malaria and dengue, leading to a significant rise in the disease burden on the country. While the medical fraternity researches and develops advanced treatments to aid quick recovery, it also becomes important for people to adopt prevention strategies to safeguard themselves, in this case, from mosquito-borne diseases. Although the general public is aware of the need for mosquito protection, they frequently turn to dangerous and unregulated alternatives like repellent incense sticks/ agarbattis, which can lead to more diseases and respiratory illnesses. Although these repellent incense sticks are less expensive, few people are aware of their detrimental effects on health. Thus, Innovation and democratisation of practical, cost-efficient solutions that guarantee everyone’s protection are urgently needed”, added, Dr.Rahul Sharma, Additional Director – Pulmonology & Critical Care, Fortis Hospital, Noida.

GCPL remains committed towards reducing the impact of vector-borne diseases in the country. Through its flagship brands like Goodknight and HIT, the company has over the years introduced many innovations across formats.

In 2016, GCPL also launched its CSR effort, the Elimination of Vector-Borne Endemic Diseases (EMBED) Project – in sync with India’s national goal of malaria elimination by 2030. This program is being implemented by Family Health India (FHI) in collaboration with NGO partners and the Health Department of the Government of Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. EMBED aims to reduce morbidity and mortality due to malaria, dengue, and chikungunya in high burden areas. To date EMBED has been implemented in 9 districts of Madhya Pradesh, 4 districts in Uttar Pradesh and 2 districts in Chhattisgarh reaching over 5 lakh households across 2,000+ villages. GCPL’s EMBED program has been successful in creating a scalable model that can help high-burden villages of India achieve the goal of malaria elimination by 2030.

With continued efforts to bring about a larger change, GCPL’s new low-cost innovation support the government’s vision of a nation that is free of vector-borne diseases.

Fastrack launches its ‘Mixmatched’ watches collection ahead of Valentine’s Day

Chandigarh, 07 February, 2023: Fastrack brings to you a collection of couple watches to celebrate the saying of ‘opposites attract’ this Valentine’s Day. Fastrack Mixmatched is the first pair watch collection introduced by the youth brand that offers a range of cool and unique accessories.

Mixed with quirky and fun elements that match your vibe, Fastrack Mixmatched celebrates relationships that are unique, and follow a tune of their own!

The pair watch features heart and heartbeat elements on the seconds hand to act as a reminder of the unique bond you share with your partner.

The Valentine’s Day theme is subtly reflected in all the watches of the Mixmatched range and as an added bonus, the watches come in collectible boxes.

Skip the traditions of flowers, and chocolates and wear your love on the wrist with these quirky and complementary pair watches.

IHCL EXPANDS PRESENCE IN JAMSHEDPUR, JHARKHAND WITH THE SIGNING OF ITS FIRST VIVANTA HOTEL IN THE STATE

Chandigarh, FEBRUARY 7, 2023: Indian Hotels Company (IHCL), India’s largest hospitality company, today announced the signing of its fourth hotel in Jamshedpur, Jharkhand. This is a conversion and will be rebranded Vivanta after extensive renovations. The hotel will be operational in 2024.

Ms. Suma Venkatesh, Executive Vice President – Real Estate & Development, IHCL said, “Jharkhand with its significant commercial potential is being recognized as an important state. This signing is in line with IHCL’s vision to be present in key markets. Vivanta Jamshedpur is a step in that direction, as it is amongst the largest cities of the state. With this hotel, IHCL will now have two of its brands in the city. We are delighted to partner with Vijaya Homes Group.”

The 94 key hotel is strategically situated on Golmuri Road in the centre of the city. It is surrounded by major steel, automotive and manufacturing companies. Other facilities at the hotel will include an all-day diner, specialty and roof top restaurants, bar, swimming pool and a fitness centre. It will also offer over 1,000 sq. mt. of banqueting space spread across three halls.

Mr. Shyam Sunder Gaur & Mr. Phanindra Mahato, Directors, Vijaya Homes Group said, “We are happy to join hands with IHCL, India’s leading hospitality company to bring the Vivanta brand to Jamshedpur. We look forward to delivering a world class hospitality experience to the guests visiting the city.”

Founded by Jamsetji Tata and named after him, Jamshedpur is also known as Tatanagar due to the presence of multiple Tata companies. It is India’s first industrial city and a major manufacturing hub. It is also home to Jamshedpur FC and is known for nurturing sports talent in archery, football and hockey.

With the addition of this hotel, IHCL will have four hotels across Vivanta and Ginger brands in Jharkhand including one under development.

ZEE bags ‘Gold’ at the prestigious Titan Business Awards

· Recognized with Gold under ‘Best Rewards and Recognition Strategy’ category for its tech-led employee recognition initiatives – ZEElompics and Cheers4Peers

· Takes strategic efforts for driving a culture of recognition through an effective framework that rewards employee behaviors and competencies

Chandigarh, 7^th January 2023: ZEE Entertainment Enterprises Limited (ZEEL), India’s largest content and entertainment powerhouse, has bagged the ‘Gold’ award under the ‘Best Rewards and Recognition Strategy’ category at the 2022 edition of theprestigious Titan Business Awards. The company’s tech-led initiatives – ZEElompics and Cheers4Peers have been adjudged as one of the best employee recognitions frameworks.

Titan Business Awards holds a rich legacy of honouring far-reaching efforts of entrepreneurs and organizations around the world, whose contributions are far beyond the norm, on the global stage of innovation and ingenuity. Correspondingly, the award recognizes remarkable entrepreneurs, SMEs, leading organizations, and all relatable parties in distinctive fields, from private to public, for-profit to non-profit, extending to all available business industries.

Talking about the award victory, Mr. Amit Sharma, Head – Central HR and Revenue, ZEE Music and ZEE Studios said, “We are thrilled to have received the Titan Business Awards, recognizing our industry-first employee recognition initiatives. Through these programmes, we have been successful in pioneering the digital transformation in India’s media and entertainment industry. This award is a testament to the organization’s consistent efforts to identify and inspire consistent employee performances, by recognizing achievers in each role. Following a digital-first approach, the tech-led platforms aim to reward the workforce’s unwavering passion to excel, which will enable us in charting the company’s next phase of growth.”

Launched in July 2020, ZEELOMPICS has been one of the most successful and iconic employee recognition frameworks, following a top-down approach. Inspired by the concept of Olympics, the program consists of 5 rings that signify organizational competencies. Zeelompics is a quarterly recognition program and through digital felicitation, 3% of the workforce that demonstrates competency led behaviors to drive key business outcomes is rewarded. The one-of-its-kind quarterly program aims to inspire employees and set higher individual benchmarks; pushing the workforce to excel and upgrade themselves consistently.

Another exceptional program recognized by the forum was the instant peer-to-peer internal digital recognition platform – Cheers4Peers. Through a social recognition format, this initiative aims at strengthening the relationship between peers, while capturing the organic expression of appreciation across levels, breaking the barriers of language and geography in an engaging manner. The company has partnered with BigFish Benefits to ensure employees can redeem tangible monetary benefits, basis the badges collected by an employee in a financial year. The interactive programme has been widely successful among employees, wherein an average of 80 badges are exchanged daily through the platform. Since the launch date, approximately 25,000 badges have been exchanged, engaging 84% of employees within the organization.

On back of these programs, the company has been taking major strides to cultivate a culture of recognition, excellence and continued learning. The company’s pioneering initiatives are set to lay the roadmap for its next phase of growth, directing employees towards self-development and business growth, while also creating an agile, data-driven, creative problem-solving, innovation-driven enterprise culture.

Kalyan Jewellers’ Gifting Guide for Valentine’s Day

Chandigarh, February 07, 2023: True love withstands the test of time and so does Kalyan Jellewers’ intricate and timeless jewellery. With options ranging from 22K gold designs and diamond embedded jewellery sets among the few, woo your loved one’s heart this Valentines’s Day with exquisite gifting options from Kalyan Jewellers.

Kalyan Jewellers brings you the top 6 jewellery picks that are minimal yet versatile. Wear them alone or layer with matching pieces from the collection for an elegant and well-accessorised look. Explore these exquisitely crafted pieces of jewellery, each more precious than the other and get ready to look your very best this Valentine’s Day!

To make the season of love all the more joyful, Kalyan Jewellers has announced flat 10% off on this exclusive Valentine’s Day Collection. Customers can avail this special discount across Kalyan Jewellers’ showrooms in India till 14th February, 2023.

Listicle:

	The infinity necklace from Kalyan Jewellers, embedded with diamonds, is the perfect symbol of eternal love. The three hearts set onto the infinity element signify the three pillars of a bond- rose gold for love, white gold for friendship and yellow gold for fidelity. This minimal yet intricately detailed necklace is the perfect gift for everyday use.
	This pair of infinity studs features diamonds and three hearts in rose, white and yellow gold. Inspired by a love that lasts forever, a universally recognized sign of deep connection – the infinity symbol, makes these earrings an impactful gift for your loved one this Valentine’s.
	Very similar to the trendy‘Toi et Moi’ (You and Me)ring, this piece from Kalyan Jewellers wraps around the finger bringing two different motifs together- the diamond embedded star and the detailed, 22K gold heart. The uniqueness and versatility of this ring ensures your loved one would wear this on repeat.
	A caterpillar butterfly, studded with rubies carefully placed on an open heart makes this pair of earrings so beautiful and delicate- sure to stand out and amp up your outfit with a subtle and classy pop of color.
	Rubies are known to be a symbol of love and commitment, while a butterfly symbolizes growth and new beginnings; both intertwined together on the 22K gold heart shaped pendant makes this minimalistic neck piece a standout gift this Valentine’s.
	Set your heart a-flutter with this romantic Valentine’s themed bracelet made in 22K gold by Kalyan Jewellers. The motif at the centre features a minimal, delicate rose at the core and is also surrounded with two hearts linked to each other on either sides.

Mr. Rajan Pental appointed as Executive Director of YES BANK

Chandigarh, February 03, 2023: YES BANK announced that the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has approved the appointment of Mr. Rajan Pental as an Executive Director of the Bank for a period of three years w.e.f. February 2, 2023.

Mr. Pental has been a part of YES BANK since November 2015, and is currently serving as the Global Head of Retail Banking group. He has been responsible for building a strong Retail portfolio for the Bank that includes – Branch Banking, Retail, Affluent Banking, NRI Banking, Retail Assets, SME Banking, Rural & Agriculture Banking, Third Party Distribution, Marketing & Corporate Communication, Retail Collections, Retail Legal, Retail Service Excellence & Customer Experience, Liabilities Product Management, Credit Cards and Merchant Acquisition. He is also on the Board of YES Securities, a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank.

In addition to his appointment as an Executive Director, Mr. Pental will continue to spearhead the Bank’s Retail Banking portfolio.

Commenting on the appointment, Mr. Prashant Kumar, MD & CEO, YES BANK said, “I take this opportunity to congratulate Mr. Pental on his appointment as Executive Director of the Bank. Mr. Pental has been instrumental in building a robust retail franchise for the Bank which we, as an organisation, are extremely proud of. Given his rich experience within the financial landscape, I am sure he will continue to steer the Bank towards newer growth horizons.”

Young Borrowers Emerging as a Leading Consumer Segment in India’s Retail Credit Market

· Credit growth in India remained robust despite uncertain global macroeconomic factors

· Younger consumers continued to drive credit demand

· Consumers in previously unserved and underserved geographies increasingly embraced credit, made possible by digital adoption

Chandigarh/Mumbai, India, February, 2023 – TransUnion CIBIL today released findings from the latest edition of its Credit Market Indicator (CMI)* report, which shows that credit demand in the third quarter ending September 2022 remained robust, with a corresponding increase in originations as lenders continued to provide credit opportunities for millions of consumers across India. Consumption-led lending fueled growth amid positive lender sentiment, with credit performance showing consistent improvement year-over-year (YoY).

The CMI, which provides India’s credit industry with a reliable and contemporary benchmark of retail lending health, reached a level of 100 in September 2022, with younger consumers driving demand and lenders catering to the supply of credit to these consumers. The latest CMI reports that, for the first time, consumers from the 18-30 year-old age group accounted for the largest proportion of inquiries—a measure of consumers applying for new credit— in the quarter ending September 2022. This trend is underlined by rapid growth in consumption-led credit products like credit cards, consumer durable loans and personal loans.

“The fact that 43% of retail credit inquiries were made by consumers in the 18-30 year old age group, compared to 38% in the same quarter in 2021, and 33% in the year before, indicates a major milestone in the evolution of India’s credit market, which now has stronger participation of younger consumers in the credit ecosystem,” said Rajesh Kumar, Managing Director and CEO of TransUnion CIBIL. “Increased access to credit opportunities for younger borrowers has direct correlation to improvement in the quality of life and financial empowerment of India’s youth, who are the drivers of the country’s economic engine.”

The CMI is a comprehensive measure of data elements that are summarized monthly to analyze changes in credit market health, and are categorized under four pillars: demand, supply, consumer behavior, and performance. These factors are combined into a single, comprehensive indicator, and pillars can also be viewed in more detail individually. The latest CMI of 100 underlines the steady growth in India’s robust retail credit market, despite the uncertain macroeconomic factors such as inflation and interest rates that are negatively affecting economies in developed and developing markets around the world.

Chart 1: Monthly CMI (September 2020 to September 2022) ⁱ

i When selecting certain variables, year-over-year (YoY) movements are analyzed to remove the effects of seasonality. The increase in April 2021 CMI was temporary and driven primarily by an exponential increase in inquiries and originations in April 2021 compared to a lower base of April 2020. Inquiry and origination volumes increased YoY by 8.5 times and 5.2 times respectively in April 2021.

ii The Sept 2022 CMI value is provisional and subject to revision as additional data are reported to the TransUnion CIBIL credit bureau.

Powered by digital channels, lenders driving growth across geographies and consumer segments

The most demanded credit products in the third quarter ending September 2022 were personal loans, followed by credit cards. Inquiry volumes for personal loans increased by 109% YoY, compared to a growth rate of 91% in the same quarter in 2021, while inquiry volumes for credit cards increased by 102% YoY, compared to a growth rate of 33% in the corresponding quarter one year before.

Demand and supply of consumption-led credit products are intrinsically digital in construct. Lenders are swiftly embracing digital processes to reach consumers across India’s geography, providing them access to credit through digital channels.

Analyses of the CMI at a geographic-level shows that credit reach has expanded in regions that were historically underserved. For instance, Uttar Pradesh has shown the strongest improvement in credit health with a CMI value of 102, an improvement of 19 points YoY. Overall loan originations of retail loans in Uttar Pradesh comprised just over a quarter (26%) that were provided to new-to-credit (NTC) consumers. Credit penetration** in Uttar Pradesh is steadily increasing, reaching 13% in the quarter ending September 2022 from 11% during the same period in the previous year. Uttar Pradesh’s share of consumer durable loans has grown to be 9% of all loans of this type across India, which is an increase of five percentage points compared to the same quarter in 2019.

Borrower profiles shift across age groups and location

A continued feature of the retail credit evolution has been increased credit penetration. Over the last three years, between September 2019 and September 2022, credit penetration has improved across age groups. Consumers in the 18-30 years age group who have availed at least one credit product increased from 14% to 19%; in the 31-45 year age group, it increased from 26% to 35%; and from 23% to 32% among the 46+ year cohort.

From a location perspective, most inquiries (31%) still come from metro areas, but this proportion is slowly declining. Conversely, the number of inquiries emanating from rural areas has increased by one percentage point each year, from 20% in September 2020 to 22% of all inquiries in September 2022. Inquiries from urban and semi-urban areas have remained consistent at 21% and 26% respectively over the last three years.

“Growth and demand continue to come from younger consumers, and those who have historically been unable to experience the benefits of financial inclusion due to their location, or their lack of connectivity,” Kumar said. “This is also likely due to an improvement in economic activity that has resulted in a continued growth trajectory for credit demand across India, which is currently at a three-year high.”

Credit supply continues to grow in line with the growth in demand, with semi-urban and rural consumers accounting for 56% of originations, and younger consumers (18-30 years age group) accounting for 37% of originations – an increase of six percentage points YoY.

Analysis of the latest CMI also shows a marked improvement in borrower profiles, with nearly one-third (32%) of consumers holding a prime*** credit score, up four percentage points from the same period in 2021. Over the same time, 38% of near-prime consumers improved their status to prime in Q3 of 2022.

Importantly, while credit demand and outstanding balances increased, credit performance has remained strong, with balance-level delinquencies improving YoY in September 2022 across all major credit products. This is a clear indicator of sustainable and profitable growth for lenders.

YoY Growth in Outstanding Balances (September 2022)

Product	Value
Home Loan	15%
Loans Against Property	7%
Auto Loan	18%
Two Wheeler Loan	16%
Personal Loan	32%
Credit Card	28%
Consumer Durable Loan	67%

“It is encouraging to see how innovative solutions made possible by technology are extending financial inclusion to diverse populations across the country, particularly in areas that previously were less able to access financial services and credit solutions,” concluded Kumar.

#ENDS

* The TransUnion CIBIL Credit Market Indicator (CMI) is an evolving model which is regularly reviewed to ensure the most relevant variables and their relative weighting are selected to best chart the credit health of India’s lending market. When selecting certain variables, year-on-year movements are analyzed to remove the effects of seasonality.

** Credit penetration is the percentage of credit active population to the total adult population.

*** Credit Tiers based in CIBIL Score range: subprime: 300-680, near Prime: 681-730, prime: 731-770, prime plus: p771-790, super prime: 790+.

About TransUnion CIBIL

India’s pioneer information and insights company, TransUnion CIBIL makes trust possible in the modern economy. We do this by providing an actionable picture of each person so they can be reliably represented in the marketplace. As a result, businesses and consumers can transact with confidence and achieve great things. We call this Information for Good®. TransUnion CIBIL provides solutions that help create economic opportunity, great experiences and personal empowerment for millions of people in India. We serve the financial sector as well as MSMEs, corporate and individual consumers. Our customers in India include banks, financial institutions, NBFCs, housing finance companies, microfinance companies and insurance firms.

https://www.transunioncibil.com/

5 perfect jewellery pieces to let your love sparkle this Valentine’s

~ A token of love for the bond you share ~

Chandigarh, February 02, 2023: The designated day for love is just around the corner and it brings the dilemma of “the perfect gift” to show your dear ones all the love. Of course, that’s a sentiment that should flow from your heart all year long, but 14th February is the real show-stopper. Let’s guide you to celebrate love, relationships, and friends as you encapsulate your affection for those loved ones this Valentine’s day.

Every relationship is unique, but some weigh more than others. And that can make it difficult to find just the right gift. We can make it easier for you through this list of jewellery pieces full of love, exquisiteness, and delightful self-expressive designs. Whether it’s your Mother, Girlfriend, Sister, or Wife or you are celebrating a milestone year, the list has you covered. This Valentine’s, show your love for them and reminisce about the bond by cherishing the memorable things they do for you.

Delighting your Mom – The smile on her face whenever you give her a gift makes it all worth the while. She has been your valentine since day one. As your first love she deserves to feel loved and appreciated on February 14 and beyond. This Valentine’s day express your gratitude with this diamond bracelet which is as exceptional as her love for you.

Bring in the new beginning with ‘A Ring’– It’s a classic to profess love with a diamond ring. Paying attention to her tastes and sense of style helps in deciding the timeless piece. Expressing your love with a diamond ring like this and committing to a lifelong relationship that will be full of friendship, joy, and love. This Valentine’s is sure to top your list of memorable dates. Just remember to book those reservations so that nothing falls short in the name of love.

Cherishing your sister’s love– Sisters are our best friends forever. You might not be similar, but your different selves fit perfectly together. They listen, they care and they trust us with all that they have. For all the pep talks and coffees, you’ve shared, treat her this Valentine’s day with these mismatch diamond earrings, a perfect pair just like you both. Preserve the eternal bond of sibling love with this timeless piece she’ll fall in love with.

Marking the milestone – Indulge in gifting yourself and reminisce remarkable achievements in your life. Give yourself a chance to glow as bright as you did while accomplishing your milestones! With this mesmerizing neckpiece that symbolizes the love you have for yourself, make this Valentine’s one to remember. For self-love like the sun, resplendent and complete comes an exquisite diamond necklace with an emerald to create heartwarming memories with.

Make it mean more – Sparkling emeralds and dazzling diamonds unify to match the radiance and shine to that of your crazy diamond in life. There is no better way to adorn the Queen of your heart than with this glistening and sparkling pendant. This season of love celebrate your indelible bond with her and rejoice in the priceless moments of life. This beautiful and delicate piece can be worn with just about any outfit—on February 14 and beyond!

Yezdi motorcycles on a roll! New colours add a burst of adrenaline to Yezdi Adventure and Scrambler

Chandigarh/Pune, February 02, 2023:Carrying forward the momentum set by the new colour launches last week in the Jawa 42 and Yezdi Roadster range, Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles has announced two new additions to its Yezdi portfolio. The Yezdi Adventure and Scrambler duo now get adrenaline-fueled new colours to accentuate their spirit of exploration and fun.

The Yezdi Adventure will now also be available in ‘Whiteout’, a colourway inspired by the snowy terrain, where this motorcycle feels absolutely at home. The Yezdi Scrambler ‘Bold Black’ takes inspiration from stealth, making it the perfect companion to slide through the night. While both colourways find themselves at opposite edges of the spectrum, the motorcycles are born from the same gene pool and made to thrill no matter what the terrain.

Presenting the new colourways in the Yezdi lineup, Ashish Singh Joshi, CEO – of Jawa Yezdi Motorcycles, said, “The Adventure and Scrambler are icons of the free-spirited Yezdi character. Both purpose-built motorcycles are made for the adrenaline rush; be it long rides on the highway or short bursts around the trails. The new colourways act as an extension of their personalities and make them look even more stunning in the outdoors.”

Both motorcycles are purpose-built to perform. The Adventure is the quintessential all-terrain machine, comfortable and capable at the same time. Making every ride a breeze is its liquid-cooled, fuel-injected, DOHC single-cylinder engine displacing 334cc, delivering a peak power of 30.3PS & peak torque of 29.84Nm. Serious off-roader styling, tailormade suspension set-up and comfortable ergonomics make it the perfect go-anywhere motorcycle.

The Scrambler is India’s first true-blue scrambler, built with just one intention – fun! Be it the distinctive styling, minimalist rear section or upswept twin exhausts, the motorcycle stays true to its name. Adding a punch to the package is a similar 334cc engine that is tuned for a flat torque curve and a meaty torque spread across the rev range. The peak power and torque output from this engine is 29.1PS & 28.2Nm respectively.

Both motorcycles come with a slick-shifting six-speed transmission with an A&S clutch as standard. The class-leading dual channel ABS by Continental on both motorcycles also gets three ABS modes – Road, Rain & Off-Road (which switches off the rear ABS completely) to offer flexibility to riders along with safety. Adding convenience is a handlebar-mounted USB charging point, while the Adventure also gets Bluetooth connectivity and turn-by-turn navigation as standard.

The Yezdi Adventure Whiteout is priced at INR 2,14,942 while the Scrambler Bold Black will be available at INR 2,09,900, ex-showroom Delhi.

*****

Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited Completes Merger with Mahindra & Mahindra Limited

Chandigarh/Mumbai, February 2, 2023: Mahindra Electric Mobility Limited (MEML) is now officially merged into the parent company, Mahindra and Mahindra Limited (M&M). The M&M Board had undertaken that MEML would merge into M&M with effect from April 1, 2021, to synergize EV development, manufacturing, and sales operations. The merger process, which has been underway, received the final NCLT approval on January 13, 2023.

The Last Mile Mobility (LMM) division of M&M will be responsible for the company’s widely acclaimed mix of petrol, CNG, diesel and electric last mile mobility 3- and 4-wheelers – passenger and cargo vehicles. These include the Mahindra Jeeto 4-wheeler, Alfa range of 3-wheelers, Zor Grand electric and the exclusive electric Treo range.

Venus Remedies bags Great Place To Work certification again

Ø This is the fifth time and for the second consecutive year that Venus Remedies has received this coveted recognition

Panchkula, February 2, 2023: Venus Remedies Limited has been Great Place To Work® Certified™ in India (from January 2023 to January 2024). This is the fifth time and for the second consecutive year that Venus Remedies has received this coveted recognition.

Venus Remedies, a research-based pharmaceutical company in India, has always primarily focused on its workplace culture. Employees, one of its stakeholders, form the most significant part of the company’s ecosystem. Complying with the Great Place To Work’s movement “Making India a Great Place To Work For All,” Venus Remedies persistently strives to provide a conducive work environment to its employees.

A recipient of Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awardwhich had also won the AmbitionBox Best Places to Work in India Award last year by securing the second rank in the pharma industry among small companies, Venus Remedies is known for its dynamic work culture and ideal workplace practices.

“Employee satisfaction, growth, and development are not one-time tasks, recognises Venus Remedies. Consistency is the key! With unwavering determination and healthy association with its employees, Venus Remedies continually invests in their social, intellectual, economic, mental, and professional development. The organisation will continue to foster a work culture of connection, trust, care, and emotional safety for its workforce by taking regular feedback from each and every individual,” a statement issued by the Great Place To Work Institute said.

Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make strategic people decisions. The Institute serves businesses, non-profits and government agencies in more than 60 countries and has conducted pioneering research on the characteristics of great workplaces for over three decades.

“Venus is grateful to its employees for recognising their company as a Great Place To Work. In 2022, we were able to nurture and harvest our learning-driven culture. As the world progressed and adopted artificial intelligence (AI) in their work, the organisation took the initiative to prepare its employees for an AI-assisted future. The adaptability of our employees to that change shows signs of progress for us, and we aim to prepare our workforce for the fourth industrial revolution. We are proud to create an ecosystem in which we provide an open platform to our employees, and they take that as an opportunity to ensure their growth and that of the company,” said Akshansh Chaudhary, President, Human Resources, Venus Remedies.

Chaudhary said this recognition is an endorsement of the company’s people-oriented HR policies and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) principles at the workplace. Venus Remedies regularly invests in upskilling employees across the hierarchy, which ensures that they always remain job-ready and industry-relevant. The healthy work environment it provides to its employees goes a long way in ensuring their holistic growth.

In India, the Great Place to Work Institute partners with more than 1,400 organizations annually across over 22 industries to help them build High-Trust, High-Performance Cultures designed to deliver sustained business results. Hundreds of CEOs and CXOs from India Inc. are part of the great place community that is committed to the vision of making India a Great Place To Work for all.

The Institute’s research shows that great workplaces are characterized by great leadership, consistent employee experience, and sustainable financial performance. These organizations can deliver a consistent experience to all their employees irrespective of their role, gender, tenure, or level. Their leaders believe in the vision of creating and sustaining a Great Place To Work for all and role models being for all leaders.

Learn more at https://www.greatplacetowork.in/ and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

Venus Remedies bags Great Place To Work certification again

Ø This is the fifth time and for the second consecutive year that Venus Remedies has received this coveted recognition

Panchkula, February 2, 2023: Venus Remedies Limited has been Great Place To Work® Certified™ in India (from January 2023 to January 2024). This is the fifth time and for the second consecutive year that Venus Remedies has received this coveted recognition.

Venus Remedies, a research-based pharmaceutical company in India, has always primarily focused on its workplace culture. Employees, one of its stakeholders, form the most significant part of the company’s ecosystem. Complying with the Great Place To Work’s movement “Making India a Great Place To Work For All,” Venus Remedies persistently strives to provide a conducive work environment to its employees.

A recipient of Asia’s Best Employer Brand Awardwhich had also won the AmbitionBox Best Places to Work in India Award last year by securing the second rank in the pharma industry among small companies, Venus Remedies is known for its dynamic work culture and ideal workplace practices.

“Employee satisfaction, growth, and development are not one-time tasks, recognises Venus Remedies. Consistency is the key! With unwavering determination and healthy association with its employees, Venus Remedies continually invests in their social, intellectual, economic, mental, and professional development. The organisation will continue to foster a work culture of connection, trust, care, and emotional safety for its workforce by taking regular feedback from each and every individual,” a statement issued by the Great Place To Work Institute said.

Great Place To Work is the global authority on workplace culture. Since 1992, they have surveyed more than 100 million employees worldwide and used those deep insights to define what makes a great workplace: trust. Their employee survey platform empowers leaders with the feedback, real-time reporting and insights they need to make strategic people decisions. The Institute serves businesses, non-profits and government agencies in more than 60 countries and has conducted pioneering research on the characteristics of great workplaces for over three decades.

“Venus is grateful to its employees for recognising their company as a Great Place To Work. In 2022, we were able to nurture and harvest our learning-driven culture. As the world progressed and adopted artificial intelligence (AI) in their work, the organisation took the initiative to prepare its employees for an AI-assisted future. The adaptability of our employees to that change shows signs of progress for us, and we aim to prepare our workforce for the fourth industrial revolution. We are proud to create an ecosystem in which we provide an open platform to our employees, and they take that as an opportunity to ensure their growth and that of the company,” said Akshansh Chaudhary, President, Human Resources, Venus Remedies.

Chaudhary said this recognition is an endorsement of the company’s people-oriented HR policies and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) principles at the workplace. Venus Remedies regularly invests in upskilling employees across the hierarchy, which ensures that they always remain job-ready and industry-relevant. The healthy work environment it provides to its employees goes a long way in ensuring their holistic growth.

In India, the Great Place to Work Institute partners with more than 1,400 organizations annually across over 22 industries to help them build High-Trust, High-Performance Cultures designed to deliver sustained business results. Hundreds of CEOs and CXOs from India Inc. are part of the great place community that is committed to the vision of making India a Great Place To Work for all.

The Institute’s research shows that great workplaces are characterized by great leadership, consistent employee experience, and sustainable financial performance. These organizations can deliver a consistent experience to all their employees irrespective of their role, gender, tenure, or level. Their leaders believe in the vision of creating and sustaining a Great Place To Work for all and role models being for all leaders.

Learn more at https://www.greatplacetowork.in/ and on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

ABFRL inducts Ms. Ananya Birla and Mr. Aryaman Vikram Birla as Directors

1/02/23 | Chandigarh: The Board of Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, at its meeting held today, inducted Ms. Ananya Birla and Mr. Aryaman Vikram Birla as Directors. Ms. Ananya Birla and Mr. Aryaman Vikram Birla come with rich and varied experience straddling entrepreneurship and business building. The board believes that ABFRL will benefit from their new-age insights and business acumen.

Commenting on their appointment, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, Chairman Aditya Birla Group said, “Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail has built a formidable portfolio of fashion brands across multiple categories and formats, covering all major segments of Indian apparel market. In the last few years, the company has entered multiple new emerging segments such as Ethnicwear— including partnerships with Indian designers, luxury, sportswear and new age businesses through its digital venture TMRW. The ABFRL platform is now poised for a new wave of exponential growth. Ananya and Aryaman’s exceptional individual achievements in their chosen fields and early success with their independent entrepreneurial ventures set them up well for larger responsibilities. Their nuanced understanding of new-age business models and emerging shifts in consumer behaviour will infuse fresh energy to the board of ABFRL. He added, “Ananya and Aryaman are firmly rooted in the group’s values and passionately believe in the group’s purpose. I am confident that they will build on the group’s rich entrepreneurial traditions and successful track record in creating sustained stakeholder value.”

Ms. Ananya Birla and Mr. Aryaman Vikram Birla have recently been inducted as Directors on the board of Aditya Birla Management Corporation Pvt. Ltd, the apex body that provides strategic direction to the Aditya Birla Group’s businesses.

Ms. Ananya Birla is a successful business woman and platinum selling artist. Her first company, Svatantra Microfin Pvt Ltd, founded at the age of 17, is amongst India’s fastest growing MFI’s. It has crossed an AUM of 1 billion USD, and has grown at a CAGR of 120% (2015-2022). With over 7000 employees, it has consistently been accorded a Great Place To Work. With a CRISIL A+ rating, Svatantra is the youngest, highest rated organization in the sector. Svatantra successfully acquired Micro Housing Finance Corporation Ltd. in 2018. Her innovation across the business has resulted in a number of firsts in the industry, and solidified Svatantra’s position as an industry leader in financial services. Ms. Birla is also the founder of design-led home decor brand Ikai Asai. On the social front, Ms. Ananya Birla has co-founded Mpower, and advocates the need for conversations around mental health in India. She is also the founder of the Ananya Birla Foundation that does pioneering research in mental health and social impact.

Mr. Aryaman Vikram Birla comes with diverse experience which includes, entrepreneurship, VC investing, and professional sport. Aryaman is closely involved with several businesses of the Aditya Birla Group. In consultation with the Group Chairman, Mr. Kumar Mangalam Birla, he is actively championing the Group’s foray into new-age businesses. Aryaman helped incubate the Group’s D2C platform, TMRW, and is a director on its board. His maiden entrepreneurial foray was in the hospitality business. Aryaman is also spearheading the Group’s Venture Capital fund, Aditya Birla Ventures. Prior to joining ABG, Aryaman was a prolific first-class cricketer.

IIFL Finance Signs Top Pan-Indian Actor Tamannaah Bhatia as Brand Ambassador

Chandigarh, 1 Feb 2023: IIFL Finance, which is one of India’s largest non-banking financial companies (NBFC) today said that it has signed top Indian actor Ms Tamannaah Bhatia as its brand ambassador as it aims to bolster its pan-India brand presence.

IIFL Finance is a retail-focussed NBFC with a loan AUM of $7 billion, serving over 8.5 million customers across India, through 3,700+ branches and multiple digital platforms. IIFL Finance’s offerings include gold loan, home loan, business loan and personal loan. IIFL Finance also has a subsidiary – IIFL Samasta Microfinance and is in the process of setting up India’s first MSME neobank – IIFL Open Neobank – in partnership with Open Financial Technologies.

Speaking on the new brand ambassador appointment, Mr Manav Verma, Chief Marketing Officer of IIFL said, “We want to be the loans destination of choice fulfilling dreams and goals of millions of Indians who don’t have easy access to credit. Ms Tamannaah is a top actor in India since the last fifteen years and has a deep connect with our customer segments. The association will further alleviate our brand strengths together.”

Ms Tamannaah Bhatia said, “I am delighted to be associated with IIFL. Being a dreamer, I can identify with dreams of millions of Indians and respect the role IIFL plays by providing credit across India.”

“IIFL Finance’s brand philosophy –“SeedhiBaat” – reflects in their simple, straight forward product offerings and seamless processes, which also resonates with my professional philosophy.” Ms Tamannaah Bhatia is one of India’s top female actors with over 100 films to her credit across Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam and Kannada cinema. The Bahubali-fame actor has received 19 major awards for her work and an honorary doctorate for her contributions to cinema. She is also a prominent actor in the OTT space. Ms Tamannaah recently turned an author with ‘Back to the Roots’ published by Penguin Random House India.

Mahindra XUV400 records 10,000 + bookings on the Extended Republic Day Weekend

· Over 10,000 bookings clocked across 34 cities on the extended Republic Day weekend

· Booked for approx. 7-month supply

Chandigarh 1 Feb 2023: Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., pioneers of the SUV segment in India, recorded over 10,000 bookings for their recently launched e-SUV, Mahindra XUV400, since bookings commenced in 34 cities at 11:00am on January 26, 2023. This translates to an approx. seven-month delivery period.

Launched earlier this month, the all-electric SUV starts from INR 15.99 lakh. The introductory prices are applicable on first 5,000 bookings for each of the two variants. Mahindra aims to deliver 20,000 units of the XUV400 within a year of its launch based on current supply chain visibility. The deliveries of the XUV400 will begin in March 2023 for XUV400 EL and during the upcoming Diwali festive season for XUV400 EC.

Recently, the XUV400 entered the India Book of Records by setting a new record of maximum distance covered by an EV in a single day at sub-zero temperature. The drive started from Kyelang, Lahaul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh and covered a distance of 751kms in 24 hours.

Mahindra is also auctioning the one-of-one, exclusive edition of the All-Electric XUV400, a creative collaboration between Mahindra Chief Design Officer Pratap Bose and the award-winning fashion designer, Rimzim Dadu. The auction started January 26, at 11 am and ends on January 31, 2023, at 11.59 pm. The one-off XUV400 electric SUV will be handed over to the winning bidder on February 10, during the Mahindra EV Fashion Festival in Hyderabad. The winning bid will be matched by Mahindra and the amount will be distributed amongst the winners of the ‘Mahindra Rise Sustainability Champion Awards’ and/or to a charity of their choice.

Social Media Addresses for all-electric XUV400:

· Brand website: http://mahindraelectricautomobile.com/xuv400

· Twitter: https://twitter.com/Mahindra_XUV400

· YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC2MTeL5Tw9Q9jhCSSVRN0hg

· Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mahindraxuv400

· Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/XUV400/

· LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mahindra-xuv400

· Hashtag: #XUV400

PNB MetLife increases footprint, announces launch of 20 new branches across India

Better access for customers and improved access to insurance protection

Chandigarh/New Delhi, 1 Feb 2023: PNB MetLife, one of India’s leading life insurers, has announced the launch of 20 new branches across India. PNB MetLife already has an extensive distribution network in the country with over xx branches and opening up these new branches is in line with their strategy to better serve the needs of our growing customer base across the country. The new branches will enable PNB MetLife customers to get access to customer focused products and solutions as well as convenient and easy access to the full range of services in the branches.

The 20 new branches are set across India in strategically key cities and include: Ghazipur (Uttar Pradesh), Alambagh (Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh) Mandi (Himachal Pradesh), Chamba (Himachal Pradesh), Dharamshala (Himachal Pradesh), Una (Himachal Pradesh), Balasore (Odisha), Ambala (Haryana), Hisar (Haryana), Dunlop (Kolkata, West Bengal), Kottarakara (Kerala), Thalassery (Kerala), Khammam (Telangana), Hassan (Karnataka), Thanjavur (Tamil Nadu), Bhimavaram (Andhra Pradesh), Indore (MP), Sehore (MP), Baner (Pune, Maharashtra) and Jalgaon (Maharashtra).

Commenting on the launch, Sameer Bansal, CDO, PNB MetLife said “We are delighted to bring PNB MetLife’s services and solutions closer to our customers through these new branches across 20 key cities in India. Our agents and teams will continue to deliver world-class customer service in these cities, as we remain focused on helping people build confidence in the future and protect their families. Our new branch in Hassan in Karnataka is part of our focus on increasing our presence in rapidly growing and strategically important markets. We aim to enable our local customers to get easier access to our services.”

As a brand, PNB MetLife prioritizes the needs of customers and the opening of these branches across India will further help PNB MetLife provide seamless service to their customers and stakeholders in these cities.

ABP Ananda successfully concludes 9th edition of its marquee food festival ‘Khaibaar Paas’

Chandigarh, 1 Feb 2023: ABP Ananda, Bengal’s leading news channel, has successfully concluded the 9^th edition of its four-day annual food festival ‘Khaibaar Paas.’The event was organised from January 26 to 29, at EEDF Ground, Kolkata. A confluence of food and culture, this event holds immense significance in Kolkata and is highly anticipated by the locals. Like every year, it grabbed the attention of thousands of enthusiastic and excited Bengali food lovers who gathered in huge numbers to share their love for food.

In ABP Ananda’s ‘Khaibaar Paas,’ the foodies were tucked into a range of different cuisines including Mughlai, Chinese, Bengali, exotic Sea Food, Sweets, street food, Continental, Lebanese, and other variety of snacks. More than 50 restaurants participated in the event who set up their food stalls to display their exquisite recipes and impeccable taste. The influencers and foodies cherished the festival and relished tasting culinary dishes along with creating brand visibility and promoting these renowned restaurants and food outlets in Bengal. Furthermore, to make Khaibaar Paas a one-of-a-kind food event many fun and engaging activities were carried out by influencers, bloggers, and participating restaurants.

Due to the great relevance of the event amongst Bengal’s foodies and food business owners, hundreds of business enterprises shared rich traditional, and contemporary takes on Bengali cuisine. The event also provided a great platform for sponsors and partners to display their offerings to larger audiences.

ABP Ananda’s Khaibaar Paas 2023 was presented by eminent sponsors which included Wild Stone, Dear Govt. Lotteries, Jaya Biscuits, Suman Kacchi Ghani Mustard Oil & Catch Masala. The event was powered by – Proreal Entertainment, partnered with Pran Toast, Wagh Bakri Chai, Mukhorochak, Saha Textile, Alliance Broadband and Mysore Sandal Soap, while its digital partner was ABP Live.

Zigly’s brand campaign encourages #NoCompromise on pet care

The campaign intends to build pet parenting effectively and do not compromise on the overall wellbeing of our paw babies; bringing in scalable solutions to deal with pets’ needs all—from fashion to food to services

Chandigarh, 1 Feb 2023: Pets aren’t just animals anymore- they’re family. Zigly, (Cosmo First Limited) India’s first tech-enabled omni-channel pet care brand, announces the launch of a new brand campaign titled #NoCompromise. The campaign intends to spread a message among pet parents to not compromise in delivering quality pet care services to ensure the well-being and happiness of pets.

The much-awaited brand campaign is live from 26^th January 2023 for a month across social media, YouTube, Radio, My Gate app, OOH and will also be extended at all their Experience centres. The entire campaign will include 4 films of 15-20 seconds each, scheduled for launch with one film every week.

Sharing his thoughts on the same, Mr. Pankaj Poddar, Group CEO, Cosmo Firstsaid, “We have come to a point in our lives where we no longer want to settle for anything less than the best. We want the best fashion, the best food, and the best services. This change in consumer behaviour has also been observed among pet parents who now prefer to take their pets to brands that offer a variety of options and high-quality products and services. Zigly is proud to be a part of this journey and help raise awareness about the importance of not compromising when it comes to our pets’ overall wellbeing. Through our campaign #NoCompromise, we aim to inspire and educate people on quality pet care.”

Link to the brand campaign:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtPxxAvb_CY

The consensus among Indians has been to accept things the way they are and to compromise in certain aspects of their lives. However, this mind set is changing, people now want the best for themselves and refuse to settle for less. In the same vein, pet owners should not compromise when it comes to their pet’s health, grooming, spa time, or food and products. The campaign, which will include a variety of marketing initiatives, is designed to educate pet owners about the importance of quality pet parenting.

Sharing his thoughts on the same, Mr. Ambarish Sikarwar, Business Head, Ziglysaid, “Pet parents always want the best for their furry children, but good quality pet care products and services can be difficult to find. Zigly offers a wide range of services and products that are practical and affordable so that they don’t have to make compromises when it comes to their pet’s needs. We’re continuously expanding our product line to be able to offer even more solutions for pet parents, and all of our products are designed with pets’ comfort and practicality in mind. For Zigly, this campaign is a commitment to never compromise on what’s best for your pets.”

Additionally, Zigly will set up no-compromise booths in their stores during the campaign to shower love on furry friends. Being an omni-channel pet care brand, Zigly intends to provide a completely integrated pet care experience.

To know more about Zigly’s experience centers and their offerings, please click on the link here.