Archives May 2023

Mumbai, May 06, 2023: BharatPe Group, one of India’s leading names in the fintech industry, today announced that it will be rebranding PAYBACK India, the country’s largest multi-brand loyalty program to Zillion. This new brand identity is in line with the company’s vision to make Zillion ubiquitous to loyalty and rewards across the country. The new brand identity aims to target customers across age groups and add a new dimension to their overall shopping experience, across categories and brands.

Zillion will offer a wide range of options for customers to earn and redeem at a wide range of partners across the country. The customers will be able to earn ‘Zillion coins’ for their routine spends, that will in turn add a moment of delight in their life. The Zillion logo incorporates this, signifying experiencing joy of spark and finding ‘aha’ moments everywhere. Customers will be able to earn Zillion coins across the network of offline and online partners, including groceries, fuel, entertainment, travel, apparel and more. The new web address for Zillion is https://zillionrewards.in/.

Speaking on the rebranding, Mr. Rijish Raghavan, Chief Executive Officer – Zillion said, “It has been a long and satisfying journey for us, building PAYBACK over the years as India’s largest loyalty program with over 130 million customers. Today marks a landmark day as we begin a new era in our journey – as Zillion. The new brand identity marks a transformational shift in our strategy from being a niche loyalty program to one with an extensive range of partners, across categories. The new name and identity will also help us connect better with a wider range of customers – including Gen Z and Millennials. Our objective is to make Zillion a de facto customer delight tool for retailers across the country. I am confident that Zillion will emerge as the preferred loyalty program for millions of customers in the coming months.”

Added Parth Joshi, Chief Marketing Officer, BharatPe, “Zillion has been created keeping in mind the customers of today – it is young, bold and energetic and aims to add a spark of joy in the customers’ lives, every day. We are confident that this new version of the brand will appeal to a wider customer base and will be able to deliver more aha moments and make every day special for the customers. We will be launching marketing campaigns in the coming months to build awareness about Zillion and drive consumer engagement.”

Zillion (erstwhile PAYBACK India) is a unique multi-brand loyalty program, designed to engage with customers and reward them for their purchases with loyalty coins that can be redeemed later. Currently, its members can earn coins at 50+ brands – instore & online and redeem them at select partners or for products and vouchers from leading brands. The partners of Zillion include renowned brands from multiple industries including retail, fuel, banking, payments, entertainment, hospitality and travel. Some of its key partners include HPCL, BookMyShow, American Express, Amazon, Flipkart and many more.

Mumbai: ICICI Bank today announced that it has enabled FASTag auto recharge through Unified Payments Interface (UPI) mandate. The facility offers yet another option to users to recharge their FASTag automatically as per pre-defined frequency in a completely digital manner. It helps users to pass through the FASTag lane at toll plazas seamlessly and eliminates the inconvenience of not having sufficient funds in their accounts.

Users can set up the standing instructions through UPI mandate by a one-time quick and easy process. They can use the facility to recharge FASTag affixed on the vehicle or the FASTag wallet with their chosen frequency options- daily, weekly, monthly, and quarterly. They can activate and deactivate the auto recharge facility as per their convenience.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Sudipta Roy, Head – Credit Cards, Payment Solutions & Merchant Ecosystem, ICICI Bank said “We are delighted to introduce auto recharge facility through UPI mandate for FASTag. ICICI Bank is the first bank to offer this facility. With the government’s initiative to install FASTag in vehicles for toll fees and increased adoption of UPI payments, we believe the auto recharge facility using UPI mandate will offer more convenience to users.”

Mumbai, May 06, 2023: Did anyone catch a glimpse of AyushmannKhurrana peacefully enjoying his forty winks and lost in his beautiful dreamland? Recently, a viral video of the actor was doing the rounds online, featuring the talented actor enjoying his power nap, and refueling his energy meter on a set. As netizens got talking about this intriguing clip, Wakefit.co, one of India’s largest D2C home and sleep solutions brands, unveiled AyushmannKhurrana asits new brand ambassador in its usual quirky and funtonality.

Known for its off-beat and engaging marketing communication, Wakefit.co has roped in Bollywood’s Mr. Original to create resonance with the progressive yet practical Indian citizen. Besides being the face of the brand and spearheading upcoming campaigns, Ayushmann will also help the brand in creating awareness and education about sleep health and its importance in the modern context. In an interesting twist preceding the announcement, the brand’s name was kept under wraps in the behind-the-scenes (BTS) clip to evoke curiosity. This created the perfect backdrop to reveal the association. The reveal was done in a monologue-style format, with Ayushmann appealing to people to give due importance to sleep.

In his classic style, Ayushmann delivers a sharp commentary titled ‘Sleep India Sleep’ on the pressing problem of sleep deprivation in India. With his dynamism and youthful energy, the actor can be seen urging the audience to prioritise their sleep health and take a pledge to sleep better. This video forms
the initiation of the brand’s partnership with Ayushmann and is in tandem with its marketing philosophy which aims to create meaningful conversations about improving the quality of sleep and home among Indians.

Commenting on the association, AyushmannKhurrana shared, “Wakefit.co’s philosophy of creating meaningful and authentic conversations with its audience around home and sleep health is something that I wholeheartedly believe in. I’m excited to join forces with a brand that values innovation and practicality as much as I do. This partnership will be an excellent opportunity to connect with diverse audience groups and help make a positive impact on their lives.”

Speaking on the occasion, Chaitanya Ramalingegowda Director and Co-Founder, Wakefit.co said,“We are delighted to have Ayushmann as our official brand ambassador, as we believe this will allow us to strengthen our brand identity across multiple regions in the country. The Wakefit consumer persona is that of someone who is progressive yet practical in their lifestyle and their purchase decisions. Ayushmann fits that persona perfectly, which makes him the ideal choice as the face of our brand. Wakefit.co shares many core values with Ayushmann, whether it is in being innovative with our choices, being truly original and authentic or appealing to a wide demographic and geographic audience base”

The association with Ayushmann aims to sharpen the company’s brand identity even further and build its affinity across the country.The brand recently received its Series D funding in January 2023 and now aims to strengthen its brand-building efforts, expand omni-channel presence and category presence. and scale supply chain operations. In 2022, the company also announced its offline retail expansion and has launched 22 physical stores across the country with plans to open up more than 100 stores by end of FY24.

India, 06.05.2023: Sennheiser, a German audio giant, today announced attractive deals across its range of premium products during the Amazon Great Summer Sale. Exclusively available on Amazon, the sale starting today will offer customers an opportunity to get hands-on on Sennheiser’s range of bestselling audio products such as Sennheiser MKE 200, Sennheiser XS Lav, Sennheiser HD 280 PRO, Profile USB microphone, Sennheiser Professional Audio HD 25 Plus and Sennheiser XS-1.

Built for podcasters, streamers, and gamers, the recently launched Sennheiser Profile USB microphone is available at an irresistible price of INR, 6,990. The Profile USB mic simplifies the sound recording process by requiring only a single connection. It is powered by USB-C and prioritizes audio quality and user-friendliness without requiring an interface or complicated software, thereby offering a truly hassle-free plug-and-play experience for the customers.

Meticulously crafted to deliver the best sound quality, the Sennheiser Professional Audio Xs-1 Dynamic Xlr Unidirectional Cardioid Microphone will be available at an exciting price of INR 2,290. XS 1 has been designed for first-time and casual users who appreciate simplicity, upfront vocal presence in the mix, and no complications. This versatile microphone provides professional live sound for those getting started and comes in an all-metal housing and therefore is a reliable companion on any stage.

Elaborating on the announcement, Mr. Vipin Pungalia, Country Manager & Director- Sales Pro Audio at Sennheiser India said, ” Our customers in India have always loved the quality and finesse that we have been offering with our products and we believe that the Amazon Great Summer Sale will provide a great opportunity for our customers to upgrade their audio game with our premium products during the sale period.”

Built to deliver the best sound quality, the Sennheiser MKE 200 will be available at an exciting price of INR 5,319. Sennheiser MKE 200 features a directional on-camera microphone with built-in wind protection and shock absorption for enhanced in-camera audio. Includes 3.5mm TRS and TRRS coiled cables for compatibility with DSLR and mirrorless cameras or mobile devices.

XS Lav mobile omnidirectional condenser microphone is the perfect companion for enhanced dialogue applications and is now available at an attractive price of INR 2,849. The Sennheiser XS Lav is an ideal choice for content creators, YouTubers, vloggers, or customers looking to enhance their home videos. With its high-quality sound and ease of use, this microphone helps take the audio experience a notch higher.

Sennheiser HD 280 PRO wired over-ear headphones are expertly crafted to meet the demands of professional environments such as home and recording studios. These headphones will be available at a special offer price of INR 6,490, allowing audio enthusiasts and professionals to experience high-quality audio at an affordable price. Don’t miss the chance to upgrade your audio game with Sennheiser HD 280 PRO headphones!

Ideal for DJ, monitoring, podcasting and cameraman monitoring, the iconic and legendary Sennheiser HD25 Plus headphone will be available for purchase at an offer price of INR 12,990. The Sennheiser HD25 Plus, legendary headphone, comes with a coiled cable, an additional straight cable, a second set of ear cushions, and a protective pouch. With its outstanding sound quality and durability, the Sennheiser HD25 Plus headphones are a must-have for anyone who takes their audio seriously. Don’t miss out on this incredible offer!

Noida, India, 6 May 2023: Sopra Banking Software, a leading partner for more than 1,500 financial institutions worldwide, announced the opening of its new office in Noida today. Nestled in the prime locality of Noida’s Sector-132, the 10-story campus offers a vibrant working environment to colleagues. The spacious, bright, and naturally lit interiors of the premises with plenty of green spaces, offer a welcoming experience to the colleagues and leave them feeling energized to bring out their best in everything they do.

The new office space is modeled with Agile Seating offering a mix of sitting and standing workspaces that offer a collaborative experience. There are plenty of meeting rooms for team huddles that are backed with superior conferencing capabilities and equipment. From an employee engagement perspective, the new campus houses a training room, a large recreational room, and a gymnasium with cool indoor and board games for individuals to take a quick break and feel refreshed.

Reflecting on the company’s buoyant plans for India Sunil Goyal, CEO of Sopra Banking Software India, and Deputy CEO of Sopra Steria India, said, “We are committed to maintaining the highest standards of quality and efficiency in all our operations, and our new office is a testament to providing exceptional service to our clients and offer a great working space to our colleagues. It is because of their sheer commitment that we were accredited as a Great Place to Work – the second time in a row! We are excited to have a new address in Noida that reflects our values, passion and supports our business ambitions.”

Addressing the teams, Eric Pasquier, Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors Sopra Steria and Chairman Sopra Banking Software, said, “I am thrilled to announce the opening of our new site in India. India is at the heart of Sopra Steria Group’s growth strategy and our teams here are doing a fantastic job for our customers. Two years ago, our ambition was to be 1000 Sopra Banking Software colleagues in India; we are today 1100 and the global ambition for the group for Sopra Steria and Sopra Banking Software in India is to be 10,000 employees in 2025. This new campus is symbolic of our success and our ambition for the future, and it also highlights the level of standards that we want as part of and for our employees’ wellness in their everyday work-life.

With our digital products and services, we are building the future. We focus on human-centered and value-sensitive approaches to technology understanding and design. The new tech-campus will continue to engage with the local community through various CSR initiatives such as education, health, and environment. This will contribute to the development of a positive relationship between the organization and the community, which is crucial for its long-term sustainability. Overall, the opening of our new tech-campus will help us in demonstrating our commitment to India’s economic and social development and contribute to the CSR goals. We believe that the initiatives by our CSR foundation will have a significant impact on the lives of over 50,000 children, as it will enable them to learn and grow, regardless of their financial situation.”

Speaking during his in-person interaction with their colleagues today, Eric Bierry, CEO of Sopra Banking Software said, “India is an integral factor of our Global Innovation, Research & Development. With the opening of our new office in Noida, we aim to deliver on our promise of offering a thriving working environment to our colleagues. We are excited about the opportunities that this new office brings and are confident that it will play a significant role in our future successes. We look forward to collaborating with our teams and partners in India and building strong relationships that will last for years to come.”

Since Sopra Banking’s inception in 2012, the revenue has increased from 171 million euros to nearly half a billion. The organisation has evolved from a France-centric provider to a global one and has expanded its services to include cloud technology and an open banking platform. The organisation is focused on making finance accessible to as many people as possible and thus building a better future. Sopra Banking expanded its presence in India in 2019 with a focus on R&D and innovation centre and is now a strong family with 1000+ colleagues.

Eric Fajole, the French trade and investment commissioner of France in India said “I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to Sopra Banking Software on the inauguration of their state-of-the-art campus in Noida. This is a significant milestone for the company and a testament to its global vision and commitment to excellence in India. The new campus will undoubtedly provide a platform for innovation and collaboration, mark as a strong symbol of the partnership between France and India in the field of technology. I wish Sopra Banking Software all the very best for their future endeavors.”

Bangalore, 6 May 2023: – Commvault, an enterprise data protection leader for the complex and mission-critical hybrid environments of today’s global businesses, announced that KuppingerCole Analysts AG has positioned the company as an Overall Leader in its Leadership Compass on Cloud Backup for Ransomware Protection. Within this rating, Commvault has also been named a Product Leader, Innovation Leader, and Market Leader.

“Today’s hybrid IT environment creates additional challenges for backup and disaster recovery because of its complexity and heterogeneity, making it critical for customers to select solutions that align with their business requirements for service continuity, like resiliency, immutability, and scalability,” said Mike Small, Senior Analyst at KuppingerCole. “Commvault has the broadest environment data protection with comprehensive functionality covering multiple use cases, a range of solution delivery options, and strong security features such as multi-layered zero trust. Its Metallic Data Protection as a Service (DPaaS) should be considered by organizations looking for DPaaS as part of a comprehensive solution with ransomware protection for their hybrid IT environment.”

The KuppingerCole Leadership Compass provides an overview of the Cloud Backup for Ransomware Protection market, analyzing vendors based on innovativeness, market position, financial strength, and ecosystem, as well as their respective products and services across a range of capabilities, including security, functionality, deployment, interoperability, and usability.

Commvault’s enterprise-grade DPaaS excels in all of these categories and is championed in the report for delivering a wide range of cloud-native data protection solutions that cover a broad spectrum of workloads, including databases, endpoints, file & object, VM & Kubernetes, Microsoft 365, Microsoft Dynamics 365, Microsoft Active Directory, and Salesforce. The report also spotlights the enhanced security and compliance protection from Metallic DPaaS via its Security IQ security tools and insights, ThreatWise cyber deception technology, and Government Cloud protection.

“We are thrilled to receive recognition for our excellence in cloud backup and ransomware protection! As one of the only vendors to be highlighted for both Overall Leadership and individual components of Product, Innovation, and Market Leadership in KuppingerCole’s report, we are proud to stand out from the competition,” said David Ngo, Metallic CTO, Commvault. “At Commvault, we take pride in providing unparalleled simplicity and trust to our customers, regardless of where they are in their cloud journey. We offer the ability to back up data in any environment, from on-premises to public and private cloud, and everything in between. Our advanced security features exceed the strictest compliance standards, ensuring that our customers’ data is always safe and secure. With our extensive coverage for SaaS apps and structured and unstructured data, we remain at the forefront of cloud data protection. At Commvault, we don’t just do it, we do it better than anyone else.”

To learn more, download the full KuppingerCole Leadership Compass on Cloud Backup for Ransomware Protection on Commvault’s website.

New Delhi, May 2023: University Living, a global student accommodation platform has added yet another feather in its cap by entering into a partnership with Global Reach, a leading education consultant based out of Kolkata. With this partnership, both brands will continue to serve the students who wish to study abroad and will offer them high-quality accommodation options to choose from. They will also together work towards ensuring the safety and comfort of students while they move abroad to pursue their dream academic goals.

Through this partnership, University Living and Global Reach Education Consultant will collaborate to provide a plethora of housing options to the students and will also offer personalized education counseling services to help students identify their ideal living arrangements. The partnership will not only provide the students with a seamless experience but will also help the students discover, compare and book their choice of accommodation in their preferred countries, especially in Australia, the UK, Ireland including other countries.

University Living will continue to support students globally with a diverse range of accommodation options, hassle-free booking, transparent pricing, and 24/7 assistance, and with the help of its newly onboarded partner Global Reach the platform will also offer personalized education counseling services to help students identify their ideal living arrangements.

Announcing this partnership Saurabh Arora, CEO & Founder of University Living said, “We are delighted to partner with Global Reach Education Consultants. This is a great opportunity for us to offer exceptional experiences to students pursuing overseas education. We share a common vision of providing the best-in-class services and this partnership will allow us to expand our reach and offer even more options to students. With our platform’s user-friendly interface and Global Reach’s expert counselors, students can find the perfect accommodation based on their unique preferences and requirements”

“Global Reach has been at the forefront of providing best in class services- across all when it comes to overseas education. We understand that every student has unique needs and rather than force-fitting solutions we use adaptive technology coupled with our award-winning counselor experience through both face-to-face and online engagement across the platform. In the era of high-cost accommodation, we hope that our partnership will help students to make well-informed decisions based on a variety of parameters unique to each one of them”, said Ravi Lochan Singh, Managing Director at Global Reach

The partnership between University Living Accommodation and Global Reach will undoubtedly benefit the student community as well as the partnered universities owing to the housing crisis these days, offering them unparalleled student accommodation options and services and increasing the student equipment as well as well-being.

Bengaluru, 6 May 2023: Zoapi, the WeWork India-backed conferencing and collaboration platform has announced its latest upgrades along with a refreshed brand identity. This upgrade is set to unlock new levels of collaboration, reduce tool ambiguity, and enhance member experience through artificial intelligence (AI) technologies.

With the steady growth and adoption of the hybrid work culture, technology has taken center stage in ensuring seamless productivity and connectivity regardless of where employees are located. Businesses of all sizes have realized that a culture of collaboration is the only way forward and Zoapi is uniquely positioned to enable it across all enterprises in the most affordable and universally acceptable manner.

“We are in the golden era of hybrid working where businesses truly believe in the culture of collaboration. As one of the largest flexible workspace providers in the country with a global presence, we are uniquely placed to understand how the future of work is evolving. Combined with our expertise and foresight, Zoapi’s has the potential to grow into a global player, implemented in TV screens and meeting rooms, across all industries,” said Karan Virwani, CEO, WeWork India.

“Our partnership with WeWork India has been instrumental in yielding valuable user insights that have been central to upgrading Zoapi technology. With a focus on enhancing productivity in the workplace, the latest version allows seamless conferencing experience with the introduction of touch controllers for collaboration along with the upgrade of screen sharing technology in laptop and mobile platforms. We look forward to catering to the evolving demand of the workforce and are confident to take our SaaS solution to provide worldwide support for conferences and meeting rooms.”, added Prashanth N.S, Cofounder & CEO, Zoapi Innovations.

Zoapi is a flexible, full-featured collaboration suite that fits into different use cases across large and small enterprises, startups, and flexible workspaces – helping them start a meeting in less than 30 seconds. Supporting multiple conferencing platforms such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet and many more, the platform delivers an immersive meeting experience, driving greater productivity by maximising time utilisation during meetings, seamless navigation with minimal intervention. In addition, its flexible platform allows customers to customise the solution for their requirement with support for Digital Signage, Access point etc.

Zoapi provides screen sharing & video conferencing for in-person meetings and hybrid teams, supports multiple conferencing apps with internal teams and external vendors along with features like annotation and whiteboarding, and easy switch between attendees. It also enables huddle and conferencing rooms with new age technology to improve productivity.

6th May, India – Shreyas Media (Shreyasgroup.net), a leading marketing, media & movie promotional events company, has announced its expansion into new territories, with the goal of becoming a major player in the marketing & promotional events industry. Recently, the company made its debut with their first Bollywood movie launch, Bad Boy, which features Namashi Chakraborty, son of the legendary Mithun Chakraborty, and the actress Amrin Qureshi, daughter of producer Sajid Qureshi. The company has already established itself as a powerhouse in South India and has now set its sights on expanding pan India.

Shreyas Media is a major player in the South Indian film industry, responsible for promoting and marketing many of the region’s biggest movies like Saaho, Pushpa, RRR and many more. The company has done over 2000+ events & 1500+ movie promotions and has also made its mark in brand Positioning, television, digital media and event management.

Mr. Shreyas Srinivas, Founder, Shreyas Media says, “Through our formula E=MC2 we want to promote brands & this ecosystem serves as the future ground for Content Marketing Globally. E=MC2 which stands for Entertainment = Media, Content & Celebrities, to create and promote content through offline and online channels, which we believe is the future of marketing and is one of its kind eco system globally.”

Shreyas Media has created an eco-system in the southern region that promotes brands through cinema, resulting in a wide reach for offline advertisement. They have been a pioneer in this innovative approach for over 15 years, which has helped them build a strong presence in the market. Additionally, they amplify this approach in the digital space as well.

Shreyas Media aims to establish a comprehensive system, providing high-quality content that entertains, educates, and informs its audience.

Nexus Seawoods brings to life a 48 feet gigantic installation with larger-than-life extinct creatures which move around. Nexus Seawoods is known to curate the best experiences in terms of fashion, food & entertainment—to Navi Mumbaikars. It is also known among its patrons for its awe-inspiring and, often, educational setups. This summer, as always, Nexus Seawoods is the talk of the town as it offers visitors a trip to The Lost World.

The Lost World experience at the mall has 11 larger-than-life animatronics animals and creatures that used to roam the earth at a point in time. So impressive is the detailing and the animation of these installations that you can witness the Woolly Mammoth move its trunk, see the Sabre-Toothed Tiger look around for its prey, and much more! With these species now long extinct, the idea is to showcase to everyone, especially the younger generations, what our planet looked like before human interference. To provide an even deeper learning experience, the mall has installed a ‘Fossil World’ too.

The fun does not end here, the majestic line-up, apart from the aforementioned Mammoths and Sabre-Toothed Tigers, includes Ancient Armadillos, Ground Sloths, and even a Troll. Surrounded by a mock jungle, complete with a waterfall, the creatures can be seen in what used to be their habitat. Add to these installations the fact that a series of art & craft activities for kids is helping them learn new skills.