Category business

New Delhi, 1st March 2023: Indian air quality tech experts ActiveBuildings and leading indoor environment consultancy and engineering firm PureLiving, officially announced a collaboration to provide clean and healthy indoor air solutions to offices and homes across South East Asia. The collaboration widens the resource pool in terms of data points, research and technology, and aims to protect more people from breathing polluted indoor air.

South Asia is home to 37 of the 40 most polluted cities in the world as per the World Air Quality Report. Over 60% of the population lives in areas where the PM2.5 levels exceed the WHO standards, increasing the risk of chronic respiratory disorders. With technology like automated air filtration and ventilation management systems that can retro-fit into existing buildings, large indoor spaces can remain free from PM 2.5, virus transmissions, odours, chemicals and elevated CO2 in the breathable air.

After the recent pandemic, the need for clean and disease-free indoor air has become a priority, particularly with the return of the work-from-office module. Abhinav Gupta, CEO of ActiveBuildings points out, “Most workspaces in India were not built keeping in mind air-borne diseases and indoor air pollution. Our data highlights that most office spaces face high CO2 and most homes have high particulate pollution. ActiveBuildings has mostly focused on air testing and offering recommendations for the space. With this collaboration we can offer end to end solutions pan Asia, from air monitoring to ventilation and filtration that can be installed on the existing systems.”

Louie Cheng, President of PureLiving, says, “Our focus has always been health, sustainability and smart buildings. We have seen great results with products like VentMate and PureQi in China and hope to bring the same impact to the Indian market for clean air. This collaboration with ActiveBuildings, opens new possibilities for both companies to continue pioneering approaches to creating healthier indoor environments.”

Indoor air quality can be over five times worse than outside air. Tobacco-smoke, incense-burning, dust, printer inks, air fresheners, deodorants, scented candles, varnishes, paints as well as human metabolism, all add to pollutants like PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, Ozone and CO2 in the indoor environment. Breathing such pollutants can cause eye inflammation, throat irritation, allergies in the short run, and lung infections, cardio-vascular diseases and cancer over longer periods of time.

New Delhi, 1st March 2023 It was an action-packed Day 3 of Arth – A Culture Fest at New Delhi’s Sunder Nursery where prominent experts from political spheres came together for a discussion on India’s vision for 2024.

In one of the most dynamic sessions of the day titled ‘Road to 2024’, a group of intellectuals comprising Raghav Chadha, Rasheed Kidwai, Shazia Ilmi, Smita Prakash, and Preeti Dahiya (moderator) came together to the India’s election roadmap to 2024. From voicing their support for the Bharatiya Janata Party which works with a proper script and agenda to achieve their goals, to stating facts about the government’s contribution towards the people in terms of water connection to electricity, LPG gas to Jandhan accounts, the representatives asserted their objective for 2024 which includes more infrastructural development.

One of the most awaited panels of the day was ‘Bharat Ki Kahaani Kalakaron Ki Zubani’ where one of India’s most veteran and celebrated actor Manoj Bajpayee was in conversation with Neelesh Mishra. Talking about his movie Joram, Manoj Bajpayee said, “It is a moment of immense pride for me that ‘Joram, was highly celebrated at the Rotterdam International Film Festival. All the five shows held there were houseful, which was attended even by their local audience. Joram is a story of a common tribal man who moves to Mumbai and is compelled to run back to the jungle to safeguard his and his daughter’s life whilst searching for the person who is making their life miserable.”

Sharing his thoughts on the evolution of new-age platforms he added, “The OTT platforms, the audience, and their love is what made me Manoj Bajpayee. It is because of them the films with such exceptional and unique topics are being celebrated. Their ingenious thought process and the ability to accept change is why I am here. I believe we as artists must respect the taste and choice of the audience and this is why I always prefer to stay with them and try to know more about what my viewers want.”

The crowds were truly awestruck listening to Manoj Bajpayee. They cheered on along with him when recited the famous lines from the election campaign scene of his Gangs of Wasseypur movie.

Things got heated up in the final session of the day titled ‘One Country, One Law: Time for A Uniform Civil Code’ where a host of intellectuals debated about the country’s law and order policies with respect to the UCC.

The session featured Anand Ranganathan, J Sai Deepak, Lokesh Jindal, Saira Shah Halim, Shehzad Poonawalla, Taslim Ahmed Rehmani, Vishnu Shekhar Jain and Abhinav Prakash (moderator). From opinions about how the UCC should be discussed with stakeholders of different communities to having no blueprint of the code to follow through its implementation, the session was exceptionally lively and a treat for the live audiences.

The day and the festival culminated with the audience serenading to musical Rajasthani folk numbers by multitalented folk artist Kutle Khan and his team.

Disclaimer Note: All quotes have been excerpted from the panel discussions held at Arth – A Culture Fest on 26 February 2023 in New Delhi.

ᐧ

With International Women’s Day just around the corner, Prega News, Mankind Pharma’s pregnancy detection brand, has launched a new campaign, ‘Mark Of Strength’. Conceptualized and executed by SG Media , the campaign celebrates the beauty and strength that lies in the marks and changes born out of childbirth. Over the years, the brand has sought to commemorate the various aspects and complexities of being a woman.

Prega News realized that women tend to see themselves differently after giving birth. The International Journal of Health Sciences & Research also cites that 65% women feel negative about their body after delivery. Many new mothers see the physical effects of childbirth on their body, like the weight gain, the stretch marks, etc., as something to be hidden. The brand video brings this into highlight, along with a strong message of body positivity.

Delving into the campaign, Joy Chatterjee, Associate Vice President, Sales & Marketing, Mankind Pharma said, “Being confident and comfortable in one’s body is an ongoing struggle for a lot of people around the world, especially women. But this struggle is all the more intensified when your body has undergone massive changes that come with giving birth. So, with the ‘Mark Of Strength’ campaign, we wanted to bring this perspective into sharper focus. The aim was also to move away from the stereotype of putting pressure on women to be perfect all the time.”

This Women’s day, Prega News wants to promote the message of believing in yourself irrespective of the changes in your body. And with this campaign, the brand urges women to celebrate their post-pregnancy body as their #MarkOfStrength.

By Anil Pharande, Chairman – Pharande Spaces & President – CREDAI Pune-Metro

Each year, we celebrate International Women’s Day on March 8th to recognize women’s social, economic, cultural, and political achievements and to call for gender equality. The goal is to raise awareness about the need to end gender-based violence, promote women’s leadership, celebrate their contributions, and advocate for women’s economic empowerment.

Of course, discussions about such empowerment are only complete when they include women’s need to have their own homes. There are several reasons for this:

1. First and foremost, home ownership provides financial security. When women purchase a home, they have an asset that can appreciate in value over time. This can provide a sense of financial stability and a source of wealth that can be passed down to future generations.

2. Homeownership is a hedge against inflation, as the home value will invariably increase even as the cost of living rises. This can help women better plan for their financial future and provides them with a sense of security in their later years.

3. Homeownership is an opportunity for personal fulfilment and independence. It provides a sense of ownership and pride in one’s living space. Women can customize their homes to reflect their individual tastes and preferences, and they can decide how the space is used and arranged.

This sense of control and autonomy can be especially important for women who may have experienced a lack of control, instability or trauma in the past – something far from uncommon in India.

4. Homeownership provides a sense of community and connectedness. When women own their homes, they become more involved in their local community, as they are invested in the area and have a vested interest in the well-being of their neighbors – and the neighborhood as a whole. This can lead to a greater sense of belonging, which promotes emotional wellness.

5. Owning a home can provide women with a passive income, as they can rent it out if they are not currently using it. This income can be used to pay down debt or save for retirement. It also increases her net worth and creditworthiness since it is a sizeable asset against which she can borrow in case of unforeseen contingencies.

6. The sense of stability and security that owned homes give women in their later years cannot be underestimated. As we age, we invariably face challenges such as declining health, limited mobility, and sometimes decreased financial resources. Owning a home provides women with a safe and secure place to live, regardless of other circumstances. This is especially important for women who may lack a traditional support system, such as a spouse or children.

Indian women are well aware of how vital homeownership is in the interest of their welfare, security and happiness. Social attitudes, too, have been changing. In recent years, there has been a noticeable increase in Indian women buying their own homes. This trend is being driven by several factors, including:

1. Economic empowerment: As more Indian women enter the workforce and gain financial independence, they are becoming more confident in their ability to purchase a home and are taking advantage of the various home loan schemes and other financial services available to them.

2. Changing attitudes: There has been a shift in societal attitudes towards women’s role in the family and society, with more and more people recognizing the importance of women’s financial independence and the benefits of owning a home.

3. Government initiatives: The Indian government has implemented several initiatives to encourage women to buy their own homes. These are helping to make homeownership more accessible, affordable and attractive for women.

4. Women-focused housing projects: There has also been an increase in developers targeting women homebuyers, offering them special deals and packages, and creating communities designed to meet the needs and preferences of women.

Given India’s rapidly changing social norms, the trend for homeownership by Indian women will undoubtedly increase in the years to come. Let us celebrate this empowerment and appreciate how far Indian women have come.

1st March 2023, Dharamshala: HH Dalai Lama Ji interacted with more than 100 students and officials of M3M Foundation at his temple today at Maclodganj and gave them tips to be successful in life. The students who have graduated from M3M Foundation’s iMpower academy for skills from different parts of the country were in an audience with him today with M3M Group chairman and lifetime trustee Sh. Basant Bansal and Dr. Payal Kanodia, Trustee, M3M Foundation.

Speaking on the occasion, HH Dalai Lama Ji emphasised world peace and tried to explain the concept of “करुणा”. He explained how one can be happy and by having mental peace they can contribute to the “we world” where there is no weapon required and that’s what is the philosophy of Vasudhaiva Kutumbkam where we all are one family with the sense of oneness, equality and belongingness for one another.

The audience was part of “कौशल दीक्षांत” the national-level convocation ceremony for iMpower Academy for skills, which is a part of their nationwide Employability and Entrepreneurship Initiative Kaushal Sambal of M3M Foundation, happened yesterday at Govt. degree college auditorium at dharmshala, where sh. Kishan Kapoor, the member of parliament, district- Kangra was the chief guest. The students in their convocation gowns and hats were thrilled while having the certificate and mesmerised the audience with their stunning performances as most of them were on stage for the first time.

Mr. Anikhil Royal and Ms. Soman Chaudhary, the emerging talent from Himachal and Dist Kangra were also felicitated by the “Kaushal Sambal Samman” of the M3M Foundation. The highlight of the event was the fashion show where the students presented dresses by doing the catwalk that was designed by them. Impressed by the talent and dedication of the students towards the performance, the M3M foundation announced their clothing brand where the dresses made by the students would be displayed.

Last year in June 2022, M3M Foundation launched this iMpower Academy for Skills, as part of their nationwide Employability and Entrepreneurship Initiative Kaushal Sambal with a vision that this project will hugely impact the prospects of the youth of the country and provide them with employment and livelihood opportunities across India as well as the other parts of the world.

Dr. Payal Kanodia, Trustee, of M3M Foundation expressed her happiness and said, “I can’t express how happy I am today to see these students getting their degrees and certificates. We had a vision when we launched this project last year. Seeing that vision taking its first step makes me feel very proud that we M3M Foundation have achieved this first milestone of training the youth and seeing them successfully placed. “I wish them the best for their future and invite all young people to come and join us in building their lives for a better future and world.”

M3M Foundation has already established 4 such academies and is planning to establish 100 such academies next 3 years for the youth of the country.

M3M Foundation is the philanthropic arm of M3M Group; working towards bringing an equitable development that helps in attaining a brighter India. The Foundation envisions growth and development for all through the support of government initiatives and proactive steps in the developmental regime. It is determined to bring development across all sections of society by undertaking projects that ensure holistic growth. The prime focus of the foundation is on health, education, disaster management, and socio-economic development to transform a rural lifestyle. Kaushal Sambal aims to train 200000 youth in the next 5 years in India.

Bengaluru | 1st March 2023: nurture. farm, India’s leading agri-tech organization, has scaled its weather protection cover offering by partnering with SWAL Corporation Ltd. The product offering is a part of nurture. farm’s flagship resilience program ‘Kavach’.

Weather Kavach is a risk cover offering for farmers to protect them against weather irregularities. It is a flexible cover option where farmers can opt-in for any sum assured value, and claims are disbursed in the event of excessive rain, heat waves or rain deficit. The advantages of the Weather Kavach product offering include an index-based trigger, shorter disbursal window, and direct transfer of the claim amount to the farmer’s bank account. Since its launch, nurture.farm has successfully offered Weather Kavach to more than 100,000 farmers and sold more than 1 Million Weather Kavach in less than 12 months.

Dhruv Sawhney, COO & Business Head at nurture.farm said, “Globally, 2022 was the fifth warmest year on record. As per reports, scientists have warned that 2023 could be a comeback year for El Nino, pushing temperatures by over 1.5 degrees celsius compared to the average temperature a century ago. As per the reports published in the US scientific journal “Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences” (PNAS), each degree Celsius increase in global temperature can on average reduce global yields of wheat by 6%, rice by 3.2%, maize by 7.4%, and soybean by 3.1%. Furthermore, the global rise in temperature increases the risks of floods, drought, extreme heat waves, and water shortages, and could possibly push millions into poverty. Despite knowing the pitfalls, and suffering agricultural losses every year, less than 20% of farmers opt-in for risk-cover products owing to the lack of trust, education, and high premium costs.”

nurture.farm is partnering with SWAL Corporation Ltd., an organisation that is paving the way for other many organisations to follow by helping us drive change, increase adoption, build for farmer resilience, and truly make agriculture sustainable, viable, and climate-smart.

Through this partnership, SWAL Corporation Ltd is offering Weather Kavach, at no additional cost, to all its farmers who purchase Wuxal & Delma products. While Wuxal provides nutrients to the crop, Delma protects it from various diseases that can be triggered due to wild fluctuations in temperature during critical growth stages. With the likely possibility of higher temperatures predicted for February & March and the harvest window for Rabi crops around the corner, the partnership couldn’t have come at a better time. To avail of Weather Kavach, the farmers must download the nurture.farm app, scan Wuxal and Delma products on the app, and avail it at no additional cost.

Mr Pramod Tiwari, Head Of Marketing at SWAL Corporation Ltd, said, “For over 10 decades, SWAL has been committed to its farmers by offering them quality agri-solutions that are efficient, improve yield quality & quantity for ensuring better farm profitability. Our teams have been working with the farmers, helping them select the right inputs, imparting technical know-how, educating them about innovative farming practices, and delivering access to technology and advisory throughout the cultivation windows.

Keeping in line with our same core philosophy, we are partnering with nurture.farm to offer weather-based risk cover solutions, at no additional cost, to every farmer who purchases Wuxal or Delma brands in the states of Punjab, Haryana and Rajasthan. SWAL will continue to improve farmer profitability, drive the adoption of authentic and high-quality inputs including NPP (Natural Plant Protection) solutions and impart farmer education at the grassroots level. We aim to cover more than 1 million farmers nationwide through our various initiatives.”

Bangalore, 1st March 2023: The 22nd edition of India Fashion Forum (IFF), India’s biggest fashion intelligence event, opened to a packed house in Bengaluru today with leaders, key stakeholders, experts and delegates, from across the fashion ecosystem, having gathered to discuss emerging trends like AI, seamless shopping experiences and the prospects of as many as 100 Indian cities in generating new business opportunities in the post-pandemic fashion landscape. Shailesh Chaturvedi, 22nd IFF Chairman, Industry Thought Leader, MD & CEO, Arvind Fashions welcomed the attendees along with outgoing IFF Chairman Akhilesh Prasad, President and CEO, Fashion & Lifestyle Business, Reliance Retail.

In line with this year’s theme ‘Decoding the DNA of Profitability: Growth defined by Value Creation’, the inaugural session of the two-day event, witnessed speakers forecasting the way forward for fashion retail and Tier 2 and 3 cities as the focal points of growth. In her presentation, Saloni Nangia, President, Technopak, indicated that 25 cities beyond the 8 metros would drive a lot of consumption, while Vineet Gautam, CEO-South Asia, Bestseller India, lent this segment a new name – Bharat. The latter expects the next 100 cities to drive consumption in the country.

Though ‘Bharat’ is still largely unknown, Shailesh took a leaf from his career graph and added that it cannot be ignored anymore by the industry. “There is a lot to learn and plentiful value to create when we make a shift from known to unknown territories.”

Emphasizing the importance of building capability for brands, in his keynote address, Shailesh said, “The industry must lessen its focus on growth opportunities and build their unique competitive strengths. It is their fundamental capabilities that will help businesses steer through short or medium term headwinds. The future lies in concepts like Total Shareholders Reward wherein a company is evaluated on its wealth creation which, in turn, is based on capital efficiency, margin profile and scale of business.”

Dilip Kapur, Founder & President, Hidesign, spoke about his brand’s journey in creating an identity and the relevance of building a brand’s capabilities to achieve profitability.

The highlight of the inaugural session was ‘A story a minute’ , a rapid 60-second presentation by brand custodians on their profitability strategies. Bijou Kurien, Chairman, Retailers Association of India, led the session. Upcoming startups like Shobhitam and women-centric brands like Ayesha Fashion and Nykaa also presented their success stories in this session. With over 50+ conferences and 200+ speakers sharing their insights over the two days, IFF 2023 also welcomed UK delegates on their first-of-its-kind fashion and beauty trade mission to India. Brands like Lush, Benny Hancock, Jennifer Young and Lilly and Sid to name a few will showcase their offerings and innovation to potential distributors here.

Some of the sessions over the two days include unified commerce as the future of retail, omnichannel in fashion, social media, personalization, sustainability, profitability, mall strategy, global green initiatives in fashion and artificial intelligence.

Among the speakers at the 22nd IFF are: Shailesh Chaturvedi, MD & CEO, Arvind Fashions Limited; Akhilesh Prasad, President and CEO, Fashion Lifestyle Business, Reliance Retail; Amisha Jain, MD & SVP, South Asia, Middle East, Africa, Non-EU, Levi Strauss & Co; Dilip Kapur, President, Hidesign; Rajesh Jain, MD & CEO, Lacoste India; Dr. Naresh Tyagi, Chief Sustainability Officer, Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail and Revathi Kant, Senior VP and CDO, Titan Company among others.

Four Seasons Resor

Mumbai, 1st March: Four Seasons Resort Maldives at Landaa Giraavaru welcomes two-Michelin-starred Italian
culinary artist and chef Gaetano Trovato back in residence from February 27 to March 5, 2023, as he continues his exclusive collaboration with his Maldivian proteges at Blu Beach Club.

With support from the Blu culinary team, Chef Trovato will debut his new Amolfo degustation menu, inspired by the adventures, dishes and flavours of his Sicilian childhood. Sicilian Branzino seabass, Caciocavallo Ragusano and Pantellaria capers will join island-grown herbs and Landaa-laid eggs in dishes driven by the “zero waste” philosophy Trovato is now imparting to the Resort chefs as part of his mentorship, along with his passion for producing and cooking with the highest quality ingredients.

The exciting collaboration between Chef Trovato and Blu sees the Chef visit for a week-long residency twice a year when his menu is available to the whole Blu Beach Club. Throughout the year, his Tuscany-meets-Maldives magic is available via his on-site proteges who serve just two tables of up to four diners per night, carefully honing the skills that they also polish during regular visits to Trovato’s acclaimed Tuscan restaurants. It’s a fruitful exchange that allows the next generation of already accomplished Resort chefs to elevate their craft to
Michelin-star standards.

To book this special gastronomic experience with Chef Trovato at Blu Beach Club, contact the Central Reservations Department team at tel: (960) 66 00 888 or email: reservations.mal@fourseasons.com

Mumbai, 1 March 2023: The bull run in Indian luxury housing continues even while property prices are on the rise. As per Inspector General of Registration (IGR), Maharashtra, India’s most expensive city – Mumbai – saw revenue collections from property registrations touch new high in February 2023 at INR 1,102 Cr. This was a whopping 79% jump against February 2022 collections when it stood at INR 615 Cr.

Anuj Puri, Chairman– ANAROCK Group, says, “Interestingly, even while revenue collections went up significantly in the period in Mumbai, the total number of property registrations saw a drop of 8% in the year – from 10,379 total registrations in February 2022 to nearly 9,511 registrations in February 2023. This clearly indicates that the sale of big-ticket price homes (i.e. luxury homes) saw significant movement.”

If we deep-dive into data further, February 2023 has seen the highest revenue collection in Mumbai in the last five years during the same month. Also, in entire FY 2023, we saw February to record the maximum revenue collections.

One major factor for high sales of big-ticket price homes in Mumbai and other top cities could be the government’s recent move in the Union Budget 2023-24 to cap capital gains at INR 10 Cr. This new move will come into effect from April 2023. Thus, to save tax on capital gains, the HNIs across top cities including Mumbai are rushing in close luxury housing deals before the financial year ends in March.

Under this new move, if one sells a house/other assets including equities and his/her gains are more than INR 10 crore, then maximum benefit that can be availed is only up to INR 10 crore when invested into another property. Capital gains of over INR 10 Cr will henceforth be taxed from April 2023.

Previously, to save on tax from their capital gains, HNIs/ultra-HNIs would mostly re-invest into an ultra-luxury property. Thus, the new move could be a deterrent for luxury housing sales to an extent once the new provision comes into effect. However, to say that it will have a major impact on this segment will remain to be seen.

Luxury Sales Share Up at 18% across Top 7 Cities

The luxury housing segment has performed remarkably well post the pandemic, with overall sales rising steeply across the top 7 cities. Year 2022 has been even better. As per ANAROCK Research, out of the total 3.65 lakh units sold across the top 7 cities in 2022, about 18% (approx. 65,680 units) were in the luxury category priced >INR 1.5 Cr.

Contrastingly, of the total 2.61 lakh units sold in entire 2019, just 7% (approx. 17,740 units) were in the luxury category.

MMR, NCR and Hyderabad have led luxury homes sales in 2022 with approx. 50,100 units sold in these three cities altogether. Back in 2019, together they saw sales of mere 14,050 luxury homes in the entire year.

Data further reveals that in terms of overall sales share, MMR’s luxury housing sales share increased from 13% (of 80,870 units) in 2019 to nearly 30% (of approx. 1.10 lakh units) in 2022.
In NCR, the sales share rose to 15% (of approx. 63,710 units) in 2022, from 4% (of total 46,920 units sold) in 2019.
In Hyderabad, it increased to 16% (of total 47,490 units sold) in 2022 from 10% of 16,590 units sold in 2019.

Source: ANAROCK Research

Bangalore,1st March 2023: Aditya Birla Capital Ltd (ABCL), the holding company for the financial services businesses of the Aditya Birla Group (“Aditya Birla Capital”) announced its collaboration with National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) to develop and promote digital payment methods through subsidiaries to its customers.

This collaboration marks entry of Aditya Birla Capital into payments space through its operating subsidiaries and envisages faster adoption of the new technologies in collaboration with NPCI and its subsidiaries with an objective to promote digital payments.

Mr. Pankaj Gadgil, Head Digital Platforms and Analytics, Aditya Birla Capital “We are delighted to partner with NPCI to offer a complete set of digital payment options to our customers. It is our intention to offer a comprehensive suite of financial solutions to our customers and the digital payment solutions is a significant addition to the financial services portfolio offerings. This gets us closer to becoming a one stop shop for all finance needs of our customers. We will create distinctive propositions for existing customers of Aditya Birla Capital and also focus on acquiring new customers from market. Given the group’s focus on building presence across products, we foresee a huge potential to target the requirements of untapped customers. Our foray into digital Payments in partnership with NPCI will give us the competitive edge to offer a frictionless digital payment experience to our customers”

Ms. Praveena Rai, Chief Operating Officer at NPCI, said, “NPCI has always looked to expand the digital payments universe and bring more and more netizens/ citizens into it. For us, it has always been about seamless, simple digital payments experience to all of India and beyond. As Aditya Birla Capital embarks on their journey into payments, the partnership enables both of us to leverage each other’s strengths and expertise to create value and enhance the overall customer experience. This shall bring all of the offerings of Aditya Birla Capital and its subsidiaries together, driving access to financial services and financial inclusion.”