Category business

Mumbai, February 20, 2023: EaseMyTrip.com, one of India’s largest online travel tech platforms and one of India’s preferred travel partners, brings out a chance for their customers landing in Goa, Pune & Delhi by booking flight tickets from the company to get their hands on an incredibly enticing experience at the Levo Spalon with ravishing rebates on beauty services with validated vouchers. By using the voucher, customers will be granted a dashing discount of INR 1000.

For travelers landing in Goa can indulge themselves with a touch of beauty and style at the Away Spa and Levo Salon, situated at the W, Goa on Vagator Chapora Road. For travelers visiting Delhi, the vouchers can be redeemed at the Levo Spalon in Pegasus One, Golf Course Road, Sector-53, Gurugram. Similarly, travelers landing in Pune can get themselves groomed by the experts at the Heavenly Spa and Levo Salon at The Westin, Pune, Koregaon Park

Levo Spalon believes in the combined power of luxury and expertise to deliver an unsurpassed experience. Crafting indulgent moments of self-care and wellness remains at the heart of their services. The salon stocks some of the finest luxury wellness products from brands such as Kerastase, Skeyndor, Olaplex, and L’oreal, among others.

Speaking about the offer, Mr. Rikant Pittie, Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip, said, “This offer will enable all our customers to have a rejuvenating experience while they are traveling with us. Most people prefer to indulge in recreational activities while they are on vacation and we are excited to bring a one-of-a-kind experience to them.’’

Ms. Pranita Baveja, CEO and Co-Founder, of Levo Spalon, said, “It is known that traveling can be taxing and to provide customers with the highest form of care-our new offer delivers a luxurious experience full of rejuvenation and relaxation. I am honored to have this wonderful association’’

By Mr. Amar Deo Singh, Head Advisory, Angel One Ltd

The banking sector in India has been a crucial component in the country’s economic growth, providing financial services and support to individuals, businesses and the government. Indian banks have been resilient and withstood the strong headwinds that significantly impacted other economies in the last few months. However, the current ecosystem of the banking industry is marked by several challenges, such as asset quality, digital transformation and ensuring financial inclusion. The Union Budget 2023 has addressed these concerns through various measures aimed at boosting the banking sector and improving the overall financial landscape of the country.

Strengthening the financial ecosystem

The budget for this year signalled the government’s intention to maintain stability while fostering balanced economic expansion. The suggested policy reforms and greater capital infusion will stimulate MSMEs and the startup ecosystem. One of the major highlights was revamped credit guarantee scheme. The inflow of INR 9,000 crores into the corpus of the Credit Guarantee Fund Trust for Micro and Small Enterprises (CGTMSE) will give MSMEs more access to collateral-free loans. This new scheme will also enable two lakh crores of new collateral-free guaranteed financing. It would increase the growth of MSMEs in India while enhancing their international competitiveness.

Furthermore, credit costs are to be reduced by about 1%. It will aid the asset quality of small business loans for public sector banks.

Greater focus on governance and investor protection

Financial regulators in India have contributed to developing one of the world’s most robust banking and financial systems. According to the Union Budget 2023, a national financial information registry would be established to act as the central repository for financial and ancillary data. This will enhance the efficient flow of credit, increase financial inclusion, and support financial stability. In addition, authorities of the financial sector regulators will be required to conduct a full assessment of existing legislation to cut costs and simplify compliance.

Simultaneously, the proposed revisions to the Banking Regulation Act, the Banking Companies Act, and the Reserve Bank of India Act aim to improve bank governance and enhance investor protection. In addition to strengthening the internal mechanisms and operations of fintech and data-driven credit disbursement companies, this initiative will aid banking authorities in promoting financial inclusion and fostering better credit facilities. This, in turn, may lessen the compliance burden and improve the ease of doing business in India.

Benefits for Senior Citizens

The budget also introduced changes to the Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS), where the maximum deposit limit is increased from INR 15 lakh to INR 30 lakh. Also, the rise in the maximum limit in the Monthly Income Account Scheme from INR 4.5 lakh to INR 9 lakh for a single account and from INR 29 lakh to INR 15 lakh for a joint account is a positive move. It will enable senior citizens to contribute larger amounts to SCSS, making it a better investment choice than FDs and accounts.

Conclusion

With ongoing technological advancements, the banking sector is putting a larger emphasis on offering better services to customers and enhancing its digital infrastructure to improve the overall customer experience. This gives banks a competitive advantage. The Union Budget’s focus on improving the credit scheme for equipping MSMEs with access to financing and continuing the reforms in terms of investor protection will provide further impetus to growth in the banking sector. As more growing businesses turn to banks for financing, these propositions indicate that India’s banking sector is poised for robust growth.

Mumbai, 19th February 2023: India’s first Integrated Emergency Response Provider Medulance created history on television when it was offered a whopping Rs 5 crore for 5% equity on the Shark Tank India Season 2 that aired on Sony Entertainment Television on Friday, February 17, 2023. This was only the second time in the history of the show that such a huge amount was offered to entrepreneurs by the Sharks.

One of the Sharks, Amit Jain, the Co-Founder and CEO of CarDekho Group, offered the Medulance founders Pranav Bajaj and Ravjot Singh Arora an investment of Rs. 5 Crore in exchange for 5% equity. The duo, however, accepted a counter-offer of Rs 2 crore for 2% equity by the Sharks Namita Thapar (Emcure Pharmaceuticals), Aman Gupta (BoAt), and Peeyush Bansal (Lenskart), at a valuation of Rs 100 crores.

Medulance operates a fleet of 7,500+ ambulances in over 500 cities across India for fast and reliable first-point medical attention. The company generated a revenue of Rs 24 crore last year, with a 24% profit margin, Pranav Bajaj and Ravjot Singh Arora revealed during the show. The remarkable figures led Shark Anupam Mittal (People Group) jokingly question the two young entrepreneurs about the need to participate in the show when they were already doing so well! To this, the Medulance founders quipped that they needed the Sharks’ knowledge of building a business as much as the funding itself. All the Sharks on the show were keen on using their expertise and business acumen to help Medulance grow and become a billion-dollar enterprise, achieving its aim of expanding to all tier-3 cities across India and South-East Asia.

On receiving funding from Shark Tank India, Pranav Bajaj, Co-Founder, of Medulance, said: “We are delighted to receive funding for Shark Tank India Season 2. Over 30% of victims of road accidents and health emergencies in India lose their lives due to delays in receiving first-point medical attention. Rushing the patient to a medical facility in the shortest time possible, the so-called Golden Hour is critical in saving lives. With our fleet of ambulances, we aim to reduce the response time to a medical emergency drastically. We know we are doing something important, so receiving validation of our work from the Sharks means the world to us. We plan to invest the amount to drive more innovation and expand our pan-India footprint.”

Said Ravjot Singh Arora, Co-Founder, of Medulance: “The experience on the show was a roller coaster, but I am glad that the Sharks saw potential in our business which is providing a critical service to the people of India. It was a tough call to decline the fabulous Rs 5 crore offer, one of the highest ever on Shark Tank, and opt for the Rs 2 crore offer instead, but this was based on sound business sense. We now have the resources to help us reach our services to more people and organizations, and further scale our operations to more cities across the country. We look forward to saving even more lives in the years ahead.”

Ravjot Singh Arora narrated to the Sharks the story behind the founding of Medulance in 2017. He said: “The business plan for Medulance was made after suffering a personal loss. My father had to rush to the nearest hospital from our home to fetch an ambulance when my grandfather faced a serious health emergency. Unfortunately, due to delayed first-point medical attention, he couldn’t be saved. This incident hurt me deeply and became the inspiration to start Medulance. Our mission is to make ambulances as accessible in every pin code in India as taxis and food delivery services. We do not want any more lives lost because first-point medical attention was not available on time.”

Recently, Medulance launched a 5G smart connected ambulance in collaboration with Reliance Jio that allows real-time, two-way audio and video communication, ambulance tracking and real-time streaming of patient health data to a distant doctor over the high-speed 5G network, changing the future of emergency health response services in the country.

Mumbai, February 19, 2023: A true treat for all foodies, the grandest food festival of North Mumbai is here! The ‘Eat Street Kandivali’ food carnival at Growel’s 1O1 Mall will be open to the public from 4 PM to 10:00 PM over the weekend – 17th,18th & 19th, February 2023 (Fri-Sat-Sun).

This weekend extravaganza is a foodie paradise having more than 40 food & beverage stalls to explore across Gourmet food, Street food, Organic food, Home Chef Specials, and much more.

Furthermore, there are culinary workshops for those who are passionate about cooking, and foot-tapping live music and performances to bring in the happy vibes on the sidelines of this scrumptious fare.

Moreover, on pre-registering for the ‘Eat Street Kandivali’ food carnival at Growel’s 1O1 mall, customers will get free 500+ GG loyalty points that can be redeemed on Gift Vouchers and Parking Tickets, besides others. (more details on Instagram @growels101)

Speaking about the ‘Eat Street Kandivali’ food carnival, Gerald Mathew, General Manager Operations, Growel’s 1O1 Mall, Kandivali (Mumbai), said, “shopping malls have evolved over the years to become more than just a place to shop. People like to visit malls to have a good time with their family and friends over food, catch the latest blockbuster movies, and even for the gaming zones with their children. At Growel’s 1O1 mall, while we offer great options of brands for shopping, dining, and entertainment, we have been continuously curating some off-beat experiences for our customers like the Kandivali Flea Market a couple of months ago and now this expansive ‘Eat Street Kandivali’ food carnival that promotes some local delicacies and also home chefs. Similarly, every year we also organize ArtiSTREE to promote women artisans and homemakers.”

Growel’s 1O1 Mall in Kandivali is a popular family destination in the Western Suburbs of Mumbai for shopping, socializing and entertainment. Growel’s 1O1 Mall houses some of the most popular F&B outlets – from popular fast-food chains to regional delights and international cuisine. Some popular food brands at the mall include restaurants and cafes like Pop Tate’s, Urban Tadka, Barbeque Nation, Haldiram’s, Drinx Exchange, McDonald’s, Starbucks, Aroma’s Café & Bistro and Barista, to name a few. Other F&B outlets serving at Growel’s 1O1 Mall include Shahi Durbar, Taco Bell, Burger King, KFC, Mumbai Ladu Samrat, Mad Over Donuts, Malgudi, Pizza Hut, Sbarro, Subway, Wow Momo and many more.

A wholesome experience for a family’s day out, Growel’s 1O1 Mall houses some of the most favorite brand stores including Centro, Pantaloons, Max, AND, W, Levi’s, Puma, and Sketchers to name a few; to tete-a-tete over coffee or meals with loved ones or to catching a movie at PVR or even enjoying the day with kids at Timezone and the entertainment zones, Growel’s 101 mall has it all covered. The mall also provides exciting selfie points to take exciting instagramable pictures, which includes a larger-than-life ‘I Love Kandivali’ installation.

Hyderabad, 19th February 2023: Ahmedabad Defenders defeated the Mumbai Meteors 14-15, 15-12, 15-14, 15-13, 15-14 in the second season of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League powered by A23 at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium in Hyderabad on Friday. For his tremendous performance, Angamuthu was named as the Player of the Match.

Mumbai’s Brandon Greenway began changing the direction of the ball quickly to trouble Ahmedabad. With libero Ratheesh holding things in the backcourt, Mumbai took an early lead. The moment Angamuthu took charge of the service, Ahmedabad found an opening. Mumbai’s defense found it hard to face Angamuthu’s spikes. But a timely review call from the Meteors helped Mumbai take control of the proceedings.

Angamuthu’s range of skills continued to force Mumbai towards the back line and seeing an opening, Danial Moatazedi troubled the Meteors with powerful serves. Mumbai made unforced errors and Ahmedabad found a way back into the contest.

Karthik’s leadership was tested after miscommunications with Aravindhan cost Mumbai crucial points. Manoj became the key for the Defenders as he started setting up the balls on platters to his attackers for spikes.

With Amit Gulia in the middle, Meteors implemented a three-man block line and their defence improved. But Angamuthu remained unstoppable and the Defenders maintained their momentum. Just when it looked like Mumbai might revive, Danial made thunderous blocks to stop the resistance and Ahmedabad won the match 4-1 to earn two points from the contest.

Hyderabad Black Hawks will be up against Chennai Blitz at the Gachibowli Indoor Stadium on the fourth day of the Hyderabad leg of the RuPay Prime Volleyball League at 1900 hrs onwards IST on Saturday, 18th February 2023.

19 February 2023, New Delhi/ Bengaluru:

The first-ever season of Eloelo’s LoveHouse sets a record for the 144-hour continuous live stream on a mobile app in India. Lovehouse, India’s first-ever online reality show coincided with Valentine’s week and featured popular influencer couples competing for the title of LoveHouse’s favourite couple. Over 4 million viewers tuned live on the Eloelo app from 9th to 14th February and voted for their favourite celebrity couples. The app observed a user engagement time of over 30 minutes per user during the live stream of the show and received 3 lakh votes.

Besides bagging a World Record for 144 hours of continuous live streaming on a mobile app, Eloelo’s LoveHouse created a never-seen-before live reality viewing experience for Indians, as it used a technology called “Switch Channel” & “Dual Stream” to enable multiple camera angles to switch in a single live stream. This breakthrough technology seamlessly changed the live feed in one continuous live room during the six and half days of LoveHouse’s live streaming.

“We are thrilled to have pioneered a new era of live-streaming entertainment through our breakthrough technology that transformed Eloelo’s LoveHouse reality show into a continuous live room for six and a half days straight! The success of India’s first 144-hour reality show, Lovehouse, has not only set a new world record but also brought people together and created unforgettable moments. This achievement has filled us with great pride and has inspired us to keep delivering such never thought of concepts on the Eloelo app for the audiences of Bharat!” said Saurabh Pandey, Founder and CEO, of Eloelo.

The five influencer couples and inmates of Eloelo’s LoveHouse were Kulhad Pizza couple from Jalandhar, Gurpreet Kaur and Sehaj Arora; short video sensations, Pankaj and Shivu; and Sapna and Goldy; the popular YouTubers, Aayushi and Vishal, and Radio City RJs, RJ Priya and RJ Raghav. “The energy in the LoveHouse was charged with loads of drama, heightened emotions, romance and an unmistakable sense of rivalry as the five couples competed with each other through a series of tasks such as enacting roleplays, using handcuffs, women contestants applying makeup on their partners, and lots more,” Saurabh added

After 144 hours, Eloelo’s live audience unanimously chose the popular YouTuber influencers, Ayushi and Vishal as their favourite couple and the winners of Season 1 of LoveHouse! With over 3 million followers, the winning couple had fans from across the country pouring in their love through live votes.

With this victory, Ayushi and Vishal have bagged a cash prize of INR 1 Lakh and other prizes up to 5 lakhs and grabbed a chance to meet actor Kartik Aryan, whose upcoming film Shehzada is set to premiere on 17 February.

Eloelo also did an extensive campaign on Twitter to promote Lovehouse and brands like Ixigo, Abhibus, BalleBaazi, Zoomin, Galaxycard, Ferns & Petals and more joined the thread to leave their witty responses. Before launch, Lovehouse had also garnered interest and curiosity from a lot of celebrities ranging from Indian film actresses Amrita Rao, Donal Bisht & Flora Saini to famous paparazzo, Viral Bhayani.

19th February 2023, Udaipur: The Consumer Culture Lab of IIM Udaipur, the only such Lab of its kind in any educational institution in India, has launched the annual report “Rangbhoomi, The Digital Heartlands of India”. Done in collaboration with Stripe Partners, UK, the project is authored by Prof. Tanvi Gupta, Associate Professor, and Co-
Chair of Consumer Culture Lab, and Adishri Guha, Senior Research Executive of Consumer Culture Lab.

This report talked about how Indian small towns are in a state of flux between aspiration and rootedness and also conceptualizes the state of liminality or being in-between, using a map of three ideological “lands” (Bhoomi in Hindi) that small town consumers inhabit.

The Research Team explored beyond metropolitan India and went to the rural and regional heartlands that are often unexplored. Through ethnographic research in nine locations, across nine states, with fifteen social media creators, a research team explored the journeys of small-town content creators.

Researchers found that people use platforms such as Instagram and YouTube to create original content, build followings, have a social impact, and make money. The detailed Report can be downloaded from club. time.in

Commenting on this report, Prof. Ashok Bannerjee, Director of IIM Udaipur said, “Rural India is driving internet adoption. It grew from 299 million internet users in 2020 to 351 million in 2021. Along with internet adoption comes a concomitant increase in the use of social media and e-commerce platforms for opinion formation and buying decisions. This report does an excellent job of capturing the rise of digital consumers in India and their growing ease in using digital platforms to create content to influence decision-making. The major findings of the ‘Digital Heartlands of India’ will surely have key takeaways equally for the industries that have rural consumers as target customers and policymakers.”

Rajesh Nanarpuzha, Associate Professor at IIMU and Co-Chair of Consumer Culture Lab said, “In line with the stated mission of IIMU’s Consumer Culture Lab to understand the Indian consumer better and bring the muted voices of India’s consumptions-scape into the mainstream, Rangbhoomi- The Digital Heartlands project is our significant first step. The implications of this study will be compelling for both industry and academia.”

New Delhi, 19 February 2023: India is looking to mine oceans, which will unlock huge opportunities and new areas of operations for Indian Industries, said Shri Vivek Bhardwaj, Secretary, Ministry of Mines, Government of India during a conference on 16 February on the sidelines of the silver jubilee edition of the International Engineering & Technology Fair 2023, organized by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in collaboration with Finland Chamber of Commerce in India, NSIC, and Government ministries in New Delhi. He said that the Government is amending the Offshore Areas Minerals (Development and Regulation) Act, which is open for comments from the industry.

“We need to increase domestic exploration and we have enlisted 13 private exploration companies as the opportunities are immense. We also need to look at acquiring foreign assets. We sent a team to Argentina to identify mines for investments and we have two lithium mines and one copper mine there. Within the coming period, we will shortlist projects to invest, which will be open to the private sector,” Shri Bhardwaj said. He also urged the industry to get into organized recycling to make India the recycling hub of the world. Talking about the opportunities and possibilities in the metals and mining industry, he said that the Government has proposed amendments in the MMDR Act to encourage junior miners. The Mines Secretary was speaking at a conference titled ‘Vision 2047: Atmanirbharta in Minerals and Metals’ to discuss the roadmap and opportunities in the metals & mining industry of India.

Koushik Chatterjee, Chairman, Metal & Metallurgy Expo 2023 and Executive Director and Group CFO, Tata Steel Ltd said that the metals and metallurgy sector is the foundation of India’s economic growth and underlined the need to develop a sustainable metals and metallurgy Industry, which is aligned with India’s Sustainable Development and Net-Zero goals.

Gajendra Panwar, MD, Danieli India Ltd said that the industry should build modern steel plants capable of delivering premium quality steel to become globally competitive. Noting that India needs to become carbon neutral, he said that Green Hydrogen is a great option to bring down greenhouse gas emissions. But, until it is available and affordable, we must look for other technologies to use natural gases to bring down carbon emissions, he added.

Sunil Duggal, Chairman of CII National Committee on Mining and Group CEO, Vedanta Ltd said that the enormous potential of the mining and metallurgy sector needs to be unlocked and added that the industry is fully committed to achieving Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision to make India Aatmanirbhar in coming years.

Over 400 companies from 19 countries are displaying their latest products and technologies at the IETF. Finland is the focus country at the IETF this year. The silver jubilee edition of IETF includes 3 concurrent shows and 9 focus shows. The latest innovations in Advanced Building Technologies, Artificial Intelligence, Capital Machinery, Digital Gaming, Fluid Power, Factory & Plant Maintenance, Healthcare, Industrial Automation & Robotics, Modern Logistics Solutions, Metal & Metallurgy, and Water & Solid Waste Management are being presented at the event being held during 16-18 February.

New Delhi, February 19, 2023: Shri Kaushal Kishore, Minister of State, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India, said, “We need to accelerate our efforts, make people aware of water-related issues and requirement of lifestyle changes, develop innovative technologies and religiously implement wastewater treatment strategies.” This necessitates the complete integration of water conservation and wastewater treatment practices at different levels in our daily life.

The Minister was speaking at the ‘Conference on Water and Wastewater Management’ organised by CII on the sidelines of the 25th edition of the International Engineering & Technology Fair (IETF) to discuss water-related issues and possible solutions to enhance India’s water management capabilities.

“The government has also emphasized the utilization of modern technologies and methods while developing today’s cities. We are working on a mission to make India a Developed Nation by 2047 in which water conservation, groundwater recharge, quality, and equal access to all will play a critical role. Safe and adequate water will also facilitate India’s mission to improve the health of every citizen,” he added.

The Minister launched ‘Our Cup of Joy’, a book by CII, that is a compilation of case studies, initiatives, and practices that are being implemented across the country to judiciously use fresh water and effectively manage wastewater. CII is also organizing the ‘Water & Waste Expo 2023’ at the ongoing IETF 2023 event, which demonstrates innovative and futuristic technologies employed in the water treatment segment.

Mr. Rajesh Sharma, Chairman, CII-National Committee on Water & Chairman & Managing Director, Ion Exchange (India) Ltd, said, “Wastewater treatment is the best alternate option to deal with water shortage and ensure adequate supply to every citizen and industry. We need to harness the potential of state-of-the-art technologies that are available today to get desired results. Most importantly, the players need to emphasize on the implementation of digital technologies which can help identify the gaps and bridge them. “

Bengaluru, 20th February,2023: Sattva Group, one of India’s leading Property Development, Management, and Consulting organizations, conducted a 2-day mega event, Sattva Global City Fest 2023. The fest, one of many more to come, is designed to bring people together through sports and sustainable efforts to achieve community development and awareness around a sustainable planet. Sattva Global City played host, where occupants of the Tech Park took part in big numbers on the 18^th& 19th February and met with tremendous success. A total of 14 teams, including Sattva put up an incredible show on both days, calling the curtains on the first-ever edition of its kind.

A team from the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) and RV Engineering College worked tirelessly to ensure that the festival was environmentally friendly and sustainable. With objective to inculcate practices that contribute to the ecosystem, it requires participation and encouragement from all quarters. Such associations pave the way for more such continued efforts, further establishing Sattva Global City as one of SEZ.

The two-day extravaganza was graced by champion cricketer, Bengaluru’s own David Johnson. His presence lifted the spirits of all the participants and brought a new wave of excitement among the audience. The cricketer not only gave a glimpse of his impeccable talent on the ground but also interacted with the audience, adding excitement to the proceedings. With a footfall of hundreds of attendees and participants from various corporations at Sattva Global City, the first edition of the fest was a resounding success. The matches were played with great sportsmanship and the audience was treated to some fantastic cricketing skills on display. The final match was played between teams Capgemini and Dimaag AI, and Capgemini emerged as the champions.

Commenting on the fest’s success Mr. Shivam Agarwal, VP – Strategic Development, Sattva Group said, “When Sattva Global City Fest was still in its bud, we wanted to do something that was fun and engaging for people to come together with the bigger goal of building strong relationships and fostering a sense of community. Today, we are thrilled to see how beautifully our thoughts have blossomed and our vision for a sustainable future has come to life.

Sharing his excitment, Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, Vice President, Sattva Group said, “The central theme of Sattva GCF23, serves as a testament to our dedication to building a better world for future generations. And with the goal of keeping waste under 9% and offsetting our carbon footprint, we hope to set an example for others to follow and inspire meaningful change. We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to all the participants and volunteers who made it possible and look forward to making a positive impact on our community.”

The Sattva Global City Fest 2023’s central theme was sustainability and environmental protection, which aligned with the UNs Sustainable Development Goals. As part of which, the group has succeeded in keeping event waste to under 9% and aims to adopt more such eco-friendly measures at all of Sattva Global City events in the future. The team proposed the all-encompassing theme of ‘Mission9,’ with the goal of keeping waste generated by the event to less than 9% of comparable levels.

The Fest was an amalgamation of sustainability, social impact efforts, and cricket. This acts as a  testimony to Sattva Group’s commitment in creating a better world for all. The fest was a grand success, and Sattva intends to hold such events in order to build on its success to make it bigger and better in the coming years.