Category business

New Delhi/Mumbai, February 08, 2023:

SaaS platform Unicommerce which provides integrated solutions for post-purchase experience management has announced its association with IGP, India’s largest multi-category gifting company with customers spanning 100+ countries and the capability to deliver gifts to over 150 countries and 1000+ cities in India.

With rapidly growing operations, IGP.com was seeking a state-of-the-art technology solution to strengthen and automate its supply chain and expedite the delivery of gifts to its consumers. This is where Unicommerce stepped in and developed an advanced order management and warehouse management solution to simplify the complex process of managing a wide range of gifting orders, including customised products. Unicommerce has enhanced the capabilities of its SaaS platform to offer a Pigeonhole sorting process to meet the scale and complexity of personalised merchandise businesses. This makes it best suited for companies like IGP with its growing business of customised gifting options.

Given IGP’s expansive collection of personalized gifting options and the company’s plan to be the largest and most preferred destination for all special purchases in the next 3 years, IGP has deployed Unicommerce’s order management and warehouse management solution to simplify its supply chain processes and streamline logistics by implementing a centralised technology system. The company is processing thousands of orders daily through its two warehouses located in Jaipur and Mumbai and several dark stores across India.

Unicommerce’s technology platform has enabled IGP to ensure process automation and a fully paperless operation, leading to increased business efficiencies and error-free deliveries. The company will be able to sort and process each order based on the inputs shared by the consumers, thus offering a distinctive experience to the users as per their preferences. The warehouse management solution helps integrate all warehouses on a single platform and offers custom-based warehouse allocation, with full visibility of stock movement, including returns.

Regarding the partnership, Kapil Makhija, CEO, Unicommerce, said, “As one of India’s largest multi-category gifting companies, IGP presented to us an opportunity to manage both great scale and the immense complexity of managing personalised orders. We are delighted to partner with IGP and provide them with a state-of-the-art SaaS platform to support their growth journey “

Speaking on the partnership, Tarun Joshi, Founder & CEO, of IGP, said, “Being in the business of gifting and festive essentials, we have to ensure on-time error-free deliveries, and we also offer personalised gifting, which requires greater attention to detail that leaves no scope for errors. This required a technology that is suited to handle the scale, diversity, and speed of such operations. We are delighted to have Unicommerce as our supply chain technology partner. Their platform will play an instrumental role in enhancing our supply chain operations and adding to the delight of the millions of customers, who entrust us to deliver their sentiments, thoughts, and emotions around the world every day.”

Unicommerce continues to automate supply chain operations for brands across sectors with a robust product portfolio. The Unicommerce platform comes with 200+ hassle-free integrations, including global marketplaces, website platforms, and logistics providers, making it simpler for companies to streamline their operations.

Mumbai, February 8th, 2023: Entropik, a leading AI Powered Integrated Market Research platform provider, has raised $25 million in Series B funding led by Bessemer Venture Partners and SIG Venture Capital. The round also saw participation from Trifecta Capital, Alteria Capital, and long-time existing investor Bharat Innovation Fund.

Entropik has grown ~7x in the last two years, riding on its patented Emotion AI Technologies and driven by its expansion into the US, Europe, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East. Its unique integrated research platform brings quantitative surveys, qualitative research, an online panel & patented emotion AI technologies under one umbrella, making it a one-stop solution for marketing & product organizations. Over 150+ global brands across finance, media, consumer goods, food & beverage, and entertainment leverage Entropik’s consumer research stack to make better consumer-centric decisions faster and more efficiently.

Ranjan Kumar, Founder & CEO of Entropik, said, “The world is evolving fast, and brands, whose foundation is understanding its consumer preference & behavior, are failing to deliver meaningful experiences. In our mission to enable brands to achieve a robust understanding of its consumer, we are thrilled to have Bessemer Venture Partners and SIG Venture Capital join this journey. The new round also comes as a testament to the rigor and hard work put in by our global team and the trust put by enterprises in our offerings.”

“We are delighted to partner with Ranjan, Lava, Bharat, and the entire team at Entropik Tech, in their mission to create a globally leading Emotion AI platform. We believe the strength of the platform lies in its multi-modal, cross-functional capabilities. We are excited to see the team extend their early lead in the customer research category while continuing to expand into other categories as well.”, said Anant Puri, Partner, Bessemer Venture Partners.

Bhavanipratap Rana, Investment Advisor to SIG Venture Capital, said, “Entropik provides a faster and cheaper alternative for businesses to interact and understand customer feedback. In an increasingly digital world, consumer and user insights become core to businesses’ success in cultivating a loyal customer base. Marketers can now measure more accurately and assess consumer feedback with Entropik’s products, like Affect UX, Labs, and Decode. We are excited to invest and support the team at Entropik as they expand into new markets.”

Ashwin Raguraman, Co-founder and Partner, of Bharat Innovation Fund, said, “There is a special feeling when you have been at the start of what is an incredible journey. Entropik has grown tremendously, powered by its DeepTech solutions and a high-quality, continuously evolving team. In enabling brands to improve their customers’ experiences, they are the engine powering how customers interact with their brands better. Their multimodal platform encompassing brainwave mapping, facial coding, and voice tonality is globally unique. We hopped on the Entropik train a while back and are very happy to keep buying a ticket to extend our journey.”

With this latest round of funding, Entropik will continue to disrupt consumer research for global brands and build world-class products out of India, enabling research, marketing, and product teams to move towards a more collaborative, agile, and scalable way to conduct research. They will also focus on expanding their footprint across the US, Europe, and Asian markets.

The world of work has gone through the biggest transformation for over a generation and a new era has begun: 53% in India expect to move roles in the next 12 months, inflation is fuelling wage demands, concerns over burnout are growing, and the adoption of hybrid working has some way to go.

In one of the largest ever studies across the accountancy profession, ACCA’s (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) new annual Global Talent Trends Survey 2023 provides a unique and vital view of how people feel about their life at work.

Over 8000 professional accountants from 148 countries including India were asked about the concerns they held around work in the future as well as aspirations for their careers. The survey also assessed key workplace issues such as employee engagement, well-being, and attitudes to technology adoption.

Our research highlights a talent crunch for employers as they struggle to retain staff with big career mobility ambitions and an eye on their next role. In India, 53% expect to move to their next roles in the next 12 months, and a further 28% over the next two years. Meanwhile, the biggest worry for employees globally is workplace stress, as well as the impact of inflation on salaries.

At a time of significant workforce change and a challenging global economic climate, our survey indicates that a career in accountancy remains a smart choice for those seeking long-term career prospects and possibilities to continually acquire new skills. The opportunity to acquire a professional qualification that affords cross-sectoral and international mobility further adds to the perception that choosing accountancy leads to a career with choices and flexibility. Seven key themes that emerged are:

1.  The inflation crisis continues to fuel wage pressures and creates retention challenges.
2.  Hybrid working is a ‘work in progress’ in many countries, but India has adapted fast with 42% of respondents citing they have a hybrid working pattern.
3.  Addressing burnout has to be a priority with 62% of respondents in India wanting more help from their organizations to manage their mental health.
4.  Job mobility is driving a possible talent crunch for employers – globally 44% expect to move to their next role in 12 months, rising to 69% over the next two years.
5.  Technology is now seen to be empowering accountants to add value, but worldwide 42% suggest they feel overwhelmed by the sheer pace of change.
6.  Inclusion measures highly in India with 75% feeling their organisation culture is inclusive but concerns particularly by younger respondents are expressed on social mobility.
7.  Accountancy provides career security in turbulent times, with younger people prioritising career development, financial reward, and money rather than broader ambitions to address wider social issues through the jobs they perform.

Jamie Lyon, Head of Skills, Sectors and Technology at ACCA said: “Employers are adapting and experimenting with new ways of working across the workforce. Career development and remuneration are the top two attraction factors to an organisation, yet they’re also the two areas which have most influence on employees’ decisions to leave.”

Md. Sajid Khan, Director – India at ACCA said: “Attracting the next generation of talent to the accountancy profession is vital to healthy economies. ACCA’s inaugural annual talent trends survey ensures the voice of those studying and working in the profession in India is heard, and that the profession helps create a working environment where tomorrow’s talent wants to be.”

Mumbai, February 08, 2023: Muthoottu Royal Gold the new flagship of Muthoottu M Mathew Group, has announced the launch of its special Limited edition 24ct gold coins – “Love Bits Coins”. Gearing up for the season of love the coins are crafted to win hearts this Valentine’s Day. The launch of “Love Bits Coins” symbolising of Valentine’s Day was inaugurated by Mr Mathew Muthoottu- Managing Director, Muthoot Mini Financiers Ltd (MMFL) & Ms Arlin Anna Philip- Founder, Muthoottu Royal Gold (MRG) in the presence of Ms Nizzy Mathew-Chairperson & Wholetime Director (MMFL), Mr PE Mathai- CEO (MMFL) & Mr Jisson Thomas- AVP (MRG).

Muthoottu Royal Gold has also announced a new range of exquisitely crafted jewellery as a part of the Valentine’s collection. The exquisitely crafted jewellery comprises of exceptional artisans’ cut bangles, hand-crafted shimmering rings, radiant & delicate pendants, and stylish & glitzy studs to form symbols of love. Keeping up with the 2023 current trends, the collection provides a variety of finely crafted refreshing design jewellery crafted in 22K gold.

The special Valentine’s Day edition composes of 24ct gold coins put together with a perfect blend of love, a huge heart, a cupid and a love letter carried by 2 love balloons. The limited edition offers pocket-friendly, 0.5 gm and 1 gm 24ct coins that anyone can gift their loved ones, to express their affection this Valentine’s Day.

Ms Arlin Anna Philip, Founder, of Muthoottu Royal Gold said: “Our exquisite range of hand-crafted jewellery is designed to make this Valentine’s Day truly special for everyone. We believe that our beautifully crafted gold coins and jewellery will make a meaningful and lasting impact on loved ones and make this season of love even more memorable.”

Customers can visit any nearest Muthoottu Mini Financiers Branches to book them today.

Gurugram, February 8, 2023 – Ecom Express Limited, one of India’s leading technology-enabled full-stack logistics service providers to the e-commerce industry, today announced the launch of its Warehouse Management Solutions (WMS) and Order Management Solutions (OMS), Ecom Magnum as a service offering for sellersaf

This new SaaS offering is suitable for online sellers seeking order and warehouse management solutions to integrate with e-marketplaces. The scalable, cloud-based WMS system is designed to plug-and-play with integration channels, tracking orders and handling large SKUs and tech-led inbound & outbound processes, resulting in high accuracy and cost efficiencies for sellers.

The feature-rich WMS platform complements and integrates into warehousing and shipping stacks of Ecom Express or can be utilised as a stand-alone solution. Online businesses that utilise the platform can access Ecom Express’ robust network of 60+ fulfilment centres and shipping services across 27000+ PIN codes in India. Most of the company’s fulfilment centres are strategically located sites in proximity to urban centers and beyond. Ecom Fulfilment Services (EFS) is powered with automated warehousing, order management and fulfillment center service and the launch of Ecom Magnum will further establish its position as one-partner logistics solution provider to the e-commerce industry.

K. Satyanarayana, Co-founder & Director, Ecom Express Limited said, “As an industry leader, we are constantly working to bring more value to small and medium sellers in a cost-effective manner, and are proud to bring state-of-the-art WMS and OMS system built on usage experience and learnings from 100K+ sellers who engage with us. With this new platform, we are trying to remove the pain points for small sellers in the standard OMS and WMS available in the market by offering a feature-rich ecosystem. In order to fulfil the orders seamlessly, we provide sellers with a one-stop order-to-deliver set-up resulting in scale, efficiency, and control over both their inventory and customer experience.”

Ecom Express has been actively catalysing towards simplifying the SMB e-commerce companies’ journey. The company recently launched ExpressPlus as air dominant multi-modal logistics solution for faster transit time users in D2C and SMB space. Last year, the company announced that it is in an advanced stage of integration with the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) and had launched its easy sign up portal, E-zippie thereby, making the sellers’ journey easy, convenient, and rewarding with 30-minutes onboarding.

India, 08th February 2023: Radio City, India’s leading radio network, along with Mid-day, Mumbai’s leading daily, is back with Season 4 of the most credible ‘Hitlist OTT Awards’. The objective of Hitlist OTT Awards is to acclaim and recognize the game changers of the OTT industry for their innate talent and content innovation. Hitlist OTT Awards debuted in 2020 and became the first egalitarian OTT awards to reward the stalwarts of the industry. Recognized as the original people’s choice awards, the first three seasons were deemed spectacular owing to the overwhelmingly positive response from the audience who showered millions of votes to choose their favorite talent.

India’s OTT sector has become a true game-changer in the entertainment industry and therefore it became essential that its brilliance be recognized. Season 4 of the Hitlist OTT Awards is an endeavor to commemorate the OTT artists who toil diligently to deliver the world’s finest entertainment. The voting lines for the 4th edition of Hitlist OTT Awards will be live from 5th February until 22nd February for audiences to nominate their favorite talent across 16 categories. The digizens can log on to the URL – https://www.radiocity.in/hitlistott available on Radio City and Mid-day’s social media channels to cast their vote (Janta ka faisla). The award finale is scheduled for March 2023 on a virtual platform in the presence of the nominees and prominent personalities from the OTT entertainment world.

The renowned in-house jury to shortlist the nominees consists of Mayank Shekhar, a well-known film critic & Mid-day’s entertainment editor along with Radio City RJ Salil Acharya, India’s recognized star influencer. The 16 categories include Best New Series, Best New Season, Best Adaptation (Book/Series), Best Direct-to-Web Film, Best Actor (Male): Series, Best Actor (Female): Series, Best Supporting Actor (Male): Series, Best Supporting Actor (Female): Series, Best Actor (Male): Film, Best Actor (Female): Film, Best Supporting Actor (Male): Film, Best Supporting Actor (Female): Film, Best Ensemble Cast (Series), Best Non-Fiction, Best Creator/Showrunner, and Top Internet Sensation.

Speaking on the launch of season 4 of Hitlist OTT awards, Mr. Ashit Kukian, Chief Executive Officer, Radio City said, “Against the backdrop of the pandemic, the growth of the OTT industry has resulted in the establishment of a cutting-edge hub for the consumption of exceptional media. The Indian OTT industry is thriving and has become one of the most premium mediums for content consumption with small, medium and large production houses harping on the popularity of OTT platforms to launch films and series. It, therefore, became the prerogative of Radio City and Mid-day to honour and celebrate the innovative content creators and talented artists from the OTT industry through the original and credible Hitlist OTT Awards. We are elated to launch the 4th season of Hitlist OTT awards as the preceding three editions received massive public support in the form of millions of audience votes. We are confident that the 4th edition will be more glorious and glamourous as Hitlist OTT is the most distinctive and plausible people’s choice award that honors the finest talent and content of the Indian OTT platform.”

Hitlist OTT Awards season 4 is being promoted by Radio City & Mid-day on their respective social media platforms along with cross-promotions from OTT actors sharing shoutout videos on their social media handles. Radio City RJs will also build buzz for the awards with features including interviews with the jury, speeches from industry leaders, quizzes and much more. Listeners will also get an opportunity to get up close and personal with some of their favorite OTT performers by participating in various contests. Tinsel town is set to take over radio this time around, with prominent OTT actors giving capsuled bytes to the broadcasts to maintain the adrenaline rush and entice listeners. The popular tabloid will also publish engaging interviews of the nominees who will share their journey, insights about the industry, etc.

Pune, 08 Feb 2023: Zinrelo, the leading provider of loyalty software in the world, announced today that it has been recognized as a category leader in Loyalty Management Software for 2023 by G2, the world’s largest and most trusted software marketplace. This is the third time in a row that Zinrelo has received this honour.

G2 recognitions are based on customer satisfaction scores derived directly from user reviews and market presence, which includes consideration for seller size and social impact.

Samir Palnitkar, COO of Zinrelo, said, “We are delighted to be recognized as a category leader in loyalty management software again this year. This recognition by G2 is based on several parameters, including market presence, adoption, and overall customer satisfaction. It is a testament to Zinrelo’s commitment to delivering a best-in-class solution for large businesses looking to enhance their customer loyalty programs. It also underlines Zinrelo’s ability to help our clients significantly boost their customer engagement, increase customer retention and drive revenue growth.”

Samir credited the teams at Zinrelo for having made this achievement possible. “This recognition reminds Zinrelo to keep raising the bar to empower businesses to achieve their loyalty goals efficiently.”

Zinrelo has also been named a leader in loyalty management solutions by other leading B2B technology review platforms, including GetApp and SourceForge. It was also recently named the ‘Top Customer Loyalty Platform’ by Select Software Reviews.

Bengaluru, 08th February 2023: Being close to nature has become an important parameter for homebuyers in Bengaluru. Preferences indicated home purchases are influenced on the basis of proximity to open spaces, green cover, and nature reserves. The study revealed that the majority of people residing in the Silicon Valley of India are making conscious efforts to connect with nature in and around their homes wherein 84% of respondents from Bengaluru prefer their homes surrounded by greenery.

52% of respondents stated that they have plants at home that makes them happy. Another 32% of respondents are of the view that plants are fundamentally important for them both inside and outside their homes.

The recently launched, Godrej Properties study, Home Livability Factors underscores the fundamental shift in homebuyers’ preferences with the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic and the significant alterations that it has brought about in their preference for residential apartments.

Homes surrounded by trees and greenery also help people to stay healthy and maintain mental well-being. This seems to be a major reason for 3 out of 4 respondents in Bengaluru are of the view that home is a place to maintain health and mental well-being.

The survey also revealed that residents of Bengaluru prioritize family living as 51% of respondents feel that a home is a place to live well as a family unit. They are second next to Kolkata wherein 59% echoed similar preferences. Around 71% of respondents from Bengaluru have also placed hobbies and passions as a fundamental aspect of their lifestyle change post the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pramod Bisht, CEO of South Zone, Godrej Properties, said, “People have become environmentally conscious. They aspire to live in homes that are surrounded by open spaces, complimented by ample greenery and serene surroundings. At Godrej Properties, we understand the native needs of our homebuyers and craft bespoke residential spaces surrounded by greenery and paved access to open spaces. We design smart homes that are not only technologically evolved but offer contemporary facilities in terms of safety, security, and well-being thus enhancing the overall livability quotient.”

The study also brought to the fore that the pandemic-induced lockdown has influenced 79% of respondents to lead a sustainable lifestyle. Of these, 49% of them stated that they have started laying an impetus on energy conservation, avoiding wastage of food and water. The remaining 30% of them claimed that they are absolutely conscious of their daily use of water and energy and have adopted recycling.

The study also posed reactions to how their work schedule reflected in their homes. At least 67% of respondents from Bengaluru claim that they have made some adjustments to work from home.

Data findings are a part of the research study Home Livability Factors unveiled by Godrej Properties Ltd. (GPL) which surveyed respondents from seven cities of Pune, Mumbai, Delhi, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, and Chennai.

Bangalore, 08, February 2023: SDG (Sustainable Development Goals) Impact awards USD 200,000 (approx. 1.63 Cr) grant to a consortium including Varthana, Global Schools Forum (GSF), Kaizenvest, and IDP Foundation. This grant is supported by Convergence Blended Finance.

The grant is to improve access to quality education across selected geographies in South Asia and Africa through impact-linked financing. This initiative would be funded by the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs SECO, the Swiss Development Cooperation Agency SDC, the UBS Optimus Foundation, and the Credit Suisse Foundation.

The consortium of Varthana, Kaizenvest, IDP Foundation, and Global Schools Forum, proposes to set up a Global Finance for Education Fund to provide USD 35 million of catalytic and investment capital to financial institutions and intermediaries serving private ECD (Early Childhood Development), LCPS (Low-Cost Private Schools) and skill development providers, across 6 countries in South Asia, Africa, and potentially South America.

The consortium’s impact finance design idea was selected alongside six other winners from 76 applications for its potential to make a meaningful difference in the lives of underprivileged children aged between 0-18 years. The final winners were chosen by a team from Convergence and SDG Impact Finance after reviewing impact finance design ideas from the four UN Sustainable Goals: SDG 4 (Quality Education), SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth), SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), and SDG 13 (Climate Action).

The consortium’s solution is designed to support Low-fee Private Schools to improve learning outcomes and equity in almost 520,000 low-middle-income learners enrolled in schools across the 6 identified countries (India, Pakistan, Kenya, Ghana, Uganda, and Nigeria).

It also aims to accelerate progress toward learning recovery by facilitating access to more and better financial instruments through:

1.  Increasing the amount of debt capital and equity investments available for on-lending to LCPS;
2.  Scaling up and improving the pilot conducted by Varthana of tying financial loans for LCPS to clear rewards for improving access and learning outcomes for girls and marginalized groups, and for improving access to finance for women proprietors or LCPS

New Delhi, February 08, 2023: Eli Bitton, an Israel-origin fashion house, officially opened its first flagship store in Delhi, India, in December 2022. The showroom features one of the largest selections of ready-to-wear exquisitely embroidered evening gowns in the Delhi NCR.

Eli Bitton has stores and fashion houses in Haifa, Israel, and West Delhi, India. The brand, which has been present in Israel for over three decades, is now establishing its presence in India by offering unique designs and contemporary apparel selection with more size options for women. They believe that women need to feel at ease in whatever they want to wear. It is one of the first designer labels with a dedicated embroidery studio.

Yehuda Bitton, COO & Fashion Designer at Eli Bitton said, “2022 was indeed one of the best financial years in the past decade. We have received an amazing response from our customers since our launch in India. The majority of our clients are repeated customers who purchased online or those who follow us on social media and have been anticipating the store’s launch. The most satisfying aspect is that ninety percent of the women who tried our designs purchased them. We do not doubt that our brand has a place for new outlets in India, particularly in Delhi. As of now, our focus is to build a robust, professional, and skilled team in India.”

After facing a sudden slowdown during the pandemic, the fashion brand expanded its design departments to cater to a larger audience. Their casual-wear and leisure suit section saw considerable growth in sales. Eli Bitton intends to open its franchisee in the near future with a vision to preserve the quality and exclusivity of its designs.