Category business

India | February 10, 2023: Shopify (NYSE: SHOP), a provider of essential internet infrastructure for commerce, has today unveiled a major set of 100+ platform updates, with new features that unlock the power of mobile commerce, and meet shifting shopping preferences with a seamless checkout experience

A new suite of features for Indian merchants comes as retailers seek new ways to get more from less as they double-down on customer experience in an effort to convert more conscious and considered shoppers in 2023. The new suite of features for Indian merchants comes as retailers seek new ways to build direct-to-consumer (D2C) relationships, with India’s D2C market projected to triple in size from $33 billion in 2020 to $100 billion USD by 2025.

“Not even a year ago we launched our first Edition, and now our Winter ‘23 Edition showcases over a hundred more products and features we’ve built in the last six months alone,” said Harley Finkelstein, President at Shopify.

“We know we need to be the fastest moving commerce company in the world because our merchants depend on Shopify’s innovation for their own longevity. So with this Edition, we moved quickly to offer tools that help merchants access the promise of mobile commerce, meet customer expectations for fast delivery and seamless checkout, and sell more with AI — it’s the best version of Shopify yet, and will shape the future of entrepreneurship.”

Optimising Checkout to drive higher conversion for Indian merchants With more than 5.5 billion orders processed, Shopify Checkout is reliable, scalable, and lightning fast. However, with 75% Indian consumers saying that price rules purchase decisions in the current economic environment, we’re launching new levels of extensibility to help
merchants optimise for conversion.

Using our global insights from Shop Pay — which converts 72% better than a typical checkout and 91% better on mobile, while boasting the processing power of 40,000 checkouts per store per minute with 99.99% uptime — Shopify Checkout now offers:

• ● Drag & Drop Checkout Editor helps merchants easily edit the look and feel of checkout, threading their unique brand identity all the way from browse to buy. Merchants can also easily add new functionality to their checkout, like upsells and loyalty programs, by installing apps from the Shopify App Store and configuring them in the checkout editor.
• ● Enhanced developer tooling with a new suite of powerful components and APIs , allowing developers to build checkout apps for the Shopify App Store and unlocking new functionality for merchants to optimise the customer experience for Indian shoppers, including post-purchase pages, discounts and custom logic, additional fields, custom
  content, and more.
  ● One-page Checkout will replace our existing three-page checkout later this year. Designed to replicate an express checkout experience like Shop Pay, our new one-page checkout is faster, friction-free, higher-converting than standard online checkouts.

Set up, grow, and run a world-class commerce business from your phone

India now has the world’s second-largest mobile phone market in the world, with smartphones now the main gateway to go online for 650 million people. Shopify is laying the foundation for mobile-first users to start, run, and scale a business all through mobile, launching a series of new mobile-first solutions for Indian merchants as part of Winter ‘23 Edition, including:

• ● Online Store Editor for Mobile allows merchants to easily edit and update the look of their store, or take product images with their phone and follow an intuitive flow to create new products and set up new variants.
  ● Shopify Email and Marketing Automation for Mobile allows merchants to automate their marketing and create branded emails using a variety of templates, or build custom emails on-the-go straight from their smartphone.
  ● Simplified inventory management for Mobile gives merchants the power to quickly and accurately update inventory on mobile.

Unlocking the Shop app for developers to help merchants win in the mobile era of
commerce

The shop is a brand discovery app that is available to Indian customers on iOS and Android, with more than 100 million users globally. As mobile commerce continues to grow, we’re introducing Shop Minis, to give developers a new way to build for mobile.

The Shop Mini software development kit (SDK) enables developers in the Shopify Ecosystem to extend their Shopify app functionality to Shop, creating innovative in-app brand discovery experiences for merchants around the world, including in India. The Shopify Ecosystem already includes nearly 50,000 partners and developers who earned more that $411 million from Shopify in 2021. Now, we’re opening that same opportunity to developers to build for Shop and inviting them to help us build for the mobile era of commerce.

Bharati Balakrishnan, Shopify’s Country Head and Director for India & Southeast Asia highlighted the impact these changes will have on Indian merchants who are navigating significant economic and consumer shifts in 2023, “Commerce looks different this year as consumer behaviour and shopping habits shift in response to the current economic environment. Those who stay on the current edge will win, which is why we’re doubling down on our investment in innovation and product development to keep Indian brands and retailers ahead of the curve and give them an advantage over their competitors that’s built to last. I can’t wait to see the incredible experiences Indian brands and retailers build with these newest updates.”

In addition to these new releases launching with our Winter ‘23 Edition, we’ve also launched the following in India over the last six months:

• ● Shopify Translate & Adapt, a new app that works with Shopify Markets, helps merchants quickly and accurately translate a merchant’s store into different languages with both manual and machine translations.
  ● Payoneer, PayGlocal and Tazapay partnership helps Indian merchants streamline cross-border commerce on Shopify, with around 1-in-5 now selling internationally to an average of four international markets, reaching more than 70 million shoppers from around the world.
  ● Shopify x YouTube Shopping allows creators and merchants in [India] to sell their full range of products on YouTube via live streams, in-video clickable product shelves, and store tabs.
  ● Shopify Starter Plan helps merchants that are just starting out and who want to sell to their customers through social media platforms or messaging apps, without maintaining an online store.

Chennai, 10 February 2023 – Air-management platform, Aura Air of Israel which partnered with Wipro Lighting, has received the ‘GreenPro’ Ecolabel from CII Green Products and Services Council. This makes Aura Air the first holistic indoor air quality management solutions provider (with both monitoring and purification using IoT) to receive the GreenPro certification. This Ecolabel enables consumers to make an informed decision about using indoor air quality management technology that has the lowest environmental impact.

With innovation being the key focus area for Aura Air, its technology is dedicated to reducing harmful gases and indoor pollution. Aura Air devices also protect people against biological contaminants, fumes, allergens, etc. The technology is most suitable for built environments like offices and conference rooms, school classrooms, hotels, chemical labs, residential units, hospitals, industrial buildings, and shopping complexes.

GreenPro is a certification for products by the Indian Green Building Council (IGBC), keeping in mind the product design, application, performance, benefits, and stewardship.

Aura Air purifiers use proprietary multistage filtration technology, comprising of four main parts – the pre-filter, ray filter, UVC LED, and bipolar ionization. The proprietary filtration technology includes HEPA, Carbon & Zinc based filtration, and helps in removing particles like dust, pollen, insects, and animal hair. The UVC LED neutralizes bacteria, viruses, and parasites by destroying the proteins on the cell membrane, and the sterionizer (Bipolar Ionization) generates positive and negative ions that purify and freshen indoor air by eliminating harmful pollutants.

As part of the certification process, Aura Air conducted an ‘Efficiency study’ of air purifiers against particles, gaseous pollutants, and microbial contaminants present in various indoor air environments across India. The parameters of the testing included PM 2.5, PM 10, CO2, CO, NO2, SO2, O3, ammonia, Benzene, Benzo (a) Pyrine, Hexane, Mercaptan, Xylene, Toluene, Formaldehyde, bacteria, and fungus. It was verified and concluded that the performance of the device on all parameters was satisfactory.

CII’s report also highlights Aura Air purifiers’ green and sustainable features. The device saves electricity by connecting with BMS/any software controlling the HVAC systems and pumping in fresh air only when it is required. Its built-in sensors measure and control all the major parameters that affect human health.

P V Bharadwaj, Managing Director of Aura Air in India said, “The GreenPro Ecolabel for Aura Air is a significant achievement in our journey of developing sustainable air quality management technology for indoor spaces. Every building or project aiming for the Green Building certification will stand a higher chance by using Aura Air in their indoor environments. Our partner, Wipro Lighting has been a leader in this space and helps customers adhere to standards like WELL and LEED. These customers will now be able to add further value to their Indoor Air Quality space through Wipro-Aura products and the GreenPro certification.”

Aura Air not only focuses on manufacturing environmentally sustainable products but also raises awareness in the form of webinars. In addition, the company has conducted multiple awareness drives to promote the product through stalls at exhibitions and events held across the country. Each device also has an exclusive QR code which can be used to check the air quality in real-time.

Aditya Chopra directed Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ) is the longest-running movie in the history of Indian cinema. The all-time blockbuster catapulted Shah Rukh Khan and Kajol to become superstars of the country and is one of the biggest IPs emerging from the Indian film industry. DDLJ shaped pop culture for India and Indians over the generations. This year, on the occasion of Valentine’s Day, DDLJ will see a wider release across India, Yash Raj Films confirms.

Rohan Malhotra, Vice President, Distribution, YRF, says, “Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge (DDLJ), the longest-running film in the history of cinema, has become synonymous to romance for India and Indians for generations since it’s historic release. We are constantly requested by the audience and fans, throughout the year, for a wider showcasing of the film so that they can, again and again, watch this milestone-setting film with their friends and family in theatres! This year, on the occasion of Valentine’s Day, we are making their wish come true. DDLJ will be screened across India, starting Feb 10, for a period of one week only!”

DDLJ will be released in 31 cities across India, including Mumbai, Pune, Ahmedabad, Surat, Vadodara, Gurgaon, Faridabad, Lucknow, Noida, Dehradun, Delhi, Chandigarh, Kolkata, Guwahati, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Indore, Chennai, Vellore, Trivandrum.

Interestingly for audiences, they can get a taste of Shah Rukh Khan as Raj in DDLJ and as Pathaan in theatres over this Valentine’s Day period. Pathaan is currently wreaking havoc at the box office as it has become the all-time highest-grossing Hindi film ever worldwide!

Rohan says, “YRF & SRK are not only synonymous with delivering Indian cinema’s biggest blockbusters but also for collaborating on films which have redefined the Indian film industry and have had a lasting cultural impact“

He adds, “It is an amazing coincidence that DDLJ, an all-time blockbuster, was released by YRF during its 25th-year celebrations & this year, history has repeated itself with Pathaan as it has become the highest grossing Hindi film worldwide (original format) during YRF’s 50-year celebrations!”

He further adds, “We are thrilled to give the audience an opportunity to watch DDLJ and Pathaan, which are going to run simultaneously on the big screen, during this period. YRF has been fortunate to become home to India’s biggest cinematic IPs including DDLJ and Pathaan from YRF’s Spy Universe and we hope both these films make up for an amazing viewing experience for people during Valentine’s week.”
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Mumbai, February 10, 2023: Shriram Housing Finance Limited, the Mumbai based affordable housing finance company, has been re-certified as Great Place to Work® by the Great Place to Work® Institute, for the period February 2023 to February 2024. This is the second consecutive year that Shriram Housing Finance has been recognized as one of India’s Great Places to Work. This certification marks the exceptional work that Shriram Housing Finance has done and is based entirely on the 1600+ employees’ assessment of the company’s culture, management, opportunities for advancement, and other traits that add up to an exceptional workplace. 93% of employees say Shriram Housing Finance is a great place to work.

Additional facts from this year’s survey results:

· 96% of employees feel that Management has a clear view of where the organization is going and how to get there.

· 95% feel that Management shows appreciation for good work and extra effort.

· 94% feel that People here are treated fairly regardless of their gender.

· 94% feel proud to tell others that they work here.

Shriram Housing Finance culture framework is based on 8 principles – caring, with a focus on relationships and mutual trust for one another; purpose, exemplified by idealism and altruism; learning, characterized by exploration, expansiveness, and creativity; enjoyment, expressed through fun and excitement at the workplace; results, characterized by achievement and winning and rewards; authority, defined by strength, decisiveness, and boldness; safety, defined by planning, caution, and preparedness; and order, focused on respect, structure, and shared norms.

Commenting on the achievement Mr. Ravi Subramanian, MD & CEO, of Shriram Housing Finance said, “We are honored to be certified as a ‘Great Place to Work’ for the second time. I believe when culture is aligned with strategy and leadership, it drives positive organizational outcomes. The re-certification is a testament to SHFLs progressive work culture which has helped us attract and retain top talent, a key ingredient to drive our business on the path to success. As a team, we are passionate and focused on our business. The constructive work environment has a positive influence across our teams and it gives us a significant competitive advantage. As an organization, we ensure that everyone in the company has great opportunities and has a meaningful impact within SHFL.“

New Delhi/ Hyderabad, 10th Feb 2023: Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, ranked the 5th Best University in India in the 2022 NIRF Ranking’s Department of Civil Engineering, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) EduTech, to offer B.Tech in Civil Engineering to aspiring students who will benefit from the experiential learning co-taught by the University and L&T experts. The collaboration will also facilitate the students to access the advanced course materials curated by the industry experts, and subsequently, qualify the students to take up internships at L&T.

The MoU signed recently, between Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and L&T EduTech for experiential learning, is in a bid to prepare the B.Tech Civil Engineering students of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham to have a better understanding of the industry requirements, gain hands-on experience in the construction industry and fully ready to address future technology challenges and be industry-ready and employable.

Dr. Sasangan Ramanathan, Dean – Faculty of Engineering, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham remarked that “This collaboration is a great step towards bridging the Academia-Industry gap and will ensure that Amrita students are ready to tackle technology challenges. Amrita students can register on the L&T-supported talent exchange platform as part of the collaboration. This site is intended to serve as the industry’s entry point for finding students with specific skill sets for their projects. Once more, this raises the likelihood that Amrita students will be hired immediately after graduation”.

Dr. Sasangan Ramanathan further accentuated that with the recent push in infrastructure development by the Government, Amrita students can contribute positively towards the Nation’ sustainable development.

Understanding the gap between academia and pragmatic knowledge, and calling the graduates to draw attention to upskilling, Er. Febin M F, Head-College Connect Business at L&T said “Modern surveying techniques are a great way to show how different college-level skills are from those needed in the workplace. The methods such as the chain survey, theodolite, and plane table demand a sizable crew and are labor-intensive. Industries use cutting-edge methods like drone surveying to determine the same parameters obtained using traditional tools effortlessly with minimum workforce”.

The collaboration between Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham and L&T EduTech strives to achieve the same by equipping the students with contemporary knowledge. This would eventually give students of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham an edge over others in the career market. Er. Febin M F, Head-College Connect Business at L&T, also added that “Since they know how to meet the industry challenges, they would be an asset to any company. Currently, companies spend approximately 6 to 12 months to train fresh graduates to address industry challenges. However, if the students receive this training at college, they are prepared to handle the obstacles from the start of their work. The training must expose students to advanced industry practices and would increase students’ skill set which in turn contribute to their employability.”

This collaboration will be beneficial to all the stakeholders – faculty and students. Dr. Mini K. M., Chairperson, of the Department of Civil Engineering reflected that “Faculty in the Department of Civil Engineering are highly research-oriented and contribute a lot to the research domain in the form of sponsored projects, publications, invited talks etc. Collaboration with L&T would involve an active interaction between the faculty and the L&T experts. Thus, the faculty would become aware of the recent trends in construction sectors and reorient their research towards solving industry-defined problems. This in turn will benefit the students during their regular classes”.

The courses curated by Amrita and L&T are a perfect blend of traditional fundamentals courses and advanced practical information. The entire curriculum is designed in a way to expose students to the current industry challenges which include 11 advanced courses and two internships, about cutting-edge industrial techniques in areas such as geospatial remote sensing, sustainable building design, building information modeling, the design and construction of structural steel buildings, metro rail transportation design and construction, and high planning and functional design.

In addition, industry experts will offer technical seminars to Amrita’s students on the industry needs and the necessary skill sets. The collaboration will offer Amrita students to (a) register for additional online courses offered by L&T and (b) enroll in internships at L&T at the end of the second and third years which is invaluable industry exposure.

Valentine’s day is the best time to let your special someone know how special they are & how much you care for them. Surprise them this Valentine’s Day with high-end kitchen appliances that will make cooking easier for them. These kitchen appliances not only save time and energy but are also practical and easily accessible. So that, your partner can spend more quality time with you rather than in the kitchen.

1. Airfryer Cum Oven

If your partner likes good food but is also a bit health conscious, gifting them an air fryer is the best option. Enjoy this Valentine’s day at home with an air fryer, and plan an easy & fun cooking session with Hestia Airfryer. In this season of love enjoy baking sessions with your partner or have open beer & grill parties with them with Upscalio-acquired, Hestia Air fryer cum Oven.

2. Blender

Gifting a blender will make your wife’s kitchen time happier. Gifting them a blender is another good option for your partner this valentine’s day. They can make their smoothies and start their day with a smile. What a thoughtful gift of showering love upon your partner and your kitchen!

3. Induction Cooktop

An induction cooktop will help your partner in preparing scrumptious authentic food at a touch of a button. It is durable, portable, easy to clean and use. An Induction Cooktop is a great option as it comes with automatic power and temperature adjustment technology for stress-free cooking.

4. Electric Chopper

It’s all about the simple things in life! You now have the chance to reduce the amount of time you spend in the kitchen slicing fruits and vegetables. An electric chopper operates with a single touch, and can be used while binge watching your Favourite Netflix series. The outstanding performance of this rechargeable chopper will finely mince each component and so indirectly save your partner’s time and energy.

5. Brewster

Start your loved one’s morning with freshly brewed coffee. If your partner is a coffee lover then gifting them a coffee maker/Brewster is an amazing option as it will brew cafe-like coffees for you and your partner. Enjoy a sip of coffee with them while having a romantic chit-chat session!

George Kerketta Is a Singer of Par excellence Based out of Mumbai, However, He was Born and Brought up in Delhi with Roots In Jharkhand. He Has Recently Released an Original Song “Mera Wala Swag” Which is Successfully Streaming In All Audio Platforms as well as on YouTube. https://youtu.be/CJ2U402M8io

Mera Wala Swag is an Urban Trendy Song That Has been Composed, Written, and Sung By George Kerketta Whereas The Music Has been Produced by Mr. Pranshu Jha. The Video has been Directed By Ace Director / Choreographer Mr. Sooraj Katoch Which Features Beautiful and Popular Actress Ms. Namrita Malla.

Mera Wala Swag is a Fun-Filled Mesmerising Romantic Song with Trendy Lyrics that revolves around a Beautiful Couple and their Blossoming Love Story. It’s a Masses Song and a Sure Shot Hit in all the Music Events.

George Kerketta Has performed More than 500 plus Shows in India and overseas which includes Commercial, private and Public shows, Thereby proving himself one of the Best Singer / Performer in the Event Industry. He has performed in London, Paris, Kuala Lumpur, Dubai, Korea, China, hua hin, Bangkok, Barcelona, the List is Endless.

To Conclude George kerketta Is the voice Of Youth and it’s here to represent Bollywood music globally.

So Let’s this Valentine’s Month of Love and Adoration be dedicated To Mera Wala Swag.

“Love is In The Air “

It’s the season of love, romance, and making memories with the one you cherish. This Valentine’s Day Doubletree by Hilton Jaipur Amer is hosting a decadent 5 course Valentine’s Day menu for dinner at their outlet Aravali Bar and Grill from the 9th to 14th of February 2023 for you to celebrate the season of love with your beloved.

Food and love are inextricably intertwined. Embark on this culinary journey with a plethora of vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian delicacies like Crispy rose chicken finger fry, Asian spice bucket, Apple and walnut Salad, Charcoal roasted tomato and basil with feta crisp, Roast lamb with rosemary jus, Cheese & Polenta bites with salsa & sour cream, Motiya mumtaz biryani, among others on the menu curated by the culinary team for the special dinner. To add to the perfect happy ending to your flavorsome story, indulge in sinful desserts like Dark Chocolate Heart, Baked chenna toast, and more. For the extra special touch, add a bottle of red or white wine to get into the romantic vibe.

With the perfect romantic setting, with candles, roses and incredible views of the Aravali, DoubleTree by Hilton Jaipur Amer is the perfect place to celebrate this Valentine’s day.

When: 9th – 14th February 2023

Timings: 7 pm – 11 pm

Price: INR 20,000 /- per couple

India 10 February 2023: WorkIndia, India’s largest blue and grey-collared recruitment platform, recently conducted an internal analysis comparing the years 2021 and 2022 and illuminating the departments experiencing significant growth within the blue-collar industry. The survey reveals that the top departments for both male and female candidates in the blue-collar industry are construction, astrology, law, garment making, and gardening in 2021. The construction and gardening departments maintain consistency with male representation at 100% in both 2021 and 2022, while female representation in the diamond jewelry and astrology segments was 100% in 2021. The graphic design sector saw a 122.84% increase in female representation in 2022.

The survey results show that the automobile department had the highest concentration of male blue-collar workers, with 2.20% participation in 2021, while female representation in the same sector stood at a mere 0.10%. On the other hand, industries such as delivery, content writing, and pharmacology have seen a percentage increase of female employees by 56.09%, 28.40 %, and 87.55% respectively. The housekeeping department also experienced notable growth of 58.20% in female workers and 40.09% in male workers.

Commenting on the statistics, Nilesh Dungarwal, Co-founder and COO, WorkIndia said, “At WorkIndia, we are gratified to observe the flourishing of certain key departments in comparison to the year 2021. Our aim is to furnish the 258 million blue-collar workers in India with meaningful livelihoods. The blue-collar sector is undergoing substantial transformations as a result of recent technological advancements. At WorkIndia, we are committed to bridging the divide between job seekers and employers with utmost transparency and an efficient process.”

The survey also reveals that the labor departments have noticed a whooping increase of 215.7% in women workers. The blue-collar industry is undergoing significant changes in recent years, as automation and robotics reduce the demand for manual labor and increase the need for workers with advanced technical skills and training. The growth of e-commerce and online marketplaces is also transforming the distribution and sale of goods and services, particularly in the unorganized sector, leading to the rise of numerous employment opportunities in various departments in the blue-collar industry.

Tencha- a Matcha green tea-based beverage brand, has ventured into the global market in just two years of operations. After registering a CAGR growth of 100% year on year and establishing a concrete market in India, the brand decided to launch overseas and listed the brand and its products on amazon.co.uk and amazon.de through which they are able to cater to 10+ countries in the UK and Europe.

With the Japanese superfood sourced directly from Shizuoka, one of the most popular regions in Japan for growing matcha, Tencha launched its operations in the year 2020. Attributable to the lack of good quality matcha in India, the brand was launched with an incentive to provide authentic and the best quality matcha tea to the customers, making it the only brand in India that is solely focused on matcha and matcha-based products.

Acknowledging the growth of the brand, Ashish Agarwal, Founder, of Tencha, said, “While the world around me was slowing down during the first wave of COVID, my mind was striving to create value. After realizing that there were a few D2C brands selling matcha but there were none that were focused solely on it, I knew it was time to deliver great matcha-based products in India- in the right packaging with quality ingredients. With the tea’s incredible health benefits and a plethora of use cases, this Japanese goodness isn’t a fad like Dalgona and brings more to life than an aesthetic Instagram reel.”

After extensive research and development, the brand kicked off with a Matcha Ice Tea ‘Iced Matcha Cold Blend’ in December 2020. At present, the brand has a novel product line that includes Ceremonial Matcha, Culinary Matcha and Drinkware. Owing to the ingredient’s high concentration of natural caffeine and L-Theanine, and its aptness to boost metabolism and burn fat, the brand has also newly launched its Matcha Pre-Workout.

Along with amazon.co.uk and amazon.de, Tencha’s products are available on the company’s website www.tencha.in and marketplaces such as Amazon and Flipkart.

Matcha is a versatile tea that comes packed with antioxidants, amino acids, vitamins and minerals, and is great for the skin. To boost energy levels, improve concentration, or simply enjoy a delicious and healthy beverage, matcha is a great option. With the innumerable health benefits of matcha, it can be made part of anyone’s daily routine.
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