Archive: October 1, 2021

Business

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik Inaugurates Koraput Coffee Cafe and a dedicated e-commerce platform on International Coffee Day

Oct 1, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Bhubaneswar, 1st October 2021: On the occasion of International Coffee Day, Tribal Development Cooperative Corporation of Odisha Limited today announced that the Hon’ble CM Shri Naveen Patnaik inaugurated the Koraput Coffee Cafe and a dedicated e-commerce platform (Koraputcoffee.org) to promote Koraput Coffee across the globe. The state government is also planning to set up a number of such cafes across the country, which will help in establishing the brand. Thus, transforming the lives of the local coffee cultivators.

Coffee farming is transforming the lives in the Tribal hinterland of Odisha’s Koraput district. Koraput, which is located at a height of 3,000 feet above sea level, is ideal for coffee cultivation due to its cool climate and rainfall. This homegrown coffee is a single origin 100 percent Arabica coffee that will be competing with the specialty coffee market in near future.

Addressing the gathering, Hon’ble CM said, “I am glad, in just two years Koraput coffee has carved a niche for itself. For the benefit of tribal livelihood, my government has undertaken multiple initiatives for the promotion of Koraput Coffee. In addition to marketing of Koraput coffee by Tribal Development Cooperative Cooperation of Odisha Limited. This year Coffee Development Trust at Koraput has taken up to 300 ha of new and old coffee plantations. On the occasion of international coffee day, I am happy to launch a dedicated e-commerce website and social media handles of Koraput coffee: Koraputcoffee.org. I am also delighted to announce the opening of the Koraput coffee cafe at Koraput district to popularize the brand”.

“I am humbled to be associated with Koraput Coffee since its inception in 2019. Our new product line Tiger Bright is already catching the eyes of everyone. Many international buyers are approaching us for bulk purchases. I am sure this will help our tribal growers to fetch the competitive prices.” said Mansi Nimbhal IAS, Managing Director, TDCCOL.

In a major boost to the home-grown Coffee brand, recently, Tata Coffee has agreed to market coffee grown in the Koraput district in national and international markets.

Education

Canada Most Preferred Study Abroad Destination for Indian Students

Oct 1, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

01-October-2021- Following the announcement of board exam cancellations, a significant number of students aspiring to study abroad took a plunge. However, the enthusiasm to study abroad persists and is apparent from the insights that came in. The statistics collated from a large pool of students also pointed towards the key challenges and concerns of the students. The WorldGrad- a tech-enabled platform that assists students right from the beginning of the overseas education process, recently took an elaborated survey of over 20,000 undergrad aspirants to gather insights on their plans of studying abroad, post-Covid; the survey also took insights on their obstacles and overall hardships.

According to the survey – 81% of the students still aspire to study abroad whereas 19% of students have delayed or dropped the idea of overseas education. With regards to the popular study abroad destinations, Canada came out as the top choice for students amongst 50% of the respondents which aligns with the fact that it has attracted over 140K Indian students because of favorable immigration opportunities; the USA comes second, with 40% of students considering it, followed by UK and Australia. Australia has become the least preferred destination which is quite clear, given the stats as intakes from India to Australia have gone from ~80K in 2019 to less than 40K in 2021.

There could be a lot of reasons for it, of which Covid-19 and the travel restrictions that come along with it, is only one. 95% of the students believe that being vaccinated in India will make them more suitable for travel overseas and 75% of those who have delayed the plans stated that financial constraints as a big factor, a part of which could have been brought on due to the economic uncertainty in the current situation. For those planning to go overseas, the process has clearly been delayed as only 5% have received admissions so far. A vast majority (76%) are either still researching their options or in the process of application. This is again due to the severe delays in board results due to which students have not been able to start the fall term with overseas universities and will likely go early next year.

Following the results of the survey conducted we got some insights straight from the Co-Founder, Mr. Abhinav Mital, “It was quite prominent that Covid-19 pandemic might not be in the favor of the students who wish for overseas education but I am really inspired by the stats that we got through the survey which clearly shows that a lot of students haven’t let the crises affect their dreams and still wish to continue with their plans.’’

He added, “we understand that most of the students are facing financial constraints even more than before due to Covid crisis but as we have all heard where there is a will there’s a way and with that, I would like to assure every student that The WorldGrad is here to assist you at every step from ground zero.”

For study abroad, aspirants, this platform provides online programs that allow you to start your first year of studies from home thereby saving money and time along with support for English tests, visas, and even student loans through the partnered vendors which could be really helpful for the students. We all have struggled in these times but it’s been really tough for students as well because of the sudden shift in the model of teaching. To which we have also come with a way in which students can save over INR 20 Lakhs and above by studying at home and later join the campus as they would,’’ Mital said

Technology

Akamai to Acquire Guardicore to Extend Its Zero Trust Solutions to Help Stop Ransomware

Oct 1, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Akamai Technologies, #Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder, #co-founder and chief executive officer, #Guardicore, #Pavel Gurvich, #Tom Leighton

Bengaluru, India  — Akamai Technologies, Inc., the world’s most trusted solution to power and protect digital experiences, announced it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tel Aviv, Israel-based Guardicore. By adding Guardicore’s micro-segmentation solution into Akamai’s extensive Zero Trust security portfolio, Akamai will be uniquely suited to provide comprehensive protection to the enterprise, defending against threat actors and the spread of malware and ransomware.

Guardicore’s micro-segmentation solution is designed to limit user access to only those applications that are authorized to communicate with each other. By denying communication as the default, the threat surface and risk exposure are drastically reduced, thereby limiting the spread of malware and protecting the flow of enterprise data across the network. This protection extends beyond the data center to the cloud, including bare metal, virtual machines and containers.

Akamai currently offers a broad suite of innovative and leading Zero Trust security solutions, including Web Application Firewall (WAF), Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA), Domain Name System (DNS) Firewall, and Secure Web Gateway (SWG), that help prevent attackers and malware on employee devices from gaining access to enterprise infrastructure and applications. But to be secure in today’s world, enterprises also need a second layer of defense to block the spread of malware after it has gained a foothold within the corporate infrastructure. Guardicore’s best-in-class micro-segmentation solution provides this much-needed capability, substantially mitigating the impact of breaches and the threat posed by ransomware. Their solution enables deep visibility into application flows, across data center and cloud applications, allowing businesses to more granularly understand and protect their infrastructure, from the core of the enterprise to the cloud. As a result, breaches can be detected early on so that corrective actions can be taken as quickly as possible.

“Given the recent surge in ransomware attacks and increasingly stringent compliance regulations, investing in technologies to reduce the spread of malware has become mission critical,” said Tom Leighton, chief executive officer and co-founder, Akamai Technologies. “By adding Guardicore’s leading micro-segmentation products to Akamai’s comprehensive portfolio of Zero Trust solutions, we believe Akamai will be able to provide the most effective way to combat ransomware on the market today.”

“Guardicore’s mission is to protect enterprises from damage caused by breaches, like ransomware, while safeguarding the critical assets at the heart of the network,” said Pavel Gurvich, co-founder and chief executive officer, Guardicore. “The customer is able to reduce risk in a holistic way across all products, managing from a single console, versus many products and machines. My team and I greatly look forward to joining Akamai to protect the user and the enterprise – no matter what the user is doing or where end users and workloads are located.”

Under the terms of the agreement, Akamai has agreed to acquire all of the outstanding equity of Guardicore for approximately $600 million, after giving effect to expected purchase price adjustments. The closing of the transaction, which is subject to customary closing conditions, is expected to occur in the fourth quarter of 2021. For fiscal year 2022, the Guardicore acquisition is anticipated to provide about $30-35 million in revenue, and Akamai’s non-GAAP operating margin is anticipated to be in the range of approximately 29-30%. The company’s non-GAAP operating margin is expected to return to at least 30% for fiscal year 2023. On its next quarterly call currently scheduled for November 2, 2021, the company plans to provide third quarter 2021 financial results and full year 2021 financial guidance including any expected impact from Guardicore.

Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC served as financial advisor to Akamai on the transaction.

Business

Cycle Pure Agarbathi announces Cycle Heritage Quiz 2021 in virtual format

Oct 1, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Bengaluru, 01, October 2021: Cycle Pure Agarbathi, India’s largest selling agarbathi brand, announces its first-ever Virtual Cycle Heritage Quiz 2021, as part of its quest to find India’s young heritage champions. The objective of the quiz is to encourage young minds to learn about the country’s rich art forms, culture, tradition, and history. The quiz will be held online this year and students from classes 7-10 can take part. The students can register for free at https://l.cycle.in/SM-CHQ2021. The last date of registration is 31st of October 2021. The preliminary round will commence on 12th November 2021 and the grand national finale will be held on 18th December 2021.

Cycle Pure Agarbathi announces Cycle Heritage Quiz 2021 in virtual format

The quiz invites participants from more than 20 cities across India. The new avatar of this virtual quiz will be fun-filled engagement activities on social media such as anagrams, puzzles, and short quizzes for participants in the run-up to the preliminary rounds. Winners and runners-up will get exciting prizes such as iPads, iPhones, Samsung Galaxy Tabs, and cycle.in gift coupons among other goodies along with certificates for all participants.

BCCI President & former Indian cricket team captain Sourav Ganguly has extended his wishes to students encouraging them to participate in the quiz and strengthen their knowledge on Indian heritage.

Announcing the new quiz format, Arjun Ranga, MD, Cycle Pure Agarbathi, said, “We are delighted to invite students to participate in the Cycle Heritage Quiz 2021 in a virtual format this year. We take great pride in our country’s heritage and culture and believe that it is our responsibility to pass on the timeless values of our rich 5000-year old heritage to the students of this generation. This quiz is designed in such a way that it will help the students to know more about the country’s rich heritage, art forms, folklore, culture, traditions, and culture.”

“Through this quiz, students will understand the history and culture of our country. We hope these new generations will uphold our Indian culture and preserve its core values,” he adds.

The quiz will have individual participation and the students must be citizens of India. Interested participants may visit https://l.cycle.in/SM-CHQ2021 for more details about it.

Health

LISSUN, A Mental and emotional wellness startup announces digital campaign #LISSUN to your Mind

Oct 1, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments

New Delhi: LISSUN– a startup offering end-to-end mental wellness has announced a new digital campaign to create awareness around mental health, titled – ‘#LISSUN to your Mind’ to support the theme of this year’s World Mental Health Day – ‘Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality’. Lissun plans to have a week-long event from 3rd October ’21, building up to World Mental Health Day, 10th October ’21. The campaign is launched ahead of World Mental Health Day to spread awareness and address the frequent queries of people and their challenges related to the same. The campaign will consist of panel discussions and conversations with experts and personalities from different social communities to share real-life experiences of people who fought mental illness. In addition, there will be events on art therapy, mindfulness, competition for college students, etc.

The campaign will cover a series of seminars encompassing important topics and trends on the subject. Understanding the rising cases of mental health challenges post-pandemic, the brand has invited professionally renowned psychologists, psychiatrists, gynecologists, oncologists, general physicians, and activists to address the audience and highlight the significance of seeking help. The seminars will be open to all and stream across the social media platforms of the brand.

On the campaign announcement Mr. Krishna Veer Singh, Co-founder, Lissun, said, ” We see a massive opportunity to integrate Mental Health into mainstream healthcare. LISSUN is here to make mental health care a part of everyday life. And to achieve the same, it is important that people feel comfortable talking about their challenges. The seminar series is to share the experiences of people who have fought it, encouraging others to come ahead and be vocal about it. The experts on the panel will guide patients on how they can treat it and establish that it is only a challenge till we do not accept the fact that it is there.”

“We witnessed a sudden spike in the number of queries post lockdown. There are patients of every age, but most are working professionals of 25-40 years of age. Even though these people are digital savvy, they are unable to speak up about their challenges. We also see cases wherein a person is not even aware if he is facing a mental disease. And the number has only gone up during the pandemic. So we understand that LISSUN is more relevant now than ever, “said Mr. Tarun Gupta, the other Co-founder of Lissun.

In addition to keeping with the theme of ‘Mental health care for all: let’s make it a reality, there will be sessions to discuss the mental health needs on topics that are often ignored, such as LGBTQ+, psychosexual issues, mental health in small towns of India, How to care for the entire family, etc.

People may visit the brand website (https://www.lissun.app) or watch the sessions on the brand’s Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/LissunApp.

Business, Business World

IDBI Bank and U GRO Capital ink a co-lending agreement

Oct 1, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

U GRO Capital, an NSE & BSE listed, MSME lending fintech platform, today announced that it has signed a co-lending agreement with IDBI Bank, on the occasion of the bank’s 58thFoundation Day.

The co-lending arrangement will work towards providing formal credit to underserved MSMEs, at affordable rates. For the same, it will leverage U GRO Capital’s digital technology platform driven by a Data Tripod, which comprises of GST, Banking & Bureau, in addition to the company’s deep sectoral understanding, and multi-channel distribution reach.

U GRO Capital has been building its GRO – Xstream platform, which through APIs integrates with Banks on one side and with multiple FinTechs, Payments Platforms, NBFCs, NeoBanks, Market places and other digital platforms on the other. At the initial stage, Banks would be co-lending through this platform with the loans originated by U GRO Capital’s distribution network, however in future other participants on the platform would also get access to capital through this platform.

Once fully operational, the GRO – Xstream platform would have the power to unleash and democratize MSME credit in India by leveraging Banks’ prowess on the liability side and U GRO Capital along with its origination partners as well as its underwriting engine on the assets side.

Speaking on the development of this partnership, Shri Suresh Khatanhar, Deputy Managing Director, IDBI Bank, jointly with Shri Rajeev Kumar, Executive Director Agriculture, MSME & Retail Banking, IDBI Bank, stated, “Co–lending as a concept would change the lending landscape of credit dissemination for MSMEs in India, U GRO’s platform has the capability of not only originating loans through its own distribution engine but also give access to multiple other FinTechs and NBFCs who through this integration can get access to capital. IDBI Bank is committed to accelerate the credit to MSMEs in India and contribute towards the mission of Atmanirbhar Bharat by making credit available to MSMEs at an affordable cost.”

Speaking on this alliance, Mr. Shachindra Nath, Executive Chairman and Managing Director, U GRO Capital said, “We are delighted to sign the MoU for a co-lending arrangement with IDBI Bank. We are witnessing an inflection point in MSME lending with the enhanced utility of the Data Tripod – i.e. GST, Banking and Bureau. Collaborations as this, will further catalyze the financial inclusion efforts for Indian MSMEs. This arrangement is a reaffirmation of the belief that the bank bestows in our vision of solving the unsolved credit needs of the MSMEs, using sectoral expertise and technology. This partnership would not only benefit U GRO but eventually benefit all the other FinTechs and NBFCs which are integrated with our GRO – Xstream platform. We look forward to nurturing this relationship towards supporting more MSMEs to enable their revival and growth.”

Business, Technology

Fusion DMS 4.0– Fusing every element into 1

Oct 1, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #Mr. Kunal Singhal, #the Managing Director of Eazy Business Solutions

Eazy Business Solutions moved a step forward in their DMS journey with the launch of Fusion DMS 4.0 – a more robust and well-integrated distributor management solution that offered a powerful update to Eazy’s Hybrid DMS 3.0.

Last year, Eazy launched its Hybrid DMS solution that enabled enterprises to gain better control over their distributors via Business Analytics, Hybrid Approach, DMS PoS & Retail Eazy App. It also equipped businesses with the power of Tally & Busy integration and provided them with real-time actionable insights across distributor operations.

The extensive functionalities and capabilities of the Hybrid DMS 3.0, helped Eazy DMS to onboard more than 25 leading companies till now which includes industry Leaders like Panasonic, Hindware, Philips, Schneider, Kenstar, V Guard, Hyundai, Wipro, Henkel, Astral, Haldiram’s, Weikfield, and Chicco, along with others became a part of the expanding global customer base of Eazy Business Solutions.

“Fusion DMS 4.0 is an extremely important addition to our EazyDMS innovations. As a consolidated system designed to bridge the gap between organizational imperatives, Fusion DMS aims to expand the scope of DMS, CRM, and SFA to remarkable lengths across different industry verticals, thus revolutionizing the capabilities of the DMS modules,” says Mr. Kunal Singhal, the Managing Director of Eazy Business Solutions.

There was a need for a comprehensive solution to bridge the gap between distributor management and loyalty management with enhanced connectivity and control. Keeping this in mind, Eazy Business Solutions came up with an integrated loyalty solution in their Fusion DMS 4.0 Event, with the sole focus of connecting everyone across the sales & distribution hierarchy – from the sales manager to the end consumer. The Fusion DMS 4.0 brought distribution management together with the end-to-end aspects of loyalty management, including tech management, loyalty consultancy, and reward redemption management.

The entire module offers enterprises with full-featured scheme management, claim management, data synchronization, distributor portal, and empowers them with functionalities like loyalty calculation, scheme visibility & notifications, onboarding & KYC, GST validation & data cleansing, training, creation & management of loyalty programs, and so on.

It ensures seamless loyalty module with separate but cohesive retailer loyalty management and influencer loyalty management, through which companies can not only incentivize their retailers but also extend the scope to ‘influencers’ across different industry verticals, such as building materials, auto components, electrical, cosmetics, and more.

The 4.0 version is further integrated with Eazy CRM, thus enabling businesses to address customer-related actions more systematically and seamlessly to make it well-equipped for customer management. It also possesses the capabilities of Eazy SFA to streamline sales performance more efficiently. In this way, Fusion enhances several of the core capabilities of Eazy DMS, Eazy CRM, and Eazy SFA. It maximizes operational efficiency across marketing, compliant management, lead management, warranty management, order & fulfillment, feedback & surveys, chatbots, and WhatsApp integration.

In a nutshell, the Fusion DMS 4.0 packs in the functions of four different applications and provides a single place solution with holistic approach. Eazy’s Fusion DMS lets companies to access all the functionalities and enjoy the benefits of multiple apps such as Retailer Eazy, Lite DMS, Distributor’s App, and Manager’s App. Designed to fit the unique requirements of the sales managers, distributors, and retailers, the Fusion module allows companies to systematically optimize and enhance their operations across the entire distribution channel.

The event was further followed by panel discussion on ‘Is Capturing Secondary Sales Enough,’ where eminent industry leaders like. Mr. Sanjay Munshi-Vice President, Haldiram, Mr. Vishal Arora – Head of Business Excellence, Panasonic, Mr. Deepak Augustine – Vice President of Marketing, V-Guard, Mr. Aditya Malik – Director of Strategy& PWC shared their experience and discussed the future of sales & distribution in the modern market.

Business, Business World

Under the initiative of Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, IIFL Home Finance organizes ‘Awas Par Samvaad’ – a step towards its commitment of enabling an eco-system for #GreenAffordableHousing in India

Oct 1, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Mumbai, 1st October 2021: IIFL Home Finance Ltd. (IIFL HFL) organized a series of four webinars, under the aegis of the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs’ (MoHUA) initiative ‘Awas Pe Samvaad’. The objective of the webinars was to create an eco-system for Sustainable and Green Affordable Housing in India. Advocating the Government’s vision of ‘Housing for All’, the virtual sessions aimed at discussing and disseminating the knowledge of ‘Housing in Urban Spaces’ amongst students, professors, architects, green building consultants, engineers, sustainability professionals, and urban practitioners and more.

IIFL HFL Ltd. organized four webinars, focusing on subjects Role of Indigenous Housing Technologies in Transforming Indian Construction Sector using Local Materials and Practices’ and ‘New Emerging Construction Technologies and Opportunities for Technograhis to Learn and Adopt from Light House Projects (LHPs)’ at three reputed architecture colleges and a renowned green rating agency in the country; IES College of Architecture (Mumbai), Sushant University (Gurugram), Chitkara School of Planning & Architecture (Chandigarh), and Indian Green Building Council (IGBC, Hyderabad). These webinars were conducted from 20th to 23rd September 2021 and were attended by over 470 students and 135 professionals, including the professors, architects, green building consultants, engineers, sustainability professionals, and urban practitioners.

The webinars witnessed discussions and deliberations between industry experts such as Ar. Pratik Dhanmer (Architect & Professor at IES COA), Ar. Gaurav Shorey (Co-founder & President at 5waraj), Prof. Tanaya Verma (Associate Professor at Sushant University), Prof. Preetha Sajin (Head of Department of Planning and Development at Sushant University), Ar. P. B. Sajan (Chief Architect & Joint Director at Costford), Mr. Uday Banu (Principal Partner at EFNRA Consultants), Prof. Kanika Bansal (Deputy Dean at CSPA), Ar. Sandeep Virman (Founder of Hunnarshala Foundation), Ms. Aparna Das (Senior Advisor SUDSC at GIZ), Mr. K. Sriram (Chairman – National Green Skills Committee at IGBC) and Mr. S. J. Vijay (Founder & Chairman at Salmon Leap Associates India Pvt. Ltd. ). The sessions were moderated by Mr. Monu Ratra (ED & CEO at IIFL Home Finance Ltd.) and Mr. Apoorv Kaushik (title), and focused on subjects such as how indigenous materials and technologyy could sustain the environment and contribute to the development of sustainable construction, thereby positively influencing the environment and transforming the construction industry. The speakers also shared valuable insights on the use of sustainable construction materials and technologies, based on livability factors and site context. They discussed the significance of investing in Indian artisans as well as their future visions for building and scaling smart cities, and also shared ideas on how to incorporate sustainability as a value by using Green technology and disseminate knowledge to the relevant stakeholders.

Speaking at the conclusion of the sessions, Mr. Monu Ratra – ED & CEO at IIFL Home Finance Ltd. said, “With the four-part series ‘Awas Par Samvaad’ webinars, we hope to have inspired the attendees to embrace sustainability as a value, by practicing the inclusion of green and sustainable construction technology. For us at IIFL Home Finance Ltd., this was another step towards our goal of creating a sustainable ecosystem for Green Affordable Housing in the country, in alignment with the Government’s mission of Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana and Housing for All.”

The following are the YouTube links to the four sessions:

Mumbai: https://youtu.be/EkysygDQJyY

Gurugram: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtSqm6pVR84

Chandigarh: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VfqpGYVlr1s

Hyderabad: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7nZwXs1ID0

Business, Business World

PAYBACK India launches PAY feature on its app, powered by BharatPe

Oct 1, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Mumbai, 1st October 2021: PAYBACK India, a BharatPe company and India’s largest multi-brand loyalty program, today announced the launch of PAY feature on its mobile app. It’s an industry-first that integrates QR-based UPI payments and loyalty in a single app. PAYBACK PAY will enable PAYBACK India’s 100 million+ members to make payments by scanning the UPI QR at any retail store/ merchant outlet by using the PAYBACK app and earn loyalty points on every transaction.

PAYBACK India members will earn 50 bonus points on the first UPI transaction via PAYBACK PAY and 5 PAYBACK points thereafter, on every transaction. Additionally, customers will earn 2X points on transactions done at BharatPe QRs. The points will be credited in customer’s account on a real-time basis.

Furthermore, PAYBACK will next be adding the feature of redemption of points at BharatPe’s QRs at more than 75 Lakh merchant outlets and launching the feature on the ioS app.

Speaking on the launch, Ashneer Grover, Co-Founder and Managing Director, BharatPe, said, “PAYBACK is a great loyalty proposition – allowing customers to earn and redeem loyalty points at thousands of merchant outlets. Last year PAYBACK drove GMV of US$ 8Bn for partner merchants. I would stick my neck out and say the proposition is even superior to CRED, MagicPin, FAVE or any other loyalty program in India today. Our vision is to make credit and loyalty integral and invisible to every transaction. PAYBACK PAY will put customers in habit of scanning and paying on UPI QRs. Eventually, all redemption and earning of PAYBACK points will happen automatically at BharatPe QRs. PAYBACK points will be a currency as it will be universally accepted.”

Added Rijish Raghavan, CEO, PAYBACK India, “At PAYBACK, we have always been committed to creating rewarding experiences for our customers. The launch of PAYBACK PAY is another step in the same direction. We are confident that this product will redefine the customer experience with its unique proposition that integrates loyalty and payments. We want to ensure that our members can earn loyalty points for their purchases, irrespective of whether they are shopping at a big retail store or at their neighbourhood kirana shop. We are hoping to work closely with neighbourhood stores to help them leverage the power of loyalty to drive customer footfall, greater stickiness and enhanced experience.”

PAYBACK is a unique loyalty program, designed to engage with customers and reward them for their purchases with loyalty points, that can be redeemed later. It has over 100 direct and indirect partners across both in-store and online categories. The varied partner portfolio covers multiple categories across retail, fuel, banking, payments, entertainment, hospitality and travel, touching nearly 80% of the popular consumer spend areas. Some of its key partners include ICICI Bank, HPCL, bookmyshow, Thomas Cook India, Amazon, Flipkart and many more. For more information visit us at www.payback.in

Business, Business World

CNBC-Awaaz’s new brand campaign reiterates the brand promise of ‘Munafe Ki Baat’ to its viewers

Oct 1, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Mumbai, 1 October 2021: CNBC-Awaaz, India’s leading Hindi business news channel, has always been a frontrunner when it comes to enabling and empowering consumers with the right guidance and knowledge to help them make the most of their finances. The channel provides an all-round programming lineup – from in-depth coverage and expert analysis on stock market trading to simplifying personal finance and investments strategies in mutual funds, to tracking the latest trends in technology, auto, real-estate, to simplifying everyday finance and business news. The channel’s unmatched programming and editorial expertise are curated with a single-most focus – to enable consumers to profit from every financial decision of their lives.

CNBC-Awaaz’s brand campaign –‘Munafe Ki Baat’, emanates from this core value proposition that prioritizes its motto towards the audiences, and that is, ‘Munafa’. The campaign highlights how CNBC-Awaaz forms an integral part of their profitable financial decisions in their lives. To amplify the campaign further, CNBC-Awaaz has deployed a 360-degree campaign across television, social media, digital, and outdoor. A series of testimonial videos depicting consumers sharing their ‘Munafa’ stories related to the brand, along with show-specific content pieces, outdoor, digital and dedicated social media campaign.

Commenting on the same, Shailendra Bhatnagar, Managing Editor, CNBC-Awaaz said, “The core philosophy of CNBC-AWAAZ has always been the viewer’s profit i.e. Munafa. It has been our endeavor to bring innovative and specialized content across a variety of genres to help consumers from different walks of life understand the dynamic financial and business landscape with utmost ease and benefit from it. By leveraging our strong editorial expertise and expert-led insights, we enable them to make better financial decisions at every stage of their lives. ‘Munafe ki Baat’ is our way of reliving our journey and renewing our commitment to our viewers.”

Adding to this Smriti Mehra, CEO Business News, Network18, said, “With this campaign, our endeavor has been to bring alive the proposition of ‘Munaafe Ki Baat’ which is at the very core of the brand, through innovative formats – advertising on OTT platforms, leveraging social and digital in a big way with curated properties, deploying an outdoor campaign across key markets of Mumbai and Gujarat, amongst others.”

Viewers can follow the campaign on CNBC-Awaaz – the channel and its pages on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube using #MunafeKiBaat