Archive: November 29, 2022

A Survey by Thomas Cook India and Sotc Travel Indicates Heightened Importance of Travel Insurance Post Pandemic

Mumbai, November 29, 2022: Thomas Cook (India) Limited – India’s leading omnichannel travel services company and its Group Company, SOTC Travel’s recent survey reveals significant customer requirement for travel insurance for both international and domestic destinations. The survey covered over 1000 consumers spread across India’s top metros and prime cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Bangaluru, Kolkata, Pune, Ahmedabad, Lucknow, Jaipur, Chennai, Hyderabad, Surat, Indore, Bhopal, Patna, Tiruchirappalli, Madurai, Nagpur, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Mysuru, Coimbatore, Visakhapatnam, Guwahati, etc. While the pandemic created increased need for travel insurance, the continued demand reflects the growing maturity of the Indian market.

The data analysis has revealed valuable insights on customer requirements related to travel insurance:

• Strong requirement: 86% of respondents showcased travel insurance as a necessity in the post-pandemic era as compared to 75% of respondents highlighting Health & Safety as the primary concern from the First Holiday Readiness Travel Report (May 2020); while 80% are keen on availing travel insurance for themselves/their family even if it was not mandatory during their travel or while obtaining visas
• Covid 19 coverage: Covid-19-related coverage including hospitalization, treatment, and quarantine is essential for 69% of the respondents while planning their travel
• Insurance preference: Significant share of insurance preference is for international destinations (60%) while 38% of respondents are interested in taking travel insurance for both domestic and international destinations; from less than 1% pre-pandemic to approx 20% currently for domestic destinations
• Crucial factors while selecting travel insurance:
  • Features – insurance coverage features such as cancellation, delay, pre-existing medical conditions, Covid 19 cover, hotel quarantine, and emergency hotel extensions continue to be a top priority for over 50% of the respondents while considering travel insurance
  • Coverage costs – expenses play a major role while considering travel insurance as 20% indicated that the insurance pricing should be reasonable
  • Sum insured – it is essential too as highlighted by 7% of the respondents
  • Insurance company – the name of the insurance company or reputation in the market is considered important by 18%
  • Additional factors – claim settlement percentage, cashless hospitalisation, flight/trip cancellation, hassle-free reimbursement, delay, lost luggage/theft and reliability are also important factors

Mr. Abraham Alapatt, President & Group Head – Marketing, Service Quality, Value Added Services & Innovation, Thomas Cook (India) and SOTC Travel said, “The pandemic changed several norms in the travel industry with health and protection gaining importance. The fact that customers continue to see value in comprehensive travel insurance is to my mind, less an indicator of continuing concerns about the pandemic and more to do with a more mature customer mindset. This is more akin to customers in mature economies, where travel insurance is seen as a “must have” and not just a “good to have”.

Given India’s rapidly maturing economy – our customers understandably, are seeing value (beyond the pandemic) in comprehensive travel insurance to ensure their safety and security while travelling.”

Tech Mahindra Inks MoU with Axiata to Co-Develop 5G Enterprise Solutions Across 5 countries

New Delhi – November 29th, 2022: Tech Mahindra, a leading provider of digital transformation, consulting, and business re-engineering services and solutions, and Axiata Group Berhad (“Axiata” or “the Group”), a leading mobile telecommunications and digital conglomerate in ASEAN and South Asia, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to co-develop and market innovative 5G enterprise solutions across Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Cambodia.

The MoU aims to accelerate the seamless expansion of innovative new-age and cost-effective 5G solutions across industries, including manufacturing, oil & gas, and smart cities & services, among others. The partnership will combine Tech Mahindra’s industry knowledge to provide specialized services and digital solutions to customers, 5G enterprise solutions capabilities, SI (System Integrator) capabilities, and its domain expertise in planning, designing, deployment & management of private wireless networks, along with Axiata’s network infrastructures and product & services.

Rajesh Chandiramani, Business Head, Communications-Media-Entertainment for EMEA and APJI Markets, said, “5G is the new evolved technology fabric which enables a seamless connection of fast and intelligent devices and provides an enhanced customer experience in the digital world. Tech Mahindra has created 100+ 5G For Enterprise (5G4E) industry solutions across all sectors which provide end-to-end digital solutions for enterprises to enable digitalization at pace in this new 5G arena. Tech Mahindra’s 5G4E solutions, coupled with Axiata’s leading communication 5G connected services and their focus on digital telco, digital business, and digital infrastructure, will help us extend our 5G services portfolios to deliver tangible business value to customers across APJI markets and help digitize enterprises across verticals. We are confident that this partnership will bolster growth, productivity, and innovation to monetize opportunities in 5G for Enterprises (5G4E).”

5G is the underlying fabric of an entire ecosystem of seamlessly connected intelligent devices and immersive customer experiences. Our strong network of industry solutions across sectors will provide value-driven end-to-end solutions for holistic enterprise digitalization. This, coupled with Axiata’s leading communication services and focus on digital telco, digital business, and infrastructure, will help us extend our 5G services portfolio to deliver tangible business value to customers and partner ecosystems in the APJI region. We are confident that this partnership will bolster growth, productivity, and innovation to monetize opportunities in 5G for enterprises.”

Dr Gopi Kurup, Chief Executive Officer, Axiata Enterprise, said, “At early stages of 5G trials and rollout, all of our regional Enterprises clients are anticipating and positioning for the transformational enablers that the new technology offers for their core businesses.

The availability of 5G capabilities opens up innovative possibilities in achieving digital transformation strategies for various Enterprises and industries. The guarantee of an improved and faster network performance to meet the high demands on network latency, reliability, and security is needed in delivering vertical industry solutions.

In line with Axiata’s vision in becoming The Next Generational Digital Champion by 2024, Axiata Enterprise is committed in ensuring all our operators deliver best-in-class solutions beyond fixed mobile connectivity services. Leveraging the combined strengths of our operators’ mobile connectivity expertise and Tech Mahindra’s experience in delivering business transformation towards IR 4.0, we look forward to bringing 5G enabled Smart Services to Enterprise clients within our footprint, focused on key industries of O&G, Cities and Manufacturing,” Dr Gopi added.

The new use cases and solutions developed as part of the MoU will help make enterprises future-ready for the 5G wave by providing a robust roadmap, unlocking new revenue streams, and eliminating business and operational inefficiencies.

This partnership is in line with Tech Mahindra’s NXT.NOW™ framework, which aims to enhance ‘Human Centric Experience’, and focuses on investing in emerging technologies and solutions that enable digital transformation and meet the evolving needs of the customer.

Meta supports FICCI’s XR Open Source Fellowship Program, NeGD joins as the technical partner

Bengaluru, November 29, 2022: Building on its commitment to accelerate India’s contribution in developing XR technologies, Meta is supporting Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) with $1 million for the XR Open Source (XROS) fellowship program. Run by FICCI, XROS will support 100 Indian developers working on XR (extended reality) technologies by providing them with fellowships which includes stipend and mentoring. The National e-Governance Division, an initiative of the Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology (MeitY), will be the technical partner to the program.

The program will support developers to make contributions to open source projects related to the XR technology and will further lay the foundation for India specific solutions that are affordable, appropriate and localized to Indic languages. The XROS program is part of Meta’s global XR Programs and Research Fund under which the company announced a $2 million fund for the XR Startup program with MeitY Startup Hub earlier this year. XROS further aims to provide developers with the resources they need to create digital public goods and generate potential employment opportunities in the field of XR technologies.

Sharing his views on the program, Nick Clegg, President, Global Affairs, Meta said, “The metaverse won’t be built by one company alone. Through programs like XR Open Source, we will support Indian developers working on these exciting technologies. With their talent, insight and effort, we hope to ensure the next generation of internet technologies are built in an open, collaborative and accessible way.”

Present at the launch of the program, Prof Ajay Kumar Sood, Principal Scientific Adviser to the Government of India, said, “The vision for India’s techade can only be achieved when the young developers and start-ups, including those from tier II & III cities, contribute to enabling future technologies like XR in the metaverse. I am glad that FICCI and Meta are launching this initiative which will not only focus on providing a monetary boost to the developers but will also support them with the right mentoring to build immersive technologies.”

Speaking about the partnership on the program, Abhishek Singh, President & CEO of NeGD, said, “Open source technology driven ecosystems can play a big role in building robust digital public goods which are interoperable and follow federated architecture. Indian developers, especially from tier 2/3 cities, will play a significant role in shaping the future of emerging technology and the metaverse for India and the world. We are glad to support XROS initiative and hope that program will act as a catalyst to nurture the immersive technology developer ecosystem and the open source community in India. It will be a stepping stone for making this decade India’s TechAde.“

Highlighting the importance of the program, Devin Narang, FICCI Committee Member & Country Head-India, Sindicatum Renewable Energy, said, “XROS Fellowship Program is a uniquely curated initiative aimed at supporting Indian developers to make significant contributions to open source projects related to extended reality (XR) technology. The program will provide the necessary impetus towards fueling the growth of investments in future technologies in line with the government’s vision for making India a trillion-dollar economy by 2025. We thank Meta for their support and NeGD for the partnership on this program.”

The XR Open Source program is the second program in India through which Meta aims to boost the developer ecosystem around immersive technologies and will further the open ecosystem for building the metaverse. From the very beginning, Meta has supported and launched various open source initiatives such as No Language Left Behind (NLLB), a single multilingual AI model which supports 200 low resource languages, including 25 Indian languages.

Last year Meta partnered with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) to bring immersive technologies to over 10M students and 1M educators over the next 3 years. The partnership with CBSE underscores Meta’s commitment to India, and reflects the joint ambition to universalize STEM education by ensuring that students across India have equitable access to quality educational content which will prepare them for the Future of Work in a digitally powered economy. In June 2022, Meta launched the LeARn Program to train 40,000 students in AR, and developed the School of AR, a flagship program that up-skilled 1,000 developers to work on advanced capabilities in MetaSpark. Meta’s XR Programs and Research Fund is a two-year $50 million investment in programs and external research with industry partners, civil rights groups, governments, nonprofits and academic institutions.

YES BANK partners with Turtlefin to launch EasyNsure

A one-stop platform for offering insurance products to customers of YES BANK

Mumbai, November 29th, 2022: TurtleFin, India’s leading insurtech platform, has partnered with YES BANK, to create a comprehensive technology platform – EasyNsure. Turtlefin’s distinctive API will power the platform to offer a bouquet of holistic insurance solutions on a single platform, at the click of a button.

EasyNsure, is a first-of-its-kind proposition for Yes Bank that will bring multiple insurance partners onto a common platform, providing a host of benefits such as – a seamless single point online insurance service, ability to compare and select a suitable insurance cover basis the customer’s need, as well as a facility to compare costs for rationalizing purchase decisions, among others. Turtlefin’s unique and customized technology solutions will enable the platform to offer seamless customer experience to its clientele.

The EasyNsure platform is already live with over 40 Life and General Insurance plans being readily available for consideration. So far, the platform has created over 30,000 insurance quotes with more than 6,500 proposals and 5,200 policies being punched. This has helped the platform recorded a total premium of INR 6,050 lakh.

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Sanjiv Roy, Country Head – Fee Income, YES BANK, said, “We, at YES BANK are constantly exploring innovative ways to simplify the customer’s journey across products and services. Digitalization has played a key role in our endeavour to achieve this feat. In keeping with this thought, we are happy to have partnered with TurtleFin to launch EasyNsure that aims to offer our customers with a bouquet of holistic insurance solutions on a single platform, at the click of a button. We strongly believe, this partnership will further strengthen YES BANK’s presence within the insurance domain as customers will have the absolute right to choose from all the available options, basis their requirement and financial comfort. We will continue to co-create more such propositions that provide customers with an inclusive e-banking experience.”

Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Amreesh Kher, Chief Partnership Distribution Officer, Turtlefin said, “Bancassurance landscape has been evolving over time, and with the new set of challenges, newer solutions are required for banks to enhance their distribution processes. Turtlefin provides a disruptive solution by digitising and simplifying their entire insurance distribution value chain and ensuring that our cutting-edge technology acts as a bridge between the insurer and the bank. With this alliance, our objective is to expand our reach and be the choice of insurtech platform for the bancassurance businesses, and fulfill their evolving needs. We are creating a system for YES BANK that will be channel agnostic, and any business vertical will be able to access it conveniently and offer all the products to its customers hassle free. Turtlefin will be the one-point contact for all future integrations and tech requirements with the insurer on behalf of YES BANK”.

This robust technology platform will also allow business tracking across Bank hierarchy, simplifying revenue reconciliation. It will enhance in tracking the productivity of RMs on quotes created versus actual conversion of leads.

Novotel New Delhi Aerocity brings to you Chillai Kalaan…

A journey for your taste buds from the bylanes of Kashmir, this winter

New Delhi, December’ 2022: Novotel New Delhi Aerocity is hosting ‘Chillai Kalaan’ – a Kashmiri Food Festival from 3rd -11th December’ 2022 at Food Exchange. This 9-day affair is a curation by renowned chefs – Rahul Wali and Sunil Mattoo, who create magic with traditional Kashmiri cuisine.

The gourmet Kashmiri menu, including specially curated Nadru Monji, Palak Tikki, Tabak Maaz , Chicken Kanti, Talit Gaad, Buzith Gaad, will be one to cherish. The heavenly main course which will have Methi Chaman, Nadur Aloo , Nadur Palak Mutton Rogan Josh, Rista and Gostaba to add the cherry on the top.

Novotel New Delhi Aerocity intends to bring in the taste of the serene state of Kashmir by joining hands with Chef Rahul Wali and Sunil Mattoo. Each dish is prepared using authentic ingredients like saffron, cardamom, clove and other spices native to the land.

Amp up this enticing experience even more by sipping on some traditional Kashmiri Kahwa and immerse in this delicious celebration of the Kashmiri Cuisine at Novotel New Delhi Aerocity.

Where: Food Exchange

When: 3rd – 11th Dec 2022

FarEye Collaborates with Pepperfry to Improve Furniture Delivery Experience

Indian online furniture marketplace to improve order visibility, decrease delays and increase overall consumer satisfaction, throughout the last-mile delivery process

India, November 29, 2022: E-commerce is expected to grow 96% between 2021-2025 in India, reaching $120 billion in transaction value. With that growth comes delivery complexity, particularly for big & bulky deliveries such as furniture and other oversized home items. Pepperfry, the leading e-commerce home goods company, headquartered in Mumbai, India, is working with FarEye to simplify last-mile delivery, particularly for oversized deliveries requiring installation.

From ensuring the appropriately skilled two-person crew is assigned to each delivery for installation, to offering flexibility in scheduling delivery and installation appointments, to providing a simple returns process, big & bulky last-mile deliveries have added complexity. Companies like Pepperfry need to manage a multitude of factors while ensuring a consistent, branded consumer experience with every delivery.

“Consumer experience is crucial for us. We chose FarEye to help us gain real-time visibility into orders throughout the delivery process. Our goal is to decrease delivery time and eliminate missed or delayed deliveries, increase the productivity of our delivery fleets, and ensure furniture installations are smooth,” said Piyush Agarwal, Head of Supply Chain at Pepperfry. “We’re looking forward to continuing to refine our last-mile strategy, and add a level of intelligence and automation that will reduce manual processes and costs, leading to customer satisfaction.”

Pepperfry plans to use FarEye’s last-mile delivery solutions which include:-

• Track: to provide real-time visibility throughout the delivery journey, and avoid delays and disruptions, ensuring every delivery arrives on time, every time.
• Returns module: to make returns and exchanges seamless through a branded self-service interface for a holistic post-purchase experience.
• Experience: to ensure a branded, differentiated customer experience throughout the pre-and post-purchase process – from order tracking and scheduling to delivery notifications, returns and exchanges.

“As more than 35% of furniture sales worldwide are expected to be made online by 2025, it is crucial for retailers, shippers and carriers to perfect the consumer delivery experience of big & bulky items, or risk losing brand loyalty,” said Gautam Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, Co-founder, FarEye. “Pepperfry is experiencing growth in delivery of oversized items and has identified areas to improve upon in the last mile in order to maintain consumer satisfaction. We look forward to supporting them on their journey, with the goal of ensuring every delivery arrives on-time, is accurate, and installed quickly and easily.”

Sadar24 aims to raise 25% on sales this holiday season

Mr. Nitin Goel – Co-founder of Sadar24 

New Delhi, 29th Nov, 2022: Sadar24, a Delhi-based e-commerce platform founded by Mr. Nitin Goel with co-founders Mr. Mahavir Mittal and Mr. Sonal Garg is one of India’s greatest omnichannel marketplace aims to increase their sales by 25% this festive season. During diwali Sadar24’s e-marketplace, where more than 1000’s of vendors from tier 2 and tier 3 around the nation displayed their wares, had phenomenal sales. Small traders and retailers continued to witness soaring demand on their platform.

Sadar24 developed their platform into a number of new categories, including fashion & lifestyle, consumer electronics, home & kitchen to achieve their aim for this holiday.

Sadar24 intends to work with 50,000+ vendors across India. They now work with over 1000’s vendors across India. The vendors offer their goods online through Sadar24 Platform, an Indian-based B2C e-commerce platform. By the end of this year, Sadar24 will expand its number of states in India.

Mr. Nitin Goel, Co-founder, Sadar24 said: “By the end of the year, Sadar24 hopes to increase sales by 25%. India is the most significant market, as such. In the next three years, India will overtake as the second-largest buying market and we want to be a major player in this growth for the nation.”

With the tagline “Sabse Sasta Sabse Accha” Sadar24 is an aggregator E-commerce platform that works to connect SME, MSME, small vendors, traders, and unorganised markets involved in manufacturing & trading of different products.

Since Sadar24 target customers are homemakers and families, they have offered them special gift hampers like Cosmetics and Candles and lights this Diwali.

Using digitalization and a basic Internet connection, putting the iconic Sadar Bazar of Old Delhi online for the first time ever. Sadar24.com is a brand owned by Masonic E Com Pvt. Ltd.