Archive: December 2, 2022

Over 25 percent of Plum’s customers avail Group Personal Accident (GPA) Cover

Bengaluru,  December 2022: Plum, an employee health insurance platform catering to 1,800+ corporations and startups, emphasizes the need for companies to provide for Group Personal Accident (GPA) covers this International Day of Disabled Persons, observed on December 3rd. India has an estimated three crore individuals with disabilities, of which over 30 lakh individuals are employed. According to a recent National Sample Survey report, over 70% of those individuals were not disabled from birth, indicating how disabilities can occur through accidents or critical health issues at any stage in an individual’s life.

The impact of an accident and disability can disrupt one’s life and compromise an entire family’s savings. Companies today are addressing this through holistic insurance policies – a combination of Group Health Insurance (GHI) and Group Personal Accident cover.

Abhishek Poddar, Co-founder & CEO, Plum said, “We are all prone to accidents; be it at the workplace, while commuting, or even during travel and leisure. The impact of such mishaps can be irreparable and draining on a family’s lifetime savings. While companies today are aware of Group Health Insurance (GHI) there needs to be an increased awareness of Group Personal Accident covers which go that extra mile in protecting an individual from untimely and unfortunate adversity. At Plum, over 25% of our clients have availed GPA covers for their employees and we urge every company to financially protect their employees from unforeseen circumstances.”

Plum has been driving ‘inclusion through insurance’ and placing emphasis on the holistic healthcare of employees —physical, mental and financial. It is important for companies and employees to be aware of the range of covers available under Group Personal Accident Insurance to be able to make more informed decisions.

Akshay Golechha, Head of Partnerships, Plum said, “Personal Accident cover should not be perceived as just a road accident cover’ as its purview is vast, making it truly comprehensive and inclusive for many kinds of disabilities. Further, a group personal accident policy typically offers a wider bouquet of benefits as compared to a retail/individual one. The primary cover provided by typical retail policies is for accidental death and permanent disability. In contrast, GPA insurance typically provides cover for temporary disability as well as loss of income during the period of disablement without any waiting period. Further, it is also possible to avail of cover for burns, fractures, comas, and mishaps occurring during adventure sports, as well, as seldom seen in retail policies. GPA cover can also help support the expenses related to lifestyle modifications necessitated from a disability or accident, and some modern policies even provide cover for daily income support, EMI protection, and trauma counseling.”

From a cost perspective, Golechha added, “GPA insurance cover is quite affordable. Today, one can avail of a quality GPA cover of INR 10 lakh for as little as INR200 per employee per annum.”

GPA insurance covers disabilities and conditions that include: loss of arm or leg, complete or irrecoverable loss of sight, loss of foot below the ankle, loss of sense of smell, loss of any toes, loss of fingers, fractures and dislocations, burns, coma as well as expenses incurred on accidental hospitalization, funeral expenses, ambulance charges, transportation of imported medicine, daily income support emergencies; air ambulance, and much more.

Honda Cars India Registers 7,051 Units of Domestic Sales in November’22

New Delhi/Mumbai, December 02, 2022: Honda Cars India Ltd. (HCIL), a leading manufacturer of premium cars in India, registered monthly domestic sales of 7,051 units in November’22 with 29% growth over the corresponding month last year. The export numbers for HCIL stood at 726 units in Nov’22.

Commenting on the Nov’22 sales performance, Mr. Yuichi Murata, Director, of Marketing and Sales, Honda Cars India Ltd said, “Riding on the back of relatively better economic prospects, the demand for cars has continued well post the festive season and this momentum is also visible in our sales numbers. Our iconic Honda City and the popular Honda Amaze, have been the choice of our customers across the country. We are positive that the trend will continue and we will be able to cater to the growing demand as India goes back to the pre-pandemic mode.”

The company had registered 5,457 units in domestic sales and exported 1,447 units in Nov’21.

City of Lakes all set to groove at Hindustan Zinc’s Vedanta Udaipur World Music Festival 2022

2nd December 2022: Hindustan Zinc, a Vedanta Group company in zinc, lead, and silver business, is bringing the 6th edition of Vedanta Udaipur World Music Festival, India’s biggest world music extravaganza, to the beautiful city of lakes. The sixth edition of the festival conceptualized by Seher will witness the presence of over 100 renowned musicians from 16 th to 18 th December in city of lakes – Udaipur. With its sixth edition, the festival will also be celebrating six years of its association with Hindustan Zinc Limited. With a footfall of over 45,000 people every year, the festival is one of the biggest performing arts attractions in the country.

This year the event will witness the performance of Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Sultan & Sanju famed singer Papon who has sung the famous tunes of Moh Moh Ke Dhaage, Bulleya and Baba Bolta Hai Bas Ho Gaya in these blockbuster movies. The festival will also witness the performance of Raghu Dixit, who has lent his voice in movies like Gully Boy, Chef, Codes and is known for creating an amalgamation of Indian ethnic music and styles from different parts of the world at the festival.

Apart from this, Vedanta Udaipur World Music Festival will witness performances from Kamakshi Khanna (India), Fado singer Katia Guerreiro (Portugal), ABAKORAO (Colombia, Chile, Panama, Paraguay), SENZA (Portugal), Dhruv Vishwanath (India), Nandini Shankar (India), Albaluna (Portugal) among others.

The underlying theme of Vedanta Udaipur World Music Festival 2022 is “Preservation and propagation of the forgotten musical instruments and traditions of Rajasthan” where the festival will focus on showcasing Sarangi, to inspire younger generations to follow its legacy. Sarangi is a protected musical tradition by UNESCO.

As part of the Vedanta Udaipur World Music Festival, Hindustan Zinc introduced the Vedanta Talent Hunt – an endeavour to bring amateur young musicians to the international platform of the festival. The talent hunt sent out open calls for young musicians between the age of 12 to 30 which has received more than 90+ entries from 5 districts of Rajasthan (Udaipur, Ajmer, Chittorgarh, Rajsamand & Bhilwara).

PVR Cinemas Selects Qube Wire for Electronic Content Delivery to Over 850 Screens Across India

India 2 December’22: PVR Cinemas, the largest and the most premium film exhibition company in India is pleased to announce that it has chosen Qube Wire as its electronic content delivery partner. PVR Cinemas has signed a contract with Qube Wire to deliver movies, trailers, and advertisements to 876 screens at 176 sites across India. Qube Wire’s global cloud delivery platform is known for its ease of installation, operation, and future-proof connectivity options, providing an easy way to provide content and key delivery at very attractive costs.

“We were looking for a robust and reliable content delivery solution that gives us flexibility, reliability and transparency. With Qube Wire, we can track and monitor all content movement for our theatres from one dashboard,” said Kamal Gianchandani, Chief of Strategy, PVR Limited.

The most important advantage that Qube Wire’s electronic delivery provides is the elimination of logistic challenges due to the shipment of hard drives. There is also a significant reduction in the time taken, and the manual labor involved, in the delivery of advertising and trailers across the network. Qube Wire’s cloud-based content delivery using broadband also has many operational advantages over multicast delivery using satellite networks. DCP and KDM deliveries can also be tracked end-to-end by authorized PVR personnel from anywhere in the world. Besides being more convenient, Qube Wire is an environment-friendly solution, in line with PVR’s mission as a responsible corporate citizen.

Qube Wire, a global leader in providing electronic delivery solutions for digital cinema, brings to the table its market-leading electronic content delivery platform that is unsurpassed in its security features. This leading technology has been assessed and ratified by all major Hollywood studios. Qube Wire’s simple but comprehensive user interface helps distributors manage their digital cinema assets, assign territorial rights for their content, and deliver their Digital Cinema Packages (DCPs) to movie theatres. Additionally, theatres can manage their own digital cinema device details, download KDMs, and access details about all the movies they are showing via their individualized web portal, all for free.

Commenting on this partnership Harsh Rohatgi, CEO, of Qube Cinema said, “We are excited to partner with PVR to strengthen their content distribution. Our customers around the globe already recognize that Qube Wire is the best solution in the industry for electronic delivery, and now we are happy to partner with India’s largest chain.”

New KAYAK research reveals the curiosity of Indian travellers and travel trends for 2023

Mumbai, 2nd December 2022: Indians are a nation of curious travellers, as revealed by new consumer research by KAYAK, the world’s leading travel search engine, with two-thirds (64%) of Indian travellers stating that they are willing to cut back on day-to-day expenses to allow them to see the world in 2023*.

The KAYAK research conducted by YouGov, surveyed over 1,900 Indian travellers, and found that travel restrictions resulting from the pandemic have contributed to the current surge in travel appetite, with three-quarters (78%) of respondents being excited to go back travelling in 2023*.

Exploring the world (62%) was mentioned as the main reason for the regained Indian travel desire, followed by living their dreams (61%), seeking thrills (55%), finding themselves (48%), and escaping their worries (43%).

60% of those surveyed consider themselves curious travellers. Curiosity also makes for more enriching experiences, as 75% of respondents also quenched their curiosity by usually exploring new and offbeat destinations. 73% mentioned that they discovered new food experiences when travelling, and 70% met new people and made friends from different cultures during previous trips.

Elia San Martin, VP & GM of APAC at KAYAK, remarked, “Our deep dive into traveller curiosity led to exciting findings. Indian travellers are looking to not only spend more on holidays but are wholeheartedly embracing adventurous excursions, whether it is trying local cuisines, being immersed in new cultures, or exploring lesser-known locations. Our data shows that Indian travellers are highly curious about enriching their travel memories, and this is reflected by a 204% increase in flight searches for next year**. They are embracing the opportunity to travel the world again, while consciously searching for great deals and sustainable travel choices.”

Costs and sustainability a key consideration for Indian travellers*:

While almost half (49%) of those surveyed plan to spend more money or the same for their travels than pre-pandemic, value for money supersedes all other factors, with over 60% of the surveyed Indian travellers counting it as their top consideration for booking flights and hotels, and 80% looking to spend INR 4 lakhs or less for travel in the year 2023. This is followed by hygiene and flexibility in booking considerations.

Sustainability considerations are also important for Indian travellers’ holiday plans, with 43% of respondents stating that sustainability will be one of the main criteria for their summer holiday in 2023. Furthermore, 40% plan to travel to destinations known for their sustainability. Inspired to plan trips that have a minimal impact on the planet and its resources, 48% of Indian travellers surveyed will book eco-friendly accommodations while 44% will opt for more sustainable modes of transportation.

“We believe in the power of travel and want our users to experience the world through travel, in a more sustainable and cost-effective way. Our unique travel planning tools can help travellers make fact-based decisions. For example, one tool we offer is the “Least CO2”-sorter, providing insights on a flight’s CO2 emission and helping to compare cost and travel times easily.” stated Elia San Martin, VP & GM of APAC at KAYAK.

Social media and the rise of solo travel*:

With travel topping the 2023 to-do lists for a majority of Indian travellers surveyed, 77% have noticed more people posting their holiday pictures on social media in the past 12 months. Interestingly, ‘me time’ is becoming a consideration for Indian travellers, with 38% saying they prefer to travel alone rather than in a group in 2023. Greater control, freedom, and flexibility in planning holiday itineraries could be major factors that drive solo trips.

2023 will be a big year for Indian travellers**:

This is suggested by search data from KAYAK.co.in, which has analysed flight searches for the 2023 travel period. The data shows flight searches from airports in India (between April – November 2022) have increased by about 204% compared to 2019 pre-pandemic levels. For International flights, searches have increased by about 168% and domestic flight searches have increased by about 257%**.

Despite value for money being their number one consideration for their 2023 holidays, Indian travellers do not appear to be deterred by higher flight prices in 2023, which, compared to 2019, have increased by about 23% for international flights and by about 66% for domestic flights**. The average cost of a return economy domestic flight for 2023 is about INR 13,783, and about INR 85,631 for a return international economy flight**.

KAYAK.co.in search insights for 2023**:

● Hotel searches up: International hotel searches by Indian travellers have increased by about 82% compared to 2019, with domestic hotel searches increasing by about 54%.

● Hotel prices up slightly: International prices for a one night in a double room in a 3-4 star hotel room have increased by about 20% on average compared to 2019 for Indian KAYAK users, and for domestic hotel rooms by about 24% on average.

KAYAK.co.in search insights for top destinations for Indian travellers of 2023**:

With more Indians searching for flights this year than pre-pandemic, international travel is back on the cards for many in 2023. Dubai remains the most searched outbound destination for travel in 2023, while Bangkok, Bali and Maldives also feature high on the list. Goa was the most searched domestic destination, followed by Andaman & Nicobar Islands and New Delhi.

KAYAK travel tips:

● Travel sustainably: For travellers who love to experience the world, but want to travel more sustainably, here are one-way KAYAK can help you make conscious decisions about flying. KAYAK’s CO2 filter allows users to sort flight results by their environmental impact. Working with Atmosfair, a non-profit organisation focused on CO2 mitigation and action on climate change, KAYAK allows travellers to sort their flight search by those flights with the least CO2 emissions rating.

● Use a travel search engine: KAYAK has the tools and filters to help you find great deals, including the Explore page, which shows destinations by price. Before planning your journey, check the latest travel restrictions in your destination. KAYAK’s travel restrictions map provides real-time updates on COVID-19 restrictions and entry requirements of individual countries.

● Set a price alert: As one of KAYAK’s most popular features, price alerts help travellers save money by alerting them when prices change for a flight or hotel they want. If a flight you’re eyeing drops in price, KAYAK will alert you so they can lock in that new price, instantly saving you both time and money.

● Get flexible: If you can be, choose ‘flexible’ filters. If your travel dates aren’t set in stone, and you have a little wiggle room available, chances are you can save some cash booking within +/- 3 days of your desired date range.

● Manage and stay up to date with your travel: KAYAK has built the trips feature on its app and website, that allows users to plan, build and manage their itineraries for travel of any length, in any location. The platform allows users to get real-time updates on any cancellations, stay informed about unexpected changes, delays, or gate changes that may arise, and even find their luggage on the right conveyor belt after landing at the airport.

Coforge and Tokio Marine HCC Elevate Partnership to Drive IT Transformation Worldwide

Greater Noida, December 2, 2022: Coforge Limited (NSE: COFORGE), a global digital services and solutions provider, announced an expanded global partnership with Tokio Marine HCC (TMHCC), headquartered in Houston, Texas, and a leading specialty insurance group with offices in the United States, Mexico, the United Kingdom, and continental Europe, to drive IT transformation.

TMHCC has worked with Coforge since 2016. Coverage was engaged as an IT partner for its digital process automation capabilities, which will now expand into a global relationship. The scope of services includes Run, Build and Transform to enable business agility, superior customer experience, and doing more with less. These services cover digital platforms development including UI/UX services, data, and analytical reporting, managed application services, and infrastructure services.

Brad Breau, TMHCC’s Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer, said, “Our strategic partnership with Coforge is a centerpiece in our drive towards digitalization of key business processes, as we gain operational efficiency and strive for new and innovative solutions.”

“Coforge’s global reach in providing deep technical and industry expertise will be a critical factor going forward for all TMHCC businesses.”

Des Burke, Chief Information Officer, TMHCC International, commented, “Our partnership with Coforge allows us to leverage their deep insurance domain expertise and global delivery capabilities, and the breadth of their service offerings ties in well with our key technology investments.”

“TMHCC has an ambitious growth strategy over the coming years as we embark on delivering enhanced business capabilities and embracing new ways of working. Coforge is a vital partner to our execution plan as they work well with our extended IT teams and business partners.”

TMHCC is realigning its IT capability into a product model structure to promote agile, business-aligned delivery. This is part of a wider transformation program to deliver enhanced underwriting and risk solutions supported by enhanced IT capabilities. Coforge and TMHCC are working closely across these initiatives to deliver business value at pace while optimizing costs and minimizing the risk of delivery.

Rajeev Batra, EVP & Head of Global Insurance, Coforge, commented, “TMHCC has been a valued client of Coforge for many years. The specialty insurance market is rapidly evolving as insurers explore innovative ways to manage their risks and conduct their business. Coforge is helping insurance carriers across the globe in navigating this change and ensuring value realization in a predictable, cost-effective manner. We are proud of the culture and partnership we have carefully curated with TMHCC, and this expanded partnership allows us to invest and support their evolution.”

Amethyst presents Tablescapes by Eeshaan from November 28th to December 4th, 2022 at The Folly, Amethyst

Kiran Rao and Eeshaan Kashyap present Tablescape by Eeshaan, explorations of materials, textures, design interventions, and objects from November 28th to December 4th, 2022 at The Folly, Amethyst, Whites Road, Royapettah, Chennai.

Tablescape by Eeshaan: An online concept store that searches for the current. By reimagining the familiar, they present new designs to incorporate into everyday life. Their aim is to be bold, artful, and unique. They want to tell strong stories in their signature visual style through functional objects. They play with materiality to engage with the modern and bring a feast to your table. Design is their love language and they share it here with you.

The first exhibition of Tablescape in Chennai. This is divided into parts.

Tribal Raw: Objects in carved wood, woven bamboo, beaten brass, smoked terracotta, and obvara pottery in earthy shades of brown and gold.

– Universal Roots

– Woven wood

– Umami oomph

– Indian Hands

Minimal Pure: Emphasizing Gandhian philosophy along with the aesthetics of Japan. Here the wood-fired unique Anagama pottery pieces are layered with hand-painted textiles. Raku shapes are mixed with kintsugi metal against a backdrop of paper wall art.
– Japandi JapIndi

– Simple Simplicity

– Perfect imperfections

– New Nostalgia

Sculptural Forms: Geometric structures are repeated to create a rhythm. The familiar but inorganic nature of these shapes alludes to the man-made, and the ingenuity of imagination. You will find sand-cast metal candle stands, transparent glass tables, sculptural vases, red sandstone spheres, resin globes, and reimagined shawls.
– Shapes Stacked split

– Broken balls balanced

– Many Multiples maximalism

Neon Color: Ultramarine blue is found in the sea and the sky, and is applied here onto objects. Other shades of the spectrum also add layers of meaning and pattern and a dash of color to our lives. From ceramic plates to silver and gold metal makes, and block print table linen.

– Fluorescent pop

– Wedding Sari

– White Black

– Sunrise Sunse