Archive: January 18, 2023

Mastercard announces the new phase of its flagship Girls4Tech™ program in India

Tamil Nadu, January  2022 – Mastercard today announced the expansion of its signature Girls4Tech, STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education program in India. Supported by the Mastercard Impact Fund, and in partnership with the American India Foundation (AIF), the expansion of the program aims to reach an additional 1 lakh female students across the country by 2024 to encourage them to take up STEM education. This includes 10,800 students in Tamil Nadu, as well as pupils from 30 government schools in Coimbatore where STEM courses will be offered to girls aged 8 to 14.

In 2020-21, the program reached over 112,482 girls in urban and rural locations across six states in India, including 17,820 across three districts in Tamil Nadu. Even as science and technology continue to be the next frontiers of growth for nations and organizations, a significant gender gap remains in these fields. According to the All India Survey on Higher Education (AISHE) 2019-20, while women comprise over 43 percent of STEM graduates in India, only 14 percent go on to pursue scientific research in universities and institutions. The situation becomes more concerning considering the skills gap in the workforce and the increasing necessity for businesses to attract, hire, and nurture a diverse workforce.

To address the challenge and pique girls’ interest in science and technology fields, Mastercard partnered with the American India Foundation (AIF) to encourage girls to take up STEM education and prepare for jobs of the future, with an aim to narrow the gender gap.

Mathew Joseph, Country Director of, the American India Foundation said, “The under-representation and disparity of women in STEM are results of deep-rooted social biases, and expectations, influencing the quality of education they receive and the subjects they study. The lack of female leaders and role models in STEM is also a barrier and one of the key drivers behind the gender gap in labor market success. American India Foundation is committed to intervening measures that focus on attracting young girls to STEM subjects, and our partnership with Mastercard on Girls4Tech is one such step’’.

Subhashini Chandran, Vice President of Social Impact, Asia Pacific, Mastercard Centre for Inclusive Growth said, “Even though more women are needed in the workforce, they continue to face several challenges, particularly in India’s semi-urban and rural areas. One is the prevailing perception that the tech industry is dominated by men. As a result, girls do not receive adequate encouragement to pursue STEM disciplines at school or university. Through the Girls4Tech program, which is based on global science and math standards and curated by engineers and technologists, Mastercard aims to support the Government’s vision to create more opportunities for women in the workforce by inspiring young girls and women to pursue STEM education which will help to prepare them for jobs of the future.”

Launched in 2014, Girls4Tech™ is an award-winning education program aimed at creating future problem solvers, incorporating Mastercard’s deep expertise in technology and innovation. The program aims to enable girls to discover a range of STEM careers, such as fraud detective, data scientist, and software engineer.

In the spirit of Mastercard’s ethos of “Doing Well by Doing Good”, since 2015, more than 700 Mastercard employee volunteers hosted multiple Girls4Tech events across Pune, Vadodara, Mumbai, and Gurugram and held India-wide virtual sessions reaching over 110,000 students aged 8-16. Starting as hands-on, in-person sessions run by employee volunteers, the program has since reached more students by extending access to its STEM curriculum through the program’s online resources.

Through the website Girls4Tech Connect, teachers, and parents can download lessons to help students learn about STEM topics including encryption, fraud detection, data analysis and digital convergence, from home or anywhere in the world. The curriculum, which includes topics such as AI and cybersecurity, is also available in Hindi, English, Chinese, Malay, Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, French, and Polish.

Pre-Budget Expectations: Mr. Dilip Modi, Founder, Spice Money

Mr. Dilip Modi, Founder, Spice Money on his expectations from the budget session for the fintech industry.

“We hope for a tax reduction in the upcoming budget that could help small merchants to provide financial services to rural citizens. As this will help in minimizing the cost of providing financial services and foster deeper financial inclusion in the hinterlands of the country.  

We have witnessed significant growth in transactions in Bank accounts in rural areas enabled by Business Correspondents leveraging the Aadhaar stack. The budget should provide economic benefits in the forms of tax exemptions and subsidies to improve the economic viability of BCs with the aim of enabling all 6 lakh villages with neighbourhood banking services, thereby building a strong foundation for financial inclusion. 

The government’s focus on setting up 75 Digital Banking units in 75 districts should be continued this year as well. The involvement of existing fintech players and especially Corporate banking correspondents which are bank agnostic in driving digital banking units will help in further expanding necessary universal banking services to the last mile over restricting to one bank brand services and enable us to take a step further towards our goal of financial inclusion through rural empowerment.”

Celebrating the Oriental Culinary Heritage! @Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre.

An extraordinary culinary journey awaits you at the Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, which celebrates Oriental heritage by providing exquisite global cuisines. Enjoy a lavish meal that captures the true spirit of the Lunar New Year. A delectable spread including all-you-can-eat dim sums, desserts, and much more awaits you at La Cantina, our specialty restaurant. Come and enjoy the festival from January 22, 2023, to February 5, 2023.

Where: La Cantina at Novotel Hyderabad Convention Centre, Hyderabad, Telangana.

When: 22nd Jan to 5th Feb, Time- 06:00 PM to 12:00 AM

Avail INR 500 discount with MobiKwik Zip on your bookings exclusively on EaseMyTrip

Mumbai, January 18, 2022: MobiKwik’s ZIP, India’s leading “Buy Now Pay Later” platform added with discounts and ease of payment, is now live on EaseMyTrip, one of the largest online travel tech platforms in India with a global presence. The two companies have come together to enable users to book their travel today and pay at a later date with attractive discounts on their flights, hotels, and holiday bookings on EaseMyTrip. Users can now get up to an INR 500 discount on all payments above INR 5000 all through January 2023. Now Mobikwik users will get exclusive offers on their travel when they book from EaseMyTrip mobile apps and/or websites.

Speaking on the partnership, Upasana Taku, COO & Co-Founder, MobiKwik said, “Nothing should stop people’s travel plans, not even funds. That is where our platform ZIP will come bearing gifts for many Indians this New Year! We are delighted to partner with EaseMyTrip and support their endeavor to make travel easy with ZIP, our flagship pay-later solution.”

ZIP is fintech giant MobiKwik’s most popular product that offers credit up to INR 60,000 with minimal documentation at 0% interest. ZIP is currently available on over 1 lakh platforms and is now live on EaseMyTrip.

Echoing similar sentiments, Nishant Pitti, CEO & Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip said, “EaseMyTrip has always been a reliable travel companion for all Indians. We take it a step further for our digitally proficient Indian travelers by offering them “book now pay later” combined with some exclusive discounts when they make payments through one of the most popular FinTech players, MobiKwik. EaseMyTrip remains committed to providing our customers with the best packages and deals to make every trip easy to plan and inexpensive on the pocket.”

Continuing its practice of waving-off convenience and hidden charges, EaseMyTrip has zapped the checkout bill further for its users with this New Year discount, thereby giving its users more reasons to celebrate the holiday season.

The company launched MobiKwik Zip, its flagship BNPL product, in 2019 to provide the fast-growing digitally paying Indians their first credit experience. The company believes that BNPL for daily life payments is the only way to deliver financial freedom to millions of Indians.

ROHL announces 26 new Pan India openings across Regenta Portfolio

Bangalore, 18th January 2023: Royal Orchid Hotels Limited (ROHL), the fastest-growing Indian hospitality chain recently announced a strategic expansion of its Regenta brand across India. As per company reports, 26 new properties are slated to open in 2023 targeting leisure and business guests alike. The expansion announcement comes at a time when Royal Orchid celebrates 50 years of its presence in Indian hospitality.

Mr. Chander K Baljee, Chairman and Managing Director, Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd started Hotel Harsha in 1973. With strong business acumen, Baljee revamped and refurbished the existing property into a flourishing business hotel.

The brief journey encapsulates Mr. Baljee’s passion and perseverance in the Indian hospitality industry over the last 50 years. The year 2023 will witness the brand diversification of the Regenta by Royal Orchid brand across India. The brand stands for rejuvenation, and relaxation and has a more youth-oriented approach to services as per market trends catering to the younger segment. The six sub-segments of the brand include Regenta, Regenta Resort (five-star properties), Regenta Central, Regenta Suites (four-star), Regenta Place (three-star), and Regenta Inn (smart comfort).
ROHL will add to its list of properties across India with new openings in Tier 2 and 3 cities such as Coorg, Gulbarga, Gangtok, Digha (West Bengal), Nellore, Jhansi, Raipur, and Pune among many others.

Commenting on the expansion, Mr. Baljee says, “We at Regenta by Royal Orchid Hotels promise our guests to stay committed to being a proud Indian brand serving hundreds of guests every day. The future for us means giving Indians a hospitality brand to reckon with coupled with advancing technologies and services better than industry standards. When guests check out from our properties, they should take with them a Royal Orchid experience.”

The openings are slated across different sub-segments across Indian cities. The list includes three Regenta Resorts, nine Regenta Central properties, seven Regenta Inn properties, and seven Regenta Place properties. All new developments will have well-appointed rooms and amenities to go with their respective categories.

Furthermore, in celebration of its 50 years in hospitality, Royal Orchid Hotels Ltd has launched the book now stay later @50% discount across the hotel’s existing portfolio. Guests can book any of the participating hotels across India and get up to 50% discount on rooms and additional 5050 points on the Wanderlust Loyalty Program. The booking period for this package is from 15th- 31st January 2023 while the stay period is from 15th Jan to 30th June 2023. Terms and conditions apply.

Guests can also enjoy a 50% discount on the bill for food and beverages at any of the participating restaurants across India. The package is valid for a maximum group of six adults from 21st – 31st January 2023. Terms and conditions apply.

Jaipur Literature Festival 2023 set for grand opening

Thought widely to be the grandest celebration of literature worldwide, the Jaipur Literature Festival 2023 opens tomorrow at Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur and keeps up its tradition of uncovering a gamut of ‘stories’ from across the world.

The magnificent and diverse program for the much-awaited 16th edition will as always feature some of the most celebrated and extraordinary minds in the world. Audiences can savor a range of language diversity in the program this season, which displays 21 Indian and 14 International languages with sessions spread across 5 venues. The Festival will host over 350 speakers from across a vast array of nationalities, as well as recipients of major awards such as the Nobel, the Booker, International Booker, the Pulitzer, the Sahitya Akademi, Baillie Gifford, PEN America Literary Awards, the DSC Prize for South Asian Literature, the JCB Prize for Literature and many more.

Marking its 16th edition, the Festival will cover subjects such as the ongoing climate justice debate under the urgency of borrowed time theme; great women writers and artists focusing on the female voice and identity, crime fiction, memoir, translation, poetry, economics, tech morality and Artificial Intelligence, the global crisis in agriculture, Russia-Ukraine conflict, violence unleased by the British Empire, cutting-edge science, India at 75, remembering Partition, geopolitics, art and photography, health and medicine, amongst others.

The Festival will also showcase world thinkers such as Nobel Laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah; historian, screenwriter and broadcaster Alex von Tunzelmann; Publisher Alexandra Pringle; diplomat and author Amish; G20 sherpa of India Amitabh Kant; Sahitya Akademi Award recipient and poet Anamika; SVP, Essar group & CEO of Avid Learning Asad Lalljee; India’s highest-selling English fiction author Ashwin Sanghi; Booker Prize winning author Bernardine Evaristo; leading economist and the Chairman of the Economic Advisory Council to the PM, Bibek Debroy, India’s leading art historian BN Goswami; Sahitya Akademi Award recipient Chandraprakash Deval; novelist Chigozie Obioma; award-winning writer Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni; award-winning scriptwriter and novelist Christopher Kloeble; acclaimed translator Daisy Rockwell whose translation has won the International Booker; popular author Deepti Kapoor; celebrated actress Deepti Naval; best-selling novelist Durjoy Datta; ambassador of France to India Emmanuel Lenain; three-time Member of Parliament Feroze Varun Gandhi; Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award recipient and monk Gaur Gopal Das; International Booker Prize recipient Geetanjali Shree; celebrated poet, lyricist and author Gulzar; one of India’s most respected classical musicians Padma Vibhushan Hariprasad Chaurasia; head of culture and learning, British Library Jamie Andrews; author Jerry Pinto; author John Zubrzycki; celebrated poet, lyricist, screenwriter Javed Akhtar; President of the Kerala Sahitya Akademi K Satchidanandan; award-winning author and playwright Kishwar Desai; author Mahmood Mamdani; poet, critic, and author Makarand R Paranjape; member of the legislative assembly in West Bengal and writer Manoranjan Byapari; author Marcus du Sautoy; poet, novelist, and translator Meena Kandasamy; author Moin Mir; founder of Myntra and CEO of cult. fit, Mukesh Bansal; academic Mukulika Banerjee; co-founder and Chairman of Infosys Technologies Limited Nandan Nilekani; writer Navin Chawla; author Navtej Sarna; bureaucrat Nirupama Kotru; award-winning filmmaker, producer, screenwriter Onir; publisher Oscar Pujol; writer-diplomat and politician Pavan K. Varma; author Pushpesh Pant; Sahitya Akademi Golden Jubilee Award recipient Ranjit Hoskote; celebrated journalist Ravish Kumar; bestselling author and politician Shashi Tharoor; Booker Prize-winning Sri Lankan author Shehan Karunatilaka; best-selling author Shrabani Basu; bestselling author Shobhaa De; celebrated author Siddhartha Mukherjee; founder of Infosys Foundation Sudha Murty; diplomatic editor of The Hindu Suhasini Haidar; political activist Swapan Dasgupta; feminist writer and publisher Urvashi Butalia; one of India’s leading pop icons and playback singers Usha Uthup; author Vijay Gokhale; author Vincent Brown; and art historian Xavier Bray.

Beginning on Thursday, January 19th, the Festival will open its first day with the calming strains of Morning Music by the award-winning Carnatic vocalist Sushma Soma. The winter morning will also see inaugural addresses by Founders and Festival Co-directors Namita Gokhale & William Dalrymple along with Festival Producer Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts. The keynote address will be delivered by the recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature Abdulrazak Gurnah.

Namita Gokhale, the writer, Founder & Co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, ” The Jaipur Literature Festival 2023 affirms joy and creativity through books, ideas, and shared narratives. We have some of the greatest writers in the world as well as new and emergent voices. It is a beacon of hope and belief in our fragile world.”

William Dalrymple, author, historian, and Founder & Co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival said, “Over the years, the annual Jaipur Literature Festival has hosted over 5000 speakers and welcomed tens of millions of literature lovers from across India and the globe. Each edition of the Festival we try and raise the bar at this Kumbh Mela of literature, but 2023 will undoubtedly be our finest festival yet. We are proud to present almost all the year’s most decorated writers: we have the winners of the Nobel, Booker, International Booker, Sahitya Akademi, Baillie Gifford, National Book Awards & Women’s Prize. This year once again we have brought together the world’s greatest novelists and poets, historians and biographers, scientists and economists, artists and art historians: a free-flowing gathering of great literary minds that is like a global super-university opening its gates for anyone who wants to attend for five whole days. It’s going to be cerebral heaven: an utterly magnificent feast of mind-sustaining inspiration and we look forward to welcoming the literary world back to Jaipur.”

Sanjoy K. Roy, Managing Director, of Teamwork Arts, and producer of the Jaipur Literature Festival, said, “With our vision for 2023, we will examine and interrogate our changing world and explore different shades of opinion by invoking India’s rich literary heritage with voices from across the literary landscape of the world.”

Today honoring the authors and speakers, Jaipur Literature Festival hosted an evening at the iconic Rambagh Palace. Sharing his delight on this momentous occasion, Area Director Jaipur & Ajmer Region – IHCL and General Manager – Rambagh Palace, Ashok Rathore said, “It is indeed an honor and a privilege for Rambagh Palace, Jaipur to host the iconic celebratory welcome dinner for the much-awaited Jaipur Literature Festival 2023, an exquisite evening which had the country’s glitterati in attendance. The star-studded guest list for the event included authors, speakers, literature lovers, and glitterati, among others. The chefs of the palace under the stewardship of Executive Chef Raghu Deora curated an extravagant feast featuring local delicacies and an array of global cuisines.”

The Festival will offer 5 days of evocative literary discourses, exhilarating musical performances, art installations, merchandise, local cuisine, and more. It will also host a Heritage Evening on 22nd January at Ganesh Pol, Amber Fort, Jaipur. The program will feature breath-taking performances by Ahuti – featuring Nrityagram and Chitrasena Dancers, co-presented by Engendered – a collaborative piece of Odissi and Kandyan Dance, and Shared Dreams by Harpreet and George Brooks, spanning genres and generations through poetry and music.

This year, the Festival has been made possible with the support of our partners who are committed to promoting this marathon of ideas. The 2023 edition will be protected by ‘Dettol Banega Swasth India’; venue partners like Bank of Baroda, Hawthornden Foundation, and Jan Michalski Foundation; session partners such as The US Embassy in India, The JCB Prize for Literature, British Council, Penguin Random House, and The Embassy of Ireland are key partners along with significant supporters such as The Royal Norwegian Embassy, Ekank, Harvard University Press, Etsy, UN Women, Harper Collins, DLF, Wellbeing Nutrition, online bookstore partner Amazon, celebration partner Diageo, official digital payments partner Paytm, Friend of the Festival Lounge partner VFS; and hospital Partner Manipal Hospitals. The Festival will be supported by Rajasthan Tourism, START, LIC, and SBI; The Festival has also been graciously supported by Mukesh Bansal, Founder of Myntra and CEO of the cult. fit; and media partners like TV9, ABP, Amar Chitra Katha, New Indian Express, Amar Ujala, Sakal Media Group, The Week, Dainik Bhaskar, Rajasthan Patrika, Business Standard, radio partner RED FM, INOX MEDIA, LBB, and TV9.

The Festival will also feature South Asia’s biggest publishing conclave, the prestigious Jaipur BookMark, which will bring together publishers, literary agents, translation agencies, writers, and major industry players from across the world.

Showcasing world music with a diverse mix of genres and artists – The Jaipur Music Stage, which runs parallel to the Festival, will be a 3-day program, set to run from 19th – 21st January. Living up to its motto of variety & discovery, the music stage transcends borders, genres, and geographies through electrifying performances that range from world music, ghazals, and jazz to rock and the blues.

The literary show will also live-stream some key sessions which will be available on the Festival’s microsite. Audiences watching from across the globe will be able to access these sessions free of cost.

Godrej Yummiez Introduces Veg Combo Pack with assortment of Cheese corn nuggets, Crispy Potato Starz and Paneer Pops

Godrej Yummiez, a brand of vegetarian and non-vegetarian ready-to-cook products, introduced a special Godrej Yummiez Veg Combo Pack, that includes your favourite Cheese corn nuggets, Crispy Potato Starz and Paneer Pops; all in a single pack. When your friends and family get together, it’s the perfect combo of smiles, laughter, and warmth. Pair these special moments with the perfect food combo of cheese, paneer, and potato making this veg combo pack, for everyone.

Godrej Yummiez Paneer Pops, made with special chef-selected spices, are crunchy on the outside and creamy and juicy on the inside. Made from highest quality processed cheese and American corn, Yummiez Cheese Corn nuggets are a melt-in-mouth treat. Made with the choicest of potatoes and no added preservatives, Crispy Potato Starz are fun star-shaped tasty munchies easily turn snacking time into a playful time.

This Godrej Yummiez range is made from the best quality, hand-picked ingredients for exceptional taste and flavour. Super easy to make and the ideal hunger fix for evenings after work or school, this pack is a seamless choice for busy days or when you have guests over.

It is available at supermarkets and all leading e-commerce retail outlets across India.

Timeless flavours of Lhasa Cuisines at Chopstick City by Sayaji Indore

Indore: Chop Sticks City at Sayaji Indore proudly presents The Lhasa Food Festival. Relish a host of delectable dishes amidst a traditional ambience. Discover the essence of Lhasa cuisines with Thupka Soup, Shapta Mutton, Tibetian Chowmein, Douhua, Yak, Dumpling etc.

Mr. Prasad Rao, Director of Operations, Sayaji Indore commented “In the endeavour to create unforgettable dining experience for our esteemed guests we at Sayaji Indore are always keen to bring something new to felicitate the taste buds of the City. Delve into traditional spices and authentic taste from the Tibetian region Sayaji Indore is proud to bring to you the Lhasa Food Festival from 13th to 20th January 2023.”

Chopstick city at Sayaji Indore is a one-stop destination for authentic Pan-Asian delicacies. Prepared by the best chefs in the industry, the restaurant offers variety of dishes that will take your taste buds on journey of lifetime. From the re-opening in 2022 Chopstick City has ensured to offer the City something unique and mindful that has not been experienced in the past.