Archive: July 31, 2024

VegNonVeg Unveils Nostalgic Spring Summer 2024 Collection: A Tribute to Indian Hill Stations

Drawing inspiration from the iconic architecture and surrounding forests of Shimla, the collection seamlessly blends the essence of school uniforms with contemporary streetwear. Familiar and comfortable silhouettes evoke a sense of belonging and nostalgia, making each piece a blend of classic and modern elements. From printed tops showcasing Shimla’s scenic beauty to versatile denim and tailored bottoms for everyday wear, every garment tells a story.

The collection is available starting June 1st in VegNonVeg stores across Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore.

InterContinental Dubai Festival City Celebrates Success of Shop, Stay & Savour Summer Package

Dubai, UAE, 31 July 2024 – InterContinental Dubai Festival City proudly announces the overwhelming success of its exclusive “Shop, Stay & Savour” summer package, meticulously crafted to deliver an unparalleled staycation experience. Guests are invited to indulge in up to 25% savings on opulent accommodations, complemented by a host of enticing benefits.

“Summer in Dubai presents the ideal backdrop for both exploration and relaxation,” stated Thomas Schmelter, Area General Manager of IHG Hotels at Dubai Festival City. “Our ‘Shop, Stay & Savour’ package is thoughtfully designed to blend luxury, convenience, and exceptional value into a single, unforgettable staycation experience.”

Discover the Shop, Stay & Savour Experience

Guests can delight in a serene and luxurious stay, beginning each day with a lavish breakfast at Anise. This dining haven boasts an extensive selection of international dishes and live cooking stations, ensuring a memorable culinary adventure. The package also includes dinner options that cater to diverse palates, with Anise’s expert chefs delivering a world of flavours through meticulously prepared international cuisines.

To elevate the relaxation experience, the package features an AED 100 spa voucher for SPA InterContinental. Here, guests can immerse themselves in a sanctuary of tranquillity with an array of treatments designed to soothe the mind and body. From deep tissue massages to rejuvenating facials by Exuviance, skilled therapists provide holistic therapies in an ambiance of pure relaxation.

The Dubai Festival City Mall Voucher Booklet enhances the package by offering exclusive discounts and special offers at numerous retail outlets. Guests can indulge in premium shopping experiences at high-end stores and boutiques, making the most of the exclusive deals available only through this package.

Families will particularly appreciate the inclusion of access to Planet Trekkers Kid’s Club. This vibrant hub offers a plethora of activities such as rock climbing, arts and crafts, and cooking classes, all within a safe and supervised environment. Parents can unwind with peace of mind, knowing their children are engaged in fun and educational activities.

Robust financial growth and strategic wins define the first half of 2024 for Amadeus

Bengaluru, 31st July 2024: In the first six months of 2024, Amadeus continued to see double-digit growth expansion. Our Group Revenue increased by 13.4%, EBITDA grew by 15.0%1, Operating Income increased by 18.6%1, and Adjusted Profit expanded by 22.0%1 relative to the previous year. Our financial performance over the first half of the year supported Free Cash Flow generation of €530.3 million, resulting in Net Financial Debt of €2,594.7 million on June 30, 2024, representing 1.15 times the last twelve months’ EBITDA.

Luis Maroto, President & CEO of Amadeus, stated “We continued to grow at a double-digit pace throughout the first half of the year and we remain confident in our outlook for 2024. Amadeus is investing for the future. We are at the forefront of airline retailing transformation and are advancing decisively on NDC to continue to strengthen our position as the leading enabler of indirect airline distribution. Additionally, we were pleased to announce a strategic partnership with world-leading hospitality group Accor, which will implement our next-generation, cloud-based Central Reservation System (ACRS) for its extensive portfolio of properties globally.”

Business Evolution
In Air Distribution, our revenue grew 10.7% in the first half of 2024, driven by growth in volumes and unitary revenue. Our Air Distribution bookings increased by 2.9% in the first half of the year, on the back of a normalization in global air traffic growth. Our volume performance was complemented by a positive 7.6% revenue per booking evolution.

We also continued advancing on our NDC strategy. During the second quarter, Tunisair, EVA Air and Vueling’s NDC content was made available through the Amadeus Travel Platform to travel sellers.

In the first half of 2024, Air IT Solutions revenue grew by 17.6%, supported by our passenger’s boarded evolution, which increased by 13.9%, driven by global air traffic growth and the positive impact from Amadeus’ 2023/24 customer implementations. These implementations include Etihad Airways, ITA Airways, Hawaiian Airlines, Bamboo Airways and Allegiant Air in 2023, as well as Vietnam Airlines in the second quarter of 2024.

During the second quarter, British Airways, a recently announced Nevio customer, signed for Amadeus Network Revenue Management.

Regarding Airport IT, during the second quarter, we continued to expand our customer base and had several upsells from our Airport IT offering. We signed with Malaysia Airports to deliver our Airport Passenger Processing Solutions to six airports in the country.

In the first half of 2024, Hospitality & Other Solutions revenue increased by 13.2%. Both Hospitality, which generates the majority of the revenues in this segment, and Payments, delivered double-digit growth rates, supported by new customer implementations and volume expansion.

Regarding Hospitality, we announced that Accor, a global hospitality group, will implement ACRS for its broad range of properties worldwide.

In Payments, Thai Airways has signed for the Xchange Payment Platform from Outpayce, and Wakanow Group, one of Africa’s largest travel sellers, has signed a new partnership with Outpayce, embracing virtual payments with Outpayce B2B Wallet.

For more information about our operating and financial performance during the first half of 2024, please visit our Investor Relations website.

Corporate news

At the General Shareholders’ Meeting held on June 6, 2024, our shareholders approved a final gross dividend of €1.24 per share, representing 50% of the 2023 consolidated profit. Based on this, the proposed appropriation of the 2023 results included in our 2023 audited financial statements includes a total amount of €558.6 million corresponding to dividends pertaining to the financial year 2023. An interim gross dividend of €0.44 per share was paid on January 18, 2024, for a total amount paid of €193.4 million, and a complementary gross dividend of €0.80 per share was paid on July 4, 2024, for a total amount paid of€348.5 million.

On May 15, 2024, Amadeus launched a share repurchase program with a maximum investment of €10.2 million, not exceeding 146,000 shares (0.032% of Amadeus’ share capital). The share repurchase program is carried out to comply with share-based employee remuneration schemes of its wholly owned French subsidiary Amadeus Sas for the year 2024. On May 20, 2024, Amadeus reached the maximum investment under the share repurchase program. Under the program, Amadeus acquired 146,000 shares (representing 0.032% of Amadeus’ share capital) for a total amount of €9.5 million.

Also, during this quarter, S&P confirmed a BBB /A-2 rating for Amadeus IT Group. The outlook remains stable

InsuranceDekho Ventures Into Reinsurance Broking Sector With Composite License

Mumbai, July 31, 2024: InsuranceDekho, one of India’s leading insurtech brand, has received approval from the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to enter the reinsurance broking sector with a composite insurance broking license marking a significant milestone in the company’s mission to revolutionize insurance accessibility and distribution across India.

InsuranceDekho intends to add value in this segment by placing a portion of insurance risk of an Insurance company on a reinsurance company and securing competitive pricing for insurers. The company aims to boost insurance penetration in the nation by harnessing technology and applying data analytics to innovate in the reinsurance industry.

Mr. Ankit Agrawal, CEO and Founder said, “The IRDAI’s approval is a significant strategic move for InsuranceDekho to achieve our vision of increasing insurance penetration and accessibility across India. Our goal is to leverage our technological prowess and deep industry expertise to bring enhanced value to our clients and partners. This approach not only improves the insurance landscape but also strengthens our market position. We are committed to balancing innovation with practical business strategies, always prioritizing the needs of both insurers and the people they serve.”

The reinsurance sector has seen significant growth, with industry premiums reaching INR 547 crores in FY2023, with B2B products consistently seeing higher reinsurance compared to retail products. For InsuranceDekho small and medium enterprises (SMEs) represent one of the fastest growing segments and the company earned a premium of INR 300 crore in the current financial year (FY24), becoming the fastest growing and largest insurtech in SME space. In line with its aggressive strategy to penetrate the SME business, InsuranceDekho has also made acquisitions in the SME space in 2023.

The significant scale in premium sourcing, particularly within the SME space in FY24, makes the pivot to offering reinsurance brokerage services a strategic evolution for InsuranceDekho.

InsuranceDekho has earned around INR 3,300 crore in premiums for the current financial year (FY24) and is expecting to grow to approximately INR 5,000 crore over the next 12 months. InsuranceDekho’s vision is to increase insurance penetration by reaching 6 Lac villages in India. Expanding into the reinsurance broking sector will enable the company to bolster insurance penetration in the nation by establishing deep distribution networks, enabling digitization, diversifying into new product lines, and going deeper into the value chain to support their insurer partners.

InsuranceDekho has direct integration with 48 insurance companies in India, offering over 630 insurance products for motor, health, life, fire, marine, and more. Thus being a composite insurance broker license will enable the company to leverage its technology and data analytics capabilities and strong relations with Indian insurer partners to place reinsurance business at competitive prices. This move will aid in the expansion of contribution margins and directly increase EBITDA margins for InsuranceDekho.

Having transformed the insurance space through its tech-backed solutions, InsuranceDekho is now revolutionizing the reinsurance space.

UPES and Indian Army Sign Partnership Agreement for Upskilling

31 July 2024: UPES, a Dehradun-based multidisciplinary university, and the Indian Army have entered into a landmark agreement to upgrade the educational qualifications of Indian Army personnel, their families, and dependents. The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), signed at Dehradun on July 26, 2024, by Mr. Manish Madaan, Registrar and Director of Training and Placements at UPES, and Colonel VKS Rawat, Colonel Instructor at the Indian Military Academy, Dehradun, marks a significant step towards enhancing educational opportunities and professional development for the Indian Army community.

As per the five-year collaboration agreement, UPES will provide various scholarships and concessions to the wards and spouses of Army personnel based on their academic achievements, including up to 30% tuition fee waiver for top performers (with a score of 95% or more) in Class 12th, JEE, or CUET scores, and reserved seats in MBA, BBA, B.Tech, LLB, and other UG programs across different schools of UPES.

UPES will also provide a part-time Ph.D program to Army officers, focusing on areas like Aviation, Aeronautics, Engineering, Management, Science and Technology, Legal Studies, and Logistics and Supply Chain in line with the needs of the Indian Army. It includes research activities leading to Ph.D. degrees, e-library access, local hospitality for short-term visits, and tailored programs during study leaves, enhancing education and research within the Indian Army. Additionally, researchers will be provided guest house accommodation for short-term visits, subject to availability.

Additionally, UPES Online, the digital learning vertical of UPES, will extend several benefits to ARMY officers with access to MBA, BBA, BCA, Post Graduate Program (PGP) and certificate programs for upskilling. All candidates from the ARMY will receive a 20% waiver on the prevailing course fees and will get a 5% relaxation in the eligibility criteria (with a score of 45% minimum). There will also be a relaxation in project work; candidates will be assessed through a viva based on their work experience. The learners will all get access to live online classes and recorded sessions to ensure a seamless learning experience.

This collaboration reaffirms the commitment of UPES and the Indian Army to provide high-quality education and foster professional growth among Army personnel and their families. The MoU aims to create a supportive and enriching environment for lifelong learning and skill development. Both parties have committed to maintaining the confidentiality of sensitive information and ensuring that any data perceived as compromising national security remains solely with the Army.

UPES is oriented towards the future, and committed to developing the leaders of tomorrow through a creative, multidisciplinary learning approach. The university’s emphasis on excellence guarantees that every graduate is well-prepared to excel in a continuously changing world and make valuable contributions to society.

Nouria Redefines Resort Wear with Bold Colors and Versatile Co-Ord Sets to Take You from City Streets to Sandy Beaches

Nouria introduces an exciting array of resort wear pieces that combine comfort and style, ensuring you look your best with bold colors and various prints. Nouria’s collection features stunning resort wear staples in versatile silhouettes like co-ords, dresses, skirts, and more, designed to flatter every body shape and promote size inclusivity.

Crafted from luxurious fabrics like linen, cotton silk, and cotton satin, Nouria’s resort wear is lightweight and easy to wear, perfect for any summer adventure. These fabrics add to the ease and comfort of our outfits, making them ideal for both city streets and sandy beaches.

Celebrate the modern woman who values authenticity and free spirit with Nouria’s effortlessly elegant designs that strikes a perfect balance between comfort and sophistication, making you feel like the best version of yourself. Discover how Nouria’s resort wear can transform your wardrobe with pieces that are not only stylish but also versatile and comfortable.

1. Kia Dress – Fuschia

2. Tina Skirt BD

3. Echo Co-Ord Set

4. Rose Co-ord Set Ivy

5. Mahi Dress Fuschia

6. Michelle Co-ord Set Org

Achieve comfort and style on the go: Top 5 fits for your work trips

When trying to balance comfort and style on work trips, it is important to choose the right outfit to enjoy the best of both worlds. Whether flying to attend a conference or driving to a meeting, it is essential to look professional while feeling comfortable. In this guide, we present the top five outfits that offer the perfect blend of style and comfort. These carefully selected outfits ensure that one is always ready to make a great impression, combining practicality with polished aesthetics.

1. Slim Fit Trackpants

Slim fit trackpants make an ideal choice for work trips, seamlessly blending comfort with style. Their tailored silhouette ensures a polished appearance, while the soft, stretchy fabric offers unparalleled comfort for long flights or car rides. To add a versatile touch, they can be paired with a smart t-shirt or blazer to effortlessly transition from travel to meetings, making these wrinkle-resistant pants the perfect solution for the modern professional on the go.

2. Relaxed Fit Graphic T-Shirt

The half-sleeve t-shirt is a must-have for work trips with its classic design providing a professional yet relaxed look. Made with breathable, high-quality fabrics, it ensures comfort during travel and long meetings. It is versatile and easy to pair with trousers or slim-fit track pants, making them an essential part of work wear.

3. Super Combed Cotton Jacket

A solid jacket made using super combed cotton is a perfect addition to the suitcase during work trips, offering a blend of style and functionality. The ribbed hem and cuffs add a modern touch while ensuring a comfortable and snug fit. This jacket pairs seamlessly with a casual attire and is the perfect layering piece when one is on the move.

4. Flared Pants

Flared pants are a stylish yet practical option for professionals who prioritize both appearance and comfort on the road. The distinctive wide-leg design offers a trendy aesthetic and ease of movement, crucial for long days of travel or back-to-back meetings. These wrinkle-resistant pants pair well with a range of tops, from fitted blouses to relaxed tees, making them suitable for a diverse range of business environments and an active lifestyle.

5. Half Sleeve T-Shirt

A classic striped t-shirt is an indispensable wardrobe staple. This one with its relaxed fit, unique details and pleasing colours is perfect for work trips and beyond. Easy to style, it is designed to pair exceptionally well with various bottoms, from jeans to formal trousers, adapting smoothly to different settings on the itinerary. The breathable super combed cotton fabric keeps one comfortable during transit or in the flux of day-to-day activities, making it a practical as well as a flattering choice for the traveling professional.

This curated collection of the top five outfits for work trips effortlessly marries comfort with style, ensuring that the young professionals are flawlessly dressed and at ease, regardless of their destination. These pieces will streamline the packing process and enhance the ability to adapt seamlessly to diverse professional settings and navigate them with confidence and poise.

Friendship Day with Metro Brands

Nobody can ever truly understand us until they walk a mile in our shoes. May be this is the reason that our friends understand our struggles and sometimes, more efficiently than our partners, family and close ones as well. While we shower our friends with chocolates, sweets, cards, flowers every friendship day, how about this time around, we walk with them, step by step. Yes, we are talking about literally gifting footwear to our besties that are going to be a perfect fit for every occasion! With Friendship Day right around the corner, it’s time to cherish your friends and show them how much you appreciate having them in your life. Metro Brands brings you top picks from Metro Shoes, Mochi, Fitflop, and FILA to help you find the perfect gift without any last-minute stress. Whether your friend is a comfort lover, sneaker enthusiast, or fashion aficionado, there’s something for everyone—even your pickiest friend!

These must-have styles are sure to make your BFF happy while elevating their fashion game. The trendy footwear collections from these brands seamlessly blend style, comfort, and innovation.

Something for every occasion

Be it a dance party, a marathon run, an office wear or just something casual, Metro’s footwear collection effortlessly combines sophistication, comfort and style, offering some of the best options for both men and women . As one of the most renowned and trusted footwear brands in India, the latest footwear collection from the house of metro Metro Shoes is the ideal choice for a friendship day gift that will take you and your friends to the new!

For the Fashionistas

If you and your friend have your hearts beating the minute you hear the word “fashion”, then take the centre stage with Mochi’s trendy and stylish footwear. Offering versatile, fashion forward styles for all occasions, the brand ensures you always have a good time while living your life to the fullest with your BFF by your side

Wanna get comfy?

Known for its innovation and technology, Fitflop offers chic footwear that combines style with unparalleled comfort. Biomechanically engineered and powered by science, FitFlop is all about living life to the fullest with your friends!

From the trendiest lifestyle sneakers to a wide collection of sports shoes, FILA offers footwear for the dynamic duo of BFFs who make every step a fashion statement, providing a fresh outlet for self-expression

BAGLINE House of Luxury Bags, Featuring Tommy Hilfiger Travel Gear and United Colors of Benetton (UCB) Expands with a Second Store in Pune

Pune, Maharashtra 31st July 2024:  BAGLINE House of Luxury Bags is happy to announce the opening of its second store in Pune, enhancing the city’s vibrant shopping scene. Located on Jungli Maharaj Road in Deccan, Pune, the store offers an exquisite range of luxury bags and accessories for Pune’s discerning consumers.

BAGLINE House of Luxury Bags is renowned for its premium selection of travel gear and lifestyle accessories. The Pune store showcases collections from esteemed brands like Tommy Hilfiger Travel Gear, United Colors of Benetton (UCB), and The Vertical. These brands offer a wide range of essentials including luggage, overnighters, backpacks, business cases, duffle bags, belts, wallets, crossbody bags, and accessories—all designed with enduring style and durability in mind. Additionally, The Vertical specialises in catering to modern travellers and professionals with its selection of luggage, backpacks, business cases, belts and men’s wallets. Each brand offers unique qualities and functionality, ensuring our customers discover the perfect blend of style and utility for both daily use and travel adventures.

Introductory Offer: Up to 50% Off

To celebrate their opening store in Pune, BAGLINE is offering an exclusive introductory offer of up to 50% off

Store Details:

• Location: Shop No. 4, Survey No. 1261, Jungli Maharaj Road, Opp McDonald’s, Deccan, Pune – 411004
• Introductory Offer: Up to 50% off on select items