Media Bulletins - Today News Bulletin in English

India’s own professional network strengthens reach; launches e-learning app in five regional languages

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Deepshikha Kumar Anand, #EdTech apps, #SpeakIn

“Make In India” and “Digital India” campaigns have brought some disruptive start-ups in the country’s business landscape and SpeakIn is one such leading example. Having already expanded to over 12 countries in Asia including Singapore, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka, Israel, Turkey, Malaysia, Indonesia, Taiwan, Thailand, Bangladesh, Philippines and Vietnam, SpeakIn has now launched an e-learning app with vernacular content in five languages including English, Hindi, Marathi, Malayalam and Kannada. SpeakIn’s continuous growth has helped the startup in completing another round of funding recently.

While the market is flooded with a myriad of EdTech apps in the academic spectrum, SpeakIn is disrupting online business learning platforms in India by bringing in learning directly from the global thought leaders. The video-based learning comes in short (8 minutes) and long (60 minutes) modules with assessment and certification.

Recognizing that “learning does not have to stop” due to global pandemic, SpeakIn launched an e-learning app with vernacular content – making learning more accessible. SpeakIn virtually reached out to regional experts for the creation of modules in sales, marketing, digital transformation, etc., in regional languages. “With content in five languages and growing, SpeakIn aims to bring premium content not only to white-collar professionals comfortable in English but also to multilingual front-line sales, operational and diversified client-facing workforce,” says Deepshikha Kumar Anand, Founder, SpeakIn. With this desired feature, mentees who are not well-versed in English can also extract the best from lectures, training programs, and webinars. While companies pay an annual subscription fee to access content, individuals benefit from a pay-per-use plan. The content can be further customized to topics of business relevance depending on an organization’s requirements.

While commenting on SpeakIn’s growing popularity, Deepshikha Kumar, said, “With the core philosophy to create a large yet highly-curated network, SpeakIn works with top professionals and organisations to connect them to industry experts and thought leaders globally to for their business learning requirements and to inform, inspire and motivate leaders and individuals. Backed by a stringent compliance framework, SpeakIn has served an array of clients and continues to deliver competitive pricing and a pan-region presence to gain access to experts in the remotest of cities and rarest of topics.”

At SpeakIn, expert generated content is being used for bringing curated business learning – especially to businesses in the immediate need to pivot (such as dealerships who wanted to sell online) and on training that can help professionals switch careers (especially those who lost jobs during COVID-19 outbreak). SpeakIn’s customised learning modules on contactless sales for real estate and automobile sectors have already proven very effective during the current economic slowdown.

News

WIN presents #WinningMinds with the co – writer for the film Shakuntala Devi

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments ##WinningMinds, #Amrita Chowdhury, #Ms Mahtani, #Ms Stuti Jalan, #Shakuntala Devi

Winning Minds is a series to document brilliant work done by supremely talented authors. Women who are bold and have broken the mold. WIN’s ode to women who have found purpose through passion. Women who yield authentic power of energy. The 3rd episode of this series will be hosted by Amrita Chowdhury – Author, Entrepreneur, Innovator, Board Member.

Amrita Chowdhury is the author of two bestselling fiction books – Faking It, an art crime thriller, and Breach, a cybercrime thriller, and contributor to Chicken Soup for the IITian Soul. She followed her love for books to serve as the South Asia CEO & Publisher of global publishing firm Harlequin and build romance and women’s writing imprints for India. She frequently writes and speaks on business, technology, governance, and lifestyle issues for a variety of media channels, digital platforms, event platforms, and government think tanks.

On this event note, she said, “Blending a breadth of interest in ideas that span storytelling, liberal arts, business, technology, and more, I am looking forward to insightful discussions with fascinating women writers.”

Nayanika Mahtani – Author Screenwriter
17th September 2020, 4:00 PM

An author and a screenwriter wrote her debut novel, Ambushed, an adventure set in tiger territory in the Himalayan foothills, published by Puffin in April 2015. All royalties from Ambushed go towards a school for the children of former poachers, to give them a window to alternate livelihoods. Her next book is The Gory Story of Genghis Khan a.k.a. Don’t Mess with the Mongols. Nayanika’s next story featured in an anthology: The Puffin Book of Holiday Stories – a collection of short stories by Indian authors including Ruskin Bond, Rabindranath Tagore and Sudha Murty.

Nayanika has also co-written a film script based on the extraordinary true story of the ‘Human Computer’, Shakuntala Devi, who will be played by the very talented Vidya Balan. The film has recently released on Amazon Prime.

Ms Mahtani excitedly quotes, “I love WIN’s mantra of Paying It Forward. My own journey was helped along by the unstinting support of some wonderful women, who rooted for me as I navigated uncharted waters. I think true strength lies in owning your vulnerabilities and your choices – and helping others do the same.”

Ms Stuti Jalan, Founder, WIN quips, “With Amrita Chowdhury as our win ambassador, we are looking forward to collaborating with accomplished authors from various genres under one roof. We hope to inspire women writers and women leaders who want to be a part of creating change. The series is an ongoing event and we have 20 more authors in the pipeline aligned for the year.”

Platform:

The series will be broadcast across all digital platforms –Instagram, YouTube and Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter.

Business World

TeqMed Scientific launches NESTGUARD disinfectant for home essentials

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Manjeet Singh Ozla, #Naveen Khanna, #NESTGUARD, #TeqMed

New Delhi, Sep 15, 2020: The number of Coronavirus (COVID-19) cases are spiking hugely in India on a daily basis. The only solution to this monstrous problem seems to be an enhanced focus on the actual spread of the virus. And the story starts from home itself; in sync with this philosophy, TeqMed Scientific has introduced NESTGUARD, a novel disinfectant solution generator that uses only water and salt in creating a total non-hazardous-chemical disinfectant solution. This goes a long way towards making every Indian truly Atmanirbhar in this highly essential aspect of life.

Commenting on the brand launch, Manjeet Singh Ozla, Founder, NESTGUARD said, “Since the COVID-19 outbreak, people are anxious about not only stepping out of their homes but also bringing infections from outside as well, particularly unwanted germs that may cause the feared disease. Considering the mid-term and long term side effects of a plethora of disinfectants flooding the markets, one needs to be careful as many observe skin flaking, while other effects may take time to appear such as skin or lung cancer. The long-term use of disinfectant should be least toxic, natural, easily available, environment, and pocket friendly of course. These objectives drove us to select the right technology and development of NESTGUARD. Similar technology has also been approved by INMAS DRDO GoI as an effective solution against SARS CoV-2 as it inactivates CoVID 19 instantly.”

Users can diligently use NESTGUARD for a wide range of applications covering infant and baby care products, feeding bottles, toys etc. It also safeguards the kitchen, helping in safe washing of veggies, fruits or even meat products. It also helps in killing surface microbes at home (across kitchens and washrooms) or workstations. It can be used for cleaning of dentures, toothbrushes & other personal hygiene products in tandem with kitchen appliances and other gadgets as well. NESTGUARD is 100% designed and developed in India and not an imported product like all other available in the country currently and is first in the category. The company has invested heavily in research and tooling and more healthcare products are in the pipeline to be introduced soon.

“Maintaining a hygienic environment around us has always been a challenge in our country and the impact of COVID has taught us that keeping our surroundings sanitised is very important to keep this disease away. NESTGUARD is one such device that needs only salt and water to form a chemical-free disinfectant that we can apply anywhere in our house and even to our personal items like a toothbrush for instance. We are happy that through NESTGUARD, we are not only helping individuals and families but also nature by supplying something which is free from hazardous chemicals. ” said Naveen Khanna, Founder, NESTGUARD.

NESTGUARD is available on Amazon and Flipkart in the price range of Rs. 7,999.

Education

Vidyamandir Classes outshines again in IIT/JEE exams

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Divyanshu Agarwal, #IIT/JEE exams, #Mr. Brij Mohan, #Vidyamandir Classes

New Delhi – 15th September 2020 –Vidyamandir Classes (VMC), one of the premier institute in IIT/JEE preparation, and a name synonymous with success in IITJEE proved its supremacy with success in its 2020 batch. VMC Students outshone their peers in JEE mains 2020 for which Results were declared on 11th September 2020. 3 VMC Students featured in Top 10, 4 out of 24 Students who scored 100 percentile were from Vidyamandir. 6 Vidyamandir Students were state toppers from Delhi, Haryana, Rajasthan, Bihar and J&K. With these results, Vidyamandir Classes continued it a 3-decade tradition of producing stellar results year after year.

Overall 52 students scored 99.9 percentile or above and as many as 346 students scored 99 Percentile & above.

Divyanshu Agarwal, Two Year Classroom Course student captured the 3rd rank in IIT-JEE, while Laksh Gupta and Tushar Sethi grabbed 9th and 10th in All India Ranking. Shubh Kumar, the state topper from Bihar secured 57th rank in IIT/JEE with 99.99 percentile.

7 of our students featured in Top 75 in the country:-

Divyanshu Agarwal – All India Rank 3 (Score – 100 Percentile) (Haryana State Topper)
Laksh Gupta – All India Rank 9 (Score – 100 Percentile) (Delhi Topper)
Tushar Sethi – All India Rank 10 (Score – 100 Percentile) (Delhi Topper)
Parth Dwivedi – All India Rank 14 (Score – 100 Percentile) (Rajasthan State Topper)
Shubh Kumar – All India Rank 57 (Score – 99.99 Percentile) (Bihar State Topper)
Roopak Pridarshi – All India Rank 64 (Score – 99.99 Percentile)
Gautam Gosain – All India Rank 72 (Score – 99.99 Percentile)
Aryan Gupta (Jammu & Kashmir State Topper)

The VMC Pedagogy for best learning outcomes that have helped VMC students achieve the highest selection rate both for Engineering & Medical entrance exams.

On this occasion, Mr. Brij Mohan, Co-Founder, Vidyamandir Classes congratulated all the student particularly the 3 toppers of the institute. He said, “The result mirrors the efforts of students and the facilities such as the skill of experienced faculty, online testing, competent and comprehensive study material, solutions to individual queries by founders, mentoring and personal attention, regular monitoring of students, performance feedback which are the new normal pillars of Vidyamandir Classes. All Courses are based on the time-tested teaching which has produced unmatched results in IITJEE consistently over the past 34 years.”

“We are confident of a very successful outcome for students in JEE Advanced as well. We are committed to support our students in these last few crucial days to be able to give their best for JEE Advanced on 27th September. We would like to congratulate all students, teachers and the support staff who have worked very hard together and relentlessly pursued their goals. Our students’ dreams are our dreams and it gives us immense joy to see them succeed in their lives”

“I joined Vidyamandir Classes in Class 9th and they took the responsibility of guiding me in terms of teaching, the best material and also keeping me motivated throughout the 4 years. I give credit to my teachers, mentors, family and friends, who played a key role in pushing me towards betterment”, said Tushar Sethi (All India Rank 10 & Delhi State Topper)

Another Topper Laksh Gupta (AIR 9 and Delhi State Topper) mentioned “My dream is to make my nation proud and I wanted to join the best college in the country. I used to dedicatedly study for 5-6 hours daily for JEE. I joined VMC in Class 11th in the regular classroom program batch and from there on, I was prepared with guidance from VMC”

Students who have cleared the JEE mains are being mentored with special focus on JEE mains through handholding, doubt clearance and out staff is also ensuring they are feeling confident and upbeat. Faculties would mentor students on how they can study strategically and to attend the exam in a systematic approach to score higher marks. Students will be further inclined to appear for more mock tests and to attend practice sessions in order to boost up their confidence.

Business World

Forevermark Presents the Tribute™ Collection

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Forevermark diamonds, #Sachin Jain, #The Forevermark Tribute™ Collection

Mumbai: 15th September 2020 – As trends change with the seasons, one thing remains constant, the infinite beauty and versatility of a Forevermark diamond. A statement of individuality, designed to reflect these timeless qualities, the Forevermark Tribute™ Collection delivers beautiful diamond jewellery to wear every day.

Forever Comprising 22 rings accentuated with round brilliant, pear and oval cut diamonds, set in 18k white, yellow or rose gold. Each piece can be stacked and layered or can be worn alone, for a bold yet refined look. Modern and effortless, each ring works equally for a woman who radiates quiet confidence or one who takes a more fearless approach to style. Intended to be worn and become part of your unique style and story, the Forevermark Tribute™ Collection is the ultimate diamond jewellery collection to wear as a symbol of your many qualities and achievements.

Forever mark Tribute Collection “The modern Indian woman today is confident, independent, successful, purposeful and sociable. She is unapologetic about her achievements and loves to celebrate every milestone and success. Through the Forevermark Tribute™ Collection, we demonstrate that our diamonds aren’t just for special occasions – they can be worn every day as a celebration of yourself and your personal journey,” said Sachin Jain, Managing Director, De Beers – India.

Each piece in the Forevermark Tribute™ Collection features a selection of beautiful, rare and responsibly sourced Forevermark diamonds — a symbol of women’s everlasting strength and potential. These unique pieces are the perfect addition to your collection, with the power to enhance any day, occasion or outfit.

The Forevermark Tribute™ Collection is available for sale at all authorized Forevermark jewellers across the country. For further details, please call the on 1800 210210

News

Mr. Bean celebrates 30 years on screen

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #British TV, #Leicester Square, #Mr Bean, #Rowan Atkinson

National treasure Mr Bean stumbled his way onto British TV screens for the first time in 1990 capturing the hearts of the nation. A grown man who didn’t speak drove a lime green car and a teddy for a best friend regularly found himself in all sorts of hilarious situations. Previously named in a British Council international survey as more famous than Princess Diana, he has gone on to have huge international success and has spent 30 years in continual distribution.

Bought to life by actor Rowan Atkinson the character’s career has spanned not only television and film, but it has expanded across digital platforms, mobiles apps, various product lines, coffee shops and the music industry and much more, giving him a foothold and relevance into today’s culture proving his mass global appeal is stronger than ever.

Rowan Atkinson said “I always believed that Mr. Bean had a very good chance of being successful and having longevity, partly because the comedy is mainly visual and partly because Mr. Bean is essentially a child in a man’s body. Across all races and cultures, the behaviour of children tends to be the same and so is easily identified and laughed at. Childish, anarchic behaviour will always be funny.”

Mr Bean has amassed a loyal fan base across digital platforms and social media, with a YouTube Channel established in 2009 with the Official Mr Bean Facebook page in 2010. Mr Bean’s mammoth digital footprint continues to have exponential growth with:

• 30 million subscribers across 3 YouTube channels with over 11 billion lifetime views
• 98 million followers on Facebook
• 7.2 million followers on Instagram
• 1.8 million followers on TikTok

Altogether Mr Bean has over 137 million cross-platform subscribers across the four main social platforms which drives younger audiences to engage with the brand however they choose.

There has also been a significant success across mobile gaming with Mr Bean Special Delivery, and Mr Bean Around the World achieving 58 million downloads over the past six years.

First launching on ITV on 1st January 1990, Mr Bean was a runaway hit reaching 18 million viewers at its peak and was the catalyst for a brand that would have a life well beyond a TV show. From live-action, Mr Bean made the successful transition to animation, with Rowan Atkinson still involved in the creative direction of the show. Starring Mr Bean and Teddy as they embark on new adventures, this has been a rating hit for CITV with the latest series performing above the broadcaster’s daytime average market share for Kids 4-15 by +147% and also for Adults 16-34 by +80%. The series has opened up Mr Bean to brand new generation as well as keeping older audiences connected with the heritage brand they grew up with and which represented a lot of their own childhood memories.

Tom Beattie, Head of Kids and Family at Tiger Aspect said “It’s wonderful to say Happy Birthday to Mr Bean and to take this opportunity to recognise the joy he has bought to different generations over the past 30 years. He has been a hallmark of British culture and still has so much more left to give his fans and audiences around the world through new and innovating means, proving there is life beyond a TV screen”

With 30 years in TV distribution, Mr Bean has always been consistent in his popularity but also consistent in his sales. Mr Bean Live Action and Mr Bean animated series 1-3 have both been sold to over 190 countries, and most recently to Latvia.

To celebrate this birthday Mr Bean fans will have the chance to get their hands on a range of Anniversary collectable products from a limited edition knitted Teddy plush available online only, on pre-order from Teespring to a Mr Bean commemorative coin (watch out for the limited edition ones signed by Rowan Atkinson). Corgi has released a die-cast of Mr Bean’s infamous lime green Mini in a 30th Anniversary special packaging (available at retail and online now) and it will release a DIY special edition of the Mini with the Mr Bean figure in November 2020. A brand new Mr Bean Top Trumps card game from Winning Moves is also available now.

In what has been an incredibly tough year for the world, Mr Bean has continued to bring essential light-hearted entertainment to many after being drafted in by The World Health Organisation to offer his help and expertise when issuing public service announcements regarding how to keep safe during COVID-19.

Earlier this year Leicester Square in London came to life with a trail of dynamic statues inspired by Britain’s love of film and a century of cinema from the 1920s to 2020s, each statue depicts a much-loved movie moment from a different decade since the 1920s, with dynamic poses chosen to naturally interact with the scenery in the square Mr Bean was featured, and once again making his mark as an iconic figure in British history and culture.

After 30 incredible years with no signs of the brand slowing down Mr Beans future is looking bright.

Health

Don’t ignore your eye health during the COVID time

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Dr Somasheila Murthy, #eye health, #L V Prasad Eye Institute

Dr Somasheila Murthy: Head, Cornea and Anterior Segment Service, L V Prasad Eye Institute, Hyderabad.

The COVID 19 pandemic is here to stay for a while. As the number of cases (of COVID 19) increase in the population, it is of utmost importance to maintain social distance and not travel unnecessarily. By staying at home, we can manage a lot of work like working online, studying for school, ordering groceries and supplies, etc. But what about our health? Especially the health of our eyes? What if we have decreased vision or redness or pain? How will we know whether it is an emergency or it can wait? Should we postpone the visit to the eye doctor?

As a patient, you would be naturally apprehensive about your eyes as vision is one of the most essential sense that is required to function. It is also well known that certain diseases, if not taken care of in the initial stages, can lead to permanent visual loss. In these times, teleconsultation/telephone and video consultation are proving to be very useful to have an initial assessment of the condition of the patient and decide on whether the patient needs a hospital visit or not.

The conditions for which one can seek a teleconsultation and avoid a physical visit include:

– Complaints of dryness, eye fatigue, discomfort: this is often due to the necessary use of computers as many people are now working online and prolonged use of digital media either for work or entertainment can cause this
– Complaints of redness, eye swelling, mild to moderate pain, watering, itching, lid nodules: many of these conditions can be managed medically and a good teleconsultation including a video consultation would be the first step

When should you visit the hospital and on an emergency basis? DO NOT WAIT IF YOU HAVE:

– Sudden loss of vision
– Complaints of severe pain, associated with redness, light sensitivity: in such a case the patient should prepare for a hospital visit as these symptoms could be due to a more severe eye disease
– Any significant injury such as household chemicals falling accidentally into the eye, injury to the eye with a blunt or sharp object while working/playing etc.
–
When should you visit the hospital, not as an emergency but where routine follow-ups cannot be ignored:

– Diabetic patient with or without deterioration of vision
– Patients with a history of glaucoma or other eye diseases such as corneal transplants
– Other chronic conditions for which the patient is on medications as advised by the ophthalmologist (uveitis, etc.)
–
How safe is it to visit the hospital during the pandemic:

Followings steps are being taken to ensure the utmost safety for patients:

– A triage system at the entry point itself, where patients who have symptoms suggestive of COVID infection are being seen in an isolation room
– The patient numbers are maintained at a uniform inflow and outflow so as to ensure that there is no overcrowding in lounges or clinics
– A social distance of one meter is maintained between patients even while being seated
– The hospital personnel use personal protection equipment to ensure the patients are not exposed to them and vice versa
– Equipment used for examining the patients are sterilized after each examination
– Follow-up through teleconsultation is being encouraged to minimize the number of visits that patients have to make to the hospital

Business World

ITC Infotech chooses LogMeIn’s Bold360 and Rescue Products for its Digital Workplace Center of Excellence (COE)

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Inc. (Nasdaq: LOGM), #LogMeIn, #Prasad Natu, #public Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies, #Rahul Sharma

LogMeIn, Inc. (Nasdaq: LOGM) leading provider of cloud-based products and recognized as one of the world’s largest public Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) companies, today announced that ITC Infotech, a global technology solution and services leader, has chosen LogMeIn’s Bold360 and Rescue products for its Digital Workplace Center of Excellence (COE). ITC Infotech provides business-friendly solutions and services focused on Banking & Financial Services, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Consumer Goods, Travel and Hospitality industries and is a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITC Ltd, one of India’s most admired companies.

The Digital Workplace COE by ITC Infotech will leverage LogMeIn’s Bold360 and Rescue products. The COE will run proof of concepts (POCs), a fully automated end-user IT service desk and other digital workplace solutions for ITC Infotech’s global clients. The COE will also incubate solutions to enhance efficiencies across ITC Infotech’s internal departments & processes including HR, finance, projects, admin and travel – to enhance interactions for ITC Infotech’s 8700+ global employees with their service teams.

ITC Infotech’s Digital Workplace solution uses extensive automation to enhance the end-user experience and LogMeIn’s technology stacks will help drive adoption of new ways of working within well-defined processes while providing a robust governance framework. The COE is an integrated platform, which is powered by industry-leading technologies and provides optimization and digital enablement to migrate the IT teams from standard Service Level Agreement (SLA) management to ITC Infotech’s unique Experience Level Agreements (eXLAs). ITC Infotech’s Digital Workplace solution also uses rapid deployment processes which are Cloud-enabled and offer a customized knowledge base to improve the employee experience.

“LogMeIn has significant experience in delivering differentiated solutions for consulting companies like ITC Infotech, who offer professional solutions and services to vertical industry sectors globally,” said Rahul Sharma, managing director, India & SAARC, LogMeIn. “We are proud to support ITC Infotech and be a trusted partner as part of their digital transformation journey. With our AI-enabled chatbot software like Bold 360 and our remote infrastructure support products that include Rescue and Rescue Lens, LogMeIn has delivered solutions that create user experiences providing the highest level of dependability.”

“We are delighted to have partnered with LogMeIn who is one of the leading employee and customer experience companies in the world,” said Prasad Natu, Sr. Vice President & Head – CIO 360, ITC Infotech. “This partnership will further strengthen our dedicated Digital Workplace COE, which already uses extensive automation to enhance the end-user experience. LogMeIn’s tech stack & solutions will strengthen our Digital Workplace solution and redefine how the industry manages end-user computing.”

Business World

Resolution plan guidelines favourable for residential realty sector; liquidity support will aid stressed developers in project completion

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Assistant Vice President, #Associate Head at ICRA, #Ms. Mahi Agarwal, #residential realty sector

The RBI has recently released sector-specific leverage and debt-coverage guidelines for determining eligibility for the restructuring of stressed loans, including those in the residential real estate sector. Real estate has been identified as one of the more deeply impacted sectors, and consequently, relatively high leverage levels have been permitted for the sector. The required debt coverage levels are, however, similar to those expected across most identified sectors. ICRA has, in its earlier commentaries, maintained that Covid-19 has served a double whammy to the already reeling residential real estate sector in India. With inflows from both new and already booked sales having been adversely impacted, stress levels on developer’s operating cash flows have increased significantly. The ability of developers to meet scheduled repayment obligations in a timely manner would therefore remain closely linked to refinancing or carrying out of the one-time restructuring of debt obligations under the recently announced Government relief measure.

Commenting on the same, Ms. Mahi Agarwal, Assistant Vice President and Associate Head at ICRA, said, “Developers were already suffering from reduced credit availability post the onset of NBFC liquidity crisis and with Covid-19, the overall liquidity available to the residential real estate sector has reduced further, amidst lender’s concerns on deteriorating asset quality and increasing loan-to-value ratios. In addition, collections and construction-linked disbursements have also witnessed a slowdown due to the weakness in demand and disruption in execution. However, with these guidelines providing for financial headroom, stressed developers are now likely to receive much-needed liquidity support which will aid management of cash flows and allow for completion of slow-moving/stalled projects. The efficacy of the assumptions made by the lender though, particularly with regards to demand risks, will remain a critical determinant of the ultimate success of the restructuring plan.”

As per the resolution plan guidelines, residential developers will need to maintain the following parameters at a project-level in order to be eligible for loan-restructuring:

Financial Parameter Guidelines for Residential Real Estate (at Project Level)

Parameter	Projected Level	Remarks
TOL/ATNW	<=7.00	To be met by FY2023
Debt/EBITDA	<=9.00	To be met by FY2023
Current Ratio	>=1.00	To be met for each year of projected cash flow from FY2022 onwards
Average DSCR	>=1.20
DSCR	>=1.00

If the above parameters are met, the residual tenor of the concerned loan may be extended by up to two years, with or without a payment moratorium, with the asset classification remaining as “standard”. Sanction of additional facilities, and/or conversion of debt to equity or non-convertible debt securities may also be considered.

As per ICRA estimates, the operating cash flows of real estate developers are expected to reduce by around 30-50% in the current fiscal, resulting in higher reliance on refinancing and incremental debt to meet project costs and debt obligations. While many companies have availed moratorium to bring down debt repayments, which, coupled with an automatic reduction in collection-linked prepayments, has provided some support in terms of debt coverage levels, developers with a high proportion of slow-moving or stalled projects with significant impending debt repayments are likely to continue facing cash gap issues. A one-time restructuring of debt obligations can provide considerable support for such stressed projects, as deferment of obligations/additional funding to meet the cash gap, with a favourable repayment structure spread over two years, would provide the required liquidity to enable project completion. In fact, the scheme, if successfully implemented, would achieve objectives similar to that of the SWAMIH fund, which has a target corpus of Rs. 25,000 crore to provide debt financing for the completion of stalled projects. The fund has, since its inception in November 2019, already cleared investments of over Rs. 10,000 crores in 101 projects, and the high volume of proposals that it continues to receive reflects the high requirement for liquidity in the realty sector.

In terms of implementation of the restructuring scheme, lender assumptions on future cash flows, structuring of debt obligations, and accounting policies being followed would be the key look-out areas. Appropriate structuring of repayments, based on expected future cash flows, would be important, as the same would allow for the suggested debt coverage levels to be met and would ultimately enable project completion on the back of the external funds thus provided. Post completion of the project, outside liabilities would reduce, as customer advances would be converted to sales and project creditors would be paid off, leaving external debt as the major outside liability. This, combined with the requirement of most lenders for a 35-40% equity margin on construction funding, would allow for the specified TOL/TNW parameter to also be met within FY2023, provided that the equity has been brought in in the form of promoter funds and not project accruals.

Given buyer preference for completed inventory, sales would also be likely to receive a boost post project completion, which, combined with the reduction in construction out-flows post project completion, would support EBITDA generation to service the increased debt. Lenders would, however, need to ensure that the assumptions made while drawing up future cash flows, particularly with regards to sales, collections, and project progress, are realistic and achievable, in order to avoid a subsequent breach of the defined parameters.

The accounting policy being followed would also have a considerable impact on the projected parameter levels, as projects following project completion method (as would be the case under Ind AS 115) for revenue recognition would record a significant build-up of customer advances as the construction progresses, resulting in high TOL levels, whereas those following percentage completion method would convert customer advances to sales gradually over the construction phase, leading to a lower level of TOL. Active monitoring by the lender would also remain critical for ensuring the ultimate efficacy of the restructuring scheme in enabling project completion and providing relief to stressed developers with intent and operational ability to complete and market the project.

In this context, certain important monitoring tools have already been included as a part of the restructuring scheme, including the routing of project-wise funding through an escrow account. Preventing leakage of project funds through such mechanisms would be important, as any such leakages would possibly result in a breach of the current ratio parameter, with liabilities in the form of customer advances and debt exceeding assets, i.e. – project inventory levels. Notably, the guidelines also permit flexibility to lenders to consider additional parameters, and therefore, typical construction finance covenants, such as loan-to-value and fixed asset cover can be used to increase overall monitoring.

Overall, the provision of this one-time restructuring is expected to be beneficial for stressed developers, with the funding expected to aid project completion. “However, demand risks for the unsold inventory remain significant, and are exacerbated by the ongoing macro-economic weakness. Going forward, the marketability and incremental sale generation from the restructured projects will be another key look-out area, especially given the dependence of final recovery of debt obligations on the same.” added Ms. Agarwal.

Health

Know Why Women Should Stay Healthy Dr Anu Vij, Consultant Obstetrician & Gynaecologist, Motherhood Hospital,Kharghar

Sep 15, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Dr Anu Vij, #Motherhood Hospital, #PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), #Womens health

The woman is always set to witness a new exciting journey of her life ahead. At every age, the body undergoes a transition that you will not be able to prevent. From switching careers to taking care of your children or caring for the ageing parents, you will see that a lot of things around you are changing, including you and your body as well. Follow these vital tips to stay in top shape and lead a healthy life before and post-pregnancy. Read on to know more about this…

Women, your body is bound to change, as time passes on. The changes are subjected to lots of different factors such as genetics, chance, and the lifestyle choices we make impact our lives in the long run. Factors such as family’s medical history, accidents, injuries, and genetically unforeseen conditions can give you a tough time. Ageing, a decline in fertility, fluctuation in estrogen levels, and difficulties in conceiving are some of the problems that women may face.

Moreover, many women move through perimenopause, the years leading to menopause. These hormonal shifts can induce menopause-related symptoms, including hot flashes, sleep difficulties, mood swings, irritability, stress, and even depression. As estrogen dips, heart disease risk can increase, due to a rise in bad cholesterol, diminished elasticity of arteries, and accumulation of belly fat.

Why it is essential to stay healthy before and after pregnancy

· There are many problems such as breast cancer, ovarian cancer, Urinary tract infection (UTI) and many more that can rob their peace of mind.

· It is important to visit the gynaecologist at least once a year starting from teens and throughout life to care for the health of the reproductive system. The conditions that a woman must discuss with her gynaecologist include issues relating to menstruation, fertility and pregnancy. Throughout a woman’s life, menstruation changes periodically, depending on the health of the body and various stages, including pregnancy.

· Discussing issues like PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), fibroids, breast disorders and abnormalities of the female reproductive tract with the gynaecologist is important. Discuss family planning, contraception, sterilization and other reproductive issues, once a woman is sexually active.

Why is it necessary to stay healthy during and after pregnancy?

· A commonly occurring condition in pregnancy is known as gestational hypertension. It can be high-risk for both, the baby and the mother. If your readings are higher than 140/90 mm Hg and had normal blood pressure before 20 weeks and have proteinuria (excess protein in the urine) then you may be diagnosed with this grave condition. It may start in the second half of pregnancy.

· Women who are pregnant or in doubt of being pregnant should consult the doctor. A doctor will monitor your and your baby’s health throughout your pregnancy. Regular screening for diabetes, blood pressure and care against miscarriages is something the doctor will check for. Other conditions like irritable bowels, thyroid conditions and anaemia will be monitored.

· The growth of the foetus will be monitored and certain issues that may result in a preterm delivery or an incompetent cervix can be taken care of. Women with high-risk pregnancies who might experience bleeding or an infection, those with gestational diabetes or kidney infections are also monitored and cared for by doctors throughout their pregnancy.

· Problems of conceiving and menstrual issues including amenorrhea are something you need to get sorted.

· Women need to be screened for various disorders and problems as well as get regular advice from the gynaecologist for various issues. These include screening for STDs (sexually transmitted diseases) as well. A gynaecologist will also advise you on the best methods of contraception for your body. Get screened regularly for reproductive organ cancers and learn about HPV vaccines.

Tips to stay healthy and hearty

· Check your blood pressure, thyroid, blood glucose, and cholesterol levels from time to time. Go for regular eye exams, skin check, dental check-up, mammograms, pelvic exam, and Pap smear test for prevention and early detection of cancer.

· Women may also suffer from osteoporosis (a condition that causes bones to become brittle and fragile from loss of tissue, and can lead to fractures) should be careful. Opt for high in calcium and vitamin D, and do regular weight-bearing exercise, including strength training to keep osteoporosis at bay.

· Practice relaxation techniques like yoga and meditation that can de-stress you.

· Know about the diseases and conditions prevailing in your family. This can be a precautionary step that can help you keep many fatal conditions at bay.

· Eat fresh fruits, vegetables, legumes, and whole grains. Avoid eating spicy, oily, junk, and processed foods. Limit your smoking and alcohol consumption.

· Stay physically active by exercising daily.