Tag: Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM)

Health

Gastrointestinal Tract can also serve as a Transmission Route for COVID-19 – says Experts at ASSOCHAM’s ‘Illness to Wellness’ Series

Oct 30, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), #Dr. Rajesh Kesari, #Dr. Saumitra Rawat, #Dr. Vasudevan K.R, #Dr.(Prof) D.K. Bhargava, #Mr. Anil Rajput, #SAVLON

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India concluded the tenth edition of the ‘Illness to Wellness’ series themed webinar on ‘Digestive Health In COVID-19 Era’. The event saw an elite panel of leading gastroenterologists discuss the possible transmission of Coronavirus through fecal-oral transmission and the viability of a COVID vaccine.

Supported by the hygiene brand SAVLON, the programme, an innovative and comprehensive approach to cascade awareness through wellness campaigns to address preventive healthcare management and to promote health, hygiene, and well-being of people, the webinar saw renowned panelists speak at length on how the number of patients experiencing GI symptoms exceed those suffering from respiratory symptoms.

Speaking on the issue, Padma Shri Dr.(Prof) D.K. Bhargava, Senior Consultant, Gastroenterology & Hepatology, Indraprastha Apollo Hospital said, “Gastrointestinal tract can also serve as a route of transmission for COVID-19. Although, it has not been proven completely, scientific evidence points to the probability of fecal-oral transmission serving as another route. Symptoms of these are mostly nausea, anorexia, vomiting, abdominal distension and diarrhoea in about 20% of cases. Sometimes, in close to 50% of cases, intestinal symptoms precede respiratory symptoms. It has been documented that in more than 50% cases, the stool samples of COVID-19 positive patients contain RNA and nucleic acid particles. They represent the presence of the virus in the stool so the faecal-oral transmission can occur. So, one should be very careful when handling this stool. In some cases, it has been documented that patients may not have any respiratory symptoms but showcase only gastrointestinal tract symptoms.”

Padma Shri Dr. Saumitra Rawat, Chairman and Head Surgical Gastroenterology & Liver Transplant, Sri Ganga Ram Hospital further elaborated on the topic saying, “Patients having GI symptoms are usually having milder symptoms of COVID-19 than those experiencing respiratory tract symptom. For patients who have the virus is in the respiratory tract, the stool sample remains positive for about 15 days and then the patient becomes negative. The fecal sample positivity for patients showing GI symptoms usually lasts for nearly 28 days, so strong precautions need to be taken. Though the GI symptoms start early, sometimes, the respiratory symptoms can develop later. In some cases, the patient may have only GI symptoms. And even if the patient continues to have GI symptoms then it is of milder form.”

Commenting on how poor lifestyle choices of Indians contribute to gastrointestinal issues, Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, ASSOCHAM CSR Council said, “In India, unhealthy eating habits, poor lifestyle, unclean water and improper sanitation has led to a surge in digestive disorders. It is well known that stress and anxiety, high blood sugar, insomnia and other degenerating habits can alter and damage the gut microbiome. Taking precautions against these is of greater importance in the backdrop of the pandemic. Besides having a balanced diet, incorporating pre- and pro-biotic supplements can go a long way in improving and maintaining digestive health. Curd in that regard is extremely beneficial but in today’s hostile environment, many might need stronger supplements.”

Dr. Rajesh Kesari, Founder and Director, Total Care Control who moderated the webinar by placing poignant questions before the panelists, added to the discussion by sharing a recent study he had come across. “A survey by IMA said that when they surveyed about thousand COVID positive patients, they found that most of the patient’s family members had GI symptoms that did not progress to fever and other problems. However, for one or two family members, it did progress further. The other symptoms they faced were loss of taste and loose motion.”

The panelists also spoke at length about the world’s COVID vaccine readiness by sharing details of the various stages of development being carried out across the world. Dr. Vasudevan K.R., Senior, Consultant & Head Liver Transplantation & GI Surgery, Institute of Gastroenterology & Liver Transplant, PSRI Hospital though warned, that a vaccine does not necessarily mean that it will provide complete protection against COVID infection.

“The intention of the vaccine is to try and minimize the burden of the disease on the population and the healthcare system. It is not a cure. As a patient, if you expect that a tablet or an injection can keep you safe from the virus by not taking any precautions then you are very wrong. The purpose of the vaccine is such that even if you do get infected, you get COVID in a milder form. We hope that the vaccine is there soon and whenever it is there, the existing fear will be gone. Also, the phenomenon of not being able to provide ICU beds due to the overburdening situation will be controlled and reduced. We will get on with life, but the fact is that we can not stop wearing masks because a vaccine has been created. Precautions will still have to be taken,” he said.

Speaking on the importance of developing immunity, the panellists agreed that maintaining a balanced diet with immune-boosting food items such as green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits along with optimal calorie intake, unsaturated fat oils, and low sugar can help in the long battle against COVID. They also suggested taking additional supplements for those needing it to maintain a healthy microbiome in the intestine.

women empowerment
Business World

Empowering Women through skills contribute to the GDP: Experts at ASSOCHAM’s ‘Wisdom Series

Oct 20, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #‘Wisdom Series, #Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), #Dr. Kochhar, #ITC Sunfeast, #Mr. Anil Rajput, #Ms. Seema Jindal Jajodia, #Role of Women Entrepreneurs

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India in association with ITC Sunfeast concluded the fourth edition of its Wisdom Series lecture titled ‘Role of Women Entrepreneurs’ on the theme of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Vocal for Local – Moving towards Self-Reliant India’. The event saw an expert panel consisting of Ms Ritu Beri, Fashion Designer, Dr. Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Group of companies and Ms. Seema Jindal Jajodia, Founder, Nourish Organics hold an insightful discussion on building successful entrepreneurial grounds to boost and encourage women participation in building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The panellists at large deliberated on how to promote local MSMEs and industries to achieve a self-reliant India in an engaging webinar. Emphasizing the need for skilling and continuous knowledge upgradation across the country to reach this goal, Dr. Blossom Kochhar, Chairperson, Blossom Kochhar Group of companies said, “Every woman needs to be empowered and the best way to do it is skilling. Skill them to become entrepreneurs. I too started from a little place, they can start anywhere, it does not even have to be a town. During COVID times, I figured that they need not rent an entire place, they can also get a big space together and then work. It is an easy and empowering way. We have to realise that when you empower a woman you also help her to contribute to the GDP of the country as she gets to provide for her family.”

Further elaborating on the topic, Dr. Kochhar spoke on boosting rural female entrepreneurship through co-operatives. “There is a lot of scope for them in wellness and they can also get into manufacturing of incense sticks, soaps, candles and others. You can form them into small co-operatives or collectives to start manufacturing items like these and then finding a buyer for the product so that the product is exposed to the outside world. The way to boost them is to help them start on their own.”

Mr. Anil Rajput, Chairman, FMCG Council on Brand Promotion & Brand Protection, ASSOCHAM, highlighting the importance of women entrepreneurs in achieving Hon’ble Prime Minister’s clarion call of Vocal for Local said, “India currently has 48.04% female population compared to 51.96% of male population. Thus, it is critical for national objectives to have active and robust participation of women in all sectors. This will chart development for the country that is both inclusive as well as far reaching. While societal mindsets have historically served as impediments to women’s success, but social thinking is now evolving to view women in roles outside the home. Increasingly, women are shattering the glass ceiling and emerging victorious in their endeavours. The wide spectrum of women entrepreneurs in a leadership or impactful position stand testimony to this.”

Ms. Seema Jindal Jajodia, Founder, Nourish Organics laying out the blueprint for female entrepreneurial mindsets in terms of coming across the right product or service to create said, “Think in terms of what does my family, friends and the people around me need and try to match your passion with those needs, then you have a winner on your hand. It is also crucial to believe in your product. You must believe that you have a truly great product and once people discover it, they will never leave it. They will stick to your brand and like what you are providing to them.”

She also added that for entrepreneurs just starting on their journey, having a parallel funding in the forms of a job or other source of income can help to keep them funded till they can start earning from their start-up.

The panellists of path-breaking entrepreneurs also shared the experiences and the obstacles they faced in their journey from a start-up to an established business. Ms Ritu Beri, Fashion Designer, shared how she worked to launch a fashion label at a time when India was yet to witness the birth of a fashion industry. “Thirty years ago, when I launched myself as a designer, it was a challenge, there was nothing I could look at like a map or inspiration. There was no fashion industry then in India, people were not so conscious about their daily dressing, they used to only dress for weddings and occasions. So, it was both easy and difficult at the same time for me.”

The expert speakers while sharing nuggets of their success stories also mentioned how Make In India is slowly shaping up in India and has steadily changed sourcing of raw materials for some businesses. Dr. Kochhar mentioned how initially lavender for her aromatherapy products had to be imported from France as they were not produced in India, however, now her raw resources are majorly received from various corners of the country and the final product exported. Ms. Jajodia also added that her first batch of products was completely made from raw materials sourced from abroad as back then organic food materials existed only for rice and dal. But that has now changed as more and more ingredients have been brought under organic farming in India.

However, the panellists agreed that for the country’s produce to meet global standards, quality products need to be delivered on time while maintaining competitive pricing at home as Indians continue to be price conscious buyers.

local women seller
Business World

Let India’s 7 Crore Traders Become Ambassadors of Vocal For Local, Says Experts At ASSOCHAM’s ‘Wisdom Series’

Oct 10, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #‘Wisdom Series, #ASSOCHAM, #Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), #Mr. Anil Rajput, #Mr. Bejon Misra, #Vocal for Local’

The Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), one of the apex trade associations of India in association with ITC Sunfeast concluded the third edition of its Wisdom Series lecture titled ‘Role of Consumer Voice’ on the theme of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat – Vocal for Local – Moving towards Self-Reliant India’. The event saw an expert panel consisting of Prof. Bejon Kumar Misra, International Consumer Policy expert, Shri Praveen Khandelwal, National Secretary General, Confederation of All India Traders and Mr Anil Rajput, Chairman, ASSOCHAM FMCG Brand Promotion and Protection Council holding an insightful discussion on retail chain utilisation, quality control of products and role of small and medium-sized enterprises to promote local MSMEs and industries to achieve a self-reliant India.

Highlighting the crucial role played by retail traders in pushing the agenda of Vocal for Local, Mr. Praveen Khandelwal said, “Traders can play a major role here as India’s 130 crore population have the first contact with the trader. For any kind of requirement, they approach a trader first. We have more than 7 crore traders and they can play a crucial role in this aspect. Every trader in the country can be a brand ambassador for Vocal for Local and Aatmanirbhar Bharat. This can be a great contact point for launching a vicious campaign as to why we need Vocal for Local and Aatmanirbhar Bharat as there are several in this country who do not know the real value of buying local.”

He further added on how liberating traders from license raj can propel consumption, “Today if you want to start a business or manufacture a product, then you need 28 types of licenses. How can manufacturers plan to produce if they have to get 28 licenses? Most of these licenses are redundant and they have been existing since the pre-Independence era. The producing sector should be liberated to the extent that it becomes easy for the sector to concentrate on producing more and not put their mind on how to reduce costs. They need to be given freedom from the command of multiple authorities.”

Furthering the discussion by focusing on how small traders in the value chain can be amply used to realise the goal of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, Mr. Bejon Kumar Misra said, “There should be an inventory of the existing industries we have, their capacities, their core competencies and what are the other applications of their skills. Then we need to have an inventory list of products that are being imported but can also be manufactured domestically. Once these two lists are matched and steps like incentivising small scale manufacturers, linking of medium-scale manufacturers to large-scale manufacturers by becoming an ancillary part of them in terms of outsourcing and sub-contracting are taken then am sure that we will be able to utilise a lot of unexplored capacities. In order to utilise the full potential of small manufacturers, they need to be helped which means our internal procurement system, be it government or private, must develop a good supply chain.”

Both the experts agreed that there needs to be a standardization of manufactured products to encourage domestic and global consumption. Mr. Bejon Misra in this regard said, “The cornerstone of Aatmanirbhar Bharat is quality. We must bring in standards and regulations that assure the consumer of quality and safety. If we want to become a manufacturing hub then we need to bring in the best quality of the world in the goods manufactured in India. If we can produce the best quality domestically, then we will not only capture the Indian consumer but also the global consumer. The government must incentivise local manufacturers not just through subsidies but by upgrading their technology, knowledge and incentivising good manufacturing and distribution practices.”

Mr Anil Rajput, Chairman, ASSOCHAM FMCG Brand Promotion and Protection Council while moderating the discussion presented insightful questions before the panellists and highlighted the role of consumers in promoting domestic consumption. “The recent pandemic has brought many changes in consumer behaviour and their pattern. While shopping malls and multiplexes were closed, small grocery shop and vegetable and fruit vendors delivered essential items at the doorstep of every citizen’s houses. This led to citizens opting for small grocery stores and vendors selling goods near their living area and saw many businesses reinvent their products, services and distribution channel. This shows that consumers have a very important role to play to make the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat successful by promoting local products and increasing use of Indian products. This is an opportunity for local brands to establish themselves well in local markets and then promulgate at national and international levels.”