Tag: Guwahati

News

Radisson Blu Guwahati hosts successful Walkathon to promote health and green mobility

Jun 25, 2024 by Sujata Muguda 0 Comments #Ankur Mehrotra, #Guwahati, #Radisson Blu Guwahati, #Radisson Hotel Group South Asia, #Shri SS Meenakshi Sundaram, #Walkathon to promote health and green mobility

Guwahati; June 25, 2024: Radisson Blu Guwahati organized a Walkathon on June 23 to promote the healthy habits of walking for our health and environment. Shri SS Meenakshi Sundaram, IAS, Commissioner and Secretary, Govt of Assam, flagged off the walkathon from the hotel premises today.

Radisson Blu Walkathon 5

Radisson Hotel Group South Asia is observing the month of June 2024 as the Community and Planet Action month. During this period, the group prioritizes community engagement through environmental volunteering.

As a part of this initiative, Radisson Hotel Group South Asia organized ‘Walkathon – Walk Together for a Cause’ from June 21-23 across India to bring all hotel team members and their families together and raise funds for the Radisson India Charitable Foundation.

Radisson Blu Guwahati took the initiative to organize the Walkathon on June 23. “Our mission and vision are to promote green mobility, health, and well-being while raising funds for the Radisson India Charitable Foundation. Additionally, we wanted to build a strong community and create an enjoyable event for all participants. The event gave the team members an opportunity to promote a healthy lifestyle and sustainable practices. “We are happy to see such enthusiastic participation and to contribute to a cause that benefits both our community and the environment,” said Ankur Mehrotra, General Manager, Radisson Blu Guwahati.

The Walkathon witnessed the participation of more than 200 people who gathered at Radisson Blu Hotel in the morning. They took part in a lively Zumba session to warm up before the flag-off.

After the flag-off, the Walkathon continued from Radisson Blu for 4 kilometers, took a roundabout, and returned to the hotel. There was a small meet-and-greet session with breakfast for the participants. They were also provided with certificates from Radisson Blu Guwahati.

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News

North East Small Finance Bank Appoints Ex-Navi Exec, Samit Shankar Shetty, and Veteran Banker, Parvez Mulla

Apr 4, 2024 by Sujata Muguda 0 Comments #Ex-Navi Exec, #Guwahati, #IIM Bangalore, #NESFB, #North East Small Finance Bank, #Parvez Mulla, #Samit Shankar Shetty

Guwahati, India, 04 April 2024 – North East Small Finance Bank (NESFB) is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr. Samit Shankar Shetty and Mr. Parvez Mulla as Independent Directors to its esteemed Board. With over two decades of experience each, in scaling and managing financial institutions, the appointment of the seasoned professionals underscores NESFB’s commitment to a highly inclusive and digitally forward bank for its consumers.

Parvez Mulla

Samit Shankar Shetty’s illustrious career in the finance sector is marked by over 2 decades of extensive experience in leading financial institutions, particularly in the microfinance and NBFC domains. He founded Chaitanya India Fin Credit Pvt Ltd a Microfinance Lender and Chaitanya Rural Intermediation Development Services (CRIDS), which later became Navi Finserv, a digital lender. He was also involved in the early stages of Navi’s health insurance and mutual fund business. An Alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad, his rich background in building successful financial services institutions, and pioneering digital lending initiatives position him as an invaluable asset to NESFB, especially as the bank navigates its forthcoming merger with the fintech company, slice. His expertise is expected to be crucial in enhancing NESFB’s mission of financial inclusion and operational excellence.

Mr. Samit Shankar Shetty shared his thoughts on joining the NESFB Board, remarking, “I am looking forward to joining NESFB as it navigates an interesting phase in its journey and to work closely with the bank and provide all necessary support to the team. NESFB’s dedication to its customers and communities resonates with my fundamental business values, and I am excited to be a part of this remarkable journey.”

Parvez Mulla’s extensive 30-year career in the financial services industry, characterized by his significant contributions across banking, lending, and insurance, positions him as a strategic addition to the team. During his 20-year tenure at ICICI Bank and ANZ Grindlays, Mr. Mulla led large and high-performing teams across various retail banking functions, sales, operations, and collections. An alumnus of IIM Bangalore, his leadership roles as Chief Executive Retail, L&T finance, MD at True North, COO of HDFC Life, and Board Member of HDFC Pension have contributed to his diverse experience in driving growth, profitability, and operational efficiency across financial services. His deep insights into digital ecosystems and operational excellence are particularly relevant as NESFB embarks on expanding its services and reach across India.

Mr. Parvez Mulla added, “I am honored to join the Board of NESFB at such a transformative time, especially as the bank approaches its strategic merger with slice. This unique merger presents a tremendous opportunity to combine the strengths of the two institutions and create a strong value proposition for customers, employees, regulators and shareholders. I look forward to working with the teams as NESFB embarks upon this exciting journey”

Commenting on the recent executive appointments, Mr. Satish Kumar Kalra, MD & CEO of NESFB, remarked, “We are thrilled to welcome Mr. Samit Shankar Shetty and Mr. Parvez Mulla to the NESFB team. As the bank gears up for a pivotal change, the induction of the two veteran leaders to the NESFB board will be crucial in boosting the bank’s growth. Their distinct experience and strategic acumen will be highly consequential for the bank’s growth and long-term success.”

Esah Tea Pack
Business

Assam Based D2C Tea Brand Esah Tea raises 3 Crore in Pre-series A from NEDFi Ventures

Dec 20, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments #Guwahati

Guwahati, 20 December 2021: Esah Tea, D2C tea brand delivering fresh teas straight from artisanal small tea growers of Assam and Northeast, has raised 3 core ($400K) in its Pre-series A round from NEDFI Venture Capital Ltd. (NVCL). The fundraising by Esah Tea highlights the existing scope in the market for traditional artisanal teas and authentic handcrafted tea products. Esah is the first tea start-up from Assam to raise VC funding. The brand has earlier raised angel investment from SRD Group and Grant From Assam Startup & NEAT-E-Hub.

Started by a 26-Year-old Teapreneur from Mangaldoi, Esah Tea is based out of the world’s largest tea-growing region Assam. It presents a range of single-origin organic tea blends that are carefully curated to rejuvenate and revive mind, body, and soul with the natural healing qualities of tea leaves sourced from 150+ local gardens and marginal tea growers. In addition to this, the brand also follows an eco-friendly approach ditching the use of plastic teabags and any other harmful substances in their packaging. To promote the environment-friendly approach, Esah Tea has developed the world’s first plastic-free organic cotton tea bags, which are handmade out of pure cotton and cellulose base.

Bijit Sarma, Founder & CEO, ESAH Tea

On the fundraise Bijit Sarma, Founder & CEO, ESAH Tea said “The tea from India has always received a lot of acknowledgments in the domestic and international market. However, over the years, over-commercialization dented the authenticity of the product. Esah aims at reviving the same by empowering local small tea gardeners and delivering single-origin, Artisanal fresh teas. We are glad, that our esteemed array of investors infused their trust into our business model.”

The brand currently offers a wide range of Organic tea variants like Whole Leaf Black Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, White Tea. It also offers an array of flavoured tea products – Organic Assam masala Chai, Rose Black Tea, Lychee Black Tea, along with some popular blends including – English Breakfast Tea, Chamomile, and Moringa Tea. Esah Tea products are available on the brand E-Commerce website esahtea.com, along with prominent online marketplace like Amazon, Flipkart, and Snapdeal. It can also be availed at offline stores like Repose Bakers Special. Currently, the startup is also delivering to more than 25+ countries through its own D2C online store.

“Esah is producing some world-class tea products. It is maintaining the organic quality which holds a strong market and loyal customer base. The brand has been performing well and appears promising in the longer run. The idea is to together work towards holistic growth of the brand and revival of the industry at large,” said PVSLN Murty, Chairman, NEDFi Ventures.

The company intends to utilize the funds in expanding the marketing and operations team primarily. It will also exhaust a part of the raised investment in developing new products, and launching brand stores in new geographies. The brand is ambitious to convert 20000+ acres of land to organic tea cultivation, and onboard 1000+ Local Small tea growers by 2023.

North East Venture Fund 

North East Venture Fund (NEVF), is a North East India focused Venture Fund and is a Joint Initiative of Ministry of DoNER, NEDFI and SIDBI.  It is committed to providing support to innovative and scalable business models along with building a healthy startup ecosystem for entrepreneurs from the region.

About ESAH Tea

Established in 2019, by Bijit Sarma, Esah Tea is a brand devoted to giving you the ultimate & fresh tea experience. It believes that joy and warmth can be shared in many forms but is best when shared with a cup of tea. The brand is headquartered in Mangaldoi, Assam and works closely with local tea gardeners to bring the best in the quality. Currently, the brand offers a wide array of products including – Whole Leaf Black Tea, Green Tea, Oolong Tea, White Tea, Also flavour teas like Organic Assam masala Chai, Rose Black Tea, Lychee Black Tea Also some popular blends are its ionic English Breakfast Tea, herbal blends like Chamomile and Moringa Tea available at esahtea.com

ecommerce
Business

Bobble AI Report: Tier 2 e-commerce transactions witness 82% growth between 2020 and 2021; Jaipur, Guwahati, Lucknow, etc. top the charts

Dec 15, 2021 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #Bobble AI Report, #e-commerce transactions, #Guwahati, #Jaipur, #Lucknow

E-commerce in India has witnessed an uptick of 77% between 2020 and 2021 and tier 2,3 cities are transacting more than ever as per a report by India’s largest conversation media platform Bobble AI. Bobble AI report is based on over 50 million smartphone users (in 640+ Indian cities) data processed in a privacy-compliant manner. It also revealed that while tier 1 cities dominate the fashion festival figures, transactions in tier 2 cities like Jaipur, Guwahati, Lucknow, Kochi, Mysore, and Bhubaneswar are at an all-time high – up 82% over the previous year.

Apart from that, the majority of consumers are between the ages of 26 and 35 accounting for 37%, and between the ages of 18 and 25, accounting for 26% with 72% males and 28% females. According to the data intelligence company’s survey on the state of eCommerce in India, which was conducted across Tier 1, 2 and 3, beauty e-commerce apps usage grew by 64%, whereas fashion e-commerce grew by 368% over the past year. The festive period has only led the two e-commerce domains to skyrocket, with at least two transactions completed by shopaholics during the fashion festivals.

Bobble AI Report: Tier 2 e-commerce

 

In an interesting insight highlighted by the study, India’s fashion e-commerce industry has transformed from ‘Monopoly’ to ‘Ludo.’ Fashion giant Myntra faced tough competition from its competitive counterparts, Meesho, Ajio, and TataCliq. While almost 46% of all transactions belonged to Myntra during the 2020 festive period, Ajio bagged around 69% of all transactions in 2021. The share of Myntra’s active users, also using Meesho, Ajio, and TataCliq has also increased significantly, indicating how users are exploring multiple options this year.

Bobble AI Report: Tier 2 e-commerce

 

The battle of the e-commerce legends, Amazon, and Flipkart is worth noting, with Flipkart’s active user base rising 83% in the 2021 online shopping festival compared to Amazon’s 72%. Despite the fact that Flipkart is dominating in terms of engagement metrics like search frequency and active sessions, Amazon is winning in terms of transactions, significantly less average session times.

 

Bobble AI Report: Tier 2 e-commerce

Bobble AI Report: Tier 2 e-commerce

Apart from fashion e-commerce, interesting insights have also emerged from the beauty e-commerce segment. Leading players Nykaa and Purplle locked horns this festive season – and Purplle took a piece from Nykaa’s pie. In light of Nykaa’s IPO, let’s look at their market share against Purplle, Nykaa’s pure-play fashion e-commerce competitor. Purplle had a 70% growth of inactive users in the 2021 shopping festival, compared to a 50% increase for Nykaa. With a 15% common user base in 2020, Purplle is now standing at 17% in 2021.

Bobble AI Report: Tier 2 e-commerce

 

Bobble AI Report: Tier 2 e-commerce

The festive season trends point towards healthy and fast-evolving competition in the e-commerce market, which bodes well for customers who are looking for high-quality products at affordable prices. With the festive season coming to a close, it is exciting to anticipate how the competition will pan out in 2022. With India’s e-commerce market set to reach $120 billion by 2025, the future seems promising. Hypergrowth is definitely on the horizon for the segment, and according to Bobble AI’s findings, brands are poised to capture growth opportunities.