Tag: Shoma Narayanan

Business World

DBS Bank India joins hands with TRRAIN to facilitate youth employment

Mar 9, 2021 by Rekha Nair 0 Comments #B S Nagesh, #CEO, #DBS Bank India, #Executive Director - Group Strategic Marketing & Communications, #Founder & Settlor, #Shoma Narayanan, #TRRAIN, #TRRAIN and Ameesha Prabhu

MUMBAI: In line with its commitment towards creating and preserving livelihoods, DBS Bank India today announced its partnership with TRRAIN (Trust for Retailers & Retail Associates of India), a non-profit engaged in training and placement of youth in e-commerce & retail sectors. The partnership will support youth from low-income households by providing them with long-term employment opportunities.

Through the partnership, DBS will facilitate the skills training and employment of individuals affected by the pandemic and persons with disabilities through a one-year-long pan-India program, a combination of classroom and online training sessions. The training will be conducted at TRRAIN centres across major cities such as Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi-NCR region, Bengaluru, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, among others.

Once the training is complete, candidates will be recruited by leading industry partners in the retail and e-commerce sector across Tier-1 and Tier-2 cities. The program aims to train and secure jobs for over 800 individuals by the end of 2021.

Commenting on the partnership, Shoma Narayanan, Executive Director – Group Strategic Marketing & Communications, DBS Bank India, said, “DBS is committed to making meaningful contributions to society and creating a lasting impact beyond banking. We are actively engaging with initiatives to build back better in the aftermath of the pandemic. Our partnership with TRRAIN is one such initiative as it will help upskill youth as well as the differently-abled and facilitate access to job opportunities.”

“Trust for Retailers and Retail Associates of India is happy to join hands with DBS Bank in our efforts to create sustainable livelihoods for persons with disabilities and underprivileged individuals. With DBS Bank’s support, we will be impacting the lives of 400 persons with disabilities and 425 underprivileged young individuals by providing them with employment opportunities in retail. We look forward to an impactful and continued CSR collaboration with DBS Bank”, said B S Nagesh, Founder & Settlor, TRRAIN and Ameesha Prabhu, CEO, TRRAIN.

The partnership with TRRAIN is the most recent in a series of initiatives announced by the bank as part of the ‘DBS Stronger Together Fund’, a global SGD 10.5 million fund set up by DBS in 2020 at the onset of COVID-19 to help sections of the society across the region that were hard hit by the pandemic. Through the fund, the bank provided about 4.5 million meals and care packs to affected individuals across Singapore, Hong Kong, China, India, Indonesia, and Taiwan. DBS also introduced the ‘Towards Zero Food Waste’ initiative in 2020 to encourage a shift in behaviours and mindsets to reduce food waste. The bank’s commitment towards zero food waste aims to build a sustainable, food-secure future and aligns with its three sustainability pillars – responsible banking, responsible business practices and creating social impact.

In 2020, under the ‘DBS Stronger Together’ initiative, DBS Bank India partnered with ten NGOs to support immediate, on-ground relief efforts during the lockdown in the country. Previously, DBS Bank India facilitated the provision of two million meals to the underprivileged affected by the pandemic in the form of food supplies and pre-packaged meals through partnerships with various organisations, including United Way Mumbai, Pratham Mumbai Education Initiative, Goonj, and Ola Foundation. The bank also partnered with UNICEF, United Way, Metropolis Labs and others to scale up public health infrastructure, provide medical supplies and equipment, and sponsor-free testing for the underprivileged.

Business World

DBS Bank India’s new brand campaign features Sachin Tendulkar; emphasises the importance of safety

Sep 19, 2020 by Gouri Achary 0 Comments #DBS Bank India, #Neel Roy Cruz, #Sachin Tendulkar, #Shoma Narayanan

DBS Bank India unveiled its latest campaign that talks about safety and how a trusted partner can help find safe solutions even in the most difficult of times. As Asia’s Safest Bank for 11 straight years, DBS believes that ‘safety always comes first’. The campaign starring DBS’ brand ambassador, Sachin Tendulkar, brings this out through a simple, relatable narrative. This comes close on the heels of its recently launched campaign “Portraits of Purpose India”, that celebrates everyday heroes who are reaching out to help others.

Conceptualised by the team at Leo Burnett, the TVC captures the story of a small boy bored at home during the lockdown, while his family is busy with office work and domestic chores. As he attempts to step out to play with his friend, his sister stops him and suggests a safe alternative. The boy and his friend are delighted, and the film ends with Sachin sharing a message around safety.

Shoma

Speaking about the campaign, Shoma Narayanan, Executive Director – Group Strategic Marketing & Communications at DBS Bank India, said, “The narrative of our new brand film hinges on safety, trust and resilience. The well-being, both physical and financial, of our customers, colleagues and partners has been our top priority through these challenging times. The film aligns with this and assures viewers that DBS is a partner they can rely on.”

 

Brand ambassador, Sachin Tendulkar, added, “This was definitely a shoot to remember. No set, no lights, no film crew. I had to ask people around me at home to find some time between their work to film my segments of the TVC. I truly believe that safety comes first, and I am glad to be associated with DBS’ campaign as it emphasises on the importance of safety in every aspect.”

With some major cities, including Mumbai, still under lockdown, Sachin’s segments of the campaign were shot at his home. The outdoor scenes of the TVC were shot with a minimal crew in Goa, whilst adhering to strict protocols and with necessary precautions such as social distancing, sanitised outdoor set, disinfectants and PPE gear.

Neel Roy Cruz, Executive Creative Director, Leo Burnett, said, “From a creative point of view, this was one of the most challenging projects we have executed. How does one conceptualise and create a film when the whole world is confined to their homes? Just like our film narrative, we partnered with talented professionals and executed the film with all safety protocols. The very project itself stands testimony to the message we are trying to convey to our customers. Another interesting aspect of the campaign is that the idea for the film script came from one of Sachin Tendulkar’s video challenge, which went viral and was trending during the nationwide lockdown.”

As the country and the world collectively defends against the COVID-19 pandemic, DBS Bank India, has taken extensive precautionary measures to safeguard customers and staff. The bank offers an array of digital products and services to enable customers to enjoy a seamless and secure banking experience from anywhere.

Since the establishment of its wholly-owned subsidiary, DBS Bank India Limited (DBIL) in 2019, the bank has built a greater scale in India by adopting a ‘phygital’ model. Named ‘Safest Bank in Asia’ for 11 consecutive years, DBS has been on an ongoing journey to shape the future of banking. It has designed end-to-end digitised solutions to seamlessly interweave banking into a customer’s everyday life, by making it a part of their ecosystem.

For the complete brand film, please visit: https://go.dbs.com/safetycomesfirst-india