“Macao Light Festival 2020 – Light Carnival” celebrates Colorful illuminations dazzle parishes along four routes

Mumbai, 31 st October 2020: “Macao Light Festival 2020 – Light Carnival”, which is dazzling the cityscape until 31 October 2020 is organized by Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO) and co-organized by Municipal Affairs Bureau, Cultural Affairs Bureau, Sports Bureau and Economic Bureau with the support of the Industry and Commerce Federation of Macau Central and Southern District, the Industry and Commerce Association of Macau Northern District, as well as the Industry and Commerce Federation of Islands of Macao. Staged for the sixth year, the Festival is lighting up Tap Seac Square for the first time with a spectacular mapping show projected upon four historic façades.

Four routes are mapped out across 12 locations in town to create a sparkling carnival. Parishes radiant with carnival colour

The 6th Macao Light Festival is staged from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. from 26 September to 31 October today. The last mapping show begins at 9:50 p.m. daily. Themed as “Light Carnival”, the Festival presents light installations and interactive games at 12 locations along four designated routes themed as “Circus”, “Time Tunnel”, “Candy Kingdom” and “Music Box of Lights” in different parishes. The Festival offers many hotspots for selfies and check-ins on social media. Macao Tourism Mascot MAK

MAK appears in lovely costumes across the routes, accompanying residents and visitors on the fun “Light Carnival” journey.

Mapping shows tell enchanting stories at five locations The Macao Light Festival is staging different mapping shows at five iconic attractions including Tap Seac Square, China Products Company at Largo do Pagode do Bazar and Wong Ieng Kuan Children’s Library in Areia Preta Urban Park as new venues, as well as Macau (Yat Yuen) Canidrome and the restaurant Cozinha Pinocchio Taipa at Largo dos Bombeiros in Taipa Village as last year. At Tap Seac Square, the mega mapping show is projected upon the facades of four historic architectures including the buildings of Cultural Affairs Bureau, Tap Seac Health Centre, Macao Central Library and the Archives of Macao. Painting strokes of light upon the magnificent canvas, the show conveys various expressions of color in different styles of artworks.

MGTO is paying a close attention to the latest situation regarding the COVID-19 pandemic, while making timely and proper arrangements for all the shows and activities in accord with the guidelines issued by Health Bureau.

Lubrizol and Grasim Industries Limited Partner for India’s Largest CPVC Resin Plant

VILAYAT, GUJARAT, INDIA Oct 30, 2020 – To meet growing demand for chlorinated polyvinyl

chloride (CPVC) pipe and fittings in India, Lubrizol Advanced Materials, a global specialty

chemical leader and the market leader for CPVC, and Grasim Industries Limited, a flagship

company of the Aditya Birla Group, have entered into a definitive agreement to manufacture and

supply CPVC resin in India.

Once commissioned, this near 100,000 metric-ton state-of-the-art CPVC plant at Grasim’s site

in Vilayat, Gujarat, will be the largest single-site capacity for CPVC resin production globally.

The project will take part in two phases, with the first phase of production expected to be

operational in late 2022. The CPVC resin produced at Vilayat will enable product sold under

Lubrizol’s FlowGuard® Plus, Corzan® and BlazeMaster® brands.

This collaboration, in support of the Government of India’s “Make in India” initiative, is expected

to bolster economic development in the state of Gujarat. To further support the local market,

Lubrizol will make additional investments in the coming years to expand its existing CPVC

compound plant in Dahej, Gujarat and establish a local innovation center as demand continues

to grow.

India is amongst the largest consumers of CPVC, primarily in the form of plumbing pipe and

fittings, and growing needs for clean water in all residential and commercial buildings will drive

continued growth. Lubrizol is the inventor and largest manufacturer of CPVC resin and CPVC

compounds worldwide. With billions of feet installed globally, Lubrizol’s CPVC solutions enable

long-lasting systems and reliable access to clean, safe drinking water to millions of homes, in

alignment with the company’s mission to help the world Live Better. To-date, Lubrizol products

have been instrumental in delivering safer water to some 200 million citizens in South Asia.

Lubrizol has plans to introduce other advanced water solutions in India in the near future.

With this investment to supply resin to its existing compounding plant in Dahej, Gujarat, Lubrizol

becomes the only company in India with end-to-end CPVC capability. In addition to its regional

manufacturing capabilities, Lubrizol continues to strengthen its customer network, collaborating

with local leaders like Ashirvad Pipes, an Aliaxis company, and Prince Pipes to ensure robust

distribution in India and South Asia. As part of its regional support, Lubrizol is also committed to

the ongoing development of plumbers in India, having trained nearly 100,000 local plumbers on

installation of advanced plumbing systems.

“This alliance will help Lubrizol better serve our customers in India and South Asia, as

well as support the Indian economy,” said Arnau Pano, Vice President, Lubrizol

Advanced Materials, South Asia. “Connecting with Grasim Industries Limited, a reputable

global conglomerate, who share our commitment to sustainable chemical production,

will allow us to provide our customers with increased, reliable CPVC supply and further

our goal of improving access to clean, safe drinking water for millions of global citizens

through the advantages offered by FlowGuard® Plus plumbing solutions.”

“This collaboration with Lubrizol Advanced Materials is part of our long-term direction to

bring in world-class technologies to India and additionally complements our growth

strategy in Chlor-Alkali and Derivatives platform,” said Kalyan Ram Madabhushi, CEO-

Global Chemicals & Group Business Head-Fertilisers & Insulators, Aditya Birla Group.

“The collaboration will support the ‘Make in India’ initiative and is expected to create

local jobs and downstream opportunities.”

This collaboration also will enable Aditya Birla Group and The Lubrizol Corporation to explore

collaboration opportunities across additional segments, such as water management,

construction, textiles, automotive and piping by leveraging the technologies and market

channels of both groups.

About Grasim Industries Limited (Aditya Birla Group)

Grasim Industries Limited, a flagship company of the Aditya Birla Group, ranks amongst the top

publicly listed companies in India. Incorporated in 1947, it started as a textiles manufacturer in

India. Today, it has evolved into a leading diversified player with leadership presence across

many sectors. It is a leading global producer of Viscose Staple Fibre, the largest Chlor-Alkali,

Linen and Insulators player in India. Through its subsidiaries, UltraTech Cement and Aditya

Birla Capital, it is also the India’s largest cement producer and a leading diversified financial

services player. At Grasim, there is an endeavor to create sustainable value for 24,000+

employees, 230,000+ shareholders, society and customers. The company reported

consolidated net revenue of over US$ 10.9 Billion and EBITDA of over US$ 1.9 Billion in FY

2020.

About The Lubrizol Corporation

The Lubrizol Corporation, a Berkshire Hathaway Company, leverages its unmatched science to

unlock immense possibilities at the molecular level, driving sustainable and measurable results

to help the world Move Cleaner, Create Smarter and Live better. Founded in 1928, Lubrizol

owns and operates more than 100 manufacturing facilities, sales and technical offices around

the world and has approximately 8,800 employees.

Armaan Malik shares stories with his childhood friend as he tries Snapchat’s new Friendship Time Capsule

Snap’s new feature allows you to see what your friendship will look like in the future, in response to findings from its Friendship Report 2020

 

October 30, 2020 - Snap Inc. released its second global Friendship study, interviewing 30,000 people across sixteen countries and interviewing global experts, to explore how the COVID-19 pandemic and global issues have impacted friendship. 

 

Today, in response to findings from the report, Snapchat launched The Friendship Time Capsule, a fun new feature that allows friends that can't be together in person, to create new shared memories through AR on Snapchat. The Snappable uses machine learning to allow friends to get a glimpse of their friendship in a variety of scenarios in the future.

 

Armaan Malik used the feature to reach out to childhood friend Krish, saying, “Krish and I go way back; we became friends when we were both in the fourth grade. There are friends, there is family, and there are friends that become family; Krish is that friend for me. Even if we don’t stay in touch with each other owing to our busy schedules, we always pick up from where we left off and it’s as easy as it always has been. That’s what true friendship is all about. And, while we can’t be together at the moment, I tried Snap’s Time Capsule Lens to capture some fun moments with him!”

 

 

 

The Friendship Time Capsule was created to combat some of the difficulties friendships are facing during the COVID-19 pandemic. 

 

Snap's recently released Friendship Report showed that the COVID-19 pandemic has led to over a third of friendships (globally) being affected in some way. In India, covid has further accelerated the importance of digital connections with nearly 91% saying that they have helped friends maintain their relationship, regardless of age. This is much higher as compared to the global average.  

Nearly four out of five of friends, 87% say they relied on digital communication to stay connected through the lockdown in India. For 76% of the ones surveyed, those conversations have been deeper, rather than focusing on surface-level topics

Even though there’s been an uptick in outreach to friends, COVID-19 has also led to loneliness for some Indians. Half of those surveyed by Snap said they’ve felt lonely since the pandemic started (51%), simply because they couldn’t see their friends again, which is 13%  higher than pre-COVID-19. 

The upside is that, with the pandemic causing so much isolation, people genuinely want to reach out and check in on those they care about. More than half of the people almost 54% say their friendships are more important to them now and nearly three-quarters, 74% of us are making an intentional choice to reach out to friends that they haven’t spoken to in a while 

This may explain why there was a marked difference between Snapchatters who often communicate visually - and non-Snapchatters - with Snapchatters becoming closer to friends during the pandemic. 

 

Friendship researcher Donya Alinejad describes the importance of visual communication as creating “co-presence” which results in “a feeling of being together when you’re actually physically distant.” Feeling as though we’re actually together is important “for a whole host of reasons,” Alinejad says, particularly “for those who are in need of or require a kind of emotional support.”

 

Looking at the (global) data from prior to the pandemic, Snap found that the single event most likely to strengthen a friendship, was taking a vacation together (64%). 

 

Without being able to do that now, Snap wanted to create a way to support its community, and enable this through AR, allowing Snapchatters to share positive thoughts with their friends about where they will go together in the future.

 

And in terms of friends who are no longer in touch, Snap found the ways people would most like to reach out, is through a photo of them and their friend together (42%), or by sending a photo that reminded them of a shared memory (40%). Humour also ranked highly, with a third thinking that sending a funny meme or GIF would be the best way to reconnect (31%). 

 

The Friendship Time Capsule combines all three of these things; by allowing Snapchatters to share silly images of them and a friend in outlandish locations and at different ages, the camera company hopes to bridge the gap for those that have lost touch.

 

 

Notes:

 

 

How:

• To use the new feature, simply open up the Snapchat camera and select The Friendship Time Capsule on the carousel. 
• If it isn’t there, hover your camera over this snapcode and hold your finger on it.
• Then, take a selfie, select a year, then send it to your chosen friend. 
• When your friend does the same, the new feature will put you both into a series of scenarios together (including visiting the Moon, and Mars!) from today up to 2120. 
• It also uses Snap’s advanced machine learning technology to age you and your friend up, depending on the year you have chosen.

 

About the Report
The Friendship Report, commissioned in partnership with Alter Agents, polled 30,000 nationally representative people ages 13 to 44 in Australia, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, Norway, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Spain, United Arab Emirates, UK and US. 

 

About Snap Inc.

Snap Inc. is a camera company. We believe that reinventing the camera represents our greatest opportunity to improve the way people live and communicate. We contribute to human progress by empowering people to express themselves, live in the moment, learn about the world, and have fun together. For more information, visit snap.com.

Unique gifting ideas for the festive season from Amazon

The festival of lights is just around the corner, so what better time than now to cheer up and pamper your family and friends with some of the choicest gifts from the ongoing Great Indian Festival. From handbags and fragrances for women and printed ties and skincare sets for men, there’s a myriad things that you could buy for your loved ones. Amazon Fashion recommends a list of handpicked fashion and beauty gifts that will be a definite hit with your loved ones!

Gifts for Her

Shoulder and belt bags: Small shoulder strap bags and belt bags are trending on the 2020 runway, making them the perfect gift option this season. They are classy and are just the right size to fit any woman’s essentials when she’s out either running errands or for a mini celebration.

Recommendations:

Isle Locada By Hidesign Autumn-Winter 19 Women's Shoulder Bag Caprese Spring/Summer 20 Women's Hobo River Women's Sling Bag

Diamond & Pearl Pendants: An elegant and dainty diamond and pearl pendant makes for the perfect gift this Diwali. You can pick from a wide selection of delicate, contemporary pieces that complement both traditional and western outfits. These versatile pieces are suited for any occasion.

Recommendations:

Clara Pearl Pendant

Peora Pendant

Izaara American Diamond Pendant

Eye Makeup Kit: Makeup by default, is literally every girl’s best friend, and also the best gift this festive season. If you do not know her exact lipstick shade, stress not, you can always gift her an assortment of eye makeup essentials. From colorful eyeshadow palettes, colored or black eye liners and kajal to mascaras in black or blue, it’s a sure bet she’s going to love them all.

Recommendations:

Lakme Absolute Infinity Eye Shadow Palette

SERY Xpresslash Volumizing Mascara

SUGAR Cosmetics Kajal - True Blue

Luxury Perfumes: While perfumes are very personal, they make for an ideal gift for that special someone. Although, be very careful when choosing the fragrance. You can’t go wrong with citrus, floral or fruity notes.

Recommendations:

Bvlgari Rose Goldea Gift Set

Issey Miyake L'Eau D'Issey Eau de Toilette

Jimmy Choo Eau De Toilette

Gifts for Him:

Aviator Sunglasses: These can never go out of style. You can choose from gradient, polarized and mirrored aviators. Remember to choose the right frame, keeping in mind the face structure, style and preference of the person you are gifting these to.

Recommendations:

Fastrack UV Protected Aviator Men's Sunglasses

Ray-Ban Uv Protected Pilot Unisex Sunglasses

Pepe Jeans Gradient Aviator Unisex Sunglasses

Sleek Wristwatches: You can never go wrong with a classic timepiece. A nice sleek metallic or leather strapped wristwatch should be an ideal gift this season. Your special someone can wear them, both with western and a traditional attire, making it a gift perfect for any type of occasion.

Recommendations:

Fastrack Casual Analog White Dial Men's Watch

Timex Expedition Analog-Digital Beige Dial

Fossil Sport 43 Digital Black Dial Men's Watch

Printed ties: For someone who’s personal style is predominantly formal, these printed ties are ideal. Available in bold and subtle prints, these ties will add an exciting element to their formals.

Recommendations:

Rohit Bal Men's Pure Silk Tie

Satya Paul Men's Silk Tie

Bal Rohit Men's silk

Organic Grooming Kits: Encourage a more conscious grooming regime by gifting an organic grooming kit. Created with ingredients that are chemical free, these nurture the skin and prove more effective overtime. You will definitely be remembered for this one.

Recommendations:

mCaffeine Coffee Mood Skin Care Gift Kit

Forest Essentials Kit for Him

Kama Ayurveda Signature Essentials For Men

Luxury skincare kits: A selection of carefully curated skincare products is an ideal gift for your loved ones. Packed with the goodness of natural ingredients, these products will take care of their skincare needs during the hustle and bustle of the festive season. And if your man loves his skincare routine, this should top your gifting list.

Recommendations:

L’Occitane Skincare Kit

Forest Essentials Gift Box

The Man Company Diwali Ayushmann Face Care

KSG India’s Online Learning has become a lifesaver for UPSC aspirants

The Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) has recently declared the UPSC CSE preliminary exam results. As per the official statement, the main exam would be held on 8th January 2021. These approximately two months are the most crucial time for the aspirants where they must join test series and because of social distancing again the internet would come to the rescue.

 

KSG India, an institute for IAS Exam had started their Online Learning Program back in 2010 and this Online Mentoring experience of a decade made things easier for KSG India and for their students during the Covid-19 Pandemic situation.

 

As all students stuck in their home due to Covid-19, Live Classes through Internet, Soft copies of study material, and individual mentoring through Video calls are becoming the great relief for the IAS Exam aspirants.

 

KSG India is one of the pioneers in bringing online education mechanisms to India. KSG India had started investing the infrastructure to build an online coaching platform as early as 2008 to ensure the best training to your students.”, says Dr. A.R. Khan.

 

To crack the IAS Exam Thousands of students joined the convenient and cost-effective online courses of KSG India.

During Covid-19 Pandemic Coaching through the Internet became the only available option for the aspirants.

 

After the resounding success achieved in the UPSC Civil Services Examination (CSE) with 14 out of 20 top rankers in 2019, All top 10 Rankers in 2018 and Highest GS Marks three times and thousands of toppers KSG India is in order to fulfill its commitment to facilitate and support aspirants from all over the country, conducting Webinars & Online Learning Programs to Facilitate & Support UPSC Civil Services Aspirants.

 

“With 450 selections 2018 and 430 Selections in 2019; KSG India has been adding more feathers in its cap since 2008. The blend of powerful classroom and online courses, KSG India is committed to make many more success stories.”, says Dr. A. R. Khan.

 

A popularly known amongst the Civil Services aspirants as Khan Sir, is an accomplished educationist, academician, scholar, thinker, and motivator.

 

“Early starters do get an edge in their preparation and this has been proved multiple times. Tina Dabi (AIR- 1 2015), Srushti Jayant Deshmukh (AIR-5 2018) and many more joined KSG when they were doing their graduation. The courses are available for one year as well as in two-year modes.”, says Dr. A. R. Khan.

 

An avid reader and a prolific writer, Dr. Khan has published scores of Articles and Research Papers in reputed National and International Journals. He has also authored several books on varied topics which have earned wide recognition

 

Because of social distancing, new mediums have come up to bridge the communication gaps, and KSG IAS, the premier Civil Services institute of the country was one of the first in the country to adopt online to cater to the demands of the students. Now under KSG online learning program (KOL), all the classes are given to thousands of students throughout the world (there are many Indians who are not living in India but are preparing), live from the state of the art studio in Delhi. It is also giving fast, accurate and reliable information to all the aspirants thereby solving the issues of infodemics.

 

One of the fundamental issues of online learning is that of effective engagement with the aspirants. The KSG India has solved this by having active mentors allotted to each student, who themselves call the students regularly for concepts clarification and to keep them on their toes. Every student has unique problems and the mentors give them customized solutions.

 

Of course, the student can call the mentors whenever they have any query. Every month more than 15 subjective tests are conducted. Students submit their subjective answers online, which after getting evaluated also gets vetted. This ensures that a student’s copy is evaluated twice. After the evaluation, the copy is uploaded to the student’s wallet. Students at KSG have been given their individual wallets to chart their own progress.

 

Out of the total youth in the world, every fifth resides in India, According to Census 2011, the youth constitute 28% of the total population in the country and have a contribution of over 34% in the country’s national income.

 

This young population has to use modern means of communication and the Internet is probably one of the most revolutionizing inventions. The Internet penetration rate in India went up to nearly around 50 percent in 2020, from just about four percent in 2007.  No wonder today India has the second-highest number of Internet users in the world.

 

The Internet lets a student sit in one place and explore the world. A lot of information is available online but lack of accuracy and reliability is a major drawback.  

 

That’s why KSG India’s faculty and a huge team of experts from various fields ensure Crisp and Concise Content in an exam-oriented way must be available for the students because every exam is a specialized exam and has a different syllabus and approach.

 

Social media has also become an important source of information and this has created issues. Social media is important but should be used responsibly. One has to understand that surfing doesn’t mean that you are preparing.

 

Life came to a standstill for the world since March this year, due to the Covid-19 pandemic a crisis came in front of the aspirants that they could not go out for the coaching classes or to get the study material. Even after unlocking; aspirants are still struggling to get things in place.

 

Access to quality education has become easier because of online classes as it has increased the ability of the institutions to reach a wider area. Now the aspirant has the liberty to stay at home and prepare for the exam making the preparation cost-effective and affordable. It also gives assignment convenience and flexibility. 

 

 

Website:-

https://www.ksgindia.com/

 

Free Study Material (Text)

https://www.ksgindia.com/study-material

 

Free Study Material (Videos)

https://www.youtube.com/c/KhanStudyGroupKSG/videos

 

About KSG Online Learning Programs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7021kWc0rlM

UK Companies positive on Doing Business in India and committed to supporting Atmanirbhar Bharat Mission

Findings from the UK India Business Council’s Doing Business in India Report 2020 show that UK businesses believe that India’s business environment is improving, and they see an opportunity for greater UK-India collaboration notwithstanding Brexit, COVID-19 and the global economic slowdown. India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission is seen by the UK firms as an opportunity to do more business in India, leveraging UK’s innovation for manufacturing in India.

 

Thursday 29^th October: UK Minister for Investment, Lord Gerry Grimstone, has released UK India Business Council’s ‘Doing Business in India Report 2020’ at a roundtable with Indian industry captains during his virtual visit to India.

 

The report is the UKIBC’s sixth of an annual series dating back to 2015. This year’s report is based on an in-depth survey of 106 UK organisations operating in India spanning manufacturing, services, and higher education sectors.

 

66 percent of the surveyed businesses said that they believe it is getting easier to do business in India, thanks to progressive reforms and improvements in components of India’s business environment such as the availability of support and service providers, skilled labour, and supply chain.

 

UKIBC Group CEO, Jayant Krishna, said, “Alongside the progressive trend in the rating of India’s business environment and the phased removal of barriers to business since the inception of UKIBC’s report in 2015, the findings of our 2020 report are not only very positive but hugely encouraging. In spite of new challenges to business such as Brexit, COVID-19, and the global economic slowdown, UK companies not only remain deeply committed to India, but many are optimistic of expanding their business footprint in India.”

 

The survey suggests that India’s self-reliant mission, or Atmanirbhar Bharat, stands for greater global integration for the Indian economy. More than three quarters of respondents were positive about Atmanirbhar Bharat, believing it is an opportunity to do more investments in India and expand the trading ties. It seems that the Atmanirbhar Bharat mission is ushering in a unique potential for co-development and co-creation among UK and Indian firms, leveraging the UK’s innovation for manufacturing in India.

 

UKIBC Chair, Richard Heald, OBE, said: ‘The positively-balanced findings of this report are tremendously encouraging. There is much still to do to remove the persistent barriers to doing business in India, particularly improvement to bureaucratic procedures and the application of the tax regime, which is a persistent concern for businesses in India. Yet, the optimism and commitment amongst UK businesses is telling of the strength of the UK-India relationship and scope for growth’.

 

This report comes at a time where the UK and India have committed to an Enhanced Trade Partnership, as agreed by UK Secretary of State for International Trade, Liz Truss, and Indian Minister of Commerce and Industry, Piyush Goyal, in July 2020. Although a Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is an eventual goal, the immediate priority is to remove market access barriers and make it easier for companies to operate in and enter the Indian market.

 

India has surely made significant progress on ease of doing business, but regulatory uncertainty remains a significant challenge. Legal and regulatory barriers were the most frequently cited obstacle to business, as outlined by 51 percent of respondents. Foreign exchange regulations, Goods and Services Tax (GST) process issues, high import tariffs, lack of alignment with international standards remain the top four regulatory irritants.

The survey suggests that improving bureaucratic processes with greater accountability, increasing regulatory certainty, simplification of the GST processes, improving the quality of infrastructure and making single window clearance effective were the most sought-after reforms by UK businesses, in that order.

Link to download the report: https://www.ukibc.com/reports/ukibcs-6th-annual-doing-business-in-india-report-the-uk-perspective/

Procter & Gamble announces ₹400 Cr ‘India Growth Fund’ in line with self-reliant India vision

Through this fund, P&G will partner with suppliers in India to further localize manufacturing of finished products, procurement of raw materials & packaging materials & services, and adopt go-to-market innovations & technology

P&G India is hosting the third edition of vGROW External Business Partner Summit on October 29 – 30, 2020, providing a platform for suppliers to pitch their solutions to P&G’s leadership team 

National; October 29, 2020: Procter & Gamble (P&G) today announced a ₹400 Cr ‘India Growth Fund’ to collaborate with existing and new suppliers to build capacities that will further localize manufacturing of finished products, procurement of raw materials & packaging materials, and adopt go-to-market innovations & technology. This is in line with government’s vision of a self-reliant India and P&G’s commitment to drive inclusive growth in India through external partnerships. This new fund is part of P&G India’s ‘vGROW’ program that focuses on identifying and collaborating with start-ups, small businesses, individuals or large organizations offering innovative industry-leading solutions. With this announcement, P&G also launched the third edition of ‘P&G vGROW External Business Partner Summit,’ on October 29-30, 2020, that offers a platform to existing and new suppliers to pitch their solutions to P&Gs leadership team. This year, in addition to localization solutions, the summit will also focus on identifying solutions that revolutionize go-to-market capabilities, optimize inventory and expand consumer reach of P&G brands.

Madhusudan Gopalan, CEO, P&G Indian Subcontinent said, “P&G has been making in India for decades and we are committed to the vision of self-reliant India. More than 95% of the products we sell in India are manufactured locally. We also export finished products manufactured in India to more than 120 countries. In line with our commitment, we are setting-up P&G’s ‘India Growth Fund’ to collaborate with partners on building capacities that will further localize manufacturing of finished products, procurement of raw materials & packaging materials, and adopt innovative solutions that enhance our go-to-market technologies which will enable us to serve our consumers in India. We are confident that through these partnerships we will be able to create an eco-system and supplier network that will further enable us to make in India, for India and the world.”

Madhusudan further added, “P&G is committed to driving inclusive growth in India. Three years ago, we launched our vGROW program with a vision to create an active partnership platform for suppliers across India. In the first two years we also set-up the ‘Innovation Fund’ and ‘Sustainability Fund’ through which we have invested more than ₹250 Cr in forging partnerships on new-age, innovative and sustainable solutions for the business. We strongly believe that these efforts have created value for our consumers, partners, and the company.”

vGROW is P&G’s first-of-its-kind platform to identify and collaborate with businesses and individuals offering industry-leading solutions. Through this platform, P&G engages with over 2,300+ Indian suppliers including start-ups, small businesses and large organizations from a wide range of industries and services - from creative agencies to technology partners to material suppliers. To come up with innovative solutions via external business partnerships, P&G has its online platform ‘P&G Hackathon’ which connects external business partners with innovative solutions to the company’s needs, thereby creating a collaborative ecosystem.

“WE CARE”- An Initiative of ICAI for Senior Chartered Accountants

The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) since its very inception has always provided thought leadership to the generations in a proactive and progressive manner. ICAI has been playing a key role nationally, regionally and globally not only towards the growth of the profession, but also has been contributing to the business, industry and commerce across all sectors. 

The reason behind the milestones achieved by ICAI is its hard-work, dedication and commitment of the CA fraternity & senior visionaries who have been guiding the accountancy profession with their selfless dedication, relentless commitment and rich values. 

In these unprecedented times of COVID-19 outbreak, the ICAI has initiated number of steps to ensure that the accountancy profession in India is not only having inclusive growth but also to ensure that its members & students are kept updated on various professional matters of contemporary relevance. With our efforts, we are able to reach and connect with the different segments of our membership be it in practice, industry, public service, entrepreneurship or women.  

In order to acknowledge the contribution of senior members to the Profession, ICAI has recently launched an initiative “We Care – A Unique Social Security Scheme and Benevolence Program for Senior CAs”, a unique social security and benevolence program for Senior CA members of age 75 years and above. This initiative would provide support to this valuable segment of ICAI  fraternity which endeavours for providing respect, continuous engagement, care and support of the Profession by creating a sense of belongingness. The initiative was launched by Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal, Hon’ble Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs & Heavy Industry and Public Enterprises through virtual mode in the presence of President, Vice-President & Central Council Members of ICAI.  

Hon’ble Minister Shri Arjun Ram Meghwal while applauding the efforts being made by ICAI said “Such initiatives are need of the hour as care for elderly has been the pillar of Indian Heritage and our value system. It is heartening to learn that ICAI is taking concrete steps for expressing gratitude towards its elderly members & showing concern for their well-being & extending support to them as & when required.” The Minister further added “This initiative undertaken by ICAI is laudable and will set an example for many other organizations to emulate. This will also instill Indian traditional values in the younger generation & inculcate the sentiments of appreciating, respecting & caring for elders.” 

 “We Care” initiative aims to take stock of the wellbeing, health, financial condition and any other issue being faced by the senior Members. 

On this occasion, CA. Atul Kumar Gupta, President, ICAI said “The Institute assiduously aspires to attain the Absolute Best for all its members and is diligently dedicated to their constant improvement and growth. ICAI stands tall as a facilitator and crusader of affirmative action and thereby letting consequent growth and development flow.” 

President, ICAI further added “The Institute, over the years, has garnered paramount respect for meeting business environment changes with decisive action and discerning reaction. This has been  possible with the wealth of experience of senior members, their  strategic thinking for the betterment of profession & constant support.” 

The initiative “We Care” would work for senior members by: 

• Building a technology based holistic support ecosystem  
• Dedicated helpdesk for 24x7 assistance 
• Need based Financial & other assistance for medical treatment & other issues 

This initiative of the Institute is a humble attempt to put forward its gratitude towards the senior visionaries of the accountancy profession. ICAI would leave no stone unturned to respect, engage, care and support the senior CA members to live their life with dignity, independence & comfort. 

PayPoint offers free Personal Accident Insurance to support migrant workers

Complimentary insurance cover of Rs 50,000 on money transfers at the company's retail stores or PayPointz Wallet

 

Mumbai, October 29, 2020: PayPoint India, a last-mile distribution network of Financial Services, is driving a unique initiative that offers a complimentary Personal Accident Insurance cover for migrant workers transferring money to their families at native place. The insurance cover provides financial protection of up to Rs 50,000 to the insured person against uncertainties such as accidental death or partial, temporary, permanent and total disability due to an accident.

 

At zero premium cost, the cover is available exclusively for PayPoint India customers, especially those coming from India's vast under-served rural areas as well as the unskilled migrant laborers. To be eligible for the benefit, the user has to simply remit money from a nearby PayPoint store or PayPointz wallet. Regardless of the transferred amount, the cover automatically renews - once a new money transfer is initiated - in the subsequent month.

 

Unskilled workers the most vulnerable to accidents: The insurance benefit is designed majorly for laborers staying and earning in industrial zones and cities or working in factories, transport, loading and unloading, etc. According to government statistics, these unskilled workers are the most likely victims to fall for accidents during their working hours.

 

Commenting on the peerless initiative aimed at filling a major void in the migrant lives, Ketan Doshi, Managing Director of PayPoint India, said, "Given India is traditionally an underinsured and one of the most acutely vulnerable countries, we aim to expand the blanket of financial security for the ones who need it the most through this initiative. By integrating with a transaction, we want them to be aware and proud of their commitment to their own families."

 

Ensuring social and financial security during the Covid-19 pandemic: As per various NGO reports, there were at least 1,461 accidents throughout the nationwide lockdown - from March 25 to May 31 - at least 750 people were killed, including 198 migrant workers.  During such unprecedented times, when the need for social and financial security has come to the fore, such benefits can add valuable support to migrants. PayPoint expects to cover 1 million customers through its network of 48,000 plus digitally enabled retail stores by next year.

 

"The pandemic has created tougher times for migrant laborers. The initiative has been introduced in line with our vision to reach out to the proverbial bottom of the pyramid population, prioritizing the self-employed migrants' financial resilience and embedding a sense of security in them", added Mr. Doshi.

 

PayPoint catering small ticket size insurance: While insurance agencies usually shy away from small ticket size insurance policy because of low commission rates, PayPoint successfully manages to sell such policies in urban and rural areas, thereby increasing the insurance penetration. This is done by ensuring compensation from other services such as remittance, utility bill payment, DTH & mobile recharges, air and bus ticket booking, etc.

 

About Pay Point India Network Pvt. Ltd.

PayPoint is a technology-enabled Distribution network of Financial Services. The company's digitally connected network of 48000+ offline stores offers various Financial services like Banking (PMJDY accounts), micro ATM services, Wallets (Paypointz), Remittances, Bill payments, insurance, Merchant QR, and many more. Apart from Financial services, PayPoint also offers consumer services to the underserved like Travel booking, Recharges, Amazon assisted shopping, Gift Cards, etc. through its strong network of retail stores spread across the country. The company's retailer-driven assisted model helps customers make an informed decision for availing services from their trained partners and its digital platform.

PayPoint offers a bouquet of services through its plug-and-play platform. More than 100 Services providers are plugged into the company's system and interact with them on a real-time basis catering to more than 5 million customers month on month. The primary objective is to bridge the financial inclusion gap between developed urban India and under-served rural India.

For more information, please visit: paypointindia.com

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