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கே.பாக்யராஜ் கலெக்டராக நடிக்கும் "ஆண்டவன்

 கே.பாக்யராஜ் கலெக்டராக நடிக்கும் "ஆண்டவன்"! வில்லியம் பிரதர்ஸ் புரொடக்சன்ஸ் தயாரிப்பில், 'ஆண்டவன்'  திரைப்படம் உருவாகியுள...

Thursday 30 July 2020

One thing I have learnt from Tulsi and Jaani is

"One thing I have learnt from Tulsi and Jaani is dedication,
" Millind Gaba opens up on his first-ever collaboration with
Tulsi Kumar and Jaani
Millind Gaba is making waves in the Punjabi pop-culture landscape with hits like ‘Nazar Lag Jayegi’, ‘She Don’t Know’ and ‘Teri Yaari’. He has now teamed up with acclaimed singer Tulsi Kumar and popular lyricist Jaani of ‘Pachtaoge’ and ‘Kya Baat Ay fame’ for a new emotional song of unconditional love - Naam. Presented by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series, composed by Nirmaan, with music by Millind himself, Naam will be the trio’s first song together that will show you how ‘love always finds its way back’.


For a song of this scale, Millind Gaba worked hard not only on the song’s composition but also his character in the moving music video featuring Tulsi Kumar and directed by Arvindr Khera. While it wasn’t easy, the popular singer was inspired and motivated by his co-singer and lyricist to give it his all.
Talking about this ambitious song and his first-ever collaboration with Tulsi Kumar and Jaani, Millind says, “This was a dream project for me. It took us around 9 months to create this beautiful song. I feel blessed and thankful to have the opportunity to make some kick-ass music with people who are so dedicated and passionate about their craft.” Adding that, “Tulsi Ma’am is so grounded and hardworking. Jaani on the other hand has penned some emotion provoking lyrics. It took us nine months to create Naam and it was a completely enriching experience. Lastly, I’m very grateful to work with Bhushan sir because without his guidance my music wouldn’t reach an audience of over 100 million.”
 The music video of ‘Naam’ will be out on 27th July 2020 on T-Series' YouTube channel.    

Tulsi Kumar collaborates with Millind Gaba and

Tulsi Kumar collaborates with Millind Gaba and Jaani
for her single ‘Naam’
The song of unconditional love is presented by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series
After winning hearts with several chartbusters over the years, the versatile Tulsi Kumar is all set to bring audiences another soulful song. In 2019, Tulsi not only had massive hits with Tera Ban Jaunga (Kabir Singh), O Saki Saki (Batla House ) and Enni Soni (Saaho) but is now conquering the independent music space. In 2020, Tulsi is giving her fans some first time collaborations. After Tere Naal with Darshan Raval, Tulsi has collaborated with Punjabi singer Millind Gaba, who has delivered several hits along with talented lyricist Jaani.
Presented by Bhushan Kumar’s T-Series, composed by Nirmaan, with music by Millind himself, Naam will be the trio’s first song together that will show you how ‘love always finds its way back’.


Tulsi Kumar, who has always admired Jaani and Millind’s work says, "We wanted the video to connect with the common people and make us touch base with our human side. The whole team has put in their efforts to bring this song together. 'Naam' is one of those sweet, emotional songs that will leave you with a smile on your face”.
Shot before the country went under lockdown, the teams had a fun time filming the music video featuring Tulsi Kumar and Millind Gaba and directed by Arvindr Khaira. Speaking about his experience of creating Naam singer Millind says, “I'm pretty excited about this track as it's my first collaboration with Tulsi Kumar, who is so humble and down-to-earth. We started working on this song over 9 months ago and wanted the composition to do justice to Jaani's beautiful lyrics. All our fans eagerly await the release of this track and we are so happy to bring it to audiences. The music video is truly next level.”
After creating frenzy with Pachtaoge, lyricist Jaani talks about Naam, “Love is a complex emotion but the simplest way of explaining it is people being there for eachother no matter what the obstacles or problems and that's what 'Naam' is trying to convey. I'm happy to collaborate with Tulsi Kumar and Millind Gaba who brought the words to life."
Says composer Nirmaan, "Working on this song was a great experience. We kept it simple yet relatable and we hope audiences enjoy it."
Says Arvindr Khaira, who directed the music video, "The soothing yet nostalgic melody of the song inspired the concept of 'Naam'. It was wonderful working with Tulsi and Millind as they are very dedicated and honest as artists."

FacebookFeel the love every time you listen to #Naam in the soulful voice of @TulsiKumarOfficial featuring @MillindGabaofficial
Song out now!
https://youtu.be/LxhEW6B-DrM
#BhushanKumar @tseriesmusic @ItsJaani @nirmaanworld @EricPillaiFSOB @khairaarvinder #tseries

Twitter
Feel the love every time you listen to #Naam in the soulful voice of @TulsiKumarTK featuring @themillind
Song out now!
https://youtu.be/LxhEW6B-DrM
@itsBhushanKumar @TSeries @yourjaani #Nirmaan @EricnPillai @arvinderkhaira #tseries

Instagram
Feel the love every time you listen to #Naam in the soulful voice of @tulsikumar15 featuring @millindgaba
Song out now!
@bhushankumar @tseries.official @jaani777 @nirmaan01 @ericpillai @arvindrkhaira #tseries
T-Series head honcho Bhushan Kumar says, "Naam is a song about unconditional love within the sad romantic zone. The music video depicts a lot of depth, pain and hope through its beautiful storyline that's sure to connect with audiences out there."

விமானத்தில் வராத கொரோனா தியேட்டரில் மட்டும்

விமானத்தில் வராத கொரோனா தியேட்டரில் மட்டும் வருமா?*
திரையரங்கு உரிமையாளர் சங்க செயலாளர் ரோகினி பன்னீர் செல்வம் கேள்வி.

*இயக்குநர் வேலுபிரபாகரனை குண்டர் சட்டத்தில் கைது செய்ய வேண்டும்*: திரையரங்கு உரிமையாளர் சங்க செயலாளர் ரோகினி பன்னீர்செல்வம் பேட்டி.

விமானத்தில் வராத கொரோனா தியேட்டரில் மட்டும் வருமா? என்று தமிழ்நாடு திரையரங்கு உரிமையாளர்கள் சங்க செயலாளர் 'ரோகினி' ஆர்.பன்னீர்செல்வம் கேள்வி எழுப்பியுள்ளார்.







"திரைப்பட இயக்குநர் வேலுபிரபாகரன் வாணியர் செட்டியார் சமுதாயத்துக்கு எதிராக சேனல் விஷன் என்கிற  யூடியூப் சேனலில் மிகவும் இழிவாக  அருவருக்கத்தக்க வகையில் பேசியுள்ளார் .அதனால் அந்தச் சமுதாய மக்கள் பெரும் கொந்தளிப்பில் இருக்கிறார்கள். பகுத்தறிவு  என்பது மக்களை நேர்வழியில் எடுத்துச் செல்வது என்று தான் இருக்க வேண்டும். இது போல் அருவருக்கத்தக்க வகையில் பேசுவதில் அல்ல.எங்களுக்கும் பெரியார் கொள்கைகள் உடன்பாடில்லை என்றாலும் நாங்கள் அது பற்றிப் பேசுவதில்லை .விமர்சிப்பதில்லை. உங்களுக்குக் கொள்கை எதுவாகவும் இருக்கலாம். ஆனால் அடுத்தவர் மனதைப் புண்படுத்தும்படி பேச யாருக்கும் உரிமை கிடையாது. சமூகத்தில் பதற்றத்தை ஏற்படுத்தும் வகையில் பேசுவதற்கும் விமர்சிப்பதற்கும் யாருக்கும் உரிமை கிடையாது.அப்படிச் செய்தால் அது அயோக்கியத்தனம். வேலு பிரபாகரனுக்கு எதிராக நாங்கள் சென்னை காவல்துறை ஆணையரிடம் புகார் கொடுத்திருக்கிறோம். இதுபோன்று சுமார் 200 இடங்களில் புகார்கள் அளிக்கப்பட்டுள்ளன. இப்படிச் சமூகத்தில் பதற்றத்தை ஏற்படுத்தும் வகையில் பேசிய வேலுபிரபாகரனைக் குண்டர் சட்டத்தில் கைது செய்து அவருக்குத் தக்க தண்டனை வாங்கிக் கொடுக்க வேண்டும் என்று தமிழக அரசைக் கேட்டுக் கொள்கிறோம்." என்றார்.

அவரிடம்  திரையரங்குகள் எப்போது திறக்கப்படும் என்று கேள்வி எழுப்பப்பட்டது .

அப்போது பேசும்போது,

 "கொரோனா லாக்டவுன்  தொடங்கி 140 நாட்கள் ஆகிவிட்டன .திரையரங்கு உரிமையாளர்கள் எல்லாம் என்ன செய்வதென்று தெரியாமல் வாழ்வாதாரத்தை இழந்து மிகவும் சிரமமான நிலையில் உள்ளனர்.
அவர்கள் என்ன செய்யப்போகிறார்கள் என்று அவர்களுக்கே தெரியாத நிலையாக இருக்கிறது. இதன் மூலம்  1500 கோடி ரூபாய் இழப்பு ஏற்பட்டு இருக்கிறது. ஒவ்வொரு திரையரங்கத்திற்கும் 25 லட்ச ரூபாய் இழப்பு ஏற்பட்டுள்ளது. இந்தக் காலகட்டத்தில் படத்தயாரிப்புகள் இல்லாமல் சினிமா சார்பான இழப்பு என்றால் 3000 கோடி ரூபாய்  இருக்கும் என்று கூறுகிறார்கள். 

திரையரங்குகளை எப்போது திறப்பார்கள் என்று அரசு தரப்பில் இருந்து பதில் வரும் என்று நாங்கள் பார்த்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறோம் .இப்போது விமானங்கள் எல்லாம் இயங்க ஆரம்பித்து விட்டன. விமானத்தில் நெருக்கமாக அமர்ந்து தான் பயணம் செய்கிறார்கள். விமானத்தில்  வராத கொரோனா திரையரங்குகளில் மட்டும் எப்படி வரும்?திரையரங்கத்தில் ஏதாவது மாற்றம் செய்யச் சொன்னால் நாங்கள் செய்வதற்குத் தயாராக இருக்கிறோம். விமானத்தில் அவ்வளவு நெருக்கமாகப் பயணம் செய்யும் போது வராத கொரோனா திரையரங்கில் மட்டும் எப்படி வந்து விடும் என்று நினைக்கிறார்கள்? அரசு திரையரங்கங்களில் ஏதாவது மாற்றங்கள் செய்யச் சொன்னாலும் அதை நாங்கள் செய்வதற்குத் தயாராக இருக்கிறோம். விரைவில் திரையரங்குகள் திறப்பதற்கு வழிவகை செய்ய வேண்டும் என்று தமிழகஅரசைக் கேட்டுக் கொள்கிறோம் .அதற்கான பதிலை எதிர்பார்த்துக் கொண்டிருக்கிறோம். "என்றார்.

ஒட்டியில்  திரைப்படம் வெளியாவது பற்றிக் கேட்டபோது,

"மக்கள் திரையரங்கம் சென்று படம் பார்க்கத்தான் விரும்புவார்கள். அதுதான் அவர்களுக்குத்  திருப்தி அளிக்கும். திரையரங்கத்தில் படம் பார்க்கும்போது வரும் திருப்தி வேறு எந்த தளத்திலும் கிடைக்காது .வேறு வழியில்லாமல் இப்போது ஓடிடியில் பார்க்கலாம். ஆனால் அதுவே  ஒரு நிரந்தரமான தீர்வு அல்ல .திரையரங்கில் படம் பார்த்துவிட்டு நன்றாக இருந்தால் இரண்டாவது முறை வேண்டுமானாலும் ஓடிடியில் பார்க்கலாம். இதில் ஒரு முழு திருப்தி கிடைக்காது. ஓடிடியில் தமிழில் வெளியிடப்பட்ட இரண்டு படங்களும் தோல்வி அடைந்துள்ளன .நெட்ப்ளிக்ஸில் வெளியான படங்களும் படுதோல்வி .தமிழில் மட்டுமல்ல இப்படி இந்தியில் வெளியான படங்களும் படுதோல்வி அடைந்து இருக்கின்றன . 

 திரையரங்கங்கள்தான் சினிமாவிற்கான ஒரே தளம் என்பது எல்லாருக்கும் தெரியும். மக்கள் ஓடிடியை ஆதரிக்க வில்லை என்றுதான் சொல்ல வேண்டும்." என்றார்.

திரையரங்கம் கிடைக்காத சிறு படங்களுக்கு ஓடிடி ஒரு வாய்ப்பாக இருக்கிறது  என்று ஒரு பேச்சு இருக்கிறதே என்று கேட்டபோது ,

"சிறு படங்களுக்குத் திரையரங்கங்கள் கிடைப்பதில்லை என்று சொல்வது தவறான கருத்து.  பல நாட்களாக இந்தப் பொய்யைச் சொல்லி வருகிறார்கள் . இது மிகவும் தவறான கருத்து . சென்ற ஆண்டு வெளியான 240  படங்களில் 200 படங்கள் சிறு படங்கள்தான். தமிழ்நாட்டில்  1070 திரையரங்குகள்தான் உள்ளன.சென்ற ஆண்டு 240 தமிழ்ப் படங்கள் வெளியாகியிருக்கின்றன. நேரடித் தமிழ்ப் படங்கள் மட்டுமல்லாமல் தெலுங்குப் படங்கள் , நேரடி ஆங்கிலப் படங்கள், ஆங்கில டப்பிங் படங்கள், மலையாள, இந்திப் படங்கள் என்று வெளியாகி உள்ளன. இப்படியிருக்கும்போது திரையரங்கம் கிடைக்கவில்லை என்பது பொருத்தமில்லாத வாதம் தானே?  இந்தப் பிரச்சினைக்கு தீர்வாக திரையரங்குகளை அதிகரிக்க வேண்டும். பெரிய திரையரங்குகளை இரண்டாகவோ மூன்றாகவோ மாற்றி அமைப்பதற்கு வழிவகை செய்ய வேண்டும் என வேண்டுகோள் விடுத்து சில ஆண்டுகளாகக் காத்திருக்கிறோம்.

ஓடிடியில் வெளியிட்ட சிவகுமார் குடும்பத்துப் படங்களை வெளியிடுவதில்லை என்று முடிவெடுத்ததாக பேசப்படுகிறது. அது பற்றி என்ன நினைக்கிறீர்கள்? என்ற போது,

 "  ஓடிடியில் அவர்கள் படம் வெளியிட முடிவு எடுத்தபோது,எங்கள் வாழ்வாதாரத்தைப் பற்றி கவலைப்படாமல் இப்படிச் செய்யும்போது நாங்கள் அதிலேயே வெளியிட்டுக் கொள்ளட்டும் என்று தான் சொன்னனோம். அப்போது அவர்களுக்கு நாங்கள் திரையரங்குகள் கொடுக்க மாட்டோம் என்று சொல்லவில்லை. சிவகுமார் குடும்பத்துப் படங்களை அந்த பிளாட்பாரத்திலேயே  வெளியிட்டுக் கொள்ளட்டும். இதுதான் எங்கள் நிலை" என்று கூறினார்.
ரோகினி ஆர் .பன்னீர்செல்வம் தமிழ்நாடு வாணியர் சங்கம் சங்கத்தின் நிறுவனத் தலைவராக இருக்கிறார் என்பது குறிப்பிடத்தக்கது.

அப்போது தமிழ்நாடு வாணியர் பேரவை நிர்வாகிகள் ஜி.மோகனசுந்தரம், யூரோ சரவணன், கல்யாணசேகரன், கே. ஞானசேகரன், பி. ஆனந்தன் , எம். சரவணகுமார் , வி.சோபன்குமார் ஆகியோர் உடன் இருந்தார்கள்.

Brand Aditya Birla Capital touches over

Brand Aditya Birla Capital touches over 52 million people through their ‘MoneyForLife’ and ‘HealthFromHome’ campaigns

Campaigns encourage people to focus on their physical and financial well-being

Aditya Birla Capital is the common brand used by financial services subsidiaries of Aditya Birla Capital Limited (ABCL). During these unprecedented COVID times, social media initiatives were undertaken by the brand to connect with people to help them with their two biggest worries - health and financial wellbeing. The campaigns had two vital spokes #MoneyforLife and #HealthfromHome. Collectively through both these initiatives, the brand Aditya Birla Capital reached over 52 million people within the first quarter of FY 20-21. The campaigns saw over 100 Facebook Live sessions garnering close to 11.1 million engagements including video views.

As the nationwide Covid-19 lockdown started, social life took a backseat affecting physical and mental well-being of people all over. Even though working from home made life easier, it also had adverse effects on people’s mental, physical and emotional health. Dwindling markets, decline in businesses and job losses made people wary about their wealth. In this regard, with a purpose to influence people and to help them focus on maintaining a healthier life while managing their money better, the brand started an initiative under the aegis #MoneyForLife and #Healthfromhome. The campaigns were based on one of the most important pillars of the brand – Advise, which underlines the brand’s behavior across all the solutions offered by ABCL’s subsidiaries.

#MoneyForLife was aimed at motivating people to live life without any financial stress by managing their money better. People tuned to the virtual platforms like Facebook live, podcasts etc. to seek advice on how they could manage their finances with ease and simplicity with the help of an expert. Appointments were made available to the larger audience wherein they could consult wealth managers who were experts in this domain and could offer useful advice. High engagement testified that the campaign was liked by customers and prospects alike.

On the other hand, #Healthfromhome a Facebook live series included yoga, home workouts, healthy nutritional cooking and doctor Q&A sessions by several health experts and enthusiasts. The sessions were aimed at improving mental, physical and emotional health and well-being of people to combat stress and sustain a healthy life whilst at home.

Facebook acknowledged the Money Advice campaign, which was supported by FB Lives by Advisors of ABCL’s subsidiaries, and considered it for a case study, for using the platform to drive exemplary results. Facebook also bestowed the Hall of Fame recognition to the #Healthfromhome campaign for engaging with millions.

Mr. Ajay Kakar, Chief Marketing Officer, Aditya Birla Capital Limited said, “COVID-19 has brought health and wealth to the fore as two key concerns and needs of every Indian. Aditya Birla Capital Limited, the Financial Services group that offers solutions through its subsidiaries for both health and wealth under one brand, considered this time to reach out to people with relevant information and expert advice, without any direct sales pitch. We realized that during such conditions people feel uncertain and directionless especially with their health and finances – this guided us to choose the social media platform to reach out to as many people as we could and stand by them. We took this opportunity to live up to our purpose of enabling every individual to live the life they truly desire, through money solutions that are easy to understand and implement.”

These campaigns helped the brand Aditya Birla Capital to touch many lives while helping and supporting many to navigate through their health and wealth worries during the pandemic.

Tanishq implements digital features across

Tanishq implements digital features across its 200+ stores
Focuses on experiential commerce, phygital features
Strengthens its omnichannel presence
Imagine a world where the best of both online and offline platforms come together to truly offer a seamless shopping experience to customers. For scaling up their business across multiple channels including brick and mortar, website and mobile app, India’s most trusted jewellery brand Tanishq announces the launch of new phygital features, a tech stack that’ll bridge the gap between bricks and clicks - Video calling, Endless aisle, Virtual jewellery try on, Real time live assisted chat and Book an appointment powered by augmented reality in more than 200 stores.
With digital and remote buying as an emerging and continuous trend, these new features will further strengthen Tanishq’s Omni- channel approach. 
Keeping customers at the heart of all innovations, Tanishq has also launched host of technology initiatives to promote contactless selling such as Book an appointment, Video calling, Endless aisle, Virtual jewellery try on and Live assisted chats.  





Feature Highlights:
Book an appointment- Customers can take appointments either by calling the stores, by filling a small form at www.tanishq.co.in or from the google pages of the stores.  Appointment based shopping not only provides personalized care to the customers at the store, but also helps in adhering to social distancing norms and thus provide a safe and secure environment so that the customers can have peace of mind while shopping at their favourite Tanishq store. Customers will also have the option of booking an appointment for Video Calling.
Video calling- Customers can connect on a video call with the store of their preference to virtually see the jewellery and gather details. Customers opting for Video Calling will be personally attended to help them choose from range of products curated beforehand based on their preference. The store staff showcase the jewellery by wearing it so customers are sure of how it looks before buying it. Once the customer places an order, the product gets delivered to their doorstep following all safety and hygiene norms. This feature brings a personalized real-time shopping experience of a Tanishq store in the comfort of home.
Virtual Jewellery Try on- Tanishq has created an innovative differentiation by offering a highly engaging, eye-catching and an immersive digital experience for customers to discover range of jewellery. One can ‘try and buy’ products across categories like earrings, pendants and necklaces virtually with the new Virtual try on feature on the Tanishq website. A tag is mentioned on the products - TRY ON AVAILABLE; to let consumers know that they can try on a particular product.
Endless Aisle- With the implementation of endless aisle at stores, Tanishq aims to connect all the stores in its retail network to showcase the entire range of products from any part of the country and guarantees to cater to jewellery requirements across all categories and regions at one go.
Live assisted chat- Customers, especially the first time online buyers, can be assisted by experts in real time on all their queries and help explore them and choose from a wide range of stunning designs, compare product attributes, and assist in resolving all queries immediately
Speaking on the introduction of virtual features, Mr. Arun Narayan, AVP Category, Marketing & Retail, Tanishq, Titan Company Limited, says “We are leveraging digital to solve for and enhance many aspects of the Tanishq buying experience. So now our customers can browse and even get expert assistance to make an informed purchase decision. The customers now have a choice to visit our stores physically or virtually through video calling from home. The idea behind initiating these virtual features was to enhance and give our customers the same experience that they would get by visiting any of our stores physically. The customers can also shop at our online store, seek live expert assistance through a chat, use our enhanced video calling facility or experience the look of the jewellery by using advanced virtual try on technology. Since we also cater to all the jewellery requirements across all communities, there is an option for a video call with an expert from any of the 207 cities where Tanishq stores are located. With all these new possibilities, shopping at Tanishq has become so much more exciting, safe and a lot more convenient.”
Customers can visit http://www.tanishq.co.in  for further details.     

Iconic fashion brand Anne Klein launches its

Iconic fashion brand Anne Klein launches its sustainable line of watches, ‘Considered’ in India
~ Priced in the range of INR 9,499 – INR 14,995, this aesthetically appealing & thoughtfully designed watch collection is brand’s effort towards minimizing our environmental footprint ~

In an effort to introduce environmentally friendly watches, Anne Klein, an American privately held company owned by WHP Global today announced the launch of ‘Anne Klein Considered’ in India on the occasion of ‘World Nature Conservation Day’. Titan Company Limited has exclusive rights for Anne Klein watches in India. Designed with a thoughtful approach and ethically sourced materials, this modern line of 11 watches is designed keeping in mind four ideals: Authenticity, Thoughtfulness, Cultivation, and Community.





The collection captures three innovations to make the product more sustainable – Responsible Leather, Powered by Sun and Renewable Plastic. Every watch in the collection has a solar-powered battery; powered not only by the Sun but any light source. The battery is completely rechargeable and will never need to be replaced. The watch gets fully charged when exposed to direct sunlight for 5 hours and can operate for about 4 months on a single charge.  The responsible Leather range uses plant-based vegan leather straps made from a host of organic materials like apple peels, pineapple & cork. Some of the watch straps have a recyclable cork lining. To avoid the damage associated with traditional plastics, the renewable Plastic collection uses cellulose acetate made from natural cotton and wood fibers instead of oil-based materials. The watches come with an elegant box made from 80% post-consumer waste, recycled paper and organic cotton.

Speaking about the collection, Ms. Suparna Mitra - CEO, Watches and Wearables Division, at Titan Company Limited said, “Addressing the evolving demands of environmentally conscious customers, we are thrilled to launch this special line of watches, Anne Klein Considered in the country. The collection is responsibly engineered and incorporates innovative and responsible leathers. Anne Klein Considered boasts of contemporary timepieces in trendy colors designed for the mindful and environment-conscious consumers of today.”

For the women who like a fine blend of style and elegance, these statement watches work perfectly whether at work or a brunch out with friends. The metallic timepieces come in the color palette of gold, rose gold and silver. The watches with leather straps resonate in a forest colour themes. Some of the timepieces entail exquisitely crafted Swarovski crystals that are ethically sourced and lead-free, that further add to their vintage charm.  Priced in the range of INR 9,499 – INR 14,995, consumers can shop for the collection at Helios stores across India, select World of Titan stores, Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle and Central. You can also shop this elegant collection online at www.titan.co.in, helioswatchstore.com, and other online stores

USGIC Launches India’s 1st AI-powered Conversational Agent for

USGIC Launches India’s 1st AI-powered Conversational Agent for Motor Insurance
The Covid-19 pandemic has caused ambiguity and disruption in customer services across the world and has changed the life of people in unthinkable ways. In these unforeseen circumstances, Universal Sompo General Insurance, as a customer-first organisation has launched Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered virtual agents for its motor claims services.

Universal Sompo's AI-powered virtual agents will use conversational AI to automate the routine conversations traditionally handled by live agents. The First Notice of Loss (FNOL), which is the first step in claims processing, is usually a call center-based service which requires extensive questions and data gathering. Customers who have had a motor accident and are wanting to register a quick claim are usually under stress and look for convenient ways to report the claim without having to wait in call queues. 

Offloading routine calls from customer service representatives to AI-powered virtual agents will create a far superior customer experience. The entire turnaround time (TAT) in the claim registration process is impacted significantly thereby reducing the wait time for filing a claim, checks on claims status, review of policy information, and much more - all the things live agents would typically manage. With this first-of-its-kind solution in the insurance sector in India, this entire process at Universal Sompo will shrink to a few minutes.

"Claims notification is a critical customer touchpoint in insurance. In Post-Covid era our biggest challenge is how we should Never Miss a Customer Call. AI automation will help streamline experience for both our customers and backend operations and we are placing big bets on it,” said Sharad Mathur, Managing Director & CEO, Universal Sompo General Insurance Company Ltd.

As a customer-first and responsible organization, Universal Sompo has been consistently scaling up its technology and infrastructure to align itself not only with regulatory changes but also to provide best services to its customers. Hence, to remain future ready and always ahead of the curve, it has recently deployed various initiatives like Mobile Application (M-POS) for POS channel, Payment Integration with digital wallets, System for Crop Insurance and Customer self-service portal etc.

Soon, Universal Sompo will be co-creating many AI and digital solutions which will help offset productivity losses and successfully face challenges of new operating environments. It is keen on recognizing tech trends, evaluate business opportunities, and actively incorporate relevant processes and programs into the business model, for outpacing and outperforming market competition. At the same time, the company will try to deliver simpler, innovative and customer need-based products.

IDFC FIRST Bank Q1 FY21 Profit after Tax at Rs. 94 crore


IDFC FIRST Bank Q1 FY21 Profit after Tax at Rs. 94 crore
CASA deposits grows 145% YoY; CASA% reaches 33.7%; Capital adequacy reaches 15%

Financial results at a glance

The Board of Directors of IDFC FIRST Bank, the Bank created by the merger of IDFC Bank and Capital First recently, in its meeting held today, approved the combined audited financial results for the quarter ended June 30, 2020, as summarized below.

Earnings

§   The Profit after Tax for Q1 FY21 is reported at Rs. 94 crore as compared to Loss of Rs. 617 crore for Q1 FY20.
§   Q1 FY21 Net Interest Income (NII) grew 38% Y-o-Y to Rs. 1,626 crore, up from Rs. 1,174 crore in Q1 FY20. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown impact, the Q-o-Q NII grew by 4%.
§   Net Interest Margin (quarterly annualized) rose to 4.53% in Q1 FY21 from 3.01% in Q1 FY20.
§   Fee and Other Income (without trading gains) decreased 54% to Rs. 148 Crore in Q1 FY21 as compared to Rs. 321 crore in Q1-FY20 due to lower loan originations and reduced banking activity on account of COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown throughout the country. The trading gain for Q1-FY21 was at Rs. 337 crore.
§   Total Income (net of Interest Expense) grew by 42% at Rs. 2,111 crore for Q1-FY21 as compared to Rs. 1,485 crore for Q1-FY20.
§   Pre-Provisioning Profit (PPOP) increased by 181% to Rs. 892 crore in Q1 FY21 as compared to Rs. 318 crore in Q1 FY20.
§   Without the trading gain, Core PPOP, which is the Core Pre-Provisioning Operating Profit (Total Income net of Treasury gains and operating expenditure) increased by 69% on YOY basis from Rs. 328 crore in Q1-FY20 to Rs. 555 crore in Q1-FY21.
§   The provision for Q1-FY21 was at Rs. 764 crore as compared to Rs. 1,281 crore for Q1 FY20 and as compared to Rs. 679 crore in Q4 FY20. In the first phase of moratorium, the Bank took COVID-19 related provision of Rs. 225 crore through the profit and loss account in the quarter ending on March 31, 2020. During Q1-FY21 the Bank has created additional COVID-19 related provision of Rs. 375 crore to further strengthen the balance sheet.
 Liabilities – Strong and Steady growth
§   CASA Deposits posted strong growth, rising 145% YoY to Rs. 23,491 crore as on June 30, 2020 as compared to Rs. 9,594 crore as on June 30, 2019.
§   CASA Ratio improved to 33.74% as on June 30, 2020 as compared to 14.57% as on June 30, 2019.
§   Core Deposits (Retail CASA and Retail Term Deposits) increased 139% to Rs. 39,872 crore as on June 30, 2020 from 16,672 crore in June 30, 2019. This signifies the sticky and sustainable nature of the growing deposit balance.
§   The Fixed Deposits of the Bank has been assigned the highest rating “FAAA/Stable” by CRISIL.
§   The Bank has reduced its dependence on the wholesale and market borrowings which have been suitably replaced by the growth of core Retail Deposits. The borrowing through Certificate of Deposits (CD) of the Bank has reduced by 64% on YOY basis to Rs. 7,212 crore as on June 30, 2020 from Rs. 20,058 crore as of June 30, 2019.
§   As of June 30, 2020, the Bank has 503 branches and 417 ATMs across the country.


Loans and Advances – stable with growing retail %

§   Total Funded Loan Assets, gross of Inter-Bank Participation Certificates (IBPC), stood at Rs. 1,04,050 crore as on June 30, 2020, compared to Rs. 1,12,558 crore as on June 30, 2019 and as compared to Rs. 1,07,004 crore as on March 31, 2020. As the stated strategy the Bank focused on growing the retail loan book and decreased the wholesale loan book including infrastructure loans to reduce concentration risk on the portfolio.
§   Out of the total book mentioned above, Retail Loan Book increased by 26% to Rs. 56,043 crore as on June 30, 2020, compared to Rs. 44,642 crore as on June 30, 2019.

§   The Bank also acquired inorganic portfolio buyouts, primarily to cater to the PSL requirements where the underlying assets are retail loans. Retail loans including such inorganic portfolio constitute 61% of the overall loan assets.
§   Wholesale Loan Book, including Security receipts and Loans converted to equity reduced by 28% from Rs. 55,648 crore as of June 30, 2019 to Rs. 40,275 crore as of June 30, 2020 as the Large corporate loans and infrastructure loans continue to decline steadily as per the stated objective.
§   Within the wholesale segment as stated above, the Infrastructure loan book reduced by 34% to Rs. 13,416 crore as on June 30, 2020 from Rs. 20,322 crore as on June 30, 2019.

Asset Quality

§   Gross NPA of the Bank reduced to 1.99% as of June 30, 2020, as compared to 2.60% as of March 31, 2020.
§   Net NPA was 0.51% as of June 30, 2020, as compared to 0.94% as of March 31, 2020.
§   As of June 30, 2020, the Gross NPA % of the Retail Loan Book was at 0.87% as compared to 1.77% as of March 31, 2020 and Net NPA % of the Retail Loan Book of the Bank was at 0.24% as compared to 0.67% as of March 31, 2020.
§   The Provision coverage ratio on NPA accounts improved to 74.93% at June 30, 2020 as compared to 49.76% at June 30, 2019 and 64.53% at March 31, 2020.
§   The current NPA levels include the benefit of the moratorium provided to customers, including the overdue accounts which were at standstill.
§   Apart from the NPA, the identified stressed asset pool of the Bank, reduced by Rs. 943 crore during the last financial year. This stressed pool stood at Rs. 3,195 crore as of 30 June 2020 against which the Bank has done provisioning of Rs. 1,668 crore, 52% of the pool.
§   Apart from the NPA and Stressed Accounts as mentioned above, the Bank had also marked one large telecom account as stressed and provisioned 50% against the total outstanding of Rs. 3,244 crore (Funded Rs. 2,000 crore and Non-Funded Rs. 1,244

crore) in the quarter ending on 31 December 2019. The Bank continues to carry the same provision for the account as of June 30, 2020.

COVID-19 situation

§   During Q1-FY21, the nation-wide lockdown due to COVID19 pandemic stayed for the entire first two months of the last quarter and practically continues till now in the localized manner in some of the key business locations including main cities in India.
§   In the midst of such situation, the Bank continued to service its customers in all possible ways emphasizing on technology driven solutions and grew its business gradually, both for deposits and loans.
§   The branches of the Bank have remained open during this emergency time and the employees have efficiently helped their customers for all their needs in this situation, while remaining under the guidelines as prescribed by the Government Authorities.
§   The Bank introduced video-based KYC to onboard customers remotely in a completely touch-free way during the last quarter.

Impact on Disbursements

o   Retail disbursals were significantly impacted, especially during the month of April and May 2020, because of COVID-19 pandemic and related lockdown throughout the country. However, during June 2020, the disbursal revived once the lockdowns were relaxed up to an extent and has been in an improving trend since then.
o   The Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme announced by the Government of India has been an excellent initiative to revive the businesses for the MSMEs and we have been participating to extend to our eligible customers under this scheme.

§   During May 2020, the RBI also announced the second phase of moratorium till end of August 2020 and the Bank accordingly extended moratorium to its eligible customers. For the second phase, till date, the Bank has provided moratorium to about 28% of its

customers based on the value, out of which 23% is in retail assets including rural portfolio and 35% is in the wholesale financing portfolio.

 Capital Position
§   As of June 30, 2020, the Net Worth of the Bank was Rs. 17,436 crore and the Book Value per share was Rs. 30.74.
§   Capital Adequacy of the Bank is strong at 15.03% with CET-1 Ratio at 14.58% as of June 30, 2020 as compared to Capital Adequacy Ratio of 13.38% and CET-1 Ratio of 13.30% as of March 31, 2020.
§   The Bank successfully raised Rs. 2,000 crore of fresh equity capital through preferential route during the quarter.

Mr. V Vaidyanathan, Managing Director and CEO, IDFC FIRST Bank, said, “We are happy to inform that we continue to progress well on all parameters as per the guidance provided for the bank. Further, we have liberally provided moratorium to customers who sought it, and our moratorium was about 45% last quarter. This has reduced to 28% now, which we expect to fall below 10% by August 31, 2020, based on the strong improving trend in collections we are experiencing.”