Oyo sees a $26 billion opportunity in India by 2030 as it considers India its main growth

Oyo sees a $26 billion opportunity in India by 2030 as it considers India its main growth area, which contributes over 90% to its revenues, Bernstein says.

Oyo’s decision to focus on markets with the best scale and economics, namely India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Europe instead of 35 countries helped the hotel room aggregator survive during the Covid-19 pandemic, said global equity research firm Bernstein.

The short-stay accommodation market's global total addressable market opportunity is expected to increase from $1,267 billion in 2019 to $ 1,907 billion by 2030. Oyo sees a $26 billion opportunity in India by 2030 as it considers India its main growth area, which contributes over 90% to its revenues, the research firm said in a report.

“The global travel and tourism industry and the short-stay market have several favourable trends for Oyo. The world is getting wealthier, increased per capita income, and growing middle-class means increased traveling demand,” according to Bernstein.

According to Bernstein, Oyo’s unit economics has improved with contribution profit, increasing from 5.1% in FY20 to 18.4% in FY21, driven by stable take rates, lower discounts, and no minimum guarantee. Oyo's gross booking value grew 170% in FY20, led by an increase in storefronts but declined 67% in FY21 due to storefronts ceasing operations due to Covid-19. Gross margins stood stable at 33%, with substantial cost management, said the research firm.

Oyo Hotels & Homes filed its draft prospectus with the country’s capital market regulator last week, aiming to raise Rs 8,430 crore ($1.2 billion) through a public issue as it joins a growing number of local startups tapping the public markets. The hospitality startup expects to raise around Rs 7,000 crore ($950 million) through new shares, while the balance will come through secondary share sales (offer for sale or OFS).

The company’s total income fell by nearly 70% to Rs 4,157 crore in FY21 due to the pandemic, but it also made progress in cutting down on its losses. Its loss for the same period narrowed to Rs 3,943 crore compared to Rs 13,122 crore a year ago.

However, strong return on investment for hotel/homeowners helped them increase revenue by 1.5 times to 1.9 times compared to revenue at independent hotels, said Bernstein.

For Oyo, one of the main ways to acquire consumers has been through marketing and promotions, and it cut down on this vertical as well in FY21. It spent Rs 542.6 crore for marketing and promotions in FY21 compared to Rs 1,879.7 crore a year ago. Oyo said it cut down its employee benefits expenses by 63% to Rs 1,742.1 crore in FY21 against Rs 4,765.2 crore in FY20.

“Oyo's strong revenue retention cohort is a clear demonstration of its customer stickiness. Over 80% of the company's revenues come from repeat and organic customers. The measure of direct demand on the platform measured as a percentage of booked nights was 90% in India,” said Bernstein.

Oyo addresses the pain points of hotels and homes across key markets. The company offers offline to online on-boarding tools, 3rd party distribution and demand, online revenue management, operations management, and customer service, all integrated into a single place.

Putting aside Covid-19, the world is more accessible due to the increased connectivity and awareness of tourist destinations via social media. New generations are traveling more as they have a higher propensity to travel, and there are more affordable travel options.

The research firm said that Covid-19 had brought higher prominence to domestic travel, especially with the work from home formats. “Globally stayed nights per capita in 2019 (total of all room nights divided by population) is expected to reach 1.67x in 2025 from 1.5x in 2019. Global trips are expected to expand to $16.7 billion in 2025 and stay nights to $13.6 billion.

With the Changing trends and situation Tamil film Industry is getting ready for

With the Changing trends and situation Tamil film Industry is getting ready for the grand releases in the coming months.

Arun Vijay's Patriotic Action Thriller film 'Arunvijayin Borrder' is in the cards to pridely Join the Bandwagon. Yes, The Magnum opus Film of  Director Arivazhagan has completed its post production swiftly with the nameful technicians of the Industry.


 Arun Vijay, the actor who is managing and setting the expectations of the audiences, has once again got his decision right with choosing 'Arunvijayin Borrder'. The Actor put all his effort together to look himself as NAME OF THE CHARACTER, an Intelligence officer in the film. Right from a romance scenes to high breath-taking action sequences Arun Vijay was working meticulously throughout to get the film its magnum opus status .Not to forget the support he has given to the team during the time of COVID 19, he was on the roads, streets of Delhi , Agra and Ajmeer during the second wave in order to finish the movie on time. Debutant Steffy Patel plays Arun Vijay's Love Interest, the team is very well sure that Stefy will be a worthy find.  

Regina Cassandra is the lead lady of 'Borrder'. She is playing the Colleague of Arun Vijay. WIth the stylish outlook of an agent Regina has also tried some unique action sequences for the first time. The actress went over board and underwent special training  for the role.Popular actor Baks Bagavathy played an important role in this.

The crew has mended their limitations and worked amidst the covid times and finished the post production. 

Director Arivazhagan has once again got a winner on the cards. The high budget action thriller is going to be a treat to watch. joining the list of films releasing soon, The team is getting ready for Censoring their movie. 

Borrder is being produced by Vijay Raghavendra of All in Pictures
All India theatrical release by Dr.Prabhu Thilak of 11:11 Productions who has distributed and produced quality content on tamil cinema .

Trailer : https://youtu.be/Cy8iSKDNfUg

திரையரங்குகளில் வெளியிடுவதற்காக தயாராகும்

                            திரையரங்குகளில் வெளியிடுவதற்காக தயாராகும் 

                                                    ‘அருண் விஜய்யின் பார்டர்'.

நடிகர் சூர்யா, கார்த்தி, ஜெயம் ரவி இணைந்து வெளியிட்ட ‘அருண்விஜய்யின் பார்டர்’ பட முன்னோட்டம்

நடிகர் அருண் விஜய் நடிப்பில் தயாராகி வரும் 'அருண்விஜய்யின் பார்டர்' திரைப்படம் திரையரங்குகளில் வெளியிடுவதற்கான அனைத்து முயற்சிகளிலும் படக்குழுவினர் தீவிரமாக ஈடுபட்டு வருகின்றனர். இதனால் திரைப்படத்தின் வெளியீடு குறித்த அறிவிப்பு விரைவில் அதிகாரப்பூர்வமாக வெளியாகலாம். இந்நிலையில் ‘அருண்விஜய்யின் பார்டர்’ படத்தின் முன்னோட்டத்தை நடிகர்கள் சூர்யா, கார்த்தி மற்றும் ஜெயம் ரவி ஆகியோர் இணைந்து வெளியிட்டிருக்கிறார்கள். 

கொரோனாத் தொற்று பாதிப்பிற்கு பிறகு தமிழ் திரை உலகில் மாற்றங்கள் ஏற்பட்டு, 50 சதவீத பார்வையாளர்களுடன் திரையரங்குகள் திறக்கப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. பல புதிய திரைப்படங்கள் திரையிடப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. ரசிகர்களும், பார்வையாளர்களும் திரையரங்கத்தை நோக்கி வரத் தொடங்கியுள்ளனர். இந்த சூழலில் எதிர்வரும் மாதங்களில் பல புதிய திரைப்படங்கள் வெளியாக தயாராகிவருகிறது.

நடிகர் அருண் விஜய் நடிப்பில் தயாராகி வரும் தேசபக்தி கொண்ட ஆக்சன் என்டர்டெய்ன்மென்ட் திரைப்படம் 'அருண்விஜய்யின் பார்டர்'. ஆல் இன் பிக்சர்ஸ் என்ற பட நிறுவனம் சார்பில் தயாரிப்பாளர் விஜய ராகவேந்திரா பிரம்மாண்டமான பட்ஜெட்டில் இப்படத்தை தயாரித்திருக்கிறார். இயக்குனர் அறிவழகன் இயக்கத்தில் தயாராகி இருக்கும் இப்படத்தின் அனைத்து பணிகளும் நிறைவடைந்திருக்கின்றன. இதனைத் தொடர்ந்து விரைவில் வெளியாகும் திரைப்படங்களின் பட்டியலில் ‘அருண் விஜய்யின் பார்டர்’ திரைப்படமும் இணைகிறது.

ரசிகர்களின் எதிர்பார்ப்புக்கு ஏற்ற வகையில் கதையையும், கதாபாத்திரத்தையும் தேர்வு செய்து நடித்து வரும் முன்னணி நடிகர்களில் நடிகர் அருண் விஜயும் ஒருவர். 'அருண்விஜய்யின் பார்டர்' படத்திலும் துணிச்சல் மற்றும் சவாலான புலனாய்வு துறை அதிகாரியாக நடித்துள்ளார். இதன் மூலம் ரசிகர்களின் எதிர்பார்ப்பை அதிகரிக்கச் செய்திருக்கிறார். இந்த கதாபாத்திரத்திற்காக அவர் கடுமையாக உழைத்து, ஒத்திகையும், பயிற்சியும் செய்து சண்டைக்காட்சிகளில் நடித்து அசத்தியிருக்கிறார். அதிலும் கொரோனா தொற்று பரவல் இருந்த காலகட்டத்தில், படத்தின் பணிகளை நிறைவு செய்வதற்காக படக்குழுவினருக்கு தன்னாலான அனைத்து உதவிகளையும் செய்திருக்கிறார். குறிப்பாக டெல்லி, ஆக்ரா மற்றும் அஜ்மீர் ஆகிய நகரங்களின் வீதிகளில் நடைபெற்ற படப்பிடிப்புகளில் கலந்து கொண்டு முழுமையான ஒத்துழைப்பை அளித்திருக்கிறார்.

இந்தப்படத்தில் அறிமுக நடிகை ஸ்டெபி பட்டேல், நாயகன் அருண் விஜய்யின் காதலியாக - ஜோடியாக நடித்திருக்கிறார். அவருடைய திறமையான நடிப்பு, இப்படத்தின் வெற்றிக்கு உதவும் வகையிலேயே அமைந்திருக்கிறது.

நடிகை ரெஜினா கசாண்ட்ரா, இப்படத்தில் நாயகன் அருண் விஜயுடன் பணியாற்றும் புலனாய்வு துறை அதிகாரியாக நடித்திருக்கிறார். இந்தப் படத்தில் அவரும் சண்டை காட்சிகளில் நடித்திருக்கிறார். இதற்காக சிறப்பு பயிற்சியும் பெற்றார். பிரபல நடிகர் பக்ஸ் என்ற பகவதி பெருமாள் முக்கியமான கதாபாத்திரத்தில் நடித்திருக்கிறார்.

இயக்குனர் அறிவழகன் மற்றும் அவரது குழுவினர், கொரோனா பாதிப்பு காலகட்டத்திலும் சரியான பாதுகாப்பு நடவடிக்கைகளை மேற்கொண்டு, படத்தின் இறுதிகட்ட பணிகளை நிறைவு செய்தனர். பிரம்மாண்டமான பட்ஜெட்டில் ஆக்சன் என்டர்டெய்னர் ஜானரில் தயாராகியிருக்கும்  ‘அருண்விஜய்யின் பார்டர்' படத்தின் மூலம் இயக்குனர் அறிவழகன் மீண்டும் ஒரு திறமையான இயக்குனர் என்பதை நிரூபித்திருக்கிறார். இந்த திரைப்படம் தணிக்கைக்குச் செல்லும் வகையில் அனைத்து பணிகளும் நிறைவடைந்திருக்கிறது.

ஆல் இன் பிக்சர்ஸ் சார்பில் தயாரிப்பாளர் விஜய ராகவேந்திரா பிரம்மாண்டமான பட்ஜெட்டில் தயாரித்திருக்கும் 'அருண்விஜய்யின் பார்டர்' திரைப்படத்தை, 11 :11 புரொடக்சன்ஸ் தயாரிப்பாளர் டாக்டர் பிரபு திலக், தமிழ், தெலுங்கு, ஹிந்தி என மும்மொழிகளிலும் வெளியிடுகிறார். இப்படம் விரைவில் திரையரங்குகளில் வெளியாகலாம். அதற்கான அறிவிப்பு விரைவில் அதிகாரப்பூர்வமாக வெளியாகக்கூடும். இந்நிலையில் ‘அருண்விஜய்யின் பார்டர்’ படத்தின் முன்னோட்டத்தை நடிகர்கள் சூர்யா, கார்த்தி மற்றும் ஜெயம் ரவி ஆகியோர் இணைந்து வெளியிட்டனர். இதற்கு இணையத்தில் பெரும் வரவேற்பும், ஆதரவும் கிடைத்து வருகிறது.

Trailer : https://youtu.be/Cy8iSKDNfUg

Breaking the cycle of ill-health and poverty

                             Breaking the cycle of ill-health and poverty: Swasti’s i4We demonstrates how                                             community ownership of primary healthcare is possible

According to the “Tracking universal health coverage: 2017 global monitoring report” by the World Health Organization and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in India alone, about 50-60 million people in the last decade have been pushed to poverty because of health-related expenditure^[1]. The poor lose up to 1-2 months of productive time in a year to illness of self and family. Almost 50-80% of them live with some form of undiagnosed illnesses and die earlier than those who are economically better off^[2].  To address this issue and break the vicious cycle of ill health and poverty, Swasti’s Invest for Wellness (i4We) programme has brought primary care to the doorstep of 2 lakh+ of the poorest and most marginalised people. Their aim is to reach 100 million well-thy days^[3]  by the year 2030.

The programme is currently being implemented across 4 States and 5 locations in urban and rural areas in India – Sehore District (2 blocks)  in Madhya Pradesh; Ramanagara District (1 taluka), , and Bengaluru urban district in Karnataka; Karur urban in Tamil Nadu; and Gurugram in Haryana. The model is designed to  have local community leadership through not just frontline health workers, but through health focused groups and a local community institution, equivalent of the Mahila Arogrya Samiti. Each family is a “member” and actively participate in their well-being journey, actively being navigated through health information, advice and services (screening, treatment and care services and referral) , social protection (awareness,eligibility and facilitation of government identity and schemes) as well as financial literacy and services (savings and credit)  

As a response to COVID-19, the community leaders  prevented the spread of the virus among their members  by conducting surveillance, providing local support and advice, reinforcing safety protocols and behaviours, offering telecare services for home isolation, chronic conditions  as well as facilitating vaccination drives.   Community leaders worked alongside staff from Swasti to follow-up with families  during COVID-19 and support access to rations, medications, govt services, hospitalization and oxygen support.

Best described as a system innovation in primary healthcare, i4We combines health and wealth interventions, and focuses on well-being for the most poor and marginalized communities. It was incubated by the Catalyst Group – a 26-year-old social impact platform, working in the spaces of social and economic development as well as humanitarian emergencies. Sister organizations of the Catalyst Group are CMS – social impact specialists, Swasti, The Health Catalyst – a Global South public health non-profit, Vrutti – Livelihood Impact Partners were instrumental in bringing i4We to life. It is being supported by various partners in different locations including flagship partner - Marks & Spencer and others like Migros, Levi Strauss & Co., Social Venture Partners, Morgan Stanley, Ashraya Hastha Trust, PCMH Restore-Health, PCI 360 etc.

Shiv Kumar, the co-founder of the Catalyst Group and Chief architect of i4We, said, “i4We uses a strong technology strategy which includes an app for the health facilitator, nurse, and the healthcare provider network, real-time analysis and dashboards for action, point of care diagnostics, and a range of innovative health products. It also uses the latest behavioral science theory and practices including survival analysis, nudge, and other tools.”

Describing their experience, Puja Devi, President of Sanjeevani Kalyan Samiti, Mohammadpur-Jharsa says,  “We save about Rs, 200 per month in our own accounts which earns interest. Every family gets a variety of benefits ranging from screening, treatment, care, health education and advice, low-cost credit and opportunities for training and livelihood.  We work to help families take charge of their health - from what they eat, their emotional health, solving problems or working through them. When we work together, we can move forward faster”

Health outcomes cannot be guaranteed with a linear approach. For the vulnerable, unless crucial challenges such as financial security and protection are ensured, health for all will continue to remain a pipe dream. And therefore, it is imperative that public health solutions are designed to address challenges beyond just the obvious. The i4We model demonstrates one such holistic approach, that supports people navigate their health journey, towards well’thy days.  

Tracking COVID-19 and variants of concern in wastewater around

Tracking COVID-19 and variants of concern in wastewater around the globe

An international team of researchers led by the University of Otago and Western University, Canada, is investigating how wastewater can provide an accurate picture of COVID-19 cases in a population and detect emerging variants of concern.

For three weeks this summer Dr Hector Rangel, Western Associate Scientist, collected samples from wastewater in Caracas, Venezuela.

In Kampala, Uganda, Dr Brian Lubega, took samples from a stream where open sewers drain into the watershed.

These specimens were then processed and sent off to be analyzed at Western University’s Imaging Pathogens for Knowledge Translation (ImPaKT) facility. The goal is to better understand the prevalence of the coronavirus in these areas and get a picture of the variants that are circulating there.

Caracas and Kampala are two of six international sites that are part of a new project investigating whether wastewater testing can be a viable surveillance system for SARS-Cov-2 in low and middle-income countries. The project is led by Western and Otago and involves scientists in Uganda, Ghana, Colombia, Venezuela and Fiji.

At each of these locations, wastewater is collected at set time intervals and processed to extract the RNA. The samples are then shipped to the ImPaKT biocontainment facility in London, Ontario, for analysis. Researchers at ImPaKT look for evidence of SARS-CoV-2 in the samples and can also sequence the RNA to identify which variants are circulating in the population. This way, they can also detect new and emerging variants.

“COVID-19 testing in low-to-middle-income countries is not available the way it is here. We realized that testing for the virus in wastewater is a low-cost tool to monitor the pandemic in these settings,” says Dr Eric Arts, Professor at Western’s Schulich School of Medicine & Dentistry. “Based on what we’ve done in Ontario, we can get a pretty good estimate of the viral load in the water to estimate how many cases there are in that population.”

He says this can help identify which populations and geographic areas to target for vaccination campaigns.

In Caracas, for example, only a limited number of labs can test for COVID-19 in the population, and the political and economic situation in the country make testing and tracing even more challenging. Because of this, the number of reported cases likely underestimates the true picture in the country.

“Because of limited testing, people walk the streets with the infection, but are asymptomatic, and become sources of dispersal of the virus,” says Dr Rangel. “In this sense, the detection of infection nodes in the wastewater might make it possible to limit the active dispersal areas and perhaps control these events a little better.”

Beyond COVID

The proof-of-concept study is being done to demonstrate if this kind of surveillance is possible in places where most wastewater does not end up in treatment plants. In regions of Uganda and Ghana, open sewers can drain directly into nearby streams, which are also the best collection points to monitor COVID-19 outbreaks in heavily populated, low-income urban areas. 

“We already know that this [water testing protocol] works in higher income countries, like Canada, Italy and Belgium, with well-established wastewater systems, but we want to show that we are able to also make it work in low- and middle-income countries as well,” says Professor Miguel Quiñones-Mateu, of Otago’s Department of Microbiology and Immunology.

Teaming up with wastewater engineers and geographers, the team is using the topography, water drainage patterns and housing density maps to estimate the number of COVID-19 cases in the population. All of this relies on taking a sample from stream and measuring the amount of virus in it. 

“We also look at how different wastewater constituents affect the virus; so for example, the temperature of the water or the presence of organic material, and how that plays a role in what we are actually able to recover and detect,” said Dr Chris DeGroot, Assistant Professor in Western’s Faculty of Engineering who studies wastewater. “The goal is to be able to use this as a public health monitoring system in any country.”

The research team hopes that beyond the COVID-19 pandemic, this could be used to detect other viruses in wastewater, to get an early warning sign for future outbreaks and epidemics.

Nissan Renault Financial Services India donates

 Nissan Renault Financial Services India (NRFSI)
donates INR 1 Crore to the PM CARES Fund

 

• NRFSI contributes INR 1 crore to PM CARES fund
• Nissan India contributed INR 6.5 crore to local communities, and Tamil Nadu SDMA and Relief Fund
• Launched an integrated general awareness and safety campaign with Kapil Dev on COVID-19

Nissan India has contributed INR 6.5 crore towards local communities, with a cash contribution to the Tamil Nadu SDMA, Tamil Nadu CM relief Fund and COVID-19 relief equipment to NGOs and hospitals. Additionally, Nissan Renault Financial Services has donated INR 1 crore to the PM CARES fund, leading to the total amount of INR 7.5 crores.

Over the last few months, and as part of the relief equipment support with the start of the second wave of COVID-19, Nissan India has distributed N-95 masks, PPE kits, oxygen concentrators, portable ECG machines, X-ray machines, pulse oximeters and nasal oxygen machines in Delhi NCR and Chennai. Additionally, in partnership with the World Community Service Centre, RNAIPL distributes cooked food packets to migrant workers. 

 

“As a people-first organization, Nissan has always extended support to the local communities during these difficult times. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have always helped our employees and other stakeholders through our differentiated CSR initiatives. We are dedicated towards providing all the necessary means to the people in need. Our donation to the PM CARES Fund is an endeavor to extend a helping hand to society, during these challenging times.” said Sinan Ozkok, President, Nissan Motor India Pvt. Ltd.

Commenting on the initiative, Rakesh Kochhar, Senior Vice President, Global Treasury and Sales Finance, Nissan Motor Corporation said “The second wave of COVID-19 has disrupted many lives and left people with uncertainties. NRFSI has come forward and donated INR 1 crore for the well-being of society to support the government during these challenging times. In addition, Nissan India is committed to help society and its employees through continuous support and CSR outreach.

Nissan India has also launched an integrated general awareness and safety campaign with Kapil Dev that aims to educate and empower India against COVID-19 through cricket, a force that unifies the country. By using cricket analogies to draw parallels between preparing for a match and preparing to fight COVID-19, the campaign hopes to amplify the message of safety by urging Indians to come together as the country faces one if its toughest matches yet on health and safety.

 

Madras Anchorage Round Table 100 & Make My Chairs

                                Madras Anchorage Round Table 100 & MAKEMYCHAIRS.com                                 distributed 1000 study chairs to under privileged Children across India

Madras Anchorage Round Table 100 (MART 100) in association with MAKEMYCHAIRS.COM has launched a programme to pay tribute to the Missile man of India and former President of India – Late
Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam. He was best known for promoting education and his unparalleled love for the students community. In line with Round Table India’s  ( RTI ) long term vision of Freedom through Education where it builds one classroom everyday positively impacting lakhs of students.

 
MART 100 under the Chairmanship of Tr. Rajesh has committed to provide student chairs for deserving students to help them tide over study from home, during this tough COVID situation with a tie up with Makemychairs.com. In this tie up Makemychairs.com’s Director, Mr. Ajith Bohara has come forward to sponsor these 1,000 chairs to students through Madras Anchorage Round Table 100

Speaking about the project, MART 100’s Chairman, Tr. Rajesh says, "The COVID-19 pandemic has badly disrupted the education of school students. The plight of children from poor economic backgrounds is worse. Often, they have to sit on the floor and attend online sessions. This affects their attention and over time, children develop health issues because of the wrong posture. To help such students, we are distributing 1,000 chairs through Round Tables across India. The chairs have superior ergonomics which are specially designed for long sitting hours with high quality and durability."

10 chairs were distributed to children from Jai Gopal Garodia Govt Girls Higher Secondary School and
G K Jain School. The chairs were distributed in the presence of Chief Guest Tr Priyesh Shah, IPP, RTI and guest of honor, Tr Santosh Raj, Chairman Elect Area 2, RTI. The event also saw giving away medallion set based on Late Dr APJ Abdul Kalam to donors who have come forward.

Robin Hood Army to vaccinate 1.5 lakh underprivileged citizens & serve 5

 Robin Hood Army to vaccinate 1.5 lakh underprivileged citizens and serve 5 million meals in collaboration with WhatsApp, Uber and Google

31 July-15 August 2021 | 150,000 vaccinations | Serve 5 million meals | 28 States

Join the initiative as a volunteer by sending a WhatsApp message to +91 8971966164

Robin Hood Army (RHA), the volunteer-based zero funds organization has joined hands with WhatsApp, Uber and Google to bring together volunteers who will help vaccinate 1.5 lakh Indians and serve 5 million meals to those most affected by the pandemic across every state of India by 15 August 2021

The initiative named #mission28states is a national effort across 28 states in the country, in which RHA volunteers shall bring together civic society supported by three leading technology firms to address two key challenges facing our nation today – feeding the hungry and ensuring every Indian is vaccinated before a potential deadly third wave. Like every RHA initiative that operated on a no-funds approach, all the support brought in by the technology partners will be used to achieve #mission28states throughout India.

Speaking on the occasion, Neel Ghose, Founder, The Robin Hood Army said, “The pandemic has been devastating for lakhs of families and widened inequities across our communities. Whilst the government and administrations are doing their best, it's important that civic society steps up and contribute our talent and resources. In the lead up to our Independence Day, this year through the support of WhatsApp, Uber and Google for the #mission28states, Robins will mobilise 1.5 lakh people to get the COVID- 19 vaccine and at least 5 million meals across every state of India between 31 July-15 August 2021. At the Robin Hood Army, we are stoked to bring together civic society and leading technology partners together to undertake this massive effort to increase outreach against COVID-19 and create impact across every state in the country.”

The #mission28states will be executed in three parts:

• Rations and Vaccines: Thousands of Robin Hood Army volunteers, called ‘Robins’ will drive awareness campaigns and organize 1.5 lakh citizens to be vaccinated across 28 states. In addition, during this period, Robins will also serve at least 5 million meals to the most needy. The focus of drives shall be on serving citizens who have least access to vaccines - homeless families, the transgender community, rural inhabitants among others.
  

• Technology Partners: Robin Hood Army’s chatbot, to solicit volunteers, is powered by WhatsApp; people from across the country can now sign up as volunteers and join the mission seamlessly using just their mobile phones.
•  
• As the national mobility partner, Uber is providing the wheels to this mission whereby it will deploy thousands of free Uber rides for the volunteers to mobilize people to vaccination centres and distribute meals while Google will provide more than a millions of meals which will be served to those affected by the pandemic. 
  

• Media: Robin Hood Army has partnered at local and national levels with radio stations, billboard companies, influencers, media houses, and digital groups to mobilize local communities and broadcast the urgency of the national vaccination program.
  

Speaking about the RHA initiative, Abhijit Bose, Head of WhatsApp India, said, “WhatsApp has been an integral medium for civic actors like Robin Hood Army, to reach Covid-19 relief efforts to people, at scale. In line with WhatsApp’s vision for India, to contribute meaningfully and build solutions where needed the most, we are inspired to support Robin Hood Army further by powering a WhatsApp chatbot solution that helps to solicit volunteers for #mission28states, that is aimed at bringing relief to the impacted communities during this unprecedented pandemic.”

Speaking on this initiative, Prabhjeet Singh, President, Uber India and South Asia, said, “We’re thrilled to be joining forces with our valued partner, the Robin Hood Army, for supporting the #mission28states campaign. It will be an honour for us to join the war against Covid across India. At Uber, we are committed to ensure mobility is not a barrier to timely vaccination of the underserved communities and for fighting crippling hunger amidst those, worst impacted by the pandemic. Working together, we can help our communities to recover faster and reboot the economy.”

#mission28states

 

NIT Tiruchirappalli Institute Day 2021 on 14 Aug 2021 through Online mode

NIT Tiruchirappalli Institute Day 2021 will be celebrated on the 14th of Aug 2021 to recognize the achievements of students, faculty, and meritorious students across all departments.This year,
Dr GOVINDAN RANGARAJAN,Director Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru has kindly consented to be the chief guest. Shri Bhaskar Bhat, chairman of the governing body, will preside over the function in the presence of the director Dr.(Mrs.) Mini Shaji Thomas. Complying with the COVID-19 protocols, the event will have limited dignitaries on the dais and will be streamed online.

YouTube Live Streaming Link:https://youtu.be/rYkOgMVtqxA

Program Schedule:

11.30 AM                                        INVOCATION

Welcome Address                           P. KAMALESH KHANNA, Student President,2020-21,

Academic Achievements                Dr RAMAKALYAN AYYAGARI, Dean (Academic)

Director’s Address                          Dr (Mrs.) MINI SHAJI THOMAS, Director, 
NIT,Tiruchirappalli

Institute Address                            Dr GOVINDAN RANGARAJAN, Director,
Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru

Chairman’s Address                      Shri.BHASKAR BHAT, Chairperson, Board of
Governors NIT, Tiruchirappalli

Felicitation of Achievers

Vote of Thanks                          FATHIMA MAHA, Student Vice President, 2020-21

A copy of the press release in English and Tamil version is enclosed.

Link for the invitation:
https://www.nitt.edu/home/academics/iday/Invitation_Institute_day_2021.pdf

For more details contact:

Dr A Ramakalyan Ayyagari, Dean (Academic), NIT, Tiruchirappalli M.No
9443923485,9486001105

Dr N Sivakumaran, Convenor, PRM, ID 2020, M No 9443745705

Breaking the cycle of ill-health and poverty

Breaking the cycle of ill-health and poverty: Swasti’s i4We demonstrates how community ownership of primary healthcare is possible

According to the “Tracking universal health coverage: 2017 global monitoring report” by the World Health Organization and International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, in India alone, about 50-60 million people in the last decade have been pushed to poverty because of health-related expenditure  The poor lose up to 1-2 months of productive time in a year to illness of self and family. Almost 50-80% of them live with some form of undiagnosed illnesses and die earlier than those who are economically better off To address this issue and break the vicious cycle of ill health and poverty, Swasti’s Invest for Wellness (i4We) programme has brought primary care to the doorstep of 2 lakh+ of the poorest and most marginalised people. Their aim is to reach 100 million well-thy days by the year 2030.

The programme is currently being implemented across 4 States and 5 locations in urban and rural areas in India – Sehore District (2 blocks)  in Madhya Pradesh; Ramanagara District (1 taluka), , and Bengaluru urban district in Karnataka; Karur urban in Tamil Nadu; and Gurugram in Haryana. The model is designed to  have local community leadership through not just frontline health workers, but through health focused groups and a local community institution, equivalent of the Mahila Arogrya Samiti. Each family is a “member” and actively participate in their well-being journey, actively being navigated through health information, advice and services (screening, treatment and care services and referral) , social protection (awareness,eligibility and facilitation of government identity and schemes) as well as financial literacy and services (savings and credit)  

As a response to COVID-19, the community leaders  prevented the spread of the virus among their members  by conducting surveillance, providing local support and advice, reinforcing safety protocols and behaviours, offering telecare services for home isolation, chronic conditions  as well as facilitating vaccination drives.   Community leaders worked alongside staff from Swasti to follow-up with families  during COVID-19 and support access to rations, medications, govt services, hospitalization and oxygen support.

Best described as a system innovation in primary healthcare, i4We combines health and wealth interventions, and focuses on well-being for the most poor and marginalized communities. It was incubated by the Catalyst Group – a 26-year-old social impact platform, working in the spaces of social and economic development as well as humanitarian emergencies. Sister organizations of the Catalyst Group are CMS – social impact specialists, Swasti, The Health Catalyst – a Global South public health non-profit, Vrutti – Livelihood Impact Partners were instrumental in bringing i4We to life. It is being supported 

by various partners in different locations including flagship partner - Marks & Spencer and others like Migros, Levi Strauss & Co., Social Venture Partners, Morgan Stanley, Ashraya Hastha Trust, PCMH Restore-Health, PCI 360 etc.

Shiv Kumar, the co-founder of the Catalyst Group and Chief architect of i4We, said, “i4We uses a strong technology strategy which includes an app for the health facilitator, nurse, and the healthcare provider network, real-time analysis and dashboards for action, point of care diagnostics, and a range of innovative health products. It also uses the latest behavioral science theory and practices including survival analysis, nudge, and other tools.”

Describing their experience, Puja Devi, President of Sanjeevani Kalyan Samiti, Mohammadpur-Jharsa says,  “We save about Rs, 200 per month in our own accounts which earns interest. Every family gets a variety of benefits ranging from screening, treatment, care, health education and advice, low-cost credit and opportunities for training and livelihood.  We work to help families take charge of their health - from what they eat, their emotional health, solving problems or working through them. When we work together, we can move forward faster”

Health outcomes cannot be guaranteed with a linear approach. For the vulnerable, unless crucial challenges such as financial security and protection are ensured, health for all will continue to remain a pipe dream. And therefore, it is imperative that public health solutions are designed to address challenges beyond just the obvious. The i4We model demonstrates one such holistic approach, that supports people navigate their health journey, towards well’thy days.