Edtech venture GlobalShala aims to

Edtech venture GlobalShala aims to cultivate awareness of United Nation’s SDGs across India and around the world through the launch of their “Superhero U” competition with prizes worth $90,000

GlobalShala has opened its doors for learners around the world to showcase their talent and creativity; the competition is open for Junior (up to 18 years) and Senior (18 years to 25 years)

Edtech venture GlobalShala has recently announced the launch of their one-of-a-kind “Superhero U” competition with an aim to accelerate United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goals and pave the way for a new generation of responsible and sound leaders. Across countries, the winners for the same will be awarded prize money worth $90,000 which includes scholarships, internship opportunities, gift cards, and electronic gadgets. 

GlobalShala has introduced this unique competition where individuals are to invent a “Superhero” that essentially takes on universal challenges and strives to make the world a better place. In an industry first, the Superhero U competition aims to tackle the 5 P’s of Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) that is People, Prosperity, Planet, Partnerships, and Peace. Hence, the Superhero created should address all these goals collectively and promote prosperity while protecting the planet, the theme of the competition which is inspired by the UN’s mission. 

Talking about the competition, Anushika Jain, Founder & CEO, GlobalShala said “Taking inspiration from the United Nations, we are trying to nurture creativity to address surrounding critical sustainability challenges around the world. As per the SDG Index 2020, countries across Europe like Sweden, Denmark, Finland, France and Germany have set the benchmark for adept sustainability practices, India still falls back at rank 117. This needs to be improved upon immensely and therefore more events, programmes and contests need to be introduced across Asia Pacific countries to inculcate awareness about SDGs for the betterment of our society. We at GlobalShala have taken upon this challenge through an out-of-the-box approach with our “Superhero U” competition to add an element of intrigue and enthusiasm for individuals to take up the challenge. We are excited to see different local as well as global perspectives on sustainability and the challenges each of their Superhero takes on.” 

The competition has opened its doors wide for creativity and has allowed candidates to submit stories, illustrations, photo collages, and even movies that demonstrate how their Superhero use their superpowers to win the day. Moreover, GlobalShala has shattered the eligibility criteria and kept the competition open to many, split into 2 categories- Junior (up to 18 years) and Senior (18 years- 25 years). The Superhero U competition has also permitted any form of submission, whether it is individual or group-led. 

Inspired by the United Nations, GlobalShala focuses on empowering students and educators through experiential learning and education to open up hopes and dreams of lifelong learners around the world. Through the GlobalShala platform, individuals have the opportunity to participate in exciting competitions and events, have a chance to earn global scholarships, receive hands-on training through global internships as well as several certifications and recognitions. 

Link for Superhero U: https://superherou.globalshala.com

Flipkart’s 2GUD forays into social commerce brings

Flipkart’s 2GUD forays into social commerce; brings content-to-commerce play for consumers across the country 

• 2GUD social commerce brings unique browse-led, video-based shopping experience
• The platform will host endless feed of videos made by influencers;
  enabling content to commerce for consumers

Flipkart, India’s homegrown e-commerce marketplace, today announced the launch of social commerce on its independent value platform - 2GUD. With the aim to widen the customer proposition, the social commerce feature will be available to all app users. 2GUD’s social commerce platform will allow users to have an uninterrupted video shopping experience with their favourite influencers showcasing the latest fashion trends, reviewing gadgets, sharing beauty tips and so much more.

Consumers on 2GUD’s social commerce platform will be exposed to a feed of videos made by a hand-picked influencer network across various topics and categories. These influencers will curate their favorite products as part of their collection in the virtual store, allowing consumers to witness their styling journeys across categories. It will also allow consumers to shop the products which are part of the video, without moving away from the video interface, leading to a seamless, natural and content-to-commerce experience.

 

 

 Commenting on the launch, Chanakya Gupta, Head of 2GUD at Flipkart, said, “We want the next 200 million customers to be able to experience social commerce comfortably and build their trust on 2GUD as they come on to the platform for an engaging shopping experience. These consumers quite often face trust and style deficits. In a situation like this, recommendations from a person like yourself or an influencer play a critical role. Influencers are changing the landscape of online retail and bringing greater opportunities for social commerce platforms in India. With millions of followers across the country, they have the potential to impact consumer’s buying decisions. With this focus, we have specially curated a set of influencers who are best positioned to understand our target audience and help them through their buying decisions on the platform.”

The manner in which consumers today are consuming content has dramatically changed over the past few years with the advent of social media. The rise of influencers, beyond the metro cities, has given a pathway to a new generation of content creators who are able to drive deeper personal connections and are relatable to a mass of audience, beyond metros. As an extension, social commerce has already made inroads and accounts for 15-20% of the online retail market today, which is expected to hit the $70 billion mark in the coming decade, according to industry reports. With low data costs and an increasing market of first-time internet users in Bharat, especially from Tier 2 and 3 cities, the opportunity for the social commerce industry is growing by leaps and bounds.

Starting with the launch of social commerce on its app, 2GUD will further expand this feature to its m-site and website. 2GUD currently caters to more than 600+ verticals across new value-driven offerings and existing refurbished product segments. The platform has more than a million customers spanning across 15,000+ pincodes in India.

Chennai households top the lockdown gadget density ranking

Chennai households top the lockdown gadget density ranking: reveals #LifeSlicesByMahindraLifespaces study

With India in a lockdown, there is increased dependency on technology as we work from home; turn to OTT platforms and television for entertainment; and engage with our friends and family virtually.  The ‘#LifeSlicesByMahindraLifespaces’ study offers insights into the potential preparedness for a lockdown situation by way of gadgets that offer better connectivity, facilitate conversations with friends and relatives and enable virtual collaboration on work-related projects.

‘#LifeSlicesByMahindraLifespaces’ is a light hearted survey which reveals anecdotes about the way Indians live, their aspirations for the future and how the real estate sector can best meet these aspirations.  Among other aspects, this Mahindra Lifespaces’ study aimed to understand the technology habits, inclination and needs of householders; and the levels of adoption of smart-home devices.   Respondents comprised over 1,000 householders across seven cities in India.  They were questioned about the presence of various hi-tech gadgets within their homes - ranging from smart TVs and VR equipment to wireless devices. 

With a maximum score of 6,800 points (this is the score that would be assigned to a city if each and every home in the city possessed all types of devices), Chennai householders topped the ranking with 4,255 points, reflecting the largest gadget density per household on average (such as VR equipment and intelligent home systems).  Hyderabad and Bengaluru rank 2nd and 3rd respectively on the index, with 3542 points and 3476 points.  

In comparison, Mumbai scored 3013 points, while Pune accumulated 2083 points.  Nationally, the average Indian home scored 3,191 points.

As Indian families self-quarantine to stop the spread of the ongoing Corona pandemic, they are also figuring out ways to pass these trying times at home.  There is thus a renewed focus on hi-tech gadgets which facilitate connectivity and offer entertainment.  Here is an overview:

-       VR Glasses:

The All India Gaming Federation (AIGF) has declared a growth of 10-12% in the digital gaming sector over the last month, during the ongoing pandemic.  There has been a substantial surge in the number of hours spent by Indian users in the world of online gaming.  The ‘#LifeSlicesByMahindraLifespaces’ study reveals that 86% of Chennai householders own VR glasses (compared to a national average of 50%).  Similarly, more than two-thirds (68%) of households in Hyderabad own VR glasses, whereas 63% of Bengaluru householders own VR glasses.  VR glasses are a key equipment in online gaming.

-       Media streaming devices  such as Google Chromecast and Amazon Fire Stick:

‘Quarantine, stay home and stay joyful’ is the new mantra to beat the ongoing pandemic.  Both these devices are used to play content from various OTT platforms on TV screens.  As the world adjusts to self-isolation, millions of people who are now at home 24/7 are turning to OTT content for entertainment.  An approximately 20% increase in viewership has been observed across several over-the-top (OTT) platforms during the ongoing lockdown period.  Our data indicates that about 47% respondents own either a media streaming device - i.e., either a Google Chromecast or an Amazon Fire Stick.  India is very much online and we know for a fact that homeowners are streaming!

-       Smart TV:

According to data shared by the Broadcast Audience Research Council India (BARC India), total TV viewership across India grew 5% to 906.2 million (for the week ending 19^th March) from 865.9 million (week ending 13^th March). As per our survey data, 93% of Indian homes own a TV.  Quarantine life is on; and we know that so is the television!