THE JOURNEY TOWARDS LEADERSHIP HERALDS AT

             THE JOURNEY TOWARDS LEADERSHIP HERALDS AT VELAMMAL

Velammal Main School, Mogappair Campus  premiered the swearing-in-ceremony of the Prefectorial Board 'VOICE'- Velammal's Online Investiture Ceremony Event on 18th July, 2021 in the benign presence of Shri Dr. Loganathan, IPS, Additional Commissioner of Police  at 6:00pm in the Velammal Nexus YouTube channel.

The newly elected school council took charge to dawn the mantle of responsibility and carried it out with utmost dedication.

The leaders were enormously elected through online voting during the lockdown. 

This auspicious event commenced with a prayer song followed by the documentary witnessing the journey of Velammal's 35 years  of excellence.

The ceremony proceeded with  the student council members taking an oath to work earnestly to uphold the honour and glory.

Our respected Senior Principal, Shri K.S Ponmathi  honoured the leaders with badges and sashes and congratulated them.

This was a proud moment for all the parents who witnessed their children embarking on a new journey as a leader. The ceremony took a turn with Western and Classical dance by our Vel's Natyalaya students alluring the viewers.

The event was taken ahead by our Chief Guest with an inspiring speech that emphasized on the motto learning through involvement and advised the newly elected leaders to carry forth their commitment and integrity, as they are the torch bearers of all values the school stands for.

An effervescent day that was filled with a lot of exuberance.
With leaders' shoulders held high and head standing tall.

We care for those who care for us

 

We care for those who care for us - Tirumala Milk

 

Thirumala Milk reached out to all the key COVID Warriors fighting to keep us safe & healthy. Free Thirumala products were distributed to Police, Traffic Police, Garbage & waste disposal teams, social Workers among others across the city who are working tirelessly for our safety & health. The company will be providing products throughout the Lockdown to these COVID warriors on the road.

The company also assured regular & consistent supply of all its dairy products during the Lockdown while reiterating the need to follow necessary guidelines while purchasing the same at outlets. Thirumala Products are also available online with leading E Com players. The company assured that the highest safety & quality checks as per government protocol is being taken to ensure the best quality milk products are provided to its customers

Stay Safe, Stay Home, Stay Healthy!!!!

Rishina Kandhari steps up and becomes Maharashtra's

        Rishina Kandhari steps up and becomes Maharashtra's COVID warrior 

COVID Pandemic's second wave has hit the country hard. All the industries including entertainment are suffering the effects of the pandemic. The lockdown has been in effect for the past 15 days and the shoots are on hold. 

Some actors are using the time to spread positivity and love on social media and some are using it to help the people get the right medicine, blood type, plasma and oxygen along with sometimes even helping them get beds at the hospital or shelters. 

Actress Rishina Kandhari takes a step up and joins hand with Punyakarma Foundation to help the families fighting covid. Rishina is known for her work in Diya Aur Bati, Uttaran, Yeh Un Dino ki Baat hai and many more hit Tv series. The actress recently shared on social media how to virtually be there for the people struggling with the virus but she still found and heard a lot of cases rising and families fighting for their loved ones live. 

The actress reached out to multiple shelters and distributed medicines that people were struggling to buy. Her major donation to the NESCO shelter was praised by the doctors and staff members. She along with her volunteer friends reached out to maximum people and helped as many as they could this year. 

Last year Rishina Kandhari and the foundation fed 2 lakh migrant workers in 60 days who were away from their homes. Rishina said, "With the increase in the demand of heavily priced medicines and oxygen cylinders around us, we understood how we can help and hence we donated antibiotics and sanitization kits which would help the families."

To help the infected people in the rural area of Maharasthra she also has planned ahead and quotes, "The virus has now reached the rural areas of Maharashtra and we are here to help the ones incapable of helping themselves. Our agenda is to reach out to the doctors who are in touch with the families of the infected people and get them the right medicines within the first 7 days of the virus being detected so that the situation gets under control and the oxygen cylinders aren't required as the shortage is really a big issue. 

The actress in the coming week will be visiting the rural areas such as Karjat, Safale and Wada to give the required help. She urges, "please stay indoors and stay safe. Mask and sanitiser are a must whenever you step outside for an emergency."

Unusual Gold Imports in India In

 UNUSUAL GOLD IMPORTS IN INDIA IN MARCH 2021

                            MULTIPLE FACTORS CONTRIBUTED TO THE GROWTH:

 ·        Duty cut on gold to 7.5% encouraged imports through official channels

·        Reduction in prices of gold is seen as an opportunity by investors as the current prices may not sustain in future

·        Low base effect as imports of gold in March 2020 was 28 tonnes due to outbreak of Covid -19 

·        Relaxation of lockdown norms across various export markets like USA, UK etc. and wedding season in India.

In March 2021, multiple factors contributed to the rise in imports of gold to 160 tonnes, a growth of 471% as compared to the same period last year. The growth is mainly attributed to factors like demand surge for gem and jewellery products from exports markets like the US, UK following lockdown relaxation, the wedding season in India, improved business and consumer sentiments and as well as recent sharp drop in gold prices, according to Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC).

There are many factors that pushed up the demand for gold that include festive time in domestic market and various countries during the said time; resumption of mining and exporting activities; resumption of production activities in domestic and global market; development of vaccine and start of vaccination and relaxation over the travel.

Apart from that there were various virtual gem and jewellery trade shows and buyer seller meets (VBSMs) organised by GJEPC which resulted in large orders for Indian manufacturers for varied gem and jewellery products.

While reiterating that increasing domestic demand is pushing up imports of gold, GJEPC Chairman Mr. Colin Shah said, “We should observe the overall market trends in a holistic manner in the forthcoming months to arrive at a rightful conclusion. Factors such as low base effect, reduction in Gold price, reduction in import duty may be attributed to the increased imports in the country in this period. An important observation is that from an average import of approx. 80 tonnes a year in 2018-19 is down to 50 tonnes last year.”

 The growth of gold imports is due to the low base effect as imports of gold in March 2020 was 28 tonnes due to outbreak of Covid-19. In a normal scenario, average import of gold in a month remains 60 tonnes to 80 tonnes. But, outbreak of Covid-19 in March 2020 resulted in nose dive of jewellery demand in domestic and international market and so as the import of gold in March 2020 to only 28 tonnes vis-à-vis 93 tonnes in March 2019.

“Growth in imports of gold indicates the positive sentiment in the domestic and international market. I am also expecting growth in exports of jewellery in the current fiscal.” Colin Shah added.

Additionally, the rise in demand is also impacted by the reduction in gold prices. Gold prices have seen a phenomenal drop and customers and investors see an opportunity as the current prices may not sustain in future. Gold prices have declined on an average to Rs. 40179 in March 2021 which is the lowest through the Financial Year from April 2020 to February 2021.

 

Source: Kitco

More imports of gold are taking place through official channels after the cut in gold import duty. Colin Shah comments, “The import duty reduction has encouraged imports through official channels – The gold duty cut by the Government is not much but it has helped bring duty at par with other countries and more formal import of the metal through official channel.”

VELAMMAL EXCELS IN ALL INDIA SCHOOL PARYAVARAN

VELAMMAL  EXCELS IN ALL INDIA SCHOOL PARYAVARAN COMPETITION

Determination and commitment bring accomplishment and success. Our Velammal  Vidyalaya  ( Annexure)  students exhibit this belief by proving their mettle through their stupendous performance in the All India School Paryavaran Competition (AISPC) held recently. 

Adding one more Jewel in the Bounty of achievement, our students

Monica S – X , Lara Jane  A – X, Kavinaya  A – IX,  Mohammed Aqil  – IX   have brought  a great breakthrough in this lock down. As many as 100 students participated in this quiz competition more than 15 students secured above 90%, 30 students secured 80% and 4 students secured 100%

The school management and Principal congratulated the winners and the participants for this glorious achievement.

 

Anahad brings to you authentic folk music from the

         Anahad brings to you authentic folk music from the heartlands of India in Dolby Atmos

Anahad Foundation brings Dolby Atmos to the folk musicians of India. With this Anahad aims at empowering the underprivileged musicians through technology giving listeners a true experience of folk music from the comfort of their home. Anahad aims to produce over 1000 rural and tribal folk musicians this year for free at their doorsteps.

Folk music exists primarily in verbal format due to which it is heavily dependent on live shows and tourism. Post lockdown, with the closure of the tourism industry, the majority of folk musicians became jobless and had no means of earning. BackPack Studio, the flagship program of Anahad Foundation aims to create livelihoods for musicians through the recording sector. Partnership with Dolby will further enhance the output of BackPack Studio as it will help to mix the recorded tracks in a format that will preserve the dynamic and surround nature of folk music!

Anahad’s mission is to bring music to the world for everyone to feel. Through this collaboration, Dolby Atmos Music will intimately connect listeners with the folk artist’s vision so they can experience the music without any limitations. Abhinav Agrawal (Director, Anahad Foundation) says, “Anahad mission to ‘empower folk musicians through production technology’ gets a boost with Dolby Atmos as it enables the listeners to experience music as it would have been performed live! This technology will bring musicians closer to listeners as they will be able to experience these art forms in the most authentic way possible.”

The first album to be released with this partnership is ‘Colours of Braj’ and is scheduled for launch on 27th March. Centered around the festival Holi, the album will consist of 10 tracks featuring 10 different folk art forms of Braj (the region around Mathura) like Rasiya, Holi Faag, Haveli Sangeet, Charkula Dance, etc. Along with the album, the organization will release a 20 min documentary on its YouTube channel showing how these tracks were recorded.

APARAJITHA BETS BIG ON LABOUR LAW

             APARAJITHA BETS BIG ON LABOUR LAW COMPLIANCE

 

In view of the labour law reforms in 2020, Aparajitha Corporate Services Private Limited, the country’s no.1 company for Compliance has beefed up its operations to aid Corporates in staying compliant with the new norms.  

 

Complying to Labour Reforms

 

In a major boost to labour reforms, four laws, namely Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020; Industrial Relations Code, 2020; Code on Wages 2019 and Code on Social Security, 2020 have been created by merging 25 Central labour laws. This restructuring will ensure the well-being of industrial workers and give a boost to economic growth. The new labour codes have been designed to universalise minimum wages and timely payment of wages, while also giving priority to the occupational safety of the workers.

 

“The new labour codes have been designed to universalize minimum wages and timely payment of wages, while also giving priority to the occupational safety of the workers. The labour reforms will give proper controls to stop exploitation of the labourers. The government’s step to introduce reforms and restructure the entire scattered legal labour law framework during this lockdown could be a step towards a fair work industry. The primary objective will be to safeguard the rights of the employees. And we are confident that we can help companies stay compliant…something we have been successfully doing for the last two decades,” says Mr. Nagaraj Krishnan, Managing Director, Aparajitha Corporate Service Private Limited.

 

The idea to extend the concept of minimum wages and social security through these codes to the unorganised workers too is a kind of big social inclusion that the labour laws could now reach out to 500 million workers.  This is a big step towards achieving ‘equity’.

The Code on Wages will ensure that there is no discrimination in an establishment on the grounds of gender, job roles and that there are reasonable wages and eligible bonuses for the works done in comparison with similar work done by another person elsewhere. These reforms will help bolster India’s ‘Ease of doing business’ credentials on account of the codes ensuring personal and professional satisfaction of employees and owner’s concern on pay, safety, and social security.

 

The Aparajitha Advantage

 

Aparajitha utilises tools like Compfie, which is its e-compliance platform whose architecture is specifically designed to provide complete visibility and a bird’s eye view of the compliance status across Global, Country, State, and Unit levels. This platform provides round-the-clock support in updating country-wise industry-specific laws covering domains under Labour, Fiscal, Corporate, Commercial, EHS, Industry Specific catering and now Labour Codes to large global organisations, medium and small firms.

 

Aparajitha currently offers compliance services to over 1400 clients ranging from start-ups to Industrial giants to multinational companies to reputed Corporate houses across industries, regions, and segments. Its 20 years of compliance expertise has led it to expand its operations out of the nation with the strategic alliance with Sri Lanka headquartered 3W Consulting being the most recent one. 

 

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the dynamics of the compliance industry especially with the addition of new legislations post the world economic shutdown. Aparajitha has been one of the fewest organizations within the country which worked to update the shutdown companies about the changes that took place while its operations seized so that the companies could resume their operations without any hassles.

Priyanka and Sibbu get back to routine, encourage fans to focus

 Priyanka and Sibbu get back to routine, encourage fans to focus
on personal hygiene and safety

 

The importance of hygiene and sanitation cannot be stressed enough during these times. People are increasingly choosing products that offer all-round protection to safeguard themselves and their loved ones. Tamil Nadu’s most-loved onscreen couple, Priyanka and Sibbu, have also been taking precautions throughout the lockdown. As the Roja stars celebrate their on-screen anniversary, they share an important message of sanitizing oneself after coming home from work. 

 

 

The film showcases the chemistry between Priyanka Nalkari and Sibbu Suryan as they celebrate their anniversary.  Sibbu gives Priyanka a bouquet of roses which she refuses and tells him that he first needs to shower using Cinthol Health Plus, the germ protection soap. Sibbu points out that the soap has a ‘hospital like’ smell that ruins the experience. Priyanka coaxes him, saying the Cinthol Health Plus soap not only comes with 99.9% germ protection and but also has a pleasant fragrance. The film ends with him enjoying his refreshing bath and then, the couple celebrating their anniversary.

 

Priyanka Nalkari, the lead actress of Roja, said, “All of us wish to safeguard our loved ones to the best extent possible and use products that help with this. Cinthol is a legacy brand and something that I’ve grown up using. I’m so thrilled that I have associated with Cinthol Health Plus to spread such an important message. With this new and improved Cinthol Health Plus, I am assured, that it not only ensures my family’s all-round protection but also creates a wonderful experience with the pleasant fragrance.”

INDIANS MOST OPTIMISTIC IN APAC ABOUT JOB AND PAY RISE

 INDIANS MOST OPTIMISTIC IN APAC ABOUT JOB AND PAY RISE PROSPECTS IN 2021: INDEED GLOBAL SURVEY

• Indian workers (56%) are more than twice as positive about their chances of getting a pay rise next year compared to their counterparts in Australia (20%) and Singapore (23%)
• Over 1 in 3 Indian workers are very optimistic about their career prospects in 2021, the highest in all countries surveyed
• Indian workers deem workplace safety (59%) and employee wellbeing (44%) as the two most important considerations for the 2021 workplace

India’s resilience as it prepares to embrace a new year and a potential vaccine drive is reflected in the optimism of its workers over the job market, majority of whom are upbeat about the chances of their pay rise next year, a global study by Indeed, the world’s number one job site, has found.

64% and 56% Indian workers respectively said they were optimistic about their chances at better career opportunities, and a pay rise in 2021. Yet, 54% said they would not pursue other job opportunities even if approached by other employers, some citing current workplace satisfaction, with most citing job insecurity.

Speaking of resilience, more than 2 in 5 employers said the decisions taken at the outset of the pandemic were effective in ensuring their business continuity. 66% employers also credited their workforce for pulling together and helping their company in this time of crisis.

Although forced into lockdown this year, Indian workers cited greater family time and inclusion/flexibility as positive side effects. 2 in 5 workers said “more time with family” and “more opportunities to work from home” had the biggest impact on their personal circumstances in 2020. The study notes interestingly that both Indian employers and workers share polarized views about work-life balance and how they expect the future to pan out. 41% employers and 39% employees said lines between work and life have permanently blurred, with another 40% employers and employees saying lines are more separate than ever.

As Indian workers look to the future, a 59% majority said they expected workplaces in 2021 to show greater consideration to hygiene, health and safety, with another 44% citing mental wellbeing as the second most important consideration. On cue, 1 in 2 employers said that social distancing and hygiene measures would be a priority while implementing new workplace policies in 2021. Embracing hybrid work as the future of work, more than 7 in 10 employers said they would increase work-from-home options, with another 59% stating improved flexible work options as an important consideration while implementing new workplace policies.

Sashi Kumar, Managing Director, Indeed India, said, “Covid-19 disrupted economies of the world, but it also created an opportunity for the workforce and workplace to adapt, pivot and reimagine. This research shows that some of the changes undergone in 2020 will have a lasting impact, with both employers and workers eyeing greater flexibility in work methods and placing a new emphasis on health and hygiene. Our study also shows that employee wellbeing and work-life balance are now workplace imperatives, while skilling will be an important conversation for organizations to drive in 2021. As the world’s second largest labour market moves towards its economic recovery, how organizations redefine their talent strategies and workplace practices, will play a critical role in how India prepares for the future of work.”

Signaling revival, platform data shows the number of job postings on Indeed India – a real time measure of labor market activity in the country, has increased across industries. Growth in job postings was -18.5% in November 2020, from -50% in June-July 2020. Concurring with this sentiment while responding to their 2021 hiring plans in the study, 37% Indian employers said they planned to hire at higher volumes than before the pandemic, with another 17% expecting to revert to pre-pandemic levels of hiring.

The Indeed Global Survey measured the sentiment of 3600 employers and 14,142 employees across the UK, US, Ireland, Australia, India, France, Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, Singapore, Mexico, Brazil and Canada between November 13 and November 20 this year. This included 251 employers and 1015 employees in India. The research was conducted by Censuswide.

Specialty Chemicals Company Anupam Rasayan files for

 Specialty Chemicals Company Anupam Rasayan files for Rs. 760 Cr IPO

Speciality chemicals company has filed its DRHP with the regulators to raise an aggregate of Rs. 760 Crs. The issue proceeds would be used mainly for repayment of debt. As stated in the DRHP, the company may consider an employee discount for eligible employees bidding for the employee reservation portion.

The company commenced operations in 1984 with conventional products and has now carved a niche for itself into speciality chemicals that involve multi step synthesis and complex chemistries such as Etherification, Acylation, Cyclization, Diazotization and Hydrolysis etc. It currently operates out of 6 multi-purpose manufacturing facilities based in Gujarat of which 4 facilities are located in notified Industrial Estate at Sachin and are in close proximity to the Adani Hazira Port, the latter 2 are located in notified Industrial Estate at Jhagadia. All the facilities have a combined aggregate installed capacity of around 23,396 metric tonne, out of which 6,726 metric tonne was added in March 2020 with the commercialization of Jhagadia Unit – 5 and Sachin Unit – 6.

Owing to its R&D capabilities and transparent cost model, it has been able to act as a “one-stop solution” for process innovation and development of “life science related speciality chemicals” catering to the agrochemical, personal care and pharmaceutical sectors which in FY20 accounted for 95.37% of its revenues and “Other speciality chemicals” used in speciality pigments and polymer additives contributed the balance. Anupam is one of the few companies in the world to have developed continuous and flow chemistry technology on a commercial scale and has been acknowledged for is innovation capabilities by its customers and has long term business with clients like Syngenta Asia Pacific, Sumitomo Chemical Company, UPL Limited across Europe, Japan, United States and India.

From FY18 to FY20, the company’s revenues have grown at CAGR of 24.29 % and its EBITDA for FY20 stood at Rs. 134.90 Crs. In spite of the lockdown imposed due to the COVID-19 pandemic the company’s half-yearly revenues increased by 51.51% i.e. from Rs 234.40 Crs to Rs 355.12 Crs for the comparable periods of September 30, 2019 and September 30, 2020, respectively.

India’s specialty chemicals industry stands to achieve serious growth in the global speciality chemicals segment, as currently the Indian speciality chemicals segment caters to only 1-2% of the global demand and is poised to grow at a 10-11% CAGR over the next 5 years, due to the rising demand from end user industries globally. (Source: F&S Report)

Bankers appointed to the Issue are Axis Capital, Ambit Private, IIFL Securities and JM Financial

SpiceJet ties-up with GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo for

 SpiceJet ties-up with GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo for storage & seamless delivery of Covid-19 vaccine

·         The strategic partnership is envisioned to not only provide a speedy and reliable solution for vaccine delivery, but to also create a sustainable cold chain network

·         SpiceXpress to provide first mile pick up and last mile delivery pan India and internationally

·         SpiceXpress has the capability of transporting extremely sensitive drugs, vaccines and blood samples in controlled temperatures ranging from -40°c to +25°c

SpiceJet, the country’s favourite airline, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo (GHAC), the cargo division of GMR Air Cargo & Aerospace Engineering Ltd. (GACAEL), for providing a seamless service to all vaccine manufacturers in the region.

As part of this association, SpiceXpress – the cargo arm of SpiceJet – envisions to provide efficient, speedy and reliable solution for vaccine delivery, while also creating a sustainable cold chain network. SpiceXpress aims to provide the first mile pick up and last mile delivery to carry COVID–19 vaccines across the domestic and international markets in a temperature controlled environment.

Under the MoU, GHAC shall provide available required space on priority for SpiceJet’s vaccine shipments besides training its personnel along with the airline for specific customer requirement. SpiceJet on its part will keep a dedicated fleet of freighters including wide-body aircraft at Hyderabad airport to handle all domestic and international consignments.

Hyderabad, which is already at the centre stage of India’s Covid-19 vaccine development programme, is expected to be a key hub in the manufacturing and distribution of the vaccine both domestically as well as globally. The association between SpiceJet and GHAC will aid the manufacturers in the region by ensuring seamless delivery of the vaccine.

Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet said, “We are delighted to have GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo as a partner in our fight against the pandemic. Delivering Covid-19 vaccines safely not just within India but across the globe is a task we are fully committed to. With strong partners and our capability to transport extremely sensitive drugs and vaccines in controlled temperatures of up to -40°c, we feel that we are fully prepared to assist in the biggest vaccination drive in the history of mankind.”

As part of its continued efforts to take up the responsibility of transporting Covid-19 vaccine to every part of the country as well as outside India, SpiceJet has recently partnered with Om Logistics Ltd. and signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Snowman Logistics.

With a network spanning 54 domestic and 45 international destinations and a fleet of 17 cargo planes, SpiceXpress is capable of flying over 500 tonnes of cargo per day to both domestic and a wide list of international destinations. The airline has also tied up with global leaders in cold chain solutions offering active and passive packaging with dedicated equipment to perform seamless cold chain operations.

SpiceXpress recently introduced a new specialized service called Spice Pharma Pro, which has the capability to transport extremely sensitive drugs, vaccines blood samples and medicines in controlled temperatures ranging from -40°c to +25°c. Besides, the airline also offers a plethora of other benefits such as a network of warehouses equipped with deep freezers to enable change of cool packs and ground vehicles and containers to help transport sensitive cargo.

Ever since the lockdown began, SpiceJet and its cargo arm, SpiceXpress, has played a critical role and worked relentlessly to ensure that the country’s supply chain remained intact. The airline has helped in the transportation of vital goods and medical supplies to all corners of India and the world. SpiceJet has operated 11800 cargo flights since the lockdown began and carried around 93500 tons of cargo. Since 2018, SpiceJet has developed the capability of providing door-to-door deliveries to over 12,600 pin codes across India.

IndiGo to disburse customer credit shells and refunds by

 IndiGo to disburse customer credit shells and refunds by January 31, 2021

Airline has already paid out 90% refunds amounting to approximately INR 1000 cr

 

Since the resumption of operations in May, IndiGo has been rapidly refunding amounts owed to customers whose flights had been cancelled during the lockdown. The airline has already processed close to INR 1000cr of refunds, which is approximately 90% of the total amount owed to our customers. IndiGo is committed to complete payment against all pending credit shells latest by January 31, 2021.

Mr. Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo said, “The sudden onset of Covid19 and the resulting lockdown, brought our operations to a complete halt by the end of March of this year. As our incoming cash flow dried up, we were unable to immediately process refunds for cancelled flights and had to create credit shells for the refunds that were due to our customers. 

However, with the resumption of operations and a steady increase in demand for air travel, our priority has been to refund the credit shell amounts in an expedited manner. We are pleased to commit that we will disburse the full 100% credit shell payments latest by January 31, 2021. We would like to thank all our customers who stood by us for their patience and understanding during this unprecedented crisis ”.

IndiGo on a strong recovery path

 IndiGo on a strong recovery path; resumes operation of 1000 daily flights

Progressing towards strong recovery on the back of strengthening confidence in air travel, IndiGo, India’s largest airline, touched a milestone of operation of 1000 daily flights to and from 59 domestic and 06 international destinations. The flights include scheduled commercial operations and air bubble flights. IndiGo has been operating these flights while adhering to all the precautionary measures, ensuring a safe and hassle-free travel experience on-board a lean, clean flying machine.

Mr. Ronojoy Dutta, Chief Executive Officer, IndiGo said, “From zero domestic and international operations to now operating 1000 scheduled commercial flights daily, we have indeed come a long way since we resumed operations post the lockdown. Our tireless efforts to provide a safe and hygienic experience and awareness campaigns are bearing fruit, as seen in the form of steadily increasing demand for air travel. We are currently operating at around 70% of our pre-covid capacity and we hope that the growth will continue into 2021. We wish to thank all our customers for the confidence and trust that they have placed on our airline and we thank all our employees for rising to the occasion of delivering superior levels of customer service under these challenging circumstances. We will continue to adapt our business to the needs of the hour, and we look forward to achieving more milestones in the coming months”.

IndiGo has already operated 1,00,000 flights between May 25, 2020 and November 11, 2020, including all domestic and international flights. Currently the airline is operating between 100 – 130 scheduled flights from three key metro cities – Delhi, Bengaluru and Hyderabad. In addition, IndiGo is operating passenger and CarGo charter flights across domestic and international markets.

 

Office absorption in Pune gains momentum

 Office absorption in Pune gains momentum;
1 million sq. ft. leased from July to Oct 2020: JLL

 Pune’s office market is gradually picking up with approximately 1 million sq. ft. of gross office space being absorbed during July to October 2020. This is in comparison to a 1 million sq. ft. absorption in the first half of 2020 (January to June).

 While absorption was sluggish in H1 2020 owing to the lockdown, the city witnessed large corporate occupiers renewing their existing office leases as a part of their long term corporate real estate strategies during July to October 2020. As a result, the first ten months of the year witnessed approximately 2 million sq. ft. of gross absorption. The leasing has been primarily led by BFSI & Fintech, GICs, Indian and Global Technology Services Firms, Product companies and Flex/coworking space Operators. Additionally, Pune is also getting recognised as a start-up and R&D hub. 

“Most sectors continue to expand their footprint in the city owing to the diverse and quality talent base, large world class campuses offering competitive rents and the city’s vibrant and cosmopolitan lifestyle. Due to these factors, Pune remains a favourite among occupiers, developers and investors,” said Sanjay Bajaj, Managing Director - Pune, JLL. “Pune is among the fastest growing flex space in the country today,” he added.

 Absorption trends 2020 (million sq. ft.)  

Q1 2020	Q2 2020	Q3 2020	Oct 2020
0.36	0.64	0.46	0.64

 

Source: Real Estate Intelligence Services (REIS), 2020, JLL Research & JLL Pune Markets

 Vacancy trends 2020 (%)

Q1 2020	Q2 2020	Q3 2020
5.5	4.4	4.7

 

 

Source: Real Estate Intelligence Services (REIS), 2020, JLL Research

Estimated new supply in 2021 (million sq. ft.)  

Q1 2021	Q2 2021	Q3 2021	Q4 2021
0.45	3.2	1.52	1.58

 

 

 Source: JLL Pune Markets

 Average vacancy in the city during the last three quarters remained range bound and stands at 4.7% by end of Q3 2020. Approximately 7 million sq ft. of new supply is scheduled for completion by the end of 2021.

The rental plateau

The rentals are plateauing in Pune offering value driven propositions and opportunities to occupiers. Moreover, the landlords across the city have are more flexible now and open to innovative deal structuring, including incurring capital expenditure towards fit outs on behalf of occupiers. These factors are helping occupiers achieve a more cost-effective cash outflow.

 

Druva Supports Employees in India with Extensive Benefits as

 Druva Supports Employees in India with Extensive Benefits as
Remote Working Continues Until Spring of 2021

Company supports staff with home office allowance, training and wellness programs and more as local hiring set to expand by 15-20 percent

Druva, Inc., the leader in Cloud Data Protection and Management, today announced plans to ramp up its workforce in India within the next 12 months, even as it extends remote working for all employees until the spring of 2021. Since initiating a mandatory remote working policy earlier this year to protect employees and the larger community, Druva has supported its local workforce of almost 500 employees with a number of unique benefits including a home office update allowance, office equipment loaning, career enhancement initiatives, additional days off designed to support mental health and virtual wellness and training programs.

Since March 2020, Druva has successfully transitioned its global employees to a work from home model. To seamlessly enable this transition, the company has focused on supporting its employees to create a productive environment away from the traditional office, even amid the uncertainty of the pandemic. Greater emphasis has been paid on ensuring employee work-life balance, supporting challenges and concerns associated with remote working and offering more flexible work schedules to support impacted families.

“In unprecedented times like these employees expect their organisation to care about their well being above everything else,” said Milind Borate, co-founder and Chief Development Officer, Druva. “From the beginning of the pandemic-induced lockdown, we decided to focus on the safety, flexibility and remote training and development opportunities for our employees. Adapting to trends and working to overcome challenges has been part of Druva’s DNA since its founding and it is no different now. Be it the employee assistance program, allowance for home office upgrades or extension of remote working, everything is being done with our employees in mind, and we have emerged stronger than before.”

Other initiatives and benefits Druva has offered employees include:

• Employee assistance program (EAP) to provide holistic mental wellness support for all India employees and their dependents through designated, professional counsellors.
• Revised Fitness Reimbursement Policy to encourage a well-rounded and healthy lifestyle for employees and their immediate family members. This includes reimbursement for expenses related to a variety of wellness activities including subscriptions for online fitness classes, fitness trackers, sports equipment and exercise DVDs/videos and games.
• Extending Insurance in some key areas along with an employee paid top-up option, which will allow employees to extend coverage for themselves and their dependents while still having access to all the benefits of the existing corporate policy. An EMI payment option has also been introduced to provide employee support in managing the premium.
• Concierge Services have been extended to a door-step service while the company maintains a remote working model.

The remote working model has also minimally impacted the company’s regular activities, including onboarding, business delivery, timely promotions and annual salary increases. While the company continues to closely review the ever-evolving situation, Druva is committed to expanding its local presence and is on track to add 15-20 percent new headcount in Pune over the next few months. Once a return to office is deemed safe, the company intends to roll out a phased approach, with a hybrid model for some departments. The company is now focused on further accelerating growth through 2021 as it sees a greater need for its cloud data protection technologies during these times of increased cloud migration.

AN APPEAL TO ALL ACTORS AND TECHNICIANS

Ref. No: TFAPA/04 October 19, 2020

AN APPEAL TO ALL ACTORS AND TECHNICIANS

 

Dear All,

 

Tamil Cinema is undergoing several challenging situations due to the impact of Corona. Producers, who invested crores of rupees are facing a difficult situation to recover their investment. With most of the rights like satellite, digital/OTT, overseas, dubbing and Tamil Nadu theatrical rights etc., not being sought by buyers for most films, Producers are unable to pay back even the interest payment to the lenders. 

 

In this situation, it is the responsibility of all actors and technicians to come forward and help the Producers, whose films are under production and are stuck due to this lockdown. The Producers can manage to come out of this trying condition and release their films smoothly, only if their total investment in films reduce by at least 40 to 50%. Only then, even if their films do not fetch big revenues, they can come out without much loss. 

 

 

 

In both Telugu and Malayalam film industries, all artistes and technicians have come forward and accepted 30 to 50% reduction in their current salaries. In Tamil cinema, a few actors have come forward to reduce their salaries by 30%, considering the difficult situation of their Producers. While we appreciate their kind gesture, it is not enough. Only when all the actors, actresses and technicians, who get a remuneration of Rs.10 Lakhs and above come forward and accept a reduction of 30% in their salaries, Producers can reduce their overall cost, complete their films and release them without any financial difficulty.

 

We are making this request only for the films which were under production and are stuck due to Covid-19 and not for new films, which you are signing and commencing, for which you and the Producers may decide on appropriate remuneration. For the films, which were stuck for over 6 months due to this pandemic, we are making this request.

 

Considering the difficult situation of the Producers, whose films are stuck, on behalf of Tamil Film Active Producers Association, we request all the actors and technicians, who earn more than Rs.10 Lakhs as the salary for their films, to accept this 30% reduction in salary and complete the films to release them, when the theatres open soon.