Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films presents ‘Somoyer Smritimala’

Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films presents ‘Somoyer Smritimala’ (Memories of Time), a film that captures the sense of uncertainty brought on by the pandemic

Directed by Goutam Ghose, the short film travels back and forth in time to portray how a couple in Kolkata navigates their relationship amidst the new normal

Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films released its latest short film titled ‘Somoyer Smritimala’ (Memories of Time) today. Directed by Goutam Ghose, the 35-minute film captures the sense of uncertainty and discomfort brought on by the lockdown, through the perspective of a couple living in the heart of Kolkata – Kabir Basu (played by Suman Mukhopadhyay), a writer in his late 40s, and his wife Sumita (played by Gargee Roy Chowdhury), a teacher.

‘Somoyer Smritimala’ is a poignant film set during the initial phase of the pandemic’; ‘25^th March 2020 – Nationwide Lockdown’, says a frame early in the film. The film begins with Kabir and Sumita’s quest for fresh air and sanity as they set out on a road trip to the countryside. Through the course of their journey, the film travels back and forth in time, capturing the challenges brought on by the pandemic. From virtual classrooms and eerie hospitals to mental health concerns and the woes of migrant workers, the short film throws light on the unprecedented consequences of the Covid-19 outbreak in a nuanced manner. 

Speaking about the short film, filmmaker Goutam Ghose said, “It is virtually impossible to capture the emotions experienced during the pandemic in 35 minutes. Somoyer Smritimala is an attempt to portray, through the lens of a couple living in Kolkata, how the world around us changed during the pandemic. It explores how the pandemic impacted relationships and the human psyche in mysterious ways. I think the film will strongly resonate with the audience of Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films.”

Actor Suman Mukhopadhyay shared, “The Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films platform is popular for the intriguing stories it brings to the viewers. Somoyer Smritimala is unique in how it unveils the adversities brought on by the pandemic and consequent lockdowns. My character, Kabir Basu, likes to read and write about socio-political matters. It’s his creative pursuits and the everyday moments with his wife that he finds peace in while navigating the challenges through the lockdowns. It’s been a privilege to work with Goutam Ghose and be a part of this film.”

Actor Gargee Roy Chowdhury added, “My character, Sumita, who is a teacher, struggles to cope with the isolation brough on by the pandemic. I think a lot of viewers will relate to that. But in the end, she finds comfort in nature. It was surreal revisiting the memories of the pandemic and portraying the hard times that we have all been through. The short film is led by two of the most iconic names in filmmaking – Goutam Ghose and Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films. The experience has been nothing short of memorable.”

Somoyer Smritimala will premier exclusively on Royal Stag Barrel Select’s Large Short Films YouTube Channel, a platform to watch the most original and inspiring short films featuring some of the finest actors and directors in India.

WATCH ‘Somoyer Smritimala’ HERE: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k_T9uJzhlio

 Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films:

Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films has become ‘the’ destination for Indian short films where viewers can experience the taste of great films. The platform has collaborated with successful storytellers from Bollywood who truly stand for originality and creativity. Large Short Films has evolved to create an ecosystem for aspiring and established directors alike to bring world class storytelling to curious and deciphering audiences.

Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films has released some of the most prodigious and award-winning short films with renowned artists and directors from the industry which truly reflects originality, imagination and perfection.  Ahalya, Chutney, Devi and Anukul are just some of the phenomenal films that have been released on this platform. Royal Stag Barrel Select Large Short Films as a platform for original short films has been the pioneer in popularizing this genre of filmmaking.

Follow us on:

0. Website: https://www.largeshortfilms.com/
1. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LargeShortFilms
2. Twitter: https://twitter.com/LargeShortFilms
3. YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sgi8Vy2Y_Dw

 

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.

Remote job searches at 966% all time high, as

 Remote job searches at 966% all time high, as India locks down: Indeed

Data from Indeed, the world’s No.1 job site indicated that searches for ‘remote work’ skyrocketed to 966% in April 2021, from the same period last year. This burgeoning demand for remote jobs is backed by the fact that geographical boundaries are blurring while employers hire and the job seekers scout for opportunities. The pandemic has defined the significance of skills as the top priority for hiring as opposed to location of the job seeker. This also reflected in another study conducted by Indeed, last year, which stated that the businesses are strategically adopting technological innovations to attract the right skill set and increase efficiency. The study also stated that 1 in 2 employers hired only virtually in the pandemic.

Moreover, as the country grapples with the second wave, companies lay their focus on hiring employees that offer the required skill set irrespective of the city of the applicants.  It is expected that employers would increase work-from-home options, embracing hybrid work as the future of work.

 Flexibility has always been a vital aspect for job seekers, especially millennials, who today make up over half of India’s working population. However, another interesting finding from Indeed, revealed that searches for remote work were higher across age groups of 60-64, 15-19 and 40-44 at 13% each. The searches in the age groups 35-39 and 20-24 were 12% each. The data also revealed that Bengaluru topped the chart for remote job searches with 16% followed by Delhi (11%), Mumbai (8%), Hyderabad (6%) and Pune (7%)

With the increasing need for technical integration across functions and sectors, job roles that require technical expertise to ensure seamless working have been the most in demand. The data also revealed that Technical Support Specialist (25%) emerged as one of the most searched remote jobs followed by Data Entry Clerk (22%), IT Recruiter (16%), Content Writer (16%) and Back End Developer (15%).

 Top Paying Remote Jobs

Indeed also looked at the top paying remote jobs and unsurprisingly tech jobs topped the charts

Job Title	Yearly Median Salary
Software Architect	₹1,250,000
Technical Lead	₹1,100,000
Data Engineer	₹1,050,000
Senior Software Engineer	₹1,000,000
Senior Java Developer	₹900,000

Commenting on the surge of remote jobs, Sashi Kumar, Managing Director, Indeed India said, “The COVID-19 pandemic has fast tracked the adoption of technology across functions in India and has set in motion the largest work from home experiment of our generation. Our data has reflected the same showing a consistent rise in searches for remote jobs.  As businesses transitioned digitally, it has become a norm for employees and companies to work from anywhere and this change enabled by technology will see more and more companies turning to hybrid work in the future. We believe that going forward, recruiters will focus on role and skills based hiring, thus blurring geographical boundaries.”

வேலம்மாள் கல்வி அறக்கட்டளை சார்பாக முதலமைச்சர் பொது

 வேலம்மாள் கல்வி அறக்கட்டளை சார்பாக முதலமைச்சர் பொது நிவாரண நிதிக்கு ரூபாய் ஒரு கோடியே இருபத்தைந்து இலட்சம்  வழங்கப்பட்டது!*

வேலம்மாள் கல்வி அறக்கட்டளையில் பணிபுரியும் அனைத்து  ஊழியர்கள் சார்பாக அறக்கட்டளையின்  தலைவர் திரு. எம். வி. முத்துராமலிங்கம் அவர்களும், அறக்கட்டளையின் இயக்குநர்கள் திரு. எம்.வி. ஸ்ரீராம், மற்றும் திரு. எம்.வி. விவேக் ஆனந்த் ஆகியோர்களும் இணைந்து, முதலமைச்சரின் பொது நிவாரண  நிதிக்கு ரூபாய் ஒரு கோடியே இருபத்தைந்து இலட்சத்திற்கான காசோலையைத் தமிழக முதலமைச்சர் மாண்புமிகு மு.க. ஸ்டாலின் அவர்களிடம், 2021 மே 19 அன்று தலைமைச் செயலகத்திற்கு நேரில் சென்று  வழங்கினார்கள். 

தொற்றுநோயை எதிர்த்துத் திறம்பட போராடும் இந்த நெருக்கடியான சூழ்நிலையில், தமிழக முதலமைச்சருடன் இணைந்து செயல்பட  வேலம்மாள் கல்வி அறக்கட்டளை இந்த முயற்சியை எடுத்திருப்பது பாராட்டுக்குரியது.

Velammal Contributes

VELAMMAL CONTRIBUTES RS. 1 .25 CRORE
TO THE CM PUBLIC RELIEF FUND

 On behalf of the Management and staff,  Shri M.V. Muthuramalingam, the Chairman, Velammal Educational Trust and Directors M.V Sriram & M.V Vivek Anand presented  a cheque for Rs.1 .25 Crore  towards the Chief Minister’s Public Relief Fund to the  Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Shri M K Stalin, at the Secretariat on 19th May, 2021, Wednesday contributing to the fight against  COVID-19.

Velammal has taken up this initiative to lend hands at this critical situation to fight the pandemic effectively.

Biennial Elections to the Legislative Councils of

Biennial Elections to the Legislative Councils of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana
respectively by the members of Legislative Assembly (MLAs)-Deferment of elections

Posted On: 13 MAY 2021 4:02PM by PIB Delhi

The term of office of 03 (Three) members of Andhra Pradesh Legislative Council and 06 (Six) members of Telangana Legislative Council elected by the members of respective Legislative Assemblies (MLAs) are expiring on 31.05.2021 and 03.06.2021 respectively as per the details below:

Class of Constituency	Date of Retirement	No. of Seats	Electors
Andhra Pradesh
By MLAs	31.05.2021	03	Members of Legislative Assembly
Telangana
By MLAs	03.06.2021	06	Members of Legislative Assembly

 

2.      As per the provisions of Section 16 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the seats of State Legislative Council which are going to be vacant on expiration of the term of the members, are required to be filled up by holding biennial election before the said expiration of the term.

3.        The Commission has reviewed the matter today and has decided that due to outbreak of the second wave of COVID-19 in the country, it would not be appropriate to hold biennial election to the Legislative Councils of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana respectively till the pandemic situation significantly improves and conditions become conducive to hold these biennial elections.

4.        The Commission will take a decision in the matter at appropriate time in the future after taking inputs from the concerned states and assessing the pandemic situation from mandated authorities likeNDMA/SDMA.

President of India’s Greetings on

                         President of India’s Greetings on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr

The President of India, Shri Ram Nath Kovind has greeted fellow citizens on the eve of Eid-ul-Fitr.

In his message the President has said, “On the occasion of Eid-ul-Fitr, I extend my best wishes and greetings to all the fellow citizens, especially to the Muslim brothers and sisters.

During the holy month of Ramadan, people observe Roza and offer regular prayers and obeisance to Allah. The auspicious festival of Eid-ul-Fitr, which marks the end of Ramadan, is celebrated as an occasion to strengthen the spirit of fraternity and harmony. Eid-ul-Fitr is also an occasion to rededicate ourselves to the service of humanity and to improve the lives of the people in need.

Let us all resolve to deal with this pandemic of Covid-19 by following all the rules and guidelines and work for the well-being of society and the country.”

Velammal excels in

                                                        VELAMMAL  EXCELS  IN CHESS


Master Tanuv Kalyan, Std VI of Velammal Vidyalaya,  Mel Aynambakkam has won the  third prize in the (U-15) Inter - District Level Online Chess Tournament on 2nd May, 2021.

The tournament was organized by Star Chess Academy to deligently engage the analytical and logistic skills of Chess aspirants during the pandemic.

The School Management congratulates the budding chess champ Master Tanuv for his resounding victory.
For details, contact : 8056063519

Robot Friends” and VR for Loneliness

 “Robot Friends” and VR for Loneliness During the Pandemic

The isolation that individuals have endured due to the COVID-19 pandemic includes feelings of loneliness and depression. And in order to help those experiencing these types of feelings, technologists, researchers, and healthcare workers are tapping into the benefits of using “robot friends” and VR for loneliness.

Depression increased after the outbreak of the virus and sharp mental health shifts occurred as COVID-19 cases began to rise around the globe. A study by GOQii, a smart-tech-enabled preventive healthcare platform, surveyed over 10,000 Indians, to understand how they have been coping with the new normal. It revealed that stress levels have been on a rapid rise in India, with 43% of Indians suffering from depression – 26% of respondents were suffering from mild depression, 11% were feeling moderately depressed, whereas 6% of the respondents were facing severe symptoms of depression.

IEEE member Jonathan Gratch says that physical touch and the way people give social cues in-person versus through a video call is biologically beneficial for our brains. Without those forms of social interaction happening regularly, our loneliness meter increases.

“Video conferencing can be cognitively demanding, as it might supercharge some of the social stressors found in real-world interactions,” says Gratch. “The fact that you see yourself makes you more aware of your appearance and reactions and increases your ‘impression management’. This is a known stressor.”

Another difficulty with video conferencing is our perception of screen boundaries. “For analog face-to-face, physically co-located interactions, our senses are not bounded by a screen border or controlled and mediated by a single camera angle or microphone placement,” says IEEE member Todd Richmond. “When we are in person, we are immersed in a space and that sense of immersion is something humans have learned and evolved to expect.”

Since we weren’t able to obtain the social interactions our bodies and brains were expecting or desiring during the COVID-19 crisis because of public safety concerns, robotics, and virtual reality (VR) stepped in to fill the loneliness gaps.

ROBOT FRIENDS USE AI TO KEEP US SOCIALLY UPDATED

Social robots, or robotic friends, have provided an alternative for social interaction when human connection is limited.

Robots are being used in a variety of ways, as reported by IEEE Spectrum –– from Fribo, a robot that informs your friends and family members what you’re doing in your house, so they know you’re actively moving, to these robots that are meant to be broken and yelled at in order to get out your negative emotions –– are ultimately helping you feel less alone.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are often used in these health-managing robots to improve their interactions with you.

AI VOICE ASSISTANTS FOR OLDER ADULTS

A recent article mentioned a study that used AI voice assistants that were “programmed to report sensor-based health information using visual and voice interfaces” for older adults living at home.

“Aging in your home is no longer a luxury for those most at-risk of transmitted viruses,” says IEEE Senior Member Marjorie Skubic, a professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Missouri where the study was conducted. “Artificial intelligence is key to addressing this challenge by giving older adults better tools for managing their own health,” the article stated.

“To develop more innovative solutions that help keep people safe and make the world a better place, the IEEE Computational Intelligence Society recommends that all organizations actively combating COVID-19 leverage AI, one of the most powerful tools at our disposal,” states the article.

VR FOR LONELINESS HELPS OUR BRAINS FEEL CONNECTED

Virtual Reality is another technology being used to help people currently going through isolation.

“Compared to video conferencing, VR tech is known to increase both physical and social presence,” says Gratch. “You feel like you are really at a place or really with a person. In terms of social interaction, it can help deal with some of the breakdowns in social cues.”

“VR brings a higher degree of immersion than a typical screen-based interaction,” adds Richmond. “Sharing a virtual space with someone in an immersive VR experience could very well lead to a better sense of “being there”. The shared space is key, and one problem with current video solutions.”

If VR is more beneficial than video conferencing, why aren’t we taking all of our work meetings and conducting all of our family gatherings in this way while we stay home? Richmond explains that this limitation is mostly because the devices are not as accessible as a computer or tablet.

“Most everyone has a screen (be it phone or computer), but very few have AR/VR,” says Richmond. “Once AR/VR gets more ubiquitous, more people will be able to experiment with the experiences, which will help advance the technology development and create new sets of social norms that will be necessary.”

Both Richmond and Gratch feel optimistic about the advancements happening in the virtual reality space. The pandemic has forced us all to adapt and make this type of technology a higher priority than ever before.

OTHER TECHNOLOGIES BEING USED FOR LONELINESS

Wearables, sensors and IoT are other methods being explored during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Overall, our desire for contact has moved technology forward to offer more effective solutions than ever before. While nothing can beat a hug from another person, robots and VR are making that absence feel a little less large.

“The pandemic has shown us that humans value contact, and that contact needs to move beyond the traditional screen boundary,” says Richmond.

ICICI Bank launches ‘Merchant Stack’; India’s most comprehensive

ICICI Bank launches ‘Merchant Stack’; India’s most comprehensive digital and
contactless banking platform for merchants 

 

·         Aims to empower over 2 crore retail merchants in the country with seamless banking services, digitally  

·         Offers instant banking facilities and value-added services in one place to enhance productivity and efficiency of merchants

 

ICICI Bank today announced the launch of its ‘Merchant Stack’, a set of the country’s most comprehensive digital banking services specially curated for retail merchants. The array of digital banking as well as value-added services enables merchants--- grocers, super markets, large retail store chains, online businesses and large e-commerce firms--- to meet their banking requirements seamlessly so that they can continue to serve their customers in the challenging times during the pandemic. This initiative is in-line with the Bank’s principle of ‘Business with Care’ retail merchants can avail of the contactless services, many of them being first-in-the-industry, without visiting the Bank’s branches at a time when people are advised to stay home and maintain social distancing. They can avail of these facilities instantly, on InstaBIZ, the Bank’s mobile banking application for businesses. 

 

‘Merchant Stack’ provides a bouquet of banking solutions and value-added services in ‘one single place’ for the retailer eco-system. The main pillars of the stack are 1) a new account named, ‘Super Merchant Current Account’; 2) two instant credit facilities called ‘Merchant Overdraft’ and ‘Express Credit ; both are’ based on POS transactions, and first in the industry 3) ‘Digital Store Management’ facility to help merchants take their business online; 4) exclusive loyalty rewards programme, an industry first feature; 5) value added services like alliances with major e-commerce and digital marketing platforms for expansion of online presence.

 

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Anup Bagchi, ICICI Bank said, “We always believe that the self-employed and the MSME segment forms the backbone of the Indian economy. A large part of this segment consists of retail merchants. There are over 2 crore merchants in the country with approximately USD 780 billion in value of transactions in 2020. They are expected to grow rapidly in the coming years. Through these trying times of the pandemic, it is our endeavour to enable the merchants with a digital banking platform that will help them to continue to serve their customers. We have thus launched the ‘Merchant Stack’, which most importantly offers a range of ‘contactless’ banking services, providing safety to the merchants and their customers alike. This new offering is part of our guiding principle of ‘Business with Care’. It is also a continuation of ‘ICICI Stack’ which we launched a year ago to offer retail customers all digital banking services from one platform.  

 

We believe that the ‘Merchant Stack’ offers the most holistic array of banking and value-added banking services for the retail merchant ecosystem. Our research shows that this segment requires digital and instant account opening, multiple digital collection options in one place and quick working capital availability, among others. Armed with these insights, we have created a full stack that brings in a host of digital services specially curated for merchants. Further, all of the solutions are available on our mobile application, InstaBiz. We have also leveraged advanced analytics to use various parameters of POS transactions to offer instant overdraft and settlement of the swipes. We believe that this ‘all-in-one’ and comprehensive ‘Merchant Stack’ will provide easy digital banking to retailers, free up their bandwidth from paper-intensive procedures and thus boost their business growth by improving overall productivity and efficiency.”        

 

The main pillars of the ‘Merchant Stack’ are given below:  

 

·         Super Merchant Current Account: It is a zero-balance account linked to usage of the Bank’s POS (Point-of-Sale) facilities. The merchants can continue to get the advantage of the zero balance account for a lifetime, till they use these facilities. Any merchant, even if not a customer of ICICI Bank, can digitally open the account. The Super Merchant Current Account is available in two variants ---Super Advantage and Super Advantage Plus --- to suit the requirements of merchants as per the size of operations. Additionally, the current account offers retailers the convenience of transacting with their customers using multiple digital modes of payment including cards, UPI and payment gateway. Similarly, merchants also get various options for making digital payments for their businesses. They also get the benefit of instant reconciliation by using the Bank’s ‘Connected Banking’ platform, that integrates banking and their accounting system, saving them both time and effort. 

 

·         Instant Credit Facilities: The ‘Merchant Stack’ offers two instant credit facilities, based on POS transactions --- both being industry first initiatives. The first one, called ‘Merchant Overdraft’ empowers pre-qualified merchants with a linked ICICI Bank POS machine to get upto Rs 25 lakh digitally, instantaneously and in a completely online and paperless manner. The facility leverages advanced data analytics at the Bank to form a new scorecard with various parameters to assess the credit eligibility of merchants using their POS transactions. The new credit assessment method of the Bank is a marked improvement over the traditional industry practice of using only bank statements, financial statements and income returns to offer working capital facilities. Once the overdraft limit is set up, merchants can start using the funds instantly to meet their working capital requirements. This offers significance convenience to borrowers as they no longer need to wait for few working days to avail an OD facility.

 

Further, the Bank provides instant settlement of POS transactions with ‘Express Credit’. It offers enhanced convenience as merchants can instantly access the funds, in contrast to the industry practice of waiting for a few working days to get credit for sales on POS machines. To bring forth this facility, the Bank has undertaken two-fold initiative: One, it has leveraged technology to decongest the settlement process with network partner for movement of funds. Two, it has used advanced analytics to create an API, receive real-time information on transactions, check the profile of customer and credit the account---all within few minutes. The money is transferred immediately to the merchant’s linked ICICI Bank current account, 24x7, on all days including weekends and bank holidays.  

 

Both the facilities aim to offer timely credit to merchants, including those who are new-to-credit.

 

·         Digital Store Management: For merchants wanting to expand their business in the online world, the ‘Digital Store Management’ platform is available. It offers a one-stop-solution, which enables merchants to transform their ‘physical store’ into a ‘digital store’ within half-an-hour. It also helps them to manage invoicing, inventory and collections. 

 

·         Loyalty Programme: The ‘Mechant Stack’ offers a loyalty rewards programme for merchants, another industry first feature. With this, merchants using the Bank’s Eazypay facility to accept instant cashless payments from customers through POS/QR solution, get points for transactions which can be redeemed for shopping, vouchers, vacations among others.   

 

The value-added services offered in the ‘Merchant Stack’ are: 

 

·         Access to the new ‘One View’ ‘Merchant’ version on ‘InstaBIZ’ app: This comprehensive mobile app enables businesses to complete almost all their banking transactions digitally, without visiting a branch of the Bank. The ‘Merchant View’ offers all the features of the ‘Merchant Stack’ in addition to the other industry first features namely instant payment of GST, easy bulk collection and payments of funds through multiple modes, automatic bank reconciliation and inward/outward remittances among others. It also enables merchants to grow their customer base by creating marketing campaigns for customers of ICICI Bank.  

 

·         Alliances services with major platforms: The Bank has tied up with a wide-range of companies, who are experts in concierge services like staffing and security, and online skilling courses for computers, new languages and accounting. Merchants can get services of these companies at a discount to streamline or expand their business. Further, the merchants can take the services of major e-commerce and digital marketing platforms for advertising and acquiring customers online. 

 

·         State-of-the-art internet banking platforms: Availability of Corporate Internet Banking (CIB) platform and Trade Online, a specialised digital platform for export-import transactions. 

 

Any merchant can enjoy the benefits of the ‘Merchant Stack’ by simply downloading the InstaBIZ app from Google Play Store or Apple App Store. Merchants, who are not the customers of the Bank, can also avail the benefits of the stack by instantly opening a zero balance current account using the InstaBIZ app in a digital manner. ‘InstaBIZ’ can also be accessed on the Bank’s Corporate Internet Banking (CIB) platform. 

For news and updates, visit here and follow us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/ICICIBank

Federal Bank Sets Up Covid Vaccination Camps for

                     Federal Bank Sets Up Covid Vaccination Camps for Employees

Federal Bank starts a drive for vaccination of its employees and their family members against Covid19. The Bank is partnering with reputed hospitals at various centers for this initiative. Launch of the program was held in Aluva, Kerala today. This project aims at vaccinating employees and their relatives above the age of 45 years.

 Banking being an essential service, bank employees all over the country have been rendering banking services as usual defying all odds during the pandemic. This drive by Federal Bank comes as a step towards speeding up the inoculation of bankers and their family members which will ultimately result in uninterrupted service to the Bank’s customers. Federal Bank is exploring the possibilities to conduct several such vaccination camps for employees in major centers.

In addition to this, the Bank is funding numerous Covid relief and vaccination initiatives all over India for the public, which includes a mega CSR project for supporting vaccination drives in five districts in different states which are worst hit by the pandemic, in partnership with Apollo Hospitals and a national media group.

Tea Lovers Rejoice as Fernweh Agro presents its variety of

  Tea Lovers Rejoice as Fernweh Agro presents its variety of premium teas.   

Amidst the pandemic, all of us have realized the value of our loved one’s and spending time with them. Since the previous year has been sad for various reasons, let's try and bring a smile on our near and dear ones and gift them something this new year which they would cherish every day!

This pandemic has taught people to cherish small moments. What matters is if you can make their day memorable rather than making it a grand occasion. Why don’t you surprise your wife by giving her a nice massage or make her a nice cup of tea when she comes from work?

 

Fernweh Agro, a brand which offers premium organic tea has different types of tea to enjoy in this cold weather.  It's often said that a tea can take away your worries and help you to bond with your loved ones.

If your mom has problem of headache, then do lay your hands-on Firenze Lavender Tea or Chamomile Tea from Fernweh Agro, if your wife likes to take care of her skin, they you should definitely buy Bleu Amor Tea from Fernweh, its an exotic tea which is known to have  anti-aging properties and it will help to enhance beauty of your spouse.

If you want to enjoy tea on a cold winter evening, then Kashmiri Kahwa Green Tea from Fernweh Agro is the best bet for you and your family. Want to improve the immunity of your family so that they are safe amidst this pandemic, then we would suggest you to invest in Ayurvedic Healing Tea from Fernweh Agro!

So, this New year, give a gift to your loved one’s which they will cherish every morning and evening. Because who doesn’t like a good cup of tea!

Fernweh Agro products are available on - www.fernwehagro.com

SpiceJet ties-up with Brussels Airport for

 SpiceJet ties-up with Brussels Airport for seamless delivery of Covid-19 vaccine between India and Europe and beyond

·         Strategic partnership will aid in the global mission of a speedy and reliable solution for vaccine transportation

·         SpiceXpress to provide air connectivity to carry Covid-19 vaccine pan India and internationally with proper temperature-controlled mechanism

SpiceJet, the country’s favourite airline, today announced that it has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Belgium’s Brussels Airport for providing seamless transportation of Covid-19 vaccine.

As strategic partners, both SpiceJet and Brussels Airport Company NV will jointly work with the Government, pharma companies and forwarders to ensure a reliable ecosystem for vaccine delivery in a temperature-controlled environment. Besides, they will also work towards developing and strengthening a direct air link for SpiceJet with Brussels Airport.

 As part of this association, Brussels Airport will be SpiceJet’s first flight point for Europe. The airline’s cargo arm, SpiceXpress, envisions to provide rapid and secure transportation of Covid-19 vaccine from and to Europe and beyond with proper temperature-controlled mechanism under the MoU.

 Brussels Airport shall provide assistance to SpiceJet with regards to slots, networking contracts etc. to provide efficient and speedy solution for delivery. Brussels Airport has several years of expertise in the transport of temperature-sensitive products and has handled multiple flights carrying Covid vaccine recently.

 Ajay Singh, Chairman & Managing Director, SpiceJet said, “We are delighted to partner with Brussels Airport in our fight against the pandemic. This tie-up will help SpiceJet to seamlessly transport vaccines not only from Europe and beyond to India but also help Indian manufacturers export extremely sensitive drugs in a safe and controlled environment. We are fully committed and prepared to transport the Covid vaccine and assist in the biggest vaccination drive in the history of mankind.”

 Arnaud Feist, CEO, Brussels Airport Company said, “As Europe’s preferred airport for the transport of temperature-sensitive products, Brussels Airport, certified IATA CEIV Pharma, has more than 30,000m² of temperature-controlled areas. As from today, we have already shipped more than 10 million doses of vaccine from our Brucargo platform to destinations around the world. In this context, we are very pleased to be partnering with SpiceJet and to be able to offer our expertise for the future distribution of vaccines from India within Europe and beyond. Together, we will make our contribution to the solution to this global health crisis.”

 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 partnered with GMR Hyderabad Air Cargo, Om Logistics Ltd., Snowman Logistics among others. 

 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 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 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 more than 12,600 cargo flights since the lockdown began and carried around 1,02,000 tonnes of cargo. SpiceXpress has the capability of providing door-to-door deliveries to over 12,600 pin codes across India.