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Archive: October 29, 2021

news

Jam8 India’s beloved musical platform for budding artists celebrates its work on newly released emotional chartbuster ‘Mere Yaara’ for star-studded action film Sooryavanshi

Oct 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

October 29th, 2021: Jam8, India’s new age musical platform, which is home to some of the most talented upcoming artists in the country, is celebrating its successful work on the newly released song ‘Mere Yaara’ for Sooryavanshi. The song is slated to be the romantic chartbuster of the year and features the superhit pair of Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. Jam8 was responsible for developing and delivering the entire song.

The music of ‘Mere Yaara’ has been composed by the Kaushik-Guddu-Akash trio of Jam8 and was sung by soulful artists Arijit Singh and Neeti Mohan. Lyricist Rashmi Virag, music supervisor Azeem Rdayani, music producers Kaushik Das and Abhijit Nalani, sound designers Kaushik Das and Zafar Iqubal Ansari, with the help of additional programming and shootmixing by Zafar Iqubal Ansari, song mixing and mastery by Eric Pillai and mix assistant Michael Edwin Pillai helped bring the song to life. The live artists for the song included Aditya Shankar on the acoustic and electric guitar, Raj Kumar Dewan on the bass guitar, Harpinder Singh Kang on the saranga, Dilshad Khan on the sarangi, Ishteyak Khan and Mustak Khan on the dholak and Hanif Khan on the tabla.

Speaking about the latest hit soundtrack developed by the team, founder of Jam8 & ace composer Pritam Chakraborty said, “Since we started our memorable musical journey, Jam8 has continually done interesting work. Every musician has brought his unique quality and added to the studio. Now kaushik akash guddu’s latest hit Tere Yaara is an extension of studios artistic beliefs and creations. Its our continuous effort to remain a studio that is dedicated to bringing unique art and great melody to the audiences and contribute to one of the most important elements of cinema- songs.”

For the last five years, Jam8 has been pushing artistic boundaries with its spirited and passionate approach towards music. Its first work in mainstream Indian music was the 1920 London soundtrack, which released in 2016. Jam8 was one of the composers for the soundtrack of the film Raees in 2017. Its composition ‘Zaalima’, which has over 500 million views on YouTube, was a huge hit from this album. Continuing its work for many more blockbuster Bollywood films, the studio also worked in Telugu film Touch Chesi Chudu and Bengali films like Crisscross, Villain.

About Jam8:
Jam8 was comprehended and founded by Pritam Chakraborty -India’s biggest music composer/director. It is one of the rare studios not only in India but in Asia that has been formed to incubate new and young talent of our country.Pritam came up with the idea of bringing together upcoming musicians across the country under a roof by providing modern amenities & equipment to nourish & enhance their talent, showcase their work and flourish them to dent the future of Bollywood Music.He later collaborated with Prime Focus Limited (PFL), the world’s largest independent integrated media services powerhouse and Collective, a multi-faceted talent management powerhouse with unparalleled access to India’s leading talent across categories, with an aim to expand and branch out by establishing its foothold in music industry.

business

Debt platform, CredAvenue sets up Tech Development Centre in Bengaluru; to increase headcount by 250

Oct 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Bengaluru, October 29, 2021: Debt Platform, CredAvenue, today announced the inauguration of its technology development centre in Bengaluru. Primarily catering to the firm’s technology requirements, the centre will house a 200-employee strong workforce by FY23 that will form close to 30% of CredAvenue’s overall strength in India. The focus areas for hiring within the technology team include Engineering, Product, Design, QA, SDET, Data Science and Data Engineering.

The firm has offices in Chennai, Mumbai and Delhi with an employee strength of 275, 60 and 10 in each, respectively. CredAvenue aims to hire 200 technology experts at the Bengaluru technology centre by FY23. The Bengaluru centre will house the Marketplace, Mobile Engineering, Loans and User Platform teams in the immediate term. On a high-growth trajectory over the last year, the firm intends on setting up multiple pods under other areas in the future to accelerate its momentum further.

CredAvenue plans to evolve its platform by deploying cutting-edge technologies like data science, machine learning, and artificial intelligence in the coming few months. In line with this, the firm is heavily focusing on acquiring domain-agnostic talent in core technology areas, including data engineering, AI-ML, data science and analytics, data security, product management, deep integration, platform architecture and software engineering. It already houses one of the most advanced data science teams in the country.

Gaurav Kumar, Founder & CEO, CredAvenue, said, “CredAvenue is one of the first of its kind debt platform globally. Our platform currently services 1000+ issuers, 200 investors and has enabled a debt flow of USD 8bn to date. Our objective is to create a technology platform that is unmatched, scalable and a category creator. As we march ahead to meet our objective, the Bengaluru office will serve as the nerve centre for the technology efforts at CredAvenue. The tech talent that will join us in the process will be category creators, possibly creating a global concept that the world will adopt in the years to come.”

CredAvenue comprises over 350 employees spanning different verticals – technology, sales, marketing, strategy, and HR. It expects to double its headcount to 700 by the end of FY22. The company also plans on global expansion and inorganic growth through strategic acquisitions.

The firm recently raised USD 90mn in India, the largest ever series A funding round by a startup. The round was led by Sequoia Capital India and co-led by Lightspeed, TVS Capital Funds, Lightrock and others. At the Series A fundraise, the firm was valued at USD 410 mn.

CredAvenue’s goal is to transform the debt markets globally, starting with India, by deepening access to capital for the growing enterprise sector to unlock significant economic growth. It does this by doing three things. First, creating a transparent marketplace for financial services firms on one side and enterprises on the other side to discover lending and borrowing opportunities. Second, developing a robust product suite and credit rating mechanism to enable stakeholders to find an appropriate product-risk fit and, last, creating a robust and low friction UX that not only automates the execution of the transaction but also offers continuous portfolio monitoring.

The company has already achieved market leadership across various debt categories, including co-lending, loans, and bonds, by simplifying access and servicing and helping consumers seamlessly navigate multiple offerings through a single portal.

About CredAvenue

CredAvenue is India’s leading enterprise debt marketplace that connects enterprises with lenders and investors. It is a global pioneer that aims to revolutionise and deepen debt markets and is the only one of its kind in the world to provide a comprehensive debt product suite to all its borrowers. The organisation has a portfolio of 5 platforms catering to every requirement of both borrowers and investors –

  1. CredLoan (Loan Platform) – Term Lending and working capital solutions for enterprises
  2. CredCoLend (Origination platform) – For banks and NBFCs for co-lending partnerships
  3. Plutus (Bond Platform) – Bond Issuance and Investment for institutional and retail participants
  4. CredSCF (Supply Chain Platform) – Trade Financing solutions
  5. CredPool (Pool Platform) – End to end securitisation and portfolio buyouts

In addition, the company also offers portfolio management and monitoring services as a SaaS offering to its borrowers and lenders.

CredAvenue currently has over 1500+ Corporates, 750+ Lenders and has facilitated debt volumes of over INR 75,000 Crores. CredAvenue is an organisation on a mission to deepen and power the $120 trillion global enterprise debt market to unlock a GDP multiplier and create massive economic value.

business

This Diwali Carnival is a buzz with festive flavours at the newly launched Premium Supermarket MARKKETO

Oct 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

It’s that time of the year again…..when shopping takes precedence over every other form of festivity. MARKKETO gave more than one reason to hustle over on the festive trail, one of the most exciting shopping fiestas to hit South Delhi. The 12,000 Sq feet premium supermarket MARKKETO located at Panchshila Rendezvous complex in Malviya Nagar, New Delhi, with ample parking space is all set to serve you in this season of festivity.

MARKKETO is promoted by the Jain Family, who have been in different businesses. Now the next generation of the Family, Varen Jain, Saanchi Jain and Rahul Jain, have opened the 1st Outlet, which will be followed by a Chain of Premium Supermarkets.

Founders - MARKKETO - Rahul Jain, Saanchi Jain and Varen Jain
Founders – MARKKETO – Rahul Jain, Saanchi Jain and Varen Jain

Varen Jain, Founder MARKKETO said “We wanted to provide the people of south Delhi an affordable luxury shopping experience. We have brands of all kinds, from luxurious to the most affordable brands under one roof. The categories that we cater to include Gourmet Packaged Food, Staples, Home Care, Personal Care, Fresh Fruits & Vegetable, Fresh Meat, Gardening, Pet Care, and Stationary etc.”

“The USP of MARKKETO lays with its Live Bakery and an In House Cafe. Along with it we have Fresh Meat and Fish, Live Kitchen, Chakki, fresh Oil Extraction, various master classes, and Businesses on our shelves. The beautiful offerings of Diwali gifts is absolutely mesmerising and beautiful and have exciting food concoctions too to offer.” adds Saanchi Jain, Founder, MARKKETO.

Contact – 70421 45050 / +91 70421 55050
Address – Markketo
T-540, Panchshila Rendezvous Complex, Malviya Nagar, New Delhi

business

Satin Creditcare Network Limited Q2FY22: Disbursements gradually inching towards pre-Covid levels

Oct 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

29th October 2021, India: Satin Creditcare Network Limited (SCNL) (NSE: SATIN, BSE: 539404) has announced its un-audited financial results for the quarter and half year ended 30th September 2021. The financial numbers are based on IndAS.

Financial Performance (On a Consolidated Basis)

Particulars (Rs. crores) Q2 FY22 Q2 FY21
Assets Under Management (AUM) 7,381 7,667
Net Interest Income (NII) 171 184
Pre-Provisioning Operating Profit (PPOP) 53 80
Profit After Tax (PAT) 11 16

Disbursement activities are gradually inching towards the pre-covid levels and we expect this momentum to continue in the coming quarters

Disbursements grew 83% Y-o-Y and 366% Q-o-Q owing to waning pandemic figure as well as sustained and widespread vaccination drive

Standalone disbursements for the quarter stood at Rs. 1,103 crores as compared to Rs. 632 crores in Q2FY21 and Rs. 222 crores in Q1FY21

PAT for Q2FY22 was Rs. 11 crores as compared to a reported loss of Rs. 81 crores in Q1FY22

As on 30th September 2021, our Assigned Portfolio stood at Rs. 811 crores (including Rs. 16 crores of housing portfolio)
Footprints and Outreach

 

Particulars Sep-21 Sep-20
States & UTs 23 23
Branches 1,279 1,255
No. of Employees 12,910 10,497
No. of Loan Officers 8,313 7,230
No. of Clients 28.9 31.1

Capital Adequacy and Liquidity

  • Our capital adequacy as on 30th September 2021 stood at 22.3%
  • The Company continues to maintain a healthy balance sheet liquidity with ‾Rs. 1400 crores of surplus funds and has undrawn sanctions worth Rs. 323 crores as on 30th September 2021
  • The Rights Issue of Rs. 120 crores launched in August 2020 is fully paid up as on date

Borrowing Profile

  • Total Borrowings stood at Rs. 5,920 crores as on 30th September 2021
  • Debt-to-equity ratio stood at 4.2x
  • 59% of our borrowings are from Banks

Collection Efficiency

Collection efficiency witnessed some dip on account of the second wave of Covid-19 pandemic in Q1FY22. However, collections on ground witnessed significant recovery since July.

Improving Collection Efficiency trend

  • Jul’21 – 86%; excl. Assam 89%
  • Aug’21 – 87%; excl. Assam 89%
  • Sep’21 – 90%; excl. Assam 91%
  • 1-22nd Oct’21 – 96%; excl. Assam 97%

Cumulative collection efficiency for Q2FY22 stood at 88%; excl. Assam at 90%

Significant reduction in number of non-paying clients from 11% during H1FY21 to 4% during H1FY22

For the September quarter Collection Efficiency in top 4 states stood at 93%, which is also showing signs of improvement in the month of October 2021 at 102%.

Asset Quality

On-book Gross Non-Performing Assets stood at 8.71%

We have made adequate on-book provisioning of 8.67% on account of Coivd-19 pandemic

Subsidiaries

Satin Housing Finance Ltd, has now reached an AUM of Rs. 246 crores including DA of Rs. 16 crores, having presence across 4 states with 2,711 customers

SHFL has 100% retail book comprising of: 78% affordable housing loans and 22% of LAP

The Company has 10 active lenders including NHB refinance

CRAR of 89.3% and gearing of 1.6x. Total equity stands at Rs. 100 crores

The Company has knocked off all accrued losses since inception

Satin Finserv Ltd, our MSME arm reached AUM of Rs. 138 crores, presence across 8 states with 15 branches serving 2,296 customers

Profitable since last years despite difficult business environment

CRAR of 77.9%; total equity stands at Rs. 107 crores

Business Correspondent services under Taraashna Financial Services Limited has reached an AUM of Rs. 682 crores. As of 30th September 2021, the Company operates through 220 branches, has around 3.8 lakh active clients

Scheme of Arrangement

The Board of Directors of  two wholly owned subsidiaries of the Company namely, Taraashna Financial Services Limited and Satin Finserv Limited, at their respective meetings have considered and approved a draft Scheme of Arrangement for Amalgamation of Taraashna Financial Services Limited (“Transferor Company”) with Satin Finserv Limited (“Transferee Company”) and their respective shareholders and creditors (‘Scheme’) under Sections 230 to 232 of the Companies Act, 2013 (“Act”) and other applicable provisions of the Act and rules made thereunder.

Commenting on the performance, Mr. HP Singh, Chairman & Managing Director of Satin Creditcare Network Limited, said

“During the first half of FY22, our resilience and conviction considerably helped us navigate through these tough times. Q1FY22 was a challenging quarter owing to the rising number of Covid-19 cases and the subsequent lockdown to mitigate the spread of the virus. In Q2FY22 we witnessed economic activities gradually returning to normalcy owing to the waning pandemic figure as well as sustained and widespread vaccination drive.

For the period under review, the company adopted the right strategies at the right time offering the right solutions to the people who are in need of these solutions which helped us arrest de-growth. Our disbursements for Q2FY22 stood at Rs. 1,315 crores as compared to Rs. 282 crores in Q1FY22 and Rs. 717 crores Q2FY21. H1FY22 disbursements stood at Rs. 1,597 crores. Gradual pickup in disbursement activities has resulted in our AUM at Rs. 7,381 crores.

Our continuous aim is to maintain a sturdy balance sheet with a comfortable liquidity position. Our balance sheet liquidity stands at ‾Rs. 1,400 crores.

We believe that we are on a strong footing, looking at the buoyancy in the economy. As a responsible organization, we consistently strive to make a positive difference in our stakeholders’ lives by driving financial inclusion. We are guided by our long-standing commitment of reaching the underserved sections of the society. We are propelled by our utmost sincerity, compassion, and long-term vision of offering support where it is most needed and are well poised to achieve growth and conquer the lost ground in the coming quarters.

In line with our long term strategy of diversification, Non-MFI book stood at 9.7% of AUM as on 30th September 2021. We have laid a strong foundation for both SHFL and SFL during last 3 years and have created valuable institutions. We will build and scale these businesses in a calibrated manner to create value for our stakeholders”

technology

Zendesk To Acquire Momentive And Its Iconic SurveyMonkey Platform

Oct 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

INDIA, October 29, 2021: Zendesk (NYSE: ZEN) and Momentive (NASDAQ: MNTV) have entered into a definitive agreement under which Zendesk will acquire Momentive, including its iconic SurveyMonkey platform. The terms of the transaction provide for Momentive stockholders to receive 0.225 shares of Zendesk stock for each share of Momentive stock, a ratio which represents an implied value of approximately $28 per outstanding share of Momentive stock based on the 15-day volume weighted average price of Zendesk common stock up to and including October 26, 2021.

Zendesk expects the combination to be growth accretive in its first full operating year and accelerate Zendesk’s revenue plan to $3.5 billion in 2024, one year ahead of its previous target. The companies’ respective sizable customer bases and complementary capabilities are expected to provide significant opportunity for joint product adoption and increasing Momentive’s enterprise traction. Zendesk will reinvest savings from scale efficiencies into compelling growth opportunities to support the combination. Upon the close of the transaction, Momentive CEO Zander Lurie will continue to lead Momentive’s strong management team.

“The SurveyMonkey brand is iconic and we’ve admired their business from afar since the inception of Zendesk. They truly democratized an industry—almost everyone in the world has responded to one of their surveys at some point,” said Mikkel Svane, CEO & Founder, Zendesk. “We’re very excited to have them join the Zendesk mission along with Momentive’s market research and insights products and together create a powerful new Customer Intelligence company. We will deliver a rich, colorful picture of every customer so businesses really understand their customers and can build more authentic relationships.”

“We look forward to combining with Zendesk to advance our mission and accelerate our long-term growth strategy,” said Zander Lurie, CEO, Momentive. “This is a testament to the strength of our agile products and talented team. Zendesk and Momentive share a culture centered around our people, our communities and the customers we serve. The synergies between our companies are proximate and compelling. We are uniquely positioned to make Customer Intelligence a reality while delivering significant value for our shareholders.”

Acquisition to Create Powerful New Customer Intelligence Company

In today’s digital-first economy, it is imperative to build more meaningful relationships with customers. Meaning comes from a deep understanding of the customer and their experiences. Although businesses often have an endless supply of data, they lack actionable and personalized customer intelligence. Instead, businesses are left with a picture of the customer that is one dimensional, impersonal and incomplete.

Zendesk pioneered the ability to respond to what customers say and do, making it easier to deliver superior customer service. Momentive is a leader in capturing how customers think and feel, helping companies make critical decisions quickly and confidently.

With Momentive, Zendesk will create what businesses really need—a customer intelligence company that connects what customers say and do, with how they think and feel. The combination will give businesses the ability to:

  • Listen to your customers: Collect critical information about customer needs, experiences and expectations
  • Develop a rich picture: Bring a customer into focus by combining transactional data with market research and insights for the context to truly understand them
  • Act on insights: Empower teams to take action with the full breadth of data about their customers as well as feedback and market insights to improve customer interactions

Transaction Terms

Following a comprehensive review, the boards of directors of Zendesk and Momentive have approved the transaction.

The terms of the transaction provide for Momentive stockholders to receive 0.225 shares of Zendesk stock for each share of Momentive stock, a ratio which represents an implied value of approximately $28 per outstanding share of Momentive stock based on the 15-day volume weighted average price of Zendesk common stock up to and including October 26, 2021. Upon closing of the transaction, Zendesk stockholders will own approximately 78% of the combined company and Momentive stockholders will own approximately 22% of the combined company. The transaction, which is anticipated to close in the first half of 2022, is subject to approval by Zendesk stockholders and Momentive stockholders, the receipt of required regulatory approvals and other customary closing conditions. The transaction is intended to qualify as a tax-free reorganization for U.S. federal income tax purposes.

Zendesk has published a presentation to provide an overview of the transaction, available on both Zendesk and Momentive’s investor relations websites. Additional details and information about the terms and conditions of the transaction will be available in Current Reports on Form 8-K to be filed by Zendesk and Momentive with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Quarterly Financial Results

In separate press releases issued today, Zendesk announced financial results for the third quarter of 2021 and Momentive announced preliminary results for its third quarter of 2021. Momentive will issue a press release to share its full third quarter financial results on November 9, 2021.

health

First-of-its-kind, WaterScience brings unique water conditioning filters for skin and hair care protection

Oct 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

Bengaluru, October 29th, 2021: Breaking the perception that water filtration at homes is needed only for drinking and cooking, India’s leading water purification company WaterScience, offers solutions for India’s specific water quality conditions. WaterScience filters reduce the effects of hardness in water, making water cleaner and safer for use. This filtered water can be used in your kitchens, showers and laundry rooms, with better water improving overall hygiene, health and beauty.

Already a huge hit among customers, these unique filters convert hazardous chemicals present in hard water into harmless, which ultimately result in better hygiene and better hair and skin health. The company is getting a phenomenal response for its innovative solutions and has serviced up to 3,00,000 households so far. What started in a factory shed in 2014 with one product concept, has now evolved into India’s leading shower filter manufacturer with operations across India. The company also plans to expand to 2,000 outlets by the end of the financial year.

“Realising that 97% of water we use is not for drinking, we are exploring the concept of non-drinking water filtration to protect people from the perilous effects of hard water on their skin and hair. The new healthy water keeps the skin and hair hydrated and nourished, rather than stripping away the valuable oils present in them. Moreover, the pandemic has also made Indian people more aware of the quality of water they are using at home. This has created awareness and opportunity, making India one of the markets that have a genuine need in the non-drinking water filtration space. The products are Made in India and made for the Indian water conditions. Our aim is to be present by the end of the financial year across various retail channels, supermarkets, hardware outlets, dermatologists, and bath fittings showrooms, ” said Pavithra Rao, Co-Founder, WaterScience

WaterScience is the category creator and leader with their range of products. With continuous research, development, and innovation has expanded the range to include 8 more products to their portfolio. They now develop shower filters, tap filters, washing machine filters, kitchen tap filters, and filters for the whole house primarily apart from aromatherapy shower filter and water saving nozzle. Notably, one of its shower filters, the CLEO Multi-Flow Shower Filter, has received the highest water-saving star rating from the IAPMO.

About WaterScience

WaterScience is India’s leading water purification company in the non-drinking space. Making non-drinking water healthy is their mission as 97% of the water we use and come in contact with daily is not for drinking! Filtered water is the norm for drinking and cooking, however protection for health, hygiene and beauty has been largely ignored. WaterScience develops Shower Filters, Tap Filters, washing machine filters, kitchen tap filters and filters for the whole house. From the words of a happy customer, “WaterScience Shower Filter is really good as it has reduced hair fall and skin problems I was facing due to hard water in the area. It’s value for money and comparatively low maintenance cost than other water softeners” says Kopal, a customer of WaterScience from UP.

Education

Importance Of Interviews In The Admission Process

Oct 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

By Kavitta B Bedi, Co-founder and CEO, Xtraview

During admission seasons, there are thousands of applications to scour through. Amidst all the essays, test scores, recommendation letters, and more, an interview is an excellent way to make a lasting impression and differentiate yourself from other candidates.

Some schools have interviews with members of the admissions staff or professors and others with an alumnus or other members of the staff. Some have no interviews at all.

With an interview being an integral part of the process, students wonder what an interview means about their chance of admission and the importance of the pre-admission interviews. We’ll answer this eventually, but let’s start with the basics.

What is the purpose of an interview?

An interview has numerous purposes. For starters, there’s a face behind the name of the application. It personalizes you as a candidate and gives you the opportunity to share information about yourself beyond what’s listed on your transcript. While everything looks good on paper, the interview lets you talk the talk as well. This ensures you’re well-rounded.

How much do interviews matter?

This is a hard one with no direct answer. Typically, you’re selected based on multiple factors, including the interview and not solely the interview. Some institutes like the University of Pennsylvania are vocal about the process. They say that interviews help the school get to know you better as a candidate and vice versa. Penn alumni volunteers conduct this two-way exchange and a written summary is included in your application material. Princeton University has a similar approach. The primary motive is to provide more insight and information about the university.

In order to really read into the role and importance, you need to look into the interview process at different schools of your choice.

Importance of interviews for admissions officers and students.

As rightly said by the University of Penn and Princeton University, interviews are a means of communication and conversation that give one another deeper perceptions of likes, dislikes, qualities, and more.

One of the factors that make interviews important is communication skills.

Take a college in the United States, for instance, seas of students from all over the world apply. On a daily basis, students need to mingle with professors or other students. And not every country has English as the official language. There are many ways to gauge English proficiency, one is IELTS/TOEFL exams, and the other is interviews.

During an interview, the admissions officers want to ensure all students have the level of English communication skills necessary to be successful at the institution. The interview goes beyond merely scoring. The interviewer really wants to determine if the student can have a fully immersive college experience, be it participating in class, interacting with the faculty, or with friends.

The three-dimensional aspect – as a being, you’re not two-dimensional. Admissions officers need to know who is going to show up on that first day of college.

Although a leading criterion for institutions is academic success, that’s not all they look for. Most admission processes are holistic. Meaning, when an admission officer reviews an application, they look not only at one aspect of your application but a broad range of categories like test scores, transcripts, essays, extra-curricular activities, recommendation letters, etc. This is done as it’s important to build a class of students who contribute to the community, both outside and inside the walls of the class.

Everything about you that the admissions officer reads is “two-dimensional” or “on paper.” During the interview, you breathe life into the two-dimensional façade as well as tie your entire persona and hard work together. You can explain what you did with your curiosity, what you did with your activities, and what you did with your academics.

In essence, an admissions officer is less likely to comprehend your personal story. The interview is your time to tell your story, fill in the details, and provide nuance and context to all pieces of your application so one can connect the dots.

Tip: What ends up mattering the most to admissions officers? Unlike what you think, it’s not as much to do with the content. It’s more about the feeling of getting to know you.

Preparing for the soft skills you need for the interview…and for life!

The wonderful thing about preparing for an interview is the skills you require for it are what you will use in real life, now and in the years to come.

As soon as you arrive on campus, you will interview – to be a part of an internship, a research opportunity, or a school club. In the long run, for your dream job.

Don’t let this scare you. As with many things in life, you need a little patience and a whole of commitment. What helps is professional guidance. Some experienced workshops like The Xtraprep Digital Interaction Workshop. The workshop is designed solely for this purpose. They work on boosting confidence, improving public speaking skills, giving you tips to succeed in interviews, and even the chance to interview with an expert interviewer. By the end of it, you’ll feel like a seasoned interviewer.

Wrapping up

You may have seen the interview process as a hurdle during applications, but once you’re done, you’ll see it was one of the most insightful bits of the tasks – both in preparing for real life as well as standing out in the eyes and minds of the interviewers.

Time to put your best foot forward, muster up the courage, and ace that interview. Good luck!

Education

Tips To Prepare For Online Admission Interview

Oct 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

By Katherine Ernst Mehta, Co-founder and Director, Xtraview

There’s a lot that goes into college admissions – from preparing for competitive exams to a statement of purpose to recommendations letters, and let’s not forget interviews. The interview is one of the criteria based on which schools shortlist potential applicants. It goes hand-in-hand with excellent test scores and an impressive statement of purpose.

With the onset of the pandemic, the interview process has largely moved online. An online interview might sound new to you, but there’s nothing to panic or worry about. With some proper planning and sufficient practice, you’ll become comfortable with the process and boost your confidence. Soon, the interview will be like a walk in the park for you.

Here is a curated list of pointers and tips to help you ace your interview with ease.

1. Do your research

It’s crucial you are well-informed about the school before your interview. A lack of research not only is evident but also indicates a certain degree of disinterest in the school.

A few talking points that may help you are:

  • Why you’d like to attend the school
  • What makes you a good fit?
  • Some unique factors that interest you about the school

Rather than surface-level answers like “I want to learn from renowned professors,” dig deeper. This shows you’ve taken the time to learn about the institute and picture yourself there.

2. Practice answering common interview questions

While it’s impossible to foretell what the interviewer will ask, you can prepare for some common college interview questions. Here’s are a few ideas of some questions:

  • Why do you want to attend this university?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • What do you want to do after college?
  • Tell us something interesting about you that’s not in your application.

A word of caution, while preparing is don’t memorize any answers. You can have a few pointers handy and build from there. The interview is a conversation about showcasing your personality.

Tip: When you answer, don’t be extremely elaborate. Get to the point quickly. Also, try to keep answers fresh, something they haven’t seen or read in your essay.

3. Feel free to ask questions, too

As an interviewee, asking questions reinforces the fact that you’re truly interested in the school, and you’ve done your research.

Put some thought into this. Make a list of creative questions that you can’t easily find on the web. Alternatively, you can ask questions related to something mentioned in the interview.

Some suggestions to get your creative juices flowing are:

  • What’s your advice for an incoming student?
  • What made you choose this school?
  • How does this school help students prepare for their future (education/career)

The idea is to show you’re enthusiastic and curious about the institute.

Tip: Steer clear of questions regarding your admission, your essay, etc. Focus more on school culture, programs, and opportunities.

4. Schedule strategically

As the good old saying goes, “practice makes perfect.” If you’re doing several interviews, schedule them strategically.

One way to do this is to rank schools by your choice “first choice,” “second choice,” and so on. If possible, interview with schools from the bottom to the top. The idea is, the more you interview, the more you’ll sharpen your interview skills. By the time you reach your top school, you’ll be a seasoned interviewee.

5. Be yourself

During the interview, you need to be yourself. When you are your true self, the interview can easily see who you are, what you bring to the table, and how you can add to the institute and community.

Just remember, you have many sides to showcase, pick the one that shows you being poised, mature, confident, and professional.

Dressing up is an important aspect too. You can’t look like you’ve just peeled yourself off the couch. You need to look presentable. Wear something that makes you feel comfortable.

Tip: Keep smiling. This makes everyone more comfortable. Remember, the interviewer wants this to go well too!

6. Practice makes perfect!

Like any form of art, your interview also requires practice and commitment to reach fluency. One option is to prepare a series of mock questions and answers that vary in difficulty. Jot down talking points and once you are satisfied with your responses, you can use a mirror and keep practicing. You can ask friends and family for help too.

Despite help, if you feel like you have long pauses, extra words, scattered responses, or stutters, you can always seek professional guidance. The experts who conduct the Xtraprep Digital Interaction Workshop are experienced and will help you ace your interview. The workshop is designed to help students formally present themselves, build on communication and confidence, interact with experts as well as gain insight into a few tips and tricks to succeed.

You can also use the workshop as a self-evaluation tool and self-improvement. You can listen to yourself and honestly assess strengths and areas of improvement.

By the end of the sessions, your answers will sound confident and spontaneous, not robotic or memorized. Your overall body language, gestures, tone, voice, and other elements will reflect a calm and relaxed demeanor.

The Bottom Line: It’s OK To Be Nervous

It’s easy for someone to tell you not to be nervous, but let’s face it only you know the butterflies you feel inside.

Just remember, your college is not a make-or-break situation. Think of it as a chance to make conversation with someone from the institute who wants to learn more about you and you about the college. This, along with adequate practice and preparation, makes a world of a difference.

Any other last-minute nerves are fine. Try to stay calm, recall the exercises you did in the workshops you attended, if any, and give it your all! Just be yourself and you’ll crush it. Good luck!

business

Union Minister Nitin Gadkari inaugurated a new state-of-the art pathology lab in Nagpur

Oct 29, 2021 by Neel Achary 0 Comments

28th October at 6:30PM; Pathkind Diagnostics has made a foray in Maharashtra with a state-of-the-art Pathology Lab in Congress Nagar and Nagpur. This move is in line with the company’s aggressive expansion plans in Maharashtra and other western & central states of India.

This new lab was inaugurated by Hon. Shri. Nitin Gadkari, Minister of Road Transport and Highways of India (Govt. of India) and Mr. Sanjeev Vashishta, MD & CEO, Pathkind Diagnostics.

Nitin Gadkari, Minister

As a part of the expansion plan and to make quality diagnostics services accessible to the masses in western and central India, Pathkind Diagnostics has opened large format labs in Nagpur, Raipur, Jabalpur and very soon more labs will be launched in Mumbai, Pune, Augrangabad, Goa, Bhopal and Indore to be able to provide superior quality diagnostics services to the people residing in western and central parts of India at their doorsteps. Pathkind has opened almost 200 collection centres in that geography. It is pertinent to mention that Pathkind already has impressive footprint in nearby states of Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh over and above the massive coverage in North and East India.

Nitin Gadkari, Minister 1

Commenting on the launch, Sanjeev Vashishta, MD & CEO, Pathkind Diagnostics, said, “It’s our proud privilege to set up a state-of-the-art Pathology Lab Congress Nagar, Nagpur. Our aim is to be closer to the masses with the latest technology and a comprehensive repertoire of tests across all the streams including Biochemistry, Haematology, Immunoassays, Cytogenetics, Histopathology, Microbiology, Molecular Biology etc. Not only we will be able to make superior quality diagnostics service available to the people of Maharashtra, we will be able to provide them the accurate reports in the shortest possible turnaround time to enable early detection of ailment thereby facilitating prompt treatment.

Covid has brought to the fore the importance of pathology diagnostics. We are progressively getting more and more vulnerable to getting new infections. At one hand the incidences of non-communicable diseases are increasing relentlessly, on the other hand the infectious diseases are also growing unabatedly. Covid has emphasized the need for diagnostics and as people are getting more and more aware and discerning about their health, it is imperative to make the diagnostics services available to them at their doorsteps”.

Pathkind Diagnostics, is promoted by the Mankind Pharma group & Mr. Sanjeev Vashishta and over 4 years of its inception it has become the fastest growing network of pathology labs in India. The company started operations in August, 2017 with a mission “to be a trusted brand having Pan-India footprint, making superior quality diagnostics services accessible to the masses at affordable price through innovative means” and in less than four years of its existence, the company has presence in 20 states through its 70+ labs and over 2000 collection centres. In the wake of COVID pandemic, Pathkind has created 10 labs in various cities that carry out COVID RT-PCR & other tests. Pathkind is committed to opening more and more centres to be able to reach out the masses with superior quality diagnostics services even in the hinterland at affordable prices.