All posts by Gayathri Pariti

Moneyview Survey: 65% of Millennials Prefer Digital Gold for Convenience Over Traditional Options

Bengaluru, 17th October 2024—One of India’s leading financial services platforms, Moneyview has released the results of its latest survey on gold investments highlighting increasing consumer preference towards digital gold platforms as a prudent and a more convenient option to a traditional physical gold buy.

“Gold has been a cornerstone of savings and investment for Indians. However, traditional gold investments often involve finding a reputable dealer and safe storage options along with ensuring the authenticity of the gold. Digital gold, on the other hand, allows fractional ownership of gold while making it accessible to a wider range of customers. With low entry ticket size, digital gold reduces the financial burden associated with traditional gold investments, making it a more attractive savings option for many.

The research survey indicated that over 85% of the 3000 respondents consider gold to be a valuable asset for wealth preservation, with its intrinsic value and historical performance continuing to drive consumer confidence. Moneyview also found that investors, particularly in the age group of 25-40 years, invest in gold via both the physical and digital way, as part of their regular financial strategy to build wealth for retirement and other long-term goals. A notable 70% of respondents reported that their perception of gold as a safe asset positively influences their savings habits. However, in today’s digital-first economy, the appeal for gold is increasingly driving investors towards digital platforms that offer easier access to gold.

The survey shows that over 75% of respondents under the age of 35 prefer digital gold to physical gold, citing its liquidity and convenience as major factors. The survey conducted using various parameters such as location, age, and income shows that the high-income group still prefers physical gold in larger quantities with digital gold having found its way mainly among middle-income groups who appreciate the flexibility of buying smaller units, starting as low as  on digital platforms.

Meanwhile, within the location parameter, urban consumers, who often have higher digital literacy and internet access lead in adopting digital gold. The rural consumers on the other hand, who have been traditionally preferring physical gold purchases are gradually becoming aware of the benefits of digital gold, particularly through mobile apps and fintech platforms such as Moneyview.

Commenting on the survey findings, Sushma Abburi, Chief Business Officer at Moneyview, said, “Digital gold is revolutionizing the way people invest in this timeless asset. The ease of access, lower entry barriers, and enhanced security make digital gold a highly convenient and valuable option for today’s investors. As fintech platforms continue to offer innovative solutions, we believe digital gold will play a pivotal role in shaping the future of gold investments, empowering individuals across demographics to diversify and secure their financial futures.”

Assured purity, insured storage, affordable investment due to availability of SIP options, and safety among others are some of the key drivers for digital gold investments across India. Digital gold allows investors to purchase gold in real-time without the need for physical storage or transportation. Unlike physical gold, where upfront costs can be high, digital gold allows consumers to start investing with minimal amounts, making it accessible to a wider range of income groups. Moreover, the precious metal is backed by 24k gold stored in insured vaults, ensuring that consumers do not have to worry about the purity or security of their investment. Alongside, digital gold can be easily converted to cash or physical gold through trusted platforms, giving investors the flexibility to trade without incurring heavy transaction costs or delays.

More than half of the respondents believe that the ability to purchase gold in fractional amounts through digital platforms is one of the most lucrative features driving them towards changing their investment habits. Nearly 65% of millennials surveyed expressed a preference for digital gold due to its ease of access and convenience.

Moneyview’s survey firmly establishes that while physical gold remains popular among certain demographics, the growing adoption of digital gold cannot be ignored. With digital gold rapidly gaining traction across all income and age groups, its accessibility, flexibility, and security make it an increasingly attractive option for both new as well as seasoned investors.

Back out and heading down under to The Island

Australia, October 17, 2024: The penultimate push of the season is here as the MotoGP World Championship prepares for its second triple header of the flyaways, the Australian GP restarting the action after a brief respite. A clear mission for Joan Mir and Luca Marini on the Repsol Honda Team machines.

Perhaps the most unique calendar on the MotoGP World Championship calendar, Phillip Island sits on the edge of the wild Bass Straight and has hosted a number of titanic battles. Home to the Australian Grand Prix consistently since 1997, the 4.45-kilometre-long track is a favorite of riders and fans and will no doubt provide another nail-biting Grand Prix this year.

Joan Mir arrives in Australia looking to shake off the bad luck he picked up in Indonesia and Japan, incidents forcing him out of both races. It has been especially frustrating for the #36 as he and the Repsol Honda Team have been able to make a step and improve their raw speed after recent updates to the Honda RC213V. Challenging the top ten during practice in recent races, a better grid position will be vital for Mir to avoid early race incidents and show his performance when points are to play for on track. The track holds fond memories for Mir who made his World Championship debut there in 2015 and wrapped up his first World Championship at the same track just two years later.

The Australian GP offers Luca Marini another chance to continue his upward trajectory to see out the season. Able to make the most of a complicated weekend in Japan, the #10’s work ethic shone through as he salvaged points and continued to show his adaptation to the Honda. Round 17 is another chance for Marini to try his Honda at a different kind of track, the fast and flowing nature a dramatic change to the stop and go layout of Motegi.

Mick Doohan claimed his first World Championship in 1994 aboard the Honda NSR500, an achievement which will be celebrated throughout the weekend in front of his home fans.

Joan Mir

“I really love going to Phillip Island. It’s a great circuit and I have a lot of good memories there – my World Championship debut and also winning my first title. A track where you can have a lot of close races and one where the rider can have a really big impact. What we need this weekend is to Qualify better and have some luck, we can’t keep having these things happen like in the past races because we miss out on too much data. I know our speed is there and I know we are capable of doing more than we have shown in the fly aways.”

Luca Marini

“Australia is a beautiful place and the circuit is something really unique, not just the location but also the layout. In Japan we were able to make some good results for our situation even though we knew before arriving that it would be difficult. Let’s see what we can do now this weekend because many things can happen on the island. It’s the start of another very busy period with these three races so it’s important to approach everything in the proper way.”

UST Announces the Global Winners of D3CODE Hackathon 2024

Bengaluru | Mumbai India; 17 October 2024: A leading digital transformation solutions company, has announced the winners of its fourth edition of D3CODE, a hackathon event for participants in five countries – India, the USA, the UK, Mexico, and Malaysia. The competition witnessed overwhelming participation, with over 7,000 registrations and 800 ideas submitted across locations.

This year’s theme, ‘Scale,’ called for scalable solutions to create a positive impact by addressing issues of social impact such as education, health, poverty, and environmental sustainability. Each country initially held the hackathons, and the winning teams from each nation advanced to compete in the Grand Finale. A rigorous judging process evaluated the entries based on their originality, potential social impact, scalability of the solution, and user experience, among other factors. Each region qualified five winning teams for the final round, from which we selected one global winner and regional winners.

The winning team received , while regional hackathon winners will win . UST awarded  each to the teams that received honorary mentions. UST will felicitate the global hackathon winner at its annual global technology conference, D3 (Dream, Develop, and Disrupt), in India. Additionally, the winners may qualify for seed funding to help bring their ideas to the market, backed by UST’s extensive expertise and network.

Speaking on this global initiative, Manu Gopinath, Chief Operating Officer, UST, said, “The purpose of D3CODE is to serve as a platform for innovators in technology to showcase their forward-thinking ideas in creating groundbreaking solutions to address real-world problems with scalable solutions. This year’s hackathon focused not just on the technical prowess of the participants but also on cultivating social responsibility and creating meaningful impacts on society. I congratulate all the winners for their outstanding performances. As we continue to push the boundaries of technological advancements, events like D3CODE remind us of the limitless potential of young minds and their role in shaping a better, more sustainable future.”

The following teams were declared winners of the D3CODE Hackathon 2024:

Global Winner: Leon Kipkoech from Florida National University, Miami, Florida, for ‘Dynamic ASL transcription for Video Platforms’.

India Region Winners:

 First Prize: Khusbu Rai and Team from Guru Gobind Singh Indraprastha University New Delhi for ‘Recycle Radar: Turning Waste into Opportunity’.

Second Prize: Akash Jadhav and Team from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra for ‘AI-Driven Crop Disease Prediction and Management System’.

Third Prize: Roshin R and team from College of Engineering, Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala for ‘Employment Portal and Marketplace for Unorganized Workers and Small-Scale Producers’.

Honorary mention: Omkar Deshpande and Team from Savitribai Phule Pune University, Pune, Maharashtra, for ‘Camera-Based Navigation of Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)’.

UK Region Winners:

First Prize: Salman Fatahillah and Sainsna Demizike from the University of Birmingham, London, UK for ‘SMS-based AI and Behavioral Science-Informed Messaging for Underserved Communities’.

Mexico Region Winners:

First Prize: Pablo Esteban Murillo Mata and Team from Universidad Tecnológica de León, León, Guanajuato, México for ‘AquaHub’.

Second Prize: Alan Arana Carrillo and Team from Universidad La Salle Bajio for ‘QuantumSim’.

Third Prize: Uriel Mendoza Rodríguez and Team from La Salle Bajío for ‘EcoCity’.

Malaysia Region Winners:

First Prize: Muhammad Shahril Nizam Bin Abdullah and Team from Multimedia University, Kuala Lumpur, for ‘Sentinel AI: Real-Time Violence Detection for Safer Community’.

Second Prize: Muhammad Zul Iman Bin Zul Wizaratain from University Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abddullah, Tasek Gelugor, Penang, for ‘Smart Waste Sorting System with Capacity Monitoring’.

Third Prize: Nawal Izzah Binti Azhar and Team from Universiti teknikal malaysia melaka George Town, Penang for ‘Razzbotics RetroBot: A versatile retrofit kit that transforms any trolley or cart into an autonomous solution’.

D3CODE is one of many exciting events for UST’s  a week-long conference with a technology expo. On October 17, 2024, UST’s D3 will take place at the Travancore International Convention Centre in Thiruvananthapuram. It will include a full-day conference featuring renowned speakers and a keynote speech from Krishna Sudheendra, Chief Executive Officer, UST. Other esteemed speakers include Chris Heemskerk, CEO, The Innovation Alliance; T Koshy, MD & CEO, Open Network for Digital Commerce; Dhanniya Venkatasalapathy, Executive Director, Cloud Solutions, Microsoft India; Paul Gladigau, CTO, Equifax; Simon Lister, CIO, Capital One UK; Balaji Narayana, SVP, Technology and Innovation, Chief Technology Officer, CarynHealth; Niranjan Ram, CTO, UST; Andy Morin, Chief Solutions, Architect, UST; Sripathi Jagannathan, Head of Data Engineering, UST.

REHAU Launches “RAUVISIO Riviera Acrylic Laminate Collection: Coastal Elegance Meets Practical Design

REHAU unveiles the “RAUVISIO riviera” Acrylic Laminate Collection—a striking new line that captures the tranquil beauty of coastal landscapes while setting a high standard for functionality and design in interior spaces. Crafted to bring a serene, yet vibrant ambiance to any environment, this collection redefines interior aesthetics, merging modern sensibilities with nature-inspired elegance.

The “RAUVISIO riviera” collection offers a palette of 18 thoughtfully curated colors, each designed to elevate interiors with a subtle coastal charm. Standout hues like Shitake, Biscotti, Earl Grey, and Pink Oyster evoke the calming shades of seaside horizons, creating a warm, inviting backdrop for any room. Available in both a refined matte finish (0.7mm lacquered) and a luxurious glossy finish (1mm un-lacquered), these laminates allow for versatility in design, letting users customize spaces with either a soft, muted elegance or a radiant, high-sheen sophistication.

Beyond their visual appeal, the “RAUVISIO riviera” laminates embody REHAU’s dedication to quality and usability. Each laminate in this collection is engineered to be scratch-resistant, ensuring long-lasting beauty even in high-traffic areas. Easy to clean and maintain, the surfaces offer practical advantages that blend seamlessly with their aesthetic appeal. Additionally, the “RAUVISIO riviera” collection’s design emphasizes user-friendly installation, requiring no specialized machinery—a feature that simplifies application and broadens its accessibility.

With the “RAUVISIO riviera” Acrylic Laminate Collection, REHAU presents a balanced synergy of style, resilience, and ease of use, delivering an innovative approach to laminate design that meets both contemporary tastes and functional needs. This collection transforms interiors into immersive, elegant spaces, reflecting the tranquillity of coastal landscapes and setting a new benchmark for the industry.

The “RAUVISIO riviera” Acrylic Laminate Collection is versatile enough to enhance a variety of interior settings, from modern kitchens and elegant living rooms to chic retail spaces and sophisticated office environments. Its refined matte finishes are ideal for creating cozy, understated spaces, while the high-gloss options add a sleek, polished look perfect for contemporary design themes. Given its scratch-resistant and easy-to-clean surfaces, the collection works beautifully in high-traffic areas like kitchen cabinets, wall panels, and furniture accents, ensuring long-lasting beauty without the need for constant upkeep. For designers and homeowners alike, “RAUVISIO riviera” offers a stunning, durable solution that infuses spaces with the timeless charm of coastal landscapes.