All posts by Sujata

RaphaCure eyes Rs 100 crore turnover leveraging Madhavbaug tie-up

India, 3 October: Leading digital healthcare platform, RaphaCure is eyeing exponential growth in its top line with a turnover touching around Rs 100 crore in the coming quarters post its tie-up with Madhavbaug.

Vaidya Sane Ayurved Laboratories Ltd- popularly known as “Madhavbaug”- is one of India’s largest Ayurvedic Cardiac Care clinics chain having a network of over 270 clinics and two hospitals. With more than one and half decades of legacy, Madhavbaug has a current patient base of more than twenty-five lakh across seven states and recently got listed on Indian bourses (NSE: MADHAVBAUG)

RaphaCure entered into a strategic collaboration with Madhavbaug in July 2022. Through this partnership, while Madhavbaug is currently increasing its reach and range of preventive healthcare services to remote locations using RaphaCure’s technology platforms, RaphaCure is getting access to the former’s patient base and is able to cross-sale and up-sale its several health and wellness offerings.

With such complementarity, patients in the remotest part of the country are gaining access to quality and affordable healthcare offerings of both Madhavbaug and RaphaCure.

Madhabaug is the market leader in preventive cardiac care with lakhs of patients across the world being benefitted from its traditional Ayurvedic treatment. It also provides treatment for diabetes reversal, BP management, obesity management, and knee pain relief, among others. Similarly, RaphaCure is India’s one of the leading diagnostics services brands apart from being a significant player in the corporate wellness space. It provides a wide range of services that include mental wellness, women’s care, elder healthcare, vaccination services, e-pharmacy, dental care, eye care, blood bank services, genome health, health risk assessment, and employee assistance program, among others. Availability of such a wide array of services from the stables of both Madhavbaug and RaphaCure on both physical and digital modes is enticing patients towards faster and better adoption.

As the synergy plays out on a large scale, “Rapha Clinic”- the treatment center of RaphaCure- is poised to reach a monthly turnover of Rs 1 lakh per center over the coming months. The health tech startup has already projected to grow by 20 times its user base with top-line growth of 200 percent in the near term.

Commenting on future growth prospects, the Founder and CEO of RaphaCure, Jeyakumar said, “Our strategic partnership with Madhavbaug is a watershed moment in RaphaCure’s growth story in which customers are the real winners with faster access to a host of healthcare solutions at an affordable cost. Importantly, the availability of treatments in a hybrid way- combining both physical consultations and e-health-.has emerged as the popular choice among patients. RaphaCure’s platforms are leveraging multiple cutting-edge technology applications to make the user experience a delight across 276 diagnostic centers of Madhavbaug. With rising adoption, we are confident of reaching a turnover of Rs 100 crore in the near future on an entity basis.”

“RaphaCure is committed to serving patients better with several new technological applications in the coming months. As we grow, we will continue to invest in technology for making both diagnosis and treatment more affordable,” he added.

RaphaCure has recently launched its mobile app to provide best in class user experience to its corporate clients. With this launch, corporate customers can now search, connect and book RaphaCure’s multiple corporate health and wellness packages from their mobile devices.

MG Motor India elevates the all-new ZS EV experience, introduces new interior colours in Exclusive variant

Mumbai, October 03, 2022: MG Motor India today announced the introduction of a brand new interior color to its all-new ZS EV Exclusive variant. The car will now be available in dual-tone iconic ivory interiors. The company also announced that the bookings of the new ZS EV Excite shall commence on October 3, 2022.

The ZS EV Excite offers customers a power-packed electric mobility experience with more than 75 connected features and the largest in-segment 50.3kWh battery with globally certified quality: ASIL-D, IP69K & UL2580. With 176 PS power, the all-new advanced technology battery offers a 461-km certified range on a single charge.
The car comes loaded with the largest-in–segment 25.7 cm HD Touchscreen Infotainment, along with a host of other segment-first features like a 360-degree all-around view camera and a Digital Key. The ZS EV Excite features a full digital cluster with the segment-best 17.78 cm embedded LCD screen and Hill Descent Control (HDC) for enhanced safety. To make drives smoother, the base variant also comes equipped with a Park+ Native app for parking booking, and the MapmyIndia Online Navigation System with live traffic, live weather, and AQI, and the integrated Discover app to locate restaurants and hotels nearby. The system also has Firmware Over-The-Air (FOTA) update capability.

The ZS EV is available in the United Kingdom, parts of Europe, Australia, Thailand, China, Peru, Chile, and India. The vehicle’s EV platform has been consistently acknowledged among all others, reaffirming MG’s position as a global leader in electric passenger vehicle manufacturing. The MG ZS EV continues to dominate key markets around the world. The demand for high-tech, high-performance EVs is increasing at an alarming rate. The automaker sees this as an extremely promising segment.

MG Motor India is committed to strengthening the electric mobility ecosystem in India by raising the EV adoption rate in the country. To create a seamless EV experience for car owners, the carmaker has entered into strategic partnerships with key players such as Jio-bp, Castrol, and BPCL. The company is also promoting research and innovation in the EV space by collaborating with academic institutions. Recently, in association with RV College of Engineering, Bangalore, MG launched an EV certification course as a part of its skill development program, MG Nurture.

News18 Tamil Nadu hosts the much-awaited News18 Tamil Nadu Property Awards 2022

Tamil Nadu, 03rd October 2022: Known for its temples, festivals, panoramic locales, and art celebrations, Tamil Nadu is beautiful in every way. Now, the state has also spread its real estate sector, all thanks to the brilliance of some hard-working talents. To recognize their effort and contribution, News18 Tamil Nadu has hosted the prestigious News18 Tamil Nadu’s Property Awards 2022.

Leading the business news arena of the state, News18 Tamil Nadu has always recognized the initiatives of prominent individuals and groups aiding the development of their state and nation, inspiring many in the process. Continuing that stint, ‘News18 Tamil Nadu Property Awards 2022’ honored the accomplishments of builders and real estate tycoons who have augmented the expansion of business in Tamil Nadu.

News18 Tamil Nadu’s research team narrowed down the numerous nominations and chose the deserving profiles for the gala event. The honourees are remarkable corporate executives who have contributed enormously towards the overall progress of the real-estate sector through their skill, dedication, and hard work. This in the long term helped to fabricate employment creations, technical improvements, and product developments. These professionals were broadly divided into 10 categories such as the ‘Best in Customer Satisfaction, ‘The Best In Legal and Documentation Process’, ‘Best Property Developers in Southern Tamil Nadu’, etc.

The occasion was graced by the Minister for Housing and Urban Development, Shri. S. Muthusamy, inaugurated the gala in the presence of Vivek Narayan, Managing Editor at News18 Network South, and Karthigaiselvan, Editor at News18 Tamil Nadu.

The List of Winners at the News18 Tamil Nadu Property Awards 2022 includes G Square for ‘The Best In Customer Satisfaction, Vasan Estates for ‘Most Admired Real Estate Brand Of The Year’, ‘Classic Kitchen for Iconic Brand In Modular Kitchen & Interior Solutions. Since 1992, Casagrand for ‘Most Trusted Builder In South India’, Nibav Lifts Pvt Ltd for No 1 Choice in ‘Home Elevators For The Year 2022’, Arima Constructions for ‘Most Trusted & Successful Developer’, for the ‘Best In Legal & Documentation Process’ to G Square, for i5 Housing & Properties to ‘Best Farm Land Promoter In Chennai’, Vijaya Dhaya Realtors for ‘Best Property Developers In South Tamil Nadu’ and, Metro Pipes & Fittings for ‘Best Eco-Friendly Water Supply Products In Tamil Nadu’.

The event ended on a positive note with hopes and promises to make the future all the more brighter and affordable for all. Tamil Nadu is ready for the best.

Unrivaled Omakase Experience With Chef Hiroshi Isomura At Pickwick, The Claridges

Mumbai / New Delhi, 03 October 2022: Nestled in the heart of Lutyens’ Delhi, Pickwick at The Claridges is thrilled to welcome guests for a true Japanese Omakase culinary experience. Executing the magic of culinary brilliance, Chef Hiroshi Isomura has curated a menu that reflects his authentic Japanese roots.

Sculpted in modern yet traditionally British interiors Pickwick, is set to offer traditional Japanese fare with a curated selection of dishes that are all prepared to order.

Honoring the true meaning of Omakase, “I leave it up to you”, Sushi connoisseurs can engage in insightful conversations with the Japanese Chef Hiroshi Isomura at the restaurant. Chef Hiroshi is an international culinary expert and ‘Omakase’ specialist with over 40 years of experience, specializing in traditional and contemporary Japanese specialties. His passion for using the finest quality indigenous ingredients for the preparation with artful culinary expertise elevated the dining experience for the discerning gourmands at the heritage hotel’s iconic restaurant.

The eclectic Omakase menu features Amuse, which means ‘small bites’ of Tuna Tarter, Ikura White Radish, Fried Sushi Roll with Cheese & Smoked Salmon Avocado, Temari Sushi, Egg Omelette, and Cucumber Salad. The exclusive menu also offers Yellow Tail Sashimi in Goma Sauce, Yakitori, Gindara, Tempura mix, Nigiri Sushi, and Dobin Mushi prepared with the freshest and premium quality ingredients.

Pickwick with its elegant interiors and inimitable ambiance is the perfect gateway for those who want to experience the essence of authentic luxurious Japanese cuisine in the capital city.

Details

Venue: Pickwick at The Claridges

Date: 1st October – 30th October 2022

Timings: 12:00 pm- 11:30 pm

Price: INR 4500 plus taxes

For reservations, call: 8826711551

JSW Cement signs First Sustainability Linked Loan of Rs 400 crores with MUFG Bank

Pune, October 3, 2022 – JSW Cement, India’s leading Green Cement company, has signed its First Sustainability Linked Loan of Rs 400 crore (US$ 50 million) with MUFG Bank India. It plans to deploy these funds as capital expenditure to achieve its capacity target of 25 MTPA with an increasing focus on sustainability. The cement sector has been highly carbon intensive. JSW Cement recognizes the role green capital can play in transitioning business operations to a low carbon footprint. MUFG Bank acted as the Mandated Lead Arranger and Bookrunner (MLAB) and the Sustainability Loan Coordinator for this transaction. DNV Business Assurance India (“DNV”) acted as the Second Party Opinion (“SPO”) provider. This transaction marks several milestones, including the first Sustainability Linked Loan for JSW Cement. It is also MUFG’s first transaction undertaken out of its new branch at Gujarat International Finance Tec-City (GIFT City), which was launched in August 2022 as part of an enhanced service footprint to respond to the bank’s corporate clients.

JSW Cement is pursuing the goal of creating a sustainable future for India through its Green cement portfolio. MUFG Bank is committed to empowering companies pursuing such sustainable goals in its operations. This landmark financing further reaffirms JSW Cement’s status as a pioneer in making sustainable cement available to every Indian consumer and MUFG Bank supports this ambition.

According to Mr. Parth Jindal, Managing Director of JSW Cement, “The Sustainability Linked Loan raised from MUFG Bank reiterates our purpose of pursuing sustainable business growth while ensuring a sustainable future for the next generations. The new capital will enable us to meet our goal of achieving 25 MTPA capacity in the near term.”

Mr. Shashank Joshi, Deputy CEO of MUFG India said, “Through this transaction, JSW Cement has not only reaffirmed its sustainability vision but served as a leading flag-bearer for the industry’s net zero transition. With our market-leading ESG financing capabilities, MUFG has long played a defining role in the sustainability journey of India’s corporate sector. We congratulate JSW Cement on its first Sustainability Linked Loan and are pleased to be able to support JSW Cement in its ongoing mission to provide sustainable products through this landmark transaction”.

JSW Cement has developed a Sustainability-Linked Loan Framework to link its capital-raising with long-term ESG objectives. This will enable JSW Cement to meet its ambitious timelines for achieving an improved sustainability performance. The Sustainability-Linked Loan Framework is also aligned with the Sustainability-linked Loan Principles (“SLLP”) administered by the Loan Market Association, Asia Pacific Loan Market Association, and Loan Syndications & Trading Association in March 2022. As the Sustainability Loan Coordinator, MUFG Bank worked with JSW Cement to publish its Sustainability-Linked Loan Framework, underpinning the current deal and any other similar transactions that JSW may choose to undertake in the future.

JSW Cement has chosen to measure performance against the Sustainability Performance Target (SPT) through one key KPI of Net CO2 emissions intensity, calculated as Kg CO2 per tons of cementitious material produced (Kg CO2/TCM) covering its entire manufacturing operations comprising integrated Cement plants and grinding units.

How Casual Gaming converted into a serious NFT Gaming Business in India

By Ramkumar Subramaniam, CEO and Co-Founder of Guardianlink

People would never have thought about gaming as something even remotely serious. However, for people who were completely immersed in gaming and the thrilling adventure it offers (although virtual), it was something that they considered emotionally close. They did not mind spending their time, money, and effort to enhance the game characters, better their gameplay, and reach the ultimate glory that the game would offer them.

However, those were only a small segment of people. Even within that small set, an even smaller set was only capable of making gaming their livelihood. Gaming was so casual at some point in time that “casual gaming“was considered a needless expression.

Today, however, NFTs and blockchain have changed the perception of gaming… And for good reasons. Let us admit it! Today, the seriousness of a profession lies in the dependability of livelihood from that profession. It is perhaps one of the reasons why a lot of professions that were not considered so serious about a decade and a half ago are now considered quite serious… Like being a YouTuber or a blogger.

What is the factor that made these “activities“ into professions? It is because of the accessibility and openness of the platforms. To make it crisp, making money from these activities had become so democratic… Thanks to the online platforms and the growth of technology.

Similarly, gaming is also going through its adolescence. NFTs have made gaming assets more worthy because of their longevity and tradability in marketplaces. P2E has opened opportunities for people to not only play games but also earn by spending time, money, and talents.

To encapsulate it all, your gaming skill is now a skill you can monetize… Just like how content creation transformed itself over the past decade.

This is quite new for the world of gaming and the world of earning and careers. We have seen people belonging to countries like the Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, and Cambodia make a living just by playing P2E games. However, those games were a little too odd for a majority of the Indian population to play.

With games like cricket stepping into the NFT space and becoming P2E games, it becomes easier and more welcoming for an average Indian to invest in NFTs and make a living out of them. In most games, gaming assets are presented as NFTs, which means that they can be traded on marketplaces. Therefore, irrespective of the NFT investor playing the game, they can still make a profit by trading those NFTs on the marketplace.

There are innovative options like NFT renting that will soon be brought into a lot of games. This erases the line of demarcation between an NFT user and an NFT owner, further opening the doors of access for gaming enthusiasts to get into serious… Or rather rewarding gaming.

This transformation was much needed and it is only natural that a completely decentralized and distributed ledger like the blockchain is the epicenter of this transformation. When such games become completely decentralized autonomous organizations, the community takes care to keep the game aloft without depending on any centralized organization. When there is no centralized controlling body to pull the plug on the game, the game will continue to thrive… And so will the number of people who can make a living out of playing such games.

Exim Bank Extends Line Of Credit Of Usd 100 Million To The Government Of The Republic Of Maldives

Export-Import Bank of India [Exim Bank], on behalf of the Government of India, has extended a Line of Credit [LOC] of USD 100 million to the Government of the Republic of the Maldives for the purpose of financing developmental projects. The LOC Agreement to this effect was signed in Male’, Maldives on Sunday, October 02, 2022, by H.E. Ibrahim Ameer, Minister of Finance, Government of Republic of the Maldives, and Mr. Nirmit Ved, General Manager, Exim Bank. The LOC Agreement was exchanged at a ceremony organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of the Republic of Maldives, in presence of Shri Vinay Mohan Kwatra, Foreign Secretary of India, and Shri Ahmed Latheef, Foreign Secretary of the Republic of Maldives.

With the signing of the above LOC Agreement, Exim Bank, to date, has extended 6 (Six) Lines of Credit to the Government of the Republic of Maldives, on behalf of the Government of India, taking the total value of LOCs to USD 1.43 billion. Projects covered under the LOCs extended to the Government of the Republic of Maldives include Greater Male Connectivity Project, Water & Sewerage Projects, Addu Development Project, International Cricket Stadium Project, Defence projects, Gulhifalhu Port Project, Hanimaadhoo Airport Project, Gan Airport Project, Fisheries Project, Road Construction Project, and Sports Infrastructure.

With the signing of this LOC Agreement, Exim Bank has now in place 311 Lines of Credit, covering 67 countries in Africa, Asia, Latin America Oceania, and the CIS, with credit commitments of around USD 32.31 billion, available for financing exports from India. Besides promoting India’s exports, Exim Bank’s LOCs enable the demonstration of Indian expertise and project execution capabilities in emerging markets.

The world’s first Royalty-included music platform is music to the ears of composers and content creators.

Mumbai(S.N)-SyncMama is the world’s first-ever royalty-included music licensing platform for UGC creators with over 400,000 soundtracks, special effects, and AI text-to-voice in 17 languages, including Hindi and Indian English. The platform has the tools to make a great soundtrack: music, SFX and Voiceover.

Music is the hidden driver of the digital revolution. Be it social media content, podcasts, gaming apps, OTT platforms, edutech tutorials, or a simple Powerpoint presentation, excellent background music amplifies their impact. With Sync Mama, even the smallest or most remote content creators can use the music of composers who work with the world’s most successful films and TV shows.

The music is composed by professional, award-winning composers who work with the most significant film directors, Hollywood blockbusters, Netflix, and Disney or perform with such diverse artists as the New York Philarmonic, Pink Floyd, Mark Knopfler, Ozzy Osbourne, Moby, etc. Subscribers can generate personalized licenses, valid worldwide and perpetually. Unlike ‘royalty-free’ platforms, SyncMama pays royalties to the composers and ensures a fair and transparent income distribution across the music industry’s value chain.

Achille Forler, the company’s founder, says, “SyncMama launched in South Asia because India has the ideal legal framework — ‘royalty-free’ is illegal since 2012 —but the platform is designed to become global. We have attracted the biggest names in the business because we have built a new, sustainable model that is a win-win for the composers and content creators who use their music.”

Unlike companies offering royalty-free music based on buy-outs, where a composer transfers ownership of his work forever to the platform without further compensation, SyncMama is compliant with all the international standards and guidelines that govern the global copyright system. Says Forler: “Until now, the market was split between those who serve the large traditional users ad agencies, broadcasters, etc. ­— and the ‘royalty-free’ who serve the micro-users — individuals and small professionals who create their content. Composing music is a profession, and it falls to reason that you cannot attract great talent by denying them their royalty right. SyncMama is the first service to address these two markets simultaneously through a subscription model for individuals and small companies and the traditional blanket licensing model for large content creators.”

Goldman Sachs has just upped its predictions for the music industry from $81.6bn to $87.6bn; for 2023 from $90.7bn to $94.9bn; and for 2030 from $139.7bn to $153bn. Content creators must engage their audience with better music tracks and background scores to cut through the clutter.

SyncMama is the brainchild of Achille Forler, a pioneer music publisher and relentless advocate for the right to royalties of creators in India. His first company, Deep Emotions Publishing, was co-funded by Bertelsmann and later sold to Universal Music Publishing. Holder of a Master’s and a Ph. D. in Sanskrit and Indian Culture, he founded the Alliance Française in Ahmedabad. He was in charge of the cinema, broadcasting, and music industries for the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

SyncMama features music from almost 6,000 professional musicians. The company is constantly expanding its repertoire to meet the needs of a broad spectrum of content creators while maintaining the most competitive pricing. SyncMama’s audio search engine, copyright management tools, and royalty distribution are powered by artificial intelligence and automation.