Category: business

Bank of Baroda reduces Home Loans rates to 6.5%*

Hyderabad, 07 October 2021: Bank of Baroda, India’s premium public sector bank, announced reduction of 25 bps in its home loan rates from 6.75% to 6.50%* w.e.f from October 7, 2021. With the onset of festive season and to make home buying more affordable for customers, the Bank has extended this offer and the special rate will be available till December 31, 2021. The new rates will be available for customers applying for fresh loans, loan transfer or looking to refinance their existing loans making the offer more inclusive. Nil processing fee on home loan was already on offer and has been extended till 31/12/21.

On the announcement of reduction in home loans, Mr H T Solanki, GM- Mortgages & Other Retail Assets, Bank of Baroda said , “Bank always tries to offer the most competitive rates of interest on home loan and other retail loan products while making the process seamless and hasselfree through our digital platforms and our dedicated teams. Our customers will get benefited from this offering in this festive season. With this reduced rate of interest, Bank of Baroda home loans are now offering the most competitive rates across categories for a limited period till 31/12/2021 .”

Sterlite Power wins IPMA Global Project Excellence Award 2021 for third year in a row

Mumbai, 07 October 2021: Sterlite Power, a leading private sector power transmission infrastructure developer and solutions provider, has been recognised at the IPMA Global Project Excellence Awards 2021. Sterlite Power won the ‘Bronze’ in the Mega-sized project category for its mega NER-II (North East Region Strengthening Scheme) project. With this win, the company has won a recognition for the third year in a row at the IPMA Global Project Excellence Awards.

Sterlite Power was the ‘Gold’ winner in the mega-sized project category for its NRSS-XXIX project in Jammu & Kashmir in 2019. In 2020, it won the ‘Gold award’ in the small/medium-sized project category for the Ganga River crossing for the 400 kV D/C quad conductor Purnia-Bihar Shariff transmission line restoration, and ‘Bronze Award’ in large-sized project category for Gurgaon Palwal Transmission project.

About Sterlite Power:

Sterlite Power is a leading power transmission infrastructure developer and solutions provider with projects covering approximately 13,700 circuit kms of transmission lines across India and Brazil. The Company has a portfolio of high performance power conductors, EHV cables and OPGW. The company provides bespoke solutions for the upgrade, uprate and fiberzation of existing transmission infrastructure projects. It is the sponsor of IndiGrid, India’s first power sector Infrastructure Investment Trust (“InvIT”), listed on the BSE and NSE. The company was also recognised at The Economic Times Innovation Awards 2020 and is a recipient of awards from International Project Management Association (IPMA).

Investors Clinic hires 1100 Real-estate Consultants

New Delhi, October 07, 2021: Investors Clinic (IC), the leading real estate consulting company announced that the company has hired 1100 real-estate consultants and expanded its reach in Pune, Jaipur and Hyderabad. The company will be focusing on newer markets to increase its business outreach and help consumers in these cities. Also it will cash on the opportunities offered by Tier 2 and 3cities, which are expected to offer better returns in the coming years.

The company has recently announced the opening of its branches in Bengaluru and Lucknow. Expansion of IC’s footprint across multiple cities is in sync with the vision of the company to have a pan India presence. The next phase of growth in real estate is expected to come from the smaller cities and towns. Metropolitan cities have a space crunch and hence face lots of other challenges like increasing population, pollution, choked infrastructure and water scarcity to name a few.

Speaking on the expansion, Honeyy Katiyal, Founder, Investors Clinic said, “We are the only organized real-estate consultancy across country who has served more than 1.65 lakhs customers and implemented more than 2 lakh property deeds. 30-40% of our customer are repeat customer or through reference from the existing customers. This shows our company’s commitment towards our valued customers. Now we have a strong workforce of more than three thousand spread across.”

“We expect our next phase of growth to come from Tier 2 and 3 cities, as they offer an opportunity, which is similar to what Delhi NCR offered from the years 2002-09. The Government focus on housing will also add to the demand in tier 2 and 3 cities. Properties from regional reputed developers will be in huge demand in the next one decade.”

Bhawna Katiyal, Director HR said, “The Company is in expansion mode and we are focusing on hiring at the local level. We offer 45-60 days of training to the youth who believe in themselves and are go getters. We believe that there is no dearth of talent in these cities and we are receiving lots of applications as Investors Clinic is one the most well know and appreciated real estate consultancy in the country. In the last 14 years, we have delivered value not only to customers but also to the existing employees.”

Getting workplace wellness right – Spinny’s Wellness initiatives for Employees’ Mental Health

October 07, 2021, Gurugram: During a year of great instability, the far-reaching and devastating impact of COVID-19 propelled mental health issues into the spotlight after being majorly overlooked earlier. Mental health and wellness of employees has been a vital factor throughout and companies are taking a series of initiatives to keep their employees mental health on priority. Comprehending the gravity of the situation, full-stack used car retailing platform Spinny has been taking the initiative to promote awareness of mental health issues among employees, encouraging them to seek help when required while putting in place daily measures to optimise their mental health.

Ahead of World Mental Health Day on Sunday, 10 October, Spinny is organizing a one-hour mental health session for employees across India on 08 October, Friday, as a part of its continual efforts to help them overcome stress, rejuvenate their minds and alleviate their fears by seeking professional help. The 50-minute learning workshop reinforces Spinny’s commitment to its employees’ mental welfare and ensures that Squad Spinny and their extended families have access to group or individual sessions with mental health professionals. Through its partnership with Trijog – an organization specializing in mental healthcare and holistic wellness – Spinny organizes a series of webinars focusing on strengthening emotional immunity and providing one-to-one counselling sessions for every team member.

Niraj Singh, Founder & CEO – Spinny, stated:

‘’Every organisation should place an impetus on mental well-being and rectifying mental health-related issues. One must realise that the pandemic has been devastating for the world’s collective mental state of mind and it needs to be a collective responsibility for us to look out for each other.

Undeniably, the pandemic has triggered a greater degree of mental health issues in India by exacerbating economic problems and creating uncertainty. As we want every member of Squad Spinny to feel secure and seek help whenever required, we will be holding an interactive learning workshop on ‘Acing Anxiety, Adapting Flexibility’ to manage daily challenges. In the days ahead, we will continue to focus on anxiety issues through various other initiatives. As humans, we can deal with change but struggle with uncertainty. At Spinny, we take mental health concerns seriously, addressing them with compassion, honesty and transparency.”

Through the COVID-19 crisis, Spinny put in place initiatives that safeguard their employee’s mental, physical and economic health. A Central Support Helpline has been in operation for team members and their extended families to organise medical supplies’’ assistance such as oxygen cylinders, hospital bed availability, essential medicines, tiffin services and on-call doctor consultations. Besides facilitating the dissemination of verified leads and information to team members, this helpline has contributed to coordinating such services via the help of city-level local task force teams.

Spinny has ensured that its entire employee base of more than 3000 team members and their extended families are fully vaccinated through either the public or private route and had made financial provisions for the same.

In the ongoing pandemic’s worst phase, Spinny sanctioned up to 45 days of advance salary without prior approval, which was processed within six hours on the same day. Spinny, was amongst the first of Indian startups to put in place a model that could make work from home, really work. Even for staff members involved in field operations, Spinny ensured that they weren’t in a confined space and the business adapted to home test drives and deliveries.

Additionally, Spinny has maintained a Team Health Tracker with a complete database of every team member and their COVID history to keep track of those who may need support. It now plans to hold a refresher session for its current medical insurance policy. Provisions have been made for any employee to avail of leave at any point of time.

Alia Bhatt invests in IAN Fund backed D2C start-up Phool.co that makes natural incense and bio-leather

Thursday, October 7, 2021: Phool.co, an IAN Fund-backed D2C wellness startup, today announced that Alia Bhatt is now an investor in the company. Founded by engineering graduate Ankit Agarwal in July 2017, Phool.co is an innovative startup focused on the circular economy which converts floral waste into Charcoal free Luxury incense products and other wellness products. The startup is also India’s first wellness brand to have Fair for Life- Fairtrade and Ecocert Organic & Natural certifications. With deep-tech research, the startup has also developed “Fleather” leveraging their flowercycling technology. Fleather is a viable alternative to Animal leather which was recently awarded PETA’s best innovation in the Vegan World.

Phool.co has rapidly expanded its operations and has consistently achieved 130% YoY growth for the past two years. Phool.co vision is backed by strong RnD efforts and is based on sustainable development goals focused on creating a circular economy, promoting sustainable consumption, and bringing dignified livelihoods.

Speaking on the latest investment, Alia Bhatt, who is known for her environmental initiatives, said, “Phool incense really stands out for its fine natural fragrances and amazing packaging. I admire the founder’s vision of making incense and bio-leather from recycled flowers that contribute to keeping our rivers clean, creating a humane alternative to leather and providing employment to women in India’s heartland. I’m proud that these products are created in India and wowing the world and I’m thrilled to join the investors who are backing the company.”

Earlier this year, Alia Bhatt had also invested in Nykaa, the omnichannel lifestyle retailer stating the three reasons she chose the company were its Indian roots, its global scale and that it was founded by a woman.

IAN fund had provided the necessary capital and nurtured the company, while it was at the seed stage. Speaking on the latest development, Padmaja Ruparel, Founding Partner, IAN Fund said, “Innovative solutions for the sustainable development of the community is the need of the hour. Phool.co‘s circular economy model brings triple bottom benefits of environmental, social, and financial sustainability. Ankit is a passionate entrepreneur focused on a large market and value creation for both customers and his team.”

Ankit Agarwal, Founder Phool.co said ,“At Phool.co we aim to drive systemic change through innovation. Alia’s investment is a validation of our efforts and firmly sets us on a path to build a global success story from a tier 3 city. The investment and support will help us expand our footprint globally and also step up the pace of RnD. I can proudly say, Phool.co is a business built, led and now even invested in by women.”

IIT Kanpur has been the backbone for the company for its technical research, Speaking on the latest development, Dr. Abhay Karandikar, Director IIT Kanpur said “IIT Kanpur is proud to be a partner of PHOOL. I am glad that we could help the company technologically but at the same time, I must acknowledge that PHOOL.co brought a lot of visibility to our incubator and the subsequent stupendous success of SIIC is at least in part due to the success of PHOOL”

Speaking on the latest development, Manoj Kumar, Founding Partner, Social Alpha (FISE) said, “Ankit has truly demonstrated how passionate entrepreneurs can solve some of our most complex problems with their disruptive innovations. The team has the rare combination of empathy, audacious goals, extraordinary resilience and flawless execution to build and scale a sustainable business model. Phool.co will only grow bigger with time”

For its endeavors to make innovative and sustainable products, Phool.co has received several international recognitions including the prestigious United Nations Young Leaders Award for Sustainable Development Goals, United Nations Momentum of Change Award at COP, Asia Sustainability Award Hong Kong, Alquity Transforming Lives Awards, London and Breaking the Wall of Science, Berlin

Earlier, Phool.co had raised US $ 2 Million in a seed round from IAN Fund, Social Alpha (FISE) and Draper Richards Kaplan Foundation (San Francisco), and IIT Kanpur.

About IAN Fund: The IAN Fund, an INR 375 crore fund, is a uniquely differentiated seed/early stage Fund which aims to transform India’s entrepreneurial landscape. The fund invests in innovative companies in sectors including healthcare and medical devices, VR, AI, software as a service, marketplaces, fin-tech, big data, artificial intelligence, agritech and hardware. The Fund leverages and builds upon the strengths and success of IAN, the world’s largest angel investor group, to breed and grow innovative companies.

The fund has Institutional investors like SIDBI’s Fund of Funds for Startups, BIRAC’s ACE Fund, Kerala Startup Mission, IIFL, Wadhwani Foundation, Max Group, Hyundai along with marquee individuals like Kris Gopalakrishnan, Sunil Munjal, Rajan Anandan, Kanwal Rekhi, Vikram Gandhi, Jerry Rao amongst many others. This is the first in a series of Funds so that over the next 10 years, the IAN Platform would invest Rs 5000 Cr in ~500 companies, making it the single largest platform for early stage investing.

About Social Alpha : Social Alpha’s mission is to drive economic growth, social justice and climate action through the power of entrepreneurship and market-creating innovations. Social Alpha is focused on catalysing entrepreneurship for impact and provides critical technology and business incubation support to the mission driven founders through its product innovation labs and venture acceleration framework. Since its inception in 2016, Social Alpha has nurtured 150+ start-ups, making 35+ seed investments and 3 exits.

About IIT Kanpur & its ecosystem for Startups: IIT Kanpur’s TBI, Foundation for Innovation in Research, Science and Technology (FIRST), is one of the best academic TBIs in the country. It is primarily engaged in hardware-based product development, a rare trait amongst the incubators of India.

Rocking Deals launches state of the art L4 service center to refurbish about 1 million units each month

India, 7th Oct 2021: Rocking Deals, the world’s largest excess inventory and open box brand, is launching a L4 service center at Faridabad’s urban estate to cater to the growing number of customers turning to refurbished goods. The facility is planned to refurbish about 1 million units each month, with the requirement to cater to the rising number of goods ranging from mobile phones, laptops, small and large household appliances. Aside from refurbishing, about 1,50,000 devices will be repaired, with a quality testing mechanism in place to assure the highest standards of value for money.

With a strong expansion plan to grow its footprint within the reverse logistics, excess inventory, and unboxed sector; certified refurbished leader, Rocking Deals has committed to increasing its servicing capacity and has backed this up with an investment of about Rs 8 crores. The factory will cover over 1000 square yards in size and has a well-architected design that includes a basement, ground level, and two more floors for the service build-up area. By utilizing its certified servicing USP of an experienced L4 support center, the new plant is designed to respond to technological and operational issues. It will leverage the accomplished pre-defined SOP system that is successful at other plants. This facility will be another step in building a larger presence for the country’s largest certified refurbished and excess inventory service, which will provide merchants and businesses incredible savings on products. The L4 service center will have a team of highly experienced service engineers, hardware designers, and technicians. These experts will handle quality checks, refurbishing, and managing warehousing as part of the excess inventory model.

According to Yuvraj Aman Singh, Founder and CEO, Rocking Deals, “Refurbishment is an effective and environmentally friendly alternative to recycling. Over the years, we have seen a growing acceptance among our customer base. Through this expansion, we aim to cater to the rising demand for refurbished goods ranging from mobile phones, laptops, small and large household appliances. With rigorous quality check procedures, experienced product expertise, and unrivaled customer care, Rocking Deals strives to be the safest and most trustworthy destination to buy unboxed and certified refurbished items.”

Rocking Deals caters to a burgeoning list of categories that include electronics such as speakers, mobile accessories, computer accessories; home appliances that range from kitchen to other large home appliances like coolers and heaters. It also provides incredible offers on cosmetic items and sports gear. With a vision to empower individuals for building stronger businesses, Rocking Deals offers world-class verification on certified products at highly attractive prices.

Witness the magic of magnificent jewellery pieces by Archana Aggarwal Timeless Jewellery at Jahan Exhibition

Discover the brilliance of this season’s latest styles & most exquisite designs by Archana Aggarwal Timeless Jewellery at Jahan Exhibition at Taj Palace, New Delhi on October 12th and 13th 2021.

Jewels by Archana Aggarwal is characterized by intricate craft, spectacular design and undeniable glamour. She has always believed in the power of craftsmanship and focuses on creating signature pieces which can be handed down for generations. To celebrate the festive spirit Archana Aggarwal will be showcasing her all-new collection, consisting of bridal, cocktail and pret.

An AA woman is self-assured in her style. Naturally chic, she has a strong idea of what suits her and expresses her femininity through her jewellery. She also adores the luxury of wearing jewels and expresses her persona through her choice of jewellery, from a delicate diamond pendant to an extravagant jewellery piece for a special occasion.

Date: 12th – 13th October, 2021

Venue: Taj Palace, 2, Sardar Patel Marg, Diplomatic Enclave, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi, 110021

Timing: 11 AM – 08 PM

Whether you are the bride or simply a guest, add a touch of sparkle to the wedding or festive look with the latest jewellery trends.

About Archana Aggarwal

Archana Aggarwal’s jewellery has perfected the art of creating spectacular designs, characterized by exquisite intricacy, ensuring fabulous craftsmanship with every piece of jewellery she creates. Archana graduated in Gemology and further launched her own label Archana Aggarwal – Timeless Jewellery. Her unique designs and quality in jewellery have always been her strength and forte. To suit the taste of the consumers she has blended the contemporary artefacts into modern designs with authentic and 100% hallmarked certified Jewellery.

For two decades, Archana has been crafting luxury jewellery treasures by blending refinement with sophistication. Within this unique savoir-faire resides her passion for fine jewellery making. Archana Aggarwal adapts royal, traditional, contemporary and chic trends in her designs, crafting exceptional collections that play with diamonds and precious gemstones which are both rare and unique, sourced from all over the world.

Showroom: Ambawatta One, H-5/1, Kalka Das Marg, Mehrauli, New Delhi 110030

Insta Link: https://www.instagram.com/archanaaggarwalofficial/

Paytm launches Navratri Gold Offer: Book LPG cylinders of Indane, HP Gas or Bharatgas and stand a chance to win gold worth Rs. 10,001

Mumbai, 7th October 2021: India’s leading digital ecosystem for consumers and merchants (1) Paytm today announced the launch of its ‘Navratri Gold’ offer for LPG cylinder bookings. Between 7th and 16th October, 5 lucky users every day will win Paytm Digital Gold worth Rs. 10,001/- on booking their LPG cylinders through the Paytm app.

This offer would also be applicable on payments of existing unpaid cylinder bookings done using the “Book Gas Cylinder” feature on the Paytm App. Besides this, all users will get assured rewards of up to 1000 cashback points on every booking, which can be redeemed for amazing deals and gift vouchers from top brands. This ‘Navratri Gold’ offer is applicable on cylinder booking of all 3 major LPG companies – Indane, HP Gas, and Bharatgas.

Recently, the company enhanced the cylinder booking experience by adding innovative features that enable users to track the delivery of their gas cylinders, and also receive automated intelligent reminders for refills.

All that a user needs to do is go to the ‘Book Gas Cylinder’ tab, select the gas provider, enter Mobile No./LPG ID/consumer no., and then make the payment using their preferred mode of payment such as Paytm Wallet, Paytm UPI, cards, netbanking or Paytm Postpaid, through which customers will also have an option to book now and pay next month. The cylinder is delivered to the registered address by the nearest gas agency.

Paytm Spokesperson said, “We want to celebrate the festive season with our users by offering cashbacks and rewards on LPG Cylinder booking, which is one of the most popular spends on our platform. Every day 5 lucky users will win Rs 10,001/- worth of gold on Paytm.”

Milestone Systems Welcome New Chief Culture & People Officer

Bangalore, India – October 7, 2021: Milestone Systems, a leading provider of open platform video management software, is pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Thule Viggers as the new Chief People & Culture Officer responsible for Milestone’s People and Culture organization, as per November 1, 2021.

“For the past decade, Milestone has cultivated a strong people-first approach and culture. To continue this strategic journey and to meet our massive growth ambitions, I’m excited to welcome Simon to the Executive Leadership Team,” says Thomas Jensen, CEO of Milestone.

He continues, “Simon comes with vast experience as a culture change connoisseur managing organizational change, leadership, and growth in organizations globally. He has a wealth of experience in creating value and people growth through an agenda focused on engagement and talent management. I’m confident Simon will be a great asset in our efforts to continuously strengthen our already strong culture and lead the People and Culture organization to the next level.”

Simon has deep expertise within the full HR portfolio, managing all parts of the HR lifecycle in a wide range of organizational setups. Furthermore, he has a very diverse leadership profile having managed large global teams. Simon joins Milestone from DHI where he held the position as Chief Human Resources Officer.

“I see a huge growth potential in Milestone both from a people and business perspective. For me, it is at the intersection of strong business acumen and excellent people knowledge that you can be a part of moving the business as HR professionals. A company that is able to balance an ambitious business agenda with a strong eye for development, employee passion and desired capabilities is a company fit for the future. It is also the kind of company I love to work for,” Simon says before concluding.

“I’m looking forward to being a part of the massive growth ambitions in Milestone, but first and foremost, I look forward to meeting my new colleagues and hearing their perspectives on People and Culture in Milestone. I look forward to hearing how they see the journey we are on and to be a part of ensuring the development of our employees during the transition.”