Nagpur, India – The International Conference on Asian Scenario on Infrastructural Development, ASiD 2023, was held at Radisson Blu, Nagpur on 10-11 Mar 2023. The two-day conference was inaugurated by Hon. Shri. Nitinji Gadkari, Minister Road Transport and Highways Government of India.
The conference saw participation from over 500 delegates from pan India, including researchers, scholars, and professionals. Adani Cement was the platinum sponsor for this event, demonstrating its commitment to the development of the infrastructure sector in Asia.
Renowned speakers from across the globe addressed the gathering in 12 different sessions, sharing their expertise and knowledge of the Asian region. The conference was a significant event for the exchange of ideas and experiences in the field of infrastructural development.
Mr. Jignesh Gandhi, representing Adani Cement, enlightened the gathering by sharing insights on the future of infrastructural development and briefed him about Adani initiatives and products. His presentation was well received and provided the audience with valuable insights into the latest trends and technologies in the field.
The International Conference on Asian Scenario on Infra Development, ASiD 2023, was a great success, and it has set the stage for future collaborations and partnerships in the infrastructural development sector in Asia.
March 2023: Jewellery has the power to make or break a look. And with the summer season upon us, it’s time to step up your sartorial game with pieces that are unique yet versatile, sleek yet stylish, and subtle yet striking! Elevate your summer looks and outfits with contemporary platinum jewelry pieces from the Men of Platinum collection. Each exquisite design can be paired with a variety of outfits and styled in multiple ways.
Born of the stars, platinum is found only in select locations across the globe and is a symbol of what is truly rare and precious. Platinum, with its inherent attributes, instantly uplifts the style quotient and has emerged as a new-age symbol of success. It is a fitting ode to the rare men of character and creates a subtle yet distinct statement.
Crafted in 95% platinum this stunning jewellery range from Men of Platinum is cast with clean, bold lines with minimalism at its core. Offering a wide range of avant-garde designs including platinum chains, wristwear, neckwear, and rings, the design language of the collection includes distinctive emblems, crests in solid forms, and aerodynamic elements along with intricate details, incisions, and embellishments. The statement silhouettes and sophisticated textures come together to create this impeccable and exclusive range of jewellery. Extremely versatile, each piece in the collection can be paired with a variety of different outfits – right from power suits and tailored formalwear to smart casuals as well as festive Indian wear. While platinum neckwear complements everything from crisp shirts to solid tees as well as from polos to even bandhgalas; platinum wristwear and rings are the ideal everyday jewellery pieces that can be worn separately or stacked together to instantly add an edge to any look or outfit.
This season, take your style game up a notch, as you choose from these key pieces from the Men of Platinum collection:
Interlinked chains in platinum with hints of rose gold at the center, come together to make this bracelet symbolic of a rare breed of leadership.
The bracelet is the ideal accessory to elevate the smart casual look for a summer sun-downer or add a little fun to the more formal Monday work look.
This dual-toned chain with infinity-shaped motifs is crafted in rare platinum that is strong to withstand the tests of time.
Worn with an embellished kurta or with a bespoke shirt to add a touch of drama to the Sangeet attire or elevate the style quotient of a semi-formal look for a networking event.
Crafted in a metal that retains its naturally white sheen and forms through time, this design with dual-toned arrows directed toward the center of the piece is bold, distinctive, and timeless.
The perfect accessory to take the power game a notch higher as you don your best suit to address the board. This distinct design would also perfectly complement and elevate the simple kurta pajama look for an intimate family gathering.
A statement in fluidity, this interwoven design with hints of rose gold, is crafted in unwavering platinum that retains its shape through years of wear. Akin to the men whose resiliencestands tall in the face of the unforeseen as they lead with incomparable inner strength.
An interesting choice to add a stylish statement piece to that perfect date night look, the bracelet instantly uplifts the semi-formal attire and adds an element of personal style. The bracelet can just as easily be paired with a formal suit for a fun and decadent cocktail night.
This dynamic chain features a series of infinity-shaped facets. Symbolic of the choice of rare men who rise up, time and again, despite the odds. Crafted in rare platinum, one of the strongest metals on Earth, the design comes together with knotted gold links.
The chain adds a touch of personal style when paired with an office shirt to create a subtle yet distinct statement at work. It also serves as an ideal accessory to instantly uplift a casual ethnic look ideal for intimate family gatherings and events.
National – ExxonMobil unveils today the ultimate full synthetic engine oil, Mobil 1™ Triple Action Power+, specially formulated to help car owners unlock the power in their vehicles by delivering outstanding engine performance, protection, and cleanliness, with the added benefit of fuel economy.
“We put our Mobil 1 engine oils to the test in the lab, on the road, and on the tracks replicating some of the toughest, most extreme, and real-life conditions anywhere in the world”, said Vipin Rana, CEO, of ExxonMobil Lubricants Pvt Ltd.
“Formula One is the ultimate test ground for Mobil 1 engine oils, which help reduce friction and wear in all moving parts of the race cars. For Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez, this means more confidence in their car, extra power in their hands, and more opportunities to reach the podium. Inspired by Formula One, we are rolling out a new range of Mobil 1 engine oils specially formulated to help car owners unlock the power in their vehicles”, he further added.
”Mobil 1 has been an iconic brand in Formula One for more than 30 years, and our partnership provides us with a unique opportunity to tap into ExxonMobil’s world-class expertise,” said Christian Horner, Team Principal of Oracle Red Bull Racing.
“Our world championship win is the effort of hundreds of dedicated professionals operating at the highest level and the team’s ability to continually refine the performance of the race car,” he added.
Mobil 1 Triple Action Power+ is now available at reputable automotive retailers and workshops.
Racing provides the Mobil 1TM brand the ultimate testing ground to improve the technology in our range of oils and lubricants. Through each race season, our advanced products go to work in race cars to help improve their performance and efficiency. Mobil 1TM engine oils serve as the lubricant of choice for many of the world’s top race teams who compete in the most demanding and popular motorsports series in the world. The knowledge we gain through these partnerships is integral to how our scientists and engineers develop technologies and constantly push the boundaries. For more information, visit: www.mobil1racing.com.
March 2023: MX Player has once again cemented its position as a leader amongst OTT platforms in India taking a commanding lead in the ‘Top 10 OTT shows of 2022 list across India’ by Chrome OTT (COTT), with the most number of shows compared to others in the list. Three of its shows – Shiksha Mandal, Dharavi Bank, and Roohaniyat Season 2 – are on the list. MX Player’s web series have consistently seen success and it has outshone others such as Prime Video, Netflix, Disney+Hotstar, and Zee5, to be the leader in the Indian OTT space. Shiksha Mandal, MX Player’s Original crime thriller series, achieved the No. 2 spot with 39.10 million views, while Suniel Shetty’s highly-acclaimed OTT debut Dharavi Bank secured No. 4 with 33.04 million views. Roohaniyat Season 2 was positioned at spot No.9 with 25.95 million views. This achievement is a testament to its unwavering commitment to delivering high-quality and engaging entertainment to its audiences.
While MX Player has successfully managed to secure three spots on the list, Disney+Hotstar’s Criminal Justice: Adhura Sach was No.1 and House of Dragons securing the No.3 spot with 70.36 million and 37.71 million views, respectively. Maharani Season 2 from SonyLiv has secured the No.5 spot with 32.65 million views, while Delhi Crime Season 2 from Netflix has claimed the No.6 spot with 31.51 million views. The No.7 and No.8 spots have been taken by Prime Video’s The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power and Zee5’s Duranga with 31.20 million and 28.98 million views, respectively. Finally, Netflix’s Jamtara Season 2 has secured the No.10 spot on the list with a reach of 25.75 million views.
Pankaj Krishna, Founder & CEO, Chrome Data Analytics & Media said, “Entertainment acts as a huge stabilizer for hope and despair during turbulent times. Entertainment builds movement, sometimes even collective consciousness surpassing strained realities and obscure tragedies. OTT platforms have certainly cracked the formula. The rising ‘chord-cutting phenomenon has further cemented a promising future with unprecedented numbers conceptualizing a winning formula for the times ahead.”
COTT is a platform that provides credible currency for measuring users’ metrics of various OTT platforms, has become increasingly important with the significant increase in the number of users and the amount of time they spend on these platforms
India (03 March 2023) – Hilton(NYSE: HLT) today announced it will bring its fast-growing upscale hotel brand to Orange City for the first time with DoubleTree by Hilton Nagpur. Signing with Abhijit Realtors and Infrastructure Private Limited, the announcement marks the entry of DoubleTree in Maharashtra’s third-largest city. Scheduled to open in early 2026, the upscale hotel will provide contemporary accommodations and amenities, as well as unique food and beverage experiences to leisure and business travelers in the populous central India city.
“This is our firstHilton property in Nagpur, and we are excited to introduce the DoubleTree by Hilton brand to the third-largest city of Maharashtra. Hilton is deeply committed to meeting the diverse guest needs in a flourishing city such as Nagpur and further expanding our footprint in India,” said Navjit Ahluwalia, senior vice president, and country head, of India, Hilton. “DoubleTree has been welcoming guests for more than 50 years, and we look forward to continuing to welcome more guests with comfortable, contemporary accommodations and amenities, together with our signature, warm DoubleTree chocolate chip cookies.”
The new 135-room hotel will feature the brand’s modern architecture and designs, large wedding and social event spaces featuring state-of-the-art technology and a wide array of food and beverage, and special event offerings. Guests will enjoy exceptional dining through a diverse culinary experience, from grab-and-go options to seasonal light bites and all-day room service to farm-to-table meals, as well as a signature rooftop specialty restaurant and bar, a first for the city that is a growing hub for the IT industry.
DoubleTree by Hilton Nagpur will be situated at the junction of Airport and Wardha Roads, the city’s main arterial road. Surrounded by major demand zones with the airport and metro stations conveniently located within less than 5 kilometers, the hotel will provide seamless connectivity to prime regions in the city.
“We are delighted to partner with Hilton to bring its excellent service to Nagpur. We believe, over the years, Hilton has curated deep, local expertise to deliver a best-in-class experience to consumers across regions,” said Mr. Abhijit Mazumdar, managing director, Abhijit Realtors and Infrastructure. “The globally recognized it will certainly appeal to both business and leisure customers and benefit DoubleTree by Hilton Nagpur.”
Hilton’s presence in India currently features 24 operating hotels. 17 additional hotels are in the pipeline, including properties in Nepal and Bangladesh. For more information about DoubleTree by Hilton, visit doubletree.comand Stories.Hilton.com.
National, The Delayed Payments Report 2.0 titled ‘Imagining Solutions to Unlock Working Capital for MSMEs’ by Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) and C2FO (Collaborative Cash Flow Optimization) was today released by the Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, Dr V Anantha Nageswaran.
The newly launched report is focused on addressing plausible solutions with three central pillars – Government and Policy Makers, Finance Enablers and Financiers, and Large Enterprises (including PSUs) for resolving Indian MSME’s financial crisis, as well as focus on creating an additional 10 crore jobs by 2030.
The report was co-authored by C2FO and GAME with extensive discussions and inputs from Shri BB Swain and Shri Ajeet Singh of MSME Ministry, Shri Sharad Sharma, Co-founder, iSPIRIT, Shri Vivek Malhotra, Chief General Manager, SIDBI, Shri Anil Bhardwaj, Secretary General, FISME, Shri Adarsh Kumar, Senior Agribusiness Specialist with the Food and Agriculture Global Practice, World Bank and Shri Rajesh Kumar, Managing Director & Chief Executive Officer, Transunion CIBIL.
Commenting on the report, Dr V Anantha Nageswaran, Chief Economic Advisor to the Government of India, said, “I am quite pleased with the fact that Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship continues to focus on the issue of Delayed Payments that needs resolution. This is an issue that can only be tackled over time by maintaining a constant pressure. MSME is also an issue that remains to be resolved not only in India, but several countries across the globe. In India, the Government has been focusing on MSMEs since 2014. And hopefully over time, through some of the legislative and budgetary announcements, we can slowly bring about a mindset shift, not just in the private sector, but also in the public sector. And then, mechanisms and artificial interventions will no longer be necessary with prompt payment culture becoming embedded as part of normal large enterprise behaviour. In the 2023-24 budget, the government has made it clear that payments to MSME suppliers cannot be claimed on an accrual basis and cannot be set off against taxable income unless the payment is actually made. That makes it clear that companies cannot have their cake and eat it too. Without a vibrant MSME sector, we cannot talk of India becoming a global economic power.”
Ravi Venkatesan, Founder, Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME), says, “Most MSMEs grapple with financial assistance, lack of mentoring support to scale the business, and technological obsolescence. Enterprises can become efficient and create more jobs if they have access to markets, finance & technology, and strategy to be competitive. Uninterrupted cash flow is a pre-requisite, and GAME’s Delayed Payment 2.0 proposes a four-point solution to enable MSMEs to succeed, and the Indian economy continues to expand.”
Alexander Kemper, Founder & CEO, C2FO, pointed out, “Delayed payments and the lack of formal financing can adversely impact a nation’s potential to create jobs. While struggling to cope with payment delays, business owners are also under pressure due to long winded credit evaluation criteria and processes that limit their access to loans. Through this report, we have suggested solutions that leverage the India stack (Account Aggregator, GST), simplify credit guarantee schemes, and create the right incentives for buyers and sellers to remediate this crippling issue.”
The report serves as evidence of lakhs of businesses not being part of the formal economy, thereby never having had access to credit. The impact of delayed payments and the lack of formal financing has adversely impacted the nation’s potential to create jobs, causes for which also include raised expenses creating further hurdles in conducting business. While struggling with payment delays, business owners are also pressured by non-representative and exclusive evaluation criteria limiting their access to loans.
The attempted efforts of the Government to introduce schemes and norms will be expected to encourage the credit flow as well as strengthen cash flow-based lending by simplifying credit guarantees, strengthening TReDS by integrating GST data, and re-imagining the process of dispute resolution for delayed payments.
ABOUT GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR MASS ENTREPRENEURSHIP: GAME’s mission is to catalyze an India-wide entrepreneurial movement and favourable conditions for the growth of existing and new enterprises resulting in 50 million new jobs by 2030. We aim to ensure that a significant percentage of new businesses are women-owned. We hope to inspire and support similar movements in other parts of the world facing similar challenges. GAME is a non-profit operating as a project under Junior Achievement India Services. For more information, visit: https://massentrepreneurship.org/
ABOUT C2FO: C2FO is the world’s on-demand working capital platform, providing fast, flexible, and equitable access to low-cost capital to nearly 2 million businesses worldwide. Using patented Name Your Rate® technology and a suite of working capital solutions, companies can get paid sooner by the world’s largest enterprises — unlocking billions in risk-free capital. With a mission to ensure that every business has the capital needed to thrive, C2FO has delivered more than $262 billion in funding around the world. Founded in 2008 and headquartered in Kansas City, USA, with offices around the globe, C2FO is working to build a better, more inclusive financial system every day. C2FO has been serving thousands of MSMEs and Enterprises in India for nearly a decade and has recently received an in-principle authorization from the Reserve Bank of India to set up and operate a Trade Receivables Discounting System (TReDS) platform in India. To learn more, visit C2FO.com.
March 2023: Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd (IRCTC), the public sector undertaking under the Ministry of Railways, and HDFC Bank, India’s largest private sector bank today announced a partnership to launch one of India’s most rewarding co-branded travel credit cards. Known as the IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card, the newly launched co-branded card is in a single variant and is available exclusively on NPCI’s Rupay network.
It will provide exclusive benefits and maximum savings on bookings of train tickets booked through the IRCTC’s ticketing website and through the IRCTC Rail Connect app. Additionally, IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit cardholders will enjoy an attractive joining bonus, booking discounts, and access to the several executive lounges at railway stations across the country.
The card combines the strength of two leading Indian brands to deliver superior value and an enhanced customer experience to travellers. It will leverage HDFC Bank’s expertise as the market leader in card issuance in the country, offering its best-in-class rewards programme, and IRCTC’s unmatched services on train travel.
The credit card was launched by Ms. Rajni Hasija, Chairman & Managing Director, IRCTC, Mr. Parag Rao, Group Head – Of payments, Consumer Finance, Digital Banking and IT, HDFC Bank and Ms. Praveena Rai, COO, NPCI at a launch ceremony held at New Delhi.
Commenting on the association, Ms Rajni Hasija, Chairman & Managing Director, IRCTC said, “HDFC Bank is among the largest and most trusted banks in the country. We are delighted to partner with them for this initiative. The co-branded card offers exclusive access to newly opened state-of-the-art lounges available at most of the major railway stations. The credit card will help to streamline online transactions and at the same time offer best-in-class benefits as well as experience to our customers.”
Parag Rao, Group Head – Payments, Consumer Finance, Digital Banking and IT, HDFC Bank said, “HDFC Bank is committed to providing best-in-class banking services to the nation. The IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card will enable us to offer our card to millions of Indians across the country. Indian Railways is one of the biggest public sector enterprises in the country and we are delighted to be the first private sector bank to partner with IRCTC to enhance the customer experience for train travellers, right from the time of booking their tickets. As the largest card issuer in the country, it is our endeavour consistently to find new ways to nurture and support the payments ecosystem in India.”
Ms. Praveena Rai, Chief Operating Officer – of National Payments Corporation of India said, “At RuPay, we have customers at the heart of all our offerings & innovations. We are happy to partner with IRCTC & HDFC Bank for a cobranded credit card which will offer seamless payment convenience and appealing benefits to customers for rail travel as well as their shopping needs. With RuPay Credit Cards now enabled on UPI for payments, this cobranded card will provide impetus to further adoption and reach of digital payments across India.”
Key features and benefits of the IRCTC HDFC Bank Credit Card include:
Welcome Benefit – INR 500 Amazon voucher on card activation within 30 days of card issuance
5 Reward Points per Rs.100 spent on ticket bookings at www.irctc.co.in
5% Cashback on booking via Smart Buy
1 Reward Point per Rs.100 spent (not applicable on EMI, Fuel and Wallet re-load txns, on rental payments and Government related transactions)
8 Complimentary IRCTC Railway Lounge Access per year
Additional reward Points on AC ticket booking
INR 500 Welcome Gift voucher on card activation within 30 days of card issuance.
Gift Voucher worth INR 500 on spends of INR 30,000 within 90 days
1% Transaction charges waiver on IRCTC Website and App
IRCTC HDFC Bank co-brand credit card customers can apply for the credit card through the websites of both IRCTC and HDFC Bank and access key details of the card through the app while enjoying a simple and even more rewarding experience. They can also walk in to the nearest HDFC Bank branch to apply for the card.
Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation Ltd. (IRCTC) is a “Mini Ratna (Category-I)” Central Public Sector Enterprise under the Ministry of Railways, Government of India. IRCTC was incorporated on 27th September 1999 as an extended arm of the Indian Railways to upgrade, professionalize and manage the catering and hospitality services at stations, on trains and other locations and to promote domestic and international tourism through the development of budget hotels, special tour packages, information & commercial publicity and global reservation systems.
21 February 2023, New Delhi: Mastercard and Obopay today announced their collaboration to launch a financial inclusion card for smallholder farmers and rural communities. Powered by Mastercard’s Community Pass digital infrastructure, the prepaid card will allow farmers to receive the sale proceeds for their crop digitally, spend their earnings to make purchases even in remote locations that have poor or no connectivity, and build a transaction history based on their income and expenditure to access customized credit options.
The prepaid card will work in tandem with the existing Mastercard Farm Pass platform wherein the farmers will be able to receive payments into their prepaid card account, thereby allowing them to use it to transact at local outlets. Farm Pass is part of Mastercard’s broader Community Pass infrastructure.
While 80% of the rural population has bank accounts, the rural economy still runs on cash due to challenges around digital acceptance, connectivity, and branch banking experience. Prepaid cards have so far seen limited traction in rural areas owing to a lack of inflows into the accounts. Digitizing the agriculture value chain can ensure that farmers can use their money to transact at merchant outlets in rural areas. The card solution developed by Mastercard and Obopay is unique as it has the ability to also work offline in remote areas, ensuring rural acceptance of digital payments for buying farm inputs, agriculture equipment, or other essentials.
Obopay will link the online Prepaid cards with offline digital wallets at the backend to ensure a seamless experience for users. This will result in the digitization of farmer spend while leveraging the existing acceptance points of sale in villages and semi-urban areas. By building a digital record of farmers’ spend and income, the solution will also facilitate customized credit. The card will target smallholder farmers, Self Help Group members, small buyers, and traders, along with the adjacent rural ecosystem.
Shailendra Naidu, the CEO, of Obopay, said, “Digital payments can be a game changer for farmers in today’s technologically driven ecosystem. We are proud to collaborate with Mastercard and develop solutions that will empower farmers in a commercially sustainable way by helping them access online payments and credit.”
The offline wallet feature on the card will enable cash-in-cash-out transactions in non-network areas, making it a particularly relevant solution for farmers in remote areas who lack connectivity or cannot afford data. It will also allow farmers to securely receive and store money in multiple wallets on the card and ensure a consistent user experience across products.
Himanshu Bansal, VP, Digital and Financial Inclusion, at Mastercard Community Pass,said, “Farmers in remote areas are often stifled by challenges related to connectivity, data speed, and complexities in using digital platforms. To address these concerns, Mastercard aims to empower them through solutions that are tailored to their needs and ensure transparency in the payments ecosystem. Research has shown that 50% of users who experience transaction failures during their first digital transaction go back to cash. Mastercard is delighted to collaborate with Obopay to digitally empower farmers and eliminate the credit access challenge.”
Mastercard recently achieved the milestone of benefiting over one million smallholder farmers in India through Farm Pass, its scalable rural and agriculture digitization solution. The launch of the digitally integrated financial inclusion card further strengthens the company’s commitment to digitizing the rural ecosystem.
India, Feb. 27, 2023 – HCL Foundation today announced the NGOs selected for the 2023 edition of its flagship program HCL Grant – which supports pioneering work in sustainable rural development in India. HCL Foundation delivers the corporate social responsibility agenda of HCLTech.
Three NGOs—Planatearth, Innovators in Health (IIH) India, and Meghshala Trust will receive ₹5 crores (appx. $620,000) each for their projects under the HCL Grant endowment. This year’s winners were chosen from submissions from more than 15,000 entities, an increase of 80% versus last year.
According to Ms. Robin Ann Abrams, Chairperson of the HCL Grant Jury and Board Member, HCLTech: “These organizations and their projects – aligned to the HCL Foundation’s core areas of focus in environment, health, and education – will bring a visible and inclusive change to the ‘last mile.’ We believe their work will provide an important lifeline to rural communities by bridging inequality in healthcare, helping in freshwater conservation and more readily bringing education to underserved populations.”
In addition, six NGO finalists will receive grants of ₹25 lahks (appx. $30,000) each in the following categories:
Environment: Indian Institute of Science Education and Research, Pune (IISER); North-East Initiative Development Agency (NEIDA)
Education: MAHAN; Sri Sri Rural Development Programme Trust (SSRDPT)
Health: Tata Institute of Social Sciences (TISS); Guria Swayam Sevi Sansthan (GSSS)
HCL Foundation has funded more than ₹130 crores (appx. $16 million) to NGOs since the HCL Grant program’s onset eight years ago, reaching over 1.8 million beneficiaries in more than 25,000 villages in remote districts across 19 states and two Union Territories of India.
Dr. Nidhi Pundhir, Vice President, of Global CSR, HCL Foundation, gave the recipients their awards in a virtual ceremony attended by representatives of NGOs, HCL, HCLTech and the media fraternity. The ceremony was the culmination of a thorough, Grant Thornton-audited process, which earlier in the year involved a series of pan-India symposiums bringing together more than 2,000 representatives from NGOs, government, and corporates.
“We are delighted at the volume of applications received for this year’s selection process. HCL Grant partners with these NGOs to strengthen their governance and help scale their innovative ideas for sustainable rural development. We look forward to working with this year’s selected NGO partners to scale innovative interventions that will supercharge progress for rural communities,” Dr. Pundhir said.
She also announced the release of the seventh volume of the compendium ‘Fifth Estate – NGOs Transforming Rural India in Environment, Health and Education,’ which chronicles the work done by past HCL Grant recipients. The book will be available in all national libraries and through international affiliates.
Planet earth was awarded HCL Grant in the environment category for its project on the conservation of water bodies by cleaning plastics from oceans and invasive species like water hyacinths from ponds and backwaters. It is expected to directly benefit at least 170,000 fishermen across 45 villages in Kerala. The project aims to improve the quality of water bodies along with a positive impact on the livelihood of fisherfolk.
“The oceans of the world, and the coastal waters of Kerala in particular, are polluted by plastic, which seriously affects the livelihood of marine fishermen. The HCL Grant is the only way we could realize our goals of helping the rural fishermen of Kerala and conserving the planet,” said Sooraj Abraham, Founder, of Planatearth.
Innovators in Health (IIH) India received the HCL Grant in the health category for a project on universal tuberculosis care in rural Bihar. The project aims to reduce the tuberculosis burden by enabling the public health system and improving diagnostics and treatment outcomes. It will reach out to more than 10,500 households in 1,260 villages in the Samastipur district of Bihar.
“HCL Foundation’s trust deeply humbles me in us. This grant will help us extend the services we are already providing to a wider audience and community and make Samastipur a unique district in tuberculosis care in India,” said Dr. Manish Kumar, CEO, of Innovators in Health (IIH) India.
Meghshala was awarded the HCL Grant in the education category for a project on technology-enabled teacher capacity building, with a focus on local languages. It will directly benefit 2,700 primary and secondary teachers of government schools and 63,000 students from Grades 1-8 in 460 villages of Sikkim. The project will help promote digital literacy and encourage the use of local languages among the younger generation.
“We continue to keep languages at the center of all our development work and HCL Grant’s support will help us extend our services to more classrooms across the nation, especially those that teach local languages, where our intervention is most required,” said Jyoti Thyagarajan, Founder and CEO, Meghshala Trust.
Recipient NGOs were selected after screening and review of applications by an eminent jury, monitored, and audited by HCL Grant governance partner Grant Thornton. Jury members include Ms. Robin Ann Abrams, Chairperson of the Jury, Board Member, HCLTech; Mr. Suresh Narayanan, Chairman and Managing Director, Nestle India Limited; Mr. B. S. Baswan, Former Director, Indian Institute of Public Administration and Former Secretary, Human Resource Development Ministry; Ms. Pallavi Shroff, Managing Partner, Shardul Amarchand Mangaldas & Co; Dr. Richard Lariviere, Sanskrit Scholar & President Emeritus, Field Museum (Chicago); and Mr. Shiv Nadar, Founder, HCL Group and Chairman Emeritus, HCLTech.
Tata Motors launches Re.Wi.Re, its first Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility
Jaipur, 2023: Tata Motors, India’s leading automobile manufacturer, today, took a significant leap forward in its commitment towards sustainable mobility with the launch of Re.Wi.Re–Recycle with Respect, its first Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility (RVSF) in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Inaugurated by Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Shri Nitin Gadkari, this state-of-the-art facility has a capacity of 15,000 vehicles per annum and follows world-class, eco-friendly processes for the safe and sustainable dismantling of end-of-life vehicles. It is developed and operated by Tata Motors’ partner Ganganagar Vaahan Udyog Pvt. Ltd. to scrap end-of-life passenger and commercial vehicles of all brands.
Inaugurating Tata Motors’ maiden Re.Wi.Re RVSF,Hon’ble Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways, Government of India, Shri Nitin Gadkari said, “The National Vehicle Scrappage Policy was introduced with the aim to promote the circular economy by creating an ecosystem for phasing out unfit and polluting vehicles and to achieve a lower carbon footprint in the country by replacing them with greener and more fuel-efficient vehicles. I congratulate Tata Motors for setting up this quality facility that is at par with global standards. We are working towards positioning India as a vehicle scrapping hub for the entire South Asian region and need more such state-of-the-art scrapping and recycling units in India.”
Speaking on the launch of Re.Wi.Re., Mr. Girish Wagh, Executive Director, Tata Motors, said, “At Tata Motors, we are committed to delving into every aspect of mobility to make it greener and sustainable. The inauguration of this RVSF (Registered Vehicle Scrapping Facility) heralds a new beginning in the responsible scrapping of end-of-life vehicles. With globally benchmarked and optimized recycling processes, we intend to yield maximum value from the scrap for future use and minimize waste for the overall betterment. We appreciate the visionary efforts of Shri Gadkari ji in enabling the National Vehicle Scrappage Policy and look forward to setting up Re.Wi.Re facilities across the country in collaboration with our partners. These decentralized facilities will benefit the customers, share the economic value generated, and create employment while addressing the need of scrapping vehicles in every part of the country in an eco-friendly manner.
The state-of-the-art Re.Wi.Re. facility is designed to dismantle end-of-life passenger and commercial vehicles of all brands and ensures de-pollution. It is fully digitalized for hassle-free, paperless operations and has dedicated stations for the safe dismantling of components such as tires, batteries, fuel, oils, liquids, and gases. The vehicles go through a stringent documentation and dismantling process, curated individually for passenger and commercial vehicle requirements.
Toyota Kirloskar Motor Promotes Holistic Approach to Clean and Green Vehicle Mobility on the ‘World Biofuel Day 2024’
Bangalore, 2023: In its pursuit to enhance customer experience and enable an easy ownership process, Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) announced the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Indian Bank, one of India’s leading nationalized banks, to offer exciting vehicle financing options to all.
The new tie-up will offer innovative solutions that match the evolving expectations of customers, with up to 90% on-road funding, with no processing fee, foreclosure, and part-payment charges. This development will now enable customers, especially in the rural and semi-urban markets, to access easier funding options to buy their favorite Toyota vehicle with ease. The tie-up comes at a time when TKM is expanding its product portfolio with models like the Innova Hycross, Urban Cruiser Hyryder, New Innova Crysta, and Hilux in addition to the existing models namely Fortuner and Legender, Toyota Glanza, Camry Hybrid and Vellfire, thus catering to customer requirements across the length and breadth of the country.
Elaborating on the tie-up, Mr. Atul Sood, Vice President, Sales, and Strategic Marketing, at Toyota Kirloskar Motor said, “We are delighted to join hands with Indian Bank in line with our commitment to providing an awesome Toyota experience to all our customers. The collaboration seeks to provide simpler financing options, a hassle-free experience, and timely assistance to ensure a pleasant buying process. At TKM, our approach has always been to listen to the market needs and appropriately introduce products and services that offer an exceptional ownership experience to our customers. We believe that with this tie-up we will be able to further enhance our reach to all those customers who are keen to own a Toyota vehicle while supporting them with financial value-added services.”
Speaking on the occasion Mr. Imran Amin Siddiqui, Executive Director, of Retail Assets, at Indian Bank said, “The association with Toyota Kirloskar Motor Private Limited will allow us to provide faster financing to a large number of our customers across the country. Indian Bank has a strong presence across the country. We are confident that our digital loan procedure, will provide customers who want to acquire a new Toyota vehicle for themselves and family, with ease, and comfort at its best. We are dedicated to making the auto finance process easier and providing an enhanced consumer experience both in terms of product and services.”
TKM always strives to improve customer experience throughout the purchase & ownership process by implementing timely and relevant schemes such as easy financing options. The company has always explored innovative tie-ups with leading financial institutes across the country. The offers go beyond the purchase of just new vehicles to cover used cars as well as service packages thus creating an overall positive buying and ownership experience for Toyota cars.
Interested buyers can avail of the financing benefits across 567 TKM customer touchpoints across the country, coupled with 5700+ branches of Indian Bank.
Web development refers to the creation, and maintenance of websites. It includes aspects such as web design, web publishing, web programming, and database management. It is the creation of an application that works over the internet i.e. websites.
The word Web Development is made up of two words, that is:
Web: It refers to websites, web pages, or anything that works over the internet.
Development: It refers to building the application from scratch.
The part of a website where the user interacts directly is termed as front-end. It is also referred to as the ‘client side’ of the application.
HTML: HTML stands for HyperText Markup Language. It is used to design the front-end portion of web pages using a markup language. It acts as a skeleton for a website since it is used to make the structure of a website.
CSS: Cascading Style Sheets fondly referred to as CSS is a simply designed language intended to simplify the process of making web pages presentable. It is used to style our website.
JavaScript: JavaScript is a scripting language used to provide a dynamic behavior to our website.
Bootstrap: Bootstrap is a free and open-source tool collection for creating responsive websites and web applications. It is the most popular CSS framework for developing responsive, mobile-first websites. Nowadays, the websites are perfect for all browsers (IE, Firefox, and Chrome) and for all sizes of screens (Desktop, Tablets, Phablets, and Phones).
Backend is the server side of a website. It is part of the website that users cannot see and interact with. It is the portion of software that does not come in direct contact with the users. It is used to store and arrange data.
PHP: PHP is a server-side scripting language designed specifically for web development.
Java: Java is one of the most popular and widely used programming languages. It is highly scalable.
Python: Python is a programming language that lets you work quickly and integrate systems more efficiently.
Node.js: Node.js is an open-source and cross-platform runtime environment for executing JavaScript code outside a browser.
Back-End Frameworks: The list of back-end frameworks are: Express, Django, Rails, Laravel, Spring, etc.
India, February 24, 2023: India’s largest private sector bank – HDFC Bank, and UAE-based financial services company – Lulu Exchange, have signed an agreement to strengthen cross-border payments between India and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) region.
In its first phase, the partnership will draw on Lulu Exchange’s expertise and regulatory framework to launch a digital inward remittance service titled ‘RemitNow2India’ that will allow resident individuals of UAE to send money to any bank account in India via IMPS and NEFT through HDFC Bank’s digital banking channels.
The partnership will also look to strengthen the existing relationship between the two entities in India, where LuLu Financial Group operates LuLu Forex and the NBFC division LuLu Finserv.
Speaking on the partnership, Arvind Vohra, Group Head – Retail Branch Banking, HDFC Bank said, “Our partnership builds on each other’s strengths. While HDFC Bank potentially gains access to remittances from Lulu Exchange’s employees, customers and other stakeholders, Lulu Exchange can capitalize on a trusted name with a vast network. As a bank, we can help the people in UAE particularly the Indian diaspora to send money conveniently and in a seamless manner into the country.”
Adeeb Ahamed, MD, LuLu Financial Group, commented, “We are delighted to partner with HDFC Bank and enable our remittance-as-a-service platform on their digital banking solutions. The UAE-India payments corridor is one of the largest in the world, and this partnership will build upon existing capabilities to ease money transfer for thousands of Indian ex-pats living in the UAE while setting the foundation for the eventual integration of this service in other parts of GCC where we have a presence.”
Both HDFC Bank and LuLu Exchange will leverage each other’s goodwill, trust, regulatory tech, and vast service network to extend this partnership through a series of online and offline initiatives.
February 27, 2023: The Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI), in partnership with Futurebrands, unveiled the ‘Wielding Influence, Nurturing Trust’ report at the #GetItRight ASCI Brand Influencer Summit 2023 in Mumbai on Monday. The report discusses the best ways for influencers to build lasting relationships with consumers so that influencer-led brand growth is equitable and profitable for all stakeholders.
The study brings together multiple perspectives that offer new insights into how influencers and brands can foster a culture in which they are genuine in their communication and build enduring engagement with consumers. The report highlights an opportunity for influencers to be engaged at earlier stages as stakeholders in the communication process. It also identifies 6 major influencer archetypes that allow for a more meaningful way to look at influencers than merely their followers or category affiliations. At a time when the creator movement is gaining significant momentum, the report provides a new paradigm of “informed trust” that allows for a ‘Trust Trinity’ that shapes effective production and consumption of content built on a foundation of authenticity and transparency. The study asserts that trust between consumers and influencers is the core of the relationship, and that it’s not a one-time event but a long-term process.
The summit saw a keynote address by Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs. It hosted top influencers such as trans icon and influencer Sushant Divgikar (aka Rani); Masoom Minawala, a global Indian fashion icon; Kamiya Jani, digital creator and cultural ambassador for India; food writer and actor Kunal Vijaykar, Viraj Ghelani, a digital content creator; Anushka Rathod, a young finfluencer and India’s first skin-positive influencer Prableen Kaur.
Renowned comedian, actor and musician, Vir Das enthralled the audience with his unique satirical one-liners during an engaging fireside chat with journalist Anuradha Sengupta.
The other sessions were anchored by prominent experts such as Mukta Lad, Parul Ohri and Subhash Kamath.
The day-long event was filled with discussions, case studies, workshops and mentoring sessions, and offered budding influencers opportunities to network and shape their careers.
The summit ended on a high note with participants mesmerised by the soulful music of Ankur Tewari in a special performance by Coke Studio Bharat.
Manisha Kapoor, CEO and Secretary General, ASCI, said “Besides laying down guidelines to protect consumers, ASCI is also committed to help the advertising ecosystem GetItRight, the study and the summit are a step in that direction. Influencers are brilliant, diverse minds that offer a new version of advertising that is excitingly different. Their content has led to connections with audiences in a way never seen before. It is important that trust, authenticity and transparency be the foundation for a sustainable creator economy, with consumer interest at the very core.”
The agenda for the ASCI Brand Influencer Summit 2023 included:
Mentor Connect
Keynote address by Shri Rohit Kumar Singh, Secretary, Ministry of Consumer Affairs
Panel discussion on the ‘Wielding Influence, Nurturing Trust’ report and influencer marketing
Decoding Effectiveness of Successful Brand-Influencer Partnerships by Knowledge Partner of the event BigBang.Social
Category Spotlight Sessions: Recipe for Success (Food and Health), Up Close and Personal (Fashion and Beauty), Reaching for the Sky (Travel and Lifestyle) and Show Me the Money (Finance and Fintech)
Future Gazing Session: a peep into the future of influencer marketing
Circle of Trust: fireside chat with Vir Das
Coke Studio Bharat performance
The event was co-sponsored by, Cipla Health, Colgate Palmolive, Diageo India, Mondelez International and Nestle India. Associate sponsors for the event included, Coca Cola India, Johnson & Johnson India, and L’Oreal India. Knowledge partner was Big Bang Social and Media Partner, DB Corp Ltd. The category spotlight session was sponsored by Danone India, ITC Limited, Johnson & Johnson, Kotak Mahindra Bank, L’Oreal India, MakeMyTrip, Mamaearth, and Marico.
The co-sponsors of the event also co-sponsored the “Wielding Influence, Nurturing Trust” Report; other co-sponsors of the report included, Danone India, Godrej Consumer Products Ltd, ITC Limited, Mamaearth, and Red Bull India.
Nagpur 23rd February: A 45 year old electrician had a fall from 20 feet electric pole while on duty about 150 kms from Nagpur. After fall he had very severe pain and a loud click sound in the back after which his back became bent and crooked. Without wasting a minute his primary doctor referred him to Wockhardt Hospitals, Nagpur.
At Wockhardt Hospitals Dr Priyesh Dhoke Senior Spine Specialist checked him and advised him for spine X- ray and MRI scan. He was shifted gently on a spine board with all the care under Dr Dhoke’s supervision. His investigations showed multiple fractures in spine of which the D12 vertebrae was badly fractured. Dr Priyesh Dhoke said, “ This as an unstable spine injury where three columns of the spine are fractured according to AO spine classification.”
Dr Dhoke explained the need of surgery for spinal fixation to the patient and relatives in detail. He explained them about the new and most advance technique of Spine fixation i.e minimal invasive spine fixation[key hole spine surgery].This is a percutaneous spine fixation technique in which screws and rods are inserted through a small port/cut in the skin under the fluoroscopic guidance and monitoring .The benefits of this advanced surgery is minimum skin cut, very less blood loss, no muscle dissection/damage, early patient mobilization , very minimum post operative pain. The patient can walk within 6 hours of surgery. Even the patient can take bath the next day and can be discharged.
The patient and the relatives were surprised and happy to see the fast recovery of their patient.
Dr Priyesh Dhoke said, “This percutaneous spine fixation is highly skilled technique and very beneficial to the patient. Dr Dhoke is fellowship trained spine specialist with several international recognitions and possess this expertise and is available at Wockhardt Hospitals, Nagpur for the patients.
About Wockhardt Hospitals Ltd.:
Wockhardt Hospitals is a chain of tertiary care super-specialty hospitals with facilities in Nagpur, Nasik, Rajkot, South Mumbai & North Mumbai. All Wockhardt Hospitals have state-of-the-art infrastructure and globally benchmarked processes to enable Patient Care & Safety. Wockhardt Hospitals Ltd. is one of the few professionally managed corporate hospital groups in the country which prioritizes patient safety and quality of care at the core of its strategy. The guiding philosophy is to serve and enrich the Quality of Life of patients.
Mumbai, February 21, 2023: Kotak Mahindra Bank (KMBL) today goes live with Kotak fyn, a holistic digital platform developed specifically for business banking and corporate clients. The new integrated portal will offer Kotak Bank customers comprehensive digital banking and value-added services across all products, including trade & services, account services, payments, and collections.
Kotak fyn’s single platform reduces complexity and friction for customers. It eliminates the need for multiple logins and disparate user interfaces, making all trade and service transactions seamless and convenient for customers. Kotak fyn portal assures paperless transactions and the facility to unify data across multiple product-specific portals and back-office systems to create a single view of transactions, positions and balances, enabling self-service and driving operational efficiency. The data is presented via persona-based dashboards, with insightful widgets and the ability for users to tailor their experience.
KVS Manian, Whole-time Director, Kotak Mahindra Bank said, “In today’s digital age we recognised that customers are in constant search for quick, agile, and seamless banking. In our endeavor to offer a superior banking experience, we now introduce Kotak fyn, one-stop digital platform that will take care of all your business banking needs. We at Kotak truly believe that digital is the way forward, and with fyn, we are proud to not only embrace but promote the wave of digitization across the country.”
Paritosh Kashyap, President & Head of Wholesale Banking, at Kotak Mahindra Bank said, “Kotak fyn will be a game changer. fyn’s innovative user interface with several industry-leading features will further provide a superior banking experience for our corporate customers. Kotak has always been at the forefront of implementing best-in-class digital interventions in our offerings. With the launch of fyn, we have tried to enhance the customer’s experience through multiple features across the banking journey under a unified platform.”
Shekhar Bhandari, President-Global Transaction Banking, at Kotak Mahindra Bank said, “fyn is an intuitive, easy-to-use, comprehensive, and integrated offering to our enterprise customers. It allows all our customers universal access across Trade, Collections, Account Services, Loans, and Payments through all channels like Mobile, API, and web enabling a seamless customer experience. fyn is “For Your Needs” and a future-ready portal designed to reduce complexity and friction for our customers and provide a truly differentiated user experience”.
How to get started with Kotak fyn:
1) Click here www.kotak.com to access Kotak fyn
2) Login with Net Banking credentials and start your fyn journey
Click https://youtu.be/meus_KamCdo for the Kotak fyn Demo
For the video release: https://youtu.be/QcMZFVK5PfI
Mastercard and Obopay collaborate to launch a unique prepaid card to power financial inclusion in rural communities
21 February 2023, New Delhi: Mastercard and Obopay today announced their collaboration to launch a financial inclusion card for smallholder farmers and rural communities. Powered by Mastercard’s Community Pass digital infrastructure, the prepaid card will allow farmers to receive the sale proceeds for their crop digitally, spend their earnings to make purchases even in remote locations that have poor or no connectivity, and build a transaction history based on their income and expenditure to access customized credit options.
The prepaid card will work in tandem with the existing Mastercard Farm Pass platform wherein the farmers will be able to receive payments into their prepaid card account, thereby allowing them to use it to transact at local outlets. Farm Pass is part of Mastercard’s broader Community Pass infrastructure.
While 80% of the rural population has bank accounts, the rural economy still runs on cash due to challenges around digital acceptance, connectivity, and branch banking experience. Prepaid cards have so far seen limited traction in rural areas owing to lack of inflows into the accounts. Digitizing the agriculture value chain can ensure that farmers can use their money to transact at merchant outlets in rural areas. The card solution developed by Mastercard and Obopay is unique as it has the ability to also work offline in remote areas, ensuring rural acceptance of digital payments for buying farm inputs, agriculture equipment, or other essentials.
Obopay will link the online Prepaid cards with offline digital wallets at the backend to ensure a seamless experience for users. This will result in the digitization of farmer spend while leveraging the existing acceptance points of sale in villages and semi-urban areas. By building a digital record of farmers’ spend and income, the solution will also facilitate customized credit. The card will target smallholder farmers, Self Help Group members, small buyers, and traders, along with the adjacent rural ecosystem.
Shailendra Naidu, the CEO, of Obopay, said, “Digital payments can be a game changer for farmers in today’s technologically driven ecosystem. We are proud to collaborate with Mastercard and develop solutions that will empower farmers in a commercially sustainable way by helping them access online payments and credit.”
The offline wallet feature on the card will enable cash-in-cash-out transactions in non-network areas, making it a particularly relevant solution for farmers in remote areas who lack connectivity or cannot afford data. It will also allow farmers to securely receive and store money in multiple wallets on the card and ensure a consistent user experience across products.
Himanshu Bansal, VP, Digital and Financial Inclusion, Mastercard Community Pass,said, “Farmers in remote areas are often stifled by challenges related to connectivity, data speed, and complexities in using digital platforms. To address these concerns, Mastercard aims to empower them through solutions that are tailored to their needs and ensure transparency in the payments ecosystem. Research has shown that 50% of users who experience transaction failures during their first digital transaction go back to cash. Mastercard is delighted to collaborate with Obopay to digitally empower farmers and eliminate the credit access challenge.”
Mastercard recently achieved the milestone of benefiting over one million smallholder farmers in India through Farm Pass, its scalable rural and agriculture digitization solution. The launch of the digitally integrated financial inclusion card further strengthens the company’s commitment to digitizing the rural ecosystem.
According to a New Study, Eating Almonds Daily Could Improve Diabetes Risk Factors
16 February 2023, India – A new study reported that eating almonds daily for 12 weeks reduced insulin resistance, improved pancreatic function, and helped control blood glucose levels. What’s more, the almond treatment group achieved significant reductions in body weight, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference over the intervention period and lowered their total cholesterol.
The challenges of excess body weight and diabetes are seen around the world, and the two conditions often go hand in hand. Therefore, a single intervention addressing both, like the addition of almonds as seen in this study, may make a profound difference to improve health.
This study was led by Viswanathan Mohan, MD, Ph.D., DSc, president and chief of diabetes research at Madras Diabetes Research Foundation in Chennai, India, and included collaborators R. M. Anjana, MD, Ph.D., vice president at Madras Diabetes Research Foundation; Richard Mattes, Ph.D., MPH, RD, distinguished professor of nutrition and public health at Purdue University; Jordi Salas, MD, Ph.D., professor of nutrition and bromatology (food science) at the Universitat Rovira I Virgili; and Walter Willett, MD, DrPH, professor of epidemiology and nutrition at Harvard University, among several others. Researchers assessed the effects of 43 g (1.5 ounces) of raw almonds eaten daily for 12 weeks on insulin sensitivity, insulin resistance, and serum lipid markers among Asian Indian adults with overweight and obese living in Chennai City, India.
“Our almond consumers had improvements to both body weight and blood sugar,” said Dr. Mohan. “Obesity is a health problem seen around the world, and we know obesity raises the risk of chronic diseases, like type 2 diabetes. We also know this is a complex problem, tightly interwoven with diabetes, and we think we’ve identified a rather simple solution. It turns out, asking people to enjoy almonds instead of other snacks can help them manage weight and reduce the burden of diabetes.”
Gayathri Rajagopal, Ph.D. scholar, University of Madras, the first author of the study’s paper, is equally excited about the improvements in pancreatic health seen in the study. “Our almond eaters demonstrated the enhanced function of their beta cells, which are the cells in the pancreas that make insulin. This is substantial for people with prediabetes and suggests the potential for regular almond consumption to delay the onset of diabetes. Besides that, we know almonds increase satiety making them a healthy snack for people predisposed to type 2 diabetes.”
Researchers saw heart-health benefits, too. People participating in the almond intervention had better levels of total cholesterol and triglycerides—both of which are very important to manage obesity and diabetes. Nuts like almonds are a healthy dietary component that could reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease as well.
“Our team counsels patients to include a variety of foods in their diets, especially plant foods, and reduce deep-fried snacks,” said Dr. Anjana. “Almonds provide 6 grams of plant protein per 1 ounce (28 grams) serving. Almonds’ favorable fatty acid profile and high vitamin E content correspond to the improvements in cholesterol and triglycerides we saw in the study. Furthermore, the improvements in body weight, pancreatic function, reduction in insulin resistance, and better blood sugar suggest that almonds are a boon to cardiometabolic health.”
Study Design
Employing a randomized controlled design, researchers studied 352 male and female Asian Indian participants (intervention = 174; control = 178). The age range was 25 to 65 years and BMI ranged from 23 kg/m2 and up. Researchers used BMI guidelines from the World Health Organization – Western Pacific Region stating that > 23 kg/m2 corresponds to overweight and > 25 kg/m2 to obese. Participants had central obesity, dyslipidemia (i.e., imbalance of blood lipids, such as cholesterol), family history of diabetes, normal blood pressure as well as hypertension, and they routinely consumed mid-morning snacks.
Measures included body weight, blood pressure, glucose, insulin, cholesterol, beta cell function (i.e., the cells in the pancreas that make insulin), and others. A subsample of 126 participants was asked to wear a continuous glucose monitor for 14 consecutive days.
Results
Researchers found that participants in the almond treatment group had improvement in their beta cell function—those cells that make insulin—reduced insulin resistance and lowered total cholesterol. In addition, these participants had significant reductions in body weight, BMI, waist circumference, glucose, and triglycerides over 12 weeks.
In addition to these cardiometabolic benefits, the almond intervention participants consumed 13% fewer carbohydrates, increased calories from fat, and experienced increased intakes of protein, monounsaturated fat, and dietary fiber. For the subsample wearing the continuous glucose monitors, the almond intervention participants had better glycemic responses compared to the control participants.
Like all studies, there were some limitations. The findings in this study may only generalize to Asian Indian adults with overweight and obesity.
A one-ounce (28 g) serving of almonds provides 4 g (14% DV) fiber and 15 essential nutrients, including 77 mg (20% DV) magnesium, 210 mg (4% DV) potassium, and 7.27 mg (50% DV) Vitamin E, making them a perfect nutrient-rich snack to help manage diabetes and promote heart health.
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Almonds from California are a natural, wholesome, and quality food. The Almond Board of California promotes almonds through its research-based approach to all aspects of marketing, farming, and production on behalf of the more than 7,600 almond growers and processors in California, many of which are multi-generational family operations. Established in 1950 and based in Modesto, California, the Almond Board of California is a non-profit organization that administers a grower-enacted Federal Marketing Order under the supervision of the United States Department of Agriculture. For more information on the Almond Board of California or almonds, visit www.almonds.in
An iconic time travel romance drama: Dhruv Tarapremiers on Sony SAB on 20th February
One of the most anticipated iconic love stories in recent times, Sony SAB’s Dhruv Tara – Samay Sadi Se Pareis all set to premiere on television on Monday, 20th February at 8 PM. A first of its kind, the show traces the lives of Dhruv (played by Ishaan Dhawan) and Tara (played by Riya Sharma), who belong to two different eras which are 400 years apart.
Featuring a unique love story, Dhruv Tara promises to be distinct and entertaining for the viewers. Tara, a princess from the 17th century, defies the law of time and travels to the present day to find a cure for her brother, whose well-being is crucial for the future of her kingdom – Vallabhgad.Once she arrives in 2023, she meets Dhruv, a neurosurgeon by profession in the 21st century, and their love story unfolds.
Featuring an ensemble cast of Ishaan Dhawan, Riya Sharma, Narayani Shastri, Yash Tonk, and Krishna Bharadwaj among others, Dhruv Tara is touted to be an enticing show that will capture viewers’ hearts with Dhruv and Tara’s budding romance which seems impossible at first given their distinct worlds and perspectives. With this exciting new offering, Sony SAB builds on its commitment to producing high-quality good content that appeals to audiences of all ages.
At the onset, the show unveils 17th-century Princess Tarapriya(played by Riya Sharma)who is a secret Vaidya, her brother Prince Mahaveer (Krishna Bharadwaj), and their father, King Udaybhaan (Yash Tonk). Meanwhile, in the present day, Dhruv (played by Ishaan Dhawan) is seen in Agra near the Taj Mahal when an unidentified dupatta from the 17th century lands on him. The week also showcases how Tara’s mother Rani Kanupriya(played by Narayani Shashtri) advises Tara to travel into the 21st century to find a cure for her brother’s illness. Crossing the boundaries of time, to save her brother and the kingdom that lies on his fate, Tara takes a leap in time, but will she be able successful in this quest?
How will Dhruv and Tara’s first-ever interaction be?
Ishaan Dhawan, who portrays the role of Dhruv, comments on his experience, “Dhruvis sincere, a down-to-earth guy whom I identify with on a personal level. He could never have imagined falling in love with a princess from a different era. I believe the show has a unique plot as although Dhruv and Tara’s worlds differ completely they end up being attracted to each other. I hope the viewers will enjoy watching the show as much as we have enjoyed bringing it to life.”
Riya Sharma, who essays the role of Princess Tarapriya, says about her experience, “Dhruv Tara is a timeless love story that challenges the boundaries of time and showcases how love can conquer all obstacles. Being a part of this show was an incredible experience, and playing the character of Tara was like embarking on a journey through history. It was a joy to bring to life a character from a different era and to portray the various emotions and challenges that she faces as she navigates through a new world.”
Don’t miss the premiere of Dhruv Tara- Samay Sadi Se Pare on 20th February at 8 PM, airing Monday – Saturday only on Sony SAB
Sony India expands cinema line with new 4K Super 35 camera FX30 for future filmmakers
New Delhi, 15thFebruary 2023: SonyIndia today is pleased to announce the latest addition to the brand’s prestigious Cinema Line – the FX30 (ILME-FX30). The new FX30 is a 4K Super 35 compact cinema camera that offers many professional features of the Cinema Line, such as Dual Base ISO, Log shooting modes and user imported LUTs (Look Up Tables) at a price point that appeals to many aspiring filmmakers. Sony has launched the camera in two variants – FX30 (Body + XLR Handle) and FX30B (Body only).
“The new FX30 is an excellent choice for anyone wishing to get into filmmaking. It has many of the professional capabilities of our high-end cameras at a price that makes it affordable to filmmakers/videographers of all levels. This camera is a wonderful entry point into our entire series of Cinema Line Cameras.With a comprehensive selection of Sony’sE-mount lenses& high-performance microphones, creators now have an extraordinarily flexible systems for a broad range of creative needs.” said Mukesh Srivastava, Head Digital Imaging Business Sony India.
Price, Availability and Launch Offer
The FX30 camera will be available across all Sony Center, Alpha Flagship stores, www.ShopatSC.com portal, major electronic stores and ecommerce websites (Amazon and Flipkart) from 15th Feb 2023 onwards. Customers will also get an extended warranty of 2+1 years* and a BC-QZ1 charger worth Rs. 6,790/-free on purchase of FX30 or FX30B camera.
New Delhi, Delhi, India: The University of Canberra is accepting applications for its Bachelor of Nursing course to be offered at the University’s Sydney Hills campus from Semester Two 2023.
From August 2023, students will be able to attend the new, state-of-the-art campus at University of Canberra Sydney Hills (UCSH) – in Castle Hill.
The University has expanded its in-demand Bachelor of Nursing course outside of its locale in the Nation’s Capital, in response to growth in North West Sydney.
“We’re excited to be bringing our globally respected course to the Sydney Hills district, and to equip our students with the necessary skills, experience and qualifications to join the local healthcare workforce,” said Professor Michelle Lincoln, Executive Dean of the University’s Faculty of Health.
“Our Sydney Hills campus will provide exceptional student facilities, equivalent to those at our Bruce campus in Canberra. These include computer labs, lab spaces, simulated hospital wards and high-tech teaching spaces to meet the University’s nursing course delivery requirements.”
The University’s Sydney Hills campus is located in the north west of the Sydney CBD, close to major shopping centres, Castle Towers and Castle Mall, Castle Hill, as well as cafes, restaurants and local shops, which will provide a range of services to support UCSH students.
This two-storey, purpose-built campus offers 2,000 square metres of teaching and study spaces, equipped with all the facilities and equipment needed for the delivery of a world-class nursing curriculum.
“There is high demand for health courses in this locale, and through this partnership at our Sydney Hills campus we believe we will see significant growth in the University’s nursing course offering,” said Professor Lincoln.
Students studying at the University of Canberra Sydney Hills campus will have access to local and regional clinical placements and employment opportunities, further enhancing their student experience.
“This is an incredible opportunity for aspiring nurses to learn from experienced University of Canberra staff, while gaining valuable insight into the profession through our strong partnerships within the healthcare industry,” Professor Lincoln said.
They are now accepting applications to commence studies in August 2023.
Chess, which is also referred to as the “Game of Kings,” is a highly popular strategy-based board game. The game is played both in the offline and online modes. Even though the offline version offers a realistic feel, the online iterations of the classic board game are more popular among the masses.
To play chess game online, all enthusiasts need is a reliable online chess game on their smartphone paired with an active Internet connection. Irrespective of the mode players choose to indulge in chess matches, they need to play the game as per its official gameplay rules. This article will shed light on how the game of chess is played and cover all aspects related to it. Let us begin:
Objective of Players
The primary objective of players in chess matches is to force their opponent’s main chess piece, namely the king, into checkmate, which is defined as the position where it cannot avoid being captured.
Setting Up the Chessboard
In offline chess matches, individuals need to place all the chess pieces on the chessboard in a specific way. It is set so that the light or white-colored square falls on the bottom right-hand side of players. The chess pieces are then placed on either side of the board.
The second row on each side is filled with pawns. Then, the rooks are placed on the chessboard’s corners, followed by the knights beside them. Then, the bishops are placed beside the knights, and finally, the queen and king are placed on the remaining squares.
Movement of Chess Pieces
Each chess piece moves in a specific manner across the board. Hence, any individual who wishes to start playing chess must be familiar with chess pieces and how they move. Here is a brief look at all the chess pieces and how they move:
King – Despite being one of the most important pieces, the king is also deemed the weakest due to its inability to move freely. This chess piece can only move a single square in any direction.
Queen – The queen has deemed the most powerful piece on every chessboard since it can move in any straight direction. The queen can easily move forward, backward, sideways, and even diagonally. However, it cannot move through any of the player’s other pieces.
Rook – The rook is one of the few chess pieces that can move as far and wide as it wants. However, it can only move forward, backward, or sideward.
Bishop – The bishop is a powerful chess piece that can only move diagonally. Every bishop piece on the chess board can start on one color and stay on it throughout the game.
Knight – Knights move very differently than the other playing pieces on the chess board. They move two squares in a specific direction and then move another move at a 90-degree angle. In simpler terms, they follow the alphabet “L” when moving.
Pawn – Pawns are the first line of defense in chess matches. They are different from the other pieces in terms of movement and capturing, i.e., they move in the forward direction a single square at a time but capture pieces diagonally.
Making the First Move
In a chess match, the player with the white pieces always makes the first move. Now the question arises how do players decide which one will get the white pieces? Well, who gets the white pieces is generally decided by flipping a coin.
After the player with the white pieces makes their move, the player with the black pieces does the same. This pattern continues until the end of the game. Players with the white pieces have a slight advantage over their opponents since they can get a headstart by attacking first.
Different Ways of Ending Chess Matches
There are three ways to end a chess match. Here is a brief look at each:
By Checkmate – As mentioned earlier, the objective of players in chess games is to checkmate their king. This is only possible when the king is put into the check position and is unable to get out of it. Players can try moving the king out of check by trying to move out of the way, blocking the check position using another piece, or capturing the piece which is threatening the king.
By Draw – Although highly unlikely, chess games can end in a draw for numerous reasons. For starters, if there are not enough chess pieces on the board, the game will end in a draw. Similarly, a player can declare a draw if the exact position is repeated in three instances.
By Forfeiting – Due to logical reasons, players can mutually decide to end a chess match in a draw by forfeiting.
Fundamental Strategies Every Player Should Keep in Mind
Players should protect their king at all costs by preventing it from falling into the check position. One of the best ways to do this is to move the piece to the board’s corner.
Even though the king is highly important, players should try defending every one of their playing pieces since they are the ones who are defending the king.
Players should try to gain control of the board’s center using their playing pieces smart;y. Doing so will facilitate them to move their pieces easily and make it harder for their opponents to find good squares.
Any individual who wishes to get started with chess should refer to the aforementioned points to gain clarity about how it is played.
China apologized to Costa Rica for a balloon that flew over its territory, the Central American country’s authorities stated on Monday, after a separate suspected Chinese secret agent balloon visiting over the United States sparked an essential political and diplomatic spat.
A U.S. military jet shot down that balloon simply off its Atlantic coast on Saturday, after days of frenzied speculation over its mission, and on Monday President Joe Biden asserted that U.S.-Sino members of the family had been no longer weakened with the aid of the episode.
According to a quick declaration from Costa Rica’s overseas ministry, the Chinese authorities identified that one of its balloons flew over Costa Rica, and China’s embassy in San Jose “apologized for the incident,” whilst insisting the balloon was once targeted on scientific research, normally climate studies.
Sony SAB’s Dil Diyaan Gallaan, with its emotional migration story of a family torn apart by misunderstood circumstances, hurt emotions, and inherent beliefs have struck the right chord with the audiences. The show recently completed 50 episodes, and the love and appreciation that the show has received from the audiences are heartwarming. The upcoming episodes will showcase audiences on a never-seen-before side of Dilpreet(Pankaj Barry) and Mandeep (Sandeep Baswana) as they finally come to know Amrita’s truth.
The show has finally come to a point where Dilpreet comes to know that the girl who was living in his house for the past couple of months is none other than Mandeep’s daughter. Dilpreet is taken aback, and the flashes from the past keep bothering him. The truth that was hidden from him for the past months has now been unveiled in the most unexpected way and it will not be easy for him to navigate himself through this complex feeling of betrayal.
How will Dilpreet cope with his feelings? Will he accept Amrita with open arms?
Pankaj Barry, who portrays the character of Dilpreet, said, “My character Dilpreet is facing one of the biggest challenges in his life and his world is about to crash down as he comes to know about Amrita being Mandeep’s daughter. It’s going to be an interesting week ahead for the viewers filled with unexpected twists and turns coming their way.With Dilpreet and Mandeep coming to know about each other’s life being entangled even after so many years due to Amrita will shock both of them. How they react to this situation will be interesting to watch. Stay tuned to Dil Diyaan Gallaan only on Sony SAB.”
Keep watching Dil Diyaan Gallaan every Monday to Saturday at 7:30 PM only on Sony SAB
Sony India launches the new NW-A306 Walkman® for world class listening experience
9th February 2023: Sony today announced the latest addition to the Walkman® series family, NW-A306. Designed for listeners to enjoy music the way the artist intended with high-quality audio in a compact form factor.
Price and Availability
The NW-A306 Walkman will be available across all Sony Centres, major electronic stores, Headphone Zone and e-commerce portals in India from 9th February 2023 onwards.
Model
Best Buy (in INR)
Availability Date
NW-A306 Walkman
Rs. 25,990/-
09th February, 2023
JAGUAR TCS RACING READY FOR INAUGURAL GREENKO HYDERABAD E-PRIX AS FORMULA E DEBUTS IN INDIA
08 February 2023 – Jaguar TCS Racing will debut their Jaguar I-TYPE 6 in India this weekend, as the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship takes to the streets of Hyderabad for the first time.
Lights will go green at 15:00 local time on Saturday 11 February at the Greenko Hyderabad E-Prix, the first of four brand-new race locations for Season 9 of the all-electric world championship. The race comprises of 32 laps of a 2.83km street circuit, positioned on the banks of the heart-shaped Hussain Sagar Lake.
JAGUAR TCS RACING READY FOR INAUGURAL GREENKO HYDERABAD E-PRIX AS FORMULA E DEBUTS IN INDIA
Drivers Mitch Evans and Sam Bird are aiming to secure further points and podiums following positive performances at the Diriyah double-header in January. In rounds two and three, Sam secured third and fourth place positions, while Mitch scored points after finishing tenth and seventh respectively and starred in qualifying and the early stages of round three when he led the race from the first corner.
Jaguar TCS Racing announce a new partnership with AERO who join as an Official Supplier. Revolutionary to the paint industry, AERO offers a radical alternative to traditional car paint by using advanced, film-based material technologies with an incredibly streamlined and sustainable manufacturing and application process. AERO’s self-healing film system is used on the new black, white and gold asymmetric livery of the Jaguar I-TYPE 6. Incredibly durable and lightweight, AERO’s technology is based on urethane film chemistry that provides better toughness than other coating systems, while also being 60% lighter than spray-applied paints. Bringing with it a wealth of environmental benefits, including emitting zero carbon, no volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and containing no polyvinyl chloride (PVC) compounds, AERO’s product echoes the team’s participation in the world’s first net carbon zero sport.
James Barclay, Jaguar TCS Racing Team Principal: “Ever since the 2023 race calendar was announced, Hyderabad has been one of the tracks that the whole team has been looking forward to. The next three race locations are new in Formula E and we enjoy the challenge of new circuits as a team. Hyderabad is a new opportunity for our drivers and engineers to take on and importantly it’s also a home race for Tata and our title partner, TCS. It means a huge amount to us as a proud part of the Tata Group to race in India. We are also pleased to announce our new partnership with AERO ahead of this weekend, and we’re immensely excited to be racing with a partner focused on performance but also setting new benchmarks in sustainability.”
Mitch Evans, Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #9: “I’m always excited by the prospect of a new track, and Hyderabad is no exception. While new surfaces and new climates are always a challenge for us, we’ve had lots of success in the past when we’ve raced at new tracks. Last year was the first time I’d raced in Jakarta and Seoul, and I won both races, so if we could replicate our winning streak at Hyderabad this weekend, then we can secure some solid points on the table.”
Sam Bird, Jaguar TCS Racing driver, #10: “I am really pleased with my performance in Diriyah, securing a podium and the fastest lap across the double-header weekend. I’m taking that confidence and channelling it into motivation to do even better in round four in India. Hyderabad is going to be such a big race for the whole team and I’m ready to put on a show.”
Phil Charles, Jaguar TCS Racing Technical Manager: “The team has spent valuable time working on the simulator to familiarise ourselves with this new track. It looks fantastic: it has decent tarmac with just a few bumps from the start/finish line on the way up to T1. There is a complex and interesting entry to T3, and several corners have tricky combined entries and exits. On top of that, we will experience ambient temperatures of around 30 degrees so it will be a challenge for the drivers. With a high average power duty cycle around the lap, it will also be hard on the tyres and car mechanicals. Overtaking looks possible into T3 and T6 so it should be an exciting race.”
James E. McGuire Jr, CEO of AERO Sustainable Material Technology: “AERO has always been a great fit in motorsport, providing lightweight performance, durability, and aesthetic value. Moreover, our patent and patent-pending technologies and manufacturing processes have greatly reduced or eliminated the environmental impacts of traditional spray applied paints, making it an obvious solution for anyone pushing for environmental sustainability and circularity. We have a great partner in Jaguar TCS Racing as they compete in Formula E, the world’s first net zero carbon sport. Our performance differentiators will deliver a positive impact to their mission to field the ‘lightest, fastest, and most efficient electric Jaguar race car.'”
Jaguar TCS Racing will compete in round four of the 2023 ABB FIA Formula E World Championship in Hyderabad, India on 11 February 2023 at 15:00 local time.
Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) launches its programme for enabling access to formal finance for women entrepreneurs in Maharashtra
February 8, 2023: Global Alliance for Mass Entrepreneurship (GAME) has launched its program to build the capacity of women entrepreneurs (Wes) to access finance and strengthen their enterprises. In October 2022, GAME formally signed an MOU with NRLM to launch a Women Entrepreneur Empowerment Program in 3 States of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan to support over 10,000 women entrepreneurs with access to credit across 15 districts in the 3 states.
The program will be initially supported by strengthening National Rural Livelihood Mission (NRLM) and State Rural Livelihood Mission (SRLM) architecture through capacity building and augmentation, training existing field cadres called Vitta Sakhis. The program also entails supplementing the existing NRLM (National Rural Livelihood Mission) training protocol and using it to train 3000 Vitta Sakhis, who will support potential entrepreneurs from among women SHG members to take up viable business enterprises.
The trained Vittal Sakhis will review compliance and eligibility of NRLM and SRLM (State Rural Livelihood Mission) identified women entrepreneurs. They will also mentor and help develop business plans to formalize their enterprise and secure financial linkages. This program will also enlarge the narrative to establish a comprehensive onboarding process for financial institutions such as Public Sector Banks and Regional Rural Banks to unlock formal credit for the identified women entrepreneurs in rural areas.
GAME has collaborated with Haqdarshak to roll out this program in the 3 States. The collaboration is for a year and aims to link 10,000 women entrepreneurs with format credit.
Madan Padaki, Co-founder, of GAME said, “Our mission is to build a mass entrepreneurship movement that focuses on women specifically through a series of focused interventions and ecosystem support. Our MoU with NRLM in three states seeks to create a local ecosystem that supports women, by addressing issues with access to financing and assisting in realizing maximum growth potential. With this initiative, we intend to co-create a model that can be used across the country, while also learning quickly with all of our partners”.
Nita Kejriwal, Joint Secretary (RL), DAY-NRLM said, “The ability of women entrepreneurs (Wes) to obtain formal credit and strengthen their businesses must be improved in order to inspire and drive more women on the path of entrepreneurship. Through our enterprise finance initiative in partnership with GAME, we will assist 10,000 women entrepreneurs with traditional financing, show them how to apply for formal credit, avail of the benefits of various government programs, and persuade them to adopt digital tools for expanding their businesses. We hope to encourage more women to start their own businesses, support those already doing so, and foster a larger ecosystem for women entrepreneurship to thrive.”
A baby rescued from under the rubble of a five-story apartment building in a town in northwest Syria lost its mother just moments after the devastating earthquake struck
The newborn girl was found buried under the debris with her umbilical cord still connected to her mother, Afraa Abu Hadiya, who was found dead, they said.
The baby was the only member of her family to survive the building collapse on Monday in the small town of Jinderis, next to the Turkish border, Ramadan Sleiman, a relative, said.
It comes as the search for survivors across Turkey and Syria has been impeded by the sub-zero temperatures and close to 200 aftershocks, which made the search through unstable structures perilous.
Locals in Hayat, Turkey’s worst-hit region, raged at the slow pace of rescue efforts as more than 7,700 people were reported to have died in the aftermath of the tremors across the two countries.
The 7.8 magnitude earthquake was the deadliest to hit Turkey since 1999, and officials fear the death toll will keep rising.
Flipkart’s service arm, Jeeves, strengthens its partnership with Samsung, opens service centers for Samsung in multiple locations across the country
Bengaluru – February 07, 2023: Flipkart’s service arm, Jeeves, today announced the opening of authorized service centers for Samsung in multiple locations across the country. The operations of these service centers in Lucknow, Gurgaon, Moradabad, Ghaziabad, Mumbai, Durg, and Raipur will be managed by Jeeves, which provides end-to-end after-sales service solutions to consumers and businesses. These service centers will offer after-sales support for all Samsung products irrespective of where it was purchased.
The collaboration between Jeeves and Samsung has grown over the years. From two ASCs (Authorised Service Centers) in Lucknow and Gurgaon, Jeeves now manages seven ASCs that provide after-sales services for the installation and repair of Samsung products that are both under warranty and out of warranty. To ensure the customers get the best service all technicians in these service centers are trained by Samsung.
In addition to recently opened service centers, Jeeves also plans to open three more ASCs for Samsung in Ahmedabad and Surat in the coming month.
Speaking about the opening of the service centers, Dr. Nipun Sharma, CEO at Jeeves, Flipkart Group, said, “With its extensive experience in servicing national and international brands, Jeeves is well equipped to provide a comprehensive after-sales service to Samsung’s customers. The opening of these service centers for Samsung has reinforced Jeeves expertise in delivering superior quality after-sales service for a wide range of products. With these service centers, Samsung’s customers will now have access to a hassle-free after-sales service from skilled professionals.”
Jeeves has a deep network of proprietary services and partner networks. The wide range of comprehensive after-sales solutions such as repair, maintenance, installation, demo, and VAS (Value-added service), including protection and extended warranties, inbound, outbound, and non-voice customer care services spanning across 40+ product categories, has helped Jeeves scale. Recently, Jeeves also launched the Home Product Services for customers to meet their product repair, maintenance and installation service requirements.
Give the gift of love and health with almonds, this Valentine’s Day
6 February 2023, India: Valentine’s Day is just around the corner and it’s time to start thinking about the perfect gift for your loved one. While flowers and chocolates are traditional choices, this year, consider gifting something that not only shows your love and affection but also promotes good health and wellness. Almonds, with their numerous health benefits, make for a thoughtful and unique gift for your special someone.
Almonds are a natural source of 15 nutrients such as Zinc, folate, iron, vitamin E, magnesium, protein, etc., and offer a host of benefits to support heart health,, skin health, and weight management, in addition to helping manage blood sugar. So this Valentine’s Day, show your love and appreciation with a gift that is both thoughtful and healthy. Your loved one will be sure to appreciate the gesture and the health benefits that come along with almonds.
Commenting on the occasion, leading Bollywood actress, Soha Ali Khan said, “Valentine’s Day is a special occasion to show love and affection to our dear ones. I believe that gifting almonds on Valentine’s Day is a perfect way to show your special ones that you care about their health and well-being. Almonds possess several nutrients and are also a rich source of copper, Vitamin E, protein, Vitamin B2, magnesium, and phosphorus which help in leading a healthy life. In fact, Almonds are a low-glycemic index (GI) food, with high fiber, unsaturated fat, and low carbohydrate content. According to research, consuming them daily leads to better health in individuals with Type 2 diabetes. In addition to this, almonds also contain immunity-supporting nutrients like zinc, iron, folate, etc., making the receiver appreciate the thought behind such a gift and enjoy the nourishment that almonds provide.”
Integrative Nutritionist and Health Coach, Neha Ranglani said, “Almonds are the perfect gift for Valentine’s Day. Not only are they a symbol of love, but they come with heart-healthy benefits. Snacking on almonds helps to reduce central adiposity (belly fat) and waist circumference, all well-established risk factors for heart disease. In addition to this, consuming almonds results in better post-meal blood sugar regulation and better preservation of good HDL cholesterol levels. Whether you’re snacking on them, adding them to a romantic dinner recipe, or giving them as a thoughtful gift, almonds are sure to please any loved one. Almonds, a rich source of protein and high in dietary fiber, also help manage dyslipidemia by reducing total cholesterol and bad LDL cholesterol. So, this Valentine’s Day, show that special someone just how much you care by giving the gift of almonds.“
According to well-known fitness and Celebrity instructor, Yasmin Karachiwala, “Valentine’s Day is the right time to celebrate the love for your close and dear ones. I feel that instead of celebrating this day by going out for a fancy dinner or splurging out on a vacation, a thoughtful idea is to give your special ones a gift that will add to their overall health and well-being. This could simply be done by purchasing a Pilates class membership for you and your loved one, or a gym membership, or pushing them to take better care of themselves and working out with them regularly. Along with a regular fitness routine, diet plays a crucial role in a healthy lifestyle, so be sure to gift almonds with them, as they make for the perfect pre or post-workout food. Almonds are known to provide energy from good fats and also contain satiating properties which promote a feeling of fullness, that may aid in the journey to fitness. According to a study, consuming almonds during the day helps in reducing post-exercise fatigue, retaining strength, and decreasing muscle damage. I would recommend adding almonds to sports nutrition strategies to help recover better from exercise and experience improved mood states. Committing to your loved one’s fitness is one of the best gifts you could offer them on Valentine’s Day.”
Speaking on adding the goodness of almonds in Valentine’s Day desserts, Chef Saransh Goila said, “Incorporating almonds into Valentine’s Day desserts are a perfect way to show your loved ones how much you care about both – their health and taste. Almonds are not only a natural source of zinc, iron, and calcium, but they also add a delicious crunch and nutty flavor to any dish. Almonds are also a rich source of protein, a nutrient that is not only energy-yielding but also known to contribute to the growth and maintenance of muscle mass. Keeping the various health benefits of almonds in mind, for this year, my go-to Valentine’s Day dessert is an almond chocolate truffle, which is easy to make and packed with the goodness of almonds. So, let’s cook up some love with almonds this Valentine’s Day.”
So, let’s make this Valentine’s Day a little more special with thoughtful gifts like almonds!
Makar Sankranti Wishes : Makara Sankranti (Sankranthi) is a Hindu festival that encourages people to live in peace and harmony. Here are best quotes,...
