Month: March 2022

Understanding travel insurance before planning your next trip abroad

With the Government resuming scheduled commercial international passenger services to and from India from March 27, 2022, this may be the perfect time to plan a visit to the next foreign destination on your bucket list.

Whether you plan to travel for business or a leisure trip, having a comprehensive travel insurance policy helps you stay secured and is a must-have in the current uncertain environment. Especially today, more people are aware of the importance of travel insurance as they have learnt from their previous experiences of cancelled trip or have seen similar situations with their friends or family amidst the pandemic.

Commenting on the need for travel insurance, Mr. Subramanyam Brahmajosyula, Head – Reinsurance & Product Development, SBI General Insurance says, “There is a heightened need for travelers to safeguard themselves against any unforeseen circumstances now, more than ever before. Opting for international travel insurance can help travelers enjoy their trips without any hassles or interruptions, and offers several benefits including coverage against financial losses arising due to expenses because of hospitalization while travelling, loss of luggage, flight delays or cancellations, etc. As more travelers plan business or leisure trips abroad, opting for a travel insurance policy with adequate coverage is definitely an investment that can protect them financially in case of any emergencies”.

Following the pandemic, most travel insurance plans cover any COVID-19 related hospitalizations. Depending on your individual needs, you can opt for an enhanced version of travel insurance policy with higher coverage.

Lastly, it is important to carefully evaluate different plans and make an informed decision, understanding the benefits/coverage that can ultimately help you enjoy a smooth and hassle-free travel experience.

Sputnik V becomes the world’s first COVID vaccine with proven efficacy for people living with HIV as demonstrated by a joint study between the Gamaleya Center and Moscow City Center for AIDS Prevention and Control published in The Lancet

Efficacy of Sputnik V is 79% against infection as confirmed by a retrospective cohort study analyzing data from more than 24,000 HIV+ patients on antiretroviral therapy (ART).

The Gamaleya National Research Center of Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), investor in Sputnik V and Sputnik Light vaccines, announced an article “Sputnik V protection from COVID-19 in people living with HIV under antiretroviral therapy” has been published by The Lancet leading medical journal showing that Sputnik V is the world’s first COVID vaccine with proven efficacy for people living with HIV.

The article is available at:

https://www.thelancet.com/journals/eclinm/article/PIIS2589-5370(22)00090-6/fulltext#seccesectitle0013

The data presented are the first scientific results on the preventive efficacy of a COVID vaccine to protect against infection in people living with HIV (PLWH). Based on data from more than 24,000 HIV+ patients in Moscow on antiretroviral therapy (ART), Sputnik V’s efficacy was 79%.

The vaccine’s efficacy against hospitalization was more than 90%. Sputnik V is also more than 97% effective against development of moderate or severe disease among PLWH. The analysis was conducted by the Gamaleya Center and Moscow City Center for AIDS Prevention and Control.

Authors of the study also note that full immunization with Sputnik V in HIV+ patients receiving ART with counts CD4+ T-cell ≥ 350/µl resulted in a 3.3-fold reduction of COVID-19 infections compared with unvaccinated ones. In the subgroup of patients with a compromised immune function (CD4+ T cells < 350/µl), vaccination reduced the risk of COVID-19 by 2.5 times.

As the data by WHO had previously shown[1] that more than 23% of HIV+ people hospitalized with COVID, died, the study published in The Lancet suggests Sputnik V is the ultimate solution for vulnerable groups, including in high HIV-prevalence countries

Max Group Company Antara Launches Care Home Facility in Jasola, New Delhi

·         Antara launched the 5th of the 35 Care Homes (4th facility in NCR) since the first launch in 2020

·         Plans to invest over Rs. 300 Crore in the next 3-4 years across Care Homes, Care at Home, MedCare services & Residences for Seniors

·         Adds 10 beds to the existing 4 Care Homes, taking our current offering up to 90 beds

Antara, a part of the USD 5-bn Max Group, today announced the launch of its 10-bedded Care Home facility in Jasola. The launch closely follows Antara’s announcement to invest over Rs. 300 crore across Residences for Seniors, Care Homes and Care at Home services and MedCare products in the next 3-4 years. This is the fifth such facility to be started since the launch of the first one in 2020. Antara will be setting up a chain of 30-35 such facilities, including memory care homes.

The key focus of the new Care Home will be dedicated pre-and post-operative care in Delhi-NCR with special emphasis on international & domestic medical tourism. Given the relaxation in COVID-19 norms, and the predicted fourth wave in mid-2022, there is an increased need for dedicated care properties. The facility is in close proximity to hospitals/nursing homes, thereby providing easy accessibility.

The Care Home services cater to seniors over the age of 55, who need more immersive interventions in their daily lives due to medical or age-related issues. Antara’s Care Homes provide healthcare and monitoring services with round-the-clock nursing support from medically trained care professionals, along with daily doctor consults, vital monitoring, medication administration and emergency response protocols, nutritionally assisted meals, regular physical activity, physiotherapy, and counselling sessions.

The Care Home offerings include Recuperative Care, Assisted Living and Rehabilitation. Recuperative Care focuses on pre-and post-hospitalization recovery, while Assisted Living provides facilities and services for elders who need support in their daily living needs. The Rehabilitation services consist of physiotherapy and wellness programs designed to keep seniors mentally and physically fit.

Commenting on the new care home facility launch, Rajit Mehta, MD and CEO, Antara said, “Given our fast-changing demographic, our capacity to take care of our seniors, needs to be fundamentally revamped. Currently, the senior care segment is fragmented and requires thoughtfully curated holistic solutions. Antara’s Care Homes are another step in providing a home like environment with specialised services and 24*7 support to elders. This takes us a step closer to our target of creating an integrated ecosystem of care and well-being for seniors.”

Antara Care Homes have common facilities such as dining spaces, activity spaces, and lounge areas, well-equipped with senior-specific details in addition to regular engagement activities. Residents are served nutritionally assisted meals in a homely environment and have access to specially designed care plans for the duration of their stay under the consultation of in-house and external doctors.

Globally, Assisted Care Services is an established and sought-after category, especially in markets such as Japan, Singapore, the US, and many parts of Europe. India is still at a nascent stage but as a large population of the country gravitates towards ageing, the demand for Assisted Care Services is expected to pick up with an increase in mass affluent elder population, quite a few of whom are seeking specialized services and solutions to their changing needs. The COVID-19 outbreak has accelerated the demand for dependable and professional services and solutions for seniors.

About Antara

Launched in 2013, Antara is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Max India Limited, one of the three listed entities of the Max Group. It is an integrated service provider for all senior care needs, operating two main lines of businesses – Residences for Seniors and Assisted Care Services.

Antara’s first residential community in Dehradun comprises nearly 200 apartments spread across 14 acres of land. In 2020, it launched a new senior living facility in Noida’s Sector-150. With 340 apartments in its first phase of development, it will cater to the social, recreational, educational, wellness, and health-related needs of seniors. It is expected to be ready for possession by 2024.

Antara’s Assisted Care Services include, ‘Care Homes‘, ‘Care at Home‘ and ‘MedCare‘ products. This line of business caters to seniors above the age of 55, who need more immersive interventions in their daily lives due to medical or age-related issues. Starting with its first facility in Gurugram, the Care Homes provide long-term care to seniors who require constant medical and nursing supervision, and short-term care services for the recuperation of seniors.

Antara plans to set up a chain of 35-40 Care Homes in the next three years. Its Care at Home services provides well-equipped, medically trained professionals offering care to seniors inside their home’s comfort. The MedCare product services vertical is a one-stop platform for the daily medical equipment needs of seniors.

Recently, Antara conducted a first-of-its-kind survey ‘State of Seniors‘. It attempted to understand the elderly population better with a special focus on their aspirations, preferences, challenges and opinions on today’s socio-cultural and economic issues. The study, conducted in North (Delhi-NCR), South (Chennai, Bangalore & Hyderabad) and West (Mumbai & Pune) regions, covered 2,000 middle and upper-class elders aged 55 and above.

View article…

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NewsVoir India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

CarbonX Signs MOU with AirCarbon Exchange, Building Indonesia’s Carbon Marketplace

ABU DHABI, UAE, SINGAPORE and JAKARTA, Indonesia, March 27, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — CarbonX, an Indonesian high impact Carbon asset developer, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the world’s first fully digital carbon exchange, AirCarbon Exchange (ACX) to jointly develop a carbon marketplace in Indonesia.

Director of CarbonX, Dessi Yuliana stated that the partnership will provide Indonesian carbon project developers with a domestic carbon market linked to ACX’s international client order book. Also, the carbon marketplace will allow the growing Indonesian carbon market to rapidly scale up.

“The joint venture delivers all aspects of a comprehensive carbon infrastructure where buyers and sellers worldwide and domestically can transact in a transparent and efficient manner,” Dessi said in an official statement, Monday (28/3/2022) in Jakarta.

Commissioner of CarbonX, Pandu Sjahrir added, Indonesia currently has committed to making a transition to a green economy through the Net Zero Emission (NZE) target in 2060 which is embodied in Presidential Regulation Number 98/2021 on the Implementation of Carbon Economic Value.

To achieve the target, all actors need to collaborate and are supported by enabling policies. Considering Bappenas data, Indonesia will require massive investments of around 3.4 to 3.5 percent of GDP per year to achieve the NZE.

“The carbon marketplace platform scheme created by CarbonX can contribute to assisting investment funding to achieve NZE targets. If all of this takes place optimally, Indonesia can produce a massive supply of carbon offsets and contribute to the NDC commitment, while also providing social and economic co-benefits,” Pandu said.

AirCarbon Exchange Managing Director and Co-Founder, William Pazos stated the collaboration with CarbonX will provide more opportunities for carbon asset producers in Indonesia.

“Today’s announcement marks another milestone in ACX’s rapid ascent as one of the world’s premier carbon marketplaces. By leveraging ACX’s technology, the CarbonX partnership will launch with immediate scale. Indonesian buyers and sellers will immediately gain access to an international marketplace with participants from 30 countries,” said Pazos.

ACX has been recognized as the Best Carbon Exchange in Environmental Finance’s prestigious Voluntary Carbon Market Rankings 2021 – the largest and most closely watched survey of the world’s Voluntary Carbon Market. With the first trade completed on the platform at the start of 2021, the Exchange has grown significantly and has been bringing transparency, efficiency, and liquidity to the voluntary carbon markets.

About CarbonX

CarbonX is a high impact privately held Carbon investment company developing carbon asset investments across the region. The company will invest, develop, and maintain high-quality carbon assets and ESG projects in Indonesia with a hands-on operational approach.

CarbonX aims to promote Indonesia’s green economy by growing carbon investments and financially supporting Indonesian developers to help Indonesia achieve its Net Zero Emissions target. Our mission is to invest in order to transform the lives of families across many outreached communities in Indonesia. Our investments provide social and economic co-benefits to relevant stakeholders, including communities.

About AirCarbon Pte. Ltd.

AirCarbon Exchange (“ACX”) is a global exchange revolutionizing the voluntary carbon market. The Exchange’s client base comprises corporate entities, financial traders, carbon project developers and other industry stakeholders. ACX provides its clients with an efficient and transparent trading platform which is easy to use, frictionless and with the lowest commission fees available on the market.

Launched in 2019, the Exchange is a hybrid platform with a traditional central order book architecture that will be familiar to all experienced traders. The Exchange also utilizes the speed and efficiency of the blockchain to achieve atomic T-0 trade execution, clearing and settlement. The Exchange’s core matching engine can currently match trades in the order ~10k per second.

As of May 2021, ACX is the world’s first carbon negative exchange, having offset its carbon emissions 12 months into the future (to May 2022) through the Onil Stoves Guatemala Uspantan project. ACX is committed to continuing to offset all its emissions 12 months forward.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

Two-day MP Cabinet Chintan Shivir produces the Amrit of Good Governance; Cabinet takes consequential decisions to Catalyse the Vision of Atmanirbhar MP,,

  • Ladli Laxmi Utsav would be celebrated in the entire state on May 2.: CM Chouhan
  • The Kanya Vivah Yojana marriage scheme will be reintroduced from April 21, under the direction of the Social Justice Department: CM Chouhan
  • Cabinet increases the benefit amount from 51,000 to 55,000 under CM Kanyadan Yojana
  • CM Teerth Darshan Yatra Yojana to kickstart again from 18 April this year
  • The CM Rise School is a revolutionary step in the field of providing access to education, especially to the marginalised.: CM Chouhan

Bhopal: Today, the Madhya Pradesh Cabinet Committee, under the leadership of the Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, culminated the second and final day of its two-day brainstorming session (Chintan Shivir) in Pachmarhi. The sessions witnessed in-depth discussions followed by taking a series of consequential decisions to build Atmanirbhar MP by 2023. The sessions provided a platform for the 14 ministerial groups of the cabinet to take up discussions on policies and topics of special interest for the welfare of the state. The sessions featured presentations of plans and programs before the cabinet.

CM Chouhan also revisited and assessed the impact made by the works undertaken following the departmental review meetings held during the period of 3 January to 11 January. While addressing the press conference on Sunday, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan said, “The purpose of this brainstorming is to work at a faster pace for the development of the state. We need to catalyse on ground action at a much faster pace – from thought to action. Together with the Council of Ministers, I have deliberated on various issues of public benefit and the development of the state, including the processes to ensure effective implementation.”

Speaking elaborately about the various significant decisions taken after reviewing various schemes, CM Chouhan said, “The CM Teerth Darshan Yojna was designed and launched first by us in Madhya Pradesh, which was so successful that even other states also adopted it. Now we have decided to relaunch this scheme from 18 April this year. The train will go to Kashi Vishwanath where the pilgrims can visit Kashi Vishwanath, the birth place of Sant Ravidas. The members of the Council of Ministers will also participate in this journey. We are working out the details of providing air travel to the elderly, as well.”

Regarding re-introducing the Kanyadan scheme, CM Chouhan informed, “The Kanya Vivah Yojana marriage scheme will be reintroduced from April 21, under the direction of the Social Justice Department. We have also decided to increase the benefit amount under this scheme to ₹ 55,000 from ₹ 51,000. The date of a girl’s marriage will be fixed in advance, and will be publicised widely. “

CM Chouhan also spoke about one of the most popular schemes of his tenure – the Ladli Laxmi Yojana. He said that “Today there are 43 lakh ladli laxmis in the state. Now we are launching Ladli Laxmi Yojana 2.0. We will celebrate the Ladli Laxmi Utsav every year on May 2, starting this year. This celebration will be organized at the block level.” Further he also informed about a number of steps that were discussed to help the girls become more self-reliant, which will be announced on the day of the celebration this year. He stated that Ladli Laxmi Clubs will be formed in every village and ladlis and their mothers will also be linked with Self Help Groups.

CM Chouhan also said “Under the PM Garib Kalyan Yojana, the Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi took a decision in the interest of public welfare to increase the distribution of free ration till September 2022. The benefit of this scheme will be accentuated by the CM Annapurna Yojana, operated by MP Government, whose period will also be extended until September 2022. Other than this, we have also decided to introduce General Service Centers, MP Online Vendor, Business Correspondence, electricity bill payment etc. at ration shops.” He also informed that Anna Utsav will be celebrated on 7 April 2022 in the state.

The Hon’ble Chief Minister Sri Chouhan said “The CM Rise School is a revolutionary step in the field of providing access to education, especially to the marginalised. We will initiate the construction of school infrastructure from the month of June, 2022. While the buildings will take time to come up, we will start classes from June 13, wherever infrastructure is already in place. We have also made adequate arrangement to bring children to school through buses from villages.”

Other important decisions taken in the Chintan Shivir:

  • From 22 April 2022, will start CM Clinics for cities with a population of 25 thousand to reduce congestion in big hospitals. District level health camps will also be organized from May 2022
  • Under the Jal Jeevan Mission, in the villages where it is necessary to develop a source of water, ground water conservation works will be taken through GPDP
  • On the birthday of Babasaheb Ambedkar on April 14, Sant Ravidas Self-employment Scheme, Dr. Bhimrao Ambedkar Economic Welfare Scheme and Chief Minister Scheduled Caste Special Project Financing Scheme will be implemented in Bhopal
  • In the first year MBBS curriculum, Hindi language will used as a medium of instruction in 3 subjects, making MP the first state in the country to introduce education in Hindi at this level
  • In police recruitment process, 50% numbers will be kept for physical health
  • Telemedicine will be introduced to treat animals; Similarly, plant disease experts will also provide guidance on telephone
  • MP will become the first state in the country to introduce Artificial Intelligence in government schools from class 8
  • Jalabhishek campaign i.e. the campaign to save water will start from April 11
  • Rural transport policy will be introduced from April 2022 to expand public transport facilities in rural areas
  • Cyber ​​Tehsil will be started in MP from 1 June 2022, allowing the beneficiary to carry-out online registration and nomination from the comfort of their homes
  • Renewable energy policy will be formulated
  • Maan Tujhe Pranaam Scheme will be reintroduced

Hiver Launches Live Chat within Gmail; Empowers Google Workspace Companies to Deliver Real-time Support

Hiver – the world’s first helpdesk designed for Google Workspace – has announced the launch of its new Live Chat functionality. Now teams using Hiver can interact with customers in real-time and provide instant support – right from Gmail.

Previously an email-exclusive customer service solution, Hiver empowered teams and businesses to deliver fast and empathetic customer service from the comfort of Gmail, without having to deal with the hassle of switching between tools or adapting to alien software.

With the introduction of live chat, Hiver further extends its capabilities to become a powerful yet intuitive multi-channel helpdesk solution – helping businesses offer on-the-go chat support and resolve support queries in mere seconds rather than minutes or hours.

Some of the notable features of Hiver’s Live Chat include:

  1. Agent-assignment: Agents can be assigned to specific customer chats.
  2. Cross-team collaboration: Agents can share chat history for context when queries require the input of another team.
  3. Missed chats: When agents don’t respond to a chat within a specified duration, automated warning emails are sent out.
  4. Collision alerts: To avoid conflicting or duplicate responses, agents get notified if another teammate is already responding to a customer chat.
  5. CSAT surveys: Agents can use Hiver’s customer satisfaction (CSAT) surveys to collect customer feedback after a live chat conversation ends.

In addition to Live Chat, teams can leverage other Hiver functionalities such as query delegation, real-time status tracking, and workload management – to smartly assign work and get complete visibility into everyday tasks. Additionally, Hiver also offers powerful automations to create and customize workflows, and in-depth analytics for detailed insights into team performance.

On the launch of this new customer service channel, Hiver’s CEO and Co-founder, Niraj Ranjan Rout, said, “We live in the age of the consumer where delivering fast, efficient support is key to building stronger customer relationships. Hiver’s Live Chat functionality helps companies do just that. The biggest advantage of our Live Chat is that it works within Gmail and, therefore, is extremely easy for teams to learn and use.

So, if you’re a Google Workspace user and you want to manage customer service communication channels like email and chat, Hiver lets you do this very well minus the complexity of a clunky helpdesk solution.”

More than 1,500 companies from across 30 countries use Hiver currently to manage their customer communication, some of which include Vacasa, Upwork, Flexport, Harvard University, and Kiwi.com.

About Hiver

Hiver is a Gmail-based customer service solution that helps teams across the organization collaborate on shared inboxes like services@, orders@, support@.

It’s the most frictionless, natural way for teams to handle customer communication as it works within Gmail. It helps teams collaborate better and make sure all queries are answered on time by the right people.

To know more, please visit www.hiverhq.com.

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NewsVoir India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

MAMAEARTH & FEMINA BEAUTIFUL INDIANS INVITE YOU TO SHARE A GOODNESS STORY YOU KNOW

Share the stories of the Beautiful Indian around you

GURUGRAM, India, March 25, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Mamaearth & Femina, together, launched Beautiful Indians, a property established to celebrate the goodness stories of the most beautiful Indians. The first edition of ‘Beautiful Indians’, presented by Mamaearth & Femina, is a nationwide search to award goodness ambassadors.

Since the launch of the initiative, people have been sharing goodness stories of people, celebrities, content creators and organizations who have been on a constant quest to do good for people around them. Hence, Beautiful Indians 2022 will recognize ‘Goodness’ across four categories. These include ‘People for Good’ to honor unsung heroes who have been offering a helping hand in a small or big way; ‘Corporate for Good’ will recognize businesses serving society beyond corporate social responsibility; ‘Celebrities for Good’ which will identify the celebrities who use their star-power to benefit social causes, and ‘Creators for Good’ for content creators who use their reach to bring about change for the better.

The initiative requires people to share stories of the Goodness ambassadors around them on the website. An individual can initiate this by nominating themselves or someone else who has been conducting selfless acts of goodness. Sharing goodness stories on www.femina.in/mamaearth-beautiful-indians-2022  is one way to get involved. The nationwide hunt for ‘goodness’ stories will culminate in an event honoring these Beautiful Indians and inspiring stories that promise to make the world a better place with their goodness-filled action.

Introducing the categories, Ghazal Alagh, Co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer, Mamaearth, said, “When we started working on the concept of Beautiful Indians, we came across so many stories about small acts of goodness that were making a big difference to the lives of people around us and this got us thinking about how many such individuals and stories just go unnoticed because we don’t have a platform to celebrate them. Hence, we created Beautiful Indians and segmented stories so that we have a platform for every kind of story. We have been receiving an overwhelming response since the launch. We hope people use this platform to share stories of the Beautiful Indians around us.”

A brand established on the founding principles of Honesty, Natural and Safety, Mamaearth believes that goodness starts with the small things that each one of us can do every day! It resides in the little choices we can make in our daily lives. The brand added goodness inside their products by being animal cruelty-free (PETA certified), toxin-free, plastic positive and through the plant goodness initiative. It was time to celebrate goodness inside others by celebrating the Beautiful Indians.

ABOUT MAMAEARTH

Founded by husband-wife duo Ghazal Alagh and Varun Alagh, Mamaearth is Asia’s first brand with Made-safe certified products that offer toxin-free & natural baby care, and personal care products. Driven by innovation and using the best of nature and science, the brand caters to all personal care needs of young, aspirational and increasingly conscious Indian consumers. In a short span of 5 years, Mamaearth has created a product portfolio of 140+ products packed with goodness inside, has reached over 5 million customers in 500 Indian cities servicing 14,000 pin codes, and is the fastest-growing FMCG brand in India. Mamaearth products are available on www.mamaearth.in, major eCommerce platforms like Amazon, Nykaa, Flipkart and over 30,000 point of sales across the country.

ABOUT HONASA CONSUMER PVT LTD

Honasa Consumer Pvt Limited (HCPL), is a digital-first consumer brands company creating the FMCG conglomerate of the future. A company built on the values of Honesty, Natural ingredients and Safe care, HCPL caters to the needs of millennial consumers through innovative products, evolved propositions, direct to consumer marketing, and e-commerce fulfillment. Currently catering to over 1,000 cities in India with brands like Mamaearth, The Derma Co. & Aqualogica, HCPL is building an ecosystem that helps benefit the consumers and community at large. Backed by Sequoia, Sofina Ventures SA, Evolvence, Fireside Ventures, and Stellaris Venture Partners, HCPL has become a billion-dollar personal care House of Brands in just 5 years.

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1763984/Mamaearth_Logo.jpg

(Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with PRNewswire India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

SHREE is One Such New-age Fintech Player that is Emerging Fast as a Payment Solution Provider for Small Scale Retailers and Merchants

The global consumer and merchant trends are rapidly changing, evolving precisely. While consumers have followed the trends to adopt digitisation wholeheartedly, merchants are yet to catch them up.

How SHREE Pay’s incentives are no less than dividends for merchants?

Talking about digitisation, the biggest shift has been the adoption of digital payment methods and fund transfers. The government-backed UPI has accelerated it further to a level that even the small shopkeepers are accepting digital payments without any worries about the technical complexities – the credit goes to the QR-based payments or simply QR codes.

Birth of Cryptocurrencies

Adding to that the recent development of digital assets and cryptocurrencies have taken the revolution further. If we are to be rallied around this emerging trend, crypto and virtual currency market value is fast gaining ground to a whopping USD 3 trillion.

However, lack of awareness has still limited the growth, nonetheless growth accelerating year on year. Although people are investing enthusiastically in cryptos and other virtual currencies, they are yet to find suitable platforms to spend it.

Need for Crypto awareness

Fintech is growing rapidly and undoubtedly; it’s disrupting many traditional financial ecosystems. However, once it is fully integrated with blockchain, which sooner or later will definitely happen, the whole centralized system of finance will switch over to decentralized finance. And Cryptocurrencies will play a significant role in that, which they have already started.

The recent announcement of digital currencies by the GOI can be seen as a starting step towards this digital revolution. Although not completely decentralized in nature, as RBI will be the sole regulating authority, it still reflects the potential foreseen by the government.

However, more than adoption the urgent need is to spread awareness among the masses. While the majority of the Indian populace is out of clue about terms like crypto, digital assets, virtual currency and fintech, those who know it on the surface level are still far away from giving it a try. Therefore, strategized awareness campaigns are needed to educate the common mass about the benefits of adopting digital currencies.

Looking at the success stories of fintech firms like PhonePe, BharatPe, and Paytm, wherein within a few years, they instilled the habits of digital payments among the common people, the task of repeating something similar with Crypto doesn’t seem very daunting.

How can retail merchants be the game changer in this revolution?

Having the assessment psyche to anticipate risk, loss, and profit, merchants have wholeheartedly adopted digital payment solutions. Hassle-free, fast and business growth opportunities are among the primary reasons why millions of retail merchants are already using fintech services in one or the other way.

Adding to that, a push further to convince them about the sheer benefits of adopting decentralized payment solutions can open the door for mainstream inclusion and adoption of cryptocurrencies and other digital assets.

The change in merchant and seller trends will also impact consumer trends and guide them towards the desired consequences. And once the consumers start adopting decentralized fintech and digital assets like cryptos, the game is won.

It will be a win-win situation for both merchants and consumers. Any new trend brings with it the early-bird benefits along with the first-hand benefits.

But where is the roadblock?

So far it’s clear that the future will see the rise of cryptocurrencies and how they can benefit all the stakeholders. However, Interoperability and High Transaction Fee are the most considerable roadblocks delaying this unprecedented transition.

When it comes to interoperability, Cryptos and Fiat currencies (the normal currencies authorized by governments) are still not interoperable, thereby limiting the number of active Crypto users.

Similarly, the absence of a suitable mechanism to bridge this gap is delaying mass-scale crypto adoption and new user onboarding. As people find it difficult to use their Cryptocurrencies, they are forced to use whatever handful of options they have at the moment.

However, the scanty options that allow the use of Cryptos like normal currencies charge a hefty fee for the transactions – yet again a highly discouraging factor for people to stay away from Cryptos.

What’s the way out?

The solution is to devise a fintech platform that can bridge the gap between both the worlds of Fiat currencies and Cryptocurrencies. A payment platform that can provide interoperability between Fiat money and Cryptos at nominal transaction fees is what people are looking for at the moment. In fact, such a payment platform that can only act as a bridge rather than an intermediary in the whole payment ecosystem will accelerate the scale of the blockchain-based digital currencies and take them to mass adoption.

SHREE – A single solution to all the dreaded problems

SHREE is a revolutionary fintech platform designed and deployed to solve the exact practical problems that haunt Crypto users. The blockchain-powered platform is to simplify the whole payment process involving Cryptos and other digital assets. With a vision to create a Peer-To-Peer direct payment experience, it is meant to bolster the popular retail payment system involving Scan and Pay method, with further additions in subsequent stages.

Instead of going wholly customer-centric, SHREE aims to bring onboard the merchants and retail outlet owners to its new-age P2P payment platform. By partnering with global payment solution providers, and different stakeholders alike, SHREE aims to broaden the scope of payment with Cryptos in daily life retail shopping.

For this revolutionary undertaking, SHREE has already floated its own native coin named SHREE COIN in the market. With rising hope amidst the government’s stance to promote digital currencies coupled with the enthusiastic endorsement of various digital assets, SHREE COIN can surely be a pioneer in India to establish blockchain payment ecosystems across the whole country.

Benefits of being a part of the SHREE ecosystem

  • SHREE is facilitating interoperability between Fiat and Crypto.
  • With its own blockchain, it provides an impregnable ledger to maintain financial data.
  • The Scan and Pay feature is already known to merchants, so adaptability won’t be a problem.
  • Merchants can skip the intermediary charges.
  • Being early birds, merchants get the benefits of cashback on every transaction.
  • As SHREE COIN gains value in exchanges, the holdings by merchants will automatically gain value.
  • Merchants will get loyalty benefits and the earlier they join, the higher will be their loyalty benefits.
  • Merchants will be eligible for other benefits provided by SHREE in its future developments.
    View article…

    (Disclaimer: The above press release comes to you under an arrangement with NewsVoir India and this publication takes no editorial responsibility for the same)

MedGenome announces leadership transitions to lead next phase of growth and set stage for long-term success

  • Co–Founder Sam Santhosh steps down as Chairman and Group CEO; will remain on Board of Directors
  • Co–founder Mahesh Pratapneni appointed Group CEO
  • Dr. Felix Olale appointed Chairman of the Board

BENGALURU, India, March 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — MedGenome, South Asia’s leading genomics research and diagnostics company, today announced that Sam Santhosh, co–founder and currently Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, will transition from his executive leadership role and move to the company’s Board of Directors. Mahesh Pratapneni, who co–founded MedGenome with Santhosh, and has been the Chief Strategy Officer, will take over as Group CEO. Dr. Felix Olale, Partner of LeapFrog Investments, who has served as a Board member after leading a US$55 million investment into MedGenome in 2020, has been appointed Chairman of the Board of Directors. This new leadership, along with the existing core management team, will continue to lead the company’s next phase of growth.

Santhosh and Pratapneni founded MedGenome in 2013 with the vision to revolutionise healthcare management using the power of genomics. Since then, the company has come a long way in the genomics space. From catering to the genetic testing market needs, to improving accessibility and affordability, focussing on genomics research, building partnerships, creating awareness and the recent foray into personal genomics, MedGenome has made remarkable progress in the last decade.

“It has been an honour and privilege to lead this company as Chairman and CEO, and I am pleased to continue to serve as a member of the Board. I am confident that MedGenome will continue to thrive under the able leadership of Mahesh and Felix,” said Sam Santhosh. “The Covid pandemic has further highlighted the importance of genomics and population genetics. I am hoping to work closely with the Government of my home state of Kerala to enhance the Government’s initiatives in this area. I have recently taken on an Advisory role in K–DISC (Kerala Development and Innovation Strategy Council) and joined the Governing body of the Kerala Startup Mission to support entrepreneurs.”

Incoming Group CEO, Pratapneni has been with MedGenome from its inception, and since that time has led corporate development, strategy and investor engagement for the company. Continuing to work with him will be India and South Asia CEO, Dr. Vedam Ramprasad, whose strong industry and scientific knowledge has been instrumental in scaling the business and building strategic partnerships; Dr. Sekar Seshagiri, CSO, who brings more than two decades of genomics research experience; and CFO, Surajit Chakrabartty, who has been responsible for  managing the financial growth of the company. Pratapneni said, “MedGenome’s growth story has been phenomenal so far, as the market leader in both India and South Asia. We now see incredible potential for genomic medicine to democratize access to these innovations and improve the prospects of drug discovery in low– and middle–income countries across South Asia, Africa and the Middle East. Working with pathology labs and health systems in these countries, we are well poised to ride the exciting wave that the global genomics industry has to offer in the coming decades.”

Dr. Olale said, “Globally, we are seeing a seismic shift in the field of personalized medicine. Advances in genomics are at the heart of improvements in disease risk assessments, diagnosis of complex and rare diseases and in the selection of companion therapeutics for long standing medical challenges such as cancer. There are two reasons why I believe MedGenome is well-positioned to dramatically increase access to these innovations – not just for the populations of low– and middle– income economies, but also for North America and Europe. First, MedGenome can deliver the same diagnostic tests at the same global standard of quality, but at a fraction of the cost; and second, MedGenome has the world’s largest proprietary database derived from populations of South Asia and Africa, which contain a richer set of genetic variations, disease associations and founder effects. I am excited about the impact that MedGenome and its world class team of scientists will have on patients and their families; and I am truly honoured to take over as Chairman of MedGenome, to work alongside Mahesh, Ram, Sekar and Surajit, during this very important period in the history of our world.”

About MedGenome

MedGenome is a genomics–driven research and diagnostics company with a mission to improve global health by decoding the genetic information contained in an individual’s genome. Its unique access to genomics data with clinical and phenotypic data provides insights into complex diseases at the genetic and molecular level to facilitate research in personalized healthcare. MedGenome is the market leader for genetic diagnostic testing in India.

Website : https://diagnostics.medgenome.com/

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Celebrating Womanhood through a progressive vision – eyewear trends that have become signature style of powerful women

Eyewear has become a preferred choice for making a powerful fashion statement for its innovative designs and functions. With evolving fashion trends and fads, eyewear is no more just an accessory of need; rather it has become an integral part of one’s wardrobe for its style quotient and various utility propositions. With women all across achieving new milestones every day, it is admirable to see how today’s women are cherishing the idea of braving the day by donning a look that brings out the powerful, amazing persona from within. Eyewear being an integral part of one’s attire holds a significant role to evoke the right aura of someone’s appearance. A right pair of eyewear can transform someone’s appearance and give them an unmistakable sense of confidence.

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Ladies, move forward with an empowered vision without withholding your innate style statement. Choose the right eyewear for yourself, which could shape your vision for a better and sustainable growth and help ‘Break the bias’ both in terms of fashion and societal existence.