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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/

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

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.

It is said that eyes are windows to the soul; hence, choice of eyewear should be such that it not only helps one to see better and but also look better. A woman with high ambitions should go for an eyewear that defines her facial features and enhances her strong personality. The one, who is constantly keeping up with the runway trends, can opt for the wide range of bold styles hitting the market and revamp her wardrobe. While women successfully manages diverse set of responsibilities, picking up a fashion that is an easy going yet powerful is always a wise fashion move. Women are also choosing sunglasses not just as a summer or beach essential, but keeping it as a multipurpose accessory to ally various looks effortlessly.

Be it a retro-classic cat-eye, vintage-style aviator, or a stylish pair of colorful frames – today’s working women prefers style, which is a blend of utility and luxury. They not only give thorough focus on the appealing designs, but also on the advanced technological benefits of the eyewear. An eyewear with prescribed lenses is no longer a hindrance to fashion –with ultra-thin and blue-light protective lenses are available in super stylish frames to meet the style preference of fashion-conscious consumers.

A healthy vision is key to healthy living. It nurtures a progressive life for all irrespective of any gender. Adequate eye-care with regular eye check-ups and recommended solutions for vision correction and protection goes a long way in ensuring healthy vision. The incredibly fast-growing eyewear industry is offering today’s female go-getters with advanced solutions for safe and clear vision for every situation. Holistic eyewear brands like Nova Eyewear provides various categories of advanced lenses for different visual requirements such as relief from eye-fatigue, for sports, for office environment, driving and progressives for different visual needs and digital habits in latest frame styles and designs. Thus all the style divas today have ample options when it comes to choosing the right pair of eyewear for clear and healthy vision to achieve their personal goals in this age of multi-tasking without comprising on aesthetics.

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.

Fix My Curls Announces Singer Palak Muchhal as its Brand Ambassador

Fix My Curls, an Indian wavy and curly hair care brand dedicated to helping people embrace their natural hair texture, has recently signed playback singer Palak Muchhal as its brand ambassador. The move comes as Fix My Curls looks to strengthen its connection with the youth and shift the narrative towards embracing curly hair instead of using chemical-laden alternatives. With a wide range of revolutionary products catering to various needs of everyone with curly and wavy hair, the brand aims to create an inclusive space for self-acceptance and love. The talented singer will be promoting various products under the Fix My Curls umbrella.

Fix My Curls

Known for her melodious voice and lustrous curly mane, Palak Muchhal has carved a niche for herself in the Indian music industry. The youth-centric icon has a slew of awards and accomplishments to her name and has amassed a major fan base on her social media channels. Besides being a part of major national and international concerts, she runs a charitable organisation for the underprivileged.

No Bad Hair Days Feat. Fix My Curls Curly Palak Muchhal

Link to the video: www.youtube.com/watch?v=my8CtatmPEw

Commenting on the association, Anshita Mehrotra, Founder of Fix My Curls said, “I am extremely delighted to have Palak on board as the face of the brand. I love her authenticity and keenness to embrace her curls. While I was growing up, there was an absolute lack of representation in the media for people with curly hair, more so in India. Despite over 60% of the world population donning wavy or curly hair, there has always been a genuine lack of products tailored to cater to this segment. With Fix My Curls I wanted to create an inclusive brand and thereby foster a supportive community of women and men who embrace their natural hair texture, and realise just how gorgeous their hair is. We are sure that our association with Palak will help more people connect with the brand and embrace their natural curls with all hearts.”

On this partnership with Fix My Curls, Palak Muchhal said, “This association is very close to my heart. The narrative to tame curly hair in an effort to attain a certain standard of beauty is highly constricting and stereotyped. The notion that beauty is definitive is harmful to a person’s self-esteem and should be shunned altogether. I vouch for beauty in all forms, and I am especially proud of my curly hair. I am big on flaunting it in my social media posts and carry it with pride. Being extremely conscious of the products I use, Fix My Curls approach to toxin-free styling of curls resonated with me. The products help define my curls and add volume to my mane. The little girl inside me who grew up with zero representation of curly hair in the media is really excited, and I look forward to an exciting journey ahead.”

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)

Inaugural Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit to seek greater understanding of digital harms

  • The self-styled “Davos of digital wellbeing” will raise awareness of the hidden realities of our relationship with digital services
  • The two-day summit (29-30 March) will bring together academia, tech industry titans, cultural figures and policymakers for an exchange of ideas and solutions for improving our relationship with tech
  • Simon Sinek and leadership from IBM, UNESCO and Childnet amongst those expected speak at sessions across the Summit
  • Sync research indicates that nearly half of us (48%) spend more time online everyday than we would like

DHAHRAN, Saudi Arabia, March 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — As part of efforts to raise awareness of digital wellbeing issues, digital wellbeing program, Sync, is set to bring together leaders from across tech, academia, sports, culture and policy at the end of this month for its inaugural Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit.

Held between 29th and 30th March at The King Abdulaziz Centre for World Culture (Ithra), Saudi Arabia, the Summit will provide a platform for thought leaders to develop new solutions for protecting the wellbeing of digital media users worldwide.

Focusing in on five key areas of concern, Summit sessions will invite speakers to offer insight and perspective on the topics of digital addiction, privacy, fake news and misinformation, relationships and algorithms. It is hoped that the exchange of ideas and knowledge can help to inspire tangible change in how we interact with, regulate and design digital platforms.

Abdullah Al-Rashid, Director of Sync says: “Our understanding of the complex impact of digital technology and social media on our relationships, personal wellbeing and society trails far behind our understanding of the tech itself and how to get the most clicks, likes and engagements out of it. It’s only in recent years that we have begun to have conversations around the more harmful aspects of our relationship with digital and social media. As the pandemic drove even greater integration of digital tech into our lives, it’s important that we invest more into these conversations to ensure that we uncover the full picture, and in doing so, avoid proposing solutions that focus only on symptoms rather than causes, and are short-term, partial, isolated fixes rather than meaningful, holistic or lasting changes.

“The Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit will bring together the most prominent experts in this field, as well as key stakeholders, cultural figures and influencers to discuss issues of digital wellbeing on a scale never before organised. Summit sessions will see our thought leaders ask provocative, but necessary, questions about our relationships with technology; provide insights into its impacts and offer solutions to the challenges we face. Only by collectively asking the right questions can we successfully define the path to a healthier relationship with technology.”

Thought leadership

Amongst the roster of thought leaders expected to speak at the Summit, will be major figures representing tech, NGOs, charities, Governments and the cultural influencer community. The headline speakers include:

  • Will Gardner OBE, CEO at Childnet, UK
  • Mo Gawdat, Author, Entrepreneur and Former Chief Business Officer, Google [X], United Arab Emirates
  • Jonathan Garner, Founder & CEO, Mind Over Tech, UK
  • Ross Farrelly, PhD, Director Data Science & Artificial Intelligence, IBM, Australia
  • H.H. Princess Haifa Al Mogrin, Permanent Delegate of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, UNESCO
  • Angela Gandra da Silva Martins PhD, Vice-Minister, Human Rights for the Family, Brazil
  • Liz Sweigart PhD, Chief Product & Strategy Officer, Safe Kids AI
  • John A. Naslund, PhD, Instructor in Global Health & Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School
  • Gitanjali Rao, Innovator, Author, and TIME Magazine’s first-ever “Kid of the Year” in 2020

Will Gardner OBE, CEO at Childnet – a UK charity campaigning for a safer internet for children – said: “The online world provides incredible opportunities for children, but also presents risk, and this is the case for children all over the world. There is a clear need for policy, regulation, protections and education to keep pace with this fast-moving environment, to ensure children are able to look after themselves as well as others online, but also for this work to include the voice of young people, sharing their experiences, their concerns and their ideas. I am looking forward to engaging on how to progress this area at the Sync Digital Wellbeing Summit”.

Speakers attending the Summit will be invited to discuss a broad range of topics relating to digital wellbeing. Attendees can expect to hear experts talking to the latest thinking on a number of issues pertinent to digital wellbeing. Panel session and speech highlights will include:

  • The Psychology of Technology panel with Dr. Mohammed Alhajji, Director of the Behavioral Insights & Nudge Unit, Saudi Arabian Ministry of Health and Dr. Moritz Büchi, Senior Research and Teaching Associate, University of Zurich
  • Gen Z Versus the Digital World panel moderated by Rodney WJ Collins PhD, SVP & Director, McCann Worldgroup Truth Central and featuring Chantelle de Carvalho,  Producer, I am Gen Z and Othman Almoamar, Community Engagement & Research Program Manager, MISK Foundation
  • Scanning the Horizon – Tech Trends and Their Implications for Digital Wellbeing panel with Dr. Latifa Al-Abdulkarim, Assistant Professor, College of Computer and Information Science, KSU – King Saud University and Dr. Ross Farelly, Director, Data Science and AI, IBM, Australia
  • Does The Internet Need Warning Labels? debate with Matthew Bergman, Founder, Social Media Victims Law Center, Senior Partner, Bergman Draper Oslund Udo

A full Summit agenda will be announced in due course.

The Summit will also play host to an Agora, bringing together attendees in a public forum to help encourage the generation of new strategic ideas. This will involve breakout sessions where attendees will be able to share their thoughts on how to best promote the global digital wellbeing agenda. Led by topics discussed in the speaker sessions, the breakout sessions will cover ‘The Digital Wellbeing Future We Want’ and ‘Building A Global Digital Wellbeing Movement’.

During the Summit, Sync will doing deep dive sessions with SMEs and researchers from diverse nations, experience and background aimed at bringing together key insights around digital wellbeing with and the way forward and future of digital wellbeing.

Sync data illustrates growing concern for our relationship with tech

The Summit follows the launch of Sync’s first whitepaper[1], Global Digital Wellbeing Report 2021. The research illustrates how embedded new media and tech has been into our daily lives in recent decades, but with a particular focus on how such trends have accelerated as a result of the pandemic. Research from the Global Digital Wellbeing Report was also included in a paper published by Prof Justin, Department chair of Psychology at Zayed University, and the Sync Research Fellows. It was published in Frontier in Psychiatry, the most-cited Multidisciplinary Psychology journal in the world. As an open-access journal, the article is accessible for readers here.

Sync’s survey of 15,000 people, included in both the report and paper, found that:

  • Despite huge worries over online addiction and half of us admitting we skip sleep every week to remain online at night (rising to 69% among Gen Z), 19% of parents let their kids go online without any set time limits. 
  • Almost a third of us admit to misleading friends and family members about the amount of time we spend online, rising to 40% of Gen Z – those aged between 10 and 25 years old. 
  • Nearly half (48%) of us spend more time than we would like to online every day, and 43% of us have not had a single day off from social media in the past year. 
  • Three quarters of all respondents (75%) are now demanding governments invest more in high quality affordable care for online addiction and 61% say internet and social media addiction should be formally recognized as a medical condition.

Knowledge partnerships

Sync also recently announced another collaboration with the Digital Wellbeing Research Center at University of Milano-Bicocca which will use a holistic new approach to study college students’ relationship with their smartphones, including impact on concentration and anxiety in different social contexts.

Marco Gui, Director of the Center, says: “Every university student today owns a smartphone, delivering connectivity past generations could only dream of. But at what cost? We’re grateful for Sync’s support for our new methodology to investigate the potentially beneficial and harmful effects of being permanently connected.”

To find out more, visit https://sync.ithra.com/.

About Sync

Sync is a digital well-being initiative launched by King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) with a vision to create a world where we are all in control of our digital lives. The initiative is guided by extensive research in collaboration with global entities to understand the amplifications of technology and how it’s affecting our lives, and translate the knowledge gained into awareness campaigns, tools, experiences, educational content and programs aiming to raise the global public awareness around the topic.

To sync with Sync: Twitter https://twitter.com/SyncIthra, or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/SyncIthra

About Ithra

The King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture (Ithra) is one of Saudi Arabia’s most influential cultural destinations, a destination for the curious, creatives, and seekers of knowledge. Through a compelling series of programs, performances, exhibitions, events and initiatives, Ithra creates world-class experiences across its interactive public spaces. These bring together culture, innovation and knowledge in a way that is designed to appeal to everyone. By connecting creatives, challenging perspectives and transforming ideas, Ithra is proud to be inspiring cultural leaders of the future. Ithra is Saudi Aramco’s flagship CSR initiative and the Kingdom’s largest cultural centre, comprising an Idea Lab, Library, Cinema, Theater, Museum, Energy Exhibit, Great Hall, Children’s Museum and Ithra Tower.

For further information, please visit: www.ithra.com.

Follow Ithra on social media: Facebook (King Abdulaziz Center for World Culture), Twitter (@Ithra) and Instagram (@Ithra) #Ithra

[1] Developed based on a survey of 15,000 people in 30 countries commissioned by Sync and conducted by PSB Middle-East in June and July 2021.

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

Seagram’s Royal Stag Raises the Bar at IPL 2022 in Partnership with Delhi Capitals

A city that spans three states must have a team that plays its cricket with a large heart and inimitable flair. Delhi Capitals, the beating ‘dil’ of the Indian Premier League, will collaborate with Seagram’s Royal Stag for the upcoming 2022 season. Royal Stag is delighted to be the Official Partner of the Delhi Capitals for many reasons: It is a team that is led by India’s talismanic wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant. What’s more, both the captain and the team are a perfect blend of youthful exuberance and the wisdom of experience. No wonder then, that the team’s passion, flamboyance, and expertise synergize with the brand philosophy of Royal Stag – ‘It’s Your Life. Live it Large’.

Royal Stag x Delhi Capitals Partnership

Cricket has always been central to Royal Stag’s brand communication. With this association for IPL 2022, Royal Stag is poised to further bolster its engagement with cricket lovers across the country and cement its loyalty towards the game via sustained engagement with fans throughout the season.

Delhi Capitals has been a team that has produced some of the most magical moments of IPL over the years. The silverware has eluded the team so far, but this unit under its indomitable and charismatic captain, Pant, will change that. Royal Stag is committed to loyally supporting Delhi Capitals in this quest, from the kickoff of the team’s first match on March 27th afternoon, till the final. It’s going to be a rollercoaster ride and we invite all the fans to jump in alongside us!

Speaking on the sponsorship, Kartik Mohindra, CMO, Pernod Ricard India, said, “IPL ensures that millions of men and women remain glued to the telecast across almost two months, living the highs and lows of their favourite teams. Delhi Capitals is a superb blend of international and Indian stars, and their brand of cricket is a heady cocktail of natural talent and astute strategy. We are very excited to partner with Delhi Capitals for the forthcoming IPL season. With young cricketing star Rishabh Pant captaining the ship for Delhi Capitals, we know we will get the attention of millennials towards our brand. Cricket being one of India’s biggest passions, we wanted to use the platform of T20 to connect with our consumers using the cultures of Delhi and ethos of the team Delhi capitals.”

Dhiraj Malhotra, Executive Director, Delhi Capitals said, “Our partnership with Royal Stag for the forthcoming season of the Indian Premier League is definitely going to be one of our big highlights, barring the sixes our players hit, of course! For us at Delhi Capitals, it’s important to associate with brands that value the sport and understand the emotions attached with it. Royal Stag stands for all of that, and I am confident this will be a successful partnership for both of us, as we look ahead to a splendid season of cricket.”

Shane Watson, Assistant Coach, Delhi Capitals also added, “From the first time I came to India in 2000, I have always known that Royal Stag has been associated with cricket. The brand has always had a deep relationship with cricket. It’s always in the front in any tournament that I have played. I think it’s going to be a great partnership between Delhi Capitals and Royal Stag.”

Royal Stag is an eminent brand, and we see an incredibly strong alignment with them.

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

Mingout: This Indian Dating app just made Holi possible in the Metaverse

Play Holi with friends and family without having to wash any clothes 

NEW DELHI and GURGAON, India, March 23, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Mingout, a lifestyle and dating app with a uniquely Indian solution, hosted 20 of its selected users in the first-ever Metaverse Holi Party in the world on 18th March 2022.

“Yes. We celebrated Holi in the Metaverse! And there’s a simple reason why,” said Navdeep Kamboj, COO of Mingout. Watch the video preview. Click here

“Holi is the most fun festival in the year. Everyone comes out, celebrates, plays with color, dances, sings, eats. But imagine not being home on Holi. Being away from friends and family and all the sweets and celebration. You could be working in another city, you could be travelling, or you could be unwell. What do you do then?,” Navdeep added, bringing forth Mingout’s core reason to build a digital Holi arena.

Mingout has 5,000+ downloads, of which 60%+ individuals are away from their hometown. An internal survey suggested that over one in every 5 users did not have plans for Holi. Devanshu, CPO of Mingout, added, “I  haven’t been able to go home for Holi in the last 5 years. All we do is a video call. But that’s not the same as putting gulaal. And so we thought…why not give people a more immersive Holi experience. And so we hosted the Metaverse Holi!”

The Metaverse Holi comes 1 month after Mingout hosted the world’s first Metaverse date on Valentines week, 2022.

“Last month, we took one couple to the moon – in the Metaverse,” Harshveer, CMO, Mingout, said. “This month, we took 20 people to a Holi party where they could throw gulaal, dance, talk and chill with friends and loved ones. All from the comfort and safety of their home.”

Built in two weeks, Mingout’s Metaverse Holi party will now be a regular feature on the app. The company plans to host more Metavese events, including other festivals, concerts and even college proms. “…if you want, we can host your birthday as well!” Harshveer said. “Now that the technology is ready and tested, anything is possible. A Titanic date, an Oktoberfest get-together, or Halloween Trick o Treat! You can enjoy events and experiences from around the world, from your home. It’s exciting to be able to give people a dream evening of their choice!”

Mingout is always eager to receive any feedback and comments about this completely new idea, that is so fitting for the current times. Mingout is excited about recreating one’s dream dates and parties in the Metaverse.

About Mingout

Mingout is a lifestyle and dating platform that aims to connect individuals over common experiences. Started by graduates from IIM Calcutta, IIT Bombay and IIT BHU, Mingout is a seed funded startup in its launch phase.

Out to ‘disrupt dating’, Mingout has built a niche in the world of romance by ‘bringing the date back in dating’. Standing out as the only app in the world where you can date, not just match, Mingout has, over the last year, conducted 1000+ dates on the app.

Image: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1771263/Mingout_Metaverse_Holi_Party.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)

Ola Electric makes strategic investment in StoreDot, an Israeli company with extreme fast charging technology

BENGALURU, India, March 21, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Ola Electric, India’s leading manufacturer of EVs, has invested in an Israeli battery technology company StoreDot, a pioneer in batteries with extreme fast charging (XFC) technology.

The investment in StoreDot is the first of several global strategic investments planned by Ola Electric as it looks to ramp up its core R&D in advanced cell chemistry & manufacturing as well as other battery technologies and new energy systems.

As part of the investment in StoreDot, Ola Electric will have access to the company’s state of the art XFC battery technology that charges a battery from 0 to 100% in just 5 minutes. Ola will also have exclusive rights to manufacture batteries integrating StoreDot’s fast charge technology in India.

The company plans to set up a gigafactory for manufacturing cells in the country to meet the demand generated by Ola Futurefactory, the world’s largest 2W factory, and has already submitted a bid under the Government’s PLI scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cell Battery Storage.

Bhavish Aggarwal, Founder and CEO, Ola, said: “We are committed to Mission Electric and to accelerate the world’s transition to electric mobility, our ambition is to build a complete ecosystem for EVs here in India. The future of EVs lies in better, faster and high energy density batteries, capable of rapid charging and delivering higher range. We are increasing our investments in core cell and battery technologies and ramping up our in-house capabilities and global talent hiring, as well as partnering with global companies doing cutting edge work in this field. Our partnership with StoreDot, a pioneer of extreme fast charging battery technologies, is of strategic importance and a first of many.”

Dr Doron Myersdorf, StoreDot CEO, said, “We are extremely excited to be entering into this strategic partnership with Ola. Both companies are committed to delivering a zero-emissions world, breathing clean air in our cities and ensuring that EV drivers never have to worry about charging times and range anxiety. Ola Electric’s plans to bring StoreDot’s extreme fast charging battery technology to India and manufacture for its range of EVs will offer Indian consumers vastly superior range and charging speed performance. We are also offering our customers a clear, hype-free technology roadmap that will extend far into the future of delivering 100 miles of range in just a 2-minute charge, within a decade.”

StoreDot has pioneered an extreme fast charging ‘5-Minute charge’ EV battery technology and plans mass production in a couple of years and is working on a ‘2-Minute charge’ technology to be commercialised in the next 10 years. Its silicon-dominant anode technology is a significant improvement over the conventional lithium-ion batteries, and reduces EV charging times from hours to just 5 minutes.

About Ola

Ola is India’s largest mobility platform and one of the world’s largest ride-hailing companies. Ola revolutionised urban mobility by making it available on-demand for over a billion people across 3 continents. Today, Ola continues to move the world to sustainable mobility through its ride-hailing platform as well as through advanced electric vehicles manufactured at its Futurefactory, the largest, most advanced, and sustainable two-wheeler factory in the world. Ola is dedicated to transitioning the world to sustainable mobility and making the world better than we found it.

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