Include routes across key locations in India. From North to South; East to West; Metros to Non – Metros and vice versa

Mumbai headquartered Smartr Logistics, a trademark of Smart Express Private Limited, has carved a niche in the express logistics industry by offering same-day interstate delivery. The logistics firm has been executing multiple inter-state same-day deliveries across the country. Some of the notable routes are from North to South; East to West; Metros to Non – Metros etc. This has helped Smartr customers in savings by reducing their inventory carrying/working capital cycle by 3-4 days and thereby reducing their inventory holding cost.

The start-up has also enabled a technology that allows customers to track shipment 24×7, offering best-in-class first and last-mile services to its customers. The technology is easy, convenient, and ensures consignment is tracked through the entire journey, thus instilling transparency and fairness.

Commenting on the 12–18-hour delivery services Yogesh Dhingra, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Smartr Logistics said, “We invest in potential, not just assets. We are optimally using India’s air network to directly connect destinations thus reducing the time for transits and diversions. We also work around customer’s clock, supporting in flexible pickup and delivery timelines. These facilities help our customers with faster and more prompt services.“

“We do not want to be just any other express logistics start-up; we believe in providing high-end value to our customers. We are committed to serving with utmost efficiency and professionalism with no compromises. We want to break the myth that high quality comes at a high cost. We are the pioneers of 12-18 hours interstate delivery and will continue to maintain our service quality at the highest levels,” added Yogesh Dhingra.

Smartr Logistics, a new age, innovative, transparent, reliable logistics start-up providing time-sensitive door-to-door solutions, has commenced operations effective end of October 2021, and within 100 days of receiving seed funding, expanded operations in 45 cities with 75+ service centres. Within a short span of time, the start-up has built a workforce of 600 full-time employees. The seed fund round of around INR 100 crores was led by IIFL India Private Equity Fund and Smiti Holding & Trading Company (Jalaj Dani family office). Promoter and Founder Yogesh Dhingra, and other co-founders have also participated in this round.

Smartr Logistics has commenced operations of its Air Express products which are Aerex Prime, Aerex Kargo and Aerex eComm. Smartr Logistics also provides same day intracity deliveries. The company is all set to grow in the coming year with a robust strategy to establish a stronghold in the express logistic industry through new-age, innovative and reliable solutions.

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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)

NEW YORK, Feb. 24, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Volante Technologies, the global leader in cloud payments and financial messaging, today announced it received additional growth funding from BNY Mellon and Poste Italiane. With this investment, both banks are solidifying their commitment to payments modernization and affirming the key role Volante plays in the evolution of payments. “We are laser-focused on digitizing payments. Together with Volante, we plan to accelerate that journey to bring the most innovative solutions to our clients,” said Saket Sharma, Chief Strategy and Digital Officer, Treasury Services, BNY Mellon. “Our investment in Volante reflects the deep commitment we’ve made to our next generation payments strategy and the amazing partners who will help us achieve that goal.” By partnering with Volante, Poste Italiane was able to enhance its payments modernization program, including its open banking platform, enabling SEPA instant payments and providing a new gateway to traditional interbank networks. The company will continue its collaboration journey with Volante as an investor and a customer. The additional investment will enable Volante to deepen collaboration with existing clients and increase the breadth of its ecosystem partnerships. Volante will also expand its roadmap with new cloud Payments as a Service (PaaS) offerings. More so, it will speed up the time to market for novel payments modernization and digital transformation solutions based on its low-code platform capabilities. “Our payments technology helps banks modernize, freeing them to adapt and evolve in an increasingly real-time, cloud-driven world, so that they can serve an ever-wider range of customers. Expanding our collaboration with BNY Mellon and Poste Italiane is another important step in this journey,” said Vijay Oddiraju, CEO, Volante Technologies. 2021 was a pivotal year for Volante. The company entered the prestigious IDC Fintech 100 for the first time, and won numerous global and regional awards, including recognition by IBS Intelligence as the number one seller of wholesale payments systems worldwide. To cap the year, Volante was recognized by Omdia as a recommended payments leader thanks to a combination of genuine innovation and the provision of services which allowed the company to deliver significant payments efficiencies to both small and large institutions. “Building on our success last year, 2022 is already on track to be our best year yet,” concluded Oddiraju. “Together with our customers, partners, and investors, we will continue to set a high bar for excellence, one that improves the entire industry and serves the broader community.” About Volante Technologies  Volante Technologies is the leading global provider of cloud payments and financial messaging solutions to accelerate digital transformation. We serve as a trusted partner to over 100 banks, financial institutions, market infrastructures, clearing houses, and corporate treasuries in 35 countries. Our solutions and services process millions of transactions and trillions in value every day, powering four of the top five corporate banks, 40 percent of all U.S. commercial bank deposits, and 70 percent of worldwide card traffic. As a result, our customers can stay ahead of emerging trends, become more competitive, deliver superior client experiences, and grow their businesses through rapid innovation. To learn more, visit www.volantetech.com. Follow us at linkedin.com/company/volante-technologies and twitter.com/volantetech. Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1123969/Volante_Technologies_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.)

• 56% of Bharat use UPI and 49% use mobile wallets multiple times a week
• 27% of Bharat use paid video streaming services v/s 29% India
• 1 in 5 Bharat users invests in cryptocurrency
• 39% of Bharat uses social media as their primary news consumption platform and prefers it over both print and TV combined

ShareChat, India’s leading social media platform, released a report titled ‘Bharat – The Neo India’ in association with Group M that studies the social media behavior, content preferences, spending choices of Bharat¹ and India² users. The report classifies users that prefer Indic language on social media as Bharat users and India users as the ones that prefer using English, across all the regions of India. Bharat users are spread across the country with nearly 40% present in metros and 53% in non-metros. The findings in the report are based on a primary survey by YouGov,           conducted among 3,432 social media users across 17 Indian states and with inputs from Kantar on Indic language urban active internet users.

The survey finds that Bharat users are as affluent and digitally savvy as India users. Bharat users are at par with India users when it comes to participating in online financial activities. In terms of choice of payment mode, Bharat users are adept at using UPI for online transactions and have a lead over India users in terms of net-banking and debit cards transactions online. Among Bharat users, 56% use UPI and 49% use mobile wallets multiple times a week. Breaking away from traditional means, Bharat users are investing in stocks, mutual funds, e-gold and even cryptocurrency.

Bharat users are more engaged on social media as compared to India users. 29% of Bharat users post content daily at least once as compared to 22% of India users. Bharat chooses to stay updated via social media as 39% of Bharat uses it as their primary source of news consumption. Like India, the majority of Bharat users prefer streaming free videos over watching TV. Daily, 50% of Bharat users stream free video online and about 47% watch TV. Social media also emerged as one of the primary influences for making buying decisions for Bharat users. Bharat is increasingly shopping online with 46% buying gadgets online in 2021, followed by other categories like travel bookings, food, clothing and accessories, beauty and skincare are also popular.

Unveiling the report, Ajit Varghese, Chief Commercial Officer of ShareChat, said, “Bharat users are taking social media by storm. It is interesting to note that the Language first users are at par with English language first users when it comes to digital presence, use of online transaction methods, and shopping habits. Bharat users also outrank when it comes to consuming news, food and beverages, health and fitness, and travel related categories online. Observing similar trends on our platforms, we at ShareChat are excited to be at the forefront of engaging with this audience that is spread across the country.”

 

Commenting on the report, Prasanth Kumar, CEO – GroupM South Asia said, “From the media planning aspect, Bharat is unique in many ways. This is mostly because all the cities that make Bharat are Indic language-heavy, fragmented and display their own sets of consumer behaviour traits. This diversity in our country brings in its own challenges and opportunities. Brands and media planners looking to reach target audiences across the country should focus on a customized approach for this segment. With this report, we have put together planning guidelines that will give marketers a direction and a starting framework on how to plan and reach the Bharat user effectively.”

Bharat v/s India – Other key findings:

• Bharat users are showing a propensity to pay for online content with 27% already using paid video streaming services daily
• 37% of Bharat users are listening to music, 36% are shopping, and 24% are ordering food online
• In certain categories, Bharat users in specific regions drive higher engagement
  • South: Gaming (39%), Food & Drinks (32%) and Travel (22%)
  • West: Travel (22%)
  • North: Health and Fitness (29%)
• In terms of voice search, Bharat users are leading with 26%, as compared to 15% of Indian users.
• 21% of Bharat posts content 4-5 times a week compared to 17% of India
• As per Kantar, there are over 341 million overall urban active internet users and 167 million urban active Indic internet users. The study suggests that urban active Indic internet users over-indexed on NCCS A (New Consumer Classification System) and higher education compared to overall urban active internet users
• 33% of the urban active Indic internet users are from NCCS A as compared to 30% among overall urban active internet users
• 39% of urban active Indic internet users consists of graduates/postgraduates as compared to 35% among overall urban active internet users

Link to the full report: https://bit.ly/33Q6Z9B

93.5 RED FM, India’s leading private radio and entertainment network has introduced ‘Decoding Unicorns’ an exclusive RED FM Podcast hosted by Prashant Pitti, Co-founder Ease My Trip. The show will focus on unveiling insights on what it takes to become a pioneer in today’s technology driven business.

RED FM – ‘Decoding Unicorns’

Host, Prashant Pitti who comes with rich exposure across entrepreneurship and team building will be curating an interesting series with those who have made it to the Unicorn Club. The astute and rational Mr. Pitti will be in conversation with established start-ups including Groww, Moglix, Zerodha, Ather, boAt, Droom and others. The podcast will provide early-stage founders with the tangible tips they need to start, grow, and run their business. With stories, anecdotes, advice, and mistakes-to-avoid, the episodes will delve into a variety of topics including recruitment, marketing, fundraising, sales and more.
Speaking on the announcement, Nisha Narayanan, Director & COO, RED FM and Magic FM, said, “Unicorns represent the Indian start-up ecosystem. India produced 14 Unicorns in Q4 of 2021 and is among the top five Unicorn producing countries in the world. Achieving this milestone was once considered elusive. But India’s example shows the term unicorn no longer holds the same weight as before. At RED FM, we are delighted to announce our new podcast, ‘Decoding Unicorns’ with Prashant Pitti, Co-founder, Easemytrip.com where he is speaking to some of the leading members of the unicorn club. The podcast will review lessons that one can learn from unicorn start-ups and what sets them apart from other businesses. Each company has its own story of how it became a unicorn and our podcast will shed light on those insights and much more.”

Speaking on the affiliation, Prashant Pitti, Co-founder Ease My Trip and Host of Decoding Unicorns, said, “9 out of 10 successful start-ups fail within 5-10 years of their inception. Decoding Unicorns would give future entrepreneurs the required insights on how to efficiently find gaps in the market today and stand strong when the storms of business arrive. Running a business is never a cakewalk but proper planning, strategy and insights will help early-stage start-ups to create a system that will make your money work for you. Decoding Unicorns is just a work book of the founders who’ve already made an ecosystem of their own. I have been a part of this wave for over a decade now and am looking forward to have a heart to heart conversation with one of the most successful founders of this very ecosystem on what it takes to build a unicorn.”

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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)

Enabling state-of-the-art 4G and 5G broadband communications and new applications   NASHUA, N.H., Feb. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Parallel Wireless, Inc., the U.S.-based Open RAN company delivering the world’s leading All G – 2G, 3G, 4G, and 5G, cloud-native Open RAN solution, has announced a collaboration with Türk Telekom and Juniper Networks on a multi-vendor Open RAN initiative to deliver state-of-the-art broadband communications. Türk Telekom, the leading-edge and first integrated telecommunications operator in Turkey, will deploy Open RAN technology utilizing the RAN Intelligent Controller (RIC). Deployments will occur across trial sites after completing tests in the Türk Telekom Innovation Center. Türk Telekom is an early adopter and pioneer of Open RAN technology, utilizing a broad vendor ecosystem to build more flexible, efficient, and secure mobile networks to meet the demands of the 5G era. Türk Telekom has previously collaborated with Juniper Networks for the productization of the RIC, a critical part of Open RAN architecture, to automate networks, enable efficient resource utilization, and provide an optimal customer experience. Within the scope of this new initiative, Türk Telekom will utilize Parallel Wireless Open RAN software and Juniper’s state-of-the-art RIC: Parallel Wireless will provide an end-to-end Open RAN solution utilizing Band 1, 3, 7, 8, 20 radios and DU,CU software for 2G, 3G, and 4G and band 78 radios and DU,CU software for 5G. The first phase of the lab trial utilizing the RIC for admission control over 4G has been completed with more phases to come. Juniper Networks will be working alongside Türk Telekom and Parallel Wireless to provide its extensive RIC platform. Juniper will be deploying both the near-real-time (near-RT) and the non-real-time (non-RT) RIC and demonstrating the capabilities of various xApps/rApps. This will enable Türk Telekom to deliver differentiated services faster to their customers. This Open RAN initiative will be trialed in both Türk Telekom’s Innovation Center and in field environments by: Building a cloud-native, Open RAN world-class network solution based on a high-performance, distributed architecture. Improving service agility and reducing overall Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) with the introduction of RAN automation. Providing a turnkey solution that optimizes high traffic capacity requirements. This leading-edge network will help to enable mobile broadband services such as 8k video streaming, Internet of Things (IoT), e-Health, e-Education and much more. Yusuf Kirac, CTO, Türk Telekom, said, “At Türk Telekom, we successfully represent our country in the global arena by taking active roles in drawing the roadmap for 5G. As a result of our cooperation with Juniper Networks for the RIC solution last year, we now export our  new technology solutions globally. We have also established collaborations with global technology manufacturers. Within the scope of these collaborations, we continue our development, tests, and productization of Open RAN. Our collaboration with Parallel Wireless and Juniper Networks on this initiative is extremely important throughout our Open RAN journey and we are confident that this collaboration will be an important step towards enabling state-of-the-art 4G and 5G broadband communications and new applications.” Constantine Polychronopoulos, VP, 5G and Telco Cloud at Juniper Networks, said, “Collaborative efforts by technology vendors and service providers are critical to demonstrate real-world interoperability in this exciting and emerging space. Juniper’s ability to provide an open SDK and network-based APIs facilitates seamless portability of x/rApps on its RIC in multivendor environments and underscores the potential for all operators.” Keith Johnson, President of Parallel Wireless, said, “Parallel Wireless is proud to partner with Türk Telekom, the first integrated telecommunications operator in Turkey, providing our leading-edge, next-generation Open RAN software platform, enabling All G – 2G, 3G, 4G and 5G broadband communications and new state-of-the-art digital applications.”   About Parallel Wireless Parallel Wireless’s ALL G (2G, 3G, 4G, 5G) O-RAN compliant software platform has been deployed with global Mobile Network Operators from across six continents and forms an open, secure, and intelligent RAN architecture to deliver wireless connectivity, so all people can be connected whenever, wherever, and however they choose. For more information, visit: www.parallelwireless.com. Connect with Parallel Wireless on LinkedIn and Twitter. About Türk Telekom Türk Telekom, with over 180 years of history, is the first integrated telecommunication operator in Turkey. Having a wide service network and product range in the fields of individual and corporate services, Türk Telekom unified its mobile, internet, phone and TV products and services under the single “Türk Telekom” brand. “Turkey’s Multiplay Provider” Türk Telekom has 16.9 million fixed access lines, 14.3 million broadband, 2,9 million TV and 24 million mobile subscribers as of December 31, 2021. Türk Telekom Group Companies provide services in all 81 cities of Turkey with nearly 36 thousand employees with the vision of introducing new technologies to Turkey and accelerating Turkey’s transformation into an information society. www.turktelekom.com.tr Logo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1004727/PW_FullColor_CMYK_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.)

The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund) today announced that the Ministry of Health of the Republic of Kazakhstan has authorized the use of Sputnik M Russian vaccine for adolescents aged 12-17.
Thus Kazakhstan has become the first country outside Russia to authorize the use of Sputnik M.

In contrast with some international producers offering their vaccines in the same dosage for both adults and adolescents, the Gamaleya Center has developed Sputnik M specifically for adolescents.

Sputnik M is a two-shot vaccine based on the same human adenoviral vectors platform, which is safe and has been widely studied for over 30 years. The only difference between Sputnik M and Sputnik V is a lower concentration of viral particles per dose: Sputnik M for adolescents has 5 times less concentration in comparison with the original Sputnik V in both shots.

Russian Ministry of Health registered Sputnik M on November 24, 2021 based on data from clinical trials confirming the high safety and immunogenicity profile of Sputnik M among adolescents. During the trials there were no serious adverse events registered following vaccination with Sputnik M. Current results are corresponding with those obtained during clinical trials and real-world data on Sputnik V after vaccinating adults.

Sputnik V has been authorized in 71 country with total population of over 4 billion people. It induces stronger and longer lasting immune response against COVID (including the Omicron variant) than many other vaccines, which is further strengthened by Sputnik Light booster. A unique comparative study[1] conducted at Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Italy by a team of 12 Italian and 9 Russian scientists has shown that Sputnik V vaccine demonstrates more than 2 times higher titers of virus neutralizing antibodies to Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant than 2 doses of Pfizer vaccine (2.1 times higher in total and 2.6 times higher 3 months after vaccination).

The study was conducted in the equal laboratory conditions on comparable sera samples from individuals vaccinated with Sputnik V and Pfizer with a similar level of IgG antibodies and virus neutralizing activity (VNA) against Wuhan variant. Sputnik V showed significantly smaller (2.6 times) reduction of virus neutralizing activity against Omicron as compared to reference Wuhan variant than Pfizer vaccine (8.1-fold reduction for Sputnik V in contrast to 21.4-fold reduction for Pfizer vaccine).

Based on the data collected by the Spallanzani Institute and results of Gamaleya Center’s studies Sputnik V provides for strong immune response against Omicron, which is further strengthened by boosting with one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine (the first component of Sputnik V).
*
Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF) is Russia’s sovereign wealth fund established in 2011 to make equity co-investments, primarily in Russia, alongside reputable international financial and strategic investors. RDIF acts as a catalyst for direct investment in the Russian economy. RDIF’s management company is based in Moscow. Currently, RDIF has experience of the successful joint implementation of more than 100 projects with foreign partners totaling over RUB2.1 tn and covering almost all of Russia’s regions. RDIF has established joint strategic partnerships with leading international co-investors from more than 18 countries that total more than $40 bn. Further information can be found at www.rdif.ru

Funds managed by Infinity Investment Management and advised by Convergent Finance LLP (“Convergent Funds”), announced the execution of an agreement with the existing promoter shareholders of Jagsonpal Pharmaceuticals Limited (“Jagsonpal”) to acquire approximately 43.7% of the outstanding shares of Jagsonpal at a price per share of INR 235 for a total consideration of INR 2,692 mm (USD 36.0 mm).

Jagsonpal’s shares are listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange. The proposed transaction will trigger a mandatory open offer for an additional 26% of the outstanding shares in accordance with applicable regulations of the Securities and Exchange Board of India.

The transaction is subject to conditions precedent (including the completion of the open offer). The acquisition as well as the open offer are expected to close during the quarter ended June 2022.

Founded in 1964, by Jagmohan Singh Kochhar, Jagsonpal is a leading pharmaceutical company in the domestic formulations business. The company has been publicly traded since 1986. Historically Jagsonpal’s key strength has been the discovery of effective novel formulations leveraging Rajpal Singh Kochhar and the team’s deep scientific expertise. Jagsonpal’s product range focuses primarily on women’s health and orthopedics.

Rajpal Singh Kochhar, the Chairman & Managing Director, remarked, “We are excited to have the Convergent Funds as committed long-term partners. We are extremely impressed by the Convergent Funds’ partnership model and track record of value creation through operational improvements and efficient capital allocation. I believe this will greatly benefit the company and its stakeholders. Going forward, while the Convergent Funds will work extensively with company management in building the business, we will support the business with our legacy knowledge, pharmaceutical expertise, and industry connects.”

Harsha Raghavan, Managing Partner at Convergent, commented, “Jagsonpal is a well-established company in the Indian domestic formulations industry with a strong portfolio of brands. Women’s health is a critical issue for our nation, and Jagsonpal plays an important role in making its products accessible to the masses. The company has a robust distribution network and large field force of medical representatives. We are honoured and excited to work with the Kochhar family and Jagsonpal’s management team to identify growth levers that can catapult its market position.”

About Convergent Finance LLP

Convergent Finance LLP is an investment management and advisory partnership at the forefront of bringing together Ideas, Capital, and passionate Entrepreneurs. The Convergent investment process involves identifying proprietary platform and bolt-on opportunities, speed of execution, and a relentless focus on performance improvement. The Convergent value investing approach believes in paying fair and reasonable valuations through bilaterally negotiated transactions.

About Jagsonpal Pharmaceutical Limited

Established in 1964, Jagsonpal Pharmaceuticals, specializes in developing and manufacturing bulk dru

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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)

– Hitachi Solutions further cements its position as a leader in accelerating digital transformation across industry verticals in the ASEAN region.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, Feb. 22, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Hitachi Solutions, a leading provider of global industry solutions running on Microsoft Azure, is excited to announce its recognition as the 2021 Microsoft Business Applications Partner of the Year by Microsoft Malaysia.

The Microsoft Malaysia Partner Awards 2021 acknowledges outstanding success and implementations by partners in a variety of categories, recognizing partners that have brought innovative solutions to the forefront in order to solve complex business pains and challenges for customers from cloud to edge.

In the Business Applications category, Hitachi Solutions showcased exceptional work and dedication demonstrating excellence in innovation and implementation of customer solutions grounded on Microsoft technology.

“We are honored that Microsoft Malaysia recognizes our deep commitment as one of its partners in the highly competitive Business Applications landscape,” said Kazunori Miyabayashi, President of Hitachi Solutions Asia Pacific. “Through our strong capabilities and immense experience in transforming new and existing on-premises customers into the cloud, we continuously aim to encourage our customers to adopt the latest Microsoft applications to meet their emerging needs and make wiser business decisions.”

Commenting on the win, K Raman, Managing Director of Microsoft Malaysia, said, “As technological solutions become more advanced and increasingly complexed, having the right partner to drive digital transformation for our customers is crucial. Over the past year, Hitachi Solutions has demonstrated excellence not only by staying innovative, but also using their technical knowledge of Microsoft’s Dynamics 365 solutions to address the needs of each customer, and we are pleased to name them Microsoft Malaysia’s Business Applications Partner of the Year for 2021.”

About Hitachi Solutions Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd.

Hitachi Solutions Asia Pacific helps its customers successfully compete with the largest global enterprises using powerful, easy-to-use, and affordable industry solutions built on the Microsoft Cloud. Hitachi Solutions provides global capabilities with regional offices in the United States, Canada, Europe, India/Middle East, Japan, and Asia Pacific. For more information, please visit: https://global.hitachi-solutions.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.)

SBI General, one of India’s leading General Insurance companies launched an insurance awareness drive in Namsai, Arunachal Pradesh to ensure better insurance literacy amongst the locals. The launch event was addressed by Shri PC Kandpal, MD & CEO, SBI General Insurance (virtually); hri RK Sharma, Deputy Commissioner, Namsai District and Smt. Shefali Khalsa, Head – Brand & Corporate Communications, SBI General Insurance.

SBI General has been a lead insurer to take up the campaign to drive insurance awareness in selected and suggested regions by IRDAI. According to Namasai.nic.in, Namsai in Arunachal Pradesh is second least populated region with a population of 95950 and 54.24% literacy. Recognizing that understanding of financial planning and insurance could be boosted in the region, SBI General aims to drive awareness and strengthen insurance penetration in Namsai through initiatives across various local touchpoints. The year-long awareness campaign has been designed with a four-pronged approach. The campaign that has been kickstarted with an inaugural session will be followed by various activities including nukkad natak, school contact programs, engagement programs in mandis/ panchayats, and many other activities.

PC Kandpal, MD & CEO, SBI General Insurance said, “SBI General is glad to take up the drive to spread insurance awareness in Namsai, the 18th district of Arunachal Pradesh. We started this insurance awareness drive from Ri-bhoi, Meghalaya, and with the success of the activities, we are happy to host the launch event and kick-start the similar activities in Namsai. Our goal is to ensure that every household in the region is educated about the benefits of ‘insurance’ and understands the need to build a secure future. SBI General Insurance will remain committed towards nation building and support insurance penetration through such initiatives.”

The Insurance Awareness launch event at Namsai was attended by Namsai dignitaries and local communities.

Regulatory authorities of China have approved the mixing of domestic inactivated vaccines against COVID (in particular, Sinovac and Sinopharm) and use of a different vaccine, including adenoviral-based, as booster shot providing yet another confirmation of the efficacy of mix & match approach pioneered by the Russian Sputnik V vaccine in creating a stronger and more durable immunity, including against the Omicron variant.

Vaccines produced by Chinese companies (Sinovac and Sinopharm) are widely used with over 4.7 billion doses supplied in China and globally[1]. While China’s State Council has authorized mix & match boosting only with domestic vaccines[2], the Russian one-shot Sputnik Light vaccine (the first component of Sputnik V) can become a solution for boosting those initially vaccinated with Chinese vaccines in other countries around the world.

Sputnik Light has already shown strong results used as a booster in mix & match trials, including for inactivated vaccines. For example, the study conducted in Argentina on Sputnik Light combination with other vaccines has shown that antibody and T-cells response elicited by Sputnik Light as a booster to inactivated Sinopharm vaccine is 10x higher vs two shots of Sinopharm. The study also has demonstrated that each “vaccine cocktail” combination with Sputnik Light with other vaccines like Moderna, AstraZeneca and Cansino had provided a higher antibody titer on the 14th day after administering a second dose when compared to original homologous (same vaccine as first and second dose) regimens of each of the vaccines. Using Sputnik Light in combinations with all other vaccines showed high safety profile with no serious adverse events following the vaccination in any combinations.

The heterogeneous boosting approach (“vaccine cocktail” using human adenovirus serotype 26 as the first component and human adenovirus serotype 5 as the second component) pioneered by the Russian Gamaleya Center is at the core of Sputnik V, the world’s first registered vaccine against coronavirus. This approach had proven successful in creating a longer and more durable immunity against the coronavirus as demonstrated by the real-world data from Hungary, San Marino, Argentina, Serbia, Bahrain, Mexico, UAE and other countries.

To date Sputnik Light has been approved in more than 30 countries with a total population of over 2.5 billion and Sputnik V – in 71 countries with a total population of over 4 billion people.

Sputnik V creates stronger and longer lasting immune response against COVID (including the Omicron variant) than many other vaccines, which is further strengthened by Sputnik Light booster. A unique comparative study[3] conducted at Lazzaro Spallanzani National Institute for Infectious Diseases in Italy by a team of 12 Italian and 9 Russian scientists led by Francesco Vaia, Director of the Spallanzani Institute and Alexander Gintsburg, Director of the Gamaleya Center has shown that Sputnik V vaccine demonstrates more than 2 times higher titers of virus neutralizing antibodies to Omicron (B.1.1.529) variant than 2 doses of Pfizer vaccine (2.1 times higher in total and 2.6 times higher 3 months after vaccination).

The study was conducted in the equal laboratory conditions on comparable sera samples from individuals vaccinated with Sputnik V and Pfizer with a similar level of IgG antibodies and virus neutralizing activity (VNA) against Wuhan variant. Sputnik V showed significantly smaller (2.6 times) reduction of virus neutralizing activity against Omicron as compared to reference Wuhan variant than Pfizer vaccine (8.1-fold reduction for Sputnik V in contrast to 21.4-fold reduction for Pfizer vaccine).

Based on the data collected by the Spallanzani Institute and results of previous studies, mix & match boosting with Sputnik Light is the best solution to increase other vaccines’ efficacy and extend the booster protection period as optimal adenoviral platform configuration provides better protection against Omicron and other mutations.

Sputnik Light and Sputnik V and have been developed using a safe technology that has been widely studied for over 30 years and have not been associated with rare serious side effects such as myocarditis or pericarditis.

The highest safety and efficacy of Sputnik V and Sputnik Light was demonstrated in more than 30 studies and real-world data publications from more than 10 countries.

Sputnik V and Sputnik Light can be stored in a conventional refrigerator at +2 +8ºC for 6 months, making them available globally, including in remote territories, without any need to invest in additional cold-chain infrastructure.