Category: Business

ŠKODA AUTO India bets on 2022 to be the ‘Biggest Year’,,in its India operations

 

  • Continued product offensive through 2022 with 6 launches
  • Aims to triple sales over 2021, setting 2022 as the year for the highest ever sales
  • Targets to increase customer touchpoints by more than 25% in 2022
  • Will introduce new initiatives to enhance customer satisfaction
  • On track to achieve sales volumes of 1,00,000 units by 2025
  • India to be amongst the top ten markets for ŠKODA AUTO

 

The year 2022 is slated to be the biggest year for ŠKODA AUTO India ever since its entry into the Indian market in 2001. With a focused market strategy built around its consistent product launch campaigns, focus on enhancing the after sales and customer satisfaction drivers and increasing its network presence across the country, ŠKODA AUTO India plans to triple its annual sales volumes in 2022 and further build on the positive momentum created last year.

From 10,387 cars sold in 2020, ŠKODA AUTO India achieved a triple digit growth of 130% with 23,858 units sold in 2021. For 2022, ŠKODA AUTO India aims to triple the 2021 sales volumes, keeping the mid-term target of 1,00,000 units set for 2025. The growth in 2021 and the projection for 2022 is based on the successful implementation of the first leg of the India 2.0 project. A project that involved the development of the MQB A0 IN platform made specifically for India, that formed the base for the launch of the KUSHAQ.

With the start of the new year, ŠKODA AUTO India will be launching the new KODIAQ on January 10, the first of the 6 product actions planned for 2022. Continuing the charge will be the all-new SLAVIA sedan. Built on the same MQB A0 IN platform as the KUSHAQ, the SLAVIA will be the torchbearer of ŠKODA AUTO India’s 2022 calendar, alongside KUSHAQ. Providing further impetus to the product blitz will be enhancements across the product line-up, which include updates to the KUSHAQ, OCTAVIA and SUPERB.

Mr. Zac Hollis, Brand Director, ŠKODA AUTO India said, “I am very happy to share that 2021 has been a Year of Growth for ŠKODA Auto India. The growth is due to the team’s commitment and approach towards building a strong customer centric brand. Despite challenges of the pandemic and a global chip shortage, ŠKODA AUTO India stuck to its outlook and recorded a 130% growth in 2021. We will build on this strong momentum and focus on the diverse range of products, with constant product actions. At the same time, we look to set new standards of customer satisfaction and further enhance the after sales experience, continue with our network expansion and treble our sales volume. I am confident that these actions will establish ŠKODA AUTO India as a player of reckoning in 2022. At the onset of the new year, we are on track to achieve the goals we have set for ourselves, which positively reflects our commitment to India.”

New focus areas on the sales front:

 

In order to gear up for the aggressive sales volumes for 2022, the brand will build on new and existing avenues like its ‘Certified Pre-Owned’ brand, ‘Corporate Sales’ initiatives, increase penetration in rural markets and also continued focus on dealer manpower training, which is essential the business operations.

The plan is to activate the ‘Certified Pre-Owned’ brand across all outlets in 2022. There is already a high level of digitalization in the business process, and the 115 points vehicle evaluation is done by using the mobile app. On the ‘Corporate Sales’ front, the brand has already facilitated tie-ups with banks & financial institutes, and has recorded a 127% growth in 2021 over 2020. The objective is to further increase the corporate sales penetration to around 30% in 2022.

The brand is seeing a surge in the contribution from rural markets. From around 5% in 2020, the share of sales from rural markets grew to around 10% in 2021. With the rapid network expansion across the country, there will be further contribution from the rural markets in 2022.

All the actions on the sales front will mean that the brand will be amongst the top 10 markets for ŠKODA AUTO a.s. and also will be in the top 10 OEMs in India, which will be a tremendous feat.

Building on the Network Expansion:

 

One of the key pillars of the India 2.0 project was to substantially increase the network presence across the country. With over 175 touchpoints in 2021 the brand has already increased its presence by almost 50%. 2022 will see further actions on this front with the objective of growing from 175 to 225 touchpoints, which results in growth of more than 25%.

The increase in the service footprint will be an architect of this growth. The newly introduced Compact Workshop, which makes aftersales facilities accessible in all rural areas having a sales branch, will enable the brand to cater to more than 60 rural cities in India in 2022.

Enhancing the After-sales and Customer Centric actions:

One of the key areas of focus for the brand has been to keep building on its promise of customer satisfaction. On the after-sales front, the brand has already taken several measure towards enriching the customer experience with reduced cost of ownership. These include a 32% reduction in engine oil prices (gasoline engines) and up to 21% lower overall maintenance costs. The brand has also taken initiatives to have greater transparency with the service cost calculator, available on the website. In 2022, there will be efforts in increasing the trained skill force and improving service quality, introducing new aftersales programs (loyalty offerings) and building customer confidence through greater transparency. Initiatives like the Service Cam, mobile service vans and express service offerings will all help in augmenting the customer experience.

Also fuelling the growth are ŠKODA AUTO India’s customer innovations and campaigns. Like the introduction of an Artificial Intelligence ChatBot on the ŠKODA AUTO India website, WhatsApp and Facebook pages. It is AI that enhances the information and interactivity levels across platforms that people browse through in the car purchase decision. Besides, a slew of customer-centric initiatives like the ‘Peace of Mind’ campaign enabling lower cost of ownership, reduction in parts prices, accessibility of service centres and the digitalisation of the service process enveloped ŠKODA AUTO India’s customer activities.

Going into 2022, ŠKODA AUTO India aims to achieve a leadership position in customer centricity by its continuous implementation of trainings and programs across all customer touchpoints.

With major actions across its product range, sales strategy, network expansion, after-sales initiatives and focus on customer centricity, ŠKODA AUTO India has a firm strategy in place to make 2022 its biggest year in India.

Investors Clinic Honours COVID Warriors by Awarding a Flat

Winner selected through a social campaign (Flat 983) on Radio Mirchi

Investors Clinic (IC), the leading real estate consulting company did a month long campaign (Flat 983) on Radio Mirchi 98.3 FM, to identify and reward a COVID Warrior, who contributed selflessly and tirelessly to serve the society in these unprecedented times. Investors Clinic gifted keys of a flat to COVID warrior couple, Himanshu and Twinkle Kalia from Delhi, for providing free Ambulance services to COVID patients. The month-long campaign was run to select the winner through public opinion amongst the six finalists.

Investors Clinic has been running this campaign for last five years with Radio Mirchi. The company has acknowledged the work undertaken by various civil society organizations and individuals in the last five seasons. Last year the company had gifted the flat to a Martyred Army Officer’s family.

Speaking on the occasion, Honeyy Katiyal, Founder, Investors Clinic said, “Investors Clinic has always believed that giving back to the society is the most important duty for every individual and company. The times have been really harsh, but some people have risen above normal beings and helped people during the COVID pandemic. We have been running this campaign to acknowledge the contribution of few exceptional people and highlight their impact on the society. This year, we decided to acknowledge the contribution of COVID Warriors. We congratulate Vasundhara and Kunal Bose for winning a small token of appreciation from our end and hope that they will continue doing the good work.”

The theme for this year’s campaign was around COVID Warriors. Investors Clinic received more than 100 entries and six entries were finalized by the Jury which included – Himanshu Kalia and Twinkle Kalia (fondly known as Ambulance couple) for providing Free Ambulance Service; Vasundhara and Kunal Bose, Kvaab Welfare Foundation for working for distress animals; Rakesh – COVID Sample Collector, Paramedical Staff who collected more than 10k samples; Padma Shri Awardee Dr. Jitender Singh Shunty, President Shaheed Bhagat Singh Seva Dal; and Usha Gupta, Pickle Lady who helped more than 65k families.

While people are running the race of life to earn a living and become successful, there are few who selflessly contribute towards the society. It is important to recognize such work, so that they turn out to be inspiration for more and more people and create for warriors for the society.

My FM Radio becomes the Radio partner of,Howzat Legends League Cricket in 29 cities

Howzat Legends League Cricket announced its partnership with My FM Radio as the official Radio partner of the League in 29 Indian cities.

The Legends of Cricket representing India, Asia and the Rest of the World, will show up at the Al Amerat Cricket Stadium in Muscat, Oman to play competitive and exciting cricket, reviving the nostalgia and timeless rivalries between these Legends of the game. The League has a potential reach of over 500 million cricket fanatics across the globe through television broadcast and livestreaming of the matches.

“We are extremely happy to announce this partnership with My FM. They have had a very credible history of working on Cricket and have in the past made some very special properties around the Sport. We wish to walk a long mile with them and ensure Cricket fans around the country are treated with a very entertaining form of Cricket and stories from the League” said Raman Raheja, CEO of Howzat Legends League Cricket.

Mr Rahul Namjoshi, CEO MY FM said, “MY FM has been at the forefront of building interesting content & engagement around cricketing events. We look forward to a fruitful partnership with Howzat Legends League Cricket. Having these stalwarts on the ground playing competitive cricket will be a treat for our audience”

Legendary Amitabh Bachchan has recently joined Howzat Legends League Cricket as its Ambassador and will be promoting the League. The League also has former India Head Coach, Ravi Shastri as its Commissioner looking after the Cricketing aspect. As a host Oman has presented itself a very promising destination for Cricket after successfully hosting the ICC T20 World Cup matches recently.

The first season of Howzat Legends League Cricket will have former cricketers from India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Australia, England, among other cricket nations divided into 3 Teams representing India, Asia and Rest of the World. Cricket fans all across the world will get to see the Legends of Cricket sweat it out at their competitive best.

Recently Howzat Legends League Cricket (LLC) announced its partnership with Sony Pictures Networks India (SPN) to live telecast all the matches of the league to be played in January 2022, on SONY TEN 1 and SONY TEN 3 channels as well as livestream the matches in India on SPN’s premium OTT platform, SonyLIV.

SBI General Insurance launches #BahaneChhodoTaxBachao; a quirky Vox Pop campaign on Save Tax with Health Insurance

~ An awareness initiative to educate audience about saving tax under Health Insurance~

 

SBI General, one of India’s leading General Insurance company announced the launch of its awareness campaign “#BahaneChhodoTaxBachao”. The campaign aims to increase the awareness of how buying a health insurance can help people save tax which is crucial and seasonal in the last quarter of the financial year for all Indians. The campaign will also underline the other benefits of opting for health insurance.

In the quirky Vox Pop format, the anchor Rudraksh Singh aka Rudy is seen travelling across major cities like Mumbai, Bangalore, Delhi and Kolkata and asks the lamest excuse that people have to offer for not buying/opting for health insurance. The idea here is to find out ‘India ka lamest excuse’ for not opting for a health insurance.

The pandemic has caused a significant increase in insurance awareness and adoption. However, India still has vast scope for penetration of Health Insurance. It is a priority rather than a choice of option since it not just prevents a medical emergency from turning into a financial crisis but also comes with the double benefit of saving tax under section 80D.

Commenting on the campaign, Shefali Khalsa, Head – Brand and Corporate Communications, SBI General Insurance, said, “At SBI General, we are cognizant of the fact that while there is an increase in the awareness level for health insurance, but a major part of the population is still underinsured. Additionally, there is a lack of awareness that health insurance can also help save tax under section 80 D of Income Tax laws of India. This was the core brief for the new #SaveTax Campaign launched by SBI General riding on #BahaneChhodoTaxBachao.”

 

“We have tried relatable approaches in the past like communicating through rap songs that appeal to the youth as well. This year we wanted to address the excuses people make and still be relatable. The campaign has a humorous tone to bring out the barriers people have for not buying or procrastinating to buy health insurance.”, she added

 

 

Watch the YouTube video here:
   

Link to videos of the Vox Pop:

  1. Bangalore Vox Pop video
  2. Mumbai Vox Pop video
  3. Delhi Vox Pop Teaser Video

IMG Welcomes Dina Tarantola-Froner as Chief Underwriting Officer

INDIANAPOLIS, Jan. 4, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — International Medical Group® (IMG®) is excited to introduce Dina Tarantola-Froner as the company’s new Chief Underwriting Officer. Dina joins the IMG team with more than 30 years of underwriting experience and extensive knowledge of the insurance industry.

Dina will be responsible for leading the global underwriting and products teams at IMG where she will ensure underwriting and product initiatives meet the needs of today’s dynamic and competitive global marketplace. Additionally, Dina will work alongside the senior leadership team to strengthen the company’s underwriting strategy and create business plans that further position IMG as the leader of travel and health safety solutions for people traveling and residing away from home.

“I want to make sure IMG is making sound underwriting decisions and that there are efficient processes in place to provide excellent service to all of our stakeholders in our various segments,” Dina said. “I’m excited for the opportunity to apply my knowledge and experience to help drive strategic growth at IMG.”

Prior to joining IMG, Dina held senior leadership roles at Liberty Mutual Insurance, Hartford Financial Services, and AIG—where she spent 25 years, ultimately serving as the National Underwriting Officer and overseeing all accident and health underwriting for the U.S. and Canada.

A lifelong New Yorker from Brooklyn, Dina is married with two children. She says she looks forward to making a global impact through her new role as Chief Underwriting Officer at IMG.

“We’re excited to welcome Dina to IMG. Her extensive underwriting and leadership experience makes her a fantastic addition to the team,” said IMG President and CEO, Steve Paraboschi. “I’m confident that Dina will be able to successfully assist IMG on our path to continued growth in the marketplace.”

About International Medical Group® (IMG®)

International Medical Group® (IMG®), a SiriusPoint company, is an award-winning global insurance benefits and assistance services company that has served millions of members worldwide since its founding in 1990. A leader in the industry, IMG offers a full line of international medical insurance products, as well as travel insurance plans, medical management services, and 24/7 emergency medical and travel assistance. For more information, please visit www.imglobal.com.

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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.)

Bike Bazaar Finance disburses Rs 100 Cr for Hero MotoCorp two wheelers in Nov ‘21

Bike Bazaar Finance, an arm of Bike Bazaar, India’s first two-wheeler life cycle management company, has disbursed Rs 100 crores worth of loans for the Hero MotoCorp of range of motorcycles and scooters in the month of November 2021.

The company has an ongoing alliance with Hero MotoCorp, the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycle and scooters, to facilitate fast and flexible loans primarily in the rural areas focused on customers who don’t have access to organized retail finance.

 

Mr. Naveen Chauhan, Head – Sales & After Sales, Hero MotoCorp, said, “Bike Bazaar finance has been associated with us since 2019, adding immense value to our dealers & customers, especially in the rural market. Their unique offering of Direct Collection Model in rural market has been well accepted by both our customers & channel partners. We are extremely excited about their expansion and achievement of Rs 100 crore-loan disbursal in a month.”

Commenting on the same, Mr. V Karunakaran, Co-Founder & Jt. MD – Bike Bazaar, said, “It took us three months to hit our first Rs One Cr disbursal in 2017 and today we have reached a level of Rs 100 Cr disbursal in a month. This has been a great milestone for us that would not have been possible without the support of Hero MotoCorp team & its network partners. We are committed to building upon our unique offering and expand further to add value to our network & OEM partners.”

Bike Bazaar Finance has marked its footprint over more than 400+ locations across states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, and West Bengal. The company plans to strengthen its focus in these states and cover more than double the current locations by the next financial year.

Easebuzz unveils New Brand Identity reflecting company’s vision of helping a Million Businesses

PUNE, India, Dec. 29, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — In line with the evolving offerings by Easebuzz in Digital Payments and Collections space, the company announced the launch of its new visual identity and brand logo. The all-new brand identity underscores the commitment of Easebuzz to solve complex business problems around Payments Collections and Payouts.

A fintech company headquartered in Pune, Easebuzz is offering Digital Payment Collections & Payout Solutions to small, medium and large businesses of Indian Economy with SaaS based APIs. Easebuzz offers core financial and ancillary services to help firms digitize their business transactions, collections, and settlements. Some of its successful offerings include: Payment Gateway, Payment Links, Wire, Automated Teller, Fee reconciliation software, APIs to manage subscription-based payments etc. Available both as a web and mobile application, Easebuzz is dedicated to creating APIs that help include fintech services within your existing software or ERP system.

“This new identity personifies our commitment in supporting businesses with Secure. Cutting-edge. Comprehensive APIs. custom designed for each of the leading sectors of Indian Economy,” said Amit Kumar, CTO & Director at Easebuzz.

With exploding digitization of services and digital commerce post covid, Easebuzz has seen significant growth in Revenues and is currently catering to 60,000+ Businesses including brands like BigBasket, BBdaily, Just Dial, Symbiosis International University, Akshaya Patra and more.

“The rebranding marks a new Easebuzz with a strategy focused on Low cost – high value solutions for businesses across E-commerce, Insurance, Education, Retail, Mutual Funds and other leading sectors. With strong Security Framework, Sector-specific API Product suite and energetic brand, Easebuzz is onwards in achieving its vision of helping a Million Businesses with Seamless Payment Solutions,” said Rohit Prasad, MD & CEO at Easebuzz.

Designed to work effortlessly across digital and physical channels, the new logo is formed with 3 forward moving rays, symbolizing the alphabet “E” and 3 brand values – simplicity, Speed, and Reliability. The rays are stacked in a sturdy and solid construction to represent a brand with a strong foundation and comprehensive temperament. The Prime Blue, Mint Green and Violet Blue shades of the logo underscores the brand’s belief in Security, Innovation and Comprehensive Solution approach.

“There is lot of excitement around the Easebuzz in the market. This new brand identity captures that story and positions the company as forward looking & cutting-edge brand solving complex business problems in the Payments Space,” said Bharath Katta, VP & Head of Marketing at Easebuzz.

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

Easebuzz has also been recently recognized as Most Promising Company at India Achievers Awards 2021.

Brand Launch Video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ifWkGQdzVo

Company Website:

https://easebuzz.in/

Logo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1717353/Easebuzz_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.)

ChemRar Group announces the Russian Avifavir® drug is effective against variants of COVID-19, including Delta and Omicron

Avifavir® is effective against various variants of coronavirus, including Delta and Omicron, as it affects the highly conservative and mutation-resistant replication systems of RNA virus (RdRp).

The virus is incapable of developing resistance to favipiravir even with long-term exposure on infected cells, as has been confirmed in clinical trials. This provides Avifavir® with a major advantage not only over highly specific biologics but also over many other similar nucleoside products.

ChemRar Group announces the Russian Avifavir® (INN: favipiravir) drug is effective against various variants of SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus), including Delta and Omicron, as it affects the highly conservative and mutation-resistant replication systems of RNA virus (RdRp) via three complementary mechanisms, resulting in complete blockade of the viral infection.

In addition, the virus is incapable of developing resistance to favipiravir even with long-term exposure on infected cells, as has been confirmed in clinical trials. This provides Avifavir® with a major advantage not only over highly specific biologics but also over many other similar nucleoside products prone to inducing rapid evolution of resistant clinical variants.

The problem of rapid mutation is particularly typical of RNA viruses, such as SARS-CoV-2 (coronavirus). Most of the mutations are found in the spike protein structure, in particular in two of its key parts that are recognized by the human immune system.

A meta analysis of 23 COVID-19 treatment studies for favipiravir is demonstrating a 47% improvement when favipiravir is used in early treatment of coronavirus. This analysis is available at: https://c19favipiravir.com/meta.html

Figure. Mechanism of Antiviral Action of Avifavir® (INN: favipiravir)

In June 2020, with the support of the Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF, Russia’s sovereign wealth fund), ChemRar Group specialists developed and were the first in the world to release Avifavir® (INN: favipiravir), a direct antiviral for COVID-19 treatment, to the Russian and international markets. The product’s efficacy has been confirmed in a full-scale clinical trial in Russia involving 460 COVID patients. Avifavir® has been supplied to more than 15 countries around the world.

Clinical trials of Avifavir® have demonstrated its anti-COVID properties, such as alleviating symptoms and cut the duration of the disease by half compared to standard therapy.

In particular:

  • Avifavir® is demonstrating the best results in COVID treatment when used in the first 3-5 days after first symptoms;
  • After the first 4 days of treatment, 65 % of patients on Avifavir® tested negative for coronavirus, twice the rate of the standard treatment group. By day 10, the number of negative patients had reached 90 %;
  • In 68 % of patients on Avifavir®, body temperature normalized earlier (on Day 3) compared to the control group (on Day 6).
  • Median time to clinical improvement with Avifavir® was 7 days vs. 10 days in the standard treatment group.

In addition, the results of Avifavir® in patients with COVID-19 are being closely monitored in real-world clinical practice. A retrospective review of favipiravir’s efficacy and safety is currently under way in 40,000 patients exposed to the product in an outpatient or inpatient setting.

In 2020–2021, potential of favipiravir against coronavirus infection was actively investigated in more than 50 clinical trials involving around 5,000 patients in Russia, Japan, China, India, Thailand, Turkey, Iran, Saudi Arabia, EU countries and Latin America. To date, the PubMed database of international medical and biological literature contains almost 900 peer-reviewed favipiravir-related papers. At least 700 of them were published in the last 1.5 years. These publications speak for the high efficacy and safety of favipiravir against COVID-19.

Elena Yakubova, Medical Director of ChemRar Group, commented:

“Having accumulated extensive experience with Avifavir® in patients infected with COVID both from clinical trials and real-world clinical practice, we see that taking Avifavir® in the first 3–5 days after infection leads to a milder disease in most cases and prevents hospitalization. Over the past 17 months, more than 4 million patients have been treated with favipiravir worldwide. The product was well tolerated with no new adverse events, which confirms the high safety of favipiravir”.

To date, vast body of information has been accumulated in the scientific literature on various aspects of the favipiravir pharmacology as the product has been well studied, including its mechanisms of action, activity in vitro and in vivo, clinical efficacy, safety, cost-effectiveness, potential for combination therapy, analytical control methods, etc. A series of clinical trials in 2020-2021 have provided objective evidence for the efficacy and safety of favipiravir as treatment for COVID-19.

If therapy begins in the first days after the onset of disease, the product significantly increases survival rate, reduces viral load, need for artificial ventilation, and length of hospital stay.

Robert Redfield, a renowned American virologist and former director of the U.S. Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2018–2021), notes: “Avifavir® has been shown to be effective against COVID-19 in clinical trials and medical practice. Recently additional direct acting antiviral have been developed. Studying the combination of Avifavir® with other antivirials such as Paklovid (Pfizer) could offer even better therapeutic options for those at higher risk of COVID-19 disease progression, reduce the likelihood of drug-resistant virus mutations, and increase the time after diagnosis when therapy can be effective”.

References to studies supporting the efficacy of favipiravir against COVID-19:

  1. In a multicenter randomized phase II/III clinical trial in patients with moderate COVID-19 (NCT04434248), Avifavir provided effective clearance of SARS-CoV-2 virus in 62.5 % of patients within 4 days, was safe and well tolerated (Ivashchenko А.А. et al. Avifavir for Treatment of Patients With Moderate Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19): Interim Results of a Phase II/III Multicenter Randomized Clinical Trial. Clin Infect Dis. 2021 Aug 2;73(3):531-534. doi: 10.1093/cid/ciaa1176.). Now we can summarise and supplement both the ChemRar Group data on the use of the product and the findings of extensive scientific research with the product performed around the world.
  2. A systematic meta-analysis of 11 clinical trials has demonstrated that favipiravir causes effective clearance of the SARS-CoV-2 virus by day 7 and promotes clinical improvement within 14 days (Manabe et al. Favipiravir for the treatment of patients with COVID-19: a systematic review and meta-analysis. BMC Infect Dis. 2021; 21(1):489.).
  3. In a randomized, blind, placebo-controlled phase III study of favipiravir efficacy and safety in 156 COVID-19 patients with moderate-to-severe pneumonia (Japan), the median time to patient recovery was 11.9 days in the favipiravir group and 14.7 days in the placebo group, with a statistically significant difference (p = 0.0136) (Shinkai M. et al. Efficacy and Safety of Favipiravir in Moderate COVID-19 Pneumonia Patients without Oxygen Therapy: A Randomized, Phase III Clinical Trial. Infect Dis Ther. 2021 Aug 27; 1-21.).
  4. Inclusion of favipiravir in the national COVID-19 treatment protocol in Turkey resulted in a pronounced, statistically significant decrease in ICU hospitalization rates from 24 % to 12 % (Guner et al. ICU admission rates in Istanbul following the addition of favipiravir to the national COVID-19 treatment protocol. North Clin Istanb. 2021; 8(2):119.).
  5. In a retrospective study conducted in specialized public hospitals in Saudi Arabia, the median time to discharge for patients with COVID-19 was 10 days in the favipiravir group compared to 15 days in the maintenance therapy group, across all grades of COVID-19 severity (Alamer et al. Effectiveness and safety of favipiravir compared to supportive care in moderately to critically ill COVID-19 patients: a retrospective study with propensity score matching sensitivity analysis/ Curr Med Res Opin. 2021; 37(7):1085.).
  6. In a randomized, open-label, parallel, multicenter phase III study of 150 patients with mild to moderate COVID-19 conducted in India, the median time to cessation of virus excretion was 5 days versus 7 days, and the median time to clinical recovery was 3 days versus 5 days for favipiravir and control, respectively (Udwadia et al. Efficacy and safety of favipiravir, an oral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase inhibitor, in mild-to-moderate COVID-19: A randomized, comparative, open-label, multicenter, phase 3 clinical trial. Int J Infect Dis. 2021; 103:62.).
  7. Favipiravir has demonstrated efficacy and safety in treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in outpatients and hospitalized patients: the median time to clinical improvement was 6.0 days (IQR 4.0; 9.3) in the favipiravir group and 10.0 (IQR 5.0; 21.0) days in the SOC group. The rate of viral elimination on Day 5 in the favipiravir group was significantly higher than in SOC group: 81.2% vs. 67.9% (RR 1.22; 05% CI 1.00-1.48; P=0.022). (Phase 3 trial of coronavir (favipiravir) in patients with mild to moderate COVID-19. Am J Transl Res 2021;13(11):12575-12587)

Automation Anywhere to Acquire FortressIQ to Reimagine Intelligent Automation

Redefining the future of AI-powered intelligent automation and process discovery

BANGALORE, India, Dec. 24, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — Automation Anywhere, a global leader in robotic process automation (RPA), today announced that it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire cloud pioneer FortressIQ, a leading process discovery and mining company based in San Francisco.

Combining FortressIQ with Automation Anywhere will usher in a new era of intelligent automation by enabling organizations to accelerate automation initiatives and transform in a digital-first world.

“The Fortress IQ team are the pioneers of process intelligence, making this a perfect match,” said Mihir Shukla, CEO and Co-Founder, Automation Anywhere. “Together, Automation Anywhere and FortressIQ will reshape the future of automation, changing the way our customers automate, adapt, and accelerate as they pursue digital transformation initiatives. I’m thrilled to welcome FortressIQ to the Automation Anywhere family once the transaction closes.”

“Automation Anywhere is a global leader of the RPA revolution, and nearly two decades later, is reimagining automation to be cloud-native, intelligent, and designed for every person in every company,” said Pankaj Chowdhry, CEO and Founder, FortressIQ. “We share a vision to deliver and automate at scale, as well as share common values to help customers succeed on a trusted platform. This will change the industry, and I’m excited about what we can automate next.”

Building the Automated Company, Together

Demand for robotic process automation has skyrocketed as the pandemic endures and companies look for new ways to streamline business processes. Process intelligence, as part of RPA, is essential, helping companies identify, map, and analyze the multi-dimensional processes that extend across hundreds of applications and hundreds of thousands of employees.

With the acquisition of FortressIQ, Automation Anywhere will advance its AI-powered, cloud-native Automation 360 platform with process discovery, intelligence, and optimization that can scale to any system or application across any vertical. The new capabilities offer built-in intelligence that provides fast, accurate visibility on which processes can and should be automated.

“Today, organizations are focusing on improving cycle times and overall operating performance to ensure that inefficiency does not get in the way of successful transformation,” said Maureen Fleming, Program Vice President, IDC Intelligent Process Automation Research. “Tools aimed at providing insights about where a process and its individual tasks are holding back overall operating performance are becoming the de facto starting point for automation and improvement projects. Integrating process insights with automation planning and development speeds up time to value while improving the accuracy and completeness of the resulting automation.”

Automating low-value, manual tasks can free up time and resources that can then be used by organizations to adapt to changing business conditions. Automation Anywhere customers have collectively implemented nearly 3 million automations, with leading companies deploying tens of thousands of bots throughout their organizations, primarily in the cloud.

Interact with Automation Anywhere:

About Automation Anywhere

Automation Anywhere is the world’s #1 cloud automation platform, delivering intelligent RPA solutions globally across all industries to automate end-to-end business processes, for the fastest path to enterprise transformation. The company offers the world’s only cloud-native platform combining RPA, artificial intelligence, machine learning, and analytics to automate repetitive tasks and build enterprise agility, freeing up humans to pivot to the next big idea, build deeper customer relationships and drive business growth. For additional information, visit www.automationanywhere.com.

Automation Anywhere and Automation 360 are trademarks/service marks or registered trademarks/service marks of Automation Anywhere, Inc. in the United States and other countries.

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JAUNPUR – a gripping story of crime, family, and more streaming now on WATCHO; Inspired by real-life events

WATCHO, the new and fastest-growing OTT platform from Dish TV India Limited, India’s leading DTH Company, has premiered a new nail-biting crime series “Jaunpur” to end the year 2021 with a bang. Inspired by the life story of a well-known gangster who shot to the top in JAUNPUR, this crime thriller is sure to keep its audience at the end of their seats. The series also explores the human side of one of the most-wanted gangsters of UP. Shot extensively in Jaunpur, the new web series is available in Hindi and is now available on the WATCHO app and website.

The action-packed series is directed by Satish Shukla which follows the story of Babu, a brave and fun-loving teenager who gets into the world of crime to save his friend’s honor. It explores Babu’s journey as he gets transformed into one of Jaunpur’s most dreaded figures. Produced by Abhishek Bindal, the series stars Anuj Sharma, Palak Singh, and Zahid M Shah as its main cast.

Commenting on the launch, Mr. Sukhpreet Singh, Corporate Head – Marketing, DishTV & WATCHO, Dish TV India Ltd. said, “Close on the footsteps of ‘Papa Ka Scooter’, we are very excited to bring to our audience another WATCHO original from the Hindi hinterland. JAUNPUR explores the dark underbelly of UP and is a story of crime, action, family, and sacrifice. Inspired by real-life events, this gripping tale boasts of an outstanding cast, power-packed performances, and an intense storyline, which is sure to make our audience sit up and take notice.”

Bringing in a unique assortment of snackable content cutting across all genres, WATCHO offers many original shows including web series like Papa Ka Scooter, Aghaat, Cheaters – The Vacation, Sarhad, Mystery Dad, JaalSaazi, Titli-Current Maarti Hai, It’s My Pleasure, 4 Thieves, Love Crisis, Ardhsatya, Mortuary, Chhoriyan, Rakhta Chandana. There are also original influencer shows like Look I Can Cook, Bikhare hain Alfaaz, etc. to name a few. Available across screens (Android & iOS devices, Dish SMRT devices, D2H Magic devices, and Fire TV Stick) and at www.WATCHO.com, WATCHO presently provides over 35 plus original shows, 150 plus exclusive plays, and 100 plus live channels in Hindi, Kannada, and Telugu regional languages.