16, Mar 2023
What is Health Insurance? Read to know the Benefits and Types!
The importance of paying heed to our health has become more apparent in recent years. It has drawn attention to the fact that while it is indispensable to be prudent about our lifestyle to lead a healthy life, we still be faced with unwelcome situations like illnesses, accidents, natural disasters, etc. And it is during such unforeseen health emergencies that health insurance becomes vital.
Unfortunately, health emergencies don’t just drain us emotionally but financially as well. And when we or our families go through a health crisis, we should be able to access the best healthcare facilities without having to worry about finances. We be financially secure in the face of such unforeseen circumstances with the protection of health Insurance.
Health insurance policies provide a wide range of coverage to the insured against surgical and medical costs.The purpose of health insurance is to assist you in meeting medical and related expenses during a health emergency ensuring that you don’t have to deplete your savings. In addition to direct hospitalization expenses, a comprehensive health insurance plan includes benefits such as pre and post-hospitalization charges, ambulance coverage, and critical illness coverage amongst others. A good health insurance plan can provide your family with lifelong comprehensive medical coverage and peace of mind. It also has the added benefit of tax savings.
The various kinds of health insurance policies available are:
Individual Health Insurance – This policy provides insurance coverage for individuals. It can be purchased for yourself, your spouse, dependent children, and your parents.
Family Floater Health Insurance Policy -It covers the entire family under a single floater sum insured. Here the sum insured floats over the family members covered under a policy.
Critical Illness Insurance –A Critical Illness policy provides coverage for serious illnesses such as heart attack, cancer, paralysis, and a few others depending on factors like the company you are purchasing the policy from and so on. If the policyholder is diagnosed with any of the diseases listed in the policy, the insurer will pay a lump sum amount to the policyholder. This money can be used to pay off debt, cover treatment costs, replace lost income, or make necessary lifestyle changes for recovery.
Group Health Insurance–It is a type of Health Insurance policy that covers a group of people within a single policy. A Group Health Insurance plan provides equal insurance coverage to all members of a group, regardless of age, gender, occupation, or socioeconomic status. Employees are typically provided with Group Health Insurance as part of their pay package. This type of plan can also include group members’ spouses, children, and dependent parents.
Speaking on the importance of health insurance, Mr.Shreeraj Deshpande, Head – Health Business, SBI General Insurancesays “Besides the benefit of having financial security to care for your loved ones, a health insurance plan is extremely useful in combating medical treatment expenses. Lifestyle diseases are on the risemaking it critical to buy health policies at a young age. It serves as a financial cushion in the event of a medical emergency, allowing you to focus on having access to quality healthcare and treatment rather than worrying about managing the necessary funds.”
You can visit the insurer’s office, buy online, etc. and choose from a range of health insurance policies to get the finest protection at an affordable price.
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- By Rabindra
15, Mar 2023
AgTech startup TartanSense rebrands as Niqo Robotics; fortifying mission to commercialise AI robotics for making farming sustainable
March 15th, 2023, Bangalore: AgTech startup TartanSense, has rebranded as Niqo Robotics. The rebranding comes on the heels of the company launching their proprietary green on green AI spot spray robots in India. With a fleet size of 50, this will be the world’s largest commercial deployment of AI powered robotic sprayers. Niqo’s proprietary green on green tech leverages real time AI assisted computer vision to selectively spray chemicals on plants resulting in up to 60% chemical and water savings.
Niqo Robotics seeks to challenge the status quo of conventional farming methods by pioneering an AI powered robotics revolution in agriculture. This revolutionary spirit of the company is strongly embodied in the new brand identity. The name Niqo is derived from the word “Nikolaos”, meaning Victory of the People. The victory flag in the logo is symbolic of the brand’s ambition to liberate the entire farming ecosystem from unreliable availability of labour and unsustainable farming practices. Niqo aims to do this through the scientific application of AI-powered robotics in all major farming activities like sowing, spraying, and harvesting.
As Niqo Robotics, the company’s mission is to make AI powered agricultural robots reliable as well as accessible. Staying true to this mission, Niqo Robotics has built their proprietary green on green AI spot spray tech stack to seamlessly integrate with existing agricultural sprayers in the market, making it truly accessible.
Speaking on the rebrand, Mr Jaisimha Rao, CEO and Founder Niqo Robotics said “It has taken us many years of innovation, frugal engineering, and rigorous testing to cover the distance from lab to land. The rebrand couldn’t have come at a better time. As we get ready to launch the world’s largest fleet of green on green AI spot spray robots to market, we need a strong identity that can boldly carry us into this exciting future. The name Niqo represents our hunger to win in this challenging ecosystem of robotics and agriculture. We are especially proud that India is leading the way for commercialising AI powered spot spraying at scale”.
“Niqo unabashedly embodies our innovative thinking and revolutionary spirit. This is reflected in every aspect of the brand’s identity from the name to the logo, typeface, colours, voice, and a strong customer centric narrative. For example, Niqo typeface is custom designed, inspired by postmodern style and data visualisation systems. The sharpness and slight curves create contrast and a strong image. It is an ode to the intricate engineering that goes into building our robots. This is the steadfast foundation we need as we take our first steps as a consumer brand” said Ms Arha Padman, Chief Marketing Officer, Niqo Robotics.
15, Mar 2023
SGT University Inaugurates Advanced Study Institute of Asia (ASIA)
Gurugram: SGT University inaugurated the Advanced Study Institute of Asia (ASIA), an autonomous center that will work with academic bodies of the university while pursuing research of its own. Padma Shri Ram Bahadur Rai, Chancellor of SGT University, inaugurated the institute. Smt. Madhupreet Kaur Chawla and Shri Manmohan Singh Chawla, Chairperson and Managing Trustee respectively, also graced the event.
ASIA will be chaired by Dr. Najeeb Jung, an energy expert and erudite scholar of Urdu who also served as the Lieutenant Governor of Delhi. Indu Bhushan, a well-known public health expert and former CEO of Ayushman Bharat, will also serve as the institute’s vice chairperson. The former CEO and MD of Deutsche Bank, Sandhya Vasudevan, as well as Rajat Nag, the former MD of the Asian Development Bank, will also be a part of ASIA.
Najeeb Jung, at the inauguration event, said that the institute is a big achievement of SGT University and will provide an excellent opportunity for its students to pursue advanced scientific research. He added that “The world is a sea of knowledge, and with ASIA, students will get the opportunity to explore and learn more about it.”
According to Ram Bahadur Rai, “Asia makes up one-third of the world and sixty percent of its population. This makes it important for countries in Asia to organize, share their ideas, and do collaborative research to become future leaders in technological advancement.” In a moment of brevity, he also remarked on how he would want ‘Asia Day’ to be celebrated on the 6th of August, to mark the tragedy of the Hiroshima-Nagasaki
15, Mar 2023
Designer label Annu’s Creation gives showstopper Tara Sutaria a dreamy bridal look at Lakme Fashion Week 2023
The recent Lakme Fashion Week 2023 in collaboration with the Fashion Design Council Of India (FDCI) was a starry event. While it was a glitzy affair, actress Tara Sutaria set the ramp on fire with her elegance and grace. The ‘Marjaavaan’ actress turned showstopper on day 3 as she walked the ramp for bridal couture and designer label Annu’s Creation.
Without any iota of doubt, the fashion label showcased the perfect modern bride’s bridal collection. Leaving everyone’s jaws dropped, Tara was a sight to behold in the rani pink lehenga paired with a short choli, a multi-layered heavy lehenga and a chiffon dupatta. Moreover, the sleeveless blouse had sequin embellishments and detailed beadwork in floral patterns.
Adding exquisiteness to the bridal outfit, Tara’s look was completed with heels, a heavy choker necklace, matching earrings and bangles. Not to forget, Tara’s makeup was minimal where she had centre-parted wavy hair, winged eyeliner, smoky eye shadow, nude lip gloss, flawless brows and blushed glowing cheeks. As the actress set the stage ablaze, Annu’s Creation founder Annu Patel was overwhelmed to have the ‘SOTY 2’ actress as her showstopper.
Speaking about it, Annu revealed, “It was an enriching experience to work with Tara. For a bridal look, I could not have anyone better than her. She was a cynosure to all eyes with the way she carried herself in the bridal lehenga. I am glad that she was a showstopper for Annu’s Creation. It was one of the best associations I had, and I am looking forward to collaborating with Tara in future.”
Apart from this, Annu Patel’s couture label had B-Town diva Malaika Arora as a showstopper at the Lakme Fashion Week 2021. In the last few years, Patel’s creative flair for bridal outfits has made her a household name in the fashion industry. There’s no denying that the ace fashion designer is setting the bar high for ethnic and traditional wear.
Based in Vadodara, Gujarat, Annu’s Creation was started in 2011 when she was a student at INIFD. Following her passion, she has rightly taken the fashion label to newer heights. All in all, Annu Patel signed off by stating that her experience at the Lakme Fashion Week 2023 was memorable and that she can cherish it for a lifetime. What are your thoughts about Tara Sutaria’s bridal look at the Lakme Fashion Week 2023?
15, Mar 2023
Ex-HCL Tech President Virender Aggarwal joins HONO as Global Advisor and Board Member APAC
New Delhi, 15 March 2023- HONO, a new age, AI and ML based Human Capital Management (HCM) Solution brand, announced the appointment of Ex-HCL Tech President Mr. Virender Aggarwal as Global Advisor and Board Member for APAC. He will be responsible for leading the company’s strategy in the Southeast Asia region and will concentrate on forging a significant footprint in this high-growth market.
Mr. Aggarwal brings along more than 35 years of technology leadership experience, as CEO of leading SaaS and ERP companies, with deep expertise in being a change catalyst in the area of payroll management, HCM, and conversational HRMS. His mentorship and organizational expertise will provide value to organisations taking the digital leap with HONO.
Prior to joining HONO, he successfully led people & change management in leadership roles in large corporates such as Ramco Systems, HCL Tech, and Satyam Computer Services Limited, among others. He will be closely working with other team members like Mr. Amit Khanna, Director, South East Asia-HONO, and Mr. Georgie Antony- Director, South East Asia- HONO.
HONO also announced the appointment of Ex-InterGlobe Real Estate CEO Mr. Amit Khanna as Director, SEA. He brings along over 25 years of experience in various leadership roles including Managing Director at Phoenix Advisors and Amaya Ventures and as CEO of InterGlobe Real Estate among others. With him on board, HONO will establish structure, performance metrics, and guardrails in the region to help scale the company’s operations.
HONO has inaugurated its regional headquarters in Singapore, as part of the company’s continued global expansion strategy. HONO has opened new offices in Manila and Indonesia to better serve their clients in the region and provide them with local support.
‘’One of the most forward-thinking and demanding markets, Southeast Asia demands constant improvement in the HR sector. We anticipate that a significant portion of our development will result from the genuine partner-friendly ecosystem we have been developing in the area. We also want to bring more locally relevant solutions and foster local knowledge.’’ Said Mr. Virender Aggarwal, Global Advisor, and Board Member APAC-HONO.
“The impact of intelligent technology on workforce management, talent acquisition, employee engagement, and business intelligence is undeniable in Southeast Asia. HONO is looking forward to providing tailored solutions to meet the unique needs of the organizations in this region.” Said Mr. Amit Khanna as Director, SEA, HONO.
‘’As we expand our business into Singapore and Southeast Asia, we are excited to leverage Singapore’s strategic location and well-developed infrastructure, which provides a gateway to the larger Southeast Asian market. The country’s highly skilled workforce and reputation for innovation and technological advancement also make it an ideal location for HONO to set up its regional leadership. ’’ Said Mr. Mukul Jain, Founder and CEO-HONO.
15, Mar 2023
Canara Bank Rupay Credit Card on UPI
Chennai, 15.03.23: The use of a Unified Payment Interface (UPI) has been on the rise, with UPI becoming the most popular digital product of NPCI used by people of all ages and genders due to its simplicity. To leverage the reach of UPI and the strength of credit card products, Canara Bank, in collaboration with NPCI, has launched the Rupay Credit Card through UPI using the BHIM app. With this introduction, all Canara Bank customers can link their active Rupay Credit Card to UPI and make merchant payments without the physical use of a card, similar to account-based UPI transactions.
Customers will benefit from the ease and increased opportunities to use their credit card limits, while merchants without POS machines can receive payments using a Credit Card from customers having a Rupay Credit Card linked to UPI using the most popular payment mode of scan and pay through QR. This will enable small merchants to increase sales turnover and business at a low cost. Presently, customers with Canara Bank Rupay Credit Card variants – Rupay Classic, Rupay Platinum, and Rupay Select – can link their cards to UPI.
Commenting upon the announcement, Dilip Asbe, MD & CEO of NPCI, said that the linkage of Canara Bank’s RuPay Credit Card to UPI would benefit customers by providing them with more opportunities to use their credit cards. He also noted that UPI has become the most popular digital payment product for all ages and genders due to its simplicity, and the collaboration between Canara Bank and NPCI will leverage the reach of UPI and the strength of RuPay Credit Card to further boost digital payments in the country.
Further, the procedure for linking the credit card is similar to the existing account linking procedure, and customers should select Canara Credit Card during account listing for linking. The transaction limits applicable for UPI transactions shall continue for UPI payments using Rupay Credit Card.
It is important to note that presently, only Merchant Payments are allowed using this facility, and Person-to-Person, Card-to-Card, or Cash-Out Transactions will not be permitted for UPI payments from Rupay Credit Cards.
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15, Mar 2023
G Square organizes a grand family fest to connect with customers, gifts a free plot to first customer of G Square City
Coimbatore, 15 March 2023: G Square, South India’s largest plot promoter today organized the “G Square Family Fest”- a gala event that gathered and celebrated with all the customers of the brand in Coimbatore. The event also took the occasion to announce the launch of the upcoming project, G Square City 2.0 next week.
The event which witnessed the presence of numerous esteemed celebrities including Amudhavanan, South-Indian actor and comedian; Michael Augustin, Kalakka Povathu Yaaru fame, and DJ Black, a Panamanian music artist also saw the inauguration of 13 assured amenities parks in the projects G Square City and G Square City 2.0 by its own customers. The celebratory event further went on to reward the customers for their referrals for the projects across Coimbatore. As a special token of appreciation, Mr. Bala, Chairman, and MD of G Square Realtors Private Limited generously went on to gift a free plot to the first customer of G Square City as he considered the first plot sale to be a very auspicious start for the whole project to be successfully sold in no time.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Eshwar N, Chief Executive Officer, of G Square Realtors Private Limited, said, “G Square Family Fest is an event that is very endearing for us, it is a gathering that gives us the opportunity to be different from any other real estate brand. Through this event, we not only get to meet new customers but also get to reconnect with our existing customer families, something that many real-estate developers fail to do. Once a deal is completed, most real estate developers are known to ghost their customers, which we strongly don’t support. G Square considers customers as its own family. The gifts and rewards during the celebration are nothing but a sign of their love and appreciation for their support of our brand in Coimbatore. Their support and referrals based on their wonderful experience with G Square have brought more new customers into our family. This joyous occasion makes us feel that we should have these types of events consistently, which I am confident we will.”
Also speaking on the occasion, Mr. Prakash, an owner of G Square City said, “ It was a wonderful experience for me and my family members to be a part of G Square Family Fest. I have invested in numerous properties from different real estate brands across Coimbatore but no other brand has made me feel this special as a customer. I was already impressed by their quick method of functioning during the plot purchase and then they went one step ahead by organizing this family fest and rewarding us for our investments. I am already referring numerous friends of mine to invest in G Square City 2.0. The location, the price, and the amenities which are provided by G Square is something that I personally feel shouldn’t be missed out on”.
Adding to this Ms. Yamuna, a resident of G Square Blue Crest, “We own a plot in a project that is quite away from G Square City. It was very generous of G Square to invite us to join G Family Fest. Here we were able to meet hundreds of customers from other G Square projects and connect with them. It was lovely to find out that all of the customers happen to have a good experience with G Square be it through their purchase or their service assistance. G square Family Fest also allowed us to visit G Square City 2.0 personally. We were astonished by the amenities and features that G Square City 2.0 provides and we might even consider buying a plot here.”
G Square City 2.0, the 110 Acre project is phase 2 of G Square City with 1697 plots, is currently scheduled to be launched by the coming week, with plots open for sale at an early bird price offer of Rs. 8.25 lakh/cent as the early bird price
15, Mar 2023
India Exim Bank forecasts India’s merchandise exports for Q4 (January-March) of FY2023 to amount to US$ 110.9 bn resulting in record exports of US$ 447.3 bn for the full year
Export-Import Bank of India (India Exim Bank) forecasts India’s total merchandise exports to consistently remain above US$ 100 bn for the fourth consecutive quarter (January-March) of FY2023, amounting to US$ 110.9 bn, while non-oil exports are forecast to amount to US$ 87.7 bn during the same period. India’s exports could be shadowed by a deepening global energy crisis, tighter global monetary and financial conditions, continued slowdown in select major trade partners and continued uncertainty around the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Despite a contraction in exports during the last two quarters of the current financial year, India is expected to witness all-time record-high merchandise exports of US$ 447.3 bn during FY2023. Non-oil exports are forecast to clock at US$ 350.5 bn for the full year.
Forecasts of growth in India’s total merchandise exports and non-oil exports are released by Exim Bank on a quarterly basis, during the first fortnight of the months of June, September, December, and March for the corresponding quarters, with continuous improvisation to the model. The next growth forecast for India’s exports for the 1st quarter of FY 2024 (i.e. April-June 2023) would be released during the first fortnight of June 2023.
The model and the forecast results have been reviewed by a standing technical committee of domain experts comprising Professor Saikat Sinha Roy, Professor & Coordinator, Centre for Advanced Studies, Department of Economics, Jadavpur University, Kolkata; Dr. Sarat Dhal, Director, Department of Economic and Policy Research, Reserve Bank of India, Mumbai; Professor N. R. Bhanumurthy, Vice Chancellor, BASE University, Bengaluru; and Professor C. Veeramani, Professor, Indira Gandhi Institute of Development Research (IGIDR), Mumbai.
As part of its continued research initiatives, Exim Bank has developed an in-house model to generate an Export Leading Index (ELI) for India to track and forecast the movement in India’s exports on a quarterly basis. The ELI gauges the outlook for the country’s exports and is essentially developed as a leading indicator to forecast growth in total merchandise and non-oil exports of the country, on a quarterly basis, based on several external and domestic factors that could impact exports of the country.
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15, Mar 2023
Manipal Centre of Biotherapeutics Research Inaugurated a 3D Bioprinting Facility
Bengaluru, 15th March 2023: Manipal Centre for Biotherapeutics Research (MCBR), Mangalore, a constituent unit of Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), inaugurated the 3D Bioprinting and Tissue Culture Facility which was unveiled by Lt. Gen. (Dr) M. D. Venkatesh, Vice Chancellor, MAHE, Dr. Sharath K. Rao, Pro Vice-Chancellor (Health Sciences), MAHE, Mrs. Nirali Vora, CSR Head of Genesis Packaging, along with Mr Kaushal Vora, Director, Genesis Packaging. Dual nozzle 3D bioprinter (Anga Pro, Alfatek Systems) was procured from the CSR funds contributed by Genesis Packaging Pvt. Ltd., Udupi.
While inaugurating the facility Lt. General ( Dr) M.D. Venkatesh, Vice-Chancellor, MAHE said “3D Bioprinting is the promising area of research where significant progress is being made in printing human tissues and organs. I am glad to inaugurate the 3D Bioprinting and Tissue Culture facility at MCBR and I look forward to seeing pathbreaking research to emerge from this facility ultimately benefitting healthcare at large”.
Mrs. Nirali Vora, CSR Head of Genesis Packaging said “I am honoured and humbled to be felicitated by MAHE leadership. MCBR is a world-class research facility, and we are extremely happy to contribute CSR funding to procure the 3D Bioprinter. We wish MCBR and MAHE researchers all the best in their research using the Bioprinter”. MAHE and Alfatek signed an agreement to collaborate on skill development and innovative research in the area of 3D Bioprinting.”
Mr Sumant Bhutoria, CEO of Alfatek Systems Pvt. Ltd., Kolkata, “spoke about the progress on 3D Bioprinting in India and the promises it holds.”
The event was presided by Dr Raviraja N S, Professor and Coordinator of MCBR welcomed the gathering and shared the vision of MCBR. Dr Kirthanashri SV, Associate Professor, and Team Leader 3D Bioprinting, MCBR, presented the research highlights in the area of 3D bioprinting at MCBR. Air Vice Marshal Dr DC Agarwal, Dr B S Satish Rao, Dr Sathish B Pai, Dr Sajan D George, and others were present. Ms Prachi Agarwal anchored the program and Ms. Vidhi Mathur proposed the vote of thanks.
15, Mar 2023
Indian Music Duo Almost Famous Collaborate With Tyla Yaweh
Los Angeles, 15 th March 2023 – Los Angeles-based music producer duo of Indian descent, Almost Famous have teamed up with American rapper and singer, Tyla Yaweh on their brand-new hip hop single titled ‘Unsick’.
The high-octane rapturous track is stylishly laced with some infectious beats, catchy lyrics and smashing hook lines, and pairs colorful, emotional melodies with punk sensibilities. Poised to be this year’s summer anthem, the track is being creatively managed by Hardik Zaveri and will be released worldwide by MadVerse today.
Explaining how the record came about Simarjeet Saini of Almost Famous elaborates, “The coming together of this collaboration was very organic and authentic. We were introduced to Tyla Yaweh by Kid Heat and we all just hung out at a club one night, and the next thing we know, we were jamming together in the studio. We vibed really well and both Tyla Yaweh and Kid Heat were very intrigued about India and the country’s music landscape. Unsick presents a new genre that witnesses the fusion of traditional Indian instruments with hip-hop. The track can be described as an innovative and experimental fusion of two distinct musical styles, that creates a fresh exciting sound that presents the creative possibilities that emerge from cultural blending. We can’t wait to put this song out to the world as we have been working on this since a while!”
Ahead of the single launch, emo-rap’s next icon Tyla Yaweh and Grammy Award winning songwriter-producer Kid Heat will present their unique blend of hip-hop and R&B in India for the very first time live at a performance in Mumbai for brand new IP ‘AF & Friends’ on the 18th of this month at Opa Kipos. ‘AF & Friends’ is a Los Angeles-based music project that encompasses a multitude of vocalists, producers and instrumentalists who have collaborated to create a genre-bending genre of music that incorporates elements of hip-hop, R&B, soul, and electronic music.
Talking about the live showcase Rishab Sadarangani of Almost Famous states, “AF & Friends is our unique music project that we have launched this year in India to foster cultural exchange between India and the United States as well as serve an impetus to the burgeoning hip hop movement witnessed in recent times in India. Tyla Yaweh and Kid Heat’s maiden visit and performance in Mumbai is going to be an unforgettable experience for music enthusiasts and we have invited friends from Los Angeles and Mumbai to make this a truly immersive global experience.”
Excited about his debut visit to India, Tyla Yaweh who has worked with Post Malone and Chris Brown exclaims, “I’m beyond excited to be visiting India for the very first time and performing live for all my local fans. I’m grateful to Almost Famous for supporting my dream of exploring the Indian sub-continent and hooking this up for me. I’ve always been fascinated by the culture and sounds of India and I can’t wait to let my Indian fans get a taste of my Punjabi singing on Unsick.”
Chiming in Kid Heat who has written for a variety of artists, including Justin Bieber, J Balvin, Lil Wayne and Cardi B and was instrumental in putting this collaboration together adds, “Well I’ve heard so many amazing things about the Indian film and music industry and I’m looking forward to spending time here and exploring the country. I loved putting together this collaboration for Almost Famous and I hope audiences enjoy Unsick.”
Prior to this record, Almost Famous released ‘Breakout’ in collaboration with Soulja Boy in 2019 followed by their debut EP ‘Lost Boy Journey’ in 2021 and ‘Cash Machine’ in collaboration with YOUNG Paris in 2022.
Almost Famous comprises of Mumbai bred, Rishab and Simar, who have known each other for several years. They met at a club in Bombay, Simarjeet convinced Rishab who was DJing at clubs to forge a partnership in music. Almost Famous has been active on the music scene for over a decade having performed at major festivals like Time Out 72 and EVC in India apart from opening for major global acts.
