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When there is a discussion about ‘Salaried Class’ in India, there is a clear classification made as to whether a salaried person belongs to the “Organized” or the “Unorganized” sector. This classification is done by the Government Of India. All public sector employees are in organised sector. Private sector establishments with more than 10 employees in non agricultural sector are classified as organised sector. The Private sector companies have to register sales tax, pay employee’s PPF etc. Everyone else is in un-organised informal sector. As per the data available on https://data.gov.in, in 2011 there were 28.9 million workers in organised sector out of a total labour force of 469 million. As per the report, though there is a dip in the organized work force vis-a-vis labour force has fallen since 1990’s; people who are in good jobs in private sector companies are making more money than ever before 🙂

With the rise of the upper and lower middle class; salaried class people developed higher aspirations like Planning a vacation abroad, Home improvement, Planning a grand wedding etc. The aspirations can sometimes be endless.. Most of the times these aspirations may not be fulfilled with the ‘Salary’ coming from their jobs and this is where Personal Loans act as a catalyst in managing your finances and helps in putting your plans into ‘tangible’ actions. Many of the NBFC’s [Non Banking Financial Companies] offer Personal Loan but either their interest rates are very high or you get stuck in endless paper work [which starts from account creation and never seems to end :(].

When one of my colleague’s who is falling in the ‘Premium category of the salary bracket’ was looking out for a ‘Exquisite Wedding’ [which was bit beyond his budget], he took a Wedding Loan from Bajaj Finserv Lending, one of the most diversified non-banks in the country. Yes, you read it right; Wedding loan :). Bajaj Finserv has launched online services to offer personal loan to premium salaried class professionals.

It sounded very interesting proposition and hence we decided to have a closer look at their offerings in the ‘crowded’ Loan sector. Let’s have a look at their overall offerings.

First Mover Advantage

Bajaj Finserv Lending is one of the first NBFC’s to offer ‘Specialized’ Personal Loan catering to the Premium salaried class professionals. This is where they have an upper edge over their competitors who are also looking to enter into the rising Personal Loan market. With Bajaj Finserv’s deep technical and financial expertise, they definitely have a huge first mover advantage over it’s competitors !!!

Whatever your need, BFL has a Loan

As discussed earlier, my colleague took Personal Loan to fulfill his wish to plan an exquisite wedding. Thanks to BFL he was able to realize his dream into reality. Bajaj Finserv offers Personal Loan for salaried class whether you are looking to fund your child’s education, home renovation, planning a grand vacation or planning a grand wedding (for self or family). Whatever, your Loan requirement, BFL has an answer to it.

No Running around.. Hassle Free

Unlike other NBFC’s & Banks that offer Personal Loan, BFL offers 100% end-to-end Personal Loan solutions. Yes, you read it right 🙂 You can apply for a loan online and before applying for the Loan, you can check the eligibility by going to their Eligibility Calculator so that you do not waste your precious time by applying for a loan only to come to know that you are not eligible (for the Personal Loan).

If that is not all, once you confirm your eligibility for the loan; you can apply for a Personal Loan in less than 5 minutes. Customers can avail loan from range of 1 Lakhs to 25 Lakhs (depending on various parameters).. The disbursal from the bank normally happens in less than 72 hours, which in our opinion is “pretty swift” !!! With this process, it ensures that the customer does not have to take the pain of filling lengthy forms and waiting for an executive to collect the documents. Just like e-commerce, customer can now enjoy the benefits of ‘Loan Commerce’ 🙂

Flexi Loans : Lower Interest Rates & more Benefits

BFL has come up with many industry first’s in the ‘Personal Loan’ category with Flexi Loan being one of them. As the name signifies, once a customer signs up for this facility; (s)he can save interest cost via pre-payment or by just having funds lying idle in your account. The main benefit of this facility is that there is no interest levied on the part-paid amount.

While availing any loan, Loan Pre-payment is an important question that comes up in any customer’s mind. Once the customer opts for Flexi Loan facility, they can pre-pay the loan with the idle funds that are lying in their account, that too at no additional cost !!! To top it all, customer can also save huge money on Interest Payment since Interest is only levied on the utilized loan amount (Pre-paid amount is out of the radar of interest).

With so many benefits, it is needless to even mention that you would have Online access to your account so that you can access it even when you are on-the-move 🙂

So, why wait for the right moment ? Whether you are planning for a grand vacation or an extravagant wedding; you have Bajaj Finserv Personal Loan at your rescue !!!

Time to realize your plans and turn your Dreams into Reality….

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We all know the importance of an insurance plan in this fast paced life. We insure our cars, house, bike, life and even mobile phones these days. Most of us have also insured our health by buying a health insurance plan but is it sufficient? God Forbid if one falls prey to a critical illness then may be just a health plan would not suffice to fulfill his medical and day to day expenses. Critical illness takes a toll on not just one’s health but also his job and other sources of income. A health insurance plan will only pay his hospitalization bills and not for his advanced treatments or EMI’s. A critical illness plan provides a lump sum amount on diagnosis itself and one does not need to submit hospitalization bills or be hospitalized for the same.

Let’s take an example, suppose Raj suffers from Chronic Kidney Disorder, Raj doesn’t need to be hospitalized he has to undergo regular dialysis. Regular dialysis doesn’t need the patient to be admitted for 24 hours and also his treatment will need to be weekly or twice a week, which will burn a huge hole in his pocket. Also since he is weak and the treatment is a continuous process his income earning capacity will be hampered and this will exhaust his entire savings. Now if Raj had a critical illness policy he would receive a lump sum on the diagnosis itself, with this lump sum amount he could pay his EMI’s, pay for his treatment, he could also get a transplant done and his savings wouldn’t be hampered to a large extent.

There are many critical illness plans in the market like Bajaj Allianz, Edelweiss Tokio Life – CritiCare+, ICICI prudential Life, HDFC life Cancer Care, Aegon iCancer.

Some plans like HDFC Life Cancer Care and Aegon iCancer only provide cover against Cancer. Whereas Bajaj Allianz has a constraint when it comes to maximum sum assured. ICICI prudential Life is a critical illness rider, Edelweiss Tokio Life – CritiCare+ is a standalone plan which covers multiple critical illnesses that occur in India like – Kidney Failure, organ transplant, Heart attack, cancer, Brain Tumor, major burns etc. Also Edelweiss Tokio Life – CritiCare+ is comparatively cheaper and provides a high cover like up to Rs 1 crore with a multi claim option. Under this multi claim option one can claim thrice, so if the policy holder is diagnosed with three critical illnesses he can claim thrice and hence comprehensive protection is provided.

Understanding that the policy holder will not be in a state to pay his/her premiums after he/she is diagnosed by the first critical illness, the future premiums under the multi claim option is waived off. With the increase in the rate of inflation, it is but obvious that there will be increase in cost of treatment for any critical illness so it’s always advisable to be financially secured against critical illnesses. My opinion is that Edelweiss Tokio Life – CritiCare+ is the best critical illness plan in the market and it can help one bounceback from a critical illness.

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When we talk about ‘Cricket’ in India it is not only refereed as a Game that is enjoyed and worshiped by majority of the Indian population. Rewind many years back (1980’s), West Indies was the team that had awesome bowlers that were experts in bowling bouncers!! That was the time when ‘Test Cricket’ was played a lot and also enjoyed by many. In 1990’s, One day cricket (50 over format) gained momentum and slowly took over the numero uno position. Batsmen became more aggressive since they had only 50 overs in hand unlike test cricket where there were 5 days to prove their worth 🙂

As they say, only thing that is constant in life is “Change”. Fast forward now, T20 cricket (20 over format) is most watched format since T20 means “Hard Hitting”, more 6’s, more boundaries & eye-catching fielding. In our apartments, we also play another format of Cricket termed as “Box Cricket” where there are lesser players, confined space and more focus on techniques (cover drive being the favourite shot).

One more game that has gained popularity is Football. In fact, Football is now looked upon as a serious career by many and some credit for this should be to the “Schools” who are taking right steps in nurturing talent. As mentioned earlier, you require more elegance when you have to play consecutive cover-drive’s (when space is confined). Same holds good for football where you have another variation of football called ‘Futsal’. Futsal is played in Uruguay and Brazil but is now seeing wide-spread adoption in India. As you would have guessed it is played indoors and is a five a side game. It is a modified version of football that would test and hone your skills 🙂 Futsal Federation of India has played important role in popularizing that game in India.

In fact, such is the growing craze of Futsal in India that even FIFA players (former or current) want to grab a share of this pie 🙂   Luis Figo (Former Fifa World Player of the Year) has expressed interest to start his own academy in India. As per this article, he would be on a 3 day visit to India (covering Mumbai and Chennai). There is a growing craze of the game in India and the legend wants to “take the craze to the next level”.

Considering that there are many malls that have facilities for Indoor Football and introduction of Inter-School Under-12 Futsal Cup are proving that it is an opportunity that needs to be pursued. If you are football fanatic, than you should definitely watch out for Luis Figo in India and he is as excited to be in India (as we are :)). Given there is huge space crunch (with amount of open-space for playing reducing in India), there are many youngsters who have started ‘Rooftop Futsal’ in Chennai.

As we write this article, the World Cup T20 finals (West Indies vs England) is underway and there is still lot of excitement in India, even though we are out of the tournament. With Shortened format being the flavor of the season, we are sure that Futsal is here to stay in India and reach newer heights. With India being on radar of former FIFA players  (like Luis Figo), time would surely come when you would have Futsal Tournaments that would grab more eye-balls than T20 !!!

You just need Grass Field (or artificial Turf), Confined Area and Football Kit to play Futsal and we are sure that you can find plenty of Confined Areas around you to get started with Futsal.

Let’s Futsal !!!

[Image Credit* – Futsal]

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Most of us [or should we say], all of us would have watched the movie 3 Idiots. There was a very interesting dialogue at the end of the movie where Aamir Khan advises Madhavan on why he should ‘pursue’ his dreams to become a wild-life photographer. I had a friend in my engineering college who was very good in Drama and very active in all the cultural festivals. He was a good student but after he passed out of engineering, he went on to pursue his dreams. He went on to become a Film Director [More about Jayprad Desai here]

Well, this is one a one-off scenario and we come across such stories where engineers pursue career in entertainment, Doctors become singers/reality TV stars, Bankers become Best-Selling Authors and many more… Divergence in the career path could either be ‘Imposition of Parental Pressure’ or ‘Late Self-Realization’. Many times, my wife Janukin [who is a passionate teacher] & myself have discussions over tea about her students, interaction she has with parents, her student’s likes & dislikes, their aspirations. One ‘common’ thing that we realized is that kids have varied interests which they would like to pursue as their career and they require their parent’s support & guidance in order to fulfill their dreams !!  In a nutshell, Children have innumerable career options, thus parents need to be prepared for their decision and should Do their Homework

An interesting experiment titled ‘Do Your Homework‘ [#DoYourHomework] was conducted at multiple sites namely Crossword & KidZania. It was initiated with a group of parents and their children. Children were asked to draw a picture of what they would like to become in future while parents were asked to paint what they would like their children to become in future. They were told not to interact with each other during the course of the activity.

Two important things that can be learnt from the video are a)  Children today want to follow their passion & areas of interest b) Parent’s role is to be prepared to fulfill their children’s aspirations.

There are tons of resources freely available for parents like ‘The Homework App‘ to ensure that they are on the same page as their kids about their future. The calculator feature would keep them informed about the education expenses and help them be ‘Financially’ prepared.

As they say ‘Learning should be fun’ and what better way than to make it Visual. There are books curated to inspire the children to explore the various careers by way of reading short stories on various professions, trying their hand with coloring or solving crossword puzzles on various professions. This could be a ‘Litmus Test’ for parents to know their kid’s interest.

As mentioned earlier, parents need to be emotionally & financially prepared to support their child’s education, hence it becomes very important to invest wisely. If you are a ‘Risk-Averse’ investor, you definitely have an option to invest in ELSS tax saving instrument and cut down your taxes paid. Do have a look at  investor education awareness campaign, Save Less & Share More 🙂

As the legendary Steve Jobs said

Have the courage to follow your heart and intuition. They somehow already know what you truly want to become. Everything else is secondary.

|In: Digital|Last Updated: | 1 Comment

Reiterating its commitment to Digital India, Intel India have announced the launch of Intel Education Digital Wellness Program in Assam, including the release of an Assamese version of Digital Wellness curriculum for students and teachers in government schools.

As part of this initiative, Intel India will closely work with the education ecosystem in Assam to enable a safe cyberspace for the students and youth. The announcement comes as the latest in a series of engagements that Intel has been running in the state since 2006.

The Intel Education Digital Wellness Program, developed by Intel Security Group, is an empowerment program for students and youth to make them aware of the possible risks of using the Internet and equip them with the necessary knowledge and skills to avoid such risks and stay safe and secure while on the Internet. The Intel Education Digital Wellness Curriculum is designed to be delivered through training modules, created especially for children and administered by the school’s teachers and master trainers.

Speaking at the launch, Kumud Srinivasan, President, Intel India, said

Intel has long been committed to the vision of Digital India. It is important for us to enable a robust and safe digital environment for everyone, particularly young citizens to be able to appropriately use the benefits of digital world. We believe the Intel Education Digital Wellness Curriculum is a key step in that direction and it will contribute to accelerating innovation and technology adoption in Assam.

As a part of the Intel Education Digital Wellness Program in Assam, Intel India will collaborate with the Department of Education, Government of Assam to impart training to 35,000 faculty and students in government schools on Digital Wellness and related initiatives, this year. In the last academic year, this Program was successfully implemented in Karnataka and Haryana, reaching out to 1,10,000 students & teachers.

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Panasonic unveiled its The Life Utsav – Home Makeover 2015 Offer which is a part of company’s festive consumer campaign Life Utsav. The consumer campaign was launched on 2nd Oct to mark the arrival of the auspicious festival season in the country and the customers can participate in the same by making a purchase of Panasonic products at any Panasonic Brand Stores across the country.

Under the 45 days long ‘The Life Utsav – Home Makeover 2015 Offer‘, Panasonic will announce 45 daily jackpots [Prizes of worth Rs 47 500/- each], 6 weekly Jackpot [each consisting of Honda Activa Scooter & Panasonic Products worth Rs. 21 000/-] & 1 Grand Bumper Jackpot [consisting of Honda Jazz & Panasonic Products worth Rs. 51 000/-].  Along with this, 101 customers also stand a chance to win 10 Grams Silver Coin daily. The offer is available till November 15th, 2015.

[Click on image to enlarge]

Speaking on the occasion, Manish Sharma, Managing Director, Panasonic India & South Asia said

As the spell of celebrations has just started, we at Panasonic India are delighted to introduce ‘Life Utsav – Home Makeover 2015 Offer’ across our Brandstore Network. These special offers will help Panasonic touch its consumer base across cities and build deeper inroads into the country. India being such a diverse market, to amplify the reach across the length and breadth of the country, the brand has developed a strong channel ecosystem, catering to the needs of the consumers across segments.

The ongoing campaign Life Utsav has some tempting offers so that consumers can shop without going heavy on their wallets. The campaign offers crazy deals and discounts to the consumers. Panasonic’s incredible bundle of offers can be availed on the purchase of Viera, Microwaves, Refrigerators and Washing Machines. Adding sheen to the festive spirit, the consumers have a chance to win assured gifts and extended warranties on their favorite products, from 25th Sept – 15th Nov, 2015

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We all have lost a key at one point or another and in some cases we might have had a spare but sometimes we just end up being stranded. When you have nowhere else to turn to, a locksmith is the only solution to the problem. A locksmith is a trained professional who has the skill to deal with all lock related problems from installing a new lock, removing, breaking, or repairing a lock. Before we hire this professional there are some factors that we should consider so that we do not end up spending money on a problem that we can solve on our own. When you lose your house’s keys or lock yourself in somewhere, only a locksmith can save you. Best local locksmith services are available across various cities. One can even find details of local locksmiths online or in the yellow pages or from trusted references. Local-locksmith services include upgrading old locks, changing them, installing special locks. This emergency locksmith service helps you out in getting your lock and key problems fixed in no time.

Here are some of the things regarding locksmiths and their services:

  • To tackle problems with complicated modern as well as traditional locks, trained and certified locksmiths can be availed.
  • Locksmiths save us from burglars and thefts. During emergency situations like broken locks or key losses, locks must be replaced or mended at the earliest. In such cases, an emergency locksmith is the only person who can restore security.
  • Our services are diverse. Installations of new locks and changing or repairing of locks are other works for which locksmiths are employed.
  • Further, locksmiths are also skilled key-makers. Other locksmith services include upgrading old locks, changing them, installing special locks, security and alarm systems, security cameras and installing vehicle locks.
  • Commercial local locksmith services mostly in demand are installation of access control systems, alarm systems, file cabinet locks, making of copy key, master re-keying, install of high security locks and other security equipments.
  • Locksmiths are skilled workmen. Locksmiths, who are certified, licensed and experienced, possess the know-how to tackle problems with all sorts of locks available today.
  • We are relied upon for timely advice on lock and key security problems, such as, how a jammed key can be taken out from a particular lock or how a faulty lock can be mended easily.
  • Locksmiths can also give genuine suggestions on the kind of security systems which should be installed.
  • We are easy to find in the country. Popular local locksmith services are available across various cities. One can even find details of local locksmiths online or in the yellow pages or from trusted references.

For a person, the safety of his family, property, belongings and business are serious concerns. To ensure that everything is in place and all is secure, one cannot do without the services of a skilful locksmith. By professionalism locksmith services are available 24×7 today. Be it day or night, wherever you are, you can easily find and appoint local locksmiths, skilled locksmiths to safely solve your lock and security problems.

Locksmiths offer a highly demanded service, which generally relates to maintaining and installing the various types of lock systems, from the standard key locks to the complex electronic or biometric locks. The most common types of locksmith professions consist of the emergency, industrial, commercial, and residential, which each of the specific fields requiring different skills and abilities.

Residential

Residential work is likely to be the most common of the services provided by a locksmith. A domestic property owner looks at personal security and safety as a key reason when it comes to making sure a home is fully secured against a would-be intruder. A locksmith has gained the experience and knowledge to suggest the most effective locks for a properties doors and windows. Beyond the ability to install new locking systems, the locksmith is also able to repair or replace the locks on the older styled properties. Extra services offered by a local locksmith include the ability to offer security advice, a key cutting service, installing locks on a garage or similar outbuilding, and installing at-home safes or vaults.

Commercial

A commercial or business locksmith is involved with working on larger sized security systems, which might include the security needs for office buildings, retail establishments, or schools. Installing a security system in a commercial property is likely to be a highly complex practice with a need to overcome issues such as having multiple access points, offering different access levels for staff members, using key, fingerprint or biometric based locks and providing effective security after-hours.

Automobile

An automobile locksmith is highly knowledgeable in working with all-types of locks and keys to fit the different models of vehicles. Auto locksmithing is a very difficult trade due to having to work with a range of vehicle models, which usually come with complex lock mechanisms. If requiring the services of an auto locksmith, it benefits to contact a dedicated locksmith working in the automobile field as they are more likely to give a quality service.

Emergency

Many of the high-quality locksmith companies are able to provide a 24/7 call out service which is an essential service for any person that is unfortunate enough to find themselves locked out of a car, home or office in the early hours of the morning. Emergency services are also perfect if a property home owner is a victim of a theft or burglary, and require the looks replaced at short notice.

Eagle’s Lock & Security Cincinnati makes it easy to find convenient and reliable locksmiths for everyone in the general area. Check out Safe Locksmith Cincinnati to find a professional locksmith you can trust.

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Handling elevator maintenance is a job that often requires a professional with ample experience and certification. If you do not properly service these interior vehicles, you could be putting your visitors at risk. You would service your car. You would make sure that the entire vehicle was working properly. Why wouldn’t you do the same thing for the elevators in your building? If you don’t, you could be putting many people’s lives on the line as a result. The good news is there are professionals who can help you with this process.

Learn About Training

Hiring someone to handle elevator maintenance means you are turning to a professional with ample education and training. Most will need to be certified. Look for those who have IUEC certification. You need to ensure that these professionals are able to provide service to your building. Most often, this is a requirement of your city’s building code. However, each city has different requirements for those it allows to perform any type of repair or to work to maintain these systems. Be sure that the company you hire is able to verify that the professionals working for it have the proper certification and training.

Another important step to look for is ongoing training. The National Elevator Industry Educational Program, or NEIEP, is an organization that ensures that individuals who are working in this industry have proper training and education. However, this is not a one-time situation. Rather, you will want to ensure that anyone who is going to work on these systems for you is getting the recurring training they need through this program or an in-house program. This is not something that you want to see the corners cut on.

Look for Expertise

Just because he or she has training does not mean the professional is experienced. There are various types and models of elevators available today. You want to make sure that the person or people you bring into the business to handle your needs actually have expertise with the type of system you have. Generally speaking, if you have a very old system, you need someone who has experience to know how to handle the repairs. Yet, you may have something that is very new, too. That also requires an experienced professional.

When it comes down to it, elevator maintenance is not something you can put off or avoid. If you do, the building department is likely to shut your elevators down, and that would cause a problem for anyone who is using them on a regular basis. You cannot handle this maintenance on your own. Have a professional elevator consultant team come in and help you to do it.