|In: General|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

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

|In: Android|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd, a part of the US $ 16.9 billion Mahindra Group, have announced the launch of SmartShift – a technology enabled load exchange platform. To ride the digital wave, Mahindra becomes one of the first large corporate groups in the country to initiate a digital mobility platform that is completely under its aegis. It marks the next milestone in the group’s journey toward exploring new horizons and rapidly adopting technology to develop new ecosystems.

SmartShift will act as an exchange platform for cargo owners and transporters, enabling them to work with each other. Cargo owners [both businesses and individual users] can access the SmartShift service through a world class mobile app [SmartShift Android App], the website or the dedicated call centre. It is noteworthy that Mahindra is launching SmartShift, following over 2000 hours of consumer research done over a year.


Speaking at the launch of SmartShift, Dr Pawan Goenka, Executive Director, Mahindra & Mahindra said

At Mahindra, we regularly challenge conventional thinking and create disruptions with our unique product and service offerings. SmartShift is one such idea that was seeded by a young team that has now been charged with growing this service offering independent of existing Mahindra businesses. SmartShift is a digitally enabled, value added service that would benefit both cargo owners and transporters.

Dr. Anish Shah, Group President (Strategy), Mahindra & Mahindra, said

The goods transport industry in India is a fragmented market. A platform or marketplace that connects load owners and transporters can bring significant efficiencies. The resulting reduction in cost and travel time would delight the end consumer. SmartShift will be the marketplace for load transport within cities.

With SmartShift, Mahindra aims to offer transparent pricing, an efficient simple one-click booking process and the ability to track cargo after dispatch. Being one of the biggest players in the CV industry, Mahindra understands and recognizes this ecosystem and its dynamics.

SmartShift for Cargo Owners

  • Book a vehicle in less than 3 minutes
  • Be able to negotiate the best price through a unique first of its kind “BID” feature
  • Choose from a range of certified and trained SmartShifters
  • Track the selected SmartShifter to ensure that his consignment is delivered safely and securely

SmartShift for Cargo Transporters

  • Get more business through faster and easier order taking technology
  • Get the option of accepting or declining a delivery request based on pricing or the availability of vehicles
  • Get the opportunity to explore and expand to other markets
  • Look forward to a higher earning potential

The company is launching SmartShift in Mumbai, followed by other towns and cities across India.

About the Small Commercial Vehicle [SCV] industry

The SCV industry is expected to reach 1 million units by FY 2021. The key demand drivers for the industry would be:

  • The need for last mile connectivity for both goods and people transportation
  • Better operating economics combined with better financing options making SCVs more lucrative for end customers
  • New applications being developed to expand the market, prompting newer customers to buy SCVs

Do give SmartShift a spin & share your comments.

|In: Internet|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Yahoo Inc. have made a number of product announcements, primarily in the area of communications. This month marks Yahoo Mail’s 18th anniversary, and the company is celebrating that occasion by introducing a new Yahoo Mail app that is fast, intuitive and beautifully designed. Available on iOS [iPhone and iPad] and Android, the new app comes with a number of features, including smarter search, contacts management and rich compose.

Yahoo_Logo

Most people have an email account from more than one provider. So starting today, Yahoo Mail users can connect and manage their email accounts from Outlook.com, Hotmail and AOL Mail, right from Yahoo Mail on mobile and desktop.

Once connected, users can access Yahoo Mail’s features across all their mailboxes. [The ability to manage multiple mailboxes is rolling out globally today in the Yahoo Mail app. The desktop experience is currently available for U.S. English users, and will be coming soon to users outside of the U.S.]

Jeff Bonforte, senior vice president of communication products at Yahoo said

Email is the most prevalent way people communicate online. However, what we want from our inbox is evolving. Mobile use requires a faster and smarter inbox. Both of these needs are at the center of our new app.

In addition to speed, smarts and support for multiple mailboxes, the new app marks the introduction of Yahoo Account Key – a more secure and simple future alternative to the old password. This new feature simplifies the sign-in process with a secure and easy-to-use interface to access a Yahoo account with the tap of a button.

Dylan Casey, vice president of product management at Yahoo.

Passwords are difficult to remember and secondary sign-in verification is inconvenient and confusing. Earlier this year we launched on-demand passwords using an SMS code. We’re now taking a major leap towards a password-free future with the launch of Yahoo Account Key, which uses push notifications to give users simple and secure access using their mobile device.


Availability
The ability to manage multiple mailboxes is rolling out globally today in the Yahoo Mail app. The desktop experience is available for U.S. English users today and will be coming soon to users outside of the U.S.  Yahoo Account Key is available globally today.

The new Yahoo Mail app is available in the Apple App Store to all global users today, and rolling out to Android users in Google Play starting today. Additional information can be found on the Yahoo Tumblr

Do share your experience if you have tried the new Yahoo Mail App 🙂

|In: Entrepreneurship|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Ever since the Modi government has come in to power, it has resulted in major changes in the economic landscape. Significant change has come in the way startups have mush-roomed in India. With the government moving in the right direction to make India a ‘Startup Nation’ it has become a boon for investors, entrepreneurs & aspiring entrepreneurs i.e. the entire startup eco-system.

At the recently commenced Economic Times Startup Awards 2015, Nikesh Arora, President of SoftBank stated “We are a country where the demographics are right.And we are at a point where technology is going to allow us to leapfrog tremendous amounts of developments that have happened in the West”. Ankit Bhati, the co-founder of taxi app Ola which won the Startup of the Year award stated “It is springtime for entrepreneurship in India, as young people with ideas build technology-led ventures that are changing the way Indians live, work and play“.

India is on the cusp of an entrepreneurial revolution. However, successful entrepreneurship is the ultimate balancing act. Endless optimism, unwavering courage and dogged determination of founders have to be balanced with thoughtful leadership, intellectual honesty and maturity to overcome gritty challenges. Fueling the passion of entrepreneurship, Delhi chapter of TiE has come up with the 2015 edition of the TiEcon Delhi on 16th, 17th October.

Key Highlights of TiEcon Delhi 2015

TiE the Knot – This exclusive forum will feature high potential companies [tech & non-tech] who have demonstrable products and are looking to raise their first seed investment. Five such high potential companies will be shortlisted and will pitch to a select group of individual investors who will be looking to make on-spot invest commitments in a high impact televised format covered by CNBC TV18. More about it here
Mentoring in Motion – Mentoring in Motion in association with Carzonrent. Get an opportunity to get mentored on the move literally, TiEcon Delhi 2015 gives you an opportunity to pick up the Charter Member and accompany him to TiEcon in a pre-booked cab. Dedicated face time with the Charter Member gives the delegates an opportunity to pitch/discuss and get mentored by some of the best minds. More about it here
Chai with Chartered members – Meet designated TiE Charter Members over tea and coffee at pre-specified lounges in an intimate setting. Hear their stories and get to know them up close and personal. More about it here
Mini MBA for entrepreneurs – The TiE Institute we will be hosting a series of sessions/workshops @ TiEcon Delhi 2015, covering critical aspects in areas such as fund raising, personal branding, attracting talent, building partnerships and so on. The sessions will cover the basics and deliver practical and tangible insights for entrepreneurs which are what is required to succeed rather than just another success story. More about it here
TiEcon Delhi attracted more than 1500 participants last year, and is likely to exceed that number this time, since there is no better opportunity for entrepreneurs to connect with potential mentors, investors and collaborators.

TiE Hackathon

With an aim to support industry-disrupting, and innovative digital solutions and to fuel the thriving Indian entrepreneurial landscape, TiE along with HackerEarth would have a 2-day hackathon. The Themes are for developers to create breakthrough digital technologies, products or business models across three categories. The Hackathon will be a 24-hour marathon of learning, creativity, building stuff, big enough to transform businesses and industries by re-inventing business processes, operational efficiencies and customer service innovations. For more information, please refer this link

Agenda & Registration

TiEcon Delhi is a 2-day event that is scheduled on 16th, 17th October.  You can have a look at the complete agenda in ‘Agenda’ section of TiEcon Delhi. Vani Kola, 2x Entrepreneur & MD of Kalaari Capital would chair TiEcon Delhi. The key highlight is the Fire-Side chat on 17th October with Ritesh Agarwal, Founder, OYO Rooms who is definitely an inspiration to many aspiring entrepreneurs.

There is awesome line-up of Speakers spanning different industry verticals namely e-commerce, e-learning, social entrepreneurship etc. You can expect some excellent tips on Starting Up, Scaling Up, Getting Funded etc.

You can register for the TiEcon Delhi here The registration fees are as below:

If you are an entrepreneur or aspiring to be an entrepreneur or willing to join a early-stage/growth-stage startup than you should definitely not miss the power-packed TiEcon Delhi 2015 You can follow TiE Delhi & TiEcon Delhi here & here.

|In: startups|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Freshersworld.com, India’s No 1 job site for freshers, announced the launch of JobForAll, a smart hiring solution for entry level positions in Sales, Marketing, Customer Support, Business Development, Retail, Content Writing as well as all junior level job roles. The platform promises to be a game changer in the entry level scene with advanced features which will help recruiters hire the best candidates for job openings across industries.

Unlike traditional job portals which only offer a bulk database from which a HR person has to manually sift through hundreds and thousands of resumes to identify the most relevant profiles, JobForAll provides a multi-touch point hiring solution that eliminates unnecessary and unproductive efforts by the HR team and helps identify relevant profiles using an automated, twin mapping mechanism.

Joby Joseph, CEO of Freshersworld.com said

Hiring for entry level positions continues to be among the toughest tasks for any recruitment team, using up resources and hindering efficiencies. Getting quality candidates to actually turn up for the interview is becoming increasingly challenging. Our smart hiring solution enables a recruitment team to quickly zero in on 10 double screened profiles, with these candidates having a thorough understanding of the job requirement, the salary offered and are equipped to appear for the interview.

This contemporary solution will save time, money and resources for a recruitment team, while accelerating the hiring process and position closure time. Freshersworld.com guarantees a 4 day turnaround for all recruitment teams who choose this platform for their entry level hiring needs.

JobForAll is supported by a highly intuitive web and mobile app which will ensure that the shortlisted candidates appear for the walk-ins. USP of the app include features like double screening, SMS confirmation, Map tracking, push notifications and questionnaires. Also, the ability to chat with the candidates before the walk-in date is a much needed feature that the company has seamlessly integrated with the app.

Freshersworld.com highlights a compelling double screening process to weed out irrelevant applications from the vast pool of resumes and maps candidate profiles that fit the job role perfectly. The ability to attach a questionnaire with jobs will ensure that the virtual screening of profiles is done in a manner similar to a face to face round.

About Freshersworld

Freshersworld.com offers innovative solutions for entry-level hiring, helping 50K+ recruiters realize best-in-class services and increased efficiencies. Started with a mission to facilitate fresh graduates find their first dream job, Freshersworld.com is a genuine effort to connect a fresher and an employer together to create a marketplace for entry level hiring. Freshersworld.com is India’s No 1 fresher hiring online platform with a database of over 5 million+ resumes, 1 Lakh+ resumes added every month, 2.5 lakh+ unique visitors every day with 40 million page views a month.

|In: Digital|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

In a bid to ease recharge facilities for commuters, FreeCharge, India’s leading digital platform for recharge and utility payments launched online recharge facility for smart card users of Mumbai Metro. With this new integration FreeCharge will enable Smart Card recharges on its website, Android, iOS & Windows app allowing users to recharge on the go.

Like any other payment of utility bills or recharges, commuter can recharge their stored value card in less than 10 seconds. As far as the process goes, it is developed to comfort, where in commuters only need to enter their unique smart card number which will lead to the payment gateways. Once the recharge is successful the user will receive a message/mail.

To this new addition, Kunal Shah, CEO and co-founder of Freecharge, said

We are very excited with this new addition and have witnessed tremendous response since the launch. We believe that this expansion like all our others is being leveraged by thousands of FreeCharge customers making their daily commute easy and hassle-free. We appreciate the support extended by Reliance Metro and looking forward to add new users to our database. To us this is a unique idea, simplifying and rewarding smart card recharges to all the Mumbai metro card users.

With answering to the woes of thousands of daily metro passengers, Freecharge is set to take on another level of taxing payments, metro card recharges. It will gather a gamut of utility payments along with recharges under one roof, making the boring transactions stress-free and gratifying for its customers. These smart card recharges will empower metro commuters quit long queues and recharge their smart cards anytime and anywhere.

FreeCharge has made smart card recharge not only convenient but rewarding through various exciting discount coupons. FreeCharge has recently launched a 100% cashback offer for commuters wherein every recharge of INR 100 and above will get INR 100 cashback. Mumbai Metro and FreeCharge aims to further promote the use of smart card for ease of life and commuting by launching many more exciting offers.

About FreeCharge

FreeCharge is India’s leading digital platform for recharge and utility payments which provides prepaid, post-paid, DTH and Electricity bill payment for almost all Indian service providers. FreeCharge was founded in 2010 by Kunal Shah & Sandeep Tandon and had received funding of over $120 million in the last 4 years. In the largest acquisition in the consumer Internet space yet, Snapdeal acquired FreeCharge in Apr’15 resulting in India’s largest m-commerce ecosystem.  For more details, please visit FreeCharge

|In: Marketing|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

With an aim to ensure aspiring digital marketers and traditional marketing professionals are industry ready with requisite skill-sets to take on exciting digital marketing roles, Simplilearn – the largest destination for online training and professional certification courses, introduces Digital Marketing Certified Associate [DMCA], a comprehensive digital marketing course created by a dream team of Silicon Valley digital marketing experts like Avinash Kaushik, web analytics guru, and Digital Marketing Evangelist for Google, Best Selling author Bryan Eisenberg, and President of SugarSpun Marketing, Jennifer Evans Cario.

According to industry data, digital marketing managers are paid 82% more than traditional marketing managers. The digital age has taken over traditional marketing, making online marketing more prevalent for some of the biggest Fortune 500 brands and even small-medium enterprises.

Simplilearn

In order to create future talent in this domain where the online advertising spend is expected to be USD 278 billion by 2019, Simplilearn has developed this course to ensure professionals are well equipped and certified to become a complete digital marketer.

Commenting on the Ankur Arora, Category Head at Simplilearn said

While businesses are shifting their interest and focus towards digital over traditional marketing, there isn’t a better time than now for young and experienced professionals to work towards their digital skill-gap. Through this course, we aim to help our learners train themselves to cater to the growing industry need for skilled digital marketers. This course will serve as a comprehensive platform as it is equipped with all the elements to elevate a professional to be a smart digital marketer.

Catering to fresh graduates, traditional sales, marketing and advertising professionals at all levels and entrepreneurs who have realized the potential of the medium, the course helps learners to be ready for the industry and be part of a high quality digital marketing team, or execute their own digital marketing campaigns. It will also prepare them for certification exams like OMCA, Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Facebook Marketing and YouTube Marketing.

DMCA has 40 hours of Instructor-led online training from digital marketing experts, 39 hours of High Quality E-learning content and 40 hours of live project work.

On completion of the training, learners will be equipped with the knowledge and skill-sets in SEO, Social Media Marketing, PPC, Conversion Rate Optimization, Web Analytics, Content Marketing, Mobile Marketing, Email Marketing, etc. They will be able to master and execute tools like Google Analytics, Google AdWords, Facebook Marketing, YouTube Marketing, etc.

To master major domains of digital marketing and acquire hands-on skills to apply in daily business scenarios, the All-in-one Advanced Online Marketing Suite training is recommended as a next step after completing the DMCA course. Up to date and comprehensive, eight advanced short courses on SEO, Web Analytics, Social Media, Mobile Marketing Conversion Optimization and Content Marketing are designed to train an individual become a digital marketing specialist.

Powered by Market Motive, DMCA course is priced at INR 34,900 and the advanced bundle at INR 39,999

About Simplilearn

Simplilearn is the world’s largest provider of short term certification courses that addresses the unique learning needs of working professionals. Having trained over 4,00,000 professionals worldwide,  Simplilearn provides unmatched customer experience, which handholds a customer – right from enrolling into an online course to getting Industry-recognized certificate in hand.  Simplilearn’s course contents are recognized by over 40 certification bodies, prominent ones being PMI, Axelos, Scrum Alliance, Peoplecert, and The Open Group. Simplilearn has also diversified into vendor certification like those from Microsoft, Cisco, and Salesforce. For more information, visit SimpliLearn

|In: Entrepreneurship|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

The Rajasthan Chief Minister, Smt. Vasundhara Raje, unveiled the Rajasthan Startup Policy – 2015  while inaugurating the first edition of the Rajasthan Startup Fest, a national level startup event designed to boost entrepreneurship in the state. The ‘Rajasthan Startup Fest’ has been organised by the Rajasthan State Industrial Development & Investment Corporation [RIICO]; Startup Oasis, a Jaipur-based incubation centre set up by RIICO and CIIE and The Centre for Innovation, Incubation & Entrepreneurship [CIIE] of the Indian Institute of Management [IIM], Ahmedabad

Key Highlights of Rajasthan Startup Policy 2015

Key 5-Year Targets identified by the Rajasthan Startup Policy 2015

  • 50 Incubators / Incubator-like Organizations to be established
  • 500 innovative startups to be supported and incubated
  • 100,000 sq ft of Incubation Space to be developed/facilitated
  • Angel and Venture Capital of Rs 500 Cr to be mobilized for startups
  • Development of an Innovation and Problem Solving Culture across the State

Key Focus Areas of the Rajasthan Startup Policy

  • Social and Clean-tech – Rural Infrastructure & Services, Crafts, Water, Sanitation, Renewable Energy and Healthcare, including asset light models of healthcare delivery and medical devices
  • Mobile and Information Technology, including but not limited to crowd sourcing, crowd funding, online financial services
  • Internet of Things [IoT], Electronics and Hardware
  • ‘IT for X’ in the areas of Garment and Crafts, Mining and SME Manufacturing and Services
  • Disruptive ideas/Technologies in any sector

Pointers from the Policy

  1. The Science and Technology Department, GoR in association with RIICO and Start-up Oasis, is planning to create Rajasthan Start-up Village and e-Platform. In due course of time, it can also host a cloud server for start-ups, run MOOCs and co-ordinate with various related state and central govt. agencies to further strengthen start-up eco-system in the state of Rajasthan
  2. The Government of Rajasthan will provide Assistance for Startups at Idea/Prototype Stage, under which Rs. 10,000/- per month will be provided to the startup as sustenance allowance for one year, post approval by the Committee and Nodal Institution
  3. Incubator will provide support to the startups by providing mentoring services, access to their labs, facilities etc on a free-of-cost (FOC) basis
  4. The state government will allow selected startups to get free access to state infrastructure like University/Libraries/ Govt. Laboratories etc
  5. The Government of Rajasthan will provide Assistance for Startups at the Pilot Stage, under which marketing assistance of maximum Rs. 10 lacs will be provided to the startup to launch its product
  6. The policy also provides for scope for financial assistance wherein the startup can source Venture Capital from Angel Investors/Venture Capital Funds
  7. The policy provides for students/student teams who have been accepted to be given grace marks and attendance in educational institutions. Further, their project may also count towards their degree completion credits
  8. Special incentives have been listed for educational institutions that promote entrepreneurship. The Nodal institution will also organize a state-wide business plan competition to invite new innovative business idea from across the state
  9. Special incentives have also been listed for private players supporting the Incubation Centre. Incentives, including grants, have also been extended to angel investors
  10. The policy also provides for routine Startup Festivals to be held in the State
  11. The policy suggests the creation of a Startup Council to be setup with representatives from the industry to play an advisory role and act as a think-tank for strengthening the startup eco-system in the state.

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Speaking at the inauguration of the Startup Fest, Smt. Raje said

If Bangalore is where it all began in startups, I can assure you Rajasthan is where it will be. Rajasthan is a world-beater and will remain so in the times to come.

The Rajasthan Startup Policy is designed to galvanize the start-up ecosystem and give the required sustenance to the entrepreneurial talent native to the people of the state.

Chief Minister Raje added

I am sure that the young and budding entrepreneurs and startups that are on the threshold of taking off shall take advantage of the Rajasthan Start-up Policy-2015 and the dynamic environment being provided by the start-up fest to take their careers, companies and the country to greater heights.

Jaipur is fast becoming the next startup hub of India with excellent social and physical infrastructure, low cost of living, large number of technical and professional colleges and proximity to NCR

Speaking at the inauguration, Shri CS Rajan, Chief Secretary, Government of Rajasthan, said that Jaipur has now overtaken Bangalore in terms of the number of deals that have happened in the last 6 months in angel funding and venture capital funding.

Gajendra Singh, Khimsar, Industries Minister, Rajasthan; Arun Nanda, Chairman, Mahindra Holidays & Resorts India Limited; Kunal Upadhyay, CEO, CIIE, IIM Ahmedabad; Rajesh Agarwal, Co-founder & Managing Director, Micromax and Nagaraj Prakasam, Partner, Acumen Fund  also spoke on the occasion.

Rajasthan_Policy_2015

The Rajasthan Startup Fest  brings together on one platform more than 500 individuals associated with the startup industry, including  the promoters of 100 startups, 20 angel and venture capital investors, 30 mentors and startup coaches and 50 speakers.

The Fest comprises multiple tracks of scouting, incubation and acceleration of startup, covering sectors like the Internet, hardware, mobile, social, and disruptive ideas & technologies.  Multiple demonstrations, pitches and product launches will be held on both the days of the event interspersed with high energy interactions, talks, panel discussions and mentoring sessions.

The topics of panel discussions include Startup Funding, Fostering a Startup & Innovation Ecosystem, and Hustling & Growth Hacking, among others. A special business plan competition has also been organised for students with prize money of up to Rs. 1 lakh.

Around 50 high potential product startups are showcasing their products and business models in the Startup Showcase at the event.

[Image Credit* – Rajasthan Tourism]