Stayfree encourages families to celebrate Daughter’s Day by normalizing period conversation with ‘#ItsJustAPeriod’

Mumbai, September 30, 2020: This Daughter’s Day, Stayfree® continues leading the efforts towards normalizing the period conversation and motivates parents to mark the day with a positive and progressive approach towards menstruation. The multiple initiatives that encourage parents to drive a healthy conversation about menstruation include a film, #ItsJustAPeriod that urges families to support daughters who go through their first periods by keeping her informed and reassuring her that its normal and she needn’t be scared.

Nearly 15 million girls enter the menarche cycle every year in India, yet more than 71% of them have no knowledge of menstruation before their periods. A girl’s first period can be difficult and confusing for her. Without proper information and guidance, they end up dreading periods for life. To address this, Stayfree® has tied up with Menstrupedia to provide a free virtual session for parents to help them have a conversation about periods with their daughter. The session will ensure that families are able to overcome their inhibitions to have an open and healthy discussion. Stayfree has also associated with key influencers ranging from different walks of life, on social media to spread this message to a larger audience.

“National Daughter’s Day celebrates the gift of daughters and signifies the importance and joy daughters brings to our lives. This Daughter’s Day, we urge parents to take the first step to make their daughter’s life easier by normalizing period conversation in their homes. All it takes is one conversation to help a girl understand more about menstruation, bust some myths, and make the journey of her menstruation normal. We at Stayfree® are committed towards helping young girls and their families and will continue to support and encourage them.”

The Menstrupedia session is open to all. Registrations close on October 4, 2020 at 10pm. Link for registration: https://www.stayfree.in/itsjustaperiod

YouTube link for the film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lWhaFjfZu4I

About Johnson & Johnson:

At Johnson & Johnson, we believe good health is the foundation of vibrant lives, thriving communities and forward progress. That’s why for more than 130 years, we have aimed to keep people well at every age and every stage of life. Today, as the world’s largest and most broadly based health care company, we are committed to using our reach and size for good. We strive to improve access and affordability, create healthier communities, and put a healthy mind, body and environment within reach of everyone, everywhere. We are blending our heart, science and ingenuity to profoundly change the trajectory of health for humanity.

About Johnson & Johnson India:

Johnson & Johnson spread its root into India 70 years ago. Since then, the Company has brought many innovative ideas, products and services to improve the health and well-being of people in India. The Company today employs more than 3,500 people and is organized into three business segments: Consumer Healthcare, Medical Devices and Pharmaceuticals in India

About Stayfree®:

Stayfree®range of sanitary napkins that deliver superior protection you need to feel confident every day. Stayfree®has a wide array of products and includes Stayfree Advanced® XL, Stayfree Dry-Max®Regular, Stayfree Dry-Max®XL, Stayfree Dry-Max®All Night XL, Stayfree Advanced® All Night XL, and Stayfree Secure® XL Ultrathin, Stayfree Secure®Dry XL, Stayfree Secure®Cottony Soft XL,  Stayfree Secure® Dry Regular, and Stayfree Secure®Cottony Regular. With Odor Control System, extra coverage, long lasting protection and Cottony soft comfort, Stayfree®sanitary napkins are designed to fit every need.  For more information, please visit https://www.Stayfree.in/.

Airtel launches Airtel Secure to help businesses tide over rising cyber threats

Airtel SECURE is India’s most comprehensive suite of cyber security services. Brings cutting-edge solutions to customers through partnerships with global leaders           

Mumbai, September 30, 2020: Bharti Airtel (“Airtel”) today announced the launch of Airtel Secure – a comprehensive suite of advanced cyber security solutions for business customers.

As businesses shift processes to cloud and digital platforms to serve their customers better, they are also encountering increasing incidents of sophisticated cyber-attacks that can come from anywhere and have the potential to severely disrupt operations. India, which is now the world’s second largest internet market, ranks fifth globally when it comes to incidents of cyber-attacks and frauds. In fact, the Indian cyber security market is expected to cross $13 bn* by 2025.

Gopal Vittal, MD & CEO (India and South Asia), Bharti Airtel said: “At Airtel, we constantly ask our customers what more can we do to help them in their digital transformation journeys. Through these conversations, we have heard that cyber security is a critical requirement. Airtel Secure has been built to serve this need. It combines Airtel’s robust network security with cutting-edge solutions delivered through global partnerships so as to deliver end-to-end managed security services. With the incredible trust we enjoy from our customers we believe Airtel Secure will provide our customers peace of mind, enable faster response times to potential threats and help protect their data so as to reduce business risk.”

State-of-the-art infrastructure

As part of Airtel Secure, Airtel today launched its state-of-the-art Security Intelligence Centre. Located in the National Capital Region the Airtel Security Intelligence Centre rates amongst the best in India with access to advanced technology and AI / ML tools to mitigate potential threats. This facility will offer its tracking services to businesses of all sizes – from large enterprises to small and medium businesses on a 24/7 basis. For a virtual tour of the facility visit https://www.airtel.in/business/airtel-secure.

Best-in-class Partnerships

From end point protection, email protection to cloud DDOS protection and more, Airtel Secure has created the most comprehensive portfolio through strategic partnerships with global leaders such as Cisco, Radware, VMWare, and Forcepoint.            

Cisco: Airtel and Cisco today announced that they will jointly bring to market a wide range of cutting-edge security solutions that secure networks, endpoints, applications and the Cloud. These advanced security solutions will be available to businesses as well as government entities under Airtel Secure.

Chuck Robbins, President and CEO, Cisco said “As India's business fast-track their digital transformation, our partnership with Airtel is a vehicle for us to help them secure their people and information in a simplified, cohesive manner. Airtel will now be able to help customers streamline operations with integrated threat and security management through Cisco's security portfolio. Delivered as managed security services (MSS), these offerings will benefit Airtel's enterprise as well as small business customers, allowing customers to reduce their technology-capex investment and maximize efficiency.

Through the partnership with Cisco, Airtel will have access to advanced monitoring, analysis and investigation of malicious code and be able to protect people and information in an automated manner.

Radware: Airtel today also unveiled a strategic partnership with Radware. Through this partnership, the first global data scrubbing center in India has been set up to ensure threats to data and information is attacked and eliminated at the source in the country. This highly advanced facility is hosted by Airtel’s Nxtra Data in Chennai.

Roy Zisapel, President and CEO for Radware said: “Airtel’s comprehensive services and global customer footprint necessitate cloud security solutions that give their customers the flexibility, scalability, and visibility they need to grow and protect their businesses, no matter where they are. The partnership is a natural fit.” 

Airtel Secure is now available to over one million business customers of Airtel. Several companies, including Flipkart, Havell’s, Fidelity India and R-Systems, are already benefiting from Airtel Secure.  With the trust that Airtel commands, the company is well positioned to tap this growing opportunity.

* As per Data Security Council of India

About Airtel

Headquartered in India, Airtel is a global telecommunications company with operations in 18 countries across South Asia and Africa. The company ranks amongst the top three mobile operators globally and its mobile network covers a population of over two billion people. Airtel is India’s largest integrated telecom provider and the second largest mobile operator in Africa. At the end of June 2020, Airtel had approx. 420 mn customers across its operations. 

Airtel’s portfolio includes high speed 4G/4.5G mobile broadband, Airtel Xstream Fiber that promises speeds upto 1Gbps, converged digital TV solutions through the Airtel Xstream 4K Hybrid Box, digital payments through Airtel Payments Bank as well as an integrated suite of services across connectivity, collaboration, cloud and security that serves over one million businesses.  

Airtel’s OTT services include Airtel Thanks app for self-care, Airtel Xstream app for video, Wynk Music for entertainment and Airtel BlueJeans for video conferencing. In addition, Airtel has forged strategic partnerships with hundreds of companies across the world to enable the Airtel platform to deliver an array of consumer and enterprise services.          

Plasmacluster Technology Demonstration Effectiveness in Reducing Airborne Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2), a World’s First

New Delhi, 30^th September, 2020: For the first time in the world, a device, developed by Sharp Corporation, equipped with Plasmacluster technology, which exposed an airborne novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) to Plasmacluster ions for approximately 30 seconds, has effectively reduced the infectious titer of the virus by more than 90%. This achievement was accomplished in collaboration with Professor Jiro Yasuda of the National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases/Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Professor Asuka Nanbo (a board member of the Japanese Society for Virology) of the same institution, Professor Hironori Yoshiyama of the Department of Microbiology, Shimane University, Faculty of Medicine (also, a board member of the Japanese Society for Virology), and Nagasaki University, an internationally respected authority on infectious diseases research.

The outbreak of Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) caused by the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) was first reported in December 2019. By August 2020, this disease had already infected more than 25 million people and taken the lives of 840,000 individuals globally. This outbreak is an emergency faced by our society and made it necessary to take immediate countermeasures across a wide range of fields.

In 2004, Sharp demonstrated the effectiveness of Plasmacluster technology against feline (cat) coronavirus, a member of the Corona viridae family. In the following year of 2005, Sharp also demonstrated its effectiveness against the original SARS coronavirus (SARS- CoV), which caused the outbreak of 2002-2003 and is also genetically similar to the novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2). Now, Sharp has demonstrated its effectiveness against SARS-CoV-2 in airborne droplets.

On the day of the launch, Dr Jiro Yasuda, Professor of National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases, Nagasaki University said, "Disinfectants such as alcohol and detergents (surfactants) are well-known to be effective to reduce the risk of the virus on materials. However, for infection via aerosols (micro-droplets), there are few effective countermeasures such as a mask. Today, we demonstrated the effective inactivation of SARS-CoV-2 in airborne droplets by using Plasmacluster technology. We expect it would be useful to reduce the risk of infection in real spaces like offices, homes, medical facilities and vehicles too".

Since 2000, Sharp has been demonstrating the effectiveness of Plasmacluster technology by working in collaboration with independent third-party research organizations around the world. So far, numerous independent research organizations have proven its clinical efficacy in suppressing the activity of harmful substances including new pandemic influenza viruses, drug-resistant bacteria, and mite allergens, as well as in reducing bronchial inflammation levels in children with asthma.

Plasmacluster and the Plasmacluster logos are registered trademarks of Sharp Corporation. 

Research Details -

■         Overview of Verification Test

·         Testing organization: National Research Center for the Control and Prevention of Infectious Diseases (CCPID)/Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University

·         Verification test apparatus: Virus testing device equipped with Plasmacluster technology

Figure 1 - Test device diagram

Plasmacluster ion concentration: Approx. 10 million/cm3 (in the vicinity of the Plasmacluster ion generator)

·         Test space volume: Approx. 3 liter

·         Control study: Comparison using the device described above without Plasmacluster ion generation

·         Validation virus: Novel Coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2)

·         Test method

o   Pass the aerosolized virus through the test devise from the generator

o   Recover the aerosolized virus after exposure to Plasma cluster ions

o   Calculate the infectious virus titer of the recovered virus solution by a plaque assay*

 

* A standard assay to evaluate the number of infectious virus in the sample

Results -

Table 1 Effect of Plasmacluster ions on infectious titer of novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) suspended in the air

	Without Plasmacluster ions	With Plasmacluster ions	Reduction
Infectious virus titer (number of plaque)	1.76 x 104	Without Plasmacluster ions With Plasmacluster ions 91.3% reduction 1.54 x 103	91.3%

Zee Tamil airs the World Television Premiere of ‘Akashaganga 2’

The long weekend just got more exciting! Zee Tamil will be bringing the World Television Premiere of ‘Akashaganga 2’, on your home screens this Sunday. With a great cast, gripping story and lauded screenplay, Director Vinayan moves away from the cliché tropes in film making to create a classy horror masterpiece. The channel will be airing the World Television Premiere of Akashaganga 2 on Sunday, 4^th October at 9:00 AM only on Zee Tamil & Zee Tamil HD.

Arathi Varma (played Veena Nair), the current heiress of the Maanikesseri royal family and the daughter of Unni and Maya, is an MBBS student and an atheist. She doesn’t believe the tales told to her about her family or the evil spirits that reside in her house. Ramya Krishnan, assumes the role of Soumini, daughter of Mepaddan with unmatched skill and finesse. Soumini, who has had a history of helping Arathi’s family in the past, takes it upon herself to tell her about negative energies and how she can speak to souls.  This stirs Arathi to accept a challenge put forth by her friends, Gopi, Titus and Jithu to communicate with the soul of her mother who died while conceiving her. As dark spirits unravel, she is pulled into the grim and wretched ways of Akashaganga, the evil soul that once tormented her family. Will the evil spirit once again be successful in exacting her revenge against Arathi’s family? Watch the unfolding of this gripping tale on 4^th October at 9:00 AM on Zee Tamil & Zee Tamil HD.

To kick off the long weekend, Zee Tamil will also be telecasting ‘Ezhumin’ on 2^nd October at 8:00 AM. The tale is about six talented kids who aim to make it big at the National-level martial arts tournament. Aided by well-wisher and guardian angel, Viswanathan (Vivek), the kids overcome seemingly unsurmountable odds and make their way to the nationals, only to get kidnapped by a ring of gangsters headed by the money-minded sports academy president, Sundaram. The rest of the story is about how these young Davids take on the Goliaths.

You can run, you can hide but you cannot escape Akashaganga. Watch the spine-chilling premiere of ‘Akashaganga 2’ only on Zee Tamil and Zee Tamil HD. Experience the magic on 4^th October 2020 at 9:00 AM.

NPS Tier II account – Why should you have it?

 The National Pension System (NPS) offers two types of accounts: NPS Tier I and NPS Tier II. Tier I is a compulsory pension account while Tier II is an optional facility provided to NPS Tier I account holders which can be opened at the discretion of subscriber.  

Benefits of NPS Tier II: 

1. Ease of account opening: You can activate your NPS Tier II account offline or online through your Nodal Office or NPS Mobile App, provided you have an active and operational NPS Tier I account. NPS Tier II account can be opened with an initial contribution of Rs 1,000 and the minimum subsequent contribution amount for this account is Rs. 250.  With the activation of NPS Tier II account, subscribers are free to invest / withdraw whenever they wish to, without any limits. 
2. Flexibility to invest: An NPS Tier II subscriber is free to select any of the registered Pension Fund (PF) and Investment Options as like in NPS Tier I account to get the benefit of professional fund management to generate superior returns.  
3. Optimal Returns: NPS is a market-linked product and depending on risk appetite of the subscriber, he/she can decide a suitable asset allocation pattern (among Equity, Corporate Bonds and Government Securities) within the prescribed limits to derive optimal returns.   
4. Low Cost: NPS carries the benefit of being the lowest cost pension product in the world. The overall costs in NPS are the lowest due to economies of scale in operations of the system architecture. Also, accumulation of the retirement corpus over a period gets accelerated on account of the compounding effect and nominal charges borne by the subscriber.  
5. Tax benefits: Exclusive tax benefits on contributions made to Tier II are available for Central Government subscribers subject to lock-in of 3 years, upto Rs 1.5 lakhs under section 80C of the Income Tax Act, 1961. The capital gains arising about of Tier-II investments are taxable at marginal rate. 
6. Ease of access and transfer: NPS Tier II account can be operated (including withdrawals) through online/Mobile App. Subscribers are also enabled to transfer funds from his/her Tier II account to NPS Tier I (pension account).

Indian Short-video Rizzle - A Secure Platform for Women Creators Across the Globe

The social arena across the globe is swamped with short video apps of all kinds. The fact that short video content has a bright future holds water, however, these platforms come with unmonitored miscreants who shame the creators more often than not! Talking about video content platforms, an article by SLR Lounge read, “Women have received harsh criticisms about their general appearance and weight and feel as though they are judged on whether or not they are pleasing to look at whereas men typically aren’t. They also receive more comments pertaining to their personality, humor, and what they’re wearing as opposed to other males in the same arena.”

Women content creators at large have faced this issue on one platform or the other. This is one of the biggest reasons why video content platforms witness minimal participation from the female fraternity as compared to their male counterparts. Short video apps are all the rage right now, but one thing that inevitably comes with the fun of content creation is the unwanted attention from the ringleaders who stamp on the morales of young & naive creators. If you scroll down through the comments on these platforms, the profiles of women creators are flooded with filthy comments. What are these platforms doing to address the issue? Sadly, nothing!

Contrary to its contemporaries, Rizzle App - the most up and coming short video platform pioneering original content in the vertical web series arena - has decided to address this menace by completely eliminating the 'Comment' feature from the app. Rizzle has refrained from 'Chats' & 'Comments' features since its inception. Vidya Narayanan, the Co-founder of Rizzle, was quoted saying, “Rizzle.tv keeps the keyboard warriors and trolls away, and is focused on building a positive community that listens, speaks, argues, debates, and supports.” At its core, Rizzle believes in fostering a community that is opinionated, respectful, and entertaining.

Rizzle’s decision to completely do away with a comments section comes at a juncture when social media platforms across the world are grappling with issues of user safety, especially when it comes to female content creators. 'Comment' sections on social media apps have inadvertently become a playground for bullying creators. As unlikely as it may seem, these comments are often sexual and threatening in nature.

A study reveals that out of the total audience on Youtube, only 38% are women. If we take a deep dive, bullying and body-shaming are some of the reasons that stop women from creating video content. To bridge this gap and address the global problem, team Rizzle has adopted a 3 Strike Policy that results in getting the account “quarantined” for 48 hours followed by a permanent ban if any user violates the terms and conditions, supports nudity, or posts harassing videos. Pratibha Mod, one of the women creators on Rizzle App believes that -

“Rizzle App’s biggest asset is its positive community. If someone wants to give feedback on your content, they can only do so via video responses. Since they have to show their faces, they refrain from abusive or bullying language and are accountable for everything that they say. Rizzle team is 24x7 available for their support and provide instant help in case of any problem. This really makes Rizzle one of the safest platforms for women.”

While several platforms remain on the receiving end of a heavy backlash from users all across the world for their lack of effective content moderation and user privacy, Rizzle has been lauded by users and celebrities alike for maintaining the quality of content and features. Actress & Youth Icon Roshni Kapoor said in an Instagram Live session with her followers that -

“Rizzle is the only platform where I can see the reaction of my fans. It makes me immensely happy to see their expressions and happiness while directly responding to my videos. What I also love about video responses is that it eliminates the scope of filthy comments and definitely boosts the confidence of the creators. Kudos to Rizzle for coming up with such an idea!”

The company decided to take the first step towards the creators’ safety at large and began the charity at home. Strong 3-Strike policy and lack of 'Chat/Comment' section aside, Rizzle also tries to sprinkle positivity via their unique Prompts feature that often acts as a catalyst to help newbies try out the trending topics. This feature enhances the quality of discussions on the app, leaving no window for untasteful content to slide in.

Rizzle has witnessed a tremendous surge in content creators owing it to the friendly features and entertaining original content created by real people. The top Rizzlers have created as many as 500+ quality videos in a day. It begins with a community of real people, real talk and they often go overboard to build this supportive, positive community that they absolutely take pride in. If you wish to be a part of an ever-growing community that churns out remarkably good content every day, download the Rizzle app now.

Open Digital Health Ecosystem – A Game Changer for India and the Healthcare Industry: FICCI-BCG Report

Mumbai, Wednesday, 30th September 2020: A joint publication by BCG and FICCI titled “Leapfrogging to a Digital Healthcare System: Reimaging Healthcare for Every Indian” was released at the 14th FICCI HEAL, (the annual health conference organized by FICCI) by Shri M Venkaiah Naidu, Hon'ble Vice President of India, Dr. Sangita Reddy, President FICCI and joint MD Apollo Hospitals, and Mr. Bart Janssens, Managing Director and Senior Partner, Boston Consulting Group. This report will be distributed to the Prime Minister’s Office, NITI Aayog, Chief Ministers, Health Ministers, State ministries and Secretaries among other dignitaries in the public and private sector.

The way we live and work has been profoundly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to upending our lives, the pandemic has also exposed India’s weak healthcare system and reinforced the need to urgently improve all levels of healthcare, including primary care. As is inevitable in times of adversity, the pandemic has also inspired promising innovations, particularly in digital healthcare models. From the telemedicine guidelines being announced in March 2020 to the launch of national digital health ID in August 2020, we have just started to see the digital era in healthcare take shape.

Surveys conducted by BCG across doctors and patients highlight that 85% of the clinician's used digital platforms for patient interactions during the lockdown. 50% of the clinicians found these platforms to be an effective medium for providing care. Additionally, 60% of patients across metro and tier 1 cities reported they would continue using digital platforms for primary care in the post COVID world due to the fundamental benefits of shorter waiting time and easy access to qualified doctors. In addition, as per reports, the lockdown period saw teleconsultation services being accessed by over 2000 small towns, with 80% of patients being first-time users.

We are now at the cusp of the digital 3.0 era of Open Digital Ecosystems that represents a fundamental change in the way the government can leverage technology for public care delivery and enable private sector innovation. It entails the creation of a shared public digital infrastructure that can be leveraged by both public and private players to deploy new solutions that enhance the end-user experience. Just like the creation of a shared digital infrastructure in the financial industry enabling UPI payments, the National Digital Health Mission (NDHM), in the next few years, will catalyze a robust digital infrastructure for the Indian healthcare ecosystem. As per the report, it is estimated that over the next decade, NDHM can potentially unlock an incremental value of INR 1.5 lakh crore for the healthcare industry.

The report undertakes a collaborative approach to ensure that multiple perspectives across government bodies, private sector entities, developers, and the user community are brought to the forefront. It aims to drive active stakeholder discussions to help accelerate India’s journey towards healthcare the system that puts the patient at the center of all solutions and drives accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare all.

Dr. Indu Bhushan, CEO NHA and PM-JAY, said “With the guiding principles outlined in the National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB), the government has laid out a comprehensive strategy to bring a fundamental transformation in healthcare and open a range of market opportunities for all stakeholders. This report details out how the entire the ecosystem will gain, and the industry will be galvanized as a result of the implementation of NDHB over the next few years.”

Dr. Sangita Reddy, President FICCI and joint MD, Apollo Hospitals said “There is an urgent need to shift to a new care delivery paradigm that leverages public technology infrastructure. This needs to be done while ensuring patient-centricity, and adequate digital security. It is great to see that this timely and pertinent report has been put together to drive active discussions amongst the stakeholders.”

Bart Janssens, Managing Director and Senior Partner, BCG said “We anticipate that over the next 10 years, NDHM can unlock the incremental economic value of over USD 200 billion for the healthcare sector. Public and private ecosystem players will have to realign their operating models to capture this value and stay ahead of the curve. This will pave way for more patient-centric solutions driving accessible, affordable, and quality healthcare for all.”

Dr. Alok Roy, Chair, FICCI Health Services Committee and Chairman, Medica Group of Hospitals said, "The need to accelerate changes in our health care system is an obvious inference of this pandemic. The advent of an open digital health ecosystem will unleash a new wave of innovation and transform the way primary healthcare is delivered in India. As illustrated in this detailed report, the health ODE will enable patients who are under-served by the physical healthcare infrastructure to access high-quality healthcare, by leveraging a common digital infrastructure”

About BCG

Boston Consulting Group partners with leaders in business and society to tackle their most important challenges and capture their greatest opportunities. BCG was the pioneer in business strategy when it was founded in 1963. Today, we help clients with total transformation — inspiring complex change, enabling organizations to grow, building competitive advantage, and driving bottom-line impact. To succeed, organizations must blend digital and human capabilities. Our diverse, global teams bring deep industry and functional expertise and a range of perspectives to spark change. BCG delivers solutions through leading-edge management consulting along with technology and design, corporate and digital ventures — and business purpose. We work in a uniquely collaborative model across the firm and throughout all levels of the client organization, generating results that allow our clients to thrive.

About FICCI

Established in 1927, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) is the largest and oldest apex business organization in India. Its history is closely interwoven with India's struggle for independence, its industrialization, and its emergence as one of the most rapidly growing global economies. A non-government, not-for-profit organization, FICCI is the voice of India's business and industry. From influencing policy to encouraging debate, engaging with policymakers and civil society, FICCI articulates the views and concerns of industry. It serves its members from the Indian private and public corporate sectors and multinational companies, drawing its strength from diverse regional chambers of commerce and industry across states, reaching out to over 2,50,000 companies. FICCI provides a platform for networking and consensus building within and across sectors and is the first port of call for Indian industry, policymakers, and the international business community.

Ducati Corse announces the official Ducati Team and Pramac Racing Team riders' line-up for the 2021 MotoGP season

Ducati Corse is pleased to announce the name of the four Ducati's official riders for the 2021 MotoGP World Championship. Francesco Bagnaia will join forces with the official team alongside the already confirmed Jack Miller. At the same time, Johann Zarco and Jorge Martín will defend the colours of the Pramac Racing Team for next season.

Francesco "Pecco" Bagnaia, Moto2 World Champion in 2018, made his MotoGP debut last year with the Ducati Desmosedici GP bike of the Pramac Racing Team and has shown this year ever-increasing competitiveness, fighting for the podium in several GPs. In 2021, the 23-year-old rider hailing from Piedmont will join his current teammate Jack Miller in the Ducati Team, who is in his seventh season in the premier class.

Jack Miller, 25 years old, Australian rider from Townsville, made his debut in the World Championship in 2011 in the 125-cc class. After fighting for the Moto3 World Title in 2014, he stepped up straight to MotoGP in 2015 competing in 93 races in the category and for the last three seasons with the Pramac Racing Team.

The two new riders of the Pramac Racing Team have three World Titles overall together. Johann Zarco, a 30-year-old French rider, won the Moto2 World Title in 2015 and 2016 and this year he is competing in MotoGP with the Ducati bike of Team Esponsorama, with whom he took pole position and a third place in the race in Brno. With him, in the Borgo Panigale factory-supported team there will be a rookie in the category, Spaniard Jorge Martín, 22 years old, 2018 Moto3 World Champion in his current second season in Moto2.

All four official riders will ride the latest version of the Desmosedici GP bikes with same technical specifications.

Claudio Domenicali, CEO of Ducati Motor Holding: "Racing is an evolving advanced technology incubator that is a fundamental part of our company. It is essential to continue to invest in research and development and not to be afraid to innovate and renew to be successful. That's why I am thrilled with the inclusion of young and talented riders who make us look to the future with optimism and a constant desire to improve. Jack Miller and Pecco Bagnaia have shown this year that they can take advantage of the potential of our Desmosedici GP bike and have earned this opportunity. Their transition to the official team from the Pramac Racing Team, where they both grew up, is proof of the efficient collaboration that binds us to the team of Paolo Campinoti, which I would like to thank. I am sure that next year his team will be able to make the most of the talent of the two new riders Johann Zarco and Jorge Martín. Now, however, we are focused on the current season, because we want to get the best possible results with our two riders: Andrea, who in these eight years with us has been runner up in the World Championship for three consecutive years, won 14 GPs, thus becoming the most successful Ducati rider after Stoner, and is still in the fight for the world title this year and Danilo. Danilo, who is working hard to get back to fighting for the podium. Together with them, we will do everything to conclude our beautiful adventure together in the best possible way".

Ducati Motor Holding S.p.A. - A Sole Shareholder Company - A Company subject to the Management and Coordination activities of AUDI AG

Founded in 1926, since 1946 Ducati has been manufacturing sport-inspired motorcycles characterised by high-performance Desmodromic engines, innovative design and cutting-edge technology. With its factory located in Bologna’s Borgo Panigale district. The model range covers several market segments with the following families: Diavel, XDiavel, Hypermotard, Monster, Multistrada, SuperSport and Panigale. In 2015 Ducati presented the Ducati Scrambler: a new brand made of bikes, accessories and apparel that that stands out for its creativity and self-expression.

In 2017, Ducati has presented the Panigale V4, the first Ducati production bike to mount a 4-cylinder engine derived directly from the Desmosedici GP engine. Ducati iconic motorcycles, together with an extensive range of bike accessories and technical and lifestyle apparel, are distributed in 90 countries worldwide. In 2019 Ducati delivered 53,183 bikes to customers, consolidating its sales over the 50,000-bike threshold for the fifth year running. Ducati competes in both the World Superbike and MotoGP World Championships. In Superbike, Ducati has won 17 Manufacturers' titles and 14 Riders' titles. Ducati has been competing in MotoGP since 2003, winning both the Manufacturers' and Riders' titles in 2007.

Commemorate Gandhi Jayanti this year with must-watch movies on ShemarooMe

We’ve all grown up listening to the stories of the father of the nation, Mahatma Gandhi, who is also lovingly known as Bapu. His teachings, his practice of non-violence, his life story and immensely significant contribution towards India’s freedom struggle has touched millions of lives world over.

These stories and lessons still continue to impact and inspire the lives of many even today. As we celebrate Gandhi Jayanti this year, here are some interesting movies that you can binge-watch on ShemarooMe to get inspired from the learnings of the great leader and commemorate this occasion. From Bollywood classics to Gujarati cinema, there is something for every cinephile out there.

1.    

Hamne Gandhi Ko Maar Diya

The 2018 movie, directed by Naeem A Siddiqui, showcases the intriguing story of two strangers Kailash and Divakar whose paths cross during a fateful train journey. Starring Jatin Goswani, Subrata Dutta, Samiksha Bhatnagar, Pratima Kannan, and Utkarshika Yadav, the film is set against the turbulent backdrop of the partition following the end of the British Raj. The story traces the interactions of the two characters who debate on their conflicting views about Mahatma Gandhi and his philosophy during the journey which coincides with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi. At the end of this fateful voyage, the two characters have tragic news which awaits them at the end.

Watch the move here: https://www.shemaroome.com/movies/hamne-gandhi-ko-maar-diya

2.    

Gandhi Taari Beek Chhe Baaki Badhu Theek Chhe

The Gujarati movie narrates the story of a common man Mahendra Gandhi and his family’s fight against the corrupt and faulty political system. The family aims to gain justice for their son Ashish who has been a victim of a bomb blast. In the process, they manage to gain the support of the media and realize that the society needs a revolution. Gandhi Taari Beek Chhe Baaki Badhu Theek Chhe showcases their quest to bring about this transformation in society. Directed by Vipul Vithlani, who also plays the lead character in the movie, the movie also stars Nilesh Joshi, Kinjal Bhatt, Jitendra Sumra, Khushbu Bharambhatt, Pratik Jadav, Jaimin Dave, Jatan Bhatt and Kamlesh Oza.

Watch the movie here: https://www.shemaroome.com/gujarati-plays/gandhi-taari-beek-chhe-baaki-badhu-theek-chhe

3.    

Rebooting Mahatma

Rebooting Mahatma, a Gujarati flick released in 2019, talks about reviving Mahatma Gandhi through AI, wherein the humanoid version of Gandhi has been brought to 21st Century. In this century, Bapu discusses various topics that greatly impact today’s world such as the political system, Bollywood, social media, youth etc. This answers and unique debates bring a great deal of entertainment merged with insights on the values of Gandhi and his views on the 21st century. The film is directed by Kanish Shah who also stars in the movie alongside Rishi Joshi.

Watch the movie here: https://www.shemaroome.com/movies/rebooting-mahatma

4.    Road To Sangam

Road To Sangam, a 2009 Hindi movie directed by Amit RaI, depicts the tale of Hasmatullah, a devout Muslim residing in Uttar Pradesh wherein he works as a mechanic. He is asked to repair an old lorry, unaware that this was the same vehicle that once transported one of the twenty cremation urns with the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi. He takes on the job, but the situation gets complicated when he finds out the truth behind the urns and decides to transport the last remains of Gandhiji. The story shows the unrest within his community who are against his mission and how he tries to overcome and deal with the situation. The film stars Paresh Rawal in the lead role along with Om Puri, Pavan Malhotra, Javed Shaikh, Swati Chitnis, Masood Akhtar, Yusuf Hussain, Rakesh Srivastava, and Manish Pandey.

Watch the movie here: https://www.shemaroome.com/movies/road-to-sangam

You can catch all of these interesting movies and more exclusively on ShemarooMe!

About ShemarooMe

ShemarooMe is the Over the Top platform launched by Shemaroo Entertainment Limited, one of India’s leading content powerhouse, for the Indian market. Started over 5 decades ago as a book circulating library, Shemaroo has now evolved to be a significant player in the digital ecosystem. ShemarooMe is a comprehensive app with a diverse and exclusive content offering for an audience looking for authentic Indian video content across Bollywood, Gujarati, Devotion, Punjabi, and Kids categories to cater to the needs of all age groups. ShemarooMe gives the consumer the freedom to pick and choose the categories of content and pay for them separately. Introductory pricing Individual category plans cost - Rs. 49/ month or Rs. 499/ year. The all access plans cost Rs. 129/ month or Rs. 999/ year. Consumers can download the ShemarooMe OTT app from Google Play, iOS App store and http://shemaroome.com/.

Piaggio announces “Shiksha Se Samriddhi”, a scholarship programme for the children of the auto rickshaw driver community

• Under this programme Piaggio will help children who want to continue their higher education and pursue full time  technical or vocational courses like Polytechnic/ITI
• The programme is for aspiring students whose parents/guardians belong to auto rickshaw driver community

Pune, 30 September, 2020: As the nation prepares to mark the 151^st birth anniversary of  Mahatma Gandhi, Piaggio vehicles private limited, is proud to announce a unique scholarship programme, “Shiksa Se Samruddhi”, to support underprivileged children of the auto rickshaw driver community who wish to pursue higher education after 10^th or 12^th, Piaggio Vehicles Pvt Ltd (PVPL) has tied up with Buddy4Study India Foundation for this scholarship programme as part of its CSR initiative. This is an initiative which would support up to 80% of the yearly course fees of selected students who have enrolled for full time technical or vocational courses after grade 10^th/12^th. 

This programme is designed with an aim to empower the children of underprivileged auto rickshaw drivers who couldn’t pursue higher education due to financial constraints. This scholarship programme will take care of the financial needs of the eligible students. In order to apply, students should have scored more than 55% marks in class 10^th or 12^th and must be enrolled in full time studies of technical or vocational courses such as ITI or Polytechnic and annual income of their families should be less than Rs. 3,00,000 per annum. The shortlisted students will get the scholarship which is equivalent to the 80% of the yearly course fees or a maximum of Rs 20,000 per year. 

A dedicated tele counselling support will be provided to assist students who wish to apply for this scholarship via a helpline number (180-012-05577) and weblink https://www.buddy4study.com/page/piaggio-shiksha-se-samriddhi-scholarship. Both the weblink & helpline number will be operational from 2^nd October 2020.  Information about this scholarship programme will be shared with the three wheeler driving community through an extensive outreach program done centrally as well as at every Piaggio Commercial vehicle dealership. Distribution and collection of offline application forms will also be done across the dealerships of PVPL.

Telephonic interviews of all the qualified students will be taken to validate the information filled in the application form and ensure that deserving students are selected. Post the final selection of students, a separate onboarding activity will be conducted and their performance will be tracked and monitored over a period of time.

Talking about this announcement, Mr. Diego Graffi, Chairman & MD of Piaggio Vehicles Pvt. Ltd. said, “Many deserving students drop out of formal education in India due to the lack of financial resources and institutional support. The COVID-19 pandemic will further aggravate this problem. Having worked closely with the auto driver community and their issues in this regard, PVPL has taken this opportunity to extend its support to the community by providing auto rickshaw driver families with the means to achieve their children’s educational dreams. Piaggio has always been a responsible corporate citizen in India and this programme further strengthens our commitment towards upliftment of the auto drivers’ community in India.”