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<ul><li>The woman alleges that she was tortured by her parents and brother and was forced to get married.</li><li>The court took cognisance of the fact that she is 26 years old and therefore not a minor, and said she is free to do as she wishes. </li><li>The <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword>, however, refused the petition to declare it a ‘void marriage’ and said she will have to approach the family court to annul the marriage.</li></ul>The daughter of a well-known politician in <keyword id="6354780" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Karnataka">Karnataka</keyword> approached the Supreme Court (SC) to allow her to get away from her parents and husband because she was forced into the marriage. Dubbed as Ms 'X' in the court’s records, the SC took cognisance of the fact that she is 26 years old and therefore not a minor, and said she is free to do as she wishes. "You are a major. You are independent to go wherever you want to go," said a bench comprising of Chief Justice <keyword id="6355251" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="dipak-misra">Dipak Misra</keyword> and Justices A M Khanwilkar and D Y Chandrachud. The SC, however, refused the petition to declare it a ‘void marriage’ and said she will have to approach the family court to annul the marriage. The woman alleges that she was tortured by her parents and brother and despite her lodging a police complaint that clearly stated she did not wish to marry the prospective groom, she was forced to get married to him on March 14. Twenty days post the wedding, the woman fled her parents’ home and headed to Delhi. On arrival, she approached the <keyword id="83267" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Delhi-Commission-for-Women">Delhi Commission for Women</keyword> and the Supreme Court almost immediately ordered her to be given police protection. Fearing retaliation from her parents and husband, her lawyer, <keyword id="214301" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indira-Jaising">Indira Jaising</keyword>, also sought police protection in <keyword id="6354321" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bengaluru">Bengaluru</keyword>, where the woman wants to go to pursue her masters in engineering. <keyword id="3198942" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jaising">Jaising</keyword> claimed, “Her brother, supported by her mother, had threatened to rape her.” To this, the bench said, “She can go to any place she desires to. Parents or any family member of X, the husband or his family members, cannot create any obstacle in the path of the woman.” The bench also suggested that if she feared for her safety since her family wielded significant power in the city, she should approach the area assistant commissioner of police who would be the best person to take appropriate measures to give her protection. The lawyer representing her parents, <keyword id="6507803" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="basava-patil">Basava Patil</keyword>, assured the court that her parents will not take any kind of coercive measure against their daughter and would return all her belongings including her educational certificates and documents. Patil said, “She need not apprehend anything. There will be no interference with her life from the parents. All things she desires will be given back to her.”

Indian woman wins a case against politician father who forced her into marrying against her will

<keyword id="2808667" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword> conducted a survey among its <keyword id="624" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Women">women</keyword> customers to unearth trends on how Indian women like to <keyword id="6354692" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Travel">travel</keyword>. The data is based on research conducted among 400 women in the age group 18-60+ across different locations in India, including Delhi, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Odisha, Telangana and <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/these-women-ola-auto-drivers-are-changing-Indian-roads/articleshow/57539709.cms">ALSO</a><a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/these-women-ola-auto-drivers-are-changing-Indian-roads/articleshow/57539709.cms"> READ: These Women Ola Auto drivers are changing Indian roads</a> 
 
The survey had some interesting findings: 
 
● 37% respondents reported traveling only for leisure, while 53% traveled for both work and leisure. 
● Women appear to be more conscientious workers, or at least those with less disposable time on their hands as only 51% reported clubbing a work trip with personal break, while 23% claimed they had never considered it 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/hyperloop-one-launches-vision-for-india-where-travel-time-from-bengaluru-to-chennai-could-become-20-mins-if-executed/articleshow/57391546.cms">ALSO READ: Hyperloop One launches 'Vision for India' where travel time from Bengaluru to Chennai could become 20 mins if executed</a> 
 ● 27% respondents said they preferred traveling <keyword id="769752" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Solo">solo</keyword> - of this, 36% said they enjoyed it but 33% said they had to opt for it because it was “difficult matching schedules with <keyword id="343" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Friends">friends</keyword> or companions” 
● Friends (57%) rank higher than Family (51%) as “preferred travel companions” for women but partners reign supreme at 62% 
● Personal research via internet and magazines ranks higher (78%) than recommendations from friends &amp; family (51%) while choosing a travel destination. Social media came third (32%) and movies trailed the last (12%) when it came to sparking travel inspiration. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/shervin-pishevar-talks-about-indian-startups-and-hyperloop-one-which-propel-india-to-become-the-next-superpower/articleshow/57428216.cms">ALSO READ: Shervin Pishevar talks about Indian startups and Hyperloop One, which can propel India to become the next superpower</a> 
 
● “Safety” ranked as the #1 factor followed by “cost of trip” when it came to selecting a travel destination 
● Contrary to expectations, 69% women opted for budget hotels over five-star hotels (18%) while 6% preferred to stay in a hostel while traveling 
● 10% respondents had never stayed with friends or family while traveling, but all had “often” or “sometimes” stayed at a budget hotel! 
● While 10% women totally shot down the idea of impulsive trips, accommodation (52%) was the biggest concern followed by expense (29%) due to booking at short notice 
● Budget hotels (35%) topped the choice of accommodation for women traveling solo, followed by staying with friends or family (25%)

Travelling solo makes Indian women feel empowered, reveals OYO survey

<ul><li>Online grocery startup Grofers currently has 40% female employees. </li><li>It has 500 women employees across Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Kolkata.</li><li>Grofers claims to have grown by a staggering 800% in 2 years. </li></ul> Indian grocery startup Grofers is breaking the gender silos and the ‘traditional’ job roles defined by gender. It is bringing in women to work at its warehouse and also for delivery. Currently, 40% of its employees are women. “Warehousing was traditionally considered a male dominated industry. However, in modern times and with better support, women employees are gaining strength in warehouses as well. We employed around 500 women employees in <keyword id="8328799" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="grofers-warehouses">Grofers warehouses</keyword> currently in Bengaluru, Gurgaon and Kolkata,” said Ankush Arora, Head, HR, Grofers. The company plans to follow the same trend in Faridabad, Hyderabad and Noida. Grofers also provides safety measures – from cameras at all locations, female security guards, housekeeping, HRs, pick up and drop facility to fixed working hours. Through several training programmes, the female workforce carries out tasks like inventory putaway, inventory audit, order picking and billing, return processing, etc. “These training programmes help women employed to improve their skills and advance further within the field,” said Arora. Grofers is also reaping in the benefits as it has resulted in an increase in efficiency. Its onboarding experience, job training and rewards and recognition also aided this growth. “With our focus on these, we have been able to achieve an overall decrease in absenteeism rate, particularly for a set of female team members-- which has not only increased the process efficiencies and productivity but also enhanced our overall employee engagement score,” said Arora. From reports about it shutting down offices across cities, the company has made a comeback. In the last two years, it claims to have grown by a staggering 800%, and clock in annual revenues of $400 million. In May 2019, the e-grocery startup raised $200 million from Softbank Vision Fund, falling just a few million short in valuation to become a unicorn.

Grofers hires women and improves its employee productivity scores

New Delhi, Nov 25 () Ride-hailing platform Uber on Monday said it has held gender sensitisation workshops for over 50,000 driver partners across eight cities in India.
 The workshops, held in partnership with Delhi-based Manas Foundation, will be rolled out to other cities in the country as well, Uber Head of Central Operations, India and South Asia, Pavan Vaish, told .
 He added that Uber's teams in other countries are also looking at this model of engaging with driver partners.
 "We have engaged with various stakeholders and arrived at a view that violence against women is an issue that needs to be addressed with a multi-sectoral and collaborative approach," he said.
 In addition to continuing to develop technology around safety of riders, Uber has also partnered with Manas Foundation since last year to customise sessions for driver partners to ensure they are more courteous and attentive to the needs of women riders.
 These workshops, which have been organised in eight Indian cities including Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Bengaluru and Chennai, cover topics such as violence against women and its impact on them, gender and how gender roles are reinforced.
 These also focus on the role of driver partners in addressing this issue, how they can modify their professional behaviour to make women feel safer, legal implications and facilitating a social commitment to being a part of the solution, Vaish said.
 "We are pleased that our gender sensitisation initiative has been positively received by our driver partners who display their certificates with great pride inside their cars," he said.
 Uber has introduced several features such as call anonymisation to protect the privacy of riders; comprehensive background checks of drivers; reminders to check ride before boarding; share trip with friends as well as introduced 24/7 safety helpline and insurance for riders.
 Globally, Uber has earmarked an additional USD 2.5 million under its Global Driving Change initiative for non-governmental organisations to help prevent sexual violence. SR HRS

Uber sensitises 50,000 driver partners in India on violence against women

New Delhi, Dec 13 () Uber is launching two new campaigns for Uber Auto and Uber Moto services as the US-based ride hailing company attempts to woo middle-class to join its platform.
 Uber India and South Asia Marketing Director Manisha Lath Gupta said the two services - Uber Auto and Uber Moto - have seen strong growth in the country.
 "These are entry-level products in many cities, including the large cities. In many cities, autos and motorbikes are preferred medium of commuting, especially for middle class... Uber Moto and Uber Auto are high-growth categories," she added.
 Gupta said research showed that travel for women is often restricted because family members feel it is unsafe for them to travel alone.
 "Even if they are commuting, they keep getting calls from family members asking for their location," she said adding that financially independent women contribute to the growth of the economy and that's the message Uber wanted to give with the campaign.
 Similar to the cab service, Uber Auto allows riders to book auto rides and track the ride live. Gupta noted that these features address concerns that family members may have around safety of women while they are travelling.
 Talking about the Uber Moto campaign, Gupta said the message is how commuters can save time using options like Moto and utilise the saved time to pursue activities of their choice.
 "We believe that our youth have immense potential, however a lack of safe and reliable commuting options often limits their aspirations. In a small yet meaningful way, we are delighted to support the aspirations of millions of men and women to move forward," she said.
 These campaigns will be seen across digital, print and OOH platforms. The Uber auto campaign will be rolled out in Bengaluru, Chennai, Mumbai and Pune this month followed by other cities later on.
 The Uber Moto campaign will be rolled out in Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Noida and Gurugram initially. SR SHW
SHW

With eye on middle class, Uber launches new campaigns for auto, moto

All of a sudden there is a sudden boom in the Indian wearable technology platforms. Beating <keyword id="874458" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Xiaomi">Xiaomi</keyword>'s Mi Band, <keyword id="211471" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vishal-Gondal">Vishal Gondal</keyword>’s GOQii is the market leader in India in this segment. 
 <keyword id="1951790" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="SenseGiz">SenseGiz</keyword>, a Bengaluru-based startup that makes a safety monitoring wristband called <keyword id="3683950" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="safr">SAFR</keyword>, has sold around 35,000 devices so far. Priced at Rs 3,000, SAFR connects to a smartphone app and can detect if a user has got into an accident and alert emergency contacts, as per a news report by The <keyword id="6474066" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-times">Economic Times</keyword>. 
 Its primary markets have been <keyword id="6355311" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Japan">Japan</keyword> and the US. "Now, awareness is growing even in India," <keyword id="3683949" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="abhishek-latte">Abhishek Latte</keyword>, cofounder and CEO of SenseGiz told the ET. 
 "People should not throw the devices after a few months. To prevent that, there should be enough services that keep the consumer interested. Hardware is just one part," <keyword id="52455" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gondal">Gondal</keyword>, whose GOQii counts former <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> search head <keyword id="6372293" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amit-Singhal">Amit Singhal</keyword> and WhatsApp's business head <keyword id="468884" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Neeraj-Arora">Neeraj Arora</keyword> among investors, told the financial daily. 
 Another wearable start up by an <keyword id="6364832" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="IIT-Kharagpur">IIT Kharagpur</keyword> alumnus, Blink operates a smartwatch and uses an inhouse operating system. The device will be priced at around $200 and will be launched by the end of September. 
 Some of the wearable ventures that have won funding include Actofit, a fitness wearable that has received funds from Next Orbit Ventures; <keyword id="2105082" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Azoi">Azoi</keyword>, another fitness wearable funded by <keyword id="3683948" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="vedanta-capital">Vedanta Capital</keyword>, MadRat Games, which has built a wearable gaming suit and has been funded by <keyword id="6360722" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="ratan-tata">Ratan Tata</keyword> and others, and Leaf Wearable, a bluetoothconnected jewellery for safety of women and funded on crowdfunding platform Ketto.

​ Made in India wearable technology platforms are beating Chinese manufacturers like Xiaomi

As has been widely reported by the media and announced by <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> CEO Mark Zuckerberg himself, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Digital-India-5-questions-that-PrimeMinister-Narendra-Modi-needs-to-answer/articleshow/48957648.cms">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</a> is all set to visit the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Four-things-that-could-happen-to-Facebook-onceNarendra-Modi-meets-Mark-Zuckerberg/articleshow/48973063.cms">Facebook HQ</a> in California and hold a <keyword id="3068508" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="townhall-interaction">Townhall interaction</keyword> on the 27th of September. 
 
This is undoubtedly a matter of pride for Indians worldwide considering Prime Minister Modi will be the second leader after US President <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/A-Sneak-Peek-Into-Obamas-Armoured-Cadillac-One/articleshow/45963720.cms">Barack Obama</a> to address such an interaction and as India is the second largest user base for Facebook. 
 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Zuckerberg-surprised-by-Modis-wishes/articleshow/47297389.cms">Zuckerberg</a> himself had asked for questions from every citizen that could help in bringing together communities and help in bringing about social-economic changes. 
 
While we agree that listening and answering to the millions of voices in a limited time might prove to be a close to an impossible task, we at Business Insider decided to make things easier by drawing up a list of five questions we’re sure every Indian would want to ask- 
 
 
1. Is caste-based reservation system really the way forward for modern India? 
This is not just a topical question, but also a question that’s evergreen and that needs to be answered before we work towards any other development. Are caste-based reservations really going help us transform ourselves in the league of modern nations? Is depriving everyone a fair chance, despite their caste really fair? 
 
2. Despite producing the best computer engineers in the country (Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai), why are there so little jobs for the youth in India? 
More than 90% of Indian youths with degrees are unemployed, if not disillusioned. Why is it that a country that has the brightest of minds has so little to offer them? Why do they have to settle in newer countries to find fame, and quality of life? 
 
3. In the age of social media, do you think it should be mandatory for government bodies in India to have active social accounts on Facebook and Twitter where citizens can channelize their grievances and report crimes? 
Bengaluru Police has revolutionized the digital space. Their multiple Twitter accounts and Facebook account is updated and they’re equally prompt with replies to grievances or to take action regarding any untoward incidents. Why cannot every government body make its presence felt in social media and be accountable to the thousands of citizens online? If this was made mandatory, more and more people put off by the long queues and the lengthy process of channelizing their grievances would come forward and take part. 
 
4. How can we use social media and technology in general, to help the cause of women empowerment and safety across India? Safety of women in India, especially in the national capital is a dreaded issue, an obstacle that still hasn’t been crossed. With incidents of crime against women being reported day in and out, we want Prime Minister Modi and <keyword id="3068507" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Marrk-Zuckerberg">Marrk Zuckerberg</keyword> to tell us how technology can help us in making India a safer place for women, a city a time. 
 
5. Is it okay to impose vegetarianism on a country that prides itself on being secular and where majority of its citizens are non-vegetarians? In that light, is banning meat, logical or so, to say fair? 
 
This has been the hot topic for discussion in the country in the past few weeks and we really would like to know Modi’s thoughts about it as banning meat is clearly not the answer for respecting someone’s religion or beliefs. Neither is forcing people to watch what they're eating and what they're not. 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

5 questions every Indian wants Narendra Modi to answer in his debut Townhall interaction

A month back, Tejaswini Naik started an online petition on Change.org calling out all restaurant <keyword id="2023145" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Delivery-services">delivery services</keyword>, specifically <keyword id="830092" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Zomato">Zomato</keyword>, the country’s biggest delivery aggregator to conduct background checks and train its delivery team to ensure a safe delivery option for women. 
 
Her demand did not come out of the blue. It came from a harrowing personal experience. 
 
One night after she had ordered food that was delivered to her doorstep by a delivery boy; she started receiving harassing messages on Whatsapp. 
 
Living alone, she naturally got scared, as the messages kept continuing. 
 
Naik however considers herself lucky as the harassment stopped at just that. For a lot of other women living alone, their ordeals were a little more unfortunate. 
 
Apart from the various instances of women getting raped or murdered by delivery boys that find a small casual mention in the newspapers, one recent instance brought the issue of the danger lurking for women living alone even when they get food delivered home in the limelight. 
 
Recently, a Twitter user (@facepalm92) had to move out of a city after facing harassment from a restaurant delivery boy for almost one year. Complaining to the local police was of no avail. 
 
She recollected that a man from a local restaurant she had ordered food from, had started pestering her for 'friendship' soon after he delivered the parcel to her apartment where she lived alone. She blocked his number later, but kept getting calls from various numbers. The calls didn't stop even after she moved to another city. 
 
After her story went viral, Bengaluru cops leaped into action following the huge social media support she received. 
 
However, not every woman gets to have the same luck or privilege as she did, and noting that Naik sent a letter to Zomato’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=deepinder+goyal">CEO Deepinder Goyal</a> asking him to ensure the needful is done. 
 
As of 11 hours ago her petition had 30,000 supporters, most of whom echoed our thoughts but stressed on the fact that although background checks and training is necessary and is a good step to start with- it certainly isn’t enough. 
 
However, there was a little catch. 
 
Zomato essentially functions as a technology enabler for online ordering and do not have their very own delivery fleet, instead tying up with third-party logistics firms which deploy delivery boys. 
 
Commenting on the issue,<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=pankaj+chaddah"> Pankaj Chaddah</a>, co-founder of Zomato said that the safety of end consumers should be a collective responsibility of all parties involved. 
 
“At Zomato, we do not employ our own fleet of delivery personnel, we just enable users to place their orders online at restaurants, and the restaurant employs delivery boys (or a third-party logistics firms deploys delivery boys), but we understand that this concern is a serious one. We are working with our logistics partners Grab, and Delhivery, to ensure police verification is done for all food delivery personnel, and with NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India) to advise restaurants to do so for their own delivery personnel as well. As one of the leaders in the food industry, it is incumbent on us to drive the importance of ensuring that safety of our users is not compromised and we are all collectively working towards this very important goal,” he added. 
 
For Zomato, which is looking to rule the online ordering market as it ties up with major players like Natural's Icecream, Dunkin Donuts, Burger King to name a few, this is indeed a necessary step, as it's a given that the number of customers ordering from<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=zomato"> Zomato</a> will be undoubtedly high. Secondly, it can also set an example for other players to follow by making police verification mandatory and thereby the delivery process seamless and an enjoyable experience. 
 On his part, <keyword id="366474" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Riyaaz-Amlani">Riyaaz Amlani</keyword>, President of the NRAI has promised that in this situation too, they will continue providing the right guidance and advice to the Indian restaurant fraternity. 
 
Considering that the food delivery segment is a huge chunk of the Indian restaurant service industry and is sacrosanct for its growth, it’s imperative that restaurants are educated on the importance of vetting the delivery staff they onboard to ensure that not just women, but a safe delivery experience is guaranteed to anyone.

How one woman’s petition to Zomato got NRAI to urge
restaurant owners to conduct background checks for delivery boys

It’s a welcome move by <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Home+Minister+Rajnath+Singh+">Home Minister Rajnath Singh</a> who would soon propose that the 100 'Smart Cities' should be developed as 'Safe Cities' with the help of the latest security equipment like CCTVs, command control centers, patrol cars, aerial surveillance and more women cops. 
 
The 100 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=%E2%80%98Smart+Cities%E2%80%99+">‘Smart Cities’</a> project announced by the <keyword id="71" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Prime-Minister">prime minister</keyword> last month is the part of a government flagship programme. 
 <keyword id="6355121" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Rajnath-Singh">Rajnath Singh</keyword> will make a proposal to the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Urban+Development+Ministry+">Urban Development Ministry</a> that the former's 'Safe City' project should be combined with the Rs 48,000 crore 'Smart Cities' concept so that the 100 cities could be made smart as wells as safe from crime or terror. 
 The present 'Safe City' project of the MHA covers only seven metros - Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Ahmedabad. The MHA now proposes to cover all 100 'Safe Cities' under the concept in association with the <keyword id="6696781" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Urban-development-ministry">Urban Development Ministry</keyword>. 
 
Rajnath Singh chaired a meeting in this regard with MoS Home <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Kiren+Rijiju">Kiren Rijiju</a>, the <keyword id="123228" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="Director-General">Director General</keyword> of <keyword id="3043518" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bureau-of-Police-Research-and-Development-NR-Wasan">Bureau of Police Research and Development NR Wasan</keyword> and MHA <keyword id="230912" type="POSITION" weightage="60" keywordseo="security-advisor">Security Advisor</keyword> <keyword id="3043517" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="K-Vijay-Kumar">K. Vijay Kumar</keyword> on Monday. "The smart cities need to be safe cities as well. We are planning to propose the same for planning in advance," Rijiju told ET. 
 
Last month, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=%E2%80%98Smart+Cities%E2%80%99+">Prime Minister</a> had announced names of 98 cities which will be specially developed as 'Smart Cities' as part of a government flagship project, with one nomination of a city pending from Uttar Pradesh and J&amp;K each. 
 "The idea is that MHA and <keyword id="81069" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="UD-ministry">UD Ministry</keyword> should not work in isolation on each of its projects and it is better that MHA works with UD on the latter's project rather than planning for the safety of the cities subsequently," a MHA official said. 
 
The 'Smart City' concept involves promoting mixed land use in area based developments, housing and inclusiveness, creating walkable localities, promoting a variety of transport options and giving an identity to the city based on its main economic activity. 
 
(Image: Indiatimes)

Sounds cool! ‘Smart Cities’ to also become the safest in the entire country!

<ul><li><keyword id="9648465" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="sima-taparia">Sima Taparia</keyword> from Mumbai is back and she’s telling fortune again. This time, it is with <keyword id="8681398" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Urban-Company">Urban Company</keyword> and the audience is loving it.</li><li>Tarun Menon, Director Marketing, Urban Company takes us behind the platform's latest influencer marketing campaign with Sima Taparia, shares the thought behind partnering with her and larger goals for this year.</li></ul>Last year, Netflix's Indian Matchmaking introduced India and the world to ace matchmaker Sima Taparia and she quickly became one of the most talked about character from a reality show. The first season ended in July 2020 but the audience hasn’t stopped stanning over Sima Taparia yet. Sima gained instant popularity among millennials and Gen Z and never faded away from the news cycle. Over the past year, brands like Burger King, Tinder, Asian Paints flocked to partner with the internet sensation, who recently starred in Big Boss OTT. Meanwhile, brands are still not over her. Recently, she featured in a campaign for home service and grooming platform, Urban Company. Before Netflix renewed Indian Matchmaking for season 2, Urban Company’s Align your Stars campaign with Sima Taparia generated a lot of chatter on social media. It helped the brand garner 4.5+ million views in less than a week. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Telling us why Sima was the perfect match for this campaign, Tarun Menon, Director Marketing, Urban Company said, “Sima enjoys cult-like status and is best known for matchmaking based on the stars. She was one of the most talked about people online in 2020. It was a punt – to see if the choice of influencer and content could drive engagement for the campaign.” “The videos themselves have been well received across social media with people relating, reacting and engaging with the content - and has given us learnings to bake into our next campaign,” added Menon. Its marketing objective was to create buzz ahead of the launch of Big Home Rush, an Urban Company sale property. To further spread awareness around its discounts and gain new customers, Urban Company partnered with 14 different young influencers such as Kusha Kapila, Vishnu Kaushal, Mallika Dua, to mention a few, to create content for each zodiac sign. The underlying message of each piece was to encourage consumers to join Urban Company’s Big Home Rush sale. Launched in January 2021, the Big Home Rush sale has become extremely popular with consumers. Even in the ongoing second edition, the company has already delivered close to 500,000 services, witnessing high demand from cities such as Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Pune, Bengaluru, and Hyderabad and more. Sharing why it chose influencer marketing to promote its sale, Menon said, “With other media formats driving awareness, the influencer leg sought to create engagement and conversation around the sale, in a way that’s native to the platform (Instagram). We’d observed that in the last 2 months, sun-sign based content was growing in volume, engagement and traction - as people tag their friends and conversation flows organically.” Before Sima Taparia, Urban Company’s partnership with yesteryear’s TV stars such as Rupali Ganguly as Monisha Sarabhai and Komalika also received a positive response from its audience. The idea behind casting such a unique set of stars, from Sima to Monisha, was to find women who can express shock and help open a door for them in the regional markets. “These content pieces were part of a larger campaign for Salon Classic - a newly launched category that offers salon quality services at unbelievable prices. Our intent in partnering with influencers and content creators was to integrate the key message - salon services at unbelievably low prices - into content &amp; culture. It made sense to partner with influencers best known for expressing shock – Hindi TV celebrities with a cult following for the roles they play. We further extended this concept to regional TV artists as well, to build relatability for regional audiences. We are looking to attract new customers and engage existing consumers through this campaign,” shared Menon. Due to the global pandemic, Urban Company has seen an uptick in the demand for home cleaning and hygiene services as people are becoming more health-conscious. The app had become quite popular for its home repair and salon services before the pandemic broke out. However, people have been wary about letting outsiders inside their homes lately. Urban Company rose to the challenge and tweaked its marketing strategy. It started communicating every day about the changes it introduced in its services and updated its audience regularly about the number of employees vaccinated. It tweaked its logo across platforms to convey the importance of social distancing and wearing a mask. Apart from that, it realised that people are looking for a lot of DIY videos to make the best of their time. Therefore, it started uploading beauty and wellness video tips to help its consumers surf through the challenges they are posed with. It is also conducting live sessions to engage with its consumers. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Telling us how the company has tweaked its larger marketing strategy after the pandemic to win consumer trust, Menon shared, “We focused on communicating every day about the changes we introduced in our services and SOPs. For example, we completely reimagined certain services, such as threading, to ensure low contact with consumers. For threading, our Beauty experts now wrap the thread around their neck, instead of pursing it in their mouth. We launched extensive campaigns to build communication on our safety protocols and how the Urban Company experience has been reimagined for delivering safe and hygienic services. Our ‘<keyword id="11886690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="uc-safe">UC Safe</keyword> Salon campaign’ included TVCs featuring Neena Kulkarni and Shweta Tiwari aimed at communicating the safety of Urban Company’s salon at home services. More recently, in May ‘21, we ran an extension of the UC Safe campaign, highlighting how over 75% of our service professional base is now vaccinated.” Home services sector in India is largely unorganized and Urban Company is one of the few companies that is formalising it and despite being in the business for 7 years, Menon says that they are still just getting started. Sharing his larger goals for this year, Menon said, Our focus areas will be to increase market share in existing markets and increase penetration in new cities. In the past 2 years, we have expanded to 30 cities in India. Our goal is to be present in the top 100 cities over the next couple of years.”

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