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<ul><li>There’s now a <keyword id="12647275" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="corona-island" source="Orion">Corona Island</keyword> that aims to provide consumers with a safe space to reconnect with the natural world.</li><li>Slated to open in late Spring 2022 in the heart of the <keyword id="388270" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="caribbean-sea" source="Orion">Caribbean Sea</keyword> by Mexico-based brand Corona, the Island will be centered around sustainability and is vying to be Blue Verified soon.</li></ul>Imagine this: You are in the middle of a Caribbean beach, surrounded by not more than 50 people who are fully vaccinated, you are sipping on chilled beer straight from a can as you watch gentle waves lapping the shores, warm tropical breezes soothe your body and you can also smell the salty sea. Alas, not many of us have been able to experience this after the year 2020’s pandemic and the ensuing lockdown brought a screeching halt to our normal activities and travel plans. After the outbreak of coronavirus, a vast majority of people across the world have spent their time indoors and are yearning for experiences that can break their daily monotony and help them feel a sense of normalcy again. There is a lot of pent-up travel demand but people are still anxious about vacationing with large crowds. So, as experiential marketing makes a comeback, <keyword id="3886932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="corona-beer" source="Orion">Corona beer</keyword> is giving a unique opportunity to its consumers to disconnect from the everyday hustle and reconnect with the natural world. On November 30, Corona announced that it will soon be unveiling a private branded island experience. The concept also combines Corona's key advertising messages: relaxation at the beach and sustainability. <div type="Youtube" id="cnioD4lyIBI" title="Corona has a paradise just for you" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cnioD4lyIBI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Situated in the middle of the Caribbean, Corona Island is now waiting to become "Blue Verified" by <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3370638-1&amp;h=3210886748&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Foceanic.global%2F&amp;a=Oceanic+Global">Oceanic Global</a> as part of the international NGO's rigorous <a href="https://c212.net/c/link/?t=0&amp;l=en&amp;o=3370638-1&amp;h=81921525&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fbluestandard.com%2F&amp;a=Blue+Standard+program">Blue Standard program</a>. According to its news release, the verification and assessment measures will include: single-use plastic elimination and implementation of responsible waste management infrastructure. The assessment is currently underway and Corona Island is likely to be Blue Verified Island by spring of next year. With this on-ground marketing activity, Corona aims to establish itself as a brand that is made of 100% natural products such as water, barley, maize or rice and hops. Citizens of Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Paraguay, Peru and South Africa have an opportunity to win an all-expenses-paid trip to Corona Island in 2022. Each country will have its own enter-to-win mechanism whether it's earning miles through product purchases, collecting stamps or finding a golden ticket. "Corona Island is unlike anything we've ever done before. As a brand that's so deeply connected with nature, we wanted to pay respect to and celebrate the natural environment that supplies our 100% natural ingredients," said <keyword id="12647277" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Felipe-Ambra" source="Orion">Felipe Ambra</keyword>, Global Vice President for Corona. In a press statement, Ambra said, "Now more than ever, people have a need to safely reconnect with the outdoors. We're inviting people from around the world to come together and combine education with responsible tourism. Our hope is that when guests return home, they'll have fallen in love with nature again, and will be re-energized to be better global citizens in their communities. When people are in love with someone or something, they always do their best to protect it - that's our objective with Corona Island."

Corona Beer plans its grandest marketing activity ever: Opens a private branded island

<ul><li>Kaushik Banerjee, Co-founder and CEO, MeVero Inc writes why brands should engage with its current customers and prospective one, to help them tide over this crisis.</li><li>He further shares how every situation, however bad, presents an opportunity for brands. and their marketing strategy now depends on the consumer problem the product is trying to solve.</li></ul>This time of the year is always a time of festivity in many parts of the world. What that means is a lot of shopping for discretionary items. Total spending in the USA last year during this time is estimated at $18 billion+. The top purchases categories included food, clothing, gifts and premium handmade products. With increasing number of people moving to online shopping, almost all digital companies – be it a start-up or a relatively established player, plan for a surge in marketing spends around this time of the year. Online shoppers have increasingly spent more than those going to stores. As a result, mobile payments have seen around a 10% rise during these times, year on year. Be it digital payments, <keyword id="124571" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-media">digital media</keyword>, e-commerce or logistics, every start-up in these domains plan for an upswing in consumer spending propensity. But the times are different this year. The Covid-19 pandemic has caused widespread disruption of normal life across the world. A lot of industries have come to a halt, like retail, automobiles, travel and tourism, F&amp;B etc. People are also postponing their discretionary spends in view of the uncertain economic outlook. This has resulted in contraction of marketing spend for start-ups in general. All major campaigns have been postponed. This is evident from the fact that the advertising on Google and Facebook has become less expensive, meaning that there are fewer advertisers. The CPMs for Facebook, Instagram have fallen by average 15% in March 2020 compared to February 2020. The marketing strategy now depends on the consumer problem the product is trying to solve. If the product is in digital healthcare, digital learning, media, hyperlocal delivery, or anything that can help people sustain and engage gainfully while staying at home due to lockdown, it is the right time to engage with the customer, both current and prospective, through meaningful communication. Social media can be used effectively to promote health and hygiene while carefully weaving the brand story into it. If the product falls under the discretionary category, or caters to it, it is best to postpone any marketing activity. Rather resources should be used to improve the product. Every situation, however bad, presents an opportunity for brands. People now need to spend time productively, maintain health &amp; hygiene, take care of family, manage finances wisely and work from home. Brands should engage with its current customers and prospective one, through low cost media to help them tide over this crisis. In this Covid – 19 outbreak digital platforms are witnessing a surge in subscription and user base as consumers are utilising their more time on such platforms during the lockdown period. As people spend more time indoors and in remote working, these digital players have seen an unprecedented growth across the world. Today’s hyper connected world makes it easier for digital companies across the globe to acquire users by advertising and marketing themselves on the digital platform solely, without much of a mass media outreach. Social media, Google Adwords, Youtube etc. offer a huge opportunity for digital players to reach a global audience and acquire users in this period of Covid-19. Therefore, it is no wonder that you see a slew of digital companies reaching out to new users across the world in a push for global footprint. In a matter of a few weeks they increased their user base to over hundreds of million users globally, simply by leveraging the power of <keyword id="618493" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-marketing">Digital marketing</keyword>. And with a fewer number of advertisers now hawking their products, the cost of acquisition has also dropped dramatically for most digital companies. So it is becoming cheaper and faster for digital-only players to acquire global users and ramp up their offering. The only hitch that remains are two fold- Government regulations and Payment systems. To go global, most digital companies have to take cognisance of local Government laws and this might prove cumbersome to a lot of players. The other problem is to enable payments by users on a digital platform to suit local behaviours. For instance, in developing countries, Debit/Credit Card payments may not work. You will need to look at other innovative payment mechanisms to cater to users in these countries. So, you will see a tremendous growth in FinTech players who offer the digital companies the flexibility to accept payments from innovative methods like Wallets, Mobile payments, Voucher systems and prepaid tokens.

The state of digital in the time of corona

<ul><li><keyword id="4761491" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="TCS-Share-Price">TCS share price</keyword> dipped to ₹1506.05 when markets opened today morning.</li><li>The overall market crash was so massive that it triggered the circuit breaker limit halting trade for 45 minutes.</li><li>This is the first time in seven years that TCS stock has dipped below ₹1600. The last time was in July 2013. </li><li>Over the last three months, TCS' value has dipped by ₹2 lakh crore ($27 billion). </li></ul>The stock of Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) hit a seven-year low as markets opened to a massive crash today morning. The company's share price dipped to ₹1506 as a massive global selloff affected Indian stock markets too. TCS' value has gone down from ₹8.3 lakh crore in December to ₹6.3 lakh crore in the last three months — a dip of 24.3% resulting in market cap loss of ₹2 lakh crore ($27 billion). 
 
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 The last time the company's share price went below ₹1600 was in July 2013. IT stocks in India were already bearish amid a global economic slowdown. Things took a turn for the worse as India locked down borders and suspended most active visas. TCS wasn't the only stock to crash in earning trading hours. In what is being called the Coronacrash, Asian markets — including Indonesia, South Korea, Thailand and the Philippines — halted trading as stocks plummeted the minute markets opened. In India, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/trading-halted-for-45-mins-as-sensex-hits-lower-circuit-for-the-first-time-in-12-years/articleshow/74605048.cms">circuit breaker limit</a> was used for the first time in 12 years. It was triggered after Nifty50 crashed 10%. Trading was suspended for 45 minutes before markets reopened. However, TCS continues to be volatile. Amidst this melee, TCS temporarily recouped its position as India's most valued company back from <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/heres-how-mukesh-ambani-lost-5-8-billion-in-a-day/articleshow/74572111.cms">Reliance Industries</a> which faced the double whammy of coronavirus and crude oil price crash yesterday. However, it was back to being in second place after markets closed yesterday, March 13. Even ₹4,500 crore couldn't fight the effects of the coronavirus The massive dip in TCS value comes after the company met on March 11 and declared an interim dividend of ₹12 per share — a total payout of ₹4,503 crore. In fact, the announcement of dividends did nothing to slow the stock's downward trajectory this week. 
 
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 It's not just stocks in India but markets all over the world that continue to remain volatile amid the coronavirus outbreak. The New York Stock Exchange (<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/the-new-york-stock-exchange-is-preparing-to-close-its-trading-floor-as-coronavirus-sweeps-through-new-york/articleshow/74599617.cms">NYSE</a>) may close its trading floor in the coming week to keep the Covid-19 virus from spreading. The chaos in overseas markets has an undeniable effect on IT stocks. Any further upheaval in US markets, like closing down the trading floor, could have a negative impact on IT stocks like TCS in India. The prolonged pandemic will have an effect on new client acquisitions and Kotak Securities corrected the revenue of IT companies by 2-4%. “In addition to and partly as a consequence of Covid-19, client health has started deteriorating across many verticals. Specifically, sharp rate cuts impact the banking vertical. We expected moderate improvement in spends among US banking clients at the beginning of the year. However, subsequent turn of events has all but eliminated this possibility,” the report said. TCS is only one of 783 stocks on the National Stock Exchange (NSE) to have hit its 52-week low this week. Yesterday, NSE and BSE saw the largest single-day fall of over 2,919 points since the 2008 financial crisis. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/coronavirus-recovery-rate-at-54-as-doctors-race-to-find-a-cure/articleshow/74589618.cms">Coronavirus recovery rate at 54% as doctors race to find a cure</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-travel-restrictions-affect-everything-from-the-ipl-to-nris-on-vacation/articleshow/74591642.cms">Coronavirus travel restrictions affect everything from the IPL to NRIs on vacation</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-rattles-the-supply-chain-in-indias-largest-electronics-market-hitting-mobile-accessories-more-than-new-phones/articleshow/74484914.cms">Coronavirus rattles the supply chain in India’s largest electronics market, hitting mobile accessories more than new phones</a>

'Corona crash' wipes over ₹2 lakh crore from TCS share value in just 3 months

<ul class="summary-list"><li>With parks, museusms, shopping centers, and more, there's no shortage of activities in <keyword id="11893136" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="san-francisco" source="Orion">San Francisco</keyword>.</li><li>Insider's list of must-do activities in San Francisco will help you map out your itinerary. </li></ul>San Francisco has museums, vistas, hikes, and tourist attractions worth seeing. If you're ready to embark on an adventure, check out our list of activities to keep you busy while you're in town.Nature San Francisco has an array of spectacular nature views and experiences. <a href="https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/ocean-beach">Ocean Beach</a> offers a 3.5-mile stretch of beach, craggy cliffs, and hikeable coastal trails. This is also where you can explore the ruins of the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/learn/historyculture/sutro-baths.htm">Sutro Baths</a>. <a href="https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/baker-beach">Baker Beach</a> also offers panoramic views of the Golden Gate Bridge.Views and vistas For the best views of the city, visit <a href="https://sfrecpark.org/facilities/facility/details/Twin-Peaks-384">Twin Peaks</a>, <a href="https://sfrecpark.org/facilities/facility/details/Bernal-Heights-Park-151">Bernal Heights Park</a>, <a href="https://sfrecpark.org/facilities/facility/details/Mt-Davidson-Park-190">Mount Davidson</a>, <a href="https://sfrecpark.org/facilities/facility/details/coronaheightspark-328">Corona Heights Park</a>, and <a href="https://sfrecpark.org/Facilities/Facility/Details/Billy-Goat-Hill-Trail-397">Billy Goat Hill</a>. For Golden Gate Bridge views, stop by <a href="https://www.presidio.gov/places/golden-gate-overlook">Golden Gate Overlook</a>, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/places/fort-point.htm">Fort Point</a>, and <a href="https://www.presidio.gov/places/crissy-field">Crissy Field</a>. And if you have some time to spare, cross the bridge to view the city from the <a href="https://www.nps.gov/goga/marin-headlands.htm">Marin Headlands</a>.<div type="image" title="A man hikes across a Twin Peaks hill with views of San Francisco's cityscape in the background." height="761" width="1521" msid="86977777" hostid="261"></div>Touristy but necessary <a href="https://www.pier39.com/">Pier 39</a>, <a href="https://www.fishermanswharf.org/">Fisherman's Wharf</a>, and <a href="https://www.nps.gov/safr/planyourvisit/aquaticparkcove.htm">Aquatic Park</a> are among the most touristy spots of the city along the bay. Their attractions include 3D rides, the Aquarium of the Bay, carnival rides, souvenirs, bungee trampolines, arcade games, and more.Food and shopping adventuresStop by the iconic <a href="http://www.thebuenavista.com/home/home.html">Buena Vista Cafe</a>, where you can have a cup of its famous Irish coffee. <a href="https://www.ghirardellisq.com/">Ghirardelli Square</a> also features some great restaurants and the <a href="https://www.ghirardelli.com/">Ghirardelli Chocolate Company</a>, where you can indulge in an ice-cream sundae while learning how Ghirardelli makes its chocolate. <div type="image" title="An outside shot of the Ghirardelli Square shopping center, featuring a water fountain surrounded by stores." height="2688" width="4032" msid="86977781" hostid="261"></div>For top-notch cuisine, boutique shopping, and specialty goods, there are several places you can't miss out on. <a href="https://www.ferrybuildingmarketplace.com/">The Ferry Building</a> on the Embarcadero is an artisan marketplace offering crafts, culinary delights, and frequent farmers' markets. <a href="https://www.one65sf.com/">One65</a> is a French emporium headed by the Michelin-starred and James Beard Award-winning chef Claude Le Tohic. And <a href="https://chinalivesf.com/">China Live</a> is a modern marketplace and culinary destination offering multicourse Chinese fare, snacks, and artisan teas.Another option is <a href="https://unionsquareshop.com/">Union Square</a>, one of the biggest, most all-encompassing shopping areas in the country. Here you can find department stores, fancy boutiques, gift shops, art galleries, designer stores, brand names, and more.<div type="image" title="A shot of an open field at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco" height="2648" width="3972" msid="86977785" hostid="261"></div>Instagram-worthy activitiesFor Instagramable murals and photo opportunities, check out <a href="https://umbrellaalley.com/">Umbrella Alley</a> on Beach Street. You can also tour the Bay Area and beyond with <a href="https://www.sanfranciscojeeptours.com/tours/explore-san-francisco/?gclid=Cj0KCQjws4aKBhDPARIsAIWH0JV9IdJ_cr6QpPrCFHJYl-o1tVn8XXpy_WGM9odd1fdLuWppawyLe7saAuQmEALw_wcB">San Francisco Jeep Tours</a>. Golden Gate Park <a href="https://sfrecpark.org/770/Golden-Gate-Park">Golden Gate Park</a> includes the botanical garden, the <a href="https://www.japaneseteagardensf.com/">Japanese Tea Garden</a>, the <a href="https://goldengatepark.com/music-concourse-and-spreckels-temple-of-music.html">Music Concourse</a>, <a href="https://stowlakeboathouse.com/">Stow Lake</a>, the <a href="https://conservatoryofflowers.org/">Conservatory of Flowers</a>, and the <a href="https://goldengatepark.com/buffalo-paddock.html">bison paddock</a>. It's also home to several museums, such as the <a href="https://deyoung.famsf.org/">De Young Museum</a> and the <a href="https://www.calacademy.org/">California Academy of Sciences</a>. <div type="image" title="A three-image collage of outside shots of Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. The images show a ferris wheel, people entering a building, and people riding a boat on a stream." height="750" width="1500" msid="86977789" hostid="261"></div>NeighborhoodsEach of San Francisco's neighborhoods has a distinctive allure: <ul><li>The <a href="https://www.sftravel.com/explore/neighborhoods/mission-district">Mission District</a> is a colorful neighborhood featuring murals, buzzy nightlife, boutique shopping, restaurants and bars, and Dolores Park, a popular hangout.</li><li><a href="https://theculturetrip.com/north-america/usa/california/articles/10-things-to-do-in-san-franciscos-haight-district/">Haight Street</a> is the birthplace of the counterculture movement (think all things psychedelic, hippy, and cannabis).</li><li><a href="http://www.sanfranciscochinatown.com/">San Francisco's Chinatown</a> is billed as the largest Chinatown outside of Asia and the oldest in the US. Come for the restaurants and bakeries, cultural landmarks, tea shops, herbal shops, and more.</li><li><a href="https://www.sftravel.com/explore/neighborhoods/north-beach">North Beach</a> has countless Italian restaurants, gelatorias, bars, and cafés, with a lively party atmosphere. </li><li>The <a href="https://www.sftourismtips.com/san-francisco-marina.html">Marina District</a> is a scenic area that's great for bar hopping, fine dining, and shopping. It's also home to <a href="https://www.parksconservancy.org/parks/crissy-field">Crissy Field</a> and the <a href="https://palaceoffinearts.com/">Palace of Fine Arts</a>.</li><li>The Castro District is widely known as a neighborhood that celebrates LGBTQ+ communities. It was notably <a href="https://www.harveymilkplaza.org/">the home of Harvey Milk</a>, one of most prominent gay-rights activists of the 1970s. </li></ul>Honorable mentions: <a href="https://sfrecpark.org/facilities/facility/details/Coit-Tower-290">Coit Tower</a>, the <a href="https://www.sftravel.com/painted-ladies">Painted Ladies,</a> the <a href="https://www.sfmoma.org/">Museum of Modern Art</a>, <a href="https://www.nps.gov/alca/index.htm">Alcatraz Island</a>, <a href="https://www.sfjapantown.org/">Japantown</a>, the <a href="https://www.exploratorium.edu/">Exploratorium</a>, the <a href="https://legionofhonor.famsf.org/">Legion of Honor</a>, the <a href="https://asianart.org/">Asian Art Museum</a>, the <a href="https://www.sftravel.com/explore/neighborhoods/sunset">Sunset District</a>, <a href="https://www.sfgate.com/neighborhoods/sf/hayesvalley/">Hayes Valley</a>, and the <a href="https://www.presidio.gov/">Presidio</a>.<a href="https://www.insider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-traveling-to-san-francisco-2021-10">View Insider's comprehensive guide to visiting San Francisco</a>.

Here's what to do on your next trip to San Francisco

Russia's National Research Center for Epidemiology and Microbiology and the Russian Direct Investment Fund on Wednesday announced that the <keyword id="9739267" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sputnik-V">Sputnik V</keyword> vaccine, the world's first registered vaccine against coronavirus created on the well-studied platform of human adenoviral vectors, demonstrated high efficacy. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="79130097" title="Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine is 90% effective in preventing coronavirus in those who haven’t been infected ever before, shows data from latest trials" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Currently Sputnik V Phase III clinical trials are approved and are undergoing in Belarus, the UAE, Venezuela and other countries, as well as Phase II-III in India. A separate detailed study of the vaccine's safety and immunogenicity for elderly people is also being conducted. The confirmation is based on the first interim data from the largest double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled Phase III clinical trials in Russia involving 40,000 volunteers. The trials evaluated efficacy among over 16,000 volunteers who received the vaccine or placebo 21 days after the first injection. As a result of a statistical analysis of 20 confirmed cases of coronavirus, the case split between vaccinated individuals and those who received the placebo indicates that the Sputnik V vaccine had an efficacy rate of 92 per cent after the second dose. Separately, in September the vaccine was first administered to a group of volunteers from the "red zones" of the Russian hospitals. The observation of additional 10,000 vaccinated volunteers representing medics and other high-risk groups under the civil use of the vaccine out of clinical trials also confirmed the vaccine's efficacy rate of over 90 per cent. The data received will be published by Gamaleya Center researchers in one of the world's leading peer-reviewed medical academic journals following an independent valuation of the data by leading epidemiology experts. Following the completion of Phase III clinical trials of the Sputnik V vaccine, Gamaleya Center will provide access to the full clinical trial report. As of November 11, as part of the clinical trials in Russia's 29 medical centres, more than 20,000 volunteers were vaccinated with the first dose and over 16,000 volunteers with the first and the second dose of the vaccine. In addition, as of November 11, no unexpected adverse events were identified as part of the research. Some of those vaccinated had short-term minor adverse events such as pain at the injection site, flu-like syndrome, including fever, weakness, fatigue, and headache. During the clinical trials, the safety of the vaccine is constantly being monitored; information is analysed by the Independent Monitoring Committee comprising of leading Russian scientists. Collection, quality control and data processing is conducted in line with the ICH GCP standards and involves active participation of Moscow's Health Department and Crocus Medical, the contract research organization (CRO). Observation of the study participants will continue for six months after which the final report will be presented. The research data will be provided by RDIF to the national regulators of countries interested in purchasing the Russian vaccine in order to streamline the registration process. Mikhail Murashko, Minister of Health of the Russian Federation said that the use of the vaccine and the results of clinical trials demonstrate that it is an efficient solution to stop the spread of the coronavirus infection, a preventive healthcare tool, and this is the most successful path to defeat the pandemic. Alexander Gintsburg, Gamaleya Center Director: "The publication of the interim results of the post-registration clinical trials that convincingly demonstrate Sputnik V vaccine's efficacy gives way to mass vaccination in Russia against Covid-19 in the coming weeks. Thanks to the production scale up at new manufacturing sites, Sputnik V vaccine will soon be available for a wider population. This will break the current trend and lead to an eventual decrease in Covid-19 infection rates, first in Russia, then globally." Denis Logunov, Gamaleya Center Deputy Director said that positive interim results of Phase III give reasons to expect a successful outcome of Sputnik V clinical trials. "We will continue to process and analyse all the data and look to the future with optimism, expecting that results of our work will help end the pandemic sooner." Kirill Dmitriev, CEO, Russian Direct Investment Fund: "Sputnik V is the first registered vaccine against Covid-19 in the world, the vaccine is based on a safe and effective platform of human adenoviral vectors. More and more countries are recognising the human adenoviral vector platform and plan to include these vaccines, as the most studied and known, in their respective national vaccine portfolio. I would also like to stress the importance of international cooperation and close partnership among vaccine-developing states." He added, "Vaccines should be above politics. The world needs a diversified portfolio of high-quality vaccines with Sputnik V, based on the well-tested human adenoviral vector platform, being an important element of it." The safety of vaccines based on human adenoviruses was confirmed in more than 75 international publications and more than 250 clinical trials conducted during the past two decades (while the history of use of human adenoviruses in vaccine development started in 1953). Adenovirus vectors are genetically modified viruses of the regular flu that cannot reproduce in a human body. When Sputnik V vaccine is used, the coronavirus itself does not enter the body as the vaccine only contains genetic information about part of its outer protein coat, the so-called "spikes" forming its crown. This completely eliminates the possibility of getting infected as a result of vaccination while also causing the body's stable immune response. On September 4, The Lancet, one of world's leading medical journals, published a research paper on the results of Phase I and Phase II clinical trials of the vaccine that showed no serious adverse events and an effective immune response of those vaccinated. Requests for more than 1.2 billion doses of Sputnik V vaccine came from over 50 countries. The vaccine supplies for the global market will be produced by RDIF's international partners in India, Brazil, China, South Korea and other countries. The existing RDIF contracts with international partners enable the production of 500 million doses of the Sputnik V vaccine outside Russia annually. RDIF is now considering additional requests from a number of countries and companies to further increase its foreign production capacities. On August 11, the Sputnik V vaccine developed by the Gamaleya Center was registered by Russia's Health Ministry and became the world's first registered vaccine against Covid-19. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/politics/india/news/checkout-here-bihar-assembly-election-2020-results-and-updates-online/articleshow/79142084.cms">Bihar Election Results 2020: Final tally puts NDA in the majority with 125 seats as RJD remains the single largest party</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/psu-bank-employees-wage-revision-finalised-after-three-years-of-waiting-only-a-1500-increase-in-salary-for-officers/articleshow/79166497.cms">PSU bank employees wage revision finalised after three years of waiting — only a ₹1,500 increase in salary for officers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/instagram-down-users-complain-of-frozen-timelines-and-likes/articleshow/79146012.cms">Instagram down for nearly 24 hours— users continue to complain about frozen timelines and likes</a>

Within days of Pfizer results, Russia claims Sputnik V vaccine demonstrates 92% efficacy

New York, The <keyword id="6355253" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="federal-reserve">Federal Reserve</keyword> has taken the extraordinary action of slashing the interest rate effectively to zero in emergency action to prop up the US <keyword id="34412" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="economy">economy</keyword> battered by the coronavirus crisis and facing the risk of a recession. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said on Sunday evening that the rate cut and other actions were taken were meant to help the US "weather this difficult period." Other measures announced by the Federal Reserve, the country's central bank commonly referred to as the Fed, include pumping $700 billion into the US economy by buying government bonds worth $500 billion and $200 billion of mortgage-backed securities. This is expected to lower the cost of long term debt and ease pressures on the housing market. US President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword>, who had been criticising Powell for not cutting the interest rate and taking other measures to stimulate the economy, congratulated him after the Fed action was announced. "That's really good news, that's really great for our country," he said. The benchmark Fed interest rate which was 1 per cent to 1.25 per cent after a 0.5 per cent cut on March 3 was cut effectively on Sunday by another 1 per cent to the 0 per cent to 0.25 per cent range. Powell predicted that the coronavirus pandemic will "have a significant effect on economic activity in the near term." To counteract this, he said, "We are prepared to use our full range of tools to support the flow of credit to help households and businesses." The Fed measures are aimed at lowering the interest rates banks charge consumers and businesses and making loans available to them to meet the setbacks from the coronavirus. The measures are the biggest steps taken since the 2008 financial crisis that plunged the nation into a recession, which now stares it in the face as many businesses are being forced to cut back operations and tens of thousands of workers are at risk of losing their jobs. The stock markets have plunged about 20 per cent since the highs in February, despite the about 9 per cent bounce on Friday, putting them in bear market territory. The latest measures follow the Fed's offer last week to make $1.75 trillion available for the bond market to ensure funds availability for its operations. On Friday, Trump declared a national emergency that he said would make available $50 billion to fight the fallout of the coronavirus crisis. The House of Representatives passed a massive relief package on Saturday morning that will be taken up by the Senate next week. The package known as Families First Coronavirus Response Act is backed by Trump and many Republicans and it provides for paid sick leave, family leave and free testing for COVID-19. The US now joins several countries like Japan, Germany, France and the <keyword id="44173" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Netherlands">Netherlands</keyword> that have zero or negative interest rates.

Fed cuts interest rate to zero to revive a Corona-battered economy

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Many animals are capable of transmitting <keyword id="10860" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Virus">virus</keyword>es to others, but as virus super hosts, <keyword id="92255" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Bats">bats</keyword> are common transmitters.</li><li>Scientists believe the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/coronavirus">COVID-19 coronavirus</a> could have originated in bats.</li><li>As a by-product to flying, bats' weakened immune systems have given them the ability to live with viruses, without displaying serious symptoms or catching a disease.</li><li>As humans encroach on wild environments, the opportunities for transmission, as wildlife directly interacts with people and domesticated<a href="https://healthcareinamerica.us/what-makes-bats-the-perfect-hosts-for-so-many-viruses-3274c019bb4d"> animals</a>, have increased. </li><li>For the latest case total, death toll, and travel information, see <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-virus-everything-we-know-deadly-2019-ncov-wuhan-spread-2020-1">Business Insider's live updates here</a>.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.</a></li></ul>Following is a transcript of the <keyword id="21654" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="video">video</keyword>. Narrator: Ebola, rabies, SARS, and <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> are not just viral diseases. They are zoonotic diseases, caused by a virus transmitted from animals to humans. While many animals are capable of transmission, there's one in particular that is considered a virus superhost: bats. So, what makes Dracula's alter ego also the perfect breeding ground for viruses? Bats harbor significantly more zoonotic viruses compared to other mammals. Researchers have found more than 60 of these floating around in the bat population. And, on average, each bat plays host to almost two of these viruses. Some of these are linked to large-scale outbreaks, such as MERS, SARS, and Ebola, which were spread to humans either directly from bats or through intermediate hosts. And scientists have suggested that bats could also be linked to the COVID-19 <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. But with such a heavy viral cargo, how do bats manage to survive? Researchers believe it actually comes down to their ability to fly. Jon Epstein: The inflammation that results from the physical act of beating your wings, you know, hundreds of times a minute, that can lead to damage at the cellular level. Narrator: That intense damage would typically be enough to trigger an immune response, the same reaction your body would have to an infection. This includes symptoms like inflammation, a fever, or even mucus production, and, for the most part, this reaction is to protect the body. But sometimes immune systems overreact, which can trigger severe diseases such as pneumonia, as seen with COVID-19 cases. So the aggressive and consistent amount of damage caused by flying has forced bats to adapt. Epstein: Bats have dampened down their response, their inflammatory response. Narrator: They produce only enough of a response to survive and fly without the body going into overdrive. Basically, without causing disease. And that response to flying comes with a rather helpful byproduct: the power to fight viruses. Their weakened anti-inflammatory response not only stops the body from going into overdrive, it also allows them to always be on high alert for viruses. Normally, mammals have to switch off their antiviral response systems to avoid inflammation, but scientists have found that some bats never switch off their antiviral response at all. Their immune system is basically always on the lookout for a new viral invasion, so when a virus attacks, bats can swiftly protect their bodies against it. They don't necessarily kill the virus, but they do protect their cells against it, essentially acting as viral incubators, coexisting and tolerating it just enough to survive. Epstein: Most natural reservoirs have a long-term relationship with viruses and bacteria. They've spent a long time together, and often infection with those microbes is benign in its host, so it's really the interaction with new hosts, the ability for viruses to get into a new animal or people that leads to disease. Narrator: So while all these viruses might be deadly to other mammals, bats themselves can carry them for a period of time without having any serious symptoms, and during that time, they pass it on. Bats make up about 20% of mammalian species, and they also love being together, which enhances the spread of viruses between them. And, well, they get around. The sky, that is. Bats can travel wide geographic distances in very little time. This means they also pass their, uh, viral fluids to a wide range of animals, and these animals can pass them to humans through saliva, feces, or urine, oftentimes when animals are being handled, hunted, butchered, or eaten. This is exactly what happened in 2002 when a horseshoe bat infected a civet with SARS, which then passed on the disease to human populations. But before we all start a bat witch hunt, let's take a step back. Bats are essential to our society and ecosystems. They control insect populations, pollinate crops, and teach us about sonar systems. Epstein: So, we wouldn't have our tropical rain forests if it weren't for bats. So these are animals that are critically important. So even though we recognize that they may carry viruses that have the ability to infect people, we have to focus on human activities and the things that we're doing that bring us into contact with bats, because the spillover is typically accidental, and it's caused by us. Narrator: Currently, humanity is doing more and more each day to bring us into closer contact with wildlife. We're expanding cities and farms into wild areas, tearing down forests, and capturing animals for wildlife markets or illegal trading. These all increase the chances of wildlife directly interacting with people and domesticated animals, and that can lead to the emergence of new viruses in human populations. COVID-19 isn't the first and most certainly won't be the last zoonotic-disease pandemic, but we can be better prepared in the future. Epstein: We need to continue to put resources into public-health measures, strengthening health systems in countries that are most vulnerable to emerging diseases and continuing to understand what viruses are out there that are potentially risky for human health, and what are the activities, what are the actions going on that put us at risk so that we can work with local communities and with countries, including the United States, to try to reduce high-risk behaviors. Read the original article on <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/bats-breeding-ground-viruses-superhost-coronavirus-2020-4">Business Insider</a>

Why bats can fight off so many viruses

<ul><li>With events across the globe getting postponed indefinitely or even cancelled in some cases, the experiential marketing industry is expecting the next few quarters to be very challenging. </li><li>We spoke to a few industry leaders to get a sense of how they feel this pandemic will affect the industry in the coming months, and for everybody the answer is the same, ‘How do you prepare for the unknown?’</li></ul>As the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the Covid-19 outbreak a pandemic with over 125,000 confirmed cases and 4,600 deaths in 114 countries, India has shut down its doors for foreign travellers. Just today the first death from Coronavirus in the country was reported from Karnataka, substantially increasing panic, with the government ordering closure of schools, colleges and multiplexes in cities like Delhi. While the hospitality and the entire service sector is expected to be impacted hard, the events and <keyword id="8901436" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="experiential-industry">experiential industry</keyword> is bracing itself for a few dismal quarters. With events across the globe getting postponed indefinitely or even cancelled in some cases, the experiential industry is expecting the next few quarters to be very challenging. While India has still not been affected as adversely as a few other countries, corporates are taking precautions and limiting their events. If media reports are to be believed, even big tickets events like IPL might have to be held without spectators for the first 15 days, which could affect the industry to a huge extent. AdClub’s Goafest 2020, which is a gathering of all advertising and media stalwarts and is looked forward to every year, is also postponed as several international speakers who were participating in the event have cancelled their trip to India. Facebook’s Global Marketing Summit, which was scheduled on March 9 in San Francisco is cancelled. In such a scenario, the experiential industry, which is all about creating experiences for people in huge gatherings, is obvious to face the brunt of this everyday-unfolding situation. We spoke to a few industry leaders to get a sense of how they feel this pandemic will affect the industry in the coming months, and for everybody the answer is the same, ‘How do you prepare for the unknown?’ <keyword id="8901438" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Event-and-Entertainment-Management-of-India">Event and Entertainment Management of India</keyword> (EEMA), the apex body of the experiential industry in India, recently sent out an advisory to all its members, putting together some protocols for venues that are still hosting events. The industry body set together guidelines around ‘Hygiene and Infection Control at Events’. Postponement and cancellation of many events With the government suspending travel visas and the general panic growing with each passing day, brands are refraining from organising events, which will hurt the experiential industry the most. Speaking about how the spread of the virus is already having an effect on the industry, Sabbas Joseph, Co-founder &amp; Director, Wizcraft International said, “The outbreak of the Coronavirus has caught the world of experiential marketing by shock. Multiple global events have been hit -- postponed or simply cancelled: IIFA2020, the Geneva Motor show, ITB-Berlin, the India Today Conclave, the META Awards, IMEX-Frankfurt, the Barcelona Mobile Congress…the list is endless. Additionally, product launches, promotions and activations, business conferences, business travel, MICE, exhibitions, trade shows have been simply put off or cancelled.” Adding to the list of cancelled and postponed events, Deepak Pawar, Managing Director, Midas Next added, “We had a few large events and activations for Colors, Mumbai Indians and IPL, but all of them have been canceled for now. We also had a couple of large exhibitions and conferences planned for the pharma industry and those have been postponed indefinitely. We were organizing an activation for Cadbury catering to tourists across the Himalyan belt. Since tourists are not allowed in India right now, we had to cancel that too. Similarly there was an activation planned for Lifebuoy about hygiene to avoid Coronavirus. Now since schools are also shut down, where will we do those activations?” Anticipating a few dismal quarters While India has yet not been as badly impacted as a few other countries, there are still new cases being detected everyday, with the current count being 62. As a step to contain the future spread of the virus, the government has suspended all existing visas, except diplomatic, official, UN/international organisations, employment, project visas until April 15. With it, many foreign nationals or companies that were supposed to come to the country for various events are having to cancel their travel plans. Moreover, the industry was already grappling with the effects of the economic slowdown, which was followed by riots in Delhi. Speaking about how all these factors combined will have a massive impact on the industry, Sanjoy Roy, Managing Director, Teamwork Arts and President, EEMA said, “Since February, we have postponed our festival India by the Bay in Hong Kong, India by the Bosphorus in Turkey, and another event in Morocco. In India, we have just postponed the Mahindra Excellence in Theatre Awards (META). And everything else we have in the pipeline is getting pushed back. There’s that unknown factor as to what is this going to result in. While there's enough information out there, the fact that the world has reacted in a particular way means that there is more to it than meets the eye. And anyway, the economic slowdown was already impacting the industry. The biggest effect was the Auto Expo. We saw around 50% of Auto Expo disappear and many of the major players did not come, and that's a big thing for most of the event companies. If I were to talk about how the industry will perform, the quarter figures are not out yet and we won't have a sense of it right now. But I am sure both the industry as well as the quarter figures will be dismal.” Agreeing with Roy, <keyword id="52304" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roshan-Abbas">Roshan Abbas</keyword>, Founder and Managing Director, Geometry Encompass, added, “The worst hit is the experiential business. From large sporting events to film awards, concerts to festivals all have been postponed. With the 14-day quarantine, many international speakers are also cancelling. There is a sense of panic everywhere. In these times take part in spreading information and awareness. Verify your facts. Try work from home and remote working. It’s the best time to test it. Also the only hope is to try digital events and plan for the future, cut back on all expenses. This will impact Q2 and Q3 very badly.” Tackling the crisis by going virtual The experiential business is all about direct-to-consumer engagement. The business thrives on human contact and the assembly of people is an important part of the entire offering. However, whenever a crisis hits, the only way of bouncing back is by thinking out of the box and doing things a little differently. On how brands have been reacting to the entire situation and how that might lead to an overhaul in the way the experiential industry works, Joseph said, “Brands are resetting their plans, expectations, markets, delivery systems, marketing focus and logistics. This will force the experiential industry to change its method of working, composition of team structure, use of technology, data, global resources, innovation and physical space. Collaboration and Innovation are going to be the new drivers of the experiential economy.” Dalveer Singh, Head Experiential Marketing - APAC, GroupM has come up with a plan B for this predicament. His team is trying to figure out if the experience can be digitised through some virtual or augmented reality experience. He says agencies equipped with digital skills can manage to survive else, this unfortunate situation will push them to think how to take experiential beyond mass-gatherings. “One solution can be how much of the experience that we create by being physically there, can be converted into ideas that are virtual or digital. Now that's something which we as a team are planning to do and that is our plan B. Brands wanted to have physical events because virtual does not give the same amount of joy. However, today, in these circumstances, brands will be more open to doing these events digitally because that gives them reach. So marketers will be more receptive to doing things virtually. However, in this whole environment, how many experiential marketing companies are today equipped to shift from physical to digital to virtual? There are a few companies that have those skills. This means it's also an opportunity for companies to get those new skills in,” said Singh. Singh also suggested helping each other in this dismal times, especially the smaller parties and freelancers. “For putting together an experiential marketing piece, we work with a lot of freelancers across different companies. And in this whole game, I think the small agencies and freelancers are the ones who might be affected by the heat because you are the resources for them. So, we need to figure out how to protect these small agencies and freelancers who do not have deep profits and holding capacity when the times are tough,” added Singh. While things don’t look very bright right now, the industry is still hopeful that the festive season will bring about some respite.

Coronavirus scare expected to impact experiential industry hard, Q2 & Q3 might register dismal growth

<ul><li>The outbreak of <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword> has disrupted the job market as the nation goes into a complete lockdown for 21 days. </li><li>As many as 20 million jobs might be lost if the tourism industry doesn’t rebound by October, says the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). </li><li>From food products to electronics to cement and ceramics, nearly nine million jobs may be affected within the manufacturing space. </li></ul>The outbreak of Coronavirus has disrupted the job market as the nation goes into a complete lockdown for 21 days. This has triggered fears of large scale unemployment across the country. According to the estimates by the National Sample Survey (NSS) and Periodic Labour Force Surveys (PLFS), nearly <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/136-million-jobs-at-risk-in-post-corona-india-11585584169192.html">136 million jobs are on the line</a>. Going by the unemployment rate before Coronavirus hit the economy, India needs to add nearly 10 million jobs to keep the working age population employed. <div type="image" title="corona" msid="74942041" hostid="261"></div> “The implications of this crisis will be dire. We will inevitably have less fiscal space to make much-needed investments in, for example, education, skills, preventative healthcare, and infrastructure. This will not just prevent us from moving forward but will set us back. Our large and growing youth population will be further disenfranchised, potentially spurring social discord, crime, and instability," Sabina Dewan, the president and executive director of the think-tank JustJobs Network <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/136-million-jobs-at-risk-in-post-corona-india-11585584169192.html">told</a> Mint. This will majorly impact the gig economy, contract workers, small businesses — and also those employed without a legal contract such as casual labourers — who do not have a fixed take home salary. Over five million Indians have contract jobs which are less than a year in tenure. A recent survey by the job search platform Indeed also said that half of the Indian businesses already trimmed the contractual workforce and freelancers to cut operational costs. In fact, a third of the companies say they will temporarily halt hiring activities. ‘20 million jobs might be lost if the industry doesn’t rebound by October’ <div type="image" title="tourism" msid="74941956" hostid="261"></div> Tourism and hospitality are one of the <keyword id="8993702" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="worst-hit-sectors">worst hit sectors</keyword>, after the Covid-19 induced downturn. Most of the countries asked employees to pause travel plans related and closed borders. Even hotel rooms remained empty all this while. As many as <a href="https://www.livemint.com/news/india/136-million-jobs-at-risk-in-post-corona-india-11585584169192.html">20 million jobs</a> might be lost if the industry doesn’t rebound by October, says the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII). That accounts for over half of the tourism and hospitality workforce. In fact, restaurants already reported a 35% drop, because of fewer footfalls as people stay at home, practising social distancing. This has impacted flexi workers such as guides, restaurant sanitation workers, waiters, suppliers of vegetables and other raw material to the hotels. Over 9 million jobs impacted in the manufacturing cluster <div type="image" title="manu" msid="74941943" hostid="261"></div> From food products to electronics to cement and ceramics, nearly nine million jobs may be affected within the manufacturing space, owing to the plant shutdowns, according to the temporary staffing firm Adecco Group. The lockdown has brought manufacturing and production projects to a standstill. For instance, the handset manufacturing industry is deep in losses at ₹15,000 crore because of production delays. “At present, we have a turnover of ₹500 crore to ₹700 crore per day. So, a shutdown for about three weeks essentially means a loss ranging between ₹10,000 crore and ₹15,000 crore,” Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the Indian Cellular &amp; Electronic Association of India (ICEA) <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/hardware/covid-19-handset-manufacturers-stare-at-upto-rs-15000-cr-production-loss-amid-lockdown/articleshow/74813579.cms?from=mdr">told</a> ET. ICEA represents smartphone manufacturers including Apple, Oppo, Lava and more. As per a report by the <a href="https://gadgets.ndtv.com/mobiles/news/iphone-make-in-india-production-halt-april-14-lockdown-apple-foxconn-wistron-2200365">Wall Street Journal</a>, Apple seems to be going slow on its production of iPhone 11 in India. Automobile sector can lose up to a million jobs <div type="image" title="Worker wearing a face mask is seen on a production line at the plant of Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co in Wuhan" msid="74941976" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A worker wearing a face mask is seen on a production line at the plant of Dongfeng Honda Automobile Co in Wuhan, the epicenter of the novel coronavirus outbreak, in Hubei province, China March 16, 2020. Picture taken March 16, 2020.ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. CHINA OUT.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Meanwhile, the automobile industry, which has already been through massive production costs and falling sales for the last year, will also suffer more, thanks to the lockdown. This will cost the country a million jobs across dealerships, frontline workers among others. The auto industry is staring at losses of over ₹13,000 crore due to forced shutdowns. That will also impact the economy as a whole since the industry also contributes around 7.5% to India's overall GDP. 600,000 contractual jobs at risk in the aviation sector <div type="image" title="A pilot wearing a mask arrives at the international lounge at Pearson Airport in Toronto" msid="74942005" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A pilot wearing a mask arrives, amid growing global numbers of coronavirus cases, at the international lounge at Pearson Airport in Toronto, Ontario, Canada March 15, 2020. REUTERS/Chris Helgren&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Airlines is probably the worst affected sector as both domestic and international travel has come to a standstill. As per recent estimates, nearly 600,000 contractual workers are at risk of losing their jobs, especially those in on-ground and support roles. “Indigo, India’s largest airline, has reported a 15-20% decline in daily bookings over the past few days, compared with the week-ago period, and expects its quarterly earnings to be materially impacted,” Kapil Kaul, chief executive for aviation consultancy CAPA India <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/how-different-sectors-of-the-economy-are-bearing-the-brunt-of-the-coronavirus-outbreak/articleshow/74630297.cms?from=mdr">told</a> ET. IndiGo, GoAir and Spicejet have already cut the employee salaries across roles for the month of March — including the chairman. Over half of the revenue of the Indian apparel industry comes from exports — which has come to a halt <div type="image" title="apparel" msid="74942015" hostid="261"></div> The pandemic has hit the global supply chain and trade has come to a grinding halt. Over half of the revenue of the Indian apparel industry comes from exports. More than a third of the apparel industry export orders are placed from Europe. According to the Ministry of Commerce, India exported garments worth <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/how-different-sectors-of-the-economy-are-bearing-the-brunt-of-the-coronavirus-outbreak/articleshow/74630297.cms?from=mdr">₹1 trillion in 2018-19</a>. Added to that is the shutting down of malls and retail stores due to lockdown. “With the region being declared the new epicentre for the disease by the World Health Organization, new orders are bound to be affected. But it is hard to assess the outcome now. We’ll know in the next couple of weeks,” says Raja Shanmugam, who is a manufacturer and heads the Tirupur Exporters’ Association. However, the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry (<a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/topic/CITI">CITI</a>) has asked the government for a relief package for the workers in the industry. "Include cotton yarn and fabrics under Rebate of State and Central Taxes and Levies (RoSCTL), Interest Equalisation Scheme (IES) and Merchandise Exports from India Scheme (MEIS) benefits with immediate effect to prevent job losses for lakhs of people in the handloom, powerloom and spinning sectors," <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/policy/how-different-sectors-of-the-economy-are-bearing-the-brunt-of-the-coronavirus-outbreak/articleshow/74630297.cms?from=mdr">said </a>T Rajkumar, chairman, CITI. Meanwhile... <div type="image" title="corona2" msid="74942027" hostid="261"></div> On the other hand, telecom, healthcare are the <a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/markets/three-sectors-remain-unscathed-so-far-from-covid-19-hit">sectors least affected by the global pandemic</a>. The telecom sector seems to be rebounding as most of India is working from home during the lockdown, thereby availing more data services. With more people practising social distancing, the data usage is expected to surge by up to 15% in India, Quint <a href="https://www.bloombergquint.com/markets/three-sectors-remain-unscathed-so-far-from-covid-19-hit">reported</a> citing Rajiv Sharma, head of equity research and telecom analyst at SBICAP Securities. While healthcare is at the forefront of battling the Coronavirus infections. The public health emergency has led to the country prioritising in-house manufacturing of pharmaceutical ingredients after Coronavirus disrupted the global supply chains — leading to shortage of medical drugs, face masks, ventilators and more. India said it will spend $1.3 billion for pharmaceuticals.

Over 136 million jobs are at risk due to Corona lockdown — Here are the worst-hit sectors

<ul><li>In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.</li><li>While different kinds of industries try to grapple with the current situation and resort to lay offs and salary cuts, <keyword id="2008319" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Upgrad">upGrad</keyword>, on the other hand, is on its way to becoming a ₹500 crore brand by next month. </li><li>upGrad’s <keyword id="237838" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arjun-Mohan">Arjun Mohan</keyword> shares with us a few reasons why upGrad has seen an uptick in downloads by over 75%, its marketing strategy and plans to earmark ₹500 million for 2/3 acquisitions in FY 21.</li></ul>With the nationwide lockdown, everyday hustle-bustle has come to a complete halt. We have more time for ourselves now than ever before and people are using this time to discover and hone their talent. They are getting experimental and extremely creative, using this time to gain new skills inside the four walls of their houses. It has brought online education to the forefront and helped accelerate its growth in India. As a result, upGrad, a higher-education platform, has seen a 75% increase in app downloads and is on track to becoming a ₹500 crore brand by next month. In Q4, the app recorded over 100% Q-o-Q jump, as it expanded its portfolio two-fold by adding new programs under its Management and Data verticals. We caught up with Arjun Mohan, India CEO, upGrad to further understand its marketing strategy, mantra behind its sustainable business and revenue goals for this quarter. Excerpts: Q. How has the last month been for you? How have you observed the consumer behaviour changing? Have you witnessed any uptick in demand? The novel Coronavirus has brought online education to the forefront, which otherwise was playing second fiddle to the offline model. Majority of India has become accustomed to the new normal, which indeed is a catalyst in this situation. Individuals have become extremely alert about the collateral damage (fears of job loss and insolvency) that they may suffer and are looking forward to utilising the additional time on hand meaningfully, by opting for upskilling options. We have launched the largest cohort (batch) with 4,000 learners in March and have doubled our course capacity in April, to cope with the surge. We have moved to monthly cohorts which earlier was at a quarterly level with each class now having a peak of 1000 learners at a given time. Additionally, with over 6 lakh downloads till date, our Android mobile App (upGrad App) houses professional communities in the field of Product Management, Data Science &amp; Machine Learning, MBA, and Digital Marketing with live discussions, exchange of ideas and opportunities within each community. In these communities, engagement in terms of comments and shares increased by 143% in the same period. Overall, the app downloads increased by over 75% after the lockdown was announced on March 24 this year. Also, with remote working coming into force, we have witnessed a growing intent towards business &amp; management programs. There’s been an increase in total interests and enrollments we have received for our Global MBA programs, which we have launched earlier this year in partnership with the renowned Liverpool John Moores University (LJMU) and Deakin University. These programs have contributed to 40% of the growth recorded in April. Q. Have you introduced any new courses/tools to leverage this surge in demand? We have now doubled our course capacity and moved to monthly cohorts (batches) which earlier was at a quarterly level, to take on the surge in demand from working professionals. Each batch now has a peak of 1000 learners at a given time. Recently after the COVID-19 outbreak, we are allowing learners to start a university-certified MBA, Master’s or Diploma program at an initial cost of ₹10,000 only, and experience it till June 15, 2020. We have received more than 1,00,000 interests and over 1000 enrolments, so far. Additionally, we also launched a wide range of free programs, which offer 350+ cumulative hours of content in terms of recorded sessions, quizzes, live lectures, projects, etc., and have reported more than 26,000 enrolments, till date. Q. Do you expect this uptick to continue even after the lockdown ends? upGrad recently launched the whitepaper with FICCI in which research indicated that 92% of learning leaders have confirmed the adoption of online learning journeys from 68% in the pre corona period. Most of these are in building digital skills in the areas of Data Sciences, AI, ML, Full Stack Software Engineering, Digital Marketing and MBA courses. Even before COVID-19, online education in India was on the rise, and people were making a gradual shift from offline to online. However, with COVID-19 hitting the world suddenly, the pandemic has steered everyone towards online learning, making it mainstream rather than just another option for learning and upskilling. Online education has hit the fast track and with various universities and colleges adopting edtech platforms, we think the demand will be sustained even after the COVID-19 era. The comfort, safety, and flexibility offered by online education will continue to steer the demand. Q. How does this quarter look like for you? Do you still see upGrad meeting its goals? The current COVID-19 situation is a net positive for online education. In Q4, upGrad recorded over 100% Q-0-Q jump, as it expanded its portfolio twofold by adding new programs under its Management and Data verticals. We have witnessed a 72% growth in booked revenue in April and touched the 53K paid learners mark at the ARPU of ₹ 2.5 lakhs, highest across the online education landscape. We have also successfully crossed the mark of 5,00,000 learners, who are largely working professionals, from the South Indian cities of Bengaluru, Hyderabad, followed by Mumbai, Delhi NCR, and Pune. Additionally, this quarter we have partnered with the Top B- School - IMT Ghaziabad for an 18-month online program, followed by a job guarantee by upGrad; we have also partnered with the renowned O.P. Jindal Global University for 2 new Degree programs- a 1-year LLM in Corporate &amp; Financial Law and a 2-year MBA in Digital Finance and Banking. Therefore, to conclude, I would like to add that with our revolutionary initiatives, and well-structured programs that help professionals’ transition in their career, we look forward to doubling our revenue by June 2020 and crossing an annual run rate of Rs 500 crore. Q. How do you see the online learning sector shaping up for the lockdown? COVID-19 has dramatically changed the education landscape across the globe. Even in India, online education has proved its robustness as compared to the offline institutes that have been shut for an infinite period. Owing to its flexibility and feasibility, learners in the coming times would prefer to take up online programs from the comfort and safety of their houses. Also, as the trend continues, with more and more renowned universities adopting e-learning and investments reducing in infrastructure, the cost of education will substantially be reduced. Therefore, to conclude, I would like to add that the online learning sector is anyway on an upward trajectory and will continue to rise in the future, making it the way forward. Q. You had announced last month that you are looking at acquiring companies. How is that search coming along? Have you found your partners yet? Capitalizing on the boom for the online learning sector, both worldwide and in India, we have earmarked ₹500 million for 2/3 acquisitions in FY 21. We are in active discussions and have also shortlisted a few prospective companies. However, it is too early to commit who these companies are, as we are still in the process to meet some great entrepreneurs and understand their vision. Q. Tell us a bit about your recent campaign? The new #AageKiSoch rap song, is the sequel to upGrad’s upskill anthem by the same name which was launched last month and reached 30 million individuals. This quirky piece aims to inspire young Indians to stay productive and upskill themselves during the nationwide lockdown. The latest music video is a fresh take on how professionals and college students now have extra time in hand and can use it meaningfully to enhance their professional growth, at large. upGrad through its marketing effort is trying to shed the stereotypical perception of education brands being serious. These two sets of videos (last ones and this one) bear testimony to the fact that creativity and storytelling is at the centre of our marketing communication. We used animated graphics for the latest music video -features possible without any shoot that yet turn out to be a visual treat. Q. In these uncertain and stressful days, how are you communicating with your audience? With the remote working concept, individuals and working professionals have been deprived of a very important aspect of human civilization- which is socializing. To minimise the adverse effects of the widespread pandemic on the psychological health of individuals, we had launched a ‘COVID-19 Awareness Program’ last month. It was a 5-day long online program, wherein the domain experts gave live talks on safeguarding one’s finances, and career along with mental health in the current scenario. Also, expert sessions were hosted live, allowing for active interactions and query resolution for the ~4500 participants who participated, completely free of cost. Additionally, we understand that the remote working has also brought other side effects to the forefront, like lethargy, lack of interest in work, monotony, etc. Therefore, to motivate individuals to use this extra time on hand, meaningfully and to promote productivity, we have launched #AageKiSoch campaign last month, and have successfully reached 30 million individuals. Q. What does your media plan look like? Which medium gets your lion's share? At the beginning of the year, we announced a budget of Rs 175 crore as a part of our media plan for the year 2020, wherein we have Rs 100 crore allotted for television and Rs 75 crore for digital. Both the mediums have seen higher traction during the pre and post COVID-19 outbreak and therefore, we are continuing with it. Q. How big is your team right now and how is upGrad helping its employees deal with lockdown blues and anxiety? Happy employees are more engaged and productive. For us, the emotional wellness of our employees is crucial as it is the driving force to make people the best of themselves. Boredom and loneliness can impact mental well-being and therefore, productivity as well, if not nipped in the bud. At upGrad, we have tied up with YourDOST as our Employee Wellness Partner to provide expert counselling to all our 1200+ employees with round the clock support on career, relationships, work-life balance or anything else that bothers them. In times like these, with such tie-ups, we strive to support our employees in every way possible.

Marketing in the times of COVID-19: upGrad

<ul><li>In our latest interview series, we talk to brands to understand how they are coping with the new normal and their strategies towards navigating these difficult times.</li><li>Sharat Dhall, Chief Operating Officer, Policybazaar.com tells us how consumers are realising the importance of term life insurance and health insurance amid a global pandemic and a few reasons why its sale has gone up by 20% during an economic slowdown. </li></ul>Amid all the chaos, Policybazaar.com has found its silver lining and has successfully surfed through the economic slowdown. An organization of 13,000 employees, who always wanted to experiment with work-from-home format but couldn’t deploy it for more than 200 employees, is now considering continuing it even after we resume normalcy. And as its employees are saving more time by not commuting to work, Policybazaar’s sales went by 20% in the first few weeks of lockdown. Another reason for this spike in sales is that consumers are realising the importance of insurance. Policybazaar, therefore, saw over 30% increase in sales of health insurance products while its term life business witnessed a surge in demand by 40%. Sharat Dhall, Chief Operating Officer, Policybazaar.com also said that consumers are spending more time on their website and almost every query is turning into a lead. To make sure these queries are answered with correct and enough information, Policybazaar ordered 12,000 tablets for its employees. It is also exploring new digital ways of communicating about new product launches and fitness tips, to be able to serve its customers better and for their well-being. However, on the marketing front, its lion’s share still goes on TV. Dhall further shared with us the brand’s marketing strategy and a few learnings he has picked up in this last troublesome month. Excerpts: Q. How have the past few weeks been for the brand, considering the country has been in a lockdown? How are you functioning? Safety of our employees is of primary concern to us. We all emphasised on working as a single team to be able to serve our consumers without any hiccups amidst the crisis. With our expert IT infrastructure and technology team coordinating closely, we were able to shift into WFH format with all teams functioning smoothly. Systems and infrastructure required for work from home was deployed beautifully and seamlessly in less than 72 hours. I would say, WFH has worked brilliantly for our employees. Our productivity has gone up significantly and it is better each day from the previous day. In the initial period itself our sales went up by 20%, which was huge given the market scenario. We always believed that WFH could work for us but somehow were unable to scale it beyond 200 employees earlier. However, with the lockdown, all our 13,000 employees are now working well from home. Going ahead, we plan to make it functional for at least 20-30% of our staff even after things normalise, all thanks to how we as a brand have been able to enhance our productivity amidst this lockdown. Q. How are you training your employees to fight the current challenges? How Policybazaar is handling the 13K+ call centre employees to Work from Home? Communication has been the key for us, always. We have been in constant touch with all our employees, making working conditions only better for everyone to function from their homes at a time like this. Our Group CEO, Yashish, has been communicating regularly through emails with all the employees, taking their feedback and responses while we are in WFH. Policybazaar as a brand believes in empowering its employees, all of them and that is how we look at our call centre employees as well. We nurture a culture of ownership and responsibility &amp; we are happy to see our call centre employees work this well with much vigour and enthusiasm. They have been very prompt and have risen to the occasion, ceasing the initiatives. We ordered more than 12,000 tablets and distributed among our call-centre employees once we booted up, making them ready to be used from home. Meanwhile, we have enabled digital content to keep our advisors up to date regarding the new products and offerings made by insurers currently. We are able to train them well, through various online training sessions that are being carried out successfully. We even created a few short YouTube videos in order to make sure that our advisors are able to serve our customers better with all the product knowledge. Our IT team played a big role in providing VPN access to all the key staff members to help them work remotely and manage the business operations in an efficient manner. The entire non-operations staff, the admin team and most importantly, the IT infrastructure team closely worked with each other to ensure that all the internal processes are made digital and start working online in less than 72 hours. Q. Have you observed any changes in consumer behaviour? In these few months, based on the changing consumer buying patterns, what we understand is that Insurance is becoming more of a pull product than push. Insurance business for us is holding up beautifully! Since the lockdown was implemented, there has been a 30%+ increase in sales of health insurance products while term life business has witnessed a surge in demand by 40%. What we see is conversions going up with higher talk time and most customers spending much more time on the website than ever before. It’s like almost every query of the customer is getting converted into a lead. We believe, policy seekers/buyers do realise the importance of protection products and are making much more informed decisions currently, clearly showcasing their priority to be securing the health and life of themselves and their loved ones. Q. Have you introduced any new policies to facilitate a safe working environment and to take care of your employees' mental well-being? The safety and well-being of our employees has always been a priority for us. We have been in constant touch with all our 13k employees and this is being done by organising video conferences with respective team leaders and managers. We are also organizing town halls on a regular basis to address concerns of our employees at a time like this. Moreover, internal campaigns are also being planned for the wellbeing of the employees to help them cope with mental stress during the lockdown period. We have begun a dedicated internal helpline number and e-mail id for our call centre employees to help them reach out to their respective HR SPOCS in case of any emergency. As an employee-centric organization, we are also sharing fitness videos with our employees regularly to motivate them to stay fit and healthy. Q. What is the Idea behind the Public Service Message by Policybazaar.com? We are a customer-centric company and we have always worked to meet the needs of the mass customer. During times like these, we believe it is our duty to help people in as many ways as we possibly can. To ease out on the buying process for consumers during this lockdown, we are ensuring an end-to-end digital delivery of insurance. As people might now hesitate from visiting hospitals, we are innovating on physical medicals, with more tele-medicals, video medicals etc. for those looking to buy a cover up to 2 cr. Even with e-KYC in place; consumers are finding processes quite hassle-free. Our only aim is to simplify things for our consumers so that they can stay protected with insurance even while practicing social distancing. The idea is to keep our consumers well-versed and up-to-date with all the new digital innovations happening around the space of insurance, all this to add convenience to their buying journey. Q. What is your marketing strategy right now? How have you been trying to continue building a connect with your audience? We believe that these are uncertain times, and it is very important to keep people informed about the importance of their health and life. Interestingly, the realization of the importance of term life insurance and health insurance has increased manifold amongst people. Within a few days of the lockdown, we saw a surge in the demand for health and term life insurance plans. We, as a brand, have also been consistently communicating and spreading awareness around these 2 products a lot more in the last 2 months. Our proportion of advertisements on both TV &amp; digital has increased many times, where we talk about the importance of getting yourself insured in these uncertain times. Q. What are a few key learnings for you as a brand in the last few weeks? In times like these, one needs to be actively and regularly communicating with its consumers. It is crucial to stay connected all throughout. The brand message being shared with people should be inspiring, clear and to the point, very crucial at a panic stricken time like today. Providing solutions to customers via your communication is critical in these uncertain times. At the same time, making sure we are quick to spot and act on the changing media consumption patterns is very important as well. Q. TV viewership and digital engagement continue to increase, where are you betting your money? TV, with its highest reach, continues to be our lead marketing medium in the current times. We are also making sure that we maintain a significant presence on the digital front as well. This is also because the TV viewership in the last 2 months has increased drastically following the corona crisis. More and more people are watching television to get the latest updates on the COVID-19 situation. And then, with some challenges in the distribution of newspapers, people have also switched to digital mediums to stay updated on the on-going scenario. Here too, we are making sure to maintain our decent presence and keep people informed regarding various protection plans and their benefits during such times.

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