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<keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>’s budget carrier <keyword id="6358032" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="SpiceJet">SpiceJet</keyword> has once again reignited airfare war. The low-cost airline is offering an ‘early bird sale’ for next year starting at Rs 499. This sale offer is valid for travel date between January 16 and October 24, 2015. In order to avail this special fare scheme, the tickets are to be booked from today (September 1, 2014) till September 3, 2014.
 

	As per a press release from SpiceJet, the discounted tickets are available for destinations across India. The offer is applicable on all direct, via and connecting flights on the airlines' domestic network.
 

	Notably, this interesting offer by SpiceJet is available on first-come-first-served basis. However, it is invalid for group bookings. One can book his/her tickets by browsing through the airlines website, online travel portals and through travel agents, too.
 

	Last week, SpiceJet had announced a festival season sale offering tickets starting at Rs 1,888. 
	(Image: Wikipedia)

Planning A Trip In 2015? Book Your SpiceJet Ticket At Rs 499 Right Away

Today is the last day for <keyword id="6358200" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jet-Airways">Jet Airways</keyword>’ ‘Million Sale’. 
 
The sale offered a million seats for a flat discount of 25% on economy travel across the airline’s domestic network. The offer was available from May 27 to 30, 2015 for travel between June 15, 2015 to October 15, 2015. 
 
Indian travellers and travel agencies are digging it. Hear it from the horse’s mouth. 
 “These tactics offer unique fillip to inspire not just demand, but propel transactions and our impressive over 35% surge in bookings on thomascook.in, post the announcement by Jet Airways, is clearly a testament to this! While metros, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kolkata, Hyderabad continue to see momentum, tourist destinations such as Diu, Kochi, Dehradun, Varanasi have also been trending on travellers radar!”, Amit Madhan, COO, IT &amp; E Services, <keyword id="87184" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Thomas-Cook">Thomas Cook</keyword> (India) Ltd says. 
 
While Indian flyers are clamoring for more discounts, there have been speculations that Jet is going the Spicejet way with such flash sales. Many believe the industry’s seeing newer lows with full service airlines getting their hands dirty in the rat race for discounted fares. 
 
An important thing to note here is that Jet has been doing well for a while. The company posted a Rs. 63.1 Crore profit while SpiceJet reported a net loss of Rs. 275 Crore in Q3 FY15. The latter got back to winning ways only very recently. 
 Also, the airline with its subsidiary <keyword id="145398" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="JetKonnect">JetKonnect</keyword> commanded a sizeable 22.3% of the total market share in the third quarter of FY15. It comes second only to <keyword id="6354706" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indigo">Indigo</keyword> which topped the charts with 33.9%. 
 
So what motivates well-off airlines to offer low prices? Let’s debunk a major airlines myth once and for all. 
 
Flash sales can actually be a good thing from the airlines perspective as opposed to popular notion. 
 “Flash sales of air tickets are a good way to stimulate buying, bring in non-flyers and sell unsold seats which are anyways likely to remain unsold (eg non-peak hour flights)”, Amber Dubey, Head, Aerospace and Defence, <keyword id="50041" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="KPMG">KPMG</keyword> India observes. 
 
Basically, an airline offering sale doesn’t necessarily mean its tanking. Flash sales help stem losses by recovering fixed costs. Turns out is actually a handy tool if used sparsely. 
 
“The flash sale period should be for 2-3 days. The travel period should be at least 30 days away from the date of the flash sale. Peak hour flights and the ones around festival dates are generally kept out. As long as the flash sale is planned prudently, it is a great tool to fill up empty seats, improve yields and to introduce flying to non-flyers in India”, Mr. Dubey advises. 
 
But like they say, too much of anything is good for nothing. Offer sales too often, and it’ll eat into your revenues. It’s a fine line to walk surely. Jet didn’t offer any comment. It currently operates a fleet of 116 aircrafts across 73 destinations across India and beyond. It is a partner of <keyword id="140808" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Etihad-airways">Etihad Airways</keyword>.

Why Jet isn’t doing a Spicejet with its ‘Million Sale’

You may not need many reasons to visit <keyword id="42774" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Udaipur">Udaipur</keyword>, which is set around a series of artificial lakes and known for its lavish residences. 
 
Infact, the city's reputation for providing a romantic setting to tourists and allowing them to lose themselves in its gorgeous palaces, temples, havelis and countless narrow and colourful streets is more than enough for many to book their tickets and head all the way to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=rajasthan&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Rajasthan</a>. 
 
But what if we told you, there's one more big factor that could make you choose Udaipur as your next destination? We'll let you in on the secret, then. 
 <keyword id="2232457" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Zostel">Zostel</keyword>, India's first chain of ridiculously affordable backpacker <keyword id="49332" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Hostels">hostels</keyword> is back in Udaipur with its all-new edition of the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Listen-up-solo-travellers-I-stayed-at-Zostel-the-weekend-I-visited-Rishikesh-and-heres-why-you-should-too/articleshow/49540692.cms">Zostel </a>property, and trust us you'll be mesmerised! 
 
Located at Purohit Ji Ka Khurra, this property has the usual dorm rooms priced between Rs 549, 499 and 399. Additionally, for people looking for privacy, the folks at <a href="http://booking.zostel.com/booking/book-rooms-zosteludaipur">Zostel</a> also have two new offerings, which include a Deluxe Private Room priced at Rs 2500 and a Twin-Sharing Private Room priced at Rs 2000. 
 
Don't believe us? Have a look at these pictures of the gorgeous property and see for yourself. We hope you'll book your tickets soon! 
 
Image credit: Zostel

Zostel's new hostel in Udaipur will make you want to travel there right now

Imagine this. You have a younger sibling you’re mighty envious of. And why not? Unlike you, they seem to enjoy all the freedom and money in the world. They party like there’s no tomorrow, and here you are, stuck in a boring, ultra-disciplined but responsible routine that feels completely devoid of any independence, and mostly, funds. But of late, things are changing. This sibling is in massive trouble and just cannot escape the parent’s wrath anymore. Long story short, the party is over, and it is time to go back home. The rising defaults on this sibling’s part have now begun pulling the entire house down, thereby attracting the regulator’s ire. <h2>The Wild West of microfinance and unsecured loans</h2>It's hard to ignore the issues with microfinance and unsecured loans in India. Many saw them as a small gamble and ignored the rising defaults much like the younger siblings’ tantrums, and now they find themselves in hot waters. The skyrocketing instances of non-payments aren't a micro-issue anymore and are threatening the stability of the entire banking system. In the quarter ended September 30, 2024, 5 of India’s 8 largest private sector <keyword id="19934118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="banks" source="keywords">banks</keyword> reported a steep rise in their bad loan book, mostly thanks to microfinance loans. Some banks, in a bid to strengthen their fortress against these <keyword id="142154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bad-loans" source="Orion">bad loans</keyword>, have significantly upped their provisions. For instance, <keyword id="46717" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IndusInd-bank" source="Orion">IndusInd Bank</keyword> set aside Rs 525 crore during July and September 2024 to battle the menace of defaults on microfinance loans, which make up about 9% of its total loan book. See, banks rely heavily on their interest income, which they earn from advancing loans. Any loan where the borrower has not paid interest to the bank or defaulted for 90 days or more becomes bad, i.e., an <keyword id="79363" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="npa" source="Orion">NPA</keyword>, or non-performing asset for the bank. And who likes things going bad? Simply put, there has been a steep rise in three areas, much to the dislike of banks and MFIs (micro-finance institutions). But hey, it's mostly their doing! <ol><li>GNPA ratio (gross net performing assets): The quantum of non-performing assets a bank has in proportion to its total assets.</li><li>Provision: The amount banks set aside to take care of such NPAs.</li><li>Slippage ratio: The rate at which good girls go bad, or the speed at which good loans turn into NPAs</li></ol>But how are these plaguing the Indian banking sector? And what does the road ahead look like? We decode it for you. <h2> Microfinance: A not-so-micro-menace</h2>Microfinance loans were initially brought forth for low-income households and individuals, i.e. for those who might not generally have access to traditional ways of credit, like bank loans and more. They don’t require collateral or an asset to be pledged in lieu of the loan, making it a tad bit easier for borrowers. As of June 2024, the amount of outstanding loans in the microfinance industry stood at a staggering Rs 4,20,256 crore. Of this, NBFC-MFIs accounted for 40% and banks made for 33% of these. In 2022, <keyword id="30067" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="RBI" source="Orion">RBI</keyword>, in a bid to inspire some competition in this space, did something radical-they did away with the ceiling on how much interest MFIs could charge their customers. Previously, MFIs could add up to 12% to their cost of acquiring funds to determine the final interest rate chargeable to the consumer. So, assuming that Bank A incurs a 5% cost to acquire funds for further loaning, A could charge up to 17% interest from the end consumer. So, interest rates were in the hands of MFIs, and boy, did they have a gala time with it. Instead of spurring some healthy competition, as RBI expected, MFIs and banks went rogue and all guns blazing, competing for the title of “Who will charge the highest interest?” Recently, RBI banned 4 microfinance institutions (MFIs), namely Asirvad Micro Finance Limited, Arohan Financial Services Limited, DMI Finance Private Limited, and Navi Finserv, from disbursing loans effective October 21, 2024. Why? Because they were charging 14% extra interest over their original cost of funds. To maintain their loan books (and pockets), banks and NBFCs resorted to shady practices like netting off loans, which RBI has now advised MFIs against. Here, lenders allow borrowers to settle a previous outstanding loan by issuing them a new loan! As crazy as it sounds, it helped banks to report less of their total assets as NPAs, since the new credit would cover pending installments of the borrower’s previous loan. Then there was the issue of borrowers overleveraging, i.e. taking multiple loans using different IDs from various lenders and then failing to honor any of them. The consequence? Banks and NBFCs end up with massive NPAs. Data from credit bureaus suggests that over the last quarter, there was a 17.2% rise in the number of borrowers who had 5 or more active loans at the same time. <h2>Growth &gt; Caution</h2>It's an age-old tale unfolding yet again in India’s banking sector- Icarus flew too close to the sun and eventually, fell to its death. Between April and June 2024, NBFCs microfinance portfolio jumped by 2.7%. If you see this in terms of loan sources, microfinance loans issued by banks grew by 11.2% in Q1FY25. But the same portfolio in NBFCs swelled by almost double-23.9%. While most of these loans had an average ticket size between Rs 30,000-50,000, there was a sharp spike in the number of loans that had a ticket size of Rs 80,000 or more. Data suggests that as of March 2024, more than 12% of all microfinance borrowers had over 4 or more active loans. In dating parlance, this is a classic case of borrowers going polyamorous, minus the honesty and transparency. Not the best of situations, you'd agree! <h2>Will banks and NBFCs stand up to this stress?</h2>If their results for Q2FY25 are to be believed, NBFCs are not handling the pressure all that well. Or even slightly well. Only a few banks like Bank of Baroda (BoB), ICICI, and Indian Bank were up for the battle, even witnessing a decline in their loan delinquencies. Some others, like IndusInd Bank, saw their stock dip by a massive 16.2% over the last 5 days. Its slippages in the previous quarter burgeoned from Rs 15.3 billion in Q1FY25 to Rs 17.9 billion in Q2. As a result, the bank pushed a staggeringly high amount of money to create an NPA cushion for itself. While its management has highlighted its preference for secured lending, that was hardly reflected in its actions during the quarter, where growth in unsecured personal loans remained exceptionally high at over 7% on a QoQ basis. Turns out, only 44% of customers in IndusInd Banks’ microfinance loan portfolio were exclusive to it. The rest 47% were, you guessed it right-polyamorous! 27% had borrowed from another lender as well, apart from IndusInd Bank, while 20% were those who had outstanding loans with two other lenders, apart from IndusInd Bank. IndusInd Bank’s credit card segment did not miss the NPA bus and accounted for 7-8% of its GNPAs. Canara Bank’s total slippages during the previous quarter jumped to Rs 11.1 billion, up by 24.7% QoQ, and making up for 3.6% of its total loans. As for Bandhan Bank, its <keyword id="763994" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gross-NPA" source="Orion">gross NPA</keyword> for Q2FY25 inched up on a QoQ basis, up from 4.23% in Q1, to 4.68% in the second quarter. <keyword id="62152" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IDFC-bank" source="Orion">IDFC Bank</keyword>’s heavy provisioning for its NPAs marred its profits significantly, causing its PAT (profit after tax) to dip by 73% on a YoY basis. Data from ICRA Analytics suggest that the AUM (asset under management) growth in microfinance loans and unsecured (personal and business) loans by the NBFCs will moderate to 10-12% and 19-21%, respectively, in FY2025 compared to 30% and 38%, in FY2024. Says A M Karthik, Senior Vice President &amp; Co-Group Head, Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, “As bank funds constitute a larger share in the overall funding of NBFCs, a slower credit flow from banks to the NBFCs will compress their AUM growth. The NBFCs in unsecured and digital lending businesses shall face a higher squeeze in funding compared to others, and the unsecured lending space will continue to be a source of stress in the near term.” There has been uninhibited growth in unsecured loans, apart from just the microfinance segment. For instance, Axis Bank’s gross slippages jumped by Rs 4,443 crore, largely thanks to its unsecured business. The same is the case with Yes Bank, which saw 35–40% of its retail slippages emerging from the unsecured loan portfolio. Kotak Mahindra Bank was also quick to follow Yes Bank’s suit, with around 35%-40% of its slippages coming from credit cards. <h2>How is the road ahead?</h2>While RBI has just cracked its whip and served a warning at the moment, experts at Morgan Stanley believe that more changes (read regulatory lashes) are underway. Moreover, with both festive and wedding seasons underway in our country, unsecured lending might pick up momentum, much to the disdain of the calibrated approach banks have been taking towards it so far. But if the situation doesn't improve, RBI will not waste any time in becoming the typical tyrannical Bollywood headmaster who runs his dominion with an iron fist and takes things (and ceiling rates) into their own hands. However, that's a story for another day.

Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

<div type="image" title="The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books." agency="ANI" msid="114778648" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The RBI has cracked the regulatory whip on NBFCs and banks, who&amp;#39;ve been pushing microfinance and unsecured loans aggressively to grow their loan books.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Imagine this. You have a younger sibling you’re mighty envious of. And why not? Unlike you, they seem to enjoy all the freedom and money in the world. They party like there’s no tomorrow, and here you are, stuck in a boring, ultra-disciplined but responsible routine that feels completely devoid of any independence, and mostly, funds. But of late, things are changing. This sibling is in massive trouble and just cannot escape the parent’s wrath anymore. Long story short, the party is over, and it is time to go back home. The rising defaults on this sibling’s part have now begun pulling the entire house down, thereby attracting the regulator’s ire. <h2>The Wild West of <keyword id="113684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="microfinance" source="Orion">microfinance</keyword> and unsecured loans</h2>It's hard to ignore the issues with microfinance and unsecured loans in India. Many saw them as a small gamble and ignored the rising defaults much like the younger siblings’ tantrums, and now they find themselves in hot waters. The skyrocketing instances of non-payments aren't a micro-issue anymore and are threatening the stability of the entire banking system. In the quarter ended September 30, 2024, 5 of India’s 8 largest private sector <keyword id="19934118" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="banks" source="keywords">banks</keyword> reported a steep rise in their bad loan book, mostly thanks to microfinance loans. Some banks, in a bid to strengthen their fortress against these <keyword id="142154" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bad-loans" source="Orion">bad loans</keyword>, have significantly upped their provisions. For instance, IndusInd Bank set aside Rs 525 crore during July and September 2024 to battle the menace of defaults on microfinance loans, which make up about 9% of its total loan book. See, banks rely heavily on their interest income, which they earn from advancing loans. Any loan where the borrower has not paid interest to the bank or defaulted for 90 days or more becomes bad, i.e. an NPA, or non-performing asset for the bank. And who likes things going bad? Simply put, there has been a steep rise in three areas, much to the dislike of banks and MFIs (micro-finance institutions). But hey, it's mostly their doing! <ol><li>GNPA ratio (gross net performing assets): The quantum of non-performing assets a bank has in proportion to its total assets.</li><li>Provision: The amount banks set aside to take care of such NPAs.</li><li>Slippage ratio: The rate at which good girls go bad, or the speed at which good loans turn into NPAs</li></ol>But how are these plaguing the Indian banking sector? And what does the road ahead look like? We decode it for you. <h2> Microfinance: A not-so-micro-menace</h2>Microfinance loans were initially brought forth for low-income households and individuals i.e. for those who might not generally have access to traditional ways of credit, like bank loans and more. They don’t require collateral or an asset to be pledged in lieu of the loan, making it a tad bit easier for borrowers. As of June 2024, the amount of outstanding loans in the microfinance industry stood at a staggering Rs 4,20,256 crore. Of this, NBFC-MFIs accounted for 40% and banks made for 33% of these. In 2022, RBI, in a bid to inspire some competition in this space, did something radical-they did away with the ceiling on how much interest MFIs could charge their customers. Previously, MFIs could add up to 12% to their cost of acquiring funds to determine the final interest rate chargeable to the consumer. So, assuming that Bank A incurs a 5% cost to acquire funds for further loaning, A could charge up to 17% interest from the end consumer. So, interest rates were in the hands of MFIs, and boy, did they have a gala time with it. Instead of spurring some healthy competition, as RBI expected, MFIs and banks went rogue and all guns blazing, competing for the title of “Who will charge the highest interest?” Recently, RBI banned 4 microfinance institutions (MFIs), namely Asirvad Micro Finance Limited, Arohan Financial Services Limited, DMI Finance Private Limited, and <keyword id="20117932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="navi-finserv" source="keywords">Navi Finserv</keyword> from disbursing loans effective October 21, 2024. Why? Because they were charging 14% extra interest over their original cost of funds. To maintain their loan books (and pockets), banks and NBFCs resorted to shady practices like netting off loans, which RBI has now advised MFIs against. Here, lenders allow borrowers to settle a previous outstanding loan by issuing them a new loan! As crazy as it sounds, it helped banks to report less of their total assets as NPAs, since the new credit would cover pending instalments of the borrower’s previous loan. Then there was the issue of borrowers overleveraging, i.e. taking multiple loans using different IDs from various lenders and then failing to honour any of them. The consequence? Banks and NBFCs end up with massive NPAs. Data from credit bureaus suggests that over the last quarter, there was a 17.2% rise in the number of borrowers who had 5 or more active loans at the same time. <h2>Growth &gt; Caution</h2>It's an age-old tale unfolding yet again in India’s banking sector- Icarus flew too close to the sun and eventually, fell to its death. Between April and June 2024, NBFCs microfinance portfolio jumped by 2.7%. If you see this in terms of loan sources, microfinance loans issued by banks grew by 11.2% in Q1FY25. But the same portfolio in NBFCs swelled by almost double-23.9%. While most of these loans had an average ticket size between Rs 30,000-50,000, there was a sharp spike in the number of loans that had a ticket size of Rs 80,000 or more. Data suggests that as of March 2024, more than 12% of all microfinance borrowers had over 4 or more active loans. In dating parlance, this is a classic case of borrowers going polyamorous, minus the honesty and transparency. Not the best of situations, you'd agree! <h2>Will banks and NBFCs stand up to this stress?</h2>If their results for Q2FY25 are to be believed, NBFCs are not handling the pressure all that well. Or even slightly well. Only a few banks like Bank of Baroda (BoB), ICICI, and Indian Bank were up for the battle, even witnessing a decline in their loan delinquencies. Some others, like IndusInd Bank, saw their stock dip by a massive 16.2% over the last 5 days. Its slippages in the previous quarter burgeoned from Rs 15.3 billion in Q1FY25 to Rs 17.9 billion in Q2. As a result, the bank pushed a staggeringly high amount of money to create an NPA cushion for itself. While its management has highlighted its preference for secured lending, that was hardly reflected in its actions during the quarter, where growth in unsecured personal loans remained exceptionally high at over 7% on a QoQ basis. Turns out, only 44% of customers in IndusInd Banks’ microfinance loan portfolio were exclusive to it. The rest 47% were, you guessed it right-polyamorous! 27% had borrowed from another lender as well, apart from IndusInd Bank, while 20% were those who had outstanding loans with two other lenders, apart from IndusInd Bank. IndusInd Bank’s credit card segment did not miss the NPA bus and accounted for 7-8% of its GNPAs. Canara Bank’s total slippages during the previous quarter jumped to Rs 11.1 billion, up by 24.7% QoQ, and making up for 3.6% of its total loans. As for Bandhan Bank, its gross NPA for Q2FY25 inched up on a QoQ basis, up from 4.23% in Q1, to 4.68% in the second quarter. IDFC Bank’s heavy provisioning for its NPAs marred its profits significantly, causing its PAT (profit after tax) to dip by 73% on a YoY basis. Data from ICRA Analytics suggest that the AUM (asset under management) growth in microfinance loans and unsecured (personal and business) loans by the NBFCs will moderate to 10-12% and 19-21%, respectively, in FY2025 compared to 30% and 38%, in FY2024. Says A M Karthik, Senior Vice President &amp; Co-Group Head, Financial Sector Ratings, ICRA, “As bank funds constitute a larger share in the overall funding of NBFCs, a slower credit flow from banks to the NBFCs will compress their AUM growth. The NBFCs in unsecured and digital lending businesses shall face a higher squeeze in funding compared to others, and the unsecured lending space will continue to be a source of stress in the near term.” There has been uninhibited growth in <keyword id="6051027" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unsecured-loan" source="Orion">unsecured loan</keyword>s, apart from just the microfinance segment. For instance, Axis Bank’s gross slippages jumped by Rs 4,443 crore, largely thanks to its unsecured business. The same is the case with Yes Bank, which saw 35–40% of its retail slippages emerging from the unsecured loan portfolio. <keyword id="6376194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kotak-mahindra" source="Orion">Kotak Mahindra</keyword> Bank was also quick to follow Yes Bank’s suit, with around 35%-40% of its slippages coming from credit cards. <h2>How is the road ahead?</h2>While RBI has just cracked its whip and served a warning at the moment, experts at Morgan Stanley believe that more changes (read regulatory lashes) are underway. Moreover, with both festive and wedding seasons underway in our country, unsecured lending might pick up momentum, much to the disdain of the calibrated approach banks have been taking towards it so far. But if the situation doesn't improve, RBI will not waste any time in becoming the typical tyrannical <keyword id="19897820" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bollywood" source="keywords">Bollywood</keyword> headmaster who runs his dominion with an iron fist. However, that's a story for another day. Do you have a topic in mind you'd want a simpler explanation for, or insights or personal experience to share on personal finance and more? Contact us at businessinsider@timesinternet.in.

Simply Put: Is the lending party over? The dangerous tango of Indian banks with microfinance and unsecured loans

<ul><li>EaseMyTrip recently appointed <keyword id="31515" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="vijay-raaz" source="Orion">Vijay Raaz</keyword> and <keyword id="337442" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="varun-sharma" source="Orion">Varun Sharma</keyword> as its first-ever brand ambassadors to expand its reach across the country.</li><li>As the travel platform launches its campaign with new ambassadors and rolls out its marketing blitzkrieg, we speak to <keyword id="6106039" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nishant-pitti" source="Orion">Nishant Pitti</keyword>, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip about the idea behind choosing Vijay and Varun, platform’s game plan to deal with COVID and macro-economic changes that might come in our way and larger vision.</li></ul>Six days into 2022 and brands and organisations are planning to completely return to work-from-home model and prepare for the impending wave of COVID-19 and macro-economic challenges that it might bring along. The economic impact of the third wave might not be as devastating as the second wave, but it might take a toll on the hospitality industry yet again. If the government strengthens lockdown restrictions across the country in the coming days, the hospitality sector might face a recap of 2020. However, home-grown hospitality and travel brand EaseMyTrip witnessed a six-fold growth in revenue during the peak of the second wave and on the back of its ‘flexible and lean business model,’it is optimistic about maintaining its financial health in 2022 as well. With its first-ever brand ambassadors in Vijay Raaz and Varun Sharma and a slew of customer-centric initiatives such as zero-convenience fee, full refund on medical grounds, discounted air tickets for train waitlisted customers, EaseMyTrip has entered this year all guns blazing! So, to discuss what lies ahead, Advertising and Media caught up with Nishant Pitti, CEO and Co-Founder, EaseMyTrip. He told us about his game plan for the platform in 2022, larger vision, marketing strategy and a lot more. Q. Can you tell us how 2021 was for EaseMyTrip and the travel industry? In FY20-21, we almost doubled our profits and this was despite halving of Gross Booking Revenue in a pandemic struck year. In Q4 of FY21, we witnessed a V-shaped recovery, registering almost 89% of the gross booking revenue of the corresponding quarter in the previous fiscal. Additionally, Q1FY22 was one of the worst periods for the travel industry due to the second wave, however, we grew our profits six-fold to more than Rs 15 crore in Q1FY22 as against a net profit of Rs 2.5 crore in the corresponding quarter of the previous fiscal. This makes us one of the few companies to be profitable in the industry that has been the worst impacted in the country in the quarter of April- June’21. We have been able to maintain our profitability through the pandemic as we have been flexible and maintained a lean business model, which has been the key driver in maintaining financial health. For the travel industry, the year started well as there was a strong demand. However, the second wave struck soon after, which led to a fall in travel demand. The second wave had impacted the entire tourism industry. However, the strong vaccination drive helped in lowering active cases and the industry was seeing a recovery again. The festive season further pushed travel demand as people were comfortable travelling and had adapted to the travel norms. The rise in travel bookings during this festive period was a clear sign of the underlying pent up travel demand and the growing sentiment among travellers to venture out for leisure travel. We believe that the sector has been able to weather the storm as a lull period was followed by strong growth in demand. We also witnessed a rise in travellers from smaller cities and towns which eventually led to a rise in passenger traffic and demand. Q. You have recently onboarded your first-ever brand ambassadors. Firstly, why did you think this was a good time to bring on the actors and what was the thought behind choosing Varun and Vijay? We have been witnessing strong growth, even during the pandemic, and we have been constantly innovating and providing value to the consumer. As a result, we believe that now is the right time for branding and to get more people to know about EaseMyTrip. EaseMyTrip has always believed in leveraging relevant and meaningful avenues for brand connect and this association is in-line with the same brand philosophy. We believe that Varun Sharma and Vijay Raaz are unique actors who have superb comic timing and have created a niche in the market based on their unique performances. They have a unique mass appeal that cuts across all audiences and geographies. We have consciously chosen two unique actors from two different generations as we believe that an association with both of them will help us reach our overall target audience efficiently. The association with Varun and Vijay are in sync with the brand as just like these ace actors, EaseMyTrip too has established itself and gained market share purely based on performance to date. Q. After onboarding your first-ever brand ambassadors, what are you eyeing to achieve from this partnership? The country is witnessing a growing air traffic demand, even from smaller cities now. A significant chunk of these people are digital savvy and prefer doing online bookings. Through this unique marketing campaign, we are trying to reach out to those customers and with the explosion of the internet and online booking, we believe that it is the right time to do so. Additionally, the company has aggressive plans to grow its business with a slew of customer-centric initiatives including the zero-convenience fee, full refund on medical grounds, discounted air tickets for train waitlisted customers, and many more. We believe that this initiative provides us with an opportunity to make more travellers aware of these unique initiatives and grow our customer base. Q. What is your larger marketing strategy? How will your messaging change, if at all, now that you have new brand ambassadors onboard? We aim to cater to the pent-up demand via cross-selling to the huge customer base by promoting the same aggressively across all marketing platforms. We are confident that this pent-up demand will continue to grow. We also aim to continue with our record growth across businesses and grow our market share. We emphasize high ROI marketing spending and instead of opting for very high marketing budgets, we try to source relevant platforms that can gain the maximum interest of our customers. We will continue to move in that direction in 2022 as well. While we have onboarded brand ambassadors, we do not expect our messaging to change. We have always maintained a strong messaging and unique proposition of customer centricity and consistent performance, and our brand ambassadors will continue to take that proposition ahead. Q. Which advertising medium will get your lion's share this year? With people resuming travel, we are expecting a lot more marketing efforts and initiatives in the coming year. The industry is slowly recovering, and we believe that this is the right time for us to strengthen marketing efforts and customer outreach. Seeing a recovery of the industry, in the past year, we have used big-ticket events such as IPL as well as full-page advertisements across national newspapers for marketing initiatives and will continue to explore interesting initiatives this year as well. This year, we plan to release innovative and exciting marketing efforts across digital, print and outdoor media. With the growth in passenger traffic, we will also continue to actively use in-flight branding space, as well as boarding passes as essential touchpoints for travellers. Q. What are some of the trends that you are expecting to see in the travel industry this year? In 2022, we expect a few prominent trends to surface, which are set to be at the forefront of the travel industry. 2022 is set to witness a rise in travel spending by people as they are now, more than ever, ready to take those once-in-a-lifetime trips that they always wanted to embark on. In 2022, we are also expecting more travellers to prefer locations that are adopting sustainable tourism practices as many travellers have woken up to the benefits and the need of sustainable tourism in a post-covid scenario. Technology is also being implemented in a big way in the tourism industry and travellers are showing a higher preference for places that incorporate smart technology. In 2022, the travel industry is expected to move further into a digital shift and adopt newer platforms and technologies that enable travellers to travel seamlessly. Due to the safety concerns, we are expecting a rise in demand for unique, unexplored destinations, short weekend getaways and road trips to nearby tourist destinations. Reunion travel is set to be a major trend next year as people look to reconnect with family by taking a quick getaway trip. As an aftermath of the pandemic, there will also be a rise in the number of people that are opting for short getaways that offer wellness and self-care activities. In 2022, travellers are set to showcase an increased preference for locations that have a focus on wellness activities that help them rejuvenate, take a break away from the monotony of their daily lives and lead healthier lives. Q. How did the consumer sentiment change in December and what's it usually like in January? Travel this month is majorly focused on safety. There has been a significant shift in the mindset of travellers towards health and hygiene, and the services provided by travel companies regarding this, make a significant impact on the decision making. While there are safety concerns right now, the travel sentiment of customers is still strong. There is an underlying pent-up travel demand, which is expected to lead to a growth in revenge travel. We are also ensuring safety and hygiene for our customers with the help of our airlines and hotel partners. Q. We're at that time of the year when people are normally in the mood to travel. What are some of the tourist hotspots in India this year? Have consumers shown any interest in traveling to places they wouldn’t have thought of visiting earlier? The tourist destinations that have been in demand and that we expect to be tourist hotspots this year as well include Kashmir, Goa, Jaipur, Leh and Srinagar. With safety concerns, the demand for unique, unexplored domestic destinations has also shot up in the past few months, and a lot more unheard domestic destinations will come to the fore in the coming months. Q. In India, we love saving a little extra on hotels while traveling to a different city -- a lot of people in India prefer staying at a relative's place. Has that trend changed after COVID? Yes, we believe that this trend has changed as people have witnessed the high levels of sanitisations and safety protocols undertaken by hotels since the pandemic. Since the pandemic there has been an increased emphasis on safety and sanitization within the travel industry and enhanced health screenings have become the new normal across all travel segments. As a leading travel portal, we also provide all the sanitization protocols that each hotel follows, to ensure that the travellers are aware of the practices followed. This provides them with a sense of relief during this period as safety and hygiene has become a top priority in the current period, which is not guaranteed at a relative’s place. In fact, during the pandemic, there has been an increase in 4 and 5-star hotel bookings as compared to the pre-pandemic period as people would want a better level of sanitization at this time. The average duration of the stay has also gone up from 3.2 days to 4.7 days. While hotels and apartments have performed well, we have also seen an increased demand for private villas and homestays as customers find them more secure and safe during these unprecedented times. Q. Can you tell us what would be some of your focus areas in 2022? The company plans to focus heavily on its hotel and holiday package businesses and expand in the existing markets. We are working proactively to cater to the increased demand that we foresee. We will look at enhancing the revenues and profitability going forward by leveraging our existing base of customers for cross-selling. We also plan on leveraging our vast agent network and utilizing it for the holiday bookings which shall complement the company’s hotel and holiday businesses. Apart from the Indian market, we are present across UAE, Singapore, UK, Philippines, Thailand, and the USA. We want to establish our air ticketing business in these countries as we have forayed into these new countries anticipating a huge pent-up travel demand. In the coming year, we plan to launch a localized travel search engine in each global subsidiary to strengthen our offerings within each country. We may also look to expand to more viable countries if we see a strong performance and value addition from our existing global subsidiaries. Q. What is your larger vision for the platform? We aim to continue with the record growth with increased revenue margins and market share. We have been extremely bullish in the air segment and expect to become the number one player in the air segment in the next three to four years. While air travel bookings constitute around 95% of our revenues, we are also growing our non-air travel businesses including hotels, buses, trains and holidays in double digits. We are also looking to expand our services across Tier 2 and 3 cities as we have been witnessing a rise in air ticket bookings in these cities. All in all, we are aiming to be the preferred booking partner for all travellers across the country.

Our association with Vijay Raaz and Varun Sharma will help us reach our overall target audience more efficiently: Nishant Pitti of EaseMyTrip

56. Pan Am in Vietnam

The temperatures are soaring and mangoes have made an appearance in the market place. Summer is officially here. It’s time to pull out the large hat, put on those shades, pack that bag and head to some cooler place. If the hot summer sun isn’t an excuse enough, then well your <keyword id="1601603" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Credit-card-rewards">credit card rewards</keyword> definitely are! Make the most of summer and your reward points while planning your vacation this time around. 
 If you do not own a <keyword id="6368202" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Credit-card">credit card</keyword> currently, don’t worry. Reading this article will help you decide which one you need to apply for to avail maximum benefits as per your lifestyle. However, one must keep a track of the <keyword id="2054234" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="CIBIL-Score">CIBIL score</keyword> and work on maintaining a satisfactory score. The reason being, credit card companies do factor in the data in your <keyword id="2405124" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cibil-Report">CIBIL report</keyword> and check your CIBIL score while issuing credit cards. Using a credit card regularly and smartly helps accumulate reward points which can be planned and used resulting in direct <keyword id="25450" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings">savings</keyword>! Vacations are a great opportunity to reap the benefits of reward points as well accumulate further points. Let’s see how that works. 
 
1. Signing up is a good idea sirji! If you are indeed considering signing up for the credit card and availing benefits during this year’s summer vacation, it is a bit late. But, it is never too late to join the party. While it would have been ideal if reward points were accumulated by now, there are few credit cards which offer miles, points or hotel stays while signing up. For example, the Standard Chartered Emirates Platinum Credit Card offers 27,500 bonus skyward miles on enrollment. Air accident <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> is complimentary with this card, which is worth Rs 10 million. If you fancy airport lounges, then priority pass for over 600 lounges comes with this card. Benefits from some cards can actually translate in getting a ticket or two free! For example signing up for the Jet Privilege HDFC Bank World credit card can waive off the base fare for one domestic Jet Airways ticket. Also, they offer 10,000 bonus jpmiles as welcome benefit. The New American Express MakemyTrip credit card is offering welcome vouchers worth Rs 9,000 that can be redeemed on the travel website. What’s not to love? A joining fee may be charged while signing up for a credit card. However, many companies are now waiving that charge if customers sign up online. Do check on that while you sign up for a credit card. 
 
2. Reward yourself wisely 
Gaining reward points is not enough. One needs to plan wisely for spending the reward points to gain maximum benefits. After you have a vacation plan ready, decide which parts of the vacation you would like to cover using the reward points. Broadly it is divided into travel fare, hotel stays and dining out. Now assuming you decide to book the flights using your credit card. Check on how many miles would it take to avail the reward. While doing so, don’t ignore the airline service and other things which can potentially spoil your vacation mood. For booking stays, check on the properties around your vacation spot. Once shortlisted check on how many points would it take to book the stay reward. It is difficult to cover the entire vacation expense through reward benefits. But using it wisely will definitely help in saving a handsome sum of money. 
 
3. Let the card pay for luxury 
If you believe in travelling with style and living life king size, then there are a couple of credit cards that will interest you. For example, the Citi Prestige credit card gives away vouchers worth Rs 10,000 from the Taj group or ITC hotels every year. Complimentary stays at exquisite properties around the world and benefits from an elevated status on the loyalty programs of global partner’s opens doors to special treatment and additional luxury. Bonus airmiles and unlimited complimentary priority pass lounge access at over 700 airports are among the other benefits. Premium cards like these do come with an annual membership fee, which is slightly on the higher side. The Citi Prestige credit card annual fee is Rs 20,000. If luxury is on your mind, then the card member ship fee is comparatively a small price to pay. 
 
4. Make your trip, make your choice 
 
Rewards earned can be maximized by choosing the right credit card to pay for your travels. For example Air India SBI Signature card can enable you to earn up to 1,30,000 Air Miles every year. 20 Air Miles for every Rs 100 spent on Air India tickets. Whereas, HDFC Banks All Miles credit card offers 3 reward points per Rs 150. While the former charges an annual fee of Rs 5,000 plus taxes, the latter is life time free if applied through website. Foreign transaction charges are another factor to be considered before spending, if you are on a holiday abroad. Credit card companies charge anywhere between 2.5% to 3.5% of the total transaction amount as foreign transaction charges. Look out for credit cards, which do not impose these charges or go with the one with minimum charges. 
 
While reward benefits definitely help you make a choice, other factors like travel insurance benefits, travel accident insurance, lost baggage insurance, etc. must also be considered. With so many credit card options available in the market to choose from, one must not ignore the importance of maintaining a credible CIBIL score so that availing the best credit card option becomes a cake walk. With so many benefits listed, using a credit card is a lucrative option. Needless to say spending wisely and repaying responsibly is very important to continue saving and availing amazing offers in the future as well. Happy vacations! 
 
About the author: Rajiv Raj is the director and co-founder of<a href="http://www.creditvidya.com/">www.creditvidya.com</a>.

4 ways to use Credit card rewards for vacationing!

Now that we are only a few days away from Diwali, the shopping frenzy has hit people really hard. In case you haven’t done your gadget shopping yet and don’t have the time to go through hundreds of deals popping up every minute, here’s a quick look at some interesting offers straight from the Big Brands (or their authorised retailers). Sales have been a bit tepid after the RBI scrapped the popular ‘0% <keyword id="6357050" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="EMI">EMI</keyword> scheme’ for consumer electronics buying and one can only use the <keyword id="6357149" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="HDFC-bank">HDFC Bank</keyword> credit card for 3-12 months’ easy payment option. While the bank charges the usual interest on credit card spending, some sellers also charge a flat processing fee – adding up to the cost. But even then, mobile and electronics rank high one on one’s shopping list, occupying the 2nd slot after clothes and accessories – according to a recent survey by Cashkaro.com, India’s leading cash-back and coupons site. So start your 5-minute browsing now to find out what suits your fancy and wallet this Diwali. 
 
Buy smart, save more with <keyword id="10591" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Samsung">Samsung</keyword> 
Act smart and go for these fabulous bargains – owning a Samsung Galaxy has never been this easy. Now you can save Rs 3,100 on a Galaxy S III (16 GB) and buy one for Rs 25,400. The compact yet powerful Galaxy S4 Mini is also up for grabs – the price has been slashed by Rs 4,140 and it now costs Rs 23,360. But there’s more to it. 
 Under the <keyword id="1919910" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smart-Buy">Smart Buy</keyword> offer, one can get a 10% cash-back on the latest flagships – Galaxy S4 and Galaxy Note 2. The offer will be valid till November 5 and one has to use a <keyword id="6356454" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="standard-chartered">Standard Chartered</keyword> debit/credit card for the purchase. If you meet the criteria, this will bring down the price of Galaxy S4 from 41,500 to Rs 37350 while the Galaxy Note 2 <keyword id="999344" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="phablet">phablet</keyword> will cost you Rs 28,935, instead of Rs 32,150. In addition, the Korean giant is offering free accessories such as Maxx PBS-26-SDI smart charger and Plantronics ML2 Bluetooth headset. 
 
 
 
Smart upgrade from <keyword id="6354716" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nokia">Nokia</keyword> If you are still banking on M/s Reliable, check out these buyback offers from the Finnish handset maker. This Diwali, you can own a <keyword id="815197" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Nokia-Lumia">Nokia Lumia</keyword> for less as you exchange your cell phone with any of these four handsets – Nokia Lumia 520, 620, 625 and 925. Just take your old phone to the nearest mobile store and get it assessed for the exchange value (you will find more information here (<a href="http://www.nokia.com/in-en/buyback/">http://www.nokia.com/in-en/buyback/</a>) regarding applicable devices). There’s an EMI provision as well, post the exchange discount ranging from Rs 4,000-10,000. Plus buyers get attractive deals in terms of movies, music and data usage. Good bargain, overall, for anyone looking to go the <keyword id="28168" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Smartphone">smartphone</keyword> way on a budget. There’s also a free <keyword id="35450" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="insurance">insurance</keyword> scheme going with its Asha 501 model, valid till November 15. 
Image: Nokiarevolution.com 
 
 
 
Affordable <keyword id="6355629" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google">Google</keyword> gadgets If you love a superb <keyword id="6355645" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="android">Android</keyword> tablet at dirt cheap price, go for the <keyword id="1118355" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nexus-7">Nexus 7</keyword> with Wi-Fi (32 GB). Right now, you can get 31% discount on this model and Flipkart it for just Rs12,999. The high res screen, sleek look and good battery life, along with latest Android updates, make it a great purchase for budget shoppers. The 16 GB (Wi-Fi) variant comes with a whopping 37% <keyword id="1919911" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="price-slash">price slash</keyword> and costs only Rs 9,999, while Nexus 7C ((Wi-Fi, 3G, 32 GB) is priced at Rs 15,999 (27% discount). In case you are looking for the 2nd Generation Nexus, to be launched here in November, it’s already up online. eBay India is currently selling the 16 GB Wi-Fi model for Rs 22,490. 
 Those looking for a device between a tab and a netbook, can get their hands on Google’s lightweight laptops at Flipkart – the Acer C720 Chromebook for Rs 22,999 (11% off the original price) and the <keyword id="6367983" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="HP">HP</keyword> Chromebook 14 at Rs 26,990. You also get combo offers and additional discounts. One can also buy these at select Croma stores in Delhi and Mumbai. The HP system features a 14 inch screen and 32 GB storage, while the Acer one has 11.6 inch screen and 16 GB storage. The HP device also has more USB ports and a card reader. 
Image: droid-life.com 
 
 
 
Bond with Sony for more products per product Here, discounts vary from <keyword id="6356318" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dealer">dealer</keyword> to dealer, but you get loads of freebies from the company when you buy a Sony product. In fact, you are pampered for choice when you take your pick from its wide range of Bravia televisions, <keyword id="49069" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vaio">Vaio</keyword> laptops or the Xperia series of smartphones/phablets/tablets. For instance, you can buy a Bravia and get freebies like 3D Blu-ray players and Blu-ray movies, PS3, headphones and 8 GB USB drives for free. Then there are special <keyword id="25455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="finance">finance</keyword> offers to make it light on your pocket. 
 
For the Xperia range, one can get good deals from e-tailers like Flipkart, Snapdeal, HomeShop18, The MobileStore or Indiatimes Shopping. It starts from as little as Rs 6,500 for an Xperia Tipo and can go up to 43K for the latest waterproof smartphone Xperia Z1. Diwali offers from Sony also include freebies such as 5,000 mAh portable charger, MDR-ZX 100A headphone, premium case, snap-on cover and free data usage on different models. The Vaio line of laptops comes with bundled freebies including HDMI to VGA adapter dongle, MDR-ZX 100A headphone, and wireless keyboard &amp; mouse. 
 
 
 
 
<keyword id="13722" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lenovo">Lenovo</keyword> celebrating it big time Lenovo is celebrating this Diwali with lots of free accessories and discounts. You will get a sleek headset, a USB speaker and a wireless mouse with every <keyword id="13723" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Laptop">laptop</keyword> you purchase, and a wireless headset for each all-in-one PC. Plus the company is giving generous discount on its <keyword id="516715" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="IdeaPad">IdeaPad</keyword> U, IdeaPad Z, <keyword id="720938" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="IdeaCentre">IdeaCentre</keyword> A and IdeaCentre B series. Just visit your nearest Lenovo shop and grab one. 
 
 
 
<keyword id="6354356" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="BlackBerry">BlackBerry</keyword> charm still on 
Those in love with the BB experience cannot go off it and the fabulous festival discounts on its premium Z10 model is bound to get some Diwali shoppers back to its fold. Earlier, BlackBerry announced an exchange offer on Z10, offering up to Rs 11,000 under the scheme. And you can still get it for Rs 29,990 as a limited period festival offer. But the e-tailers across India have really gone overboard with Diwali discounts and the last we checked, Z10 was up for grabs for as little as Rs 20,835 on eBay India. The smartphone running on the latest BB10 OS was launched here in February this year and was originally priced at Rs 43,499. 
 
 
 
Mad about Germany? Buy Bosch this Diwali Celebrate this festive season with exciting offers from Bosch, Europe’s leading <keyword id="16274" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="home-appliances">home appliances</keyword> brand, and win a trip for 2 to Germany. The scratch-and-win offer entitles 3 lucky customers (each gets two tickets) for the trip on a purchase of Bosch washing machines above 6 kg. And you also get to win assured discounts of Rs 250-Rs 9,999. The offer is available across all authorised Bosch dealers till November 15. There is a money-back offer for Bosch dishwashers as well, valid till the end of November. It gives you a chance to buy a dishwasher and return it within 30 days, if you are not satisfied. 
 
 
 
With LG’s offerings, life feels good An exciting brand with loads of top-end gadgets and domestic appliances. Visit the <keyword id="1919905" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="LG-Brand-Shops">LG Brand Shops</keyword> this Diwali for attractive cash-back offers, free insurance (for 6 months) and discount on annual maintenance cost (for domestic appliances). Try out the combo offers on LED <keyword id="6355065" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="tv">TV</keyword> and home theatre system (costs around Rs 55,000) or the Cinema 3D range of televisions for as low as Rs 42,000. As for mobile fads, LG Nexus 4 (16 GB) under 24K could be a good choice. 
Image: LG 
 
 
 
 
Finally, Kindle deals from <keyword id="6354743" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Amazon-India">Amazon India</keyword> Here is the last of the bunch, from the e-commerce giant. Amazon India has just announced special Diwali offers on its <keyword id="831408" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kindle-e-reader">Kindle e-reader</keyword> and <keyword id="1919917" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Kindle-Fire-HD-8-9-inch-tablet">Kindle Fire HD 8.9 inch tablet</keyword>s. Now you can buy a Kindle e-reader (not the Paperwhite devices) for Rs 4,999 instead of Rs 5,999. The 16 GB Kindle Fire HD 8.9 inch tablet is now available for Rs 17,999 – an aggressive price drop of Rs 4,000 from the earlier Rs 21,999. The 32 GB variant has seen a similar price cut – it is now available at Rs 21,999 instead of Rs 25,999. All offers are valid till November 1 and you only get them if you buy the gadgets from the Amazon India site. 
 
 
 
 
Image of fireworks: Wikipedia

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