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<ul><li>The Indian immunisation panel is discussing a fourth dose of <keyword id="8764262" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="covid" source="Orion">Covid</keyword> vaccine, or a <keyword id="10424474" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="second-booster-dose" source="Orion">second booster dose</keyword>. </li><li>India started its booster or precaution dose drive in January 2022 and has so far inoculated over 15 crore Indians in the age group of 15-59 years. </li><li>Only 28% of the eligible population in India have received the first <keyword id="2825536" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="booster-dose" source="Orion">booster dose</keyword> so far.</li></ul>Covid-19 cases are once again <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/indias-case-tally-of-new-omicron-variant-xbb-1-5-reaches-five-heres-what-you-need-to-know/articleshow/96704832.cms">rising across various parts</a> of the world and the Indian government has already started taking precautionary measures. As India has also reported cases of new variants like XBB.1.5, BF.7, the National Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (NTAGI) is considering to roll out a second booster dose or fourth dose of Covid vaccine for the Indian population. “Discussions have started on the matter of opening a second booster among members of the technical group. There is a section that is keen on allowing another booster dose. They will be minutely going through all the scientific data before making any recommendations,” an expert on one of the committees of NTAGI <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/discussions-begin-in-govt-panel-on-2nd-booster-dose-101672684219149.html">said</a>. Last week, doctors of <keyword id="6365835" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Medical-Association" source="Orion">Indian Medical Association</keyword> (IMA), in a discussion with the union health minister <keyword id="2607815" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="mansukh-mandaviya" source="Orion">Mansukh Mandaviya</keyword>, suggested that the government must approve a fourth Covid-19 vaccine for people. <a href="https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/medicines/c/covid-19-vaccine-booster/">New Zealand</a> is one such country which has approved a second booster dose for people at increased risk of severe illness from COVID-19. The second booster dose is offered at least six months after the previous dose or three months after a COVID-19 infection. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Booster dose coverage" comment="subhead" text="Booster dose coverage">Booster dose coverage</cmsannotation> Amid Covid fears, the government is also taking steps to boost the coverage of the first booster dose in the country. India started its booster or precaution dose drive in January 2022 and has given 15 crore booster doses to people in the age group of 15-59 years; and over 69 crore in the age group of 60 plus years, according to <a href="https://www.mohfw.gov.in/pdf/CummulativeCovidVaccinationReport06Jan2023.pdf">data</a> by <keyword id="210071" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="ministry-of-health" source="Orion">ministry of health</keyword>. As of January 6, 2023, around 92 crore adults have taken their first dose, while 86 crore vaccines have been administered a second dose in India. Additionally, over 6 crore children aged between 15-18 years have received the first dose, and over 5 crore children in this age group have received the second dose. In the age group of 12 to 14, around 4 crore children have received the first dose, and 3 crore have received the second dose. Other than Covaxin (by Bharat Biotech) and Covishield (by Serum Insitute of India), the government has also approved two more vaccines — Corbevax (by Biological E) and a nasal vaccine named as <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/covid-19-nasal-vaccine-bharat-biotechs-incovacc-is-the-first-approved-intranasal-vaccine-in-the-world/slidelist/96542239.cms">iNCOVACC</a> (by Bharat Biotech) as booster dose. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="People reluctant to take booster dose" comment="subhead" text="People reluctant to take booster dose">People reluctant to take booster dose</cmsannotation> Even as discussions around the fourth vaccine are going on, people in various states are reluctant to get their precaution doses. In fact, as per <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/delhi-news/discussions-begin-in-govt-panel-on-2nd-booster-dose-101672684219149.html">reports</a>, currently only 28% of the eligible population in India has taken the first booster dose. The West Bengal health department also saw the number of booster dose nosedive, which led to 80,000 Covaxin vaccines expiring by December last year. As per <a href="https://ians.in/news/public-reluctance-to-go-for-covid-booster-dose-worries-bengal-govt/C-1-1550083.html">IANS</a>, the WB health department said that over seven crore people went for the first dose, but the number slid down for the second dose. However, when it came to the third dose aka the booster dose, the number fell to just 1.5 crore. The department official also said this reluctance of people will further lead to more expiration of Covid-19 vaccines in January. A <a href="https://ians.in/news/over-6-in-10-indians-avoiding-covid-booster-due-to-heart-attack-fears-report/C-1-1545504.html">LocalCircles survey</a> also revealed that 64% of Indians are reluctant to take the booster dose of Covid vaccine. The major reason cited by people is rising cases of heart attacks in young people. However, as cases are rising the demand for Covid-19 vaccine seems to be surging and in fact, states like Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh reported a vaccine shortage. "Since the Covid cases had dropped drastically, people had started taking Covid-19 lightly and were less enthusiastic in taking booster doses, so the government, too, was keeping a low stock. As of Monday (December 26) there are 35,000 vaccine bottles available with the state government," <a href="https://ians.in/news/sudden-surge-in-demand-for-vaccine-leads-to-shortage-in-gujarat/C-1-1546640.html">said</a> Nilam Patel, additional director (Health), government of Gujarat. Patel further said, “Till the first week of December (2022), on an average 3,000 vaccinations were taking place on a daily basis but since December 15, all of a sudden, people were turning up in large numbers to take the booster dose." Similarly, the health department of Uttar Pradesh also reported that four government vaccine centres ran out of Covid vaccines, on Wednesday, January 4. However, the department has placed a fresh order of the Covid-19 vaccines and expects it to come by next week. "More than 10 lakh vaccines will be arriving in the state shortly to fulfill the demand across the state. We are also monitoring the COVID-19 situation," Brajesh Pathak, Deputy Chief Minister of UP told <a href="https://www.cnbctv18.com/healthcare/uttar-pradesh-lucknow-government-hopital-run-out-of-covid-doses-india-15580451.htm">PTI</a>. A new <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/newsblogs/covid-outbreak-live-news-coronavirus-india-china-cases-latest-updates-5-january-2023/liveblog/96752025.cms">report</a> also reveals that around 11 types of Covid-19 variant were found in India, when testing international passengers at airports, seaports and landports between December 24 and January 3. (With inputs from PTI and IANS) SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/kreditbee-closes-200-million-series-d-from-advent-international-mufg-bank-others/articleshow/96791309.cms">KreditBee closes $200 million Series D from Advent International, MUFG Bank, others</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/reliance-makes-open-offer-to-acquire-26-stake-in-lotus-chocolate/articleshow/96791043.cms">Reliance makes open offer to acquire 26% stake in Lotus Chocolate</a>

India mulls 2nd Covid booster even as coverage of first dose remains feeble

These are the best countries to be in during the COVID-19 pandemic, India at rank 45

Four charts show how COVID-19 vaccines are being distributed in India

<ul><li>A new study by Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) recommends doling out vaccines to everyone above the age of 18 years from April 15.</li><li>Estimates show that it would still take another six to seven to vaccinate the whole country at a rate of 2.5 million doses a day.</li><li>Keeping the second wave of infections in check won’t only reduce the number of active cases but also reduce the impact of a potential third COVID-19 wave.</li></ul>In April, India began to vaccinate everyone above the age of 45 years but that still leaves a large chunk of its population out of the loop. Even if the country was to open up its vaccination programme to everyone above the age of 18 years from April 15, it would still hypothetically take another six to seven months to vaccinate the whole country. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) and the National Institute of Industrial Engineering (NITIE) ran a study with numbers of the best case scenario with 2.5 million vaccine doses being administered daily. Their research shows that India needs to speed up its vaccination drive across the country if it hopes to come out ahead of the second wave of infections. In the last 24 hours, India has recorded a whopping 104,000 new COVID-19 cases, which is higher than ever before. The last biggest surge was on 17 September 2020 when 97,894 infections were recorded in the span of a single day. According to TCS and NITIE, keeping the second wave of infections in check won’t only reduce the number of active cases but also reduce the impact of a potential third COVID-19 wave. The need to cover more of the Indian population The Indian government began the roll out of its massive vaccination drive on January 16, this year. So far, it has managed to distribute around 7.9 million doses of the vaccine for its 1.21 billion strong population. It should also be kept in mind that COVID-19 vaccinations are a double-dose exercise. So many of the patients, especially those above the age of 60 and 45 who were only just initiated into the programme, are yet to receive their second dose. TCS and NITIE recommend that India should prioritise and accelerate the vaccination for the 130 districts, which were identified as ‘red zones’ during the first wave of the pandemic. “Once the vaccination is opened up for everyone above 18 years, around 230 million people — assuming 80% coverage — need to be vaccinated at the rate of 2.5 million per day across these 130 districts,” said the report. Beyond these 130 districts, it will take another six to seven months to vaccinate the remaining population of around 490 million people above the age of 18 years. <div type="image" title="Screenshot (720)_edited" msid="81915197" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Hypothetical simulation run by TCS Insights&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The above example shows how the results would vary across a suburban Mumbai district with a population of 10 million and an infected population of 20,000. The red curve shows how the second wave of COVID-19 would play out with no vaccinations. Meanwhile, the best case scenario is depicted by the green curve and assumes 80,000 vaccines being administered per day. The key difference between the two extremes is that the peak of COVID-19 infections as well as the time it takes for the infection to subside is drastically different. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Curve </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Peak </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Number of days to reach tail-end of the curve </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Green </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">70,000 cases </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">140 days </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Red </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">20,000 cases </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">60 days </td></tr></tbody></table> “Clearly, rapid vaccination will not only reduce the peak cases but will significantly arrest the growth of disease,” said the report. For vaccines to be available to all individuals above the age of 18 years and maintain a rate of 2.5 million doses per day, the report believes that India needs to open all delivery channels like round-the-clock vaccination centres, vaccinating through non-Ayushman Bharat hospitals and clinics, and bringing pharmacies into the loop. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lockdown-trends-are-starting-to-re-emerge-as-india-faces-second-wave-of-covid-19-infections/articleshow/81912266.cms">Lockdown trends are starting to re-emerge as India faces second wave of COVID-19 infections</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-hcl-tech-infosys-q4-earnings-preview-and-guidance/articleshow/81908765.cms">Record breaking quarter for Indian IT services is a given ⁠— all eyes are now on guidance</a>

Even if India opens up COVID-19 vaccination for everyone above 18 years of age, it will take another six to seven months to vaccinate the entire country

China has not seen such a wave of <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> infections since January 2020. The delta variant of the deadly virus has spread in China to areas that have been declared ‘virus free’ for many months now, according to a Bloomberg report. The latest outbreak is of the Delta variant of the virus and it has reportedly spread over half of the Asian country. This is happening at a time when the curbs imposed due to the pandemic have been relaxed. China reported 99 infections on Monday including 44 cases without symptoms. The total infections in the country is reportedly 300. This is the biggest outbreak in China since January last year, when 2,000 people were infected. The good news is that nearly 60% of China’s population has already been vaccinated. According to the Bloomberg report, the initial delta infection arrived via an overseas flight that came from Moscow and landed in Nanjing in mid-July. Since then, the Delta variant has already spread to places as far away as Hainan island in the southern part of the country, 1,900 kilometers from Nanjing. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/byjus-last-two-acquisitions-and-a-deal-with-disney-reveal-its-american-dream/articleshow/84783749.cms">Byju's last two acquisitions and a deal with Disney reveal its American dream ⁠— one that is anchored in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/news/six-red-flags-for-investors-to-avoid-becoming-a-victim-of-misselling-by-agents-or-financial-advisors/slidelist/84782913.cms">Six red flags for investors to avoid becoming a victim of misselling by agents or financial advisors</a>

COVID-19 is back in Wuhan and many other parts of China that have been ‘virus free’ for months

<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><keyword id="6557808" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="haruto-iwata">Haruto Iwata</keyword>, Managing Director, <keyword id="54635" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Fujifilm">Fujifilm</keyword> India tells us how this experience gave the brand a chance to evolve, upgrade and be resilient to change. </li></ul> As the country is slowly opening up after close to 10 weeks of complete lockdown, businesses are exploring the best ways to make the future safe for both their employees and consumers. For most brands, the closure of malls and showrooms meant business had to come to a complete standstill. However, it was this time that taught many of them the importance of pushing out effective and relevant communications, to ensure their connection with their consumers remained intact. We recently caught up with Haruto Iwata, Managing Director, Fujifilm India who told us that the early signs of consumers coming to them are positive as people have already started walking into their showrooms to buy products in non-affected areas. He also said that the last few weeks gave the brand the chance to evolve, upgrade and be resilient to change and it will continue to do so in the future too. Excerpts: Q) How has the past 1.5 months been for brand Fujifilm? Considering business would have been on a standstill, what kind of business impact are you looking at? The COVID-19 outbreak has left an enormous impact on brands across all industries. From a drop in consumer confidence, restricted mobility, and loss of jobs, it has caused a recession like situation with subsiding consumerism. With a top priority to ensure the safety and wellbeing of the employees and communities. At Fujifilm, we have always aimed at creating meaningful advancements and in the last few weeks, we have taken several measures to ensure safety, both internally and externally. At the community level, we have introduced various online workshops for camera enthusiasts and even conducted an interactive INSTAX Doodle Art Contest to help our customers utilize their time and give our business a chance to forge an instant connection with them. This month, we also unveiled ‘Pari Layegi Parivartan’; a comic series to spread the much needed self-health awareness amongst mothers and the women in our lives. While it is still early to predict the quantum of impact at the moment but there will be aftermath on the overall economy and consumption. However, in India with shops re-opening post the relaxation by the government, we are witnessing walk-in from consumers’ to buy products in non-affected areas. We are hopeful that recovery in demand will happen sooner as we learn to live with the virus and find different ways of <keyword id="6354839" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing">marketing</keyword>. Q) It is imperative to stay connected with your consumers through a crisis situation. How have you done that since the lockdown? We believe that brands are like humans and during such situations; it becomes imperative to build an emotional connection with your consumers, a relationship where both can balance and support each other. It may not be a business as usual but our customers still depend on our products and services at large. We at Fujifilm have always believed in a holistic customer experience strategy and during times like these we have drastically modified our approach. We have been conducting various online workshops through Fujifilm’s social media channels. Consistently engaging with our consumers through Q&amp;A sessions like ‘Rendezvous’ with professional photographers on Instagram, organizing digital workshop like ‘Pathshala’ and ‘Roobaru’ on YouTube. To educate and share insight on camera features along with some tips &amp; tricks on shooting. As a brand, we encourage our consumers to stay safe and adopt social distancing guidelines and hence, we have also started a service of providing product demos at their doorstep. We are even organising health check-ups across rural in India, especially in remote areas with our advanced diagnosis technologies and associating with various hospitals to drive awareness around early detection of breast cancer. We are motivating people to stay strong and hope this pandemic ends soon with the minimum possible harm. Q) What kind of communication have you been putting out? How have you made sure you stayed relevant? There is no denying that these are stressful times and COVID-19 impact has changed the face of many industries. With most of the consumers now at home practicing social distancing, the amount of time they spend online has radically increased. Social media platforms have now become the primary means of communication for brands, consumers and the government as well. At Fujifilm, we are following a similar approach and are using social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube to disseminate valuable messages to our consumers. Building on our customer experience, we recently virtually launched our flagship camera, the X-T4. We were the first ones to modify our product launch strategy in the camera industry keeping in mind our community first approach, especially during these times. As in the end, it is all about adapting your product offerings, marketing language, and availability according to the business environment. Q) As the leader of the organization, what has your priority been these past few weeks? How are you preparing to face the post-Covid world? There are certain traits of leadership which are timeless. You have to be trustworthy, transparent, and inspirational. These are a few traits applicable to all businesses and relevant for all times. But then there are nuances which have to change with the times. The days of command and control – the days of hierarchy - are long gone. We need to have flatter structures to bring speed and agility in the company. The other very important trait I believe that the industry should have now more than ever is resilience. In today’s fast-changing world and in the post COVID world, we will face difficulties and various hurdles. The question is not about failing. The question is how quickly we get up and start running. I tell my people, failure is not the opposite of success, so long as we learn from it, and so long as we don’t repeat it. So, resilience becomes very important just like speed and agility. In today’s world, where there is a trust deficit, it is very important for people in the company to relate to the purpose and values. At Fujifilm India, we are adapting our offerings to the current times while testing new content online to identify future sales and consumption patterns. In conclusion, a delightful experience will ensure customers stay hooked. We will remain consistent with who we are as a customer-first company. We are evaluating trends and data daily and constantly seek and listen to customer feedback to ensure we’re providing the experience and value they want and need. Q) Have there been any interesting consumer trends you observed during the lockdown period? The Covid-19 has led to a paradigm shift in the consumer behavior. While some of these changes are no doubt temporary, some will be permanent. As the community moves beyond the survival mode, the digital-adoption momentum is likely to carry forward and become permanent. This inflection point will be primarily shaped by two major shifts in customer behavior - the reluctance to mingle in crowded public places and higher propensity for digital adoption. Marketers across industries are trying to redesign their business models and the imaging solutions industry is no exception. Consumers are likely to opt for online shopping even after the outbreak ends, and this change will be seen in the imaging industry as well. With our major business focus in healthcare sector, the health, hygiene and safety measures of people have been our utmost priority in today’s COVID world.The demand for online health content has been growing steadily for years. A positive by-product of the global pandemic has resulted in greater awareness of healthcare and the steps we can all take to safeguard our families and ourselves. From handwashing to exercising and eating healthy at home to prioritizing mental health, consumers are more engaged in healthcare issues than ever. To get smarter on health issues and guide decisions, consumers are turning to healthcare providers first as COVID elevates our collective esteem for doctors and hospitals on the front lines. We have seen an upward trend in self-diagnosis measures, where consumers want to be more aware of the health issues they’re tackling. Q) As a brand, what is going to be your growth strategy going ahead? Fujifilm’s mission to ‘Never Stop transforming themselves and the World’, focuses on how the company is leveraging its advanced and unique technologies (AI, IOT, IT solutions ) to create value from innovation and contribute to solving real-world challenges.Our effort is on offering healthcare solutions through AI and IoT solutions in remote areas by supporting radiologists with their imaging workflow and providing quality healthcare services and solutions for Indian people. We have been constantly on a lookout on enhancing our consumer awareness, for which we are indulging in sharing DIY self-examinations tips and tricks for women, allowing one to diagnose themselves easily during these times when they can’t step out. Our medical division is further organizing various webinars for training doctors and health experts around Breast Imaging of FFDM, 3D Synapse, application training to technicians for better use of CRs and DRs, etc.We are also providing N95 respirators&amp; surgical facemasks along with PPE kits to healthcare professionals at PGIMER, Chandigarh to help combat the spread of the disease. With rising numbers of customers on the digital bandwagon, we are revisiting our approaches and making them more tech-savvy. Small but handy initiatives such as uploading the product manual online, price comparisons and detailing the features of our innovative technologies are few such strategies we are adopting. Social media platforms, websites and e-commerce have become the one stop shop for all our imaging technologies. Q) The advent of smartphones with good cameras has made everyone a good photographer now. How are you as a brand trying to stay relevant? The photography industry is changing dynamically with each passing year. New applications, mobile apps and printing technology are redefining the ways consumers experience images. The rise in consumption of smartphones with great quality cameras have made people think about the need and importance of owning a <keyword id="11137" type="TECHNOLOGY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital-Camera">digital camera</keyword>. In fact, the growing trend of capturing moments and sharing further on their social media handles has motivated individuals to click more pictures with cameras that deliver better image and color quality. Hence, leading to an increased adoption of digital and mirrorless cameras with interchangeable lenses. The smartphones are becoming a starting point for us in shifting the interest of individuals to professional photography. Lately, we have also been witnessing photography as a hobby among today's new age millennials. Our range of Digital and <keyword id="2437429" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="instant-camera">Instant camera</keyword> products are becoming a creative tool of communication and self-expression for them. Therefore, we at Fujifilm feel that smartphone photography has been a blessing in disguise that has created a culture of photography worldwide for us. Q) What have your key learnings from this lockdown experience been? The global pandemic of Covid-19 has left a dramatic effect on every aspect of our lives. The virus and state-imposed lockdowns have wrought changes that are not just short-term, but will change the world like never before. Being isolated from the world into our respective homes, we have learned various lessons during this lockdown period. At Fujifilm, we believe that we should take this as a chance to evolve, upgrade and be resilient to change. The key aspect to remember is that we are not the only ones fronting the problem and thereby we should “Never Stop” hoping for a better tomorrow. We have already stridden well with time and going forward we should keep pacing with determination and precautions. While we are embracing a never seen before and lasting impact of Covid-19, it is important for all of us to stay positive and strong for each other. Q) Do you think you will be able to get back on track in terms of business targets once the lockdown is called off? How does the rest of the year look? With the Covid-19, the first quarter of the financial year has been challenging for us. However, as a brand, we have tried to ensure that we are in touch with our customers regularly. Though the consumer’s mindset, attitude and behavior are always changing but the present epidemic may change them significantly and for a near future. We at Fujifilm are working towards newer strategies to navigate through these difficult times. Following the overarching theme of ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’, we will continue to keep innovating our ways and build for these altered consumer journeys in the coming time.

Marketing in the times of Covid-19: Fujifilm India

<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>In today’s interview, <keyword id="1418743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vivek-Chaturvedi">Vivek Chaturvedi</keyword>, Associate Director, <keyword id="427839" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="brand-marketing">Brand Marketing</keyword>, <keyword id="187387" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tupperware-India">Tupperware India</keyword> to understand how the last few months have been for the brand, and how things will change in the future. </li><li>He also tells us what Tupperware will stand for in a post-Covid world.</li></ul>The government’s call for a <keyword id="8955730" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-lockdown">national lockdown</keyword>, while probably helped a lot in curbing the rapid spread of the virus, hit shop owners and retailers across the country hard. However, with relaxations under Lockdown 4.0, shops are now opening up and there is hope that things will slowly fall in place. While things are still far from getting back to normal, shops and retailers are now opening up to an almost new world where they have to follow the government’s guidelines, following all necessary safety measures. Premium homeware brand Tupperware recently announced that it has reopened close to 40% of its outlets spread across 17 cities. The brand is now planning to focus on e-commerce to meet the demand from its consumers. Since social distancing might become an intrinsic part of this new world order, it is interesting to know how retailers will navigate this change. We recently caught up with Vivek Chaturvedi, Associate Director, Brand Marketing, Tupperware India to understand how the last few months have been for the brand, and how things will change in the future. He also tells us what Tupperware will stand for in a post-Covid world. Excerpts: Q) How have the past few weeks been for the brand? Since both retail and e-commerce have been shut down, how is the brand dealing with this new situation? The last few weeks were full of challenges as our entire production unit, warehouse and retail outlets, e-commerce deliveries were shut with <keyword id="603832" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Direct-Selling">direct selling</keyword> being the only medium that was operational but with limitations.With certain relaxations provided under Lockdown 4.0, we are looking forward to revitalizing business operations in line with relaxations. Now, we will be able to accept orders and deliver Tupperware products to our consumers via online retail and e-commerce platforms. We also plan to revive operation of few retail outlets keeping intact with government guidelines and safety measures. We are also training and equipping our DS Salesforce with technology enabled virtual solutions for enhancing consumer outreach, engagement, and drive sales. Q) As a marketer, what are your priorities during times of crisis like the one we are living today? Currently, our actions are ranging from rapid responses to more fundamental and strategic shift to match with constantly changing business and community landscape and positioning the organization to thrive in a new normal. Irrespective of where your brand was on consumer perception curve pre Covid, now it is likely to change and might also need a course correction keeping up with change in consumer behavior and habits at global level. As a marketer, in-the-moment marketing is important and brands should focus to re-kindle their faith in customers during these tough times making them feel heard, valued, and cared rather than spreading messages around just products and sales. Thus, we are looking for technology enabled virtual solutions for enhancing consumer engagement with compassion and outreach. We are optimistic for the opportunities in coming future and utilizing the down time to Reboot, Reinvent and Reignite through analysis of the way things are currently actioned and then doing them better in coming future. Q) Do you believe it is important to communicate with consumers in adverse times? Do you think the correct communication in times like these can help cement your place in the consumer's life? Interacting with the customers regularly in these unprecedented times is our utmost priority as a brand. An open communication with a long-term perspective is essential and we are glad that we are doing that effectively. When you help people during an emergency the emotion stays; you are likely to have a stronger connect in the future. Catering to the shift in consumer behavior, brands should not be pushing sales messages piggybacking a crisis. While social distancing will be the new norm, video platforms of YouTube, Facebook and Instagram are mediums to highlight the new ways people are looking to educate and entertain themselves as well as be socially connected.Thus, we are keeping pace with the new demands of the consumer. Our YouTube platform is constantly talking about Try at Home recipes as there is a huge set of audience who is looking online for quick, healthy &amp; immunity building recipes. Apart from SM handles, we are also sending direct communication from our MD’s Desk to our customer database. Q) How have you been communicating with your consumers in the past few weeks? How have you tweaked your marketing strategies to adapt to these changing, dynamic times? As we continue to face the Lockdown 4.0, it is extremely important to make the consumer believe that we are all in this ‘together’. As we stay together by being apart, communication via digital platform will certainly remain our best tool to link us all together. We are reaching out to our consumers via social media to talk about the things a person can do indoors. To keep consumers engaged and motivated this month, we are running a week-long contest on social media – ‘Bake with Love’ as Tupperware is celebrating its 24th Birthday this year. We are encouraging our consumers to wish us by baking an innovative cake and stand to win exciting gifts from us. This is also a shout out to newly debuted audience in the kitchen. Earlier, we also shared musical face off along with ‘Try this at Home’ series for quick recipes to build immunity and even to satisfy hunger pangs as well as easy-to-do exercises to keep us all in good shape. This is still being continued on YouTube Platform. It is important to encounter such situations with a positive outlook, be adaptive to new demands of the consumers, generate optimism and offer solutions to maximize consumer satisfaction and excel business objectives. Q) Is Digital taking the biggest share of your advertising pie? Post the strategic transformation that Tupperware India underwent last year, we have strived to be a Digital-first brand in our communication. In these trying times it’s vital to keep a finger on the pulse of the consumer. The worldwide lockdown has resulted in significant shifts in customer behavior, specifically in terms of digital media consumption. Keeping pace with new demands of the consumer during is our supreme focus. Social media will be the core around which all our messaging will be taken forward in the coming times. Post lockdown also people will continue to prioritize virtual over in-person engagements. We are also hosting Instagram Live sessions with influencers and health experts to provide authentic information to our audience to cope-up with the criticality of the pandemic. In addition to that we are making our DS Salesforce equipped and trained with tech enabled solutions for encouraging virtual meet ups to engage with customers and drive sales. Q) Thanks to this experience, consumer behavior might see a permanent change. How are you as a brand making sure that you are still a part of the consumer's life? A strategic digital shift has occurred as social distancing continues to be a practice. Business objectives and targets are being revamped to strategize, communicate, and act with compassion towards associated work force and communities. We are also focusing to innovate and revisit sales strategy – selling digitally versus in-person. Tupperware adopted a harmonious multi-channel strategy - a combination of physical stores and online marketplaces along with our own webstore - to increase its presence as well as tap the online shopping boom in India. As per our online strategy, the company has listed majority of product portfolio on leading e-commerce platforms. We are encouraging our direct sellers to embrace technology and host virtual meet-ups and gatherings to drive sales. We are supporting DS by highlighting products that provide solutions to numerous families, like how to keep food fresh for longer, how to preserve bulk buying, create quick and easy meals and great ideas for family time while everyone is home together. Also, challenges comes with a silver lining and the new consumer demands emanating from this changing scenario are in sync with the ethos and values of our brand as millions of people are spending More Time at Home. The newly debuted audience in the kitchen combined will introduce innovation in the Kitchen and homeware category.We are hopeful that this evolution will automatically lead to good business in the coming future. Q) What have your key learnings from this experience been? Has it made you better equipped, as a marketer, to deal with unforeseen events in the future, making you more agile? Primarily, this scenario has taught us that we must embrace creative, and timely approaches to communicate relevant brand value propositions. The way people are facing this challenge together at a global level makes this period an interesting case study. We can look at these learning from the situation as 3Ps of Pandemic Marketing- Panic, Purpose and Precision. Panic implies an authentic reaction which is life-saving, brands must respond authentically during crisis. Which takes us to the second aspect purpose that implies going back to your roots and communicating what you truly believe in. All authentic communication tends to be purpose-driven. Precision comes when the consumer’s purchase journey as well as her brand consumption journey primarily resides on the digital medium. So who do we talk to, when do we talk to them, and what do we convey to them, can all be planned with precision. As a marketer, the larger objective is to generate goodwill for the brand so that in long run users connect with the brand authentically.From business perspective, online and social selling is the most viable way to realistically reach the customers even post lockdown as people will be hesitant to step out of their homes like before. Q) In a post-COVID world, what would brand Tupperware want to stand for? I would reiterate that ensuring health, safety, well-being, and livelihood of the extended Tupperware India family and the communities in which we serve, has always been our utmost priority and we will continue to do so, going forward. Our larger objective is to increase brand value and goodwill so that in the long run consumers connect with us truly. Our brand line ‘More Time Living’ has been extended to communicate that it’s for you, your family and the planet. Everything that we do has to have a positive impact on the community and the eco-system around us. This is something we have stood for irrespective of the crisis and we will continue to remain true to this belief even in the post-Covid world.

Marketing in the times of Covid-19: Tupperware India

<ul><li><keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-narendra-modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword> is hopeful that the COVID-19 vaccine will be made available to the masses within the next few weeks. </li><li>He also revealed that the elderly, healthcare and frontline workers will be first to be immunised against the disease. </li><li>While India is a world leader in vaccine manufacturing, new models are being discussed to address the issue of cold storage capability and distribution, according to Modi. </li></ul>Prime Minister Narendra Modi is optimistic that India will be able to start rolling out its COVID-19 vaccine within the next few weeks. And once available, the elderly, healthcare and frontline workers will be the first to be immunised against the virus. "Nearly eight vaccines are on different stages of trial with their manufacturing assured in India. Three vaccines from India are at different stages of development. Experts think that the vaccine isn't too far away," he said during an all-party meeting with leaders to discuss the COVID-19 situation and vaccine development in the country on December 4. And, when it comes to issues of cold storage, Modi assured party leaders that new models are in the works — including a new software management tool called COVIN (<keyword id="8852380" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="covid-19-vaccine">Covid 19 Vaccine</keyword> Intelligence Network). It will show the current stock of the COVID-19 vaccine available and where it is stored in real-time. “India has the vaccine distribution expertise and capacity as well. We are much better placed as compared to other countries around the world,” said Modi explaining how India’s network will be leveraged to get the COVID-19 vaccine to the masses. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/rbi-governor-shaktikanta-das-believes-that-inflation-is-likely-to-remain-elevated-in-the-winter-months/articleshow/79559454.cms">RBI sees 7.5% GDP contraction for FY21 but expects inflation to remain elevated till March</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/sbis-mobile-banking-app-is-down-for-the-third-time-in-last-30-days/articleshow/79548953.cms">SBI’s mobile banking app is down for the third time in 30 days — digital services take a hit for the 25th time this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/ultratech-cements-5477-crore-expansion-plan-is-a-sign-that-birla-is-betting-on-a-faster-economic-recovery/articleshow/79549626.cms">UltraTech Cement's ₹5,477 crore expansion plan is a sign that Birla is betting on a faster economic recovery</a>

PM Modi hopeful that COVID-19 vaccine will be available in next few weeks — elderly, and frontline healthcare workers will be the first in line

<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>Mansoor Ali, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, <keyword id="5870384" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hamdard-India">Hamdard India</keyword> tells us which sub-brands are delivering right now, its increasing focus on e-commerce </li></ul>Hamdard India, that is home to 500 employees and home-grown products like <keyword id="1705724" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Roohafza">RoohAfza</keyword>, Safi, <keyword id="539809" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="chyawanprash">Chyawanprash</keyword>, Sualin, to name a few, has been around for 113 years. It is using its old mantras and new-age marketing to sustain in today’s unusual environment. It is also one of the few companies that hasn’t resorted to salary cuts or lay offs yet. In fact, for Hamdard India, Ramzan is a peak period for its RoohAfza. Due to increasing focus on health, the immunity booster Chyawanprash has also seen an increase in demand. We caught up with Mansoor Ali, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, Hamdard India to find out the brand’s marketing strategy and how it is distributing its products amid a nationwide lockdown. Excerpts: Q. Can you give us a perspective on how Hamdard is operating right now? Which sub-brands are you delivering and how? We have been able to get our manufacturing and supply chain aligned to the market demand. Since it is the beverage season, we are producing and supplying RoohAfza and other essential items to the market with considerable efficiency. Q. How many employees work with Hamdard India? What kind of measures have you taken to keep them safe? We have over 500 employees working at Hamdard Laboratories India. All the employees, including sales teams have been on WFH mode from the time the lockdown was announced. Advisories on safety for employees and their families have been sent out constantly. A COVID insurance policy has also been taken to support employees in the event that anything unfortunate happens. Q. How are you dealing with the economic slowdown, what does this quarter for you look like? Hamdard flourished even after demonetization and GST. However, when so many companies have resorted to laying off employees or salary right now, how do you see your brand taking the brunt? This quarter started off slow due to the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown. But slowly we have managed to assimilate resources and establish our product value chain from manufacturing to supply. Although it is not up-to expectations as per our quarter objectives, we have been able to sustain a sizable part of it. Hamdard, as the name suggests symbolises compassion for everyone. We have not resorted to any layoffs or salary cuts as of now. Q. Considering how people are becoming more health-conscious, have you seen an increase in demand for Chyawanprash? Yes, Chyawanprash as a category has grown across brands and markets. Q. What does your larger marketing strategy look like right now? Our marketing strategy, for the short term is in adaptive mode, wherein consumer behaviour during lockdown, and changed media consumption habits are important drivers in deciding campaigns and inputs to market. Media mixes have been tweaked, and digital/ social media marketing has taken a much larger chunk of our marketing spends. Influencer marketing and user generated content is driving engagement and brand salience in consumers. Q. TV viewership and digital engagement continue to increase, where are you betting your money? As explained in the previous question on our marketing strategies that is where we are spending. In addition to on TV campaigns, we have aligned our media mix to focus more on genres like news, movies etc which have taken the centre stage amidst this lockdown. Q. How have you seen consumer behavior change in the past month? Consumers have been induced into a new normal. The initial focus was on filling up on essentials, driven by the panic of not having enough at home. Once that was achieved, consumer emotion has shifted from structured, everyday routine to indulging in family oriented themes, back to natural concepts, and a unique sense of self awareness in terms of health and mental well-being. Consumers have focussed their energies on enhanced interactions on the digital space, with OTT platforms and online media taking prime share. Work as a concept has taken on new meaning, with WFH being as effective (if not more) in many sectors. This will have an overarching impact on people’s priorities in making choices on lifestyle and consumption. Q. How do you think retail will function once we resume normalcy? Will you continue betting more money on e-comm even then? Structured retail (modern trade) will take a hit for some more time. A lot of first time users have interacted with, and seen the benefits of e-commerce, and that will continue to grow. Covid-19 has in many terms been an inflection point for Indian consumers to adopt digital media, e-com and cashless transactions. Our focus on e-com will continue to grow. Q. As a brand who is a 'companion in pain' and specializes in health and wellness, do you plan on launching new health care products such as sanitizers, fruit wash or hand wash with a 'Hamdard' touch? We will continue to invest in categories that are close to our core.

Marketing in the times of COVID-19: Hamdard India

<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>With retail outlets under a complete shutdown and e-commerce only delivering essentials, electronic brands are facing a roadblock too.</li><li><keyword id="8116150" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shivam-Ranjan">Shivam Ranjan</keyword>, Head of Marketing, <keyword id="246350" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Motorola-India">Motorola India</keyword> however, shares his optimist with us and tells us all they have been doing during the lockdown to ensure the relevant messaging goes out to its customers.</li></ul>As we enter another week of India’s lockdown, the world as we had known it seems to have changed completely. People have been indoors in India for close to 1.5 months now. It has had a huge impact on our economy, and on the way we conduct business. While it is still too early to predict what the post-Covid world will look like, there are constant conversations around the best ways and strategies organizations can employ to effectively navigate these unprecedented times and the uncertain future. While there have been many industries that have seen a complete shutdown, there are many that are optimistic about the future and are confident that they will bounce back once things start coming back to normal. We recently caught up with Shivam Ranjan, Head of Marketing, Motorola India who shared his optimism about the post-Covid world and also spoke about how meaningful and relevant messaging through digital media and CRM has helped the brand stay connected with its target audience during the lockdown. Edited excerpts: Q) Considering all retail outlets are shut and e-commerce is only delivering essentials, how challenging have the last few weeks been for you as a brand? These are unprecedented times and are challenging times for all brands and businesses alike. However, as a technology brand, we are still relevant as enablers of connectivity and are optimistic that consumer demand will bounce back in the long run for mobiles and technology products. Q) What has your <keyword id="489452" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketing-strategy">marketing strategy</keyword> been during the lockdown weeks? Have you changed your media mix, investing more on platforms like Digital since a few other mediums like OOH/Print have been suffering due to the lockdown? Our strategy is to stay genuine, relevant yet engaging during the lockdown. We have been doing this successfully by sharing information, technology tips and engaging on topics that are useful and entertaining. In terms of media, Digital and TV have clearly gained during the lockdown whereas Cinema, Radio, OOH and print are virtually non-existent. However, in the recent past, we have been a digital-heavy brand and hence for us, the media mix does not change significantly. Q) How have you been ensuring you stay connected with your target audience? Meaningful and relevant messaging through digital media and CRM has helped us stay connected with our target audience. Q) What have your key learnings from this experience been? Change is the biggest constant in this dynamic and unpredictable situation. It is extremely important for brands to be agile and responsive to the changing consumer behaviour and dynamic external factors. ROI will become more important than ever for marketers across brands and consumer behaviour as well as media consumption patterns will continue to evolve till external factors stabilize. I feel it is too early to give any concrete learnings at this stage since the situation is still evolving. Q) Do you foresee the future of retail seeing a sea change in the post-Covid world? Are you as a brand, ready to adapt to that change? In the post COVID-19 world, every business and industry will have to adapt, including retail. It will be important for retail to incorporate processes and norms that promote social distancing and hygiene thus evoking trust in consumers. As a brand, we are absolutely committed to the channel and will support them in every way to ensure a sustainable and mutually beneficial outcome. Q) Marketing during times like these could be tricky as a lot of times brands can be blamed of being opportunistic. How have you made sure that your marketing communications have stayed relevant and not come across as insensitive? Consumer sentiments are heightened as we deal with this unprecedented situation. In these times, it is extremely important for the marketing communication to be sensitive, meaningful and relevant. At the same time, communication from brands cannot be product-agnostic. It is important to find the right balance between them. Business continuity is important, not just for the brand, but also for consumers and overall economy to recover. We have simply tried to do a healthy mix of both promotional as well as helpful and relevant messaging to ensure that we come across as genuine yet responsible and empathetic.

Marketing in the times of Covid-19: Motorola India

<ul><li>Even as India grapples with the second wave of COVID-19, the government’s advisor has warned about the possibility of a third wave. </li><li>According to him, a third wave is inevitable, going by the higher levels of coronavirus circulating in the country. </li><li>He also said that while vaccines are effective currently, they will need to be updated to deal with new strains.</li></ul>A third wave of the COVID-19 pandemic is inevitable given the higher levels of coronavirus circulating in the country, said Indian government’s principal scientific advisor K VijayRaghavan. "A phase three is inevitable, given the higher levels of circulating virus but it is not clear on what time scale this phase three will occur. We should prepare for new waves," K VijayRaghavan said during the press conference. “Scientists of India and all over the world are working to anticipate these kinds of variants and act against them rapidly by early warning and developing modified tools. It's an intense research program, happening in India and abroad,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1389899026405814273">added</a>. India has already lost over 2.25 lakh people to COVID-19 infections, a lot more in the second wave that has peaked in the last month and a half. The peak of coronavirus infections in the first wave, in September 2020 was 6.3 million. Compared to that, the total infections currently have crossed 20 million. What made the second wave worse was the lack of planning given the poor state of health infrastructure in the country where there is only one hospital bed for 2,000 people, <a href="http://hdr.undp.org/en/2020-report">according</a> to the United Nations Human Development Report 2020. A lot of the deaths have been blamed on the poor preparation from genome sequencing to ensuring adequate supply of hospital beds and oxygen, as well as sourcing of vaccines. The government of India has come under severe criticism for downplaying the threat of the second wave and allowing (even participating) public gatherings and election rallies, including those held by the Prime Minister. The government also said, “Long Covid-19 wave of such ferocity we are seeing was not predicted.” However, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/news/scientists-warned-the-central-government-about-new-covid-19-variants-and-surge-in-cases-says-scientist-community/articleshow/82381531.cms">reports</a> suggest that the government had ignored warnings from scientists about the second wave, weeks before there was an explosion in new cases. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/private-ambulances-in-gurgaon-are-on-strike-amid-the-surging-cases-of-covid-19/articleshow/82404211.cms">COVID-19 patients are the ones paying the price amid the tussle over rates between the government and ambulance operators in Gurgaon</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/oxygen-crisis-in-delhi-india-supreme-court-stays-contempt-proceeding-against-centre-but-asks-for-solutions/articleshow/82404049.cms">Oxygen crisis in Delhi: India’s top court stays contempt proceeding against Centre, but asks for solutions</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/banks-respond-positively-to-indian-central-banks-covid-stimulus-package-check-out-the-list-of-top-gainers/articleshow/82400850.cms">Banks respond positively to Indian central bank’s COVID stimulus package – check out the list of top gainers</a>

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