Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Given the current COVID-19 and the misery caused by <keyword id="8409001" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="cyclone-amphan">cyclone Amphan</keyword> resulting shortage of essentials and commute restrictions, there is a dire need to reach out to those stranded and left without basic necessities. The pandemic and the natural disasters have impacted many including migrant and daily wage workers without any means to earn a livelihood and provide for their family. In line with the government and local administration efforts during these tough times, OYO organised a <keyword id="3801770" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="food-drive">food drive</keyword> initiative, 'Feed For Good' across six cities in India to distribute over 1,000 meals per day for a duration of 5 days, starting June 1. The drive was held in Delhi, Noida, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata and Hyderabad. It has also partnered with Jagorani, <keyword id="7728918" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="live-to-give">Live to Give</keyword> &amp; The <keyword id="9360114" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-foundation">United Foundation</keyword> who will help ensure that hygienically-prepared &amp; packaged, nutritious meals reach the ones in need. Jagorani Foundation in association with OYO is conducting the drive in the Sundarbans at the Super-cyclone Amphan Relief Camp. The United Foundation is distributing meals to daily wage workers and Shramik passengers transiting from Bengaluru via Shramik special trains that began operations from May 1 for transportation of stranded migrant labourers. Live to Give will be serving disadvantaged, domestic and daily wage working women, widows and their families. Speaking about the 'Feed for Good' initiative, Ankit Gupta, Chief Operating Officer &amp; SVP - Frontier Businesses, OYO India and South Asia said, "These are trying times for all of us around the world. But it is also a time for us to step forward and help those in need. As the coronavirus continues to impact livelihoods, several sections of society have been left without basic necessities. We hope that the food drive helps and supports those in need. At OYO we strive to stand together with the community and do our bit as a responsible corporate citizen. We stand by our motto that we are #InThisTogether." Commenting on the initiative, Marzy Parakh, Founder, Live to Give said, "We would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to OYO for supporting our cause and to the Women's Development Corporation Of Maharashtra which serves 1.6 million disadvantaged families in Maharashtra. Through them, we were able to identify and serve a verified list of thousands of disadvantaged, domestic and daily wage working women, widows and their families." Earlier the hospitality brand also initiated 'Donate A Night', a crowdfunding campaign across its platforms where one can voluntarily contribute to donate one night's accommodation for migrants, daily wagers, medical first respondents, policemen and other emergency services personnel. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/with-233-fresh-cases-bihars-covid-19-tally-rises-to-4831/articleshow/76238545.cms">Bihar registers 233 new coronavirus cases with its overall tally rising to 4.831</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/noida-21-new-covid-19-cases-tally-591/articleshow/76238339.cms">Noida’s total coronavirus cases hit 591 with 21 new cases detected in the past 24 hours</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/342-new-coronavirus-cases-in-pune-district-six-deaths/articleshow/76239001.cms">Six more people die of coronavirus in Pune with 342 fresh cases</a>

OYO partnered with local NGOs to lead food drive for those affected by Cyclone Amphan

<ul><li>Often Valentine’s Day is associated with the young, and love is marketed and celebrated as a young person’s thing. </li><li>We have developed an ageist perspective towards love, believing that one loses the ability to express and celebrate love as one grows older. </li><li>Breaking these stereotypes, OYO’s Valentine’s Day campaign stood out in the clutter of puppy love this year. </li><li>We caught up with Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand - OYO Hotels &amp; Homes to understand what encouraged the brand to feature a mid-age couple, the process of its casting, and discussed why Indian brands have been neglecting people in their mid-age while celebrating love. </li></ul>Imagine a cafe and a young couple on a date. You see a bunch of roses in the background, chocolate heart-shaped boxes on the table and the guy proposes. You don’t need to try too hard because that’s basically the template Indian advertisements have been following for their Valentine’s Day ads for years. We are seeing more representation of LGBTQ couples, intercaste marriages, live-in couples, young women taking charge but rarely do we see women in their late 40s or older, falling in love all over again or sharing a romantic moment with their partner in public. Often Valentine’s Day is associated with young people, and the idea of love is marketed and celebrated as something that’s mushy, young and sweet. We don’t often get to see mid-age couples on dates or in any romantic settings. Even in mainstream cinema and pop-culture, it is only now that we have movies like Once Again and Badhaai Ho with mid-age actors as their protagonist and ads like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/advertising/brands/article/colgates-endearing-campaign-encourages-people-to-stop-worrying-about-whatll-people-think-and-just-follow-their-hearts/articleshow/77782264.cms">Colgate's</a> Remarriage. These movies and ads have nudged us to reconsider our attitude towards love. However, an old couple still in love or mid-age people falling in love is still treated as a different conversation - just as talking about LGBTQ+ is only remembered during pride month, it doesn't fit into the larger umbrella of love yet. With this, we have developed an ageist and limited perspective towards love, believing that one loses the ability to express and celebrate love as one grows older. So, we were pleasantly surprised when we saw a young hospitality brand, OYO, take a different route this Valentine’s. Its Valentine’s Day campaign is about a mid-age couple who is loyal to OYO and has a rather mature idea of love. Featuring a brilliant cast comprising <keyword id="1813" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="neena-gupta">Neena Gupta</keyword> and <keyword id="21050" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swanand-Kirkire">Swanand Kirkire</keyword>, the campaign celebrates the spark that keeps long-term relationships alive. Titled ‘Long-term relationship with OYO,’ it is a 4-film digital campaign. In the first film, the protagonists engage in playful bickering. Kirkire asks Gupta why she sticks to choosing the same hotel and room every time they travel. Gupta replies with another question ‘I am not bored, are you?’ subtly hinting at their long-lasting relationship. It is those adorable glances at the end between Gupta and Kirkire that stole our hearts and the sound of a playful tune of ‘Yeh Rishta Hai Thoda Khiska’ acts as a cherry on top. <div type="twitter" handle="oyorooms" handlename="OYO" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1336945719781945344/WyBChLdY_normal.jpg" favoritecount="25" retweetcount="5" status="Relationships are in a long term relationship with #OYO. Just like these two cuties.#YeRishtaHaiKhiska… https://t.co/xWLBtbH6qT" createdat="1612536531000" id="1357702732744806400"></div> The campaign is supported with social media posts and emailers. Each post brings in a pragmatic perspective and reminds the audience that love is not all mush, it is a little complicated. For example, OYO dropped a truth bomb on Teddy Bear Day saying that women don’t play with teddy bears anymore. The copy read, “Dear adarsh balak, sasta ho ya mehenga, she stopped playing with teddy bears when she was 10. This is un-bear-able. Love, Neena.” <div type="twitter" handle="oyorooms" handlename="OYO" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1336945719781945344/WyBChLdY_normal.jpg" favoritecount="11" retweetcount="0" status="Agli baar emoji se bhi kaam chal jayega 🧸🐻 Teddy was my chuddy buddy, buddy. #TeddyDay #YeRishtaHaiKhiska… https://t.co/UWOFyqMxGt" createdat="1612935766000" id="1359377248172732416"></div> Another realistic comment was on Chocolate Day, advising people to avoid cliches and not give heart-shaped Chocolate boxes to your loved ones because it is less chocolates, more air and lacks utility purpose. <div type="twitter" handle="oyorooms" handlename="OYO" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1336945719781945344/WyBChLdY_normal.jpg" favoritecount="24" retweetcount="1" status="Avoid cliches, swaad anusar 🍫@Neenagupta001 #ChocolateDay #YeRishtaHaiKhiska #Valentinesweek https://t.co/jTD19oGZ22" createdat="1612847985000" id="1359009068547903489"></div> On a day when brands neglect mid-age people, OYO has broken many stereotypes but it did not intend to make a statement by onboarding a mid-age protagonist, it all happened organically. Moreover, Gupta and Kirkire were the brand's first choice. Mayur Hola, Head of Global Brand - OYO Hotels &amp; Homes said, “The best movies, the ones that leave a lasting impression on you, come from stories and faces that are lined with age and character. That's really where great cinema emerges from. Advertising sometimes tends to feature bright shiny objects. I'm not just talking about human beings, even food. So the food you see in ads, you don't necessarily see in real life. We have sculpted bodies, perfect faces, etc. OYO might feature young faces from time to time as well, but we just felt these stories were better told by a couple who are ageless. Time has no relevance to the stories we are telling. It could be anyone, anywhere. We know that we are talking to such a varied audience as ours. We know that the lead protagonist needs to have a certain amount of chutzpah as well as stature. So yeah, we decided let's go get an actor not lower in age because sure, puppy love is awesome but I think we have a winner here in Neena.” While we still continue to fight with a global pandemic, OYO aims to remind you with this campaign that some familiarity is comforting and gain its consumers' trust. After conducting a consumer research and chatting with a few of them one-on-one, OYO found that that in eight out of 10 cases, women drive the conversation and take the final decision around travel. It also highlighted consumers who visit OYO once, they tend to go back to the same hotel. And this insight fueled the idea and gave birth to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/hashtag/yerishtahaikhiska">#YeRishtaHaiKhiska</a>. The first ad currently boasts 2,322,307 views. Telling how the brand stumbled upon this idea of celebrating long-lasting relationships, Hola said, “The starting point of any campaign for us is inclusivity. We’re a mass brand that is adopted by so many diverse sets of people; SMEs / corporate travellers, leisure travellers, couples, among others. This is an inclusive campaign that speaks to all, rather than an old vs young one. Secondly, over time our core customers see a very high repeat rate. To the same location and the same property. Our guests are literally in a long term relationship with OYO. Additionally when we spoke 1:1, woman to woman with a lot of our women guests we came across the fact that women were the key decision-makers when it came to booking a getaway, holiday, or vacation. So join the dots and the campaign comes together. Inclusion, relationships, consideration amongst women in particular.” Both, the concept of the campaign and script of the films were written by OYO’s in-house global brand team, with support from Oink Films on production. Hola said the brand aims to woo female audiences with its Valentine’s campaign. “We’re expecting greater consideration overall. And in general, likeability because this is just such a charming campaign. I think we don't necessarily need to feature your audience in your communication for them to like it. So in terms of interests and mindset, couples will relate with it, no matter what age group they are. I do think one of the intentions is to have greater likeability and affiliation with a female group. And I feel sure we’ll see that happen,” shared Hola. OYO will roll out a unified view across 45+ OTTs and apps programmatically. This includes platforms such as Inshorts, Sharechat, OTT platforms (Hotstar, MX Player, Sony Liv, Voot), music streaming apps (Gaana, Spotify, JioSaavn,) and dating apps (Tinder, Bumble, OkCupid). It will further amplify the films through an influencer campaign based on the theme #RishtaThodaKhiskaHai via a mix of celebrity and lifestyle influencers such as Smriti Khanna, Meeth Miri, Natasha Singh, and Siddhi MahaJankati, among others. As a brand that caters to a large audience, OYO is also making a conscious effort to be more inclusive in their advertising and marketing campaigns. On whether we will see more sections and communities of our societies in OYO’s campaign, Hola said, “Absolutely, We’re a brand that is adopted by the world’s middle class. And we will look to do work that appeals to a large mass.”

OYO’s Valentine’s Day campaign with Neena Gupta and Swanand Kirkire stands out in the clutter of mushy, young love

<ul><li><keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">OYO</keyword>'s <keyword id="1670338" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ritesh-Agarwal">Ritesh Agarwal</keyword> writes for Business Insider and answers the most important question – Will India travel again?</li><li>Businesses will need to prepare today for tomorrow’s travellers, and innovate to meet the new standards of good quality travel and hospitality experience, he says.</li><li>Here’s what will dominate the ‘new way of travelling’ in India in the post-COVID world. </li></ul>Will India travel again? The answer is a resounding yes! However, the one question we do not have an answer to is when, as it is hard to predict when this pandemic will subside and it will be safe for people to travel once again. But what’s most fascinating for me is the fundamental shifts we will see in consumer behaviour related to travel once the pandemic subsides. Businesses will need to prepare today for tomorrow’s travellers, and innovate to meet the new standards of good quality travel and hospitality experience. Here’s what will dominate the ‘new way of travelling’ in India in the post-COVID world. Goa over Thailand, Coonoor over Scotland In the short-term, there could be some sluggishness in demand as people postpone any non-essential travel or focus on saving money. In the post-COVID-19 phase, industries will have to comply with distancing norms to reduce risks. In such a world, the aviation industry, for instance, will have to offer limited seats on flights, consequently leading to an increase in airfares. As international travel will be slightly expensive, domestic travel will be a net gainer as wanderlust bites us in the post-COVID world. As the pandemic subsides, tourism hotspots of the country are likely to see an unfamiliar group of tourists show up – the ones who have been spending their summers across European destinations and winters in AZ/NZ. This is almost inevitable – driven by restrictions or fear of international travel as well as the unpredictability of needs to self-quarantine when back. We will see packed Mall Roads as well as the resurgence of newer forms of domestic tourism including eco-stays, rural tourism, and nature tourism. This will offer a unique opportunity for the sector, aided by the government, to use this force of domestic demand to make travel and tourism thrive in India in the post-COVID world. God's Own Country must expand beyond Kerala to cover large parts of our beautiful nation. Road trips galore The famous Indian act of fitting “carriers” on top of their cars is likely to see a bump as mechanics open up shops. As travel by any mode of public transport is likely to get more challenging, more families and friends are likely to pack their bags and hit the roads – in parts also encouraged by the smoother highways. Destinations that are within driving distance of major urban centres are likely to see a boost. However, people are likely to drive shorter distances and initially maybe within state borders as they will seek the assurance of being able to head home if there is a spike in COVID cases in local areas. Not only established destinations but hidden gems near cities will no longer be hidden from the seekers who long to escape urban life. Teekli village near Gurgoan may be the new Alibag. For hospitality players to recover from the financial impact of the pandemic, it’s important to identify these geographies early on and increase readiness to welcome guests, while ensuring their health and safety. Staycations, the preferred vacations During the lockdown, people have discovered all kinds of passions – many are experiencing the pressure of cooking, doing yoga, learning hydroponic farming and so much more - and are already looking for a change. A safe getaway, or an escape from home even if it is for a couple of days. We are here referring to staycations, where people check into a hotel in the same city often for short durations. As people begin travelling again and looking for safe spaces to stay, there will be a growing preference for staycations where travellers would prefer independent boutique hotels with limited capacity or even private vacation homes where they can plan get-togethers with friends and family. The idea is to enjoy a vacation but at the same time ensure safety and hygiene. Finding your purpose and spiritual calling Pilgrimages have been an inextricable part of Indian life – right from the ancient days to the present modern age. The allure of a Tirupati or Ajmer Sharif endures and the faithful will visit in even bigger numbers as more people turn to faith in tough times. It will not be wrong to say that the earliest bounce back in tourism could be led by pilgrimages, as restrictions ease up and there is no fear of community spread. Human touch to zero-touch, the new normal For an industry where high touch [the firm handshake, the tikka on arrival, the butler service] was seen as a luxury, this will be a whole new world to navigate. Travellers will want the ease of travel but at the same time, would prefer not to come in touch with people as social distancing becomes a way of life. Check-in robots? Vending machine for packed food? Robots for cleaning? This is a time for hotel chains to think forward and innovate “tap” and “go” models across the length and breadth of daily operations. We foresee many more shifts in the way hotels are run. For instance, at OYO, we are in the process of implementing a minimal-touch policy for check-ins, check-outs and room service. As an industry, our biggest priority at the moment is to ensure we collectively navigate the crisis, restore our economy back into shape, and take care of livelihoods. It’s also time to hit pause, reset and rethink ways to welcome travellers once they are willing to travel by planes, stay at hotels and socialise again. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/microsoft-ceo-satya-nadella-on-cloud-nine-with-lockdown-experience/articleshow/75833830.cms">Microsoft's lockdown experience puts Satya Nadella on ‘cloud’ nine</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/from-spicejet-to-oyo-to-mahindra-all-want-msme-tag-for-partners/articleshow/75821961.cms">Here’s why India's biggest hotel chain operator, a large car maker and airline would like to lose 'elite' tag</a>

Ritesh Agarwal imagines robots at OYO hotels while wondering when India will travel again

While India’s internet penetration might have grown over the years, the speed of internet is still considerably slow in the country. According to a recent <a href="https://www.thequint.com/tech-and-auto/tech-news/india-mobile-internet-speeds-april-slow-global-rank-ookla">report</a> by Ookla, the company behind Speedtest, India’s broadband speed rank continued to be 68 globally, whereas the mobile internet speed rank was at 121th position. Given the low internet speed, Indian internet users are often left complaining about poor performance of some of their daily use apps – be it to call a cab or order food. This had also led to companies like <keyword id="1042120" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uber">Uber</keyword>, <keyword id="6354720" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola">Ola</keyword>, <keyword id="2808667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="OYO">Oyo</keyword> bringing about a lighter version of their apps to help users use minimal data and storage space. Here, we are listing the top 7 must have <keyword id="6816945" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="lite-apps">Lite apps</keyword> for your smartphone featuring a minimalist app design using less RAM, storage and battery. These apps will make sure you achieve a more seamless, data conserving experience and rescue you if you are ever stuck in a tight spot! Uber Lite One of the world’s biggest ride-hailing giants built a lite version of its app specifically for India. The lite version allows the user to book a ride even from low network areas and doesn’t take up an enormous amount of space on the phone. The Uber Lite which was built in India is less than 5 MB. However, maps in Uber Lite are an optional feature. Ola Lite Stuck in a place with a low network and not sure how to book your cab back home? Ola’s lightweight app that consumes less than 1 MB will save the day. No matter where you are or which network zone you are in, this app is a must-have on your smartphone to book a cab and get going! OYO Lite All of us have made an impromptu travel plan at some point in our life either to the hills where there is no connectivity or a business trip to a crowded city with a phone that is dying because of the work calls. OYO Lite will help you find your perfect accommodation even in such circumstances. OYO Lite is fast and responsive, uses less data, takes up storage space of less than 800 KB! So, no matter where you plan to go, OYO Lite will help you book a place at the tap of a button even in the remotest locations. <keyword id="685487" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Spotify">Spotify</keyword> Lite Global music streaming app Spotify which had made its debut in India in February has immediately recognised the need for a lite version of its app in the country. Spotify has launched a lite beta version of its app for low-end Android smartphone users. It’s smaller in size (11MB) and lets users use the app seamlessly. <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword> Lite In a social frenzy place where we love updating our interests and passion all the time, Instagram lite is one of the must-have apps on your phone. Instagram lite lets you browse through the posts on your timeline and even post Stories. It’s a massive cut down right from 32 MB to a mere 500 KB. So, there’s no stopping you from updating friends of the amazing time you are having even on top a hill! <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="YouTube">Youtube</keyword> Go Whether you are driving home from your office or binging on some music videos you would want to enjoy this seamlessly in any case. With a basic user interface, Youtube Go is super fast and light and offers some of the better features of the stock app—like the option to save videos for offline viewing. Rest assured you won’t have to worry about data consumption or the fear of your phone getting heated up. <keyword id="101252" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kindle">Kindle</keyword> Lite This is for all the bookworms and the wordsmiths who practically eat sleep repeat Kindle! In the times when you forget to carry a Kindle with you, Kindle lite will ensure you don’t miss your next chapter. It’s essentially a packaged version of the Kindle mobile app, which has undergone updates giving you the best reading experience even on slow networks and with patchy connectivity. What’s more, you can choose from over five million books from the Kindle Store, from global best sellers to niche titles by Indian authors- the app has got you covered.

Top 7 lite apps that take care of essentials even if your internet speed is too slow

New Delhi, <keyword id="436047" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ecommerce">Ecommerce</keyword> giant <keyword id="18635" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> has announced to discontinue its Pantry (originally known as Prime Pantry) service, as it strengthens its grocery delivery both <keyword id="22508" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="online">online</keyword> and offline. <keyword id="6509248" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="amazon-pantry">Amazon Pantry</keyword> orders charged customers a flat $5.99 <keyword id="10568628" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="shipping-fee">shipping fee</keyword> per box of groceries. The box could be filled with up to 45 pounds of <keyword id="19705" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Products">products</keyword> or up to four cubic feet of everyday stuff, like laundry detergent, toilet paper or snacks. The company has now merged Pantry service with its main website, reports The Verge. Amazon Pantry was launched in 2014. The aim was to make it easier to stock up on everyday products that would otherwise be bulky or expensive to ship. In 2018, Prime Pantry changed its subscription service where extra $4.99 a month on Prime membership gave users unlimited free shipping on any orders over $40 from the Prime Pantry service. Before that, Prime Pantry required a per-order flat fee of $5.99 even for Prime members. Amazon now owns <keyword id="321410" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Whole-Foods">Whole Foods</keyword>, an entire chain of grocery stores, and has started to roll out its own Amazon Fresh-branded stores. The Amazon Fresh store will continue to offer online shopping services in addition to in-person shopping. Amazon said it will offer free same-day delivery for Prime members, and there are also in-store pickup options for online orders. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-delivers-yet-another-strong-quarter-with-16-growth-in-profit-as-covid-drives-tech-spending/articleshow/80173561.cms">TCS delivers yet another strong quarter with 16% growth in profit as COVID drives tech spending</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/dmart-the-nearly-two-trillion-dollar-indian-retailer-may-post-strong-earnings-watch-out-for-the-progress-on-e-commerce/articleshow/80172629.cms">DMart, the nearly two trillion dollar Indian retailer, may post strong earnings ⁠— watch out for the progress on e-commerce</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/oyo-bags-a-7-4-million-cheque-as-pandemic-forces-ritesh-agarwal-to-reimagine-the-business/articleshow/80170847.cms">OYO bags a $7.4 million cheque as pandemic forces Ritesh Agarwal to reimagine the business</a>

Amazon discontinues Prime Pantry as it focuses on grocery delivery

<ul><li>Inflation was lowest in <keyword id="30033" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bihar" source="Orion">Bihar</keyword> at 4.7% and the highest in <keyword id="68884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="telangana" source="Orion">Telangana</keyword> at 10%.</li><li>Indicating supply chain problems, prices rose the most in peripheral states such as J&amp;K and Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep and Sikkim.</li><li>While the prices of food in general rose by 7.7%, the game changer was the sharp rise in vegetable prices.</li></ul>India’s retail inflation rose by 7% the same as last month, but not all Indians are feeling the heat of it equally. According to Madan Sabnavis, chief economist of Bank of Baroda who believes that inflation is still a cause for worry, also says that – only half of the Indian states had inflation above 7%. The others have a different story to tell. “The lowest was in Bihar at 4.7% and the highest in Telangana at 10%. Such noise is noteworthy as it shows how prices range – driven by food products mainly and general cost of living,” he said in a statement. Indicating supply chain problems, prices rose the most in peripheral states such as J&amp;K and Ladakh, Arunachal Pradesh, Lakshadweep and Sikkim. This diverse inflation effect can also be explained by the food basket prices. While the prices of food in general rose by 7.7%, the game changer was vegetables – the prices of which grew by 17.4% as compared to last year. Vegetable oils too remained pricey and the prices of eggs and fish too increased on a monthly basis too — the latter being locally sourced and subjected to greater variations across states. June’s vegetable prices also rose from May, when they were already high – going up by over 4%. The prices of poultry too were high as they rose by over 5% from last month, thanks to an increase in fodder prices and other costs. Tomato prices correct and July food prices could ease On a national level though, fruit prices reduced marginally as the mango season ended and even pulses too reduced marginally on a monthly basis, while cereals rose marginally. These prices will remain sensitive to seasonal behaviour in the near-term, says Nomura. “Cumulatively, food ex-vegetable prices have risen by 5.4% in 2022 thus far, higher than historical levels, and only somewhat shy of the levels seen in 2020, when food prices spiked owing to the first wave of pandemic restrictions,” said a report by Nomura on inflation, named ‘Stable headline inflation, sticky core’. However, they all show signs of cooling down in July even though typically, monsoon months see a sharp month-on-month surge in vegetable prices. “However, in the first 11 days of July, vegetable prices were tracking -0.8% m-o-m, driven by a sharp correction in tomato prices. The prices of sugar, milk, tea, pulses, and vegetable oils have also fallen thus far in July, with the government directing trade bodies to reduce retail edible oil prices in wake of the fall in global prices,” said a report by Nomura. Along with food, prices of all other miscellaneous categories -- clothing, footwear, education, housing, health products also remained high. Inflation of fuel and light too remained very high at 10.4%. “The miscellaneous category also witnessed high inflation of 6.3% with household goods, transport and recreation being 7% plus. This is typically the category of goods and services which drives non-discretionary consumption which will be under pressure if inflation persists,” said Sabnavis. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/oyo-rolls-out-a-discount-for-mumbais-stranded-commuters-as-the-city-stays-on-orange-alert-till-july-14/articleshow/92827833.cms">OYO rolls out a discount for Mumbai’s stranded commuters as the city stays on orange alert till July 14</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/mba-chai-wala-is-now-looking-to-hire-500-people-for-100-new-stores/articleshow/92828283.cms">From a small thela to 100 stores — MBA Chai Wala is now looking to hire 500 people for 100 more</a>

Bihar has the lowest inflation rate and Telangana the highest — here’s why

<ul><li>The Series A round was led by Alpha Wave Incubation (AWI), with participation from Omnivore and Kalaari Capital.</li><li><keyword id="11894809" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="agnext" source="Orion">AgNext</keyword> solves the quality analysis problem in the agriculture segment using its proprietary technology products.</li><li>The company counts ITC, Godrej and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India as its customers.</li></ul><keyword id="11901415" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="agritech-startup" source="Orion">Agritech startup</keyword> AgNext, which provides artificial intelligence (AI) solutions for enabling agricultural trade, has raised $21 million to expand into international markets like the Middle East, Europe and South Asia. It will also set up a new office in Abu Dhabi for deeper reach into the targeted markets. The Series A round was led by Alpha Wave Incubation (AWI), with participation from existing investors Omnivore and Kalaari Capital. This round was a mix of primary and secondary components. AgNext’s early backer a-IDEA NAARM exited the company with five times returns on their investment post this round. Founded in 2016 by Taranjeet Singh Bhamra, AgNext solves the quality analysis problem in the agriculture segment using its proprietary technology products. The company claims that it can provide rapid food quality assessment through its full-stack platform powered by AI, machine learning and internet of things (IoT). A part of this funding would also be used to scale up AgNext’s full stack platform for AI-enabled trade to ensure transparency in global food value chains. The company claims that a lack of quality assessment solutions lead to approximately $90 million losses in agricultural trade globally. AgNext further explained that the current quality analysis processes are manual, costly and time-consuming with a lower accuracy rate of up to 60%. Problems like these result in lower profit margins for farmers and higher prices for consumers, the company added. AgNext has collected over 2 million food samples in the last four years, which has enabled it to create a massive AI dataset. The company counts ITC, Godrej and National Agricultural Cooperative Marketing Federation of India (NAFED) as its customers. “In the era of Agriculture 4.0, the demand for better market linkages and secure food trade is driving deeper penetration of technology in agricultural ecosystems. As first movers in the agricultural deep-tech space, we have established market leadership in India through our novel AI-based technologies that assure quality-based food trade across value chains,” Bhamra said. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/credit-card-payments-company-cred-launches-peer-to-peer-lending-option-for-its-7-5-million-users/articleshow/85477419.cms">Credit card payments company CRED launches peer-to-peer lending option for its 7.5 million users</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/oyo-is-looking-to-hire-over-300-engineers-in-the-next-6-months-to-clear-path-to-profitability/articleshow/85456655.cms">OYO is looking to hire over 300 engineers in the next 6 months to clear ‘path to profitability’</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/bharatpe-raises-200-million-in-debt-funding/articleshow/85454232.cms">BharatPe raises $200 million in debt to build a loan book of $1 billion by March 2020</a>

Agritech startup AgNext raises $21 million to expand into Middle East, Europe and Asia

Washington, US employers slashed 140,000 <keyword id="11018" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jobs">jobs</keyword> in December 2020, the first monthly decline in <keyword id="6355127" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="employment">employment</keyword> since April 2020, as recent Covid-19 spikes have stalled the recovery of the <keyword id="6357125" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Labour-Market">labour market</keyword>, an official report said. "The decline in payroll employment reflects the recent increase in coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and efforts to contain the pandemic," the Labour Department's Bureau of Labour Statistics (BLS) said in its monthly employment report. The BLS report noted that employment in leisure and hospitality declined by 498,000, with three-quarters of the decrease in food services and drinking places, by 372,000. Since February 2020, employment in leisure and hospitality has been down by 3.9 million, or 23.2%. Employment in private education, meanwhile, decreased by 63,000 in December, the report showed, noting that employment in the industry has fallen by 450,000 since February. Government employment also declined by 45,000 in the month. Since February 2020, government employment overall has been cut by 1.3 million. In December, job losses in leisure and hospitality and in private education were partially offset by gains in professional and business services, retail trade, and construction, according to the Bureau's report. The report also showed that growth in total non-farm payroll employment for October was revised up by 44,000 to 654,000, and the gain for November was revised up by 91,000 to 336,000. Amid widespread Covid-19 shutdowns in March and April last year, 22 million Americans lost their jobs. The latest data showed that the number of <keyword id="6368046" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="unemployed">unemployed</keyword> in December remained unchanged at 10.7 million, which is about 5 million higher than pre-pandemic level in February 2020. The unemployment rate, which has been trending down over the past seven months, remained unchanged at 6.7% in December, the report showed, indicating the disruption to the labour market recovery. The unemployment rate in December was down by 8 <keyword id="1648970" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="percentage-points">percentage points</keyword> from its recent high in April 2020 but is 3.2 percentage points higher than its pre-pandemic level in February, the Bureau noted. Weekly initial jobless claims have been largely declining in the past few months, but the trend was recently reversed in the weeks ending November 14 and November 21, 2020, and then in the weeks ending December 5 and December 12, 2020. The Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) registered 57.2% in December, 1.3 percentage point higher than the November reading, according to the latest Services ISM Report on Business. The employment index, however, fell by 3.3 percentage points to 48.2%, marking the first contraction after three consecutive months of growth. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-delivers-yet-another-strong-quarter-with-16-growth-in-profit-as-covid-drives-tech-spending/articleshow/80173561.cms">TCS delivers yet another strong quarter with 16% growth in profit as COVID drives tech spending</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/dmart-the-nearly-two-trillion-dollar-indian-retailer-may-post-strong-earnings-watch-out-for-the-progress-on-e-commerce/articleshow/80172629.cms">DMart, the nearly two trillion dollar Indian retailer, may post strong earnings ⁠— watch out for the progress on e-commerce</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/oyo-bags-a-7-4-million-cheque-as-pandemic-forces-ritesh-agarwal-to-reimagine-the-business/articleshow/80170847.cms">OYO bags a $7.4 million cheque as pandemic forces Ritesh Agarwal to reimagine the business</a>

140,000 jobs lost in US in December 2020

<ul><li>Chairman and CEO of the <keyword id="59348" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Blackstone-Group">Blackstone Group</keyword> Stephen Schwarzman is one of the world’s largest alternative investment firms.</li><li><keyword id="357983" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Masayoshi-Son">Masayoshi Son</keyword>, the founder and CEO of Japanese investment giant <keyword id="163404" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Softbank">Softbank</keyword>, has groomed some of the world’s biggest startups from Alibaba to Uber.</li><li>They first met in a restaurant in Davos in 2001.</li></ul>Stephen Schwarzman is the Chairman and CEO of the Blackstone Group, one of the world’s largest alternative investment firms and Masayoshi Son, the founder and CEO of Japanese investment giant Softbank, has groomed some of the world’s biggest startups from Alibaba to Uber. But even while staying away from publicly-listed companies and looking for outsized returns in relatively less-explored spaces, both Schwarzman and Son could be described as different as chalk and cheese. This was clear from their first meeting itself. “The first time I met him (Masayoshi Son) it was in Davos (Switzerland) in 2001 in a restaurant where the food was not great. I said “tell me about yourself.” He said I was the richest man last year, and this year I have lost 99%,” Schwarzman revealed at the ET Global Business Summit in New Delhi on March 6. Schwarzman was quite taken aback by the volatility in Son’s career and at the same time his calm demeanour in the face of such extreme swings in fortune. But the private equity giant explained why he thinks Son is a genius. “Amazon never made any profits for about 20 years it kept growing but never made money. It kept driving other people out of business. Today, Jeff is the richest man and an unstoppable force,” Schwarzman said. “There were a lot of such startups. They call them unicorns because they don’t make any money. I came from a more traditional background where if you dont make money something bad happened to you,” he added. Masayoshi Son entered this risky space where <keyword id="1164861" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Steve-Schwarzman">Steve Schwarzman</keyword> won’t venture into. “Banks will never give them money. Masa saw an opportunity; If he can be the only guy who can finance these companies and it was a stroke of genius,” Schwarzman said, adding that this was as big as Michael Milken who started the junk bond market in the 1970s that changed the world of finance forever. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/masayoshi-son-reportedly-called-oyos-ritesh-agarwal-as-the-little-brother-of-the-infamous-adam-neumann-who-wrecked-wework/articleshow/74242392.cms">Masayoshi Son reportedly called OYO's Ritesh Agarwal as "the little brother" of the infamous Adam Neumann who wrecked WeWork</a>

Chalk and cheese: When Steve Schwarzman first met Masayoshi Son

<ul><li>The average aggregate demand in China was back to 81% of the pre-pandemic normal as of April 24. </li><li>The demand for consumer staples in China is back to the levels seen before COVID-19 brokeout. </li><li>The relative lag is in consumer discretionary, which, on average, is about 64% of the normal level at the end of April.</li></ul>Global investment bank Goldman Sachs said that most of the reforms announced by the Indian government will have an impact in the medium term while the short term may see a "deeper recession". The country's real GDP growth may fall 5% in the current financial year ending March 2020, the report added. The COVID-19 outbreak happened earlier in China and therefore, it has reduced and the economy is reopening earlier than other parts of the world. Therefore, the recovery trends in China could be a good cue for countries, especially emerging markets like India, to estimate what the post-COVID economic trends might be. China’s equity research team of Goldman Sachs put together a tracker that tracks consumer and industrial demand across China, as the official stats come with a few days lag. The tracker revealed steady growth in China’s economy. “if we really look at the most recently updated, the average aggregate demand, the level average to about 81% as of April 24. So that’s our last, the data points updated and this is a versus the bottom in February, which is only around 50%. Back in January we were at about 90%. So the pace of the recovery was quite rapid from February to March in the first month of activity resumption,” said Trina Chen, Co-head at Goldman Sachs China’s equity research. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75785648" title="Indian firms can now directly list in foreign markets – there are a few more big changes to Companies Act" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Consumer staples and construction are recovering the fastest. “Consumer staples are food-related demand, essentially demand that has little disruptions and recovered very quickly after the disruption in February in China. Construction was quite depressed back in February, but because of government policy push, so, it’s now back to the pre-virus level, even a little bit higher than the pre-virus level,” Chen said. <div type="Youtube" id="07Hfxy17REU" title="The Daily Check-In: Tracking China’s Economic Recovery" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/07Hfxy17REU/mqdefault.jpg"></div> This will be good news for the likes of consumer products makers like Hindustan Unilever (HUL) and Marico as well as retailers like D-Mart and Reliance Retail to name a few. For Sanjiv Mehta, CEO of Hindustan Unilever, who had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/hul-ceo-had-hoped-for-a-v-shaped-economic-recovery-from-covid-19-crisis-but-investors-fear-a-lot-worse/articleshow/75547375.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">expected a V-shaped recovery in April</a>, this data from Goldman Sachs will be vindication. <table style="width: 156pt;"> </colgroup> <tbody><tr> <td class="xl63" style="height:15.0pt;width:87pt">Stock</td> <td class="xl63" style="border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; width: 69pt;">Last 3 months</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl63" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Emami</td> <td class="xl64" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-30.77%</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl63" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Godrej Consumer</td> <td class="xl64" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-13.19%</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl63" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Dabur</td> <td class="xl64" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-12.29%</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl63" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">HUL</td> <td class="xl64" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-9.89%</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl63" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Marico</td> <td class="xl64" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">4.73%</td> </tr></tbody></table> The relative lag is in consumer discretionary, which, on average, is about 64% of the normal level at the end of April, according to Goldman Sachs. That indicates a relatively slow recovery for car makers like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/maruti-suzuki-share-price-as-q4-profit-falls-28/articleshow/75715791.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Maruti, Tata Motors and M&amp;M</a> who have been struggling with declining sales for over a year now. <table style="width: 138pt;"> </colgroup> <tbody><tr> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt;width:69pt">Stock</td> <td class="xl65" style="border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; width: 69pt;">Last 3 months</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Tata Motors</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-50.12%</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">M&amp;M</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-27.09%</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Maruti Suzuki</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-26.23%</td> </tr></tbody></table> However, China hasn’t fully recovered to pre-COVID levels, as some of the businesses aren’t still fully functional like airlines and theatres. Air travel and tourism business continue to remain weak. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75785709" title="India will reduce the number of central government companies⁠— some of them will get bigger and some will be sold to private players" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Even in India, hospitality majors <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/oyo-mahindra-holidays-emirates-and-boeing-agree-people-wont-fly-for-a-while/articleshow/75731204.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">OYO and Mahindra Holidays have changed their post-COVID strategy</a> on the premise that people are not going to be flying abroad anytime soon. Both companies believe that people will prefer to travel to places that are within driving distances, and not those where they will have to take a flight to, even after the lockdown is lifted. <table style="width: 166pt;"> </colgroup> <tbody><tr> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt;width:97pt">Stock</td> <td class="xl65" style="border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; width: 69pt;">Last 3 months</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">SpiceJet</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-48.85%</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Interglobe Aviation</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-31.62%</td> </tr></tbody></table> The box office and casino businesses are down due to people avoiding public gatherings. “So these are kind of the differences within the customer discretionary. But, having said that overall we still see a couple of percent improvement, each week sequentially on is probably the most important sector,” said Chen. <table style="width: 154pt;"> </colgroup> <tbody><tr> <td class="xl65" style="height:15.0pt;width:77pt">Stock</td> <td class="xl65" style="border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none; width: 77pt;">Last 3 months</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Inox</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-59.19%</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">PVR</td> <td class="xl66" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-58.90%</td> </tr> <tr> <td class="xl65" style="height: 15pt; border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none;">Delta Corp</td> <td class="xl67" style="border-top-width: initial; border-top-style: none; border-left-width: initial; border-left-style: none;">-22.20%</td> </tr></tbody></table> Over the past weeks, India has started to relax the lockdown norms, but epidemiologists and public <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/india-will-see-multiple-waves-of-covid-19-infections-every-few-months-but-thats-not-a-reason-to-panic/articleshow/75707889.cms">health experts warn that it could result in another outbreak.</a> SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/indigo-spicejet-adani-gmr-gvk-share-price-may-gain-after-civil-aviation-reforms/articleshow/75775888.cms">Indigo and Spicejet get shorter routes, cheaper fuel bills while Adani, GMR, and GVK get more airport projects to bid for</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/hindalco-jspl-coal-india-companies-that-will-benefit-from-nirmala-sitharamans-reforms/articleshow/75775443.cms">Hindalco, JSPL, Adani, Coal India, and many more stocks that can benefit from India’s sweeping reforms in coal and mineral sector</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/lt-and-godrej-join-like-boeing-and-lockheed-martin-ula-after-biggest-space-reform/articleshow/75778037.cms">"Now, L&amp;T and Godrej can join hands like Boeing and Lockheed Martin’s ULA," says Gateway House scholar cheering India’s 'biggest space reform'</a>

You Searched For "OYO food drive" and got 10 results

OYO partnered with local NGOs to lead food drive for those affected by Cyclone Amphan

IANS

OYO’s Valentine’s Day campaign with Neena Gupta and Swanand Kirkire stands out in the clutter of mushy, young love

Karuna Sharma

Ritesh Agarwal imagines robots at OYO hotels while wondering when India will travel again

Ritesh Agarwal

Top 7 lite apps that take care of essentials even if your internet speed is too slow

BI India Bureau

Amazon discontinues Prime Pantry as it focuses on grocery delivery

IANS

Bihar has the lowest inflation rate and Telangana the highest — here’s why

Bhakti Makwana

Agritech startup AgNext raises $21 million to expand into Middle East, Europe and Asia

Kritti Bhalla

140,000 jobs lost in US in December 2020

IANS

Chalk and cheese: When Steve Schwarzman first met Masayoshi Son

Sriram Iyer

Goldman Sachs’s China recovery data can spark hope for HUL and D-Mart, and make Maruti, Tata Motors and IndiGo more anxious

Sriram

Navdeep

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides