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<ul><li>The pandemic has led to squeezing of marketing budgets, and CMOs have to deliver more bang under their (limited) bucks.</li><li>However, <keyword id="3313977" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="B2B-marketing">B2B marketing</keyword> seems to have fared much better vis-à-vis, <keyword id="3395310" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="B2C-marketing">B2C marketing</keyword>, observes <keyword id="3860513" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Shyam-Rao">Shyam Rao</keyword>, AVP - Senior Practice Engagement Manager, <keyword id="6079860" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Infosys-BPM">Infosys BPM</keyword>. He explores the factors that have helped B2B marketing during the pandemic and writes about some significant B2B Marketing trends.</li></ul>Marketing spends typically tend to focus on building brands and less on generating revenues. With the pandemic and the <keyword id="1622347" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Normal">New Normal</keyword> squeezing marketing budgets, spends have come under duress, with CMOs now having to deliver more bang for their (limited) bucks. However, B2B marketing seems to have fared much better vis-à-vis its richer and famous cousin, B2C marketing. The reasons are quite clear – B2B marketing is more focused on 1:1 or 1: few spends that are aligned to generate revenues and conversions rather than relying primarily on impressions and reach. While there has been an overall slowing down in the growth rate of marketing spends to about 10% in 2020, as compared with the highs of 24% in 2018, <keyword id="50691" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital">digital</keyword> spending in B2B marketing is still at a healthy $9.03 billion. So where are B2B brands investing their marketing spends? A study by B2B media house Aggregage reveals an interesting picture of spending trends in B2B marketing. It states that 88% of B2B brands today have shifted the majority of their marketing spends onto digital media. With almost 70% of live, in-person events being cancelled, conferences and summits have also adopted online channels, such as webinars and virtually simulated auditoriums. Google validated the point in its own report, stating that over 45% of B2B brands invested in digital for the first time in 2020, the year of the pandemic. The statistics make it amply clear that the dollar spends are being ploughed into online marketing channels at a much faster pace now, than pre-pandemic. This throws up an interesting question. Which digital marketing channels are drawing the majority of marketing dollars? A LinkedIn-Edelman study lists 4 main channels that B2B brands are investing in: <ul><li>Content marketing and syndication (59%)</li><li>Thought leadership and domain-based research sponsorship on digital media (55%)</li><li>Virtual events (52%)</li><li>Executive communications and 1:1 connect (44%)</li></ul>The reasons for this shift are quite self-evident. With the pandemic reducing marketing budgets and opportunities to interact in-person for a prolonged period, leaning back on digital capabilities was the logical way forward. Events are not just going online but are becoming increasingly innovative to make up for the lack of personal connect that an in-person event could facilitate seamlessly. The 5 key imperatives for B2B brands to make the most of the New Normal: Double down on digital spending– Allocate budgets across multiple channels, while considering the needs of New Normal. Prioritise digital channels that your customers are more likely to engage with,vis-à-visa blanket investment across all digital channels. Focus on revenue generation or Return on Marketing Investment (RoMI) – Unlike B2C, B2B brands need to have clear targets for conversions and revenues generated directly from B2B marketing spends on particular accounts or channels of branding. EnsuringKPIs based on revenue/sales targets will drive optimum budget allocation,rather than basing the evaluation on impressions or reach in pay-per-click programs. Online events with expanded features – Digital events are now increasingly sophisticated, with dedicated event management platforms providing a host of features to emulate a live, in-person event. These features can be leveraged to build customisedevents virtually, enabling better client engagement. Social media–While social media has traditionally been the domain of B2C, specialized channels, such as <keyword id="28120" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Linkedin">LinkedIn</keyword>, are now increasingly gaining prominence in account-based marketing (ABM). Investing in improving social media presence through content-based marketing and social listening can drive up positive social sentiment for a brand by notches. Account-Based Marketing (ABM)– They say, the key to a good ABM campaign is to prioritize accounts. This point cannot be emphasised enough, but it is equally crucial to prioritize right. A good starting point would be to prioritize based on revenue potential, or conversions in an account. An ABM prioritization based on account yield will, in turn, help in meeting RoMI targets. Another important, but easily overlooked issue to address in ABM is data protection. Ensure that data sources are well protected and GDPR compliant. At a time when privacy has become increasingly paramount, delivering on data protection will be key to drive client confidence, and thus the success of campaigns. B2B marketing is in the throes of a new frontier. How a brand adapts its marketing strategy to these tectonic shifts will determine its buoyancy. But undoubtedly, marketing has evolved during the COVID-19 crisis to support revenue generation of organizations across industries, from the worst hit by the pandemic, like manufacturing and infrastructure services, to the ones that stand to gain, such as software, services, and e-commerce. While there is an opportunity to increase revenues for these sectors with intelligent spending on B2B marketing, it will be wise to develop a focused strategy to optimize the Return on Marketing Investment.

B2B Marketing: Translating spends to revenues on a click

The <keyword id="6354977" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court" source="Orion">Supreme Court</keyword> on Thursday set aside a Punjab and <keyword id="41646" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="haryana" source="Orion">Haryana</keyword> High Court order granting an interim stay on a Haryana law providing 75 per cent <keyword id="13194078" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Quota-In-Private-Sector-Jobs" source="Orion">quota in private sector jobs</keyword> for residents of the state. A bench of justices <keyword id="4368791" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="L-Nageswara-Rao" source="Orion">L Nageswara Rao</keyword> and <keyword id="13194079" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Pamidighantam-Sri-Narasimha" source="Orion">Pamidighantam Sri Narasimha</keyword> also directed the Haryana government not to take coercive action against employers. "We do not intend to deal with merits of matter as we propose to request the high court to decide expeditiously and not later than four weeks. Parties are directed not to seek adjournment and be present before court for fixing the schedule for hearing. "In the meanwhile, Haryana is directed not to take coercive action against employers. The impugned order passed by the high court is set aside as the high court has not given sufficient reasons for staying the legislation," the bench said. At the outset, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta, appearing for the Haryana government, informed the bench that similar laws have been passed in four states Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Maharashtra and Haryana. The bench then asked Mehta what his instructions were as it had earlier sought to know whether parties concerned are agreeable that cases pertaining to quota in the private sector on the basis of domicile be considered together. "Do you want us to transfer all the pending cases back here? Should we decide or decide on the stay and send the matter back to the high court," the bench asked. The solicitor general suggested that the top court should examine the issue and meanwhile the Punjab and Haryana High Court order should be stayed. He said the law only applies to those who get a salary less than Rs 30,000 and it is not for high-paid jobs. He further submitted that the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020 was a means to regulate migrants from settling in other states. Mehta referred to several judgements in which it has been held that there is presumption of legality of statute and it not stayed unless prima facie illegal. "We are only concerned with employment as we have migrant labour of over four crore in this country. We are first concerned with livelihood," the bench said. Senior advocate Dushyant Dave, appearing for the Faridabad Industries Association, submitted this has far-reaching consequences in the economic sector and the core issue is whether the government can impose reservation in the private sector on the basis of domicile. Dave said there has been application of mind in staying of the legislation and the high court was prima facie satisfied that the legislation is unconstitutional for which it was stayed. He said over 48,000 companies registered in Haryana would be put to suffering as they cannot employ anybody from outside the state from the date of commencement of the Act. "This is private sector reservation which has no basis in the Constitution... Is this the way the legislature can act? If this law is applicable for even a day, then there will be daily prosecutions. The law provides serious penalties. There are nine lakh companies," Dave said, adding that even associations can raise the issue of the public. The bench intervened, and said, "We are not on merits. What we are on is how the high court immediately delivered an interim order." Representing the Manesar Employees Association, senior advocate Shyam Divan said it will have a destructive effect on ongoing businesses. "It will have a profound impact on business...The division bench (of the high court) considered it correctly. Let this be treated as an interim order. Do not vacate this order...Assuming there is no stay to be granted, they ought not to take any coercive steps," Divan said. The order came on an appeal filed by the Haryana government challenging the Punjab and Haryana High Court order granting an interim stay on its law providing 75 per cent quota in private sector jobs for residents of the state. The high court on February 3 had granted an interim stay on the Haryana government law on pleas filed by various industry associations from Faridabad and other bodies in the state including in Gurugram. The high court admitted multiple petitions against the implementation of the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Act, 2020, the counsel of one of the petitioners had said. The Act provides 75 per cent reservation in the private sector to job seekers from the state and came into force from January 15 after being notified in November last year. It applies to jobs offering a maximum gross monthly salary or wages of Rs 30,000. The Act is applicable to employers of private sector companies, societies, trusts, limited liability partnership firms, partnership firms, and any person who employs 10 or more persons on salary, wages, or other remuneration for manufacturing, carrying on business, or rendering any service in Haryana. In March 2021, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya had given his assent to the Haryana State Employment of Local Candidates Bill, 2020. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/indian-air-force-is-hiring-80-apprentices-checkout-eligibility-last-date-stipend-and-other-details/articleshow/89637807.cms">Indian Air Force is hiring 80 apprentices — Checkout eligibility, last date, stipend and other details</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/oneplus-nord-ce-2-5g-oneplus-tv-y1s-y1s-edge-to-launch-in-india-today-heres-how-to-catch-the-livestream/articleshow/89636431.cms">OnePlus Nord CE 2 5G, OnePlus TV Y1S &amp; Y1S Edge to launch in India today – here’s how to catch the livestream</a>

Haryana can enforce quota for locals in private jobs while Supreme Court hears the appeals against it

Mumbai, Filmmaker Prashanth Neel says movies like his "<keyword id="6400922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kgf" source="Orion">KGF</keyword>" franchise that organically travel across the country do well, a phenomenon he hopes is repeated with his latest directorial "<keyword id="10367331" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="salaar" source="Orion">Salaar</keyword>: Part 1 - Ceasefire". Neel and Yash, the lead star of "KGF" series, rose to national prominence after the success of "KGF: Chapter 1", the 2018 Kannada period action film. Its 2022 follow-up, "KGF: Chapter 2" also starred Bollywood actors Raveena Tandon and Sanjay Dutt in key roles. The director, who made his debut with 2014's "Ugramm", said he never plans his films as pan-India projects. "I've written a story and I've executed it. I don't know if it ('Salaar') is going to be a pan-India movie or not. But if it becomes a pan-India movie, then that's an absolute bonus for all of us. Like, 'KGF' happened very organically. "Movies that happen organically always do well. You can't plan to make a pan-India movie, you can't plan and say that I'm going to bring these actors from this industry to make it a pan-India movie. It doesn't work like that," Neel told PTI in an interview here. "Salaar" revolves around two friends Deva and Vardha, played by <keyword id="104063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="prabhas" source="Orion">Prabhas</keyword> and <keyword id="572189" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="prithviraj-sukumaran" source="Orion">Prithviraj Sukumaran</keyword>, who end up becoming arch rivals. It will be released on Friday. The 43-year-old director said the journey of the film started over 15 years ago. "It was an idea that was in my head. But it needed a very big budget. So, I made my first film 'Ugramm', then I made 'KGF'. I was occupied with 'KGF' for almost eight years. During COVID-19, I narrated this subject ('Salaar') to Prabhas sir and he agreed to do it," he recalled. The USP of "Salaar" is an emotion between two friends and how this emotion translates to violence forms the core of the story, Neel said. According to the director, equal importance should be given to the story and the characters in big-budget films. "We make a movie to tell a story and we want the right characters, right actors to portray every role. There's a commercial aspect with a star and we get bigger budgets to do what we want. But the criteria is the same that this is the character, it is not the hero who is playing the hero because if we think like that then we have lost the battle," he added. With "Salaar", Neel said his aim was for Prabhas ("Baahubali") to shed his superstar persona. "There was never a pressure to make 'Salaar'. The idea is to make sure that the actor looks like a character. You don't want to show Prabhas as Prabhas, you want to show him as a character and I tried our best to do something like that," he said. While the director acknowledged that Prabhas has had a difficult run at the box office with his recent releases "Adipurush" and "Radhe Shyam", he said a star can always bounce back after a hit film. "Prabhas is a big star. After 'Baahubali', he became the biggest star. People are not going to forget something like that. Stars have always been stars; they can have one flop or 20 flops, they just need to give one hit. Recently, <keyword id="1671" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shah-rukh-khan" source="Orion">Shah Rukh Khan</keyword> showed us that a star is always a star, there's no denying that," Neel added. A box office showdown is expected between "Salaar" and Rajkumar Hirani's "Dunki". The latter, starring Shah Rukh Khan, will hit the screens a day before "Salaar" on Thursday. About the release, Neel said he doesn't meddle in the business aspect of a movie. "I don't get involved in the logistics of what happens after the movie is ready. My brief is I've to make a movie on a given budget and I've to give it to them at a time that they want to release," he said. The filmmaker said he has utmost respect for Hirani and Shah Rukh. "I loved whatever they put out (referring to assets of 'Dunki'). People always want to see the most human thing in any trailer or teaser, so we try to do that. Even in the larger-than-life movies we try to do that." Produced by Hombale Films, "Salaar" also stars Shruti Haasan, Eshwari Rao, Jagapathi Babu and Sriya Reddy.

Stars are always stars, says Salaar director on Prabhas' recent box office run

<ul><li>For organisations on the <keyword id="860946" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-transformation" source="Orion">digital transformation</keyword> journey, agility is key in responding to a rapidly changing technology and <keyword id="7890618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="business-landscape" source="Orion">business landscape</keyword>. </li><li>As more and more players adopt the online <keyword id="125920" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="marketplace" source="Orion">marketplace</keyword> business model; it becomes extremely important to track key performance metrics to ensure competitiveness. </li><li>These metrics cover usage, transaction and business performance and provide insights that are crucial to build a robust business model.</li></ul>Running an online marketplace is about more than launching it to your first customers and hoping for the best. It is important to monitor the business and regularly assess performance to ensure long-term profitability and growth. We'll examine the most crucial key performance indicators (KPIs) for online marketplaces in more detail to determine the performance of your business. These KPIs can be divided into three distinct subsections, each focusing on specific areas of the business. These are valuable metrics that indicate the number of visitors to the site and what they do there, transaction metrics that ensure that the marketplace mechanics are functioning correctly, and business metrics that provide insights into the financial viability of the business model. Let’s explore these areas in detail and understand how each e-commerce performance metric affects future business decisions. Usage metrics: The traditional ones Usage metrics are not unique to e-commerce marketplaces. These metrics are the traditional metrics that all websites track to monitor their growth. <ul><li>Monthly active users (MAU): Tracking the number of unique visitors to your website each month is a good indicator of your platform’s growth. The number of monthly active users will steadily increase if your site consistently attracts new users. On the other hand, a stagnant or declining number of MAU is a clear sign of trouble.</li><li>Bounce rate: A large number of visitors to your site is meaningless if these visitors don’t engage with the site and leave or bounce immediately. The percentage of visitors who visit your website only to depart is known as bounce rate. Businesses need to maintain the bounce rate as low as possible by ensuring that the website is attractive and engaging.</li><li>Time spent on site: Users who spend time exploring your site are good for your business, as people who spend more time browsing are more likely to buy something. However, customers who spend too much time on a marketplace website can mean they can't locate what they're looking for. This metric is a good indicator of how user-friendly your site is. </li></ul>Transaction metrics: The new realm We’re now entering the realm of e-commerce marketplace–specific metrics. e-commerce sites are designed to facilitate transactions between buyers and suppliers, but merely focusing on the number of transactions doesn’t provide actionable insights that can be directed at ensuring sustainable, long-term growth for the marketplace business model. That’s why we need to look at these relevant KPIs. <ul><li>Liquidity: This metric has two sides — supplier or provider liquidity and the buyer or customer liquidity. Buyer liquidity is the likelihood that a website visit will result in a transaction, and supplier liquidity is the likelihood of selling a product that has been placed for sale. Liquidity is measured in percentage, so supplier liquidity is the percentage of listings that lead to sales. And buyer liquidity is the percentage of website visits that end in transactions. Liquidity is a useful measure of a market's success since it shows the likelihood that users on the supply and demand sides of the market will succeed in their endeavours. </li><li>Supplier-to-customer ratio: Also called the buyer-to-seller ratio, this metric is defined as the number of customers one supplier can serve. The ideal ratio differs across marketplace sectors and provides insights into whether you need to grow your supplier or customer base. </li><li>Repeat purchase ratio: This transactional marketplace metric indicates the percentage of transactions that are repeat purchases from individuals who have already bought products or services from your site. A high repeat purchase ratio indicates that you can afford to direct more resources towards customer acquisitions since each new customer is more likely to make multiple purchases. </li></ul>Business metrics: The futuristic ones Business metrics provide insights into profitability, revenue, and customer acquisition. These KPIs reflect a marketplace’s overall financial health and are useful to assess whether or not the business model is functioning as it should. <ul><li>Gross merchandise volume (GMV): GMV is calculated by the total cost of goods or services sold over a period of time through an online marketplace. GMV is one of the most critical variables to monitor in order to gauge your platform's progress. </li><li>Customer acquisition cost (CAC): CAC is how much you spend to acquire each new customer. In an ideal world, your customer base would grow organically, and your CAC would be negligible. In the real world, this is not the case. Resources directed towards marketing activities and paid ad campaigns contribute towards your CAC. </li><li>Customer lifetime value (CLV): As a measure of the expected revenue, you may expect from each customer, CLV should be larger than CAC for a viable firm. CLV depends primarily on how long a customer is retained, the number of purchases they are expected to make, and the average size of each transaction.</li></ul>For organisations on the digital transformation journey, agility is key in responding to a rapidly changing technology and business landscape. Now more than ever, it is crucial to deliver and exceed organisational expectations with a robust digital mindset backed by innovation. Enabling businesses to sense, learn, respond, and evolve like living organisms will be imperative for business excellence. A comprehensive yet modular suite of services is doing precisely that. Equipping organisations with intuitive decision-making automatically at scale, actionable insights based on real-time solutions, anytime/anywhere experience, and in-depth data visibility across functions leading to hyper-productivity, <a href="https://www.infosysbpm.com/live-enterprise.html">Live Enterprise</a> is building connected organisations that are innovating collaboratively for the future. Disclaimer: This article is authored by Shyam Rao, AVP - Senior Practice Engagement Manager, Infosys BPM. The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Business Insider India

Are you effectively assessing the impact of marketplace management services?

The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked Department of Telecommunication (DoT) not to invoke bank guarantee given by Bharti <keyword id="15491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airtel" source="Orion">Airtel</keyword> for a period of three weeks for not clearing Videocon Telecommunications Ltd's adjusted gross revenue (AGR) dues of over Rs 1,300 crore. A bench headed by Justices L. Nageswara Rao and comprising Justices S. Abdul Nazeer and M. R. Shah declined to entertain Airtel's plea challenging the DoT demand, but it allowed the telecom firm to approach the appropriate forum against the government decision. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing Bharti Airtel, argued that his client received a communication on August 17, saying the firm must make payment and if it fails to do so, then there is a possibility of invoking various bank guarantees. He contended that Rs 18,000 crore dues have already been paid by the telecom company, according to the top court's order and there is another figure, which is attributed to Videocon Telecommunications. He added that there is a particular spectrum traded by Videocon to Airtel and citing the spectrum trading guidelines, he added the seller shall clear all dues prior to concluding any agreement for spectrum trading. "The liability is of Videocon... full liability of the seller," submitted Divan. Divan argued that by adding the dues of Videocon to the demand made from Airtel, the DoT has violated the apex court's order that AGR dues cannot be recalculated or reassessed. The top court said it will not interfere with its order, rather it will grant liberty to Airtel to move any other alternate forum to redress its grievances. Divan said that the alternate forum will be the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT). Earlier this year, in an affidavit filed before the Supreme Court on the status of statutory dues paid by telecom operators, the DoT said it is planning to slap Videocon Telecommunications Ltd's AGR dues over Rs 1,300 crore on Bharti Airtel. Videocon Telecommunications had sold spectrum of 30 MHz to Bharti Airtel in 2016. Concluding the hearing, the top court allowed Airtel to withdraw the application and also restrained the DoT from invoking its bank guarantees for 3 weeks. According to the Centre's calculations, the total AGR liability of Bharti Airtel is Rs 43,980 crore, Vodafone Idea's is Rs 58,254 crore, Tata group's is Rs 16,798 crore, BSNL owes Rs 5,835.85 crore, and MTNL Rs 4,352.09 crore. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/airtel-added-5-million-new-4g-users-tariff-hike-hopes-and-record-broadband-customer-addition-surge-share-price/articleshow/85039298.cms">Five million new 4G users, tariff hike hopes and record broadband customer addition send Airtel's stock to a 6-month high</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/the-enormous-gap-between-vodafone-idea-on-one-hand-airtel-and-jio-on-the-other/articleshow/85035781.cms">The enormous gap between Vodafone Idea on one hand, Airtel and Jio on the other</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-loses-over-4-million-subscribers-airtel-and-jio-add-over-9-million-in-june/articleshow/85589113.cms">Vodafone Idea loses over 4 million subscribers, Airtel and Jio add over 9 million in June</a>

AGR case: Supreme Court directs DoT not to enchash Airtel's bank guarantees for three weeks

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="319716" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Chipotle">Chipotle</keyword> is adding new redemption options for <keyword id="45593" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="rewards">rewards</keyword> program members.</li><li>The chain is also giving away a <keyword id="107096" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="Tesla">Tesla</keyword> to the winner of an inn-app game.</li><li><keyword id="1591855" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Rewards-Programs">Rewards programs</keyword> are becoming more important than ever for <keyword id="41941" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="fast-food">fast food</keyword> chains.</li></ul>Chipotle just introduced the biggest update to its rewards program since it launched in 2019. The chain will also give away a Tesla 3 to the winner of a new racing game. The new rewards system will give customers more options for redeeming the point that they've earned. Every dollar spent by rewards members equals ten points, which can be put towards over 15 different rewards options. A side of guacamole goes for 400 points, or $40 spent at Chipotle. Members can also redeem points for Chipotle merchandise, which includes shirts, keychains, and flip flops. Or, members can choose to use their points towards a donation to The Farmlink Project, the National Urban League, or National Young Farmers Coalition. Every 485 points equal $1 to one of the organizations.While revamping the rewards system, Chipotle also introduced a game, Chipotle Race to Rewards Exchange. Members play the game to compete against each other for the chance to win a 2021 Tesla Model 3.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurants-look-to-reclaim-customers-profits-lost-to-grubhub-doordash-2021-2?inline-read-more">How Taco Bell, Burger King, and Chipotle are pushing diners away from DoorDash and Uber Eats and reclaiming customer data</a>To play, members must sign in or create a rewards account. Then, choose from an electric car, electric bike, or electric skateboard. Players can earn 10 points per second racing while avoiding obstacles, which reset points back to 0. The game will only last for 48 hours, going live at 9 am PT on June 23 through 9 am on June 25.Rewards programs have become nearly essential for fast food chains to attract and keep customers, with Chipotle being one of the leaders. Chipotle's in-app rewards program has been a huge success, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chipotle-ceo-brian-niccol-shares-playbook-for-growing-digital-sales-2021-3">reaching nearly 23 million members</a> as of publication.<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/popeyes-loyalty-program-rewards-free-apple-pie-side-drink-chicken-2021-6">Popeyes just launched a program</a> that offers some freebies just for signing up. Starbucks has a popular app with customers so loyal that they <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/starbucks-new-rewards-levels-spark-backlash-2019-4">sparked a backlash when the chain changed how rewards were calculated</a>.McDonald's is also rolling out a loyalty program this year that will <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-new-rewards-program-offers-free-burgers-and-mcchickens-2021-6">entice customers with free sandwiches.</a>Rewards programs seem to be more important than ever as they incentivize return visits and give companies <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2021/06/11/restaurants-lean-into-loyalty-programs-to-hold-onto-digital-gains.html">valuable customer data.</a> "Retention is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurants-look-to-reclaim-customers-profits-lost-to-grubhub-doordash-2021-2?inline-read-more">much more cost-effective than acquisition</a>," Shyam Rao, co-founder and CEO of customer loyalty platform Punchh, told Insider.

Chipotle is revamping its rewards program with more options for using points and a Tesla Model 3 Giveaway

New Delhi, Jan 19 (IANS) The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) on Tuesday told the Supreme Court that the Delhi government is a habitual offender in causing pollution in the Yamuna river. A bench headed by Chief Justice S.A. Bobde and comprising Justices L. Nageswara Rao and Vineet Saran was hearing a suo moto case pertaining to the issue of remediation of polluted rivers. Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati, representing CPCB, contended before the bench that the department is in the middle of collecting data on various factors associated with pollution in Yamuna and it will be filed very soon. "Delhi is a habitual offender for pollution in Yamuna," Bhati submitted before the top court. Senior advocate Meenakshi Arora, amicus curiae in the matter, submitted before the bench that as on January 18, the water quality is excellent, as the ammonia content is 0.3 ppm, and insisted if this can be maintained consistently. Praising the Haryana government, Arora submitted, "They have brought ammonia to a good level the acceptable point is 0.9 ppm." She emphasised this is a matter of drinking water for Delhi. Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing Haryana government, submitted that petition filed by Delhi Jal Board was not maintainable, as there were many facts which are in dispute. The Chief Justice replied, "What is the problem in making an order that the present levels must be maintained?" Divan urged not to make this observation, as problems connected with water pollution emerge from Delhi. He added that Delhi government is wrong on pinning the blame on Haryana. The bench gave one week's time to Haryana to file a counter to Delhi Jal Board's plea. The bench also directed the committee appointed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on river monitoring to submit its report to the court and made it a party in the case. On January 13, the Supreme Court had said pollution-free water forms the basic right under the constitutional framework and took suo moto cognisance on the issue of contamination of rivers by sewage effluents. The top court said "We deem it appropriate at this stage to start with the issue of contamination of river Yamuna." The observation from the top court came on a plea by Delhi Jal Board citing increased ammonia levels in Yamuna due to discharge of pollutants. The top court observed that the plea highlights an issue of great significance and consequence not only for general public but all living beings dependent upon open surface water. The bench said the right to clean environment and further, pollution-free water has been protected under the broad rubric of the right to life guaranteed under Article 21. --IANS ss/kr

CPCB to SC: Delhi is habitual offender in Yamuna pollution

New Delhi, Jul 15 () The Supreme Court said on Wednesday that from July 27 it would commence day to day hearing through video conferencing on a batch of pleas challenging Maharashtra law granting reservation to Marathas in education and jobs. The top court, which refused to pass any interim stay order on the quota, said chances of physical court seem remote due to the persisting COVID-19 pandemic. A bench of Justices L N Rao, Hemant Gupta and S Ravindra Bhatt asked the parties said that all parties should sit together and decide on modalities of hearing like who will take how much time and no one shall repeat the arguments. During the hearing, senior advocate Shyam Divan appearing for some of the petitioners, said that this type of a case needs to be heard in a physical court. "If we are constrained, then give us the earliest possible date. There is tremendous urgency in the matter. We may also need to revisit the concept of interlocutory relief," he said, adding that there is a whole group of post graduate students who have their careers at risk. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal said that there is also an issue of 10 per cent reservation for Economically Weaker Section which too needs to be heard. The bench said that if it needs to be heard, then it would consider it. Divan pointed out that there is a huge chunk of 12 to 13 per cent reservation which has been taken away. He said that High Court is bound by the orders of the Supreme Court and nine-judge bench of the top court had already said that quota should not exceed 50 per cent. The bench said it is listing the matter on July 27. Advocate Shivaji M Jadhav told the bench that virtual hearing is not possible looking at compilation of 1,000 of pages. The bench asked the counsel as when does he think COVID19 will subside and regular courts will start? "Let's start the hearings. But lawyers, please ensure that you don't repeat yourselves," the bench said. The Socially and Educationally Backward Classes (SEBC) Act, 2018 was enacted to grant reservation to people of Maratha community in Maharashtra in jobs and admissions. The Bombay High Court, while upholding the law in June last year, had held that 16 per cent reservation was not justifiable and said that quota should not exceed 12 per cent in employment and 13 per cent in admissions. On July 7, some of the lawyers appearing in the matter told the bench that physical hearing was required in the case as the issue might not be adjudicated upon properly in virtual hearing through video-conferencing. The bench had then observed that physical hearing at present may not be possible and it would consider the aspect of interim relief in the matter next week. The apex court is presently hearing matter only through video-conferencing amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The top court had last month sought response from the Maharashtra government on a separate plea of six MBBS doctors, filed through advocate Amit Anand Tiwari, seeking a direction that the state law granting 12 per cent quota to Marathas not be made applicable for admissions in the post graduate medical and dental courses for academic year 2020-2021. On February 5, the apex court had refused to stay the high court order upholding the Maharashtra law granting reservation to Marathas in education and jobs. Earlier, the top court had in July last year decided to examine the constitutional validity of the Maharashtra law, but refused to stay the high court order upholding the statute with some modifications. The high court, in its June 27, 2019, order, had said the 50-per cent cap on total reservations imposed by the Supreme Court could be exceeded in exceptional circumstances. It had also accepted Maharashtra government's argument that the Maratha community was socially and educationally backward and it was duty-bound to take steps for its progress. The high court had said though the reservation was valid, its quantum -- 16 per cent -- was not justifiable and it should be reduced to 12 per cent and 13 per cent, as recommended by the State Backward Classes Commission. One of the plea filed in the apex court had claimed that the SEBC Act breached the 50 per cent ceiling on reservation fixed by the top court in its landmark judgment in the Indira Sahwney case, also known as the 'Mandal verdict'. The framing of the SEBC Act for Marathas was done under "political pressure" and in "full defiance" of the constitutional principles of equality and rule of law, one of the pleas have claimed. According to the 102nd amendment to the Constitution, reservation can be granted only if a particular community is named in the list prepared by the President. On November 30, 2018, the Maharashtra legislature had passed a bill granting 16-per cent reservation to Marathas. The report submitted by the State Backward Classes Commission was based on quantifiable and contemporaneous data and was correct in classifying the Maratha community as socially and educationally backward, the high court had said in its verdict. MNL ABA SJK SA

Maratha reservation: SC to conduct day to day hearing from July 27 via video conferencing

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Mumbai Film Festival is an annual international film festival organised by MAMI (Mumbai Academy of Moving Image), a not-for-profit trust founded in 1997. The <keyword id="2558540" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="16th-Mumbai-Film-Festival">16th Mumbai Film Festival</keyword> was inaugurated yesterday, but the esteemed film festival didn’t see many stars at its opening ceremony. While it can’t be said that there was no major celebrity present at the opening, seeing the presence of <keyword id="6357861" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="ranbir-kapoor">Ranbir Kapoor</keyword> and Akhsay Kumar, the opening was still not as star-studded as one would have expected it to be. This is all the way more ironical as a bunch of <keyword id="143" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Bollywood">Bollywood</keyword> celebrities was seen in the promotional video for the festival, only a few of whom actually came down to attend the opening. Hosted by actress and playwright Kalki Koechlin, the event saw the presence of celebrities like <keyword id="6366471" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aishwarya-Rai">Aishwarya Rai</keyword> Bachchan, Kiran Rao, Ayan Mukherji, Shyam Benegal, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Rajkumar Hirani, <keyword id="2064" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Helen">Helen</keyword>, Subhash Ghai, Satish Kaushik, Ramesh and Kiran Sippy, Siddharth Roy Kapur, Huma Qureshi, Rahul Bose, Anurag Kashyap and Deepika Padukone. After the event was declared open by Mrs Bachchan, she gave the Lifetime Achievement Award to French actress <keyword id="151333" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Catherine-Deneuve">Catherine Deneuve</keyword>, followed by one to Helen, which was presented by <keyword id="2823" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Akshay-Kumar">Akshay Kumar</keyword>, who graciously held Helen's black and golden clutch as she gave her ‘Thank You’ speech. 
	 

	The week-long festival would see more than 175 movies, from 65 countries,. There also would be chat shows with celebrities from Bollywood and world cinema, like Deepika Padukone, Catherine Deneuve, Anurag Kashyap, Vidhu Vinod Chopra, Arjun Kapoor, and Arturo Guilem. 

	 
	The location of screening would be Chandan Cinema that can seat as many as 900 people. You can find the complete schedule <a href="http://www.mumbaifilmfest.org/assets/downloads/2014/Schedule_2014.pdf">here</a>. 
	 
	Image courtesy: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/mumbaifilmfest">Mumbai Film Festival Facebook Page</a>

After A Not-So-Star Studded Opening, Would The 16th Mumbai Film Festival Be A Hit?

Legal hassles seem to be the keynote of the season for Indian <keyword id="1521" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Cricket">cricket</keyword> team captain <keyword id="10138" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Mahendra-Singh-Dhoni">Mahendra Singh Dhoni</keyword> who courted trouble with his <keyword id="2402647" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vishnu-Avatar">Vishnu avatar</keyword> cover image that Business Today magazine published over a year ago. Ever since, the skipper has been spending days of anxiety over the image. 
 
The image in question is said to have offended the sentiments of scores of Hindus who worship Lord Vishnu. He is their god while Mahendra Singh Dhoni is considered the demigod of cricket in a country that swears by its cricket frenzy. It is not often that one gets to see a deeply religious country being equally consumed by cricket fever. 
 
So how did the demigod who posed as god, turn into a villain? 
 
All cricket stars in this country bag endorsements worth much more than the moolah they make from the game. Mind you, they are not mere sportspersons. They embody the collective success of a nation that awaits its resurrection across various fronts. In a country like India where one finds so much of diversity, tolerance and also contradictions, heroes and zeroes are often compelled to swap places under strangest of circumstances. That Dhoni stood there like the raja (king) of big deals, endorsing several products and holding several consumer goods in his many hands (in his Vishnu avatar, he has many hands and even holds a shoe in one of them) did not go down too well with his fans and also with the Hindus. Cricket might be treated as a religion here; but this incident showed cricket can never take the place of a religion. Also, taking liberty with sentiments, no matter how popular one is, won’t please the masses. 
 
As soon as the magazine hit the stands, Hindu followers moved the court, saying that depicting a mere mortal as the god they revere is hurtful, mischievous and insulting. When the court admitted these cases, things turned a little serious for the magazine, as well as for Dhoni’s team of legal experts. 
 
Dhoni remained silent about this hullabaloo. A court in Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh issued a warrant against him, against a private complaint stating that Dhoni had hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindus. 
 
Actually, the protests connected to the incident were too widespread and immense. Although no violence followed this display of anger, the rage and resentment of people could not be ignored. 
 
That the complainants, Gopal Rao and Shyam, are rumoured to belong to a Hindu right wing organisation could be coincidental though, without connecting to the fact that there is a right wing government at the Centre. 
 
The police, who submitted a subsequent report stating that the cover page was a creation of clever artistry, using Dhoni’s face to depict his success, did not hold much water. The fact that the image was ‘animated’ had little to do with pacifying the frayed nerves and could not even ensure a legal margin for the accused to protect Dhoni later. However, the police recorded it and presented it to the court. 
 
What followed the controversy was something different. The court issued summons to MS Dhoni and to the said magazine. But when the representatives of the magazine appeared in the court with no representation from Dhoni’s side (he did not appear in person or sent a lawyer), the court didn’t take it too well and issued a warrant of appearance against the cricketer. Although the warrant was for appearance, it has somewhat upset the applecart of business, cricket and media.

Dhoni’s ‘Vishnu Avatar’ Ain’t Ending Yet

In the list of annual honours, released by the <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword> this year, you will find the name of Dr Balram Bhargava from the prestigious All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS). He has been awarded the Padma Shri. 
 
Every year, thousands of students aspiring for a career in medicine have AIIMS at the top of their priority list. Studying there is almost a sure-fire guarantee to a glittering career in medicine and often a pathway to the foreign shores. 
 
However, Dr Bhargava and others are now focusing on the concept of frugal innovation (now the subject of academic books) and using it to create a new family of low-cost, high-impact medical devices right here in India. 
 In Dr Bhargava’s case, his team is developing a chest compression device that helps treat cases of sudden cardiac arrest. Funded by the <keyword id="232223" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Wellcome-Trust">Wellcome Trust</keyword> of the UK, the device is currently in prototype stage. But given the increasing cost of production in the West, it is quite likely that mass-scale production (as and when it begins) will only start in countries like India and China. 
 Dr Bhargava is no stranger to innovation or foreign collaborations, though. Earlier, he had established the Center for Excellence for Stem Cell Studies where a lot of work has been done to cater to the patients suffering from dilated <keyword id="836702" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="cardiomyopathy">cardiomyopathy</keyword> – a world’s first in terms of treatment. He is also an executive director with the Stanford-India Biodesign Program, a joint venture between Stanford University, AIIMS and the IIT-Delhi, designed to promote medical innovations through shared expertise. 
 
That’s just one model of innovation, driven by a multi-agency collaboration approach. Going the garage start-up route is Mumbai-based medical devices firm Biosense, which last year secured $500,000 in seed funding from multiple investors. Its first product is ToucHb – a device that can screen for anaemia without using a needle to draw blood from the patient. In a country where nearly 52% of women are anaemic and childbirth problems due to this condition often turn out to serious, such devices can literally save lives. 
 
Since then, the company has introduced a smartphone-based diagnostic system called uChek that does urine analysis. This analysis can be used to treat a variety of ailments, including the 60 million or so Indians suffering from diabetes. Another device to test sugar levels, using the blood drawn from a patient, has also been rolled out recently. It is called SüChek. 
 
Ironically, India has not been a stranger to innovations in terms of health technology. The introduction of the now world-renowned Jaipur Foot almost four decades ago has amply proved what creative solutions, applied to Indian conditions, could do to benefit the world. However, the non-profit model behind such innovations has also exposed the weakness of this approach. 
 Companies like <keyword id="2243396" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="GE-Medical">GE Medical</keyword> and <keyword id="327914" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Philips-Healthcare">Philips Healthcare</keyword>, which have leveraged India’s pool of skilled human resources, have reaped the big bucks by successfully commercialising technology at an industrial scale. However, the vast majority of Indians still cannot leverage the benefits of their expensive products. 
 What India needs is a marriage of frugal innovation techniques, relevant to Indian needs, with a Western-style focus on scale and profitability. Start-ups like Forus Health, founded by Dr Shyam Vasudeva Rao, former head of technology at <keyword id="49855" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="philips">Philips</keyword> Healthcare’s India operations, might just be what the doctor ordered. 
 
India has a shockingly disproportionate number of visually impaired people, 12 million at the last count. In fact, one-fourth of the world’s visually challenged population lives in this country. Worse still, 80% of these people could have retained their eyesight, had they had timely medical attention. In a country with a 1:60,000 doctor-patient ratio, it is easy to understand where the problem lies. 
 
Forus’ solution called 3nethra is an ophthalmology device that is both portable and inexpensive, making it ideal for rural areas where the bulk of these cases occur. As highly trained ophthalmologists are in short supply in those areas, the device supports telemedicine interventions and provides automated reports for up to five common eyesight ailments. 
 
That India is unable to provide high quality healthcare to millions is not a unique issue. This is exactly why China has been an early adopter of 3nethra, giving some indication of the global market for such innovations. 
 
With such a compelling business proposition, Forus has no dearth of investors. Top VC firms like Accel Partners and IDG Ventures have backed the Bangalore-based company, and a Series B round of investment was also completed earlier this year. 
 
Such innovations, while costing a fraction of the competition, are cutting-edge ones; so low-cost innovations should not necessarily be interpreted as low-tech. In addition, it not only showcases India as a low-cost manufacturing destination but also as a premier location for high-end research, design and product development. 
 
Now, with the right addition of entrepreneurial dosage, India’s health sector may go from strength to strength. 
 
Image: Thinkstock

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