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Travelling across India is safer and easier for tourists, <keyword id="20130044" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-tourism" source="keywords">Indian tourism</keyword> industry leaders have said, promoting the country, especially <keyword id="19894922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Uttar-Pradesh" source="keywords">Uttar Pradesh</keyword>, as a premier tourist destination for Singaporeans. Their remarks came as they participated in the <keyword id="23693812" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ITB-Asia" source="keywords">ITB Asia</keyword>, a travel trade show held in Singapore From October 23 to October 25. "We need to educate <keyword id="21866171" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-travellers" source="keywords">global travellers</keyword> about the attractions in Uttar Pradesh and make UP known more and above the iconic <keyword id="20045918" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Taj-Mahal" source="keywords">Taj Mahal</keyword> in Agra," said Rahul Wadhwa who leads CAL India Tours and Travel. He estimated a growth of 10 per cent across the UP travel agency business. Further, Wadhwa said his Agra-based travel business was seeking collaborations globally to tie up travel arrangements and promote the state as well as India as a tourist destination. There are a growing number of five-star hotels and continuing investments in highways that make travelling across India, including UP, as seamless as the tourists expect, said the <keyword id="20181038" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-industry" source="keywords">travel industry</keyword> veteran of 33 years. Technology-wise, the travel industry has also done well, moving away from the telex-based phone-call booked communications to speedier online-offline as well as mobile phone app-led bookings and arrangements for globe trotters. Travelling across India is also safer and easier, added Sushil Kumar Singh, managing director of Jatak Travels, dismissing all notions and misunderstandings about <keyword id="20415307" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="safety-and-security" source="keywords">safety and security</keyword> in India. "We have <keyword id="23693813" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourist-friendly" source="keywords">tourist-friendly</keyword> people and highly rated facilities across the country and in UP," assured the head of the Varanasi-based travel group. The destinations and facilities in India are world-class. "We are no less than any other tourist destination," he stressed. "International tourists are visiting India freely," underscored Singh, who reported 200 per cent growth for his business post-Covid.

Indian tourism industry leaders spotlight Uttar Pradesh as safe and diverse travel destination

The steady increase in footfalls during the <keyword id="6494550" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dussehra" source="Orion">Dussehra</keyword> vacation and Diwali holidays has buoyed the hopes of the local <keyword id="20048" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism" source="Orion">tourism</keyword> industry which had taken a beating during the pandemic years. "The clouds of despair and despondency have cleared and we are hoping to welcome a record number of tourists this season, though the number of foreign visitors has not picked momentum yet," a hotelier of Taj Ganj, Sandip said. The hospitality industry in <keyword id="6356295" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Agra" source="Orion">Agra</keyword> is hoping that the number of European tourists could go up, as there has been a remarkable improvement in travel facilities and a comparatively safer environment in Uttar Pradesh. "India remains a colourful and affordable destination for most foreign tourists. A large number of tourists who land in Goa, take a short break to visit Agra and Jaipur, but since there is no air connectivity between Agra and Goa, tourism suffers," tourist guide Ved Gautam said. Despite the air <keyword id="13001" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pollution" source="Orion">pollution</keyword> in Delhi and Agra, people are venturing out. The tourism season has begun on a happy note with thousands of foreign visitors crowding up the <keyword id="6355354" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Taj-Mahal" source="Orion">Taj Mahal</keyword> to see the monument of love against the rising sun. Undoubtedly, the Taj continues to remain a hot favourite, and the foreign visitors in the hundreds already here as early as 6 a.m, clearly means they have spent the night in Agra hotels. Hoteliers say night stay has declined, but there seems no proof of this fear. The monsoon rains brought down the air pollution level in the vicinity of the Taj in September and the Yamuna, too, was flowing full at the rear. "Foreign tourists are simply mesmerised by the charm of the Taj Mahal, and spend hours at the monument," said a guide escorting a group from Italy. However, in October the smog started engulfing the whole city reducing visibility in the morning. But this has not deterred tourists from visiting the Mughal monuments. "Holidays are a time for students' groups from all over India to visit the Taj Mahal and other historical monuments in Agra. Entry to children below 15 years remains free." Tourism organisations in the city have been blaming government agencies for not maintaining the roads and civic amenities. This generates a lot of negativity about tourism in Agra. "The police has been rather indifferent to the problems tourists face from unauthorised guides called 'Lapkas', who harass and pester the tourists everywhere." SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/estimated-32-lakh-weddings-till-dec-14-with-a-trade-of-rs-3-75-lakh-cr/articleshow/95352679.cms">Estimated 32 lakh weddings till Dec 14 with a trade of Rs 3.75 lakh cr</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/now-noida-greater-noida-builders-have-to-pay-up-as-sc-reverses-order-capping-interest-rates/articleshow/95352812.cms">Now Noida, Greater Noida builders have to pay up, as SC reverses order capping interest rates</a>

Agra tourism industry on a boom, despite pollution and war cries

<ul><li>Indian Hotels — the hospitality arm of the <keyword id="6355725" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-group">Tata Group</keyword> that includes the <keyword id="6453087" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="taj-hotels">Taj Hotels</keyword> — is planning to put its properties under sale and lease back.</li><li>Six of the <keyword id="73077" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ginger-Hotels">Ginger hotels</keyword> are already in line along with other hotels that come under joint ventures or associated companies.</li><li>Indian Hotels is planning on becoming ‘asset light’ as the Indian economy cools off and consumer spending is starting to slow down.</li></ul>Tata Group’s Taj Hotels aren’t going anywhere but some of its more budget offerings — like the Ginger hotel chain — are getting sold off but will be leased right back to them. Indian Hotels, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/inside-taj-mahal-hotels-beautiful-and-luxurious-suites/articleshow/53549610.cms">hospitality arm</a> of the Tata Group that owns and operates the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/culture/the-25-best-hotels-in-india/slidelist/22493456.cms">Taj Hotels</a>, is looking to reduce its ownership of properties to 50% by 2022, as it wants to turn ‘asset light’. It has around 45 properties it owns under the Ginger brand, but wants to shed some weight by offloading 5-10% of the properties, and continue to operate it. 
 
 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="As part of our Aspiration 2022 business strategy we are pursuing an asset light model. In line with this we propose to sell and lease back some of our Ginger properties in non metro towns. We will continue to operate these properties under a management contract after the proposed sale." auname="IHCL Company Spokesperson"></div>







 Retaining flagship properties The Managing Director and CEO of Indian Hotels, Puneet Chhatwal, told <a href="https://news.google.com/articles/CAIiEHD6x-q4b9jaA9jUjpJESRQqGQgEKhAIACoHCAow2pqGCzD954MDMM_yigY?hl=en-IN&amp;gl=IN&amp;ceid=IN%3Aen">Bloomberg</a><a href="https://theprint.in/economy/tatas-taj-hotel-chain-to-sell-assets-to-trim-debt-as-consumer-spending-slackens/274158/amp/?__twitter_impression=true"> </a>that while the company is looking to reduce its debt by getting rid of some of the <keyword id="507551" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="budget-hotels">budget hotels</keyword> in its portfolio — the legacy and flagship properties, namely hotels within the Taj brand, aren’t up for grabs. However, as many as six of the Ginger hotels are already a part of the sale and lease-back plans. What this mean is that Indian Hotels will be selling the properties and then taking them up on rent so that the current management stays in place. This is also true with other hotels that are a part of joint ventures or under associate companies, according to Chhatwal. On the other hand, Indian Hotels also opened up three new hotels in key strategic markets like Goa and Agra as per last quarter’s <a href="https://www.ihcltata.com/investors/">earnings report</a>. It has also launched a new hotel brand called ‘SeleQtions’ to up its brand image. SeleQtions includes named and distinctive hotels as well as Chambers — India’s most iconic business club. Cutting down on debt India’s economy is <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-growth-will-come-from-cities-as-urban-indians-will-contribute-75-of-it/articleshow/70563586.cms">cooling down</a> and consumer spending is set to fall further, which is why Indian Hotels is looking to lighten its assets. Even, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-tata-group-has-two-airlines-and-two-more-to-choose-fromair-india-and-jet-airways/articleshow/70129384.cms">Jet Airways</a> going out of business hit the Tata-owned enterprise, forcing the company to write off some of its dues. Indian Hotels has been on the path to reduce its debt for a while. It has gone from ₹31 billion in 2017 to ₹20 billion as of March 2019. Tata Group’s Indian Hotels isn’t the only brand under the umbrella that’s being revamped. Tata Steel and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/interesting-facts-about-ratan-tata-favorite-company-tata-motors/articleshow/69970526.cms">Tata Motors</a> are also restructuring their portfolio to gain some headwind in the European markets. Note: The article has been updated to include the statement from IHCL spokesperson to clarify that they will still be operating Ginger hotels and the headline has been changed accordingly. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tata-is-planning-to-open-extreme-fast-fashion-stores-just-like-zara/articleshow/69938341.cms">Cheaper by the dozen: Tata wants to bring Instagram styles to stores, instantly</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indiainsider/tata-lic-infosys-sbi-and-mahindra-are-among-the-top-10-indian-corporate-brands/slidelist/70256778.cms">Tata, LIC, Infosys, SBI, and Mahindra are among the top 10 Indian corporate brands</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tata-motors-stock-price-falls-after-record-loss-due-to-jlr-troubles-in-china-and-uk/articleshow/67894956.cms">Tata Motors loses over a billion dollars in market value</a>

Taj Hotels wants to turn asset light with its sell-and-lease-back strategy

<ul><li>Pallonji was once believed to be India’s richest Parsi and probably one of the richest Irishmen too. </li><li>He was nicknamed The Phantom of <keyword id="275791" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bombay-house" source="Orion">Bombay House</keyword> as he wielded a lot of power at the <keyword id="6355725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tata-group" source="Orion">Tata Group</keyword>’s headquarters at one point in time. </li><li>When Pallonji’s father Shapoorji was bankrolling Mughal-E-Azam, the younger Mistry was nervous about the ballooning budget, and advised his father against it.</li></ul>Very little is known about <keyword id="6689214" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pallonji-mistry" source="Orion">Pallonji Mistry</keyword> who was the chairman emeritus of the <keyword id="261354" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shapoorji-pallonji-group" source="Orion">Shapoorji Pallonji group</keyword> – but has been crowned one of the Moghuls of real estate. And why not? The unlisted company had built every iconic building of South Mumbai – be it the Taj Colaba or the Oberoi Hotel. Abroad, the company built the places of Oman’s king and the President of Ghana. In fact, their ability to build seems to be how they ended up as one of the biggest shareholders of the Tata Group. They had started accumulating shares during Pallonji Mistry’s father’s time when Shapoorji Pallonjigroup was building factories for Tata Steel and Tata Motors – and were paid for, in shares. The <keyword id="14307253" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="richest-irishman" source="Orion">richest Irishman</keyword>, the richest Parsi These shares in the rapidly expanding group are what made Pallonji a billionaire who is now worth around $28.9 billion according to<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/profiles/pallonji-mistry/#xj4y7vzkg"> the Bloomberg Billionaires index</a>, which makes him the 41st richest Indian. Most of his wealth comes from their 18.4% stake in Tata Sons – which they have decided to offload following a feud. While his own construction company has interests in India and the Middle East, he also owns the consumer goods company, Eureka Forbes — a name that most of India’s households heard when water purifiers became a thing. At one point in time, however, Pallonji was believed to be India’s richest Parsi and also counted among the richest Irishmen too. Pallonji had given up his Indian citizenship in 2003 as he was married to an Irish woman, Patsy Perin Dubash. He however continued to reside at his sea-facing bungalow in the uptown Walkeshwar area of Mumbai. The Phantom of Bombay House The reticent billionaire was also nicknamed The Phantom of Bombay House due to the power he had wielded over the Tata Group’s headquarters at one point in time – though he was not ever present. However, all his friends – be it Adi Godrej, the chairman of the Godrej Group, Deepak Parekh, the chairman of HDFC and others know him as a warm and caring person and a good host. But only a select few people have the privilege of knowing him. Coomi Kapoor’s book ‘<a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/books-and-literature/how-shapoorji-pallonji-jr-built-his-construction-empire-and-why-khojeste-mistree-is-a-religious-pop-star-among-the-parsis-7431872/">The Tatas, Freddie Mercury &amp; Other Bawas</a>' however has an interesting tidbit about him. When Pallonji’s father Shapoorji was bankrolling India’s biggest movie production, Mughal-E-Azam, the younger Mistry was nervous about the ballooning budget of the movie and the fact that it was being reshot. He tried to talk his father out of the ‘dead investments’, but the senior did not listen. However, the movie crashed all box office records of time – paying off his father’s penchant for perfection. Pallonji’s son Cyrus Mistry seems to have taken a leaf from it. After he became the chairman of the Tata Group – a similar discord over funding expensive businesses is what led to the famous Cyrus Mistry-Ratan Tata feud – which became one of India’s long-drawn corporate battles — leading to their decision to sell off their interest in Tata Sons, that’s been held for decades. With Pallonji’s death,<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/cyrus-mistrys-father-pallonji-mistry-passes-away-at-93/articleshow/92509875.cms"> the phantom of Bombay House ha</a>s now literally exited the building and the business. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/cyrus-mistrys-father-pallonji-mistry-passes-away-at-93/articleshow/92509875.cms" style="">Cyrus Mistry's father, Pallonji Mistry passes away at 93</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/four-of-every-10-fiis-are-from-the-us-most-others-are-from-tax-havens/slidelist/92510427.cms" style="">Four of every 10 FIIs are from the US; most others are from tax havens</a>

Pallonji Mistry, the elusive but powerful phantom of Bombay House

<ul><li><keyword id="7001513" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Havas-Group-India">Havas Group India</keyword> is further strengthening its operation in India with a strategic joint-venture with Conran Design Group; a Havas agency with over six decades’ experience in building iconic brands.</li><li>As part of the joint-venture, <keyword id="10697098" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="conran-design-group">Conran Design Group</keyword> opens its third global office in Mumbai to add to successful businesses in London and New York.</li></ul><keyword id="1825444" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Havas-Group">Havas Group</keyword> India, today announced that it is further strengthening its operation in India with a strategic joint-venture with Conran Design Group; a Havas agency with over six decades’ experience in building iconic brands. As part of the joint-venture, Conran Design Group opens its third global office in Mumbai to add to successful businesses in London and New York. Conran Design Group Mumbai, with a dedicated team of 15 specialists, supported by Conran Design Group teams globally, will be a huge asset to Havas Group India as it works to deliver a more meaningful difference to its clients. Headquartered in London, Conran Design Group is founded by renowned designer Sir Terence Conran 65 years ago. It is a design-led branding agency on a mission to help clients realise the value of meaningful design. Some of its clients include Danone, Shell, Rolls-Royce, Coca-Cola European Partners, Associated British Foods and Sottini among others. The Indian team will be led by <keyword id="10697584" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Geet-Nazir">Geet Nazir</keyword>, Managing Partner, Conran Design Group Mumbai, who comes with 18 years’ experience in New York and Mumbai. Most recently, Geet was with Tata Group’s Indian Hotels Company Limited (previously The Taj Group of Hotels), where she was driving strategic branding and brand marketing initiatives for its vast portfolio. This joint venture will allow Havas’ clients to tap into Conran’s expertise in brand strategy, visual identity, branded environment, and packaging - a global design perspective with strong local relevance, while also providing Conran Design Group’s clients further access to Havas’ global network. Conran Design Group is also creating a design innovation unit in Mumbai to research, pilot, and test new design ideas and to partner with local design institutions and colleges to nurture design talent - helping to support the development of the next generation of design influencers. Rana Barua, Group CEO, Havas Group India said, “We are very excited to join forces with Conran Design Group (CDG). This joint venture complements our aggressive growth strategy and our mission to create meaningful work for clients. CDG’s competitive advantage of building brand strategy with deep consumer insights will add an enviable strength to Havas Group's portfolio. I am delighted to welcome Thom and the team to the Havas Group Family.” Thom Newton, CEO, Conran Design Group “I’m very excited about this partnership. India has vibrant creativity at its heart and rich design heritage. The forward-looking Indian consumer demands that global brands re-imagine their experiences and build a relevant local connection. This creates the perfect opportunity to test the impact that design-driven brand experiences can have to inspire, engage, and build long-term brand loyalty. We are confident that this joint-venture with Havas Group will help us become an even stronger identity and we look forward to a meaningful journey ahead, together.”

Havas Group India brings branding and design group Conran to Mumbai

To get rid from commission-raking travel agencies, the <keyword id="49377" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Taj-Group-of-Hotels">Taj group of hotels</keyword> has planned to sign pacts with international chains of hotels, so that their customer loyalty programmes can be made good use of to acquire more clients directly. The pacts and deals would be finalised in the current financial year. 
 
As of now, travel portals eat into the profit margins of hotel chains, which is what has forced them to look for such alternatives. Online agents make up for as much as 20% of the bookings done in hotel chains, which constitute a major part of their business. 
 
"Loyalty can be a silver bullet for us as the cost of customer acquisition in this channel is very low," said Chinmai Sharma, chief revenue officer at Taj Hotels Resorts &amp; Palaces. "So the idea of a strategic partnership in this space with like-minded hotel brands in different geographies will give more earn and burn capabilities to the members." 
 As per these pacts, loyalty members of the <keyword id="110716" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Taj-Group">Taj group</keyword> can earn points, which they can later redeem in partner hotels around the world. These loyalty programmes can drive guests away from online travel agents, so that they book directly from hotel websites. 
 
It was only last year that the Taj group had launched a revamped loyalty programme that had new features and enhancements on hotel stays, food and beverages and spa. Since then, the revenue from the loyalty programme and the enrolments has seen close to 60% growth. 
 
<a href="https://www.tajhotels.com/content/dam/thrp/homepage/3x2/27642181-H1-001_Dome-3x2.jpg">Image source</a>

Taj group of hotels plans customer loyalty programmes with international hotels

<ul><li>The X Index 2022 report, from Havas CX, Havas Group’s global customer experience network reports that trust, inclusivity, always being of service, and going above and beyond are now major factors in creating the most meaningful customer experience.</li><li>According to the X Index India report parameters, the number 1 brand is Apple followed by Taj Hotels, KIA, MG, Hyundai, OnePlus, Boat, Cult.fit, Michelin, and JBL.</li></ul> The X Index 2022 report, from Havas CX, Havas Group’s global customer experience network reports that trust, inclusivity, always being of service, and going above and beyond are now major factors in creating the most meaningful customer experience. The <keyword id="7001513" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="havas-group-india" source="Orion">Havas Group India</keyword> launched the Havas CX function in October 2020, which spans across 18 of its major Villages around the world, with key hubs in London, Paris, New York, and Mumbai. It's a powerhouse of experts playing an important role in digital transformation, design, customer experience and engagement, e-Commerce, and much more. The recent report surveyed 50,000 consumers across nine markets including the U.S, UK, France, China, Brazil, Turkey, India, Portugal, and Spain to evaluate the customer experience performance of 500 brands. It found that while seamlessness, simplicity, and efficiency are still imperative to customer experience, brands must also fulfil citizen expectations. According to the X Index India report parameters, the number 1 brand is Apple followed by Taj Hotels, KIA, MG, Hyundai, OnePlus, Boat, Cult.fit, Michelin, and JBL. 50 leading brands across 13 categories including retail, fashion, financial services, automotive, entertainment, hospitality, beauty, health, and more were studied from India for the recent study. What’s interesting is that among the six countries also surveyed a year earlier, only India registered a lower overall score in 2021 compared with 2020. The higher scores in the other five markets (China, France, Portugal, UK, and the US) point to rising satisfaction with the customer experience. What this means is that while most geographies were able to leverage the new normal to cement their CX and deliver on consumers’ rising expectations, Indian brands were not as agile to keep up with the rising expectations. This makes it even more critical for Indian brands to now recognise that customer experience is synonymous with brand experience. For the second consecutive year, brand image has emerged as the strongest competitor to the X Index, representing 46% of India’s score. This hints at the fact that while ecosystems and the touchpoints were expanded during this new normal, brands also need to maintain continuous engagement to reinforce their image while also making it part of their CX. Despite heavy customer experience investments by brands, there’s still room for improvement with only a global average of 40% of consumers thinking the brands they interact with are “cantered on their needs as a customer.” This year’s research reveals that increased consumer expectations around trust, sustainability, and inclusivity are now impacting the evaluation of customer experience, with brands being assessed on the concrete actions they deliver to create a welcoming experience for all – shifting the traditional idea of customer experience to citizen experience. <keyword id="4002911" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prashant-Tekwani" source="Orion">Prashant Tekwani</keyword>, EVP &amp; Business Head, Havas CX India &amp; Havas Worldwide, West, says, “The pandemic has brought about a sea-change in consumer shopping behaviour. Brands now need to evolve their thinking from customer experience to citizen experience by making seamlessness and inclusivity their priority. According to the latest X Index report, India is the only country to register a lower overall score in 2021 in comparison to 2020. There is a gap that needs addressing for brands in India to score high in the CX journey. This shows how the understanding of the evolving expectation of the consumers is critical to maintaining the health of CX, growth and brand imagery. While meeting functional criteria around seamlessness, simplicity, and efficient customer service, brands must also go the extra mile to make a lasting impression in their customers’ minds.” <keyword id="5298124" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sumeer-Mathur" source="Orion">Sumeer Mathur</keyword>, National Strategy Head &amp; Managing Partner, <keyword id="1911890" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="havas-worldwide-india" source="Orion">Havas Worldwide India</keyword>, says, “Interestingly, out of all the parameters that we measure to arrive at a final score, the Brand image has emerged as the strongest contributor to the X Index, representing 46% of India’s score. This hints at the fact that while ecosystems and the touchpoints were expanded during this new normal, brands also need to maintain continuous engagement to reinforce their image while also making it part of their CX. Conversely, it could also mean that Indian brands are under leveraging other parameters and relying too heavily on the brand image alone to determine the customer experience.” The X Index identified four key principles to create a best-in-class citizen experience: Trust comes first: Brand trust is the most powerful denominator around the globe in the customer journey. Brands build trust by keeping their commitments to customers and being there in times of crisis. For example, brands that optimized their shopping experience during the COVID-19 pandemic saw better results; these optimizations included moving many traditionally in-person services online (consultations, etc.), and taking advantage of new platforms to integrate community building and social components. Brands also build trust with transparent business practices and by making commitments to social causes. Build an all-inclusive experience: For customer experience to become a citizen experience, brands must be inclusive. According to the X Index, consumers evaluate brands at every step of the journey, including the way they treat their frontline employees, foster inclusivity and break taboos in representation and marketing. Inclusivity also means enabling customers to participate in a community, with some brands introducing forums, clubs, and apps for customers to connect and interact with each other. Always be of service: Customer service is now defined by the speed of reaction to customer demands. It is one of the key discriminating factors. In addition, when it comes to staff and salespeople, consumers not only expect them to be efficient but also knowledgeable. Provide for the age of extra: When it comes to satisfying customers, going the extra mile is of paramount importance for brands. A key part of going above and beyond in making sure the experience feels extra personal.

Customer satisfaction dips for Indian brands in the CX journey: Havas CX report

Within forty days of taking charge as <keyword id="110716" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Taj-Group">Taj Group</keyword>’s chief revenue officer, <keyword id="2900870" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Chinmai-Sharma">Chinmai Sharma</keyword> has announced that the 111-year old hotel chain might launch a mobile app anytime soon 
 
"The aim is to launch an all-encompassing mobile app which will bring all the Taj Group brands under one app and integrate the pre-stay and post-stay experience also on mobile so that we can provide end to end solution to the guests," Sharma told Economic Times. 
 
Online travel search now apportions 40% of its share with mobile market and the graph is expected to go up in near future. India-based hotel chain ITC became the first of its kind to introduce a mobile app for the consumers and an unexpected growth was observed in reservations form the mobile app. 
 "We expect this to grow further and become mainstream in the near future," said B Hariharan, Vice-President for marketing at <keyword id="166964" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="ITC-Hotels">ITC Hotels</keyword>. 
 
Chinmai Sharma at Taj Group has chalked out a three-year plan to increase investments on digital infrastructure by almost seven times. He is currently forming an army of tech specialists to develop mobile apps, launch new mobile-friendly websites with localized content by the end of this year and drive the overall digital strategy. This team will have direct access to the top deck at Taj Group. 
 
According to Sharma, Taj Group gets 15% of its traffic through the mobile devices — smart phone and tablet and this has witnessed triple-digit growth in the last one year alone.

Coming soon! A mobile app for Taj Hotels

<ul><li>The Covid-19 <keyword id="91743" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="lockdown">lockdown</keyword> has led to a complete standstill for the film and entertainment industry, with all shooting brought to a halt.</li><li>However, this hasn't stopped filmmaker from coming up with innovative content, primarily shot from home.</li><li><keyword id="9219396" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="taj-ali-naqvi">Taj Ali Naqvi</keyword>, Director Films &amp; Production, <keyword id="2780191" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Isobar">Isobar</keyword> writes about how <keyword id="77365" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Filmmaking">filmmaking</keyword> is adapting itself to changing times, with more and more people experimenting with different ways of telling stories.</li></ul>The Covid-19 pandemic repercussions are turning out to be disastrous for the film and entertainment industry. However, this has led to an increase in consumption of films in India and around the globe. Every industry across the province has had to make adjustments during COVID-19 to ensure the safety of employees and the public. And, the film industry is no different. During the lockdown, TV, gaming, digital and OTT platforms are seeing a growth in consumption. Right now, the first role of content marketers and producers is to listen. Find out what their audiences are worried about, and what they need. Then put it first. It’s the best way to develop relationships that are built on trust — and relationships that are built to last. The outdoor consumption models such as film shoots on locations, studios, sound studios etc are witnessing a dramatic fall with social distancing norms in place. But the myriad possibilities that film-making offers is coming to the rescue, especially in creating short films. Another sector which is set to bloom and make its way is animation and graphic-oriented films for storytelling. Animators, unlike live-video producers, can create from the safety of their own homes and bring any story to life. Motion graphics can take on a huge variety of styles and topics. It is particularly useful for different brands and their internal projects as well since it easily allows data visualization, icons, and illustrations of complex or abstract topics. In these times, we have got access to a lot of people and talents, who are ready to work from their own small pocket studios and homes and still entertain the audience with their presence, creating content for their prospects/existing customer base in the form of virtual peer groups, podcasts/talk shows, webinars, or town halls. That’s what has made it easier to unite film-makers from around the world, creating a community of optimism in these dark times. I believe in the power of stories. Storytellers can keep everyone hopeful, entertained and help us make sense of the world. Covid, in many ways, is offering opportunities for the kind of work which is possible in limited resources and limitations for filmmakers. Years ago, the idea of shooting short movies on your camera phone wasn’t possible. But today it is! I personally believe that our role didn’t become redundant in these times, especially with digital film-making, but rather video production teams have become creatively productive with the help of the limited equipment they have in hand. Our phones have become larger, more powerful and evermore like mini media centers. Mobile filmmaking using tablets, phablets and phones has become a popular way to make short films and content and has turned the tables around for the narratives. Mobile filmmaking is a great way to experiment with sculpting a narrative on the fly. As a video professional, you’re used to having access to a studio and filming people in person, but the way that you conduct your day-to-day has changed significantly.

How filmmaking is becoming creatively productive during the lockdown

To cater to the demand of rising upper middle class, the <keyword id="128637" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gateway-Hotels">Gateway Hotels</keyword> of Indian Hotels Company Limited or popularly known as <keyword id="110716" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Taj-Group">Taj Group</keyword> Company has forayed into the resort segment of the hospitality sector. The company has launched its first resort property near Damdama lake in Haryana. 
 
“India’s tourism potential is unmatched in terms of its uniqueness, culture and heritage. The industry has become one of the key growth drivers for the economy generating employment. The rapid increase in domestic as well as foreign tourists has created a need for developing newer destinations and innovative service offerings; a concept that the Taj has pioneered in India.” said Rakesh Sarna, CEO and managing director of Taj Group. 
 For this project, Gateway has partnered with <keyword id="2606854" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dhoot-Group">Dhoot Group</keyword> to create the resort and positioned it to cater both families as well as corporate customers. “An investment of Rs 100 crore has been made in the property,” said Prabhat Verma, COO of The Gateway Hotels &amp; Resorts. 
 
Keeping in mind the environment, the hospitality giant has gone eco-friendly while erecting the structure and the artwork primarily includes scrap metal sculptures, embroidered and hand printed textiles, and studio ceramics. “We have tried to give it a rural essence and that is why we have totally gone local as far as artwork is concerned. We want our customers to enjoy the natural beauty and therefore on the design front, we have totally been natural. The resort is first of its kind because it has been right next to a mega city,” he stated. 
 
At present, the Gateway property has 25 operational properties across India including the recently launched Gateway resort near Damdama lake. 
 
Verma told BI India that the property has been operational since May 19, 2014 and has had over 50 corporate events. “We have received a tremendous response from the visitors here. We will be launching three to four new properties in the next fiscal year. Two of them include one in Corbett and the other in Theog near Shimla,” he averred. 
 
Interestingly, until now, Gateway Hotels have been positioned as an upscale corporate hotel for business travelers. However, with the launch of the new resort, the hotel has forayed into the leisure hotel segment.

Taj Group’s Gateway Hotels Launches New Property, Forays Into Leisure Segment

<ul><li>When we say, ‘Jaago Re,’ do you also hum the entire tune? </li><li>Here is the saga behind one of the most loved social-led campaigns of our country that Sushant Dash, President, Beverages– India &amp; Middle East, TATA Consumer Products, Amer Jaleel, Group CCO and Chairman, <keyword id="3222480" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="MullenLowe-Lintas-Group">MullenLowe Lintas Group</keyword> and Puneet Das – SVP, Marketing - Beverages, TATA Consumer Products walk us through.</li></ul>Tata Tea, for more than a decade, has remained synonymous with brand-led activism because of its campaign Jaago re. Over the years, Jaago Re has nudged us towards social awakening. The brand has used this property to catalyse change around important issues like women safety, representation of women, voting, corruption, etc. It was born in 2008 when Tata Tea decided to onboard MullenLowe Lintas as its agency on record for the brand. The campaign was launched at a time when Indian brands were still trying to understand the idea of brand activism and advertising in the tea category was limited to functional aspects of refreshment. Tata Tea started the trend of looking beyond the obvious by offering a tea that doesn’t just help you wake up, but also awakens you by focusing on self-actualization, increased civic consciousness and political awareness. We reached out to the team (Sushant Dash, President, Beverages– India &amp; Middle East, TATA Consumer Products, Amer Jaleel, Group CCO and Chairman, MullenLowe Lintas Group and Puneet Das – SVP, Marketing - Beverages, TATA Consumer Products) behind this initiative to pick their brains about this much talked-about campaign that continues to stay relevant even after all these years. <div type="Video" msid="80884312" hostid="261" title="How Tata Tea's communication has evolved from brand-led activism to hyperlocalisation" dataSource="BUSINESSINSIDER" thumbUrl="https://denmark.timesinternet.in/cmslite/api/app/images.jpg?msid=80884312"></div> Jaago Re helped a newly-launched premium brand become synonymous to the category. In the age of digital marketing, agency Lintas and Client Tata Tea Premium share one of the longest relationships in our industry. We also asked them to share a few tips of sustaining the relationship between client and agency, how to evolve with changing times and they didn’t disappoint. The beginning of Jaago Re The partnership of Lintas and Tata Tea started much before Jaago Re. It was in 2003 that the brand decided to foray into the premium segment by launching Tata Tea Gold. Back then, Lintas wasn’t in the picture. Tata Tea had a couple of agencies for its roaster but Dash, who Jaleel refers to as the ‘Architect of the brand,’ told us that they were looking to weave a story and build it on an insight this time, not just sell tea. The brand decided to go out and call a few more agencies in for a pitch. R Balki and Jaleel presented the ‘Na kahoge toh pachtaoge’ idea on a phone call to Dash, which he says, is his favourite till date. Even then, Lintas was handling communication for Tata Tea Gold, not Tata Tea Premium. Rival tea brands with a variety of products had different campaigns for each but Dash decided to market only the mother brand. It had four sub-brands Gold, Premium, Agni and Life. “From a marketing point of view, it was a risky decision and obviously came under a lot of debate. But at that time, the main reason from a business point of view was also that we needed to save our media monies. It was also very difficult to sustain and grow all four brands and put the kind of media monies that were required. So, the idea was that you create the mother brand, and then put more money behind the mother brand, advertising and campaign. The idea in the brief was that it should help each of the individual brands. It also said that we need to create a mother brand, which needs to connect at an emotional level and needs to cut through all the variants,” recalled Dash. It also had to carve a niche for itself and beat the likes of HUL’s Brooke Bond Red Label and Taj Mahal, which had a strong recall for its ads, thanks to the famous Waah Taj ad featuring tabla maestro Zakir Hussain. However, the brief didn’t mention anything about cause marketing or a social campaign. It was divided into three main objectives: establish the mother brand, cut across different verticals and get coffee-loving millennials to be loyal to tea. Walking us through the brief and sharing the challenge that the agency had to face in terms of drafting a campaign for a diverse audience, Dash said, “The challenge for the creative agency was to find a cause that appeals to someone in a South Bombay or a South Delhi who uses Tata Tea Gold brand and at the same time, appeal to someone in a Pratapgarh who uses Tata Tea Agni brand because that was our width. We cut through urban and rural. So the third part of the brief was that when we talk and when we come out with this campaign, at least in terms of storytelling and in terms of the language that we use, it should appeal to the youth, because till that point Tea was seen as appealing only to the housewife, not so much to the youth or to men.” At that time, coffee drinkers were considered ‘cool’ because tea was preferred by mid-age audience. As per the brief, Jaleel and his team had to reverse the image and also position tea drinkers as young and cool. The agency was right to think that the coming generation would actively participate in building an inclusive and woke society. Recounting how the thinking came into place and how a tea brand chose a purpose-led brand building approach, Jaleel said, “Somewhere, this thought entered our mind that whenever you have a tea, you discuss various things, and you're young, and you want to change the world. And therefore, if tea is associated with changing the world like that, if it can bring about some kind of awareness, that would be a good strategic direction for tea and that's how we landed on the idea of Jaago Re.” The client was looking for an idea that would bind different strata of society together and Lintas’ pitch ticked all the right boxes. “I still remember when we first heard the line, 'Har subah sirf utho mat, Jaago Re.' It in some ways redefined and gave us that stature, because every tea brand and including us, we used to talk a lot about rejuvenation. But this was actually taking it in a sense philosophically a step ahead, which was not just about waking up, but awakening. So in some ways, it was very strongly ingrained in terms of what the category stood for, but took your brand to a higher plane,” shared Dash. Taking the message ahead The first ad under the campaign was about political awareness, voting the right candidate and asking questions. It featured Pankaj Tripathi, who wasn’t as well known then, but immediately won the audience over. <div type="Youtube" id="99a-dHXmw2I" title="Pankaj Tripathi Tata Tea Ad" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/99a-dHXmw2I/mqdefault.jpg"></div> The second campaign was about a young guy who urges people to not use Voting Day as a holiday and nudge them from their sleep. <div type="Youtube" id="NkMnM2dznuU" title="Tata Tea Voting" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/NkMnM2dznuU/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Jaago Re wasn’t just a campaign anymore. The brand knew how to walk the talk as the initiative was backed with a website <a href="http://www.jaagore.com/">jaagore.com.</a> Before the 2009 election, Tata Tea launched this website to help first-time voters to create IDs, register themselves as voters and find the nearest voting booth. The Jaago Re campaign had become a big hit by 2010 and Lintas had to come up with a cause that would surpass the previous ads by creating something bigger. So, the third campaign was about corruption, which Dash said, was the most difficult to crack because they had to tread the line between being edgy and preachy. <div type="Youtube" id="wyOCF8Vfsrg" title="Mudit Nayar (Commercial): Award Winning Tata Tea adv against corruption [Jaago Re!]" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/wyOCF8Vfsrg/mqdefault.jpg"></div> In 2017, Tata Tea made a comeback with Jaago Re Version 2.0. Like always, it gave us goosebumps and made us question everything that was happening around us. It was a comment on arm-chair activism. It urged people to act before it is too late in a hard-hitting manner and it continues to stay relevant today. <div type="Youtube" id="gRA4wYsqA5c" title="Tata Tea Official 2017 Ad - Alarm Bajne Se Pehle Jaago Re!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/gRA4wYsqA5c/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Das said reviving a property of this stature wasn’t an easy task. “Jaago Re is not just a marketing campaign for us, it's almost a clarion call for representing the right issues. The tenants of Jaago Re are so well set -- there has been a lot of consistency in the thought which has come across, which is about finding the right thing, inspiring people to make that change and walk the talk. In 2006, nobody had heard the word cause advertising and all this brand purpose is just flavor of the day. But at that time, for us, it was clutter breaking. Over the 10 years, many brands jumped into the bandwagon. More importantly, the entire new generation has also grown up expecting this now from brands. So it was no longer about armchair activism. So the idea was, how do you still stay consistent with the thought, but taking to the next level? Then this thought came about is that the key shift is from activism to pre-activism. Don't let things become issues. The real way to solve for them is to actually nip them in the bud and that shift in thinking is what we call Jaago Re 2.0,” said he. Jaago Re and its perfect casting Tata Tea’s Jaago Re was much ahead of its time. It shed various gender filters and brought a much-needed campaign that represented women in politics and sports. Lintas also had a good eye for budding talent. It featured Pankaj Tripathi, Swara Bhaskar, Mohammad Zeeshan Ayub, Anand Tiwari, to name a few, much before they had become names to reckon with in the industry. <div type="Youtube" id="hAEV1K8JuV4" title="Tata Tea Premium -- Badi Duty, Choti Duty" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/hAEV1K8JuV4/mqdefault.jpg"></div> Telling us the filter agency used for casting these actors, Jaleel said, “I think it's a coincidence that some of the great choices that we made also turned out to be great actors. But you can also say that it's no coincidence, and I'll tell you why it is that look. The approach that we always had about Jaago Re was always about realism. And if you notice, there is a wave of realism happening, you can almost track it back to the time Jaago Re started. Even in cinema, starism is going down and realism is coming in. We always had that thing about Jaago Re that we will pick up real people because we owe it to the subject that we are talking about. We looked for that realism in the auditions like that.” In our episode of BTSWithInsiders, Jaleel had further shared the thought behind selecting Tripathi as their first protagonist, which can be found below: <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75806882" title="#BTSwithInsiders: Amer Jaleel on Tata Tea’s Jaago Re, Lifebuoy’s Gonduppa and ICICI Prudential’s Bande Acche Hain" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Shifting focus to hyperlocalisation and connecting with consumers at a deeper level Tata Tea has been successfully championing the style of brand-led activism. In the recent ads done by Mullen Lintas, there’s a visible shift in communication and Tata Tea is talking more about the features of its tea rather than the social angle. It is about taking pride in our regional culture and diversity. <div type="Youtube" id="0tff1lATgDM" title="TATA Tea Premium - Dumdaar Uttar Pradesh" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/0tff1lATgDM/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="oV4IX7QX5m8" title="TATA Tea Premium | Odisha" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oV4IX7QX5m8/mqdefault.jpg"></div> So, at a time when rivals Red Label and Wagh Bakri are also talking about social change, what led to this shift? Das answered, “Jaago Re has been a campaign for the mother brand and this hyper localization campaign that we have been doing is actually on the flagship brand Tata Tea Premium. What we are bringing out to consumers is something that is seeming like localization for them, but actually that has been one of the success DNA of the brand in the sense in a in a country where tastes and preferences especially when it comes to food etc, pretty much changes district by district -- it is very important for a beverage brand and a mass brand to understand these preferences, and and that has actually been always what already premium has been doing. It has blend across different states, which cater to the local tastes, preferences, etc. So, the idea was, how do you leverage your knowledge and your national stature as a brand, but at the same time connect and reinforce your regional expertise that has made you the brand it is.” It has also launched packaging that is customised to different states of India and seen a good response from the consumers. “In every market that we have been able to execute it so far, we have seen a big jump in terms of consumer connect, and it's also reflecting in the market shares, etc, which, at the end is also a proof of what the consumer has responded to, but yes, the shift is, is more to the consumers,” shared Das. The Jaago Re campaign went on to create wonders for the brand and is still fresh in our minds like it was launched yesterday. And now, on connecting with its consumers on a local level and instilling regional pride, the brand is just getting started.

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