<ul><li>India is planning to launch its first vedic school board. </li><li>Yoga guru Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali is reportedly among the top contenders. </li><li>Three years ago, India’s government rejected Ramdev’s plea to establish the <keyword id="3777453" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="vedic-education-board">vedic education board</keyword> citing concerns over the Indian government recognising a private school board.</li></ul>Three years after rejecting the idea of introducing a ‘Vedic’ education board, India’s government is reportedly planning to launch <a href="https://indianexpress.com/article/india/baba-ramdev-likely-to-head-first-vedic-board-patanjali-5599448/">one</a>. According to an Indian Express report, on Saturday, a government panel comprising five members recommended yoga Guru Baba Ramdev to head the ‘Bharatiya Shiksha Board (BSB)’. Once implemented, the BSB is expected to benefit educational institutions run by Arya Samaj and gurukuls, which are not presently supported by Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), according to the report. The move is reportedly an effort to ‘standardise Indian traditional knowledge’ including vedic education, Sanskrit and Yoga. The board will include a syllabus, exams and certificates to integrate ‘Ved Vidya’ with modern education. The governing panel’s vote will be evaluated by Maharshi Sandipani Rashtriya Vedavidya Pratishthan (MSRVP), a foundation headed and funded by Human Resource Minister Prakash Javadekar. Earlier this month, when the MSRVP <a href="https://thewire.in/education/baba-ramdevs-trust-among-applicants-to-establish-vedic-school-board">floated</a> an ‘expression of interest’ to establish the vedic board, Ramdev’s Patanjali Yogpeeth Trust was among three applicants who submitted a bid. The other two contenders were Ritnand Balved Education Foundation, which runs the Amity Group of Institutions, and Maharashtra Institute of Technology, Pune. According to norms set out by the governing body, the sponsors of the board are required to have a minimum net worth of ₹3 billion and must be willing to contribute at least ₹500 million as corpus fund. Patanjali has reportedly committed at least <a href="https://www.news18.com/news/india/ramdev-may-head-first-vedic-education-board-after-govt-panel-picks-patanjali-2047289.html">₹210 million</a>. The move reverses the government stance from three years ago. Former Education Minister Smriti Irani said the government had “reservations” about backing a private school board following Patanjali’s bid to create a Vedic board. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-top-yogi-cum-entrepreneur-just-set-a-yoga-world-record/articleshow/64683406.cms">India's top yogi-cum-entrepreneur just set a yoga world record</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/patanjali-is-building-an-army-of-salesmen-to-drive-its-next-phase-of-growth/articleshow/64682359.cms">Patanjali is building an army of salesmen to drive its next phase of growth</a>

India wants to bring back ancient Vedic education schools — billionaire yoga guru Ramdev leads the race

Before the sudden death of its leader, Ra Ma Yoga Institute was accused by some former members of being a cult. What happens now?

<ul><li>The Indian government is working on making <keyword id="6355812" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="yoga">yoga</keyword> be considered as a sport. </li><li>The <keyword id="6387077" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi-government">Narendra Modi government</keyword> had announced June 21 as <keyword id="6362857" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="international-yoga-day">International Yoga Day</keyword>. </li><li>13 crore Indians took part in the yoga day celebrations held last June.</li></ul>The Indian government is working to get Yoga asanas which is Yoga postures recognised as a sport. “We are hopeful that yoga asana (not yoga) will be accepted as a sport and maybe by the time we have the Olympics in 2036 or 2040, this will be an item there,” said P N Ranjit Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH at an event organised by industry body FICCI. He also said that the government is setting up Naturopathy Certification Board on the lines of Yoga Certification Board. Yoga is heavily endorsed by Prime Minister <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> who also went on to declare June 21 as International Yoga Day in 2014. Since then, the Modi government has been organising yoga day events at a national scale, and marketing it internationally as well. As many as 8.5 million people participated in the International Day of Yoga in 2016. The numbers grew to 130 million in 2019. “These are people who follow the yoga protocol on their own without compulsion. It’s not about yoga. It’s about wellness, about maintaining one’s own health, taking care of self and about a happier India,” Kumar said. The global yoga market is worth $80 billion. See Also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/10-incredible-images-of-international-yoga-day-celebration-in-india/articleshow/69890373.cms">Dog squad, an army troop in sand dunes and officers at 13050 ft : 10 incredible images of International Yoga Day celebration in India</a>

Indian government wants Yoga asanas to be a sport, and hopes it makes to Olympics

New Delhi, Jun 20 () With the shadow of the COVID-19 pandemic looming large, International Day of Yoga on Sunday will be celebrated on digital media platforms sans mass gatherings and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's message would be the highlight of the occasion. Yoga Day will go digital for the first time since June 21, 2015, when it began to be celebrated annually across the world, coinciding with the Summer Solstice each year. This year's theme is 'Yoga at Home and Yoga with Family' and people will be able to join the celebrations virtually at 7 am on June 21. The Indian missions abroad are trying to reach out to the people through digital media as well as through the network of institutions which support yoga, officials said. The Ministry of AYUSH had planned to hold a grand event in Leh, but cancelled it due to the pandemic. On December 11, 2014, the United Nations General Assembly declared June 21 as 'International Day of Yoga', months after Modi had proposed the idea. A message from Prime Minister Modi will be the highlight of the International Day of Yoga which will be observed on electronic and digital platforms on June 21, the AYUSH ministry said on Thursday. "Due to the current global health emergency due to the COVID-19 outbreak, the focus this year is less on such celebrations and more on people performing Yoga at their respective homes with participation of the entire family," the ministry said. The prime minister's remarks will be televised at 6.30 am, a statement by the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga &amp; Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) said. As has been the practice in International Day of Yoga (IDY) observation, the PM's message will be followed by a live demonstration of a 45-minute Common Yoga Protocol (CYP) by a team from Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga. The CYP drill has been designed keeping in mind people of different age groups and of varied walks of life, the ministry had said in its statement. "Yoga is found to be especially relevant in the pandemic situation, since its practice leads to both physical and mental wellbeing, and increases the individual's ability to fight diseases," it said. Modi on Thursday had urged people, in a video message, to observe the day from the confines of their homes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. "This year, the event will highlight the utility of yoga for individuals, to develop immunity to combat the global pandemic and strengthen the community in managing some of the significant aspects of this crisis," Vinay Sahasrabuddhe, president, Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR) had said earlier this month. The ministry and ICCR, through the 'My Life - My Yoga' video blogging competition which was launched by the prime minister on May 31, has sought to raise awareness about yoga and inspire people to prepare for and become active participants in the observation of IDY 2020. The contest has two legs -- the first one consisting of an international video blogging contest wherein the winners will be picked within a country. This will be followed by global prize winners who will be selected from different countries. To enter the contest, participants were required to upload a three-minute video of three yogic practices ('kriya', 'asana', 'pranayama', 'bandha' or 'mudra'), including a short video message/description on how the said yogic practices influenced their lives. The videos could be uploaded on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram with the contest hashtag #MyLifeMyYogaINDIA and appropriate category hashtag. Entries could be submitted by participants under three categories-- youth (male and female aged under 18), adults (male and female above 18 years) and yoga professionals (male and female), Kotecha said. This made it a total of six categories in all. For India contestants, prizes worth Rs 1 lakh, Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 will be given for first, second and third positions within each of the categories. The Indian missions abroad will give away prizes in each country. At the global level, cash prizes worth USD 2,500, USD 1,500 and USD 1,000 along with a trophy and certificate will be given to those ranking first, second and third, respectively. The blogging contest which has started on various digital platforms such as MyGov.gov.in will end on Sunday. The jury will then later collectively decide and announce the names of the winners. Yoga programmes are organaised across the globe by Indian missions every year, but this year will be different. Several missions are organizing digital events to mark the occasion. Thousands of yoga enthusiasts in Texas and adjoining US states are all set to roll out their mats to bend and twist their bodies in complex postures from the safety of their homes with acclaimed yoga guru Baba Ramdev on livestream to mark the International Day of Yoga on Sunday. ASK SMN SMN

Yoga Day to be marked on digital platforms amid COVID-19 pandemic

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49374114.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> (From L-R, <keyword id="3100203" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="YogaTrail">YogaTrail</keyword>'s CEO, Alex Kein, CMO, <keyword id="3100202" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Alex-Jaton">Alex Jaton</keyword> and CTO, Swen Ernst) 
 
Back in 2008, a chance encounter with a yogi during their trip to Kerala provided a traveler couple with the drive to convert their love for yoga into the world of entrepreneurship. 
 Alex Jaton and husband <keyword id="352440" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="Alex-Klein">Alex Klein</keyword> set the ball rolling to give the world a comprehensive network exclusively for yoga enthusiasts and practitioners. 
 
“While traveling around the world, we sampled a huge assortment of yoga in many different styles with all kinds of teachers. However, the time we spent on scouring the internet to try to figure what’s there and what we’d be interested in was not only time-consuming, but also frustrating,” recalls Jaton. 
 It was then that they started paying attention to the diverse yet fragmented <keyword id="3100204" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="yoga-community">yoga community</keyword> where word-of-mouth was the relied form of advertising and the glaring absence of a medium catering towards bridging the gap between yoga teachers and students. 
 
“Ofcourse there are those personal assistant apps that could find anything for you- an electrician, plumber and even a yoga teacher. But, seeing yogis compete with plumbers frankly didn’t sound that great to us and that led to the inception of YogaTrail in 2013,” adds Jaton, who tells me that the YogaTrail team consists of seven people, including the duo, and they’re based in Chiang Mai, Thailand. 
 
Two years later, they’ve managed to build the largest network exclusively for yoga practitioners, connecting yoga teachers and students and constantly updating users on what's happening in the yoga community. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49374265.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
Now they’re bringing it to India, the country where yoga first originated. 
 
“When you’re in the business of building a yoga website, it’s imperative that you have a presence in the Indian market, as well,” admits Jaton. 
 
Their website which is backed by Silicon Valley, SE Asian and Indian angel investors, takes care of all the needs of anyone even remotely interested in yoga and works in two ways- 
 
If you’re a yoga practitioner, you sign up on the website to essentially market your services. You enter your information- schedule of classes, venue and price. You can also post about a self-curated yoga event or retreat. 
 
While a yoga enthusiast signs up on the website to find a teacher or a yoga retreat near his/her location. One can filter the search by date, location (under 10kms/20kms), yoga levels (intermediate, beginner, advanced) or yoga styles. 
 
On being asked whether there are restrictions of any sort on the content that is posted on the website or a background check on the credentials of the person posting it, Klein is quick to add, “Any yoga practitioner can produce a host of certificates if asked, but he may not be a good 
teacher or know Yoga. The threat of dubious organizations or individuals exploiting our system exists, but how long can one pretend to be a yoga teacher?” he asks. 
 
They do have an option where students can provide feedback on a class with a certain yoga teacher who’s advertised on the site. It is based on these ‘reviews’ that the duo rank the practitioners on YogaTrail. 
 
“The idea is to let the yoga community validate themselves and endorse practitioners. It’s the same reason why we don’t spend money on advertising. I’d rather have a user recommend our website to a friend or colleague based on their experience than have a huge billboard screaming ‘Check us out,” Jaton says. 
 
“Regardless, I still have to spend time ensuring that no one is selling Viagra on the website,” she admits and laughs. 
 
While users can utlize the features in our website for free as there are no charges for signing up on the website or posting their services, yoga teachers have the option to pay and upgrade in order to receive access to premium features like finding a mention on the company's newsletter. Additionally, display advertisements are another source of revnue for YogaTrail. 
 
Moving on to talk about the expansion to India, they admit that they were persuaded by one of their investors from India who thought it was time YogaTrail made its present felt in the country. 
 
“Rishikesh and Goa are already doing well. We have about 100 teachers in both Delhi and Mumbai and hope other places in India catch up too,” Klein says. 
 
The recent surge in the popularity of yoga largely driven by the current government’s aggressive campaign to make yoga a national and global routine helped, as well. According to the government’s Make in India report, the wellness industry in India is piqued at INR 490 million. 
 
And, it is this pie that they want a slice of 
 
At the moment the website has around 100,000 users. The goal, they add is to reach 10 times the number in the next 12 months along with bringing in a revenue worth a million. 
 
The next time you're in the mood for some yoga, but don't know how to get started, you know which website to google for.

This couple is bringing YogaTrail, a TripAdvisor for the yoga community to India

Many youngsters dream of becoming an actor or actress in the movie industry. Acting is a glamorous profession that can shoot you up to fame. In addition, the actors of these days are paid so high and hence they get to enjoy a luxurious life. If you are aspiring for a career in acting, here is how you can become an actor. Get trained Acting does not require a degree. It is rather a matter of skill and zeal to perform. However, there are some courses like B.A. in Art and Drama and many other short term diploma and certificate courses. Such a course will help you gain the necessary insight into acting. These courses will teach you how to free your mind and body, remove inhibitions and face the audience. You will learn about body language, voice modulation, camera facing, miming, expressing emotions and mannerisms, cinemascope and other topics in depth so that you will approach acting in a professional way. Some celebrities also offer classes and schools for training aspiring actors. Some schools prepare the candidates for ad films and TV serials. You can think of moving up the in the acting career gradually starting with small roles and moving up. Taking up acting as a career In the field of acting, there is a huge opportunity lying in front of you. However, you must face tough competition and prove your capabilities. It is possible to start your career from Bollywood or TV serials. There is a lot of scope to enter into a popular TV serial or game show or a reality show and start acting. There is no right age to become an actor. You may do it while you are a child, young adult or an old man. The roles you can expect to be given depending on your experience, skills and physical features. In addition to the main roles in a TV serial or show, there are also a lot of side roles, support roles, friends and family roles you can hope to get in the beginning. Desirable characteristics of an actor You must have an attractive physique and focus on developing it further through facial exercises, yoga and Ayurveda treatments. Develop a good voice and cultivate a pleasant nature. A well-spoken language and English can help you a lot. Ability to memorize is very important. Many times, you will get your lines just before the host and hence you must be quick in grasping your dialogues. You must be willing to struggle through your way patiently and must not lose hopes on the way. Socializing, networking and searching for the right opportunities is highly essential to enter into the field of acting. Get prepared For an aspiring actor, a very high level of emotional stability is highly needed. You must be able to withstand repeated rejections, tensions to give your best and the ability to face the competition. You must have some financial backup to carry on with your living till you settle and start earning. As an aspiring actor, your career path is not going to be an easy one and you must prepare for all odds you might come across on the way.

How to become an Actor

<ul><li>The Amazon Great Indian Festival sale is now live for all users.</li><li>The sale brings huge discounts across a wide range of products, including laptops.</li><li>Here are some of the best deals on various laptops on the Great Indian Festival sale on Amazon.</li></ul>E-commerce giant Amazon is back with the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/ecommerce/news/amazon-great-indian-festival-sale-best-deals-and-offers/articleshow/94004700.cms">Great Indian Festival sale</a>, one of the company’s biggest annual sales ahead of the festive season. The sale is now live for all users. The Amazon Great Indian Festival sale brings offers across a wide range of products, including laptops, smartphones, TVs, home appliances, apparel and more. As part of the sale, you can avail an additional 10% instant discount by using a CITI, RBL Bank, Rupay debit or credit card or OneCard credit card. If you have been thinking about purchasing a laptop for your office, education or just to play games, now might be a good time. 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<ul><li><keyword id="6356684" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="patanjali">Patanjali</keyword> chairman Archarya Balkrishna’s estimated net worth was cut down by a third in 2020.</li><li>He now ranks 919th on the <keyword id="424923" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hurun-rich-list">Hurun Rich List</keyword> after having slipped 489 places.</li><li>The dip in his wealth comes at a time when he is desperately trying to launch <keyword id="9448306" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Coronil">Coronil</keyword>, a medicine he claims is a cure for COVID-19 — a claim, which many dispute. </li></ul>Archarya Balkrishna, the chairman and CEO of Patanjali as well as the right-hand man to yoga guru <keyword id="6355107" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Baba-Ramdev">Baba Ramdev</keyword>, took a massive hit to his wealth during the pandemic. <div type="image" title="5746a6c1b0aa6d17dd0b8657c3e31a3c_edited" msid="81294979" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Acharya Balkrishna doing yoga with Baba Ramdev on Yoga Day in 2018 with two lakh people to create a world record for the largest amount of people performing yoga in one place&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> According to Hurun’s Rich List 2021, Balkrishna’s estimated net worth dipped by 32% — more than any other Indian billionaire on the list this year in percentage terms. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Balkrishna’s estimated net worth in 2020 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Balkrishna’s estimated net worth in 2021 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$5.3 billion </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">$3.6 billion </td></tr></tbody></table> <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="81288884" title="Meet Jay Chaudhry, the man who studied under a tree in Himachal to become one of the world’s top billionaires today" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Balkrishna has often stated that the underlying vision for Patanjali is to replace all foreign imports with ‘swadeshi’ (locally made) products. It is one of the reasons why the massive FMCG company has its fingers dipped in nearly every business from food to clothing to power to private security. It even has projects going in the <a href="https://theprint.in/tech/how-ramdevs-patanjali-ayurved-made-a-secret-tech-entry-with-its-own-it-start-up/369203/">cloud services and IT solutions space.</a> <div type="image" title="balkrishna2_edited" msid="81295070" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Acharya Balkrishna announcing the availability of Patanjali products across major online portals on 16 January 2018&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> But luck was not on Patanjali’s side when the company decided to launch Coronil, its self-proclaimed cure for COVID-19. The claim has been disputed by many in the medical community including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Indian Medical Association (IMA). The state of Maharashtra has banned the sale of Coronil until it receives certification from the Ayush Ministry, which looks after all things ayurved, naturopathy, homeopathy, unani, siddha and yoga. For Balkrishna, this is not the first time that he has been caught on the wrong side of things. Balkrishna’s multi-billion dollar empire is not without its controversies Back in 2011, the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) filed a case of forgery and cheating against Balkrishna. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/small-business/people/fake-degrees-and-passports-here-is-the-real-story-of-acharya-balakrishna-ramdevs-close-aide-and-patanjali-ceo/slidelist/54365692.cms">According to the CBI</a>, the degree that Balkrishna got from the Sampurnanand Sanskrit Vishwavidyalaya in Varanasi was fake. And, it was on the basis of this fake degree that Balkrishna had procured his passport. The administration of the university also <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/beyond-business/the-rise-and-fall-of-balkrishna-111073000065_1.html">claimed</a> that they had no record of ever giving Balkrishna a degree. However, the case was closed two years later due to lack of evidence. In 2012, the Enforcement Directorate (ED) also filed a case against Balkrishna over money laundering charges. These were dropped after the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) came into power in 2014. <div type="image" title="6738550d3499f71f5dbe014dfcd955bd_edited" msid="81295019" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Acharya Balkrishna (L), Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat (C), and Baba Ramdev (R) in conversation during an RSS program in Haridwar in 2014&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Balkrishna holds 94% stake in Patanjali but he does not take home a salary, according to the <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/how-acharya-balkrishna-built-a-multi-crore-company/built-for-success/slideshow/60853399.cms">Economic Times</a>. He claims to work 15 hours a day, regardless of whether it is a Sunday or any other holiday. According to financial data accessed by business intelligence firm <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/patanjali-ayurved-s-revenue-and-profit-rise-but-still-far-from-glory-days-120111301248_1.html">Tofler</a>, Patanjali reported a net profit of ₹423 crore for FY20. But, even with that positive growth, Patanjali is far from its glory days of yore where its revenue used to double year-on-year. The company has been facing issues since the goods and services tax (GST) was introduced in 2017, disrupting its operations. Patanjali also <a href="https://www.livemint.com/companies/news/patanjali-ayurved-completes-acquisition-of-bankrupt-ruchi-soya-for-rs-4-350-crore-11576684912487.html">acquired Ruchi Soya in 2019</a>, which placed further burden on its financials. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/ritesh-agarwal-kishore-biyani-and-acharya-balkrishna-net-worth-went-down-in-year-2020-as-per-hurun-list/slidelist/81293374.cms">OYO’s Ritesh Agarwal and Future Group’s Kishore Biyani did not make the cut this year to be among India’s richest billionaires</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/gautam-adani-naveen-jindal-anand-mahindra-and-kumar-mangalam-birla-increased-their-net-worth-in-2020/slidelist/81290572.cms">Gautam Adani, Naveen Jindal, Anand Mahindra and Kumar Mangalam Birla increased their net worth despite COVID-19 wreaking havoc</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/top-10-tech-billionaires-in-india-as-per-hurun-rich-list-2021/slidelist/81287575.cms">Top 10 tech billionaires in India — Shiv Nadar saw his net worth increase by $10 billion</a>

Patanjali’s Acharya Balkrishna is the biggest loser on Hurun’s Rich List of Indian billionaires

<ul><li>OZiva, an active plant-based nutrition brand, has already crossed an annual revenue run rate of Rs 100 crore.</li><li>We speak to <keyword id="3306710" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aarti-Gill">Aarti Gill</keyword>, Co-founder, OZiva to find out what has worked in the company's favour, goals for this year and how can brands help to improve the state of nutrition in India through advertising and marketing.</li></ul>OZiva, a home-grown plant-based nutrition company, has already crossed an annual revenue rate of Rs 100 crore in five years of its existence. While the past two years have been difficult for all kinds of startups, COVID has nudged Indians to keep a check on their day-to-day nutrition intake and helped OZiva to stay afloat. Telling us how the brand has tweaked its marketing strategy to spread more awareness around the importance of nutrition during COVID, Aarti Gill, Co-founder, OZiva said, “We have been concentrating on introducing products that meet the need of the hour. Immunity being the biggest concern for consumers across the country, we have introduced plant-based OZiva Bettr.C+ which contains plant-based vitamin C that can help support your immunity. Our entire range of plant-based vitamins and minerals are focussed on building immunity and providing holistic nutrition. We all are going through difficult times and we believe it’s more important than ever to take charge of your health. Through our content, we are aiming to provide helpful and relevant information through experts (for eg: breathing exercises for better lung capacity, Yoga Asanas that can help strengthen our immune system, etc.)” OZiva has also roped in Deepika Padukone as its brand ambassador this year. According to Duff &amp; Phelps, with a value of $50.4 million, Padukone is the fifth most-loved celebrity in India. The actress usually is said to charge around Rs <a href="https://www.filmfare.com/news/bollywood/heres-how-much-deepika-padukones-brand-value-is-worth-42972.html#:~:text=According%20to%20a%20report%20in,3%20day%20long%20ad%20shoot.">8 crore for a 3 day</a> long ad shoot. <div type="Youtube" id="A1cYvKoHt-s" title="Deepika Padukone joins OZiva Family | #HarTarahSeBetter | Certified Clean Plant-Based Nutrition" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/A1cYvKoHt-s/mqdefault.jpg"></div> “Deepika Padukone is the perfect embodiment of our values of striving to be better in every way and adopting a holistic approach towards overall health, physically and mentally. Our philosophy of ‘har tarah se a better you’ resonates well with Deepika who has been extremely vocal about balancing physical and mental health. It is important to have clean nutrition along with maintaining physical health and mental wellbeing. And this association is the next pivotal step in our efforts to spearhead a national health revolution,” said Gill. An ASSOCHAM report released in 2018 predicted that the Indian nutraceuticals market is expected to grow from $4 billion in 2017 to $18 billion in 2025. It is due to this growing demand for nutrition-based products that OZiva has hit the Rs 100 crore revenue mark. Spilling the secret sauce that has helped in its success, Gill said, “While our goal was quite well-defined - it took us sometime to figure out the right business model in this space. I believe the first 2-3 years were like a learning experience where we tried out multiple things and failed at most of them. But those years were laying the foundation of where we are today. There are multiple reasons that have helped us grow like having the right team, investing in R&amp;D (a must in the consumer health segment) and most importantly listening to the consumers. If your offering can manage to solve a problem or makes someone’s life easier, then you definitely have the potential to grow leaps and bounds.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="State of nutrition in India" text="State of nutrition in India">State of nutrition in India</cmsannotation> Nutrition can be used as a yardstick to measure a country’s overall development and progress. However, the United Nations ‘The State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World’ report highlights how there are 189.2 million undernourished people in India. It also said that our country is likely to miss the 2025 global nutrition targets. OZiva is the first nutrition brand in India to be certified clean and receive the Purity Award and Pesticide Free certificate from the US-based Clean Label Project. Gill claims that only about 100 brands across the world out of more than 10,000 brands that CLP has tested so far, have passed the criteria for Purity Award. It is only in 2021 that we finally have a start-up that is considered clean and pure in India’s nutraceuticals market as per global standards, which reflects how poor the state of the industry is and why quality control is one of the major concerns plaguing the health and nutrition vertical. Telling us why other Indian nutraceutical brands and conglomerates have failed to provide pure products so far, Gill said, “The market in India is replete with numerous companies selling dubious products with low-quality ingredients. It is true that being the first and foremost brand in India to be certified clean, pure and free from pesticides is both gladdening and sad at the same time. A lot of companies also seek to benefit from the low levels of consumer awareness and knowledge in terms of ingredient quality and their sourcing. Another reason is that many low quality or unhealthy ingredients don’t affect the body immediately but turn harmful to the body over a period of time. For eg., certain artificial sweeteners that are used in certain foods can be harmful to the body if consumed for a long period of time. So consumers sometimes oversee these factors or think it might not cause enough harm. Hence companies continue to use such unhealthy ingredients in their products. The guidelines for clean labelling is still in its nascent stage in India which has further made it easier for companies to take undue advantage of the same. By raising the benchmarks for purity in India, we hope to bring about a change in the way ‘clean nutrition’ is perceived in the country.” To improve the state of the nutrition industry further, Gill said that consumers should be encouraged to ask the right questions around the food label, ingredients -- leaving brands with no choice but to step up. “We also need to raise the benchmark of quality. FSSAI or Ayush license is just the first step for any food and nutrition brand. It’s important to analyse various quality parameters such as heavy metals, toxicity etc to ensure the products meet the global standards of purity. We need to also invest in upgrading the testing machines. When we were going for Clean Label certification, we realized many parameters in India are tested on parts per million whereas the global standard is testing on parts per billion. We had to send our test samples to Germany and the US to ensure our products meet the testing standards defined on a global level. If we are able to take the necessary steps in the above direction, our future generations will be eating far more cleaner products than we are,” said Gill. There's a lack of awareness and understanding in India when it comes to getting the right nutrition from food, especially among women. According to the National Family Health Survey 2019-20, in most states and union territories of India, more than half the children and women are anemic. However, after COVID, people are becoming more conscious as they are considering their daily lifestyle and taking a more holistic approach by purchasing items that might help strengthen the immune system naturally. Gill told us how OZiva is educating consumers about getting the right nutrition through its marketing and advertising channels. She shared, “Our brand’s purpose is to empower consumers with the right information and right nutrition so that they can lead a clean, holistic life. Our communication, hence emphasizes on providing information backed with research and data. For eg: Vitamins and Minerals are an extremely huge category in India. However, most of the supplements available in the market are synthetically produced. Plant-based vitamins and minerals provide better absorption compared to synthetic counterparts and hence is highly recommended. There are multiple research papers that support this finding. Our range of ‘Bettr’ vitamins and minerals are 100% plant-based that provides consumers maximum goodness from consumption of the same. Our communication around this series focuses on the importance and relevance of better absorption and how it is beneficial to the body. We believe that with the right information, we will be able to help consumers slowly and steadily move to a healthier lifestyle.” <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Vision for the brand" text="Vision for the brand">Vision for the brand</cmsannotation> “Being a clean, plant-based nutrition company has worked in OZiva’s favour. We have seen a 4X growth in the last 12 months which is driven by more and more consumers adopting a holistic and clean lifestyle. Clean, plant-based nutrition offers complete wellbeing and multiple benefits like better immunity and overall fitness. We expect continued growth for plant-based nutrition and products in the coming months too as I feel it's now time that people realize clean products are not a good to have but an important part of our daily lifestyle. We are aiming for 3-4X growth this FY too,” said Gill Gill also told us that the company started with a vision to empower 100 million people to be healthier and better. Now, it is investing in Health 2.0, which is driven by a more proactive consumer who takes control of their health and wellness decisions. This could eventually bring down the healthcare cost and create a positive impact on the society.

After crossing an annual revenue run rate of Rs 100 crore, nutrition brand OZiva eyes 4X growth this year

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<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/32002224.cms" /><keyword id="156025" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Medical-Tourism">Medical tourism</keyword> is a booming phenomenon in countries like India, Malaysia, Mexico, Israel, Singapore among others. This sector has shown immense potential in the last few years, and has been hailed as the biggest revenue raking factor for any country that is willing to relax its rules and policies making things easier for those who are visiting a country as a tourist who wants to fix a thing or two in his/her body. 
 
Namaste India 
With all its cultural contradictions, what makes an ancient country India a hot destination for medical tourists? It’s booming education sector, which produces doctors who are never in scarce, and the surge of multi-specialty hospitals which have the best of equipments, and of course India’s own pharma sector is ever expanding. Compared to west (especially the UK and USA) costs in India are never a prohibitive for someone who has to undergo a major surgery. An unlikely aspect which needs further regulation is that of donors, who are never in short supply. No waiting period makes things easier for an American or a European choose India over other countries. 
 And then for those in search of alternate medicines, India is a land of <keyword id="6500558" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indigenous">indigenous</keyword> knowledge on herbs, spices, oils and the combination of these curing a lot of ailments which according to modern medicine would require intervention. Now, it’s not a bad idea to find some real time solution for that bad back, or that skull-numbing migraine while sipping on tender coconut water the serene backwaters of Kerala, with Yoga regimes thrown in, isn’t it? 
 
Medical tourism in India has different shades to it. While considering modern medicine alone, given the fact that most people would rush to India in time for a surgery, the costs are to be taken into account. No matter how ‘courteous’ US has been with its healthcare bill, making health accessible to majority of the people in the US, the costs in India are still much cheaper. And the post-surgery care with medicines, just as good! Because, India has been increasingly adhering to international quality standards with ISO certification and regular auditing of the systems and medical records in hospitals suiting all budgets. 
So, it’s a no surprise that the foreign tourists who choose India for orthopedic and cardiac surgeries rave about its seven star facilities in hospitals. The country has been surely putting its growing population to good use by training them in medical and paramedical jobs, with no dearth of caregivers in its hospitals. 
 
How Big Can it Get? The rising popularity of India turning into a hot medical tourism destination, with an average stay of a patient/tourist being 30 days and above, is in the statistics. According to <keyword id="390331" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Confederation-of-Indian-Industries">Confederation of Indian Industries</keyword>, 150,000 medical tourists visited India in 2005. This was despite little or no marketing efforts from the <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword> and hospitals. It was a purely driven by person-to-person recommendation of a particular hospital or facilities. 
 In 2008, the numbers had grown steadily, <keyword id="30450" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Touch">touch</keyword>ing a 200,000 milestone of those many people having visited India for various surgeries. Soon, Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (<keyword id="6355988" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Assocham">ASSOCHAM</keyword>) began to collate the data and declared 850,000 medical tourists had visited the country in 2011. Anticipation is that the numbers may well touch 3,200,000 by 2015. Majority of these tourists came to Indian shores seeking liver transplant, <keyword id="24479" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="heart">heart</keyword> surgeries like bypass or pacemaker, bone marrow transplant, hip replacement, knee replacement, eye surgeries, etc. Indian expertise in conducting these surgeries with most advanced technology is at par or sometimes even beyond comparison with its American or European counterparts. 
 Business is not all that it matters for India as far as medical tourism is concerned. The country on one hand is tapping its potential for being a health destination among developed nations. And on the other, it is also using it for establishing values such as secularism too. Pediatric patients in need of good medical attention and their families cross borders of Pakistan and <keyword id="6354541" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="afghanistan">Afghanistan</keyword> regularly, to be treated with equal amount of love, care and affection in Indian hospitals. Years ago, a Bangalore based hospital made headlines for treating a young Pakistani girl, and built quite a few bridges across hearts in both the countries. 
 
The biggest beneficiary from all this is the average US/UK citizen who wants a surgery done within his affordability because in his own country, it would cost at least ten times more. While total addressable global health tourism is pitted at $150 billion, India so far has been able to access only about a billion or so. But these numbers are surely expected to grow in the coming days as the medical tourism is expected to grow at 30% annually till 2015. Beyond that, it will take sustained efforts and better marketing strategies for India to remain on the global health tourism market. 
 
Image: Thinkstock

A Visit To
Taj With A Bypass Surgery Thrown In

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/51356198.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" />“We can train you to get <keyword id="6354967" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="John-Abraham">John Abraham</keyword>’s body” – often Indian <keyword id="6354337" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="gym">gym</keyword> trainers are heard selling this idea to new <keyword id="18974" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="fitness">fitness</keyword> freaks at their gym. Even as it sounds as a hollow promise to most, the idea of getting John-like perfect lean cuts and athletic physique is so tempting that all logical thinking goes down the drain. You end up hiring him not only as your personal trainer but that too, at double the price! 
 Before you spend a fortune for what are sheer lies and what is known as a marketing gimmick, hear John’s personal trainer <keyword id="943140" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vinod-Channa">Vinod Channa</keyword>’s piece of advice: First and foremost, don’t follow a celebrity, please! 
 
“It’s not only dangerous, but also discouraging for somebody who has just started his/her fitness journey. Also, some trainers might end up pushing you too much with high-intensity or high-repetition workouts. That’s not going to help. You will tire out and quit,” says the 36-year-old celebrity trainer, who explains that John has trained for several years to be able to adapt to rigorous workouts to meet the health and fitness needs of his movies. 
 Also, he explains that the same <keyword id="24256" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="workout">workout</keyword> as John could have a different effect on a different body because of different genetic makeup and differing lifestyle. So what may work for him may not work for you even if you are put on a similar fitness regime. Instead, Vinod would prefer to give a few basic and wise health and fitness tips to you: 
 
Don’t procrastinate, get up and hit the gym! 
 
“You may be planning to start exercising for ages. Merely planning won’t help. Get out of your comfort zone, identify a good gym and most importantly, hit it! 
 
Get the right trainer for yourself 
 
Spend time identifying the right trainer for yourself – ideally one who has certification or has experience. Vinod, however, cautions that the trainer should be interested not in what he wants to do but in what you want to achieve. A good trainer will not only be in sync with your requirement according to your lifestyle, fitness level and genetics, but also extract your potential. Go with a senior trainer with at least five years of experience who is certified in different types of fitness techniques and has experience of handling different kinds of people. Most importantly, he should have tried the techniques on himself, only then would he be a good teacher. 
 
Set a target: 
 
Where am I, what’s my target and by when do I want to achieve it- decide! Until you have a target, you are going nowhere with your workout. 
 
Follow a progressive workout: 
 
Enhance your workout every day. If you are doing 10 pulls ups, try 15 or start doing 10 with single hand. Similarly, if you are doing 10 kg spotting, try 15 so on and so forth. Stretch yourself a bit to go the extra mile, not too much. 
 
Compete with yourself, not others: 
 
It will help you in not feeling disappointed if you don’t attain that near perfect body despite rigorous workouts. “John was training with 20 pound weight and he was able to get 19 inch triceps. We trainers can sustain 30 – 40 pound weight, but our triceps haven’t enhanced like John’s,” says Vinod. Set your own benchmark and work towards realizing it. Don’t follow a celebrity! 
 
Stay optimistic, Live in the present and do your best! 
 
Having a healthy mind is very important for achieving a fit body. Stay happy and positive, only then can you sustain that endurance that is needed to become fit. 
 
Inculcate good eating habits 
 
Your meals should have 25 per cent protein, 40 per cent carbs (good) and 35 per cent fat. It helps in sustaining you longer during the day. Whenever you feel you are gaining, increase intensity of workouts and switch to a low carb diet. 
 
Hailing from a middle class background, Vinod Channa’s 16-year-journey from body building to becoming one of India’s top celebrity trainer is no less compared to that of a Bollwood star’s journey to stardom. 
 
It all started for him when he was 16. 
 
He was called names by boys his age for being lean and sensitive despite being a male. He took it in his stride to work on his physique, he says, only to later win 1 Mumbai Gold, 2 silver, 2 Maharashtra silver medals. He also won two championships in body building. His journey however was not an easy one. 
 
“When I set out, I didn’t have money and my family was dependent on me. I started working out in small gyms first because I couldn’t afford better ones and soon, I ended up getting training from body builders as there were no personal trainers then,” he says, adding that the body builders were helping him in return for doing menial jobs for them inside the gym. 
 
Years of struggle followed. He worked as a freelance personal trainer teaching his clients at their homes. “There was not one day when I didn’t go to work and I worked throughout the day,” he says, remembering he had to brave rains and heat both for years to get to places far from where he stayed. 
 
His hard work soon earned him his first celebrity client - Hrithik Roshan. Obstacles, however, remained. Vinod had to beg the posh locality-based gyms to allow him and his client a workout space in return for money, but he was often asked to leave suspecting that his unique fitness training could divert the gym’s members towards him for personal training. Clearly, he was different from other trainers – with better understanding on fitness techniques and the ways to apply them on clients. 
 
“I started my own gym two years back and I invite good freelance trainers to my gym to come with their clients. If they are really good, I advice them to take my client as well. There should be healthy competition,” he says. 
 
His gym now boasts of a huge celeb clientele that he has built over the years. Shilpa Shetty, Raj Kundra, Ritesh Deshmukh, Genelia D’Souza, John, Hrithik are a few among them. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49338916.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
“I have gained knowledge from various fitness trainers across the world and I apply all the new techniques on myself before I teach them to my clients,” he says, adding that it has helped him specialize in weight training, functional and body building training, Gazette training for balancing, yoga ashtanga, kalari pattu, parkour, caleshthenic, kick-boxing and animal flow workout. 
 
<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49338976.cms" style="width: 800px; height: 600px;" /> 
 
A busy man now, he chooses to spend time on celebrities on priority basis. “So if any celeb say John or Hrithik have a movie coming up in another month, I’ll take him on priority,” he says. He is currently preparing John for his upcoming movies Rocky Handsome, Force 2 and Dhishum.

John's personal trainer tells you 7 sensible fitness tips that can help you get a body like the star

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/49337427.cms" /> 
It’s all set to be a ₹5,000 Crores company by next March, and is headed by a Yogi. It has effectively demolished all set notions of business, finance and marketing. In an age where companies spend as much as 70% of their earnings on marketing, this ‘desi’ <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=FMCG">FMCG</a> brand expends a few pennies at the most. Yet, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Kishore+Biyani">Kishore Biyani</a>, CEO, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Future+Group">Future Group</a> expects sales revenue of about ₹1,000 Crores in the next 3 years from his partnership with this brand. We’re talking of the ‘swadeshi’ <keyword id="34523" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="fmcg">FMCG</keyword> giant – <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Patanjali+Ayurved">Patanjali Ayurved</a>. 
 
BI India chatted up with <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Acharya+Balkrishna">Acharya Balkrishna</a>, Managing Director of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Patanjali+Ayurved">Patanjali Ayurved</a> to get a rare glimpse into this unconventional business machine that’s raking in the moolah like never before. 
 
1. How did Patanjali begin? 
We’ve always focused on the needs and demands of the people of the country. That led to the inception of the brand. Our focus has always been on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Yoga">Yoga</a> and <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Ayurveda">Ayurveda</a>. We never planned it to be so big. We wanted to serve the people, and by the grace of the Almighty it has been successful. Without divine intervention this would never have been possible. 
 
2. How difficult was it to create a brand? 
The biggest difficulty was that people who run MNCs never revolt against the government. However, Swamiji spoke up against black money and other pressing issues. You must realize it’s the government that issues certificates and licenses. To stand up to the government and yet establish a brand, it’s a daunting task. We have had over 300 cases registered against us. Yet, we were successful in our protest. Our processes are transparent and in line with the government operations and the love of the people is with us. That’s exactly why the brand has been left unharmed. 
 
3. How do you conduct your market research? 
We’ve never done any market research or market survey. We’ve focused all our efforts on <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=R%26D">R&amp;D</a>, product development and quality control. 
 
The initial idea was that MNCs offer the best quality. They had a monopoly over the Indian <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=FMCG">FMCG</a> market. Indian brands were expected to lose out on quality. We focused on low price and high quality to demolish this myth. It has worked for us. 
 
4. How do you assess the need for a product? 
We never think of commercial benefits. Our efforts are guided by consumer demand. We surround ourselves with people and understand their sentiments, needs and desires. 
 
Our first products were Aloe Vera Oil and Amla Juice. There was no market for products like these. Nobody ever thought this would sell. It started like this. Amla farmers were in dire losses. We felt we should buy some from them. We knew Amla was very good for your health. Swamiji declared the benefits of drinking Amla juice, and it started to sell. Any corporate trained in market research and planning would call this move a foolish move. 
 
For Aloe Vera Oil we were selling it at as little as Rs. 200. Most MNC priced theirs at around Rs. 1300. Our focus was never on the size of the market, but on the demands of the people. 
 
5. Why don’t you market your products? 
For any <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=FMCG">FMCG</a> product you'll have raw material, processing cost and packaging. Nobody gives out of their own pocket. Either one has to increase the price or offer inferior quality. If we invest in marketing we can’t offer low prices. MNCs might try to sell products via marketing, we’ll do the same with quality. 
 
6. Are you worried about the future of your retail outlets after the partnership with <keyword id="44949" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Future-group">Future Group</keyword>? 
Our sales would spike from this partnership. Once people see products in malls, try them, and find it’s effective, they’ll become loyal customers of the brand. This would draw them to our brand stores. This would strengthen <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Patanjali">Patanjali</a> as a brand. 
 
7. What are your current expansion plans? 
Our Atta noodles would arrive very soon. We would sell it at half the price of most leading MNCs. We’ll also launch Power Boost – a malt-based children’s health supplement soon. We’re currently focusing on ramping up our R&amp;D operations on this. 
 
8. How did you come across the idea to have your won noodles brand? 
We never planned to enter the ready-to-eat category. Our social media expert spoke up about the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Maggi">Maggi</a> controversy. The posts went viral. People asked us to offer a healthy alternative to <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Maggi">Maggi</a>. Our R&amp;D team worked on it and started developing. Now we’re a few days from the launch. 
 
9. How do you plan to finance your expansion plans? 
We would get bank loans. We can also loan from partner institutions. There are no plans to look at <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=FDI">FDI</a> currently. 
 
10. Do you think your financial model is self-sustainable? 
We’ve come so far based on this model. We started by taking personal loans as well. Patanajali can’t dream to be a global brand overnight. We don’t build castles in the air. This model seems simple and effective to us. 
 
11. Have you broken even? 
In the zeal to expand, when we started there were several problems. We optimized our systems accordingly. We decided to expand as much as we can afford to. It’s as simple as that. 
 
12. Are you looking at other brand partnerships? 
None as of now. We’re always open to more fruitful partnerships that would help better our services. 
 
13. What do you look for in a job candidate before you hire them? 
Our system is corporate, but our culture isn’t. We hire people that share our line of thought. Incidentally they’re also experts in their fields. We don’t hire those who have non-vegetarian fare, consumer tobacco or alcohol. They must be patriotic and spiritual. We routinely receive resumes for consideration. We scan them and choose the best in case of vacancies. 
 
We look at a relationship that can survive the test of time. They work here to serve society, not just to earn money. I personally never charge a rupee as a salary. 
 
14. It’s been in the news that you’re looking to hire executives from top FMCGs. 
If there are people in the system that are willing to come to our side, it’s a different thing. However, we never target specific brands. We haven’t come this far by copying the financial system or policies of any company, and we won’t. We don’t consider these companies as competition. 
 
15. Do you think Swamiji’s share of controversies had a positive or negative impact on the brand? 
The central and state governments were against us when Swamiji stood up against the government’s policies. This means people had faith in us and our brand. Otherwise this would have closed down by now. 
 
 (The following conversation was in Hindi. It has been translated to English with as little loss as possible)

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