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IHCL announces the opening of Ginger Chennai, OMR in Tamil Nadu

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Indian Hotels Company (IHCL) has announced the opening of Ginger Chennai, OMR, in Tamil Nadu. The lean luxe design philosophy of the hotel offers guests the opportunity to blend work and play in the middle of vibrant spaces that exhibit a seamless coexistence of contrasts.

Speaking on occasion, Puneet Chhatwal, managing director and chief executive officer of IHCL, said, “Chennai is the most prominent cultural, economic and educational center of South India, and IHCL has presence in this key metropolitan city with 11 hotels across brands. The opening of Ginger Chennai, OMR expands our footprint to cater to the ever-growing demand of the IT corridor.”

On Old Mahabalipuram Road, widely known as Rajiv Gandhi Salai, the 99-room Ginger OMR is ideally situated among important IT parks and entertainment hubs. The hotel has a state-of-the-art meeting space, a fitness centre, and Qmin, the signature all-day dining offering serving a combination of global and local cuisines. For both work and pleasure, it is the ideal destination.

Chennai is the capital of the state of Tamil Nadu, located on the east coast of the Bay of Bengal. It is famous for its stunning beaches, fascinating historic landmarks, and vibrant culture. Moreover, it is a central hub for healthcare, information technology, and automobile manufacturing industries. 

IHCL will have 11 hotels in Tamil Nadu after the addition of this hotel, one of which is currently under construction.

MobiKwik eyes fresh IPO in 12-18 months

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MobiKwik, which had delayed its initial public offering (IPO) in November 2021 due to uncertain markets and rival Paytm’s dismal debut, is now aiming to go public in the next 12 to 18 months, according to UpasanaTaku, chairperson, co-founder, and COO.

“We had planned (the IPO in) March 2022 but before that the Ukraine war happened, and Nasdaq started crashing. So, all the multiples were going down,” Taku said on the sidelines of an event, adding that the fintech firm continues to be in an IPO ‘ready mode’.

The IPO size may be reduced from the earlier planned Rs 1,900 crore offering. “We will try to go at it a little small because the main thing is to get it done. It’s a difficult market,” Taku said. In the interim, the company may look at raising funds, Taku hinted without giving details.

It raised over Rs 50 crore in debt funding last year. According to Taku, MobiKwik‘s annual cash burn is now less than Rs 50 crore. 

“In the new financial year (starting April 1), we are looking at being fully profitable on Rs 1,000 crore topline. That’s what we are working towards,” Taku said.

Going into the new fiscal year, the company will conduct a preliminary assessment of its financial performance and submit new draft IPO papers to Sebi in response, Taku added.

Aside from a tough market, companies aiming to go public will undergo more intense regulatory scrutiny. Oravel Stays, the company that runs Oyo, was one of six companies whose draft IPO papers, Sebi, recently returned.

Amazon Pay partners with Bharat BillPay to offer easy loan repayment 

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Amazon Pay partners with Bharat BillPay to strengthen its Loan Repayment category, one of the top categories in bill payment, amongst other options such as Electricity and Municipal Tax.

Customers who take loans from banks, microfinance institutions, and NBFCs and need a convenient payment option to make on-time EMI payments could use this category to facilitate a loan repayment option.

Customers can also contribute to the prepayment of their loans in addition to the EMI deductions.

Over 200 lenders have signed up for the category, according to a press release from Amazon Pay, including Bajaj Finance Ltd, Cholamandalam Investment & Finance Company Ltd, HDB Financial Services Ltd, Home Credit, and IIFL Finance.

Customers can visit the Amazon Pay area and click the Loan Repayment option to access this. Alternatively, users can quickly select the “Pay Bills” option on the “Amazon.in” home screen and then choose the “Loan Repayment” option to pay their EMIs easily.

“Our mission is to simplify digital payments for customers by creating safe, convenient and rewarding payment experiences. Some of the challenges which customers face while repaying their loans are unavailability of a secure digital payment platform and flexibility of payment options,” Anuradha Aggarwal, Director User Growth and CMO,  Amazon Pay India, commented.

Noopur Chaturvedi, CEO, NPCI Bharat BillPay Limited (NBBL), said, “We are delighted to associate with Amazon Pay to introduce an easy Loan EMI Repayment solution for customers, who avail loans from both traditional lenders and new-age financial institutions. With this collaboration customers will experience a hassle-free and instant payment mechanism to pay their EMIs safely.”

Customers can select their bank or NBFC from the list, enter their loan account number or any other input the bank requires, and click the “Fetch EMI” option to access this category on Amazon Pay. After displaying the information on pending loans or EMIs, users can choose a payment method and proceed to pay.

Accenture to acquire Bengaluru-based AI firm Flutura

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Accenture, an IT services and consulting firm, announced on Tuesday that it would acquire Flutura, the Bengaluru-based industrial artificial intelligence company. The deal size was not disclosed.

Over 110 professionals at Flutura deliver industrial data science services to manufacturers and other asset-intensive companies.

“Flutura will strengthen Accenture’s industrial AI services to increase the performance of plants, refineries, and supply chains while also enabling clients to accomplish their net-zero goals faster,” Accenture said in a statement.

Ireland-based Accenture plans to bring Flutura’s capabilities to clients in the energy, chemicals, metals, mining, and pharmaceutical industries.

“Flutura democratizes AI for engineers. This acquisition will power industrial AI-led transformation for our clients globally and particularly in Australia, South-East Asia, Japan, Africa, India, Latin America and the Middle East,” Senthil Ramani, senior managing director and Accenture Applied Intelligence lead for Growth Markets, said.

Accenture acquired data science company ALBERT in Japan last year.

Other significant AI acquisitions of Accenture include Analytics8 in Australia, Sentelis in France, Bridgei2i and Byte Prophecy in India, and Pragsis Bidoop in Spain, US-based Clarity Insights and Mudano in the UK.

Realty developer Axis Ecorp to operate boutique hotels

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Real estate developer Axis Ecorp has plans to develop a portfolio of 10-12 boutique hotels at holiday destinations, Aditya Kushwaha, CEO and Director, said.

With Deefellows, the company has entered the hospitality industry. Jim Corbett will host the first Deefellows property at the end of April. Jim Corbett will host the first Deefellows property by April.

Deefellows planned to establish luxury accommodations and premium resorts across India, including in Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh, Kerala, Goa and other popular holiday destinations.

The company plans to run resorts in 10 to 15-holiday destinations within its first year of operations, with a revenue potential of over INR 50 crore. Almost 400 employees will get direct employment from the company across various locations.

In 2022, the Indian hospitality industry witnessed a remarkable rebound. Domestic tourism served as the industry’s primary growth engine. People are keen to travel after spending the last couple of years confined to their homes, and the leisure sector is growing.

“Through Defellows, we will be looking at capturing a significant chunk of this booming business,” said Kushwaha.

Jim Corbett‘s first Deefellows resort is situated on the banks of the Kosi River.

India has 45,000 AI jobs, demand for skills rising: Report

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Job openings across various industries have increased due to the recent surge in artificial intelligence (AI) enabled tech. A report by TeamLease Digital found that there are now 45,000 AI-enabled job openings in India.

The report analysed the potential of AI in different industries and identified key job roles, including clinical data analysts in healthcare, edtech product managers in education, and industrial data scientists in manufacturing. The report also estimated salaries for freshers and experienced professionals, with data engineers earning Rs 14 lakh and ML engineers up Rs 10 lakh per annum.

According to a survey by TeamLease Digital, 37% of organisations prefer to provide their employees with the relevant tools to develop an AI-ready workforce. In comparison, 30% believe that AI learning programmes are essential to bringing out the best in their employees. Most employees also agreed that initiatives for “upskilling and reskilling” are required to prepare a workforce for the future.

“The AI revolution is transforming the job market, creating an urgent need for skilled professionals who can design, develop, and implement cutting-edge AI technologies. Fortunately, the Indian government is taking proactive steps to address this challenge by entering into a bilateral strategic partnership through iCET and setting up centers of excellence and training initiatives,” said Sunil Chemmankotil, chief executive officer of TeamLease Digital.

The report was published following a recent partnership between iCET, the US, and India to explore the growth of AI and related job opportunities. iCET was established to strengthen and expand strategic technology partnerships between the two countries and pledges cooperation in many tech fields, including AI, quantum technologies, advanced wireless, etc.

“In today’s rapidly evolving job market, upskilling with AI skills is becoming increasingly important for career growth and employability. With automation and AI transforming industries across the board, having a basic understanding of AI and its applications can give individuals a competitive edge in the job market,” said Siva Prasad Nanduri, the chief business officer at TeamLease Digital.

“It’s never too late to start upskilling, and investing in AI skills can provide long-term benefits for individuals and their careers,” he said.

The report cited the Union Budget for government steps to train young people in AI-related skills. One major state initiative is the creation of Centres of Excellence for AI.

Royals Moonlight Resort & Spa opens door at Jim Corbett 

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Royals Club International announces its foray into one of India’s most popular holiday destinations and India’s oldest national park Jim Corbett with the opening of Royals Moonlight Resorts & Spa, Jim Corbett.

“Royals Moonlight Resort & Spa, Jim Corbett,” which is situated in the picturesque surroundings of the lush green Corbett park, features 35 spacious and exquisitely designed Deluxe, Suite, and Cottage categories. The resort spans a vast 9 acres of land. It is strategically located near the bus stand and railway station. Also, the breathtaking Corbett Fall and the hill towns of Nainital and Bhimtal are just a short 15-minute and an hour’s drive away, respectively.

Commenting on the latest addition, Arvind Singh, CMD, Royals Club International, said, “We are absolutely thrilled to announce the newest addition, ‘Royals Moonlight Resorts & Spa, Jim Corbett’, to our hospitality portfolio. We are particularly thrilled by the fact that Jim Corbett and Nainital are two of the most popular destinations in India and much in demand with our members and customers too, and now we can cater to that demand far more efficiently. It’s a wonderful top-of-the-line resort property, and we expect it to be the most sought-after hospitality address at Jim Corbett and surrounding.”

Furthermore, he said, “Royals Moonlight Resorts & Spa is not only a beautiful holiday resort property for leisure and vacations, exploring the Jim Corbett National Park and its colourful wildlife or to enjoy the beautiful Corbett Fall, but is also ideally suited to serve as the base to explore the nearby hill stations and sites like Nainital, Bhimtal, and other hilly attractions, at just at an hour’s drive for the property, in the vicinity. Also, given its large size and huge lawns, it can efficiently cater to destination wedding demands and conferences and corporate off sites, etc.,” Singh said.

The Royals Moonlight Resort & Spa in Jim Corbett has all the modern-day amenities necessary to meet the expectations of today’s discerning travellers.

Healthtech startup SaveIN to focus on partnerships, eyes five-fold growth

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SaveIN, which offers embedded finance for several healthcare treatments across a network of healthcare providers, will focus on partnerships to increase its market share and is eyeing a five-fold growth in revenue over the next year. 

The CEO of SaveIN, Jitin Bhasin, stated that it is now time for the consumerization of healthcare, adding that SaveIN intends to “democratise how people access private healthcare.”

He claimed that SaveIN is witnessing “hyperbolic growth” and wants to become an on-demand, hyperlocal, recognized healthcare network that can be relied on.

“We are solving the problem of access, quality, and affordability – the three pillars of healthcare. So SaveIN is being built as a completely integrated ecosystem which is geared to solve these issues,” Bhasin told PTI.

The fintech startup focusing on healthcare offers services to customers looking for treatments in several fields, including hair, dermatology, dentistry, and alternative therapies like Ayurveda, ophthalmology, wellness, and fitness. The platform offers access to around 300 procedures. SaveIN is available at centres across 100 cities.

“We hope to grow 5X and are looking to expand our network to 15,000 health practitioners, clinics in the next year,” he said.

Within a year of its launch, SaveIN expanded its presence to about 3,000 healthcare partners (including clinics, healthcare providers, doctors, fitness centres, and alternative therapy centres) due to adopting a digital-led partnership expansion strategy.

To expand its reach in the healthcare domain, SaveIN will keep focusing on partnerships in the future.

“Since inception, SaveIN has processed over 1 lakh customer applications and helped those who were desirous of seeking finance for healthcare products and services across our partner locations,” Bhasin said, adding SaveIN is currently delivering a run rate of Rs 100 crore in annualized disbursals.

The company is looking at a 5 times growth, he said.

Popular medical treatments include hair transplants, body sculpting, weight loss, anti-aging, feature correction procedures, smile designing, dental aligners, orthodontics, lasik surgeries, diabetes reversal, physical training, yoga, and fitness memberships.

“We allow people to borrow up to Rs 2 lakh in a completely paperless, 100 per cent digital, fully compliant model with the RBI guidelines on digital lending in partnership with NBFC,” Bhasin said.

Customers can choose payment plans, and SaveIN helps with upfront payments to doctors. SaveIN charges commission from these healthcare partners.

Also, the SaveIN platform gathers data sets for risk assessment and quality assessment procedures based on consent.

“Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Bangalore, Gurugram, Chennai are leading cities when it comes to consumption. We have also seen good take up rate in tier-1 and tier-2 centers,” Bhasin said and pointed out that 70 per cent of the customers are between 25-45 yrs of age.

On whether the company is looking to raise more funds, Bhasin said SaveIN is currently well-capitalized. The company has raised $8 million in funding in the seed round.

“We are well capitalised and have raised arguably the largest seed round among healthcare-fintech startups, and that too in 2022, which was the most difficult year for venture capital investing. Having said that, we are growing aggressively and see a very large market opportunity,” Bhasin said.

The startup is positive on a unit economics basis, indicating it makes money on every new sale.

“Given our B2B2C go-to-market model, our customer acquisition costs are negligible, and that aids our unit economics profitability. We expect to add other forms of revenue as well in the coming year,” Bhasin added.

SaveIN complies with the Reserve Bank of India’s Digital Lending Guidelines, according to Bhasin.

“We are constituted as a Loan Service Provider and work in partnership with RBI-approved regulated lending entities (REs). We are already live with multiple NBFCs and presently integrating with other regulated entities, including banks,” Bhasin added.

Truecaller launches its first India office in Bengaluru

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Truecaller, a caller ID verification platform, announced opening its first exclusive office space outside of Sweden in Bangalore.

The office was virtually inaugurated by Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Skill Development and Entrepreneurship & Electronics and Information Technology.

According to a press release from the company, the facility in Bengaluru is located in a renovated space with 30,443 square feet that can occupy up to 250 employees and features cutting-edge amenities and technology.

According to Truecaller, this facility would be its main hub for delivering innovations that will be available in India initially and serving users globally. This office is the largest establishment of Truecaller outside of its headquarters in Stockholm, Sweden.

Truecaller, launched in the country a decade ago, now has 338 million monthly active users, 246 million of whom are from India, according to the company.

The company claimed that India offered unique opportunities for the Truecaller platform to introduce new products and services. It also highlighted how the feedback it received allowed it to develop its products further, which was crucial to its capabilities for innovation and growth.

In congratulating Truecaller, Minister Chandrasekhar said that the company’s decision to establish an exclusive office in India represents India’s development as a trusted technology partner to the world.

Truecaller’s CEO and co-founder Alan Mamedi said that the new facility in Bangalore reaffirmed the company’s ongoing investment in India.

“The government’s vision and focus is on enabling entrepreneurship and expansion of a vibrant innovation and startup ecosystem in India,” Chandrasekhar said. “The journey to where we are today in 2023 as one of the most exciting and fastest-growing ecosystems in the world has been a result of the hard work of many years where our Prime Minister had outlined and set out one of the key goals of making India a technology enabler.”

“We want to continue to serve India’s digital society and economy with the best experience on our app, with safety and privacy as core operating principles,” Mamedi said. “Our company’s growth in India has been closely linked to the increasing use of smartphones and the internet… We remain committed to the safety of our users and the values of Digital India, of an open, trusted, safe and accountable internet,” he said.

Sterling Holidays launches Sterling Shivalik in Chail, Himachal Pradesh 

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Sterling Shivalik Chail is a boutique mountain retreat consisting of 32 rooms, situated 24km from Shimla. Deodar and pine wood are used to create modern furnishings, featuring Seesham and Walnut wood for style. This reflects the local architecture.

The resort’s “Tibba” restaurant offers guests a taste of the unique flavours of “Pahari” and Himachali cuisine. The welcoming staff makes each guest’s stay at Sterling Shivalik Chail enchanting and memorable.

Once the summer capital of Patiala, Chail is a hill station that is easily accessible and enjoys pleasant weather all year round. Visitors can take part in a variety of adventurous activities, such as exploring the Chail Palace, a popular location for filming Indian movies, relaxing by the enchanting Sadhupul Lake, exploring the alluring hiking trails nearby, spotting flying squirrels at the Chail Wildlife Sanctuary, or marvelling at the breathtaking panoramic view of the snow-capped Himalayan ranges at Kali ka Tibba.

Additionally, Sterling Shivalik Chail offers specially crafted experiences like the “Pahari Village Tour,” which allows guests to fully experience Himachali culture by exploring traditional village homes, chatting with locals, dining on regional cuisine, learning about farming, and even getting involved in apple harvesting by picking fresh apples with nearby farmers during the season.

Speaking on the inauguration of the property, Vikram Lalvani, managing director and CEO of Sterling Holiday Resorts, said, “We are delighted to announce the launch of Sterling Shivalik Chail. Holiday seekers prefer the mountains to beat the heat – and in line with this demand, Sterling has a strong portfolio of 18 mountain resorts in both popular and new-age destinations. This is our 8th resort in the Himalayan ranges and forms an interesting circuit with our resort in Kufri as well.”

Speaking on occasion, Shriram Thakur, owner of the resort, said, “I am thrilled to include Shivalik Chail in the Sterling bouquet of resorts. Sterling has the reputation of taking unexplored destinations and making them popular using their strong network and operational resources. I am sure they will make Chail a prominent destination on the tourism map of the country.”