Business

19 Dec

Durex’s ‘The Birds and Bees Talk’ makes waves at Hornbill Festival with Asia’s first Consent Café

Business BureauBusiness

The 25th edition of the iconic Hornbill Festival, famously known as the Festival of Festivals, has concluded with unprecedented enthusiasm, drawing a record-breaking footfall of 2.5 lakh visitors to the Kisama Heritage Village, Nagaland. Durex The Birds and Bees Talk (TBBT), a transformative life skills program by Reckitt, a global leader in health and hygiene, made its mark as the festival’s official Health Partner, driving impactful conversations around consent through groundbreaking initiatives. This year, Durex TBBT made history by launching Asia’s first-ever Consent Cafe, inaugurated by Shri Anoop Khinchi (IAS), Commissioner & Secretary, Health & Family Welfare, and Shri Thavaseelan…

19 Dec

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance sets new industry standard with 99.04% claim settlement ratio in Q2-FY2025

Business BureauBusiness

ICICI Prudential Life Insurance has reported a claim settlement ratio of 99.04% for Q2-FY2025, marking the highest in the industry. The company also boasted an exceptional average claim settlement time of just 1.2 days for death claims, reinforcing its commitment to providing quick and reliable services to policyholders. Amish Banker, Chief Operations Officer at ICICI Prudential Life Insurance, remarked, “Claims are the ultimate moment of truth, and we handle every claim with utmost sensitivity.” In the second quarter of FY2025, the insurer settled death claims totaling over Rs. 451 crore, with Rs. 71.24 crore processed under its “Claim for Sure”…

18 Dec

AkzoNobel India transforms the lives of over 800 drug-rehabilitated youth in NorthEast

Business BureauBusiness

AkzoNobel India, the makers of Dulux paints and Coatings, has celebrated the milestone three years of Project Revive – it’s skill building program in decorative painting that has transformed the lives of over 800 drug-rehabilitated youth in Assam, Manipur and Arunachal Pradesh. Project Revive was piloted by AkzoNobel in Manipur in December 2021 in collaboration with the Department of Social Welfare (Government of Manipur) and its NGO partner Makers Foundation. Here, identified vulnerable youth in 21 Drug Rehabilitation Centers (DRCs) across five districts of Manipur participated in AkzoNobel’s vocational skill training course in decorative painting. Rohit Totla, Executive Director of…

18 Dec

Madhya Pradesh sets Guinness World Record for largest simultaneous Hindu text recital

Business BureauBusiness

Madhya Pradesh made history by setting a Guinness World Record for the "Largest Simultaneous Hindu Text Recital" during the International Gita Mahotsav in Bhopal on Wednesday. A total of 3,721 participants recited verses from the Bhagavad Gita, uniting in devotion and marking a significant cultural milestone. The event, organized by the Department of Culture and led by renowned consultant NischalBarot, aimed to promote the timeless teachings of the Bhagavad Gita while showcasing the state's cultural heritage. Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav, who presided over the event, praised the achievement as a testament to the state's spiritual and cultural strength. "This…

18 Dec

India’s gold import increase: Threat to trade balance, urgent action needed

Priyanka RoyBusiness, latest

New Delhi, Dec 17 Think tank GTRI on Tuesday said India's gold imports have increased alarmingly, posing a potential threat to its trade balance and economic stability, and the government should take action to address the issue. According to commerce ministry data, the country's gold imports rose to a record high of $14.86 billion in November, registering a four-fold increase, mainly due to festival and wedding demand.Gold imports stood at $3.44 billion in November 2023. GTRI said imports are driven by a number of factors, including rising investment demand, tariff cuts and loopholes in trade agreements. The surge has raised…

17 Dec

TKM launches All-New Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle in India

Business BureauBusiness

Toyota Kirloskar Motor has unveiled the All-New Camry hybrid electric vehicle, designed to be a "Sedan to the Core”. Reiterating its commitment towards realising the carbon-neutral goals, the All-New Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle is equipped with advanced 5th generation hybrid technology, delivering significantly improved efficiency and enhanced performance. This new model brings unmatched sophistication with cutting-edge safety features, elevated exteriors and interiors, seamless technology integration, thereby deliver the unique aspirations of the consumers. The All-New Camry Hybrid Electric Vehicle is more than a car—it’s a reflection of refined style and exclusiveness. Speaking on the launch of new model, Mr. Masakazu…

17 Dec

Toyota Kirloskar Motor launches its first company-owned Toyota used car outlet in Guwahati

Business BureauBusiness

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) has opened its first Company Owned Toyota Used Car Outlet (TUCO) in Guwahati, marking the third such facility in India. The 4,000-square-foot showroom can display over 15 certified pre-owned Toyota vehicles and represents a strategic expansion into the Northeast region. Each vehicle at the outlet undergoes a rigorous 203-point inspection by Toyota-trained technicians, ensuring high quality and reliability. The facility offers customers a transparent buying experience, complete with comprehensive vehicle history checks and a unique 'MARU MARU' precision cleaning process. Certified vehicles come with additional benefits, including: (1) Warranty up to 30,000 kilometers or two years,…

17 Dec

Advance tax receipts expansion 17 percent in third quarter

Priyanka RoyBusiness, latest

Advance taxpayers are required to pay 15% of their annual income tax liability by June 15, 45% by September 15 and 75% by December 15.Advance direct tax receipts from companies, limited liability partnerships (LLPs) and individuals grew 16.8% year-on-year in the third quarter of the current fiscal, reflecting some moderation in tax payments. However, the pace of collections is still higher than the budget estimates of gross (pre-transfer) direct tax receipts, which are at 12.4%.Advance tax payments for the third quarter till December 15 stood at Rs 3.15 lakh crore, compared to Rs 2.7 lakh crore a year ago, sources…

16 Dec

Topcem Cement Empowers Needy Students with School Stationery

Business BureauBusiness

Topcem Cement, a leading cement brand in Northeast India, distributed essential school stationery items to approximately 500 underprivileged students across 13 institutions in Kamrup Metro and Kamrup districts. The initiative, part of Topcem Cement's social responsibility, aimed to bridge the educational gap for economically disadvantaged children. The distribution included school stationery items such as notebooks, pens, pencils, sharpeners, and erasers, which were handed over to institutions like Assam Sishu Kalyan Sadan, Seven Sisters Home, Lankeswar Home, UTSAH Education Center, Ashaneer, CL Home Jalukbari, Kasturi Home, Sneha Bandhan2, Jibonalaya CL Home, CL Home Fatashil, Observation Home Boko and Jalukbari Higher Secondary…

16 Dec

Coal imports progress 4% to 162 million tonnes in April-October period

Priyanka RoyBusiness, latest

The country's coal imports rose 4.2 percent to 162.45 million tonnes (MT) in the April-October period of the current fiscal, as against 155.87 MT in the same period a year ago. According to data compiled by B2B e-commerce platform mjunction Services, coal imports fell 14.4 percent to 21.84 MT in October, as against 25.54 MT in the same period last fiscal. Of the total imports in October, non-coking coal imports stood at 13.49 MT, as against 18.82 MT in the same period last fiscal. Coking coal imports stood at 4.45 MT, as against 4.31 MT in the same period last…