8 October 2020, Kolkata: Shree Cement, India’s leading cement manufacturer and the investor in East Bengal Football Club, has announced in a press communique the formation of Shree Cement East Bengal Foundation (SCEBF) to steer the affairs of the 100-year-old football Club while gearing up for the Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-21 session.

Shree Cement, in its first official communication, expressed thanks and gratitude to the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Smt Mamata Banerjee, and Mrs Nita Ambani, Founder & Chairperson, Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL), for recognising the legacy of the century-old institution.

“We are delighted to be part of the Hero Indian Super League (ISL) 2020-2021 season. A formal agreement with East Bengal was signed today and I thank the Hon’ble Chief Minister of West Bengal, Smt Mamata Banerjee, for her inspiration, guidance and continuous support. She is dedicated to the development of sports in West Bengal and we share the same vision,” said Mr Hari Mohan Bangur, Managing Director, Shree Cement Limited, through an official press release here today.

“We also extended our thanks and gratitude to the Football Sports Development Limited (FSDL) for recognising the legacy of our Club and to Mrs Nita Ambani for her constant encouragement. The objective is to revive the glorious past of the Club. For our fans, we promise to leave no stone unturned in our bid to strive for excellence,” Mr Bangur said.

“We are delighted to take part in the Hero Indian Super League. At our Club, our aim will always be to develop the game in every way possible. We promise to put our best foot forward and make the fans proud in our first season,” Mr. Prashant Bangur, Shree Cement Joint Managing Director, said.

“Football is not just a passion but very much a part of Bengal’s rich and varied culture and the East Bengal Football Club is the face of Bengal’s football. We would focus on nurturing the players and their development by creating an ecosystem within the Club to carry forward its legacy. We will ensure the flag of East Bengal flies high and thank our millions of supporters all over the globe,” Mr Prashant Bangur said.

Mumbai, July 27, 2020: Parle Products, India’s leading biscuits and confectionery manufacturer, has announced its partnership with the film, ‘Shankunatala Devi’ with the launch of a new co-branded video on Amazon Prime Video which will be promoted on OTT and digital platforms. Featuring the lead actress of the movie, Vidya Balan, the partnership amalgamates the brilliance of Shakuntala Devi, a mathematics genius with Parle-G to emphasize how Parle-G has nurtured ‘Genius minds’ since ages.

Parle-G seeks to demonstrate the message of ‘G Maane Genius and Genius yaani Shankutala Devi’ with this association. The co-branded video displays courage, confidence and provides a glimpse of Shakuntala Devi’s journey from being a child prodigy to gaining global recognition as the ‘human computer’. The movie, ‘Shankuntala Devi’ which will be released on Amazon Prime Video on July 31st, is a biopic based on the mathematical wizard who lived her life on her own terms. While the film pays tribute to her genius as a mathematician, it also humanizes her as a woman and mother, in trying to capture her indomitable spirit. Told through the lens of her relationship with her daughter Anu, the film highlights their very different struggles and aspirations. Vidya Balan’s charm and brilliant screen presence as the lead actress in the movie makes it a perfect treat for the audience.

Expressing his delight on this association, Mayank Shah, Sr. Category Head, Parle Products said, “This partnership is an honest effort to communicate our brand philosophy in an authentic and engaging manner. Since the inception of our brand, our goal has been to build positive inspiration for kids over generations to encourage them to reach the pinnacle of success. Our association with the movie ‘Shankutala Devi’ which is based on the world-renowned mathematician, has been an exciting move as it is in the lines of creating genius which is Parle G’s core message.” He concluded, “This partnership celebrates what sets us apart, which is the generations of children that go above and beyond exploring possibilities in a way that makes their little world and imagination better.”

As its unique taste expanded over the globe, Parle-G has emerged as the world’s largest selling biscuit brand. This partnership showcasing Parle G being an integral part of the narrative will be promoted on OTT and digital platforms.

About Parle:

Since 1929, Parle has grown to become India’s leading manufacturer of biscuits and confectionery. As the makers of the world’s largest selling biscuit, Parle-G, and a host of other very popular brands, the Parle name symbolizes quality, nutrition and superior taste.

An in-depth understanding of the Indian consumer psyche has helped Parle develop a marketing philosophy that reflects the needs of the Indian masses. It has made it a tradition to deliver both health and taste, with a value-for-money positioning that allows people from all classes and age groups to enjoy Parle products to the fullest.

With a reach spanning the remotest villages of India and major cities across the world, the House of Parle has become synonymous with trust, globally.

Website: http://www.parleproducts.com/

1st online website in India to buy essentials like masks and hand cleanser with free Delivery in the form of Family Safety Kit, Office Safety Kit and Society Safety Kit.

Now Masks and Sanitizers will be available at half the price!!!

NR Group is the first company in India to bring this unique initiative through  “goKoronago.com” aimed at serving the common man.

The Mask and Sanitizer are made Locally in India, hence be rest assured of the best quality product, which is available at half the price, only on goKoronago.com

Wearing a Mask and using a Sanitizer has now become an essential part of the daily routine for every person to avoid the Corona epidemic.

But the irony is that these essential products like Masks and Sanitizers are being sold at Retail Outlets or Online Sites at MRP, whereas its manufacturing cost is just half of it.

NR Group has pledged to provide these superior quality Masks and Sanitizers to the common man at a very low price through it’s website goKoronago.com, which will be delivered directly to your doorstep.

The promoter of this company Nilesh N Raghani says  “Of the many companies under the NR Group, the latest being goKoronago.com which will be used as a platform to supply essential products to fight the COVID19 pandemic.

The company wants the Common Man to have access to these essentials at a 40-50 percent discount so that the same is affordable to all.  We offer a Family Kit, which includes 4 Masks and 2 Hand Sanitizers / Cleansers plus essential safety items.

The Masks are 3 three layered, it is Anti-Microbial, Water Repellent and washable upto a minimum of 30 times. Furthermore, it is skin friendly being made of 100% cotton fabric sourced from a reputed company.”

Nilesh N Raghani adds ” There will neither be a wholesaler, nor a retailer, due to which the best quality products are offered at such huge discounts. We will deliver these Mask’s and Sanitizer’s at your doorstep at factory cost as a service to humanity in the form of Safety Kit.

We are introducing a Family Safety Kit, Office Safety Kit and Society Kit which user’s can buy at a never before low price. We are starting this initiative as a moral and social obligation – to prevent the Corona epidemic from spreading in this country. NR Group is the 1st company in India, which has kept the common man in mind – provide a superior quality product at an extremely low price. Let me tell you that there is no company in India that has thought of such a concept.”

Nilesh N Raghani further says “ The jingle of our company is ‘Achchi Cheeze, Achche Daam, Ab Desh Ke Naam’. People can buy these essentials at the click of a button and we will supply them these products right at their doorstep. We have named our website “ goKoronago.com “, as we want this Corona to run away and let us take a sigh of relief.”

June 8, 2020

In the face of adversity comes opportunity. The COVID-19 crisis offers the real estate industry a ‘never before’ opportunity to reset and redo to reinvigorate cities like Mumbai. However, this can only happen if specific policy changes are announced by the authorities. These were the key takeaways from the Brihanmumbai Developers Association (BDA) ‘Mega Unity Webinar,’ held on 8th June 2020 at 05.00 pm, which highlighted the pain points of real estate and endeavoured to come up with practical solutions and suggestions. The biggest webinar brought various developers associations, channel partners associations, architects engineers associations and allied associations together on a common platform for the first time ever.

Harrish Jain, Vice President, Brihanmumbai Developers Association (BDA), explained, “This pain has brought us all together, it may unite us together also. Real estate has been facing multiple problems and now the current crisis of COVID-19 has added to them. Earlier we were communicating differently with the government and that was not the right way. Uniting the associations will give us a voice which is stronger and will help us to communicate with the government in the right way. We have to be united together to achieve progress. We have been discussing problems all through the lockdown period during the BDA webinar series, now let’s concentrate on how to resolve them. Let us brainstorm and see how to get solutions out of this. Since there are so many associations participating today, we have to be united to resolve issues. Alone we are a drop, together we can be an ocean. There is strength in numbers, let’s unite together.”

Nayan Shah, President, CREDAI MCHI, made a comparison between real estate as a percentage of India’s economy vis-à-vis that in the USA, UK and China. “About 6% of India’s economy is real estate. India’s real estate value is $1.20-1.40 billion, our share will go up to $500-600 bn in the next 5-6 years. The government of India is spending more than Rs 7 lakh crores in agriculture, while the real estate sector is only asking for Rs 30,000-40,000 crore to grow from $140 bn to $500-600 bn. We are going to try to get relief from central government and Reserve Bank of India and the finance ministry, not as a matter of sympathy but because we have strength and we can make a big difference in the economic status of the country. Apart from the pains that we are passing through, it is important to give this economic data to the Government. Real estate has a price multiplier effect. This is the extent to which real estate can make a difference.”

Ajay Ashar, Spokesperson of the CREDAI MCHI MMR Action Committee, praised BDA for having accumulated so many players on one platform. “This is the right approach. When the Rs 20 lakh crore package was announced we had great expectations from the government as we are the second-largest employment generating sector. However, we were disappointed. Restructuring of loans is very important. Home loan rates to be reduced. So many things we are facing. I requested everybody, let us understand how much is the pain, how we can be united. We have to do something, get on one platform and focus. This is how the CREDAI MCHI MMR Action Committee was born. In no time we had 13 organizations ready to speak in one voice. In a democracy, everything comes down to numbers. We have so many different associations but all our causes are the same. If we unite and speak in one voice, nothing can stop us. If our combined voice reaches, it will resonate. Let’s have one voice, one agenda and one platform. We should stand and support each other. If our voice is unanimous and having common goals we can achieve anything. The economy will be revived only if our industry is rolling.”

CA Ramesh Prabhu, Chairman, Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association (MSWA), affirmed that “We are facing a huge crisis. Redevelopment is the need of the hour for Mumbai; every society is looking for developers to perform but we also understand the challenges faced by them. Applying GST on the rehab portion is a harsh step, the government needs to come up with some package for real estate and redevelopment.”

The webinar was also accessed live on BDA’s YouTube channel: www.youtube.com/bdamumbai. The unique webinar hosted by BDA had representations from the CREDAI-MCHI MMR Action Committee; Developer Associations such as CREDAI MCHI –Mumbai, MCHI –Thane, MCHI –MVC, MCHI – Vasai, Virar, MCHI –Raigad, MCHI – Navi Mumbai, CMDWA, MSDA, NMBDA, MCHI Kalyan Dombivli,  YOUTH Association, Progressive Neral Karjat, MBD, MHBA, Khopoli Builders Association; Channel Partner Associations like NAR- India, AREA group, MEAA, GREA, GREAAT, KKEAA, TEAA, CREAA, REAAK, GEAWA, FMBPDA, Property PPL, SMART, MERA, NEPRA, KDRA, KEASWA, AWEAA, GEAWA, SPREA, SCEAWA, MBA; Architects & Engineers Associations like Architects & Engineers, Indian Society Of Structural Engineers (ISSE); The Maharashtra Societies Welfare Association (MSWA), Registration Fee & Stamp Duty Payers Association (REGD), Cooperative Societies Residents Users & Welfare Association and the Federation of Accommodation Industry of India.

BDA Profile

The Brihanmumbai Developers Association (BDA) is created out of a Movement. It is more of a movement than an association. In a matter of 12 months, more than 500 developers mainly into redevelopment have joined the movement. Borivali Developers Association was born out of exactly such a need in the year 2019. A small group of five developers primarily involved in redevelopment projects in Borivali, initiated the idea of such an organisation. However, in a very short span of time, the idea caught the imagination of developers across the city involved in redevelopment and therefore the organization was renamed and registered as Brihanmumbai Developers Association (BDA) so as to represent all its members who joined the movement from across the city of Mumbai.

At BDA we realize that when we do quality redevelopment projects, we not only contribute to the economy of the nation but also bring about a huge change in the lifestyles and aspirations of the existing slum dwellers, tenants or society members whose buildings we redevelop. It is therefore about time that our social and economic contribution is recognized by the authorities and due support is provided to ease out the difficulties faced by the industry.

COVID-19 has changed the way the ‘normal’ world functions. It has rattled the fundamentals and we are all trying to cope with the ‘new normal’ – a term that is amongst the most trending today!

Industries, across sectors and states in India and globally, have been greatly affected. Some bearing the brunt directly, while others facing the challenges indirectly, thanks to supply chain disruptions. While some businesses are sailing the tailwinds, most are grappling with the effects of this global pandemic. Consumer and business dynamics have literally changed overnight. This has forced us, as people and as organisations, to re-evaluate our preparedness to fight the disease and secure the future, for ourselves and our stakeholders.

As an industry or organisation or business, navigating this COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath is a huge challenge, no doubt. It needs a methodology – a clear approach – to see through all the chaos, bring in a method to the madness, so to speak. It is crucial to clearly understand the economic landscape at a macro level, before and during this pandemic, to help extrapolate what could perhaps be the ‘after’ state of affairs at a micro-level.

It is with this thought process that Levers For Change (LFC), a decade-old Business Transformation Consultancy based in Indore, Madhya Pradesh, embarked on a detailed study, in an earnest attempt to understand, and thereon share insights on, this truly unprecedented pandemic and its impact on the Indian economy.

The team led by Mr.Ankur Kumar (Operating Partner), reached out to all the stakeholders they had ever come in contact with over their decade-long journey. They connected with hundreds of stakeholders: CEO’s, small business owners, farmers, large distributors, retailers, truck owners and salaried employees across states. They were able to cut across all strata leveraging their network, that covers almost 65% of India’s tehsils. All this, with the keen intent to provide constructive insights, to help businesses and stakeholders form a clear view of the economic situation.

Why did LFC feel a need to do this? What was the purpose of this study?

“COVID-19 has presented an unprecedented level of uncertainty in the business environment, and as consultants, the one question that our clients frequently ask – ‘when will the situation become normal?’ To answer this question, we looked at several data models that predict the opening of lockdown and recovery of the economy; however all these models varied significantly.”, explains Mr.Omprakash.

“Moreover, given the diversity of India, there are so many layers of complexity, for instance, certain states host high economic activities while there are others that are rather low on this scale; while, some states are connected to the international markets, some are fairly insulated from the global dynamics. This apart we have the quintessential urban-rural divide. None of the existing data models, in a nutshell, comprehensively addressed these complexities & dynamics that are peculiar to our country,  in many ways.”

“Given this diversity, exposure or lack of it and the divide across the states, it is difficult to make predictions that will hold ground country-wide or sector-wide. For example, Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur in Tamilnadu and Surat, Vadodara in Gujarat,  are two prominent textile belts, but the severity of infection is different in each of these states. The value chain and recovery of the Textile sector are thus difficult to predict accurately.”

Businesses need to understand the country-wide recovery by actually looking at the markets and geographies at the ground level – local level.  We need to understand that even within a state, there are different economic centres, and each of it is exposed to varying degrees of impact.

“It thus becomes very important for leaders to have a holistic understanding. It is for this reason, to fill this gap, that we decided to undertake such an extensive study, at the local level – at ground zero.”, says Mr.Ankur Kumar

“This report intends to help understand which sectors/ areas, over a period of time, are likely to open up faster, and which may take longer. This will enable leaders to plan their business activities accordingly. A fine example of this – a client of ours, who wished to do a sales transformation project in a particular part of the country, is now looking at repositioning the market to address.”

Over the past decade, LFC has planned and implemented several sales transformation programs, spanning various sectors – Agriculture input, Construction, FMCG and several other industries. This helped build strategic touch-points across districts.

Mr.Ankur Kumar explains, “For the study, we identified the top 10 states in India that contribute to 75% of the GDP. In these states, we further identified districts that contribute to 80% of the state GDP. We tracked and reached out to our deep network in all these districts. We took their feedback – their view on the COVID-19 impact on Agricultural, Construction, Trade, Local Manufacturing, Local Transportation and other business activities – at their ground zero.”

“We combined their feedback with the metric of Healthcare System Readiness, which we understood from the Govt. websites – number of tests per million and medical infrastructure available to deal with the pandemic. We also read through the various reports published on COVID-19 and took wisdom from them. In this way, we created this report bottoms-up, from ground zero. It strives to help business leaders to find the right direction, to help pivot as needed.”

The report deep-dives and presents the ‘before-state’, ‘current-state’ and the actions taken by the Govt. that will impact the ‘future-state’. It explores the situation state-wise and sector-wise for insights.

A glimpse into the report

The largest, and most impacted state of Maharashtra from the economy point of view:

Maharashtra is the largest state of India, contributing to almost 14% of national GDP. It also accounts for 36% COVID-19 cases in India.

The top 3 districts have come to a total halt. COVID impact on the districts of Pune and Thane has hampered the manufacturing of the estate; Trade and Services based economy of Mumbai is also disrupted due to social distancing; Agriculture as a whole has taken a beating with farmers struggling with inefficient logistics, harvest being sold way below MSP and coping with a labour shortage.

Services contribute to 54% of GSDP, manufacturing is the second major contributor accounting for 27% of GSDP and agriculture contributing to 18% of GSDP. None of these sectors, except Agriculture, has seen any significant intervention from the Government to expedite the recovery process.

The number of cases in Maharashtra is expected to peak in the month of July and from there it should take further 2 months to emerge completely out of lockdown. However, the demand recovery and recovery of the economy as such should be expected only in the second quarter of FY22.

The report details the top 10 states in this manner. As such, with this study, LFC summarises that Indian towns will be fully back to normal by the end of Q3-FY21 and the Indian economy will revive by Q2-FY22.

Mr.Sunil Chordia – CMD, Rajratan Global Wire (Asia’s second-largest bead wire manufacturing company, with factories in India and Thailand), also a Member of CII, Western Region, too concurs with the findings and shared his views on the topic.

“The war against Corona is proving to be very costly. In spite of which part of the globe you live in or whatever type of interventions the government makes – the economic cost seems to be very high. In India particularly the economic cost of lockdown surely seems to be underestimated. While we might seem to be doing better in terms of infections, there is no real clarity on how the resumption of supply chains back to normal levels – will happen.”

“With already a highly broken & fragmented supply chain – opening up of lockdown being handled by different state governments differently, any model that predicts economic recovery shall be only partly true. In that sense, I find this study of LFC, reasonably fair – given their model looks at local economic centres and their recovery patterns. I tend to agree with their findings of the economy coming back to pre-COVID levels, surely not before Q2 of FY22”

Get access to the complete report…

The executive summary and the complete report is available for free download on the LFC website.

https://leversforchange.in/covid-19-economic-impact-study-by-levers-for-change/