Directorate of Tourism (DoT), Govt of Maharashtra- Maharashtra Tourism’s Travel and Trade Road Show Received An Overwhelming Response from Bengaluru

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Maharashtra Tourism’s Initiative To Encourage Travel and Trade Opportunities in the Country Through 8 City Road Shows

With a motive to offer incredible opportunities, gather sentiments from prospective clients, and explore market potential by linking travel trade, Maharashtra Tourism has commenced an8-cityroadshow touracross the nation in addition to participating at various trade fairs in association with its stakeholders/partners. These Trade fairs are a one-stop shop for depicting the enormous travel and tourism landscape that Maharashtra as a state offers. Boasting its historicalheritage, beaches, religiousmonuments, hill stations, wildlife, adventure sports, exotic cuisine, cultural festivals, transport connectivity,etc, Maharashtra is considered one of the most preferred tourist destinations. After receiving an astounding response last year, Maharashtra Tourism conducted its roadshow this year in the glorious city of Bengaluru. The event was organized on 27th July at Fairfield by Marriott that was attended by eminentpersonalities in the tour and travel fraternity of the city.

Over the years, there has been an upsurge in travel and tourism from the South of India. It has been observed that the citizens like to travel and explore pilgrimage places in Maharashtra like Ashtavinayak, Jyotirlangas, Pandharpur, Kolhapur. Since their travel habits are inclined towards devotional destinations, it is a great opportunity for Maharashtra tourism to tap into their needs and requirements as the destinations that Maharashtra state tourism offers deems fit with the travel requirement of the citizens of South India.

Smt. Radhika Rastogi (IAS), Principal Secretary (Tourism) said, “After receiving an overwhelming response from our roadshows last year, we are elated to organize a road show series this year as well to newer markets and explore untapped opportunities. Our motive is to promote tourism and boost inter-state travel and tourism. We are happy to receive such a great response for our roadshow in Bengaluru. Maharashtra as a state is rich in travel and tourism opportunities due to various aspects. Post covid, the tourism industry is reviving and the travel companies in Maharashtra are witnessing an uptick in booking trends. We are certain that all our forthcoming roadshows in the country will get a great response from the citizens.”

Maharashtra as a state offers unlimited opportunities for tourists to explore. The state has great connectivity by railways, roadways, and airways, which cater best to both domestic and international travelers. Maharashtra Tourism offers many policies to boost niche tourism segments in the state such as Agro Tourism policy, Beach Shack policy, Caravan policy, and Adventure Tourism policy. These policies have been designed considering variouschanging travel trends and the consumer behavior of tourists.

The event will also explore major financial hubs including, Surat, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Vizag, New Delhi, and Chennai. These roadshowsofferentrepreneursa large pool of potential leads, which are imperative for research, networking, brand expansion, sales negotiations, andgeneral end-user sales.

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A Heart-warming Tale of Hope and Inspiration on Friendship Day: Stem Cell Donation Saves a Bangladeshi Youth from Blood Cancer

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JULY 27, 2023: A heartwarming tale of hope and kindness unfolded when a 29-year-old man from Kerala stepped forward to save the life of a complete stranger. Atanu Kishor, a resilient 22-year-old youth from Bangladesh, has been locked in an unwavering battle with blood cancer since 2017. His teenage years were full of immense difficulty as he endured countless rounds of chemotherapy, each moment leading to uncertainty.

Atanu was initially getting treated in Bangladesh; however, his family was searching for better treatment options. The local doctors advised them to seek medical care in India. With determination and faith, Atanu and his family arrived at the Tata Medical Centre, Kolkata, where he got a ray of hope that he could be treated. He underwent a stem cell transplantation under the expert supervision of Dr. Reghu K S, a senior consultant in the Department of Paediatric Hematology Oncology & Cellular Therapies.
Atanu Kishor underwent a lifesaving stem cell transplantation in Kolkata. He received stem cells from an unrelated donor and his namesake, Kishor, from India. DKMS BMST Foundation India, a non-profit organization dedicated to the fight against blood cancer, was pivotal in finding a matching stem cell donor for Atanu from their vast registry of over 90,000 potential donors in India. Kishor registered as a potential blood stem cell donor in 2017, and after a year, he came as a life-saving match for Atanu Kishor in Bangladesh.
Atanu successfully underwent stem cell transplantation in 2018 at the Tata Medical Centre. Adhering to the international guidelines that keep the donor and recipient’s identity anonymous for two years, Atanu got a chance to meet his lifesaver Kishor for the first time in February 2021 in Kolkata.
Donor Kishor said, ‘’In 2017, I registered as a potential stem cell donor, and after a year, I received the news that I was a match. At the time, I didn’t know any details about the patient. But now, after all these years, I finally met him. The meeting left me speechless. Saving a life is an indescribable feeling that can only be experienced. I am grateful that organizations like DKMS-BMST are tirelessly working to offer patients suffering from blood cancer and other blood disorders a second chance at life. Being part of this noble cause fills me with pride.”
A year has passed since their life-changing encounter, and Kishor and Kishor remain connected. They share common interests, such as sports, particularly cricket, and they both like reading books. Their connection has grown stronger, and they cherish the profound effect on each other’s lives. They both share a deep passion for encouraging more people to register as stem cell donors, recognizing the life-saving impact it can have on patients like Atanu Kishor.
Recipient, Atanu Kishor, said, “Finding my genetic twin through stem cell donation created an everlasting friendship. We share a special bond that goes beyond ordinary friendships, knowing he selflessly donated his stem cells to save my life. Thanks to DKMS-BMST for giving me a second chance at both friendship and life.”
Patrick Paul, CEO, DKMS BMST Foundation India, emphasized the urgent need to address the shortage of blood stem cell donors. He encouraged the youth to register as potential donors, stating, ‘’On this Friendship Day, we celebrate the true essence of friendship that goes beyond borders and transcends time. Witnessing the heartwarming bond between stem cell donors and recipients fills our hearts with joy. At DKMS-BMST, we are humbled to witness the life-changing power of friendship through stem cell donation. Together, we build a community that stands united in the fight against blood cancer and blood disorders such as Thalassemia and Aplastic Anemia. Let’s continue spreading hope and friendship, inspiring more acts of kindness that save lives and create lifelong connections.”
Since its inception in 2019, DKMS-BMST has helped 95 patients find a matching stem cell donor and undergo a lifesaving transplant. The organization aims to register numerous donors in India and worldwide to give as many patients a second chance at life as possible.

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Religare-nasscom CoE Collaborate to Drive Tech Innovation

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• REL will leverage nasscom CoE’s expertise on co-creation and extensive access to innovation solutions from startups and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the tech sector for industry transformation.
• The partnership will enable startups to address real business challenges and gain access to strategic investments.

Sri Sanjeev Malhotra, CEO, NASSCOM CoE & Dr. Rashmi Saluja, Executive Chairperson, Religare Enterprises Ltd “signing the MoU to drive tech Innovation” at Bangalore today.

Bengaluru, 27th July 2023 – Religare Enterprises Limited (REL), India’s leading diversified financial services group, and nasscom CoE for IoT & AI, have entered a strategic partnership to strengthen REL’s business processes & solution landscape, making it future-ready through the infusion of cutting-edge technology and innovation. The collaboration will harness the collective strengths of both organisations to enhance customer experience and drive operational efficiencies and data security while creating long-term value within the sector.

nasscom CoE’s expertise in co-creation and vast network of startups and SMEs specializing in emerging technologies such as AI,ML, AR/VR, Robotics, Blockchain, Drones, and IoT, will present Religare Group the access to relevant innovators and their technology. The Group will continue to explore potential business collaborations tailored to the company’s specific needs and seize possible opportunities to benefit the enterprise and BFSI sector.

With the announcement, nasscom CoE has also launched the Fifth version of the Healthcare Innovation Challenge (HIC), a one-of-its-kind initiative to tackle the challenges healthcare providers face in their journey to digital transformation. Religare Group’s Care Health Insurance Ltd, a leader in the health insurance space, will work with nasscom CoE in bringing digital technology solutions for the health insurance industry.

Announcing the partnership, Dr Rashmi Saluja, Executive Chairperson, Religare Enterprises Ltd said: “Our collaboration with nasscom CoE signifies a significant milestone in our journey towards becoming a 360-degree financial services provider by nurturing, adopting, and integrating technological innovations in our core and future businesses. By harnessing the power of emerging technologies, we aim to strengthen our business operations, enhance diligence, and deliver unparalleled value to our customers and shareholders. It is our vision that this partnership will not only accelerate our digital transformation but also enable us to support other players in the financial services sector to undertake this journey.”

“Furthermore, our vision is to support startups that are born in India and focused on India-specific solutions. In doing so, we are aligning ourselves with the government’s vision of an Atmanirbhar Bharat – a self-reliant and economically strong nation. Nurturing these startups will enable us to retain talent and ownership of India-centric solutions, thereby strengthening our global leadership in technology and innovations.”

The strategic partnership between Religare and nasscom CoE encompasses several key initiatives that aim to shape the future of financial services. Religare will gain access to a curated pool of innovators through regular pitch sessions, opening doors for potential collaborations in the near future. Additionally, Religare will have an early advantage in identifying strategic investment opportunities in startups, fostering innovation, and driving growth.

Emphasizing the potential of this partnership Mr Sanjeev Malhotra, CEO, nasscom CoE said: “Religare and its entities will jointly work on use-cases and co-create solutions with the startup ecosystem that will promote homegrown tech innovation driving significant impact on enterprises and create business value.”

As part of this partnership, Religare will also have the opportunity to mentor two CoE-incubated startups, leading to the nurturing of entrepreneurial talent. This strategic partnership will propel Religare’s digital transformation journey and position the company at the forefront of the industry, delivering cutting-edge solutions and unprecedented value to its customers.

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Sustaining and Scaling New Heights

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Highest-ever PAT at ₹324 crore for Q1FY24 driven by strong business momentum
Disbursed ₹5,284 crore for Q1FY24; Gross loan book up 30% Y-o-Y
Collections/ asset quality continues to be at industry best; PAR at 3.8%; GNPA/NNPA at 2.4%/0.06%
Deposits up 45% Y-o-Y; Retail TDs^ up 71% Y-o-Y

Bengaluru, Thursday 27 July, 2023: Ujjivan Small Finance Bank ltd. [BSE: 542904; NSE: UJJIVANSFB], today announced its financial performance for the quarter ended June 30, 2023

Summary of Ujjivan Small Finance Bank Business Performance – Q1FY24
Assets
Disbursements were at ₹5,284 crore in Q1FY24 up 22% Y-o-Y
Continued strong quarterly disbursement in Housing and FIG; disbursed ₹418 crore/ ₹320 crore respectively – highest ever for both the segments
Gross loan book at ₹25,326* crore up 30%/5% Y-o-Y/Q-o-Q
Collection and Asset Quality
Continued traction on Collections with ~99% efficiency in Jun’23; NDA collection consistently at ~100%
Portfolio at risk at stable at 3.8% as of Jun’23*
GNPA declined to 2.4% as of Jun’23 vs 2.6% as of Mar’23; NNPA continues to be negligible at 0.06% as on Jun’23
Total of ₹ 60 crore written-off in Q1FY24; Provision coverage ratio as on Jun’23 is 97.6%#
Deposits
Deposits at ₹26,660 crore as of Jun’23 up by 45%/4% Y-o-Y/Q-o-Q
Retail TD grew 71%/8% Q-o-Q/Y-o-Y
CASA grew 27% Y-o-Y taking CASA ratio at 24.6% as on Jun’23
Healthy retail liability customer acquisition
Financials
Q1FY24 NII of ₹793 crores up 32% Y-o-Y; NIM at 9.2%* for Q1FY24
Cost to Income ratio at 52.8% in Q1FY24 vs 58.5% for Q1FY23
Q1FY24 PPoP at ₹458 crore up 52% Y-o-Y; PAT of ₹324 crore up 60% Y-o-Y
Capital and Liquidity
Capital adequacy ratio at 26.7% with Tier-1 capital at 23.7%
Provisional LCR at 189% as of Jun’23

Mr. Ittira Davis, MD & CEO, Ujjivan Small Finance Bank said, “FY24 has started on a very strong note as we hit another highest ever profit figure. The growth has come on the strong platform built during FY23. Our disbursement has been strong, despite Q1 being seasonally weakest quarter, taking our loan book past ₹25,000 crore mark. Among secured assets, Affordable Housing and FIG continues to show strong growth, while other products will start picking-up towards latter half of the year. During the quarter, we consciously reduced the excess liquidity which was driving negative carry and pulling our NIMs down. Deposits were up 45% Y-o-Y/ 4% Q-o-Q driven by retail focus. Our credit cost for the quarter was minimal on the back of strong collections. While, slippages continue to be under control, NPA recoveries have started to move towards normalization. Bad debt recoveries continue to be strong; we expect the same to be substantial this fiscal as well albeit lower than FY23. We remain confident of our sub-100 bps credit cost for FY24. We expanded our physical presence by 32 new branches during the quarter and look forward to add ~70 more branches during Jul’23-Mar’24. Our vvv* based mobile banking app – “Hello Ujjivan” targeting non-tech savvy customers continues to do well with 2.7+ lakh customer downloads. Customers are increasingly using the app to transact. We are hopeful that “Hello Ujjivan” will bring several long-term benefits to the business and the society as well.
We have been delivering sustained profitability with significant improvement Q-o-Q for last six consecutive quarters. With our strong financial performance and growing business momentum, we have launched a national brand campaign to further establish our image as a mass-market bank. The business is delivering on all-fronts and gives us immense confidence to re-assure our FY24 guidance shared at the beginning of the year.
On the merger with our promoter, the hearing of our application with the NCLT was completed on June 28, 2023 and we positively expect to receive the order soon, entailing directions for scheduling the meetings of the stakeholders and other directions as the NCLT may deem fit.”

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SAIL selects mjPRO from mjunction for all project buys

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In order to support its project procurement, SAIL today signed a contract with mjunction services limited to roll out its e-procurement platform, mjPRO, across all the five ISPs for their project buys.

SAIL has selected mjPRO through an open tender for implementation of an e-tendering solution for its project buys on a digital platform providing easy access to its global vendors to quote.

The contract was signed in Bhilai today in presence of Shri Anirban Dasgupta, Director I/c (BSP), Shri RK Srivastava, Actg. ED (Projects), Shri Anurag Upadhyay, CGM (Projects-Commercial), Shri Unmesh Bhardwaj CGM(Projects), and Mr. Vinaya Varma, MD, mjunction.

According to mjunction Managing Director Mr. Vinaya Varma, “Through mjPRO, we expect to bring in speed to SAIL Project tenders, connect to vendors globally and efficiently address the challenging task of finalizing the Project tenders in short cycle times.” mjPRO will also help SAIL to make the necessary decisions leading to finalization of Purchase Orders for projects much easier, he added.

mjPRO is a Cloud-based platform and comes with wide configurability which ensures that every unique need of users is met; it is secure, scalable, modular and easy to use. It addresses key concerns of organisations such as access to new and credible suppliers, analytics and insights for decision-making, convenience of usage and integration with ERP systems. It can accommodate complex RFQ terms, multiple currencies and diverse evaluation criteria. It also provides access to registered vendors after due validation with procurement analytics and configurable dashboards that provide insights for timely decision making.

The project is expected to go-live within three months across five integrated steel plants of SAIL with connectivity with SAIL’s in-house consultant CET and Corporate Office.