Mondelez India forays into Cakes category, with the launch of Cadbury Chocobakes Choc Layered Cakes

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INDIA – June 30, 2020 – Mondelez India, the makers and bakers of some of India’s favourite snacking brands – Cadbury Dairy Milk, Cadbury Bournvita, Oreo etc., today announced the launch of Cadbury Chocobakes Choc Layered Cakes. This is the company’s second launch under the Chocobakery sub-category, in less than a year, after the successful launch of Cadbury Chocobakes Choco-filled Cookies. With this launch, the company is bringing together power of their global baking expertise and the much-loved chocolatey Cadbury taste. Cadbury Chocobakes Choc Layered Cakes will be available on shelves from July 2020.

Commenting on the launch, Deepak Iyer, President – India, Mondelez International, said “We are expanding our portfolio into related categories by driving the taste of chocolate as a snack – beyond the bar.  Today with our strong Cadbury legacy and an established play in biscuits and cookies we are well placed to expand into the bakery and cakes segment with layered cakes. With our individually wrapped chocolatey cakes we are not only providing a new eat experience but driving consumer convenience both for in-home and on the go consumption. This is an important milestone in the journey of our company in India.”
“I am so proud of our teams who worked during these difficult times over the last few months to get a new product, in a new category to the market – this showcases our commitment to our consumers,” he added

Sudhanshu Nagpal, Associate Director – Marketing (Biscuits), Mondelez India, added, “Our Biscuits business in the country has been one of the key growth drivers for us, globally and in India. Our endeavor has always been to provide unique eat experiences and a broad range of product offerings to our consumers – some of our unique innovations like Bournvita Biscuits – Banana & Oats, Oreo Cadbury Dipped, Cadbury Chocobakes Choc-filled Cookies, etc. are a testament to this commitment. We are confident that our latest launch – Cadbury Chocobakes Choc Layered Cakes will help us further expand the category and open interesting avenues in the snacking space”

With a vision specific to the category, Mondelez India aims to ‘introduce delicious, consumer-relevant products’ aligned to the daily consumption occasions by not only providing newer eat experiences, but also empowering consumers to snack right. After the successful launch of Cadbury Chocobakes Choc-filled Cookies, the launch of Cadbury Chocobakes Choc Layered Cakes is a concerted effort towards solidifying the company’s resilient grip in the Chocobakery sub-category of the Indian market, at the back of its consistent innovative drive and marketing excellence.
The launch of Cadbury Chocobakes Choc Layered Cakes will be supported by a 360-degree communication campaign, designed to bring to the fore the company’s latest innovation. Cadbury Chocobakes Choc Layered Cakes is priced at just Rs. 10 for a single pack (21 gms) and Rs. 60 for a pack of six (126 gms) and is all set to make its grand online debut, through an exclusive preview.

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National Doctors’ Day is observed on July 1 every year. The role and importance of Doctors in our lives was never valued more than now

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Authored by : Dr.Kasu Prasad Reddy – Chief Surgeon and Founder – MaxiVision Super Specialty Eye Hospitals, Hyderabad.

First and foremost let us remember the heroes of our country, the soldiers who lost their lives while doctoring to protect all of us from the enemy. 

Then some heroes don’t wear capes, we call them doctors. This anonymous one-liner has never been more true that it is today. We have all witnessed it at some point or the other during these past few months across television screens, in the news and elsewhere. I am 71 with high risk but working from day one for emergencies and from 1st May for selective because the primary duty of a doctor is to serve and this is the time when we are most needed. 

The role and importance of Doctors in our lives have never been valued more than during the current Pandemic. Though Doctors have always played a significant role in the lives of individuals and society as a whole the current scenario has bought the significance of their role

to the forefront. Like a soldier during wartime, doctors have gone beyond the call of duty working non-stop to save lives risking their own, especially our government doctors. 

In these difficult times, doctors have not given up in spite of many incidents being reported of

doctors being attacked by patients. Adding to their difficulties are also reports that some state governments are not being able to pay salaries. Some doctors have not gone home for several days. So far over 32 doctors have died of COVID 19.

Their contribution to human health is beyond comparison as Doctors not only save lives they also make a difference by helping patients alleviate pain, recover from a disease quicker and help improve the quality of life of a patient. A patient’s ability to lead a good life, even if they can’t be cured, makes a huge difference to them and to their families.

A doctor uses his extensive knowledge and applies the same to identify a medical problem faced by a patient and then uses his or her skills to cure it. During times like today where a contagious disease is threatening to claim almost an entire population across the globe not just a few hundred people. Timely measures and awareness by doctors is helping curb and contain this catastrophic situation from of going beyond control.

Like never before as a nation, we need to rise for this special occasion of Doctor’s Day, to show that we are proud of the talented medical professionals we have in our country. Recognizing the fact that doctor and their nurses and other medical personnel today are dealing with medical emergencies that neither India nor the world has ever witnessed.

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Exide Life Insurance in FY 2019-20 delivers strong growth in profits (INR 29 Crs, up 141%) with growth in premiums (INR 3220 Crs, up 12% vs FY 2018-19)

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30 June 2020, Bengaluru: Exide Life Insurance, a 100% owned subsidiary of Exide Industries, reported a growth of 141% in Profits Before Tax (PBT) at INR 29 Crores in the Financial Year ended March 2020, compared to INR 12 Crores in the previous Financial Year (FY 18-19). This is the eighth consecutive year in which the Company has reported profits.

The Company has continued its emphasis on protection products resulting in the protection business mix increasing from 9% of Annualized Premium Equivalent (APE) in FY 18-19 to 11% in FY 19-20.

The Company has achieved its highest ever Claims Settlement Ratio at 98.15% and has a healthy Solvency Ratio of 210% versus the regulatory requirement of 150%.

Continuing with a very strong track record of declaring bonus payouts to participating policyholders every year since inception, the Company has announced Policyholder Bonus distribution of INR 324 Crores in FY 2019-20, a growth of 13.1% over previous FY.

Commenting on the results, Kshitij Jain, MD & CEO, Exide Life Insurance said, “Our primary focus remains value creation for customers and shareholders. Our long term strategy is to grow new business faster than the industry while continuing to improve on the quality of business.

Our commitment to this philosophy has paid off and our business performance has manifested in superior returns to our policyholders, with us being able to pay bonus to participating policyholders every year since inception. Needless to say we live by our promise and our core brand essence of Lamba Saath, Bharose Ki Baat.”

Policyholder Bonus
Considering the surplus that arose over the Financial Year in the Participating fund, the Company announced policyholder bonus of INR 324 Crores in FY 2019-20, a growth of 13.1% over FY 2018-19

Solvency Ratio
The solvency ratio of the Company stood at 210% as on 31st March 2020, compared to the regulatory requirement of 150%.

Assets under Management
The Company’s Assets under Management (AUM) recorded a growth of 10% over the last financial year and stands at INR 15,795 Crores.

Profit Before Tax (PBT)
During FY 2019-20, the Company recorded Profit Before Tax of INR 29 Crores, compared to INR 12 Crores in FY 2018-19.

Claim Settlement Ratio
The Company continued its growth journey with ‘Individual Claims Settlement Ratio’ improving to an all-time high (since inception) of 98.15% in FY 2019-20. The Company paid death claims worth INR 213.70 Crores (Individual INR 88.95 Crores and Group INR 124.75 Crores) during the Financial Year 2019-20.

Renewals and Persistency
The Company achieved 12% growth in individual renewal premiums at INR 2,221 Crores with improvement in persistency ratios for 13th month, 25th month as well as 37th month.

Protection Business Mix
The mix of protection business was further strengthened to 11% of the individual new business premium (Annualized Premium Equivalent).

Life Insurance Coverage (Sum Assured)
The Company has increased its total coverage and now has total Sum Assured of INR 3.44 Lakh Crores as on 31st March 2020.

Awards
The Company’s all round performance on value creation continued with receiving external recognition in various areas of business. Some of the noteworthy awards won are:
Exide Life Smart Term Plan voted as Product of the Year 2019
Helmet Saves CSR initiative won:
Best BTL campaign for a socio economic program in Masters of Modern Marketing
Brandvid (Gold) Best brand integration in Music Video
Brandvid (Silver) – Best brand film for Social initiative
FICCI best CSR initiative in Life Category

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Acclaimed artist & activist Madame Gandhi debuts new music video for “Waiting For Me’’

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~Latest in series of videos produced by women & gender non-conforming creatives~

~ Signs to Sony Music Masterworks in advance of new music~

Bengaluru, 30th June 2020 :  Multi-talented artist, percussionist, producer and activist MADAME GANDHIreleases her newest video for Visions track “Waiting For Me”. Directed by Misha Ghose, “Waiting For Me” has been conceptualized and produced by an all-female team and features queer, trans, female and gender non-conforming cast members and marks Madame Gandhi’s first-ever video shot in India.  With its contrasting industrial imagery and color palettes, the visual brings to life the song’s empowering message, an eco-feminist call to action that eschews institutionalized power structures in favor of forging new narratives of self-expression.

Madame Gandhi explains, “We as artists have the power to use our art to vividly reimagine the world we wished we lived in. ‘’Waiting For Me’’ is a song about questioning societal norms as they exist.  The video opens with the quote, ‘We always assume our own powerlessness, but never our own power.’ With the interconnected social justice movements happening around the world, we are seeing a larger belief in the power of the collective for change. This music video is a call to action for each of us to examine how hierarchy, capitalism and systemic oppression serve to keep us obedient, with little space for dialogue or critical thinking. My hope is that this video inspires folks to ask, ‘Are my behaviors contributing to the oppression of somebody else? And what contributes to my own oppression? What does my version of freedom look and feel like?” 

The video for “Waiting For Me” launches the next chapter in Madame Gandhi’s already critically-acclaimed career, as she announces her signing with Sony Music Masterworks.  With an imitable pairing of complex percussive rhythms and empowering messages of liberation, Madame Gandhi is known for her passionately uplifting body of musical work that continues to elevate the female voice and redefine notions of gender, identity and politics.  Having released her first two EPs as part of an overarching short-form album trilogy, most recently 2019’s Visions, Madame Gandhi begins her new partnership with Sony Music Masterworks ahead of the third and final installment in the series. 

Selected as 2020 TED Fellow for her commitment to creating meaningful and positive change, Madame Gandhi will also participate in TED2020 later this year, joining multidisciplinary individuals across the globe for an online gathering of conversations, sessions and performances.  She returns to the TED Stage later this year after her 2018 TED Talk about the importance of making music accessible to those hard of hearing. The talk now has over 200k views – watch here.

Further, today’s news and video arrive on what has been a massive week for Madame Gandhi, who made her NPR Tiny Desk (Home) Concert debut recently, performing tracks from both her Visions and Voices EPs.

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