ICICI Bank ties up with Niyo to issue prepaid cards to MSME workers

Bengaluru, January 14, 2021: ICICI Bank, a leading private sector bank in India, and Niyo, a new age fintech today announced a tie-up to issue prepaid cards to Micro, Small & Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) workers. MSMEs will now be able to get ‘ICICI Bank Niyo Bharat Payroll Card’ powered by Visa, for their blue-collar workers, who are mostly under-banked. With this, MSMEs can upload the salaries of their workers on the card, which the workers can then utilize as per their need in a seamless manner. The ‘ICICI Bank Niyo Bharat Payroll Card’ allows an individual to receive funds up to Rs. 1 lakh into the card account. It offers convenience and safety of digital banking to the blue-collar workforce while providing a state-of-the-art salary disbursement solution to employers.

This partnership with ICICI Bank is in line with Niyo’s mission to revolutionize the banking experience for India’s blue-collar workforce. With this, Niyo has announced its goal of reaching 5 million blue-collar workers in the next 5 years with its flagship product Niyo Bharat. Niyo Bharat currently has over 1.7 million customers and relationships with over 7000 corporates, adding nearly 5000 customers every day.

Speaking on the initiative, Mr. Sudipta Roy, Head – Unsecured Assets, ICICI Bank said, “We at ICICI Bank constantly strive to introduce facilities that foster inclusivity and extend the reach of the formal banking ecosystem. In line with this, we are delighted to partner with Niyo for the ‘ICICI Bank Niyo Bharat Payroll Card’. This partnership is yet another initiative by us to make banking products easily accessible to the underbanked population. We believe that armed with this card, workers of MSMEs will be able to enjoy the convenience and safety of digital banking.” 

 

Niyo Co-founder and CEO Vinay Bagri said, “The Niyo Bharat Digital Salary Solution has the potential to bring millions of blue-collared salaried workforces into the formal economy and also support the nation’s successful march towards Digital India. Our primary objective is to provide digital banking solutions for the blue-collar segment to not only foster financial inclusion but also inculcate a long-term saving habit among them.”

 

Any MSME can tie-up with Niyo to avail of the prepaid card. After the tie-up, cards are issued to the workers at their workplace itself while their KYC verification is done simultaneously using a biometric device. Once activated, workers can use the card to withdraw funds at ATMs, make online transactions on e-commerce portals, and make payments by swiping the card at Point of Sale (PoS) machines.

 

To further facilitate the cardholders, Niyo offers a multilingual app called ‘Niyo Bharat Mobile app’. Workers can download this app from Google Play Store and register themselves. The app will enable them to transfer funds, pay bills, or do recharges online. It also allows them to block/unblock the card which provides them control of their card security. The cardholders also get a free accidental death insurance cover.

 

Niyo’s robust 24 x 7 Customer Service Team caters to issues arising at any hour of the day via a multilingual captive call center facility.

 

Darpan Sharma, Business Head-Niyo Bharat said, “Partnership with ICICI bank is a milestone in our journey to provide best in class service to the underbanked blue-collar segment. The partnership will create an opportunity to provide all banking services to this segment across the length and breadth of the country”

 

Leveraging technology for payroll, employee benefits, card-based payments, credit, and savings, Niyo provides an integrated solution comprising a digital account in addition to the Bharat mobile app supported by a comprehensive corporate portal, which assists organizations in digitizing the benefits and payroll process. It strives to deliver a frictionless employee experience.

 

About ICICI Bank:

ICICI Bank Ltd (BSE: ICICIBANK, NSE: ICICIBANK, and NYSE: IBN) is a leading private sector bank in India. The Bank’s consolidated total assets stood at ₹14,76,014 crore on September 30, 2020. ICICI Bank's subsidiaries include India's leading private sector insurance, asset management, and securities brokerage companies, and among the country’s largest private equity firms. It is present across 15 countries, including India.

 

About Niyo

Niyo is a digital banking fintech conceptualized in 2015, it currently operates in 4 major business lines: Niyo Bharat Payroll solutions provide modern salary account for India’s large blue-collar workforce,  Niyo Global Card provides the best banking experience and value for international travelers, Niyo Money is a power-packed of a suite of wealth products and soon to be launched Niyo X a next-gen savings account for millennials.

 

Niyo operates out of corporate offices in Bangalore, Mumbai, and Delhi, and has a sales presence in more than 20 states and union territories, currently serving a customer base of around 2 Mn end customers and 7,000 corporates. It employs around 800 people.

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Picture Caption: (L to R): Mr. Nagrajan Viswanathan, National Sales Head, Payment Solutions, ICICI Bank; Mr. Nilesh Kamath, Key Accounts Manager, Self Employed Segment, ICICI Bank; Mr. Atul Jain, Zonal Head – Retail, Karnataka, ICICI Bank; Mr. Sameer Jain, Regional Head - Sales, Payment Solutions, ICICI Bank; Mr. Sarvanan Kumar, Regional Head, Payment Solutions, ICICI Bank; Mr. Vinay Bagri, Co-founder and CEO, Niyo; Mr. Virender Bisht, Co-founder and CTO, Niyo and Mr. Gourav Kumar, Head of Finance, Niyo

 

Exclusive Release - TOWI Films Releasing the Official Video of the Song "Teri Yaadein" by "Mohit Sharma" feat. "Shivani Raghav".

 Exclusive Release - TOWI Films Releasing the Official Video of the Song "Teri Yaadein" by "Mohit Sharma" feat. "Shivani Raghav".

RAPPER BIG DEAL’S TRACK 'SRK FLOW’, ‘IM A CHINKEY’ IS NOW ON RIZZLE

RAPPER BIG DEAL’S TRACK 'SRK FLOW’, ‘IM A CHINKEY’ IS NOW ON RIZZLE

14^th January 2021, Mumbai: Leading short video content platform, Rizzle, has associated with Rapper Big Deal. The artist’s recent trending single ‘Shahrukh Khan Flow’ swayed the audience by paying tribute to some of the iconic SRK hits. The association kicked off with #SRKFlow Challenge on Rizzle which gained tremendous attention, affirming the perfect blend of the song and app. Rizzle users were asked to create and re-imagine their own version of the track. The contest saw an overwhelming response from Rizzle creators as they lip-synced, danced, and tried rapping the catchy hook. Looking at the mass success, Rapper Big Deal has now put up a second track on Rizzle and is ready to look at the audience’s response to the same. The track "I’m a Chinkey" is a power-packed social anthem that seeks to bring about change and serve as a ‘call for unity’.

Speaking about the overall excitement, Rapper Big Deal shares, “I am really glad to be on Rizzle. My song Shahrukh Khan flow has received a great response and I’m excited to also put out my next track on Rizzle. It is a unique short videos app with a diverse range of talented creators. I look forward to starting more challenges around my future releases.”

Rizzle co-founder Vidya Narayanan added, “We are thrilled to associate with Rapper Big Deal. We aim to provide a platform for young artists to help scale their fan-bases through exclusive song releases on Rizzle and amplify the audience’s response through our contests.”

With the Sony Music association to Coolie No. 1 challenge, Rizzle is now building interest amongst the Indian audiences. The overall intent of the app is to reach out to a lot of people and also help creators amplify their expertise, and make them the internet’s next big superstars.

 

 

  

Post Event ReleaseSTAR STUDDED LAUNCH OF ”THE ILLUSION 2021”, HIGH FASHION MEN’S CALENDARSPEARHEADED BY RUNA FARAH DAS

Post Event ReleaseSTAR STUDDED LAUNCH OF ”THE ILLUSION 2021”, HIGH FASHION MEN’S CALENDARSPEARHEADED BY RUNA FARAH DAS  

      STAR-STUDDED LAUNCH OF ”THE ILLUSION 2021”, HIGH FASHION MEN’S CALENDAR SPEARHEADED BY RUNA FARAH DAS

Celebrities featuring-  Terence Lewis, Ruslaan Mumtaz, Sourabh Raaj Jain, Pramod Rao, Vishal Pandey,  Mridul Madhok, Vikas Verma,  Rohan Gandotra, Kapil Guchiya/Tapan Singh/Sandeep Bomble, Amit Thakur, Anil Charanjeett, Sushant Divgikr, Utkarsh Kohli, Shivam Kumar, Suraj Pratap Singh, Sidhant Aneja, Mohd Daood Khan, Krishna Yadav.

Runa Farah Das of Getarty Productions, proud owner, curator, and conceptualizer of the calendar, acing the glam game featuring the best artist and themes every year

Shot by Amit Khanna, recipient of Dadasaheb Phalke Excellence Award in the field of fashion photography

 

The launch saw the presence of Terence Lewis, Pramod Rao, Vikas Verma,  Kapil Guchiya, Tapan Singh Shakir Shaikh, Rohit Verma, Rehan Shah, Haider Khan, Rakesh Paul, Anil Charanjeett, Sushant Divgikr, Utkarsh Kohli, Shivam Kumar.

 

Yes, it is that time of the year when 13 men will make you stop and stare at their hawt, sweaty bods, looking like Greek Gods, defines one of the most awaited calendar's for the year- THE ILLUSION 2021

 

A widely accepted fashion, glamour, and lifestyle property, the calendar is a perfect combination of utility and style. This year, however, the calendar will portray different emotions of men.

 

Every year, it is shot against the most exotic backdrop, featuring some of the biggest names in the industry.

 

Over the last few years, THE ILLUSION has come to be known as a force in the fashion industry. The smoking hot calendar features pages of tall, dark, and handsome men.

 

Runa Farah Das says "I had always been a dedicated follower of fashion and started my career with a fashion label as well. I felt Indian men were never given that kind of importance in the fashion world. Women as well as International models, in all ways, rule the fashion industry. Hence, I decided to come up with a hi-fashion calendar focusing mainly on just Indian men"

 

Sponsored by Zicom- safety comes first, pioneers in the category of Electronic Security In India and the first company to be listed on the Indian bourses in the domain of electronic security.

 

Sponsored by SIS- Smart I-Established in 2006 by Mr. Ganpat Shinde (Founder & Director) has bolstered access control & e-surveillance solution offerings over its formative years. Known for its in-house Software development with robust customization & intelligent third party integrations smart-I is known for end-to-end solutions.

 

Sponsored by Farmside is the brainchild of Palasa Farms, bringing to you the best of nourishment and taste, straight from the golden fields of Maharashtra. Each product is directly packed by our farmers to give you a clean and fresh product, firsthand.

 

Sponsored by Jak Printers- only print house with a design studio, pre-press, printing, bindery, dispatch, and Heidelberg CTP machines under one roof, Dhamaka Club-DHAMAKA Cafe & Lounge Bar is a one-stop PARTY DESTINATION, a super glamorous address to the party, with a soulfully lit ambience you will instantly fall in love with along with the most pocket-friendly menu in town, Kreate and Young- associated as the Creative Agency to develop THE ILLUSION  as one of the most anticipated properties, Parul Chawla for the Public Relations, SJI Hospitality of Mulks as the gourmet partner, leaders in the field of royal Mughlai experience & Black Frames Studio. 

 

The parent company, Getty productions

 

Makeup/ Hair artists- Rishabh Khanna, Sahil Anand Arora, Priya Yolma Bhatia, Anshu Gautam, Karan Makeup and Hair Academy.

 

        

 

 

Actress Monalisa Bagal चा मराठमोळा साज; मकर संक्रांतीच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा!

Actress Monalisa Bagal चा मराठमोळा साज; मकर संक्रांतीच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा!

Please find attached, Social Media Caption for Actress Monalisa Bagal Makar Sankranti 2021.

Requesting you to publish in your respective media.

Your support will be highly appreciated.

Social Media Caption:

@monalisabagal चा मराठमोळा साज; मकर संक्रांतीच्या हार्दिक शुभेच्छा!

 

 

TIPS IBADAT CELEBRATE TALAT AZIZ’S GLORIOUS 40 YEARS WITH THE LAUNCH OF A NEW SONG “MAULA MERE MAULA” ON TIPS IBADAT

 TIPS IBADAT CELEBRATE TALAT AZIZ’S GLORIOUS 40 YEARS WITH THE LAUNCH OF A NEW SONG “MAULA MERE MAULA” ON TIPS IBADAT

          Tips Music latest launch; "YouTube/TipsIbadat"

is a music channel dedicated to thanking the Almighty for his blessings.

Tips Ibadat is releasing  a new single by  Mr. Talat Aziz, India's renowned Ghazal singer & a living legend, "Maula Mere Maula" by
Talat Aziz is his first Islamic spiritual song with an international vibe. The music composed by Mr. Aziz is truly where East meets West.  Keeping a Middle Eastern Vibe with his Urdu lyrics makes it soulful and connectable to audiences across borders and languages.

It's also Mr. Aziz's 40th Year in the Industry and we believe it's a perfect way to start a new year by thanking the Almighty.

Mr. Talat Aziz's new track Maula Mere Maula will release on 13th Jan 2021 on YouTube/TipsIbadat a new vertical by Tips Music dedicated to thanking the Almighty for all His blessings primarily in Hindi and Urdu Languages.

Kumar Taurani says “ It’s always a pleasure working with the legend Talat Aziz and Maula Mere Maula is a mesmerizing dua for all"

Talat Aziz says "It was a pleasure to work on the dua ‘ Maula Mere Maula’ for a reputed music label Tips Industries Ltd. This is the first time I have ventured into the spiritual space and pray that God accepts this dua. Would like to thank Mr. Kumar Taurani CMD Tips Industries Ltd and Tannaz Bandukwala who coordinated this whole project and their whole team. I am happy with the result and hope that music lover also will be. Look forward to more of these in the future"

                                                                      

                                                                  

MicroATX devices witness 67% spurt in demand since unlock: PayNearby Report

 MicroATX devices witness 67% spurt in demand since unlock: PayNearby Report

Remittance witness V-shaped recovery during unlocking; register a growth of 106% and 100% in value and volume

PayNearby releases detailed analysis on ‘assisted digital transactions’, amid Covid-19 - a Pan-India report titled

‘Retail-O-Nomics’

 

·         Overall assisted digital transactions at retail outlets saw a rise of 46% in volumes during the lockdown

·         Rural and semi-urban areas witnessed a growth of over 60% in volumes during the lockdown

·         Metros witness a jump of 121% in transaction value during unlock phase as compared to lockdown

·         Domestic Money Transfer (DMT) which saw a sharp de-growth of more than 85% in the first two months of the lockdown, witnessed a rise of over 100% in both value and volumes in unlock phase

·         Demand for micro ATMs / m-POS instruments saw spurt of 67% during unlock

 

Mumbai, January 13, 2020: PayNearby, India’s largest hyperlocal fintech start-up, today said that there was a rise of 96% and 27% in volume and value respectively in AePS withdrawals (Aadhaar ATMs) at Kirana outlets across the country during the lockdown. This growth was a direct result of the various relief funds disbursed by the Government to support citizens during the pandemic and was primarily led by rural and semi-urban areas, which witnessed a growth of 61% and 60% in transaction volumes. 

 

The insight was shared as part of a detailed analysis on ‘assisted digital transactions’, amid Covid-19 – a Pan-India report titled ‘Retail-O-Nomics’, released by PayNearby. The report has been prepared basis transactions registered across more than a million retail touchpoints across the country.

 

While there was a minor blip (less than 2%) in the overall gross transaction value of assisted digital transactions at retail stores in the initial months of the lockdown, transaction volumes saw a huge spurt of more than 45% in the same period. This represented a dip in the average ticket size owing to cautious sentiments, reduced purchasing power and largely small ticket DBT withdrawals. It also represented reduced transactions from metro and urban areas, which witnessed a sharp dip of 32% and 64% respectively in gross transactional value (GTV), led primarily by the dip in money transfer business.

 

However, by August end, as migrants started moving back to their work locations and India entered into an unlocking phase, the overall gross transactional value of digital transactions at retail outlets saw a revival and growth. The average monthly gross transaction value (GTV) grew by more than 17%, while transactional volumes dipped by about 7%. It was reflective of revival of money transfer, travel and utility payment businesses, and signified a return of larger ticket size transactions.

 

When the economic crisis intensified during the lockdown phase, the country witnessed a mass movement of the migrant community from metros to their respective hometowns. During this period, Domestic Money Transfer (DMT), or the amount of money migrant workers send home, saw a sharp decline of more than 85% in the first two months, and started picking up again by late July. With the advent of the unlock phase, remittance business saw a V shaped recovery and registered a growth of 106% and 100% in value and volume respectively vis-à-vis during lockdown.

 

Similarly, during the lockdown phase, owing to strict social distancing norms and getting a moratorium even on bill payments, people avoided stepping out of their homes to pay their bills, on account of which utility bill payments at kirana stores witnessed a clear drop of 23% in GTV. In the unlock phase however, these transactions picked up by almost 67% in volumes and 76% in value.

 

Travel bookings inclusive of bus, rail and air at retail outlets during the lockdown phase witnessed a dip of over 75%. However, by mid-August, as travel restrictions were relaxed, essential travel started again, and India witnessed a large movement back of the migrant workforce. Travel bookings bounced back and registered a steep growth of over 100%, led primarily by a steep rise in rail and bus bookings.

 

Mobile recharges, another popular offering at small retail outlets across the country witnessed a rise of 39% and 34% in value and volume respectively during the lockdown phase, which suggests the rise in consumption of data and talk-time when most people were forced to stay at home.

 

Interestingly, demand for micro ATMs / m-POS instruments at retail outlets across the country witnessed a whopping rise of 67% in the unlock phase which underlines the critical role played by these small retail outlets in bridging the infrastructure gap while also driving financial inclusion at the last mile.

 

In another interesting observation, the report stated that 48% of the total transactions were registered at Kirana stores between 7 AM to 2PM. Significant amount of transactions, almost to the tune of 52% were registered during the non-banking time zone which underlined the crucial role these kirana outlets played in these challenging times in the wake of social distancing and restricted banking hours.

 

Commenting on the report findings, Anand Kumar Bajaj, MD & CEO, PayNearby, said, “India was future proofed by NPCI and Nandan with AEPS. The fact that during lockdown, 115 Mn debit cards were out of system due to non-compliance with CHIP & PIN guidelines, but AEPS came as a BCP for ATM, helping people access the essential money remitted by Government of India. The same is reflected in our data, where the disbursal of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) wouldn’t have been possible without AEPS withdrawal facility in the region. These findings also reveal the tireless efforts of the retail agents who ensured they remained available to the masses at all hours of the day. When the entire country was held hostage by the pandemic, these agents served as corona warriors that kept the economy going.

 

It is heartening to see an accelerated demand within the retail community to enable assisted financial transactions at local stores during these challenging times. We witnessed a sharp growth in retailers who wanted to join the program, and added more than 3 lakh registered retailers during this time.

 

The rise in Micro ATM, mPoS and other digital payment transactions are indicative of the huge latent demand that exists for easy to use digital payment technology across the country, especially in Tier 2 and beyond regions. Our focus will be to empower our retailers and consumers by blending easy to use technology with last mile connectivity, so that we can bridge the digital divide and create an equal Digital India.”

 

The company shared that while the monthly gross transaction value (GTV) at an overall business level dipped marginally (less than 2%) during the lockdown phase, transaction volumes saw a huge spurt of more than 45%. This represented a dip in the average ticket size of transactions owing to cautious sentiments, reduced purchasing power and largely small ticket DBT withdrawals. It also represented reduced transactions from metro and urban areas, which witnessed a sharp dip of 32% and 64% respectively in gross transactional value (GTV), led primarily by the dip in money transfer business.

 

However by August, as migrants moved back to their work locations and money transfer business saw a revival with the unlocking of Indian economy, digital transactions at retail outlets reported an overall growth of 17% during the unlock phase, the company reported a growth of 17% in the overall monthly business value. The transaction volume during this period saw a dip of around 7%, signifying a return of larger ticket size transactions.

 

© 2020 Nearby Technologies Private Limited. All rights reserved.

 

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About Nearby Technologies Pvt. Ltd.:

Incepted in April 2016, Nearby Technologies is a fintech company offering financial/non-financial services to the underbanked and unbanked segment. Nearby Technologies works on a B2B2C model through its various brands - PayNearby, Insure Nearby, BuyNearby and few more. PayNearby empowers retailers at the first mile to offer digital services to local communities, thereby boosting financial inclusion in India. Retailer services are focused on Aadhaar based banking services, Domestic Remittances, Bill Payments, Card Payments, and insurance services among others.

 

It was founded by Anand Kumar Bajaj, Subhash Kumar, Yashwant Lodha & Rajesh Jha who bring with them rich experience in the field of banking, payments and other financial sectors. PayNearby is a DIPP-certified FinTech startup, partnering with various financial institutions including YES Bank, RBL Bank, ICICI Bank, State Bank of India, Axis Bank, CC Avenue, Bill Desk, NPCI, FASTag, NBFC and FMCG companies. It is the sole technology provider using Aadhaar Enabled Payment Services (AEPS) and IMPS to YES Bank, making them one of the only two fintech companies hosted by the National Payments Corporation of India (NCPI).