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Jumpstart your 2025 New Year’s resolutions by taking full advantage of your workplace wellness benefits

As we kick off the new year, many of us start to think about our personal goals for 2025. Whether making New Year’s resolutions or just taking stock of progress on a personal journey, efforts to improve physical and mental well-being are frequently a top priority. Common wellness resolutions include plans to work out or meditate in the mornings, walk 10,000 steps daily, create a new sleep routine or train for a 5K on the weekends.

Work-related challenges are barriers to personal well-being

However, if you struggle to balance your personal goals with your workplace responsibilities, you are not alone. According to Deloitte, most employees (83%) and executives (74%) say they’re facing work-related obstacles when it comes to achieving their well-being goals. They cite a heavy workload or stressful job (30%) and limited time due to long work hours (27%) as the top two challenges. Considering that many of us spend nearly a quarter of our week at work, it is not surprising that our workday experience has a big impact on our personal wellness journey. For those working even longer hours like many banking and insurance employees, the time crunch can be even more significant.

Most of us are not taking full advantage of workplace wellness benefits

Companies are realizing this too. Investments in employee wellness programs have grown over the past decade. In industries like financial services, where some of the workforce challenges are well documented and employee retention is a key priority, there is likely support for your personal wellness journey included in your benefits package. However, research also shows that many of us are not fully taking advantage of these offerings. According to Gartner, Inc., although 80% of employees have access to fitness well-being offerings, only 32% use them.

Workplace wellness tips for the new year

This year can be different. As you think about your resolutions for 2025, review your workplace benefits and see if they can help you reach your goals. Maximizing wellness support through work and extending healthy habits into the workday are great ways to enhance your health journey.

Here are some quick workplace wellness tips to consider as we head into a new year:

  • Set personal wellness goals: Think about personal health and wellness goals and identify habits that can support them both at home and at work. For example, if getting more physical movement into your day is important but your position requires long hours in front of a computer or on the road driving to client sites, perhaps there is a way to spend part of your day at a standing desk or to take a short walk break during lunch.
  • Leverage available resources: Review workplace benefits and see where they might align with wellness goals and associated habits. Many banking and insurance companies are creating more holistic wellness programs that include everything from fitness stipends to free counseling services and flexible work options. As organizations work to expand their portfolio or wellness benefits to help employees manage the stress that can accompany the often demanding financial services environment, there will likely be something for everyone.
  • Track your progress: For many of us, it can be highly motivating to see our progress against goals and celebrate big and small achievements throughout our journey. Wearables can help you track and identify trends in the habits you identify as important. In fact, according to Deloitte’s Connected Consumer Survey, 69% percent of those who own smartwatches and fitness trackers say the devices improve their fitness, and 64% say they improve their health. Check to see if your company provides a fitness reimbursement to purchase  new technology, such as a smart watch or fitness ring, or replace an outdated one.
  • Participate actively: Consistency is essential. Regular participation maximizes benefits, whether attending workshops, participating in team fitness challenges or taking advantage of counseling services. Connecting with those who face the same workplace rigors is a great way to uncover new ways to balance your personal wellness goals with the realities of the workday. For example, team step challenges can bring together remote claims adjuster teams through motivating group chats and a virtual monthly awards celebration.
  • Integrate wellness into daily work routine: Within company policies, build in short daily wellness breaks to walk, stretch or meditate throughout the day. For instance, use your wearable device or mobile phone to set reminders to take a short stroll around the office or practice a few minutes of mindfulness.

Whatever your goals are for 2025, don’t leave your workplace benefits on the table. By being proactive, consistent and engaged in the programs your company offers, you can maximize the value of your employee wellness program to make your New Year’s resolutions a reality and improve your well-being in the bank branch, on the road and at home.

To learn more about Samsung wellness solutions, start here.

Acies and Their 2024 Asia Risk ‘Risk Management Consultant of the Year’ Award Victory

Acies has been recognized as the ‘Risk Management Consultant of the Year’ at the Asia Risk Congress 2024, acknowledging the firm’s expertise in delivering cutting-edge risk management solutions for financial institutions worldwide. The award ceremony took place on September 26, 2024, in Singapore, celebrating the impactful work done in the past year by leading financial institutions and the organizations that support them.This recognition underscores Acies’ continued success in designing innovative risk management solutions and technological products that empower banks, non-banking finance companies, and insurers to address complex financial risks, regulatory changes, and evolving market demands.“We’re proud to have played a pivotal role in helping Indian life insurers efficiently hedge, monitor, and manage their interest rate risk. By structuring innovative derivative products and automating interest rate risk management in our software solutions, we’ve enabled insurers to offer safer, guaranteed returns to their customers,“ says Harshit Gupta, Consulting Leader and Leader – Kore and Kepler at Acies.Amid rising market volatility, Acies has equipped insurers and banks with effective hedging programs to manage interest rate risk and design innovative insurance products that have deepened the market for non-par insurance products. Acies’ solutions have helped institutions drive business growth, while simultaneously complying with stringent regulatory requirements, as well as local and international risk management standards.Arindam Banerjee, Head – Business Development at Acies adds, “Our ability to blend consulting with technology and deliver a fully operationalized, build-operate-transfer package has made it possible for our clients to undertake complex transformation projects with confidence. We’re working with more than 70% of the life insurance market in India on our interest rate risk management program, and with multiple global banks who structure these derivative instruments. We have now started working with these banks to also extend the program across other ASEAN markets with a similar need, which underscores the strength of our advisory and automation solutions”.Through our strategic partnerships with industry bodies and frequent interactions with insurance and banking regulators, Acies’ services and solutions promote transparency, standardization, and sustainable growth within the financial services space. Our focus on integrating technology and consulting helps us deliver time-bound, turn-key projects for our clients, helping them thrive in an increasingly complex financial environment.“This award is a testament to our team’s dedication and commitment to providing innovative solutions that not only meet regulatory standards but also empower institutions to manage risks proactively,“ said Muzammil Patel, Chief Executive Officer at Acies.

Makoons Play School Honored as Preschool Franchisor of the Year 2024 by Elets World Education Summit

Makoons Play School Honored as Preschool Franchisor of the Year 2024 by Elets World Education SummitDelhi, July 13, 2024: Makoons Play School is overjoyed to announce that it has been named the 2024 Preschool Franchisor of the Year by the prestigious Elets World Education Summit. This esteemed award was given out at a lavish ceremony honoring innovation and distinction in the field of education that took place at the Taj Hotel, located in Delhi.

Globally renowned, the Elets World Education Summit brings together leaders in education, decision-makers, and specialists to celebrate and debate exceptional contributions to the area of education. The theme of this year’s summit was “Innovating Education for the Future,” and Makoons Preschool was particularly noteworthy for its extraordinary commitment to offering early childhood education of the highest caliber.

This award is a testament to Makoons Preschool’s creative approach to early childhood education. The school places a strong emphasis on creating a learning atmosphere that is child-centric and encourages curiosity, creativity, and overall growth. Makoons guarantees individualized attention and a solid basis for learning by incorporating the most recent educational tools and approaches.

In all of its locations across India, Makoons Preschool is dedicated to upholding the highest standards of excellence and quality. Local business owners can provide their communities with top-notch preschool education while upholding Makoons’ strict standards by using the franchise model. Makoons has become a reputable name in preschool education as a consequence of its dedication, which has continuously produced great results for early learners.

Makoons’ committed staff and educators, who have a dedication to developing young minds, are the driving force behind the organization’s success. The organization makes significant investments in its teachers’ ongoing professional development to make sure they have the newest abilities. Furthermore, Makoons actively include families in the educational process because it understands that a child’s success depends on a good collaboration between the home and the school.

Makoons Preschool’s founders gave a speech during the award ceremony, expressing their gratitude and pleasure. Founder and CEO of Makoons Group of Schools, Mr. Vijay Kumar Agarwal, stated, “Our team’s hard work and dedication have paid off, as evidenced by being honored by the Elets World Education Summit.” Our objective to provide every child with an exemplary early childhood education is one that we are profoundly honored to be pursuing.

Makoons Preschool has big ambitions for the future, including reaching out to new communities in India and abroad with its distinctive educational philosophies. The institution wants to make sure that each kid has access to a caring as well as stimulating learning environment by continuing to innovate and set new standards in the field of early childhood education.

Hyundai Motor union secures wage deal without strike for 6th consecutive year

Seoul, July 13: Hyundai Motor’s labour and management have concluded their wage negotiations without a strike for the sixth year in a row, agreeing on the highest wage increase in the company’s history.

The union said on Saturday its members have voted to accept a tentative wage deal reached earlier in the week.

Under the agreement, Hyundai will increase workers’ basic monthly pay by 4.65 percent, or 111,200 won ($81), and give a one-off performance-based bonus equivalent to 500 percent of the basic monthly salary, plus 18 million won, to each worker.

In addition, each employee will receive 25 shares in the company, reports Yonhap news agency.

The company also agreed to extend the maximum period for retired skilled workers to be reemployed as contract-based workers from the current one year to two years.

The agreed-upon wage increase is the highest in the company’s history.

With the unionised workers voting in favour of the deal, the carmaker has concluded wage bargaining without a strike since 2019.

The deal was reached just two days ahead of the union’s planned strike. It reportedly withdrew the strike plan after management agreed on the highest-ever wage raise and the two-year reemployment programme for skilled retired workers.

“The union and the management will faithfully carry out their social roles as members of the global community and prepare together for a better future,” the automaker said in a statement.

Both sides will hold a signing ceremony for this year’s wage deal on Monday.

Fleetguard Filters Private Limited (FFPL) Recognized As “Brand Of The Year 2024” In The Automobile And Auto Ancillary Category

PUNE: Fleetguard Filters Pvt Ltd, a Pune-based leading manufacturer of filtration products and solutions in the automotive sector, has been honored with the prestigious “Brand of the Year 2024” award in the Automobile and Auto Ancillary category at the Marksmen Daily event held on 21st June 2024 at Delhi. 

This award, renowned for felicitating excellence across diverse business sectors, has recognized Fleetguard Filters for its exceptional contributions to the automotive industry. This accolade highlights the company’s significant market impact driven by its advanced filtration technologies.

Niranjan Kirloskar, Managing Director of Fleetguard Filters Private Limited (FFPL), expressed his gratitude for receiving the award: “We are honored to be recognized as the ‘Brand of the Year 2024’ by Marksmen Daily. This accolade reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire team. It motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation and delivering technically advanced solutions to our customers.”

The recognition by Marksmen Daily adds to the numerous accolades Fleetguard Filters has received over the years, reinforcing its position as an industry leader. The company remains committed to driving technological advancements and maintaining its legacy of excellence in the automotive market.

Fleetguard Filters Private Limited (FFPL) Recognized As “Brand Of The Year 2024” In The Automobile And Auto Ancillary Category

PUNE: Fleetguard Filters Pvt Ltd, a Pune-based leading manufacturer of filtration products and solutions in the automotive sector, has been honored with the prestigious “Brand of the Year 2024” award in the Automobile and Auto Ancillary category at the Marksmen Daily event held on 21st June 2024 at Delhi. 

This award, renowned for felicitating excellence across diverse business sectors, has recognized Fleetguard Filters for its exceptional contributions to the automotive industry. This accolade highlights the company’s significant market impact driven by its advanced filtration technologies.

Niranjan Kirloskar, Managing Director of Fleetguard Filters Private Limited (FFPL), expressed his gratitude for receiving the award: “We are honored to be recognized as the ‘Brand of the Year 2024’ by Marksmen Daily. This accolade reflects the hard work and dedication of our entire team. It motivates us to continue pushing the boundaries of innovation and delivering technically advanced solutions to our customers.”

The recognition by Marksmen Daily adds to the numerous accolades Fleetguard Filters has received over the years, reinforcing its position as an industry leader. The company remains committed to driving technological advancements and maintaining its legacy of excellence in the automotive market.

Within First Year of Its Inception, Goodveda Invests in Government’s Millet Revolution in India

New Delhi, twenty eighth June 2024: In a strategic transfer to align with the Indian authorities’s ‘Millet Revolution’ marketing campaign, Goodveda, a number one innovator in pure healthcare options devoted to bettering private well-being, inside its first 12 months of inception unveils its new vary of nutritious millet-based wholesome baked crunchies ‘Milletious’. With its first partnership with Barista at a pan India degree, the start-up is all set to carry in a outstanding change in the snacking habits of Indians. The wholesome snack vary of Goodveda aligns with the Government of India’s initiative to advertise millet consumption and revolutionize the nation’s dietary habits.

By making these nutritious snacks accessible at Barista places nationwide, Goodveda presents a wholesome snacking various and elevated accessibility of nutritious snacking for all espresso lovers, café patrons and health fans.

MILLET

We are extraordinarily excited to be in line with our authorities’s Millet revolution, that’s paving the way in which for a more healthy way of life,” stated Abhishek Gaggneja, Founder of Goodveda. “We wish to be the flag bearers of holistic well-being. At Goodveda, we purpose to supply healthful, scrumptious snacking choices that helps each your well being and taste-buds. By partnering with Barista, we’re making it simpler for individuals to get pleasure from nutritious snacks on-the-go, complementing their favorite espresso moments.” 

The premium Millet primarily based wholesome baked crunchies are good for health-conscious customers looking for nutritious, light-weight, gluten-free with a low-glycaemic index, sugar-free, and preservative-free choices, constructed from healthful elements like Millets, Bajra flour, Jowar flour, and Wheat flour, the healthful snack that mixes conventional grains with irresistible style. For these trying to indulge with out compromising well being requirements, savour crunchies present an expensive deal with. 

Milletious‘ crunchies provide a tasty vary of baked crunchies in 4 flavourful, scrumptious, nutritious, and handy snacking choices of Gazab Garlic, Hotshot Chilli, Mad Masala, and Masoor Methi, catering to totally different style preferences whereas sustaining the well being advantages of millets. The delectable vary of Millet-based baked crunchies crafted to mix pleasure with wellness, for health-conscious customers of all ages, catering to the rising demand for more healthy way of life selections.

The Millet Crunchies can be found in 80 gm and 200 gm pack, and is wealthy in proteins, dietary fibre, and important minerals akin to iron and magnesium. Inherently, they’re a superb snack selection for everybody, together with these with particular dietary restrictions. These Millet Crunchies are baked, maida-free, preservative-free, and constructed from plant-based elements, making them appropriate for vegans and health-conscious customers.

Recognising the significance of millets, the wholesome snacks vary of ‘Milletious’ by Goodveda, units to redefine and revolutionize the realm of snacking by prioritizing well being, improved diet, and nice style.

Goodveda’s ‘Milletious’ crunchies are additionally accessible for buy on-line by www.goodveda.com.


Neel Achary

98 Indians died during Haj pilgrimage this year: MEA

The Indian External Affairs Ministry has stated 98 Indians have died during the annual Haj pilgrimage in Mecca in Saudi Arabia this 12 months.

Pilgrims struggled due to extreme heat during Haj this year.
Haj pilgrimage is taken into account as holy by Muslim group members. Photo Courtesy: Pixabay

Pilgrims struggled as a consequence of excessive warmth during Haj this 12 months.

Addressing a media briefing, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stated: “This 12 months, 1,75,000 Indian pilgrims have visited Haj thus far.”

“The core Haj interval is from, I believe, May ninth to twenty second of July. So far, we’ve misplaced or there are 98 Indian pilgrims who’ve died in Haj,” he stated.

Speaking on the attainable reason for dying, he stated: “The core Haj interval is from ninth May to twenty second of July and thus far we’ve misplaced 98 of our residents. These deaths have occurred on account of pure sickness, pure causes, continual sickness, as additionally previous age. On the day of Arafat, 6 Indians died and 4 Indians have died on account of accidents. I’d additionally prefer to inform you that final 12 months, the determine of Indians who died in Haj was 187.”

The holy pilgrimage this 12 months started with folks combating excessive temperatures to finish their journey.

Thousands extra have been handled for heatstroke after an estimated crowd of 1.8 million Muslims contended with the excessive temperatures, reported CNN.

The Saudi authorities was quoted as saying by the American information channel on Monday that greater than 2,700 folks had been handled for heatstroke.

As per the Saudi General Authority for Statistics,  greater than 1.8 million folks participated within the Haj pilgrimage this 12 months.

Haj is without doubt one of the largest non secular gatherings on the earth.

The Haj pilgrimage timing adjustments yearly with the Islamic calendar and this 12 months it coincided with June, a month thought-about to be one of many hottest in Saudi Arabia.

Haj officers requested pilgrims to hold umbrellas and keep hydrated amid the cruel circumstances whereas the Saudi military deployed greater than 1,600 personnel with medical items particularly for heatstroke and 30 fast response groups. Another 5,000 well being and first assist volunteers took half, reported CNN.

New Relic Report Shows Outages Cost Energy and Utilities Providers Over $34 Million Per Year

Bangalore, June 20, 2024: New Relic, the all-in-one observability platform for every engineer, printed its State of Observability for Energy and Utilities report, which affords insights and analysis on the adoption and enterprise value of observability for the energy and utilities enterprise. The report relies on insights from 132 experience professionals and was developed in affiliation with the 2023 Observability Forecast. The report findings current energy and utilities organizations are investing in observability, considerably AIOps and cell monitoring, to create real-time insights into their infrastructure and reduce outage costs and frequency.

The report highlights the importance of implementing observability, with 66% saying their group receives $1 million or additional in full value from their observability funding per 12 months—higher than each different enterprise. Based on annual spend and annual value acquired estimates, energy and utilities organizations acquire nearly a 3x median annual return on funding (ROI). The report findings moreover current that the energy and utilities sector see observability as integral to their enterprise, with 50% of IT decision-makers noting that observability helps them arrange a experience approach.

“Nobody needs their lights to exit with out warning. This implies that uptime and reliability is a excessive priority for energy and utilities suppliers,” talked about New Relic Chief Design and Strategy Officer Peter Pezaris. “Implementing and maturing their observability observe affords a path forward for energy and utilities suppliers, creating bigger visibility and faster time to choice.”

AI adoption is on the rise

The extremely efficient combination of observability and AI can help organizations to create a bigger understanding of telemetry data and deal with the challenges associated to ever-expanding data items. More than half (56%) of respondents from energy and utilities organizations reported having deployed AIOps capabilities, along with anomaly detection, incident intelligence, and root set off analysis, with 89% planning to have AIOps deployed by mid-2026. AIOps can help energy and utilities organizations by contributing to operational effectivity and enabling faster response events. It helps teams acquire actionable insights and helps decision-makers to uncover learnings regarding system effectivity; bettering incident detection and choice.

Full-stack observability is important to outage low cost

Energy and utilities organizations expert outages on the subsequent charge than all totally different industries, with 40% experiencing high-business-impact outages on the very least as quickly as each week, as compared with the widespread of 32%. The median annual downtime for energy/utilities organizations was 37 hours, which is the most effective by a considerable margin all through all industries and 61% bigger than the overall widespread of 23 hours. This downtime significantly impacts the underside line for energy and utilities suppliers, with the median annual outage worth sitting at $34.31 million—the most effective decide as compared with all totally different industries.

The energy and utilities organizations that achieved full-stack observability observed substantial enhancements to suggest time to choice (MTTR), which can help the low cost of outage costs. Some 87% of those with full-stack observability talked about MTTR improved to some extent since adopting observability, as compared with 76% of respondents with out full-stack observability. Additionally, whereas the proportion of energy/utilities respondents using a single system has elevated since ultimate 12 months, rising from 2% to 3%, the widespread number of devices has remained unchanged at six devices 12 monthsover12 months. This signifies that suppliers are spending necessary time and money tool-hopping to larger understand the utterly totally different components of their enterprise and to resolve factors that lead to expensive outages and poor purchaser experiences.

“Observability platforms are proving to be important for energy and utility suppliers all through India. As uptime and reliability develop to be paramount to avoiding service disruptions, implementing and maturing observability practices affords a clear path forward. By gaining bigger visibility into their IT infrastructure, energy and utilities suppliers can acquire faster time to choice for factors, guaranteeing the lights carry on and operations run simply,” Peter Marelas, Chief Architect, APJ, New Relic.

Security is actually essentially the most extensively deployed performance

Energy and utilities suppliers are excellent targets for cyberattacks, which underscores the importance of performant group, security, and infrastructure monitoring. Security monitoring was basically essentially the most extensively deployed performance for energy and utilities organizations at 68%, and by mid-2026, nearly all (99%) respondents anticipated to have deployed security monitoring. Furthermore, the very best experience approach or improvement driving the need for observability amongst energy/utilities organizations was an elevated cope with security, governance, menace, and compliance (44%).

For additional data, view the State of Observability for Energy and Utilities report.

Customer spotlight

A frontrunner throughout the world energy enterprise, World Kinect regarded to New Relic to create bigger visibility into the effectively being of its infrastructure and functions. Thanks to the partnership, its engineering group has cut back downtime, decreased troubleshooting time by 75%, and is able to resolve factors faster. For additional data, be taught the Kinect case study.


Mansi Praharaj

Epson retains the No.1 position in the Indian Projector Market for the eighth consecutive year

Epson retains the No.1 position in the Indian Projector Market for the eighth consecutive yearIndia, June 14, 2024: Epson, a worldwide chief in digital imaging and printing choices, at current launched its continued administration and year-on-year market share improvement in the Indian projector market. According to the latest data revealed by Futuresource Consulting for FY23, Epson provided 77,637 projectors out of the normal 172,414 projectors provided in the nation all through the fiscal year 2023-24. This gave Epson a serious market share of 45.03% in FY2023. Epson has grown its market share by 13% in FY2023 from its earlier share of 31.54% in FY2022. Futuresource Consulting are market specialists in seen reveals and are accepted as the worldwide projector commerce commonplace.

Epson has been the chief in the Indian projector market since the FY 2016-17. Globally, Epson has been the No. 1 projector mannequin position for 22 years, with a Global market share of 32.3% in FY 2022-23. Epson stays the market chief in every B2B and B2C lessons.  Epson attributes its success to its proprietary 3LCD know-how which delivers vibrant and true-to-life images with as a lot as 3 events elevated shade vibrancy and the subsequent shade gamut than others. Epson says its projectors have all the time been renowned for their high-quality effectivity, revolutionary choices and superior know-how. The most recent projectors elevate the individual experience with Laser light provide, Ultra Short throw, 3LCD Reflective Laser know-how and 4K for state-of-the-art home theatre projectors. Epson says it should proceed to focus on creating cutting-edge utilized sciences and choices to ensure it stays the most preferred projector mannequin every in India & Worldwide.

Epson’s key segments for projectors embrace education, corporates, authorities and residential, with each presenting very important improvement alternate options. Epson projectors are primarily used in firm meeting rooms for reveals, for collaborating school college students in lecture rooms, for huge venue and theatre type projections and for an elevated home theatre experience. Demand is being fueled by digital lecture rooms, hybrid meeting rooms, teaching rooms, projection mapping, digital paintings galleries, rental and staging, and residential leisure.  The newer shift in the path of Laser light provide projectors with longer lifetime of upto 30,000 hours is supporting greener and cost-efficient workplaces. In the education sector, digitization and interactive finding out are driving projector adoption. Smart choices like wi-fi connectivity and mobile compatibility further enhance attraction, reflecting a improvement in the path of a seamless, helpful multimedia experiences.

Commenting on the achievement, Mr. A. Ok. Harish, Senior General Manager – Visual Products, Epson India, acknowledged, “We are delighted to not merely retain the No.1 position in the Indian projector market for FY2023, nonetheless to significantly enhance our market share as successfully. We have been the market leaders in India for a number of years now. Over the years, the projector market has developed significantly, offering a further superior individual experience along with seamless choices. Epson has persistently been at the forefront of this transformation, delivering merchandise that current vibrant, true-to-life images and a viewing experience that exceeds purchaser expectations”.


Mansi Praharaj