UPS COMMITS TO MORE ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES, FUEL AND RENEWABLE POWER BY 2025

UPS COMMITS TO MORE

ALTERNATIVE VEHICLES, FUEL AND RENEWABLE POWER BY 2025

Sets Science-Based Target and Publishes Annual Corporate Sustainability Report

UPS (NYSE: UPS) has announced aggressive new sustainability goals to add more alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles to its fleet while increasing its reliance on renewable energy sources. The goals, available in the company’s 2016 Corporate Sustainability Report, support UPS’s commitment to reduce its absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from global ground operations 12 percent by 2025, a goal developed using a methodology approved by the Science Based Targets initiative.

“Because of our size and scale, we know our commitments can shape markets, advance technologies and be a catalyst for infrastructure investments,” said David Abney, UPS Chairman and CEO. “We rely on the ingenuity of our employees, suppliers and technology partners to help us reach goals that will transform the shipping industry and spur innovation.”

UPS has a goal that 25 percent of the electricity it consumes will come from renewable energy sources by 2025, a dramatic increase from the 0.2 percent in 2016. In addition, by 2020 UPS plans that one in four new vehicles purchased annually will be an alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicle, up from 16 percent in 2016. The company also set a new goal that by 2025, 40 percent of all ground fuel will be from sources other than conventional gasoline and diesel, an increase from 19.6 percent in 2016. 

UPS operates more than 8,300 alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles worldwide. The company’s fleet includes electric, hybrid electric,   hydraulic hybrid, compressed natural gas (CNG), liquefied natural gas (LNG), propane and lightweight fuel-saving composite body vehicles. In addition to its use of alternative vehicles, UPS uses millions of gallons of lower-carbon footprint renewable diesel and renewable natural gas (RNG) in its fleet each year.

 “UPS has one of the largest fleets of alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles worldwide,” said Jean-Francois Condamine, President of the Indian Subcontinent, Middle East, and Africa (ISMEA) region for UPS. “We will continue to innovate to support sustainability which is one of the themes of Expo 2020 Dubai – using resources without compromising the ability of the planet to sustain future generations. UPS is strongly committed to finding solutions for the environmental needs in this region by constantly striving to reduce our carbon footprint, and those of our customers.”

These initiatives reinforce the company’s commitment to reducing its environmental impact despite growth in e-commerce deliveries, which are driving up energy used to operate facilities and power its vehicle fleet.

The UPS vision entails a future smart logistics network of advanced technology vehicles and facilities powered by more diverse and sustainable energy sources, including on-site solar, off-site wind, renewable natural gas, renewable hydrogen, and renewable diesel delivered via advanced energy system infrastructure. UPS already deploys many of these technologies in its ground fleet and facilities, and plans to significantly increase their use in its worldwide fleet.

Since 2009, UPS has invested more than $750 million in alternative fuel and advanced technology vehicles and fueling stations globally. The company used more than 97 million gallons of alternative and lower-carbon fuels in its ground fleet in 2016 and recently made an $18 million investment in on-site solar energy systems across eight facilities. UPS uses its Rolling Laboratory approach to determine which alternative fuels and technologies work best in each situation. From old-fashioned pedal power and electrically-assisted bicycles, to electric, hybrid electric, natural gas, renewable natural gas, propane and renewable diesel, UPS puts sustainability innovation into action, all over the world.

In addition to its environmental efforts, UPS outlined in its Sustainability Report workforce and community goals, including its commitment to achieve 20 million volunteer hours by the end of 2020 and its pledge to donate $127 million in total charitable contributions in 2020, including humanitarian relief and community safety programs, through The UPS Foundation. The programs provide support to communities around the world, including UPS’s work with partners to deliver life-saving blood, medicines and vaccines to remote communities and its support of relief organizations.

To obtain more information on UPS’s sustainability initiatives, please visit ups.com/sustainability. For media assets (photos, b-roll, infographics, etc.), please go to pressroom.ups.com.

About UPS

UPS (NYSE) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions transporting packages and freight; facilitating international trade, and deploying advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. UPS is committed to operating more sustainably – for customers, the environment and the communities we serve around the world.  Learn more about our efforts at ups.com/sustainability. Headquartered in Atlanta, UPS serves more than 220 countries and territories worldwide. The company can be found on the web at ups.com and its corporate blog can be found at longitudes.ups.com. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.

SBI Card launches PRIME: A unique credit card for the neo-premium consumer

SBI Card launches PRIME: A unique credit card for the neo-premium consumer

~A unique premium card designed for today`s new age premium customer - urban, young affluent professionals

~Partnership with Vistara, Trident Hotels, Reliance Retail, BigBasket, Pizza Hut, Priority Pass to offer exclusive benefits to cardholders

SBI Card, one of India’s leading credit card issuers, today launched ‘SBI Card PRIME’, a premium credit card targeted at the growing segment of urban, young affluent consumers. SBI Card PRIME is designed to complement the lifestyles of these evolving, neo affluent consumers, clubbing exclusive lifestyle privileges with enhanced value on their daily spends.

The premium consumer in India is changing. With rising disposable income, urban professionals are aspiring for a superior lifestyle at an early stage in their lives.  There is a perceptible shift in the premium consumer segment, with more consumers in this segment now falling into the 25-35 age group. Over 50% of SBI Card`s premium customers today are in this age bracket. Moreover, this shift has been driven by urban consumers.

This neo-premium customer - the urban, young affluent consumer - has a different set of expectations than the mature affluent consumer. These consumers are positive about the current economic situation and confident that their incomes will continue to rise. They seek new experiences, have high aspirations, believe they deserve more and are demanding – while they desirepremium lifestyle privileges in line with their aspirations and evolving tastes, they also want to maximize value. Studies reveal that these consumers are driven by certain motivators - Looking Better, Eating Better and Having more Fun are key. This is evident in the rising spends on Travel, Entertainment, Dining and Apparel categories by this consumer cohort.Over 30% of all spends by this consumer segment are on these categories, in line with their lifestyle goals.

The SBI Card PRIME has been thoughtfully designed to reward this aspiring, travel-savvy, growing urban professional with the right mix of premium lifestyle privileges and enhanced value on their regular shopping experience.

SBI Card PRIME brings cardholders the best lifestyle privileges such as complimentary membership to loyalty programs of marquee brands like Vistara and Trident Hotelsand complimentary international airport lounge access through the Priority Pass Program. Launched on the Visa Signature platform, the card offers exclusive travel benefits such as domestic airport lounge access as well as worldwide offers like discounts on car rentals, 24/7 concierge services etc.

Through the Club Vistara Silver Membership, cardholders will be able to enjoy benefits such as earning CV Points on bookingVistara flights; priority airport check-in; increased baggage allowance; complimentary Lounge Access and One Class Upgrade vouchers. The Trident Privilege program Red tier membership will offer exclusive benefits for SBI Card PRIME cardholders such as 1000 Welcome Bonus Points for new members to the program, hotel credit and added bonus points during the first stay as well as general membership benefits such as 10% discount on all bookings on tridenthotels.com, express check-in and late check-out along with other attractive joining and members only benefits.

In keeping with this consumer segment`s focus on value maximization, along with a superior lifestyle SBI Card PRIME also offers the highest tangible value in its category. Among other benefits, this card gives consumers accelerated reward points at Preferred Partners viz., – Reliance Fresh, Reliance SMART, Reliance Trends, Reliance Footprints, BigBasket, Sahakari Bhandar etc.

Commenting on the launch of SBI Card PRIME, Mr. Vijay Jasuja, CEO, SBI Card said, “We have observed that the premium customer is changing. There has been an increase in the proportion of urban, young affluent consumers in our premium customer base. With their rising incomes and aspirations for a superior lifestyle, these customers present a strong opportunity.  We have designed the SBI Card PRIME to complement the unique needs and lifestyles of these aspiring, travel-savvy, young professionals.  SBI Card PRIME will offer customers in this space access to a premium lifestyle together with the highest tangible value in its segment. We are very pleased to partner with some of the leading brands in their categories - Vistara, Trident Hotels, Reliance Retail, Big Basket and Pizza Hut - to bring this unique card to our customers. With the introduction of SBI Card PRIME we look to significantly enhance our penetration in the new premium segment”

Commenting on the partnership, Mr. Phee Teik Yeoh, CEO, Vistara, said, “The growing affluence in India is the biggest driver of the increase in consumption, especially in travel. It has led to a shift in the consumers' values with greater emphasis on quality and value, reflecting their aspirations and progressive lifestyle. Club Vistara is specifically designed to cater to the evolving needs of today’s frequent traveler. Inspired by the feedback from a wide spectrum of our customers, Club Vistara has undergone a make over to be the fastest rewarding and the least restrictive frequent flyer program with a slew of unique benefits. Through our partnership with SBI Card and by extending the Club Vistara benefits to their Prime cardholders, we invite the SBI Card Prime cardholders to our unique program and to ‘fly the new feeling’ with Vistara. Welcome aboard!”

Mr. Damodar Mall, CEO Grocery Retail, Reliance Retail Limited said, “As modern retail, our customers expect us to bring the latest product & service choices to them. This includes ways in which people can pay at our stores. We are naturally very happy to join hands with leaders like SBI Card to encourage more cash-free payments for daily necessities at our RelianceFresh & Smart stores.”

Mr. Prashant Gaur, Chief Brand Officer – Pizza Hut (Indian Sub-continent) at Yum! Brands said, “We are delighted to have partnered with SBI Card to offer this unique value proposition to India’s young urban consumers – patrons of both Pizza Hut & SBI Card. We believe the milestone offers presented by SBI Card PRIME, provides great value to our customers, who can avail it at any of our Pizza Hut outlets in India.”

Mr. Vipul Parekh (Co Founder, CMO & CFO), BigBasket said,"We are very happy to partner with SBI Card. SBI Card, with their increasing young, urban affluent consumer base has become a

key partner for us. We are happy to announce an exclusive reward program where BigBasket customers will get 15 Reward points per Rs 100 spent, on shopping with the SBI Card PRIME." 

Highlights of the SBI Card PRIME:

·         10 reward points per INR 100 spent on dining, entertainment departmental stores and grocery spends

·         20 bonus reward points per INR 100 spent on cardholder`s birthday

·         15 Reward points per INR 100 spent at Preferred partners – RelianceFresh, Reliance Smart, Reliance Trends, Reliance Footprints, BigBasket 

·         Milestone benefits:

o   Quarterly - Dining gift voucher worth INR 1000 from Pizza Hut on quarterly spends of INR 50,000

o   Annual - Gift voucher worth INR 7000 from Yatra.com/ Pantaloons on annual spends of INR 500,000

·         Waiver of renewal fee if annual spends exceed INR 300,000

·         Welcome vouchers worth INR 3000 from popular travel, lifestyle and apparel brands

·         20 reward points per INR 100 spent on all utility bills paid via standing instructions on the SBI Card PRIME

·         Fuel surcharge waiver across petrol pumps in India

·         NFC enabled card allowing contactless payments

The card also has a variant on the Mastercard World platform. The card will come with a joining fee of INR 2999. With the introduction of SBI Card PRIME, all customers holding SBI Platinum credit card will be transitioned to the superior PRIME platform, and will enjoy the enhanced privileges and rewards associated with SBI Card PRIME.

About SBI Card

SBI Cards and Payment Services Private Limited (SBI Card) is an Indian financial services company to offer Indian consumers extensive access to a wide range of world-class, value-added payment products and services. Presently, the brand has a wide customer base of 4.8 million. With a market share of 15%, SBI Card operates through over 90 locations in India. SBI Card is based on the value proposition of “Make Life Simple”.

Visit www.sbicard.com for more details.

Odisha CM flags off Mascot Rally for the biggest sporting spectacle in Bhubaneswar

Odisha CM flags off Mascot Rally for the biggest sporting spectacle in Bhubaneswar

‘Olly’, 22^nd Asian Athletics Championships’ official mascot, takes off on a 30-district rally in Odisha

Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha, Shri Naveen Patnaik, today flagged off the Asian Athletics Championships’ mascot rally. Olly, the Olive Ridley sea turtle, is the official mascot of the 22nd edition of the athletics meet, to be held in Bhubaneswar from July 6-9. Olly will tour all the 30 districts of the state to spread awareness and publicity for the event.

The rally was flagged off from the Kalinga Stadium in Bhubaneswar, the venue of the Asian Athletics Championships, which has also been completely renovated & upgraded to host the premier track and field event of the continent. A brand new synthetic track, complete with floodlights and a brand new warm-up facility has been setup to host the Championships. The event also witnessed the inaugration of the uniform for AAC, which will be a part of the official merchandise for the event.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Patnaik said:" The 22^ndAsian Athletics Championships will be the largest ever sporting event in Bhubaneswar with participation of 45 countries. Bhubaneswar has emerged as a sought-after destination for international sports competitions, as it will also host the Hockey World League Final in December 2017 and the prestigious Men's Hockey World Cup in December 2018. For this purpose, Kalinga Stadium has been transformed into a world class infrastructure facility for hosting international events as per the requirements of the IAAF.”

“The Olive Ridley turtles are our state’s pride, and I hope that through our mascot, Olly, we can create more awareness about their protection and conservation throughout the country.”

Apart from the honourable CM of Odisha, the event was also graced by diginarities such as Mr.Bijaya Kumar Mohanty - MLA, Mr.Prasanna Patasani - MP, Mr.Ashok Chandra Panda - Minister-Tourism & Culture, Mr.Chandra Sarathi Behera, Minister-Sports, Mr.Aditya Prasad Padhi - Orissa Chief Secretary, Mr.R. Balakrishnan - Development Commissioner Cum Additonal Chief Secretary, Mr. Vishal Kumar Dev (IAS) -Secretary and Commissioner, Sports Government of Odisha.

Mr. Vishal Kumar Dev (IAS), Secretary cum Commissioner – Sports, Government of Odisha, added:  “The Asian Athletics Championships is testimony to Odisha’s keenness to go the extra mile and bring international sporting events to the State. Through this, we hope to provide our athletes and sportspersons exposure to the best sporting talent in the world and raise the profile of the State in the field of sports. We are proud to be hosting Asia’s biggest athletics event.”

  

The beautifully designed mascot will generate awareness amongst the masses and create a sense of belongingness to the Championships. Olly represents the endangered Olive Ridley sea turtles that

travel thousands of miles in the ocean and arrive in millions every year on the Rushikulya & Gahirmatha beaches of Odisha for their annual nesting. Through this meet, the Government of Odisha will be contributing towards raising awareness for the protection of the endangered species and preserving their natural habitat.

This is the third time the Asian Athletics Championships are being held in India, after New Delhi (1989) and Pune (2013). The 22nd edition of Asia’s flagship Athletics meet is also going to be its biggest ever, with nearly 1000 athletes participating in the competition which will be a qualifying event for the IAAF World Championships in London.

Asian Athletics Championships

The Asian Athletics Championships (AAC) is Asia’s flagship event organized by the Asian Athletics Association (AAA). The capital of Odisha, Bhubaneswar will host the 22ndedition of AAC from July 6th  to July 9th 2017 at Kalinga Stadium. India has hosted the event earlier on two occasions in New Delhi (1989) and Pune (2013). Nearly 1000 athletes from 45 countries will participate across track and field events. The winners of the AAC procure a direct berth in the IAAF World Championships London, 2017.

Website: http://athleticsasia.org/index.php

Percept One

Percept One delivers marketing solutions that transform brands and grow businesses. The company comprises a collaborative roster of best-in-class creative and strategic services that meet brand-building needs across all communication channels. Over 500 people across 16 markets collaborate as a single seamless entity to offer unparalleled synergy and a cross-pollination of ideas and services. Percept One comprises Percept/H: Founding unit and Percept’s flagship creative agency; IBD India: Integrated brand development agency; Percept Gulf: Brand consultancy; I-AM: Branding and experiential design; Percept Media: Media management; Percept Activ: Experiential Marketing; Percept ICE: Events and MICE and Percept Profile: Full service PR agency. 

Workshop on Advertising, Branding and Leadership at iLEAD

 Workshop on Advertising, Branding and Leadership at iLEAD

iLEAD hosted a workshop on Advertising, Branding and Leadership with Mr Cherojit Goswami, Vice President of Ogilvy Common Health Worldwide. iLEAD Chairman, Pradip Chopra addressed the audience with his views on importance of perspective, brands and impactful ads. In the first session “Advertising Mantras”, Mr Goswami spoke about concepts like Elevator pitch, how to move from communication to conversation, the 8 sought after values from advertising professionals, the importance of continuity and persistence and much more. Mr. Goswami also spoke about the world of social media and how demographic factors and cultural values also play a vital part in Advertising. 

About iLEAD:

Institute of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Development (iLEAD) is one of the premier Media and Management School of Kolkata having world class infrastructure   excellent teaching and non teaching staff and is using latest educated technologies and is affiliated to West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) and is located in the heart of the City. To know more about iLEADone can visit : www.ilead.net.in.

Football Conclave at iLEAD

Football Conclave at iLEAD

iLEAD in association with German Football Academy hosted its first ever Football Conclave. Present at the conclave was the who’s who of football fraternity with interactions, deliberations, discussions and the intent to take relevant steps and make India a global footballing nation. German Football Academy (GFA), an initiative of Germinati Sports Pvt Ltd, focuses on the introduction and development of Football from grassroots to the professional level. 

The panelists were Mathias Nowak, an outstanding technical and creative football trainer who has worked with FC Bayern Munchen Women’s U17 & Senior’s Team and guided them to victory at German Bundesliga Championship; Peter Wenninger who is currently the Youth Head Trainer at FC Bayern Munich and a pioneer in hosting workshops worldwide for training and development of Football, Shaji Prabhakaran who has managed domestic and international projects like FIFA World Cup and Ratan Postwala, Partner and Co-Founder, People’s Trust and Krish Roy, the co-founder of German Football Academy.  Mr Cherojit Goswami, the legend from the world of advertising and the Vice President of Ogilvy CommonHealth Worldwide was the moderator for the event.

iLEAD chairman Mr Pradip Chopra addressed the audience with examples of visionaries from history who accomplished their life goals and the importance of focusing on one great life goal.  Resonating with views Shaji Prabhakaran spoke about the importance of action over words and how children are brought up in the Indian society, the huge population India with an unfortunate amount of sports sensations and lack of infrastructure. 

The 2017 FIFA U-17 World Cup is 17th edition of the FIFA U-17 World Cup, the biennial international men's youth football championship contested by the U17 national teams of the member associations of FIFA. The tournament will be hosted by India between 6th and 28th of October 2017.  In that note everyone in the audience was given a task to find out and support the players representing India on social media and garner more and more interest among everyone. Krish Roy spoke about the origins of Germinati Sports, his meeting with Mathias, creation of a sporting eco system. Ratan Postwala, Partner and Co-Founder, People’s Trust deals with performance management and sports management and spoke about Role, Respect, Recognition and Remuneration of every personnel associated with a sporting establishment and how the sports infrastructure in the country should take lessons from the successful corporate houses in performance and people management. To the amazement of the crowd Jamshid Nassiri a retired Iranian football player who is now a coach was present in the audience. He was called to the stage to give insightful views. Mathias Nowak spoke about the importance of training, mental awareness and the importance of being a team player. He refused judgmental comments on the Football scene in the city based on his short visit but spoke highly about the energy and enthusiasm of the young crowd. Peter Wenninger gave his insights on the importance of hard work and the correct mindset. Some more inputs at the session which the audience took note of were the importance of self-assessment and having a Plan B for career in case sports does not work out, need for more playgrounds  and safe environments.

With valuable advice to the crowd, the dignitaries with great praises for the campus and the new iLEAD Sports Complex concluded the conclave with great hopes and plans for collaborations.  

About iLEAD:

Institute of Leadership, Entrepreneurship and Development (iLEAD) is one of the premier Media and Management School of Kolkata having world class infrastructure   excellent teaching and non teaching staff and is using latest educated technologies and is affiliated to West Bengal University of Technology (WBUT) and is located in the heart of the City. To know more about iLEADone can visit : www.ilead.net.in.

Asian Athletics Championship comes to India

Asian Athletics Championship comes to India

Bhubaneswar to host 22nd edition of the event from 6-9 July

The Asian Athletics Championships, the premier track and field event in the continent, will mark a return to India when Odisha’s capital city of Bhubaneswar hosts the 22nd edition of the meet from July 6-9, 2017, bringing together nearly 1000 athletes from 45 countries, participating in 42 different disciplines during the four-day extravaganza. The AAC, organised by the Asian Athletics Association with the help of the Athletics Federation of India (AFI), will also act as a qualifying event for next year’s IAAF World Championships, to be held in London.

Earlier editions of the AAC held in India were New Delhi (1989) and Pune (2013), making Bhubaneswar the third Indian city to host one of the flagship athletics events in Asia, after Ranchi pulled out as the host city at the last minute. Bhubaneswar, one of the hubs of athletics in the country, stepped in with 90 days to go.

With nearly 1000 participants, the 22nd Asian Athletics Championships will also see the largest contingent of athletes in the competition’s history, doubling the 497 athletes from 40 nations that took part in the last edition held in Wuhan, China in 2015.

The multi-purpose Kalinga Stadium, which will also host the Hockey World Cup next year, is being transformed to become a world-class track and field facility, meeting all the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) standards. Along with a newly-laid all-weather synthetic track equipped with floodlights, a state-of-the-art warm-up area has also been constructed to make it a world-class training facility in the span of a little over two months.

The Government of Odisha has left no stone unturned to make this event a reality, putting together an Asian Athletics Championship in a record time of 90 days, highlighting the state’s commitment to promote sports, tourism and industry.

Commenting on the Odisha’s moment of pride, Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Naveen Patnaik said: “Odisha has come a long way to become one of the most progressive states in the country. This transformation is well recognised by our people, who have repeatedly reposed their faith in the State. Odia athletes have done exceptionally well in recent times. Besides athletics, our players are shining in other disciplines like Hockey and Weightlifting too. The Asian Athletics Championships 2017 will offer great exposure to Odia athletes who will be competing with some of the best sportspersons in the world. This mega event will definitely help in raising the profile of the state in the field of sports.

Mr. Vishal Kumar Dev (IAS), Commissioner cum Secretary – Sports, Government of Odisha said: “The Asian Athletics Championships will help take athletics in the state to a higher level. The facility up gradation at the iconic Kalinga Stadium, which is now equipped with an all-new synthetic track and world-class, training facility, will go a long way in creating the planned High Performance Academy to nurture future champions. Despite the acute paucity of time, we are leaving no stone unturned to ensure that the event is a grand success.”

The occasion of Odisha hosting the AAC is also a feeling of pride for the elite athletes hailing from the state, as it will see some of the top athletes from India and all of Asia participating in this prestigious event.

Olympian Dutee Chand,who won gold at the recently concluded Federation Cup Senior National Athletics Meet and the current national champion in the women's 100 metres, said: “Kalinga Stadium is my nursery. I’m elated to see the Asian Athletics Championships held in my Odisha. I will run on the tracks at the place where I started my career from.”

Ace sprinter and fellow Olympian Srabani Nanda said: “I am very happy that an international athletics event like the Asian Championships is happening in my state of Odisha. I am looking forward to it. It will motivate athletes in Odisha and the youth to take up sports. I'm also from Sports Hostel in Bhubaneswar. We always wanted a synthetic training track for training and now it is made. It will help athletes train well.”

Amiya Kumar Mallick, national record holder in the men’s 100 metres, said: “It's an amazing feeling to host the Asian Athletics Championships (in Bhubaneswar). Everyone is working round the clock to put on a good show.I am highly motivated and working hard to compete and clock the best timing in my event at the AAC.”

Asian Athletics Championships

The Asian Athletics Championships (AAC) is Asia’s flagship event organized by the Asian Athletics Association (AAA). The capital of Odisha, Bhubaneswar will host the 22^ndedition of AAC from July 6^th  to July 9^th 2017 at Kalinga Stadium. India has hosted the event earlier on two occasions in New Delhi (1989) and Pune (2013). Nearly 1000 athletes from 45 countries will participate across track and field events. The winners of the AAC procure a direct berth in the IAAF World Championships London, 2017.

Website: http://athleticsasia.org/index.php

Percept One

Percept One delivers marketing solutions that transform brands and grow businesses. The company comprises a collaborative roster of best-in-class creative and strategic services that meet brand-building needs across all communication channels. Over 500 people across 16 markets collaborate as a single seamless entity to offer unparalleled synergy and a cross-pollination of ideas and services. Percept One comprises Percept/H: Founding unit and Percept’s flagship creative agency; IBD India: Integrated brand development agency; Percept Gulf: Brand consultancy; I-AM: Branding and experiential design; Percept Media: Media management; Percept Activ: Experiential Marketing; Percept ICE: Events and MICE and Percept Profile: Full service PR agency. 

SriLankan Airlines to establish its presence in Australia

SriLankan Airlines to establish its presence in Australia

Melbourne joins the Airline’s global route network from October 2017

SriLankan Airlines, the National Carrier of Sri Lanka and a member of the prestigious oneworld alliance, will be establishing its presence in Australia with daily non-stop services to Melbourne commencing October 29^th this year.

Australia is home to one of the largest Sri Lankan expatriate communities, many of whom reside in and around Melbourne, the capital of Australia’s ‘Garden State’, Victoria. This factor, together with the tremendous potential for business travel and Victoria’s growing student population convinced the Airline to plan for the launch of non-stop daily services to Melbourne.

The non-stop services will also facilitate passengers from the Middle East and South Asia seeking onward connectivity via Colombo to/from Australia.

SriLankan Airlines’ Chief Executive Officer, Captain Suren Ratwatte said “Our presence in Australia cements the long-standing relationship between our two countries. We recently celebrated the 70^th anniversary of diplomatic relations between our nations, and the addition of Melbourne signifies our strategy of optimizing the Airline’s network in line with our restructuring. This also means that we have connected another continent to our global route map. On the other hand, given the number of Sri Lankans residing in and around Victoria, we fulfill a long felt need for a direct service. We are proud to welcome all the diverse residents of Victoria who can now enjoy the direct connections when visiting their friends and families throughout our network.”

The Airline will be operating Airbus 330-200 aircraft on the route, offering its passengers modern in-flight comforts complemented with its award winning service and the world renowned Sri Lankan warmth and hospitality.

The flight schedule is as follows;

From	To	Departure	Arrival	Days of operation
Colombo	Melbourne	2350 hrs (local time)	1525 hrs (local time)	Daily
Melbourne	Colombo	1655 hrs (local time)	2215 hrs (local time)

SriLankan Airlines’ Chief Commercial Officer, Mr. Siva Ramachandran said, “Despite the absence of direct connections, we have witnessed a steady increase in passengers travelling between Colombo and Melbourne via various Asian connecting points such as Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. Our direct services will give us a definite advantage as SriLankan is the only carrier that is able to offer connectivity of this nature at this time. We also offer seamless onward connections beyond Colombo to a range of destinations in the Indian Sub-Continent

and Middle East. With the launch of the new services, SriLankan Airlines’ passengers will also have the choice of flying to other Australian cities such as Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide as well as Auckland, New Zealand. SriLankan Airlines will continue to explore potential expansion opportunities across its network in order to facilitate the envisaged growth in business.”

Australia’s High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Mr. Bryce Hutchesson said, “We congratulate SriLankan Airlines on the addition of a direct flight to Australia.   Direct air connections between countries stimulate two-way tourism, business and trade and people-to-people exchange which are the core ingredients for a vibrant bilateral relationship.  We are seeing a growing number of Australians looking to travel to Sri Lanka for tourism and business, and to reconnect with family.  And we welcome the growing number of Sri Lankans travelling to Australia for education, business, to explore Australia’s culture and natural wonders, and of course to catch up with family and friends.”

Widely known as “a city for all seasons,” Melbourne offers the travellers a wide variety of historic and natural attractions along with urban cityscapes preserving colonial architecture. Sri Lanka, on the other hand, offers heritage, wildlife as well as adventure sports and surfing hotspots for the adventurous Australian traveller. Over the years, the two countries have shared a mutual passion-- cricket, which has inspired fans to travel the distance in support of their respective home teams.

More importantly, Australia accounts for one of the largest Sri Lankan communities living outside Sri Lanka, out of which almost 50 per cent lives in and around Victoria, making Melbourne the convenient terminus for their departures and arrivals.

For the convenience of travellers seeking onward connectivity from its Colombo hub, SriLankan currently connects over 10 Indian points with over 100 flights a week, which includes services to/from Chennai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Calcutta, Trivandrum, Tiruchirappalli, Cochin, Mumbai and New Delhi. SriLankan will be adding Visakhapatnam, Coimbatore and Hyderabad to its route network in July this year, further expanding its presence in India.

 The Airline’s Middle Eastern services include over fifty weekly flights to/from nine Middle Eastern destinations, including daily services out of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Doha, Riyadh, Muscat, Bahrain and Kuwait. The Airline also offers its passengers the option of exploring popular holiday destinations such as Seychelles and Maldives’ Male and Gan Island.

These operations will further complement the existing double daily services offered by SriLankan Airlines between Sri Lanka and Australia via Singapore and Kuala Lumpur with its codeshare partners, Qantas and Malaysia Airlines.

Highest mortality due to Heart Failure cardiac deaths in India: Study

Highest mortality due to Heart Failure cardiac deaths in India: Study

One year mortality higher in Indian patients than those from China, Southeast Asia and Middle East

Heart Failure patients in India, Africa and Southeast Asia are approximately 10 years younger than those in South America and China

An international Congestive Heart Failure (INTER-CHF) study, conducted across six geographies, has revealed that cardiac deaths accounted for 46 percent of mortality at one year in patients with heart failure in India, as compared to non-cardiac causes that led to 16 percent deaths. Ischemic heart disease was the cause of death in 39 percent and hypertensive heart disease in 17 percent patients.

The INTER-CHF study was aimed to measure mortality at one year in patients due to heart failure in India, Africa, China, the Middle East, southeast Asia and South America. The rate of mortality amongst Indian heart failure patients is significantly higher than their counterparts in other geographies.

Heart failure, which is a potentially life-threatening condition where the heart cannot pump enough blood around the body is a global health problem. It affects about 26 million people worldwide with 5.4 million estimated heart failure patients in India alone. It is associated with high mortality and is estimated to have cost the global economy about US$100 billion in 2012. The disease remains poorly understood and often confused to be an aftermath of a cardiac arrest in the region. Factors such as low awareness, inaccurate or delayed diagnosis, unhealthy dietary patterns and lack of effective treatment protocol has seen an increased incidence of heart failure in India. 

Heart failure can have different causes and varying levels of severity. Common reasons leading to heart failure are blocked arteries, heart attack, cardiomyopathy (damage to the heart muscles from infections or alcohol or drug abuse), or conditions that overwork and thus damage the heart like diabetes, high blood pressure, obesity, kidney disease or thyroid malfunction. In many cases heart failure does not have one single cause.   

Data from low-income and middle-income countries (LMIC) suggests that mortality in patients with heart failure in these countries is greater than that in high income countries.

“With increasing life expectancy of the population (more elderly population) and availability of effective treatments to prevent death acutely (so that patients survive with damaged heart muscles), incidence of heart failure is increasing in an epidemic proportion. The marked variation in mortality in low-income countries like India can be attributed to low awareness, economic burden, healthcare infrastructure, quality and access to primary healthcare facilities, environmental and genetic factors,” said Dr. Sanjay Singh, Director – Cardiothoracic Surgery, Desun Hospital and Heart Institute, Kolkata.

The INTER-CHF study also highlighted that heart failure patients in India, Africa and Southeast Asia are approximately 10 years younger than patients in US and Europe. Mean age at the time of death was 56 years in Africa, 59 years in India, 57 years in Southeast Asia, 60 years in the Middle East, 69 years in China, and 72 years in South America. Despite being in the youngest cohorts at baseline, patients in India and Africa had the highest mortality.

This finding may be related to patients with heart failure presenting later for medical care (that is, when they are sicker) in low-income compared with high-income regions, and late presentation being associated with a worse prognosis.

Highlighting the importance of timely diagnosis and treatment to arrest the progression of heart failure, Dr. Singh added, “The need of the hour is to develop a comprehensive approach to identify patients with heart failure at an early stage to ensure timely diagnosis and treatment for improving their quality of life. We need to prioritize heart failure as a non-communicable disease (NCD), which needs urgent attention from all stakeholders in the medical and healthcare industry.”

The INTER-CHF study enrolled 5823 patients across 108 centres in six geographies. Patients were followed up at six months and one year from enrolment. The mean age of patients was 59 years, with a male to female ratio of 60:40. Enrolled patients included 66 percent clinic outpatients and 34 percent hospital in patients. The primary outcome of the study was to record all-cause mortality within one year. The cause of death was also recorded, and categorised by local investigators as cardiac, non-cardiac, or unknown.