Visa

marketing trends which will define how brands engage with consumers and build their communities and business in the post-pandemic world. 101 new ways to boost immunity‘Immunity’ was the buzziest word in the marketing world in 2020. Marketers launched all kinds of immunity boosting products - haldi ice-creams and bread, neem infused mattresses, anti-corona shirts, immunity booster biryanis and more. Some of these “innovations” will disappear in 2021 but health, safety, and physical and mental wellbeing will remain a priority for consumers. Marketers believe 2021 will also be a year full of potential to scale up on the back of innovation. With movements like Vocal For Local and Fit India brands have a lot more room to play and boost sales.Back to the rootsThe at-home culture has changed the way people eat, drink, play and consume entertainment. According to marketers BE spoke to, the unexpected positive of the lockdowns has been the rekindling of family ties. As … [Read more...] about The New ‘New Normal’ Playbook For Marketers

Pune: Incoming US President Joe Biden is likely to propose an Immigration Bill that will considerably ease the green card process and reduce time to citizenship for applicants, immigration experts told ET, in a move that is expected to benefit thousands of Indian nationals.Biden is also likely to reverse the Trump administration’s proposal to revoke work authorisation for spouses of H-1B visa holders and take other steps to reduce the employment immigration backlog, they said.“This proposal is the type of reform the legal immigration community has been seeking for years,” said Nandini P. Nair, partner at law firm Greenspoon Marder. “If this Bill can actually become law, it would substantially decrease the wait time for green cards for many foreign nationals from backlogged countries, such as India and China.”The Bill, expected to be introduced soon after Biden’s inauguration on 20 January, will be sent to the Congress immediately for approval, the … [Read more...] about Joe Biden’s ‘overhaul’ of US immigration policy to help Indians in Green Card queue

“Chinese claim over our State has given rise to myriad problems, notably the stapled visa issue and Siang river imbroglio, which still remains inconclusive till date despite the union bringing up the issue at the highest level several times,” AAPSU chief Hawa Bagang said in a statement. … [Read more...] about ‘Chinese village’ | AAPSU demands counter-measures against Beijing’s ‘expansionist’ move

Banks and digital payments providers have asked the government to bring back the Merchant Discount Rate (MDR) on RuPay and Unified Payments Interface (UPI) transactions, three people aware of the development said.The Indian Banks’ Association (IBA) and payment industry forums have met with officials from the finance ministry and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) in this regard during pre-budget consultations, the sources said. “While the aim was to promote digital payments, the financial inclusion agenda has taken a severe beating; as part of the budget consultation process a representation has been made to the finance ministry to bring back MDR on RuPay cards,” an industry executive in the know said.MDR was a fee generally levied on merchants processing transactions. It was shared equally between the acquiring bank, fintech partner and issuer bank, who then paid a 10% switching fee to networks like the National Payments Corporation of … [Read more...] about Banks, Fintech Firms Seek Return Of MDR On RuPay, UPI Transactions

The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) has amended rules for the renewal of their international driving permit (IDP) for Indian citizens on expiry while they are staying or travelling abroad.Earlier there was no mechanism for renewal of IDP while citizens were abroad and their IDP expired. Now, with this amendment, Indian citizens can apply for renewal through the Indian Embassies/Missions abroad, from where these applications would automatically be forwarded to the VAHAN portal in India, to be considered by the respective RTOs, the ministry said in a notification.The renewed IDP would be couriered to the citizen at his/her address abroad by the respective RTOs.The amendment also removes the conditions of a medical certificate and a valid visa at the time of making the request for the IDP in India. The idea is that a citizen who has a valid driving license should not have a requirement for another medical certificate, the ministry said.Further, people can now apply for an … [Read more...] about Indian citizens can now renew international driving permit while travelling abroad