Digital First Magazine – September 2022 – Global Edition – 10 Most Innovative Fintech Companies

Most Innovative Fintech Companies

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Dr. Manoj Varghese, Ph.D

Managing Editor

Sarath Shyam

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Naomi Wilson

Stanly Lui

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FinTech:

A Flourishing Market

Abooming fintech market is not a postpandemic phenomenon. Since the launch of the first handheld calculator and the first ATM installed by Barclays bank, technology has been intervening in the financial systems to make transactions faster, easier, and more secure. In the 1980s, the world witnessed the introduction of mainframe computers, and by the 1990s, online banking flourished with the Internet and e-commerce business models. Today, fintech as a thriving industry is more about new players emerging from every nuke and corner of the world.

Alongside the existing big names in the financial world, fintech offers an excellent level-playing field for startups to open their shop and proliferate with their intelligent solutions. The increasing number of fintech unicorns is an indicator of this. According to Tracxn, there are 280 unicorns, excluding exits through M&A and IPOs. The average funding raised by a company till it becomes a unicorn in

2022 (YTD) is USD 179 M, which is 47% higher than last year. While challenger banks, cryptocurrency, Wealthtech, and the Paytech sector lead the fintech industry in the highest number of unicorns consecutively, the industry has also seen a rise in deca-corns.

In this issue, we celebrate the success of fintech firms across the world by featuring the ‘10 Most Innovative Fintech Companies - 2022’ that are leveraging cutting-edge technologies like to provide a smooth and secure financial transaction within a short period. On the cover, we feature Sunrise Banks, a certified B Corporation, a certified Community Development Financial Institution, and a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values, striving to provide innovative financial solutions that empower financial wellness and combat financial inequality.

Enjoy Reading.

Sarath Shyam

IN MY VIEW

Five Common Data PitfallsSecuritytoAvoid

Businesses appear to be more concerned than ever about data security these days. The hybrid working model, uncharted IT environment, increasing adoption of cloud services, and sophisticated nature of cyber criminals have all resulted in massive data breaches with severe consequences. Regardless of the changing scenario, the accepted and well-known fact remains that data security breaches are avoidable. Although each organization has its own goals and objectives in terms of data security, there are some common mistakes that businesses make when it comes to data security. Worse, these errors are frequently accepted as the norm, hidden in plain sight under the guise of standard procedure.

The first and most important guidelines that every company follows is to keep their operating systems up to date and install firewalls and antivirus software Filip ChannelCotfas,Manager, CoSoSys

FILIP COTFAS

Filip Cotfas has an impressive background in sales and project management. As a Channel Manager at CoSoSys, he is utilizing his extensive skills for the daily operating efficiency with a focus on the South Asia, Middle East and Northern Europe markets. Filip`s main responsibility is handling the existing Customer portfolio, as well as acquiring additional revenue streams, mainly by coordinating with the existing partners or enabling new partnerships, in order to help more customers benefit from our award-winning Data Loss Prevention solution. In the past years, he has been developing the sales strategies for his markets and built a successful relationship with channel partners.

The five most common mistakes are listed below; they can lead to unforced errors and contribute to the most significant data breaches.

Failure to go beyond compliance: It is commonly stated that compliance does not equal security, and most security professionals would agree. However, organizations frequently focus their limited security resources on achieving compliance and then become complacent once they receive their certifications. As a result, many of the most significant data breaches in recent years have occurred in technically compliant organizations.

Keeping it too simple: The first and most important guidelines that every company follows is to keep their operating systems up to date and install firewalls and antivirus software. Companies will also place a premium on antimalware protection. While these are important components of the Social Media strategy, they are also too simple and basic steps that any company should take to protect its network and the sensitive data stored on it.

Many high-profile data breaches are the result of malicious outsiders. Still, only a portion of these cyberattacks is carried out using brute force and what are now considered traditional hacking methods. Many of them are the result of

To double their productivity, employees tend to use unauthorized applications and IT services in the workplace and, in many cases, even surpass the IT regulations of the corporate network

poor password practices or gullible employees who fall prey to social engineering. Companies must therefore educate their employees as well as implement additional safeguards to mitigate potential outside interference in the workplace.

Forgetting about human error: One of the most common mistakes companies make when developing their data protection strategy is failing to account for human errors, whether intentional or unintentional. It is essential not to overlook the impact it has. When it comes to external threats, employees can be both a critical link and the weakest link. Employees, some with a vested interest and others unknowingly, may share sensitive company information. They may inadvertently email sensitive information to the wrong sender or hit reply all on a lengthy email chain containing outsiders, or they may make something public, leave their computer unlocked so that others can tamper with it, or completely forget about sensitive data they once stored on their computers.

Though these may appear to be minor and insignificant errors, they can cause significant problems in some cases. This is one of the primary reasons why organizations should implement DLP (Data Loss Prevention) solutions that focus on protecting specific data rather than the entire system. This makes it easier to regulate its transfer or use.

Disregarding shadow IT: To double their productivity, employees tend to use unauthorized applications and IT services in the workplace and, in many cases, even surpass the IT regulations of the corporate

network. This is when most businesses have been suffering from Shadow IT, knowingly or unknowingly.Unfortunately, because of the prevalence of internet-based services, completely eliminating shadow IT is a daunting. As a result, it’s easier for businesses to simply adopt tools that directly protect sensitive data rather than attempting to guess how many tools their employees may be using behind their backs.

Ignoring data on the move: Employees can now work from home, the office, or even on vacation from a distant location, thanks to the hybrid working model. Though this has increased productivity, it has also enabled loose endpoints, which means that their laptops are no longer protected by corporate network security, leaving them vulnerable to insecure internet connections and tampering. They are also victims of physical theft of their laptops, which compromises the data.

Companies have spent a fortune securing their internal networks. Still, they have paid no attention to the threat to data on the move or to enforcing policies such as hardware encryption and VPNs that focus on external threats. DLP can help organizations secure sensitive data even when employees are on the move.

Every organization must keep track of data activity. It is challenging to secure sensitive data in today’s threat landscape, but businesses can take steps to ensure that adequate resources are allocated to their data protection strategy. Furthermore, early conversations with key business and IT stakeholders are essential for understanding short- and long-term business objectives.

Fintechs have kept up with consumer expectations over the last two decades by reinforcing user experience and incorporating cutting-edge financial tools. This is especially true in today’s economy, where more people live paycheck to paycheck than ever before. Financially stressed consumers seek ways to cut costs and navigate the modern financial environment, and the vast majority seek advice from their financial institutions.. Sunrise Banks has worked to make finance more accessible to consumers through affordable and cutting-edge technology offerings.

Sunrise Banks’ current CEO, David Reiling, and his father, William Reiling, made it a priority to ensure that customers had equitable and open access to the traditional banking system. David and his father came into the business to improve the lives of Twin Cities residents. David is a social entrepreneur, financial wellness expert, and fintech pioneer. He works to create beneficial alliances that promote long-term economic growth. David took over Meridian Bank in the mid-1990s. He merged three banks to form

Sunrise Banks in 2013. Inspired by David’s vision, the bank places a strong emphasis on community involvement and works with like-minded businesses to further its mission on a global scale. “The Sunrise Banks journey is a case study in the impact that socially responsible businesses can make while still being financially viable,” said Jason Hagan, Senior Vice President of Fintech Innovation at Sunrise Banks.

Who is Sunrise?

Sunrise Banks is a B Corporation, a Community Development Financial Institution, and a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. Sunrise is committed to promoting financial empowerment for all as a socially responsible bank. It benefits fintech partners by giving them access to the highly regulated financial“Sunriseindustry.isa

federally chartered bank, which allows it to move, store, and lend money to its fintech partners,” Jason said. “This allows our fintech partners to see their products come to fruition. In short, Sunrise offers back-end services – moving, storing, and lending money

SUNRISE BANKS IS A B CORPORATION, A COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT FINANCIAL INSTITUTION, AND A MEMBER OF THE GLOBAL ALLIANCE FOR BANKING ON VALUES

Jason Hagan, Senior Vice President of Fintech Innovation

– while fintech provides the streamlined user experience consumers want. It’s a symbiotic relationship that exemplifies that fintechs and banks should work together instead of competing.” Furthermore, Sunrise offers compliance expertise to fintechs, which frequently lack experience in the stringent regulatory landscape of the banking sector.

Key Benefits to Sunrise Banks Partners

Sunrise continues to partner with fintechs to offer streamlined, digital-first services. These include credit-building loans and employer-channel resources like early access to employee paychecks. The bank has been a proponent of technology from the outset and

continues to search for the latest and greatest digital services to keep up with consumer demand. Jason said, “The biggest benefit our fintech partners receive is the ability to work with a nationally chartered bank; this allows them to bring their products to market. Our compliance expertise and mission-driven ethos also benefit our fintech partners.”

Empowering Clients with Financial Wellness

Sunrise currently works with over a dozen mission-driven fintech companies that provide critical financial services to consumers. Sunrise collaborates with the following companies to offer financial wellness:

SUNRISE CURRENTLY WORKS WITH OVER A DOZEN

THATFINTECHMISSION-DRIVENCOMPANIESPROVIDECRITICALFINANCIALSERVICESTOCONSUMERS

Gusto - In 2021, Sunrise assisted in the origination of 240,783 Gusto advance-earnedwage loans worth $78.1 million. The average loan size was USD 324.

Self - In 2021, Sunrise assisted in the origination of 262,995 Self Credit Builder loans totaling USD 189.9 million. The average loan size was USD 722.

TrueConnect - Sunrise aided in the origination of 6,575 TrueConnect loans totaling USD 14.7 million in 2021. The average loan size was USD 2,235.

Over the last five years, fintech and other technology-driven solutions have grown exponentially. Banks must be able to offer the digital solutions that today’s customers demand. Jason said, “Sunrise Banks’ biggest differentiator is its ability to partner with like-minded fintechs that believe in our mission of empowering financial wellness. These partnerships allow us to scale our impact

Sunrisenationwide.”Bankshas expanded further. Jason said, “We’ve seen our revenue increase while we continue to create positive social impact

for our customers and the banking sector.”

Sunrise Banks was named a Best for the World B Corporation for the ninth consecutive year in 2022.

Dedicated to Meeting Customer Needs, Fostering Employees & Expanding Globally

At Sunrise Banks, customers are more than just transactions. Jason said, “Our philosophy is that you need to know your customer to serve them well. Customers bank with us because they know we’re socially and

THE SUNRISE TEAM PROVIDES TOP-NOTCH EMPLOYEE EXPERIENCES, JUST AS THEY DO FOR THEIR EXTERNAL CUSTOMERS

environmentally responsible.” Jason also highlighted some positive testimonials about Sunrise Banks’ affiliations: “The fact that you are a B Corp and look for innovative ways to make a social impact makes me proud to bank with you,” said one customer. Another said, “Commitment to the mission, great people, community builders… what’s not to love?”

The Sunrise team provides top-notch employee experiences, just as they do for their external customers. This includes providing excellent benefits, opportunities for professional growth, and consistent open communication with bank employees. Jason said, “We send out a weekly email to employees with internal headlines and host a podcast for bank staff every month.” Keeping employees informed of advancements while celebrating victories is critical to boosting morale. Jason added, “It’s also important to

reiterate our social mission – when employees know that their work creates a positive impact, it gives them a sense of meaning in what they do every Sunriseday.”collaborates with international partners and is a member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values. Jason said, “Sunrise Banks is already a global brand. In the future, we’ll continue to develop our digital offerings to reach an even more diverse customer base.” Sunrise will continue to develop cutting-edge financial technology solutions while remaining devoted to its customers. Jason concluded, “We believe that our mission adds to our margin – and that philosophy will remain. This means ramping up our digital offerings through fintech partnerships and in-house solutions. The bank will continue to live up to its accolades regarding social responsibility.”

Creating Connected Factories in a Digital World

Krishnan KM, Founder & CEO, Utthunga

Krishnan is a thought leader and a respected veteran of the industrial automation industry having associated with leading OEMs like Invensys (Schneider) and Emerson. Through his strategic foresight, drive, and determination, Utthunga has grown from a three people team in 2007 to over 750 people with esteemed clients in multiple industries and continents. Krishnan’s ability to build high-performance toteams,includinghisstrategically-selectedmanagementstaff,haveenabledUtthungagrowataveryfastpace.Heisamastercraftsmanincustomerrelationship management, strategic alliances, change management, delivery management across multiple industries, business domains, technologies & geographies.

Among recent trends in industrial automation, Machine to Machine (M2M) connectivity has emerged as one of the favorite topics of discussion. Whether it is Industry 4.0 or IIoT, the importance of M2M communication in various industries is constantly increasing. With machines and systems shrinking and human intervention becoming only supervisory, industrial connectivity has gained tremendous attention, especially in the manufacturing industry. The terms like digital transformation and connected factories are not confined only to established enterprises but are equally important to small and medium-sized companies. This article sheds light on some of the most significant aspects of industrial connectivity that are crucial in achieving sustainable growth

for established and upcoming companies across the industrial sector.

The current landscape of industrial connectivity, key trends, and bottlenecks:

Post-COVID, organizations of all sizes have witnessed rapid traction in adopting competencies in digital transformation and industrial connectivity. Driven by the wide scope and benefits, all the stakeholders in manufacturing industries are either convinced or compelled to embrace digital footprints in their respective areas.

Those who have already been digitally equipped in the past, are now exploring the newer ways to upgrade themselves and stay ahead in the stiff competition. Those who are new, are aligning themselves to digitize

Connectivity and digitalization transformation brings the transparency of information in real-time to all the stakeholders

their available infrastructure and resources. Though the current speed of digitalization may not be enough, steady progress in adopting digitalization technologies and the process is emerging from all possible corners.

The biggest bottleneck that continues to hamper the industry even today is the lack of practical understanding of the need and scope of digital transformation realities. Generally, the endindustries prefer choosing the most affordable digital solution to quickly fix their current problem, unaware of the bigger picture that lies ahead. Dominant solution providers, consulting firms, and OEMs, on the other hand, tend to push their products and solutions instead of preparing the enterprises for futuristic challenges.

Also, the misconception that technologies alone can help achieve digitization leads to either overinvesting or ignoring the power of reinventing traditional processes and approaches at various levels within the organization.

solution within available infrastructure and resources. With the dynamics of automation in industries changing rapidly, enterprises must have a healthy balance and coordination between field operation devices and information processing layers.

Driven by the wide

Owing to complexities, cost implications, and operational risks due to cyber and compliances, the IT-OT strategy must choose the right combination of technology and processes for developing an efficient ecosystem of industrial connectivity. For example, OPC UA provides open connectivity and interoperability for a wide variety of automation devices. Hence, a constant vigil must be practiced to align and upgrade to standards towards which the global industry is moving.

scope and benefits, all the stakeholders in compelledeitherindustriesmanufacturingareconvincedortoembracedigitalfootprintsintheirrespectiveareas

Ideal IT-OT integration strategy for industrial connectivity:

Integrated communication across all layers of IT-OT is the most desirable strategy for industries. This requires shelving siloed approaches in respective IT or OT departments and collaborating to arrive at the most feasible

Another important strategy to achieve efficient IT-OT functioning is to overcome the challenges due to siloed island of automation within the organization. Org-level due diligence and collaboration of both departments will go a long way in achieving the desired industrial connectivity solutions. Enterprises can also consider implementing secure network technologies to bridge IT and OT like DMZs(demilitarized zones).

Effective and safe data communication across IT-OT calls for integrated industrial

communication. While leveraging benefits from powerful technologies is an obvious approach, more subtle factors such as ‘connecting people and ‘customer experience’ also must be taken into consideration to ensure that only clean, relevant, and intelligent data is transacted over different layers within and outside the enterprise.

Optimizing digital infrastructure through the power of digital transformation:

Getting started with the digital transformation journey can be challenging, especially for new entrants. The safest and most promising way to upgrade the digital infrastructure is to use retrofit technologies to connect existing systems. This gradual and regular exercise of adding newer digital competencies at the people and system level will help organizations understand and react to the diverse landscape of industrial connectivity.

One of the surest ways for organizations to upgrade the existing infrastructure is to first establish the basic hygiene required for digital transformation. This may include modifying the current practices and adopting small, but realistic approaches either in terms of processes, operations, or basic plant floor equipment and devices.

The leadership and top decision-making executives must start establishing enterprisewide digitalization strategies including their partners and vendors. It would be a good idea for them to start with end business objectives and then, incrementally implement the solution. This incremental journey will help detect failures early and prevent cost leakage without impacting the basic fabric of the digital journey.

Field-to-Cloud communication through edge devices:

Industrial communication can be broken down into two stages – field to edge, and edge to cloud.To achieve efficient field-to-edge communication for intelligent manufacturing, companies must focus on leveraging the power of edge devices. This may include upgrading to the latest edge-computing technologies that can deliver real-time data transmission with minimum latency. For example, devices with inbuilt sensors and communication capabilities over IT networks can be introduced. Such small, but important implementations may add to incremental progress in developing intelligent and self-healing systems that will deliver valuable results over a long period.

Edge devices are pivotal for facilitating downstream as well as upstream data communication. For seamless edge-to-cloud communication, manufacturers must ensure minimum cloud infrastructure to store, access, and retrieve the data. Once this is achieved without expensive outlays, they must establish optimized computing power that is scalable, to meet the demand of future growth.

One of the very important strategies to leverage edge-cloud-edge communication is to have a technology partner and advisory model that emphasizes on long-term solution. This approach will overcome the limitation of the traditional OEM approach that focuses majorly on localized challenges and related issues. This would help achieve automation and modernization that can deliver flexible solutions, without running the risk of getting locked by a vendor.

Can technology alone lead to connected factories?

Technology is a major driving factor in making connected factories a reality. Popular technologies like Big Data, AI, Cyber-physical Systems, IoT, Security Intelligence, and Automation will play a crucial role in consolidating various touch points across the industry operations. It means that equipment, machines, and systems in a smart-factory environment must be able to communicate with each other and self-align for production, correction, and completion.

Apart from investing in technologies, enterprises must also stress upskilling their people and improving workplace culture. Well-designed people and workspace culture improvement programs and practices will lead to a healthy mindset, behavior, and skill. For example, eliminating bureaucracy and establishing meritbased employee engagement will deliver longlasting benefits to businesses.

Since the technology landscape for connected factories keeps changing, the focus must be to develop innovative, flexible, and scalable business models to meet customer requirements and demands. An ideal technology strategy for connected factories would be to have strong fundamentals in terms of data processing and network connectivity. On top of this, enough

room should be created to accommodate customized solutions and newer technologies as and when they evolve.

What RoI can manufacturers expect from connectivity solutions?

Connectivity and digitalization transformation brings the transparency of information in real-time to all the stakeholders. When manufacturers adopt the right intent and competencies, such as transparency drive operational excellence that rallies across the organization. It helps optimize and utilize three major resources in any business - man, material, and money. Scalable and intelligent connectivity solutions increase the lifetime of all the assets and systems across the manufacturing ecosystem. These together, contribute to reducing OpEx and CapEx.

Factors such as reduced downtime, minimal startup time, predictive maintenance, etc. in manufacturing enterprises are achieved by designing and implementing intelligent connectivity solutions. It also helps achieve larger objectives like reduced carbon footprint, saving energy, enhanced sustainability, increased safety, improved employee wellbeing, and safeguarding environmental impact from hazardous industrial practices.

Apart from investing in technologies, enterprises must also stress upskilling their people and improving workplace culture

MOST INNOVATIVE FINTECH COMPANIES 2022

Datavore

Location:Website: New York, USA

https://www.datavorelabs.com/

Keyperson: Jake Perlman-Garr, CEO

About the Company: Datavore is an adaptive data analytics platform that allows you to quickly explore your datasets and ask meaningful questions.

FundApps

Location:Website: London, England

https://www.fundapps.co/

Keyperson: Andrew P. White, CEO

About the Company: Designed to help investment managers harness the power of community and technology, FundApps’ leading compliance software is the ultimate RegTech solution.

Location:Website: Los Angeles, California

Keyperson: Jay Turo, Managing Partner

About the Company: GT Securities is a full-service investment banking platform on which Independent Investment Bankers, M&A Advisors and global and domestic Institutional Financiers transact deals.

PAYLAXSecurities KlarnaPayU

Location:Website: Stuttgart, Germany

Keyperson: Felix Hagspiel, Founder

About the Company: PAYLAX combines the escrow procedure known from lawyers and notaries with digital technologies.

Location:Website: Stockholm, Sweden

Keyperson: Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO

https://paylax.com/https://gtsecurities.net/ https://www.klarna.com/us/https://corporate.payu.com/

About the Company: Klarna offers a number of payment options, including direct payments, pay after delivery, and installments plans including our flagship Pay In 4 program.

Location:Website: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Keyperson: Laurent le Moal, CEO

About the Company: PayU is the payments and fintech business of Prosus, a global consumer internet group and one of the largest technology investors in the world.

Location:Website: Gurgaon, India

https://www.policybazaar.com/

Keypersons: Yashish Dahiya, Co-Founder & Group CEO

About the Company: PolicyBazaar.com is India’s prominent online life insurance and general insurance aggregator specialized in making comparative analysis of insurance products.

SpredsPolicyBazaar

Location:Website: Brussels, Belgium

https://www.spreds.com/en

Keyperson: Charles-Albert de Radzitzky, CEO

About the Company: Founded in 2011, Spreds provides digital tools through a SaaS platform that handles the legal, administrative and financial actions and transactions related to the governance, fundraising and management of members, shareholders, investors, board members, etc.

Qarar

Location:Website: Dubai, UAE

Keyperson: Zaid Kamhawi, CEO

About the Company: Qarar is a leading Decision Analytics company specialized in offering consulting, decision analytics and software technology to deliver tailor-made customer management and process automation solutions.

Sunrise Banks

https://qarar.org/https://sunrisebanks.com/

Location:Website: Minnesota, USA

Keyperson: Jason Hagan, Senior Vice President

About the Company: Sunrise provides effective fintech banking solutions by partnering with organizations that reflect its mission of financial wellness and inclusivity.

Jay Turo, Managing Director

FinTech innovations are transforming the traditional investment banking industry in unique and powerful ways.

It is a true ‘levelling of the playing field,’ where now the tech-savvy i-bankerno matter the size of their firm - can provide the same (if not superior) level of service, information, and exclusive access to parties to financial transaction as can bankers at much larger

Losfirms.Angeles - based GT Securities is an industry leader empowering this trend. The firm

offers one of the most innovative broker-dealer platforms that serves independent investment bankers, M&A advisors, and institutional financiers seeking a strong compliance platform and collaborative environment on and in which to transact deals.

“The bedrock of our success is professionalism, character, and history of transaction successes of our investment bankers,” says Managing Director and coFounder Mr. Jay Turo. “With the risk of bragging on our platform are the best boutique

LOS ANGELES, CA-BASED GT SECURITIES IS ONE OF THE MOST INNOVATIVE FINTECH COMPANIES OFFERING BROKER/ DEALER AFFILIATE PROGRAMS AND PLATFORM SERVICES TO INDEPENDENT INVESTMENT BANKERS, M&A ADVISORS, AND INSTITUTIONAL FINANCIERS SEEKING A STRONG COMPLIANCE PLATFORM AND COLLABORATIVE ENVIRONMENT ON AND IN WHICH TO TRANSACT DEALS

bankers in the world, who in their careers have collectively completed securities transactions with an aggregate value of greater than $20 billion, in industries including financial services, software and computer hardware, consumer products, distribution and logistics, gaming, healthcare, manufacturing, real estate, semiconductors and many more.”

Unique Solution Offerings

Under its Broker Dealer Services and Registered Representative Affiliate Program, GT Securities works with independent bankers in designing a customized broker-dealer relationship that factors in their transaction types and frequencies,

THE TEAM OF GT SECURITIES WORKS CLOSELY

compliance requirements, existing overhead, and licensing requirements.

The Firm’s affiliate program offers the following benefits:

Speed: A “fast” compliance platform that provides high-speed, efficient turn-around on clients’ mandates and deals.

Cost: GT Securities’ lean, technologybased platform offers industry-leading payouts.

Best-of-Class Tools: Clients get access to best-of-class, ready-to-use legal templates, along with research & technology platforms, including Pitchbook, S&P Capital IQ, Family Office Database, IBISWorld, Hoovers & Statista, all driving more efficient deal-making.

Deal Referring: Peer networking, collaboration, and thought leadership with some of the most successful investment bankers.

Industry Relationships: Access to GT Securities’ industry relationships, including law firms, deal diligence, and compliance and regulatory providers.

Branding Choices: Operate, market, and sell under the personal brand and/or under GT Securities’ umbrella.

Analyst/Associate Support: Through its partner, EvalueServe, preferred access to cost-effective banker analyst and associate level personnel support, ranging from marketing, industry and competitive research, to presentation graphics, to CIM drafting, to investor/acquirer list development, to full deal ‘handoff,’ and more.

Security: Coverage under GT Securities’ Errors and Omissions Insurance Policy.

Flexibility: A flexible broker/dealer relationship can be terminated at the client’s discretion.

Record-breaking Growth

While commenting on GT Securities’ growth over the years, Turo says, “We are very proud to report that 2020 and 2021 were record years for our firm in terms of both deal volume and transaction value,” Turo says. “And recognizing this growth we are excited to have been named to Inc. Magazine’s 2022 list of America’s Fastest-Growing Companies.”

Opportunities in the Global Market

Turo continues to note that “never before have entrepreneurs and mid-market businesses been able to access capital globally as they are doing right now. This trend only accelerated during the COVID-19 pandemic, as businesses and financiers became more comfortable with remote, “at-a-distance” transactions. Middle market finance will only become more global in the coming years, with capital seeking - and backing - entrepreneurs and innovators worldwide irrespective of geography and distance.”

GT

EXPERT’S OPINION

Benefits of Health Techs in terms of AccessibilityAffordabilityand

Gaurav Dubey, CEO, LivLong

Awhile back, the need for healthcare services rose due to the pandemic. Many nations implemented precautionary measures that limited physical proximity and increased social distancing. Hence, COVID-19 created an opportunity for the rise of eHealth services that led to the establishment of new realities for receiving healthcare treatments through telehealth and telemedicine services.

What is eHealth?

A digital revolution has swept over the healthcare industry, integrating technology into every step of the process. The term “digital health” or “eHealth” was created to describe the application of digitization in the healthcare industry, providing it with tools to assure better patient care and more effective management. It covers advancements in a wide range

Mr. Gaurav Dubey, the CEO of LivLong, embarked on this journey to empower the economyclassofIndiafortheir preventive healthcare needs. Technology has always been the backbone of development. India’shealthcareinfrastructure is experiencing dynamic growth, however, it’s still hard to access quality diagnoses and treatments in many parts of the country. Gaurav is an alumnusofMarineEngineering and Research Institute, and comes with the experience of more than a decade and a half, has been leading, evangelizing & representing the insurance sector across multiplepodiums.Withavision of building a new age healthtech platform to improvise, especially the peripherals of OPD along with the frugal and transcendent healthcare services for millions of Indians, especially the bourgeois of the society, he stepped into the entrepreneur’s shoes with the launch of LivLong.

of fields, including research, hospital administration, and doctor-patient communication.

Advantages of eHealth

1. Lower costs: eHealth makes the key promise of lowering costs by improving the efficiency of medical care. Avoiding redundant or non-essential diagnostics and improving communication between healthcare organisations and patients, are some significant potential costcutting measures.

2. Quality: eHealth contributes towards improving the quality of healthcare by enabling provider comparisons. Patients are free to judge and compare which health care service provider they wish to choose based upon a number of factors.

3. Doctor-patient relationship: Encouraging the development of a new virtual relationship between the patient and the healthcare provider gives a better and repetitive service that benefits both involved.

4. Increased reach: eHealth helps in extending health care’s reach beyond its geographical limitations. While living in New Delhi, you could easily connect with a Pune based doctor. Consumers can readily access health services even from international providers online, thanks to e-health. Hence, good health care is accessible to all. Since time and distance are no longer barriers to accessing healthcare, it is best to prevent unnecessary travel. Additionally, technology also expands access, particularly for individuals who are at risk of exclusion.

5. Better communication: This new digital route makes it simpler to communicate, which helps close the communication gap between patients and doctors. The patient’s status and progress can also get tracked in real-time. To avoid having to continuously recount their full medical history, patients can choose to share all or some of their data with a healthcare professional. As a result, the healthcare professional can operate more efficiently, choose the best course of action more quickly, and reduce errors. Patients are able to manage their health in a better way, because they have a proper understanding of it, how this e-communication works.

6. Health tracking: With applications and gadgets that monitor our eating habits, exercise levels, sleep duration and quality, and heart rate,

Encouraging the development of a new virtual betweenrelationshipthepatient and the healthcare provider gives a better and repetitive service that benefits both involved

new technologies are revolutionising the way we take care of ourselves. Additionally, operations are getting automated, and including approaches like big data.

7. Ease in follow-ups: An effective course of treatment for any sickness requires follow-ups. To make sure the patient reacts to therapy and avoids complications or relapse during a specific time, clinicians must monitor patient rehabilitation, gather clinical data, monitor patient activities, and evaluate their day-to-day functionalities. These online applications make it simple for patients and doctors to stay in touch without the burden and delay of in-person hospital appointments.

Technology’s role in Healthcare

Utilizing modern technology is part of digitising health. Here are a few, along with the impact they have helped create eHealth services in the medical industry:

Big data

Macro data analysis using big data enables personalised therapies and aids in the identification of risk variables and probable pharmacological adverse effects. Understanding and preventing the spread of COVID-19 have benefited greatly from the insight it has provided.

Artificial Intelligence

Many healthcare companies increasingly accepted that technology, must be used with the right tools, talent, and partners. With AI at the forefront, they have become more proactive than reactive to difficulties. Healthcare practitioners can use artificial intelligence to assist them in making better decisions and administering better

care. AI was employed during the coronavirus crisis to determine the antibody sequence and its suitability for potential treatments.

Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things contributes to more individualised healthcare, lower costs, a lower chance of incorrect diagnoses, and reduced waiting.

Blockchain

Blockchain enables secure access to a patient’s medical history, improving administration. Additionally, it enables pharmaceutical labs to maintain more accurate records of the process of making drugs.

Chatbots

Chatbots give healthcare professionals and patients a way to communicate more quickly and directly. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the World Health Organization established one of these channels.

AI doctors

Artificial intelligence-powered robot doctors provide medical advice. Healthcare technology is affordably priced. Many businesses are developing and testing technologies that would enable individuals to get medical advice from cutting-edge computers.

Technology accessibility

The versatility of modern technology in the healthcare industry is one of its many outstanding benefits. Here are some of the most well-known technologies that make digital health accessible:

1. Telehealth: People in rural places with little access to healthcare can receive the necessary medical care, thanks to telehealth, which involves giving care remotely. Additionally, it helps doctors and patients save time, money, and travel expenses.

2. Apps: With introduction of apps in healthcare delivery, both consumers and healthcare professionals are benefited. Mobile health apps, transforms our smartphones into personal trainers, sleep monitors, diagnostic tools, and more.

3. Smart devices: The popular phrase “wearables” refers to smart accessories like wristbands, glasses, and watches that monitor and gather data on our physical and mental well-being.

4. Video: Primary care doctors in rural locations can virtually consult with specialists thanks to tools like video conferencing. These consultations sometimes help overcome the need of physical visit to a specialist. Additionally, some remote patients can consult specialists from various location through video conferencing, while they visit their nearby medical centre.

5. AR: Health providers can use augmented reality to view organs in 3D or instantly verify a patient’s

information. Specialised AR headsets can even be utilised during surgical procedures.

6. Digital record: With a digital health record, information can be kept in one location and made accessible from anywhere, allowing individuals to safely share it and healthcare professionals to access it whenever necessary.

Tools in healthcare are increasingly being recognised as a vital technology, for providing anytime, anyplace care. It is incredibly difficult to provide high-quality services at a larger scale, and at an affordable cost in a varied market like India, especially given the country’s sizable, under-served population, expanding illness burden, and disparities in care quality among public and private providers.

In such a situation, technology can be instrumental in overcoming the specific difficulties that arise throughout the healthcare value chain and enabling the modernization of healthcare practices in India.

Digitization is saving lives and assisting the medical sector in achieving its primary and most urgent goal—providing world-class services to everyone who needs effective and affordable healthcare as quickly as possible.

Chatbots give healthcare professionals and patients a way to communicate more quickly and directly

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Is Marketing in the SustainableMetaverseandProfitable?

Well, the way the 21st century has ushered evolutions, metaverse is yet another one to have exercised every marketer’s imaginations since its inception. Interestingly, the concept was introduced in 1992, by Neal Stephenson in his cyberpunk novel ‘Snow Crash’. Since then, the majority of its applications has been in movies depicting a futuristic world like in ‘Ready Player One’ or in games like ‘Fortnite’. However, the last few years have seemlessly accelerated the world of phygital - an amalgamation of physical and digital ecosystem. Further, widening the metaverse’s hemisphere.

The best phenomena I could compare it to would be when the internet was first introduced. We couldn’t have predicted what it’ll shape up to be, becoming the cosmic entity it is today. The world wouldn’t have been what it is

EXPERT’S OPINION

Siddharth Devnani, Co-Founder & Director, SoCheers

Siddharth Devnani is the Co-Founder and Director at SoCheers. Having a Production Engineering degree along with an MBA in Operations, he started his career interning with Tata Motors and Future Group (Pantaloon Retail), which gave him hands-on experience on the value chain management and helped him understand the importance of seamless back-end operations. In 2012, he joined Naaptol.com where he managed the operations of an entire category and innately curious, also took the extra effort to learn the nitty-gritties of e-commerce. It is at this point in his career that he started to consider the possibility of becoming an entrepreneur seriously, and finally took the plunge in 2013 when he partnered to establish his own Social Media Marketing agency, which has since then evolved to a digital-first, full-service Advertising & Marketing agency.

right now without the internet. From just being an amalgamation of networks and servers in its initial stages, to how it is now an integral part of our lives. Quite fair to say, it has had a rather dynamic journey, its meaning changing every few years, increasingly encompassing new and more things. Similarly, I believe, the metaverse is going to be something which will undergo extreme and rapid evolution with technological improvements.

Seeing and banking on this evolution, certain programs to monetise the metaverse have already surfaced, namely virtual real estate and NFTs, so much so that they’ve become a prominent part of this new space. But will they sustain in the near future? The early NFTs have lost almost all their value, which was a strong setback for a lot of investors who thought that this would be a longterm thing. Whether or not they’ll revive, will only be confirmed in due time.

It does, however, prove that the marketing and monetisation avenues are viable in the metaverse, we just don’t know yet what the longterm options will look like. So, yes marketing in the metaverse is going to be sustainable and profitable for sure and we can say this with near certainty. Having said that, I believe that it’ll be dependent on an ecosystem of variables.

Let’s call it the ‘metaverse ecosystem’ and delve a little into it.

Tech Companies: The top tech companies will be a key participant in this ecosystem, as the metaverse is strongly dependent on the technology to sustain it. All the big playersGoogle, Meta, Apple, etc. - seem to be investing heavily on enhancing their technologies and their hardware capabilities for AR (Augmented

Reality) and VR (Virtual Reality). The overall AR proficiency being showcased in the current times is quite promising, even the entry-level smartphones now-a-days come equipped with decent AR applications, especially in Instagram and Snapchat filters and lenses. On the other hand, VR headsets are yet to become widely accessible. The mass adoption of these technologies is critical for the metaverse to become feasible. And it’ll happen when the buying can happen at both the expensive and the affordable ends of the spectrum.

Users: User adoption is key for any new introduction. Let’s draw parallels between this and the user adoption of the internet. A typical internet user today spends an approximate average of 7 hours on the internet daily. This number has only increased over the years, and brands’ digital marketing budgets have noticeably increased with it. Moreover, users’ adoption of new verticals of digital has expanded the scope of digital marketing. Increased use of video streaming services open up avenues for subscriptions and in-video ads; social media led to social commerce opportunities. Something similar can be envisioned for the metaverse.

Creators Network: Content creators and influencers have become an intrinsic part of digital marketing lately, as they bring in an interactive quality. While big technology and media organisations fueled the acceleration of the internet, it is likely that metaverse will further be amplified by content creators. Simply, giving the creators the stage to create truly immersive experiences. For example, watching a travel vlog with metaverse the audience can actually “travel” to the destination with them. This type

of connection with the audience will make the creators network significantly more valuable to the brands.

Brands: Finally, with all the above elements of the ecosystem in place, brands will come into the foray. Where, how and how much they invest will impact the system significantly. Moreover, it can be predicted that all the brands will have a metaverse selling strategy within the next five years.

I strongly bet on the fact that the metaverse, just like the internet will surely have its moment, and definitely sooner viz-a-viz the internet. But,

whether marketing in the metaverse will be sustainable or profitable, will totally depend upon what are the devices launched in the next year or two. A lot of new age technological devices like VR gears are being launched to keep up with the technological advancements. So, what kind of adoption these devices get and how widespread they are, would give us much more clarity. I still stand by the fact that all this is very niche at the moment. And, it will be fair to say that the mass adoption will come when these devices are accessible to all and the buying happens at both expensive and affordable ends of the spectrum.

The early NFTs have lost almost all their value, which was a strong setback for a lot of investors who thought that this would be a longterm thing

Zaid Kamhawi, CEO

Global digital transformation is expanding at an exponential rate, affecting every industry.

Focusing on the Fintech domain, this segment has begun challenging the traditional finance and banking methods. The growth of ML, AI, blockchain, and RPA are revolutionising the Fintech market. Computing and hosting in the cloud are fast becoming the most efficient and cost-effective means to manage the influx of data.

Another critical factor propelling this market growth is the pandemic. As millions lost their livelihood during lockdown and job losses, most people fell back on their savings – assuming they even had savings. Digital lending has enabled people to borrow remotely. So while this sector demonstrates

the potential for tremendous growth, true transformation can only be achieved with the help of a solution provider that understands and fulfils each client’s unique requirements. Possessing in-depth market and industry experience in tandem with advancing technologies, Qarar, a key player in the digital transformation space in the Middle East and Pakistan, is perfectly poised to meet and exceed every customer expectation. “Qarar also has a unique ability to support new digital lenders and traditional financial services as we are based locally yet have multiple decades of international experience throughout our diverse team. Therefore, we are strongly poised to stay relevant in the industry and capture new segments as the emergence of tech titans continues to expand,” explains Zaid Kamhawi, CEO of Qarar.

POSSESSING IN-DEPTH MARKET AND INDUSTRY EXPERIENCE IN TANDEM WITH ADVANCING TECHNOLOGIES, QARAR, A KEY PLAYER IN THE DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION SPACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST AND PAKISTAN, IS PERFECTLY POISED TO MEET AND EXCEED EVERY CUSTOMER EXPECTATION

Gaining Consumer Trust

He tells us that despite the rapid growth in digital lending services, a general decline in consumer trust is also witnessed. Thus, he believes that the responsibility lies upon leading FinTechs, like Qarar, to reassure customers through purposeled communications, not just as software and product providers. Qarar’s ultimate purpose is to help everyone access credit, whether from larger organisations to SMEs and individuals. “Our

expertise — technology and advisory — helps lenders make the right decisions, faster decisions, more accurate decisions, and channel funds to the right people at the right price. That is where our automation technology and credit scoring stand out from the rest of the pack,” reveals Zaid.

A subsidiary of the parent company SIMAH (the Saudi Credit Bureau), Qarar was incepted in 2013. As the company embarked upon its journey, the market was predominantly controlled

by large international organisations. Having observed this, Qarar envisioned creating a regional presence on the ground — building regional and local capabilities in the data analytics and decision automation industry — and bringing the whole team’s international varied experience focused on the region. In fact, Qarar has recently expanded its presence in Saudi Arabia by opening a regional office there and the company headquarters in Dubai,

United Arab Emirates. The company also intends to open an office in Pakistan shortly.

Standing Apart from Other Solution Providers in the Market

"Qarar’s USP is agility and local knowledge with international expertise, the fact that we are specialised. Specialisation is one of our biggest advantages that we focus on, like credit, risk analytics, regulatory analytics, marketing, and

customer engagement analytics. We focus on these domains and apply them across multiple sectors like banking, insurance, telcos, and government. This specialisation applied across different verticals makes clients call us first because they want that domain expertise and focus,” informs Zaid.

The company offers many solutions, including analytics solutions, credit bureau data-driven solutions, advisory solutions, and

HELPING AUTOMATEDSEGMENTSCONVERSIONINCREASINGAPPLICATIONSPROCESSFASTER,CUSTOMERRATES,ANDEXPANDINGINTONEWARESOMEOFTHEWAYSQARAR’SANALYTICS,DECISION-MAKINGANDPORTFOLIOMANAGEMENTMAKEADIFFERENCETOITSCLIENTS,ENABLINGTHEMTOBECOMELEADERSINTHEEVER-EXPANDINGLENDINGSECTOR

software solutions. Qarar also enables a client’s profitability while helping clients manage credit risk. With most services hosted in the cloud, the company also reduces operational costs. Furthermore, most of Qarar’s solutions are already integrated into third-party sources needed to onboard and assess clients. The

company also has partners, such as B2B, Fintech, and other specialist companies or consultants who develop and provide technology solutions that complement Qarar’s products and services. These partners provide powerful complementary solutions that plug into Qarar’s platform, benefitting the client. Zaid says, “We feel that the benefits are mutual across our partner network — our combined skills create a powerhouse of solutions that can be considered unrivalled, and a commitment to ensuring we, as a team, deliver the optimum solution to our clients.”

Efficiently Helping Assess Customers

Another one of the biggest challenges that lenders face today and Qarar addresses is how to assess customers. Keeping this in mind, the team of experts at Qarar designed a solution that sifts through copious amounts of data and develops accurate and predictive models that can then be leveraged to help clients quantify risk. This risk quantification enables clients to apply strategies such as risk-based pricing, giving the right customers the proper price assistance. Helping process applications faster, increasing customer conversion rates, and expanding into new segments are some of the ways Qarar’s analytics, automated

decision-making and portfolio management make a difference to its clients, enabling them to become leaders in the ever-expanding lending sector.

In fact, portfolio management is a big part of what Qarar does for its clients because it is not just about acquisition. It is also about how the company maximises profitability from the customer once they have onboarded them. This includes analytics, which helps manage the limits given to customers over time. “It also helps identify who is more likely to take up another product or crosssell strategies, who is more likely to recover if they are delinquent, and so on. These analytical models help our clients optimise customer engagement or profitability from their customers,” adds Zaid.

All in all, Qarar takes pride in its robust product portfolio and its numerous features and benefits. However, when it comes to marketing, the company prefers to direct its focus on knowledge sharing to better engage the audience and pinpoint potential customers.

Attaining Higher ROI

The company, continually aligning itself with the latest market trends, does not implement traditional tools but directs its efforts to employ digital marketing initiatives and adopt new

mediums to convey core messages in a digestible format. This includes knowledge snippets such as one-minute videos, or podcasts, which are a very popular format for sharing knowledge when people are commuting. “We team up with our business partners and invariably find we have a huge amount of valuable content to share! We feel that approach has given us a much higher return on investment compared to the traditional sponsoring of large events or digital ads, plus we have the flexibility to tailor our messages to specific audiences,” proclaims Zaid.

Collaborating as a Cohesive Team

Qarar is still a relatively young company, that is nimbly navigating the rapidly growing digital lending market. The company started out very strong from its inception and we have steadily made a name for ourselves in the market over the first 7-year period — based on positive feedback from clients and the resulting word-of-mouth recommendations that we have experienced.

Qarar’s philosophy is not just applied to its clients but at home as well. Zaid explains, “we consider Qarar to be a family that also treats employees like family. Our culture is focused on business and personal growth — to grow as professionals and grow the company. Everyone constantly strives to selfdevelop, learn, and then share that learning with the rest. Therefore, we have created a culture where everyone can be vulnerable with each other and comfortably share fears, weaknesses, desires, and goals. In 2021 we were honoured as a ‘Highly Commended’ finalist in the People and Culture category in the MEED SME awards.”

Anticipating the Future

As we take a peek into the future, and what it holds for this sector and Qarar in terms of product portfolio expansion, the company sees services linked to open banking, alternative data scoring, and anything that helps clients expand into new niche customer segments. The company is also investing more into cloud enablement, and because of the importance of data, Qarar is also investing in integrating with a larger number of data

Withpartners.more

exciting news to reveal, Zaid tells us that the company plans to launch several new initiatives as it nears its 10th anniversary next year. He adds, “That will be the perfect timing to unveil Qarar's new positioning in the market and our ventures into new digital lending market sectors and the new customer journey. We want to focus on the digital transformation of banks — open banking, digital onboarding, and cloud-based services, and supporting the Buy Now Pay Later market.” Currently, Qarar’s expertise is invaluable to traditional banks and lenders. The company aims to maintain relevance in the digital space by assisting clients in launching their digital arms and products while also supporting and enabling FinTechs with limited budgets to go-to-market with their product innovations.

Zaid concludes, “We are operating in a region which has many major governmentled initiatives for transformation. People and their lifestyles, ways of doing business, and of course, lending are already changing rapidly. That means there are enormous opportunities for Qarar to continue to be a leader in digital transformation and find new avenues for lending — and we are looking forward to the challenges and the rewards!

EXPERT’S OPINION

Decoding the FashionFutureMarket:AccessoriesWhatDothePresentandLookLike?

Fashion accessories have just recently been presented in the formal retail experience. With a long-lived history in the unorganized market, ranging from small-time street vendors to unbranded mom-and-pop stores, fashion accessories can now be found in customized collections through high street brands, luxury boutiques, international accessories chains, and multi-brand outlets. The ever-flourishing e-commerce industry has also played a crucial role in the rise and growth of the fashion accessories market, providing a host of options to shoppers across India and the Contraryworld.to popular belief, accessories no longer fall in need-based purchases; instead, they have become a source for customers to make a fashion statement. The rising disposable income and need among urban accessories

Aditya Modak, Co-founder, Gargi by P N Gadgil and sons

Aditya Modak is the Cofounder & Director of Gargi by P N Gadgil & Sons, a handcrafted contemporary jewelry brand basedinPune.Adityaisawidelyexperiencedfinance,marketing,andsalesprofessionalwith

over nine years of expertise in working at the CXO level at PNG & Sons Private Limited with proven mettle in technical and people management.

enthusiasts to demonstrate their style and unique taste has given the platform for the entrance of several home-grown and international brands in the evolving world of fashion accessories. Interestingly, even customers are now directing their spending towards things that add a ‘look good, feel-good factor, and consequently, accessories are getting more critical than ever.

Key Trends

A recently published report by Fortune Business Insights on Fashion Accessories Market, 20222029, revealed that the global accessories industry is poised for striking growth in the forthcoming years. Products within the category, like eyewear, footwear, and Jewelry, are mainly trending among fashion influencers and millennials.[] Asia-Pacific is deemed to be the fastest-growing market when it comes to accessories, with countries like India and China grabbing the spotlight. To pace up the supply around offline stores, retailers in these markets are leveraging technology to improve the instore experience using facilities like digital displays and payment checkouts.[]

Factors Driving this Change Women in the Workforce

As the ratio of women participating in the workforce is picking up the upward ladder, their demand for work-appropriate apparel and accessories is increasing by leaps and bounds. Moreover, the fact that women have gained control over their finances and the freedom to make choices independently has propelled them to purchase things that make them look and feel good. Thus, more and more women keen on different accessories invest heavily in valuable

Jewelry that can be tailored and the design process that can be controlled and witnessed by the customers has gained immense demand, and it’s most likely that this trend will continue to grow

branded and non-branded pieces like sunglasses, bags, and jewelry.

Shifting Mindset of the Customers

The fashion accessories industry in India, mainly, has evolved drastically in the past few years and has seen a natural progression. In these years, we have also witnessed consumers happily embracing fashion accessories and faux jewelry just as much as gold and silver jewelry. As a country that is traditional and has been heavily inclined toward precious metals, this positive change has enabled modern customers with the accessibility to their preferred trends at a price that suits every segment.

Customization

With the rise in purchasing power, the need to stand out has driven customers to seek personalization for their products and experiences in their shopping. Jewelry that can be tailored and the design process that can be controlled and witnessed by the customers has gained immense demand, and it’s most likely that this trend will continue to grow.

Increasing Interest Among Men

The unanticipated growth area for the industry has been the changing preferences of Indian male consumers, who are now becoming fashion-conscious and embracing the presence of accessories just as much as their female counterparts. Men today enjoy donning fashionable bracelets and chains with pendants, matching bags, belts, and sunglasses for moods, weather, and occasions. There seems to have been a significant influence on both Bollywood and Hollywood.

Impact of Social Media

The Indian market has witnessed the most significant transitions in social factors, thanks to the increasing use of mobile phones and social media. The latter has influenced over two-thirds of fashion accessories and apparel purchases in 2022. Overall, social media, e-commerce platforms, and the internet have offered customers in tier-II cities and beyond easy access to a range of products and brands. Consequently, fashion accessories, among other things, have become a preferred choice for buyers belonging to this segment of society.

The Final Word

India’s fashion accessories industry has displayed significant growth potential, provided appropriate strategies are employed that take into account the unique demographics and ever-changing consumer tendencies. Many players have entered the market in the last decade, but very few have survived and successfully built a brand. The reasons are many: poor quality, incorrect target market, pricing, and lack of customization or variety. In reality, millennials must be the primary target audience, owing to their rising spending power and demographic standing. They embody an ideal customer for the accessories industry, given that their consumption patterns are driven by impulse buying. Not to forget, with a growing number of millennials becoming parents, the kids’ fashion accessories market also offers great potential and a gap yet to be filled.

It will be interesting to see how the accessories industry reinvents itself to keep pace with the customers’ needs and market trends in the coming years.

EXPERT’S OPINION Sanket Co-Founder,Mehta,Nutrifresh

Inclusion (of women) in the farming farmersSustainabilityindustry:for&Owners

The farming industry has been, for the most part, a male-dominated field. In recent years, however, there has been an increase in women farmers and farm owners or leading operations with Agri-tech firms. This is partly due to the newfound popularity of sustainable, organic, and technology-driven farming practices brought to the forefront by large Hydroponic farms like Nutrifresh India; A Hydroponic farming company based out of Pune,WomenIndia.in India are now coming to the forefront and making their presence known in the agricultural sector. In the past, farming was seen as a man’s job. However, with the rise of new technologies like

Sanket Mehta, is a CoFounder of Nutrifresh Farm Tech Farms Pvt. established in the year 2019. He has completed MBA in technology management and finance and holds more than 15+ years of experience. Nutrifresh Farm Tech Farms Pvt. raised funding of USD $5 million. Key Investors are Mr. Theodore Cleary (Archer Investments), Mr. Sandiip Bhammer (Managing Partner - Green Frontier Capital), Sky Kurtz (CEO & Cofounder of Pure Harvest UAE), Mr Mathew Cyriac (Florintree Advisors & ex MD of Blackstone India), Dr Soumitra Dutta (Dean ElectInvestmentMr.(RegionalofSaïdBusinessSchool,UniversityOxford),MrShaishavDhariaCEO,LodhaGroup),KaranGoshar(SamarthyaAdvisorsLLP).

hydroponic farming, women can not just participate but take a lead in this industry.

The new age and large scale hydroponic farms like that of Nutrifresh are changing the landscape of Indian farming. Women have more opportunities than ever before to not only enter but, prosper in this industry.

Hydroponic farming as a new age farming tech

Traditional farming has been around for centuries and involves using soil to grow crops. However, with the advancement of technology, a new method of farming has emerged –hydroponicHydroponicfarming.farming

is a type of agriculture where plants are grown without the use of soil. Instead, they are grown in water that is enriched with nutrients. This method of farming has many benefits over traditional soil-based farming.

Since these farming techniques use mineral-rich water to grow plants in a soilless medium. This type of agriculture has many benefits over traditional methods, as it requires less space and fewer resources and can be done indoors or in controlled environments. Additionally, hydroponics can produce higher yields in shorter periods.

Some of the benefits of hydroponic farming include:

- Increased yield: Hydroponically grown plants tend to have a higher yield than those grown in soil. This is because the roots of the plants have direct access to nutrient-rich water, which allows them to grow faster and healthier.

- Reduced water usage: Hydrop farming uses up to 95% less water than traditional soil-based farming. This water is recirculated and reused, so there is very little wastage.

- Pest and disease control: Hydroponically grown plants are less likely to be affected by pests

farmingHydroponicisa type of agriculture where plants are grown without the use of soil. Instead, they are grown in water that is enriched with nutrients

and diseases. This is because they are not grown in soil, a breeding ground for pests and diseases.

Types of Technologies in Hydroponics

There are several types of hydroponic systems, each with its advantages and disadvantages. Ebb and flow, drip, aeroponic, and NFT (nutrient film technique) are the most common types.

These techniques were in use for a long time internationally but, the adoption in India was very marginal until the early 2016s. It was when the likes of Nutrifresh India took the big leap in setting up one of India’s largest hydroponic setups to bring these techniques to mainstream farming.

How Nutrifresh’s approach and commitment toward advanced farming and inclusion of women are changing the “Future of Food.”

For years, the women of India have been toiling away in the fields, often in harsh conditions and for little pay. But thanks to companies like Nutrifresh, that is starting to change. With farms that are temperature controlled to technologies and farming market strategies that require more than just physical labor in farms to grow highquality vegetables each aspect is getting more gender neutral than ever before.

There are women that are leading the functions like Marketing, Operations for large Agri-tech firms. This has been made possible with the introduction of technology, structure, and sustainability to the farming industry.

Nutrifreshas India; A company that is committed to changing how food is grown in India. But they are also doing something else that is unique: “Empowering and enabling women from local communities that reside around the Accordingfarms.torecent studies, only about 30% of all farmers in India are women. This statistic

is even lower when it comes to smallholder farmers. But Nutrifresh is working to change that by training and supporting women farmers.

Not only are they helping to improve the quality of food grown in India, but they are also helping to empower women and improve their lives. This is truly changing the future of food in “ThereIndia.are many reasons why women make great farmers. They are often more attuned to the natural rhythms of the earth and the seasons. They are also more likely to be patient and to take a holistic approach to their work” – Sanket Mehta Co-founder Nutrifresh India

Women are vital in ensuring that our food supply is safe, nurtured and handled with utmost care. These traits are naturally stronger with women and Nutrifresh has been able to create an eco-system that capitalizes on this strength. This is evident from the fact that over 90% of their plucking staff is women employed from local vicinities of the farms. This in turn helps enable the communities too.

With more women pursuing roles in agriculture, we can continue to progress toward closing the gender gap in this vital industry.

Conclusion

Overall, it is evident that using new technologies in farming, such as hydroponics, can positively impact yields and the quality of products. Additionally, the inclusion of women in leadership roles in agriculture positively affects the industry. These changes are helping to improve the quality of food grown in India and empower women farmers. Nutrifresh’s commitment to changing the way food is grown in India is truly changing the future of food in the country.

When Fathers Don the Chef Hat

Celebrity Chef Ajay Chopra, Chefpreneur and Managing Director at Zion Hospitality

Chefpreneur, Restauranteur, and Consultant Ajay Chopra is a name to reckon within the Indian culinary universe for past three decades. His work repertoire grew from being a chef to coining flagship associations in the corporate, e-commerce and restaurant spaces. An acclaimed culinarian and a household name after he co-hosted and judged the popular show, ‘MasterChef India’ Season one and two on Star Plus, Chef was also the face of many thematic recipesshowslike‘HiTea’onFoodFoodchannelfortea-timesnacks,‘Veggistan’forexclusivevegetarianonNDTVGoodTimesIndia,and‘NorthernFlavours’(Season1,2and3)culinaryjourneybroadcastedbyLivingFoodzacrosstheNorthernstatesofIndia,‘India’s50BestDishes’and‘PapadPicklesaurPyaala’byZeeZestbringsouttipsandtricksforawholesomegastronomicexperienceandthemostrecent‘TheBigDaddyChef’,aprogressiveandmuch-neededconceptofencouragingfatherstostepinthekitchenandexperimentwithculinaryskillsfortheirchildren.AlongwiththeendorsementsforbigbrandslikeMonini,Kellogg’s,Oddypaperwrapsandassociationswithseveralrenownedmultinationals,hehasventuredsuccessfullyintothecorporateandecommercebusinesswithSodexoIndia,Sumeru,IndiaGateandHavells.

“Food is to me what a camera is to a photographer”. My journey in the kitchen commenced at an early age. Being a child of a working mother, I began experimenting with my half-baked culinary skills. My passion, drive and dedication have led me to be the professional Chef I am today. Although not completely a new phenomenon then, a boy taking interest in the culinary arena was still not accepted wholeheartedly. Currently, both my children Ashish and Akshat have seen their father ace in the kitchen and find it absolutely normal, a rare occurrence in a normal Indian household.

Speaking from my own experience, the three women in my life; my wife Amrita, my

mother and mother-in-law have been my source of inspiration. I draw a lot from their cooking.

Back in the day, it was always a special occurrence in my household when my father cooked, a feeling of picnic and excitement. Since last few years, I have been encouraging dads to come to the kitchen as there is no written norm that only mums must cook or even do all the chores. Many FMCG ads have shown us that husbands need to share the load. Cooking is an essential part of every home but it could also be a very enjoyable part as the process of cooking is calming and enjoyable. Dads make a note - Cooking is also very machoistic. Most men believe its feminine but it’s the other way round.

I found my niche in innovating and transforming typical dishes into new-fangled

Cooking is an essential part of every home but it could also be a very enjoyable part as the process of cooking is calming and enjoyable

flavoursome dishes that are loved by my audience. With the current fast paced living of Indians, instant foods are gaining momentum. It might not be as openly expressed but fathers care for their children beyond just bringing the pay check home. The concern for good health is equally on their minds as much as the mothers. And what better way of monitoring the child’s health than providing a healthy and nutritious diet? From my standpoint, nothing compares to a healthy yet delightful dish prepared at home from scratch and adding to the excitement would be the father preparing the dish.

The covid pandemic had brought a halt to our fast lives and had us confined to our homes, proving to be a watershed moment in our lives; when most men stepped into the kitchen for the first time, I accomplished my long pending dream of penning own cookbook for men who will make their grand debut in the kitchen. The

book titled ‘Big Daddy Chef’ is a compilation of some of eclectic restaurant style recipes and its main driving force is to motivate fathers to not shy away from the kitchen. The growing culture of gender neutrality in our society, encourages men to take initiative in the kitchen too. While the situation of lockdown is oscillating between normal and new normal, let’s hope the perception of ‘only mothers making the food’ is forever changed. While women have already been playing a dual role of achievers at work as well as home, we would love to see a transition phase for both the genders where men too pull off the same at both ends. Hence, with changing times, the mindset and culture passed on through generations would be challenged and reformed. As a community, fathers need to express their love through various gestures and there cannot be a better one than making food that their kids like to begin with!

From my standpoint, nothing compares to a healthy yet delightful dish prepared at home from scratch and adding to the excitement would be the father preparing the dish