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Growth in India’s dominant services industry continued to lose momentum in December as a resurgence in coronavirus infections weighed on new business and employment, a private survey showed on Wednesday. Asia’s third-largest economy has been gradually recovering from a coronavirus-induced recession but is not expected to return to pre-pandemic levels soon, especially within the service industry — the engine of economic growth and jobs in the country. The Nikkei/IHS Markit Services Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 52.3 in December from November’s 53.7 but held above the 50-mark separating growth from contraction for a third straight month. “A spike in Covid-19 cases was reported as a key factor restricting growth of new work intakes among service providers, which in turn curbed the rise in output and led to increased business uncertainty about the outlook,” Pollyanna De Lima, economics associate director at IHS Markit, said in a release. “It is clear that the early part of 2021 will c

Vietnam, the world’s third biggest exporter of rice, has started buying the grain from rival India for the first time in decades after local prices jumped to their highest in nine years amid limited domestic supplies, four industry officials told Reuters. The purchases highlight tightening supplies in Asia, which could lift rice prices in 2021 and even force traditional buyers of rice from Thailand and Vietnam to switch to India – the world’s biggest exporter of the grain. Indian traders have been contracted to export 70,000 tonnes of 100 per cent broken rice for January and February shipments at around $310 per tonne on a free-on-board (FOB) basis, the industry officials say.”For the first time, we are exporting to Vietnam,” B.V Krishna Rao, president of the Rice Exporters Association, told Reuters on Monday. “Indian prices are very attractive. The huge price difference is making exports possible.” Dwindling supplies and continued Philippine buying have lifted Vietnamese rice export p

Predicting a spike in COVID-19 cases in January, state Health Minister Vishwajit Rane today appealed to tourists to take precautions, as “Goa is not a banana republic”. Addressing the media after chairing a high-level meeting, the minister said despite repeated appeals to wear masks and practise social distancing, people have not been taking precautions. Mr Rane predicted a spike in infections in January due to the recently held New Year celebrations and influx of tourists in the coastal state. “Tourists should realise that although they are here to enjoy, they must follow safety measures. I saw that 60 per cent of the people at the airport were not wearing masks,” the minister said. “We need to be cautious as a state. We want people of Goa to be safe. Business activities should continue, but people need to exercise caution. Goa is not a banana republic,” he said. The minister further said night clubs will have to ensure strict implementation of the standard operating procedure (SOP),

Raipur, 25 December, 2020: As part of the ongoing Christmas festivities, the leadership team along with the associates from various disciplines carried out a CSR activity in the city by creating an awareness about the ongoing pandemic(COVID-19). They did so by spreading the message of following the various protocols laid down by the governing bodies by displaying various placards at a major intersection in the city. The messages were about the various preventive measures one can take to prevent one from getting infected from this deadly virus. They were washing hands regularly, sanitizing hands in absence of soap and water, maintaining adequate physical distance and wearing mask. The entire team along with one of the associates who was dressed as Santa Clausdistributed masks to people and also encouraged them to wear mask properly and follow all the guidelines laid down by the authorities. Rajneesh Kumar, General Manager, Courtyard Marriott, Raipur said “Christmas is a festival of spre

In a major relief to the hospitality industry, the government of Maharashtra has announced the waiving off the excise license fee on pro-rata basis along with the roll-back of the 15 per cent annual fee increase for the year 2020. The Hotel and Restaurant Association of Western India (HRAWI) and the Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) have welcomed the Maharashtra Government’s decision. Hotels and restaurants had been badly hit during the lockdown and whatever hopes they had of cutting some of the losses during Christmas and New Year were also over after the government announced a night curfew from December 22 to January 5, 2021. The government hopes this move will go a long way in restoring normalcy for the sector that has been hit badly due to the lockdown caused by the Covid19 pandemic.

Staying overnight at an airport isn’t unheard of, especially if you miss a flight. But choosing to spend your holidays there in a tent is something entirely different. With the coronavirus pandemic severely limiting trips abroad, some in Singapore this holiday season are going “glamping”, or glamourous camping, staying overnight in luxury tents at the retail and leisure wing of the city-state’s Changi Airport. “Usually we go out of the country every holiday but since we can’t travel much and it’s a school holiday, I thought why not do something different for the children,” said Fadlina Musa, standing under twinkling fairy lights. Her husband, Khairil Anuar Malek, said it was nice to get out of the house. “It has been very tough for all of us, so we wanted to experience closeness at a different level,” he said.

Sprinkling new flavours in the lives of food lovers, Azure Hospitality, launched its new Sly Granny Cafe at Saket’s Select CITYWALK mall in October 2020. Sly Granny Cafe is Sly’s first mall outpost where customers can enjoy quality comfort food, amidst the bustling energy of the vibrant mall. With Sly Granny’s multi-cuisine menu, shoppers and food lovers have the option of picking their preferred meal. Patrons can relish a delicious meal in the luxe-casual dining ambience of the cafe in the company of hand-tossed pizzas, Asian bowls, crispy chicken & fries, BBQ pork ribs, avocado toast, meaty aglio e olio, beer-battered fish and chips and many more food options.  The quirky interiors are reflective of Sly Granny’s signature outlandish style and hold a treasure trove of secrets for visitors to unravel. The unique detailing of the place makes it a perfect choice where one can enjoy a relaxed meal while sipping their signature craft cocktails. There are also some new additions to the

Bhutan today denied reports that China has constructed a village more than 2 kilometres inside Bhutanese territory near the contested Doklam plateau, despite clear satellite imagery and detailed map locations to the contrary. Maps bearing the official seal of the Bhutan government, also indicate that this new Chinese settlement lies well within Bhutan’s present claim lines. International observers, including Nathan Ruser, a satellite imagery analyst with the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, responded to Shen’s tweets by highlighting that the location of the Chinese village indicated a clear breach of Bhutan’s sovereignty. “Here’s a CGTN news producer openly admitting that China has occupied and now populated part of a sovereign country,” tweeted Mr Ruser. “This Pangda village has been constructed (as shown by the included map) 2.5 km beyond Bhutan’s international border. China now baselessly claims about 12 per cent of Bhutan,” Mr Ruser said. Responding to this morning’s denial b

Amazon on Thursday will announce its latest financial results, and Wall Street wants to know if it can keep up with shoppers’ heightened demand during the coronavirus pandemic. Just three months ago, the world’s largest online retailer posted the biggest profit in its 26-year history. Governments’ stay-at-home orders prompted consumers to shift purchases to web marketplaces such as Amazon, while brick-and-mortar rivals shuttered shops. Amazon has reaped rewards from this but not without challenges. For a time, Amazon limited its warehousing services to essential goods. The company re-fashioned operations for COVID-19 precautions, though more than 19,000 workers caught the virus, and some demanded site closures. Customers experienced slower-than-usual deliveries.

Raipur: Courtyard by Marriott, Raipur is delighted to announce the appointment of Anuj Singh as its new Executive Chef. Prior to this Anuj was Executive Sous Chef at Marriott, Indore. Rajneesh Kumar, General Manager, Courtyard by Marriott, Raipur in a press release issued today informed that Anuj Singh had started his career with TAJSATS Air Catering Ltd. as a management trainee and moved up the ladder to become a part of Chef’s team who were responsible for serving on all the flights of Honorable President of India, Prime Minister and other senior members of parliament. With his career spanning almost 9 years with the Taj Group of hotels, he has had the privilege of working in iconic properties of the Taj. Some of which are Vivanta by Taj Fort Agauada, Goa (Goa’s 1st 5 Star luxury resort) and Taj Gurugram to name a few. As an Executive Sous Chef with Gulf Chefs Catering, Doha, Qatar he was instrumental in opening a massive catering kitchen in “Al Wakra” Doha as part of the Pre-openin

To promote Ayurveda, in domestic and international markets, Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) yesterday launched a ‘Task Force on Ayurveda Tourism’ under the Chairmanship of Sajeev Kurup, Managing Director, Ayurveda Mana Hospitals. The objective of the Task Force is to bring all key stakeholders together on a common platform to extensively promote Ayurveda Tourism in the domestic as well as international markets.  The Task Force will also strategise a road map to develop Ayurveda Tourism further by working closely and co-creating solutions with the government and key stakeholders. Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General, FICCI, said, “FICCI has been working continuously for the past few months with the Centre and the states for allowing Ayurveda and wellness centres to reopen.”  Ayurveda will see a lot of demand and this is the best time to come up with solutions to promote Ayurveda Tourism as a completely safe segment, added Chenoy. Sajeev Kurup, Chairman, FICCI A

Concept Hospitality Pvt Ltd (CHPL) has introduced its Experiences eGift Cards in various denominations which can be redeemed across all its properties in the country, Noshir A Marfatia, Senior Vice President – Sales & Marketing, CHPL said. We are offering these eGift Cards across all our three brands, The Fern Hotels & Resorts, The Zinc Hotels and Beacon Hotels, he added. Explaining further, he felt, “These are ideal gifts for special occasions, festive celebrations or for no occasion at all! People nowadays are not very keen to accept gifts in physical forms. So, these gift cards can be a perfect choice if someone wants to gift a friend a dinner, a stay or a leisure Staycation package at any of our hotels.” The card can be purchased online from their brand websites www.fernhotels.com, www.zinchotels.com and www.beaconhotels.com respectively, and are redeemable for room stays, holiday packages, dining, other hotel services and taxes, at all participating Fern, Zinc and Beacon h

Marriott International collaborates with Thomas Cook (India) Ltd along with its Group Company SOTC Travel Ltd to launch the Holiday with Confidence portfolio – holidays inbuilt with comprehensive protocols that ensure safe travel in the COVID-19 era. The launch is a continuum of a series of meaningful customer-first health & safety initiatives from Thomas Cook & SOTC: The Assured Safe Travel Program in partnership with Apollo Clinics, tie-up with ICMR accredited labs to deliver end-to-end contactless COVID-negative certification services pan India and the Safe Holiday Helpline – a free service to support customers in safe holiday planning. Commenting on the partnership Rajeev Menon – President – Asia Pacific (excluding Greater China), Marriott International  said, “The travel-related implications (of Covid-19) have been unprecedented and fast-changing. As restrictions and lockdowns are becoming more relaxed, there is a cautious return-to-travel, with consumers putting their fai

Walmart Inc's Flipkart said on Tuesday it would create 70,000 new jobs and employ many more as delivery partners and in other roles as it prepares for a surge in online shopping during the busy Indian festive season. Flipkart, Amazon.com Inc's Indian unit and Reliance Industries Ltd's fledgling e-commerce business are vying for a share of the booming online retail market, which received a big boost from the COVID-19 pandemic as more Indians used their smartphones to shop for groceries and other items. Flipkart’s “Big Billion Days”, styled on the lines of Amazon’s Prime Day, rakes in its biggest sales for the year. The four- or five-day long sale usually starts around October to tap India’s festive season, which ends with Diwali. The company said it would also sign up more than 50,000 kiranas, or small grocery stores, for last-mile delivery. “While creating direct job opportunities across Flipkart’s supply chain, which include delivery executives, pickers, packers and sorter

With millions around the world stuck at home due to the pandemic, “plane cafes” in Thailand are offering customers the chance to pretend they are in the sky — and the idea seems to have taken off. On board a retired commercial airplane in the coastal city of Pattaya, coffee drinkers make themselves comfy on first-class-style seats and pose for photos by the overhead lockers. Boarding passes in hand, some “passengers” even opt for a tour of the cockpit. “With this cafe I can sit in first class and also mess around in the cockpit pretending to be the captain of the plane,” 26-year-old Thipsuda Faksaithong told AFP. “It's a lot of fun.” Chalisa Chuensranoi, 25, said her visit was as good as any trip she had taken before the pandemic, which shuttered Thailand's borders in March. “Sitting right here in the first-class section… really gives me the feeling of actually being on a plane, cruising through the air,” she said. In another cafe at the headquarters of national carrier Thai Ai

The United Nations chief urged Japan and other wealthy nations on Thursday to give up their reliance on coal and other fossil fuels and commit to investments in green energy as they recover from the coronavirus pandemic. U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made the appeal in an address to an online climate conference hosted by Japan. Guterres noted that many countries are using the opportunity of the pandemic to double down on green energy and other initiatives, aiming to attain a goal of limiting global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) above the pre-industrial average. We are facing two critical crises, COVID and climate change,” he said in pre-recorded remarks. He said he hoped the meeting would leave future generations with the hope that this moment is the true turning point for people and the planet.” A major U.N. Climate Change Conference due to be held in Glasgow, Scotland, this November was postponed due to the pandemic. Dubbed COP26, it is to be he

– Advisory of 4 to India is the most severe – A do not travel will adversely affect Indian tourism’s restart options – The USA is the strategically most critical travel market for India – India is bunched with the likes of Syria, Iran, Pakistan, Iraq, Yemen New Delhi, August, 2020: Federation of Associations in Indian Tourism & Hospitality, the policy federation of all the national associations representing the complete tourism, travel and hospitality industry of India (ADTOI, ATOAI, FHRAI, HAI, IATO, ICPB, IHHA, ITTA, TAAI, TAFI) & cause partner AIRDA has urgently requested the negative travel advisory from the USA to India to be addressed. The United States of America currently has a travel advisory, rated level 4 for India (as on 23rd Aug 2020). On a scale of 1-4 this is the highest level of risk rating, carrying with it the advice of ‘do not travel’ . As stated, reasons for the same, apart from restrictive COVID 19 protocols, the rating highlights terrorism, crimes again

Hyderabad,August 2020: YFLO Chairperson Apurva Jain and executive committee invited the esteemed celebrity Shabana Azmi for the national event of the year 2020. The actress is well known for her multi-faceted personality and work asa politician, a social activist. A Padmabhushan recipient, her recent movie MeeRaqsam is creating waves in the Industry. Gracing the same event was Jahnabi Phookan, the 37th National FICCI FLO President. An entrepreneur, a co-founder of two National Tourism Award-winning companies: Jungle Travels India and Assam Bengal Navigation Company under JTI Group. Her primary focus is on sustainable livelihood for women economic empowerment. Moderating this highly dynamic session was the well known WOW magazine editor and founder Ms.RatnaRaoShekhar. India’s most enterprisingand highly influential women came together from all FICCI chapters to make this event a national success! YFLO Treasurer Arti Shah started the session on an auspicious note with Ganesh Vandana. Y

Mumbai, August 2020: Close on the heels of the Indian Government permitting cruise ships to start sailing in India in October, comes yet another welcome boost to help the industry get back on its feet. The Shipping Ministry recently announced the reduction in port tariff rates ranging from 60% to 70% for cruise ships with effect from 14th August 2020. There will be an immediate reduction in port charges for the Cruise Industry in line with the Indian Government policy to support the economy post the COVID- 19 pandemic. Commenting on this development, Jurgen Bailom, Chairman, INCLA said, “The current upheaval caused by the pandemic has resulted in several challenges and has adversely affected tourism and the cruising sector. While we eagerly wait to begin sailing in November, the Shipping Ministry’s announcement to reduce berthing charges to promote tourism increases our optimism and confidence that our industry will get back on its feet in no time at all. We would like to express our g

Hyderabad, August, 2020….'Why not promote Handloom School Uniforms to help weavers?' asks Gaurang Shah, Fashion Designer and Textile Revivalist while participating in a conversation, ‘The Handmade Life—Survival and Revival of Indian Handlooms” organised by FICCI Ladies Organisation(FLO), Hyderabad Chapter in commemoration of National Handloom Day that was celebrated Indiawide recently. Mr. Gaurang Shah was in virtual conversation on Friday evening with Ms. Madhu Sood, Consultant—Indian Textiles, Design Innovation, Curator, Textile Researcher. Gaurang urged the Union Textile Ministry as well all the State Governments to consider introducing Handloom School Uniforms. Handlooms are any time better than Polyester and Terrycot Shirts. The fabric is easily washable and available abundantly. And every State has a varied range of weaves and textiles suited to the climate of the region, he elaborated. We can even extend it for Uniforms to employees working in both Government and Privat