Category: Business

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Pak-Qatar Family Takaful Limited (PQFTL) came into an MOU with WAADA, to promote Takaful products through the digital medium. WAADA and PQFTL aim to make Takaful products, affordable, and accessible for the major part of the population currently not being served.

Mr. Azeem Iqbal Pirani (CEO, PQFTL), Mr. Ishaq Kothawala (CEO, WAADA) and Mr. Zeeshan Haider (Head of Alternate distribution & Banca Takaful), signed the MOU along with senior officials of both companies.

On the occasion, Mr. Azeem Iqbal Pirani (CEO, PQFTL) said “We are delighted to sign MOU with WAADA as this will benefit customers from choosing Shariah-compliant Takaful products with ease and upon competitive rates. The world is moving towards digital medium and partnership with WAADA will further enhance our reach and help us spread awareness about Takaful products.”  

Ishaq Kothawala (CEO, WAADA) said, “Waada aims to make insurance and Takaful a simple product, affordable and accessible for the major part of the population currently not being served.” He further said that he is quite hopeful that this new strategic partnership will bring fruitful results in near future.

How Huawei keeps driving key innovations in the smartphone industry with the release of its trendy flagship HUAWEI nova 9

 The new phone boasts a 120Hz Curved Display, 50MP Ultra Vision Camera, 66W HUAWEI

Huawei has always surprised tech enthusiasts with hardware and software innovations that are leaps and bounds ahead of other players in the industry. While some brands limit their latest and greatest features only to their high-end flagships, Huawei makes some of those features accessible even in mid-range phones. This is why the mid-range nova series is one of the company’s most popular smartphone series and accounts for 190 million Huawei nova users worldwide.

Recently, the company launched another addition to the nova series, the new HUAWEI nova 9. Dubbed as the Trendy Flagship & Camera King, it was crafted keeping in mind young millennials. Young consumers like their phones to be well-designed as phones have become part of their everyday life. They even use their smart devices as a mean of self-expression, and Huawei understood that and kept it in mind when coming up with this trendy flagship. They even incorporated some features previously seen on flagships into this new mid-ranger.

 

HUAWEI nova 9 boasts a stunning new colourway called Color No. 9 created using their proprietary Starry Flash AG Glass process. The glass surface of the phones shows off purple and bluish hues from different angles. This glass panel responds to spotlights in such a way that it creates beautiful vivid and colourful patterns. Under normal lighting, the panel will appear like a gentle gradient. The camera design of the HUAWEI nova 9 is the stunning Star Orbit Ring design.

The phone has a 6.57-inch display that tapers on both sides like a waterfall giving the viewers an immersive experience. As it can render 1.07 billion colours, images are going to look vibrant. The display has a refresh rate of 120Hz[1] and a touch sampling rate of 300Hz. All of these together will make the content of the screen smooth and responsive. What is even more impressive is that for a phone with all these, it feels comfortable to hold with a thickness of just 7.77mm and a weight of 175g[2].

Another opportunity that Huawei taps on to is the recent boom in the content creation field. People are no longer just consumers of content. They are also content creators. So, the HUAWEI nova 9 is bringing a well-equipped camera to mid-range smartphone consumers, and that’s a huge plus.

The phone has an Ultra Vision AI Quad Camera system that consists of a 50 MP Ultra vision main camera, an 8MP Ultra-Wide angle camera, a 4cm macro camera[3], and a 2MP depth sensor. The 32MP front camera allows 4K selfie video. Also, HUAWEI nova 9’s 50MP main camera can produce better low-light pictures. The RYYB image sensor used in the primary camera can capture 40% more light than traditional RGGB sensors[4]. Another key camera feature is the Continuous Front/Rear Recording. This feature allows to switch between the front and rear cameras and fluidly capture the story within a single video file. Dual-View Video recording allows users to showcase their live reactions to events simultaneously using the front and rear cameras with no editing required.

Phones get more and more powerful, and people rely on their smartphones more than ever. So, there is a huge demand for smartphones with bigger batteries. The 4300 mAh battery[5] in HUAWEI nova 9 is a significant upgrade. It is also coupled with the 66W HUAWEI Supercharge[6], which enables the battery to fill up from empty to 100% in just 38 minutes. A quick 15 minutes of charging can bring the battery to 53%.

With the Distributed File System, the HUAWEI nova 9 can also function as a wirelessly connected external storage unit for the PC[7], meaning users can access the files they want more easily than ever before. This means when users are drafting an email on the PC, they can add smartphone files as an attachment or when they see an image they like when browsing the internet on the PC, they can save that image directly to the smartphone.

The innovative and secure AppGallery comes pre-installed on the HUAWEI nova 9. Users can search for and download a wide range of high-quality apps from it.

 

[1] Display supports a maximum refresh rate of 120 Hz. Display refresh rate may vary by app and game.

[2] Actual product dimensions and weight by vary by configuration, manufacturing process and measurement method. For reference only.

[3] 4 cm short shooting distance.

[4] Compared to the traditional RGGB colour filter array. Data comes from Huawei laboratory.

[5] Typical value.

[6] 66 W is the maximum charging power.

[7] The device needs to be logged into the same Huawei account, with Bluetooth and the “Multi-device file browsing” switch turned on. For more information on which device models and software version support this feature, please contact Huawei customer service.

 

 

Schneider Electric Evolves mySchneider IT Partner Program, Enabling Collaboration to Improve End Markets Experience.

• New mySchneider IT Partner Program accelerates partner growth and enables differentiated businesses for the long-term success.
• Evolution marks the company’s most significant IT partner program update simplifying and enhancing the overall partner experience.
• mySchneider Rewards returns allowing partners to earn points that can be redeemed for over 60,000 items, experiences, and merchandise.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  Schneider Electric™, the global leader in the digital transformation of energy management and automation, today announced its new mySchneider IT Partner Program, which will provide a simplified, innovative and collaborative approach to enabling partner growth. This re-vamped program focuses on enabling diverse and evolving business models and allows partners to differentiate their business by becoming a strategic advisor and expert in their market across multiple IT competencies.

The IT channel landscape is constantly evolving. Building on the company’s award-winning channel history, Schneider Electric’s updated IT partner program accommodates this dynamic ecosystem by enabling partners to grow and differentiate their business for the long-term. The program focuses on unique specializations, giving partners the flexibility to certify in one or more based on their current capabilities and future aspirations.

This further differentiates partners and highlights the true value of a channel ecosystem by:

• Enabling the development of diverse business models.
• Simplifying and increasing transparency for requirements & benefits.
• Capturing new business through market recognition and competitive differentiation.
• Strengthening channel-centric practice.

“The mission of our partner program has become clear,” said Paul Tyrer, Global IT Channels VP at Schneider Electric.  “For more than ten years, members of our IT channel program have reaped strong benefits including discounts, tools and innovative offers from Schneider Electric and its flagship APC brand. Partners participating in the evolved program will stay agile amid today’s evolving market trends, and in turn, produce approximately eight times higher revenue,” he continued.

Availability of specializations will roll out over the next 12-18 months, through a phased approach including IT Solution Providers, Data Center Solution Providers and Software & Services Providers. The first specialization, IT Solution Provider, which is ideal for IT providers who are experts in IT infrastructure solutions within distributed IT environments, is available now.

Key features of the IT Solutions Provider Specialization include:

• Data Driven Program Dashboard: To support new value-based and data-centric requirements, the digital experience has been completely innovated so partners can see real-time business updates and data. This new program dashboard not only provides partners with transparency, but also identifies core focus areas, should partners choose to level-up in the program for greater competency or benefits. 

• Business-Specific Tools: Certified partners gain access to the tools needed in today’s environment, including the Local Edge Configurator, which has configured tens of thousands of solutions within the distributed IT space across the world. 
• Increased Profitability: IT solution providers will gain access to unique deal registration discounts that exceed normal discounts provided through Schneider Electric’s Edge Opportunity Registration (ORP) Program.
• mySchneider Rewards: With the return of one of Schneider Electric’s most popular rewards program, mySchneider Rewards, members of the partner account – including sales, engineers, services, and other functions – can earn points from various activities that can be redeemed for over 60,000 items, experiences, merchandise and more.
• Dedicated support and account coverage: Ongoing sales account coverage provides support to business building activities and pre- and post-sales support.

“Rapid digitization has transformed the way we are serving our customers. Now, more than ever before, we look to our partners for programs and platforms to reflect this transformation,” said Andreas Luckfiel, Manager, Business Development at Buyitdirect, who participated in the new program pilot. “The mySchneider IT Partner Program is easy to navigate, with a simplified structure which allows us to be more agile, relevant, profitable and future-ready.”

To learn more and join the mySchneider IT Partner Program, visit apc.com/partners.

 

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) On June 14, NEPRA conducted a public hearing over the petition submitted by K-Electric on Fuel Charges Adjustments (FCA) for April 2022 and Quarterly Adjustments for January to March 2022. KE had requested an increase of PKR 5.30 in power tariff on account of FCA for April. On the other hand, KE had requested an increase of PKR 3.89 rupees on account of Quarterly Adjustments. According to the spokesperson of the power utility, the Impact of quarterly adjustments is usually not passed to consumers under the uniform tariff policy applicable across the country. The major Impact on the monthly Fuel cost adjustment of April 2022 was due to an increase in the fuel price increase of Furnace Oil, RLNG, and CPPA-G. Between March 2022 and April 2022, the price of Furnace Oil and RLNG increased by 22%, while the power purchase price from CPPA-G increased by 17%. Per applicable tariff across the country, fuel adjustment is reviewed every month and is applicable on consumer bills for only one particular month. As per KE’s spokesperson, FCA is incurred by utilities due to global variation in fuel prices used to generate electricity and change in the generation mix. Consumers also receive a benefit when the cost of fuel decreases. Furthermore, These charges are applied after NEPRA’s scrutiny & public hearings, which are conducted independently for KE and state-owned entities (XWDISCOs). Alongside final approval on the cost to be charged to consumers, NEPRA also specifies the period during which these costs can be applied to consumer bills.

Pakistan (Nut Desk)

Pakistan is rich with human resource talent but it needs to be marketed well to reap the desired benefits for the country’s social-economic system, this was stated by Stephen Brobst, Global Chief Technology Officer Teradata.

Speaking to the audience at a conference “Leadership in the Digital Economy” here at the local hotel, he said he had been working in Pakistan’s market for the past many years and he found immense talent in the field of technology and business.

Pakistan should market itself in different markets because it is facing an issue of perception building in foreign countries, he said. Marketing does not need only for the business and IT and technology for many other fields including archaeological sites like Mohenjo-daro.

The talent is very much in Pakistan so we (Teradata) are operating in Pakistan, he added.

I have been working with nearly 14 universities for upgrading their curriculum and they are very aggressive in updating their academics related to technology, data analysis, and data science, CTO Teradata.

Speaking to CEOs and CXOs he said the disruption emerges after every 10 years in the world like the internet, financial crisis, and pandemic. Surprisingly, more winners come in disruption than in the status quo.

If companies are not failing, there is no disruption, learning, and no innovation. Disruption made people uncomfortable as if the stress builds on innovation during the Covid-19 times.

He suggested business leaders embrace the disruption and transform it for growth.

Companies need to decide if these are brittle or resilient. Brittle organizations do not have room for disruption. Resilient organizations are highly adaptive, designed to learn from failure, self-organizing structure, and communications, Stephen Brobst

The use of data is the best approach to adapt to the change however machine learning and AI can be utilized to use data analysis, Stephen Brobst

The collaboration is also very important in business in the world these days, Stephen Brobst concluded.

 

 The deal expands VEON’s investment in Pakistan’s digital economy at a time when tech startups are facing rising inflation and a global recession. 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir)  VEON Ltd. (NASDAQ: VEON, Euronext Amsterdam: VEON), a global digital operator that provides mobile connectivity and services, announces today that the Group’s VEON Ventures division has completed a US$ 15 million Series A investment in Dastgyr, a Pakistan-based B2B e-commerce marketplace platform.

The deal is VEON Ventures’ largest investment in a Pakistani start-up and reflects the Group’s continued commitment to the region and growth of the digital economy of Pakistan. The investment positions Dastgyr to take advantage of VEON’s global expertise and its operating company, Jazz’s distribution network and digital payment solutions via JazzCash.

“Pakistan’s start-up ecosystem is at a critical juncture and only startups focused on addressing key challenges and adopting localized solutions will survive and thrive,” added Aamir Ibrahim, CEO of Jazz. “This investment highlights VEON’s commitment to scaling up Pakistan’s digital economy and provides Dastgyr with a platform to build synergies with Jazz’s subscriber base of around 75 million and with JazzCash, further integrating the startup into Pakistan’s fintech ecosystem.”

“As part of VEON’s transformation into a digital operator that delivers a growing range of services to our customers we are investing in leading digital companies like Dastagyr in the countries where we operate. These investments are the building blocks of the digital ecosystem that will enable us to deliver on our strategy,” said Mohd Khairil Abdullah, CEO of VEON Ventures.

“Pakistan, with its rapidly growing digital sector, is a key market for VEON. By bringing together Dagstyr’s e-commerce business with Jazz’s communications network and JazzCash’s mobile payments platform, we will catalyse the growth in digital services in Pakistan. This would be further enhanced by the digital banking services that we have ambitions to provide.”

Dastgyr offers businesses a one-stop-shop application that connects thousands of retailers with suppliers to give them access to real-time visibility on pricing and financing rates.

“We are thrilled to achieve this milestone in the current global economic environment,” said Zohaib Ali, co-founder of Dastgyr. “We welcome the new investors to the Dastgyr family as we continue to work relentlessly toward our vision of building an AliBaba for emerging markets worldwide. We’re lucky to have found strategic partners who believe in our mission and have displayed unwavering faith in our team.

“Financial inclusion, which is central to the startup’s mission, will uplift and enable Pakistan’s small- and medium-sized retail entrepreneurs and unlock up to an additional US$ 10 billion for the country’s GDP, according to our estimates.”

Dastgyr will remain an independent entity, with a minority position being taken by VEON Ventures. The new investment will support Dastgyr’s expansion into 15 new regions of Pakistan, alongside its existing network in Karachi, Lahore, Sheikhupura and Gujranwala.

VEON Ventures’ investment  in Dastgyr Series A funding was made alongside Zinal Growth Partners , DEG, Khwarizmi Ventures, Oman Technology Fund, Cedar Mundi Ventures, Reflect Ventures, Century Oak Capital, Haitou Global, GoingVC, Astir Ventures, K3 Ventures, Chandaria Capital, along with the founders of Property Finder, Ayoconnect, Quiqup and senior management from DoorDash.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) In pursuance of its constant efforts to enhance customer experience with its offerings, foodpanda, the country’s leading food delivery platform has introduced an interactive session within the ‘Shops’ tab, titled ‘pandaPlay’. 

‘pandaPlay’ is a step towards rewarding users for making purchases within the app and can be accessed by visiting the ‘Shops’ tab on foodpanda. 

Under pandaPlay, users can enter a lucky draw through the purchase of tokens valued at PKR 1, 2 and 3 respectively. The prize on PKR 1 token is a MEME gift hamper worth PKR 5,000. With the PKR 2 voucher, users can enter the raffle to win a PKR 7,000 Furor gift basket while the PKR 3 token allows them to win a gift basket valued at PKR 10,000 from Edenrobe. 

Each purchase qualifies customers for a chance to win either of these gift baskets. The larger the token, the greater the prize! Similarly, the more tokens people buy, the better their chances of winning. Users paying digitally through their foodpanda wallets or credit/debit cards are eligible to enter the raffle. 

A total of 9 winners from Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad will be selected on the 26^th of June while the prizes will be dispatched after confirmation of relevant details from the lucky participants. ‘pandaPlay’ is open for entries until the 15^th of June and customers have the chance to make as many purchases as they like, meanwhile increasing their chances of grabbing a prize basket.

Mobilink Microfinance Bank & CARE International in Pakistan collaborate to promote entrepreneurial ventures with access to digital financial solutions including capacity development.

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) To bolster the mission of promoting financial inclusion across the nation through innovative digital financial solutions, Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL), Pakistan’s largest digital bank is collaborating with CARE International in Pakistan (CIP). The collaboration is powered by CARE’s Ignite project, funded by the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, enabling financial and technological access for entrepreneurs, especially females. The Ignite project is part of a global collaboration between CARE and the Center for Inclusive Growth, Mastercard’s social impact arm.

On the occasion, Ms. Romina Khurshid Alam, Special Advisor to the Prime Minister praised the collective efforts of both CARE International and MMBL towards fostering a synergistic approach to enhance the financial inclusion of women entrepreneurs in Pakistan. Moreover, she indicated that women’s economic empowerment is a key priority area for the government and encouraged the promotion of similar initiatives to reach the underbanked segments of the population, especially women. She added that such projects continue to lend unwavering support for women’s long-term financial development and the nation’s economic growth.

Through this strategic partnership, MMBL and CARE aim to accelerate the financial inclusion of more than 12,000 entrepreneurs, especially females who have been running their businesses for at least two years and have employed a minimum of 2-10 staff members. Enhancing access to credit and subsidized loan products helps scale their operations considerably. In addition, the collaboration will also support the capacity building and mentoring of these budding entrepreneurs with a focus on the use of digital technologies. With the power of technology and telecommunication connectivity, female entrepreneurs attending the event were given mobile phones, to facilitate convenient and secure access to premium digital financial services and hybrid lending solutions to help scale their businesses.

Addressing the audience at the event, Ghazanfar Azzam, President & CEO of MMBL said, “There are about 100 million unbanked people in Pakistan, and at least 82% of them are women. Women, in particular, lack access to formal digital financial services, making it difficult for them to participate in economic activity. MMBL, through this strategic partnership with CARE, is focused on training female entrepreneurs across the country to upskill their technical and professional skillsets, thereby reducing poverty and boosting prosperity by financially empowering them. This strategic partnership will play a critical role in promoting financial inclusion across the country and further the common goal of closing the gender gap in the financial sphere.”

Speaking at the launch, the Country Director of CARE International in Pakistan, Adil Sheraz said: “With women constituting nearly 50% of Pakistan’s population, gender equality in all its interventions is a key focus area for CARE. Through this collaboration with MMBL, we seek to facilitate the much-needed access to finance and capacity building for growth-oriented entrepreneurs, especially women. This collaboration with MMBL is part of CARE’s focus on synergistic efforts to enhance financial inclusion in the country, especially for women.”

Lisa Richman, Eastern Europe, Middle East and Africa Director for the Mastercard Center for Inclusive Growth, said: “At Mastercard, we believe that financial inclusion is the path to a prosperous future for all. We are committed to supporting entrepreneurs in their digital transformation journey and through the Center for Inclusive Growth, we will continue to provide entrepreneurs, especially women, with the financial tools, training, know-how, resources, and technologies they need to connect with the digital economy to drive further growth and become more resilient. We are proud to build on our longstanding global partnership with CARE as we mark the next chapter in our journey in Pakistan.”

 

 

Lahore (Muhammad Yasir) METRO, the leading international wholesale company, in line with its vision of ‘Clean & Green Pakistan’, held a tree plantation drive at its Head Office in Lahore, in collaboration with the Punjab Forest Department (Extension Wing). The event was part of the activities to commemorate the “World Environment Day”, attended by the senior management of METRO, along with the participating employees and customers. More than 200 tree saplings have been planted at METRO Canal Bank Store under this initiative.

Sharing his thoughts, Mr. M. Thiru, Head of Store Operations, METRO Pakistan said. “METRO being a socially responsible organization realizes the importance of environment for the well-being of all and has been always at the forefront in the areas of environmental stability and sustainability. Be it the cleaning drives, or reducing the Co2 emissions, we have always adopted the best practices.”

METRO is one of the first big organisations to install solar panels at all its stores and has helped reduce the carbon footprint and with this plantation drive, it is playing its part in a Cleaner and Greener Pakistan.

METRO Group has presence across Pakistan and is operating 10 stores across the country, namely in: Karachi, Multan, Lahore, Faisalabad, and Islamabad.

Denim International Gases signs contract with DOW University of Health Sciences (DUHS) for supply of Medical Gases.

Karachi (Muhammad Yasir) Denim International Gases, a leading manufacturer of International Standard Industrial and Medical gases, has signed a tender contract with DOW University of Health Sciences (DUHS), DOW International Dental College Hospital and Sindh Infectious Diseases Hospital & Research Centre in May 2022 for supply of Liquid and Compressed Medical Gases.

Denim International Gases, is an ISO certified manufacturer of medical and industrial gases situated in Port Qasim, Karachi. Supplying high quality gases to various sectors of the country since 2013. The company has a highly qualified and experienced team with over 40 years of gases manufacturing experience.

COO Engr. Nazir Ahmed of Denim International Gases states “This is a great achievement as our plant offers the purest form of oxygen at 99.999% purity in Pakistan for hospitals and we foresee to continuously invest in technologies to ensure a safe and stable Pakistan. Our supply to Dow is a testament to our focus on sustainable growth in the medical gases sector as a duty to our Nation.”

Denim International Gases was one of the key players in supply of medical gases to various hospitals during the peak months of the Covid-19 pandemic.