MMBL partners with foodpanda and AdalFi to offer inclusive financial services to HomeChefs

MMBL partners with foodpanda and AdalFi to offer inclusive financial services to HomeChefs

Islamabad: Mobilink Microfinance Bank Limited (MMBL), the largest digital bank in Pakistan, has partnered with foodpanda HomeChefs, the nation's leading platform for home-based restaurants, and AdalFi, a Techlogix subsidiary focused on digital financing, to initiate short-term micro-financing solutions for household chefs. Being a first-of-its-kind initiative, this strategic alliance will offer weekly loans of up to PKR 50,000 for HomeChefs to help resolve supply chain, marketing, and food quality issues, ultimately driving higher revenues and branding benefits for these home-based business ventures.





The HomeChef market in Pakistan is a significantly diverse and growing segment. It has enabled entrepreneurs, especially women, to explore new ways of being financially independent while leveraging their culinary skills. foodpanda provides a viable platform to these talented individuals, facilitating them to seamlessly reach millions of customers across the nation, while giving them access to its extensive network of riders. 


This strategic partnership is an exciting development for Pakistan's economic and financial landscape as it enables an essential monetary support stream to help female entrepreneurs scale their ventures sustainably. With the recent introduction of MMBL's Dost Tajir, the bank has been prioritizing efforts to promote financial inclusion for the underserved masses through access to convenient and affordable digital financial solutions to empower them to scale their businesses.


Speaking on the development, Muntaqa Peracha, CEO of foodpanda, stated, “While empowering HomeChefs, especially women who are exploring a new field of entrepreneurship, foodpanda is on a mission to level the playing field for these talented individuals. Through this partnership, we are easing one of the biggest barriers to growth in the market, i.e., financing. With the support of leading institutions like Mobilink Microfinance Bank and Adal Fintech, these HomeChefs now have the opportunity to grow without worrying about finances.”


Addressing the partnership, Sardar Mohammad Abubakr, Chief Finance and Digital Officer at MMBL added, “Collaborations with like-minded organizations are key to achieving our ambitious financial inclusion goals. At MMBL, we believe in extending support to various segments of society, especially women, who constitute more than half of the nation’s population but have significantly low financial inclusion figures to date. We are at the cusp of not just empowering these entrepreneurs financially, but also creating innovative paths for them to be active contributing drivers of the economy."


“We at Adal Fintech foresee women entrepreneurs as an emerging contributor to Pakistan’s GDP,” said Salman Akhtar, CEO - AdalFi, “The AdalFi mission is to equalize access to credit for all Pakistanis using data and AI to power credit decisions. foodpanda HomeChefs is a phenomenal example of our technology in operation”

As Pakistan’s leading digital financial institution, MMBL has over 40 million registered users, including 15 million monthly active mobile wallets. The Bank strives to facilitate customers by streamlining nationwide access to simplified and convenient financial solutions. MMBL, over the past decade, has introduced multiple innovative and customized digital and financial initiatives, such as digital onboarding of customers, Self-service banking through the DOST App (available on both iOs & Android), Internet Banking, the Women Inspirational Network (WIN) program, and the Humqadam program to provide employment opportunities to the differently-abled and much more.


Google launches Think Games & Gaming Growth Lab as part of latest, ongoing efforts to grow Pakistan’s gaming industry

Google launches Think Games & Gaming Growth Lab as part of latest, ongoing efforts to grow Pakistan’s gaming industry



Lahore, Pakistan, 24th June 2022 - Google today announced it has successfully launched Think Games, Pakistan’s first thought leadership and knowledge-sharing event for game developers, which saw over 1,600 attendees. First announced in May 2022, the two–day event aimed to create an environment for Google leaders and local gaming experts to share insights, tools, and best practices to help developers create, grow and scale world-class games. 


Google today also celebrated the graduation of the Gaming Growth Lab (GGL), an 11-week acceleration program designed to help emerging mobile game studios in Pakistan reach their full potential by addressing their business challenges and expanding their offerings. Participants underwent training workshops and deep-dive consultations where they had access to a wide range of experts from Google and the gaming industry. A total of 54 mobile gaming studios graduated today after completing the program. 


Think Games and GGL marked the latest efforts by Google to help grow Pakistan’s gaming industry and put it on the world map. Gaming continues to be one of the biggest industries worldwide and Pakistan is well-positioned to be a global gaming powerhouse. Globally, the gaming industry is expected to reach $219 billion in 2024. Some of the local game developers such as Hazel Mobile Group,  Game District, and GeniTeam have gained recognition on the international stage. 


Farhan Qureshi, Google Regional Director for Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, said, “We're excited to see the progress of our key initiatives Think Games and Gaming Growth Lab as we strive to support Pakistan to become a top player in the global gaming industry. On top of a vibrant gaming ecosystem that is supported by companies like Google, the country has all the components it needs, among them a rising community of young, diverse, and entrepreneurial gaming developers who have the ambition and hunger to build great games. Our work is ongoing and through our various efforts, we hope to help Pakistani developers build great games for the world.”


Among the GGL graduates is MicZon, a mobile gaming publishing company founded by Nouman Sharif in 2018. The company’s key learnings from the GGL include strategies on user acquisition and games monetization. Since joining the program in March 2022, MicZon has seen a 35% increase in app downloads and revenue, and is forecasting a 20% year-on-year growth in downloads and revenue for 2022. 


Ehtisham Malik, Head of Marketing at MicZon shared, “The GGL program is an important initiative that will take Pakistan’s gaming industry to the next level. All the information we learnt at GGL has been very helpful and relevant to our business. Thank you Google Gaming Growth Lab Pakistan for helping Pakistani developers and publishers!”


To know more about Google’s commitment to Pakistan Gaming, read and sign up on the Google for Games newsletter here.


 Online leading e-ticketing Platform Sastaticket onboard new airline FlyJinnah

Online leading e-ticketing Platform Sastaticket onboard new airline FlyJinnah

LAHORE: Fly Jinnah - another low-cost carrier joins Pakistan’s aviation industry. The airline is a joint venture between Air Arabia and Lakson Group. Fly Jinnah got the license from the Pakistan Civil Aviation Authority last year and will now soon start their operations in June 2022. Sastaticket.pk welcomes Fly Jinnah and look forward to great times ahead.


Fly Jinnah is the fourth airline in Pakistan's aviation sector and will be operating with three leased A320s aircraft. With time, it has plans to expand its wings in the industry and touch new heights in the international market. Currently, AirSial, Airblue, and PIA are successfully operating in the market. With the launch of another domestic carrier, we expect competitive airfares where customers will enjoy low prices and best services. 

 

The airline has worked intensively on its cabin crew training and is focusing on customer service as their prime objective.This is the perfect time to make its mark in the industry as travel restrictions have now been lifted and people have started to travel more.In addition, it will be a sigh of relief for the customers as a new entrant will provide more options and convenience in terms of time and monetary resources when it comes to domestic travel.


Sastaticket.pk  welcomes the arrival of Fly Jinnah and expects that the airline will perform well in the near future and mark its name in the industry. 





 Be Great with HiOS, TECNO HiOS 8.6 Global Launch

Be Great with HiOS, TECNO HiOS 8.6 Global Launch

TECNO HiOS 8.6 was officially released worldwide, with an inclusive and customizable design, rich features, and strong performance.


HiOS 8.6 is the perfect continuation of TECNO's ethereal, fluid and smart brand aesthetic. Every aspect embodies “Be Great with HiOS”. 


 


What you get is a fully upgraded experience together with a refreshing UI and a great set of new features. Based on the Android 12, HiOS 8.6 brings a more well-rounded experience that fuels your creativity and lets you challenge the conventions of greatness whether in work or life. Come with me, let's meet the new HiOS 8.6.

 


HiOS 8.6 is designed to provide you with a visual aesthetic that brings harmony to your screen. The innovative interface redesign brings the awe and grandeur of nature to life. Flow from one screen to the next with heightened enjoyment with enriching icons, graceful contours, and immersive themes. 


These finely tuned gradients create a perfect sense of depth in the display, while the integrated Blue engulfs the user in a panoramic view much like an idyllic lake. 

 


Alongside a more minimal approach with rounded icons and better fonts, HiOS 8.6 comes with refreshed animation effects that reflect a life-like response to touch with gravity and superb animation effects. 


The latest animations added to the UI mimic the ripples of water and make the overall touch interaction smoother and more interactive. You will experience bounce effects across the UI while opening apps. Each tap is like touching a raindrop. HiOS 8.6 users will be even more comfortable and effortless for all the things that our users love to do on their TECNO devices. 


 

From everyday uses like messaging and browsing the web, to playing immersive high-quality games, all distractions are stripped away, and it is much easier for you to focus on what really matters. 


Next, let's continue to see what powerful technological functions in TECNO HiOS 8.6.


1. Photo Video

Photo Video makes it easy for you to seamlessly combine your favorite photos into carefully curated videos to remind you of the good times in just a click. Just select from your gallery, pick a template and you can easily make mini blockbusters by turning your images into short videos as many times as you want. So, next time you are unsure what you want to post on social media, simply use Photo Video to create videos from your App Gallery.


2. Video to mp3

While watching a very interesting movie, the soundtrack or the music is something to fall in love with. With this feature, you can turn that interesting part of the video to mp3 and use it as ringtone in just a second. Very fast and easy to use.


3. Video Editor

Contents, contents, and contents is what the world is currently consuming on daily basis- especially, video content. On HiOS 8.6 of CAMON 19, an inexperienced user can be a pro with the video editor. The upgraded feature gives users the ability to fine-tune, trim, merge, add a soundtrack, and export in high quality while creating more and more content on the go. The interesting part, you can choose a template and have the magic work for you. Apply different filters and it saves to draft automatically in case of any sudden interruption. This video editor has made production easy, fast, and professional.


4. Camera Pro Mode

Emphasis on a creators' journey on the new CAMON 19 cannot expatiate enough without a one-on-one experience.

HiOS has taken the further step by introducing the professional mode to the camera features.

This gives the user a very wide control over the camera settings from ISO, White Balance, Exposure, and many more.

Enjoy seamless and precise settings according to your need, a professional experience brought by a professional camera, and maximize your talents.


5. RAM Extension

Just wow! Imagine a room where instead of taking things out to have space, you're adding more to create space.

Say no more lagging in gaming experiences, app processing, and faster smartphone experience.

This feature enables users to extend the RAM size on their device and maximize the full use of what a smartphone is all about.

You can extend it to an 8gig RAM, an extra 3gig to make the experience even better.


6. Smart 5G

What is technology without speed and intelligence?

On CAMON 19 comes the all-powerful 5G experience. There is a significant reduction in power consumption - Intelligently select 4G/5G network based on traffic bandwidth while reducing power consumption in the following scenarios:


 

-Standby mode

- Video playback

- Instant messaging

- Mailing

- Audio playback

- Web browsing


7. Optimization experience in weak network

HiOS optimization experience in a weak network boosts your Download speed with wifi by 300% and your internet speeds by 45%. So you can keep your momentum going and your mental reserves fresh for the task at hand. And with a 40% video playback refresh rate, you don't have to worry about video buffering or slow downloads.


8. Master of Language

HiOS 8.6 brings you the ability to read and speak any foreign language in one touch. Master of Language is your personal interpreter. A language expert you can take on your business or pleasure trips. So, whether you need help reading Asian characters on your business trip to Japan, or getting your wine refilled during your tourist visit to France, Master of Language will have you covered.  


9. App Twin

App Twin is the best assistant for your social circle. With it, you can run two social accounts simultaneously and switch between different social accounts fast and smoothly. This simply means you can have both your work social media account and your private account logged in on your phone. Keeping a balance between your work and life. 



10. Smart Scenes 

Smart Scenes will give you updates and reminders so you can keep up with what matters to you. So while you are enjoying mum's birthday cake, you can just take a glance at your screen and Smart Scenes will give you all the match updates and statistics. Whether it is important dates, Business trips or meetings, Flight information, or Birthdays, you won’t have to manually set reminders to be reminded of what’s important. If you are traveling, Smart Scenes will be with you from the point of buying your air ticket to point of taking your flight. Reminding you of flight times, the weather, traffic situation, and so on. What’s more, Smart Scenes will intelligently learn your habits and will randomly push operation skills to help you get a more efficient user experience. Welcome to the smart life!



We hope you join us to be great together and enjoy a more seamless mobile life. Let's look forward together to even more greatness from HiOS in the future. There is a lot of fun to explore in the new HiOS 8.6 and we invite you to experience it for yourself.


All you need to know about the new HiOS8.6 can be found in the link below https://www.tecno-mobile.com/hios/


 Microsoft for Startups MEA celebrates graduation of second cohort of GrowthX Accelerator program

Microsoft for Startups MEA celebrates graduation of second cohort of GrowthX Accelerator program

The closing ceremony saw participating startups pitch their unique digital solutions to the program’s corporate engagement partners. 

LAHORE, 30th June 2022: Microsoft for Startups, in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Investment Office (ADIO), graduated 21 startups from the second GrowthX Accelerator program during a Demo Day on Tuesday, 28 June in Abu Dhabi. The ceremony was attended by startup founders, corporate partners, investors, government officials and other stakeholders from the regional startup ecosystem.



During the 12-week program, startups worked closely with Microsoft’s corporate engagement partners DHL, EY, Koç Holding and PwC to co-create technology solutions that address real challenges facing corporations in MENA. Participating founders pitched their solutions during the Demo Day to a panel of corporate partners, who shared their insights and feedback. 

Eng. Abdulla Abdul Aziz AlShamsi, Acting Director General at ADIO, said “Startups are an essential driver of innovation and job creation, so it is crucial that we increase opportunities for them to access the tools and resources they need to drive impact. That’s why we launched the GrowthX Accelerator in partnership with Microsoft, so we could help businesses grow and scale, while supporting the private sector in accessing unique innovations. We congratulate the startups who graduated from the second GrowthX Accelerator and look forward to seeing them leverage the solutions created during the program to drive further impact in the UAE and the region.”

“It has truly been incredible to see the growth of these entrepreneurs over the course of the program. We’ve seen them leverage every opportunity to enhance their skillset, develop their solutions and embrace the learnings available to support them in growing and scaling their businesses,” said Sayed Hashish, General Manager, Microsoft UAE. 

“The GrowthX Accelerator is unique in that it is specially curated to not only empower startups with the tools, training and networking opportunities they need to grow and scale, but it also supports corporates in their endeavours to engage innovative tech startups in providing unique solutions to the very real problems they are facing. We thank our corporate engagement partners for participating in this important program and truly congratulate the graduating startups,” said Hashish.

As part of Microsoft’s commitment to empower startups with the tech, mentorship and access that they need to become future unicorns of the Middle East, Turkey and Pakistan, the graduating startups will have continued access to support from the Microsoft for Startups team who will continue to encourage growth and provide the tools required to scale across the region. Some of the startups will also work with Microsoft corporate partners in the future to identify business and mentorship opportunities. 

The 21 startups from the GrowthX Accelerator that offered breakthrough solutions to meet corporate clients’ challenges and requirements include AiFlux, DevisionX, Event Gates (EGT Kontrol AS), Farmdar, Farmin, Greener Crop, IPERA.AI, Lune Technologies, monak e-services, NutzenTech, Nybl, Occicor, Olymon Solutions, Pivony, PowerDev, Sav, Searover, Swftbox, Trade Capital Partners (TCP), Valorafutbol, Workfam.

To learn more about the GrowthX Accelerator, click here.



PayFast by APPS Becomes the First Fintech in Pakistan to Partner with Visa Through Cybersource

PayFast by APPS Becomes the First Fintech in Pakistan to Partner with Visa Through Cybersource

PayFast by APPS (“PayFast”) is proud to become the first fintech in Pakistan to partner with international payments leader Visa through Cybersource. The nature of the partnership sees Cybersource offering its robust and dynamic digital payment solution suite to PayFast. It includes E-commerce checkout, digital merchant platform, Fraud Management, and SoftPOS. This initiative paves the path for PayFast to offer a dynamic and secure payment gateway with user friendly UI/UX, thereby helping businesses to offer the acceptance of online payments through debit and credit cards.



The partnership serves as a milestone that advances PayFast’s commitment to bring the company, and Pakistan, to the forefront of the regional fintech landscape. The State Bank licensed and regulated PSO/PSP envisions to extend its reach across international borders, starting with the MENA region 


Further, the integration helps expand PayFast’s SoftPos initiative, which will greatly enhance digital payment acceptance for merchants of all sizes by introducing fast, secure, and cost-effective solutions for them to collect online payments. Currently, POS penetration in Pakistan is staggeringly low, with just over 90,000 POS terminals deployed nationwide compared to the millions of merchants in the market. One of the major reasons is the high setup costs that prevent acquirers to serve medium or small sized businesses. As the trend of contactless payments has grown worldwide by over 40% in the past two years, merchants will benefit from a simple, secure, and affordable digital solution to drive sales and maximize their revenue potential. By integrating Cybersource, PayFast can offer the ease, affordability, and speed of integration with SoftPos to its merchants. 


Arshad Raza, Chairman– PayFast commended the company’s efforts: “PayFast aspires to make online payment acceptance hassle-free in Pakistan. By onboarding Visa directly through Cybersource, Ecommerce & Business partners of PayFast will gain access to the world’s most advanced industry standards, steering us closer towards this aim. We mark this as a pivotal chapter in our company’s history– especially as we venture to extend our services internationally.” 


Adnan Ali, CEO– PayFast, added: “Visa has transformed payment acceptance for businesses worldwide. PayFast’s most recent partnership with them, through Cybersource, is a testament to our innovative strategies and continued promise to bolster Pakistan’s image on an international level. It also reaffirms our vision to make safe, fast and secure digital payment solutions in Pakistan the norm. We are excited to deliver an optimal experience to our clients through this new step and I am proud of the team for securing this feat of making PayFast the first ever Pakistani fintech to partner directly with Visa.”


Leila Serhan, Visa’s Group Country Manager for North Africa, Levant and Pakistan, commented: “As Pakistani consumers increasingly shift online, fraudsters have looked for more ways to exploit them. It is important that merchants are equipped to combat fraud and ensure that consumers feel safe using digital payments over cash-on-delivery. At Visa, we believe cybersecurity is a collective effort, and this partnership with PayFast is a testament to our efforts to help local merchants with their digital transformation.”


Kamil Khan, Visa’s Country Manager for Pakistan, added: “We are excited to partner with PayFast, the first Pakistani fintech company to launch our dynamic Cybersource solution, which offers multiple benefits to merchants and provides customers with a frictionless, secure, and convenient payment solution. We believe this initiative will pave the way for Pakistan’s cashless future.”


Present at the signing ceremony were: Ms. Leila Serhan, Visa- Group Country Manager for North Africa, Levant and Pakistan; Mr. Kamil Khan, Visa- Country Manager for Pakistan; Mr. Amaar Shaikh, Visa- Merchant Sales & Acquiring (Levant and Pakistan); Ms. Bisma Rizwan, Visa- Merchant Sales & Acceptance; Qandeel Fatima- Business Development Manager; Mr. Arshad Raza, PayFast-Chairman; Mr. Adnan Ali, PayFast-CEO; Mr. Faisal Alam, PayFast- Chief Information Officer; Mr. Soheb Roomi, PayFast-Marketing Team Lead; Mr. Fahad Khan, PayFast- Chief Compliance & Risk Officer; Mr. Yousuf Aziz, Head of Digital Payments & Services; Daniyal Ahmed, PayFast- Head of Sales; Jawad Hassan, PayFast- Head of Strategic Partnerships. 


NOTE: PayFast is product by Avanza Premier Payment Services (APPS). 


To learn more about PayFast visit: www.gopayfast.com 


Celebrating Fathers for Everything that They Are

Celebrating Fathers for Everything that They Are

 


Karachi: Fathers are the key pillar of the fabric of society by adorning many hats and supporting their families with love and care. In the words of the Australian poet, Pam Brown, “Dads are most ordinary men turned by love into heroes, adventurers, storytellers and singers of song.”  Every year, fathers are honored on the third Sunday in the month of June with a celebration dedicated to them. This year in the spirit of Father’s Day 2022, Mondelez Pakistan organized and celebrated this occasion at its offices. Kids of employees were invited to work, and a variety of activities were arranged to keep kids engaged and to demonstrate the significance that their fathers hold. 




Mondelez Pakistan served an opportunity for all fathers who are a part of the Mondelez family with multiple benefits. It showcased how every father works hard, day in and day out, for their families. At the same time, it also shed light on the contributions that each employee has made towards the company and how Mondelez respects these efforts extensively. Featuring fun-filled activities for children that included face painting, magical performances, arts and crafts, refreshments and musical chairs, the event had everything that would keep a kid hooked for hours. Moreover, gaming options were also provided along with creative giveaways like hats, bags and keychains decorated with unique designs. 


Pakistan’s No.1 Voice and Data Network Ufone 4G introduces Industry’s ‘Sab Se Bari Offer’

Pakistan’s No.1 Voice and Data Network Ufone 4G introduces Industry’s ‘Sab Se Bari Offer’

Islamabad – June 16, 2022: Pakistan’s No.1 Voice and Data Network, Ufone 4G has introduced the industry’s biggest and most affordable hybrid bundle, ‘Sab Se Bari Offer’ to provide its customers with the best user experience possible. Ufone 4G’s hybrid bundle offers greater usability, control, and enablement to its users so that they stay connected for longer through the company’s superior voice and data while they engage in activities related to work, education, or leisure. 


Ufone 4G's latest offering, ‘Sab Se Bari Offer’ is yet another effort to deliver ease, convenience, and an unparalleled telecom experience to the customers. The bundle offers the most MBs for the lowest charges in the industry in order to help bring quality voice and data services within the reach of every customer. Ufone 4G’s ‘Sab Se Bari Offer’ offers free calls to Ufone and PTCL numbers and 40 GB data for a week on only Rs.299 load. The huge data bulk will improve the customers’ experience on social media, entertainment, gaming, education, work, and other uses, while voice calls can really go on forever. 

Ufone 4G has continuously improved and modernized its network and services to cater to the evolving voice and data requirements of its customers. Following the acquisition of 4G spectrum, the company made aggressive advances on the data front while ensuring the highest quality of service delivery. Its renewed focus on quality and innovative services eventually translated into enhanced customer loyalty and expansion of the company’s subscriber base. The latest PTA indicators show that the company has acquired significant data subscribers making it the leader in new customer acquisitions. 

Similarly, Ufone 4G was recently declared the best voice and data service provider by Pakistan Telecommunication Authority (PTA) in its ‘Mobile Networks Benchmark Report for 2022. PTA had conducted systemic tests and trials of all telecom operators across all federal and provincial capitals including major motorways & highways to ascertain the quality of service, which affirmed Ufone 4G’s continued focus and commitment to delivering the highest quality connectivity to its customers.

This is also due to Ufone’s commitment to bridging the digital divide in the country by bringing more and more unserved and underserved segments of the population into the fold of digital inclusion. The company is particularly focusing on increasing its women user base so that society can collectively harness the fruits of high-speed internet. Ufone 4G’s recent efforts are testaments that its customers continue to comfortably lounge at the heart of Ufone 4G’s business philosophy as is evident from its long-cherished corporate slogan: ‘Tum Hi Tou Ho! (It’s all about U!).

Introducing Pau-Pau: foodpanda unveils first-of-its-kind brand ambassador to champion empowerment and sustainability

Introducing Pau-Pau: foodpanda unveils first-of-its-kind brand ambassador to champion empowerment and sustainability

foodpanda unveils Pau-Pau as the new face of the brand to better connect with millions of users across Asia, bringing a fresh and vibrant user experience to the platform. 

The new character, who is reflective of foodpanda’s fun, warm, and vibrant personality, also cares about empowerment and the environment.

Pau-Pau will be introduced across all foodpanda touchpoints — from the app, digital and social media, as well as out-of-home activations.



16 JUNE 2022, KARACHI (PAKISTAN) — To celebrate more than 5 years in Pakistan and 10 years in APAC, as the pioneering food and grocery delivery platform in Asia, foodpanda introduced a fresh face for the brand – Pau-Pau! A fun-loving and free-spirited panda, Pau-Pau is a first-of-its-kind brand ambassador, championing empowerment and sustainability across the region. 


Pau-Pau’s identity as a foodpanda brand ambassador will be brought to life in full — from having his own language and story, to a full set of values, such as caring for the environment, empowerment and the belief in living life on one’s own terms. With Pau-Pau, foodpanda has created a personality that is relatable and can better connect with millions of users across Asia. 


The pink panda, who made his first appearances in Japan, Taiwan and Cambodia in December 2021, has since been rolled out in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong, Laos, Philippines, Myanmar, Bangladesh and now Pakistan.


Pau-Pau will lead foodpanda's foray into ever changing, live vibrant and media environments.

In introducing a new personality that fully represents the brand, foodpanda expands its digital marketing ambitions to look beyond traditional platforms. Customers will also find Pau-Pau on the WhatsApp and Instagram apps as emojis, stickers and filters for lively engagement, freedom of expression and communication. Pau-Pau will be rolling out progressively across all foodpanda channels and interfaces, from the app and website, to digital and social media platforms, out-of-home activations and more. 


“As foodpanda becomes a partner in our everyday lives, we want Pau-Pau to be an inspiration for people to live life on their own terms and to its fullest”, quoted Muntaqa Peracha, CEO foodpanda. “Pau-Pau embodies and brings to life the foodpanda spirit by helping our communities reimagine how they use delivery and thereby adding vibrancy and fun in their lives. We are excited for our customers to meet Pau-Pau, officially!” he further added.


Pau-Pau is most passionate about three things — empowerment and living life on one’s own terms; the environment, as foodpanda’s sustainability champion; and enthusiasm, for food and fun. As a platform, foodpanda is an enabler of convenience for customers, freeing up their precious time by making it easier to get food and groceries delivered quickly, 24/7.

 

The introduction of Pau-Pau builds on foodpanda’s earlier brand refresh, which saw foodpanda revitalising its look with fresh visuals and a more vibrant colour palette across its design touchpoints, and more friendly user interface as the platform expands beyond just food delivery.

Abdul Hannan: From Fresh Finds to Top of The Charts

Abdul Hannan: From Fresh Finds to Top of The Charts



Since Spotify launched in Pakistan over a year ago, the indie music scene has enjoyed more opportunities to have its art embraced by fans domestically and abroad. The genre's global streams have grown by 150% on the streaming service, proving that it is here for the long haul and will continue to grow rapidly.


Abdul Hannan is an example of Pakistani indie music's meteoric success. The Lahore singer, songwriter, guitar player, and producer has had two of his tracks, “Bikhra” and “Iraaday” trending on Spotify’s Chart, Top Songs Pakistan, with “Bikhra” peaking at 1. 


Like most independent artists, Abdul Hannan’s journey on Spotify started with the Fresh Finds Pakistan playlist. The playlist launched last year and was introduced as the launch pad for up-and-coming artists beginning their careers. Since joining the Fresh Finds playlist in November 2021, Abdul Hanan’s followers increased by over 4,600%, and his average daily streams witnessed a whopping jump of 7,678% over the same period. 


His fans have also been actively sharing his music on social media via their Spotify accounts, where the active daily shares have increased by 4,000%. Outside of Pakistan, Abdul Hannan has made fans in India, the US, Bangladesh and the United Kingdom. 


As time progresses, who knows what melodic marvels are yet to emerge from Pakistan and to be honest, we are all ears for them. For now, discover fresh new Pakistan indie artists on Fresh Finds PK.

Yashma Gill all set to win hearts in a positive role in her upcoming drama serial Haq Meher

Yashma Gill all set to win hearts in a positive role in her upcoming drama serial Haq Meher

Karachi, 16 June 2022: The talented and versatile Yashma Gill is making her comeback on Geo Entertainment with none other than the charming Shahroze Sabzwari for a new drama ‘Haq Meher’.

 


Haq Meher follows the story of a young woman caught up in family politics with her marriage at the center of the dispute. Starring in the lead, Yashma Gill is expected to play the role of this obedient desi girl who is expected to live her life according to how other people want her to. The story will catch a glimpse of the transformation of her character as she finally stands up and fights for her rights.

 

Produced by 7th Sky Entertainment and directed by Barqat Siddiqui, the drama has an ensemble cast including Hammad Farooqui, Harris Waheed, Ayesha Gul, Waseem Abbas, Farhan ali Agha, Fariah Jabeen. It is written by Haneef Chohan and will be airing on GEO TV.

Yashma Gill has had an exemplary journey so far in the industry with some hit blockbusters under her name including Alif, Pyar ke Sadqay, Piya Naam Ka Diya and more. She is an ace performer who knows how to transform into any character and make it her own.


Yashma Asad Gill is an aspiring actress from Karachi, Pakistan. 

 

Yashma Gill has appeared in several television productions. You may have seen her in ‘Ki Jaana Main Kaun’, ‘Piya Naam Ka Diya’, ‘Alif’, and ‘Pyar Ke Sadqay’, to name just a few. Yashma’s ability to easily adjust into any character from the roles she has been offered is applauding. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from La Trobe University in Melbourne, Australia and is currently aiming to also achieve a Masters in Psychology. From a young age Yashma has loved animals and now uses her platform to religiously fight for animal rights in Pakistan. Whilst being acquainted with two such distinct fields, both practically and educationally, Yashma understands the plights and tribulations that people may encounter in their lives. She aims to start conversations on mental issues and how she herself tackled depression, how to enter the show business, the problems she faced throughout her journey, and any other discussions on daily life affairs.

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

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.


The HUAWEI nova 9 – Colour No. 9

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 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.


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, 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. 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 in HUAWEI nova 9 is a significant upgrade. It is also coupled with the 66W HUAWEI Supercharge, 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, 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.


HUAWEI nova 9 is a competitively priced smartphone with a great design, an industry-leading camera system, a 4300 mAh battery with 66W fast-charging, and well-integrated connectivity features that make it not only an appealing choice for the young millennia’s but also a game-changer in the mid-range phone segment.


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

Mondelez Pakistan Contributes to Upliftment of Local School Near its Hub Factory

Mondelez Pakistan Contributes to Upliftment of Local School Near its Hub Factory

Karachi, June 15, 2022 – With a spirit to uplift local communities through facilitation of essential needs like education, Mondelez Pakistan, one of the country’s leading manufacturers of chocolates and confectionary items, has uplifted a community school located near the organization’s Hub factory. The educational institution, which is run as a non-profit by a local lady and doesn’t charge for the knowledge it offers, has been provided with basic necessities using in-house resources from the Mondelez manufacturing unit. 



Education is a fundamental pillar that boosts the capacity of individuals and societies to progress and conquer new horizons. With this objective at its core, Mondelez Pakistan continues to pursue a wide range of opportunities where it can give back to the communities where it operates. Shouldering the responsibility of equipping the local school with furniture, fans, lights and electricity wiring along with plants for landscaping, the company aims to provide students with a conducive learning environment. With all the donated resources coming from materials available at the site of the Mondelez factory including plants from the nursery and desks from wood scraps, an element of sustainability has also been added to the equation. 


“At Mondelez, we take pride in growth with the communities that we operate in. As a socially responsible entity, we believe it is our duty to facilitate surrounding ecosystems and infrastructures as much as we can. It brings us joy to undertake this initiative of uplifting the local school with basic necessities and more so that children studying here can enjoy the learning process, paving the way for them to become future leaders,” commented Usama Majeed, Manager Corporate and Government Affairs, Pakistan.


The school is open to all members of the local community and is amongst a diverse range of CSR efforts that Mondelez Pakistan undertakes on a constant basis


State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan launches innovative Golden Endowment Plan

State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan launches innovative Golden Endowment Plan

State Life Insurance Corporation of Pakistan has launched innovative Golden Endowment Plan for catering modern day needs of policy holders, said Shoaib Javed Hussain, SLIC chairman while addressing a press conference at a local hotel on Friday.



“It is a comprehensive limited premium payment term plan that offers enhanced financial benefits. One of the major reasons why one should buy this plan is that it does not require a commitment of paying premiums for the entire term of the policy. Short-term savings can be used to provide the funding for the first seven years while availing full benefits for the 20 years of the policy. It includes death along with survival benefits, higher returns and tax benefits”, he said, adding that he would be the first buyer of this futuristic plan launched as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the most successful state owned enterprises in the country.  


Also read: Jubilee Life Insurance wins Two Major Awards at The Pakistan Digital Awards 2022


As part of the golden jubilee celebrations, SLIC arranged conferences of its different regions.   


Shoaib Javed Hussain said that persons of 20-55 years of age could buy this plan giving extensive protection and long-term benefits. He said that the only insurer with AAA+ PACRA rating has achieved unprecedented success during the last year despite challenges of pandemic and rising inflation. He said that the SLIC paid highest ever claims of Rs98.3 billion and Rs85.65 billion bonus to its policyholders last year.  


“SLIC provided life coverage to 140 million plus people, achieved 65 per cent market share of conventional life and 57 per cent of the share after inclusion of takaful. It is also contributing more than 50 per cent premium to Pakistan’s total life insurance industry premium”, he said, adding that the shareholder surplus reached Rs6.62 billion after 58 per cent annual growth.  


Also read: Telenor and LUMS senior management consider synergies


“SLIC achieved Rs71.78 billion new business premium, 100 per cent increase compared to last year. Total premium sales reached Rs161.79 billion after 36 per cent growth, cash dividend Rs1.7 billion after 13 per cent growth. Total assets of SLIC reached Rs1.37 billion after 14 per cent annual growth. It achieved 130 per cent growth in health business, more than 230 per cent growth in group and pension business”, he said, adding that the SLIC was using technology to facilitate its valued policy holders.  


“SLIC has launched digital portal for facilitating the policyholders. It will soon launch e-payment for hassle free payment of premium. In future, policyholders will be able to get all services through digital network”, he said, adding that the focus of SLIC was getting maximum benefits from huge potential of insurance sector in Pakistan.  


To a question about impact of rising inflation on insurance business, he said that SLIC was launching plans that could cater the future requirements of potential policyholders.  


To another question, he said that SLIC as an service provider would continue to provide health coverage through its empaneled hospitals under universal health coverage scheme.Corporation of Pakistan has launched innovative Golden Endowment Plan for catering modern day needs of policy holders, said Shoaib Javed Hussain, SLIC chairman while addressing a press conference at a local hotel on Friday.


Also read: Jubilee Life Insurance wins Two Major Awards at The Pakistan Digital Awards 2022


“It is a comprehensive limited premium payment term plan that offers enhanced financial benefits. One of the major reasons why one should buy this plan is that it does not require a commitment of paying premiums for the entire term of the policy. Short-term savings can be used to provide the funding for the first seven years while availing full benefits for the 20 years of the policy. It includes death along with survival benefits, higher returns and tax benefits”, he said, adding that he would be the first buyer of this futuristic plan launched as part of the golden jubilee celebrations of the most successful state owned enterprises in the country.  


As part of the golden jubilee celebrations, SLIC arranged conferences of its different regions.   


Shoaib Javed Hussain said that persons of 20-55 years of age could buy this plan giving extensive protection and long-term benefits. He said that the only insurer with AAA+ PACRA rating has achieved unprecedented success during the last year despite challenges of pandemic and rising inflation. He said that the SLIC paid highest ever claims of Rs98.3 billion and Rs85.65 billion bonus to its policyholders last year.  


“SLIC provided life coverage to 140 million plus people, achieved 65 per cent market share of conventional life and 57 per cent of the share after inclusion of takaful. It is also contributing more than 50 per cent premium to Pakistan’s total life insurance industry premium”, he said, adding that the shareholder surplus reached Rs6.62 billion after 58 per cent annual growth.  


“SLIC achieved Rs71.78 billion new business premium, 100 per cent increase compared to last year. Total premium sales reached Rs161.79 billion after 36 per cent growth, cash dividend Rs1.7 billion after 13 per cent growth. Total assets of SLIC reached Rs1.37 billion after 14 per cent annual growth. It achieved 130 per cent growth in health business, more than 230 per cent growth in group and pension business”, he said, adding that the SLIC was using technology to facilitate its valued policy holders.  


“SLIC has launched digital portal for facilitating the policyholders. It will soon launch e-payment for hassle free payment of premium. In future, policyholders will be able to get all services through digital network”, he said, adding that the focus of SLIC was getting maximum benefits from huge potential of insurance sector in Pakistan.  


To a question about impact of rising inflation on insurance business, he said that SLIC was launching plans that could cater the future requirements of potential policyholders.  


To another question, he said that SLIC as an service provider would continue to provide health coverage through its empaneled hospitals under universal health coverage scheme.

Over one million Nokia feature phones produced in Pakistan

Over one million Nokia feature phones produced in Pakistan

Karachi: HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, has achieved the milestone of producing over one million locally assembled mobile phones in Pakistan in just 6 months after setting up the assembly unit in the country.


The company has partnered with Techno Pak Electronics (Private) Limited last year in setting up the assembly plant of Nokia phones in Pakistan which has invested an amount of $2 million in its factory & related channels in 2021 which generated over 500 skilled jobs so far.


Also read: Huawei Announces New Inventions That Will Revolutionize AI, 5G, and User Experience


Arif Shafique, Country Manager Pakistan HMD Global, the home of Nokia phones, said, “Nokia Phones continue to be a favourite product among different ages of mobile phone users in Pakistan for the past many years. The demand for our handsets has been evident in the local market with the production of over one million units in a very short span of time.”


The plant capacity is to produce over half a million mobile phones per month and our aim is to assemble the complete range of Nokia phones from Pakistan. HMD Global has made a significant contribution to the economy through the transfer of technology to the local level, tax revenues to the national kitty, saving of foreign exchange and most importantly creating more local jobs.


Also read: Infinix Launches All-New Show Stopping NOTE 12 VIP With Ultra-Fast Charging


“Opening the facility in Pakistan is not only an important business decision for us, but also a historic initiative as we continue to expand our global footprint with it. We aim to scale up our productions every month so that we will be able to meet the demand of our Pakistani consumers,” Shafique added. 


He expressed his hope that local authorities and regulators will continue to extend their full support to the industry for doing business and making investments in Pakistan.


Also read: Infinix premium phone NOTE 12 VIP is now available for order


The assembly plant of Nokia phones in Korangi, Karachi reached completion in December 2021. The unit produces various designs of mobile handsets with cutting-edge hardware tools, signature durability and user-friendly operating software.


Pakistan has an enduring association with Nokia mobile phones, which has translated into strong brand affinity. With Pakistan’s mobile phone penetration at 193 million and the mobile industry’s contribution to Pakistan is expected to reach USD 24 billion in 2023.


HMD reached the Top 5 position in more than 41 (up from 35 countries in 2020) countries around the world, measured by the combined mobile phone market volume market share in 2021 including Pakistan. Source: IDC Mobile Phone Tracker 2021

Teacher from Pakistan Reaches the Final Round of Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards 2022

Teacher from Pakistan Reaches the Final Round of Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards 2022

Karachi-13 June 2022: Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards is a global competition where teachers from all around the world are appreciated for going the extra mile to help students achieve their full potential. Award nominations are dependent on how far and beyond teachers are willing to go to make the ordinary, extraordinary. 




2022 Cambridge Dedicated Teacher Awards included 7000 nominees from 113 countries across the globe from which 6 regional winners were selected by a panel of judges who made it to the final round. This included Ms. Uroosa Imran from Beaconhouse School System who is the regional winner for MENA and Pakistan. Ms. Uroosa teaches a child who suffers from a rare muscular disease due to which he is unable to sit, walk or hold things in his hands. Because of her efforts, the child comes happily to school, participates in all the activities and is learning to express his needs and wants. Her relentless efforts are an inspiration to teachers across the globe. 


Teachers from Pakistan have always been at the forefront of these awards. Previously, Mr. Ahmed Saya from Cordoba School was elected as the global winner of this award for his exemplary efforts. 


Ms. Karima Kara, Country Head for Cambridge University Press added, “Teachers are arguably the most important members of our society. They give children purpose, set them up for success as citizens of the world, and inspire in them a drive to do well in life. I am extremely proud that year after year, teachers from Pakistan are winning this award and are inspiring good in others”.

VEON Ventures reignites Pakistan’s startup economy by investing US$ 15 mn in Dastgyr

VEON Ventures reignites Pakistan’s startup economy by investing US$ 15 mn in Dastgyr

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.  


Islamabad - June 14, 2022: 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.

Infinix premium phone NOTE 12 VIP is now available for order

Infinix premium phone NOTE 12 VIP is now available for order

Lahore – June 13, 2022 – Infinix, the leading smartphone brand of Pakistan has announced the online sales of its new premium phone NOTE 12 VIP which starts today. It will be available on Daraz and Xpark from 13th June to 19th June 2022 on special discount of up to Rs.2500. This highly anticipated phone comes with a price tag of 55,999 PKR/-. Now there won’t be an issue of battery drainage as Infinix NOTE 12 VIP offers a 120W super-fast charging which charges your phone in just 17 minutes.

 


Unveiling the company’s most premium smartphone model of the NOTE Series in Pakistan, Mr. Joe Hue, CEO of Infinix Pakistan, stated, “We are excited for the launch of the NOTE 12 VIP – a first of its kind smartphone by Infinix that had been years in the making. Infinix has once again pioneered the industry norms by offering the most premium devices equipped with cutting-edge technology and trendy design elements to its valued users across the globe.” 

 

The Infinix NOTE 12 VIP is the thinnest phone of Infinix which has an ultra-sleek design that goes with the user’s daily requirements.  It also showcases a large 6.7-inch FHD+ 1080*2460 ultra-smooth 120Hz display. In addition to being integrated with a MediaTek Helio G96 processor which gives a real smooth screen time, the NOTE 12 VIP has a refresh rate of 120Hz and a touch sampling rate of 360Hz. This ensures superior performance of the NOTE 12 VIP and gives users a smooth experience and a quicker response to touch input when browsing webpages, scrolling through social media, or playing action-packed games. 


The NOTE 12 VIP features a crisp 108MP main camera, a 13MP portrait camera and a 2MP virtual camera. It allows users to capture high-quality photos without getting blurred. The front camera is 16MP with Dual Flash Light coupled with enhanced artificial intelligence (AI) shooting technology that makes users look flattering in all angles and lighting conditions.


Infinix is committed to bringing its high-quality smartphone experience, by prioritizing ease, innovation, and affordability in all of its tailored devices. So hurry up and get yourselves All Geared Up with the new Infinix NOTE 12 VIP now !


Pricing and Availability

The NOTE 12 VIP is now available in Cayenne Grey and Force Black in 256GB in Rs. 55,999 on Daraz and Xpark starting. Customers can avail special discount of up to Rs.2500 starting from 13th June. 


For more details visit: https://www.infinixmobility.com/pk/

Carrefour Partners with Mastercard to Celebrate Mondays

Carrefour Partners with Mastercard to Celebrate Mondays

Weekly prizes and instant discounts for Mastercard holders spending over 5000 rupees at Carrefour each Monday from June 13 – July 18


Lahore, Pakistan, June 13, 2022: Carrefour, owned and operated by Majid Al Futtaim in Pakistan, has introduced ‘Mastercard Mondays’. Through this offer, in-store customers who spend above 5000 rupees through their Mastercard will get a chance to enter a raffle draw to win exciting weekly prizes including a mobile phone and memorabilia signed by Wasim Akram. Online shoppers making purchases through Carrefour’s mobile app will also benefit from this offer by availing an instant discount of 1000 rupees on all transactions made on their Mastercard above 5,000 rupees.


The offer will be applicable for all purchases made on a Monday between June 13 to July 18 at all Carrefour stores in Karachi, Lahore & Islamabad or through Carrefour’s online website or mobile app using a Mastercard for payment. 


Talking about the Mastercard Mondays offer, Umer Lodhi, Country Manager of Carrefour Pakistan said: “We are thrilled to have partnered with Mastercard to elevate everyday retail and make Mondays more exciting for everyone. We look forward to welcoming our valued customers so they can avail the special offer and enter to win fantastic prizes.”


In addition to the convenience of in-store shopping, Carrefour also offers its delivery service through the Carrefour Pakistan app and customers can use MyCLUB to gain instant discounts, earning, and redeeming points. For further information, please head to https://www.carrefour.pk/mafpak/en/ to discover the hottest deals.


 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issues LOIs to EnerTech for green hydrogen projects

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa issues LOIs to EnerTech for green hydrogen projects

EnerTech signed multiple MOUs with the KPK government at Dubai Expo 2020

EnerTech signed multiple MOUs with the KPK government at Dubai Expo 2020


In a quest to promote new avenues of renewable energy and alternative fuels sources, and achieve sustainable urban growth in the province, the Government of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (GoKP) on Tuesday issued three letters of intent (LOIs) to EnerTech Holding during a ceremony held at the CM Office.


EnerTech Holding signed multiple MOUs with the GoKP at Dubai Expo 2020 including the development and implementation of green hydrogen, urban development, food processing, and integrated tourism zones (ITZs). The ceremony was held to issue LOIs on green hydrogen and urban development projects.


Ex PM Imran Khan Rejects 'Imported' Pak Govt's Fiscal Budget As 'Anti-people, Anti-business'


EnerTech is a fully-owned subsidiary of the National Technology and Enterprise Company (NTEC), which, in turn, is a wholly-owned subsidiary of the oldest sovereign wealth fund in the world, the Kuwait Investment Authority (KIA). The company is currently leading the development of green hydrogen globally. As part of a consortium of companies partnering with the state of Oman, EnerTech is developing the world’s largest (25GW) green hydrogen project — worth $30 billion.


The event was graced by Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Mehmood Khan; Minister of Finance for KP, Taimur Khan Jhagra; Additional Chief Secretary P&DD-KP, Shahab Ali Shah; CEO KPBOIT, Hassan Daud Butt; CEO EnerTech Holding, Abdullah Al-Mutairi, representatives of UK-AID funded Sustainable Energy & Economic Development (SEED) program and investment advisory firm Bridge Factor (BF).


While addressing the signing ceremony, CM KP, Mehmood Khan, remarked, “This will go a long way towards ushering in new frontiers of cutting edge technologies in renewable energy and marks a new dawn of sustainable urban development in KP as envisaged by the government,” he further added, “These investments will promote development and generate employment in the province.”


In KP, the Kuwaiti company plans to establish two green hydrogen projects on run-of-the-river hydel plants of Pakhtunkhwa Energy Development Organization (PEDO) to produce green hydrogen and green ammonia. The proposed project sites include Matiltan hydropower project of 84 MW in Chitral and Lawi hydropower project of 69 MW in Swat.


Taimur Khan, Minister of Finance for KP, expressed his views stating: “Khyber Pakhtunkhwa presents enormous investment potential which, if exploited in a systematic, planned, and transparent manner, can unleasha series of investments in the province.”


The company also plans to build a sustainable, inclusive, environment-friendly city in KP by taking into account a range of aspects relevant to well-being, including affordability, and environmental and economic impacts.


Additional Chief SecretaryPlanning & Development, KP, Shahab Ali Shah, observed, “The Planning and Development Department has been formulating and contributing to the policy level inputs for provincial and sectoral development policies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for a long time which has resulted in leveraging private investment in the province.”


SEED and BF provided technical support to P&DD, GoKP since inception which culminated in the signing of LOIs. The Sustainable Energy and Economic Development (SEED) program is funded by the United Kingdom Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO).


On this occasion, Omar Mukhtar, Team Lead – SEED, stated, “SEED aims to support KP’s key economic sectors and their respective departments to facilitate the generation of higher private investment by removing policy bottlenecks and addressing institutional weaknesses to leverage private-sector and multilateral investments.”


Given the challenges of climate change, skyrocketing prices of conventional fuels, sustainable urban development, and food security, these investments signify a fundamental transition for KP and open the door to a new age of development and prosperity in the province.


Infinix Launches All-New Show Stopping NOTE 12 VIP With Ultra-Fast Charging

Infinix Launches All-New Show Stopping NOTE 12 VIP With Ultra-Fast Charging

Lahore – June 10, 2022 – Infinix today released its all-new NOTE 12 VIP that includes high-performance with the 120W Hyper Charge capabilities, a sleek 6.7” FHD+ Super Light AMOLED display with 120Hz refresh rate, 108MP Cinematic Triple Camera and more. The NOTE 12 VIP will be available for Rs. 55,999 on Daraz and Xpark. Customers can also avail an early bird discount up to Rs. 2500 starting from 13th June. With innovative performance features such as aerospace-grade ultra-thin glass fiber, up to 5GB of extended RAM and 103 charging and battery protections that keep users’ devices charged safely up whenever they need them. 

 

Also read: The Aga Khan University Hospitals Clinical Laboratory Re-Accredited by the College of American Pathologists (CAP) for the Third Time


 “Infinix is creating a new standard for high-quality smartphone performance and design with its new NOTE 12 Series, which embodies impeccable form and function.” shared Vento Lin, Product Manager of NOTE Series at Infinix Mobility. “This series packs quick-charging power and strong chipsets into an iconic design that is perfect for emerging professionals who need a light, flexible and high-performance device.”


The Future of Fast Charging


The NOTE 12 VIP is one of the thinnest smartphones equipped with 120W ultra-fast hyper charging speeds, making this lightweight smartphone more portable than ever while staying powered all day long. 


Also read: Infinix NOTE 12 powered by MediaTek G96 goes on sale in Pakistan


Infinix integrated the NOTE 12 VIP smartphone with 120W Hyper Charge and a 4500mAh battery to give users maximized battery capacity and supersonic charging speeds that power up the device from 0% to 100% battery power in just 17-minutes . To help achieve fast-charging capabilities, Infinix incorporated a dual-charge pump and dual-cell battery. This enables the NOTE 12 VIP to adjust the voltage and amperage to the optimal ratio, as well as doubles the available input.


Keeping ultra-fast charging safe, the smartphone includes 103 charging and battery protection features, which span the entire charging cycle for the charger, circuit and battery. On top of the all-encompassing projection features, the NOTE 12 VIP also has 18 thermal sensors to monitor the device's temperature in real-time to ensure that the smartphone charging is always safe. Enhancing the charging benefits even further, the NOTE 12 VIP uses platinum superconducting material that increases the corrosion resistance of the charging cable for great charging material longevity. 



The All-New NOTE 12 VIP

By combining all of these beneficial features, the NOTE 12 VIP’s charge cycle counts up to 800 with up to 85%  battery capacity retained. Additionally, the NOTE 12 VIP’s 120W Hyper Charge is certified by the TüV Rheinland Safe Fast-Charge System certification, which proves its reliability and longevity when charging daily.


Also read: Designed to match GEN Z's pace; Infinix NOTE 12 becomes first choice of all youngsters!


Breathtaking Design Language

The NOTE 12 VIP boasts a stylish and sophisticated design wrapped with high-performance features to create the ideal smartphone. The device utilizes aerospace-grade ultra-thin glass fiber material with the texture of glass and the strength of carbon fiber. The material gives the NOTE 12 VIP feather-light proportions and a 7.89mm ultra-sleek design that weighs only 199 grams.


 Packed with Style, Power & Performance

Encased in this next-level design is a 6.7”  FHD+ Super Light AMOLED display that provides users with a crisp screen packed with crucial image features such as 100% DCI-P3 color gamut, 10-bit color depth with over 1 billion colors and great contrast ratios. The AMOLED display features a flexible screen that enables a stunningly capable 3.1mm narrow lower bezel and a 93.1% screen to body ratio with stronger screen impact resistance. The display also provides users with a silky-smooth visual experience with a sharp 120Hz ultra-refresh rate and 360Hz touch sampling that instantly synchronizes with every swipe. Additionally, a low blue light eye comfort certification, accredited by TÜV Rheinland, the NOTE 12 VIP allows users to enjoy hours of use with less eye fatigue.



Users can also experience immersive visuals with the NOTE 12 G96’s 6.7” FHD+ True Color AMOLED display that yields crystal clear brightness even in broad daylight offering a range of flexible options for different consumers. 


Capture Fantastic Photos

The NOTE 12 VIP smartphone’s 108MP Cinematic Triple Camera, consists of a 13MP Ultra-wide angle lens and a Depth lens with Laser Detection Auto Focus that shoots fantastic photos. The camera incorporates a large 1/1.67-inch sensor with a 12000x9000 ultra-high resolution. It supports 9-in-1 pixel binning, producing large 1.92μm pixels that take in more light for maximum detail. The addition of Laser Detection Auto Focus also effectively improves the phone’s focus in low light conditions. 


Additional key features:

Dual Speakers with DTS: The NOTE 12 Series creates a powerful 360-degree surround sound with enhanced audio.

Graphene Cooling System: The NOTE 12 VIP has 9-Layer Colling System with graphene and Vapor-Chamber Liquid Cooling for up to 15-degrees Celsius reduction  in core temperature. 

Linear Motor Tactile Systems: The NOTE 12 VIP integrates a Dual X-axis Linear Motor Tactile System giving users a completely new touch experience while gaming. 

Infinix’s Dar-Link 2.0: The software improves image stability based on an AI algorithm, while simultaneously reducing device temperature for an immersive gaming experience.

XOS 10.6 Software: The NOTE 12 VIP features new XOS 10.6 software based on Android 12, which includes new features such as Storage Optimizer, Lightning Multi-Window, Privacy Guardian and more. Additionally, the NOTE 12 VIP supports Folax AI voice assistant adding quality of life improvements.


Pricing and Availability

The NOTE 12 VIP will be available in Cayenne Grey and Force Black in 256GB in Rs. 55,999 on Daraz and Xpark starting from 13th June. 


For more details visit: https://www.infinixmobility.com/pk/