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India Needs to Allow More Pharma Companies to Produce COVID-19 Vaccines

In around mid-March, with the second wave’s onset, there was a rapid surge in covid-19 infections in India. The number of overall cases per day came to a peak, with more than 4,00,000 cases by April end. With a large number of patients needing hospitalization and oxygen support, the only way to prevent the collapse of the healthcare system was to reduce infections by allowing vaccinations to all people above 18. After the government’s declaration that vaccines will be available to all above 18 years from May 1, massive crowds of people queued up at hospitals for their doses. With the enormous demand exceeding the supply, the only option left for many states was to postpone the above 18 vaccine drive due to the shortage of vaccines. Presently, the state governments feel that the only way to ease this deficit is to allow more pharma companies to produce COVID-19 vaccines.

With the increase in vaccination, more people will be immune, and the virus transmission rate will reduce. We have seen how their aggressive vaccination drive helped soften the second wave’s impact in the US and the UK. If we do not want this crisis to escalate, the Indian government must decide soon about upscaling the vaccine production. Right now, India has now put a stop to its export of vaccines to other nations. So far, it has already made a donation of around 65 million doses to needy countries.

How to Resolve the Current Vaccine Shortage in India?

India needs at least two billion doses to inoculate the adult population and more if it decides to vaccinate the children. Right now, there are only two main vaccine producers in the country Serum Institute of India and Bharat Biotech. Only three vaccines, Covishield, Covaxin, and Sputnik V, have currently got the government’s nod. Sputnik V has got approval, but presently, it is not available in sufficient amounts.

To vaccinate the entire population in India as early as possible, it will be necessary to share the vaccine formula with other pharmaceutical firms to step up production. Union minister Nitin Gadkari suggests allowing other pharma companies to produce COVID-19 vaccines after paying 10% royalty to the original patent holders. The Delhi Chief Minister also shared the same thoughts in his letter to the Prime Minister, mentioning that the two main vaccine makers should share the formula with other firms. By doing this, the government can end the monopoly on vaccine production.

Recent Developments Related to India’s Vaccine Drive

After tying up with the Gujarat government, Hester Biosciences, India’s second-largest poultry vaccine maker, is in talks with Bharat Biotech to explore vaccine production through technology transfer. A decision will be taken after reviewing the infrastructure at Hester and other essential processes. There have also been talks of starting a doorstep vaccination drive for senior citizens, which is another welcome step for Indians. Research is also ongoing to develop a vaccine that is safe for children below 18.

To cope with the huge increase in demand for vaccines and address the severe shortage, India must allow other pharma companies to produce COVID-19 vaccines. By doing so, the entire nation will be immune to the virus, and we will break the chain of transmission. India should study the vaccination model undertaken by nations like the US, revamp their distribution process, and make it easy for everyone to get their vaccine doses.

Vaccine Production and Distribution Worldwide

The main vaccine makers worldwide like Pfizer, Moderna, and AstraZeneca have been stepping up the production of vaccines to meet the increasing demands. But so far, vaccinations have taken place more in developed countries, and there is an urgent need to reduce the inequality in distribution. Countries like the US have only now begun to export doses to other countries. Russia and China are not only donating vaccines but also selling them. Russia has entered into deals with Chinese companies with a view to increasing the production of its Sputnik. It has also made agreements with countries like India, Brazil, South Korea, and Italy for making the vaccine.

Vaccination Drive in Developed Countries

So far, more than 1.60 billion people have received vaccinations in countries around the world. At the current rate, in one year, there will be a high level of global immunity. Many new vaccine makers are also entering the market. In the US, around 280 million people have got their doses already. The FDA has allowed the emergency use of the Pfizer vaccine for children aged 12 to 15. This is a significant step and denotes that life will soon return to normalcy in the US.

Around 35 million people in the UK have received at least one dose of vaccination so far. In Australia, around 3,610,000 have been given vaccination. Government and private healthcare centres in Dubai are offering two types of vaccines for free, and they plan to vaccinate most of their target groups by the end of 2021.

Developing Countries and Vaccination

Vaccine rollout in developing countries is crucial to save human lives and stimulate economic recovery. The covid situation may worsen anytime for countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan. Since India is temporarily not exporting its vaccines, these countries have to rely on China and Russia for their doses.

Efforts like the Covax scheme allow vaccines to reach developing nations like Ghana, Algeria, Uganda, and Nicaragua. Pfizer and Oxford Astra-Zeneca vaccines are part of the Covax program.

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These Side Gigs for Housewives Are the Best Career Options in 2021

Nobody would mind earning extra income, sitting at home, and investing a few hours. A side gig gig from your comfort zone is a total game-changer. Hussle is another word for ‘Opportunity.’ Finding a gig for housewives is much easier than they presume. With the advancement of technology, the online world has opened tremendous opportunities for each of us. Gone are the days when we would have to stick to a 9-5 job to make money; now, online platforms give us many options for choosing our gig based on our passions!

For a housewife, not working sometimes can get disappointing. Moreover, who likes not to earn money and be dependent on others for their everyday needs? Hence, if you are a housewife and reading this, we have some great news for you! Keep Reading!

You can earn a part-time income through the below-mentioned profitable side gigs.

Freelancing

Doing a 9-5 job might not be possible for you at this moment due to many reasons ranging from looking after kids, family, etc. But there is no harm in earning those extra bucks by sitting at home. Therefore, freelancing can be considered to be one of the effective side gigs for housewives. All you require is just ‘One’ skill, and you could begin your freelancing journey within a few days itself.

Here are the different types of skill-sets that you can get your hand on, to begin freelancing within your comfort zone:

Content Writing

‘Content’ is considered the ‘King’ of the market, and every business requires it regardless of size, genre, or industry. You could upskill yourself by learning about different types of content required by businesses today, such as blogs, web pages, guest posts, ghostwriting, etc. In addition, there are many businesses on the lookout for freelancers to help them with the content on a contract basis.

Graphics Designing

There is a dire need for skilled graphic designers who can provide creative and engaging graphics to the brands. Hence, learning graphic designing can help you earn big time, and you can work with multiple brands at the same continuously. Moreover, you will be required to allocate just a few hours at your convenience.

Podcast

Every time, there is a new technology that knocks at our doors, and it compels us in such a way that we are not left with a choice but to let it in and make it a part of our daily lives. Podcasts are a live example of how it has made a huge space in our everyday lives within a few months. A huge section of society is currently fond of listening to podcasts, especially while working out or doing some light work.

Starting a podcast journey is one of the simplest side gigs for housewives. First, they have to practice speaking on the mike, and various free apps let you do so. Then, doing thorough market research to analyse the genres that are the genres people are inclined towards listening to will help you excel in podcasts. The biggest perk of podcasts is that you do not require the assistance of any third party; you can work at your speed and convenience.

YouTube Channel

In the digital world we have been thriving in, social media plays a huge role. Amongst the many social media platforms we use daily, YouTube is surely one of the most high-traffic platforms. Starting a YouTube channel now is a cakewalk. All you need is a smartphone which has a good camera, and that is about it. Then, one can start a channel about any genre they are passionate about, such as make-up, dancing, singing, fitness, cooking, etc.

There is no right or wrong topic to make videos on; all you need is constantly and high-quality content to post on YouTube. Patience is the biggest key to success for a YouTuber. Don’t expect that you will become a millionaire within a few days, just like some of the top YouTubers; however, as a side hustle, you will still be able to make quite a few bucks for yourself!

Product Website

An absolute no-investment side gig for housewives is to start their product website. For instance, as a blogger, you can create an affiliate link about ‘Reviews of Amazon Products.’ Then, when a visitor visits Amazon via the blogger’s website link and ends up buying the product, the bloggers earn a commission. Starting a website is easy and hassle-free. The best part is that WordPress is free of cost, and today many of the websites have been successfully running on WordPress.

To go even deeper into this gig and the product website, the bloggers can create a section about the topic they are practising or learning about. This will help in getting higher traction.

Virtual Assistant

The demand for a virtual assistant has been increasingly growing. A virtual assistant is an individual who works in remote locations, unlike the general company settings. Virtual assistants help with many tasks such as bookkeeping, admin work, social media assistance, etc. As a virtual assistant, an individual can excel in many areas.

Virtual assistants are primarily paid for the time they have invested in and not on the task basis. Hence, it gives a housewife the luxury to decide how much time she is willing to give in, as per her schedule.

Hence, all one requires is ‘Consistency’ and the ‘Will’ to keep continuing. You never know, through one of the side mentioned above gigs, you might build your empire. It is all about taking your first step now or NEVER.

Check out more such informative lifestyle news at Top World Business! Happy reading.

Walmart’s Zeekit Acquisition Explained: Analysis and Points to Take

Due to the pandemic, many changes are happening in the Fashion Industry. Keeping up with the trend, two of the biggest retail companies which are Walmart and Amazon have been implementing new strategies as the widespread virus affects their consumer engagements. As we all know, Walmart mostly leads in the physical space or the conventional way to get stuff. Conversely, Amazon has control over online shopping.

Today, most of the time, we shop online instead of going to a physical store. As the world changes through technology, the constant rivalry between these two retail players gets tighter. Both made significant efforts to work out regions where they are inadequate. So Walmart is known to rule that the one-stop-shop will exhibit another level of e-commerce with Zeekit acquisition.

Exploring the Zeekit Acquisition

Walmart has aimed the expansion at competitors like Amazon, the top seller of apparel in the U.S. In fact, Amazon surpassed Walmart and took that title and now accounts for about 11% to 12% of all clothing sold in the U.S. and 34% to 35% of all apparel sold online, according to an estimate by Wells Fargo in mid-March.

According to Wells Fargo, Walmart is the country’s second-largest apparel seller, with an estimated $33.43 billion in total apparel and footwear sales in 2020 compared with Amazon’s $41.15 billion. But by the Zeekit Acquisition, Incandela said the organization would bring expertise in real-time image technologies, computer vision, and artificial intelligence, which it can use for other parts of Walmart’s fashion business.

More About Zeekit

Zeekit is a thriving startup company that offers another, more intelligent shopping experience for the consumer. Zeekit CEO and co-founder Yael Vizel came up with the idea while serving as a captain in the Israeli air force reserve. Combining fashion and technology, Zeekit has fostered the primary unique Virtual Fitting Room. It allows customers to see themselves in any dress found on the web. Walmart said it would get a virtual fitting room to fire up Zeekit as it makes a drive into style and obliges clients looking for garments on the web. However, they did not reveal the monetary terms of the acquisition. The retailer declined a meeting, referring to the peaceful period before reporting its first-quarter benefit.

Through the Zeekit Acquisition, Denise Incandela, Walmart U.S.′ executive vice president, said they expect to improve the client experience and make web-based shopping more friendly. She added in the website post, “Virtual try-on is a game-changer and solves what has historically been one of the most difficult things to replicate online. Understanding fit and how an item will look on you, and Zeekit will help us deliver an inclusive, immersive, and personalized experience for our diverse customer base.”

In addition to that, the difference between the Zeekit technology and other virtual try-on apps and experiences is that it uses the customer’s real photo and body dimensions.

How Does Virtual Fitting Room Function?

When the technology launches on Walmart’s website, clients will be able to transfer photographs of themselves or choose from different models representing their height, shape, and skin tone.

The technology will show how the clothing would fit and resemble the experience they have at a store. Customers will be able to use the feature to try on items from Walmart’s private labels and the national brands it carries. The items can then be mixed and matched with fashions from different retailers in their virtual closet, such as Free People, Champion, and Levi Strauss. Another distinct advantage of this Zeekit acquisition is the client can likewise enrol a companion’s assistance in settling on a buy by sharing the virtual outfit and hearing a friend’s point of view.

Advantages of Virtual Rooms to Walmart

One of the advantages is backing on the web deals because shoppers would be willing to pay if they could experience it and virtually try on clothing items or beauty products without physically touching the object itself.  The artificial intelligence (AI) technology innovation puts the thing over live imaging of the client so that they can check the size, style, and attack of an item they’re considering purchasing without having to go to the physical store.

The second will be lesser return rates. As we all know, one downside of ordering clothing online is that you can’t see what you look at until the dress has arrived. It has a higher risk of dissatisfaction because of inaccurate sizes that the consumer chooses. It might be the size is small, or they order a bigger size for them. This causes a higher possibility of refund or return orders, but the virtual fitting room helps solve that problem. Since shoppers get to see the item on them virtually, it allows the consumer to modify the sizes and other preferences before buying that can prevent unsatisfied consumers.

Aside from the virus wandering around outside, the main reason why shoppers buy online is convenience. Nowadays, there’s a lot of people who prefer to stay at home for various reasons. For example, parents who need to attend to their child can’t go out quickly. Virtual fitting rooms (VFR) carry an extraordinary opportunity to the design business by empowering buyers to practically try on items. It creates a fantastic shopping experience by combining the web and in-store more customer-friendly.

The Zeekit acquisition will make shopping more fun, social, and straightforward for Walmart customers. This is the opportunity that Walmart sees as the most proficient method to overtake Amazon.

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Different Ways to Develop the Right Money Mindset for Teenagers

Children consider parents as their role models and learn many practical lessons about life by watching them. As responsible parents, you should give priority to developing a positive money mindset for teenagers. If you instill the right values about money in your children, they will manage their finances better when they become adults. They will learn the importance of saving money and reducing wasteful expenditure. Furthermore, it is also essential that they realize that money alone should not be the measure of success.

This article will guide you as to what essential facts you can teach your children about money.

Teach Them How to Manage Money

One essential skill you must teach your kids at an early age is how to budget. Firstly, you must make them realize the value of making a budget so that they will know why they need to plan their expenses. The ideal way of doing this is to give them a monthly allowance instead of weekly. Make sure that you do not give them additional money if they spend their money too fast. In this way, they will learn the important lesson of not spending beyond their means. Help them prepare their budget and show them how they should allocate money for different expenses like buying birthday gifts for their friends or for their snacks and drinks.

Help Them Learn Practical Skills Related to Money

It is vital that your children learn financial skills at an early age. You can teach them how money works and why it is essential not to cultivate a borrowing mindset. They need to know in what ways they can borrow money and how they have to pay interest when they repay the amount. Teach them how excessive borrowings can ruin their lives and why they should never think of spending beyond their resources.

You can train your teenagers in practical skills like going to a bank and withdrawing or depositing money. Teach them how to handle credit or debit cards, and explain how they have to repay money spent through such cards. Make them understand how they can save on compulsory expenses like electricity or gas by consuming lesser units and reducing wastage. Explain to them how buying certain items in large quantities will enable them to save on costs. Show them how to select the best quality of whatever they are buying, whether fruits, vegetables, or any other items.

Practise What You Preach

While teaching the right money mindset for teenagers, remember that children learn by observing the actions of parents. Hence, you must play your part responsibly. You can inspire your teen to develop the right attitude about money and develop positive money habits. For example, if you have the habit of postponing the payment of your bills, your children may develop the same attitude. So, you have to be responsible and be the perfect role model for your kids.

Make it an Enjoyable Experience

You have to always remember that you are dealing with children and not full-grown adults. Teaching money matters to your kids need not be a serious affair. You can devise creative ideas to teach them the value of money and yet have a good time with them. For example, you can put them in charge of certain purchases and offer incentives if they can get good bargains and reduce the prices.

Teach Them the Joy of Being Independent

It is important to teach your teens what it means to stand on their own feet. Till a certain age, children depend on parents for their needs, but as they reach teenage, you have to learn to let go and encourage them to be independent. You need not feel guilty as you do this because this is the most valuable lesson you can teach your kids. This way, your children will feel more confident and secure and easily adapt themselves if they have to live independently in the future.

Developing the correct money mindset for teenagers is crucial if you want your children to grow up as responsible adults and be confident about financial matters. So, think of fun, creative ways to teach them how to manage expenses properly while saving compulsorily for their future expenses. Teach them the significance of budgeting and investment and how they need to stay away from the habit of borrowing.

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Increase your ROI with Podcast Advertising: Here’s How

The COVID 19 global pandemic has truly caught the world by surprise. Due to the limitations on travel and physical contact, businesses have been scrambling for new and innovative ways to maintain sales, especially through virtual means. Whether through social media campaigns or other digital means, marketing strategies are getting more creative. The competition in digital marketing is getting tough.

So, you have to be on the lookout for all the new yet effective ways of advertising your products. One way to attract potential clients and connect with them is through Podcast Advertising.

What is Podcast Advertising?

Podcasts provide a new platform for advertising your brand or company through audio shows downloaded or streamed by their listeners through the internet. These audio ads contain vital information about your product/service, a type of programmatic audio and a relatively new advertising format; these audio ads contain vital information about your product/service.

Hosts will be the main advertising vehicle, as they endorse your brand using a live read 60-second audio ad during the beginning, middle, or the closing part of their show. They may use their personal experiences with your product and lead the listeners to order using coupon codes and more.

Podcast Advertising will enable your marketing team to speak to your brand’s customers in one-to-one and closer setting. You will reach a more engaged audience using the audio approach while they are driving or cooking food at home.

It’s like radio’s advertising capabilities, only modern–you can also add more advertising tactics and target specific demographics and locations to reach your intended audience. Through customized stories/ads through podcast hosts, reach users based on their interests, offering personalized tailoring at scale.

Why Should You Use Podcast Advertising?

Unique and Innovative Marketing Opportunities

Podcast advertising is a fast-growing market within the programmatic audio category, and experts expect it to be worth $1.6 billion by 2022. Studies say that podcasts garner 62 million listeners per week, and 67% even love listening to ads, and most are comfortable with ads on podcasts in support of free content.

The competition is not as stiff as that of the online advertising industry, and your brand will have the opportunity to stand out from the highly saturated market. If you want a conversion rate more than five times higher than your regular website traffic leads, podcast advertising is for you.

Podcasts’ Steady Reach

Podcast listeners are customers who aren’t just passive listeners who are tuning in to tune out—they’re active ones that tune in for entertainment. Your target customers may permanently hear your ads through replaying some episodes or bingeing the series.

Podcast advertising creates a personal relationship with the listener, and its nature allows the ads to blend with the content seamlessly, hence, making the message more welcome and effective. Studies show that about 54% of podcast listeners purchase products or services through podcast ads.

Reach Your Target Audience Anytime, Anywhere

Listeners often download these audio shows through smartphones, laptops, and other gadgets they bring everywhere every day. Since podcasts are in audio forms, they enable users to multitask during daily activities like driving, cleaning, and working out while remaining engaged to the podcast host.

Another bonus for podcast advertising is a wide selection of shows and content that have a high chance of being compatible with your company and products. You can now easily target and specify your audience through the audio shows you think are aligned with your brand’s advocacies.

Increase Your Conversion Rate Through Host Credibility

Podcast hosts have already established deep trust with their audience. They are like your brand ambassadors; listeners tend to be more confident with their experiences on a product or service.

Podcast consumers usually respond better to sincere and authentic conversations from the hosts about a product they love than to traditional prewritten copy and read write-ups.

Get Listeners to Love Your Product Through their Favourite Podcast

Podcast advertising allows you to provide the listeners of a specific podcast with an exclusive code discount, which can generate friendly or warm leads. With a feeling of credibility, they will be more likely to purchase your product or service. A shared experience with their co-listeners may then result in affiliate marketing leads or word-of-mouth advertising.

Ads through podcasts are a more targeted approach and a unique way to make the listeners consider your product through incentivization. You can also gauge your ad’s efficiency in that podcast, as you can see the conversion rate of that specific code.

How to Start Podcast Advertising

Thinking about starting Podcast Advertising may be overwhelming, but it is relatively easy to understand. You can provide a pre-produced ad for the podcast host to insert or read, or you can leave it up to their discretion to advertise your company by providing them talking points you’d like them to use.

Like video advertisements, audio ads can be Pre-Roll (at the beginning slot), Mid-Roll (middle), or Post-Roll (end of a podcast). They usually range from 15-30 seconds regardless of their position in the episode.

Two types of inventory available for podcast advertising: Downloaded Podcasts are consumed immediately or saved for later listening, while Live-stream podcasts are streamed audio over the internet.

Start with Podcast Advertising Now!

Remember that in podcasting advertising, shaping your ad’s message needs to be more specific and more targeted than other mediums. What makes it unique and innovative is listeners tend to be more decisive of their podcasts, which will play in your favour or hinder your sales, depending on your execution.

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