Major Kolkata-based FMCG firm, Emami Ltd. has acquired ayurvedic hair and scalp care brand “Kesh King” for Rs 1,651 crore ($259.3 million) on June 2nd, 2015.

With this deal Emami marks entry into the ayurvedic hair and scalp care segment which will include Kesh King’s portfolio of hair oil, shampoo and ayurvedic capsules, along with its respective formulations and all related assets, rights and liabilities, including working capital.
Kesh King is owned by Sanjeev Juneja, of Himachal Pradesh – based SBS Biotech Ltd. and has recorded a turnover of around Rs300 crore in the year 2014-15 . It claims to have 5.4 lac outlets all over India.

Emami Ltd., founded in 1974 is engaged in personal and healthcare sector and has about 250 diverse products and includes brands like Fair & Handsome, Zandu, Fast Relief, Boroplus, Navratna. The firm operates in 63 countries including Africa, Europe, and SAARC countries.

According to Mr N H Bhansali, CEO – Finance, Strategy & Business Development, Emami Limited, the acquisition will be funded by a judicious mix of surplus funds and short- and long-term debt. And the process is expected to be completed in a month’s time.

Khaitan & Co was the legal advisor for Emami on the transaction.

Click here for government certification in Accounting, Banking & Finance

The post Emami enters into Ayurvedic Hair Care segment appeared first on Vskills Blog.

Skyscraper Index is a concept put forward by Andrew Lawrence, in January 1999, which showed that the world’s tallest buildings have risen right before economic downturns.  Business cycles and skyscraper construction correlate in such a way that investment in skyscrapers peaks when cyclical growth is exhausted and the economy is ready for recession. The buildings may actually be completed after the onset of the recession.

Some of the examples are listed below:

The world’s first skyscraper, New York’s Equitable Life building, 166 metres, was finished in 1873 during a five-year recession from 1873-1878.

The Singer Building, 187 meters tall, and Metropolitan Life Insurance Company Tower, 247 meters, were launched in New York before the panic of 1907 in 1908 and 1909, respectively. Met Life remained the world’s tallest building until 1913.

Empire State Building, 443 meters tall, was launched in 1931, shortly before the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Chrysler building, 319 meters, opened to the public in 1929 as well.

The World Trade Centre towers (541 m) and Sears Tower (442 m), opened up in 1973, during the 1973–1974 stock market crash and the 1973 oil crisis. Petronas Twin Towers, 452 m high, opened up in the wake of the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis and held the world height record for five years.

Taipei 101, 449 meters high, opened in 2004, after the dot com bubble of 2000-2003

Burj Khalifa, 828 meters high, opened in 2008, in the middle of The Great Recession of 2007-2009.

Click here for government certifications

The post Skyscraper Index appeared first on Vskills Blog.

Hard Skills:

Essentially, any skills that can be measured, such as on a test, are considered hard. Hard skills are your primary skills that are needed to perform a particular job. They are tangible, observable and easily measurable.  Most aspects of administrative, technical, and accounting knowledge involve hard skills. That means basically any career choice requires you to know at least some hard skills. 

It is important to compare your hard skills with that of the job you are targeting because there are specific hard skills that the hiring manager looks for when screening resumes. If you find that your hard skills listed in your resume do not match that of the job description then you are not qualified for that particular job.

Some examples of hard skills are: Programmer, Accounting, Customer Service, Financial analyst, Data entry, Scientist, Counsellor, Computer technician, Executive, Manager, Human Resource Manager, Sales forecasting, Writer, Project management, Recruitment and Administrative assistant. Hard skills also include your academic degrees, pertinent licenses, certifications, and computer lingo.  Naturally, there will always be a need for hard skills in the job market.

SOFT SKILLS:

Soft skill is a term often associated with a person’s EQ (Emotional Intelligence Quotient). They are more subjective, personal qualities, habits, attitudes and social graces that make someone a good employee and compatible to work with others. They are intangible, less measurable, and not so easy to observe. However, you can detect soft skills in an individual by observing their behaviour, how well they interact with others, and their ability to effectively lead others. Soft skills are important in any industry, especially during job interviews, and hence they should not be neglected.

Some examples of soft skills are communication skills, problem-solving skills, analytical skills, facilitation skills, leadership skills, coaching skills, motivation skills, adaptability, being innovative, patient, and competitive spirit.

It is important to show both hard skills and soft skills on your resume’. Hard skills show the employer you are capable of doing the job while soft skills show the employer your personal attributes that can add to the job knowledge. 

how to improve on hard skills?

The skills shortage is creating a ‘war for talent’, where companies have to compete for the best talent with new categories of players.

In this fast-paced world, companies in an attempt to keep up with the pace of technological innovation are becoming much more result-oriented.

In fact, exams and grade point averages in both high school and college generally show students’ hard skills. The tests do not always come to an end after graduation since many careers require professionals to score well on tests before they can become licensed for their field.

Click here for government certification in Human Resources

The post Hard and Soft Skills appeared first on Vskills Blog.

Financial Inclusion:

Financial inclusion or inclusive financing is meant to extend financial services to large hitherto un-served population to unlock the growth population. In addition, it strives towards a more inclusive growth by making financing available to the poor in particular. The financial services include not only banking products but also other services such as insurance and equity products. Financial services are delivered by a range of providers, both public and private, to a financially capable clientele.

Need for Financial Inclusion:

Customers, Nations, and Providers can all benefit from financial inclusion.

At the customer level financial inclusion matters to individuals, their families, and their small enterprises. Access to a suite of quality services tailored to client needs unlocks opportunities and improves lives in multiple ways.

Convenient payment systems increase the efficiency of economic transactions.When payment systems improve, and especially when they shift from cash to electronic, the time and money eaten up by transaction costs are freed for other uses. Access to bank accounts and short-term loans allow low-income households with small and irregular incomes to manage day-to-day resources.

Low-income people face many vulnerabilities, from illness to theft to unemployment. Many families just emerging from poverty could fall back into it if faced with a health or business emergency. Insurance, savings, credit, and even remittances provide sustainable and low-cost coping strategies. If a financially included member of the household loses her source of income, she might not have to withdraw a child from school, sell a valuable asset, or fall deeper into poverty. Expanding financial services to more people can increase a country’s economic productivity. Many of the world’s middle-income countries are now experiencing a unique demographic transition, with an especially large cohort of working age people relative to dependent children and elderly. This transition creates an opportunity for unparalleled economic growth – but only if the society can enable its working age members to fulfil their economic

Expanding financial services to more people can increase a country’s economic productivity. Many of the world’s middle-income countries are now experiencing a unique demographic transition, with an especially large cohort of working age people relative to dependent children and elderly. This transition creates an opportunity for unparalleled economic growth – but only if the society can enable its working age members to fulfil their economic potential. Financial inclusion can be one of the key economic policies setting a society up to take advantage of this demographic transition.

Nations prioritizing inclusive societies and growth see financial inclusion as part of their critical path. Incorporating financial inclusion into government’s own interactions with citizens through electronic government-to-person payments can save them significant sums, substantially reduce fraud, and act as an “on-ramp” to other forms of inclusion.

From a fiscal perspective, financial inclusion can help lighten a government’s load Development goals pose daunting fiscal challenges for governments charged with meeting the many needs of their population However, if a poor family steadies its economic life using financial services, its need for cash transfers decreases Government’s burden falls The same goes for health, housing, education, and pensions Financial services that help people become more self-sufficient reduce the need for government subsidies

Finally, many policymakers seek financial inclusion as one of the several types of inclusion needed for social and economic justice.

The provider case for financial inclusion is quite straightforward. The untapped market for financial services constitutes an enormous and increasingly viable opportunity, one that will only grow throughout the coming decades. The 21st century will belong to the world’s developing countries and their majority populations. Businesses with an eye on the future will secure the loyalty of these prospective customers early on.

According to the IMF reports, even in today’s increasingly interconnected world, linked by ever-growing financial flows, more than a third of the global population is still financially excluded.  Financial inclusion is the need of the hour as it empowers individuals and families, especially women and the poor, and well-functioning financial systems enrich whole countries.

Click here for government certification in Accounting, Banking & Finance

The post What is financial inclusion? Why do we need it? appeared first on Vskills Blog.