Light, Flavour, Love!
Platforms and Festivals
Festivals bring fond memories of childhood when we were more carefree. In fact, children and child -like only can have real fun of festivals. According to some accounts, the word festival has roots in Latin word feria/feriae which means “abstinence from work in honour of gods”. And to be frank, only children can completely switch off from everything else and just focus on the moment.
उड़ने दो परिंदों को अभी शोख़ हवा में
फिर लौट के बचपन के ज़माने नहीं आते
~ बशीर बद्
Happy Children's Day!
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DTW
During the Week, Mondelez India-owned Cadbury’s leveraged artificial intelligence (AI) and technology to create a hyper-personalised and brilliant advertisement campaign.
This is one of many ,including by Facebook, advertisements released during the current festival season which aims to bring joy back to people and businesses around us in the pandemic time. Festivals have been great at bringing the best of human spirit and endeavours for everyone around. Platforms have been leveraged for keeping the spirit of festivals alive through three essential facets of Display, Consumption and Exchange.
Platforms facilitating display of our emotions and relationships is now evident more than ever . On Deepawali, I was blessed to receive wishes from friends and family across multiple social media platforms. Communicating and reaching to extended family even though geographically distant is now possible through multiple video-conferencing platforms. We have had birthdays, weddings, independence day flag hoisting , Ganesh Puja , Navratri and now even Deepawali over video conferencing.
Consumption of Food is an essential part of festivals and over last decade platforms have taken a lead in ensuring three things- First,Production and Procurement of food; Second, Food Distribution and Third, ancillary food services businesses. I have written about the relationship of platforms and food here and here. Please read them for better insights.
This growth has also brought extra attention from the regulators on home based “unregulated” chefs operating through food tech platforms. According to a recent update, non-compliance of the FSSAI regulations by home-based chefs may attract a fine of up to Rs 5 lakh or life imprisonment or a ban from the FSSAI.
Platforms especially e-commerce entities have been instrumental in generating value for businesses especially during festivals. E-commerce giants like Amazon, Flipkart, Snapdeal, and Myntra made huge investments in hiring personnel and launching fulfilment centres. This has helped in lifting the gloom currently engulfing Indian business. Even the temporary jobs being created through the season may lead to improved economic indicators. With banks and other financial institution turning cautious, digital lenders like lazypay and introduction of “buy now pay later” (BNPL) feature on e-commerce platforms has given substantial lift to the consumer spending during festival times.
And here is a small request! Be a little kind to hundreds of gig workers on multiple platforms who have sacrificed their festival to ensure that your festival has Light, Flavour and Love!
OTW
Over the Weekend, the usual gaiety associated with Deepawali was sorely missed but we did share some home made sweets with close neighbours. Archana has prepared some mouth-watering Indian Sweets and we have been just trying to keep up with the traditions of sharing love and food with friends and family. Many of the calls were restricted to Zoom/WhatsApp Calls and felt such a let down. Of course, the bottomline remains that now is not the time to let down the guard and get careless with Covid19.
Aru and I also used the weekend to visit Shanthi Nilayam- an orphanage run for HIV+ orphans. I was introduced to the orphanage by Suyash Chopra MBA IBS Hyd 2010 graduate who ran Aashayein Foundation while still at IBS Hyderabad. I have been grateful to many other friends and students who have been instrumental in supporting the cause of providing help to the children at Shanthi Nilayam.
While returning when we were counting our blessings of health, education and loving family, Aru captured the above picture. Though the Sun might be setting but it is going to rise again tomorrow morning. This Too Shall Pass!
अपना ग़म ले के कहीं और न जाया जाये
घर में बिखरी हुई चीज़ों को सजाया जायेघर से मस्जिद है बहुत दूर चलो यूँ कर लें
किसी रोते हुए बच्चे को हँसाया जाये~ निदा फ़ाजली
Happy Deepawali
I Love You
Shailendra
Very well thought and structured sir! The message," We rise by lifting others" is clear!
It's really a combo pack sir! The combo of information and inspiration. Facebook launched a beautiful ad in which a small girl has become a source of earning for all those who lost their jobs and now Cadbury is using AI technique wonderfully. Remarkably, they are connecting the dots of social issues, promotions, and emotions. The most important sir, every Sunday we get a gift from you a newsletter that is full of content, content and content.