GI Outsourcing was started by a top UK account outsourcing firm in 1991 with an aim to effectively outsource their clients’ compliance work. Nearly two decades later, Vikas Chadha, Managing Director of GI Outsourcing shares their ambitions to become a top global account outsourcing company.

As the COVID-19 pandemic hit the globe last year, one area that has witnessed significant changes in finance and accounting outsourcing. Companies are now thriving for external help to overcome operational and financial challenges and outsourcing has proven to be a boon for a lot of companies during these tough times.

Vikas Chadha, MD, GI Outsourcing speaks to Daily Hunt on the challenges and recovery during times of post-Covid.

Question 1: Last year was a tough year? How has this year transformed the Finance & Account Outsourcing industry, especially talking about GI Accounting? How has the company been able to navigate through this crisis?

Truly speaking, last year has been a year full of challenges. However, everyone including the economy showed unprecedented resilience, which clearly indicates that when chips are down, we can collectively come together and do the right things. We soon understood that while the impact will be deep, the recovery from the pandemic has to be digital, hence we focussed on accelerating our organization’s digital capabilities in cloud and automation. This has also helped us redefine our operating model and get access to borderless talent and to innovate in real time with agility from anywhere.

Combining our digital prowess with GI’s unmatched holistic solutions, we could seamlessly partner and collaborate in a larger ecosystem to deliver exceptional value to our end customer.

Question 2: You took over the reins of the company when Covid hit the globe, how has your experience been so far?

I joined GI Outsourcing in August ,2020 in midst of covid uncertainty which had impacted the customer sentiment and believe me it has been a lifetime experience. Having been around for more than two decades and establishing our credibility, reputation, and goodwill, GI leveraged the extraordinary pace of growing business across several levels both organically and inorganically.

Having a customer-centric approach enabled us to foresee future requirements of our clients that help us innovate our offerings. Increasing the attractiveness of our offering and keeping our price fixed ensured excellent value to all our customers.

After briefly examining and understanding the customer’s unique needs, we ensured that our employees develop more agile and adaptive ways of working to meet the requirements. We created several pillars of growth including going deep in existing lines of business and leveraging our strengths on Quality and service with existing UK service business.  Concurrently, we added new lines of business including cloud accounting that proved to contribute significantly to GI’s global growth and revenue.  This unique approach has helped us immensely as 65% of our turnover is now based on referrals – a reflection of the high esteem within which we are held.

By strengthening our full portfolio of services and solutions to customers, we also increased our footprint and set up our delivery centers in leading talent hubs in India; New Delhi, the NCR region, and Ahmedabad.

While we were witnessing incremental growth, talent posed to be the elephant in the room.  We created a quality learning initiative ‘GI Academy’ which has tied up to get top-notch Chartered Accountants (CA) from the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India and ACCA’s from London.

Question 3: What are future company plans?

GI is looking at robust expansion plans and strengthening its footprint globally in various areas of finance and accounting. We are rapidly increasing our reach in India and aim to nurture and acquire the best accounting talent in the industry. In terms of market growth, I have been working on a strategy to take GI beyond the UK and Europe into other important markets of the USA, Canada, Australia, and Singapore. This will make GI a global player with the best accounting talent and training.

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If a software engineer can work for clients in the United States of America, Canada, Europe, why can’t a lawyer provide his services to clients in these countries? If a fresh computer science graduate can freelance and earn in dollar and euro, why can’t a lawyer do the same? As someone who has completed B.E and L.L.B, I can say that law is a far difficult and complex subject to understand (at least for me).

One day, I, Pramil Kant, found an email from LawSikho informing me of some Bootcamp. Our country was facing a second wave of covid-19 pandemic and therefore, I needed something to distract me. Therefore, I decided to attend their Bootcamp. After attending the Bootcamp, I decided to enrol for the Diploma in Advanced Contract Drafting, Negotiation and Dispute Resolution at LawSikho.

These courses are completely different from what is being taught at law schools. These courses are aimed at teaching students the practical skills which are required in the field of law. I do not remember any of my law teachers explaining to me the meaning and significance of boilerplate courses, the importance of dispute resolution clauses etc. The best part of LawSikho assignments is that the questions are aimed at the problem-solving skills of the students. So, in assignments, we are asked to draft non-disclosure agreements for two pharmaceutical companies which are sharing their research to create a new drug. Such exercises push students to start thinking analytically and logically.

Another feature of LawSikho that I admired most is the support that we get from the placement team. The placement team guides students at each step; right from preparing cv, cover letters and reviewing them to preparing a profile on Fiverr and Upwork. There are special sessions that are conducted for online platforms like LinkedIn. I never knew that LinkedIn can be such a powerful platform for branding and getting freelance work. The placement teams regularly conduct online sessions for cold emailing to potential clients, the importance of regularly posting quality content on LinkedIn etc.

I joined LawSikho in June 2021 and by now, I have worked with several start-ups and businesses. I have drafted legal agreements and contracts, terms of use, GDPR/CalOPPA compliant privacy policy for them. Another important change that I have noticed in myself is that my outlook towards the legal profession has gone a 180-degree change. I believe that instead of relying solely on corporate jobs, we lawyers should also venture as freelancers and start-up founders. If engineers can create start-ups, so can lawyers!

Stories of fresh law graduate not getting decent jobs after their graduation or lower court lawyers facing problems in making their ends meet are very common. I believe that the solution to such problems lies in freelancing. But in freelancing, you need to have a proper skill set for getting work. And this is where LawSikho comes into the picture. I believe that LawSikho is indeed democratizing legal education in India.

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Sunil Agrawal & Associates (SAA), real estate experts in Indore, held a webinar on October 2, 2021, to guide and solve queries of all first-time home buyers. Vipul Agrawal, Managing Director at Sunil Agrawal & Associates (SAA), hosted the webinar and voiced questions on behalf of more than 100 attendees. Leading experts gave insights, information and answered first-time home buying queries. Experts who joined the webinar were Sandeep Shrivastav, Vice President, CREDAI MP and Secretary, CREDAI Indore. Mr. Shrivastav has been working for 32 years in the real estate market in Indore. The other expert was Mr. Sachin Pal, AGM and Marketing Business Head at HDFC Limited.

All the panellists talked about fundamental doubts that may arise in a first-time homebuyer’s mind. To educate, they touched upon subjects like location, budgeting, EMI, home loan, type of properties, legal formalities, repayment and a lot more. The webinar lasted for about 45 minutes, covering all aspects of home buying, the future of real estate in Indore- offering solutions.

The most important concern that came out for homebuyers is which location to choose. Mr. Shrivastav said that location is a personal choice based on convenience and requirement. It must suit the family and individual requirements. He added that all locations are being equally developed in Indore by the State Government. The construction of Bypass, Super Corridor, Rau, Khandwa Road and BRTS are notable accomplishments in Indore. Therefore, any location is a good location if it meets individual needs.

Touching on the legality of property, Shrivastav said to always check RERA registration of the project. On the other hand, where the RERA number is not applicable or not available, it is crucial to check the town planning permission and approved plan. He suggested hiring an advocate before finalizing. He added that buyers obsess with house-pricing, and awareness regarding title documents in real estate is lacking, causing unneeded hassle.

The second subject that worries a first-time homebuyer is budgeting, which was discussed at length during the webinar. Mr. Pal said that similar to location, budgeting is also personal. Nonetheless, the important factor is a monthly income for loan sanctioning. He advised all homebuyers not to think short term. Rather focus on the income they will have over the years and then plan the home budget since a home is a constant asset.

The panel progressed further, discussing the shifting property trends in homebuying. In the past 2-years, buyers have started preferring ready possession property over-under constructed ones. Mr. Shrivastav said this is because people want to ignore EMIs and recurring rent amounts during the construction of the house. Nonetheless, the advantage one gets while buying under-construction property is the autonomy to modify the plan. The only fear buyers have is the timeliness of property completion. That’s why choosing an upright and reputed builder is a must for such properties. Mr. Shrivastav added that under construction has better price benefits and flexibility. That’s why it is preferable, but the fear of being cheated dominates the buyers.

Talking about property appreciation concerns, Mr. Shrivastav said that the real estate market is not a share market. It is a long-term investment, and there will always be a short-term risk. Appreciation will definitely come on any property in Indore in three to five years. Convenience shall be kept over everything. Real estate will never be a losing game if there is foresightedness.

A first-time homebuyer is always concerned about the loan. Where to begin? And what to do? This agenda was also solved during the webinar where Mr. Pal said that nowadays, especially post-Covid, everything can be done online. There is a step-by-step process to get a home loan sanctioned, which is easy and short. 80% of the applications have shifted to the online platform. Mr. Pal assured that it is very simple, and the documents required are very basic that can be arranged within 30 minutes. A few documents can differ depending on if someone has a salaried account or is self-employed. And EMI can be calculated via online EMI calculators.

Pal said that the more time customers take to repay, the more beneficial it is for them since they enjoy income tax benefits. Nonetheless, if buyers want to repay the loan immediately, they can, and there is no pre-payment penalty. A point that buyers forget is plot loans. Banks can give loans on the plot too, that to up to 70% of plot’s market value. Therefore, they can choose to buy plots also.

Reflecting on the future of real estate in Indore, the panellists ended the discussion on a positive note. Appreciating the government Infrastructure support in Indore, and the clean city drive experts said that Indore would become the next Pune in 5 years. Vipul Agrawal further added that “even people living outside in metros have started investing in Indore, and there is a lot of potential here.” Talking about technicalities, he said that young homebuyers have a great risk-taking appetite that works in their favour. Also, the rate of interest is at the lowest. It is less likely that it will go lower than 6.70%. Even if it does, it won’t be significant. Mr. Vipul said that there is no point in waiting to take a decision – declaring it as the best time to buy property.

Sunil Agrawal & Associates (SAA) also held a webinar during the first lockdown, talking about Indore Real Estate Market post- Covid, and surely the trends are reflected in the market now. The real estate market has come a long way on the side of the homebuyer’s benefit. And will see a progression from here on. Webinars organized by Sunil Agrawal & Associates (SAA) are insightful for those who are interested in real estate.

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National, 08 October 2021: fbb, India’s most loved fashion destination has launched a new collection for the festive season. The stunning new range has something for everyone – kurtis, tunics, plazzos, jackets, kurtas and dresses. 

Inspired by traditional Indian motifs and prints, the new designs bring out the joy and grandeur of the festival in their deep shades of colour and interplay of golds and sequins. The new collection has a large variety of options for women, men and kids. To keep things light and easy for those who prefer it that way, there is a large option in dresses, casual shirts and Tshirts also. The new festive range starts at Rs. 499 onwards

To celebrate in style this year, you can shop this range at any fbb or Big Bazaar store across the country and also online on the Big Bazaar mobile app or shop.bigbazaar.com and enjoy the free 2-hour home delivery service.

Talking about the new range Pawan Sarda , Group CMO- Digital, Marketing & E-commerce, Future Group said “The fbb festive collection this year is all about reflecting the deep emotions and happiness of the festivities through the colours and patterns in latest trendsetting styles. fbb has always believed in the confluence of style and affordability, which we continue even in our new collection with wide set of options for all.”

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A few Chinese troops were temporarily detained by Indian personnel in Tawang, Arunachal Pradesh, after approximately 200 of them crossed into Indian territory from Tibet and attempted to damage unoccupied bunkers. These bunkers are near the Line of Actual Control at the Bum La and Yangtse border passes. According to sources, the incident involving the Chinese attempting to damage a few unoccupied bunkers occurred last week.

“The India-China border has not been formally demarcated. Hence, there is a difference in perception of LAC between the countries. Peace and tranquillity in these areas of differing perceptions has been possible by adhering to existing agreements and protocols between the two countries,” the source said, adding, “Whenever patrols of both sides physically meet, the situation is managed according to established protocols and mechanisms agreed by both sides. Physical engagement can last for a few hours prior to disengaging as per mutual understanding,” A suggestion was made as a follow up that both sides safeguard up to their line of perception to avoid further disputes.

Meanwhile, in a press conference on Thursday, Arindam Bagchi, the Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson, stated that China is expected to work on resolving the unresolved issue along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh as soon as possible.

“It is our expectation that China will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the line of actual control in eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” Bagchi had said at a media briefing.

This assertion made by China in the region is not unusual. More than 200 Chinese troops reportedly crossed into the Indian side of the LAC at Yangtse in 2016, but returned within a few hours.

In 2011, Chinese troops attempted and failed to scale a 250-metre-long wall on the Indian side of the LAC. This latest transgression, however, comes only a month after a similar intrusion in Uttarakhand’s Barahoti sector near the LAC, where Chinese troops were reportedly aggressively patrolling.

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Javid Ahmed is a young and dynamic entrepreneur, a celebrity manager, a social media manager, and an influential figure. Javid has worked for more than 700 individual stars, influencers, and companies, and he wants to grow more and more in this field as an entrepreneur & Digital Merketer. He has completed his education of B. Com ( ism ) / Diploma in web development.

Javid Ahmed also known as Javid Arfan,
He started his freelancing career in 2016 as a social media marketing agent, till now he has worked with lot of kollywood & bollywood celebrities & brands, he is spending a lot of time in building the reputation of brands over the digital space. With everything going digital, many businesses have made their presence over the web where content travels like the speed of light. The digital marketing maestro named Javid Ahmed based in Chennai, Tamilnadu provides the best of social media services to celebrities, brands and influencers. He started things at a young and has his own company ”Famesetters” is ( celebrity management agency & digital marketing agency )

The emerging social media expert with a team of talented people has done various online campaigns for the clients from Tamilnadu. Javid, who is a 24-year old guy is working as a digital marketer. His interest in doing social media campaigns made him an expert who has managed the pages of many public figures and celebrities, He started his journey by becoming a social media handler.

Besides helping the brands to build their online presence, Javid also holds expertise in giving technical support to well-known names from different industries. With a specialization in YouTube marketing, SEO building, online advertising through Google AdSense, the 24-year old offers everything to the clients in terms of marketing services. Besides this, he considers himself a self-learner and is thankful to the internet for providing multiple business opportunities.

“People see what you show them. Marketing yourself over the web has become very important as it helps in creating the impression of the brand”, said Javid. In the present situation of lockdown, Javid is utilizing his time in learning different social media skills. With a major focus on providing quality over quantity, he said, “Quality content will always give you higher reach in terms of numbers. Take time for your input and give extraordinary output.”

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Music has always been a medium to express the emotions that one finds difficult to express in words and that is the reason why music has been so popular. It is one of the oldest and greatest forms of art. We have read many great artists, minds and philosophers writing notes and essays about the importance of music in our life. Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Without music, life would be a mistake.” But music has a diverse range of genres. Every generation has its own favourite. Hip-Hop and Rap that started to become mainstream in 90s is still finding new ways and voices to be a hit among the youth. The musicians who are composing these songs know what youth wants to hear They and their songs have been becoming a source of inspiration for many.

Guri Singh is one such musician. Born and brought up in Mandigobind Garh Punjab, this 30 year old musician lives in Melbourne and has been passionately creating amazing songs and music. People in Punjab have been blessed with a deep voice and that is due to the influence of the folk music there which requires you to sing in higher notes. Guri Singh has been really very successful in carving his own niche and has been delivering constant hits so far. His music which is influenced by Punjabi music and Hip-hop is a rage among the youth.

For Guri, Music is something that fills his heart with ecstasy as he describes it as a rejuvenating experience. Guri Singh says that he finds his inspiration in great artists of Punjab such as Kuldip Manak, Gurdas Maan, Chamkila, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan and many more. He says that these artists have really influenced his understanding of good music and compositions.

Always in a mode to create something great, Guri Singh has his own share of struggle but he says that if you are really passionate about something, all struggles are worth it because of the rewarding experience that you get out of it. He says that one should really work hard and keep pushing through as it makes the success inevitable. But one should also be aware of it that both success and failure are part of life.

“I would be lying if I say I don’t want success therefore it is important. But one should realize that it is part of your life not your life.” Said Guri Singh.

One of his many popular songs, “Garam Blood” has more than a million views and his songs have hundreds of thousand views. The best part about GUri Singh’s music is the editing in his music videos. We all understand that after the rise of video contents and platforms that promote videos, it is not enough to have great songs anymore. You will have to create engaging videos that people can connect with and his videos are one of the best ones that I have seen recently. You can check out his YouTube music video here https://youtu.be/4TnmaQkKt-w

Guri Singh told us that he is planning to launch his next song, “Siraa”  in October/November and hoping to launch his album or ep next year and preparing for it. He will keep dropping songs for which he is known for. We wish this amazing artist all the best and hoping to see his next song soon. You can follow Guri on his Instagram here  https://www.instagram.com/officialgurisingh and be part of his journey.

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Entertainment is a big industry and there are thousands of artists trying to make their own space in it. Dev Menaria is a well-known actor and producer who has been entertaining his audience for a very long time. Dev is a 29-year-old guy from Udaipur, Rajasthan who always aspired to entertain people. He had a keen interest in music and participating in all sorts of entertainment activities at school. He lost his father at the age of 7 and this incident changed his life. Dev managed to complete his schooling at a government school and worked hard through all the thick and thin times. He has even work to earn more after his school. 

Soon he got multiple opportunities to visit cities like Ahmedabad and Delhi for work, where he worked for a long. In the year 2007, he decided to move to Mumbai, where he had to live without proper food and shelter. Eventually, he found himself a job that was just enough to take care of his family and his needs. After years of struggle and rejections, he decided to open his own venture into production by the name of ‘DM Film Production.’ This gave him the right opportunity and he was able to produce his first two songs called ‘Chaahaton Ki Baarish’ and ‘Wo Teri Yaadein.’ These songs received great reactions from the viewers and also gave him the confidence to leave his full-time job to opt for this as his full-time profession. 

In 2018 he finally got a lead role with Epic TV Channel in one of their serials named ‘Nukkad Ek Chouppal.’ Dev even was announced ‘India Super Model 2020’ and worked in web-series and even got awarded GCMA Best Cine Award 2021 Gujarat. He was then awarded ‘Dada Saheb Phalke’ in the year 2021. His upcoming work includes ‘Saajish the conspiracy,’ web series lead ‘The Lost  Night’, and recently he finished shooting for a film called ‘Is Kadar Pyar Hai.’

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Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, a Congress leader, maintained her demand for the resignation of Union Minister Ajay Mishra, whose son allegedly ran over protesting farmers in Uttar Pradesh’s Lakhimpur Kheri on Sunday. Ms Gandhi Vadra, who met with two families whose loved ones were killed in the violence with her brother Rahul Gandhi, stated, “she will continue to fight for justice.”

“In a democracy, everyone has the right to seek justice. I will keep fighting for justice. All of the affected families I met yesterday demanded nothing more than justice. To ensure an impartial investigation, the Union minister must resign “She told reporters the next morning after visiting Lakhimpur Kheri, a four-hour drive from the state capital of Lucknow.

Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, who had been detained at a guest house in Sitapur since Monday, was released to join the Rahul Gandhi-led Congress team, which met the families of Lovepreet Singh, 19, and Raman Kashyap, 30, both of whom died on Sunday. Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel and his Punjab counterpart Charanjit Channi accompanied the Gandhi siblings.

According to party sources, Congress leaders drove to Lovepreet Singh’s home, spoke with bereaved family members, and expressed their heartfelt condolences. They were seen sitting on the floor of the house with the teenager’s father and sisters, intently listening to them.

Ashish Misra, Minister Ajay Mishra’s son, has been charged with murder and negligence in a First Information Report filed by the police. Though the Minister of State for Home Affairs admitted ownership of the SUV, he and his son were not present at the time. The police have not questioned or arrested his son.

The Supreme Court has taken note of the events in Lakhimpur Kheri, and a bench led by Chief Justice NV Ramana will hear the case today.

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On the occasion of Vladimir Putin’s 68th birthday, Russia successfully tested a Tsirkon (Zircon) hypersonic cruise missile in the Barents Sea, according to a senior Russian commander.

Valery Gerasimov, chief of the army’s general staff, told Putin via video conference that the test strike was carried out from the Admiral Gorshkov vessel in the White Sea.

Putin has stated that Russia will increase its military presence in the Arctic. Putin has stated that Russia will increase its military presence in the Arctic.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi wished his “friend,” Russian President Vladimir Putin, a happy 68th birthday. Both leaders spoke over the phone about the challenges they face, including the Covid-19 pandemic. They also agreed to keep in touch over the next few days.

“Spoke to my friend President Vladimir Putin to greet him on his birthday today. Appreciated his immense personal contribution to strengthening the special and privileged strategic partnership between India and Russia,” said the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) in an official statement.“In the phone call, both leaders agreed to remain in touch over the coming days, including on the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic,” it also said.

According to the statement, PM Modi also expressed a desire to welcome President Putin to India as soon as the public health situation improves. On the international stage, India and Russia have long been allies. Since PM Modi’s election, both leaders have kept in touch and discussed ways to strengthen bilateral ties.

Both leaders met in June of this year to discuss a strategy for addressing the challenges of the post-Covid world. They also talked about ways to strengthen Indo-Russian ties.

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