MAM
Reckitt Benckiser commits £32 mn as a part of ‘RB Fight for Access Fund’ to fight against Covid-19
MUMBAI: Reckitt Benckiser (RB), a consumer health and hygiene company, today launched the RB fight for access fund to improve access to health, hygiene and nutrition for all. As part of this fund, an additional £32 million has been mobilized to address the urgent collective fight against the spread of Covid-19 by breaking the chain of this fast-spreading infection. The fund is, and will, be a demonstration of RB’s purpose and fight in action- to protect, heal and nurture in the relentless pursuit of a cleaner, healthier world.
Recognising that awareness and availability are the biggest challenges in the current scenarios, RB India, commenced various activities utilizing the fund, focusing on consumers engagements to share information and product distribution. Other activities deploying the fund through our brands include:
Making the products available to the ones in need:
We will be distributing 10 million units of Dettol Soap to the most vulnerable within India
Dettol in partnership with Bikers for Good launched #HandWashCorona, a public health initiative amidst the raging spread of COVID-19. Under this campaign, volunteers rode within the streets of New Delhi-NCR and distributed 9 lakh Dettol soaps to families in weaker/unprivileged communities.
We will also be donating 1 million litres of our disinfectant products including Lizol disinfectant liquid and Harpic toilet cleaners to aid India’s states in fighting this crisis especially in public health institutions and at the frontline with health and sanitation workers.
Donating critical protection equipment – 3.5 million N95 masks with a focus on pharmacists and health care workers. These will be distributed across our major markets.
The Dettol India The Hand Wash Challenge campaign on TikTok reached 20 billion views in one week getting important behaviour change messages to young people on the necessity of handwashing. The record-breaking campaign is being rolled out across global markets
Mass outreach through informative advertisement on TV: Dettol in partnership with leading Bollywood actress, Madhur Dixit released an engaging public service announcement #ApniSurkashaApneHaath to encourage viewers to practice handwashing.
RB global CEO Laxman Narasimhan said, 'We have a 200-year history of making a material difference to the lives of our consumers. Our brands have a critical role to play in promoting hygiene and health in the fight against the current Covid-19 pandemic. I have been witness to heroic efforts across the company to live our Purpose and our Fight. I am in awe of the 'can do' attitude across the RB organisation and the relentless pursuit by my colleagues to make the world cleaner and healthier. Under this initiative, in India, we will donate 10 million bars of Dettol soap to the most vulnerable, 3.5 million N95 (medical grade) masks to frontline health workers as well as 1 million litres of disinfectant products like Lizol surface cleaner and Harpic toilet cleaners to aid public health institutions and frontline health and sanitation workers in different states who are fighting to keep the nation safe. We will continue to partner with the government on driving behaviour change and supporting the great partnership we have developed through the Dettol BSI campaign.”
The RB Fight for Access Fund will benefit from 50 per cent funding from corporate, matched by funding from each of the three business units, Hygiene, Health and Nutrition. The maximum amount for any one initiative will be capped at £ 1 million. All programmes will be independently measured and captured on Goodera, central platform and repository of all the fantastic initiatives RB have globally.
MAM
BLR Airport Launches ‘Connections’ Service to Ease Transit Travel
New initiative targets smoother transfers as Bengaluru hub traffic rises 30 per cent.
MUMBAI: Missed connections may be a traveller’s nightmare but Bengaluru is trying to make them a thing of the past. Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru (BLR Airport) has rolled out ‘Connections by BLR’, a new transfer programme designed to take the friction out of connecting journeys. Built around three pillars ease, efficiency and experience,the initiative aims to simplify what is often the most stressful leg of air travel.
The move comes as transfer traffic at BLR Airport climbs sharply, up more than 30 per cent year-on-year. Transfers currently account for around 15 per cent of total passenger traffic and are projected to touch 20 per cent by 2026, signalling a clear shift in how the airport is positioning itself within airline networks.
At its core, the programme focuses on making navigation intuitive and downtime more comfortable. Dedicated transfer desks have been set up across terminals, supported by colour-coded wayfinding blue and yellow signage designed for quick recognition. Inter-terminal movement is being streamlined through complimentary shuttle services with predictable wait times, while designated transfer zones aim to reduce passenger confusion.
Beyond logistics, the airport is leaning into experience. Travellers in transit now have access to a wider choice of lounges, curated retail and food and beverage options, as well as sleeping pods for short stays. For longer layovers, transit hotels in both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 offer boutique in-terminal accommodation, an increasingly sought-after feature as global travel patterns evolve.
The timing is strategic. BLR Airport now connects to 114 passenger destinations 80 domestic and 34 international with key routes spanning Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Hyderabad and Pune domestically, and Singapore, London Heathrow, Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuala Lumpur internationally. Recent additions such as Hindon, Bidar and Silchar within India, alongside Dammam, Hanoi and Riyadh overseas, are further expanding its reach.
Infrastructure is also catching up with ambition. Developments including the West Cross Taxiway, Terminal 1 refurbishment and Terminal 2 expansion are laying the groundwork for higher capacity and smoother operations critical for any airport aiming to become a serious transfer hub.
Bangalore International Airport Limited chief operating officer Girish Nair framed the initiative as both a response to demand and a forward-looking play. He pointed to the growing depth of the airport’s network and the opportunity to build a more reliable transfer ecosystem that benefits both passengers and airline partners.
In an era where travel is as much about transitions as destinations, BLR Airport is betting that a seamless connection might just be the journey’s most important upgrade.
