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Voda offers complimentary smartphone insurance
MUMBAI: Vodafone Red Shield is offering complimentary insurance cover for new and up to six months old handsets Offers Theft protection apart from Damage cover and Anti-virus protection.
Redefining customer experience through innovative products and services is at the core of Vodafone’s philosophy. As one more initiative to serve the dynamic needs of customers, Vodafone India has introduced Vodafone Red Shield, a complete device security solution with complimentary insurance for smartphones that assures a protection cover of up to Rs. 50,000 (fifty thousand) on brand new handsets and those up to six months old. Currently available exclusively for Vodafone Red Post Paid customers, Vodafone Red Shield is the only device protection offering in the industry that offers theft cover, beyond basic handset damage cover and extends complimentary insurance cover to handsets that have been purchased up to six months earlier.
Vodafone Red Shield – Security Tools Theft Cover Any kind of accidental liquid & physical damage Anti Virus protection Block Calls Network Statistics – Know the statistics of your network and its performance Memory Management – Manage memory consumption of apps and optimise memory of your phone Identify and Uninstall Apps which take multiple permissions and may compromise your privacy or your data Battery Saver – Identify battery consumption patterns of your mobile phone The Vodafone Red Shield App, available at Google Store and iOS, offers a comprehensive security solution to smart phone devices. In addition to the theft cover, Vodafone Red Shield comes with malware protection and other security features.
Vodafone Red Shield is being brought to the customers through an association with Shotformats Digital Productions Pvt. Ltd. This insurance cover is provided through New India Assurance Company Ltd.
While actual premium amount will be borne by Vodafone, the subscription fee has been maintained at a pocket friendly price point so that maximum number of customers can avail the benefits of Vodafone Red Shield. The annual subscription of Rs 720 will be debited to the customer’s monthly bill through 12 equal installments (Rs. 60 x 12). Vodafone Red Shield comes with a validity of one year.
Announcing the launch of Vodafone RED Shield, Arvinder Singh Sachdev, Business Head- Kolkata & Rest of Bengal, Vodafone India, said “Smartphones have become a way of life in our country and it’s no longer just a calling device but has gone on to become the lifeline for people. To ensure the hard earned money spent by our customers on acquiring expensive handsets remains insured, we are delighted to launch Vodafone Red Shield, a first of its kind mobile security offering that builds in a unique combination of features like Theft protection, Accidental Physical & Liquid damage, Virus protection and many more security features. Our own customer research has revealed that most mobile phone buyers tend to either be unaware about handset insurance or don’t seem to have it as a priority/top of mind factor while purchasing a new smart phone. To bring larger numbers of our customers within the protective cover of Vodafone Red Shield, we have extended the facility to handsets upto 6 months old, at a very nominal price. I am happy to say Vodafone Red Shield is also the only service that covers handset theft.”
Another aspect which makes Vodafone Red Shield unique is that customers can claim insurance cover up to two times in a single year.
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Trump announces $300bn Texas oil refinery with Reliance, calls it the biggest in US history
First new US refinery in 50 years planned at Brownsville port with Reliance
WASHINGTON: The United States may soon see the first brand-new oil refinery built on its soil in half a century.
Donald Trump announced a proposed $300 billion refinery project in Texas, calling it a landmark moment for American energy production and jobs.
Posting on Truth Social on 10 March, Trump said the facility would be built at the Port of Brownsville and developed by a company called America First Refining, with major investment from India’s Reliance Industries.
The announcement frames the project as a centrepiece of the administration’s push for “energy dominance”, with Trump claiming it would deliver thousands of jobs and billions of dollars in economic activity to South Texas.
If realised, the plant would mark the first all-new major refinery constructed in the United States since the 1970s. In recent decades, oil companies have largely chosen to expand existing facilities rather than build new ones, citing high costs, regulatory hurdles and environmental scrutiny.
Trump described the proposed investment as the “biggest in US history”, positioning it as proof that policy changes such as streamlined permits and lower taxes are drawing large-scale energy investments back into the country.
The refinery is planned for the Port of Brownsville, a strategic Gulf Coast location that provides easy access to shipping routes and export markets.
A key partner in the project is Reliance Industries, controlled by billionaire industrialist Mukesh Ambani. The company already runs the world’s largest refining complex in Jamnagar, India, making it one of the most experienced operators in large-scale petroleum processing.
The Texas venture would mark a significant step for the group into America’s domestic refining sector, potentially strengthening industrial ties between the US and India.
The proposed refinery is being promoted as a next-generation facility capable of processing American shale oil while maintaining high environmental standards. Trump said it would be “the cleanest refinery in the world”, although the specific technologies behind that claim have not yet been detailed.
Industry observers also note that the $300 billion figure is unusually large for a refinery project, and analysts are waiting for more clarity on whether the number reflects total construction costs, long-term infrastructure investment, or broader economic impact estimates.
As of 11 March, Reliance Industries had not publicly confirmed the investment size or the structure of its involvement.
For now, the announcement has sparked equal parts excitement and curiosity in energy markets. If the plan moves from promise to pouring concrete, the refinery could reshape the Gulf Coast energy landscape, and reopen a chapter in American refining that has been quiet for nearly fifty years.
