New Delhi, Jun 14 (PTI) Ride-hailing platform Uber on Monday said it has doubled the number of two-wheelers deployed for its package delivery service Uber Connect in the country.

The company, however, did not disclose the number of vehicles that operate under 'Uber Connect', a service that was launched last year in the country. The two-wheeler delivery service enables residents to send and receive items from each other within city limits. It was launched in May last year and is now available across 26 cities including Delhi NCR, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Jaipur, Chennai, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, and Chandigarh among others.

Uber, in a statement on Monday said demand for Uber Connect has tripled in May, with many people using the service to transport essentials like grocery, non-prescription medication, medical devices, and care packages to family and loved ones. The service is also being used to deliver essentials and home cooked meals to COVID impacted communities.

Uber India and South Asia Head of Strategic Initiatives Tarun Gupta said, "As demand increased for the service during the second wave of the pandemic, we had to ramp up the numbers of two-wheelers on the platform to better serve the evolving needs of our communities, along with creating new earning opportunities for drivers."

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* Paytm Insurance Broking strengthens its portfolio, offers private car and bike insurance

* Paytm Insurance Broking Private Ltd (PIBPL), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Paytm, on Monday said it has introduced car and bike insurance offerings in partnership with 14 top insurers.

PIBPL offers options to buy comprehensive, third-party only, own-damage only policies in a completely digital process, a statement said. It also provides claim support and post-policy purchase services to its customers through a dedicated service team so that users have a hassle-free experience, it added.

"Insurance continues to be an underserved segment in India. Paytm hopes to change that by making accessibility and affordability a priority. We are focused on making the whole process of buying and renewing both car and bike insurance simple, seamless, and completely digital," a Paytm Insurance Broking Ltd spokesperson said.

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* Droom registers 80 pc growth in Q1 2021, crosses Rs 1,000 cr monthly GMV mark

* Online automobile marketplace Droom on Monday said it has registered 80 per cent growth year-on-year growth in the first quarter of 2021 and crossed Rs 1,000 crore in monthly GMV in March, on the back of strong demand for contactless buying in the automobile segment.

Droom attributed its growth to multiple factors including accelerated shift of automobile buying and selling online, improved supply with supply chains opening post-lockdown in the last quarter, lower prices of inventory, and an increased consumer preference towards vehicle ownership as opposed to ridesharing or using public transport due to safety reasons.

"We are thrilled to share that Droom has recorded 80 per cent Y/Y growth in Q1 of 2021. Droom's growth trajectory from last year has been steadily rising after COVID-19-led turbulence in the business," Droom founder and CEO Sandeep Aggarwal said.

He added that the company plans to continue its expansion in Southeast Asia, Middle East, and Africa once the ongoing second wave of the pandemic subsides.

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BSH India launches new range of dishwashers under Bosch and Siemens brands

* Consumer durable maker BSH India on Monday launched a range of dishwashers with 19 new models under its Bosch and Siemens brands, expanding its portfolio into the segment.

The new range comes with in-built technologically advanced features like home connect, which allows to remotely monitor and control Bosch dishwasher from a smartphone, said BSH India in a statement. Besides, this also has feature like three-way rackmatic, dosage assist, touch panel, zeolith, speed option, glass zone, intensive kadhi, open and dry assist, it added.

BSH Home Appliances' MD and CEO Neeraj Bahl said, "We are excited about the potential for dishwashers in India and believe in the coming times that it has the potential to be on a "top appliances to buy list". The new range will be available for consumers across India with all key offline and online trade partners at a starting price of Rs 35,000. BSH is a company of the Bosch Group. HRS hrs

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