A Strategic Road Map for Conserving the Endangered Dhole Cuon Alpinus in India

India Needs a Strategic Management Plan for Conserving the Endangered Asiatic Wild Dog

A new study identifies priority actions and locations for conserving populations of the endangered Asiatic wild dog or dhole in India.

 

Country-level species conservation plans serve as a blueprint for identifying important areas, prioritizing management actions and channeling conservation funds. India is a biologically megadiverse country, yet many threatened and endangered species do not have science-based conservation plans. In a new study, scientists from Wildlife Conservation Society–India, University of Florida (USA), Wildlife Conservation Trust, and National Centre for Biological Sciences propose a detailed framework for conserving the endangered dhole in India using a combination of ecological, social, political and administrative information. 

The researchers first made a detailed assessment of the current status of dholes in each State. Based on the relationship between dhole occurrence, forest cover, protected areas, human populations and cattle densities, the authors then identify taluks or tehsils for targeting management interventions— areas where dhole populations need to be recovered, areas warranting improvement or expansion of forest habitats, and areas with potential for dholes to expand their distribution range. The study also evaluated State-wise conservation capacity using multiple criteria, like GDP share, poverty levels, State and central budgetary allocations for forest/wildlife sectors, and rejection rate of forest clearances.  

“Dholes play an important role as apex predators in forest ecosystems. Besides the tiger, dhole is the only large carnivore in India that is under IUCN’s ‘Endangered’ category. As a country that perhaps supports the highest number of dholes in the world, we still do not have targeted management plans for scientific monitoring of the species. Our study recognizes taluks and States that need to be prioritized, and thereby offers a primer for designing a country-level plan to conserve their populations”, said Arjun Srivathsa, lead author of the study.

The study reports that Karnataka, Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh ranked very high on the priority scale, and are adequately equipped to maintain status quo, consolidate forest habitats, and recover dhole populations by increasing prey densities and reducing pressures on forests. On the other hand, Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Goa will need to increase financial investments towards forest/wildlife sectors, and also resolutely reduce the ease of granting forest clearances for infrastructure projects. Additionally, improving habitat conditions and prey densities in the Eastern Ghats of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Odisha would strengthen the link between dhole populations in Western Ghats and Central India. 

Despite their endangered status, there is a persistent lack of resources and policy focus on dhole conservation. “Alongside a comprehensive assessment of dholes in India, our study also provides an analysis of the current state of knowledge through a review of all published literature on the species. We identify critical gaps which can be explicated through improved funding for dhole research and conservation in India and across its distribution range”, said co-author Girish Punjabi.

The study titled “A strategic roadmap for conserving the endangered dhole Cuon alpinus in India” was published in the recent issue of the reputed international journal Mammal Review. The authors include Arjun Srivathsa (Wildlife Conservation Society–India and University of Florida, USA), Sushma Sharma (Wildlife Conservation Society–India), Priya Singh (National Centre for Biological Sciences), Girish Punjabi (Wildlife Conservation Trust), and Madan Oli (University of Florida, USA).

Article link: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/mam.12209 

Total and Indian Oil Form Joint Company in India to Offer High-Quality Bitumen Derivatives

Indian Oil Corporation, India’s largest refiner and marketer of petroleum products, and Total, broad energy company with headquarters in Paris, France, announce the formation of a 50:50 Joint Venture(JV) company that will manufacture and market high-quality bitumen derivatives and specialty products for the growing road-building industry in India. 

Total is the leading bitumen manufacturer and supplier in Europe, while Indian Oil is the largest player in the Indian bitumen market. The two companies have already an established business relationship in India, notably in LPG and fuel additives businesses. 

The new JV will combine the R&D and marketing strengths of both Indian Oil and Total to manufacture and market innovative bitumen formulations and superior quality products such as polymer-modified bitumen, crumb rubber modified bitumen, bitumen emulsions and other specialty products. The JV will set up manufacturing units across the country with cost-effective logistics solutions, keeping innovation, safety and sustainability at the helm of its operations. The JV will also explore possibilities to cater to other South Asian markets. 

“India is a strategic country for the future of Total and we are delighted by this partnership, yet another testimony of our commitment to this fast-growing market.” highlighted Patrick Pouyanné, Chairman and CEO of Total. “Today, Total is further cementing its longstanding business cooperation with Indian Oil, into a strong and sustainable new partnership. With this agreement, we are pursuing the growth of businesses with key Indian energy players, adding to our ongoing developments in renewables, gas and power.” 

Shrikant Madhav Vaidya, Chairman of Indian Oil said: “The Indian Oil-Total joint venture company would combine Indian Oil’s credentials as India’s Flagship National Oil Company and the Total’s strength as an International Energy Major. This would cater to B2B customers involved in road infrastructure development, both in the government and private sectors and I am confident that this would start a revolution in road construction activities in the country by providing superior technology products at competitive prices”. 

He added: “This joint venture company would bring in latest technologies and formulations for Polymer Modified Bitumen (PMB) and other fast-growing non-conventional derivatives such as Cold Mix & Micro Emulsion, Block Bitumen, etc. to the Indian market. The operations of this JV would commence by taking over an existing plant of Total at Jodhpur and subsequently set up new Greenfield plants”. 

The Government of India has a strong focus on developing the country’s road infrastructure with mega projects like the ‘Bharatmala project’ which envisages development of 34,800 km of roads at an estimated investment of over Rs. 5 lakh crore in the first phase (equivalent to approximately 66 billion USD). 

The demand for aggregate material and manufactured material for the highway construction and rehabilitation sector in India is very high, especially for good-quality bitumen derivatives. The Indian Oil and Total JV will offer high-spec products using sustainable technologies. 

Abbott and 1mg Bring Continuous Glucose Monitoring Solutions Closer to Indian homes

Glucose Monitoring System

* Abbott’s FreeStyle® Libre Pro, a professional flash glucose monitoring system, will be made available online on 1mg for the first time in India

* 1mg will provide an onsite phlebotomy* service at the patient’s home to help administer the sensor and take readings of the data after 14 days, enabling them to start using the device in the comfort of their home

* Continuous glucose monitoring empowers people to help their glucose levels stay within recommended limits 

In a move to expand access and empower Indian patients to take charge of their health, Abbott and leading online pharmacy and healthcare platform, 1mg today announced their collaboration to make Abbott’s continuous glucose monitoring products available online, including its professional flash glucose monitoring system, FreeStyle® Libre Pro. Patients in India can upload a healthcare practitioner’s prescription and purchase the product online on 1mg. An on-site phlebotomy* service will be provided at the patient’s home with a phlebotomist helping the patient administer the sensor and take readings of the data after 14 days, enabling them to start using the device.

Abbott′s FreeStyle Libre Pro consists of a small, round sensor — slightly larger than a 10-rupee coin. A phlebotomist applies the discreet, water-resistant1 and disposable sensor on the back of the upper arm of a patient. The sensor is held in place with a self-adhesive pad and remains on the back of the upper arm for up to 14 days, requiring no patient interaction with the sensor.

 “Innovations like the FreeStyle Libre Pro system have transformed the way people manage their glucose levels,” said Kalyan Sattaru, general manager of Abbott’s diabetes care business in India. “Making this life-changing technology available online enables more patients to remotely access the care they need, which is especially critical and timely given the current pandemic environment. Our world-leading continuous glucose monitoring will help many more people in India take charge of their condition, and ultimately improve their health.”

Commenting on the partnership Prashant Tandon, Co-Founder and CEO of 1mg said, “1mg provides a comprehensive suite of high-quality services for diabetes care, ranging from medicines to doctor consultations, delivered to patients in the comfort and safety of their homes. We are pleased to bring Abbott’s continuous glucose monitoring solutions closer to Indian homes by ensuring easy online access and expert phlebotomy services for FreeStyle Libre Pro application. This is in continuation to our commitment to bring greater access to technology enabled quality care to healthcare consumers.”

India’s population living with diabetes today is 77 million, and that number is expected to cross 100 million by 2030[2]. Poor diabetes control, a factor that has been observed in the Indian population with diabetes, puts them at increased risk of health complications including nerve problems, heart diseases, retinopathy and foot ulcers[3].

Dr. Shashank Joshi, a leading Endocrinologist and Diabetologist and President, Association of Physicians of India said, “Continuous glucose monitoring helps doctors understand glucose level patterns and equip patients to tailor their lifestyles to achieve their health goals. Making these devices available through an online service that integrates with the convenience of experiencing application will help patients manage their glucose levels better.”

Continuous glucose monitoring devices provides a visual display of a patient’s glucose levels over time and how they vary. With this information, patients and their doctors can personalize a treatment plan to help improve patient glucose levels have a greater time in range, i.e., they remain within the recommended limits for longer durations. Abbott’s FreeStyle Libre Pro provides this information through continuous glucose monitoring in a visual, easy-to-read graphical format. FreeStyle Libre Pro was launched in India in 2015. Abbott’s world-leading continuous glucose monitoring portfolio has benefitted more than 2 million people living with diabetes worldwide.

SonyLIV Brings ‘Avrodh: The Siege Within’ - The Untold Story Behind India’s Surgical Strike

On 18th September 2016, the Indian army woke up to the deadliest attack on our security forces in Uri, Kashmir. 10 days later, a Surgical Strike happened to redress the same. While the event is well known, the conspiracy behind it and the details of immense planning by the Indian army remains untold. Unfolding that story for the first time ever, SonyLIV brings the most authentic account of the landmark event in its next original Avrodh: The Siege Within. The 10-part series goes live on the platform on 31st July.

Based on ‘We Don’t Really Know Fear’, the first chapter of Rahul Singh and Shiv Aroor’s celebrated book ‘India’s Most Fearless’ and produced for Applause Entertainment by Samar Khan’s Irada Entertainment LLP, Avrodh revolves around a covert mission. After months of extensive research and consultation with army officials, the narrative was sketched out from different perspectives. To ensure Avrodh gives viewers an authentic view of the events in an engaging and entertaining manner, the makers invested over two years in production of the series.

Directed by Raj Acharya, Avrodh has Amit Sadh play Major Tango, the on-screen version of the 35- year old real-life hero who spearheaded the mission along with an ensemble of actors like Darshan Kumar, Pavail Gulati, Neeraj Kabi, Madhurima Tuli, Anant Mahadevan, Vikram Gokhale and Arif Zakaria.

Comments:

Ashish Golwalkar - Head-Content SET, Digital Business, Sony Pictures Networks India

“SonyLIV’s purpose of existence is to tell ‘the stories of India’, and we could not miss the biggest narrative of our time - the story behind the Stunning Surgical Strike executed by brave Indian Soldiers. We are delighted to partner with Applause who have invested in the best resources, time, and research into bringing this series alive on SonyLIV. Avrodh details the conspiracy behind URI attack and the immense planning, precision and strategy that went into the strike. We are confident that the audience will enjoy this pulsating series that will keep them at the edge of their seat”.

Sameer Nair, CEO, Applause Entertainment

“Stories pertaining to homeland security, the defense forces and our national spirit are important tales to tell and interest widespread audiences. We are proud to present the true story behind the incident that sent shockwaves across the country, and our nation’s determined strike-back. A dedicated and passionate team conceptualized the story from book to screen and that is what makes Avrodh a deeply rooted and inspiring tale. After successfully launching two of our premium shows on SonyLIV, we are excited to present our next offering with them.”

Amit Sadh, Actor, Avrodh

“It’s a delight for an artist to portray a character so iconic and deeply rooted in history. At the same time, it’s about filling in huge shoes so there is a lot of accountability in being Major Videep and in leading the most talked about mission by Indian armed forces. I am glad to have got this opportunity and I hope I have been able to do justice to the role. Avrodh has been a very special experience for all us and we can’t wait to gauge the audience reaction.”

Starting 31st July, 2020, SonyLIV is proud to present Avrodh: The Siege Within

BR Shetty Siphoned-Off Millions from NMC Health to Daughter’s Tottering Businesses

Disclosure 

* Leaked confidential documents reveal that the NMC Health subsidiary transferred payments worth millions to daughter Reema Shetty’s failing business

* While these transfers were termed as ‘internal transfers’, accounts for the year ending December 2015, did not include the above-mentioned entities as subsidiaries

* Shetty was the chief executive and executive VC of NMC Health at the time of the proposed payments

 

In a shocking disclosure on UAE billionaire Dr. BR Shetty whose fortune suffered a blow after his two London-listed companies, hospital chain NMC Health and payments group Finablr, accounting for more than 70% of his net worth, were shrouded in controversies, it has been found that had been pumping millions in his daughter’s struggling business ventures.

Leaked confidential documents reveal that the NMC Health subsidiary transferred two payments of Dh 1m in 2015 to the company behind the 'Just Falafel' chain of restaurants that was established by Dr. Shetty’s daughter Reema and her husband Md. Bitar about a decade earlier.

The very next year, it signed off on five bank transfers totaling Dh 4 million in little more than two months, to another one of her ventures, the UAE based catering and food consultancy company, 'The Foodsters Inc'. This enterprise was set up in 2015 by Reema and her husband after the failure of the global expansion of ‘Just Falafel’.

While these transfers were termed as ‘internal transfers’, accounts for the year ending December 2015, did not include the above-mentioned entities as subsidiaries, nor do they appear among the hospitality interests of BRS Ventures, Shetty’s UAE-based holding company.

Says a forensic accountant, on conditions of anonymity, “The series of proposed payments, approved by NMC raise concerns of potential wrongdoing because they were labelled as internal transfers within the hospital group.”

This exposé amply hints at the fact that Shetty being the chief executive and executive vice chairman of NMC Health at the time of the proposed payments, made payments that were 'unusual' and that the transfers should not have been described as internal movements.

‘’If the group does not own these food companies, then it is not an internal transfer. In the corporate world, it must either be one of three things, for purchasing goods or services, lending money or repaying a debt,” adds the forensic accountant.

While Shetty has been constantly claiming that 'fraudulent transfers' were made that he had no knowledge of, before the company was forced into administration by its largest lender, Abu Dhabi Commercial Bank, these transfers authorised by NMC Health to a company run by a member of his family are raising a big question mark on who was this unidentified person authorizing money transfers from NMC’s account at Bank of Baroda in Abu Dhabi to ‘Just Falafel Holdings Limited’ as well as 'The Foodsters Inc'. The proposed payments are all detailed in transfer request documents sent by NMC Healthcare to the Abu Dhabi branch of the Bank of Baroda.

The former London-listed NMC holding company was forced into administration in April amid claims of fraud, mismanagement and the discovery of undisclosed loans of $4.1 billion (Dh 15bn). Administrators Alvarez & Marsal said last month they were scanning documents and preparing a series of interviews with directors to figure out what could be retrieved for creditors.

The NMC scandal came into the limelight in December last year, when short seller Muddy Waters raised concerns in a report about NMC’s debt, alleging that it was vastly understated. While NMC termed the report ‘false and misleading’, the company’s shares plummeted 64% in the days after the Muddy Waters report was published. In late March, the company admitted to having a debt of $6.6 billion, more than three times the $2.1 billion it reported in June last year.

Sylo Partners with Indian Exchange Bitbns to Serve the Indian Market

Global software development house Sylo has officially partnered with premiere Indian exchange, Bitbns, to better serve the Indian market’s growing demand for legitimate crypto-projects.

A unique place where the old and new worlds collide, it’s clearer every day to those watching the market that #IndiaWantsCrypto

Bitbns, a bona fide cryptocurrency exchange and one of India’s first, represents a significant partnership for Sylo that is positioned to help extend key functionalities into the experience of Sylo Smart Wallet users. 

The Sylo-Bitbns alliance is one that makes sense across business and product levels - with both partners sharing the belief that “digital currencies are the future of money” and are an area to which users need straightforward access.

Through their partnership, Sylo and Bitbns aim to take cryptocurrency usage to the mainstream in India.

Often deemed complex, Sylo solves one of the biggest hurdles to the normalisation of cryptocurrency through the Sylo Smart Wallet, a highly-usable app designed from conception to “make crypto simple”.

The move for a more dedicated expansion into India will not come as a surprise to anyone keeping an eye on the Sylo success story. Recently, the tech firm revealed that in Q2 2020, they had already seen a 500% growth in sign ups to the Sylo Smart Wallet app from India, with Indian users now making up 30% of the app’s more than 250,000 strong overall user-base.

"India's new-found enthusiasm for digital assets and privacy after the restriction of certain privacy-hogging apps like WeChat and TikTok, has presented a significant opportunity to offer India a ‘WeChat’ of sorts that incorporates all the best elements of new generation communications tech, without the privacy concerns, and with the added benefits of crypto assets,” says Bitbns CEO Gaurav Dahake. 

“This is an area where the Sylo Smart Wallet, being developed on decentralised infrastructure, is primed to address, and a key reason we’re excited about this partnership opportunity.”

Sylo also offers a solution for the unbanked of India. In terms of barriers to get started on Sylo, there are very few - neither a sign up cost nor the mandatory provision of an email address or phone number is required in order to create a Sylo Smart Wallet account.

The result of this forward-thinking is the ability to instantly provide millions of people with access to de-fi services. Using the Sylo Smart Wallet, users can request and receive payments in chat, store and interact with digital assets  such as Bitcoin or any ERC-20 compatible token, such as Ether or BAT, in the non-custodial wallet.

“We realised a long time ago that in order to see widespread adoption, we needed to make interacting with crypto as simple as any other activity you might do on a smartphone,” says Dorian Johannink, Sylo Co-Founder and Business Director. “That’s why sending and receiving cryptocurrency in the Sylo Smart Wallet is as straightforward as sending a message.”

“Our design team have worked hard to create an app that is clean, fast, intuitive, and astonishingly simple to use. The Sylo Smart Wallet user statistics speak for themselves, the app has been available for just ten months and already has over a quarter of a million users. We’re confident that Sylo can meet India’s desire to get in the crypto game.”

Other features of the app include the ability to send messages, make audio and video calls, utilise a Web3 Ethereum dApp browser to spend crypto, and to pay using cryptocurrency in the real world at relevant vending machines.

The Sylo-Bitbns partnership will also see the SYLO token, an ERC20-compatible utility token that fuels the Sylo Network, listed on the Bitbns platform as of July 23, 2020.

It’s Time Now to Look Ahead at Life Confidently with Corona Kaavach by HDFC ERGO

HDFC ERGO, the country’s third largest non-life insurance provider in the private sector, announced the launch of ‘Corona Kavach’ policy. This new indemnity health policy will offer cover against medical expenses incurred due to hospitalization of individuals seeking treatment for COVID-19, on positive diagnosis for the virus in a government authorized diagnostic centre. In addition, the policy will also cover expenses incurred on treatment of co-morbidity along with the treatment for COVID-19.

The current pandemic is a grave threat to the health of individuals, whilst also affecting their financial well-being due to the high cost of COVID-19 treatment. But, we must slowly gather the pace to ‘Look Ahead’and move towards the new normal, with confidence. The ‘Corona Kavach’policy indemnifies policyholders for medical expenses on hospitalization for the treatment of the virus and includes the expense incurred on treating co-morbidity along with COVID-19. The policy will also cover road ambulance expenses, in case the service is opted for the purpose of hospitalization due to COVID-19. Home Care Expenses benefit (upto a period of 14 days) will also be covered in the policy for those seeking treatment within the comfort of their own homes, on the advice of a medical practitioner. Additionally, expenses incurred for inpatient care treatment taken under Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) systems of medicines will also be covered under the policy. Policyholders will also be liable for Hospital daily cash, which will be 0.5% of sum insured per day for a maximum upto 15 days, during a policy period.

Commenting on the launch of the new product, Mr. Ritesh Kumar, MD & CEO, HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Ltd., “COVID-19 has brought life to a standstill with many feeling the financial pinch. In such unprecedented times, Corona Kavach by HDFC ERGO will provide customers with the much needed financial respite giving them the confidence to ‘Look Ahead’ in life. We are fully committed in this battle against COVID-19 and will provide our customers with the much required ammunition like access to a wide network of over 11,000 cashless hospitals, swift & hassle-free claim settlements, several services available digitally on HDFC ERGO’s my:health App; all of which will be available to them with our policy.”

The Corona Kavach policy by HDFC ERGO will enable customers to experience superior customer service whereby they can reach out to the Company through various digital platforms which are easily accessible. HDFC ERGO has a robust digital service architecture that has enabled the Company to put in place processes, which are largely paperless. Customers can register their request for filing a claim, policy renewals, and changes in the existing policy, among others through various means like the web portal, mobile apps, IVR, chatbotsand email bots from the convenience of their homes. HDFC ERGO’s settlement of pre-authorized cashless claims withinan average of 14 minuteshas further enhanced customer satisfaction and delight.

As an added advantage, existing indemnity health policyholders can avail a 25% discount and our Health Warriors, i.e. the Health care professionals, especially will be offered an additional 5% discount on purchase of this policy. The policy is available for a minimum sum insured of INR 50,000/- up to a maximum of INR 5,00,000/-. Customers may logon to the Company website www.hdfcergo.com or reach out to HDFC ERGO representatives for more details or purchase the Corona Kavach policy.

About HDFC ERGO:

HDFC ERGO General Insurance Company Ltd. is a 51:49 joint venture between the Housing Development Finance Corporation Ltd (HDFC); India’s premier Housing Finance Institution and ERGO International AG; the primary insurance entity of the Munich Re Group of Germany. HDFC ERGO, the third largest General Insurance provider in the private sector, offers the complete range of general insurance products including Motor, Health, Home, Agriculture, Travel, Credit, Cyber and Personal Accident in the retail space and Property, Marine, Engineering, Marine Cargo, Group Health and Liability Insurance in the corporate space.

Over the last few years, HDFC ERGO has constantly endeavoured to not just align itself to the evolving market needs, but instead be a pioneer in terms of its offerings. Having its ears to the ground has helped the Company create a stream of highly targeted new products and AI-based tools and technology. Be it unique insurance products, integrated customer service models, top-in-class claim process or a host of technologically innovative solutions.

With a wide distribution network and a 24x7 support team, the Company has been offering seamless customer service and innovative products to its customers.For more information on HDFC ERGO and the products and services offered by the Company.

Homegrown Startup Trell Surpasses International Social Networking Giants like Twitter and Pinterest in India

Homegrown Startups 

* With over 45 million downloads, 20 million monthly active users, the lifestyle community commerce app witnesses a 25x surge in last 1 year

With the increasing demand for home-grown apps in India, the Lifestyle content commerce platform Trell has surpassed International Social Networking Giants like Twitter and Pinterest in India with more than 5 million daily active users. Trending at #1 in Free Lifestyle Apps, the platform has received 1.2M uploads in a single day with 400K+ New content creators.

 

With the bold decision by the Indian Government, budding startups like Trell are emerging as a leading industry player in the space. In comparison with Trell, Pinterest and Twitter have also seen an upsurge after the ban on the Chinese app with more than 2 Million DAU on Pinterest and 4.4 million DAU on twitter.

Popularly known as Video Pinterest for Bharat, Trell is the go-to platform for users to share their experiences, recommendations, and reviews across various categories including health and fitness, beauty and skincare, travel, movie reviews, cooking, home-décor and much more. The lifestyle vlogging platform allows users to create 3-5-minute videos in their native languages along with a ‘shop’ feature that lets them purchase the products featured in the vlogs. Additionally, the platform also allows users to earn rewards, goodies and vacations through its interface.

Commenting on the development, Pulkit Agarwal, Co-Founder - Trell said, “We are very excited to see the regular developments on the platform and the increasing interest from users and content creators. With this opportunity, the Indian Internet Startups can grow faster and build a superior experience for the consumers in the long run which was being capped by the established players earlier.”

Since its inception in 2017, Trell has been committed to serving the Lifestyle content needs of vernacular consumers across the country with over 60% of its users hailing from tier-2 and tier-3 cities. Trell has recently launched its platform in three new languages; Marathi, Kannada and Bengali, making the total count to 8 languages (Additionally, Hindi, English, Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam) active so far. 

AgriBazaar Hosts Global Webinar on Landmark Reforms in Indian Agriculture to Discuss Watershed Changes

AgriBazaar, India’s largest Online Agri-Trading Marketplace, held a global webinar titled ‘Landmark Reforms in Indian Agriculture’. The government of India recently promulgated two ordinances: augmenting ease of trade by giving farmers a new and simpler alternative to sell their produce and building a farm-gate infrastructure to ensure that farmers get the desired price for every unit sold. The combination of these two ordinances is envisaged to bring large-scale benefits to the Indian farmer community by addressing their long-standing issues and therefore significantly boost the country’s agriculture.

The webinar was hosted to highlight these watershed reforms and how they can bring a positive change to Indian agriculture. A wide array of opportunities was identified during the webinar such as crop advisory, crop marketing, smart irrigation, leasing of equipment, and new avenues of financing, among others. New ideas and innovations such as digital agri stack, gene editing, plant-based meat, etc, were also discussed. The webinar highlighted the evolution of Indian farmers who are quickly learning the new agri-tech tools by attending various workshops hosted by agri-tech companies during the lockdown.

Speaking on the webinar Regarding level playing field for private e-marketplaces Mr. Sanjay Agarwal, IAS, Secretary (Agriculture) said, “they will be treated at par with the State-sponsored eNAM (National Agriculture Market). “eNAM is a platform that works in mandis. The trade ordinances that the government came out with do not touch mandis. No special place is kept for eNAM in the ordinance. Both the government and private platforms will have equal footing,” he said.

There is no registration or regulation required, except for the fact that they have to declare their fair trade modalities, payment modalities and logistic modalities. And they have to follow these modalities. The government has kept a provision for framing norms for this ecosystem at a later point, if required to use, he added.

Amith Agarwal, Co-Founder & CEO, AgriBazaar said, “It gives me immense pleasure to host this webinar. I saw some of the most brilliant ideas and innovations discussed by the domain leaders and top government officials during the event. The recent reforms undertaken by the Indian Government in the Agri-sector will spur the much-needed investment in the sector and unleash agritech opportunities.”

With a focus on government’s ‘One India, One Agriculture Market’ reforms, the webinar saw participation from senior leaders from the government, industry thought leaders from the private sector, investors and senior industry professionals from the Food and Agriculture Industry across the globe (mainly from Europe, the US, and Asia). Mr Sanjay Agarwal, IAS, Secretary (Agriculture), Dr Rajeev Ranjan, IAS, Secretary (Fisheries), Mr Atul Chaturvedi, IAS, Secretary (Animal Husbandry), and Ms Pushpa Subrahmanyam, IAS, Secretary (Food Processing Industries), Government of India attended the event. The private sector and global investors were represented by Mr Anuj Maheshwari, Managing Director, Agribusiness, Temasek International, Mr Srini Nagarajan, Managing Director and Head of Asia, CDC Group, Mr S. Sivakumar, Group Head – Agri & IT Businesses, ITC Limited, and Mr Balram Yadav, Managing Director, Godrej Agrovet.

About AgriBazaar

AgriBazaar is an online marketplace that is an intelligent and intuitive system delivering future-ready solutions to the Indian agrarian sector. The Indian agri-business is fragmented, and AgriBazaar with its cutting-edge technology and tools is acting as a tech enabler. With capabilities of warehousing, collateral financing and value-added services, AgriBazaar spans across geographies and enhances the efficiencies of the entire ecosystem.

SABIC Extends Humanitarian Support to Indian Communities and Frontline Workers in the Fight Against COVID-19

SABIC, a global leader in diversified chemicals has come forward to support people, communities and frontline workers through its CSR efforts across Vadodara, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai and Bengaluru. These include monetary donations to central and state Governments, distribution of relief material to people and protective kits to the frontline workers.

The company, as part of the monetary aid, has donated INR 1 Crore towards the Prime Minister’s Care Fund. In addition to this, SABIC is continually extending support to the migrant and daily-wage workers across Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu region. SABIC is providing dry rations to help them navigate through these difficult times and to support 30, 000+ families.

SABIC is also undertaking the effort to support India’s frontline and essential services workers such as police and sanitation workers and more. The company will be doing so by donating protective equipment such as masks, gloves, visors and personal protection kits. 

Janardhanan Ramanujalu, Vice President & Regional Head, SABIC South Asia & ANZ said, “COVID-19 pandemic is a global health crisis and its sweeping impact continues in India. Our products are being used in producing personal protection wear and medical equipment such as COVID-19 test kits and ventilators, crucial for saving lives. SABIC team’s response in managing production and ensuring logistics during the lockdown, facilitated much of these equipment in India and around the world. We also fully understand our responsibilities towards supporting the communities we operate in. Therefore, through our CSR initiatives we are supporting those who have been affected by the pandemic.”

SABIC also launched an employee donation and corporate matching campaign. Employees across its India locations donated generously towards relief for COVID-19 and effectively doubled the amount collected with the company matched portion.

In close collaboration with its customers, SABIC is also leveraging its expertise by working with them to manufacture critical material that enables domestic production of COVID-19 test kits, gloves, ventilators, goggles, PPEs, sanitizers and high-grade bottles that can store disinfectants for a longer duration.

Retail sector to grow at 28% during 2008-12 in India

During 2008-2012, the IT market in the Indian retail sector is likely to grow at an estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23 percent; reaching $1.4 billion by 2012, says a report. According to the report titled as 'IT in the Indian Retail Industry: Emerging Trends and Market Opportunities' brought out by Springboard Research; software is estimated to grow at a CAGR of 28 percent for the period under review, while hardware will grow at 19 percent.

Springboard Research is an IT market research and advisory firm. The firm has brought out this report after interviewing leading IT vendors operating in the retail sector and 152 Chief Information Officers from both large and mid-sized retail companies across India. According to Nilotpal Chakravarti, Senior Research Analyst, Springboard Research, although the recession has affected retailers' profitability, it opens a window of opportunity for IT vendors as retailers turn to technology to address the challenging economic scenario. "Many retailers are eschewing curtailing their long-term IT projects, while they remain cautious with short-term IT spending and new investments," he added.

Nearly half of the CIOs in the retail sector interviewed, indicated large format stores/hypermarkets as the top business opportunity in the sector, while competition is named as the biggest business challenge by a majority of the CIOs. Inventory management has emerged as the top strategic IT focus areas for the CIOs, followed by supply chain management (SCM). Enterprise resource planning (ERP) topped the list of business applications in terms of actual deployments in the last 24 months.

According to Springboard's data, POS (Point of sales) is the top preferred store solution that Indian retailers have deployed in their stores. CIOs revealed that a large number of retailers mentioned price as a key determinant in external IT vendor selection, while strong service and support came in the second place on the list of priorities. Other influencers like vendor reputation and existing relationship rank much lower in the priority hierarchy. Springboard also found that local IT vendors have a sizeable foothold in the retail space because they provide low-cost, industry-specific solutions.

According to Springboard's data, SAP, Microsoft and Oracle hold the largest market share in the Indian retail sector, while HCL is the leading local vendor in the retail space. IBM is also named as among the leading vendors in this space.

"Best-of-class retail solutions like RFID, intelligent shelves, and kiosks still remain out of reach for the Indian market because of their high cost. IT vendors should look to address this gap by rationalizing costs, along with clearly defining ROI benefits for clients," said Chakravarti.

Agencies

Have IT cos skipped campus recruitment for 2009-10?

With Nasscom, the software industry's apex body advising its members not to go to campuses for recruitment, the placements at engineering colleges has dried up. However, although 2008-09 was a difficult year for training and placement officers (TPO) at engineering colleges, 2009-10 could be the most critical year for campus placements, reports Economic Times.

JN Pitambare, Dean of Sinhagad Institute says, "Normally, 75-80 percent of the placements used to take place by mid-August. However, this year I will be happy if I am able to place even 10-15 percent of our students by December."

SV Dravid, TPO, DY Patil College of Engineering at Akurdi, near Pune said, "Last year, we had placed 150 students by this time. This year, not a single student has been placed. I hope the situation improves by December." Normally the big software companies finish recruitment by mid-August, placing around 75 percent of the college students.The core sector companies used to come from August, but this year they are non-committal.

Companies have been telling TPOs that their placement requirements are yet to be firmed up since things are not planned yet or they do not know how many projects they will get. "Most of the core companies are in a dilemma. They have promised to come for placements by December," said TPO Federation President Professor Shital Rawandale. Not only are there fewer jobs on offer for 2009-10 but the companies are adopting various techniques to defer the joining dates of candidates recruited last year or even to reject them.

Top colleges like the College of Engineering Pune (COEP) are also facing problems. "Of the 576 students placed last year, only 150 have joined till now. For the rest of them, joining has been deferred from July to December," said Assistant TPO, COEP, SA Meshram.

Some of the selected candidates are being asked to take more tests. With the recession, singing of bonds has also returned. "Some small and medium-sized software companies now want the candidates whom they had already selected to enter into two-year bonds," said a TPO.

Economic Times

Indian firms to shift to Cloud services, says IDC report

Around 40 percent of Indian enterprises are considering the adoption of cloud services to save costs and compete in the challenging market environment reveals, an IDC report. Currently only five percent of the Indian enterprises have adopted cloud technology. "The main reason in India that is driving the interest towards cloud technologies, is its cost-cutting potential," says Surajit Sen, Director Channels, Marketing and Alliances at NetApp India, a storage and data management solutions provider.

Looking at the growing demand for cloud computing, NetApp has unveiled certain enhancements to its storage line. The company is particularly bullish on the Indian market, which is showing more interest to adopt cloud technologies.

"As the technologies supporting cloud computing have improved, the adoption is also set to grow now," said Alok Bardiya, Vice President, Managed Services and Marketing at Tata Communications, which is a cloud computing service provider in India. NetApp is the technology partner for Tata Communications, which has over a million square feet of datacenters around the globe including six datacenters in India.

NetApp unveiled the latest version of its Data ONTAP cloud platform called Data ONTAP 8. According to Sen, the Data ONTAP 8 is a combination of the earlier platforms Data ONTAP 7G and Data ONTAP GX. With this product offering, the company aims to increase the demand for cloud technologies in markets like India.

The Data ONTAP 8 comes with enhancements such as a new technology for seamlessly moving complete data volumes across multiple storage systems called Data Motion. Other enhancements include a new version of its add-on modules for increasing storage performance, an improved end to end multi-tenancy for better security and a new high-density capacity expansion device for its storage appliances.

Agencies

Indian teams among finalists of Cisco Developer Contest 2009

Cisco has announced the 10 shortlisted teams from Phase 1 of Cisco’s global Developer Contest - ‘Think Inside the Box’ - which includes two Indian teams. The shortlist of teams for the final phase was from nearly 110 teams and 900 registrants from 75 countries. These ten teams will vie for 3 winning positions at the end of the final phase. This global developer contest gives developers an opportunity to build exciting Linux-based applications on the Cisco Application Extension Platform (AXP), and win a share of the $100,000 prize pool.

Suresh Kumar, Gopinath Bailur and Gokila Sudarshan, members of Team Ideate, and among the 10, have created an Application Suite for IP Telephony (ASIT). This suite is designed to bring savings to organizations by blocking unauthorized voice calls and reducing network operational costs by automating the telephony installation and verification processes.

Rajesh Kotagiri of team Enhancers designed a local Advertising Mesh Networks which is a proposal to create a platform for local advertising management using the Google AdSense network. This platform aims to create a distributed advertisement-serving platform hosted on the AXP, which will help retail stores use their existing infrastructure to display advertisements on LCD screens. The solution also enables a new revenue stream for businesses, as these advertisements would be carried over existing networking infrastructure.

The global contest ‘Think Inside the Box’ began in October 2008, and was an open challenge for engineers to stretch their imagination and create innovative prototypes with the Cisco Integrated Services Router Application Extension Platform, an open network platform. This application developer contest conducted by Cisco promotes the concept of the network as a platform, and aims to recognize outstanding implementation ideas for application development.

A maximum of three members in each team were allowed to participate and the phase 1 closed on February 27, 2009 culminating into the announcement of the 10 finalists. The entries submitted to this contest are judged by a panel of industry experts and academicians for innovation, technical complexity and overall usefulness of the product.

Finalists will develop their proposed applications on the Cisco AXP platform, and will have remote access to a Simulation Lab hosted by Cisco for developing their applications. The finalists will also present their implementations to a panel of experts comprising senior-level Cisco executives along with other industry luminaries. Three winners will be selected based on weighted judging criteria, and they will receive $50,000, $30,000, and $20,000 respectively.

Did an Indian surrender domain name to Google?

Internet search giant Google has won a cybersquatting case at the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) against an Indian who had tried to block the domain name 'googblog.com'.

According to the information available with the WIPO, Geneva-based WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center has ordered the transfer of domain name to the US-based search giant after Herit Shah of Gujarat offered to surrender the disputed name to Google.

Google had challenged the registering of domain name 'googblog.com' by Shah at WIPO stating that it was confusingly similar to its trademark on which the company has rights.

Cybersquatting is an illegal activity of buying and officially recording an address on the internet that is the name of an existing company or a well-known person, with the intention of selling it to the owner in order to make money.

As per the information available with the WIPO, Google filed the complaint against Shah on March 26 this year. However, the disputed name has been registered by Shah since September 25, 2008.

WIPO is a specialised agency of the United Nations for developing a balanced and accessible international system in the field of intellectual property rights.

The California-headquartered firm has been using the name 'GOOG' as a NASDAQ financial stock ticker since 2004. The company has used the trademark GOOGLE since the inception of its business in 1997.

The search giant operates a blog service under the brand 'Blogger'.

As per the details available with WIPO, a pre-complaint correspondence between the parties (Google and Shah) failed to resolve the dispute.

However on May 2, after commencement of administrative proceedings, Shah stated before the panel that the registration of domain name was in bad faith and was an infringement of intellectual property.

"I was in a bad faith that I can legally keep the domain googblog.com ... I really did very unfair to Google. I sincerely apologise to Google for infringement, misuse of their intellectual property (GOOGBLOG.COM)," Shah stated.

The WIPO panel found in this case the consent-to-transfer request replaces the need to assess the matter under the elements of its Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy and ordered the transfer of the domain name to Google.

Agencies

Indian CEOs better than their western counterparts

Despite the grappling impact of the global meltdown, Indian firms are in a more favorable position as against other countries like the U.S. Over last few years, Indian business houses have come into focus for their international competitiveness that sets them apart from their western counterparts, as per a survey.

Professor Harbir Singh said, "Our very unique difference is that Indian leaders think in English, thanks to the Western education. But, act in an Indian context. They internalize Western best practices and adapt them to India." The findings are based on a study titled 'The DNA of Indian Leadership: The Governance, Management and Leadership of Leading Indian Firms'. It was conducted by Singh along with his three other Management Professors from the University of Pennsylvania, named Peter Cappelli, Jitendra Singh and Michael Useem. In the study, each India CEO was asked asset of questions about the leadership skills, competitive advantage and corporate governance.

According to R.Gopalakrishnan, the Executive Director at Tata Sons, the Indian executives' strategic thinking, risk taking abilities, flexibility as well as the setting of the shared architecture of the firm were some of the important leadership capacities. They are occupied with long-term strategic vision, talent nurturing and maintaining the organizational culture.

Also, the Indian leaders perceive the role of their firms in the society, rather than prioritizing the investors in the company. But, for the Western CEOs, the shareholders emerge at the top of the priority list.

However, as per the report, some of the Indians CEOs carry a unique management trait- the "jugaad" factor, which is the tendency to resort to an unplanned makeshift in the company. "While this can be perceived negatively, it can also be a positive trait because of its inherent inventiveness and survival instinct," concluded Singh.

Agencies

$13 Billion by 2013; Can Indian mobile reach this milestone?

The Compound Annual growth rate (CAGR) of the Indian mobile market is projected to grow at 12.5 percent from 2009-2013 and will exceed by $30 billion. According to Gartner, the India mobile subscriber base will cross around 771 million connections by 2013 and will grow at a CAGR of 14.3 percent in the same period from 452 million in 2009. India is also expected to become 2nd largest mobile consumer market after China.

"The Indian mobile industry has now moved out of its hyper growth mode, but it will continue to grow at double-digit rates for next three years as operators focus on rural parts of the country, growth will also be triggered by increased adoption of value-added services, which are relevant to both rural and urban markets," said Madhusudan Gupta, Senior Research Analyst, Gartner.

The mobile market incursion is projected to increase from 38.7 percent in 2009 to 63. 5 percent in the year 2013.

This growth is primarily because of the operators increasing their focus on the rural market, local consumer durable and electronic companies entering the domestic mobile handset segment, and lower handset prices, Gartner said.

Prepaid subscribers continue to be dominating the Indian mobile connection market. They accounted for more than 93 percent of all mobile connections in 2008 and are expected to grow to more than 96 percent of the connection base by 2013, surpassing 741 million connections versus 312 million in 2008.

The postpaid subscriber base will exceed 29 million subscribers by 2013; grow at 2.5 percent from 23 million in 2008.

The churn rate in India is 53.2 percent in 2009, and despite a maturing market, the ratio is expected to increase to 59.6 percent in 2013.

The overall growth of mobile services in India will be significantly contributed by revenue from data services, with a CAGR of 16.8 percent from 2009 to 2013. Prepaid subscribers are expected to adopt data services faster and more than the post-paid segment. The bulk of revenue will continue to come from voice services.

With the increased growth in data services, the percentage of revenue coming from voice will reduce from 89 percent in 2008 to 86 percent in 2013.

Gartner predicts that a significant drop in Average Revenue per User (ARPU), as the bulk of new subscribers will come from rural areas that are dominated by prepaid subscribers.

With the new operators joining the market, the voice tariffs will decline substantially in 2009. Growth will be triggered by increased adoption of value-added services, which are relevant to both rural and urban markets.

Agencies

Why Indian Internet startups fail to meet VCs expectations?

Internet Services companies in India are one of the largest venture capital [VC] funded companies in India. However, these firms have not delivered as per the expectations of the VCs. "With broadband penetration and PC affordability still an issue, internet companies have not met the expectations we had set two years back," said Sachin Maheshwari, Principal at Draper Fisher Jurvetson [DFJ] India. DFJ has funded many Internet startups like naseeb.com and seventymm.com. VCs had earlier expected the number of internet users in country to grow to 80 million by 2012. But so far it has just reached 40 million and therefore the traffic is too low to generate good revenue.

Many internet companies rely on online advertisement for revenue. They might find it difficult to survive due to low internet users. The internet advertisement revenue in country is $200 million, but majority of it is generated by Google. Few VCs feel that internet companies have not found the correct business model. "The business models that work abroad do not necessarily work in India," says Ritesh Banglani, Senior Investment Advisor, IDG Ventures India.

According to Alok Mittal, General Partner, Canaan Partners, the most successful internet companies in India are subscription based or lead generating like Naukri.com. But despite not meeting expected results, internet companies are still amongst the most favored by VCs. "We expect these companies to do better as when the internet penetration picks up and monetization models are clearer," said DFJ's Maheshwari.

According to Venture Intelligence, 21 percent of the VC deals struck between July 2008 and June 2009 were in internet services. The value of these deals was around $120 million.

Indian founded companies may a beeline for TiE50

TiEcon 2009, the world's largest conference for entrepreneurs, has announced the finalists for the TiE50 Awards. Out of the total 150 companies vying to make it into the final 50, 32 are Indian founded. Selected from nearly 1,200 nominated companies, the finalists represent the hottest emerging startups in five focus segments: Consumer Web, Internet Infrastructure, Cleantech, Wireless and Software.

The selection process for TiE50 winners will be based on a combination of a public poll and private judges' vote. Voting is open to the public beginning Tuesday, April 28, 2009 and closes on Thursday, May 7, 2009. Polls can be accessed at http://www.tie50.net/polling. TiEcon has also established a partnership with social media site Vator.tv to help promote the finalists. Finalists are also encouraged to set up a profile at http://vator.tv/news/show/2009-04-27-tie50-vator-competition-launches.

In addition to the results of the public poll, the finalist companies will be judged on their product or service, market size and dynamics' leadership team, business model and progress since founding. The winning companies will be announced on May 9, 2009. The TiE50 winners will be honored at an award ceremony on Thursday, May 14 in Santa Clara.

"The TiE50 finalists represent some of the most exciting emerging companies that are driving growth and innovation in their specific industry - from cleantech to wireless," said Gary Gauba and Shaukat Shamim, both TiE Silicon Valley Board Members and Co-conveners for TiEcon 2009. "These companies provide a model for aspiring entrepreneurs and while they may not be household names yet, they have the promise to become tomorrow's stars."

TiE50 winners will also present their companies in a live showcase over the two days of TiEcon 2009, on May 15th and 16th in Santa Clara, CA. In addition to being featured at TiEcon 2009, the TiE50 will also receive ongoing support and increased visibility throughout the year. For more information on the TiE50 visit http://tiecon.org/home/tie.

The Indian founded companies in the list include: Signet Solar, Inc., Beceem Communications, Hellosoft, NIKSUN INC., Nokeena, Paloaltonetworks, Vembu, Vrismo Networks, Virident, Yume, Zscaler, Mportal, Mywaves, QIK inc, Reqall, Skyfire, Buzzintown (Wortal Inc), Intent, Jivox, Kosmix, Like.com, Lumosity, Offerpal Media, PlaySpan, Posterous, TheFind.com, Trackle, Zunavision, Adchemy, AlertEnterprise, Aster Data Systems, InMage Systems and xprotean.

Agencies

Is it tough times ahead for Indian IT firms?

Major information technology firms are expected to post a decline in revenue growth in the fourth quarter of 2008-09, primarily on account of project cancellations, say analysts.

"Indian vendors have witnessed several project cancellations during the third and fourth quarter of the fiscal year 2009. The magnitude of project cancellations is different for different vendors," domestic brokerage firm Motilal Oswal said in its India strategy report.

Along with project cancellations, delays in client decision making will cast a toll on 4Q FY-09 volumes, it said. "We expect IT companies to report quarter-on-quarter dollar revenue declines owing to stressed volumes and declining realisations. This is the second consecutive quarter where the sector will see dollar revenue degrowth," it said.

The rupee has depreciated 4.69 per cent against the US dollar during the March quarter, while on an year-on-year basis it has depreciated over 27 per cent.

"Hence, the top-line growth even in rupee terms is expected to remain flat to marginally negative on an organic basis during the quarter," brokerage firm Sharekhan said in its IT earnings preview. Meanwhile, the appreciation of the dollar against other international currencies (euro and pound sterling) would impact the dollar term revenues of the front-line IT firms.

"This is likely to have a negative impact of 2-3 per cent on the dollar term revenue growth rate as the IT companies bill around 25-30 per cent of their revenues in the pound sterling, the euro and Australian dollar," it added.

IT major Infosys would kick-start the quarterly earnings season from April 15 followed by other IT majors -- Wipro, HCL Technologies and Tata Consultancy Services.

"Forward earnings for most companies are not expected to be good. The earnings for the entire IT sector are expected to be bad and the Infosys results are likely to give a new direction to the market," Arun Kejriwal of Kejriwal Research and Investment Services said.

The Sharekhan report stated that amid global turmoil and uncertainty, investor focus would remain on FY-10 guidance. "Going forward, the street would be keenly watching the guidance for FY 2010 as the same would influence the sentiments towards the IT stocks. In rupee terms, the street expects a guidance of a flattish growth in revenues," it noted.

"The street is expecting a revenue growth of 3-4 per cent in rupee terms in FY-10 despite a five per cent y-o-y decline in dollar terms," Sharekhan added. During the January-March period, Infosys scrip has gained 15.38 per cent to Rs 1,324.10 and TCS was up 9 per cent.

While shares of Wipro fell one per cent since January 1, HCL Technologies was up 17 per cent at the end of March 31. "Technology stocks are likely to underperform the markets over the next few quarters," Sharekhan said.

According to Motilal Oswal following substantial across-the-board price cuts, IT companies are hopeful of restricting price cuts to five per cent in the March quarter. Besides, focus on off-shoring would improve the impact from declining realisations.

"We expect growth to start picking up from second half of FY-10, as clients begin to adopt off-shoring to cut costs. As the freeze in technology spending begins to lift, we believe large players would start booking volume growth," Motilal Oswal added.

The Sharekhan report stated that in terms of earnings, Infosys is likely to meet the lower end of its dollar guidance.

Besides, HCL Technologies is likely to report a revenue growth on the back of acquisition of British consultancy firm Axon, which would cast its toll on the operating profit margin of HCL.

Agencies