India’s Digital Infrastructure will Help Revive the Economy: Nandan Nilekani at FICCI NECM

The Co-founder and Chairman of Infosys Technologies, Mr Nandan Nilekani said that India’s digital infrastructure will play a major role in reviving the economy. Mr Nilekani was addressing FICCI members at the National Executive Committee Meeting on ‘Digital India and its Impact on Economy and Industry’ in Bengaluru.

He said that the country has witnessed dramatic transformation through Aadhaar-based e-KYC and online payments, adding that India’s digital data architecture will set the tone for business revival.  “Once data becomes the basis for decision-making in many sectors, you will see a big change,” said Mr Nandan Nilekani.

“World over, data is becoming central to people and government. Data empowerment architecture in India will benefit all segments of the economy,” he said.

Mr Nilekani said that Aadhaar e-KYC has been revolutionary in making life simpler for people and India now has the infrastructure to deal with direct benefits transfers (DBT) in any segment, adding that DBT can revive the power sector.

Mr Nilekani also said that Goods and Services Tax (GST) has increased the number of taxpayers. “GSTN is a great example of technology-led co-operative federalism,” he said and also added that RFID tags linked to bank accounts is another big reform.

Earlier, addressing a session on ‘India’s Growing Bio Economy’, Ms Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Chairperson, Biocon Ltd, said that the country’s Bio-economy sector is set to reach USD 200 billion by 2030.

“Bio-economy is a crucial segment of our economy and the new government must focus on this in a big way,” she said.

Pointing out that in India, the investment in research and development is less than 1% of GDP, Ms Shaw said, “we must invest at least 2% of our GDP in science, technology and research”.

She said that our education system must embrace research culture and we must leverage the powerful tool of scientists and engineers available in the country.

Ms Shaw also said that gene sequencing cost has come down substantially, which can be utilised for diagnosis of critical disease and in other areas — Indian companies can hugely benefit from gene sequencing.

She also urged FICCI to take up the changes required in the Bio-diversity Bill with the government.

In another session, Mr Rajeev Chandrashekhar, MP and Past President, FICCI, said that industry must play an important role in the deliberations on a secure India and a responsive governance structure.

“We have to independently ensure our safety and security,” he said. Mr Chandrashekhar also said that, in another critical area, the process of reforms in governance started in 2014, and added that, “governance reforms with increased transparency will enhance efficiency of spending”.

Mr Sandip Somany, President, FICCI in his opening remarks for the three sessions, talked about the contributions of the three speakers in their respective domains and also the challenges faced by these areas. “Digital empowerment has led to greater inclusiveness, with the efforts of government as well as several private sector enterprises,” while welcoming Mr. Nandan Nilekani.

Ms. Sangita Reddy, Senior Vice-President, FICCI, and Mr. K Ullas Kamath, Chairman, FICCI Karnataka State Council, gave the vote of thanks.

Razorpay Forays Payment Pages: An Easy Way to Accept Payments for Businesses Without a Website or Mobile App

India’s first converged payment solutions company, Razorpay, announced the launch of its Payment Pages today. Convenient and cost-effective, Razorpay Payment Pages is designed to help all kinds of businesses accept online payments with zero integration and minimum set-up, without any hosting costs, maintenance charges or fixed fees.

India’s biggest business unit, SMEs, account for 30% of the country’s GDP. However, 68% of these small and mid-sized businesses do not have any web presence, especially in Tier 2 & 3 cities. Considering the fact that consumers today expect to pay for products and services online through default modes such as Cards and UPI, it is imperative for businesses to be technologically enabled to accommodate them.

Offering online payments to customers especially in the absence of a website or mobile app can be a long daunting process, requiring time and resources that many small businesses cannot afford.

Razorpay Payment Pages is designed to address this pertinent need by helping businesses create a payment page in less than five minutes and go live without any customer support. Some businesses, sometimes, seek to collect payments for a one-time campaign where a separate integration could be cumbersome and time-consuming; Razorpay Payment Pages helps launch a customised page in minutes with a shareable link for multiple use.

Shashank Kumar, CTO & Co-Founder, Razorpay says, “At Razorpay, our aim is to consistently marry intelligent technology solutions with the payment needs of businesses to deliver a sound, cohesive and comprehensive payment experience. Payment Pages is one such product. It is custom made to enable smaller businesses and underserved sectors embrace digital payments with no technical effort at all. We have been receiving some great feedback from our existing merchants who are using Payment Pages,  and we predict a 10X growth in this number by the end of 2019.”

Razorpay Payment Pages will be launched for fee collection at educational institutes, by event organisers, utility companies for bill payments, for not-for-profit organisations and campaigns, for insurance premium collections and for online donations in case of any natural calamities. In its beta version, over 700 businesses started using Razorpay Payment Pages, a few of  them are Schindler, Swiggy, Don Bosco School, BMW Financial Services, Nestaway and, Testbook and FinanceBazaar, among others.

TCL to Launch Complete Range of Home Appliances on April, 25 2019 in Indian Market

As a global top-two television brand and a leading consumer electronics company, TCL revealed its plans of unveiling a complete range of intelligent home appliances in India. Driven with a vision of making life intelligent and following an India-first approach, TCL is gearing up to unveil its latest range of smart and innovative home appliances like AC, Washing Machine, Refrigerator, Sound Bar, in addition to UHD Android TV powered by artificial intelligence. Already an established leader in the TV and home entertainment segment, TCL is expected to further strengthen its position in India with the launch of cutting-edge home appliances.

The announcement also reaffirms TCL’s strong focus and expansion plans in the Indian market. With a view of winning the ‘heart’ of the nation, the brand had recently announced its partnership with Indian Premier League’s (IPL) Delhi Capitals as a sponsor. Also, in December last year, TCL had inaugurated its panel factory - TCL Industry Park in Tirupati, Andhra Pradesh, marking the brand’s first manufacturing unit outside of China. The 1st Overseas Integrated Industry Park in India will not only allow TCL to provide Indian-centric products at competitive prices but also create over 8,000 job, fuelling up the economic development of Tirupati region.

Speaking on the announcement, TCL India Country Manager Mr. Mike Chen, said, “India is home to a growing number of tech-savvy and digital users that demand more from the products that they use. Driven to make life intelligent through our products ranges, we are going to launch a range of innovative and affordable home appliances for our Indian consumers. At TCL, it has been our endeavour to follow an India-first approach, as reflected in our brand promotion strategy or the launch of our first-ever factory plant in India. We are affirmative that our latest range of products will resonate with the mature sensibilities of Indian users, providing them with smart home appliances that easily integrate the latest advancements in the field of artificial intelligence, Internet of Things, amongst others.”

TCL has unveiled industry-leading innovations through its prime focus on a customer-first approach. Instead of relying on the buzzwords, TCL studies the market requirements and innovate to offer cutting-edge technologies that daily users can easily adopt. Owing to its deep understanding of Indian consumers provided through an Indian-first approach, the brand has integrated AI-enabled Google assistance in its range of products. As part of the latest plans, TCL would be packing its competitive advantages in key areas like OLED printing technology, Quantum Dot display material and technology, and AI and IoT in the home appliances segment to make everyday life intelligent in India.

Soon after its national launch, TCL has emerged as one amongst the leading players in the Indian market. As per the Economic Times, TCL is ranked fifth in the Indian market, in terms of 2018 sales of televisions. With an envious product range that leverages industry-leading advancements in artificial intelligence and IoT, TCL is clearly a consumer favourite for various categories, such as home entertainment. Furthermore, the launch of innovative home appliances in the near future will further strengthen TCL’s position as a household brand for the Indian consumers. A Global leading Smart Technology Company, TCL is present across 160 countries and regions across the globe.

Fleetwood, Hull and Gallacher to Take on the Hero Challenge in Liverpool

Tommy Fleetwood, the host of the Betfred British Masters, will be joined by Charley Hull and Stephen Gallacher for an action-packed evening of golf at Liverpool Waters’ Princes Dock on Tuesday May 7 as the innovative Hero Challenge returns for the first edition of the 2019 season.

Taking place during the week of the Betfred British Masters at Hillside Golf Club in Southport, the fast and fun event will bring golf into the heart of Liverpool’s historic waterfront, and fans can secure FREE tickets at LostInTV.com

Hull becomes the first female player to participate in the Hero Challenge, as the Ladies European Tour and LPGA star joins Gallacher, who won his fourth European Tour event last month at the Hero Indian Open, to take on 2017 Race to Dubai Champion and local favourite Fleetwood.

Three more players will complete the line-up as they go head to head in the exciting shoot out event in Princes Dock, located on Liverpool’s incredible World Heritage Site waterfront.

Fleetwood is following in the footsteps of his fellow countrymen Ian Poulter, Luke Donald, Lee Westwood and Justin Rose when he hosts the Betfred British Masters in his native Merseyside. The man who contributed four points to Europe’s remarkable 17½ - 10½ Ryder Cup triumph at Le Golf National last September, will make his second Hero Challenge appearance when he tees it up in Liverpool.

He said: “It’s such an honour to host the Betfred British Masters in my home town, and I’m excited to start off the week in style by bringing golf right into the heart of Liverpool with the Hero Challenge.

“It’s always a really fun night, and I’m sure Charley and Stephen will be just as keen to win as I am, so there should be plenty of entertainment for the fans in Princes Dock.”

Hull, who has three professional victories worldwide and is a three-time Solheim Cup player, broke new ground when she and Georgia Hall formed the first England Women team to play on the European Tour in last season’s GolfSixes. She is looking forward to playing in another innovative golf event.

She said: “I think the Hero Challenge is a great idea to help bring golf to new fans. I really enjoyed playing against the men at GolfSixes and it will be a lot of fun to play in another innovative event.

“Teeing off in the centre of a city will definitely be something new for me and I can’t wait to give it a go.”

Scotsman Gallacher birdied three of his last four holes to produce a stunning comeback and win his first European Tour title in five years at the Hero Indian Open in March. Like Fleetwood and Hull, the Scotsman has also represented Europe, playing in The 2014 Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. He’s also a passionate supporter of junior golf, through the Stephen Gallacher Foundation.

He said: “The Hero Challenge seems like a great way of bringing golf to new fans and hopefully getting more young players excited about the game.

“Teeing it up in Princes Dock will definitely be an interesting experience, and I’m looking forward to trying to get my hands on another trophy.”

Hero MotoCorp Ltd - the world’s largest manufacturer of motorcycles and scooters – has reaffirmed its commitment to innovation on the European Tour by continuing to support the Hero Challenge, which boasts past winners including 2018 Masters Tournament champion Patrick Reed of the United States, Swedish Major Winner Henrik Stenson, and former World Number One Lee Westwood of England.

Owned by regeneration business Peel Land and Property, Liverpool Waters is a £5 billion waterfront development scheme which is transforming the city’s north docks, including development of numerous residential, commercial and leisure facilities across five distinct neighbourhoods. The stunning location takes on hosting duties as the Hero Challenge comes full circle, after a successful debut at the British Masters in 2016.

The Hero Challenge will take place on Tuesday May 7 and will be shown live across the European Tour’s digital platforms. Free tickets to be there in person are available at LostInTV.com

The Betfred British Masters takes place at Hillside Golf Club, part of the glorious stretch of terrain recognised as England’s Golf Coast, from May 9-12, and tickets are available at europeantour.com/tickets

Nutanix Unveils Returnship Programme for Women Seeking to Re-Enter Workplace in India

Enterprise cloud computing leader, Nutanix, has announced the launch of a returnship programme for women, as part of the company’s continued investment in India.

WomEncore, (women encore), will seek to open the door back into the workplace for women whose careers have been interrupted due to family or other reasons by re-skilling and re-equipping them for a continued career in the digital workplace.

The programme will initially target eighty women, comprising two intakes of forty throughout the year. Each four-month training programme will consist of both classroom training and practical workplace experience designed to help them better re-integrate into a digital workforce and open the door to full time employment.

The programme is part of a Nutanix initiative to ensure opportunity and choice for women in STEM. Potential applicants must have a college degree and have been out of the workforce for over 2 years.

Commenting on the initiative, Sankalp Saxena, Senior Vice President and Managing Director, Nutanix India, said “Personal sacrifice should not be a barrier to fulfilling dreams and potential. WomEncore is our way of saying thank you to those women who have put family before career and ensuring that we offer a way back for talented individuals as well as a commitment to help re-launch the careers of a select few.”

WomEncore is just one of a series of programmes initiated by Nutanix in India. The enterprise leader also has a long-standing successful internship programme for its engineering and product support teams.

The initial WomEncore programme will commence on April 22nd, 2019.  Interested applicants can find full details of eligibility online via the WomEncore site at www.WomEncore.in

Emirates to Expand Reach to Six Indian Cities with SpiceJet Codeshare Partnership

Emirates and SpiceJet have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to enter into a reciprocal codeshare agreement, which is set to open new routes and destinations for passengers travelling between India and popular destinations across Africa, America, Europe and the Middle East.

Subject to necessary government approvals, the partnership will enable Emirates’ passengers to enjoy seamless connectivity on flights to India, leveraging SpiceJet’s strong domestic presence and adding six new destinations: Amritsar, Jaipur, Pune, Mangalore, Madurai and Calicut - to the nine existing cities in India served by Emirates. This will bolster Emirates’ already-extensive network adding a total of 67 weekly connections between Emirates’ hub in Dubai to these six fast growing destinations in India. This includes increased domestic connectivity  from Emirates’ nine Indian gateways to points such as Goa, Hubli, Guwahati, Vishakhapatnam and Tuticorin which would allow for a greater variety of travel options between both Emirates and SpiceJet flights.

“Our journey in India has been defined by progressive investment, partnership and growth. We constantly try to improve and provide our customers with greater flexibility and travel choices. This partnership with SpiceJet and the mutual expansion of our network will go a long way in further enhancing the travel experience of our customers in India as well as those heading into India, benefiting travellers and businesses alike,” said Adnan Kazim, Emirates’ Divisional Senior Vice President, Strategic Planning, Revenue Optimization and Aeropolitical affairs.

Passengers travelling from India will have more choice to travel seamlessly with minimum connection times, when flying to destinations in Emirates' Europe network such as London, Paris, Frankfurt, Manchester and Amsterdam. The codeshare agreement will also open up flights for Indian travellers to North and South American destinations such as New York, Washington, Toronto, and Sao Paulo as well as Middle Eastern destinations such as Jeddah, Kuwait and Amman, operated by Emirates.

SpiceJet passengers travelling from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmedabad, Kochi, Amritsar, Jaipur, Pune, Mangalore, Madurai, Kozhikode and 41 other domestic destinations that the airline operates to, will be able to access Emirates’ expansive network across the globe..  Optimized scheduling will allow for minimal transit times between India and these global destinations and travellers on these codeshare routes will be able to book connecting flights using a single reservation.

 “I am delighted to announce that as part of SpiceJet’s international expansion strategy, we have signed a MoU for a codeshare agreement with Emirates. This new partnership should immensely benefit passengers travelling on both airlines. While SpiceJet passengers from across India will be able to enjoy seamless connectivity leveraging Emirates vast network across Europe, Africa, America and the Middle East those travelling to India on Emirates will be able to travel to 51 destinations across our domestic network,” said Ajay Singh, Chairman and Managing Director, SpiceJet.

SpiceJet is India’s second-largest airline in terms of domestic market share.  Founded in 2005, it now serves 51 cities in India and nine international destinations.

If Data is Oil, Business Information is is Petrol! Expert Opinion

By Heramb Thuse,
Head Cloud Solutions & Presales
Crayon Software Experts India

Funny title! Isn't it? IT world is always chasing new phrases and new tech jargons, fancy new ideas and new ways to apply new tech concepts. Every technology innovation is better than a previous one, and helps in solving current business problem effectively. Every new cool thing/innovation attracts both - the presenters and recipient. Both of them spend time and resources to understand the entire process before getting into business value, TCO analysis, and transformation journeys etc.

Cloud is the new normal
There was a time when Cloud had been just a buzz word and IT professionals were trying to understand concerns associated with it. There were a lot of security related myths initially, lot of eye brows were raised when enterprises had to move their in premises workloads to Cloud. Cloud as a solution stood tall and proved its value, helped answer questions on security effectively and efficiently. But those days are long gone and today, 'Cloud is the new normal'. Enterprises don't feel abnormal now to put their critical applications, data in cloud. Board room discussions are now revolving around Multi Cloud strategy.

So now what's next?
As advancements kept on happening, the large-scale compute power, ability to crunch peta bytes of data in quick time and development in ability to solve business problems with algorithmic approach brought two new fancy tech terms - Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Today, AI is a hot topic of discussion in boardrooms, as professionals seek to improve profitability, monetise value of data, and capture new market share. Every enterprise would wish to use these technologies to gain competitive edge, better their products and services and quickest possible go to market decisions.

While everyone is trying to understanding ML and AI, we see enterprises still struggling to see business value out of these two. Even people confuse and interchangeably use ML, AI, data analysis terminologies. While decision makers are going through workshops, presentations and brain storming sessions, there is a large chunk of enterprises not even aware the size of disintegrated data islands exist in their own enterprises. This heap of data they are generating, maintaining and spending money for is even not used for analytics to take any decisions.

Many times enterprises are unable to derive the value of data due to lack of knowledge, lack of information and wrong notions of how it can work. Many times , it is even considered not possible that two dispersed, isolated, inherently different data sources like databases, excels, op premise and in cloud etc., can talk to each other and produce information.

Extracting Business Information from Raw Data
There are many solutions that can help convert 'Oil' (Raw Data) into meaningful and more valuable 'Petrol' (Business Information). CXO's will see lots of value in this petrol and would love to see this Crude oil producing Petrol.

Enterprises can go for business analysis / data visualisation tools or solutions like Microsoft Power BI, AWS Quick sight or Tablue, etc. Interestingly, most of these tools follow 'pay-per-usage' model and can be subscribed on a monthly basis. So, enterprises need not to invest in them perpetually before they even see the value in them. Application of these tools / solutions can not only bring value out of Data but an entire new way of looking at collaborative effort to achieve more in less. Suddenly Data starts speaking, for example, Data of Financial system and applications start adding value to CRM, CRM Data adds value to purchase department, two diverse entities and departments start new ways and means to work in tighter processes. Adds a lot of value to decision makers to see inter related, inter dependent departments with their own and isolated data ponds producing meaningful information on an integrated, orchestrated, intuitive platform for effective live decision making.

It is very interesting journey to see the hidden value of data. These tools help in finding new meaning to data and help decision makers take an informed decision. The ability to intuitively analyse data helps to comprehend it quickly. Various statistical models, which otherwise look impossible to use for different and huge volume of data, suddenly become easy to use and experiment with. These tools bring lots of value and use cases, especially when they collaborate and can help in predictive analysis for business, which any decision make would love to have.

By no means the Data visualisation tools are alternatives to MI / AL, but surely can bring a lot of value and direction to decision makers to decide the priorities, business models and areas of business focus where ML/ AI can be used for business advantages more effectively.

So in a nutshell, even before one thinks about ML and AI, one to ask ourselves and other business stakeholders, have we made an attempt to convert our Oil (Data) into Information (Petrol).