Alankit Through its Subsidiary Verasys Technologies Offers Secure e-Sign Facility Across India

Alankit forays into the electronic signature space with Verasys Technologies to offer secure e-Sign service across India under the brand name Vsign, targets a subscription base of over 5 Million in its launch year

A subsidiary company of Alankit Limited, a leading private player in the e-governance space, Verasys Technologies has announced its entry into the electronic signature space to provide secure e-Sign service under the brand name Vsign.

Armed with a Digital Signature Certificate (DSC) as a Certified Authority (CA) issued by the CCA (Control of Certifying Authority), Alankit via Verasys Technologies offers secure e-signatures with diverse, inbuilt functionalities including user consent, Digital Signature Certificate issuance request, Digital Signature creation and affixation and an established audit trail to confirm the authenticity of transactions and data integrity, all in conformity with the regulatory framework and relevant provisions of the Information Technology Act.

Revealing the rationale behind the venture, Mr. Ankit Agarwal, Managing Director, Alankit Limited said, “For any change to reap optimal results, it is necessary for all players to contribute and Verasys Technologies, a subsidiary of Alankit is doing just that. With proven technology expertise, Alankit is committed to Digital transformation in India. With this license, we aim to utilize and further optimize and increase the viability of our franchise network to benefit the end consumer."

Not to mention, e-Sign is a convenient digital tool that facilitates the digital signing of documents along with seamless integration capabilities with service delivery applications via an API-based model. It’s worth noting that company’s e-Sign service estimated to be 25-30% more economical compared to its peers in the market. Additionally, the security concerns surrounding digital signatures have been adequately addressed. The private keys of the e-sign users are developed on a Hardware Security Module (HSM) that is damaged immediately upon one-time use. Further, the short validity period of the certificate mitigates concerns on the key storage and key protection front.

How e-Signatures work

A key feature of the e-Sign solution is its simple process and flexibility in configuration structure, which is aligned to the e-KYC services, with the facility to record e-KYC IDs and enable instant verification of the identity of the signatory. The authentication options for e-KYC comprise both biometric features as well as OTP function.

The online signature is validated by an OTP based authentication process which is enabled through e-KYC verification of the e-Sign user, with simultaneous encrypted signature on the document being accomplished with the help of a secure backend server of a service provider. The e-Sign services can be provided, in the first place, only by legally authorized third-party service providers with a valid licence as Certifying Authorities (CA). Verasys Technologies is one amongst such legally recognized organizations.

To further enhance the security and ensure user privacy, the e-Sign requires submission of only the thumbprint (hash) for completion of the signature formalities, rather than the entire document. E-Sign services allow easy access to online signature function, irrespective of time and place, without the need for physical presence. In case of processes with mandatory signature requirements, Alankit, through Verasys Technologies, has drastically speeded up the process to a day or two, as against the traditional, prolonged tenure of 2-3 weeks.

The Government’s Digital India program is fast gaining traction and is witnessing increased adoption of paperless, eco-friendly technologies. Use of digital signature is a step in this direction. Given that the signature function operates as a widely accepted authorization tool with application across industry segments, Alankit expects to realise higher volume of user subscriptions mainly from banks, NBFCs, insurance companies, Government department and other sectors, where secure authentication of online transactions and implementation of best practices in governance, risk management, and compliance (GRC) remains a core priority and where the physical signature can be successfully substituted with an e-signature.

India Ratings and Research Assigns Investment-Grade Rating, ‘IND BBB-’ Stable to Runaya Refining LLP

Runaya Refining has been assigned a long-term issuer rating of ‘IND BBB-‘ by India Ratings and Research. The rating is assigned on the basis of Runaya Refining’s operational linkage with a strong counterparty, continuation of timely implementation of the project, successful tie-up with foreign technology company, low working capital requirement, and high customer concentration.

Annanya Agarwal, CEO – Runaya Refining said, “We are delighted that Runaya is assigned investment-grade credit rating, in spite of being in project phase, demonstrating very strong project dynamics. This also validates the robust financials of the company and its lean operational model. Runaya’s vision is to enable sustainable growth in the aluminium industry. The development of the project will be an important strategic initiative that will create value-added products that will benefit regional and global markets.”

According to India Ratings and Research, the definitive agreement that Runaya Refining has entered into with Vedanta for the processing of aluminium dross till March 2023 will contribute steadily to the topline of the project. The company is also implementing hot and cold dross units near Vedanta’s cast houses in Jharsuguda for recovering metal content.

Another reason cited is that since commencing operations from October 2018, Runaya Refining is running on track with commissioning of units and expansion of capacity. Runaya is expected to commission the Hot dross processing Plant and briquette plant by October 2019, which is on schedule.

Runaya has also entered into a perpetual, exclusive agreement with TAHA International for using its aluminium dross processing technology in India. The agreement include setting dross processing unit in Odisha for which it has already received the ‘consent to establish’ from Odisha Pollution Control Board. It will enable the company to develop an end-to-end solution in aluminium dross handling – the first of its kind in India.

Finally, the rating agency has accounted in the comfortable liquidity position and the positive cash flow from operations of the company. The inventory holding will also be negligible. The company will experience high customer concentration that will secure its revenue.

It is True! Women Have a Better Approach to Investing in India

By Hena Mehta, Founder & CEO at Basis on ‘It’s true! Women have a better approach to investing’

As more and more studies show, women are great are investing and financial planning. And we do it by just being ourselves.

Women are naturals at investing. So why don’t more of us do it more often? Despite having worked in financial services for nearly a decade years, I’m still surprised that not only are there fewer women fund managers, but also women investors. That’s odd because study after study proves that women could teach men a few things when it comes to investing

If you need more persuading, look up the book ‘Warren Buffett Invests Like A Girl’. If the world’s foremost investor is channelling his feminine side to make billions of dollars, what’s stopping us? If you’ve been toying with the idea of investing, here’s why you might already have what it takes to succeed:

1) Women look at the bigger picture

When it comes to financial planning, women are in it for the long haul. We opt for long-term investments rather than rely on stock market trends and hot stock tips. We’re not easily fazed when markets are volatile and don’t sell as a knee-jerk reaction. Rather we believe that slow and steady earn big gains.

2) We’re less likely to gamble

Women are more cautious and skip unnecessary risks. As a result, we’re less likely to lose a large amount of money over an impulsive transaction. We also prefer to invest in different types of investment products and have more balanced (risk and return) investment portfolios that consist of equities, mutual funds and fixed income securities.

Despite being fewer in number, women fund managers are as successful as their male counterparts.

3) We’re less impulsive and emotional

That’s right, ladies! It turns out that men often invest for the thrill and the risk, while we women invest to increase our financial security. Think retirement planning and saving up for our child’s education. Studies have also found that we’re better under pressure and less influenced by the highs and lows of the stock market. While men are likely to sell when a stock crashes, women are patient and therefore enjoy more significant gains on the same stock in the long run.

4) We take research seriously

Women have an eye for detail, so it’s no surprise that like Buffett, we’re are more likely to research every company in-depth before investing our money. We’ll pore over news articles, annual reports and even the history of a company’s management team in the run-up to investing. Instead of parking our savings in a trendy new company, we’re more likely to pick the brands we use often and can relate to.

Women prefer to buy shares in companies we’re familiar with.

It’s not just our approach to investing that’s different; the needs that drive our investments are too. Take the pay gap, for example. Since we’re paid less for the same job, our money has to work that much harder. Retirement is another aspect worth considering. Statistically, women have a longer life span than men, which means greater expenditure. While women now have a higher disposable income, we’re still playing by the rules of a system that’s been primarily designed and dominated by men.

These were the flints that sparked Basis, an online platform that powers personal finance for women. By focusing on women as emerging investors, we provide innovative investment solutions that help them take charge of their finances. And if Buffett’s example is anything to go by, we women have a lot to look forward to.

Ather Energy Raises $51Mn in the Latest Round of Funding Led by Sachin Bansal

Ather Energy, India’s first intelligent electric scooter manufacturer, raised an investment of $51 Mn in its latest round of funding, led by Sachin Bansal’s investment of $32 Mn. Ather Energy was one of the earliest start-up investments of Sachin Bansal when he invested $0.5 Mn in the firm as an Angel investor in 2014. Hero MotoCorp has converted its Convertible Debt of $19 Mn as a part of this round. In addition to this, InnoVen Capital has extended an $8 Mn venture debt.

The company’s flagship Ather 450 opened for pre-orders in Bengaluru in June 2018 with deliveries beginning in September 2018. The scooters have piqued the interest of automobile and tech enthusiasts alike, selling out stocks till September 2019. Ather is now entering an aggressive expansion phase, with the opening of pre-orders in Chennai in the coming weeks, and eventually scaling to 30 cities by the end of 2023. To meet the projected demand in the coming years, the company is planning a new manufacturing facility which will be designed to produce 1 million vehicles a year. Ather Energy will also set up 6500 Ather Grid fast charging points across the country over the next 5 years with a projected investment of INR130 Cr.

In the past 6 months, the Ather 450 owners have clocked more than 6 lakh km in Bengaluru and Ather Grid, company’s public charging network, has 31 fast charging points in Bengaluru and 7 fast charging points in Chennai. Ather is the first in the country to offer innovative purchase options like lease, with monthly payments as low as INR 2517, which make the intelligent electric scooter accessible to the 18 million Indian two-wheeler market. They have also been a pioneer in the post sales experience innovation with a subscription plan named Ather One which is a one-stop solution that includes doorstep pick up and service, 24X7 roadside assistance, free charging at home and in public etc. Being a connected vehicle, Ather 450 has received multiple over-the-air (OTA) updates since September 2018, adding features like new ride modes, guide-me-home lights, making them one of the fastest iteration cycles in the country.

Quote by Tarun Mehta, Co-founder & CEO, Ather Energy: “Electric vehicles are here to stay and Ather is playing a leading role in driving this change. Sachin has been part of our growth journey and this investment is a strong endorsement of the momentum we’ve built over these years. Post the successful launch in Bengaluru, we are eager to reach out to consumers in other cities and to build more products that will excite consumers to switch to electric vehicles. The changing landscape of personal transport has also offered us more opportunities and you will hear about the new business models that we are investing in very soon.”

Quote by Sachin Bansal: “The traditional auto industry is up for a redefinition. Watching Ather closely since my early investment in 2014, I am convinced that the ecosystem that Ather is building with their products is the future of urban mobility. Their focus on end to end customer experience will open up new revenue opportunities and accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles in India. The future is electric and I am excited to be a part of this journey in shaping the future.”

About Ather 450: The Ather 450 is designed for city riding conditions, it has a top speed of 80 km/hr, a range of 75 km and one of the quickest in the scooter category with an acceleration of 3.9 seconds from 0-40 km/hr. Also, for the first time in the category, Ather 450 comes with parking assist, which allows riders to reverse into tight parking spots.

The key differentiator of the Ather 450 are its intelligent features, seamless charging and ownership experience. The Ather 450 has a 7” touchscreen dashboard that allows onboard navigation with options of alternate routes and saved locations. It comes with the Ather app that enables push navigation from the phone to the vehicle dashboard, remote monitoring of the vehicle’s health and charge status. Finally, with the over-the-air (OTA) updates functionality, the vehicle can improve over time with continuous upgrades and the addition of new features and functionalities.

About Ather: Ather Energy, India’s first intelligent electric vehicle manufacturer was founded in 2013 by IIT Madras alumni, Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain. Backed by founders of Flipkart, Tiger Global, Hero Motocorp and others, Ather Energy has designed India’s first truly intelligent electric scooters - Ather 450 & Ather 340 - powered by a comprehensive public charging network, Ather Grid, built and designed in India. With 31 charging Points in Bengaluru and 7 charging Points in Chennai, Ather Grid is the largest fast charging network for electric vehicles in the country. The company’s product line has won 25 awards in the design, automotive and technology categories. With over 51 patent applications, 113 trademarks and 123 design registrations to its name, Ather Energy aims to provide consumers with the best possible ownership experience. Ather Energy currently operates in Bengaluru and will be entering the Chennai market in the coming weeks, followed by other major cities across the country.

GMO-PG Ties Up with ToneTag to Widen its Payment System Offerings in Japan and APAC

Aims at facilitating an issuer-and-acquirer network built on the futuristic soundwave technology to introduce a more efficient, accessible, convenient, and secure payment system

With a vision to establish a revolutionary sound-based ecosystem throughout Asia-Pacific, ToneTag, India’s leading sound-based proximity communications and payment services provider, recently announced its collaboration with GMO Payment Gateway, Inc. (GMO-PG). This strategic partnership will provide ToneTag with avenues to expand its sound-based network while strengthening the value-proposition of GMO through facilitation of an advanced contactless services.

Under this collaboration, ToneTag will deploy an issuer-and-acquirer network on a sound-based payment ecosystem for GMO, introducing a range of banking and retail solutions for augmented end-customer experience. This will add another optimal and scalable value-added method to GMO’s comprehensive payment services offerings, enabling its clientele to leverage cutting-edge soundwave technology for highly secure, quick, and seamless financial transactions. Harnessing the power of sound, ToneTag is redefining both financial and retail industries by empowering businesses to expedite their payment processes and improve their holistic customer experience.

Sharing an insight into the partnership, Kumar Abhishek, Co-founder and CEO, ToneTag remarked, “ToneTag has been leading the charge in bringing about a transformational shift within the financial industry through its highly disruptive services based on soundwave technology. Our constant focus on the uptake and development of such a revolutionary technology has culminated in the organization’s stellar growth so far. At this juncture of exponential growth, having a reputed organization as GMO on board will help us scale newer heights. We believe that this collaboration will certainly help us further our vision towards a major comprehensive expansion while helping us provide our highly innovative, optimum, secure, and foolproof financial services to a wider global audience.”

Since its inception, ToneTag has made a massive headway in the global digital payments space, deploying the revolutionary soundwave technology to facilitate a bouquet of financial services to its customers and associates. The organization’s association with globally reputed internet company GMO aligns with its objective of expansion and provision of financial services for an enhanced experience. Through this association, ToneTag envisions to escalate its value-proposition to a wider audience while spearheading the transformation of the financial landscape on a global scale.

Global Smartphone Sales Declined 2.7% in First Quarter of 2019; Samsung, Huawei Lead the Pact

Global sales of smartphones to end users declined 2.7% in the first quarter of 2019, totaling 373 million units, according to Gartner, Inc. Despite its absence from the U.S., Huawei maintained its ranking as the No. 2 smartphone vendor worldwide and continued to reduce the gap with Samsung.

“Demand for premium smartphones remained lower than for basic smartphones*, which affected brands such as Samsung and Apple that have significant stakes in high-end smartphones,” said Anshul Gupta, senior research director at Gartner. “In addition, demand for utility smartphones* declined as the rate of upgrading from feature phones to smartphones has slowed, given that 4G feature phones give users great advantages at a lower cost.”

Slowing innovation in flagship smartphones and rising prices continued to extend replacement cycles. The two countries that sell the most smartphones, namely the U.S. and China, saw sales decline by 15.8% and 3.2%, respectively, in the first quarter of 2019.

In the first quarter of 2019, Samsung retained the top spot in worldwide smartphone sales achieving 19.2% market share (see Table 1). Huawei achieved the highest year-over-year growth among the world’s top five, growing 44.5% and smartphone sales totaling 58.4 million units.

Sales of Huawei smartphones grew in all regions. “Huawei did particularly well in two of its biggest regions, Europe and Greater China, where its smartphone sales grew by 69% and 33%, respectively,” said Mr. Gupta. Huawei’s continued dominance in Greater China, where it commanded a 29.5% market share, helped it secure the No. 2 global smartphone vendor ranking in the first quarter of 2019.

“Unavailability of Google apps and services on Huawei smartphones, if implemented, will upset Huawei’s international smartphone business which is almost half of its worldwide phone business. Not the least it brings apprehension among buyers, limiting Huawei’s growth in the near term,” said Mr. Gupta.

Samsung and Apple Recorded Year-Over-Year Declines

Despite a decline in its smartphone sales of 8.8% in the first quarter of 2019, Samsung remained the No. 1 smartphone vendor worldwide. “Samsung launched its flagship Galaxy S10 smartphone portfolio, which received a good response. However, its impact was limited as Samsung only started shipping the S10 at the end of the first quarter,” said Mr. Gupta. “Samsung also strengthened its midtier and entry-tier smartphone ranges with a refreshed A series and J series and the newly introduced M series, but aggressive competition from Chinese manufacturers limited their impact.”

Sales of Apple iPhones totaled 44.6 million units in the first quarter of 2019, a decline of 17.6% year over year. “The price cut for iPhones across markets helped drive up demand but wasn’t enough to restore growth in the first quarter,” said Mr. Gupta. “Apple is facing longer replacement cycles as users struggle to see enough value benefits to justify replacing existing iPhones.”

Competition for the No. 5 Spot Continued

Vivo beat Xiaomi to claim the No. 5 spot in the first quarter of 2019. Vivo sold 27.4 million smartphones during the quarter. Xiaomi sold 27.2 million.

The latest features, such as in-display fingerprint scanner, slider camera, fast charging and almost bezel-less display, helped Vivo achieve double-digit smartphone sales growth in the first quarter of 2019. “However, the company could do much better by expanding its range of its entry-tier smartphones and selling them in emerging Asia/Pacific markets,” said Mr. Gupta.

Further information is available in the Gartner report titled “Market Share: PCs, Ultramobiles and Mobile Phones, All Countries, 1Q19Update.”

A basic smartphone is a voice-centric mobile device with enhanced features, such as a 4-inch screen with a resolution of 720p or higher and, often, a dual-core processor, along with integrated email, social networking and voice over Internet Protocol support.

A utility smartphone is a voice-centric, entry-level mobile device, generally of low cost, with limited specifications and functions. It is mainly aimed at emerging markets and first-time users, and often used for prepaid subscriptions.

vivo Unveils Y15 with AI Triple Rear Camera and 5000 mAh Battery at Rs 13,990

vivo, the global innovative smartphone brand, today announced the launch of the Y15, the latest entrant in the Y-Series portfolio. The vivo Y15 is a feature packed smartphone with AI Triple Rear camera, powerful 5000mAh battery and a 16-megapixel front camera priced at Rs 13,990.

Y15 offers AI Triple Rear Camera (13MP + 8MP + 2 MP) capable of capturing Wide Angle Images of up to 120° along for its photography savvy customers to enjoy clicking pictures of high quality. For customers on the move, Y15 is loaded with 5000mAh battery which gives an uninterrupted smartphone experience to the users. Seamless performance, high capacity and a screen-to-body ratio of 89% for an immersive viewing experience are other features that Y15 is sporting. The crisp 16.15cm Halo FullView Display, enhances the user’s visual amusement experience and makes tackling the daily to-do lists easier than ever before.

Like all vivo devices, the Y15 follows commitment to ‘Make in India, vivo Y15 is also manufactured at vivo’s Greater Noida facility. The Y15 will be available in Aqua Blue and Burgundy Red color variants across leading online platforms (Flipkart, Amazon.in, Paytm, Tata Cliq), all offline partner outlets and vivo India E-store.

Consumers will also get an array of attractive offers* on the purchase of the vivo Y15 on offline and online channels, such as–

Offline:

·         Attractive EMI options available with 0% interest with Bajaj Finserve, IDFC Bank, HDBFS,  HDFC Bank, Home Credit and Pinelabs Credit/Debit cards
-          Lowest EMI option starts with INR 1166
·         Benefits worth INR 4,000 along with 3 TB Data from Reliance Jio

Online:

·         Extra Rs.1,000 off on Exchange
·         No Cost EMI up to 9 Months

*terms and conditions apply

Power to Do More

The new Y15 is equipped with Helio P22 processor, 4GB RAM and 64GB ROM, which provides seamless user experience. This not only accommodates more applications in the background but also enables effortless multitasking with no lags thereby ensuring smooth performance all day long.  New Y15 is power packed with a massive 5000 mAh battery, which ensures uninterrupted performance for more than 24 hours. All these power packed features make the vivo Y15 an ideal choice for all smooth multimedia consumption needs at a competitive price.

Capture with AI Triple Real Camera

Featuring 13MP Main Camera, 8MP AI Super Wide-Angle Camera, and a third 2MP Depth Camera ensures to create unrestrained masterpieces with every shot. From magnificent landscapes to beautiful portraits, these three cameras help you capture your most impressive shots - with the least amount of effort. Overall, the new Y15 is a power packed model at an affordable price point.