Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship Unveils “Kaushal Yuva Samwaad”

 Commemorating World Youth Skills Day on July 15, 2019 and celebrating 4th Anniversary of the Skill India Mission, the Ministry of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship has announced launch of “Kaushal Yuva Samwaad” (A Youth Dialogue).  To be organized between 8th and 10th July 2019, Kaushal Yuva Samwaad is aimed at creating an open dialogue with the youth across all skill training centres to hear their views, ideas, opportunities and recommendations which could help the Ministry in scaling the existing programs and improve overall efficiency of its projects.

Kaushal Yuva Samwaad is being organized across all Skill India training centres, namely, Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Kendras (PMKK), Industrial Training Institutes (ITIs), Polytechnics, Institutes under Pradhan Mantri Kaushal Vikas Yojana (PMKVY), Jan Shikshan Sansthans, DDU-GKY Centres and other fee-based training centres across the country.  As per the mandate, each training centre must invite a minimum of 20 candidates to participate in the dialogue.  Post the dialogue, the recommendations from the Kaushal Yuva Samwaad are to be submitted to the Ministry via a portal https://www.nsdcindia.org/kys/

Announcing the launch of Kaushal Yuva Samwaad, Dr. Mahendra Nath Pandey, Minister of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship said, “Over the last 5 years, the Government has been able to successfully create the foundation for skill development in the country. We have more than one crore youth joining the mission annually. It is equally imperative for us to understand the perspective of our youth who are our biggest target group. Kaushal Yuva Samvaad will be the platform to discuss potential issues and solutions from the candidates' perspective and will give us the perspective to match aspirations of the youth with the offerings of Skill India.”

Selected candidates will be invited to participate in an open dialogue with the Ministers of Skill Development & Entrepreneurship on July 15, 2019 at Vigyan Bhawan in New Delhi.  Kaushal Yuva Samwaad aims to create a dialogue between the youth and the Ministry.  It is intended to identify and rectify the gaps so that all skill development programs are aligned to the current demands and help in creating a skilled workforce for the future.

To raise awareness about the importance of investing in youth skills development, the United Nations General Assembly commemorates July 15th every year, as World Youth Skills Day (WYSD). This UN designated day seeks to generate greater awareness of and discussion on the importance of technical, vocational education, and training and development of marketable skills relevant to both local and global economies.

The National Skill Development Mission (Skill India Mission), launched on July 15, 2015 under the esteemed guidance of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, has been steadily making progress.  Nearly One Crore youth are being presently imparted skills training annually under various programs of the Government through Skill India Mission. The mission also envisages convergence, coordination and harmonization of the fragmented skilling efforts of various Ministries in Government of India and other key stakeholders like State Government, Industry, Training ecosystem etc. through the instruments of Common norms, implementation of National Skills Qualification Framework (NSQF), data integrations through the Skill India Portal and quality assurance through the SMART (Skill Management and Accreditation of Training Centre) portal.  India is a young nation and a skilled workforce will be able to cater to not only the market demand within the country but also the global market.

34% Rise in Residential Unit Launches in Bengaluru in H1 2019; Sales Increase by 9% (YoY): Knight Frank Report

Knight Frank India has launched the 11thedition of its flagship half-yearly report - India Real Estate. The report presents a comprehensive analysis of the residential and office market performance across eight citiesfor the period January – June 2019 (H1 2019). The report findings establish that the number of residential launches in Bengaluru increased by 34% in H1 2019 to 20,894 from 15,556 in H1 2018. The housing units sold increasedby 9%YoY in H1 2019 to 28,225.

In H1 2019, Bengaluru's office space leasing touched a new benchmark of 0.77 mnsq m (8.27 mnsqft), a marked spike of 26% over H1 2018. This surpasses all previous half yearly record growth in leasing volume witnessed in Bengaluru’s office market. The city recorded a 107% increase in the number of new office space completions to0.71mnsq m (7.6mnsqft) in H1 2019 from 0.3mnsq m (3.7 mnsqft)in H1 2018.

RESIDENTIAL MARKET HIGHLIGHTS OF BENGALURU:

·         In H1 2019, a total of 20,894 new residential units were launched in Bengaluru registering a 34% upsurge over the year-ago period. Of the total launches in H1 2019, South Bengaluru remained the most favoured belt garnering 40% share of the total pie.

·         As the northern belt witnesses increased leasing of office space and infusion of new office stock, supply in the primary residential market is also increasing in tandem. In H1 2019, North Bengaluru accounted for 28% of overall launches compared to only a 12% share in H1 2018.

·         From 25,803 units in H1 2018 to 28,225 units in H1 2019, sales have increased by 9% YoY. In H1 2019, sales volumeswere robust in the first quarter (June –March) of 2019. However, the sales momentum slowed down in the April–June quarter.South Bengaluru noted the maximum proportion of overall sales with a 42% share with locations such as Kanakpura Road, Electronic City and Sarjapur garnering good sales velocity.

·         New launches in the less than INR 2.5 million category were noted at 18% in H1 2019. Compared to the year-ago period, when this ticket size accounted for only 4% of total new launches, this is a substantial increase in both unit and percentage terms.

·         Ready-to-move in inventory, the right price tag and rationalisation of the GST levy for under-construction properties led to a 14% decrease in the unsold inventory at a city level.

·         The quartersto-sell (QTS) for the city has trimmed down to 8.6 from 10.7 from the year-ago period.

·         North Bengaluru accounted for 26% of the overall sales volume in H1 2019 while East Bengaluru accounted for 23% share.

·         In H1 2019, the weighted average pricing of residential products has largely remained stagnant at INR 51,893 per sq m (INR 4,821 per sq ft), which is only a 2% YoY uptick over H1 2018.

Shantanu Mazumder, Senior Branch Director, Bengaluru said “Ready-to-move-in inventory, the right price tag and rationalisation of GST levied for under-construction properties are the primary reasons for the residential market to bounce back. Steady sales volume has been instrumental in reduction of unsold inventory successively over the past 1.5 years and the same trend continued in H1 2019. The enhanced interest deduction upto INR 3.5 lakhs for purchase of an affordable house valued uptp INR 45 lakhs should provide a boost to the demand from middle class homebuyers for smaller ticket sizes in northern and southern peripheral locations of Bengaluru, mainly along the upcoming metro corridors.”

COMMERCIAL MARKET HIGHLIGHTS OF BENGALURU:

·         During H1 2019, Bengaluru retained its premier position as India's healthiest office market accounting for 31% of total office space leasing across the top eight cities.

·         In H1 2019, Bengaluru's office space leasing touched a new benchmark of 0.77 mnsq m (8.27 mnsqft), a marked spike of 26% over H1 2018.

·         Of the total office space leased in H1 2019, Outer Ring Road accounted for 30% share, the highest of the total pie However, due to low vacancy levels, the leasing share of this micro-market has reduced and the demand spillover is being absorbed by other micro-markets.

·         The Peripheral Business District (PBD) East constituted 21% of total office space leasing in the H1 2019 period.  From an 11% share in city leasing in H1 2018, the share of this micro-market has increased substantially due to resurgence of occupier demand in this belt as the metro construction work progresses. Tenants are flocking to lock long-term leases in PBD East to take the advantage of lower rentals while they still can as once the Metro will become operational, office rents are expected to increase.

·         Apart from Outer Ring Road and PBD East, the Suburban Business District (SBD) accounted for a whopping 20% of overall leasing in H1 2019. On a YoY basis, leasing in SBD has increased by a massive 86%.

·         Information Technology and Information Technology Enabled Services (IT/ITeS) and co-working are two major occupier segments that led to a large leasing volume in SBD compared to the previous periods.

·         The IT/ITeS sector retained its foremost spot accounting for 48% of the overall leasing volume in H1 2019. On a YoY basis, this is a 60% increase over the H1 2018 period.

·         Co-working constituted for a 20% share in overall leasing in H1 2019. In a bid to augment existing co-working infrastructure, many co-working operators are leasing multiple spaces in Bengaluru’s prime business hubs to cater to multinational corporations’ (MNCs) mixed portfolio strategies of fixed and flexible workspaces.

·         The co-working sector garneredleasing of 0.15 mnsq m (1.69 mnsqft) in H1 2019.

·         Manufacturing and Banking, Financial Services and Insurance (BFSI) accounted for 8% and 6% share, respectively. Other Services sector accounted for a cumulative 38% share in overall leasing volume.

·         Office space vacancy continues to maintain status quo and was pegged at 4.1% at the end of the H1 2019 period.

·         The weighted average transacted rentals for Bengaluru surged by 14% YoY and were noted at nearly INR 856/sq m/month (INR 79.6/sq ft/month) during this period.

Shantanu Mazumder, Senior Branch Director, Bengaluru said “The H1 2019 period has been a very significant one for new supply infusion in Bengaluru as the city witnessed the highest ever volume of new completions since the past nine years. The remarkable performance of Bengaluru's office sector bodes well for upcoming periods and with a huge supply pipeline with expected completions in the next three years, the strong momentum of office space leasing should continue. PBD East is a micro-market to watch out for as upcoming metro completion has led occupiers to reconsider expansion in this belt and office space consumption in locations around Whitefield and Brookfield has been increasing steadily.”

TECNO Forays into the E-Commerce Space with its Flagship Offering ‘PHANTOM 9’

TECNO Mobile, the global premium smartphone brand today announced its plan to enter the E-commerce space with the launch of Global Flagship ‘PHANTOM 9’ to be available on Flipkart. During the Global partner summit which was held at Andaz Aerocity, the event also marked the live signing ceremony of ‘renewed multi-year Global partnership’ between Premium mobile phone brand, TECNO Mobile, and the Premier League’s Manchester City. The representatives of both the brands also celebrated the Kick-off ceremony of 60-day ‘TECNO Race to Manchester City’ challenge begins today on 10th July 2019 and ends on 7th September 2019.

In the event today, the brand revealed their philosophy of ‘Expect More’ and emphasized on India being their priority market by underlining the brand’s commitment to provide masses with access to advance technology at attractive price-points, allowing them to reach beyond their current limitations and uncover a world of possibilities.

Globally, TECNO portfolio consist of three key series: ‘SPARK’ is with AI bright camera (great camera features especially in low light environment) for youth, ‘CAMON’ the popular camera-centric series with outstanding selfie camera features and ‘PHANTOM’ being the brand’s flagship series. TECNO ‘Phantom 9’ is the right balance of ‘Style’ and ‘Performance’. It is designed for today’s tech savvy millennials, who do not want to compromise on style along with advanced features without putting a hole in their pockets. PHANTOM 9 has many ‘Firsts’ to its credit. It is the first smartphone to have an in-display Fingerprint sensor under 15K segment. It is also the first smartphone to come with Dual Front Flashlight along with a dot notch screen on a smartphone. First to come out with Aurora inspired styling.

Mr. Marco Ma, Chief Operating Officer TRANSSION India sharing his vision & perspective towards the Indian market, said, “India is a top priority market for us as a part of overall expansion plans for South Asia region. In H2, our key focus will be to expand the global portfolio in India. Out of which ‘Phantom’ has been our flagship product globally by virtue of its innovative features that validate our R&D prowess. We will introduce some of our other global series soon.  Additionally, we will also be developing ‘India-first’ product portfolio basis local consumer insights.”

Talking about the Flipkart partnership he said, “We are expanding our presence in India and want to reach out to all our consumers across the length and breadth of the country. Our partnership with Flipkart will be instrumental in making TECNO range of smartphones available PAN India.”

To celebrate the launch of TECNO on Flipkart Mr. Aditya Soni, Senior Director - Mobiles at Flipkart said, "Flipkart is focused on bringing the best in class propositions from the strongest brands in the world to our customers. The mid premium segment in India demands superior features at aggressive price points and the launch of the new Phantom series, has the potential to be a great fit for consumers. The 3-year association which Flipkart and TECNO will enter into will result in a superior product and service offering for Indian consumers."

Speaking at the celebration event, Damian Willoughby, Senior Vice President of Partnerships at City Football Group, said: “Manchester City prides itself on partnering with some of the world’s leading organizations, so we are thrilled to be announcing the renewal of our established partnership with TECNO Mobile. During the past three years, we have collaborated on a number of exciting initiatives that has engaged, connected and entertained our global fan base, particularly in India. TECNO have consistently demonstrated their love of football, creating some unique experiences for fans and this is evidenced with more than 20,000 people signing up to the TECNO Race to Manchester City. This country specific initiative is a fantastic example of two partners working together in a creative way and we’re delighted to be continuing this successful partnership.”

Some key highlights of PHANTOM 9 include

• Introduces in-display fingerprint sensor
PHANTOM 9 becomes the first smartphone under 15k segment to offer in-display fingerprint sensor. It incorporates photosensitive fingerprint technology and uses lens under the screen for faster and safer screen unlocking.

• Go limitless with the AI triple rear camera
The PHANTOM 9 comes packed with a premium triple rear camera setup available today in smartphones. It is an integration of a 16MP primary camera with large f/1.8 aperture, 2MP depth-sensing lens perfectly suited for real portraits and the icing on the cake is an additional 8MP 120° Ultra-Wide Lens, which has a special feature of microspur supports focusing on objects within 2.5 cm. It also come equipped with Google Lens features, for smart identification of objects automatically popping up all the relevant information for your easiest reach.

• Shun limits, beat low lighting with AI selfie camera
If selfies tickle your fancy, this is surely your go-to gadget. The front camera of PHANTOM 9 is equipped with 32MP High resolution selfie camera which uses the second generation of camera technology 4-in-1 pixel which ensures high-definition resolution. The Hair Crack Dual Flashlight ensures brighter, more stunning selfies irrespective of any scene, especially low light ones.

• Enjoy an unmatched, full-fledged view
Streaming video is a delightful experience on PHANTOM 9, with its 6.4-inch screen and19.5:9 Dot Notch display. Enriched with a FHD+ AMOLED, 600 Nits brightness and 91.47% screen to body ratio, it gives more screen space that allows users to see more. In landscape mode, watching movies, TV shows, and games becomes much more engaging. In short, multi-task like a pro, even on-the-go! 
Adorned with beautiful design
It will not be wrong to say that PHANTOM 9 is the most good-looking smartphone in the segment. The 3D back cover outlines the magnificent interplay of nano-holographic lines of light & rain jazzing up the auroras with a mystifying S-pattern. The device is definitely slender with 7.75 mm and ultra-lighter at just 164 gm weight. The optimized body arc curvature at 40 degrees, fluidic design at corners and smoother edges are pre-designed to feel easy and smooth in the hand.

• Keep clicking and never mind space with great storage options
So if storage has been placing a ban on your addiction to click, it’s about time you shun the inhibitions. Go out more than ever and click all that you like with PHANTOM 9. Powered by a 2.3GHz Octa-Core Helio P35 processor, based on 12nm technology coupled with 6GB RAM and 128GB of internal storage, the performance of this exclusive device is incredibly reliable. The 12nm technology help is making the smartphone faster and power efficient. Use up all that storage you think you need because the phone also comes with a further expandable memory by up to 256GB via a dedicated microSD card slot.

• Binge in on unplugged photography; Don’t worry battery back-up & charge
The PHANTOM 9 is packed with a 3500mAh battery so as to ensure your handset does not quite run out of charge while you indulge in some unplugged photographic experiences.

• Own it at a price that’s absolute value for your money
The TECNO PHANTOM 9 priced at INR 14999 will be available via Flipkart India starting July’17. All TECNO smartphones come with an exceptional promise of “111” under which a consumer is entitled to a 1-time screen replacement for six months, 100 days’ free replacement, and 1-month extended warranty.

Smart Cities Risk Curtailing Potential by Prioritising Technology Over People

Real estate sector can play key role in making smart cities work for their residents, says new research from JLL

·         India’s Smart City Mission faces hurdles similar to other such global missions
·         The Mission will benefit hugely under the NDA Government’s second term
·         A human-centric approach to develop smart cities, innovative financial solutions to attract private sector and elimination of bureaucratic bottlenecks will lead to Mission’s success

Smart city initiatives in the Asia Pacific will not reach their potential if they focus on delivering cutting-edge technologies without paying enough attention to the needs and experiences of citizens, according to new research, Smart Cities Success: Connecting people, proptech and real estate, released by leading real estate consultant JLL today. And a wider collaboration among various stakeholders such as government agencies, technology vendors and users, is desired to drive these Missions successfully, the report said.

The research also highlighted the opportunity for a more human-centric approach to smart city development, which promotes inclusiveness, efficiency, sustainability and transparency. It said that as the real estate industry catches up in technology, it could bridge the gap between smart city solutions and the physical spaces where people work, live, and play.

“Cities are unleashing technologies such as the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence to solve some of the pressing problems of urbanisation – whether it’s traffic or waste disposal or public safety. This has the potential to change the way we live and work, as well as how we interact with the buildings and infrastructure in our cities. These innovations hold particular promise in the Asia Pacific where city populations are growing rapidly,” said Ramesh Nair, CEO & Country Head, JLL India.

“India’s Smart Cities Mission needs a similar approach,” he added.

India has a US$30 billion Smart Cities Mission. Launched in 2015 to improve sustainability, provide affordable housing and tackle other issues to ensure a “citizen-friendly” environment across 100 cities, it was hailed as a bold and necessary step to cope with India’s rapid urbanisation. After four years of drive and some 5000 projects later, there have been significant breakthroughs.

“Under the second term of the current government, the Mission is sure to get a significant push in terms of investments and project level developments. This would lead to the overall success of the Mission,” Nair said.

“We believe precincts built on a combination of technology and human experience are sure to operate more efficiently for occupiers and can deliver a premium for investors due to lower operating costs and better yields,” added Nair.

However, challenges relating to regulatory hurdles may prove deterrents to growth, the report added. Bureaucracy is one key stumbling block. Given that cities are large and complex, smart city initiatives can succeed only if governments are open to experimentation and willing to invest time and resources in learning from missteps, it said.

The report added, in India, there are challenges like limited availability and sharing of government data, measures that can support smart city solutions. Capacity building remains a big hurdle due to change-averse mindsets and a dearth of technical training and a lack of skill-building. “Additionally, co-ordination among various stakeholders is hindered by the presence of multiple government bodies that have overlapping jurisdictions, programmes and resources,” Nair added.

Moreover, special purpose vehicle created to “plan, appraise, approve, release funds, implement, manage, operate, monitor and evaluate the Smart City development projects” is often at odds to the local government, leading to poor governance, significant tension at ground level and hampering implementation, the report added.

“Hence, better co-ordination among all stakeholders will ensure that funds are properly used to get projects off the ground, Nair added. Thus, a collaborative approach will help the Mission.

“Our research shows that real estate is a crucial element in the future of smart cities and our clients are asking us how they can ensure the buildings they occupy or invest in are future-ready. Here, government bodies and the private sector, which represent a diverse set of teams, can collaborate and address the challenges in a meaningful manner,” Nair added.

JLL’s report ‘Smart Cities Success: Connecting people, proptech and real estate’ was written in partnership with Charles Reed Anderson & Associates, a global expert in IoT, smart cities and proptech.

Gartner Says Global IT Spending Projected to Grow 0.6% in 2019

Worldwide IT spending is projected to total $3.74 trillion in 2019, an increase of 0.6% from 2018, according to the latest forecast by Gartner, Inc. This is slightly down from the previous quarter’s forecast of 1.1% growth.

“Despite uncertainty fueled by recession rumors, Brexit, trade wars and tariffs, we expect IT spending to remain flat in 2019,” said John-David Lovelock, research vice president at Gartner. “While there is great variation in growth rates at the country level, virtually all countries tracked by Gartner will see growth in 2019. Despite the ongoing tariff war, North America IT spending is forecast to grow 3.7% in 2019 and IT spending in China is expected to grow 2.8%.”

“Although an economic downturn is not the likely scenario for either 2019 or 2020, the risk is currently high enough to warrant preparation and planning. Technology general managers and product managers should plan out product mix and operational models that will optimally position product portfolios in a downturn should one occur,” said Mr. Lovelock.

The enterprise software market will experience the strongest growth in 2019, reaching $457 billion, up 9% from $419 billion in 2018 (see Table 1). CIOs are continuing to rebalance their technology portfolios, shifting investments from on-premises to off-premises capabilities.

As cloud becomes increasingly mainstream over the next few years, it will influence ever-greater portions of enterprise IT decisions, in particular system infrastructure. Prior to 2018, more of the cloud opportunity had been in application software and business process outsourcing. Over this forecast period it will expand to cover additional application software segments, including office suites, content services and collaboration services. “Spending in old technology segments, like data center, will only continue to be dropped,” said Mr. Lovelock.

Globally, consumer spending as a percentage of total spend is dropping every year in every region due to saturation and commoditization, especially with PC, laptops and tablet devices. Cloud applications allow these devices to have an extended life, with less powerful equipment needed to run new software. This is why the devices market will experience the strongest decline in 2019, down 4.3% to $682 billion in 2019.

“There are hardly any ‘new’ buyers in the devices market, meaning that the market is now being driven by replacements and upgrades,” said Mr. Lovelock. “Add in their extended lifetimes along with the introduction of smart home technologies and IoT, and consumer technology spending only continues to drop.”

Hardware and Systems Startups from Third Batch of Intel India Maker Lab Showcase AI, ML and IoT-Based Products

Furthering its commitment towards accelerating hardware innovation and entrepreneurship in India, Intel India recently hosted the 2nd edition of Plugin Startups Demo Day as part of the Intel India Maker Lab program in Bengaluru. At the event, 11 startups showcased innovative products and solutions developed by them as part of Plugin, a collaborative incubation program between Intel India, Department of Science and Technology (DST) – Government of India and Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship (SINE) – Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Bombay.

As part of the initiative this year, these startups worked on their prototypes by leveraging key tools & platforms, funding, mentorship and ecosystem connect from Intel India Maker Lab in Bengaluru and SINE IIT-Bombay to develop products and solutions. Through the use of exponential technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI), Machine Learning, IoT (Internet of Things), Cloud and Edge computing, the current batch of startups developed innovative products and solutions that can advance digitalization by solving some real life problems in key industries like healthcare, manufacturing, retail and transportation.

Out of the 11 startups, 5 startups have revenue generating products, 3 are doing customer trials, another 3 are in the final product stage of product development. The Plugin Startups Demo Day offered them a platform to showcase their products and solutions to the industry, including potential investors and hardware startup accelerators.

Speaking on the occasion, Nivruti Rai, Country Head Intel India and VP Data Center Group, Intel Corp, said, “Intel India is deeply committed towards advancing innovation and entrepreneurship in the hardware and systems space that maximizes the use of data-centric technologies like Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Cloud and Edge computing to develop exciting products and solutions. This paves the way for India to become a product innovation hub for the world.  Underlining this commitment, the third batch of startups from Intel India Maker Lab have developed exciting products for both local and global markets. Many of these products are already in the market, generating revenue and other products look equally promising; we hope to see them achieve greater heights soon. In this effort, we deeply value our collaboration with DST and SINE, IIT-Bombay.”

Dr Anita Gupta, Associate Head, NSTEDB (National Science and Technology Entrepreneurship Development Board), DST, Government of India, said, “Furthering its commitment towards creating an enabling ecosystem for innovative startups with a focus on hardware systems and products, DST initiated the Plugin program, a partnership with Intel and SINE, IIT-Bombay to promote startups to develop new products that deliver remarkable innovations. Through the program, we encourage startups that have real solutions to problems of the society, to shape their idea into commercially scalable products. It’s very encouraging to see very innovative products and solutions from the second batch of the Plugin startups from segments like healthcare, manufacturing, retail and transportation. We are proud to collaborate with Intel India and SINE, IIT Bombay for Plugin as together they bring a lot of value along with technical & industry expertise to the program.”

Intel India Maker Lab

Since its inception in January 2016, the Intel India Maker Lab, a first-of-its-kind incubation program for hardware and systems startups in India, has supported 60+ startups by offering infrastructure, technology, mentorship and business connect support for their products in the areas of manufacturing, retail, healthcare, agriculture, BFSI, and e-governance, across AI, cloud, IoT, and client compute.

Society for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (SINE), IIT Bombay

Society for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (SINE) is the business incubator at IIT Bombay and supports technology startups that are based on products or intellectual property. It has been supporting startups since 2004 and has so far supported more than 100 startups. Majority of SINE supported startups have become revenue generating, with several having reached INR 50-100 cr. in revenue, and many startups have raised multiple rounds of funding.

Staqu Unveils PINE, AI-Powered Open-Source Intelligence Platform for Law Enforcement Agencies

Marching strong on its agenda of enabling AI-enabled smart policing and intelligence services for law enforcement and corporate agencies, Staqu unveiled PINE, an open-source intelligence platform. With PINE, the Gurgaon-based AI start-up is leveraging OSINT (open source intelligence), one of the most impactful techniques used by different intelligence agencies around the world to access the relevant and focused information from open source data and utilise it to perform various kind of proactive analysis on people, organisations or regions.

Policing is one of the most mission-critical use-case that PINE will address. Crime in India, right from terrorism to human trafficking, robbery etc., is repetitive and follows a pattern. This trail of nefarious activities create humungous data, which, when analysed adequately, can give rise to predictive analysis. However, such big data analysis has its own challenges as data is not structured as a text and combines image and speech with text.

As an AI-powered open source intelligence technology, PINE accumulates data from different sources and perform language agnostic text analysis, more precisely natural language processing (NLP). PINE considers the semantically similar keywords while performing the news search. In addition, PINE also transliterates and translates the given English keywords in different Indian languages along with its context to sieve through all the news portals in real-time and populate the most relevant queries on PINE publishing platform. The news updates happen in real-time, aggregated from different sources predefined, in this scenario, by police. Furthermore, PINE also has the capability to extract the breaking news from predefined LIVE TV news channels and create the database for police intelligence which can later be used to alert or in-search purpose.

Commenting on the launch, Atul Rai, Co-Founder & CEO of Staqu, said, “At Staqu, we aspire to solve the real-world problems by leveraging advanced technologies like artificial intelligence. To the same end, we are glad to launch PINE, an AI-powered open-source intelligence platform that utilises NLP, image analysis and more, to provide the most contextual information. While law enforcement agencies pursuing predictive policing are the prime takers of this platform, PINE can also be leveraged by corporates and more to better gauge a region, person or organisation of interest. We are affirmative that PINE will be actively utilised for streamlining information search and retrieval.”

With PINE, law enforcement agencies and corporates need not depend on ‘tag-search’ to access information about their person or region of interest. Providing deeper and complete search, the AI-powered platform collects Context-Based Information, taking into account different ways in which a person or region is addressed, for instance via name, designation, common terms, local dialects etc. PINE combines NLP with image-based search and goes through big data sets of information available on social media, TV, texts etc. to return the most precise results.

In addition to contextual search, PINE performs Relationship Analysis between different entities, area or person of interest. For instance, a news regarding Al Qaeda will have a relationship with Osama Bin Laden and terrorism. The analysis is then coupled with Hotspot Analysis to know where the ‘subject’ is active. With Time Series Analysis, furthermore, PINE compares the happenings at different locations and establishes relationships and patterns between seemingly disparate events.

PINE allows law enforcement and corporate agencies have the opportunity to streamline security and information collection. It simplifies retrieving all the relevant and contextual information regarding an entity of interest, be it an organisation, person, or region.