GSMA Report Shows 5G Coverage Set To Accelerate Across Asia Pacific – But The Usage Gap Remains Significant

* Despite Mobile broadband coverage in 96% of the region, it has the largest regional usage gap worldwide

The GSMA has published its latest Mobile Economy Asia Pacific 2022 report, which delivers a detailed picture of the region’s adoption of mobile internet. At present, mobile broadband networks cover around 96% of the population, a testament to operators’ investment in 3G, 4G and, increasingly, 5G infrastructure. However, just 44% of the population (1.23 billion users) are using mobile internet services.

The reasons for this discrepancy include lack of digital skills, affordability and online safety concerns. This year’s report outlines how countries are addressing this usage gap.

“Addressing the usage gap and extending the benefits of the internet to more people in society is critical,” said GSMA’s Head of Asia Pacific, Julian Gorman. “However, it will require a concerted effort by a broad range of stakeholders, working together with mobile operators and other ecosystem players such as device manufacturers and digital content creators, to drive adoption and overcome the barriers we see today.”

Mobile delivers economic and societal benefits

Mobile technologies and services continue to make a significant contribution to Asia Pacific’s economy, generating 5% of GDP in the region in 2021, which equates to around $770 billion of economic value. This ecosystem supported approximately 8.8 million jobs in 2021 and made a substantial contribution to the funding of the public sector, with around $80 billion raised through taxation.

400 million 5G connections by 2025

5G adoption is set to accelerate across the Asia Pacific region as the technology’s footprint expands. Today, it is commercially available in 14 markets, with others, including India and Vietnam, going live in the coming months.

According to the report, by 2025, there will be more than 400 million 5G connections, equivalent to just over 14% of total mobile connections. Progress is more advanced in   countries like Australia, Japan and South Korea and in Singapore 5G is expected to account for 55% of the country’s connections by 2025.

Metaverse momentum in Asia Pacific

The report also explores the advent of the metaverse and highlights various 5G use cases and other related activities in the region.

Notably, government bodies in the region have started outlining plans to harness the potential of the platform to increase the efficiency and quality of public services. South Korea has plans to spend $186.7 million to create its metaverse ecosystem, and Thailand’s Tourism Authority leveraged the technology to boost tourism in the country. 

Policies for digital innovation

Policymakers and regulators can fuel growth and innovation by establishing a flexible forward-looking regulatory regime to support mobile network deployment and operations. The report provides insights on focus areas where regulatory reforms would yield maximum rewards for the region.

Mobile 360 Asia Pacific in Singapore                                                                          

APAC’s adoption of 5G will be centre stage at the GSMA’s Mobile 360 Asia Pacific conference on 2-3 August 2022 at the JW Marriott South Beach Hotel in Singapore. The two-day agenda will include thought-provoking keynotes and discussions on how a digital nation strategy is essential in the post-pandemic global economy.

For more information visit www.mobile360series.com/asia-pacific. You can also follow developments on Twitter @GSMA using the hashtag #Mobile360 or www.linkedin.com/showcase/gsma-mobile-360-series.

About GSMA

The GSMA is a global organisation unifying the mobile ecosystem to discover, develop and deliver innovation foundational to positive business environments and societal change. Our vision is to unlock the full power of connectivity so that people, industry, and society thrive. Representing mobile operators and organisations across the mobile ecosystem and adjacent industries, the GSMA delivers for its members across three broad pillars: Connectivity for Good, Industry Services and Solutions, and Outreach. This activity includes advancing policy, tackling today’s biggest societal challenges, underpinning the technology and interoperability that make mobile work, and providing the world’s largest platform to convene the mobile ecosystem at the MWC and M360 series of events.

IDA Ireland - Inward Investment Agency of The Irish Government Announces Mid Year Results Until 2022

·      Investment approvals strongest ever in half-year period

·      First half of 2022 shows Investments up 9% on 2021 and 10% on 2019 pre-pandemic levels

·      Jobs approvals up 44% on 2021 figures and 33% above 2019 pre-pandemic levels

·      Despite significant global economic headwinds, FDI continues to prove resilient in Ireland

·      155 investments won up to the end of Q2 – 73 of them new name investments

·      Associated employment potential of over 18,000 jobs

IDA Ireland, the inward investment agency of the Irish Government, today reported significant investment growth in the first half of 2022, returning FDI employment creation plans to above the pre-pandemic 2019 record levels, despite a continuing challenging global environment.

155 investments were won, with associated employment potential of over 18,000 jobs. 73 were new name investments who went to regional locations. Several investments approved and announced in the first half of the year involve large job numbers and significant capital investments.

Speaking at the launch of IDA Ireland’s 2021 Annual Report, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Leo Varadkar said, “These are incredible results. We had a record year last year for foreign direct investment and now, today, we see that we’ve exceeded that again in the first six months of the year with investment up 9% on last year. That’s around 18,000 new jobs. Given everything that’s happened over the last few years that really is remarkable. It’s showing no sign of slowing down.  We should never forget that the jobs and revenue created by multinationals helped to keep us out of recession when the pandemic hit and are now giving us the financial firepower to ease the cost of living crisis and avoid recession once again.

We’ve worked hard to create a welcoming environment for FDI in all parts of the country and the strong regional spread of jobs and investment in today’s results demonstrates government policy, with 73 of the 155 investments outside of Dublin. We want long-term sustainable jobs, work that pays better, in every county in the country. That is our objective and I’m glad to see that reflected in the results today.”

Martin Shanahan, CEO IDA Ireland said, “These are very strong half year results achieved against a backdrop of a global pandemic, Brexit, considerable geo-political uncertainty globally, inflationary pressures, supply chain challenges, climate change and energy issues and, since the start of the year, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It shows the endurance and strength of the FDI sector with 155 investments approved so far this year compared to 142 for the same period in 2021. The associated employment potential is up significantly, at over 18,000, compared to over 12,530 in H1 2021. Both investments and employment potential are now ahead of 2019 pre-pandemic levels. It’s proof that our strategy of continuing to concentrate on core sectors of focus, which have proven durability, is the correct one.  Winning investments for regional locations across Ireland is another key focus for IDA and once again, in the first half of 2022 we see it yielding very good results, with 73 of the 155 – that’s 47% of investments – approved for outside of Dublin.

Ireland’s existing base of foreign direct investment is a core national asset that we cannot take for granted. The benefit of FDI, as outlined in the IDA’s annual report 2021 launched today, shows the many contributions that FDI makes to the economy, including direct and indirect employment, 72% of export sales, 70% of corporation tax, and direct expenditure on pay, materials and services totalling €27.9bn.   

Investors’ commitment to Ireland remains strong. The country’s value proposition as a place in which to do business remains, as evidenced by these results, a compelling one. As we seek to lay the foundations for continued growth and transformation in the FDI base in the years ahead, our success will depend on progress towards enhancing the carrying capacity of the economy in the immediate and medium-term. The key areas requiring attention remain Planning, Housing, Energy, Water and wider infrastructure. Policies that support the continued availability of talent are also critical. Managing costs in the current inflationary environment and executing on planned capital projects will be challenging, but important for Ireland’s continued competitiveness.”

Tanaz Buhariwalla, India Director IDA Ireland said, "The mid-year results successfully showcase yet another milestone for IDA Ireland. Despite the current geopolitical turmoil and ongoing COVID-19 disruptions, the country has positively sustained its FDI performance with robust strategies.

In this journey, Indian companies have continued their commitment and support with their presence in Ireland. We are confident that Ireland will keep up its resilience and be consistent in sustaining and promoting a pro-business environment. We believe this successful trend will continue with more positive results in future.”

Wingsure Partners With AICIL To Provide Curated Insurance Products And Digital Management Services To Farmers Using Advanced Tech

 
Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited (AICIL), a nationalised insurance company under the Ministry of Finance, Government of India, has signed a three-year agreement with Wingsure, an insurtech company that leverages artificial intelligence and deep technology to protect farmers worldwide.

As part of the agreement, Wingsure will use its advanced technology capabilities to significantly strengthen the accessibility of insurance products and services to farmers in India; curate and promote AICIL's comprehensive portfolio of agriculture insurance products and enable its channels, including groups and partner brokers, to distribute on its mobile app.

Agriculture and the allied sectors are the largest sources of livelihood in India, with most rural households dependent primarily on agriculture and 86% percent of holdings being small and marginal. However, farmers are vulnerable to the impact of climate change and other livelihood risks and have sub-optimal access to risk awareness programs and modern resources. Launched to support economic empowerment with transparency and promote sustainability through modern agricultural practices, Wingsure's application leverages advanced computer vision, augmented reality, and voice capabilities to provide intelligence and facilitate the underwriting and insurance claims processes for small holder farmers. The partnership will have access to more than 40 million farmers in India and focus on transforming how farmers mitigate and adapt to climate change and other livelihood related risks. 

Malay Poddar, Chairman and Managing Director, AICIL, said, "We firmly believe that technology implementation is key to providing insurance and thereby protecting the underserved. Through our association, we will utilise the Wingsure technology platform to support our vision of how farmers can leverage insurance to mitigate risk."

Avi Basu, Founder, and CEO of Wingsure, said, "Wingsure's deep-tech platform revolutionizes how small holder farmers leverage insurance and financial products to protect their livelihood. It is designed to provide optimal access to risk awareness programs, climate smart practices & other modern resources as well as government backed schemes. The application uses AI and machine learning (ML) to rapidly process insurance underwriting and claims. We are excited to partner with AICIL in their vision to use technology for strengthening farmers' resilience in India."

About Agriculture Insurance Company of India Limited

AICIL, controlled by the Government of India, has been implementing the crop insurance schemes of the Government of India since 2003-04. Currently, AICIL is implementing, inter alia, Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), Bangla Shasya Bima Scheme (BSBS), and Restructured Weather-based Crop Insurance Scheme (RWBCIS) and many of it proprietary agriculture insurance products.

About Wingsure                                                                                    

Wingsure leverages artificial intelligence and deep technology to protect farmers worldwide. The company operates in developing nations, as well as advanced countries, focusing on growers who are locked out of traditional financial services. Wingsure is dedicated to providing farmers with competitive levels of technology and security to maintain the dignity and sustainability of individuals worldwide.

Nikon India Announces A New Experience Zone In Bengaluru

* Aims to fortify Nikon India’s leadership in the southern market

Nikon India, a 100% subsidiary of Nikon Corporation, leaders in imaging technology, inaugurated a new experience zone in Bengaluru –Foto Circle at Brigade Plaza, S.C Road. The zone was inaugurated by Mr. Sajjan Kumar, Managing Director, Nikon India, and Mr.Ohba Yoji General Manager Corporate Planning Imaging, Nikon India. With the launch of this 33rdexperience zonein South, Nikon aims to highlight its commitment and support to the photography community while making its unique product portfolio easily accessible to consumers. 

The new experiential zones in Bengaluru will enable reaching a vast network of photography enthusiasts, professionals, hobbyist, and artists to enable seamless access to the complete range of Nikon products, including the Mirrorless Series, DSLR cameras, COOLPIX range, lenses, accessories, and Sport Optics Range at a one-stop-shop. These zones will also host special technical support for all professional photographers.

“We are delighted to announce the launch of yet another flagship experience zone in  Bengaluru, the Silicon Valley of Indiafor our valuable consumers. The new Nikon Experience Zone aims to promote the accessibility of our latest products for photography enthusiasts. Bangalore is a significant economic and cultural centre and India's fastest-growing metropolitan city. With today’s announcement, the consumers will now find an array of Nikon equipment that has changed the photography spectrum worldwide. Our goal is to amplify our brand presence PAN India bydelivering a delightful and immersive experience in the realm of photography”. said Mr.Sajjan Kumar, Managing Director, Nikon India

Southern Market in India is culturally progressive, which makes it a strategic location to connect with a diverse set of photography enthusiastsand artists. With Nikon Experience Zones, company aims to provide consumers across India with a distinctive "touch and feel" experience, aspires to connect with young millennials and empower them to pursue creative opportunities that embody innovation and imagination.

ABOUT NIKON INDIA

Nikon India distributes, markets, and services the complete range of Nikon imaging products, Nikon Sport Optics, and Nikon Biological range of Microscopes. The Nikon Imaging includes the Nikon Mirrorless Z series, Nikon D-SLR, the Nikon COOLPIX, and a range of NIKKOR lenses & accessories. Nikon India operations also include the sales, services, and application support for Nikon's Biological range of Microscopes and its accessories. Headquartered in Gurgaon, Nikon has branch offices in Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, and Delhi. Nikon India has a total of five Nikon-owned Service Centers (4 Branches and 1 headquarters), 23 ASCs (authorized service centers), 14 Nikon Collection Centers, and over 1500 dealer bases for complete service & support for Nikon customers. Nikon has also set up 140 Experience zones pan India which showcases the entire range of Nikon Mirrorless series, D-SLR cameras, COOLPIX cameras, and an elaborate range of NIKKOR lenses, Nikon Sport Optics, and accessories.

NFTICALLY Partners With Mafatlal Industries To Launch Metaverse Gallery And NFT Store In The Fashion Category

* The curated collection will feature uniforms for schools, hospitals and corporate organisations

* The NFT virtual gallery will display 3D models to engage customers in an immersive experience of design offerings

* Six design offerings of school and hospital uniforms will be available as NFTs

NFTICALLY, a global Web3 E-Commerce platform, has partnered with Mafatlal Industries Limited (part of the Arvind Mafatlal Group) a leading manufacturer and supplier of textiles, garments and uniforms, for their first virtual gallery and NFT store on the metaverse platform, COMEARTH. The design collection features six distinct NFTs for school, hospital and corporate uniforms using 3D models for an enhanced immersive experience, making Mafatlal Industries the forerunner in the textile space.

The Mafatlal NFT collection is set up on COMEARTH, an e-commerce metaverse platform powered by NFTICALLY. With this collaboration, Mafatlal Industries, a household name with over 118 years of experience and legacy in the Indian textile industry, aims to gain the first-mover advantage in its category to enter the NFT ecosystem. 

NFT drops are technologically complex processes involving various challenges like Smart Contracts, Traffic Management, Security and Backend Streamlining. NFTICALLY’s global benchmarked technology ensures smoothening out of the process for collectors and creators selling their digital assets as NFTs. Presently, over 11,000 stores are powered by NFTICALLY, making it one of the largest and most preferred NFT marketplaces for creators and collectors. NFTICALLY recently launched its e-commerce metaverse platform, COMEARTH, which aims to build an ecosystem of various stakeholders to generate value through engagement or transactions.

Talking about the collaboration, Toshendra Sharma, Founder and CEO, NFTICALLY said, “NFTICALLY takes pride in itself on powering Mafatlal Industries for the NFT drop, a first for a reputed Indian textile brand. Enabling Mafatlal’s NFTs on the Web3 ecosystem will boost engagement between the brand and the young audience.”

Priyavrata Mafatlal, Vice Chairman of The Arvind Mafatlal Group said, “We are thrilled to have partnered with NFTICALLY. Having a century long legacy and experience, we believe in pushing our boundaries and being innovative and creative in every aspect of our business. With NFTICALLY’s COMEARTH, we hope to reach out to a larger set of audience.”

GE Healthcare Inaugurates Its First ‘5G Innovation Lab’ In India

* To accelerate access to quality care, by employing 5G-enabled healthcare solutions - Artificial Intelligence, Augmented & Virtual Reality and Advanced Visualization, to streamline image transfers, teleradiology

* Aimed at transforming remote care, and foster collaboration with academia, industry and startups to co-create future-ready solutions

GE Healthcare, a leading global medical technology, diagnostics, and digital solutions innovator, announced the launch of its 5G Innovation Lab in India, the first for GE Healthcare across the globe. With the advantage of massive bandwidth, high data speeds, low latency, and highly reliable connectivity, 5G has the potential to disrupt the patient care continuum, transforming diagnosis, therapy, and prognosis. The 5G Innovation Lab is designed to position GE Healthcare at the forefront of these groundbreaking advances in patient care, including potentially bringing cutting-edge technology to rural and sub-urban regions.

Situated at the John F. Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC) Bengaluru, GE Healthcare’s largest R&D centre outside of the USA, the lab will serve as a testbed to develop future-ready products and solutions, turning a new corner in innovation. It houses state-of-the-art infrastructure, including a private 5G network for testing and development. It provides expertise as well as a platform for a collaborative ecosystem for academia, the healthcare industry, and startups, facilitating exploration and enabling validation and qualification of 5G-enabled Precision Healthcare use cases.

5G in Healthcare was valued at an estimated USD 215 million in 2021 and projected to reach USD 3,667 million by 2026.[1] This high-speed connectivity has the potential to advance Point-of-Care services by pushing the boundaries of tele-health, remote health monitoring/diagnosis, real-time remote image processing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). 5G could act as a key catalyst for transforming the patient experience by enabling rapid collection and transmission of large data files and real-time, high-definition video, which can support quicker analytical insights and streamline clinical decision-making. In the broadest sense, 5G could significantly accelerate improvements in the quality of medical care and reduce the burden of healthcare costs.[2]

“The healthcare industry, driven by value-based patient care, is at a turning point that will put a greater emphasis on connectivity and accessibility. As the world is transforming digitally, it’s important for us to ensure we don’t miss out on lifesaving, critical information. India is an important market for us globally and it is indeed the right time to venture into 5G, which will open a realm of exciting opportunities, driving the next wave of growth in Healthcare,” said Jan Makela, President & CEO, Imaging at GE Healthcare.

The GE Healthcare 5G Innovation Lab will serve as a conduit for the interplay of exponential technologies like AI/ML, IoT, Big Data, Edge Computing and Cybersecurity.

“At GE Healthcare, we are using our clinical expertise and know-how to deliver integrated, efficient, and highly personalized care and advance precision health. At our 5G Innovation Lab, our lead scientists and technologists will research and develop solutions for the most pressing healthcare issues, for India and the world. This lab will play a pivotal role in helping us build an ecosystem to explore 5G-enabled use cases and leapfrog into the next generation of MedTech,” added Girish Raghavan, Vice President, Engineering, GE Healthcare.

Researching the use cases of 5G connectivity is critical to exploring its potential to provide quality healthcare to rural and sub-urban regions in India and across the world. High-speed connectivity will help connect smaller clinics to larger specialty hospitals or radiology centers, which is especially important as care is becoming more distributed. GE Healthcare’s 5G Innovation Lab aims to explore and drive this accelerated trend, streamlining the continuum of care and supporting the patient journey.

5G-powered Augmented and Virtual Reality are also key to training physicians from doctors and nurses to interns, enabling them to visualize procedures in a more engaged, learning-by-doing manner. Better healthcare delivery depends on better diagnosis services made available and accessible worldwide at an early stage and the 5G Innovation Lab is designed to facilitate progress and, ultimately, improve lives.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare is the $17.7 billion healthcare business of GE (NYSE: GE). As a leading global medical technology, pharmaceutical diagnostics and digital solutions innovator, GE Healthcare enables clinicians to make faster, more informed decisions through intelligent devices, data analytics, applications, and services, supported by its Edison intelligence platform. With over 100 years of healthcare industry experience and around 48,000 employees globally, the company operates at the centre of an ecosystem working toward precision health, digitizing healthcare, helping drive productivity and improve outcomes for patients, providers, health systems and researchers around the world.

Axis Bank Signs MOU With Indian Air Force Offering Defence Service Salary Package

Axis Bank, India’s third largest private sector bank, reinforced its commitment to the Defence sector by signing an MOU with the Indian Air Force, offering a defence service salary package with best-in-class benefits and features under its ‘Power Salute’ initiative.

The signing ceremony was held at Air Force Headquarters, with the I.A.F, represented by Air Vice Marshal Ashok Saini, VSM, ACAS (Accts & AV), in the presence of Air Chief Marshal, V R Chaudhari PVSM, AVSM, VM, ADC and Axis Bank representatives - Mr. Reynold D’ Souza, Executive Vice President and Lt Col M.K Sharma, National Accounts Head. 

Through this exclusive Defence service salary package, the Bank will offer numerous benefits to all ranks of Indian Air Force personnel including the veterans, cadets/recruits -

·         Personal Accidental cover of up to Rs. 56 lakhs to all personnel including the veterans, cadets/recruits

·         Additional up to Rs. 8 lakhs for Children Education Grant

·         Total Permanent Disability Cover benefit up to Rs. 46 lakhs

·         Permanent Partial disability cover of up to Rs. 46 lakhs

·         Air Accident cover of Rs. 1 Crore

·         NIL Processing fee & 12 EMI waiver on Home loans

·         Additional zero balance accounts for 3 family members with no charges

·         Universal account number across India. All Axis Bank branches will serve us “Home branch’’

The MOU is a reflection of Axis Bank’s constant endeavour to serve the Defence Forces of India, and help them meet their financial requirements, aspirations and milestones.

About Axis Bank:  

Axis Bank is the third largest private sector bank in India. Axis Bank offers the entire spectrum of services to customer segments covering Large and Mid-Corporates, SME, Agriculture and Retail Businesses. With its 4,758 domestic branches (including extension counters) and 10,990 ATMs across the country as on 31st March 2022, the network of Axis Bank spreads across 2,702 cities and towns, enabling the Bank to reach out to a large cross-section of customers with an array of products and services. The Axis Group includes Axis Mutual Fund, Axis Securities Ltd., Axis Finance, Axis Trustee, Axis Capital, A.TReDS Ltd., Freecharge and Axis Bank Foundation.