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Couples who tease each other are more likely to be happy, says research It’s not surprising when people say that one of the traits they look for most in a partner is a good sense of humour. It’s easy to see why — laughing together can be soothing and help you connect with another person. But a good sense of humour means something different to everyone. According to a recent study, being on the same page can help your relationship, especially when it comes to your ability to laugh at yourself. Researchers conducted online interviews with 154 couples, asking them about their relationship happiness levels and about how they handle being laughed at, as well as how much they like laughing at others. The researchers found that often the couples did have the same attitudes toward teasing and, when this was the case, they were more likely to report themselves as being content in their relationship. Overall, those who were happy to have people laugh at them and be teased were more likely to report being happy in their relationships — and their sex lives, while those who viewed being laughed at negatively were less content in their relationships and more likely to report mistrust of their partner. While the researchers were quick to acknowledge that being able to be teased or having the same sense of humour is not enough to make a happy relationship, they did point out that there are other benefits to understanding how each person responds to laughter and teasing. It could be helpful in couple’s counselling, when dealing with disagreements, and for general understanding of the other person’s point of view. — Agencies
SEBI will soon start the process to appoint self-regulatory organisation (SRO) for mutual fund distributors. In fact, the market regulator has asked AMFI to start preparing for SRO, said three chief executives. An AMFI board member requesting anonymity told Cafemutual that SEBI has asked AMFI to prepare for SRO. "The market regulator understands the need to appoint an SRO for distributors. Hence, they are keen to expedite the process of appointing an SRO." Earlier in August, SEBI Chief Ajay Tyagi said, "We are working on the process of appointment of SRO for distributors. We understand that distributors which today number in thousands, need SRO. We will come out with the policy on this soon." SRO for mutual fund distributors will be responsible for micro-regulations of its members. The SRO will spread awareness about mutual funds among people, educate and train distributors and conduct screening test for them. Earlier, SEBI had invited applications for SRO in March 2013. In fact, the market regulator gave its go ahead to AMFI promoted Institution of Mutual Funds Intermediaries (IMFI) to form SRO in February 2014. However, SAT quashed SEBI's decision to grant in-principle approval to IMFI after Financial Planning Supervisory Foundation (FPSF) intervention. Later the Supreme Court upheld SAT's decision and asked the market regulator to start the selection procedure afresh in December 2017.
The Government of India has been focusing attention on the MSME sector for more than a decade. This year, the Prime Minister launched the MSME "Support and Outreach Programme" and announced 12 crucial decisions for this sector. Mr Modi said the programme would be implemented in "mission mode" and closely monitored by senior government officials. Here are the 12 decisions taken by the Prime Minister. Loan in an Hour A newly launched portal will grant loans of up to one crore to GST-registered MSMEs in just 59 minutes. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and five other nationalised banks - Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, Punjab National Bank, SBI and Indian Bank - will grant the credit. The loan process is entirely paperless with no human interaction until the time of disbursement. Loans of up to two crores will not require any collateral. To be eligible for this loan, MSMEs must fulfil the following conditions: They must be registered for GST and provide their GSTIN. They will need their GST user-Id and password to apply for the loan. They will require their e-Filing income tax password and date of incorporation, or, they may submit the last three years' income tax returns in XML format on the portal. They will require their net banking username and password or submit the last six months' current account statement in PDF format. Personal, educational and KYC details of directors, partners, proprietor and other officials of the MSME must be submitted. A fee of INR 1000 + GST will be charged for the process. Lower Interest Rate All GST-registered MSMEs will get a rebate of 2% on the interest rate on new loans of up to one crore notwithstanding prior loans. The interest subvention for both pre- and post-shipment credit for exports has also been increased to 5%. Assurance of Cash Flow Joining Trade Receivables e-Discounting System (TReDS) is now mandatory for companies with a turnover exceeding 500 crores. This guideline ensures that MSMEs will never face cash flow issues. Procurement Assurance Raised The mandate for PSUs to source 20% of their requirements from MSMEs has been raised to 25%, offering a further assurance of business to MSMEs. Woman Empowerment Of the total procurement by PSUs from the MSME sector, the government had reserved 3% for women entrepreneurs. The increase in sourcing percentage means more income for businesses run by women. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Membership of GeM has been made mandatory for all public sector enterprises. This move is geared to facilitate procurement by various government organisations and departments from MSMEs. Technology Upgrade INR 6000 crores have been allocated specifically for upgrading the existing technology for MSMEs. The money has been earmarked for 20 MSME hubs and 100 MSME tool rooms across the country. Pharma Clusters The PM announced the decision to set up pharma clusters for MSMEs. Of the setup cost, 70% will be borne by the government and the remaining 30% by the MSMEs within the cluster. Single Annual Return Currently, MSMEs have to contend with various state labour laws and in cases where the units are export-oriented, international labour laws. They also have to deal with central rules while filing their returns. The PM's announcement brings administrative relief to MSMEs by requiring a single return under eight labour laws and ten central regulations. Abandon Inspector Raj To curb the dominance of MSMEs by factory inspectors and prevent fraud, the Prime Minister announced that a computerised randomisation system would be used to assign inspectors for the inspection of MSME units. These inspectors will then be required to file their reports digitally within 48 hours. Relaxation in Environmental Clearances Presently, MSMEs are required to obtain multiple clearances and consents before establishing their units. Mr Modi's recent decision will make it much easier for MSMEs to establish themselves and function smoothly. They will now only need a single air and water clearance and one consent to operate their factory unit. Companies Act Modified The Companies Act 2013 lists various social, environmental and other obligations placed on companies as well as the penalties for noncompliance. The Prime Minister stated that an ordinance to simplify these penalties would soon be announced. While many of these announcements are mere extensions of the existing provisions and schemes, the three most significant ones are the provision of a loan in an hour, the reduction in interest rates and penalties and the assurance of procurement and cash flow. How far these decisions are implemented remains to be seen.
Dear Partner, Greetings from Reliance Mutual Fund ! Please find attached the "Business Snapshot Report" for the period 1st-31st Oct-18. This report will update you about your Business performance for the previous month and will be an effective tool for you to track your business more closely. Reliance MF offers you an opportunity to set up your own Retirement Plan. Partner can contribute a percentage of his monthly brokerage in Reliance Retirement fund through SIP. Reliance Capital Asset Mgt fund will contribute to Partner's Retirement fund subject to the lower of : 1)10% of the Annual Reliance Retirement fund Brokerage* earned by the Partner in the respective financial year 2) Partner's Contribution in Reliance Retirement fund during the financial year. (Upfront + First year Trail earned in Reliance Retirement Fund) Along with Retirement Fund distributor also has a choice to draw following advantages through Brokerage In Units :- Transferring brokerage to Reliance Liquid Fund Treasury Plan - Direct Plan that have the potential to earn market linked returns everyday. Allocate investible funds into host of other open ended schemes (that have potential to deliver good returns over a long term period) to meet long term financial goals. Additional feature of quick redemption by availing invest easy (e.g. redemption through SMS/Call centre & website) & Reliance Any Time Money Card services. Report on Investors having Paymode as "Physical" We have included a fresh report for the list of the investors who have their payout mode as PHYSICAL with RMF. Any Redemption request / Dividend processed would be paid Via Physical / Warrant Mode to the investor. Request you to kindly touch base with investors and Communicate them to update their latest bank details along with MICR and IFSC to receive instant credit to their bank account. Following forms can be filled up for COB ie: Change of Bank Updation or enabling E-payout for their investments. Forms can be submitted to nearest RMF/Karvy branch as well. INVEST EASY - SMS & CALL Based Transaction Facility Invest Easy is a power packed offering for both distributors and investors that can facilitate your investor's transaction over Call Center / SMS under your ARN Code. With Invest Easy, SIP can be registered through SMS/ Call, which is first in the industry in addition to Purchase and Redemption transactions. SMS Transact - investors can now purchase & redeem mutual fund units by sending a simple sms to 9664001111. Investors can also start a SIP through SMS which is a first for the industry. (To transact in Reliance Money Manager Fund type PUR/ RED and send to 9664001111, for other scheme use scheme specific codes available website) Transact on Call - The investors can call our call centre 1800 300 11111 and do transactions with the help of IVR. Transactions such as purchase, redemption & SIP registration can be executed. Your ARN Code is captured at the time of registration and becomes the default code for all transactions done using Invest Easy facility. We endeavor to make this report more informative and insightful in the coming months. Kindly read the below Note & the attached Report Logic carefully before you go through the Monthly Snapshot. For any clarifications & feedback, kindly write to distributor_care@reliancemutual.com Click here to share your feedback on Business Snapshot Reports with us. Regards, Reliance Mutual Fund Team. NOTE:- The intent of sharing this report is to highlight your performance during the month, helping you to plan to enhance your business with RMF. This report should not be used for any reference for Brokerage Payments, Incentives, Contest or for any other technical reasons related. This report should not be used for any reference for Brokerage Payments, Incentives, Contest or for any other technical reasons related. This report has been generated by a system managed by RMF. The details may vary from reports generated from any of the Karvy systems. All rejections are excluded in this report. Some transactions which are processed late during the month ends may not reflect in this report. All rejections are excluded in this report. Some transactions which are processed late during the month ends may not reflect in this report. Details of Relationship Manager are subject to change. However, incase of any change, we would keep you informed. Ranking is based on your individual month-end AUM. The ranking considers only IFA partners empanelled with Reliance Capital Asset Mgmt Ltd. The region-wise categorization of ARNs is based on RMF's existing Region classification. The information in this email (and any attachments) is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use or disseminate the information. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify us by Replying to this mail and permanently delete the original and any copies or printouts thereof. Ranking is based on your individual month-end AUM. The ranking considers only IFA partners empanelled with Reliance Capital Asset Mgmt Ltd. The region-wise categorization of ARNs is based on RMF's existing Region classification. The information in this email (and any attachments) is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use or disseminate the information. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify us by Replying to this mail and permanently delete the original and any copies or printouts thereof. ***************************************************** Statutory Details: Reliance Mutual Fund has been constituted as a trust in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882. Sponsor: Reliance Capital Limited. Trustee: Reliance Capital Trustee Company Limited. Investment Manager: Reliance Capital Asset Management Limited (Registered Office of Trustee & Investment Manager: "Reliance House" Nr. Mardia Plaza, Off. C.G. Road, Ahmedabad 380 006). The Sponsor, the Trustee and the Investment Manager are incorporated under the Companies Act 1956. The Sponsor is not responsible or liable for any loss resulting from the operation of the Scheme beyond their initial contribution of Rs.1 lakh towards the setting up of the Mutual Fund and such other accretions and additions to the corpus. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Please read the Scheme Information Document and Statement of Additional Information carefully before investing.
CII Karnataka Annual Conference on Energy 2018 Enhancing Renewable Energy Use & Reduce Cost 30 November 2018: 09:00-17:00: Bengaluru It gives me immense pleasure to announce that CII Karnataka in association CSTEP as knowledge partner is organizing the Conference on Energy in Bengaluru. This year Theme is titled "Enhancing Renewable Energy Use & Reduce Cost" scheduled on 30 November 2018 from 09:00-17:00 Hrs India announced its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at the Conference of Parties (CoP) meeting in Paris, 2015. In its NDCs, India seeks to reduce the GHG emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% of 2005 levels and establish 40% fossil-free power generation capacity by 2030. Towards this commitment, it is imperative that industry expands its use of renewable energy (solar and wind) as well as undertake various energy efficiency measures. In light of the above, this conference is being organized to discuss and deliberate the various issues and measures to overcome the challenges for accelerated Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency adoption. In addition, emerging technology options and their challenges in the mobility sector will be discussed which will include issues related to EV storage, charging standards and infrastructure and broader policy. Conference session will focus on following sessions. Session-1: Regulatory and Open access Policy This session will discuss on Open access policy with reference to wind and solar. Policy benefits by KERC/ESCOMS. Session will also discuss on how to generator and Procure energy. Session-2: Enhance energy efficiency This session will discuss on enhancing profitability through improved energy efficiency. renewable energy through Building & Factory Management and for SME Session-3: E-mobility and electric storage - opportunities and challenges This session will discuss on future trends on E-Mobility & Electric Charging stations opportunities and challenges. Session-4: Tutorial session & Case Study CSTEP, Accenture, ABB, Infosys, Wipro on Renewable Energy hands-on tutorial session using a real case study will be conducted to provide insights on a particular aspect of renewable energy, energy efficiency or electric vehicle adoption. This conference will provide a platform for members of the industry to interact and discuss challenges with Senior Govt. officials who will be participating as panel members. Participants Profile Company Managers working on Renewable Energy. Energy auditors, Environment, Health and Safety Managers, Factory Managers, Building Managers, Facility Heads etc The Conference is a meeting of the minds from diverse sectors and an engaging audience of more than 200 people. The unique mix of corporate leaders, Govt. representatives, academia, makes this a great networking event as well as a learning experience. With this above context I am writing to cordially invite you to join or nominate delegates from your company to participate in the conference through attached registration form or Email with Name/designation/company/Mobile number/email id along with GST Number of and address of the company to lokanath.sampangi@cii.in or contact 9900576600 I look forward to receiving your kind confirmation. Best Regards Dr N Muthukumar Chairman-CII Karnataka & President & Whole Time Director Automotive Axles Ltd ________________________________________ CONFEDERATION OF INDIAN INDUSTRY (CII) # 1086, 12th Main HAL 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar Bangalore - 560008 Phone: (080) 42889595 Website: www.cii.in
Dear Partner, Pursuant to the SEBI Circular SEBI/HO/IMD/DF2/CIR/P2018/137 dated 22nd October 2018, please note that all contests, campaigns & promotional drives communicated to you stand withdrawn wef. 22nd Oct. Any kind of incentive due to you until 21st Oct 2018 as per the terms & conditions of the respective contest shall be paid out to you in due course. You may also note that your Brokerage for transactions till 21st Oct have been paid out to you on 5th Nov. The brokerage for the period 22nd Oct to 31st Oct 2018 shall be paid out with the Nov 2018 brokerage in the month of December. Regards, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd. For AMFI/NISM Certified partners only. For private circulation only.
A recent survey conducted by YouGov and Mint found that 48% of older millennials (age 29-37) invested in equities compared to 4% of younger millennials (aged 22-28). The influence of age on investment decision is also visible in investments made by Gen X (aged 38-53). The survey found that 54% of the older generation invested in equity investments of some kind. Overall, one-third of working millennials put their money only in risk-free instruments such as fixed and recurring deposits, without investing anything in equities. Millennials refer to those who attained adulthood in the early 21st century. The study observed that older people have more accumulated savings and higher incomes than the young do. This allows them greater flexibility to invest in different products. This is particularly true in case of younger millennials who have lower earnings, compared with the other two demographics. Moreover, the tendency of millennials to spend more compared to their older counterparts may also be responsible for the lower investments. However, the survey reckons that income plays a greater role in shaping investment decisions. Analysis of millennial data by income group further reiterates this point. The survey noted that the richest millennials invested twice as much in equities compared to the millennials earning lower income. Similarly, higher number of these individuals diversify their investments compared to their poorest counterparts. This indicates that the cushion of high earnings boosts the risk appetite of these individuals. Overall, the survey notes that it is class, more than age, which influences the investment products chosen and the investment amount. A city-wise analysis of the data revealed that working adults (age 22-53 years) from Hyderabad were least likely to invest in stock markets, while those residing in Kolkata are most likely to do so. The pollsters noted that only 35% of the respondents from Hyderabad invested in equities compared to 61% of the participants from Kolkata. Majority of the respondents from Delhi-NCR and Mumbai invested in equities. On the other hand, amongst the Bengaluru respondents the percentage of equity investors was slightly lower than 50%. The survey also mentioned that there is no major gender-specific difference in investment preferences of working millennials. However, millennial men have a slightly higher allocation to equities compared to millennial women. The YouGov-Mint Millennial Survey was conducted online in July. The survey collated answers of 5,000 respondents from YouGov India's panel of internet-users. The respondents were spread across 180+ cities. Amongst the sample, a little less than a thousand belong to Gen X while older millennials, younger millennials and post-millennials all had more than a thousand representatives.
One of the features to keep in mind before choosing one investment over another is cost. Cost is nothing but the fee you pay to invest. Fees can be varied, which means that different types of products will have different types of fees. Comparing fee at face value may not be accurate. Here are three things you need to keep in mind when calculating the fee you pay for a product. Is it recurring? While simple products like bank fixed deposits don't have any fees, there are one-time account opening fees and recurring management fees attached to other products; some may have a combination of both. For example, managed funds come with recurring management fees, but if you consider investing in direct equity, there is a one-time account opening fee for most trading accounts, the demat fee involves annual maintenance charges and transaction-based brokerage. Recurring fee is mostly applied to managed products like mutual funds. Broking fee is also recurring but it gets charged per transaction. Real estate purchases also have a broking fee involved. However, it is more like a one-time outgo, given the nature of the transaction itself. Some managed products may have a one-time and recurring fee; alternate investment funds have a one-time set-up fee and a recurring management fee. How is it applied? Where the fee is shown as a percentage, it's left up to you to figure out what to apply that to. For example, a 2% management fee for managed funds will get applied to the current total assets under management. If your investment is worth ?10,000 now then a 2% fee will mean a charge of ?200. On the other hand, in unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips), a premium allocation charge is applied to the premium paid. There is also a fund management charge which is applied to the accumulated amount you have invested via the Ulip. As the market value of your Ulip investment grows, the amount deducted for this will change proportionately. Similarly, equity brokerage is applied when you buy a stock and when you sell it. In the buy leg of the transaction, the brokerage is applied to the market value then; similarly, in the sell leg, it is applied to the current market value. What's the period? Lastly, you need to check what period the fee is payable for. An annual fee is applied for an investment spread over 12 months. For example, a 2% management fee for a fund is an annual management fee but a 0.1% brokerage is applied at the time of the transaction. The two fees are not strictly comparable. If you want to compare, you must consider the period for which you are going to hold the managed fund and calculate accordingly before comparing. Fees and costs are never a deciding factor by themselves when it comes to choosing an investment. However, for certain products there can be more than one type of fee attached and you must add up the entire string of fees to know the true cost.
Under-reporting or misreporting your income to I-T Department? Here's how taxmen can penalise you now As a taxpayer, it is very important for you to know that while filing the income tax return, if a person under-reports his income or inflates his deduction/exemption, then the Income Tax Department can impose a penalty on him under Section 270A of the Income Tax Act, 1961. You must be wondering that the Section 270A of the I-T Act is not a new section as it was introduced two years back in the Budget 2016. Then why is it being discussed now? Well, this section has become more important from this year because of the two recent moves of the I-T Department. Firstly, the department has recently issued a cautionary advisory to all the salaried taxpayers who will be filing the IT returns for FY17-18 to report their income correctly. This move has apparently been taken in order to stop all the malpractices which are being resorted to by the salaried taxpayers in order to evade tax. Secondly, the department has also come up with the changes in the ITR Form 1 (Sahaj) for FY17-18 which now seeks specific and complete details of your salary and house property income. Earlier, such details were not required; only the total figure was to be disclosed. PROMOTED CONTENTMgid No One Believed Bengaluru Girl Would Make Millions Doing This! lestsbane-sockgles.com A New Way To Earn Extra Cash In Bengaluru Today lestsbane-sockgles.com Men, You Don't Need Viagra If You Do This Daily mensnewsnow.com ????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ????? herbeauty.co Now, let's understand that what exactly is under-reporting or misreporting of income and how much penalty would be levied in such cases. "As per Section 270A, if any person under-reports or misreports his income, then an assessing officer (AO), a commissioner (appeals), a principal commissioner or a commissioner may direct him to pay penalty in addition to the tax, if any, on such income. This penalty is to be paid over and above the taxes," says CA Abhishek Soni, Founder, tax2win.in. Under reporting of income can be based on various circumstances. Like, if the income of a person exceeds the basic exemption limit, but still he does not file a return, then it will be considered as a case of under-reporting. However, "the cases of misreporting of income as defined in the Income Tax Act are misrepresentation or suppression of information; failure to record investments in the books; claim of expenditure without any evidence; recording of false entry in the books, failure to record receipt in books which is having effect on total income; and failure to report any international transaction or deemed to be an international transaction," says Soni. What is the penalty? If the under-reporting of income is on account of misreporting of income, then the penalty shall be leviable at the rate of 200% of the tax payable on such under-reported income. However, if it is due to any other circumstances, then the penalty shall be 50% of tax payable on under-reported income. For example, "if your income is, say, Rs 15,00,000, i.e. you are in the 30% tax bracket, and have under-reported an income of Rs 2 lakh in ITR, then the AO can impose a penalty of up to about Rs 30,000 (50% of the tax on under-reported income, i.e., Rs 60,000 (200000*30%)). However, if the under-reporting is due to misreporting of income, then penalty can be up to 200% of the tax on unreported income, i.e. 200% of Rs 60,000, amounting to Rs 1,20,000," says Soni. However, an assessee may apply to the AO with explanation that why under-reporting or misreporting occurred. If satisfied, then the AO may not penalise the assessee or may reduce the quantum of penalty. Therefore, from this year onwards you must be extra careful while filing your income tax return for FY 17-18, and disclose all your incomes under the respective heads. Otherwise, you may have to pay penalty u/s 270A for under-reporting or misreporting of your income along with the applicable taxes. So, be vigilant and file your IT return correctly.
Dear Sir / Madam Andhra Pradesh Energy Innovation Summit 28 - 29 November 2018 : Hotel Novotel, Vijayawada I am pleased to inform that Government of Andhra Pradesh is hosting Powering Andhra Pradesh, Global Energy Innovation Summit to shape the future of energy in Andhra Pradesh. The Summit is scheduled on 28-29 November 2018 in Vijayawada, India. Andhra Pradesh has been at the forefront of the energy sector and has won 20 plus awards in the energy sector during 2015 to 2017. From a power deficit of 22.5 MU per day in 2014, the state has become a power surplus state and has lowered its transmission & distribution losses from 14% to less than 10% within a short span of time. In addition to augmenting both conventional and renewable energy production, the State has also enhanced energy efficiency through massive installation of LED bulbs and solar pump sets. The state has now set a challenging vision for the energy sector which includes: Setting up of 18 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 Reducing transmission and distribution losses to less than 3% Ensuring 10 lakh (1 million) Electric Vehicles on road by 2023, attracting an investment of INR 30,000 crores (~ USD 4.5 billion) Ensuring 24*7 reliable power supply for all domestic, commercial and industrial users by 2019 Rolling out energy efficiency measures to save 12000 MU of electricity annually To build on this momentum, and to support the States' vision and address gaps in the energy sector, Government of Andhra Pradesh is organizing this major Summit. The Summit will share innovations and global best practices via panel discussions, workshops and a pitch competition. The five central themes of the summit are Conventional Energy, Renewables, Grid up-gradation, Energy Efficiency and E-Mobility. The Summit will bring together energy sector experts from a wide range of organizations including private sector, international agencies, donors, investors, independent think tanks, research institutions and governments to share technology innovations, best practices and ideas for transforming the energy landscape in the state. The summit will also showcase innovations in the energy and renewable sector from across the globe and highlights solutions for emerging economies. For more details of the summit, please visit - www.andhraenergysummit.org The summit offers a unique opportunity for sharing of ideas and, insights with key stakeholders from the Government. The Summit will also offer an opportunity for discussing the challenges faced and to scout solutions. I am writing to invite you to participate / nominate senior colleagues for this important summit and take advantage of the opportunity offered by Government of Andhra Pradesh. Prior Registration is essential. Participation on First Come, First Serve Basis (No Delegate Fee). For more details, you may please contact Ms Mahalakshmi at 044 42444555 / 9962613798 Email: maha.ragu@cii.in. Kindly confirm your participation by filling and sending the enclosed Registration Form. We look forward to your participation. Regards, Ramesh Kymal ===================================================== Ramesh Kymal Chairman - Renewable Energy, Infrastructure & Power Subcommittee Confederation of Indian Industry (Southern Region) & Chairman & Managing Director Siemens Gamesa Renewable Power Private Ltd Prof C K Prahalad Centre 98/1 Velachery Main Road Guindy, Chennai 600 032
Dear Customer, Greetings from Bajaj Finserv. We are delighted to inform you that your loan application number SF89119138 has been approved. New Loan Details Customer Name MATHIVANAN G Contact Number 9789059867 Registered Email ID sathish.n@gmail.com Loan Amount (A) Rs.114000.00 Charges & Deductions Processing Fee (including service tax) Rs.4446.00 Stamp Duty Rs.20.00 ELC/Preferred Card Rs.0.00 Broken Period Interest* Charged from date of disbursal to date of EMI commencement Group Life Insurance Premium Rs.3102.00 Health Insurance Premium Rs.844.00 Other Upfront Charges Rs.0 Total Charges (B) Rs.8412.00 Net Disbursement Amount (A-B) Rs.105588.00 EMI Amount 4307.00 Interest Rate - (ROI Flat)** 20.33% Interest Rate - (IRR Reducing)*** 33.02% *Broken Period Interest (BPI) - BPI is deducted from the total loan amount in addition to the charges mentioned above **Interest Rate (ROI Flat) - Flat rate of interest as indicative above is for your ease of calculating equated monthly installment (EMI). Same can be calculated as (loan amount* monthly flat rate (flat rate PA/12) *tenure) + (loan amount)/tenure ***Interest Rate (IRR Reducing) - EMI can also be calculated using reducing rate of interest as (loan amount* monthly reducing rate (reducing rate PA/12) X (1 + monthly reducing rate) ^tenure/(1 + monthly reducing rate) ^tenure-1 Please feel free to contact your sales representative - null,null in case you seek any clarifications at this stage Foreclosure and part payment charges are as follows: Types Charges Foreclosure 4% plus applicable taxes on principal outstanding Part Payment 2% plus applicable taxes on part payment amount paid Foreclosure and part payment can be made post clearance of 1st EMI. Foreclosure and part payment charges will be applicable on current principle outstanding. We have a dedicated customer service team which can be reached on wecare@bajajfinserv.in or you can also call us on 020 - 39574151 (call charges apply) for all your queries and requests. We are committed to resolve your query/grievance in 48 hours, else we assure you a call back. Experia - our self-service Customer Portal, gives you access to all your loan details. Being our valued customer, we assure you that all our products have unique features and benefits designed especially for you. Warm regards,
The proliferation of digital wallets seems to have ended-and even reversed-in India. From just one in 2006, the number of firms offering e-wallet services had zoomed to 60 by 2017, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). However, since then, their number has shrunk to 49 due to several reasons. Smaller firms, in particular, have gradually been exiting the space. Experts cite several reasons for this, including consolidation, lack of profitability, competition, and unfavourable policy norms. The boom Wallet365.com was India's first e-wallet, launched in 2006 by media firm Times Group in association with YES Bank. Since then, a number of banks and non-banking financial service firms have entered the industry. This includes retailers such as BigBasket and Grofers, e-commerce giants like Amazon, and even popular messaging app WhatsApp. Some of these, such as Paytm and Mobikwik, went on to corner a substantial share of the market. They were aided by rising smartphone penetration in the country, which has led Indians to increasingly adopt online banking over the past three-four years. The acute cash crunch triggered by the November 2016 note ban also came as a major booster shot. From an estimated Rs154 crore ($21.3 million) in 2015-16, the Indian e-wallet industry was expected to grow to Rs30,000 crore by the end of 2021-22. Yet, the boom hasn't sustained. The downswing "Payments is a high-volume, low-value business and that is why most companies continue to struggle," Upasana Taku, co-founder of MobiKwik, told Quartz. "As a result, there has been a churn in the industry and many firms have either shut shop or gone slow in expanding their business." In order to make a wallet business profitable, companies not only need to create a customer base but will also have to maintain a merchant network or come up with other compelling reasons for customers to use a wallet as a payment option, which is another challenge, explained Taku. "If you don't have a large customer base then you are just burning cash on a monthly basis and that can't be sustainable," said Vinay Kalantri, founder and managing director of tmw (The Mobile Wallet). As profits remain elusive, larger companies with deeper pockets are stepping in to snap up the smaller firms. For instance, earlier this year, tmw acquired Trupay, a New Delhi-based digital wallet company. There have been many such acquisitions in the past two years: Axis Bank bought out mobile wallet firm FreeCharge, Amazon snapped up online payment gateway Emvantage, Flipkart picked up PhonePe, and Shopclues acquired Momoe, the mobile wallet for offline stores. As the market matures, the number of players in the ecosystem may come down further. RBI's move Meanwhile, some of the new norms put in place by the central bank, too, have dampened the mood. For instance, the net-worth requirement for digital wallet companies has been hiked to Rs5 crore from Rs2 crore, with a minimum positive net worth of Rs15 crore in three financial years. "This has made the entry barrier tougher and, therefore, only serious players are staying back, unlike previous times when companies were just acquiring the licence but not even using it," added Kalantri. The need for a full know your customer (KYC) verification for all wallet holders which kicked in from March this year and requires additional documentation has been another challenge for the companies. This has been made even tougher after the supreme court's verdict on Aadhaar, India's 12-digit biometric identity number, in September. Corporate entities or even individuals have been forbidden from demanding Aadhaar in exchange for goods or services. "Even though the KYC process was a pain point for the industry we were able to manage because of Aadhaar. One just had to put their thumbs on the biometric ID and the process could be completed," said Praveen Dadabhai, CEO of Payworld, another wallet company. "But now that it is no longer allowed the whole process becomes far more cumbersome and expensive for companies and therefore all wallet companies are now struggling with the e-KYC." On the flip side, in October the RBI allowed interoperability which allows money transfer between two firms. Apart from this, mobile wallet companies can also now issue cards in partnership with payment networks like Mastercard, Visa, or RuPay. "As a result, it is likely that some other players from, say the loyalty industry, may enter the market even as the smaller ones exit," said Kalantri. Check out Quartz on Instagram Follow us
More than eight out of 10 tech professionals have a favourable opinion of CEO activists, i.e. those business leaders who take a stance on issues they believe are important, according to a survey commissioned by Weber Shandwick in partnership with KRC Research. Leveraging on tech professionals' preferences towards CEOs who take a stand on issues they care about, employers have the opportunity to make an impact on tech talent, who can be a hard to attract and retain segment. Weber Shandwick's chief reputation strategist Leslie Gaines-Ross said: "Although this tech segment acknowledges the risk of CEOs speaking up, they expect their leaders to be public advocates when it comes to issues that impact people's lives." About four years ago, attracting and retaining talent was cited as one of the top HR challenges that employers worldwide faced. In light of this, here are five ways in which CEOs can successfully make use of their activism to retain their tech talent: 1. Recognise the advantage of CEO activism Tech professionals are highly enthusiastic about CEOs speaking out on today's hotly debated issues. Notably, they express increased loyalty to an employer whose CEO is a public advocate. At a glance, job training, equal pay and data privacy are all ranked as the top three issues by tech workers in and outside of the technology sector, which they would like CEOs to address. 2. Make company values crystal clear, both internally and externally CEOs and companies are finding that they need to be accountable to their values. Technology employees are particularly values-driven, with nearly nine in 10 believing a CEO has a responsibility to defend the values of his or her organisation. 3. Take into account the issues that resonate most with tech professionals While tech professionals care most about issues that directly affect their jobs, they are also likely to consider the impact of technology on future generations of advanced technology professionals. 4. Understand the wide reach of CEO activism The desire for CEOs to speak out is highly desired by high tech professionals across the seven markets in the survey, which include the U.S., U.K., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India and China, without being limited to a single market. 5. Don't overlook women technology professionals Women technology professionals are significantly more likely than their male colleagues to agree that CEOs need to defend company values, to have a more favourable opinion overall of CEO activism and to feel CEOs have a responsibility to speak out. Eight out of 10 women say their loyalty to their employers would increase if their organisations were led by CEO activists. At a time when companies are looking to attract more women technologists, CEO activism may be an advantage to promote in hiring activities.
Leveraging digital technologies in the logistics industry is aimed at increasing efficiencies within the sector that will in turn contribute to faster and seamless shipment movements, and thereby reduce costs. According to a report by the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT), the benefit of such technologies can be seen in developed economies where the cost of doing logistics is 7-8% of the GDP versus 14% in India. Digital innovations from real time shipment updates to enhanced customer interface, the whole cycle is driven by digital technologies, chatbots and data analytics. Logistics sector is embarking it's presence from offline mode to online everyday life processes. With the vision of embracing lives of more than a million people connecting with couriers, posts and parcels around the globe, DHL Express India is fueling their capabilities to offer reduced delivery time, cost and enhanced customer experience with digital technologies. In an interview with ETCIO, Prasad Dhumal, VP - IT, DHL Express India throws light on how they are adopting "Evolution, Not Revolution" approach while transforming into agile IT landscape, modernized logistics systems to embrace the network and customer experience with digital capabilities. What technologies are you investing in to optimize logistics network and digital growth? Brand Solutions How Total Communications can help your business 6 ways how Internet of Things is transformational We have invested in multiple technological interfaces for the benefit of our customers and internal stakeholders, such as: MyDHL+ is a simplified, intuitive and efficient online shipping and tracking platform for customers that can be tailored to suit their preferences.We have ESS (Electronic Shipping Solutions) solutions, to support GST & E-waybill related mandatory data elements to bring more convenience to customers. Customer service enhancement is one of our foremost priority to keep the pace of digitally growing logistics industry. Hence we have deployed chatbots with analytics algorithms and enabled on demand Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system where customer can get connected with associates without any hassle and reduced waiting time. With automating digital technologies, we offer On Demand Delivery (ODD) service for B2C customers to schedule delivery at their own convenience via SMS or email. We have updated our scanners to the digital stage for couriers to capture real-time shipment status such as pickup and delivery, RF (Radio Frequency) scanners within our service centers and gateway facilities to perform shipment processing and Web services, plug-ins for our online B2C customers to enable seamless data exchange between the systems are some of technology driven upgrades in our business to provide hassle-free shipping experience to our customers. What is the `Express Cargo Clearance System' and the associated impact on business operational efficiency? From an industry standpoint, the Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS) has been jointly developed by Indian Customs and Express Industry Council of India (EICI). The deployment of the Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS), which has been introduced at Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru airports, has led to paperless customer clearance process thus ensuring greater speed, reliability, control and cost savings. ECCS links shipment data and its physical movement at the clearance ports via handheld barcode scanners, which enable transparent real time shipment tracking through the entire customs clearance cycle. In addition, ECCS eliminates the use of all physical paper in the customs clearance process - it is estimated that the project will result in the reduction of approximately 1.34 crore annual paper consumption. This technology has ensured faster clearance, better compliance of rules, quick data reporting and enhanced data security. In case of regulatory reforms such as GST and the E-waybill, we have worked well in advance to ensure compliance with these reforms. Today, our efforts toward enabling this digital transformation have resulted in the migration of 97% of our shipment data on to electronic format. What are the challenges you face while synchronizing new reforms and compliance with IT systems? Every new reform is a challenge in itself for businesses across industries. With the introduction of reforms such as GST and the E-waybill, we have had to revisit and revise some of our global IT systems and processes to incorporate provisions of the new reforms. With the GST reforms, we had to navigate through multiple provisions, and factor in varying scenarios for different kinds of customers. Multiple revisions in regulations added to the complexities. However, we were well-prepared to manage the rollout of GST; we worked closely with our Finance, Operations and Commercial teams to re-design our systems and proactively guided and supported our customers through initial days in dealing with teething issues. Similarly, in the case of the E-waybill, the preliminary challenges which were dealt quickly with innovative work. In the absence of Application Programming Interface (APIs) in the first few months of launch, we introduced a semi-automated process for the convenience of our customers, where data could be extracted from our ESS solutions and uploaded to E-waybill Portal seamlessly. What is the business impact of leveraging digital technologies in the logistics industry? In today's world, technological advancement is a constant source of change. Complex processes are continually being automated and simplified. According to DHL's Logistics Trend Radar Report 2018-19, digital logistics service agents embedded as conversational interfaces in smart home devices such as Amazon Alexa, can assist customers with real-time updates on the status of the package deliveries, enable rescheduling and notifications in case of any delay. Interacting through voice allows users to seamlessly access logistics data. This can result in reduced customer support costs, increased user attention, and wider adoption of IoT. The first vision picking (order picking using smart glasses in warehouse operations) deployment which DHL conducted with a customer - results show a 25% performance improvement when smart glasses were deployed during operations.
Usually, big companies continue to have a chartered accountant for at least five years to audit their accounts There are many suspicions the investigators have on the bank transactions and the financial claims made by Heera Group of Companies' managing director Nowhera Shaikh. A curious one among them is the unusual pattern of changing the Chartered Accountant (CA) almost every financial year for the group, comprising 15-odd companies, including Heera Gold, Heera Textiles and Heera Foodex. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detective Department) Avinash Mohanty told The Hindu that every year, the group, which had floated several investment schemes and claimed to have an annual turnover of over ? 800 crore, constantly changed their CA. "Business groups which have huge annual turnover usually will not change their auditor every year. So, this practice of Heera Group is very shady," he said. The investigators reportedly grilled three CAs who audited the company accounts but in vain. Surprisingly, most of the companies in the group had a constant profit of 36 % all these years, Mr Mohanty said. Ms Shaik, who is currently lodged at a prison in Mumbai, was arrested by Hyderabad police in Delhi and brought her to city on November 16. Founder of the Mahila Empowerment Party, which contested the Assembly elections in Karnataka earlier this year, she was booked for cheating investors. According to police, the transactions of the Heera Group were under the radar of Reserve Bank of India, Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate, Registrar of Companies and other finance regulatory bodies. Mr Mohanty said that the company promised the depositors returns of 36% per annum and most of them are from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and recently a case was registered at Calicut in Kerala. Deposits from Gulf countries were also received, he said and added they have identified 160 bank accounts of which a few were closed. "Over 100 bank accounts had only ? 25 crore, while its turnover is much higher," he said, adding that they requested the banks for transaction statement of the those accounts. The 45-year-old managing director had paid ? 55 crore of income tax for her companies and completely different papers were submitted to RoC. "Usually, big companies will have continue to have a CA for at least five years to audit their accounts, subjected to various reasons" said a city-based CA Ramakrishna. Recently, Economic Offences Wing of Hyderabad police arrested Molly Thomas (50), manager and personal assistant of Ms Shaik. Mr. Mohanty said that they have found substantial incriminating evidences against Ms Molly, a key person who takes care of administration in Heera Group of Companies. "She had destroyed some key documents of the group," he said.
Dear All, This is to inform you that we are launching our new scheme - "IDBI Dividend Yield Fund" NFO details are as follows: NFO Opens on : 3rd December, 2018 NFO Closes on : 17th December, 2018 We would like to inform you that the Final Copy of SID and KIM of IDBI Dividend Yield Fund has been filed with SEBI on November 19, 2018. SID & KIM of our new Scheme IDBI Dividend Yield Fund are uploaded on our website. Below is the link to download the scheme documents: Below link to download SID: https://www.idbimutual.co.in/Pdf/IDBI%20Dividend%20Yield%20Fund%20SID-%20Final-20-November-2018-1413509934.pdf Below link to download KIM: https://www.idbimutual.co.in/Pdf/IDBI%20Dividend%20Yield%20Fund%20KIM%20-%20Final-20-November-2018-830727912.pdf Thanks & Regards, Mohit Bakre Deputy Manager IDBI Asset Management Ltd No.7, First Level, Unit No.116, Prestige Centre Point, Cunningham Road, Bangaluru- 560052 Phone : 080 - 41495263 Fax : 080 -41495264 Mobile: 9482858906 Description: cid:image003.jpg@01CB0CAC.FC842CE0
InCred, a digital lending app has secured a funding of Rs 300 crore led by founder Bhupinder Singh and its private equity investors like Paragon Partners by Siddharth Parekh. As per a Mint report, Bhupinder Singh has invested around Rs 40 crore, Paragon Partners has contributed Rs 50 crore to the fund. The remaining sum was poured in by High Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs). The purpose behind this collection of funds by the Singh led firm is to diversify its lending business model from being focussed on consumers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across four lending verticals - Consumer finance, education, budget housing, and SMEs. InCred with this money is expected by the investors to incubate new businesses. In July there was another report by Mint claiming that the financial service platform may enter into the wholesale lending business by raising new funds. So far, Incred has raised about $75 million (in 2016 led by Anshu Jain) and it was in talks to raise Rs 1000 crore via equity selling in September this year. As far as the activities of InCred's competitors in the current year are concerned, many of them have raised significant amounts. Out of these, Lendingkart seems to have bagged most funds with $87 million in Series C from Fullerton Financial Holdings by Temasek in February, and Rs 300 crore in debt round by Aditya Birla Sunlife AMC in August beginning. IndiaLends clocked $10 million in series B round by ACPI Investment Managers and Ganesh Ventures in mid-2018, with LoanTap bagging $6.25 million by Shunwei Capital around the same time. Nearing September end, Qbera also received a funding of $3 million from Essel Group subsidiary - E City Ventures. Overall, as per a report by EY and Private Equity and Venture Capital Association cited in Mint, financial service sector in India saw investment worth $4 billion in the first half of the calendar year 2018. The pattern clearly points to the high interest of VCs in the financial services sector in Indian startup ecosystem, especially in the digital lending platforms. What remains to be seen is how these companies perform in the market with the funds they have raised.
mahalingaham@poonawalagroup.com, mahesh@staminteractive.com, mrmalli@rediffmail.com, vmanisekar@deccaniservices.in, manoj@coralgrid.com, vmittal@bhushan-group.org, v.mohan@parsvnath.com, accounts@questlogistics.in, hrd@gmfabrics.com, mowgil@grtjewels.com, murali@factltd.com, v.muralidhar@rane.co.in, totalcomputer@reliancemail.net, muraliduaranv@78m.ac.in, murlikrishana@avtcorp.in, rajfast@bsnl.in, yashmun@vsnl.net, financeheadho@gurindglass.com, vnh@dagger-forst.com, vniyer@bluedart.com, iyervn@bluedart.com, ppl@prashanthprojects.com, vnk@concordemotors.com, vnm_act@voltamptransformers.com, mumbai.ro@ktkbank.com, dgmfa@sbp.co.in, ofs@bom5.vsnl.net.in, saravanan@unifiwealth.com, vnsn@sundaramfinance.in, info@ergohalmets.com, vn@scl.co.in, vnrao@npcil.com, nagaraj@umakcreative.com, bangalore_vohratea@vohratea.com, commisioner.salem@tn.gov.in, vsnr@vemtechnologies.com, naik@spectrum.net.in, klemmen@eth.net, v.natarajan@tatapigments.co.in, neelakantan.viswanathan@timesgroup.com, hitechuv@bom5.vsnl.net.in, vpagarwal@bajajhindustan.com, vpb@lnjb.com, account.okhla@vikramoverseas.com, vpghuliani@ho.trivenigroup.com, dac@bis.org.in, finance@goyalgroup.com, enquiry@bldea.org, business@markfedpunjab.com, finance@cadmach.com, vpmalhotra@voltas.com, vp@jasra.com, ved.rustagi@oialliance.com, bainite@vsnl.com, thirumoorthy.vp@bestcrompton.com, corporate@camlin.com, padmaramani@eenadu.net, cs@antrix.gov.in, velichety@dataone.in, digilog@blr.vsnl.net.in, info@coindia.in, accounts@spm.co.in, finance@interjewelmumbai.com, parthasarathy@wifi.com, parthy@mformation.com, perumal@caiplanet.in, v_pinto@sbici.com, nayagam@imc.net.in, sales@amprose.co.in, prakashv@hdfcinsurance.com, ostern@cal.vsnl.net.in, abhyankar@gesaindia.com, abhayankarvr@hlcl.com, akbari@vijaytanks.com, vrchary@suana.com, vrgupta@hplindia.com, v.guruprasad@in.g4s.com, hari.kumar@tayana.in, haribabu@dwsi.co.in, vriyer@obc.co.in, vrjoshi@walchand.com, vrsubramanium@francoindia.com, agm5cz@sbm.co.in, mohan.vellore@relianceada.com, vrmohnot@mehtagroup.com, finance@ltramboll.com, ravi@saimirra.com, hsl@hslvizag.com, nagaraju@gwindia.in, satyaprasad@heterolabs.com, shriram@wam.co.in, vrs@tatacoffee.com, venkatramani@ilpgt.co.in, v.radhakrishnan@itc.co.in, V.Raghavan@arihants.co.in, raghu@peakxv.in, rao@esntechnologies.com, hyd1_patodia@gtnindustries.com, raghuram@mro-tek.com, wind@khivrajmotors.com, rajarao.v@lancogroup.com, rajagopalan.v@rediffmail.com, rajagopanan.v@gemacenergy.com, shenbaga.v@icicibank.com, tcpchem@eth.net, rajesh@sanky.com, rajesh@seil.co.in, vrajesh@antiquelimited.com, postmaster@beekalene.com, rakeshv@gulfoil.co.in, nubiolaindia@nubiola.com, Sales@qualitronix.com, adminbgl@vbspl.com, vramakrishna@oceansparkle.in, rewdale@airtelbroadband.in, ramakrishna@superautoforge.net, vramkrishnan@vitage.com, ramanarayanan@orientalgroup.in, ramaswamy@hpfl-india.com, infoindia@gknsintermetals.co, ramchandran@iba.org.in, v-ramesh@avtspice.com, vramesh@cityunionbank.com, ramesh@cpcdiagnostics.in, rameshv@hexaware.com, ramesh@tka-jbm.theyssenkrupp.com, vaidyanathan.ramesh@legrand.co.in, ramesh@precisionit.co.in, ramesh@unitexapparels.com, ktcferroalloys@sancharnet.in, vranganathan@somaiya.edu, ranga@srinivasafashions.com, globecomp@globe-india.com, info@bmf.com, ranga@fennermail.com, vravichandran@hmil.net, ravichandran@ecciltd.com, ravichandran@johnsonliftsltd.com, ravindra@nic.in, accounts@rosanseaair.com, ravishanker@ksb.co.in, vsahusa@hvaxles.com, acm@infrahomsing.com, varadaraya.avadhani@scotiabank.com, unitex@unitexfashions.net, vs.ganesh@vedanta.co.in, vsgupta@cauveryford.com, vshasolkar@shirke.co.in, bgstech@vsnl.com, iyerv@labindia.com, vsiyer@remigroup.com, kadam.v@kirticollege.org, finance@pittilam.com, mani.subramanyam@enteg.com, secretary@ecil.co.in, vvvs@obpil.com, vsnmurty@tatasteel.com, vsoak@tifr.res.in, padmanaban@gangotritextiles.com, vspadmanabhan@wipro.co.in, vsp@dolphininks.com, accounts@mes.co.in, dba@kwa.kerala.gov.in, vsr.murthy@mytecsoft.com, vsrsastry@firstcallindiaequity.com, accounts@sipralabs.com, rajeev.v.s@accentiatechnologies.com, ramarao@unionbankofindia.com, raman@bpleng.com, vs.rao@itgi.co.in, delhi@aksharaadvertising.com, gokul@linkwellelectronics.com, salian@bom.seaworldship.com, latha.j@dtss.in, vsnarayan@royalfield.com, accounts@mnnit.ac.in, info@sridhanalakshmi.com, siva_kumar@sifycorp.in, asvini@asvini.co.in, vs.shiva@ogilvy.com, vs.sridhar@pure-chemical.com, vssridhar@pure-chemical.com, tripathi@vsnl.net, prasad@axiomenergy.co.in, vsvenkatesh@ntpc.co.in, venkitesh.vs@ip.flintgrp.com, accounts@ramnetindia.com, sambamoorthy@divyasree.com, sambasiva_v@ksk.co.in, vsm.finance@divyasree.com, santhi.kumar@vedanta.co.in, vsaseendran@malabarcements.com, sawani@hlag.com, hilhq@nde.vsnl.net.in, selvav@siptech.com, info-in@festo.com, senthilkumar@westland-tata.com, seshadriv@dcbl.com, vshahane@setcoauto.com, shankar@schits.com, vshankar@tvstyres.com, shankar.vittala@wipro.com, v.shirali@quest2travel.com, v.shivakumar@rane.co.in, shrihari@klruniversal.com, info@faridatannery.com, trd@repcobank.co.in, finance@ke-burgmannindia.com, boi8016@eth.net, vs.rajan@sbi.co.in, sreekumar@pankajakasthuri.in, forza@vsnl.com, v.sridhar@mainimal.com, v.s@safyeastin.com, sridhar@fritonvalves.com, finance@tritonvalves.com, vsridharan@lakshmisri.com, agmbpcib.lhoche@sbi.co.in, finance@metroapi.com, v_srinivas@in.mufg.jp, srinivasan@aurolab.com, bmr@victorysugarvsnl.in, boi8004@eth.net, v.srinivasan@bharti-axalife.com, vsrinivasan@empeegroup.co.in, v.srinivasan@godrejinds.com, v.srinivasan@godrej.com, srini.v@icicibank.com, v_srinivasan@infosys.com, srinivasan@johncrane.com, srinivasan.v@rapsri.com, sriram.v@imacs.in, sriram@samasta.co.in, srivatsan@digiterati.in, jajoo@shreecementltd.com, subramaniam.v@ril.com, manisubra@hotmail.com, Subramanian@ycsindia.com, agmfma@mahabank.co.in, sudarshanv@bsil.com, finance@lokeshmachines.in, vsundar@scmmicro.co.in, sundar@suseegroup.com, sundar@symrise.com, info@sartorius.com, vs@dynamatics.net, vsureka@southpoint.org.in, v.surendran@dolphinoffshore.com, v.suresh@essar.com, vsuresh@globalgreencompany.com, suresh.v@quest-global.com, suresh@dqentertainment.com, suresh_kumar@ruchigroup.com, suryanarayananV@cholams.murugappa.com, swaminathan.v@akshaya.com, swaminathan@sundarambnpparibashome.com, v_swaminathan@carraro.com, vtprabakaran@smileltd.org, vtreddy@pryogroups.com, v_thomas@ici.com, v.udayasankar@nlcindia.com, upendiran64@gmail.com, accounts@kerchem.com, vvbs@prestigeconstructions.com, psfin@nic.in, wcs@gayatri.co.in, vvchugh@pagelink-pagepoint.com, contact@madcindia.org, vvrraju@nccinfra.co, fenoexports@eth.net, vvr@malladi.co.in, vvvraju@bmm.in, yogesnkumar@intextechnologie.com, info@kakatiyacements.com, satish.v@emmvee.in, v.srinivasan@associategroup.in, vishvesh@gsfcltd.com, df@braithwaiteindia.com, vaidy@real-image.com, vaidyanath_v@cathaypacific.com, nne@vsnl.com, vasudevan@flamagasindia.com, vasudevan@hcgoncology.com, vv@kpmg.com, jmoff@jmplgroups.com, v.venkatesan@kone.com, venkat@takesolutions.com, vvrao@tridentmicrofin.com, v.venkateswarlu@midwestgranite.com, venkat@jaslokhospital.net, venkat@penta-media.com, sreevari@vsnl.com, venkat@greenplymail.com, venugopal@nisusinc.com, venugopal_v@apollohospitals.com, venugopal_menon@tatamcgrawhill.com, v.vijayaraghavan@gmacfs.com, vijesh.vijayan@qsoftindia.com, krishnamurthy@pharmedlimited.in, vvn@malladi.co.in, accounts@jupiterseaair.com, treasury@flcindia.com, info@sigmainsurance.com, vadapalli.srinivas@sbilife.co.in, vageesh@trndsetters.com, vaibhav.agarwal@icicibank.com, vaibhav.aggarwal@kotak.com, accounts@meinhartindia.com, vaibhavgandhi@kaygeeloparex.com, vjoshi@tatainternational.com, vaibhav.kathju@religaremacquarie.com, vaibhav.kulkarni@hcl.in, vaibhav.goyal@sbilife.co.in, vaibhav.saraf@ilfsindia.com, vaibhav@jobbulls.com, vaibhavi_padwal@ind.dyr.com, accounts@hotelmarineplaza.com, vaidya@nslindia.com, v.vaidyanathan@kotak.com, vaikundasaamy@univercell.in, vaishali.danekar@portescap.com, vgarg@rhw.co.in, mansabdar@sanjaygroup.in, valerian@lauren.co.in, valjib@technotrap.com, info@mnrindia.com, bombaysurgical@hotmail.com, bhoomi@bom3.vsnl.net.in, vansh@fhevents.com, varadharajan.subramanian@capgemini.com, manju@hivos-india.org, dharkarvv@kecrpg.com, varghese@flatworldsolutions.com, varsha@brinksarya.com, varun@covalentlab.com, varun.agrawal@bhartiaxa.im.com, rojaccounts@rasandik.com, varund@bluedart.com, varun.garg@sunpro.in, varun.goel@kcsecurities.com, varun@intellecap.net, works@pentagonrubber.com, vjoshi@in.sopragroup.com, varun@taffles.com, accounts@juniper.net, varun@orientalinsurance.co.in, v.sareen@cvent.com, varunsarin@cosmos.dcmds.co.in, varun_tuli@copalpartners.com, vasant.bhat@columbiaasia.com, vasant.gaikwade@koltepatil.com, acc@goapl.com, vasant@powergearlimited.com, vasant.naik@ionexchange.co.in, vasant.kallola@viomnetworks.com, ujjwal.mathur@tcs.com, vsavla@essar.com, herohonad@srilakshmimotors.com, skel@airtelmail.com, accounts@cadsindia.com, vbhat@rajoilmillsltd.com, vasantkumar@ksfc.in, vasanth@jananitours.com, vasanth.philip@rediffusionyr.com, vrao@intven.com, vasant.savla@essar.com, vasanth.shetty@delex.in, vasanthav@hexaware.com, vashali.shirodakar@trine.co.in, vghosh@jjauto.org, vaskar@saregama.com, vm@modisteel.net, sophy@vsnl.com, vasudev@gblast.com, mpladsbgl@manipal.com, vmodali@eamobile.com, vmatta@chalethotel.com, cataparia@gmail.com, wpumalkar@ankurseed.com, vasudev.vasandani@tatamotors.com, vasu@scorpioengg.com, vasudevan@kiranindia.com, iigmdlh@iigm-ltd.com, vpgarg@nkginfra.com, v.pmishra@saha.ac.in, b.das@brisdlinkindia.com, veelesh.talathy@sglcarbon.in, veena_@avon.co.in, marketing@tarunbharat.com, hr@jupiterbioscience.com, kumar@iteducationjobs.com, raghu@myklaticrete.com, veeraraju@syndicatebank.co.in, veera@cognizant.com, veeraraghavan@synthesis.co.in, seh@vsnl.net, international@rasanwetwo.com, milindus02@vsnl.com, milindus02@dataone.in, vkanniappan@vmware.com, velum@kggroup.com, vernonfernandes@contractadvertising.com, sivakami@vsnl.mail.in, venimadhavan.k@openwavecomp.com, venkatraju@snsppl.com, advokote@vsnl.com, cvr2@sanmargroup.com, venkat.devarajan@adlabfilms.com, venkat.pe@glencoreindia.com, venkat@wilco.int.com, krishnan.v@hindusthan.net, venkat@tlisoftware.com, merla@inteqsolutions.com, venkat.p@polytexindia.com, venkatrajugupta@cordys.com, venkat.raman@basf.com, admin@indigraexports.com, k.venkat@stantonchase.com, venkat.rao@pradot.com, admin@davidmemorial.com, venkat@posidex.com, venkatshastrysomayajula@apolloahd.com, subbu_kv@raminfo.com, venkat.subramaniam@lvmhwatchjewellery.com, kishorevd@huawei.com, vvc@jkpl.org, venkatachalam.sekar@sbilife.co.in, narasu@srmlt.in, ayyaswamy.venkataraman@thermalceramics.com, venkataraman@indiabulls.com, commercial@titanindia.com, venkataramani.srinivasan@svl.co.in, rajaramhrd@vaamaa.com, svswamy@mail.margadarsi.com, info@nectatech.com, accts@garuda.com, vnadar@husky.ca, actsi@pipesupports.in, venkatesh@unionbankofindia.com, v@es22.com, venkatesha_as_babu@yahoo.co.in, venkatesh.babu@spirentcom.com, venkatesh.pai@connexious.com, gvenkatesh@franchexpress.com, venkatesh.srinivasan@polaris.co.in, venkat@abgindia.com, venkatesh@rhpl.com, venkatesh.nagesh@busakshamban.com, venkatesh@in.ibm.com, venktesh.parsuram@degussa.com, venkat_ramachandar@semanticspace.com, dimocasting@dataone.in, venkatesh.srinivas@intertek.ac.com, venkateshs@amiindia.co.in, purchase@impal.net, rao@jeevansoftech.com, venkateswara.rao@jp.panasonic.com, venkatr@tycoelectronics.com, hyd2_vidhata@sancharnet.in, malugroup@inablerns.com, venkat.k@bankofbaroda.com, venkat.y@sudife.in, malligad@infosys.com, sunder@makrotech.com, rvenketesh@gamesacorp.com, blr-ro@tpcindia.com, venu@manipalmotors.com, cosmafan@gmail.com, venu_mallik@7seastech.com, venuprasad.kandula@kenexa.com, venu@osaindia.com, vbang@sjm.com
IN FOCUS: Key developments in Mutual Funds At a time when the Indian Mutual Fund (MF) industry is celebrating 25 golden years of existence, we are witnessing important developments in the landscape, some impacted by SEBI while others fuelled by changes in the broader economy. Here's what you as an investor need to be aware of. Read More The Latest from MProfit At MProfit, we are working on many different things at any given time. Our team works hard every day to improve our platform and make it more comprehensive & robust. We also like to thank our users who provide valuable feedback to help us make MProfit better. One of the market highlights of 2018 has been the introduction of a Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG) tax on Stocks and Equity Mutual Funds (MFs) exceeding Rs. 1 lakh, along with an associated Grandfathering provision. MProfit has strived to incorporate all of the resulting complexities in capital gains computations to make our platform Grandfathering-compliant. This specific update in MProfit will prove to be immensely helpful starting this financial year, as investors should now ensure that all Stock and Equity MF gains until January 31st 2018 are grandfathered as part of Income Tax filing. What's next for MProfit? Development on MProfit's new Cloud Platform for PC and Mobile (Android & iOS) is well underway; stay tuned for more information on the roll-out for the new platform. Import your transaction data with MProfit One of MProfit's primary value-adds is our proprietary import engine, which now supports import of 3200+ transaction statements (including contract notes, mutual fund statements, back-office trade files & bank statements) across a variety of different formats. MProfit makes the cumbersome process of data entry very simple, quick & efficient for users and we are continually adding to our list of supported transaction templates. Below is a list of notable formats that we have recently introduced support for: - Motilal Oswal Moneyware Back-office file format - Motilal Oswal MF Transaction Details file format from Sub-broker login - Inventure Growth I-PAC Back-office file format - Nirmal Bang Global Bill Report file format - India Nivesh Global Cash Trade Details file format - Latin Manharlal Back-office file format Click here to learn more about MProfit's Import functionality and view a list of importable file formats supported by MProfit.
Dear Partner, Greetings from CAMS, This is to keep you all informed that we have scheduled a BCP drill for our complete operations between 22nd Nov & 25th Nov, 2018. We request our distribution/channel partners to expect a downtime or slowness on both these days between 05.00AM - 09.00AM in transaction uploading, reverse feed generation, document uploading and other activities carried out in Fundsnet, Fin Net & Mail back Services. We also request our Fundsnet & Fin net users to use the below DRP links during BCP period from 22nd Nov to 25th Nov, 2018 as the same is hosted in our BCP location. There is no change in mail back subscription page/link. For Fundsnet - (CAMS platform for Channel Transaction Uploading, SOA Generation, E-Scan, Direct Access etc) URL: https://fundsnetdrp.camsonline.com/ecrms/index.aspx For Finnet - (Common platform for CAMS & Karvy) URL: https://fundsnetdrp.camsonline.com/finnet/loginentry.aspx Please call/send us an email at fnoc@camsonline.com for clarifications if any. Regards Distributor Support Team Computer Age Management Services Pvt. Ltd. Rayala Towers 158, Anna Salai Chennai 600002.
I invite you to participate and support the second edition of The CII Facilities Management Conclave & Expo (www.CII.IN/FMCE2018) being organized by Confederation of Indian Industry on 13 December 2018 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Mr Shiv Das Meena, Additional Secretary, Ministry Of Housing and Urban Affairs has been invited as the Chief Guest and Dr Anoop Mittal, CMD, NBCC Ltd is being invited as a Guest of Honour. The objective of the CII Facilities Management Conclave & Expo is to present and gear-up the facilities management sector to make a big shift to "digital FM" means automating FM business processes to suit new office demands. JLL is actively involved as the Knowledge Partner for the Conclave. With this background, I am writing to you with a request to join us for the CII Facilities Management Conclave & Expo and nominate your senior colleagues. The Registration Form and draft programme outline is attached for your use and reference please. I do hope you will consider my request positively and look forward to your response. Please feel free to connect with Mr Aryan Sahni at aryan.sahni@cii.in for any kind of queries and assistance. Looking forward to you for joining us on 13th December. Kind Regards Sandeep Sethi ========================================== Sandeep Sethi Chair - CII Facilities Management Conclave 2018 and Chair - Corporate Solutions & MD - Integrated Facilities Management, JLL India Confederation of Indian Industry (Northern Region) Sector 31-A, Chandigarh 160 030 Tel : 91-172 - 5022522 | Fax: 91-172 - 2606259 / 2614974 Email : chairman.fmc@cii.in Website: www.cii.in
News Feed Narender Gupta 3 hrs I am pleased to inform the members that a group of 79 XGB members from Delhi will be meeting over lunch on 24th Nov near Safdarjung Airport. Will share the pictures post event.
Dear sathish, Interested in knowing about "Managing microservice challenges with Istio"? Join the the live webinar if you are interested in it. Join the Webinar Topics that will be covered in the Webinar Evolution Of Microservice Relation of Micro services with Container Orchestrator (K8s) Why Service Mesh (Istio)? Features of Istio Demo Abstract: Istio helps reduce the complexity of large hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, and eases the strain on your development teams. It is a completely open source service mesh that layers transparently onto existing distributed applications. Istio addresses the challenges developers and operators face as monolithic applications transition towards a distributed microservice architecture. Attend the webinar to know how to manage Microservices using Istio. About Speaker Mangesh Patankar, Developer Advocate - IBM Cloud Mangesh Patankar is working with IBM Digital Business Group as Developer Advocate - IBM Cloud. He has around 18 years of IT experience. Currently he works directly with ISV's, Partners, Startups Developer Community enabling them to adopt IBM Cloud technologies. He has represented IBM in various forums/events as speaker on Watson and IBM Cloud. He has also conducted IBM Cloud, Watson hands - on workshops for Enterprises/startups developers. Prior to IBM, has worked with organizations like Oracle, Patni, Syntel, Reliance Consultancy Services - right from Development, Designing, Architect to Pre-Sales role. Time & Date of the Webinar? 3:30 pm on 23rd November 2018 What are the Charges? The registration fee is Rs 499/- only
This is to inform you that CII Southern Region is organizing the Conference on Automotive aftermarket ,Theme: Synergizing mobility for sustainable future which is scheduled on 23rd November 2018 at Chennai trade centre, Chennai. Companies are requested to make use of this excellent opportunity to learn and explore by nominating suitable delegates Please find the appended and attached program details of the conference for your information cid:image001.jpg@01D47389.E8B66B90 Conference on Automotive Aftermarket "Synergizing Mobility for Sustainable Future" 23 November 2018, Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - Southern Region has been organizing Autoserve - an exclusive event on Automotive Aftermarket since 2004. The 8th edition of Autoserve 2018 is scheduled from 23 - 25 November 2018 at Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai. This event will demonstrate the products and technology on Automotive Care, Maintenance, Service, Parts, Garage Equipment and Decorative & Functional Accessories. Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) is the partner for this edition. On the sidelines of Autoserve 2018, CII is organizing a one day Conference on Automotive Aftermarket with the theme "Synergizing Mobility for Sustainable Future" on 23 November 2018 at Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai. The conference will focus on the transformation in the automotive aftermarket business value chain, global developments, new collaborations, telematics, intelligent transportation system, automated mobility platform, distribution & retail models, start-ups and skill development. Conference on Automotive Aftermarket "Synergizing Mobility for Sustainable Future" Session I : Changing Landscape of Future Automotive Aftermarket Value Chain Session II : Transformation Challenges and Opportunities in Aftermarket Session III : Technology and Changing Business Models: Start up KEY SPEAKERS INVITED FOR THE CONFERENCE Mr R Dinesh Chairman - CII SR, Autoserve 2018 & Joint Managing Director TV Sundram Iyengar & Sons Ltd Mr Sanjay Koul Co-Chairman, Autoserve 2018 & Managing Director Timken India Limited Mr Ram Venkataramani President ACMA Mr Ramashankar Pandey Managing Director, Hella India Lighting Ltd Mr Gael Escribe Chief Executive Officer Nexus Automotive International Mr Sandeep Divakaran Chief Financial Officer OLA Fleet Technologies Ltd Mr R G Prasad Vice President & Global Head Automotive Engineering Tata Consultancy Services Mr Ankit Singhvi Founder & CEO NN4 Energy Mr Anjan Kumar Regional President, Automotive Aftermarket Division Bosch Ltd Mr S Muralidharan President Lucas Indian Service Ltd Ms Madhavi Deshmukh General Manager Parts Ashok Leyland Limited Mr Mukund S Raghavan President - Marketing & Business Development India Motor Parts & Accessories Limited Mr S Thirunavukkarasu Vice President Royal Sundaram Alliance Insurance Company Limited Mr Vikrantt Mohan President AIAWA Mr M Kaushik Director, Automotive & Transportation Frost & Sullivan Mr Vikul Goyal Co-Founder & CEO Car Crew Mr YVS Vijay Kumar Chief Executive Officer Mahindra First Choice Mr Sandeep Begur CEO KooversCarCare Mr John K Paul Past President Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations DELEGATE FEE (per Delegate) CII Member / SSI / Exhibitor Institutions / Academia Non Member Rs. 2000 Rs. 3000 * Additional 18% GST Applicable | * 10% discount for 3 or more registrations from same organization * Delegate registering under SSI to submit SSI Certificate We look forward to receiving your confirmation. Regards Nandini ============================== Nandini VF Confederation of Indian Industry (Southern Region) Prof. C K Prahalad Centre, 98/1, Velacherry Main Road, Guindy, Chennai - 600 032, India P : +91 44 42 444 542 M : +91 9626621585 W : www.cii.in
Your order with Donatekart has been successfully placed! Inbox x orders@donatekart.com 12:30 PM (11 minutes ago) to s Dear Sathish Narayanan, Thank you for giving to a cause through Donatekart.Your contribution makes a huge difference for the organization as well of the lives of many. We will deliver your donated products once the campaign ends or reaches 100%. After delivery, You will receive an update from the campaigner with photos on how your donated products are being utilized(You can also check the updates section of the campaign for the same). Thanks again for donating to the campaign! The Donatekart Team Here's a summary of your transaction: Date: 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM IST Invoice #: 7afd34f0a1cee9c57dee Amount Paid 45.00 Rs Product details Name Quantity Price Rice (1 Kg) 1.00 45.00 Rs Questions or comments? Contact us at https://www.donatekart.com/#/contact Thank you for being a part of the Donatekart community!
What is a personal loan? A personal loan is given by banks and non-banking financial institutions for personal needs. It is generally an unsecured loan, which means that it is not secured against any asset such as property. A personal loan is available for both salaried as well as self-employed people. It isgiven on the basis of an individual's income and past credit history (CIBIL score is taken into account). What are the documents required to get a personal loan? While applying for a personal loan you will have to submit the following documents along with the loan application form: KYC PAN Card Address Proof ID Proof Income Proof Bank Statement One photograph Choosing a personal loan You can apply for a personal loan from numerous banks or non-banking financial institutions. It is important to understand the features and benefits of each to evaluate them and pick the one that is most suitable for you. For salaried employees as well as normal employees. Interest Rate and Processing Fees for personal loan Different banks offer different rates of interest and charge different processing fees. The rate of interest may also vary a little based on the candidate's past credit history. Processing fees are generally one-time fees. Bank Name Rate of Interest Processing Fees Standard Chartered 11.25% - 14.49% 0 Bank of Baroda 11.35% - 14.35% Rs. 1000 - Rs. 10,000 HDFC Bank 11.49% - 19.8% Upto 2.5% Kotak Mahindra 11.49% - 20.15% Upto 2% ICICI Bank 11.59% - 18.49% 2.25% (min Rs.1149) Indusind Bank 11.99% - 19% Upto Rs. 3000 Tata Capital 11.99% - 19.5% 0 Capital First 12% - 18% Upto 1.5% Canara Bank 12.75% Rs.1000 - Rs.5000 SBI 12.9% - 14.9% 1% Fullerton 17.25% - 37% 1.5% - 6% Personal loan Pros, Cons, and Fees and Charges We should understand and evaluate the pros and cons of personal loans offered by various banks and decide one suit our requirements. Standard Chartered Bank: Standard Chartered Personal loan Pros: No processing fee No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 1 year Standard Chartered Personal loan Cons: No part payment option Standard Chartered Personal loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 1% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) Bank of Baroda Bank: BOB Personal loan Pros: Nil pre-closure fee after 6 months BOB Personal loan Cons: Application available only in branch Guarantor Required BOB Personal loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 4% of the outstanding within 6 months HDFC Bank: HDFC Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 1 year HDFC Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option HDFC Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 4% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) in 2nd year 3% (plus Service tax) in 3rd year 2% (plus Service tax) in 4th year and afterwards Kotak Mahindra Bank: Kotak Mahindra Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 1 year Kotak Mahindra Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option Kotak Mahindra Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 5% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) ICICI Bank: ICICI Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 6 months Free Provogue Accessories on application submission. Offer Valid till 31st March ICICI Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option ICICI Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 5% of principal outstanding IndusInd Bank: IndusInd Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Has pre-closure option Get Amazon vouchers of the same value as your processing fee on loan disbursal. Only for applications submitted till 31st March 2017 and disbursals till 10th April 2017. IndusInd Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option IndusInd Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 4% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) Pre-closure permitted only after first 6 months for self-employed, and 1 year for salaried. Tata Capital: Tata Capital Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure and part payment - only after 12 months 25% part payment allowed in a year. Maximum loan term of 6 years available Tata Capital Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : Pre-closure fee = 0 Part payment fee = 0 Capital First: Capital First Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 6 months Capital First Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option Capital First Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 5% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) Canara Bank: Canara Bank Personal Loan Pros: No part payment fee Canara Bank Personal Loan Cons: Application available only in branch Guarantor Required Canara Bank Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : Preclosure fee = 0 Part payment fee = 0 SBI Personal Loan info: SBI Personal Loan Cons: Application available only in branch Guarantor Required Fullerton: Fullerton Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Has pre-closure option Fullerton Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option Fullerton Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 7% of principal outstanding(plus Service Tax) upto 17 months 5% of principal outstanding (plus ST) from 18 to 23 months 3% of principal outstanding (plus ST) from 24 to 35 months No pre-closure charges. Approval Process for Personal Loan Bank wise Is the loan eligible for online e-approval? Do you need a guarantor? Is door-step service available? Finding out these little details can make the process smoother and easier. Bank Name Door-step Service E-approval No Guarantor Required Standard Chartered Yes Yes Yes Bank of Baroda No No No HDFC Bank Yes Yes Yes Kotak Mahindra Yes Yes Yes ICICI Bank Yes Yes Yes Indusind Bank Yes Yes Yes Capital First Yes Yes Yes Tata Capital Yes Yes Yes Canara Bank No Yes No SBI No No No Fullerton Yes Yes Yes Personal Loan Payment options The payment options for different banks vary. The table shows whether specific options are available or not. Bank Name Part-payment Available Top-up Loan Available Balance Transfer Standard Chartered No Yes Yes Bank of Baroda No No No HDFC Bank No No Yes Kotak Mahindra No Yes Yes ICICI Bank No Yes Yes Indusind Bank No Yes Yes Capital First No No No Tata Capital Yes Yes Yes Canara Bank Yes No No SBI No No No Fullerton No Yes Yes Put in a good deal of thought and research before applying for a personal loan. Make sure you have understood the main features as well as the small details.
PREMA NARAYANAN Your order for following services has been submitted to your distributor K K INDANE ENTERPRISES Your indane.co.in Reference No. [ 963094 ] A confirmation of this order has been sent to your E-mail address customerelakshya@gmail.com Consumer No. 87862
raji - HK cost estimates 153K - flight ticket (approx 38K * 4) - paid 65 K - hotel ( 5 nights - 13K per night) - paid 1.5+1.5 = 3K - for passport applications - paid ( we need to pay 2K in cash at counter extra due to tatkal) Visa application fees - to be paid (4 K if we use help, 0 if we do ourselves) 5 days sightseeing (estimated) (since i have looked at all costs at disney, oceanpark, macau) - approx 10-12 K per day incl food for all 4 of us => 60 K Extra 10 K for airport transfers, misc expenses etc So total budget shud be around 290K in total (apart from ur shopping!) ------------------ Am leaving for cult now
*IMPORTANT - HK - PL READ* Friday evening 21st dec : flight ( indigo airlines) - 11.30 pm flight is 5 hrs duration, but since HK is 2 hrs ahead of us, it reaches at 745 am their time Easy to reach city center from airport - about 45 min by airport cab Hotel booked = Lander Hotel Prince Edward Hotel website = http://www.landerhotel.com.hk/en/about_hotel.php Location = https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lander+Hotel+Prince+Edward/@22.3266212,114.1620786,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x340400b429e9e1e3:0x1a07bd317efbf081!8m2!3d22.3266212!4d114.1642673 Reason for choosing : It is only a 3-star property, but situated right in heart of town. Also one of few which offers one single room for 4 of us. Metro station is 300 m away only ! We will be staying at same hotel for full 5 days. As u know, best way to travel all over HK is metro, so that is a most imp point - metro is only 300 m away Sat, 22 Dec So, we reach hotel by 9 am and have breakfast etc. checkin at 10 am Take rest for 2 hrs (if we want) 1 pm - go for half-day city tour (hire cab, or take metro like we did at Kuala Lumpur and go a-la-karte !) Sunday, 23 Dec : Ocean park, HK Monday, 24 Dec : Disneyland, HK Tuesday, 25 Dec : Day tour to Macau by ferry and back Wed : 26 Dec : Ngong King Cable car, Victoria peak, Remaining sightseeing in HK, shopping, leisure, museums etc Few other things are there like HK Night cruise etc Each of these sightseeing things above is fungible, flexible, ie no prior bookings are needed so no arrangements to be made in advance Thu : 27 Dec, morning 9 am is flight from HK to Blore. It is a 5-hr flight, reaches BLR at 12 noon (since we are 2 hrs later than them) ---------------------- What has been done : Flights - done Airport transfers - not done - will do it on spot when we reach airports Sightseeing : not done - as i said, we'll do it on spots Hotel - done ---------------------- Passport and visa Passport Kendra appointment for both kids on 10 Dec 2018 at 315 pm thru Tatkal. They say that Passport shud reach us in 3 days max (finger crossed). I will be taking the 2 kids on that date (Monday) and leave at 230 pm - n1 will be at home probably, n2 will bunk her last class - i will take her from there Once passport arrives, i will apply for visa for all 4 of us. Visa is applied online, and comes within 15 mins back by mail (upto max of 1 day) ----------------------- So i am confident that everything will be handled. I dont need to do any other work for HK - so matter signed sealed delivered
IndiGo on Wednesday launched a four-day winter sale of tickets with all-inclusive fares starting at Rs 899 for travel between December 6, 2018 and April 15, 2019. The sale will be on from November 21 to November 25. TOP COMMENT kabhi nahi milta ticket. bakwaas Dinesh Shukla SEE ALL COMMENTSADD COMMENT The low-cost carrier is offering 10 lakh seats in this sale. William Boulter, chief commercial officer, IndiGo, said, "This being a yearend season when most of our customers plan their vacation, we hope to create through this festive sale more flexibility of choice for customers to fly at low fares. We are sure that the market will quickly take up the seats we have available, starting at fares as low as Rs 899."
NEW DELHI: Domestic equity indices extended their fall for a second straight session on Wednesday on subdued global cues. The BSE Sensex was down around 340 points or 0.95 per cent at 35,135.80, while the NSE Nifty index was down 87 points or 0.81 per cent at 10,569 at around 10.45 am (IST). As many as 29 stocks in the Nifty index were trading in the red with InfosysNSE -3.79 %, TCS, Tech MahindraNSE -2.78 %, Reliance IndustriesNSE -2.01 % and Power Grid falling up to 4 per cent. On the other hand, Dr Reddy's Labs, YES BankNSE 3.38 %, BPCLNSE 2.45 %, IOCNSE 2.91 % and HPCL advanced between 2 per cent and 7 per cent. Here are the five key factors that were weighing on the market: Company Summary NSEBSE Reliance Industries ...-22.65 (-1.99%) YES Bank Ltd.6.45 (3.36%) Hindustan Petroleum ...5.30 (2.18%) EXPAND TO VIEW ALL Weak global cues Most of the Asian markets were trading in the red following heavy overnight losses in US stocks. Dow Jones index lost nearly 950 points in the past two trading sessions as US investors continued to be plagued by doubts surrounding slowing global growth, US-China trade relations, and the steady rise in interest rates that can be expected to continue into next year. Dow dipped 2.21 per cent or 551.80 points to 24,465.64 in the previous trading session. Asian peers, Hang Seng, Nikkei and Shanghai were down up to 1 per cent in morning deals. GDP growth may ease Market sentiment also got affected after ratings agency ICRA's report stated that after the strong upswing in April-June quarter of current financial year (FY19), GDP growth for July-September quarter is expected to dip to 7.2 per cent on account of sluggishness in agriculture and industry. The GDP had grown by a higher than expected 8.2 per cent in the first quarter of FY19 as compared to the year-ago period. Crude shock Sentiment also took a hit from reports that India's crude oil imports in October rose to their highest level in at least more than seven years. Crude import in October climbed 10.5 per cent from a year earlier to 21.02 million tonnes. FII in selling mode Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth a net of Rs 753.17 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded shares worth Rs 44.06 crore Tuesday, as per provisional data. Technical factor Nifty50 snapped a three-day winning streak and reversed the formation of higher highs and higher lows on Tuesday to form a `Bearish Belt Hold' pattern on the daily chart. Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist for Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia on Tuesday said a follow-through selloff from a critical resistance point could mark at least a near-term top for Nifty50 around Monday's high of 10,774 level, which will be confirmed only on a decisive breach of the 10,600 level. Given the lost momentum and weak market breadth, the index could slip into consolidation, said Arun Kumar, Market Strategist, Reliance Securities.
Truth, justice, and the American way" is a phrase one heard a lot when I was growing up, and as the years pass, it sounds more and more incredible and darkly comic. Despite my long-held reservations, though, for many years of adulthood I thought "fake it till my kids, at least, can make it," was an okay strategy with respect to Truth and Justice, and maybe even the American Way. A risky strategy, sure, but what isn't? After all, they now live in an America where anybody who would like to can get married, and today's young adults are far wiser and better educated and informed, less materialist and more mindful than we were at their age in the 1980s, or so it seems to me. They are making meaningful attempts to create fairer, more egalitarian workplaces and political systems. They have all kinds of wild ideas! Every day I see young people trying so hard to be good to one another. Their high school history textbook was written by Howard Zinn, who at least didn't think the Pilgrims were having a simply adorable turkey feast with the Red Man, which is what I was taught. These are some miraculous things that happened in my lifetime, and I believe they came about partly as the result in having faith in the possibility of a better future. You need to have that faith to raise children in a troubled world. But then 2016 happened. I'm not the only one to be uncomfortably reminded of Suetonius every time I hear about what's going on in Washington. Since last November, it's been plain as day that faith in the invisibly incremental progress promised (specifically, to me, by centrist Democrats) was, to put it kindly, misplaced, and did not prove anywhere near enough to counter the furious and unhinged enemies of that progress on the right. The enlightened atmosphere, so manifestly true and right, of increasing freedom, fairness, and equal rights that allowed my kids and their cohort to grow up in a condition of relative sanity is suddenly in terrible danger. What of their kids?! This is now an all-hands situation. Every social advance is threatened. And bewilderingly, the United States again finds itself in the crusty claws of Republican "trickle-down economics," an economic theory unrivaled in its consistency (of abject failure). Consequently, faith in the institutions that were meant to protect us against moments like these has also failed. Faith in the Hope and Change some of us worked so hard for, and which, in the end, delivered so little. Faith in a Senate made up of responsible adults who could be trusted to deliberate fairly and not loot the treasury and rape the Arctic in the dead of night. Faith that the tycoons of Silicon Valley would prove to be decent, no-evil-doing stewards of our information and our privacy. That kind of naivety went up in flames starting in late 2016. Things are not okay. It doesn't really matter who you blame for the mess we're in: the drunk maniacs currently at the wheel, or the allegedly sober ones who managed, like idiots, to lose track of the keys. There are excellent arguments condemning everyone in Washington, D.C., and on Wall Street for selling the country out?-?past presidents all the way back to Washington, past candidates, party leadership, lobbyists and congressmen, media, everybody who sat by and let the 1 percent grab everyone by the.well. Now what? None of our old leaders or institutions prevented this mess, and not a one of them is about to see the error of his, or their, ways. The degraded times we live in are such that no one in error will say, "I failed, and I now withdraw and leave better women or men to take my place." No. They will all cling to the gnawed ends of their power until their flesh falls off their very bones. We need new and better leaders and institutions. Part of the problem is one of accountability. Of simply remembering. Maggie Haberman of the New York Times, a journalist much admired for her cool detachment in dealing with the current president, recently had the face to compare him unfavorably with George W. Bush. Haberman was 30 years old in 2003, when the fraudulent war with Iraq began. There is no excuse whatsoever for this disgrace. Fortunately a thicket of tweets sprang up to remind Haberman of the facts regarding the "tolerance" of George W. Bush. You may be surprised to find that this brings me to my word of the year: blockchain. Blockchain technology?-?not bitcoin, the cryptocurrency it inaugurated in 2009, but the underlying technology?-?is a bulletproof record-keeping system. That's it, really. Provided it's running on a robust-enough computer network, blockchains produce incorruptible records. That may not sound like much, but records are remembering. Records are the protection of our memories for the future. Money is the least of it! Anywhere you need records that can't be altered or deleted, adequately distributed blockchains can (a) produce and (b) safeguard them. Blockchain systems can do a lot more for journalism, and for our future politics, but let's just start with this. Incorruptible records. Records that can't be altered. That means no matter what, if you design the system well enough, and if computers and electricity persist. No matter which billionaire doesn't like you; no matter who is president; no matter if Manhattan turns into a scuba park. That's why, in the wake of the catastrophe of 2016, I dedicated myself to producing journalism on a blockchain-based publishing platform. I'm totally not trying to sell anything here, so I won't link. But I'm writing this because I want you in future to think differently about blockchain technology. There are a lot of scams around it, just like there were a lot of internet scams when the internet was born, as there are still. But blockchain itself is not a scam. Together with new ideas being developed and pursued elsewhere, including those we may not even know about, new ideas like blockchain may yet deliver us from evil.
As a therapist I have the privilege of being a part of my clients' growth. I see people escape from the depths of depression and anxiety to become healthy, adaptable, and successful individuals. They rarely (if ever!) do this alone. They are prompted by something or someone to ask for help, often putting aside shame or ego to accept the possibility that they could make things better for themselves, with help from someone else. This begins a journey towards something better than they can find on their own. A lot of people don't even begin the process of asking for help. This happens in small ways for most of us, but it also happens on a dramatic scale for for a surprising number of people. For example, more than half of all mental illnesses go totally untreated. That's a big problem! I know I have had my own struggles where I avoided asking for help despite knowing the difference it can make. More than once in my life I have had this feeling of drowning in unfamiliar waters. Those waters have come in different forms: drowning in paperwork on the job, drowning in debt of different forms, or drowning in the unfamiliarity of parenting or DIY household repairs. My impulse when feeling this way has never been to reach for help though, like it would be if I was actually getting dragged under by some nefarious rip current. Why is this? Intellectually, I know there are people who have been where I am before; I know there are experts willing to lend a hand or give some advice. I know I have family and friends who I have helped before who would be all too eager to return the favor. I know I have a wife who can be counted on in times of stress or confusion. Still, instead of using those resources, I can find myself obsessing about worst case scenarios like getting fired, or going bankrupt, or giving up on a project halfway through instead of simply asking for help. It's as if I'm in a video game by myself and instead of playing through all of my options I just accept defeat, hoping to restart the level. A recent example of this happened on vacation with my wife, 19-month-old daughter, and immediate family. There were 9 of us all together, so plenty of "helpers" were available if needed. Despite being on vacation, I had a hard time relaxing practically the entire time we were there, especially at first. Even when my daughter took blissful three hour naps in the middle of the day, I stayed close by her room, not allowing myself to get out of earshot in case she woke up. I desperately wanted and needed to relax-so what was I waiting for? I could have easily asked a sibling or parent to take watch. After much self reflection I identified three obstacles that got in my way then-the same ones that stop so many of us from asking for help. Obstacle #1: Locus of Control American psychologist Julian Rotter identified many influential theories around social learning, but perhaps one of the most important is the theory of "locus of control." Your locus of control is the degree to which you believe your results/circumstances are controlled by yourself (internal locus) or by outside forces such as luck, destiny, God, or powerful others (external locus). An internal locus of control is generally considered more desirable as it is more likely to produce feelings of self-determination and an achievement oriented mindset. See here for an in depth explanation. I have had some past experiences where it has felt like I'm not totally in control of my circumstances. The most memorable was moving from Maryland to New Jersey at the formative age of 13 in the middle of 7th grade. No matter how I felt, and despite my parent's best intentions, I struggled with the transition. I didn't ask for help or talk about this struggle at that time either. I developed a somewhat external locus of control; it felt useless to ask for help because I assume that "things won't work out anyway." This is a lie, or at the very least a cognitive distortion. And it is a common mindset for people with depression and anxiety. Getting help is often delayed because it "doesn't matter" or "won't make a difference." The reality of the situation, though, is very different from this perception: it does matter, and it can change. People can find success no matter what their perceived locus of control is. Dr. Al Siebert, author of the Resiliency Advantage, argues that "both sets of beliefs are self-validating and self-fulfilling. People who believe that their fate is under the control of outside forces act in ways that confirm their beliefs. People who know they can do things to make their life better act in ways to confirm their beliefs." For example, people with an external locus of control may believe a higher being is in control of their lives. In times of anxiety or stress they may pray for assistance. In asking for help this way, they reassure themselves and confirm their beliefs that a higher being is in control and will hear their prayers. Meanwhile, people with an internal locus of control may believe they alone are responsible for improving their mood or situation, so they may search for something helpful like therapy, a meditation practice, or a journaling habit. People on either side of the spectrum can reach out for help and are move towards success. Obstacle #2: Learned Helplessness This is a condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, either due to a traumatic event or a perceived failure to succeed. To any outside observer, the idea that I have "failed to succeed" might sound ridiculous. I am blissfully married with a happy and healthy 19-month-old daughter. I am fully employed and am in good health. I have frequent positive social interactions with friends and family. Yet sometimes, I feel this sense of powerlessness or perceived failure myself. Like locus of control, perception of powerlessness or helplessness is entirely subjective. There is an infamous learned helplessness experiment performed by Martin Seligman, PhD, in which three groups of dogs were subjected to shocks in various circumstances. The dogs in the test group were put into crates and subjected to shocks that they could not control or escape and that ended randomly. When dogs in this group was later put in a crate where they only had to jump over a small barrier to escape the shocks, they remained in the compartment, whimpering "helplessly." Not until the testers physically moved their legs and showed them that they could escape did the dogs start jumping the barrier on their own. We may not need someone to come "move our legs" to help us to get moving directly, getting someone else's perspective can help us take a step back and discover ways out of the situation-despite what our past experiences seem to be telling us. Obstacle #3: Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive dissonance happens when our thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes are inconsistent with our actions or behavioral decisions. I experience cognitive dissonance when I view myself as a competent/productive employee (belief) yet fall desperately behind on paperwork (action). Thus I am less likely to ask for help in these situations because I still see myself as a competent and productive employee-yet there is clear evidence to the contrary! The barrier to asking for help is that it requires me to challenge my belief; I would have to acknowledge that my actions do not reflect how I have viewed myself. In the earlier example with my daughter, I view myself as a competent, caring, responsible parent, and believe that asking for help caring for her would make me selfish, irresponsible, and burdening others. Intellectually I know I am not a bad parent for asking someone to watch her. Nevertheless, I have an emotional believe that it would mean I was incompetent. The reality is every competent parent needs help from others. Furthermore many people are pretty excited to watch a cute toddler for a few hours and genuinely like to be needed-not feeling burdened. By reminding myself of this, I can resolve my dissonance by changing my belief that I am not irresponsible when I ask for help. Conclusion The important theme through these obstacles is that what we perceive the situation to be and what the situation actually is often differs wildly. How we frame our problems makes a big difference in our ability to solve them. Instead of giving up in the face of frustration and telling ourselves "I can't do this," we would be much better served by reminding ourselves that when we get to this point that "I can't do this alone." That mindset has been very helpful for me in addressing problems in my life. At work, I recognize that when I get behind on paperwork, my supervisor can help me manage my schedule, front desk staff can help me get organized, and co-workers can cover for me or just commiserate with me and help me motivate myself. In asking for help, I take more control over my situation, and I can see that I don't have to feel guilty about acknowledging my shortcomings. With money, I can recognize that even though I've been in debt in the past, that doesn't make me any less capable of managing money now. There are always options to be explored. I can consult people who are more comfortable managing money, even members of my own family. As a parent, even though I want to see myself as competent, caring father, I can also recognize that a competent father needs a break every now and then. Additionally, if I don't allow myself to relax once in awhile I won't be any good to my energizer bunny of a daughter. If I see the need to relax as part of being competent, asking for help will not cause any cognitive dissonance. While we might feel like we are drowning alone reaching out into dark empty waters, in reality we are drowning with eyes closed while hands reach out to help all around us. All we need to do is open our eyes and reach
Between 60 and death. It's time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don't just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don't feel bad spending your money on yourself. You've taken care of them for many years, and you've taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well and get your sleep. It's easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, do tests even when you're feeling well. Stay informed. Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together. Don't stress over the little things. You've already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don't let the past drag you down and don't let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten. Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: "A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection." Be proud, both inside and out. Don't stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong. Don't lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. There's nothing worse than an older person trying to wear the current fashion among youngsters. You've developed your own sense of what looks good on you - keep it and be proud of it. It's part of who you are. ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You'll be surprised what old friends you'll meet. Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are the future, and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday's wisdom still applies today. Never use the phrase: "In my time." Your time is now. As long as you're alive, you are part of this time. Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it'll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you older and harder to be around. Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. If you've lost your partner (our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in with you and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live alone. Don't abandon your hobbies. If you don't have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven't seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a field. Get out there. Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the life. If you've been offended by someone - forgive them. If you've offended someone - apologize. Don't drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn't matter who was right. Someone once said: "Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die." Don't take that poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life. Laugh. Laugh A LOT. Laugh at everything. Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life. But you did. Now is the time to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can be! AND REMEMBER: "Life is too short to drink bad wines, drink the best & expensive one, if you want to drink..."????????????
A big challenge for any development organization managing technical debt, the pile of work created from past decisions in software development efforts. Addressing technical debt often gets short shrift, because doing so rarely addresses an urgent business need and, especially for nonurgent cases, the ROI is unclear and thus perceived as deferrable. It's a classic issue for anything involving maintenance, whether code or houses. But there are ways to measure and manage technical debt that will help you keep control of that technical debt. [ Watch out! 8 career pitfalls every developer should avoid. 7 books you must read to be a real software developer. 15 noob mistakes even experienced developers still make. | Keep up with hot topics in programming with InfoWorld's App Dev Report newsletter. ] How do the applications that you are developing today evolve into tomorrow's legacy applications? You and the development team are sprinting and releasing application improvements on a regular release schedule, so it might be hard to imagine these applications dissolving to legacy status in the future. You might also be wondering what you can do today as you are developing the application to reduce the risk of it becoming a legacy application. Applications don't become legacy overnight, and they become that way because of two primary factors: As the application gets older, an organization may assign fewer people to maintain it , instead shifting people to more strategic projects. The amount of time the team dedicates to address technical improvements to the application may get smaller over time, given then focus on new activities
The one-two punch of data and artificial intelligence are in the midst of transforming the world as we know it. But how do we make sure that the new world that emerges in their wake is one we'll want to live in? A big part of the equation is ensuring that consumers' data is handled properly. Speaking on a panel at Fortune`s Most Powerful Women Summit in Laguna Niguel, Calif. on Monday, Clara Shih, CEO and co-founder of Hearsay Systems, offered a straight-forward, four-point system for doing just that: 1. Be transparent. Let people know what information will be used and how. 2. Provide choice. Be clear about when people can opt in or out of having their personal data collected. 3. Explain the value. That might be convenience (Shih cited Amazon as an example) or rewards, as with a credit card. 4. Instantly notify people when there's a data breach. That's "when," not "if," she said. It's important to set a code of conduct around data and to follow it strictly, added fellow panelist and Ancestry.com CEO Margo Georgiadis. For example, during the height of the 2018 immigration and family separation crisis, Ancestry was asked to donate genetic testing services to try to help reunite asylum-seeking parents and children who were separated at the boarder. That was a vitally important cause, but Georgiadis said she ultimately felt that the request violated Ancestry's policy of allowing consumers to control their data. "There was an emotional connection," she said. "But there could be unintended consequences." Would parents provide consent? Would the asylum seekers be able to delete the data later? How else might their data be used? "We're happy to help," Georgiadis said, "but we need clarity." Technologists must stop thinking of data as "just another input," said Navrina Singh, principal product lead for Microsoft A.I. Instead, they have to acknowledge that the data they use will make the product what it is and may have larger implications for society. "When you're thinking about A.I., for me the data sets are one of the biggest concerns," said Brenda Darden Wilkerson, president and CEO of AnitaB.org, an advocacy group for women in technology. If those data sets are faulty or biased, they color what the A.I. learns. Humans must be responsible for the "care and feeding" of technology, she said, so we can be sure artificial intelligence can actually help make the world better-for everyone. Technology can't just serve the Silicon Valley elite, Darden Wilkerson said: "I'm very concerned with the people who are negatively impacted."
For most companies, multicloud and hybrid cloud environments aren't a choice. They're just what happens as those companies evolve. So while 451 Research projects that 69 percent of organizations expect to run a multicloud environment by 2019, the reality is that 100 percent are already there. That's because any company that has set up in the cloud is almost certainly already running in more than one. The reason? Developers. [ InfoWorld explains: What is multicloud? The next step in cloud computing. | Get started: Going multicloud? Avoid these 3 pitfalls. Understand the multicloud management trade-off. | Keep up with the latest developments in cloud computing with InfoWorld's Cloud Computing newsletter. ] Multicloud by the grace of developers Oh, yes, I know that CIOs want to claim credit for having a strategy around hybrid cloud (running public and private cloud workloads) and multicloud (running workloads on more than one public cloud), but these things just happen in a world that can no longer be command-and-controlled by the C-suite. This doesn't mean, of course, that there's zero control of cloud adoption. There's just not as much as in the past. For example, as Rishidot analyst Krishnan Subramanian has highlighted, "Multicloud as a [high availability] use case is meaningless, but multicloud as a way to avoid shadow IT (giving developers the cloud services they want) is a critical strategy for enterprises." As such, he continues, "Going forward, most enterprises will have a multicloud strategy." Catch that? Enterprises can't stop developers from embracing services that make their jobs easier, but they can evolve to offer many of those services on private clouds, not to mention adding official support for public clouds that have services unavailable on the enterprise's default choice.
What is design thinking? Design thinking is emerging as a major ingredient for digital transformation success. But what exactly is design thinking, and how are leading CIOs harnessing its power to bolster business value? "Design thinking is a method for deriving deep insights into customer needs and wants, making it possible to create customer experiences that disrupt incumbents or competitors," Gartner analyst Lars Van Dam says in a research note. Relying on significant observation of user behaviors, design thinking uses empathy to understand expectations and emotional experiences and to derive insights into what delights customers, Van Dam adds. [ Be sure to adopt the habits of highly effective digital transformations - and beware the 7 myths of digital transformation. | Get the latest on digital transformation by signing up for our CIO Leader newsletters. ] This innovation philosophy, popularized by software vendors, is gaining sway among traditional businesses building digital products and services. CIOs are leveraging design thinking, along with a human-centered design ethos, as a key part of their corporate IT strategies. The design thinking approach Design thinking represents a departure from the more traditional approach in which design is driven top-down. In this scenario, management facilitates the creation of digital products, brings them to market and explains how they solve problems, says John Morley, a business design strategist at Hitachi Vantara, who worked on design thinking in prior roles at AppDynamics, Symantec and EMC. Design thinking, on the other hand, is a bottom-up approach, with employees throughout all layers of an organization influencing and refining product development. Morley says it's common for junior-level employees to ferry feedback to those in power as they tend to be closer to customers. An outcome-based mindset is essential. "An organization has to commit to opening up and having a feedback loop around ideation," Morley says. "People have to not be focused on their role in the org chart but how their skills can support a desired outcome." There's a trick to effective design thinking: If it doesn't become embedded throughout the organization's culture, it will fail, Morley says. "The perspective of the organization should be customer-centric," he adds. [ Looking to upgrade your career in tech? This comprehensive online course teaches you how. ] Design thinking principles Perhaps you've heard the expression "starting with the customer and working backwards." This is the ethos from which design thinking springs. And while it may seem like common sense, enterprises have long taken the build-it-and-they-will-come tack. Prior to design thinking, user-friendliness was an afterthought. IT departments would take specifications and then spend months building technology solutions. But in the consumerization era, in which employees and consumers became empowered to use their preferred devices and applications, user-friendliness became a requirement not a perk, putting increased pressure on IT to design its solutions with users in mind, says Shelley Evenson, managing director at Fjord, a design consultancy acquired by Accenture Interactive in 2013. Evenson, who also worked in design roles at Facebook and Microsoft before joining Fjord, says design thinking represents a cultural shift in peoples' "liquid expectations," a phrase that emphasizes the fluidity of expectations around technical solutions. Consider the revolution Apple ignited with its iPhone and subsequent App Store launch a decade ago, which drove people to expect great mobile applications from their favorite brands. Since then, many quick-service chains have added ordering and payment capabilities to their mobile apps. Such moves have been propelled by liquid expectations. But as technology is increasingly woven into the matrix of a business, even traditional companies are considering user experience as a key factor in solutions both for employees and customers. Today a big part of Evenson's job involves speaking with CIOs and other business leaders about how to build software and services akin to Airbnb, Facebook and other services that consumers feel were designed for them personally. "You can't have a corporate service that isn't considering usability, desirability and putting people first rather than what we can do technically or what makes sense to get what they need," Evenson says. The shift to design thinking typically involves ditching the classic cubicle farm for open, collaborative workspaces where product managers, designers and software engineers sit and huddle over new solutions. In such environments, it's not uncommon for CIOs to walk into the workspace and not know exactly who reports to them. Design thinking best practices Design thinking requires a culture change. But for many firms undertaking digital initiatives to transform their businesses, design thinking is increasingly becoming part of corporate strategic agendas, says Chris Pacione, co-founder and CEO of LUMA Institute, which teaches people how to do human-centered design. Design thinking, Pacione says, can help foster innovation as companies seek to "renew" themselves frequently to keep up with the pace of change. Pacione's approach to design thinking blends product design and systems engineering with anthropology and ethnographic approaches. Design thinking, Pacione says, can help organizations avoid common pitfalls that keep projects from succeeding. Those include: Problem framing: All too often well-intentioned teams will rush to fix a problem without fixing its root cause. They don't capture the scope of the issue plaguing their organization. Pacione recommends firms "question the question" by exploring new ways of framing the problem accurately and ensuring teams are on the same page. "Teams that understand the real opportunity in the first place have a chance of success," he says. Empathy: Another big reason projects fail is the lack of understanding and empathy for myriad stakeholders the initiatives are intended to serve. Capturing empathy isn't an easy task as end users don't share a hive mind. Moreover, enterprises need to design solutions keeping in mind those who must install, repair or maintain them. This is where contextual inquiry and other ethnographic and participatory design techniques come in handy for IT teams. Iteration: Corporate governance, which is linear-minded, tends to crimp innovation, which requires iterative approaches to product development. Organizations need to allow for the multiple, natural small failures associated with great or novel ideas, Pacone says. This requires sketching, storyboarding and prototyping solutions based on stakeholder feedback. "Really innovative solutions that have impact are the result of numerous innovation and a continuous flow of assumption testing and improvement. The faster time to market maxim is irrelevant in this day and age. Organizations that iterate the fastest and do it well will win." Project failure points: Identify areas that aren't working and fix them. That's one of the advantages of iteration; designers and engineers can fix bugs and user design quirks on a rolling basis, from inception of minimally viable products to fully-baked commercial solutions. Collaboration: Organizations living under threat of disruption have to come up with good ideas and collaborate with other departments and with clients to get them implemented. They must also help to impart ways of working that are more visually imaginative and creative. Pacione says the impetus for driving design-thinking into an organization tends to come from organizations looking to improve customer experiences. "The impetus is on the outside because it's affecting bottom and top-lines sooner," Pacione says. Design thinking in practice Design thinking has become a critical tool in TD Ameritrade's development of roboadvisers, chatbots and other customer-facing technologies that drive revenue growth, CIO Vijay Sankaran tells CIO.com. He says that design thinking has helped his team visualize the client experience for applications they are building as part of the company's push toward agile software development practices. Sankaran has tapped coaches and consultants, such as Pivotal Labs, to help teach both IT and business line product managers how to build software with the end user in mind. "They ask open ended questions, such as, `Okay, what would a client want to do with this and how would they interact with it?" Sankaran says. "Design thinking is huge." The question of whether your company adopts design thinking may be of when rather than if. Millennial employees, which already comprise more than half the workforce, will pass on employers whose technologies and practices they view as part of the digital Dark Ages, Evenson says. One way corporations can avoid the "digital Dark Ages" is to create a "design culture" that involves hiring more designers and prototyping new solutions they wish to launch early and often. Setting up innovation labs and digital accelerators also helps. "They see the pressure of the liquid expectations both in delivering their services and in keeping their organization growing and thriving," Evenson says.
Last January, Google and KPMG conducted a study titled `Impact of Digitisation on SMBs in India'. It presented a gloomy picture of Small and Medium businesses (SMBs) in the country, highlighting that a staggering 68 per cent of SMBs in India are offline. Besides, Indian SMBs that do engage with digital technologies are still not using the full potential of it. In the SMB sector pyramid, it was found that only 2 per cent were in the Engaged tier. The rest 30 per cent were in the Connected and Enabled tiers, meaning that they do not actively sell or promote their business online, unlike the Engaged. Despite the current state of things, experts say that the next online revolution is impending in the SMB sector. Akash Nangia, Co-founder and CEO, TechJockey, sees a "silver lining in the numbers". "Of approximately 300 million SMBs, if even a small percentage decide to digitise the business, it opens a huge market for software solutions providers," Nangia said, wondering whether any platform exists that could provide SMBs with wholesome solutions for digitisation. The solutions provider Back in 2010, Nangia, one of the founding members of Zomato, while working as the vice-president of corporate sales in the company, closely observed the increasing demand for technology among smaller businesses. Two years later, after quitting Zomato, in an attempt to explore this opportunity, he launched SISL Infotech, an IT system integrator and reseller that helped address IT sourcing challenges and software licencing needs with solutions and managed services. In 2016, with his friend Arjun Mittal, he expanded the idea further into TechJockey, an e-commerce platform selling a wide range of software solutions to startups, SMEs, MSMEs, corporates, and even individuals. In simple terms, it can be called the `Flipkart of software solutions'. Since its inception, the company has reportedly grown manifold with the help of vendors and resellers on its platform. Evidently, the company has clocked yearly sales of Rs 8 crore in the fiscal ending March 2018. In the fiscal year 2017, the company made a turnover of Rs 3.5 crore. Interestingly, he has been able to achieve the numbers without raking in huge investments. The platform is still bootstrapped and claims to have done well only through product quality which has drawn a huge traffic. TechJockey has over 3,000 products listed across industries like retail, e-commerce, ITES, hospitality, healthcare, education and others. The platform sells products from 100 categories and fulfils the requirement of more than 2,100 small and medium businesses. It has partnered with over 1,200 software vendors such as Microsoft, Tally, Sophos, Greytip HR, Spine Technologies as well as small vendors from tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Smaller cities bring larger biz Businesses from smaller cities are not as idle as before and are fast adapting to the changing environment. They face challenges in making an online presence, integrating payments solutions if already online, or by buying different software solutions to manage the business. Nangia informs that between 65 and 70 per cent of buyers on the platform come from tier 2 and 3 cities such as Gorakhpur, Hisar, Alwar and others. Seeing the huge growth in smaller cities, TechJockey is boarding resellers - local software sellers who source the software from the platform and supply it to individuals and retailers in these cities. The resellers work with TechJockey on commission basis. The blueprint for growth The platform has been fast expanding its business scope, trying to tap into the market's potential at its maximum. Conventional marketing, and onboarding around 650 resellers from the telecom sector, who will further sell the company's products to individual buyers and retailers in those cities, are TechJockey's means to achieve the target. The company plans to increase the number of transactions per month from 100 to 500 by December-end this year and the number of visitors from 40,000 per month to 1,00,000 per month. "We aim to utilise the first-mover's advantage in this sector. We want to explore all the means to reach a certain position where it would be extremely difficult for any new platform to replicate the model and build another TechJockey," said Nangia.
Every debt mutual fund category is returning positive in the one-, three-, six-months, one-year time horizons. Earlier this year, long-term debt funds like gilt funds and income funds that invest in long-dated securities hit the negative terrain. "The returns have turned green because bond yields have fallen very sharply from 8.2 level to 7.80. However, whether it is sustainable is a question. When the rates are volatile, we always see fluctuation in debt fund returns, especially in the longer category," says Pankaj Pathak, Fund Manager-Fixed Income, Quantum AMC. Mutual fund advisors believe investors should not make too much of the uptick in long-term debt funds, as these funds can still turn volatile if the interest rates head north. They advise investors to stick to short duration schemes with high credit quality. "Investors should stick to shorter end as the time is not ripe to enter long duration funds. Both the micro- and macro-economic scenarios look unfavourable. We might also see RBI hiking rates which will make debt markets more volatile," says Joydeep Sen, Founder, wiseinvestor.in. According to experts, other than short duration funds, investors may also look at dynamic bond funds. "Investors may go for dynamic bond funds which capitalise on the interest rate movement. They change form based on interest rate scenario. They may take lower of higher maturity, but investors must avoid credit risk," says Pathak. Pathak emphasizes to avoid any kind of credit risk. He explains, "though, now we see some softening in pressure that we have seen in NBFC space in September and October, there are some other risks that can be seen in the NBFC books. Many NBFCs have grown lending to real estate developers which are in trouble and are re-financing their loans every time." "Now, with NBFCs already facing liquidity problem, will they continue to re-finance those developers is a big question. And if we see any kind of defaults from real estate developers, that will definitely have some cascading effect on NBFCs and other credit markets," he adds. Does it mean that you should exit your existing funds and put your money in the short duration funds? Mutual fund experts ask investors to stick to their asset allocation. They say those having long duration exposure must not evaluate funds on a standalone basis. They ask investors not to rush to take an entry or exit call on their portfolio without looking at it along with their investment horizon and risk appetite. They point out that if investors have invested with a longer time horizon in mind, the returns tend to normalize. Higher accrual offsets some of the M2M losses. "If we look at the past data, long term funds have given decent returns in the long term, including those bad periods, when returns were impacted severely. The idea is to stick to your allocation without bothering about interim disturbances," says Sen. Gilt funds on an average have delivered 7.91 per cent and 9.44 per cent over three- and five-year period respectively. Long duration funds have given 7.35 per cent and 9.24 per cent over the same time period.
Buying a house? Beware of builders' tricks Last updated on: October 23, 2007 13:36 IST Everybody wants a piece of real estate. The sector has been growing at 25-30 per cent a year since 2003, fired primarily by low interest on housing loans and the rising affluence of homebuyers. Those who had bought stocks of real estate companies, whose valuations have gone through the roof, are a happy lot. However, the same cannot necessarily be said of scores of financially and emotionally bleeding homebuyers. The developers play lord and master to middle-income individuals, who often live like monks to fulfil their dream of owning a house. Most sale agreements are heavily loaded in favour of builders in the currently unregulated market. This disillusionment is reflected in the rise in the number of complaints that has accompanied the growth of the sector. In the first 25 days of August 2007, the Delhi-based National Consumer Helpline, a consumers' body, received 33 housing-related complaints. The Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), Mumbai, says it gets two-three cases a day. In this scenario, what chance do you have of safeguarding your interests as a buyer? In 1993, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of M.K. Gupta in his case against the Lucknow Development Authority for not delivering his flat on time. This landmark judgment brought housing construction under the purview of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. This, however, hasn't done much to change the unscrupulous ways of builders. Owing to the bonhomie between developers, the authorities and the contractors, projects get sanctioned easily but the quality of construction goes unquestioned. Supreme Court advocate C.M. Srikumar says: "Even in cooperative societies, the contractor, the architect and the office-bearers of the society dupe the public." Rahul Todi, managing director, Bengal Shrachi Housing Development, says: "Unlike other consumer products, here we sell a concept first. If there is a gap between expectation and reality, then we are not doing our job properly." What are the most common games that developers play? Here are eight common tricks and ways in which you can guard against them. I. When do I get my house? Most agreements do not clearly specify the date of delivery. For instance, one says: "Completion of the building is expected to be delivered by the date mentioned in the covering letter of this allotment. The delivery of the possession is subject to force majeure." What this means is that you cannot hold the developer responsible if he does not stick to the promised delivery date. There have been cases when the delivery has been delayed by 12 months or more. Typically, the buyer would have paid 95 per cent of the price by the time he reaches the expected delivery date. If he is living in a rented house, delays will drive his calculations awry as he would not have factored in this additional rent (see Double Bite). Mumbai stockbroker Bhupendra M. Pitroda, 58, fought a legal battle against Megha Property Developers for five years. Reason: delayed possession. Pitroda was promised delivery of the flat he booked in 1998 in Navi Mumbai's Madhuri Cooperative Society Housing Project within 18 months. The builder later said that delivery would take another six months. When Pitroda visited the site six months later, he felt that the delivery would not happen soon. So, he instructed his bank to stop payment of the balance 37.5 per cent of the apartment's cost to Megha Developers. The developer promptly sold off the flat. An aggrieved Pitroda then moved the State Commission in July 2000. Three years later, the commission asked Megha Developers to refund Pitroda the money he had paid with 15 per cent interest. Pitroda was also awarded a compensation of Rs 15,000 for the mental agony caused and Rs 5,000 for legal costs. The developer appealed in the National Commission, which upheld the State Commission order but cut the interest to 9 per cent. The developer then moved the Supreme Court. "The Supreme Court judge flung the papers in the face of the builder's lawyer and asked the builder to compensate me immediately. The judgment was over in a minute," says Pitroda. Through the legal battle, Pitroda made 25 appearances in the State Commission, three in the National Commission and one in the Supreme Court. Many agreements have penalty clauses for delayed delivery, but they are without bite. For example: "If the company fails to complete the construction of the said building/apartment within the period as aforesaid, then the company shall pay to the allottee compensation at the rate of Rs 5 per sq. ft of the super area per month for the period of such delay." What this means is that for a 1,000-sq. ft flat, you would get a compensation of Rs 5,000 per month?a pittance (see Double Bite). In most cases, buyers put up with the delay quietly rather than 'antagonise' the builder. Most fear retribution, harassment and further delays in delivery. This is not entirely baseless. For one, agreement papers are designed to protect the builder. Two, your intention to fight the builder may look like a joke given your handicap in terms of financial prowess and influence. Three, there is no industry regulator you can turn to for redressal. Suresh Virmani of National Consumer Helpline says: "We generally encourage a dialogue between buyers and sellers to settle disputes. If that fails, the matter is taken to the regulatory body. But we can't even suggest this in real estate because there is no regulatory body." What to do. Don't just take the builder's word on the progress of construction. Check it out from time to time, as Pitroda did. If you feel a delay is likely, start building up pressure on the developer. The best way to do this is to form a society, says Virmani. Usually, builders have many projects running at the same time and they push the ones where the pressure is higher. "The more the number of buyers, the greater is the pressure," says Bharath Jairaj of Consumer Action Group, Chennai. II. Where are my papers? A lot of builders are evasive about giving the completion certificate at the time of handing over the flat. A completion certificate is issued by municipal authorities and establishes that the building complies with the approved plan. A developer would not get the certificate if he deviates from the plan. You cannot prove ownership over your house if you don't have the certificate as you would not be able to get the house registered. Also, you may not be able to get utility connections. You will have problems selling, mortgaging or reverse mortgaging the house as it will not be in your name. In the worst case, the unapproved parts of your house would be demolished by the municipal authorities. Not a happy state of affairs. Businessman Mohammed Haroon, 45, got his flat in Tulip Garden, Gurgaon, six years ago, but he has not got the completion certificate yet. The same goes for the other 59-odd flat owners there. Together, they took Sarvapriya Developers, which built Tulip Garden, to the consumer court. "After four years, in mid-August this year, the court directed the builder to hand over the completion certificates within a month, or pay Rs 5,000 each as compensation to all the flat owners," says Haroon. "But we know that none of the two will come our way and are prepared to approach the Delhi High Court in this matter." What to do. Sale agreements often don't mention the completion certificate. If yours doesn't and you notice it before signing the papers, insist on the inclusion of a clause that you will be given the completion certificate when the flat is handed over to you. Ask the builder for it as soon as he announces that the house is ready for possession. If, like Haroon, you move into the house without it, the court will probably be your last resort. III. What's the guarantee of quality? Within a month of moving into his apartment in Mahagun Manor, Noida, Rajiv Raghunath, 41, got trapped inside the house as the door lock failed. In six months, the plaster started peeling off and the fans stopped working. In another few months, water started seeping in as the pipes had corroded. "I felt cheated. This wasn't worth my money," says Raghunath. As of now, there is no way for a buyer to check the building materials used or the quality of construction. Says advocate Anupam Srivastava, who is with law firm Chambers of Law: "Quality is a subjective matter. Buyers should enter into an agreement on the kind of material that the builder will use." In October 2005, Pune's Gera Developments started a trend by providing a 5-year warranty on its buildings. The warranty, however, is subject to the conditions that no structural changes be made to the house and that there be no misuse. What to do. Don't fall for the builder's glib talk. Insist on including the sanctioned plan of the building and the specifications of the raw materials to be used for construction in the purchase agreement. If you are already facing quality problems, you can go to the consumer court. Says Anand Patwardhan, a consumer activist and lawyer: "If you want to approach the consumer court, move it within two years from the day you take possession." Alternatively, flat owners can form a Residents' Welfare Association (RWA) and get the builder to fix the problems, as Raghunath, an RWA member, did. IV. What is the price really? Nishit Babyloni, 38, mech-anical engineer in BHEL, Bhopal, had booked bungalow No. 105 with Ansal Housing and Constructions (AHC) in Pradhan Enclave, Bhopal, in 2004. On a visit to the site five months later, he found that his bungalow was not being built. He asked AHC to give him bungalow No. 120 instead, as construction was in full swing on that. AHC formally changed the allotment in February 2005, but sent him a letter eight months later asking for Rs 3.15 lakh more. Atit Arora, general manager (marketing) and project head, Ansals Pradhan Enclave, Bhopal, says: "The bungalow's specifications were changed. Babyloni was required to deposit the amount if he wanted the new specifications." Babyloni retorts that AHC did not tell him about the additional work and the changes in specifications. "We were not told that we would have to pay 25 per cent more for the new bungalow till 18 October 2005." He is thinking of moving the consumer court. But, it is not unusual for an agreement to say that a builder can ask for additional payments if specifications are changed or there are cost overruns. There are legal loopholes as well. The Maharashtra Ownership of Flats Act, 1963, protects buyers against malpractices in the sale and transfer of flats. It gives homebuyers the right to inspect the builder's documents such as the specifications that he has obtained from the authorities. The Delhi Apartment Ownership Act, 1986, however, is a different story. Although it was published in the Gazette of India over a decade ago, brought on the statute book by Parliament and given the President's assent, it is yet to be notified. What to do. The last stop is the consumer court. Says Srikumar, "Many malpractices are offences under the Indian Penal Code, for which the responsible party can be prosecuted." Keep checking with the builder if any changes are being made to the specifications mentioned in the agreement and the allotment letter. Also, try to get it mentioned in the contract that if a sum higher than the original price has to be paid by you, the builder would give you additional time for that. You must also ask for a copy of the sanctions that the builder has taken from the authorities to carry out the alterations. V. What else do i pay for? To make your house liveable, you will need electricity, water and sewage connections. You will also need electrical wiring, appliances like fans, lights and a water pump, which are unlikely to be part of the package and generally won't be mentioned in the agreement. These will be additional costs that you will have to bear. You might also have to keep some speed money aside for registration so that it gets done in a decent timeframe. In some cases, the builder may make a verbal promise to get it done for you. What to do. Builders generally have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude with conscientious buyers while striking a deal. Even so, it pays to be scrupulous and to read the agreement and its fine print. "Get a lawyer, an architect or an evaluator to determine the correctness of the purchase," says Srivastava. Finally, do some quick math and keep aside some funds to get your house up and running. VI. How big is house? A typical home purchase agreement states: "The plans, designs, and specifications are tentative and the developer reserves the right to make variations and modifications..." Simply put, in most cases, you won't know the final area of the house till you get it. The agreement will further state, "In case of change in area, the difference in cost of area shall be adjusted at the time of making final payment." Shikhar Saxena, partner, Ace Equity Solutions, a leading housing finance franchisee of ICICI Bank, had booked a fully-furnished, air-conditioned service apartment measuring 650 sq. ft (super area) in Cabana Service Apartments in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, which was being built by Assotech Realty. He got an allotment letter mentioning this area. However, when the builder offered possession, the super area of the flat had increased to 671 sq. ft. "Once the authorities approve of the floor space index, how can the builder change it?" he asks. After holding out for over 18 months, the choice before him now is to either accept all the terms of the builder or seek cancellation of his allotment. Further, he was informed that the maintenance charge, which was to be Rs 1.50 per sq. ft per month, has been increased to Rs 7 per sq. ft per month. The agreement shields the builder. It says "the monthly maintenance charges will be subject to revision from time to time". Assotech's Elegante project, also in Indi-rapuram, was to have terrace gardens on the seventh and thirteenth floors. "There is only a patch of green; the developer has built units on these floors too," says a buyer. Srikumar says there is nothing one can do unless the size of the garden is specified in the agreement. What to do. Builders usually follow the same practices through all their projects. So, before buying, check out the builder's earlier projects to see if he plays fair. Start a blog or join one to share your experiences with others, though this doesn't guarantee redressal. You can read about the mistakes and experiences of other people on websites like mouthshut.com. VII. What's the carpet area? Most residential units in India are sold on the basis of the super built-up area, which includes open spaces like space for lifts, staircases and parking, among other things. But, what you really get is the carpet area, which literally means the area that you can carpet. This can be 15-35 per cent less than the super built-up area. In 2005, HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh had said the company would provide loans at cheaper rates to developers who sell their flats on the basis of carpet area. But, there has been little headway on this front. Some developers, especially in Bangalore, sell on the basis of carpet area. In Pune, too, the builders' association has decided to increase the carpet area by 25 per cent to arrive at the saleable built-up area charged to the buyer. In both these cases, buyers are aware of the area they will get. Though there is still a long way to go, experts believe that soon properties all over India would be sold on the basis of carpet area. What to do. Buy property on the basis of carpet area, although the builder will not like the idea. Argue with him that if the super built-up area is mentioned on the basis of the approvals and sanctions, the carpet area can be quantified. Says Srikumar: "There should be a provision for termination of the contract and resumption of the property so that builders don't have an upper hand. However, in the absence of rules, buyers should be vigilant." VIII. Will I get a well-managed property? The developer may promise to maintain the building or complex in the initial years. The service, however, may not be satisfactory. Residents of Mahagun Manor in Noida have taken over its maintenance. "The homebuyers cannot even use the Right to Information Act, 2005, to their advantage because it doesn't apply to private builders or even group cooperative housing societies," says Srivastava. What to do. You are unlikely to get relief through correspondence and phone calls. You can go the e-way to attract the builder's attention. For months, Delhi-based developer Unitech ignored the complaints of the residents of one of their premier offerings, Uniworld City. Then, a resident shot a nine-minute video that captured the visible flaws of the project, and posted it on YouTube.com, a broadcast site. Their grievances were soon attended to. You can use websites like www.consumerhelpline.in and www.cgsiindia.org to seek further guidance. Though the dice is clearly in favour of the builder, the buyers can still fight back and many of them are doing so. Now, the government urgently needs to put a regulator in place to ensure proper disclosures and protect the buyers. What we need Mostly, a home is the biggest investment of one's life. And yet, most people buy it in a hurry. In this hurry, they sign all the papers without even reading it, let alone questioning its clauses. It may all seem illogical later, but it doesn't when it actually should. The Indian real estate market does not have a regulator. The need of the hour is to take lessons from streamlined markets abroad and introduce comprehensive disclosure norms. For instance, US homebuyers are entitled to receive a number of disclosures during the course of the house purchase. These disclosures give a homebuyer a somewhat transparent and fair picture of what he is getting into. On the other hand, Indian homebuyers sign agreements that are not clear. What's more, they even get surprises in terms of extra costs. Take a look at what a buyer in the US state of California is entitled to know from the builder. Real Property Disclosure Statement. This document details the condition of the property and potential hazards, or defects that may be associated with it. While the seller is principally responsible for the disclosures presented in this document, the agent is also supposed to inspect the property and disclose any observable defects detected in the process. The document also lays down any special taxes that may affect the property's value. Financing Disclosures. Various financing disclosures are made during real estate transactions. They give important details about the loan the owner may have taken for the property. Truth in Lending Statement Disclosure. This has details about the terms and conditions of credit, including the amount financed, the finance charge, and the annual percentage rate. Real Estate Settlement Procedures. This contains detailed estimates, by the broker and the lender, of settlement and closing costs to be provided within three days after you apply for a loan. It also provides detailed accounting of actual disbursements and closing costs once the loan transaction is completed. 'Check builder's credibility' Vincent Lottefier, Chief Executive Officer, India Jones Lang La Salle Meghraj, a real estate consultancy firm Cause of the malady. Generally, reputed builders deliver on time and as per promised specifications. Small developers, however, default by stretching their projects beyond the promised delivery date. Often, this is caused by funding issues. They may also skimp on construction costs, banking on the buyer's ignorance about quality parameters. Sometimes, they submit incomplete drawings to the municipal authorities. There are also fly-by-night operators, who pocket their clients' initial payment and then disappear altogether. In bigger cities, most developers are established and experienced players with a reputation to protect. Here, the incidence of gross defaulting is less than 10 per cent. This can, however, be as high as15-20 per cent in emerging suburban areas, where there are a lot of small developers. Many developers who respond to sudden property booms in suburban are as have no experience or technical knowledge and often do not have banksbacking them. Most emerging suburbs are also defined by unclear land titles. Navi Mumbai is a case in point. What buyers should do. A buyer should check the developer's credibility, past projects, performance and delivery record. He should also ensure that the project is funded by a known bank and has all the approvals. A buyer is entitled to ask for a copy of the project's drawings, duly stamped by the municipal authorities. Legal recourse. Buyers in Maharashtra can take recourse to Section 8 of the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act, 1963, which makes a developer liable to refund the money obtained from a customer with 9 per cent interest if he is unable to justify non-completion of his project. Most states have similar regulations. Reputed developers do undertake remedial action if aclient is not satisfied with the final product. This is unlikely in the case of unknown one-time operators. Buyers should keep in mind that a developer is supposed to make improvements, repairs and alterations until a society is formed.
As India has become wealthier, more of its citizens are leaving its shores. An estimated 17 million Indians were living abroad in 2017, making India the largest source country for international migrants globally, up from seven million in 1990 and a 143 per cent increase, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of data from the United Nations Department of Economic Affairs. Over the same period, India's per capita income increased by 522 per cent (from $1,134 to $7,055), providing more people the means to travel abroad in search of employment opportunities they were not finding at home. At the same time, the number of unskilled migrants leaving the country has been falling: An estimated 391,000 left India in 2017, almost half the number in 2011 (637,000), according to a new report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). However, this does not necessarily mean that an increasing proportion of India's emigrants are likely to be higher skilled or that policymakers should be worried about a rise in "brain drain". The above figures refer to unskilled migrants travelling on Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports -- passports issued by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to those leaving for employment in certain countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Changes in the government criteria used to class workers as unskilled, leading to more migrants travelling on non-ECR passports, could be part of the reason for the declining trend. "Over the years India has made internal adjustments to who gets an ECR passport. A lot of people are entitled to non-ECR passports and take that route to migrate instead -- this is data which is not publicly available and therefore cannot be analysed," Seeta Sharma, Technical Officer (ILO) for EU-India Cooperation and Dialogue on Migration and Mobility, told IndiaSpend. International emigration generally rises with economic development as more people acquire the financial means to travel abroad, and only begins to reduce when countries reach upper-middle income status. Labour demand driven by constrained local employment markets is a key motivation for international migration, with 73 per cent of all migrants globally entering the workforce in their host country, the ADB report found. India's working age population is currently growing by 1.3 million each month, exacerbating a stagnant job market that is further afflicted by a lack of employment. Over almost three decades, between 1990-2017, India witnessed waves of skilled and unskilled labour emigration. Indians living in Qatar increased 82,669 per cent --from 2,738 to 2.2 million -- over 27 years to 2017, more than in any other country. In the two years between 2015-2017, the Indian population in Qatar more than tripled. Oman (688 per cent) and the United Arab Emirates (622 per cent) also feature in the top 10 countries for the largest increases in Indian residents between 1990-2017, while in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, over seven years to 2017, Indian populations rose by 110 per cent and 78 per cent, respectively. These figures reflect the response of Indian workers to rapidly expanding economies in the Gulf, buoyed by rising oil prices. As these oil-rich nations embarked on large-scale development projects, workers from India and other South Asian countries answered the call for the growing number of construction jobs needing to be filled. However, recent global economic slowdowns have slowed migrant flows from India into the region. Declining crude oil prices and the resulting spending cuts on construction projects and the slowing economies explain the falling numbers of Indians opting to travel to the region, as jobs dry up and wages contract. While traditional host countries for Indian migrants, such as the Gulf states, US and UK, remain the countries with the highest Indian populations, over the last decade, OECD countries have seen a significant increase in the number of Indians choosing to settle within their borders. Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, for example, have seen their Indian populations grow by 66, 56 and 42 per cent, respectively, over seven years to 2017. They are cheaper and have better educational opportunities."For example, Germany has free education and there's the potential to land a job in the country after university too, so you're seeing a shift in migration," Sharma said. Rapidly aging populations across the West will further create a demand for migrant labour, as imported workers fill employment gaps left by falling birth rates in many developed countries. India is well placed to benefit from this demand. Half of all countries globally now have fertility rates below 2.1, meaning too few children are being born to maintain their population size. In the short term, however, changing political environments and increasingly hostile attitudes to foreign migration may have an impact on the acceptability of Indian migrant workers taking up these jobs. The identity and socio-economic background of Indian emigrants is changing. Southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been traditional sources of migrant workers to the Middle East and Southeast Asia, departing on ECR passports. However, in recent years, northern Indian and less economically advanced states have overtaken their southern counterparts for the numbers of typically low-skilled male youth leaving for overseas work. Uttar Pradesh took the lead for the highest number of emigrants since 2011, followed by Bihar and Tamil Nadu, while the number of migrants from Kerala declined 69 per cent over six years, from around 80,000 in 2011 and 2013 to under 25,000 in 2017. "Migration trends have shifted," Sharma said. "For example, if you're from Kerala, it may no longer be so lucrative to go to the Gulf. But for someone sitting in Bihar earning a third of what a Keralite earns, it still makes sense." However, while these data show the numbers from each state leaving on ECR passports, they do not indicate how many have switched to non-ECR passports. Kerala may still be seeing large numbers of its population emigrate despite a decline in 2016 and 2017 in the ECR category. Indeed, Kerala received 19 per cent of all remittances (funds sent by an expatriate to their country of origin) received in India in 2016-17, closely followed by Maharashtra (17 per cent) and Karnataka (15 per cent), according to RBI data. India received the largest remittances globally in 2017, with close to $70 billion landing in the country's banks accounts.
If you are a law abiding individual who files income tax returns (ITRs) diligently every year then sooner or later you will end up with a pile of old documents kept as supporting proof for these returns and ask the question: How long does one have to preserve these papers? All documents such as rent receipts or rental agreement, section 80C tax saving documents etc. which prove the claims made by you in your tax-return are advised to be kept safely once you have filed your ITR for a particular financial year. Here, you should keep in mind that the income tax department does not ask you to submit any documentary evidence to substantiate the claim made at the time of filing ITR. The ITR is filed on the basis of self assessment but the income tax department has the right to ask you to prove the claims in the ITR by sending you a notice. How long should you keep the documents? Nowhere does it say for how long you have to keep these documents. Chartered Accountant Naveen Wadhwa, DGM, Taxmann.com says, "There is no provision in the Income Tax Act which suggests for how long the documents must be kept by the taxpayer." However, he adds, "Section 149 of the Income Tax Act specifies the time limit for issuing an income tax notice to an individual which can be interpreted as the time period for which documents must be kept." He states that according to section 149, the income tax department has the powers to issue notice to taxpayers for seven years from the end of the financial year. So, this would mean that if you have filed ITR for FY 2017-18, then you must keep the related documents with you till the end of FY 2024-25. The seven-year time period is applicable for various classes of taxpayers. "The time limit for retaining documents for seven years from the end of relevant financial year is same whether you are a salaried person, self-employed or a professional," Abhishek Soni, CEO, tax2win.in, a tax-filing firm. For those with income from foreign assets: If have any sort of income from foreign assets, then you will have to keep the ITR related documents for longer. Wadhwa says, "For any individual having income relating to a foreign asset or having a financial interest in any foreign entity, then, in that case, such related documents must be kept for 17 years from the end of the relevant financial years." Should you keep it beyond 7 years? Yes, it is advisable to keep the documents for seven years, however, this does not mean that once the specified period is over, you can throw away the required documents. Soni says, "According to the amendment made in Budget 2017, applicable with effect from AY 2017-18 (April 1, 2017), income tax officers can now ask details up to 10-year-old cases that involves large amounts of escaped income." But the income tax department cannot ask tax-related details from just about anyone; it is meant for certain exceptional cases. "Income tax department does have the power to ask details of old cases up to 10 years, however, this comes under exception where the department has proofs against you and this can be done in the search cases only," adds Soni. If you are filing ITR or have filed ITR for a deceased member of your family, remember in that case, too, you have to keep the documents for either seven or 17 years from the end of the financial year, depending on the type of income the taxpayer had.
Facebook is a place to engage clients and prospects in a personable way. It's a lighthearted platform, characterised by discussion, interaction, and personality. If your strategy for reaching clients and prospects is to be easily accessible, Facebook may be a good medium to pursue. Use Facebook to reach clients and prospects where they already spend time, giving them an opportunity to engage with you-and you an opportunity to add value to your network. Here are few tips, suggested in a white paper published by LPL Financial, USA, to get acquainted with the mood and purpose of Facebook: Determine your strategy: You can approach Facebook in several ways: Create a page you use to post engaging content This option is appropriate when your primary audience is on Facebook and you have the time and resources to dedicate to engaging them. You also have value to add to your network. Create a landing page and use ads to drive people to it and/or your website This approach may be beneficial if you don't have the time to invest in engagement efforts, and you also have the financial resources to commit to ads. Identify the value For most people, Facebook is a way to connect with others and engage with interesting and/or relevant information. Tactics you may consider: Share links to articles, write commentary on current events, provide tips or other educational content, use humour or provide other entertainment. 2. Step 2: Set up your page Setting up a business page on Facebook is a straightforward, guided process. Before you start, it's useful to have the following ready and available: Your value proposition Two photos/images you'd like to use to represent your business-one for the main picture that will appear throughout the site and one for the background/header image Facebook provides guidance on the best sizes (height and width, by pixel) for each 3. Step 3: Engage your audience If you are planning to use an engagement or ad strategy, you will need to plan and prepare content. Establish guidelines for what and when you'll post, then take a more ad hoc approach. Consider the following: How frequently you want to post? What tone/approach will you use (commentator, educator, entertainer, etc.)? Will you link to outside sources, and how will you determine whether a source is credible? What topics would interest to your audience?
Employees are key to creating a strong work force for your business. For employees to safely make a long-term commitment to an organisation, the employer will need to give them good reason to stay. Retaining key employees is one of the best competitive advantages your business can build. Make sure your employees are happy working in your company. Here are a few tips that can help you retain your employees. Provide them a good salary You have to give them the right salary so that they don't feel the urge to explore outside. You need to offer them a good package right from the start so that other offers will not make any difference to them. Also, offer them small perks like flexible working hours and work-from-home options. This will promote a healthy work-life balance. Take personal care Personal connection is key to getting people to enjoy their work and stick around longer. Bhilai based Zian Khan of Omega Financial feels that employees are an asset to advisors. "Ensure that you fulfil all their requirements as they are the pillars of your business. If they have some family emergency, give them leave and help them financially. Make a note of their birthdays and anniversaries and do a small celebration in office. These small gestures will help you make a personal connection and sustain their longevity in your business," he says. Work for their benefit You have to find a growth path for your key employees. Before appointing a new employee, see if existing employees can fill up the new position. It is your job to understand, and facilitate, the career path of all your key employees. Tap into their passion and allow them to focus their time and energy on projects they enjoy. Also, let them know what career development plans you may have for them and what opportunities are available for them to grow with the company. Vishal Dhawan of Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors recommends advisors to let key employee take on a different role in the company. "Allow key employees to look at multiple aspects of the business. It will give them exposure to various projects and help them develop a new skillset, which can be crucial in their career growth," he says. "Give your employees meaningful work which they feel will make a difference in their lives," he adds. Treat them right You need to treat key employees more like business partners. Give them the freedom to speak freely and generate ideas. Suresh Sadagopan of Ladder 7 Financial Advisories believes that employees want to be treated nicely. "I give them more responsibility. In my view, when you give them more responsibility, they feel more worthy. However, make them responsible for jobs which they like doing and can help them learn. Also, ask them to monitor junior employees, let them take a decision in your absence; promote them if they do an exceptional job," he says. Conduct `stay' interview Consider asking your employees why they stay. Ask questions like `Why did you come to work here?', `Why have you given so many years to this company?' or, `What would you change or improve?' Then use that information to strengthen your employee-retention strategies. Recognise the good work Give raise to employees who are achieving and exceeding your expectation. Also, reward employees for truly superior performance - take them out for dinner or give them a gift voucher. While feedback is important, people also need to feel appreciated in a tangible way. "Motivate top-performers by promoting and giving them new challenges. For instance, promote your paraplanner to a financial planner. This will boost his/her morale and also benefit your company," says Lovaii Navlakhi of International Money Matters. Have a transparent working environment Hold meetings in which employees can ask questions. Have an open-door policy that encourages employees to speak frankly with you without fear of repercussion. Transform your organisation into an environment where people are comfortable providing feedback. Suresh adds that employees spend 9-10 hours in the office daily. Create a friendly office environment so that they enjoy their work and feel happy. Also, do not lose your calm if they make mistakes. "Accept the fact that they will make mistakes; just remind them not to repeat the same mistakes," says Suresh. Vinod Jain of Jain Investments also feels that advisors should maintain transparency among their employees. "Have a policy that let your employees talk to you when they feel the need. Also, let them know about key changes that you are making in the office and ask for their feedback. Implement some of their good feedbacks," he says.
If you read the breathless business headlines about Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook, it would be easy to conclude the technology giants are the world's biggest companies. Not even close. Rank Company Nation Revenues (in billions of US dollars) 1 Walmart US $500 2 State Grid China 348.9 3 Sinopec China 326.9 4 China Natural Petroleum China 326 5 Royal Dutch Shell Netherlands 311.8 6 Toyota Japan 265.1 7 Volkswagen Germany 260 8 BP UK 244.5 9 Exxon Mobil US 244.3 10 Berkshire Hathaway US 242 There are no tech names among the top 10 global companies by revenue, according to Fortune, which released its Global 500 list today (July 19). Apple, the biggest tech company, came in at 11, followed by Samsung at 12. For all of Amazon's size and influence, it's only the 18th-largest company, trailing such unglamorous companies as McKesson, a pharmaceutical wholesaler. And despite its pitched competition with Walmart for retail dominance, Amazon's revenue is less than half that of the Bentonville, Arkansas-based discounter. While few dispute the future is in technology, the present is still very much in energy. Five of the top 10 are oil and gas companies, and another-State Grid-is China's biggest utility. Two of the top 10 are car companies that help generate the demand for fossil fuels. Tesla, among the companies most written about and obsessed over, didn't crack the top 500. Of course, revenue is only one metric to measure the size of a company. It's useful because its durable over time and reflects the goal of all companies (money!). Market capitalization-the value of a company's outstanding shares-may be a better measure of a company's current influence in the world, however, since it measures investor expectations for company's future potential. By that score, tech companies are clearly dominant, and only Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's holding company, is on both top 10 lists: Rank Company Nation Market cap (in billions of US dollars) 1 Apple US $851 2 Alphabet (Google) US 719 3 Microsoft US 703 4 Amazon US 701 5 Tencent China 496 6 Berkshire Hathaway US 492 7 Alibaba China 470 8 Facebook US 464 9 JP Morgan Chase US 375 10 Johnson & Johnson US 344 But market cap, like investors, can be fickle, and the value of companies, and thus the order of rankings, can fluctuate wildly. The list above, compiled by PwC in March (pdf), is already out of date. Apple is now worth almost $940 billion, and Amazon briefly surpassed $900 billion yesterday (July 18), adding an astounding $200 billion in market value since March. If its sales can catch up to investor sentiment, it may not be long before Amazon breaks into Fortune's top 10 by revenue.
The advent of the e-commerce boom brought about a paradigm shift in operations in varied sectors across the globe. Just as any novel force stands to challenge the status quo of the traditional ways, e-commerce disrupted various businesses including the apparel retail industry. As per the latest KSA Technopak Report, while India's GDP is likely to grow by 7%, the apparel retail sector is expected to grow by CAGR of 9.7% for next 10 years. Back in 2014, the Morgan Stanley Report had predicted the e-commerce growth at 37% CAGR that is close to USD 13bn for the year 2018. The prediction is very well coming true! Apparel e-commerce has eventually grown by 45% CAGR in the last 5 years and is expected to take on the value of a whooping 7bn - 8bn by 2020. The numbers in the reports, while being clearly indicative of where the apparel sector is headed, also speak volumes about the unprecedented growth of the apparel e-commerce segment. Of course, it can be argued that there is no disparity between what proportions of sales are coming from increased consumption and what are stemming from the share of the retail industry. But, the argument doesn't stand to change the consumption trend or consumer preference and their growing lean towards apparel e-commerce. However, the retail sector has also brought about significant changes in keeping with the evolving trends and preferences and the landscape at large. Retail spaces are taking innovative measures to attract the customers and give them a comprehensive shopping experience. Let's dive deep into how the impact of e-commerce is re-shaping the apparel retail industry. Omni / Endless Aisle I have always believed in the amalgamation of virtual endless aisle inside retail stores, which is simply making available interactive tabs and surfaces for the consumer to pick and choose, customize and even have the product delivered at their doorstep. The retail space makes the selection process easier for the customer and adds to the whole experience of receiving endless options, to making purchases from the store as well as opting for customizations and home-delivery of products through the virtual experience. Stores are looking at various versions of implementing such practices to deliver a better customer service. Personalization Store managers and staff leverage their direct connection with the consumer to deliver truly personalized recommendations. Brands also take educating and training the store managers and staff seriously. The customer gets to try on clothes based on their body-types and accordingly ask for required garments to make purchases on-the-spot. The whole activity stands to be a major differentiator that continues to pull customers into the retail space. Discount Parity Today, brands have become extra cautious that the discounts they offer in-store and on the brand's e-commerce platform match each other. This new practice now directly translates to higher discount rates in the retail stores; it has brought about the consumer to believe that the offerings post-discounts are available at more or less similar price-points, as on the brand's e-commerce portal. As a result, there is a shift in consumer bias toward e-commerce, who are now also seen browsing retail stores during discount periods. Newer Markets E-commerce came and won over consumers, including those in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns who may not have access to certain brands available in the cities. However, when e-commerce proved the sales potential in these cities, brands were quick to open their retail outlets in these regions since the market was already being built by e-commerce, and they could then leverage the standing through retail outlets. Mall Culture E-commerce obviously creates the convenience of buying from home and hence, footfalls drop in physical stores. To overcome that particular challenge, malls are carrying out on-ground activations, discounts, compelling events such as food fiestas and offering cr�che facilities as well as indoor play areas for kids, all of which assists with attracting consumers. During festivals like Diwali or Christmas, malls also have local celebrities visit stores. Brands happily partner with the malls to create a buzz and deliver a luxurious experience to encourage more footfalls in stores. Rationalised Rentals Indian retail rentals have been one of the highest in the world, and that is gradually changing. It is interesting to witness the numerous sectors e-commerce has impacted. With a drop in footfalls at retail stores owing to e-commerce, the rentals are being renegotiated and moreover, are now being linked with sales. The practice has marginally reduced the pressure from the brands, and profitability is not as deeply impacted. Dropped Prices E-commerce assists local manufacturers to reach out to potential buyers across the country/world at once. This gives consumers the choice to receive great value and infinite options with hundreds of manufacturers reaching out to them. Inadvertently, premium brands have to retain or reduces prices; and while margins do come under pressure, brands are hopeful that it will always add up to corresponding sales. In a nutshell, the consumer has emerged as the king, with heavy discounts on e-commerce platforms, as well as with privileges in-store and a more refined shopping experience at malls. It is certainly a major win for the consumers, while the brands, manufacturers and the supply chain at large grapple and adapts with the evolution of the landscape to deliver more value to the customer and maintain its standing in the markets.
Dear readers, A month ago, right before we hit the launch button, we were unsure of what our foray into a subscription model would bring. Would we fade into irrelevance and embarrass ourselves in the process? It didn't help that - over long emails and in chat groups - people were already spelling our doom. They wouldn't succeed, went the refrain. But then we watched the subscriptions roll in, one after another. The cash register kept ringing. Our pageviews didn't plummet. The signs are unambiguous: There's demand for quality content about the Asian tech and startup scene. And enough people have faith in Tech in Asia to deliver that content. Our first batch of subscribers hail from the likes of Apple, Bain & Co, Carousell, Facebook, Founders Fund, Grab, J.P. Morgan, Sequoia Capital, Salesforce, Shopback, Stripe, and Traveloka. To be clear, we still have a lot to prove. We've barely begun our journey to the summit. We have a lot to work on. We're not out of the woods yet. But the initial traction means that we will be able to reinvest thousands of dollars back into creating more content exclusive to subscribers. And we're going to do that now. We want to uncover more startups that are on the cusp of breaking out. We want to spot more trends in the tech and startup scene. We want to provide practical and timely information that can improve your daily work. I'm writing this for a few reasons. First, it's to update you on how we're progressing. Second, we're reaching out to talented freelance journalists to help us report on what's happening in Asia. Third, if you're in the know and think there's a story we should pursue, do drop us a tip. Last but not least, now's the time to sign up and help us narrate one of the most exciting periods in the history of Asia. As a company situated in the heart of Southeast Asia, Tech in Asia is here to stay. We hope to have you on our side. Terence Lee Chief editor
t got delayed after Facebook found itself in the privacy scandal earlier this year, but finally Facebook's smart video calling device is here. The social media company on Monday evening launched Portal and Portal+ smart cameras with large screens, which will allow people to make immersive video calls. One of the top features of the Portal and Portal+ is their smart camera - or may be some will find it creepy - that will follow people around in a room while they are on a video call. As far as privacy is concerned, Facebook wants to assure people that it has taken relevant steps for the Portal and Portal+. The cameras and the microphones in these two devices can be disabled with a switch. Facebook also says that cameras in the Portal and Portal+ come with a cover that should give an assurance to people that Facebook is not watching their moves. Although, when Portal and Portal+ are in use the cameras will indeed follow users. Facebook says that the smart cameras, although they lack facial recognition feature for now, will be able to follow users while video calls while they are "cooking in the kitchen or chasing the kids around the living room". "Smart Camera stays with the action and automatically pans and zooms to keep everyone in view. Smart Sound minimizes background noise and enhances the voice of whoever is talking, no matter where they move. It's like having your own cinematographer and sound crew direct your personal video calls," says the company. For now, the Portal and the Portal+ will be available only in the US. They will go on sale from November. The Portal comes with a 10-inch display that has 720P resolution. The Portal+ uses a 1080P display that measures 15.6 inches diagonally. Both the devices will use a 12-megapixel camera to enable video calls. Both also come with Alexa, Amazon's smart assistant, integrated in them, and both will respond to "Hey portal" command. The Portal has been priced at $199 while the Portal+ will cost $349. Facebook says that even the Facebook Messenger users who don't have Portal will be able to connect with Portal users by utilising cameras built in a laptop, smartphone or tablet. AlSO READ: Delhi teen shoots himself after brawl with sister over smartphone In addition to video calls, the Portal and Portal+ will also stream music or video shows. "Portal also enables shared activities like listening to music together or watching some of your favorite shows. We've partnered with Spotify Premium, Pandora, and iHeartRadio, as well as Facebook Watch, Food Network and Newsy - and we'll add more soon," says Facebook.
c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 17-47-50.txt kkkkkk ‘Startups should find it easier to wind up’ TIMES NEWS NETWORK Bengaluru: Startup entrepreneurs on Sunday called for a policy to ease the shutdown of companies, which is a time-consuming process at present. They were participating in a manifesto-preparation exercise of the Congress party, where 100 entrepreneurs took part in the discussion, Consultation on startups. Ravi Gururaj, founder and CEO of QikPod and board member of Nasscom, said it takes time to shut down a startup as a lot of agencies and paperwork are involved. “Startup is a sector where people come to innovate, but sometimes they fail. At this juncture, procedures have to be made easy for entrepreneurs to shut down the company.” Social welfare minister Priyank Kharge said 95% of the startups shut down and his government wants to bring the number down by providing them legal and financial assistance. Entrepreneurs expressed displeasure over GST levied on startups and said the sector needs at least a three-year exemption to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Rajeev Gowda, MP and convener, All Indian Congress Committee manifesto committee, said suggestions that came up during the exercise will be inculcated in the party’s 2019 election manifesto. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 17-48-45.txt kkkkkk WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY This confluence will be an ideal platform for stalwarts in the industry dealing with glass, faÇades, fenestration and aluminium extrusions in Mumbai Respedit.Chennai@timesgroup.com The construction sector across the world is undergoing a revolutionary change, with the objective focused on the necessity of cities. Buildings are now more congenial for the people who reside in it. These changes are creating technologies that are being driven by the need for visionary resolutions for the challenges faced by the construction industry, especially with respect to doors, windows and facades. To counter the complications that threaten the global construction and realty industry and to create a stage for pioneers from all over the world to display their innovations, the annual exhibition of glass, doors, windows, facades and aluminium extrusion technologies will be organised in Mumbai. This expo has grown to become a major draw by serving as a platform for industry stalwarts, manufacturers, traders, experts and suppliers from glass, façades, doors, windows and aluminium extrusions over the last 16 years. The 2018 edition which has about more than 300 exhibitors, is expected to have a 20 per cent increase in the number of visitors. This year, the expo will be at the forefront for state-of-the-art products, concepts and solutions in windows, doors, façades, glass and aluminium. These innovations will surely propel the industry to reach out to new markets, interact with a diverse audience, promote and evaluate new ideas, notions and designs. This expo will exhibit more than 3,000 products from more than 400 brands from 31 countries. Being the only trade show in India that is exclusively focused on doors, windows and facades technology, it will be a great forum to learn about latest technologies and developments in the construction arena and to expand one’s network in the industry. The expo is open to all architects, developers, contractors, entrepreneurs, façade consultants, fabricators, importers and distributors. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 17-52-14.txt kkkkkk Flipkart plans major hiring, looks for CTO, CPO Digbijay.Mishra@timesgroup.com Bengaluru: Binny Bansal’s exit last week led to one of the most turbulent times at Flipkart, but CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy is trying to quickly stabilise the company. The management is said to be in discussions with top headhunting firms to fill senior positions that have been vacant for a while, including that of chief technology officer (CTO) and chief product officer (CPO). Punit Soni who was CPO left in 2016. In November last year, Flipkart had moved its chief of tech, Ravi Garikipati, to what it called the fin-tech department. Since then the tech team has been reporting to Krishnamurthy. One of the founding partners of a senior executive search firm said the company is looking to fill leadership roles that were folded into Krishnamurthy. Several executives of the firm had moved out when Krishnamurthy became CEO, and he had taken on some of those roles. Over the next two weeks, some expect Krishnamurthy to meet with some of the leading head hunters. A Flipkart spokesperson said there were no such plans. A source said some HR solutions partners have reached out on their own to Flipkart after the recent developments. TOI reported on Saturday that Flipkart had hired an HR head -- Smriti Singh. “Flipkart is committed to the growth of e-commerce in India particularly to innovate to get the next 100 million customers online! In line with that vision, we have aggressive growth plans in place. We have an enormous focus on getting top talent and talent acquisition at all levels and grooming will continue to be in line with these plans, which we only see being accelerated in future,” a spokesperson told TOI. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 17-54-34.txt kkkkkk View 1 View on page twitter facebook IISc, IIT, IIM produce most employable graduates American universities continue to be largest producer of employable graduates, while only three Indian institutes make it in the latest employability rankings Shyna.Kalra@timesgroup.com Campus placement plays a vital role in deciding the prominence of a university. What kind of companies come for placements and how employable the fresh graduates are adds to the credibility of an educational institute. Global University Employability Ranking 2018, published by Times Higher Education (THE), lists the top 150 institutions for employability based on a survey of 7,000 major employers around the world. INDIA’S BEST The list includes three Indian institutes — the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, at 28th position globally while the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, jumped 92 ranks higher from last year and made it to 53rd most employable institute in the world. Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, made a debut in the list making a mark at 144th position. RISE OF THE DRAGON Despite the presence of three institutes from India and a climb of almost 100 points, India still lags behind China. The Land of Drangons has seven universities in the list, including Peking University at the 19th spot. The year was great for Asia as closer to home destinations — Japan and Singapore— made it to top 10 institutes. The University of Tokyo, Japan, secured 9th and National University of Singapore secured 10th spot. FALL OF THE BRIT The western education institutes continue to find place in the top 10 list, with USA leading with top three most employable institutes — Harvard University, California Institute of Technology, Massachussetts Institute of Technology, respectively. > For the complete story, visit c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-00-11.txt kkkkkk It’s official, Indian-made stents as good as the best Study Calls Out MNCs On Demand For Better Price For ‘Quality’ Rema.Nagarajan@timesgroup.com After much controversy regarding the quality of stents manufactured in India, yet another study comparing an Indian stent with the foremost foreign stent brand has concluded it is just as good. On Monday, the results of a 10-year study comparing clinical outcomes of the Indian stent Yukon Choice PC with those of the market leader, Xience stents from the American company Abbott, showed that they were equally good. A study presented two months back had also concluded that another Indian stent, Supra Flex was as good as Xience. At the scientific session of the American Heart Association held in Chicago, cardiologists from Germany presented the results of an extended follow up of 2,603 patients who were randomised to treatment with two new generation stents — everolimus eluting Xience and sirolimus eluting Yukon Choice — and a first generation sirolimus eluting Cypher stent. Cypher is not in the market any more. The study published in the journal of the AHA showed there was no difference in outcomes between the two new generation stents. In February 2017, the government had capped the price of stents leading to a three-fourths reduction in the prices for drug eluting stents. Several multinational stent companies had threatened to withdraw their stents from India claiming that they were superior to Indian ones and hence deserved a higher price. Several cardiologists too had questioned the quality of Indian stents. However, with studies showing that Indian stents are as good as foreign ones, cardiologists appear to have changed tack. “These are the kind of studies we need — large, randomised, long-term studies. More Indian companies should do such studies to establish their credibility internationally. Every stent needs to be proven,” said Dr Ashok Seth, head of cardiology for the Fortis Group of hospitals. He added that the study also showed there was no difference between stents with biodegradable polymer coating and permanent polymer coating putting paid to the argument that biodegradable polymer coated stents should get a higher price. Dr Upendra Kaul, chairman of Batra Heart Centre, who initiated the earlier one-year study comparing Supra Flex to Xience along with Prof Patrick Serruys from the Netherlands, pointed out that even with good newer generation stents, 3% of patients still had heart attacks and needed restenosis each year. “Further research is being done to bring down this 3%,” said Dr Kaul. Yukon stents are made in India from German technology, while Supra Flex is a fully indigenous stent, pointed out Dr Kaul. In an editorial in the journal Euro Intervention last year, Dr Kaul had written: “There is a perception in the minds of cardiologists, which gets passed on to the patients, that imported stents are superior.” He had added that it was time for Indian companies to prove to cardiologists and patients that their products were as safe and effective as those of multinational companies. So far, no brand of drug eluting stents anywhere in the world has been shown to be superior to other brands in the market, both Dr Kaul and Dr Seth pointed out. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-00-52.txt kkkkkk Shivananda Circle flyover may take 6 more months to be reality Atul.Chaturvedi@timesgroup.com Bengaluru: Work on Shivananda Circle flyover, central Bengaluru, is likely to be delayed by at least six months. The project, expected to be completed by March 2019, is now facing hurdles in shifting underground utilities, especially water pipelines and drains. The project was conceived in 2013 to ease traffic flow on Race Course Road, Hare Krishna Road and Kumara Krupa Road. But it was put on the back burner due to paucity of funds. In 2016, then chief minister Siddaramaiah earmarked funds for the project, but it got caught in legal tangles after residents raised objections and went to court. The project was rebooted in January this year after the high court gave the green signal. “The project may be delayed by more than six months as shifting of underground utilities, especially pipelines and drains, will take more time,” a BBMP engineer said. The delay will force motorists, who already face a harrowing time while passing the area, to cope with the menace for some more time. BBMP engineers said they have held talks with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to shift utilities at the earliest. BBMP chief engineer (projects) KT Nagaraj said: “Work on piers (pillars) is under way. There are water and sanitary pipelines near the Karnataka Judicial Academy, we’ve requested BWSSB to shift them. Other works are progressing as per schedule. We hope to open the flyover on time.” Length increased The length of the flyover has been increased from 163 to 168 metres. As per the earlier plan, the flyover had to end near the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce office, but now it will move a little ahead. Subsequently, the number of pillars increased from six to 16 for the composite steel flyover. Around 4,000 metric tonnes of steel will be required for the structure. The vertical slope has been decreased from 5.5% to 3.5%. This after the high court observed that it’d be easier for vehicles to get on to the flyover, said Nagaraj. The project does not face any land acquisition-related issues as the total space required has reduced from 1,500sqm to 717sqm following the court’s intervention. “The required land belongs to the BBMP. A major part of it falls in a park owned by the civic agency,” he added. TIMES VIEW Project delays have become the norm and, to an extent, quite expected. Better infrastructure is an indispensable prerequisite to speeding up a city’s development. Planning calls for more time and consideration but speedy construction is attainable. Delays and cost overruns have a wide ripple effect — they worsen road conditions, double citizens’ woes and stunt overall growth. Flyovers are a practical solution that can reduce traffic-heavy Bengaluru’s infrastructure lacuna. It's high time the authorities learnt to set practical deadlines, ensure alternative solutions to ease public's burden and complete work on time. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-03-02.txt kkkkkk Views 1 View on page twitter facebook Just tap for productivity These apps can manage your work, organise your life, help collaborate with teams and more in.pcmag.com We all have come across apps that help declutter our inbox, keep track of our schedules and to-do lists as well as get our work done on the go. Since there’s a sea of such productivity apps on Google Play and App Store, it may take you endless scrolling to search for ones that best suit your needs. Here’s making the task easier with this list of six productivity apps that may come handy: For collaboration Podio From $9 per user per month Podio is a business collaboration and work-management platform that’s flexible and customisable. It’s a hub where work gets done. You add apps to it, such as those for invoicing or project management, and even to design an online workspace that meets the needs of your business. The ability to customise the platform by adding the apps you need is Podio’s main strength. FOR MANAGEMENT FreshBooks Free; $14.99 per month FreshBooks is an app to manage and track invoices, time, and expenses for businesses that don’t need a full-blown double-entry accounting system. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs leading small businesses and sole proprietors. It can create professional invoices instantly, accept online payments, keep payment records, track time and expenses, and more. FOR SECURITY Keeper Password Manager $29.99 per year Keeper Password Manager is a full-featured password manager with focus on security and a ‘zero-knowledge’ policy. It supports high-end features such as twofactor authentication and secure password sharing. Keeper also works on the vast majority of platforms and browsers. FOR SOCIAL MEDIA Sprout Social From $99 per user per month Finding a social media management platform with the right analytics tools for a small to midsize business can take months of expensive trial-anderror exploration. Sprout Social Premium can take the pain out of it. This beautifully-designed suite of tools meets all the needs of a tech-savvy marketing pro. It also integrates with Google Analytics. Not only are the dashboard and interface well-designed, but it also comes with a thoughtful lineup of partners, networks, and analytics tools. FOR WORKFLOW Stayfocusd Free Stayfocusd is a browser extension that keeps you productive by blocking distracting websites while you are trying to work. You can set it to block distractions either for set times and dates that you choose (say, 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday) or after a certain time limit (like, no more than 30 minutes of Facebook per day). This free browser extension is a great tool aimed at helping your selfdiscipline toward a more productive life. FOR ORGANISATION Pocket Free; $44.99 per year for premium We all get distracted by articles online that are relevant to our work, but that we maybe shouldn’t read right now. When internet rabbitholing seems imminent, just click on Pocket. Pocket is a service and app that saves online reading materials for you. It can create pared down versions of online articles, too, getting rid of ads and excess graphics c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-06-16.txt kkkkkk Why you shouldn’t get too attached to your job If you end up losing a job you’re devoted to, you might feel like you’ve also lost your identity businessinsider.in A meaningful job is something most of us aspire to (or at least say we aspire to). A recent BetterUp survey found that nine out of 10 American workers would sacrifice some of their lifetime earnings if they could find greater meaning at work. Yet in her new book The Job, journalist Ellen Ruppel Shell makes a persuasive and relevant argument for the potential hazards of finding too much meaning in your work. Shell spoke to Amy Wrzesniewski, a Yale professor whose research on “job crafting” — or moulding your job to be more meaningful to you — has made its way into more than a few career-advice books and articles. Wrzesniewski’s research also divides workers into three categories: those who see their work as a job, a career, or a “calling.” If you see your job as a calling, you’re inclined to see your life and work as linked inextricably, and you’re motivated by a sense of purpose and mission (as opposed to financial rewards). Sounds fine so far. But feeling called to your job is, as Shell puts it, a double-edged sword. You may not always work at your current job Jeffery Thompson, a professor at Brigham Young University who has researched job callings, gave Shell a few reasons why seeing your work as a calling can be dangerous. Thompson said, “If you believe you were put on this earth to fill some ‘calling,’ and for whatever reason you do not do it, you might easily consider that a moral failure.” What’s more, Thompson said, if you feel called to your work, you might even be more vulnerable to exploitation from managers, because they sense you’ll do anything to stay in this role. Another practical reason why callings can be harmful is the fact that, one day, you might lose your job. This happened to Dan D’Agostino — who was fired from his position as CEO of a multi-million dollar business. But as D’Agostino wrote on Business Insider, “Being fired and taking a year off has provided me with the space to get truly comfortable with not having my identity tied to an occupation.” Instead, D’Agostino spent time travelling with his family. Sometimes finding new passions can be beneficial In The Job, Shell describes research conducted by Sally Maitlis, a professor at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School. Maitlis followed professional dancers and musicians who had to stop that work because of illness or injury. And she learned that the artists who had felt most passionate about their former careers were the least likely to bounce back. On the other hand, some of the less passionate artists found ways to channel their dedication to music or dance in other ways that weren’t “jobs” per se. One former bassoon player who had been hit by a car began reading and teaching writing. She told Maitlis that her “world started opening. A lot. And I started finding out I had ideas and interesting things to say.” (This quotation isn’t included in The Job, but it appears in a chapter Maitlis wrote in the book Exploring Positive Identities and Organizations.) Shell summed up her conversation with Maitlis: “Flourishing in a global economy requires us to see ourselves independent of our jobs while maintaining a strong grasp of our work identity” — something that, to be sure, is easier said than done. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-10-30.txt kkkkkk AI gets a leg up, can now identify you from your walk Even if your face is covered, or you walk differently, the system can’t be fooled in.pcmag.com China is leading the way for surveillance technology, to the point where police use facialrecognition glasses. One click of a button scans the face, recognises the person, and brings up all their details on a smartphone-like handheld device. But what if a person’s face is covered? China has a solution for that, too. The surveillance system across China, which is becoming ever more pervasive, is in the middle of a software upgrade. Once complete, a new tool will be available to the authorities in the form of ‘gait recognition’. It means that even if your face can’t be seen, the system will be able to identify you from your body shape and walk. As AP reports, artificial intelligence has been employed to allow such recognition to happen. The system was developed by Watrix and it works from up to 50 metres away even if the person’s back is turned. If you try to adjust your walk or introduce a limp, the system can still ID you because it takes into account ‘features of an entire body’. Storing gait information about an individual is as simple as watching a sequence of images of the person moving and then feeding it into a computer powerful enough to analyse the data and turn it into a gait ID. It does this using a silhouette of the movement, which is then used to create and store a walk model. Link that model to a face, build a profile, and the system has everything it needs to ID the person regardless of what clothes they choose to wear, what they choose to cover up, and how they change their movement. For now, the gait detection doesn’t happen in real-time. It takes roughly 10 minutes to sift through an hour of video and identify the individuals in it. However, in a few years it seems likely this will be a real-time system because China can keep upgrading to more powerful computers as they become available. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-27-01.txt kkkkkk Men and matters of heart We list out some essentials to keep a man’s heart healthy… Supriya.Sharma2@timesgroup.com As men age, cardiovascular health becomes a high priority. There is a long list of risk factors, besides smoking and excessive drinking that can increase the chance of heart disease in men. The least one can do is do everything in moderation, be it exercise, drinking or eating sweets. Excess of any of these can make things go horribly wrong. Daily moderate exercise: One should remain physically active (it is recommended you perform at least 150 minutes of moderately intensive exercise each week). Maintaining normal weight and BMI in a normal range is the most important thing. It is the regularity that matters, not the intensity. Measurable health boosts come from daily brisk walking, cycling and swimming. Moderate diet: Eating habits deserve particular attention. Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (aerated drinks, packed juices) should be minimised. Intake of fast food and processed foods should also be restricted to not more than once or twice a week. Increasing fruit and vegetable content of diet is inarguably helpful. A serving of nuts every day also improves cardiovascular health by providing essential minerals and fatty acids. Focus on eating healthy foods rather than obsessively counting grams of fat, although do pay close attention to how much sodium you consume in your food. De-stress: Excessive stress harms the cardiovascular system. Women and men tend to handle stress differently – women like to talk it through, while men tend to bottle it up. Studies show that chronic stress, especially the kind that generates fear or anger, is a risk factor for heart disease. De-stress through therapy, music, exercise, deep breathing or other mental relaxation techniques. Fat to fit: Research shows eating too much saturated fat is not good for the heart. Foods such as bacon, red meat, butter and ice cream contain saturated fat. You should also avoid transfats or partially hydrogenated oils. These fats can clog arteries and raise cholesterol levels. Screenings: Go for regular cholesterol and BP screenings, both are markers of future heart problems. Keep your cholesterol below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL, and “good” protective HDL at 40 mg/dL or higher. If you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, strive to keep yours down to around 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-28-08.txt kkkkkk Why blockchain could be as revolutionary as smartphones Andrew Ross Sorkin This is bonkers. A new so-called blockchain company is selling virtual real estate online with prices as high as $120,000 for a 10-meter by 10-meter piece of virtual land. You can buy a plot of virtual land in a virtual city, with certain neighbourhoods costing more than others, like in a real city. Except that it isn’t a real city. It is all virtual. Follow? Me neither. Somehow the company, Decentraland, raised $26 million in 30 seconds from investors last year. That money isn’t “virtual” — it’s real. Welcome to the world of blockchain, the latest technological revolution to those inthe-know — and what seems like the latest get-rich-quick gibberish to the layperson. You’ve probably heard the blockchain is a technology that is going to change the world — it is the backbone of Bitcoin, the now infamous cryptocurrency. You might even have heard someone trying to explain blockchain by describing it as a “trusted distributed ledger.” If you’re like most people, that’s when you stopped understanding — or even trying to understand — what this whole blockchain thing is all about. (Stick with me for a moment and I promise you’ll understand it very soon.) It all feels a bit like 1999, circa the dot-com bubble. In Cannes, France, in June, at a gathering of advertisers, there was a “blockchain yacht” and a “blockchain villa.” In Davos, Switzerland, there was a “blockchain lounge.” Meanwhile, Fortune 500 companies are investing billions in the blockchain. IBM has a whole division focused on blockchain, as do the consultancies Accenture and PwC. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase’s chief executive, has dismissed Bitcoin, but says “the blockchain is real.” Silicon Valley venture capitalists have already sunk more than $1.3 billion into blockchain technology just this year. And in June, Andreessen Horowitz, one of the most prominent technology firms founded, in part, by Marc Andreessen — who is credited with inventing the modern Web browser — announced a $300 million “crypto” fund to exclusively invest in blockchain technologies. “For those of us who have been involved in software for a long time, it feels like the early days of the internet, web 2.0, or smartphones all over again,” Andreessen and his colleagues said when introducing the fund. That explanation of where this new technology sits within history feels right: While prognosticators love to talk about crypto and blockchain as a bubble, it is likely just very early days. And while 1999 marked what seemed like a high point for the internet before a precipitous fall, it proved to only be the first stage of the its rise. And what was arguably considered wild overspending in the 1990s on internet infrastructure and experimental companies, ultimately set the foundation for the modern era we live in today. Think about blockchain like this: There will be huge failures and misspent money — and yes, scams (the US Securities and Exchange Commission can hardly keep up), but a decade from now, when you look back at 2018, it’s more likely than not that blockchain will be embedded in our day-to-day lives in ways that, today, we can’t even imagine. “New models of computing have tended to emerge every 10 to 15 years: mainframes in the ’60s, PCs in the late ’70s, the internet in the early ’90s, and smartphones in the late 2000s,” Andreessen said. And now blockchain. The easiest and most basic way to think about the underlying technology is to think about a technology that keeps a master list of everyone who has ever interacted with it. It’s a bit of an oversimplification, but if you’ve ever used Google Docs and allowed others to share the document so they can make changes, the programs keep a list of all the changes that are made to the document and by whom. Blockchain does that but in an even more secure way so that every person who ever touches the document is trusted and everyone gets a copy of all the changes made so there is never a question about what happened along the way. There aren’t multiple copies of a document and different versions — there is only one trusted document and you can keep track of everything that’s ever happened to it. The blockchain is, of course, being used to create all sorts of cryptocurrencies, led by Bitcoin and Ethereum. But more important, it is touching all different industries. The advertising industry plans to use it to track ads on the internet; the music industry is planning to use it to track songs; banks and mortgage companies want to use it to track the deeds of homes and the complex process of tracking all the documentation; shipping companies are investing in blockchain technology to track bills of lading, the pharmaceutical industry wants to use the technology to verify the drug supply chain. If it is successful, blockchain technology will bring a new level of enhanced trust to business and will also cut out the middlemen that have historically tracked — and profited — from the complexity of so many different systems trying to communicate with each other. That could lower prices for goods and services. At the same time, for all the promise of blockchain, there are real questions about whether it may be applied to solve problems that don’t exist. Databases already exist and, in certain cases, a centralised database might actually be preferable to the blockchain. Blockchain is about solving society’s ultimate challenge: trust. Or rather, lack of trust. It’s about using technology to create a shared sense of trust in a group of disparate participants. The biggest question is whether the hundreds of projects like Decentraland, where individuals are using real money to buy virtual property, will end well or badly — and whether that experience will ultimately instill or undermine trust in this emerging technology. NYT NEWS SERVICE c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-28-53.txt kkkkkk Property regn goes online Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday launched Kaveri, a portal that will provide a host of online services related to property registration. The portal will help users get digitally-signed encumbrance certificates, certified copies of registered documents and offer e-stamps for agreements and affidavits, among other services. P 2 c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-30-00.txt kkkkkk Experts stress on non-cognitive learning skills Santrupti.Rajankar@timesgroup.com Bengaluru: Fostering learnability, leading to innovative and well-balanced manpower should be the aim of educational institutions today. This was the consensus of the elite panel that deliberated on what modernisation of education actually is. Addressing a gathering of 200 school principals at the Times NIE principals’ seminar, held in association with Byju’s The Learning App, on Friday, they stressed that modernisation doesn’t entail just bringing in the latest technology. On the contrary, it should focus on non-cognitive and experiential lear ning. Questioning whether there really is a requirement to modernise education, Sangeeth Varghese, founder & chairman of Lead Cap Ventures, said inter-disciplinary non-cognitive learning is vital today. One can’t predict what new career options will emerge in future, hence by 2020, non-cognitive skills will be more important than ever. It is important to determine the innate nature of a student and work accordingly to supplement skills, he added. Pointing out that change in the corporate sector is very rapid, Mona Bharadwaj, head, university relations at IBM India, emphasised that schools have a foundational role to play and must focus on experiential learning so that students are able to think innovatively, communicate proficiently and have a strong value system with the right attitude to life. These skills have always been important, but more so now with 75% employers feeling that they don’t get manpower with the right skill sets. Whatever change society undergoes, these are three areas that will take individuals a long way ahead, she said. Modern education needs to train people who can identify and solve problems, said venture capitalist Srinivas Pothapragada. Modernisation in education should lead to balanced rather than just technically skilled manpower. The philosophy, approach, right mix of pedagogy and the tools to deliver education are the four pillars of modernisation that every school must adopt. Developing an emotional quotient is the prime role of a teacher as an individual’s wellbeing is important, he said. Shrimn Nishit, associate vice president, business development at Byju’s The Learning App, felt all principals at the seminar were receptive to adopting changes and transforming the way students learn in the classroom. The meet ended with an enthralling ballet recital by Shona D’sa and her troupe from the Shona Dee Academy of Dance. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-31-54.txt kkkkkk buyer’s guide – Ashutosh Desai I have to buy a laptop for official use and travel within a budget of ₹80,000. It should have a sturdy build, be lightweight, and come with long battery power per recharge. Please suggest relevant features and a few models. – Sankalp Jadhav, Rohit Khatri, Darshan Patel, Ephraim Thomas SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE: Consider a laptop with a 13.3-inch display if your work revolves around internet use and e-mails. Laptops of this size are generally lighter and weigh under 1.5kg. Go for a larger 14-inch display if you work with presentations, design, spreadsheets and multimedia. If you can, opt for a touchscreen. But understand that these displays usually have a glossy finish which are quite reflective in bright environments. PROCESSOR: All the machines in this segment can handle productivity suites, playback of Full HD content and image-editing with ease. However, there are minor performance differences: While the AMD Ryzen 3 chip is on a par with the Intel i3 eight-gen CPU, the Core i5 provides a 15-20 per cent performance improvement over the two in tasks like archival, batch processing, photo editing and audio/video encoding. STORAGE: Consider laptops with a solid-state drive (SSD) only. This storage type offers faster bootup, resume-fromstandby, and data read/ write times than a hard drive. Besides, an SSD does not contain moving parts so it is less prone to mechanical failure caused by bumps or shocks. BACKLIT KEYBOARD: This feature is handy when working in low light or in the dark. CONNECTIVITY: The laptop should support dual-band Wi-Fi (denoted by the 802.11 “ac” standard). This will let you connect to the higher 5GHz wireless band, when available, for better Wi-Fi speeds. All the laptops suggested below sport a metal build, Full HD display, backlit keyboard, battery life of around 3.5-4 hours per charge, and dualband Wi-Fi. Some are also equipped with a fingerprint sensor and/or an infrared camera for face recognition… HP Envy x360 13-ag0034au ₹63,500 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen 2GHz AMD Ryzen 3 2300U processor 4GB RAM AMD Radeon Vega 6 graphics 128GB SSD USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI, (2x) USB 3.1, infrared camera Win10 Home 1.3kg Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N (NX.GR7SI.001) ₹68,000 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor 8GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB SSD USB 2.0, (2x) USB 3.0, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1.6kg Dell XPS 13 9360 (XPS1358256iS5) ₹77,900 13.3-inch Full HD display 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor 8GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB SSD (2x) USB 3.0,USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1, HDMI, Ethernet, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1.2kg HP ProBook x360 440 G1 ₹78,250 14-inch Full HD touchscreen 2.2GHz Intel Core i3-8130U processor 4GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB SSD (2x) USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Type-C, Ethernet, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Pro 1.7kg Asus ZenBook UX430UN-GV069T ₹79,000 14-inch Full HD display 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor 8GB RAM Nvidia GeForce MX150 (2GB) graphics card 256GB SSD USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1.3kg Lenovo ThinkPad L380 (20M8S20N00) ₹79,000 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen 2.2GHz Intel Core i3-8130U processor 8GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB SSD (2x) USB 3.1, (2x) USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1.5kg Acer Swift 5 SF514-52T (NX.GTMSI.004) ₹80,000 14-inch Full HD touchscreen 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor 8GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB storage (2x) USB 3.0, USB 3.1, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1kg
Couples who tease each other are more likely to be happy, says research It’s not surprising when people say that one of the traits they look for most in a partner is a good sense of humour. It’s easy to see why — laughing together can be soothing and help you connect with another person. But a good sense of humour means something different to everyone. According to a recent study, being on the same page can help your relationship, especially when it comes to your ability to laugh at yourself. Researchers conducted online interviews with 154 couples, asking them about their relationship happiness levels and about how they handle being laughed at, as well as how much they like laughing at others. The researchers found that often the couples did have the same attitudes toward teasing and, when this was the case, they were more likely to report themselves as being content in their relationship. Overall, those who were happy to have people laugh at them and be teased were more likely to report being happy in their relationships — and their sex lives, while those who viewed being laughed at negatively were less content in their relationships and more likely to report mistrust of their partner. While the researchers were quick to acknowledge that being able to be teased or having the same sense of humour is not enough to make a happy relationship, they did point out that there are other benefits to understanding how each person responds to laughter and teasing. It could be helpful in couple’s counselling, when dealing with disagreements, and for general understanding of the other person’s point of view. — Agencies
SEBI will soon start the process to appoint self-regulatory organisation (SRO) for mutual fund distributors. In fact, the market regulator has asked AMFI to start preparing for SRO, said three chief executives. An AMFI board member requesting anonymity told Cafemutual that SEBI has asked AMFI to prepare for SRO. "The market regulator understands the need to appoint an SRO for distributors. Hence, they are keen to expedite the process of appointing an SRO." Earlier in August, SEBI Chief Ajay Tyagi said, "We are working on the process of appointment of SRO for distributors. We understand that distributors which today number in thousands, need SRO. We will come out with the policy on this soon." SRO for mutual fund distributors will be responsible for micro-regulations of its members. The SRO will spread awareness about mutual funds among people, educate and train distributors and conduct screening test for them. Earlier, SEBI had invited applications for SRO in March 2013. In fact, the market regulator gave its go ahead to AMFI promoted Institution of Mutual Funds Intermediaries (IMFI) to form SRO in February 2014. However, SAT quashed SEBI's decision to grant in-principle approval to IMFI after Financial Planning Supervisory Foundation (FPSF) intervention. Later the Supreme Court upheld SAT's decision and asked the market regulator to start the selection procedure afresh in December 2017.
The Government of India has been focusing attention on the MSME sector for more than a decade. This year, the Prime Minister launched the MSME "Support and Outreach Programme" and announced 12 crucial decisions for this sector. Mr Modi said the programme would be implemented in "mission mode" and closely monitored by senior government officials. Here are the 12 decisions taken by the Prime Minister. Loan in an Hour A newly launched portal will grant loans of up to one crore to GST-registered MSMEs in just 59 minutes. The Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) and five other nationalised banks - Bank of Baroda, Vijaya Bank, Punjab National Bank, SBI and Indian Bank - will grant the credit. The loan process is entirely paperless with no human interaction until the time of disbursement. Loans of up to two crores will not require any collateral. To be eligible for this loan, MSMEs must fulfil the following conditions: They must be registered for GST and provide their GSTIN. They will need their GST user-Id and password to apply for the loan. They will require their e-Filing income tax password and date of incorporation, or, they may submit the last three years' income tax returns in XML format on the portal. They will require their net banking username and password or submit the last six months' current account statement in PDF format. Personal, educational and KYC details of directors, partners, proprietor and other officials of the MSME must be submitted. A fee of INR 1000 + GST will be charged for the process. Lower Interest Rate All GST-registered MSMEs will get a rebate of 2% on the interest rate on new loans of up to one crore notwithstanding prior loans. The interest subvention for both pre- and post-shipment credit for exports has also been increased to 5%. Assurance of Cash Flow Joining Trade Receivables e-Discounting System (TReDS) is now mandatory for companies with a turnover exceeding 500 crores. This guideline ensures that MSMEs will never face cash flow issues. Procurement Assurance Raised The mandate for PSUs to source 20% of their requirements from MSMEs has been raised to 25%, offering a further assurance of business to MSMEs. Woman Empowerment Of the total procurement by PSUs from the MSME sector, the government had reserved 3% for women entrepreneurs. The increase in sourcing percentage means more income for businesses run by women. Government e-Marketplace (GeM) Membership of GeM has been made mandatory for all public sector enterprises. This move is geared to facilitate procurement by various government organisations and departments from MSMEs. Technology Upgrade INR 6000 crores have been allocated specifically for upgrading the existing technology for MSMEs. The money has been earmarked for 20 MSME hubs and 100 MSME tool rooms across the country. Pharma Clusters The PM announced the decision to set up pharma clusters for MSMEs. Of the setup cost, 70% will be borne by the government and the remaining 30% by the MSMEs within the cluster. Single Annual Return Currently, MSMEs have to contend with various state labour laws and in cases where the units are export-oriented, international labour laws. They also have to deal with central rules while filing their returns. The PM's announcement brings administrative relief to MSMEs by requiring a single return under eight labour laws and ten central regulations. Abandon Inspector Raj To curb the dominance of MSMEs by factory inspectors and prevent fraud, the Prime Minister announced that a computerised randomisation system would be used to assign inspectors for the inspection of MSME units. These inspectors will then be required to file their reports digitally within 48 hours. Relaxation in Environmental Clearances Presently, MSMEs are required to obtain multiple clearances and consents before establishing their units. Mr Modi's recent decision will make it much easier for MSMEs to establish themselves and function smoothly. They will now only need a single air and water clearance and one consent to operate their factory unit. Companies Act Modified The Companies Act 2013 lists various social, environmental and other obligations placed on companies as well as the penalties for noncompliance. The Prime Minister stated that an ordinance to simplify these penalties would soon be announced. While many of these announcements are mere extensions of the existing provisions and schemes, the three most significant ones are the provision of a loan in an hour, the reduction in interest rates and penalties and the assurance of procurement and cash flow. How far these decisions are implemented remains to be seen.
Dear Partner, Greetings from Reliance Mutual Fund ! Please find attached the "Business Snapshot Report" for the period 1st-31st Oct-18. This report will update you about your Business performance for the previous month and will be an effective tool for you to track your business more closely. Reliance MF offers you an opportunity to set up your own Retirement Plan. Partner can contribute a percentage of his monthly brokerage in Reliance Retirement fund through SIP. Reliance Capital Asset Mgt fund will contribute to Partner's Retirement fund subject to the lower of : 1)10% of the Annual Reliance Retirement fund Brokerage* earned by the Partner in the respective financial year 2) Partner's Contribution in Reliance Retirement fund during the financial year. (Upfront + First year Trail earned in Reliance Retirement Fund) Along with Retirement Fund distributor also has a choice to draw following advantages through Brokerage In Units :- Transferring brokerage to Reliance Liquid Fund Treasury Plan - Direct Plan that have the potential to earn market linked returns everyday. Allocate investible funds into host of other open ended schemes (that have potential to deliver good returns over a long term period) to meet long term financial goals. Additional feature of quick redemption by availing invest easy (e.g. redemption through SMS/Call centre & website) & Reliance Any Time Money Card services. Report on Investors having Paymode as "Physical" We have included a fresh report for the list of the investors who have their payout mode as PHYSICAL with RMF. Any Redemption request / Dividend processed would be paid Via Physical / Warrant Mode to the investor. Request you to kindly touch base with investors and Communicate them to update their latest bank details along with MICR and IFSC to receive instant credit to their bank account. Following forms can be filled up for COB ie: Change of Bank Updation or enabling E-payout for their investments. Forms can be submitted to nearest RMF/Karvy branch as well. INVEST EASY - SMS & CALL Based Transaction Facility Invest Easy is a power packed offering for both distributors and investors that can facilitate your investor's transaction over Call Center / SMS under your ARN Code. With Invest Easy, SIP can be registered through SMS/ Call, which is first in the industry in addition to Purchase and Redemption transactions. SMS Transact - investors can now purchase & redeem mutual fund units by sending a simple sms to 9664001111. Investors can also start a SIP through SMS which is a first for the industry. (To transact in Reliance Money Manager Fund type PUR/ RED and send to 9664001111, for other scheme use scheme specific codes available website) Transact on Call - The investors can call our call centre 1800 300 11111 and do transactions with the help of IVR. Transactions such as purchase, redemption & SIP registration can be executed. Your ARN Code is captured at the time of registration and becomes the default code for all transactions done using Invest Easy facility. We endeavor to make this report more informative and insightful in the coming months. Kindly read the below Note & the attached Report Logic carefully before you go through the Monthly Snapshot. For any clarifications & feedback, kindly write to distributor_care@reliancemutual.com Click here to share your feedback on Business Snapshot Reports with us. Regards, Reliance Mutual Fund Team. NOTE:- The intent of sharing this report is to highlight your performance during the month, helping you to plan to enhance your business with RMF. This report should not be used for any reference for Brokerage Payments, Incentives, Contest or for any other technical reasons related. This report should not be used for any reference for Brokerage Payments, Incentives, Contest or for any other technical reasons related. This report has been generated by a system managed by RMF. The details may vary from reports generated from any of the Karvy systems. All rejections are excluded in this report. Some transactions which are processed late during the month ends may not reflect in this report. All rejections are excluded in this report. Some transactions which are processed late during the month ends may not reflect in this report. Details of Relationship Manager are subject to change. However, incase of any change, we would keep you informed. Ranking is based on your individual month-end AUM. The ranking considers only IFA partners empanelled with Reliance Capital Asset Mgmt Ltd. The region-wise categorization of ARNs is based on RMF's existing Region classification. The information in this email (and any attachments) is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use or disseminate the information. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify us by Replying to this mail and permanently delete the original and any copies or printouts thereof. Ranking is based on your individual month-end AUM. The ranking considers only IFA partners empanelled with Reliance Capital Asset Mgmt Ltd. The region-wise categorization of ARNs is based on RMF's existing Region classification. The information in this email (and any attachments) is confidential. If you are not the intended recipient, you must not use or disseminate the information. If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify us by Replying to this mail and permanently delete the original and any copies or printouts thereof. ***************************************************** Statutory Details: Reliance Mutual Fund has been constituted as a trust in accordance with the provisions of the Indian Trusts Act, 1882. Sponsor: Reliance Capital Limited. Trustee: Reliance Capital Trustee Company Limited. Investment Manager: Reliance Capital Asset Management Limited (Registered Office of Trustee & Investment Manager: "Reliance House" Nr. Mardia Plaza, Off. C.G. Road, Ahmedabad 380 006). The Sponsor, the Trustee and the Investment Manager are incorporated under the Companies Act 1956. The Sponsor is not responsible or liable for any loss resulting from the operation of the Scheme beyond their initial contribution of Rs.1 lakh towards the setting up of the Mutual Fund and such other accretions and additions to the corpus. Mutual fund investments are subject to market risks. Please read the Scheme Information Document and Statement of Additional Information carefully before investing.
CII Karnataka Annual Conference on Energy 2018 Enhancing Renewable Energy Use & Reduce Cost 30 November 2018: 09:00-17:00: Bengaluru It gives me immense pleasure to announce that CII Karnataka in association CSTEP as knowledge partner is organizing the Conference on Energy in Bengaluru. This year Theme is titled "Enhancing Renewable Energy Use & Reduce Cost" scheduled on 30 November 2018 from 09:00-17:00 Hrs India announced its Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) at the Conference of Parties (CoP) meeting in Paris, 2015. In its NDCs, India seeks to reduce the GHG emissions intensity of its GDP by 33-35% of 2005 levels and establish 40% fossil-free power generation capacity by 2030. Towards this commitment, it is imperative that industry expands its use of renewable energy (solar and wind) as well as undertake various energy efficiency measures. In light of the above, this conference is being organized to discuss and deliberate the various issues and measures to overcome the challenges for accelerated Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency adoption. In addition, emerging technology options and their challenges in the mobility sector will be discussed which will include issues related to EV storage, charging standards and infrastructure and broader policy. Conference session will focus on following sessions. Session-1: Regulatory and Open access Policy This session will discuss on Open access policy with reference to wind and solar. Policy benefits by KERC/ESCOMS. Session will also discuss on how to generator and Procure energy. Session-2: Enhance energy efficiency This session will discuss on enhancing profitability through improved energy efficiency. renewable energy through Building & Factory Management and for SME Session-3: E-mobility and electric storage - opportunities and challenges This session will discuss on future trends on E-Mobility & Electric Charging stations opportunities and challenges. Session-4: Tutorial session & Case Study CSTEP, Accenture, ABB, Infosys, Wipro on Renewable Energy hands-on tutorial session using a real case study will be conducted to provide insights on a particular aspect of renewable energy, energy efficiency or electric vehicle adoption. This conference will provide a platform for members of the industry to interact and discuss challenges with Senior Govt. officials who will be participating as panel members. Participants Profile Company Managers working on Renewable Energy. Energy auditors, Environment, Health and Safety Managers, Factory Managers, Building Managers, Facility Heads etc The Conference is a meeting of the minds from diverse sectors and an engaging audience of more than 200 people. The unique mix of corporate leaders, Govt. representatives, academia, makes this a great networking event as well as a learning experience. With this above context I am writing to cordially invite you to join or nominate delegates from your company to participate in the conference through attached registration form or Email with Name/designation/company/Mobile number/email id along with GST Number of and address of the company to lokanath.sampangi@cii.in or contact 9900576600 I look forward to receiving your kind confirmation. Best Regards Dr N Muthukumar Chairman-CII Karnataka & President & Whole Time Director Automotive Axles Ltd ________________________________________ CONFEDERATION OF INDIAN INDUSTRY (CII) # 1086, 12th Main HAL 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar Bangalore - 560008 Phone: (080) 42889595 Website: www.cii.in
Dear Partner, Pursuant to the SEBI Circular SEBI/HO/IMD/DF2/CIR/P2018/137 dated 22nd October 2018, please note that all contests, campaigns & promotional drives communicated to you stand withdrawn wef. 22nd Oct. Any kind of incentive due to you until 21st Oct 2018 as per the terms & conditions of the respective contest shall be paid out to you in due course. You may also note that your Brokerage for transactions till 21st Oct have been paid out to you on 5th Nov. The brokerage for the period 22nd Oct to 31st Oct 2018 shall be paid out with the Nov 2018 brokerage in the month of December. Regards, Aditya Birla Sun Life AMC Ltd. For AMFI/NISM Certified partners only. For private circulation only.
A recent survey conducted by YouGov and Mint found that 48% of older millennials (age 29-37) invested in equities compared to 4% of younger millennials (aged 22-28). The influence of age on investment decision is also visible in investments made by Gen X (aged 38-53). The survey found that 54% of the older generation invested in equity investments of some kind. Overall, one-third of working millennials put their money only in risk-free instruments such as fixed and recurring deposits, without investing anything in equities. Millennials refer to those who attained adulthood in the early 21st century. The study observed that older people have more accumulated savings and higher incomes than the young do. This allows them greater flexibility to invest in different products. This is particularly true in case of younger millennials who have lower earnings, compared with the other two demographics. Moreover, the tendency of millennials to spend more compared to their older counterparts may also be responsible for the lower investments. However, the survey reckons that income plays a greater role in shaping investment decisions. Analysis of millennial data by income group further reiterates this point. The survey noted that the richest millennials invested twice as much in equities compared to the millennials earning lower income. Similarly, higher number of these individuals diversify their investments compared to their poorest counterparts. This indicates that the cushion of high earnings boosts the risk appetite of these individuals. Overall, the survey notes that it is class, more than age, which influences the investment products chosen and the investment amount. A city-wise analysis of the data revealed that working adults (age 22-53 years) from Hyderabad were least likely to invest in stock markets, while those residing in Kolkata are most likely to do so. The pollsters noted that only 35% of the respondents from Hyderabad invested in equities compared to 61% of the participants from Kolkata. Majority of the respondents from Delhi-NCR and Mumbai invested in equities. On the other hand, amongst the Bengaluru respondents the percentage of equity investors was slightly lower than 50%. The survey also mentioned that there is no major gender-specific difference in investment preferences of working millennials. However, millennial men have a slightly higher allocation to equities compared to millennial women. The YouGov-Mint Millennial Survey was conducted online in July. The survey collated answers of 5,000 respondents from YouGov India's panel of internet-users. The respondents were spread across 180+ cities. Amongst the sample, a little less than a thousand belong to Gen X while older millennials, younger millennials and post-millennials all had more than a thousand representatives.
One of the features to keep in mind before choosing one investment over another is cost. Cost is nothing but the fee you pay to invest. Fees can be varied, which means that different types of products will have different types of fees. Comparing fee at face value may not be accurate. Here are three things you need to keep in mind when calculating the fee you pay for a product. Is it recurring? While simple products like bank fixed deposits don't have any fees, there are one-time account opening fees and recurring management fees attached to other products; some may have a combination of both. For example, managed funds come with recurring management fees, but if you consider investing in direct equity, there is a one-time account opening fee for most trading accounts, the demat fee involves annual maintenance charges and transaction-based brokerage. Recurring fee is mostly applied to managed products like mutual funds. Broking fee is also recurring but it gets charged per transaction. Real estate purchases also have a broking fee involved. However, it is more like a one-time outgo, given the nature of the transaction itself. Some managed products may have a one-time and recurring fee; alternate investment funds have a one-time set-up fee and a recurring management fee. How is it applied? Where the fee is shown as a percentage, it's left up to you to figure out what to apply that to. For example, a 2% management fee for managed funds will get applied to the current total assets under management. If your investment is worth ?10,000 now then a 2% fee will mean a charge of ?200. On the other hand, in unit-linked insurance plans (Ulips), a premium allocation charge is applied to the premium paid. There is also a fund management charge which is applied to the accumulated amount you have invested via the Ulip. As the market value of your Ulip investment grows, the amount deducted for this will change proportionately. Similarly, equity brokerage is applied when you buy a stock and when you sell it. In the buy leg of the transaction, the brokerage is applied to the market value then; similarly, in the sell leg, it is applied to the current market value. What's the period? Lastly, you need to check what period the fee is payable for. An annual fee is applied for an investment spread over 12 months. For example, a 2% management fee for a fund is an annual management fee but a 0.1% brokerage is applied at the time of the transaction. The two fees are not strictly comparable. If you want to compare, you must consider the period for which you are going to hold the managed fund and calculate accordingly before comparing. Fees and costs are never a deciding factor by themselves when it comes to choosing an investment. However, for certain products there can be more than one type of fee attached and you must add up the entire string of fees to know the true cost.
Under-reporting or misreporting your income to I-T Department? Here's how taxmen can penalise you now As a taxpayer, it is very important for you to know that while filing the income tax return, if a person under-reports his income or inflates his deduction/exemption, then the Income Tax Department can impose a penalty on him under Section 270A of the Income Tax Act, 1961. You must be wondering that the Section 270A of the I-T Act is not a new section as it was introduced two years back in the Budget 2016. Then why is it being discussed now? Well, this section has become more important from this year because of the two recent moves of the I-T Department. Firstly, the department has recently issued a cautionary advisory to all the salaried taxpayers who will be filing the IT returns for FY17-18 to report their income correctly. This move has apparently been taken in order to stop all the malpractices which are being resorted to by the salaried taxpayers in order to evade tax. Secondly, the department has also come up with the changes in the ITR Form 1 (Sahaj) for FY17-18 which now seeks specific and complete details of your salary and house property income. Earlier, such details were not required; only the total figure was to be disclosed. PROMOTED CONTENTMgid No One Believed Bengaluru Girl Would Make Millions Doing This! lestsbane-sockgles.com A New Way To Earn Extra Cash In Bengaluru Today lestsbane-sockgles.com Men, You Don't Need Viagra If You Do This Daily mensnewsnow.com ????? ??? ?? ??? ?????? ?? ??????? ???? ?? ????? ????? herbeauty.co Now, let's understand that what exactly is under-reporting or misreporting of income and how much penalty would be levied in such cases. "As per Section 270A, if any person under-reports or misreports his income, then an assessing officer (AO), a commissioner (appeals), a principal commissioner or a commissioner may direct him to pay penalty in addition to the tax, if any, on such income. This penalty is to be paid over and above the taxes," says CA Abhishek Soni, Founder, tax2win.in. Under reporting of income can be based on various circumstances. Like, if the income of a person exceeds the basic exemption limit, but still he does not file a return, then it will be considered as a case of under-reporting. However, "the cases of misreporting of income as defined in the Income Tax Act are misrepresentation or suppression of information; failure to record investments in the books; claim of expenditure without any evidence; recording of false entry in the books, failure to record receipt in books which is having effect on total income; and failure to report any international transaction or deemed to be an international transaction," says Soni. What is the penalty? If the under-reporting of income is on account of misreporting of income, then the penalty shall be leviable at the rate of 200% of the tax payable on such under-reported income. However, if it is due to any other circumstances, then the penalty shall be 50% of tax payable on under-reported income. For example, "if your income is, say, Rs 15,00,000, i.e. you are in the 30% tax bracket, and have under-reported an income of Rs 2 lakh in ITR, then the AO can impose a penalty of up to about Rs 30,000 (50% of the tax on under-reported income, i.e., Rs 60,000 (200000*30%)). However, if the under-reporting is due to misreporting of income, then penalty can be up to 200% of the tax on unreported income, i.e. 200% of Rs 60,000, amounting to Rs 1,20,000," says Soni. However, an assessee may apply to the AO with explanation that why under-reporting or misreporting occurred. If satisfied, then the AO may not penalise the assessee or may reduce the quantum of penalty. Therefore, from this year onwards you must be extra careful while filing your income tax return for FY 17-18, and disclose all your incomes under the respective heads. Otherwise, you may have to pay penalty u/s 270A for under-reporting or misreporting of your income along with the applicable taxes. So, be vigilant and file your IT return correctly.
Dear Sir / Madam Andhra Pradesh Energy Innovation Summit 28 - 29 November 2018 : Hotel Novotel, Vijayawada I am pleased to inform that Government of Andhra Pradesh is hosting Powering Andhra Pradesh, Global Energy Innovation Summit to shape the future of energy in Andhra Pradesh. The Summit is scheduled on 28-29 November 2018 in Vijayawada, India. Andhra Pradesh has been at the forefront of the energy sector and has won 20 plus awards in the energy sector during 2015 to 2017. From a power deficit of 22.5 MU per day in 2014, the state has become a power surplus state and has lowered its transmission & distribution losses from 14% to less than 10% within a short span of time. In addition to augmenting both conventional and renewable energy production, the State has also enhanced energy efficiency through massive installation of LED bulbs and solar pump sets. The state has now set a challenging vision for the energy sector which includes: Setting up of 18 GW of renewable energy capacity by 2022 Reducing transmission and distribution losses to less than 3% Ensuring 10 lakh (1 million) Electric Vehicles on road by 2023, attracting an investment of INR 30,000 crores (~ USD 4.5 billion) Ensuring 24*7 reliable power supply for all domestic, commercial and industrial users by 2019 Rolling out energy efficiency measures to save 12000 MU of electricity annually To build on this momentum, and to support the States' vision and address gaps in the energy sector, Government of Andhra Pradesh is organizing this major Summit. The Summit will share innovations and global best practices via panel discussions, workshops and a pitch competition. The five central themes of the summit are Conventional Energy, Renewables, Grid up-gradation, Energy Efficiency and E-Mobility. The Summit will bring together energy sector experts from a wide range of organizations including private sector, international agencies, donors, investors, independent think tanks, research institutions and governments to share technology innovations, best practices and ideas for transforming the energy landscape in the state. The summit will also showcase innovations in the energy and renewable sector from across the globe and highlights solutions for emerging economies. For more details of the summit, please visit - www.andhraenergysummit.org The summit offers a unique opportunity for sharing of ideas and, insights with key stakeholders from the Government. The Summit will also offer an opportunity for discussing the challenges faced and to scout solutions. I am writing to invite you to participate / nominate senior colleagues for this important summit and take advantage of the opportunity offered by Government of Andhra Pradesh. Prior Registration is essential. Participation on First Come, First Serve Basis (No Delegate Fee). For more details, you may please contact Ms Mahalakshmi at 044 42444555 / 9962613798 Email: maha.ragu@cii.in. Kindly confirm your participation by filling and sending the enclosed Registration Form. We look forward to your participation. Regards, Ramesh Kymal ===================================================== Ramesh Kymal Chairman - Renewable Energy, Infrastructure & Power Subcommittee Confederation of Indian Industry (Southern Region) & Chairman & Managing Director Siemens Gamesa Renewable Power Private Ltd Prof C K Prahalad Centre 98/1 Velachery Main Road Guindy, Chennai 600 032
Dear Customer, Greetings from Bajaj Finserv. We are delighted to inform you that your loan application number SF89119138 has been approved. New Loan Details Customer Name MATHIVANAN G Contact Number 9789059867 Registered Email ID sathish.n@gmail.com Loan Amount (A) Rs.114000.00 Charges & Deductions Processing Fee (including service tax) Rs.4446.00 Stamp Duty Rs.20.00 ELC/Preferred Card Rs.0.00 Broken Period Interest* Charged from date of disbursal to date of EMI commencement Group Life Insurance Premium Rs.3102.00 Health Insurance Premium Rs.844.00 Other Upfront Charges Rs.0 Total Charges (B) Rs.8412.00 Net Disbursement Amount (A-B) Rs.105588.00 EMI Amount 4307.00 Interest Rate - (ROI Flat)** 20.33% Interest Rate - (IRR Reducing)*** 33.02% *Broken Period Interest (BPI) - BPI is deducted from the total loan amount in addition to the charges mentioned above **Interest Rate (ROI Flat) - Flat rate of interest as indicative above is for your ease of calculating equated monthly installment (EMI). Same can be calculated as (loan amount* monthly flat rate (flat rate PA/12) *tenure) + (loan amount)/tenure ***Interest Rate (IRR Reducing) - EMI can also be calculated using reducing rate of interest as (loan amount* monthly reducing rate (reducing rate PA/12) X (1 + monthly reducing rate) ^tenure/(1 + monthly reducing rate) ^tenure-1 Please feel free to contact your sales representative - null,null in case you seek any clarifications at this stage Foreclosure and part payment charges are as follows: Types Charges Foreclosure 4% plus applicable taxes on principal outstanding Part Payment 2% plus applicable taxes on part payment amount paid Foreclosure and part payment can be made post clearance of 1st EMI. Foreclosure and part payment charges will be applicable on current principle outstanding. We have a dedicated customer service team which can be reached on wecare@bajajfinserv.in or you can also call us on 020 - 39574151 (call charges apply) for all your queries and requests. We are committed to resolve your query/grievance in 48 hours, else we assure you a call back. Experia - our self-service Customer Portal, gives you access to all your loan details. Being our valued customer, we assure you that all our products have unique features and benefits designed especially for you. Warm regards,
The proliferation of digital wallets seems to have ended-and even reversed-in India. From just one in 2006, the number of firms offering e-wallet services had zoomed to 60 by 2017, according to the Reserve Bank of India (RBI). However, since then, their number has shrunk to 49 due to several reasons. Smaller firms, in particular, have gradually been exiting the space. Experts cite several reasons for this, including consolidation, lack of profitability, competition, and unfavourable policy norms. The boom Wallet365.com was India's first e-wallet, launched in 2006 by media firm Times Group in association with YES Bank. Since then, a number of banks and non-banking financial service firms have entered the industry. This includes retailers such as BigBasket and Grofers, e-commerce giants like Amazon, and even popular messaging app WhatsApp. Some of these, such as Paytm and Mobikwik, went on to corner a substantial share of the market. They were aided by rising smartphone penetration in the country, which has led Indians to increasingly adopt online banking over the past three-four years. The acute cash crunch triggered by the November 2016 note ban also came as a major booster shot. From an estimated Rs154 crore ($21.3 million) in 2015-16, the Indian e-wallet industry was expected to grow to Rs30,000 crore by the end of 2021-22. Yet, the boom hasn't sustained. The downswing "Payments is a high-volume, low-value business and that is why most companies continue to struggle," Upasana Taku, co-founder of MobiKwik, told Quartz. "As a result, there has been a churn in the industry and many firms have either shut shop or gone slow in expanding their business." In order to make a wallet business profitable, companies not only need to create a customer base but will also have to maintain a merchant network or come up with other compelling reasons for customers to use a wallet as a payment option, which is another challenge, explained Taku. "If you don't have a large customer base then you are just burning cash on a monthly basis and that can't be sustainable," said Vinay Kalantri, founder and managing director of tmw (The Mobile Wallet). As profits remain elusive, larger companies with deeper pockets are stepping in to snap up the smaller firms. For instance, earlier this year, tmw acquired Trupay, a New Delhi-based digital wallet company. There have been many such acquisitions in the past two years: Axis Bank bought out mobile wallet firm FreeCharge, Amazon snapped up online payment gateway Emvantage, Flipkart picked up PhonePe, and Shopclues acquired Momoe, the mobile wallet for offline stores. As the market matures, the number of players in the ecosystem may come down further. RBI's move Meanwhile, some of the new norms put in place by the central bank, too, have dampened the mood. For instance, the net-worth requirement for digital wallet companies has been hiked to Rs5 crore from Rs2 crore, with a minimum positive net worth of Rs15 crore in three financial years. "This has made the entry barrier tougher and, therefore, only serious players are staying back, unlike previous times when companies were just acquiring the licence but not even using it," added Kalantri. The need for a full know your customer (KYC) verification for all wallet holders which kicked in from March this year and requires additional documentation has been another challenge for the companies. This has been made even tougher after the supreme court's verdict on Aadhaar, India's 12-digit biometric identity number, in September. Corporate entities or even individuals have been forbidden from demanding Aadhaar in exchange for goods or services. "Even though the KYC process was a pain point for the industry we were able to manage because of Aadhaar. One just had to put their thumbs on the biometric ID and the process could be completed," said Praveen Dadabhai, CEO of Payworld, another wallet company. "But now that it is no longer allowed the whole process becomes far more cumbersome and expensive for companies and therefore all wallet companies are now struggling with the e-KYC." On the flip side, in October the RBI allowed interoperability which allows money transfer between two firms. Apart from this, mobile wallet companies can also now issue cards in partnership with payment networks like Mastercard, Visa, or RuPay. "As a result, it is likely that some other players from, say the loyalty industry, may enter the market even as the smaller ones exit," said Kalantri. Check out Quartz on Instagram Follow us
More than eight out of 10 tech professionals have a favourable opinion of CEO activists, i.e. those business leaders who take a stance on issues they believe are important, according to a survey commissioned by Weber Shandwick in partnership with KRC Research. Leveraging on tech professionals' preferences towards CEOs who take a stand on issues they care about, employers have the opportunity to make an impact on tech talent, who can be a hard to attract and retain segment. Weber Shandwick's chief reputation strategist Leslie Gaines-Ross said: "Although this tech segment acknowledges the risk of CEOs speaking up, they expect their leaders to be public advocates when it comes to issues that impact people's lives." About four years ago, attracting and retaining talent was cited as one of the top HR challenges that employers worldwide faced. In light of this, here are five ways in which CEOs can successfully make use of their activism to retain their tech talent: 1. Recognise the advantage of CEO activism Tech professionals are highly enthusiastic about CEOs speaking out on today's hotly debated issues. Notably, they express increased loyalty to an employer whose CEO is a public advocate. At a glance, job training, equal pay and data privacy are all ranked as the top three issues by tech workers in and outside of the technology sector, which they would like CEOs to address. 2. Make company values crystal clear, both internally and externally CEOs and companies are finding that they need to be accountable to their values. Technology employees are particularly values-driven, with nearly nine in 10 believing a CEO has a responsibility to defend the values of his or her organisation. 3. Take into account the issues that resonate most with tech professionals While tech professionals care most about issues that directly affect their jobs, they are also likely to consider the impact of technology on future generations of advanced technology professionals. 4. Understand the wide reach of CEO activism The desire for CEOs to speak out is highly desired by high tech professionals across the seven markets in the survey, which include the U.S., U.K., Canada, Mexico, Brazil, India and China, without being limited to a single market. 5. Don't overlook women technology professionals Women technology professionals are significantly more likely than their male colleagues to agree that CEOs need to defend company values, to have a more favourable opinion overall of CEO activism and to feel CEOs have a responsibility to speak out. Eight out of 10 women say their loyalty to their employers would increase if their organisations were led by CEO activists. At a time when companies are looking to attract more women technologists, CEO activism may be an advantage to promote in hiring activities.
Leveraging digital technologies in the logistics industry is aimed at increasing efficiencies within the sector that will in turn contribute to faster and seamless shipment movements, and thereby reduce costs. According to a report by the Indian Foundation of Transport Research and Training (IFTRT), the benefit of such technologies can be seen in developed economies where the cost of doing logistics is 7-8% of the GDP versus 14% in India. Digital innovations from real time shipment updates to enhanced customer interface, the whole cycle is driven by digital technologies, chatbots and data analytics. Logistics sector is embarking it's presence from offline mode to online everyday life processes. With the vision of embracing lives of more than a million people connecting with couriers, posts and parcels around the globe, DHL Express India is fueling their capabilities to offer reduced delivery time, cost and enhanced customer experience with digital technologies. In an interview with ETCIO, Prasad Dhumal, VP - IT, DHL Express India throws light on how they are adopting "Evolution, Not Revolution" approach while transforming into agile IT landscape, modernized logistics systems to embrace the network and customer experience with digital capabilities. What technologies are you investing in to optimize logistics network and digital growth? Brand Solutions How Total Communications can help your business 6 ways how Internet of Things is transformational We have invested in multiple technological interfaces for the benefit of our customers and internal stakeholders, such as: MyDHL+ is a simplified, intuitive and efficient online shipping and tracking platform for customers that can be tailored to suit their preferences.We have ESS (Electronic Shipping Solutions) solutions, to support GST & E-waybill related mandatory data elements to bring more convenience to customers. Customer service enhancement is one of our foremost priority to keep the pace of digitally growing logistics industry. Hence we have deployed chatbots with analytics algorithms and enabled on demand Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system where customer can get connected with associates without any hassle and reduced waiting time. With automating digital technologies, we offer On Demand Delivery (ODD) service for B2C customers to schedule delivery at their own convenience via SMS or email. We have updated our scanners to the digital stage for couriers to capture real-time shipment status such as pickup and delivery, RF (Radio Frequency) scanners within our service centers and gateway facilities to perform shipment processing and Web services, plug-ins for our online B2C customers to enable seamless data exchange between the systems are some of technology driven upgrades in our business to provide hassle-free shipping experience to our customers. What is the `Express Cargo Clearance System' and the associated impact on business operational efficiency? From an industry standpoint, the Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS) has been jointly developed by Indian Customs and Express Industry Council of India (EICI). The deployment of the Express Cargo Clearance System (ECCS), which has been introduced at Mumbai, Delhi and Bengaluru airports, has led to paperless customer clearance process thus ensuring greater speed, reliability, control and cost savings. ECCS links shipment data and its physical movement at the clearance ports via handheld barcode scanners, which enable transparent real time shipment tracking through the entire customs clearance cycle. In addition, ECCS eliminates the use of all physical paper in the customs clearance process - it is estimated that the project will result in the reduction of approximately 1.34 crore annual paper consumption. This technology has ensured faster clearance, better compliance of rules, quick data reporting and enhanced data security. In case of regulatory reforms such as GST and the E-waybill, we have worked well in advance to ensure compliance with these reforms. Today, our efforts toward enabling this digital transformation have resulted in the migration of 97% of our shipment data on to electronic format. What are the challenges you face while synchronizing new reforms and compliance with IT systems? Every new reform is a challenge in itself for businesses across industries. With the introduction of reforms such as GST and the E-waybill, we have had to revisit and revise some of our global IT systems and processes to incorporate provisions of the new reforms. With the GST reforms, we had to navigate through multiple provisions, and factor in varying scenarios for different kinds of customers. Multiple revisions in regulations added to the complexities. However, we were well-prepared to manage the rollout of GST; we worked closely with our Finance, Operations and Commercial teams to re-design our systems and proactively guided and supported our customers through initial days in dealing with teething issues. Similarly, in the case of the E-waybill, the preliminary challenges which were dealt quickly with innovative work. In the absence of Application Programming Interface (APIs) in the first few months of launch, we introduced a semi-automated process for the convenience of our customers, where data could be extracted from our ESS solutions and uploaded to E-waybill Portal seamlessly. What is the business impact of leveraging digital technologies in the logistics industry? In today's world, technological advancement is a constant source of change. Complex processes are continually being automated and simplified. According to DHL's Logistics Trend Radar Report 2018-19, digital logistics service agents embedded as conversational interfaces in smart home devices such as Amazon Alexa, can assist customers with real-time updates on the status of the package deliveries, enable rescheduling and notifications in case of any delay. Interacting through voice allows users to seamlessly access logistics data. This can result in reduced customer support costs, increased user attention, and wider adoption of IoT. The first vision picking (order picking using smart glasses in warehouse operations) deployment which DHL conducted with a customer - results show a 25% performance improvement when smart glasses were deployed during operations.
Usually, big companies continue to have a chartered accountant for at least five years to audit their accounts There are many suspicions the investigators have on the bank transactions and the financial claims made by Heera Group of Companies' managing director Nowhera Shaikh. A curious one among them is the unusual pattern of changing the Chartered Accountant (CA) almost every financial year for the group, comprising 15-odd companies, including Heera Gold, Heera Textiles and Heera Foodex. Deputy Commissioner of Police (Detective Department) Avinash Mohanty told The Hindu that every year, the group, which had floated several investment schemes and claimed to have an annual turnover of over ? 800 crore, constantly changed their CA. "Business groups which have huge annual turnover usually will not change their auditor every year. So, this practice of Heera Group is very shady," he said. The investigators reportedly grilled three CAs who audited the company accounts but in vain. Surprisingly, most of the companies in the group had a constant profit of 36 % all these years, Mr Mohanty said. Ms Shaik, who is currently lodged at a prison in Mumbai, was arrested by Hyderabad police in Delhi and brought her to city on November 16. Founder of the Mahila Empowerment Party, which contested the Assembly elections in Karnataka earlier this year, she was booked for cheating investors. According to police, the transactions of the Heera Group were under the radar of Reserve Bank of India, Income Tax, Enforcement Directorate, Registrar of Companies and other finance regulatory bodies. Mr Mohanty said that the company promised the depositors returns of 36% per annum and most of them are from Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka and recently a case was registered at Calicut in Kerala. Deposits from Gulf countries were also received, he said and added they have identified 160 bank accounts of which a few were closed. "Over 100 bank accounts had only ? 25 crore, while its turnover is much higher," he said, adding that they requested the banks for transaction statement of the those accounts. The 45-year-old managing director had paid ? 55 crore of income tax for her companies and completely different papers were submitted to RoC. "Usually, big companies will have continue to have a CA for at least five years to audit their accounts, subjected to various reasons" said a city-based CA Ramakrishna. Recently, Economic Offences Wing of Hyderabad police arrested Molly Thomas (50), manager and personal assistant of Ms Shaik. Mr. Mohanty said that they have found substantial incriminating evidences against Ms Molly, a key person who takes care of administration in Heera Group of Companies. "She had destroyed some key documents of the group," he said.
Dear All, This is to inform you that we are launching our new scheme - "IDBI Dividend Yield Fund" NFO details are as follows: NFO Opens on : 3rd December, 2018 NFO Closes on : 17th December, 2018 We would like to inform you that the Final Copy of SID and KIM of IDBI Dividend Yield Fund has been filed with SEBI on November 19, 2018. SID & KIM of our new Scheme IDBI Dividend Yield Fund are uploaded on our website. Below is the link to download the scheme documents: Below link to download SID: https://www.idbimutual.co.in/Pdf/IDBI%20Dividend%20Yield%20Fund%20SID-%20Final-20-November-2018-1413509934.pdf Below link to download KIM: https://www.idbimutual.co.in/Pdf/IDBI%20Dividend%20Yield%20Fund%20KIM%20-%20Final-20-November-2018-830727912.pdf Thanks & Regards, Mohit Bakre Deputy Manager IDBI Asset Management Ltd No.7, First Level, Unit No.116, Prestige Centre Point, Cunningham Road, Bangaluru- 560052 Phone : 080 - 41495263 Fax : 080 -41495264 Mobile: 9482858906 Description: cid:image003.jpg@01CB0CAC.FC842CE0
InCred, a digital lending app has secured a funding of Rs 300 crore led by founder Bhupinder Singh and its private equity investors like Paragon Partners by Siddharth Parekh. As per a Mint report, Bhupinder Singh has invested around Rs 40 crore, Paragon Partners has contributed Rs 50 crore to the fund. The remaining sum was poured in by High Net-Worth Individuals (HNIs). The purpose behind this collection of funds by the Singh led firm is to diversify its lending business model from being focussed on consumers and small and medium enterprises (SMEs) across four lending verticals - Consumer finance, education, budget housing, and SMEs. InCred with this money is expected by the investors to incubate new businesses. In July there was another report by Mint claiming that the financial service platform may enter into the wholesale lending business by raising new funds. So far, Incred has raised about $75 million (in 2016 led by Anshu Jain) and it was in talks to raise Rs 1000 crore via equity selling in September this year. As far as the activities of InCred's competitors in the current year are concerned, many of them have raised significant amounts. Out of these, Lendingkart seems to have bagged most funds with $87 million in Series C from Fullerton Financial Holdings by Temasek in February, and Rs 300 crore in debt round by Aditya Birla Sunlife AMC in August beginning. IndiaLends clocked $10 million in series B round by ACPI Investment Managers and Ganesh Ventures in mid-2018, with LoanTap bagging $6.25 million by Shunwei Capital around the same time. Nearing September end, Qbera also received a funding of $3 million from Essel Group subsidiary - E City Ventures. Overall, as per a report by EY and Private Equity and Venture Capital Association cited in Mint, financial service sector in India saw investment worth $4 billion in the first half of the calendar year 2018. The pattern clearly points to the high interest of VCs in the financial services sector in Indian startup ecosystem, especially in the digital lending platforms. What remains to be seen is how these companies perform in the market with the funds they have raised.
mahalingaham@poonawalagroup.com, mahesh@staminteractive.com, mrmalli@rediffmail.com, vmanisekar@deccaniservices.in, manoj@coralgrid.com, vmittal@bhushan-group.org, v.mohan@parsvnath.com, accounts@questlogistics.in, hrd@gmfabrics.com, mowgil@grtjewels.com, murali@factltd.com, v.muralidhar@rane.co.in, totalcomputer@reliancemail.net, muraliduaranv@78m.ac.in, murlikrishana@avtcorp.in, rajfast@bsnl.in, yashmun@vsnl.net, financeheadho@gurindglass.com, vnh@dagger-forst.com, vniyer@bluedart.com, iyervn@bluedart.com, ppl@prashanthprojects.com, vnk@concordemotors.com, vnm_act@voltamptransformers.com, mumbai.ro@ktkbank.com, dgmfa@sbp.co.in, ofs@bom5.vsnl.net.in, saravanan@unifiwealth.com, vnsn@sundaramfinance.in, info@ergohalmets.com, vn@scl.co.in, vnrao@npcil.com, nagaraj@umakcreative.com, bangalore_vohratea@vohratea.com, commisioner.salem@tn.gov.in, vsnr@vemtechnologies.com, naik@spectrum.net.in, klemmen@eth.net, v.natarajan@tatapigments.co.in, neelakantan.viswanathan@timesgroup.com, hitechuv@bom5.vsnl.net.in, vpagarwal@bajajhindustan.com, vpb@lnjb.com, account.okhla@vikramoverseas.com, vpghuliani@ho.trivenigroup.com, dac@bis.org.in, finance@goyalgroup.com, enquiry@bldea.org, business@markfedpunjab.com, finance@cadmach.com, vpmalhotra@voltas.com, vp@jasra.com, ved.rustagi@oialliance.com, bainite@vsnl.com, thirumoorthy.vp@bestcrompton.com, corporate@camlin.com, padmaramani@eenadu.net, cs@antrix.gov.in, velichety@dataone.in, digilog@blr.vsnl.net.in, info@coindia.in, accounts@spm.co.in, finance@interjewelmumbai.com, parthasarathy@wifi.com, parthy@mformation.com, perumal@caiplanet.in, v_pinto@sbici.com, nayagam@imc.net.in, sales@amprose.co.in, prakashv@hdfcinsurance.com, ostern@cal.vsnl.net.in, abhyankar@gesaindia.com, abhayankarvr@hlcl.com, akbari@vijaytanks.com, vrchary@suana.com, vrgupta@hplindia.com, v.guruprasad@in.g4s.com, hari.kumar@tayana.in, haribabu@dwsi.co.in, vriyer@obc.co.in, vrjoshi@walchand.com, vrsubramanium@francoindia.com, agm5cz@sbm.co.in, mohan.vellore@relianceada.com, vrmohnot@mehtagroup.com, finance@ltramboll.com, ravi@saimirra.com, hsl@hslvizag.com, nagaraju@gwindia.in, satyaprasad@heterolabs.com, shriram@wam.co.in, vrs@tatacoffee.com, venkatramani@ilpgt.co.in, v.radhakrishnan@itc.co.in, V.Raghavan@arihants.co.in, raghu@peakxv.in, rao@esntechnologies.com, hyd1_patodia@gtnindustries.com, raghuram@mro-tek.com, wind@khivrajmotors.com, rajarao.v@lancogroup.com, rajagopalan.v@rediffmail.com, rajagopanan.v@gemacenergy.com, shenbaga.v@icicibank.com, tcpchem@eth.net, rajesh@sanky.com, rajesh@seil.co.in, vrajesh@antiquelimited.com, postmaster@beekalene.com, rakeshv@gulfoil.co.in, nubiolaindia@nubiola.com, Sales@qualitronix.com, adminbgl@vbspl.com, vramakrishna@oceansparkle.in, rewdale@airtelbroadband.in, ramakrishna@superautoforge.net, vramkrishnan@vitage.com, ramanarayanan@orientalgroup.in, ramaswamy@hpfl-india.com, infoindia@gknsintermetals.co, ramchandran@iba.org.in, v-ramesh@avtspice.com, vramesh@cityunionbank.com, ramesh@cpcdiagnostics.in, rameshv@hexaware.com, ramesh@tka-jbm.theyssenkrupp.com, vaidyanathan.ramesh@legrand.co.in, ramesh@precisionit.co.in, ramesh@unitexapparels.com, ktcferroalloys@sancharnet.in, vranganathan@somaiya.edu, ranga@srinivasafashions.com, globecomp@globe-india.com, info@bmf.com, ranga@fennermail.com, vravichandran@hmil.net, ravichandran@ecciltd.com, ravichandran@johnsonliftsltd.com, ravindra@nic.in, accounts@rosanseaair.com, ravishanker@ksb.co.in, vsahusa@hvaxles.com, acm@infrahomsing.com, varadaraya.avadhani@scotiabank.com, unitex@unitexfashions.net, vs.ganesh@vedanta.co.in, vsgupta@cauveryford.com, vshasolkar@shirke.co.in, bgstech@vsnl.com, iyerv@labindia.com, vsiyer@remigroup.com, kadam.v@kirticollege.org, finance@pittilam.com, mani.subramanyam@enteg.com, secretary@ecil.co.in, vvvs@obpil.com, vsnmurty@tatasteel.com, vsoak@tifr.res.in, padmanaban@gangotritextiles.com, vspadmanabhan@wipro.co.in, vsp@dolphininks.com, accounts@mes.co.in, dba@kwa.kerala.gov.in, vsr.murthy@mytecsoft.com, vsrsastry@firstcallindiaequity.com, accounts@sipralabs.com, rajeev.v.s@accentiatechnologies.com, ramarao@unionbankofindia.com, raman@bpleng.com, vs.rao@itgi.co.in, delhi@aksharaadvertising.com, gokul@linkwellelectronics.com, salian@bom.seaworldship.com, latha.j@dtss.in, vsnarayan@royalfield.com, accounts@mnnit.ac.in, info@sridhanalakshmi.com, siva_kumar@sifycorp.in, asvini@asvini.co.in, vs.shiva@ogilvy.com, vs.sridhar@pure-chemical.com, vssridhar@pure-chemical.com, tripathi@vsnl.net, prasad@axiomenergy.co.in, vsvenkatesh@ntpc.co.in, venkitesh.vs@ip.flintgrp.com, accounts@ramnetindia.com, sambamoorthy@divyasree.com, sambasiva_v@ksk.co.in, vsm.finance@divyasree.com, santhi.kumar@vedanta.co.in, vsaseendran@malabarcements.com, sawani@hlag.com, hilhq@nde.vsnl.net.in, selvav@siptech.com, info-in@festo.com, senthilkumar@westland-tata.com, seshadriv@dcbl.com, vshahane@setcoauto.com, shankar@schits.com, vshankar@tvstyres.com, shankar.vittala@wipro.com, v.shirali@quest2travel.com, v.shivakumar@rane.co.in, shrihari@klruniversal.com, info@faridatannery.com, trd@repcobank.co.in, finance@ke-burgmannindia.com, boi8016@eth.net, vs.rajan@sbi.co.in, sreekumar@pankajakasthuri.in, forza@vsnl.com, v.sridhar@mainimal.com, v.s@safyeastin.com, sridhar@fritonvalves.com, finance@tritonvalves.com, vsridharan@lakshmisri.com, agmbpcib.lhoche@sbi.co.in, finance@metroapi.com, v_srinivas@in.mufg.jp, srinivasan@aurolab.com, bmr@victorysugarvsnl.in, boi8004@eth.net, v.srinivasan@bharti-axalife.com, vsrinivasan@empeegroup.co.in, v.srinivasan@godrejinds.com, v.srinivasan@godrej.com, srini.v@icicibank.com, v_srinivasan@infosys.com, srinivasan@johncrane.com, srinivasan.v@rapsri.com, sriram.v@imacs.in, sriram@samasta.co.in, srivatsan@digiterati.in, jajoo@shreecementltd.com, subramaniam.v@ril.com, manisubra@hotmail.com, Subramanian@ycsindia.com, agmfma@mahabank.co.in, sudarshanv@bsil.com, finance@lokeshmachines.in, vsundar@scmmicro.co.in, sundar@suseegroup.com, sundar@symrise.com, info@sartorius.com, vs@dynamatics.net, vsureka@southpoint.org.in, v.surendran@dolphinoffshore.com, v.suresh@essar.com, vsuresh@globalgreencompany.com, suresh.v@quest-global.com, suresh@dqentertainment.com, suresh_kumar@ruchigroup.com, suryanarayananV@cholams.murugappa.com, swaminathan.v@akshaya.com, swaminathan@sundarambnpparibashome.com, v_swaminathan@carraro.com, vtprabakaran@smileltd.org, vtreddy@pryogroups.com, v_thomas@ici.com, v.udayasankar@nlcindia.com, upendiran64@gmail.com, accounts@kerchem.com, vvbs@prestigeconstructions.com, psfin@nic.in, wcs@gayatri.co.in, vvchugh@pagelink-pagepoint.com, contact@madcindia.org, vvrraju@nccinfra.co, fenoexports@eth.net, vvr@malladi.co.in, vvvraju@bmm.in, yogesnkumar@intextechnologie.com, info@kakatiyacements.com, satish.v@emmvee.in, v.srinivasan@associategroup.in, vishvesh@gsfcltd.com, df@braithwaiteindia.com, vaidy@real-image.com, vaidyanath_v@cathaypacific.com, nne@vsnl.com, vasudevan@flamagasindia.com, vasudevan@hcgoncology.com, vv@kpmg.com, jmoff@jmplgroups.com, v.venkatesan@kone.com, venkat@takesolutions.com, vvrao@tridentmicrofin.com, v.venkateswarlu@midwestgranite.com, venkat@jaslokhospital.net, venkat@penta-media.com, sreevari@vsnl.com, venkat@greenplymail.com, venugopal@nisusinc.com, venugopal_v@apollohospitals.com, venugopal_menon@tatamcgrawhill.com, v.vijayaraghavan@gmacfs.com, vijesh.vijayan@qsoftindia.com, krishnamurthy@pharmedlimited.in, vvn@malladi.co.in, accounts@jupiterseaair.com, treasury@flcindia.com, info@sigmainsurance.com, vadapalli.srinivas@sbilife.co.in, vageesh@trndsetters.com, vaibhav.agarwal@icicibank.com, vaibhav.aggarwal@kotak.com, accounts@meinhartindia.com, vaibhavgandhi@kaygeeloparex.com, vjoshi@tatainternational.com, vaibhav.kathju@religaremacquarie.com, vaibhav.kulkarni@hcl.in, vaibhav.goyal@sbilife.co.in, vaibhav.saraf@ilfsindia.com, vaibhav@jobbulls.com, vaibhavi_padwal@ind.dyr.com, accounts@hotelmarineplaza.com, vaidya@nslindia.com, v.vaidyanathan@kotak.com, vaikundasaamy@univercell.in, vaishali.danekar@portescap.com, vgarg@rhw.co.in, mansabdar@sanjaygroup.in, valerian@lauren.co.in, valjib@technotrap.com, info@mnrindia.com, bombaysurgical@hotmail.com, bhoomi@bom3.vsnl.net.in, vansh@fhevents.com, varadharajan.subramanian@capgemini.com, manju@hivos-india.org, dharkarvv@kecrpg.com, varghese@flatworldsolutions.com, varsha@brinksarya.com, varun@covalentlab.com, varun.agrawal@bhartiaxa.im.com, rojaccounts@rasandik.com, varund@bluedart.com, varun.garg@sunpro.in, varun.goel@kcsecurities.com, varun@intellecap.net, works@pentagonrubber.com, vjoshi@in.sopragroup.com, varun@taffles.com, accounts@juniper.net, varun@orientalinsurance.co.in, v.sareen@cvent.com, varunsarin@cosmos.dcmds.co.in, varun_tuli@copalpartners.com, vasant.bhat@columbiaasia.com, vasant.gaikwade@koltepatil.com, acc@goapl.com, vasant@powergearlimited.com, vasant.naik@ionexchange.co.in, vasant.kallola@viomnetworks.com, ujjwal.mathur@tcs.com, vsavla@essar.com, herohonad@srilakshmimotors.com, skel@airtelmail.com, accounts@cadsindia.com, vbhat@rajoilmillsltd.com, vasantkumar@ksfc.in, vasanth@jananitours.com, vasanth.philip@rediffusionyr.com, vrao@intven.com, vasant.savla@essar.com, vasanth.shetty@delex.in, vasanthav@hexaware.com, vashali.shirodakar@trine.co.in, vghosh@jjauto.org, vaskar@saregama.com, vm@modisteel.net, sophy@vsnl.com, vasudev@gblast.com, mpladsbgl@manipal.com, vmodali@eamobile.com, vmatta@chalethotel.com, cataparia@gmail.com, wpumalkar@ankurseed.com, vasudev.vasandani@tatamotors.com, vasu@scorpioengg.com, vasudevan@kiranindia.com, iigmdlh@iigm-ltd.com, vpgarg@nkginfra.com, v.pmishra@saha.ac.in, b.das@brisdlinkindia.com, veelesh.talathy@sglcarbon.in, veena_@avon.co.in, marketing@tarunbharat.com, hr@jupiterbioscience.com, kumar@iteducationjobs.com, raghu@myklaticrete.com, veeraraju@syndicatebank.co.in, veera@cognizant.com, veeraraghavan@synthesis.co.in, seh@vsnl.net, international@rasanwetwo.com, milindus02@vsnl.com, milindus02@dataone.in, vkanniappan@vmware.com, velum@kggroup.com, vernonfernandes@contractadvertising.com, sivakami@vsnl.mail.in, venimadhavan.k@openwavecomp.com, venkatraju@snsppl.com, advokote@vsnl.com, cvr2@sanmargroup.com, venkat.devarajan@adlabfilms.com, venkat.pe@glencoreindia.com, venkat@wilco.int.com, krishnan.v@hindusthan.net, venkat@tlisoftware.com, merla@inteqsolutions.com, venkat.p@polytexindia.com, venkatrajugupta@cordys.com, venkat.raman@basf.com, admin@indigraexports.com, k.venkat@stantonchase.com, venkat.rao@pradot.com, admin@davidmemorial.com, venkat@posidex.com, venkatshastrysomayajula@apolloahd.com, subbu_kv@raminfo.com, venkat.subramaniam@lvmhwatchjewellery.com, kishorevd@huawei.com, vvc@jkpl.org, venkatachalam.sekar@sbilife.co.in, narasu@srmlt.in, ayyaswamy.venkataraman@thermalceramics.com, venkataraman@indiabulls.com, commercial@titanindia.com, venkataramani.srinivasan@svl.co.in, rajaramhrd@vaamaa.com, svswamy@mail.margadarsi.com, info@nectatech.com, accts@garuda.com, vnadar@husky.ca, actsi@pipesupports.in, venkatesh@unionbankofindia.com, v@es22.com, venkatesha_as_babu@yahoo.co.in, venkatesh.babu@spirentcom.com, venkatesh.pai@connexious.com, gvenkatesh@franchexpress.com, venkatesh.srinivasan@polaris.co.in, venkat@abgindia.com, venkatesh@rhpl.com, venkatesh.nagesh@busakshamban.com, venkatesh@in.ibm.com, venktesh.parsuram@degussa.com, venkat_ramachandar@semanticspace.com, dimocasting@dataone.in, venkatesh.srinivas@intertek.ac.com, venkateshs@amiindia.co.in, purchase@impal.net, rao@jeevansoftech.com, venkateswara.rao@jp.panasonic.com, venkatr@tycoelectronics.com, hyd2_vidhata@sancharnet.in, malugroup@inablerns.com, venkat.k@bankofbaroda.com, venkat.y@sudife.in, malligad@infosys.com, sunder@makrotech.com, rvenketesh@gamesacorp.com, blr-ro@tpcindia.com, venu@manipalmotors.com, cosmafan@gmail.com, venu_mallik@7seastech.com, venuprasad.kandula@kenexa.com, venu@osaindia.com, vbang@sjm.com
IN FOCUS: Key developments in Mutual Funds At a time when the Indian Mutual Fund (MF) industry is celebrating 25 golden years of existence, we are witnessing important developments in the landscape, some impacted by SEBI while others fuelled by changes in the broader economy. Here's what you as an investor need to be aware of. Read More The Latest from MProfit At MProfit, we are working on many different things at any given time. Our team works hard every day to improve our platform and make it more comprehensive & robust. We also like to thank our users who provide valuable feedback to help us make MProfit better. One of the market highlights of 2018 has been the introduction of a Long Term Capital Gains (LTCG) tax on Stocks and Equity Mutual Funds (MFs) exceeding Rs. 1 lakh, along with an associated Grandfathering provision. MProfit has strived to incorporate all of the resulting complexities in capital gains computations to make our platform Grandfathering-compliant. This specific update in MProfit will prove to be immensely helpful starting this financial year, as investors should now ensure that all Stock and Equity MF gains until January 31st 2018 are grandfathered as part of Income Tax filing. What's next for MProfit? Development on MProfit's new Cloud Platform for PC and Mobile (Android & iOS) is well underway; stay tuned for more information on the roll-out for the new platform. Import your transaction data with MProfit One of MProfit's primary value-adds is our proprietary import engine, which now supports import of 3200+ transaction statements (including contract notes, mutual fund statements, back-office trade files & bank statements) across a variety of different formats. MProfit makes the cumbersome process of data entry very simple, quick & efficient for users and we are continually adding to our list of supported transaction templates. Below is a list of notable formats that we have recently introduced support for: - Motilal Oswal Moneyware Back-office file format - Motilal Oswal MF Transaction Details file format from Sub-broker login - Inventure Growth I-PAC Back-office file format - Nirmal Bang Global Bill Report file format - India Nivesh Global Cash Trade Details file format - Latin Manharlal Back-office file format Click here to learn more about MProfit's Import functionality and view a list of importable file formats supported by MProfit.
Dear Partner, Greetings from CAMS, This is to keep you all informed that we have scheduled a BCP drill for our complete operations between 22nd Nov & 25th Nov, 2018. We request our distribution/channel partners to expect a downtime or slowness on both these days between 05.00AM - 09.00AM in transaction uploading, reverse feed generation, document uploading and other activities carried out in Fundsnet, Fin Net & Mail back Services. We also request our Fundsnet & Fin net users to use the below DRP links during BCP period from 22nd Nov to 25th Nov, 2018 as the same is hosted in our BCP location. There is no change in mail back subscription page/link. For Fundsnet - (CAMS platform for Channel Transaction Uploading, SOA Generation, E-Scan, Direct Access etc) URL: https://fundsnetdrp.camsonline.com/ecrms/index.aspx For Finnet - (Common platform for CAMS & Karvy) URL: https://fundsnetdrp.camsonline.com/finnet/loginentry.aspx Please call/send us an email at fnoc@camsonline.com for clarifications if any. Regards Distributor Support Team Computer Age Management Services Pvt. Ltd. Rayala Towers 158, Anna Salai Chennai 600002.
I invite you to participate and support the second edition of The CII Facilities Management Conclave & Expo (www.CII.IN/FMCE2018) being organized by Confederation of Indian Industry on 13 December 2018 at India Habitat Centre, New Delhi. Mr Shiv Das Meena, Additional Secretary, Ministry Of Housing and Urban Affairs has been invited as the Chief Guest and Dr Anoop Mittal, CMD, NBCC Ltd is being invited as a Guest of Honour. The objective of the CII Facilities Management Conclave & Expo is to present and gear-up the facilities management sector to make a big shift to "digital FM" means automating FM business processes to suit new office demands. JLL is actively involved as the Knowledge Partner for the Conclave. With this background, I am writing to you with a request to join us for the CII Facilities Management Conclave & Expo and nominate your senior colleagues. The Registration Form and draft programme outline is attached for your use and reference please. I do hope you will consider my request positively and look forward to your response. Please feel free to connect with Mr Aryan Sahni at aryan.sahni@cii.in for any kind of queries and assistance. Looking forward to you for joining us on 13th December. Kind Regards Sandeep Sethi ========================================== Sandeep Sethi Chair - CII Facilities Management Conclave 2018 and Chair - Corporate Solutions & MD - Integrated Facilities Management, JLL India Confederation of Indian Industry (Northern Region) Sector 31-A, Chandigarh 160 030 Tel : 91-172 - 5022522 | Fax: 91-172 - 2606259 / 2614974 Email : chairman.fmc@cii.in Website: www.cii.in
News Feed Narender Gupta 3 hrs I am pleased to inform the members that a group of 79 XGB members from Delhi will be meeting over lunch on 24th Nov near Safdarjung Airport. Will share the pictures post event.
Dear sathish, Interested in knowing about "Managing microservice challenges with Istio"? Join the the live webinar if you are interested in it. Join the Webinar Topics that will be covered in the Webinar Evolution Of Microservice Relation of Micro services with Container Orchestrator (K8s) Why Service Mesh (Istio)? Features of Istio Demo Abstract: Istio helps reduce the complexity of large hybrid and multi-cloud deployments, and eases the strain on your development teams. It is a completely open source service mesh that layers transparently onto existing distributed applications. Istio addresses the challenges developers and operators face as monolithic applications transition towards a distributed microservice architecture. Attend the webinar to know how to manage Microservices using Istio. About Speaker Mangesh Patankar, Developer Advocate - IBM Cloud Mangesh Patankar is working with IBM Digital Business Group as Developer Advocate - IBM Cloud. He has around 18 years of IT experience. Currently he works directly with ISV's, Partners, Startups Developer Community enabling them to adopt IBM Cloud technologies. He has represented IBM in various forums/events as speaker on Watson and IBM Cloud. He has also conducted IBM Cloud, Watson hands - on workshops for Enterprises/startups developers. Prior to IBM, has worked with organizations like Oracle, Patni, Syntel, Reliance Consultancy Services - right from Development, Designing, Architect to Pre-Sales role. Time & Date of the Webinar? 3:30 pm on 23rd November 2018 What are the Charges? The registration fee is Rs 499/- only
This is to inform you that CII Southern Region is organizing the Conference on Automotive aftermarket ,Theme: Synergizing mobility for sustainable future which is scheduled on 23rd November 2018 at Chennai trade centre, Chennai. Companies are requested to make use of this excellent opportunity to learn and explore by nominating suitable delegates Please find the appended and attached program details of the conference for your information cid:image001.jpg@01D47389.E8B66B90 Conference on Automotive Aftermarket "Synergizing Mobility for Sustainable Future" 23 November 2018, Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) - Southern Region has been organizing Autoserve - an exclusive event on Automotive Aftermarket since 2004. The 8th edition of Autoserve 2018 is scheduled from 23 - 25 November 2018 at Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai. This event will demonstrate the products and technology on Automotive Care, Maintenance, Service, Parts, Garage Equipment and Decorative & Functional Accessories. Automotive Component Manufacturers Association of India (ACMA) is the partner for this edition. On the sidelines of Autoserve 2018, CII is organizing a one day Conference on Automotive Aftermarket with the theme "Synergizing Mobility for Sustainable Future" on 23 November 2018 at Chennai Trade Centre, Chennai. The conference will focus on the transformation in the automotive aftermarket business value chain, global developments, new collaborations, telematics, intelligent transportation system, automated mobility platform, distribution & retail models, start-ups and skill development. Conference on Automotive Aftermarket "Synergizing Mobility for Sustainable Future" Session I : Changing Landscape of Future Automotive Aftermarket Value Chain Session II : Transformation Challenges and Opportunities in Aftermarket Session III : Technology and Changing Business Models: Start up KEY SPEAKERS INVITED FOR THE CONFERENCE Mr R Dinesh Chairman - CII SR, Autoserve 2018 & Joint Managing Director TV Sundram Iyengar & Sons Ltd Mr Sanjay Koul Co-Chairman, Autoserve 2018 & Managing Director Timken India Limited Mr Ram Venkataramani President ACMA Mr Ramashankar Pandey Managing Director, Hella India Lighting Ltd Mr Gael Escribe Chief Executive Officer Nexus Automotive International Mr Sandeep Divakaran Chief Financial Officer OLA Fleet Technologies Ltd Mr R G Prasad Vice President & Global Head Automotive Engineering Tata Consultancy Services Mr Ankit Singhvi Founder & CEO NN4 Energy Mr Anjan Kumar Regional President, Automotive Aftermarket Division Bosch Ltd Mr S Muralidharan President Lucas Indian Service Ltd Ms Madhavi Deshmukh General Manager Parts Ashok Leyland Limited Mr Mukund S Raghavan President - Marketing & Business Development India Motor Parts & Accessories Limited Mr S Thirunavukkarasu Vice President Royal Sundaram Alliance Insurance Company Limited Mr Vikrantt Mohan President AIAWA Mr M Kaushik Director, Automotive & Transportation Frost & Sullivan Mr Vikul Goyal Co-Founder & CEO Car Crew Mr YVS Vijay Kumar Chief Executive Officer Mahindra First Choice Mr Sandeep Begur CEO KooversCarCare Mr John K Paul Past President Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations DELEGATE FEE (per Delegate) CII Member / SSI / Exhibitor Institutions / Academia Non Member Rs. 2000 Rs. 3000 * Additional 18% GST Applicable | * 10% discount for 3 or more registrations from same organization * Delegate registering under SSI to submit SSI Certificate We look forward to receiving your confirmation. Regards Nandini ============================== Nandini VF Confederation of Indian Industry (Southern Region) Prof. C K Prahalad Centre, 98/1, Velacherry Main Road, Guindy, Chennai - 600 032, India P : +91 44 42 444 542 M : +91 9626621585 W : www.cii.in
Your order with Donatekart has been successfully placed! Inbox x orders@donatekart.com 12:30 PM (11 minutes ago) to s Dear Sathish Narayanan, Thank you for giving to a cause through Donatekart.Your contribution makes a huge difference for the organization as well of the lives of many. We will deliver your donated products once the campaign ends or reaches 100%. After delivery, You will receive an update from the campaigner with photos on how your donated products are being utilized(You can also check the updates section of the campaign for the same). Thanks again for donating to the campaign! The Donatekart Team Here's a summary of your transaction: Date: 1/1/0001 12:00:00 AM IST Invoice #: 7afd34f0a1cee9c57dee Amount Paid 45.00 Rs Product details Name Quantity Price Rice (1 Kg) 1.00 45.00 Rs Questions or comments? Contact us at https://www.donatekart.com/#/contact Thank you for being a part of the Donatekart community!
What is a personal loan? A personal loan is given by banks and non-banking financial institutions for personal needs. It is generally an unsecured loan, which means that it is not secured against any asset such as property. A personal loan is available for both salaried as well as self-employed people. It isgiven on the basis of an individual's income and past credit history (CIBIL score is taken into account). What are the documents required to get a personal loan? While applying for a personal loan you will have to submit the following documents along with the loan application form: KYC PAN Card Address Proof ID Proof Income Proof Bank Statement One photograph Choosing a personal loan You can apply for a personal loan from numerous banks or non-banking financial institutions. It is important to understand the features and benefits of each to evaluate them and pick the one that is most suitable for you. For salaried employees as well as normal employees. Interest Rate and Processing Fees for personal loan Different banks offer different rates of interest and charge different processing fees. The rate of interest may also vary a little based on the candidate's past credit history. Processing fees are generally one-time fees. Bank Name Rate of Interest Processing Fees Standard Chartered 11.25% - 14.49% 0 Bank of Baroda 11.35% - 14.35% Rs. 1000 - Rs. 10,000 HDFC Bank 11.49% - 19.8% Upto 2.5% Kotak Mahindra 11.49% - 20.15% Upto 2% ICICI Bank 11.59% - 18.49% 2.25% (min Rs.1149) Indusind Bank 11.99% - 19% Upto Rs. 3000 Tata Capital 11.99% - 19.5% 0 Capital First 12% - 18% Upto 1.5% Canara Bank 12.75% Rs.1000 - Rs.5000 SBI 12.9% - 14.9% 1% Fullerton 17.25% - 37% 1.5% - 6% Personal loan Pros, Cons, and Fees and Charges We should understand and evaluate the pros and cons of personal loans offered by various banks and decide one suit our requirements. Standard Chartered Bank: Standard Chartered Personal loan Pros: No processing fee No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 1 year Standard Chartered Personal loan Cons: No part payment option Standard Chartered Personal loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 1% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) Bank of Baroda Bank: BOB Personal loan Pros: Nil pre-closure fee after 6 months BOB Personal loan Cons: Application available only in branch Guarantor Required BOB Personal loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 4% of the outstanding within 6 months HDFC Bank: HDFC Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 1 year HDFC Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option HDFC Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 4% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) in 2nd year 3% (plus Service tax) in 3rd year 2% (plus Service tax) in 4th year and afterwards Kotak Mahindra Bank: Kotak Mahindra Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 1 year Kotak Mahindra Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option Kotak Mahindra Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 5% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) ICICI Bank: ICICI Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 6 months Free Provogue Accessories on application submission. Offer Valid till 31st March ICICI Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option ICICI Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 5% of principal outstanding IndusInd Bank: IndusInd Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Has pre-closure option Get Amazon vouchers of the same value as your processing fee on loan disbursal. Only for applications submitted till 31st March 2017 and disbursals till 10th April 2017. IndusInd Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option IndusInd Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 4% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) Pre-closure permitted only after first 6 months for self-employed, and 1 year for salaried. Tata Capital: Tata Capital Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure and part payment - only after 12 months 25% part payment allowed in a year. Maximum loan term of 6 years available Tata Capital Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : Pre-closure fee = 0 Part payment fee = 0 Capital First: Capital First Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Conditional pre-closure - only after 6 months Capital First Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option Capital First Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 5% of principal outstanding (plus Service Tax) Canara Bank: Canara Bank Personal Loan Pros: No part payment fee Canara Bank Personal Loan Cons: Application available only in branch Guarantor Required Canara Bank Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : Preclosure fee = 0 Part payment fee = 0 SBI Personal Loan info: SBI Personal Loan Cons: Application available only in branch Guarantor Required Fullerton: Fullerton Personal Loan Pros: No guarantor required Has pre-closure option Fullerton Personal Loan Cons: No part payment option Fullerton Personal Loan Pre-closure Fees and Charges : 7% of principal outstanding(plus Service Tax) upto 17 months 5% of principal outstanding (plus ST) from 18 to 23 months 3% of principal outstanding (plus ST) from 24 to 35 months No pre-closure charges. Approval Process for Personal Loan Bank wise Is the loan eligible for online e-approval? Do you need a guarantor? Is door-step service available? Finding out these little details can make the process smoother and easier. Bank Name Door-step Service E-approval No Guarantor Required Standard Chartered Yes Yes Yes Bank of Baroda No No No HDFC Bank Yes Yes Yes Kotak Mahindra Yes Yes Yes ICICI Bank Yes Yes Yes Indusind Bank Yes Yes Yes Capital First Yes Yes Yes Tata Capital Yes Yes Yes Canara Bank No Yes No SBI No No No Fullerton Yes Yes Yes Personal Loan Payment options The payment options for different banks vary. The table shows whether specific options are available or not. Bank Name Part-payment Available Top-up Loan Available Balance Transfer Standard Chartered No Yes Yes Bank of Baroda No No No HDFC Bank No No Yes Kotak Mahindra No Yes Yes ICICI Bank No Yes Yes Indusind Bank No Yes Yes Capital First No No No Tata Capital Yes Yes Yes Canara Bank Yes No No SBI No No No Fullerton No Yes Yes Put in a good deal of thought and research before applying for a personal loan. Make sure you have understood the main features as well as the small details.
PREMA NARAYANAN Your order for following services has been submitted to your distributor K K INDANE ENTERPRISES Your indane.co.in Reference No. [ 963094 ] A confirmation of this order has been sent to your E-mail address customerelakshya@gmail.com Consumer No. 87862
raji - HK cost estimates 153K - flight ticket (approx 38K * 4) - paid 65 K - hotel ( 5 nights - 13K per night) - paid 1.5+1.5 = 3K - for passport applications - paid ( we need to pay 2K in cash at counter extra due to tatkal) Visa application fees - to be paid (4 K if we use help, 0 if we do ourselves) 5 days sightseeing (estimated) (since i have looked at all costs at disney, oceanpark, macau) - approx 10-12 K per day incl food for all 4 of us => 60 K Extra 10 K for airport transfers, misc expenses etc So total budget shud be around 290K in total (apart from ur shopping!) ------------------ Am leaving for cult now
*IMPORTANT - HK - PL READ* Friday evening 21st dec : flight ( indigo airlines) - 11.30 pm flight is 5 hrs duration, but since HK is 2 hrs ahead of us, it reaches at 745 am their time Easy to reach city center from airport - about 45 min by airport cab Hotel booked = Lander Hotel Prince Edward Hotel website = http://www.landerhotel.com.hk/en/about_hotel.php Location = https://www.google.com/maps/place/Lander+Hotel+Prince+Edward/@22.3266212,114.1620786,17z/data=!3m1!4b1!4m5!3m4!1s0x340400b429e9e1e3:0x1a07bd317efbf081!8m2!3d22.3266212!4d114.1642673 Reason for choosing : It is only a 3-star property, but situated right in heart of town. Also one of few which offers one single room for 4 of us. Metro station is 300 m away only ! We will be staying at same hotel for full 5 days. As u know, best way to travel all over HK is metro, so that is a most imp point - metro is only 300 m away Sat, 22 Dec So, we reach hotel by 9 am and have breakfast etc. checkin at 10 am Take rest for 2 hrs (if we want) 1 pm - go for half-day city tour (hire cab, or take metro like we did at Kuala Lumpur and go a-la-karte !) Sunday, 23 Dec : Ocean park, HK Monday, 24 Dec : Disneyland, HK Tuesday, 25 Dec : Day tour to Macau by ferry and back Wed : 26 Dec : Ngong King Cable car, Victoria peak, Remaining sightseeing in HK, shopping, leisure, museums etc Few other things are there like HK Night cruise etc Each of these sightseeing things above is fungible, flexible, ie no prior bookings are needed so no arrangements to be made in advance Thu : 27 Dec, morning 9 am is flight from HK to Blore. It is a 5-hr flight, reaches BLR at 12 noon (since we are 2 hrs later than them) ---------------------- What has been done : Flights - done Airport transfers - not done - will do it on spot when we reach airports Sightseeing : not done - as i said, we'll do it on spots Hotel - done ---------------------- Passport and visa Passport Kendra appointment for both kids on 10 Dec 2018 at 315 pm thru Tatkal. They say that Passport shud reach us in 3 days max (finger crossed). I will be taking the 2 kids on that date (Monday) and leave at 230 pm - n1 will be at home probably, n2 will bunk her last class - i will take her from there Once passport arrives, i will apply for visa for all 4 of us. Visa is applied online, and comes within 15 mins back by mail (upto max of 1 day) ----------------------- So i am confident that everything will be handled. I dont need to do any other work for HK - so matter signed sealed delivered
IndiGo on Wednesday launched a four-day winter sale of tickets with all-inclusive fares starting at Rs 899 for travel between December 6, 2018 and April 15, 2019. The sale will be on from November 21 to November 25. TOP COMMENT kabhi nahi milta ticket. bakwaas Dinesh Shukla SEE ALL COMMENTSADD COMMENT The low-cost carrier is offering 10 lakh seats in this sale. William Boulter, chief commercial officer, IndiGo, said, "This being a yearend season when most of our customers plan their vacation, we hope to create through this festive sale more flexibility of choice for customers to fly at low fares. We are sure that the market will quickly take up the seats we have available, starting at fares as low as Rs 899."
NEW DELHI: Domestic equity indices extended their fall for a second straight session on Wednesday on subdued global cues. The BSE Sensex was down around 340 points or 0.95 per cent at 35,135.80, while the NSE Nifty index was down 87 points or 0.81 per cent at 10,569 at around 10.45 am (IST). As many as 29 stocks in the Nifty index were trading in the red with InfosysNSE -3.79 %, TCS, Tech MahindraNSE -2.78 %, Reliance IndustriesNSE -2.01 % and Power Grid falling up to 4 per cent. On the other hand, Dr Reddy's Labs, YES BankNSE 3.38 %, BPCLNSE 2.45 %, IOCNSE 2.91 % and HPCL advanced between 2 per cent and 7 per cent. Here are the five key factors that were weighing on the market: Company Summary NSEBSE Reliance Industries ...-22.65 (-1.99%) YES Bank Ltd.6.45 (3.36%) Hindustan Petroleum ...5.30 (2.18%) EXPAND TO VIEW ALL Weak global cues Most of the Asian markets were trading in the red following heavy overnight losses in US stocks. Dow Jones index lost nearly 950 points in the past two trading sessions as US investors continued to be plagued by doubts surrounding slowing global growth, US-China trade relations, and the steady rise in interest rates that can be expected to continue into next year. Dow dipped 2.21 per cent or 551.80 points to 24,465.64 in the previous trading session. Asian peers, Hang Seng, Nikkei and Shanghai were down up to 1 per cent in morning deals. GDP growth may ease Market sentiment also got affected after ratings agency ICRA's report stated that after the strong upswing in April-June quarter of current financial year (FY19), GDP growth for July-September quarter is expected to dip to 7.2 per cent on account of sluggishness in agriculture and industry. The GDP had grown by a higher than expected 8.2 per cent in the first quarter of FY19 as compared to the year-ago period. Crude shock Sentiment also took a hit from reports that India's crude oil imports in October rose to their highest level in at least more than seven years. Crude import in October climbed 10.5 per cent from a year earlier to 21.02 million tonnes. FII in selling mode Foreign institutional investors (FIIs) sold shares worth a net of Rs 753.17 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) offloaded shares worth Rs 44.06 crore Tuesday, as per provisional data. Technical factor Nifty50 snapped a three-day winning streak and reversed the formation of higher highs and higher lows on Tuesday to form a `Bearish Belt Hold' pattern on the daily chart. Mazhar Mohammad, Chief Strategist for Technical Research & Trading Advisory, Chartviewindia on Tuesday said a follow-through selloff from a critical resistance point could mark at least a near-term top for Nifty50 around Monday's high of 10,774 level, which will be confirmed only on a decisive breach of the 10,600 level. Given the lost momentum and weak market breadth, the index could slip into consolidation, said Arun Kumar, Market Strategist, Reliance Securities.
Truth, justice, and the American way" is a phrase one heard a lot when I was growing up, and as the years pass, it sounds more and more incredible and darkly comic. Despite my long-held reservations, though, for many years of adulthood I thought "fake it till my kids, at least, can make it," was an okay strategy with respect to Truth and Justice, and maybe even the American Way. A risky strategy, sure, but what isn't? After all, they now live in an America where anybody who would like to can get married, and today's young adults are far wiser and better educated and informed, less materialist and more mindful than we were at their age in the 1980s, or so it seems to me. They are making meaningful attempts to create fairer, more egalitarian workplaces and political systems. They have all kinds of wild ideas! Every day I see young people trying so hard to be good to one another. Their high school history textbook was written by Howard Zinn, who at least didn't think the Pilgrims were having a simply adorable turkey feast with the Red Man, which is what I was taught. These are some miraculous things that happened in my lifetime, and I believe they came about partly as the result in having faith in the possibility of a better future. You need to have that faith to raise children in a troubled world. But then 2016 happened. I'm not the only one to be uncomfortably reminded of Suetonius every time I hear about what's going on in Washington. Since last November, it's been plain as day that faith in the invisibly incremental progress promised (specifically, to me, by centrist Democrats) was, to put it kindly, misplaced, and did not prove anywhere near enough to counter the furious and unhinged enemies of that progress on the right. The enlightened atmosphere, so manifestly true and right, of increasing freedom, fairness, and equal rights that allowed my kids and their cohort to grow up in a condition of relative sanity is suddenly in terrible danger. What of their kids?! This is now an all-hands situation. Every social advance is threatened. And bewilderingly, the United States again finds itself in the crusty claws of Republican "trickle-down economics," an economic theory unrivaled in its consistency (of abject failure). Consequently, faith in the institutions that were meant to protect us against moments like these has also failed. Faith in the Hope and Change some of us worked so hard for, and which, in the end, delivered so little. Faith in a Senate made up of responsible adults who could be trusted to deliberate fairly and not loot the treasury and rape the Arctic in the dead of night. Faith that the tycoons of Silicon Valley would prove to be decent, no-evil-doing stewards of our information and our privacy. That kind of naivety went up in flames starting in late 2016. Things are not okay. It doesn't really matter who you blame for the mess we're in: the drunk maniacs currently at the wheel, or the allegedly sober ones who managed, like idiots, to lose track of the keys. There are excellent arguments condemning everyone in Washington, D.C., and on Wall Street for selling the country out?-?past presidents all the way back to Washington, past candidates, party leadership, lobbyists and congressmen, media, everybody who sat by and let the 1 percent grab everyone by the.well. Now what? None of our old leaders or institutions prevented this mess, and not a one of them is about to see the error of his, or their, ways. The degraded times we live in are such that no one in error will say, "I failed, and I now withdraw and leave better women or men to take my place." No. They will all cling to the gnawed ends of their power until their flesh falls off their very bones. We need new and better leaders and institutions. Part of the problem is one of accountability. Of simply remembering. Maggie Haberman of the New York Times, a journalist much admired for her cool detachment in dealing with the current president, recently had the face to compare him unfavorably with George W. Bush. Haberman was 30 years old in 2003, when the fraudulent war with Iraq began. There is no excuse whatsoever for this disgrace. Fortunately a thicket of tweets sprang up to remind Haberman of the facts regarding the "tolerance" of George W. Bush. You may be surprised to find that this brings me to my word of the year: blockchain. Blockchain technology?-?not bitcoin, the cryptocurrency it inaugurated in 2009, but the underlying technology?-?is a bulletproof record-keeping system. That's it, really. Provided it's running on a robust-enough computer network, blockchains produce incorruptible records. That may not sound like much, but records are remembering. Records are the protection of our memories for the future. Money is the least of it! Anywhere you need records that can't be altered or deleted, adequately distributed blockchains can (a) produce and (b) safeguard them. Blockchain systems can do a lot more for journalism, and for our future politics, but let's just start with this. Incorruptible records. Records that can't be altered. That means no matter what, if you design the system well enough, and if computers and electricity persist. No matter which billionaire doesn't like you; no matter who is president; no matter if Manhattan turns into a scuba park. That's why, in the wake of the catastrophe of 2016, I dedicated myself to producing journalism on a blockchain-based publishing platform. I'm totally not trying to sell anything here, so I won't link. But I'm writing this because I want you in future to think differently about blockchain technology. There are a lot of scams around it, just like there were a lot of internet scams when the internet was born, as there are still. But blockchain itself is not a scam. Together with new ideas being developed and pursued elsewhere, including those we may not even know about, new ideas like blockchain may yet deliver us from evil.
As a therapist I have the privilege of being a part of my clients' growth. I see people escape from the depths of depression and anxiety to become healthy, adaptable, and successful individuals. They rarely (if ever!) do this alone. They are prompted by something or someone to ask for help, often putting aside shame or ego to accept the possibility that they could make things better for themselves, with help from someone else. This begins a journey towards something better than they can find on their own. A lot of people don't even begin the process of asking for help. This happens in small ways for most of us, but it also happens on a dramatic scale for for a surprising number of people. For example, more than half of all mental illnesses go totally untreated. That's a big problem! I know I have had my own struggles where I avoided asking for help despite knowing the difference it can make. More than once in my life I have had this feeling of drowning in unfamiliar waters. Those waters have come in different forms: drowning in paperwork on the job, drowning in debt of different forms, or drowning in the unfamiliarity of parenting or DIY household repairs. My impulse when feeling this way has never been to reach for help though, like it would be if I was actually getting dragged under by some nefarious rip current. Why is this? Intellectually, I know there are people who have been where I am before; I know there are experts willing to lend a hand or give some advice. I know I have family and friends who I have helped before who would be all too eager to return the favor. I know I have a wife who can be counted on in times of stress or confusion. Still, instead of using those resources, I can find myself obsessing about worst case scenarios like getting fired, or going bankrupt, or giving up on a project halfway through instead of simply asking for help. It's as if I'm in a video game by myself and instead of playing through all of my options I just accept defeat, hoping to restart the level. A recent example of this happened on vacation with my wife, 19-month-old daughter, and immediate family. There were 9 of us all together, so plenty of "helpers" were available if needed. Despite being on vacation, I had a hard time relaxing practically the entire time we were there, especially at first. Even when my daughter took blissful three hour naps in the middle of the day, I stayed close by her room, not allowing myself to get out of earshot in case she woke up. I desperately wanted and needed to relax-so what was I waiting for? I could have easily asked a sibling or parent to take watch. After much self reflection I identified three obstacles that got in my way then-the same ones that stop so many of us from asking for help. Obstacle #1: Locus of Control American psychologist Julian Rotter identified many influential theories around social learning, but perhaps one of the most important is the theory of "locus of control." Your locus of control is the degree to which you believe your results/circumstances are controlled by yourself (internal locus) or by outside forces such as luck, destiny, God, or powerful others (external locus). An internal locus of control is generally considered more desirable as it is more likely to produce feelings of self-determination and an achievement oriented mindset. See here for an in depth explanation. I have had some past experiences where it has felt like I'm not totally in control of my circumstances. The most memorable was moving from Maryland to New Jersey at the formative age of 13 in the middle of 7th grade. No matter how I felt, and despite my parent's best intentions, I struggled with the transition. I didn't ask for help or talk about this struggle at that time either. I developed a somewhat external locus of control; it felt useless to ask for help because I assume that "things won't work out anyway." This is a lie, or at the very least a cognitive distortion. And it is a common mindset for people with depression and anxiety. Getting help is often delayed because it "doesn't matter" or "won't make a difference." The reality of the situation, though, is very different from this perception: it does matter, and it can change. People can find success no matter what their perceived locus of control is. Dr. Al Siebert, author of the Resiliency Advantage, argues that "both sets of beliefs are self-validating and self-fulfilling. People who believe that their fate is under the control of outside forces act in ways that confirm their beliefs. People who know they can do things to make their life better act in ways to confirm their beliefs." For example, people with an external locus of control may believe a higher being is in control of their lives. In times of anxiety or stress they may pray for assistance. In asking for help this way, they reassure themselves and confirm their beliefs that a higher being is in control and will hear their prayers. Meanwhile, people with an internal locus of control may believe they alone are responsible for improving their mood or situation, so they may search for something helpful like therapy, a meditation practice, or a journaling habit. People on either side of the spectrum can reach out for help and are move towards success. Obstacle #2: Learned Helplessness This is a condition in which a person suffers from a sense of powerlessness, either due to a traumatic event or a perceived failure to succeed. To any outside observer, the idea that I have "failed to succeed" might sound ridiculous. I am blissfully married with a happy and healthy 19-month-old daughter. I am fully employed and am in good health. I have frequent positive social interactions with friends and family. Yet sometimes, I feel this sense of powerlessness or perceived failure myself. Like locus of control, perception of powerlessness or helplessness is entirely subjective. There is an infamous learned helplessness experiment performed by Martin Seligman, PhD, in which three groups of dogs were subjected to shocks in various circumstances. The dogs in the test group were put into crates and subjected to shocks that they could not control or escape and that ended randomly. When dogs in this group was later put in a crate where they only had to jump over a small barrier to escape the shocks, they remained in the compartment, whimpering "helplessly." Not until the testers physically moved their legs and showed them that they could escape did the dogs start jumping the barrier on their own. We may not need someone to come "move our legs" to help us to get moving directly, getting someone else's perspective can help us take a step back and discover ways out of the situation-despite what our past experiences seem to be telling us. Obstacle #3: Cognitive Dissonance Cognitive dissonance happens when our thoughts, beliefs, or attitudes are inconsistent with our actions or behavioral decisions. I experience cognitive dissonance when I view myself as a competent/productive employee (belief) yet fall desperately behind on paperwork (action). Thus I am less likely to ask for help in these situations because I still see myself as a competent and productive employee-yet there is clear evidence to the contrary! The barrier to asking for help is that it requires me to challenge my belief; I would have to acknowledge that my actions do not reflect how I have viewed myself. In the earlier example with my daughter, I view myself as a competent, caring, responsible parent, and believe that asking for help caring for her would make me selfish, irresponsible, and burdening others. Intellectually I know I am not a bad parent for asking someone to watch her. Nevertheless, I have an emotional believe that it would mean I was incompetent. The reality is every competent parent needs help from others. Furthermore many people are pretty excited to watch a cute toddler for a few hours and genuinely like to be needed-not feeling burdened. By reminding myself of this, I can resolve my dissonance by changing my belief that I am not irresponsible when I ask for help. Conclusion The important theme through these obstacles is that what we perceive the situation to be and what the situation actually is often differs wildly. How we frame our problems makes a big difference in our ability to solve them. Instead of giving up in the face of frustration and telling ourselves "I can't do this," we would be much better served by reminding ourselves that when we get to this point that "I can't do this alone." That mindset has been very helpful for me in addressing problems in my life. At work, I recognize that when I get behind on paperwork, my supervisor can help me manage my schedule, front desk staff can help me get organized, and co-workers can cover for me or just commiserate with me and help me motivate myself. In asking for help, I take more control over my situation, and I can see that I don't have to feel guilty about acknowledging my shortcomings. With money, I can recognize that even though I've been in debt in the past, that doesn't make me any less capable of managing money now. There are always options to be explored. I can consult people who are more comfortable managing money, even members of my own family. As a parent, even though I want to see myself as competent, caring father, I can also recognize that a competent father needs a break every now and then. Additionally, if I don't allow myself to relax once in awhile I won't be any good to my energizer bunny of a daughter. If I see the need to relax as part of being competent, asking for help will not cause any cognitive dissonance. While we might feel like we are drowning alone reaching out into dark empty waters, in reality we are drowning with eyes closed while hands reach out to help all around us. All we need to do is open our eyes and reach
Between 60 and death. It's time to use the money you saved up. Use it and enjoy it. Don't just keep it for those who may have no notion of the sacrifices you made to get it. Remember there is nothing more dangerous than a son or daughter-in-law with big ideas for your hard-earned capital. Warning: This is also a bad time for investments, even if it seems wonderful or fool-proof. They only bring problems and worries. This is a time for you to enjoy some peace and quiet. Stop worrying about the financial situation of your children and grandchildren, and don't feel bad spending your money on yourself. You've taken care of them for many years, and you've taught them what you could. You gave them an education, food, shelter and support. The responsibility is now theirs to earn their own money. Keep a healthy life, without great physical effort. Do moderate exercise (like walking every day), eat well and get your sleep. It's easy to become sick, and it gets harder to remain healthy. That is why you need to keep yourself in good shape and be aware of your medical and physical needs. Keep in touch with your doctor, do tests even when you're feeling well. Stay informed. Always buy the best, most beautiful items for your significant other. The key goal is to enjoy your money with your partner. One day one of you will miss the other, and the money will not provide any comfort then, enjoy it together. Don't stress over the little things. You've already overcome so much in your life. You have good memories and bad ones, but the important thing is the present. Don't let the past drag you down and don't let the future frighten you. Feel good in the now. Small issues will soon be forgotten. Regardless of age, always keep love alive. Love your partner, love life, love your family, love your neighbor and remember: "A man is not old as long as he has intelligence and affection." Be proud, both inside and out. Don't stop going to your hair salon or barber, do your nails, go to the dermatologist and the dentist, keep your perfumes and creams well stocked. When you are well-maintained on the outside, it seeps in, making you feel proud and strong. Don't lose sight of fashion trends for your age, but keep your own sense of style. There's nothing worse than an older person trying to wear the current fashion among youngsters. You've developed your own sense of what looks good on you - keep it and be proud of it. It's part of who you are. ALWAYS stay up-to-date. Read newspapers, watch the news. Go online and read what people are saying. Make sure you have an active email account and try to use some of those social networks. You'll be surprised what old friends you'll meet. Respect the younger generation and their opinions. They may not have the same ideals as you, but they are the future, and will take the world in their direction. Give advice, not criticism, and try to remind them that yesterday's wisdom still applies today. Never use the phrase: "In my time." Your time is now. As long as you're alive, you are part of this time. Some people embrace their golden years, while others become bitter and surly. Life is too short to waste your days on the latter. Spend your time with positive, cheerful people, it'll rub off on you and your days will seem that much better. Spending your time with bitter people will make you older and harder to be around. Do not surrender to the temptation of living with your children or grandchildren (if you have a financial choice, that is). Sure, being surrounded by family sounds great, but we all need our privacy. They need theirs and you need yours. If you've lost your partner (our deepest condolences), then find a person to move in with you and help out. Even then, do so only if you feel you really need the help or do not want to live alone. Don't abandon your hobbies. If you don't have any, make new ones. You can travel, hike, cook, read, dance. You can adopt a cat or a dog, grow a garden, play cards, checkers, chess, dominoes, golf. Try to go. Get out of the house, meet people you haven't seen in a while, experience something new (or something old). The important thing is to leave the house from time to time. Go to museums, go walk through a field. Get out there. Speak in courteous tones and try not to complain or criticize too much unless you really need to. Try to accept situations as they are. Pain and discomfort go hand in hand with getting older. Try not to dwell on them but accept them as a part of the life. If you've been offended by someone - forgive them. If you've offended someone - apologize. Don't drag around resentment with you. It only serves to make you sad and bitter. It doesn't matter who was right. Someone once said: "Holding a grudge is like taking poison and expecting the other person to die." Don't take that poison. Forgive, forget and move on with your life. Laugh. Laugh A LOT. Laugh at everything. Remember, you are one of the lucky ones. You managed to have a life, a long one. Many never get to this age, never get to experience a full life. But you did. Now is the time to be at rest, at peace and as happy as you can be! AND REMEMBER: "Life is too short to drink bad wines, drink the best & expensive one, if you want to drink..."????????????
A big challenge for any development organization managing technical debt, the pile of work created from past decisions in software development efforts. Addressing technical debt often gets short shrift, because doing so rarely addresses an urgent business need and, especially for nonurgent cases, the ROI is unclear and thus perceived as deferrable. It's a classic issue for anything involving maintenance, whether code or houses. But there are ways to measure and manage technical debt that will help you keep control of that technical debt. [ Watch out! 8 career pitfalls every developer should avoid. 7 books you must read to be a real software developer. 15 noob mistakes even experienced developers still make. | Keep up with hot topics in programming with InfoWorld's App Dev Report newsletter. ] How do the applications that you are developing today evolve into tomorrow's legacy applications? You and the development team are sprinting and releasing application improvements on a regular release schedule, so it might be hard to imagine these applications dissolving to legacy status in the future. You might also be wondering what you can do today as you are developing the application to reduce the risk of it becoming a legacy application. Applications don't become legacy overnight, and they become that way because of two primary factors: As the application gets older, an organization may assign fewer people to maintain it , instead shifting people to more strategic projects. The amount of time the team dedicates to address technical improvements to the application may get smaller over time, given then focus on new activities
The one-two punch of data and artificial intelligence are in the midst of transforming the world as we know it. But how do we make sure that the new world that emerges in their wake is one we'll want to live in? A big part of the equation is ensuring that consumers' data is handled properly. Speaking on a panel at Fortune`s Most Powerful Women Summit in Laguna Niguel, Calif. on Monday, Clara Shih, CEO and co-founder of Hearsay Systems, offered a straight-forward, four-point system for doing just that: 1. Be transparent. Let people know what information will be used and how. 2. Provide choice. Be clear about when people can opt in or out of having their personal data collected. 3. Explain the value. That might be convenience (Shih cited Amazon as an example) or rewards, as with a credit card. 4. Instantly notify people when there's a data breach. That's "when," not "if," she said. It's important to set a code of conduct around data and to follow it strictly, added fellow panelist and Ancestry.com CEO Margo Georgiadis. For example, during the height of the 2018 immigration and family separation crisis, Ancestry was asked to donate genetic testing services to try to help reunite asylum-seeking parents and children who were separated at the boarder. That was a vitally important cause, but Georgiadis said she ultimately felt that the request violated Ancestry's policy of allowing consumers to control their data. "There was an emotional connection," she said. "But there could be unintended consequences." Would parents provide consent? Would the asylum seekers be able to delete the data later? How else might their data be used? "We're happy to help," Georgiadis said, "but we need clarity." Technologists must stop thinking of data as "just another input," said Navrina Singh, principal product lead for Microsoft A.I. Instead, they have to acknowledge that the data they use will make the product what it is and may have larger implications for society. "When you're thinking about A.I., for me the data sets are one of the biggest concerns," said Brenda Darden Wilkerson, president and CEO of AnitaB.org, an advocacy group for women in technology. If those data sets are faulty or biased, they color what the A.I. learns. Humans must be responsible for the "care and feeding" of technology, she said, so we can be sure artificial intelligence can actually help make the world better-for everyone. Technology can't just serve the Silicon Valley elite, Darden Wilkerson said: "I'm very concerned with the people who are negatively impacted."
For most companies, multicloud and hybrid cloud environments aren't a choice. They're just what happens as those companies evolve. So while 451 Research projects that 69 percent of organizations expect to run a multicloud environment by 2019, the reality is that 100 percent are already there. That's because any company that has set up in the cloud is almost certainly already running in more than one. The reason? Developers. [ InfoWorld explains: What is multicloud? The next step in cloud computing. | Get started: Going multicloud? Avoid these 3 pitfalls. Understand the multicloud management trade-off. | Keep up with the latest developments in cloud computing with InfoWorld's Cloud Computing newsletter. ] Multicloud by the grace of developers Oh, yes, I know that CIOs want to claim credit for having a strategy around hybrid cloud (running public and private cloud workloads) and multicloud (running workloads on more than one public cloud), but these things just happen in a world that can no longer be command-and-controlled by the C-suite. This doesn't mean, of course, that there's zero control of cloud adoption. There's just not as much as in the past. For example, as Rishidot analyst Krishnan Subramanian has highlighted, "Multicloud as a [high availability] use case is meaningless, but multicloud as a way to avoid shadow IT (giving developers the cloud services they want) is a critical strategy for enterprises." As such, he continues, "Going forward, most enterprises will have a multicloud strategy." Catch that? Enterprises can't stop developers from embracing services that make their jobs easier, but they can evolve to offer many of those services on private clouds, not to mention adding official support for public clouds that have services unavailable on the enterprise's default choice.
What is design thinking? Design thinking is emerging as a major ingredient for digital transformation success. But what exactly is design thinking, and how are leading CIOs harnessing its power to bolster business value? "Design thinking is a method for deriving deep insights into customer needs and wants, making it possible to create customer experiences that disrupt incumbents or competitors," Gartner analyst Lars Van Dam says in a research note. Relying on significant observation of user behaviors, design thinking uses empathy to understand expectations and emotional experiences and to derive insights into what delights customers, Van Dam adds. [ Be sure to adopt the habits of highly effective digital transformations - and beware the 7 myths of digital transformation. | Get the latest on digital transformation by signing up for our CIO Leader newsletters. ] This innovation philosophy, popularized by software vendors, is gaining sway among traditional businesses building digital products and services. CIOs are leveraging design thinking, along with a human-centered design ethos, as a key part of their corporate IT strategies. The design thinking approach Design thinking represents a departure from the more traditional approach in which design is driven top-down. In this scenario, management facilitates the creation of digital products, brings them to market and explains how they solve problems, says John Morley, a business design strategist at Hitachi Vantara, who worked on design thinking in prior roles at AppDynamics, Symantec and EMC. Design thinking, on the other hand, is a bottom-up approach, with employees throughout all layers of an organization influencing and refining product development. Morley says it's common for junior-level employees to ferry feedback to those in power as they tend to be closer to customers. An outcome-based mindset is essential. "An organization has to commit to opening up and having a feedback loop around ideation," Morley says. "People have to not be focused on their role in the org chart but how their skills can support a desired outcome." There's a trick to effective design thinking: If it doesn't become embedded throughout the organization's culture, it will fail, Morley says. "The perspective of the organization should be customer-centric," he adds. [ Looking to upgrade your career in tech? This comprehensive online course teaches you how. ] Design thinking principles Perhaps you've heard the expression "starting with the customer and working backwards." This is the ethos from which design thinking springs. And while it may seem like common sense, enterprises have long taken the build-it-and-they-will-come tack. Prior to design thinking, user-friendliness was an afterthought. IT departments would take specifications and then spend months building technology solutions. But in the consumerization era, in which employees and consumers became empowered to use their preferred devices and applications, user-friendliness became a requirement not a perk, putting increased pressure on IT to design its solutions with users in mind, says Shelley Evenson, managing director at Fjord, a design consultancy acquired by Accenture Interactive in 2013. Evenson, who also worked in design roles at Facebook and Microsoft before joining Fjord, says design thinking represents a cultural shift in peoples' "liquid expectations," a phrase that emphasizes the fluidity of expectations around technical solutions. Consider the revolution Apple ignited with its iPhone and subsequent App Store launch a decade ago, which drove people to expect great mobile applications from their favorite brands. Since then, many quick-service chains have added ordering and payment capabilities to their mobile apps. Such moves have been propelled by liquid expectations. But as technology is increasingly woven into the matrix of a business, even traditional companies are considering user experience as a key factor in solutions both for employees and customers. Today a big part of Evenson's job involves speaking with CIOs and other business leaders about how to build software and services akin to Airbnb, Facebook and other services that consumers feel were designed for them personally. "You can't have a corporate service that isn't considering usability, desirability and putting people first rather than what we can do technically or what makes sense to get what they need," Evenson says. The shift to design thinking typically involves ditching the classic cubicle farm for open, collaborative workspaces where product managers, designers and software engineers sit and huddle over new solutions. In such environments, it's not uncommon for CIOs to walk into the workspace and not know exactly who reports to them. Design thinking best practices Design thinking requires a culture change. But for many firms undertaking digital initiatives to transform their businesses, design thinking is increasingly becoming part of corporate strategic agendas, says Chris Pacione, co-founder and CEO of LUMA Institute, which teaches people how to do human-centered design. Design thinking, Pacione says, can help foster innovation as companies seek to "renew" themselves frequently to keep up with the pace of change. Pacione's approach to design thinking blends product design and systems engineering with anthropology and ethnographic approaches. Design thinking, Pacione says, can help organizations avoid common pitfalls that keep projects from succeeding. Those include: Problem framing: All too often well-intentioned teams will rush to fix a problem without fixing its root cause. They don't capture the scope of the issue plaguing their organization. Pacione recommends firms "question the question" by exploring new ways of framing the problem accurately and ensuring teams are on the same page. "Teams that understand the real opportunity in the first place have a chance of success," he says. Empathy: Another big reason projects fail is the lack of understanding and empathy for myriad stakeholders the initiatives are intended to serve. Capturing empathy isn't an easy task as end users don't share a hive mind. Moreover, enterprises need to design solutions keeping in mind those who must install, repair or maintain them. This is where contextual inquiry and other ethnographic and participatory design techniques come in handy for IT teams. Iteration: Corporate governance, which is linear-minded, tends to crimp innovation, which requires iterative approaches to product development. Organizations need to allow for the multiple, natural small failures associated with great or novel ideas, Pacone says. This requires sketching, storyboarding and prototyping solutions based on stakeholder feedback. "Really innovative solutions that have impact are the result of numerous innovation and a continuous flow of assumption testing and improvement. The faster time to market maxim is irrelevant in this day and age. Organizations that iterate the fastest and do it well will win." Project failure points: Identify areas that aren't working and fix them. That's one of the advantages of iteration; designers and engineers can fix bugs and user design quirks on a rolling basis, from inception of minimally viable products to fully-baked commercial solutions. Collaboration: Organizations living under threat of disruption have to come up with good ideas and collaborate with other departments and with clients to get them implemented. They must also help to impart ways of working that are more visually imaginative and creative. Pacione says the impetus for driving design-thinking into an organization tends to come from organizations looking to improve customer experiences. "The impetus is on the outside because it's affecting bottom and top-lines sooner," Pacione says. Design thinking in practice Design thinking has become a critical tool in TD Ameritrade's development of roboadvisers, chatbots and other customer-facing technologies that drive revenue growth, CIO Vijay Sankaran tells CIO.com. He says that design thinking has helped his team visualize the client experience for applications they are building as part of the company's push toward agile software development practices. Sankaran has tapped coaches and consultants, such as Pivotal Labs, to help teach both IT and business line product managers how to build software with the end user in mind. "They ask open ended questions, such as, `Okay, what would a client want to do with this and how would they interact with it?" Sankaran says. "Design thinking is huge." The question of whether your company adopts design thinking may be of when rather than if. Millennial employees, which already comprise more than half the workforce, will pass on employers whose technologies and practices they view as part of the digital Dark Ages, Evenson says. One way corporations can avoid the "digital Dark Ages" is to create a "design culture" that involves hiring more designers and prototyping new solutions they wish to launch early and often. Setting up innovation labs and digital accelerators also helps. "They see the pressure of the liquid expectations both in delivering their services and in keeping their organization growing and thriving," Evenson says.
Last January, Google and KPMG conducted a study titled `Impact of Digitisation on SMBs in India'. It presented a gloomy picture of Small and Medium businesses (SMBs) in the country, highlighting that a staggering 68 per cent of SMBs in India are offline. Besides, Indian SMBs that do engage with digital technologies are still not using the full potential of it. In the SMB sector pyramid, it was found that only 2 per cent were in the Engaged tier. The rest 30 per cent were in the Connected and Enabled tiers, meaning that they do not actively sell or promote their business online, unlike the Engaged. Despite the current state of things, experts say that the next online revolution is impending in the SMB sector. Akash Nangia, Co-founder and CEO, TechJockey, sees a "silver lining in the numbers". "Of approximately 300 million SMBs, if even a small percentage decide to digitise the business, it opens a huge market for software solutions providers," Nangia said, wondering whether any platform exists that could provide SMBs with wholesome solutions for digitisation. The solutions provider Back in 2010, Nangia, one of the founding members of Zomato, while working as the vice-president of corporate sales in the company, closely observed the increasing demand for technology among smaller businesses. Two years later, after quitting Zomato, in an attempt to explore this opportunity, he launched SISL Infotech, an IT system integrator and reseller that helped address IT sourcing challenges and software licencing needs with solutions and managed services. In 2016, with his friend Arjun Mittal, he expanded the idea further into TechJockey, an e-commerce platform selling a wide range of software solutions to startups, SMEs, MSMEs, corporates, and even individuals. In simple terms, it can be called the `Flipkart of software solutions'. Since its inception, the company has reportedly grown manifold with the help of vendors and resellers on its platform. Evidently, the company has clocked yearly sales of Rs 8 crore in the fiscal ending March 2018. In the fiscal year 2017, the company made a turnover of Rs 3.5 crore. Interestingly, he has been able to achieve the numbers without raking in huge investments. The platform is still bootstrapped and claims to have done well only through product quality which has drawn a huge traffic. TechJockey has over 3,000 products listed across industries like retail, e-commerce, ITES, hospitality, healthcare, education and others. The platform sells products from 100 categories and fulfils the requirement of more than 2,100 small and medium businesses. It has partnered with over 1,200 software vendors such as Microsoft, Tally, Sophos, Greytip HR, Spine Technologies as well as small vendors from tier 2 and tier 3 cities. Smaller cities bring larger biz Businesses from smaller cities are not as idle as before and are fast adapting to the changing environment. They face challenges in making an online presence, integrating payments solutions if already online, or by buying different software solutions to manage the business. Nangia informs that between 65 and 70 per cent of buyers on the platform come from tier 2 and 3 cities such as Gorakhpur, Hisar, Alwar and others. Seeing the huge growth in smaller cities, TechJockey is boarding resellers - local software sellers who source the software from the platform and supply it to individuals and retailers in these cities. The resellers work with TechJockey on commission basis. The blueprint for growth The platform has been fast expanding its business scope, trying to tap into the market's potential at its maximum. Conventional marketing, and onboarding around 650 resellers from the telecom sector, who will further sell the company's products to individual buyers and retailers in those cities, are TechJockey's means to achieve the target. The company plans to increase the number of transactions per month from 100 to 500 by December-end this year and the number of visitors from 40,000 per month to 1,00,000 per month. "We aim to utilise the first-mover's advantage in this sector. We want to explore all the means to reach a certain position where it would be extremely difficult for any new platform to replicate the model and build another TechJockey," said Nangia.
Every debt mutual fund category is returning positive in the one-, three-, six-months, one-year time horizons. Earlier this year, long-term debt funds like gilt funds and income funds that invest in long-dated securities hit the negative terrain. "The returns have turned green because bond yields have fallen very sharply from 8.2 level to 7.80. However, whether it is sustainable is a question. When the rates are volatile, we always see fluctuation in debt fund returns, especially in the longer category," says Pankaj Pathak, Fund Manager-Fixed Income, Quantum AMC. Mutual fund advisors believe investors should not make too much of the uptick in long-term debt funds, as these funds can still turn volatile if the interest rates head north. They advise investors to stick to short duration schemes with high credit quality. "Investors should stick to shorter end as the time is not ripe to enter long duration funds. Both the micro- and macro-economic scenarios look unfavourable. We might also see RBI hiking rates which will make debt markets more volatile," says Joydeep Sen, Founder, wiseinvestor.in. According to experts, other than short duration funds, investors may also look at dynamic bond funds. "Investors may go for dynamic bond funds which capitalise on the interest rate movement. They change form based on interest rate scenario. They may take lower of higher maturity, but investors must avoid credit risk," says Pathak. Pathak emphasizes to avoid any kind of credit risk. He explains, "though, now we see some softening in pressure that we have seen in NBFC space in September and October, there are some other risks that can be seen in the NBFC books. Many NBFCs have grown lending to real estate developers which are in trouble and are re-financing their loans every time." "Now, with NBFCs already facing liquidity problem, will they continue to re-finance those developers is a big question. And if we see any kind of defaults from real estate developers, that will definitely have some cascading effect on NBFCs and other credit markets," he adds. Does it mean that you should exit your existing funds and put your money in the short duration funds? Mutual fund experts ask investors to stick to their asset allocation. They say those having long duration exposure must not evaluate funds on a standalone basis. They ask investors not to rush to take an entry or exit call on their portfolio without looking at it along with their investment horizon and risk appetite. They point out that if investors have invested with a longer time horizon in mind, the returns tend to normalize. Higher accrual offsets some of the M2M losses. "If we look at the past data, long term funds have given decent returns in the long term, including those bad periods, when returns were impacted severely. The idea is to stick to your allocation without bothering about interim disturbances," says Sen. Gilt funds on an average have delivered 7.91 per cent and 9.44 per cent over three- and five-year period respectively. Long duration funds have given 7.35 per cent and 9.24 per cent over the same time period.
Buying a house? Beware of builders' tricks Last updated on: October 23, 2007 13:36 IST Everybody wants a piece of real estate. The sector has been growing at 25-30 per cent a year since 2003, fired primarily by low interest on housing loans and the rising affluence of homebuyers. Those who had bought stocks of real estate companies, whose valuations have gone through the roof, are a happy lot. However, the same cannot necessarily be said of scores of financially and emotionally bleeding homebuyers. The developers play lord and master to middle-income individuals, who often live like monks to fulfil their dream of owning a house. Most sale agreements are heavily loaded in favour of builders in the currently unregulated market. This disillusionment is reflected in the rise in the number of complaints that has accompanied the growth of the sector. In the first 25 days of August 2007, the Delhi-based National Consumer Helpline, a consumers' body, received 33 housing-related complaints. The Consumer Guidance Society of India (CGSI), Mumbai, says it gets two-three cases a day. In this scenario, what chance do you have of safeguarding your interests as a buyer? In 1993, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of M.K. Gupta in his case against the Lucknow Development Authority for not delivering his flat on time. This landmark judgment brought housing construction under the purview of the Consumer Protection Act, 1986. This, however, hasn't done much to change the unscrupulous ways of builders. Owing to the bonhomie between developers, the authorities and the contractors, projects get sanctioned easily but the quality of construction goes unquestioned. Supreme Court advocate C.M. Srikumar says: "Even in cooperative societies, the contractor, the architect and the office-bearers of the society dupe the public." Rahul Todi, managing director, Bengal Shrachi Housing Development, says: "Unlike other consumer products, here we sell a concept first. If there is a gap between expectation and reality, then we are not doing our job properly." What are the most common games that developers play? Here are eight common tricks and ways in which you can guard against them. I. When do I get my house? Most agreements do not clearly specify the date of delivery. For instance, one says: "Completion of the building is expected to be delivered by the date mentioned in the covering letter of this allotment. The delivery of the possession is subject to force majeure." What this means is that you cannot hold the developer responsible if he does not stick to the promised delivery date. There have been cases when the delivery has been delayed by 12 months or more. Typically, the buyer would have paid 95 per cent of the price by the time he reaches the expected delivery date. If he is living in a rented house, delays will drive his calculations awry as he would not have factored in this additional rent (see Double Bite). Mumbai stockbroker Bhupendra M. Pitroda, 58, fought a legal battle against Megha Property Developers for five years. Reason: delayed possession. Pitroda was promised delivery of the flat he booked in 1998 in Navi Mumbai's Madhuri Cooperative Society Housing Project within 18 months. The builder later said that delivery would take another six months. When Pitroda visited the site six months later, he felt that the delivery would not happen soon. So, he instructed his bank to stop payment of the balance 37.5 per cent of the apartment's cost to Megha Developers. The developer promptly sold off the flat. An aggrieved Pitroda then moved the State Commission in July 2000. Three years later, the commission asked Megha Developers to refund Pitroda the money he had paid with 15 per cent interest. Pitroda was also awarded a compensation of Rs 15,000 for the mental agony caused and Rs 5,000 for legal costs. The developer appealed in the National Commission, which upheld the State Commission order but cut the interest to 9 per cent. The developer then moved the Supreme Court. "The Supreme Court judge flung the papers in the face of the builder's lawyer and asked the builder to compensate me immediately. The judgment was over in a minute," says Pitroda. Through the legal battle, Pitroda made 25 appearances in the State Commission, three in the National Commission and one in the Supreme Court. Many agreements have penalty clauses for delayed delivery, but they are without bite. For example: "If the company fails to complete the construction of the said building/apartment within the period as aforesaid, then the company shall pay to the allottee compensation at the rate of Rs 5 per sq. ft of the super area per month for the period of such delay." What this means is that for a 1,000-sq. ft flat, you would get a compensation of Rs 5,000 per month?a pittance (see Double Bite). In most cases, buyers put up with the delay quietly rather than 'antagonise' the builder. Most fear retribution, harassment and further delays in delivery. This is not entirely baseless. For one, agreement papers are designed to protect the builder. Two, your intention to fight the builder may look like a joke given your handicap in terms of financial prowess and influence. Three, there is no industry regulator you can turn to for redressal. Suresh Virmani of National Consumer Helpline says: "We generally encourage a dialogue between buyers and sellers to settle disputes. If that fails, the matter is taken to the regulatory body. But we can't even suggest this in real estate because there is no regulatory body." What to do. Don't just take the builder's word on the progress of construction. Check it out from time to time, as Pitroda did. If you feel a delay is likely, start building up pressure on the developer. The best way to do this is to form a society, says Virmani. Usually, builders have many projects running at the same time and they push the ones where the pressure is higher. "The more the number of buyers, the greater is the pressure," says Bharath Jairaj of Consumer Action Group, Chennai. II. Where are my papers? A lot of builders are evasive about giving the completion certificate at the time of handing over the flat. A completion certificate is issued by municipal authorities and establishes that the building complies with the approved plan. A developer would not get the certificate if he deviates from the plan. You cannot prove ownership over your house if you don't have the certificate as you would not be able to get the house registered. Also, you may not be able to get utility connections. You will have problems selling, mortgaging or reverse mortgaging the house as it will not be in your name. In the worst case, the unapproved parts of your house would be demolished by the municipal authorities. Not a happy state of affairs. Businessman Mohammed Haroon, 45, got his flat in Tulip Garden, Gurgaon, six years ago, but he has not got the completion certificate yet. The same goes for the other 59-odd flat owners there. Together, they took Sarvapriya Developers, which built Tulip Garden, to the consumer court. "After four years, in mid-August this year, the court directed the builder to hand over the completion certificates within a month, or pay Rs 5,000 each as compensation to all the flat owners," says Haroon. "But we know that none of the two will come our way and are prepared to approach the Delhi High Court in this matter." What to do. Sale agreements often don't mention the completion certificate. If yours doesn't and you notice it before signing the papers, insist on the inclusion of a clause that you will be given the completion certificate when the flat is handed over to you. Ask the builder for it as soon as he announces that the house is ready for possession. If, like Haroon, you move into the house without it, the court will probably be your last resort. III. What's the guarantee of quality? Within a month of moving into his apartment in Mahagun Manor, Noida, Rajiv Raghunath, 41, got trapped inside the house as the door lock failed. In six months, the plaster started peeling off and the fans stopped working. In another few months, water started seeping in as the pipes had corroded. "I felt cheated. This wasn't worth my money," says Raghunath. As of now, there is no way for a buyer to check the building materials used or the quality of construction. Says advocate Anupam Srivastava, who is with law firm Chambers of Law: "Quality is a subjective matter. Buyers should enter into an agreement on the kind of material that the builder will use." In October 2005, Pune's Gera Developments started a trend by providing a 5-year warranty on its buildings. The warranty, however, is subject to the conditions that no structural changes be made to the house and that there be no misuse. What to do. Don't fall for the builder's glib talk. Insist on including the sanctioned plan of the building and the specifications of the raw materials to be used for construction in the purchase agreement. If you are already facing quality problems, you can go to the consumer court. Says Anand Patwardhan, a consumer activist and lawyer: "If you want to approach the consumer court, move it within two years from the day you take possession." Alternatively, flat owners can form a Residents' Welfare Association (RWA) and get the builder to fix the problems, as Raghunath, an RWA member, did. IV. What is the price really? Nishit Babyloni, 38, mech-anical engineer in BHEL, Bhopal, had booked bungalow No. 105 with Ansal Housing and Constructions (AHC) in Pradhan Enclave, Bhopal, in 2004. On a visit to the site five months later, he found that his bungalow was not being built. He asked AHC to give him bungalow No. 120 instead, as construction was in full swing on that. AHC formally changed the allotment in February 2005, but sent him a letter eight months later asking for Rs 3.15 lakh more. Atit Arora, general manager (marketing) and project head, Ansals Pradhan Enclave, Bhopal, says: "The bungalow's specifications were changed. Babyloni was required to deposit the amount if he wanted the new specifications." Babyloni retorts that AHC did not tell him about the additional work and the changes in specifications. "We were not told that we would have to pay 25 per cent more for the new bungalow till 18 October 2005." He is thinking of moving the consumer court. But, it is not unusual for an agreement to say that a builder can ask for additional payments if specifications are changed or there are cost overruns. There are legal loopholes as well. The Maharashtra Ownership of Flats Act, 1963, protects buyers against malpractices in the sale and transfer of flats. It gives homebuyers the right to inspect the builder's documents such as the specifications that he has obtained from the authorities. The Delhi Apartment Ownership Act, 1986, however, is a different story. Although it was published in the Gazette of India over a decade ago, brought on the statute book by Parliament and given the President's assent, it is yet to be notified. What to do. The last stop is the consumer court. Says Srikumar, "Many malpractices are offences under the Indian Penal Code, for which the responsible party can be prosecuted." Keep checking with the builder if any changes are being made to the specifications mentioned in the agreement and the allotment letter. Also, try to get it mentioned in the contract that if a sum higher than the original price has to be paid by you, the builder would give you additional time for that. You must also ask for a copy of the sanctions that the builder has taken from the authorities to carry out the alterations. V. What else do i pay for? To make your house liveable, you will need electricity, water and sewage connections. You will also need electrical wiring, appliances like fans, lights and a water pump, which are unlikely to be part of the package and generally won't be mentioned in the agreement. These will be additional costs that you will have to bear. You might also have to keep some speed money aside for registration so that it gets done in a decent timeframe. In some cases, the builder may make a verbal promise to get it done for you. What to do. Builders generally have a take-it-or-leave-it attitude with conscientious buyers while striking a deal. Even so, it pays to be scrupulous and to read the agreement and its fine print. "Get a lawyer, an architect or an evaluator to determine the correctness of the purchase," says Srivastava. Finally, do some quick math and keep aside some funds to get your house up and running. VI. How big is house? A typical home purchase agreement states: "The plans, designs, and specifications are tentative and the developer reserves the right to make variations and modifications..." Simply put, in most cases, you won't know the final area of the house till you get it. The agreement will further state, "In case of change in area, the difference in cost of area shall be adjusted at the time of making final payment." Shikhar Saxena, partner, Ace Equity Solutions, a leading housing finance franchisee of ICICI Bank, had booked a fully-furnished, air-conditioned service apartment measuring 650 sq. ft (super area) in Cabana Service Apartments in Indirapuram, Ghaziabad, which was being built by Assotech Realty. He got an allotment letter mentioning this area. However, when the builder offered possession, the super area of the flat had increased to 671 sq. ft. "Once the authorities approve of the floor space index, how can the builder change it?" he asks. After holding out for over 18 months, the choice before him now is to either accept all the terms of the builder or seek cancellation of his allotment. Further, he was informed that the maintenance charge, which was to be Rs 1.50 per sq. ft per month, has been increased to Rs 7 per sq. ft per month. The agreement shields the builder. It says "the monthly maintenance charges will be subject to revision from time to time". Assotech's Elegante project, also in Indi-rapuram, was to have terrace gardens on the seventh and thirteenth floors. "There is only a patch of green; the developer has built units on these floors too," says a buyer. Srikumar says there is nothing one can do unless the size of the garden is specified in the agreement. What to do. Builders usually follow the same practices through all their projects. So, before buying, check out the builder's earlier projects to see if he plays fair. Start a blog or join one to share your experiences with others, though this doesn't guarantee redressal. You can read about the mistakes and experiences of other people on websites like mouthshut.com. VII. What's the carpet area? Most residential units in India are sold on the basis of the super built-up area, which includes open spaces like space for lifts, staircases and parking, among other things. But, what you really get is the carpet area, which literally means the area that you can carpet. This can be 15-35 per cent less than the super built-up area. In 2005, HDFC chairman Deepak Parekh had said the company would provide loans at cheaper rates to developers who sell their flats on the basis of carpet area. But, there has been little headway on this front. Some developers, especially in Bangalore, sell on the basis of carpet area. In Pune, too, the builders' association has decided to increase the carpet area by 25 per cent to arrive at the saleable built-up area charged to the buyer. In both these cases, buyers are aware of the area they will get. Though there is still a long way to go, experts believe that soon properties all over India would be sold on the basis of carpet area. What to do. Buy property on the basis of carpet area, although the builder will not like the idea. Argue with him that if the super built-up area is mentioned on the basis of the approvals and sanctions, the carpet area can be quantified. Says Srikumar: "There should be a provision for termination of the contract and resumption of the property so that builders don't have an upper hand. However, in the absence of rules, buyers should be vigilant." VIII. Will I get a well-managed property? The developer may promise to maintain the building or complex in the initial years. The service, however, may not be satisfactory. Residents of Mahagun Manor in Noida have taken over its maintenance. "The homebuyers cannot even use the Right to Information Act, 2005, to their advantage because it doesn't apply to private builders or even group cooperative housing societies," says Srivastava. What to do. You are unlikely to get relief through correspondence and phone calls. You can go the e-way to attract the builder's attention. For months, Delhi-based developer Unitech ignored the complaints of the residents of one of their premier offerings, Uniworld City. Then, a resident shot a nine-minute video that captured the visible flaws of the project, and posted it on YouTube.com, a broadcast site. Their grievances were soon attended to. You can use websites like www.consumerhelpline.in and www.cgsiindia.org to seek further guidance. Though the dice is clearly in favour of the builder, the buyers can still fight back and many of them are doing so. Now, the government urgently needs to put a regulator in place to ensure proper disclosures and protect the buyers. What we need Mostly, a home is the biggest investment of one's life. And yet, most people buy it in a hurry. In this hurry, they sign all the papers without even reading it, let alone questioning its clauses. It may all seem illogical later, but it doesn't when it actually should. The Indian real estate market does not have a regulator. The need of the hour is to take lessons from streamlined markets abroad and introduce comprehensive disclosure norms. For instance, US homebuyers are entitled to receive a number of disclosures during the course of the house purchase. These disclosures give a homebuyer a somewhat transparent and fair picture of what he is getting into. On the other hand, Indian homebuyers sign agreements that are not clear. What's more, they even get surprises in terms of extra costs. Take a look at what a buyer in the US state of California is entitled to know from the builder. Real Property Disclosure Statement. This document details the condition of the property and potential hazards, or defects that may be associated with it. While the seller is principally responsible for the disclosures presented in this document, the agent is also supposed to inspect the property and disclose any observable defects detected in the process. The document also lays down any special taxes that may affect the property's value. Financing Disclosures. Various financing disclosures are made during real estate transactions. They give important details about the loan the owner may have taken for the property. Truth in Lending Statement Disclosure. This has details about the terms and conditions of credit, including the amount financed, the finance charge, and the annual percentage rate. Real Estate Settlement Procedures. This contains detailed estimates, by the broker and the lender, of settlement and closing costs to be provided within three days after you apply for a loan. It also provides detailed accounting of actual disbursements and closing costs once the loan transaction is completed. 'Check builder's credibility' Vincent Lottefier, Chief Executive Officer, India Jones Lang La Salle Meghraj, a real estate consultancy firm Cause of the malady. Generally, reputed builders deliver on time and as per promised specifications. Small developers, however, default by stretching their projects beyond the promised delivery date. Often, this is caused by funding issues. They may also skimp on construction costs, banking on the buyer's ignorance about quality parameters. Sometimes, they submit incomplete drawings to the municipal authorities. There are also fly-by-night operators, who pocket their clients' initial payment and then disappear altogether. In bigger cities, most developers are established and experienced players with a reputation to protect. Here, the incidence of gross defaulting is less than 10 per cent. This can, however, be as high as15-20 per cent in emerging suburban areas, where there are a lot of small developers. Many developers who respond to sudden property booms in suburban are as have no experience or technical knowledge and often do not have banksbacking them. Most emerging suburbs are also defined by unclear land titles. Navi Mumbai is a case in point. What buyers should do. A buyer should check the developer's credibility, past projects, performance and delivery record. He should also ensure that the project is funded by a known bank and has all the approvals. A buyer is entitled to ask for a copy of the project's drawings, duly stamped by the municipal authorities. Legal recourse. Buyers in Maharashtra can take recourse to Section 8 of the Maharashtra Ownership Flats Act, 1963, which makes a developer liable to refund the money obtained from a customer with 9 per cent interest if he is unable to justify non-completion of his project. Most states have similar regulations. Reputed developers do undertake remedial action if aclient is not satisfied with the final product. This is unlikely in the case of unknown one-time operators. Buyers should keep in mind that a developer is supposed to make improvements, repairs and alterations until a society is formed.
As India has become wealthier, more of its citizens are leaving its shores. An estimated 17 million Indians were living abroad in 2017, making India the largest source country for international migrants globally, up from seven million in 1990 and a 143 per cent increase, according to an IndiaSpend analysis of data from the United Nations Department of Economic Affairs. Over the same period, India's per capita income increased by 522 per cent (from $1,134 to $7,055), providing more people the means to travel abroad in search of employment opportunities they were not finding at home. At the same time, the number of unskilled migrants leaving the country has been falling: An estimated 391,000 left India in 2017, almost half the number in 2011 (637,000), according to a new report by the Asian Development Bank (ADB). However, this does not necessarily mean that an increasing proportion of India's emigrants are likely to be higher skilled or that policymakers should be worried about a rise in "brain drain". The above figures refer to unskilled migrants travelling on Emigration Check Required (ECR) passports -- passports issued by the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs to those leaving for employment in certain countries in the Middle East and Southeast Asia. Changes in the government criteria used to class workers as unskilled, leading to more migrants travelling on non-ECR passports, could be part of the reason for the declining trend. "Over the years India has made internal adjustments to who gets an ECR passport. A lot of people are entitled to non-ECR passports and take that route to migrate instead -- this is data which is not publicly available and therefore cannot be analysed," Seeta Sharma, Technical Officer (ILO) for EU-India Cooperation and Dialogue on Migration and Mobility, told IndiaSpend. International emigration generally rises with economic development as more people acquire the financial means to travel abroad, and only begins to reduce when countries reach upper-middle income status. Labour demand driven by constrained local employment markets is a key motivation for international migration, with 73 per cent of all migrants globally entering the workforce in their host country, the ADB report found. India's working age population is currently growing by 1.3 million each month, exacerbating a stagnant job market that is further afflicted by a lack of employment. Over almost three decades, between 1990-2017, India witnessed waves of skilled and unskilled labour emigration. Indians living in Qatar increased 82,669 per cent --from 2,738 to 2.2 million -- over 27 years to 2017, more than in any other country. In the two years between 2015-2017, the Indian population in Qatar more than tripled. Oman (688 per cent) and the United Arab Emirates (622 per cent) also feature in the top 10 countries for the largest increases in Indian residents between 1990-2017, while in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, over seven years to 2017, Indian populations rose by 110 per cent and 78 per cent, respectively. These figures reflect the response of Indian workers to rapidly expanding economies in the Gulf, buoyed by rising oil prices. As these oil-rich nations embarked on large-scale development projects, workers from India and other South Asian countries answered the call for the growing number of construction jobs needing to be filled. However, recent global economic slowdowns have slowed migrant flows from India into the region. Declining crude oil prices and the resulting spending cuts on construction projects and the slowing economies explain the falling numbers of Indians opting to travel to the region, as jobs dry up and wages contract. While traditional host countries for Indian migrants, such as the Gulf states, US and UK, remain the countries with the highest Indian populations, over the last decade, OECD countries have seen a significant increase in the number of Indians choosing to settle within their borders. Netherlands, Norway and Sweden, for example, have seen their Indian populations grow by 66, 56 and 42 per cent, respectively, over seven years to 2017. They are cheaper and have better educational opportunities."For example, Germany has free education and there's the potential to land a job in the country after university too, so you're seeing a shift in migration," Sharma said. Rapidly aging populations across the West will further create a demand for migrant labour, as imported workers fill employment gaps left by falling birth rates in many developed countries. India is well placed to benefit from this demand. Half of all countries globally now have fertility rates below 2.1, meaning too few children are being born to maintain their population size. In the short term, however, changing political environments and increasingly hostile attitudes to foreign migration may have an impact on the acceptability of Indian migrant workers taking up these jobs. The identity and socio-economic background of Indian emigrants is changing. Southern states like Kerala and Tamil Nadu have been traditional sources of migrant workers to the Middle East and Southeast Asia, departing on ECR passports. However, in recent years, northern Indian and less economically advanced states have overtaken their southern counterparts for the numbers of typically low-skilled male youth leaving for overseas work. Uttar Pradesh took the lead for the highest number of emigrants since 2011, followed by Bihar and Tamil Nadu, while the number of migrants from Kerala declined 69 per cent over six years, from around 80,000 in 2011 and 2013 to under 25,000 in 2017. "Migration trends have shifted," Sharma said. "For example, if you're from Kerala, it may no longer be so lucrative to go to the Gulf. But for someone sitting in Bihar earning a third of what a Keralite earns, it still makes sense." However, while these data show the numbers from each state leaving on ECR passports, they do not indicate how many have switched to non-ECR passports. Kerala may still be seeing large numbers of its population emigrate despite a decline in 2016 and 2017 in the ECR category. Indeed, Kerala received 19 per cent of all remittances (funds sent by an expatriate to their country of origin) received in India in 2016-17, closely followed by Maharashtra (17 per cent) and Karnataka (15 per cent), according to RBI data. India received the largest remittances globally in 2017, with close to $70 billion landing in the country's banks accounts.
If you are a law abiding individual who files income tax returns (ITRs) diligently every year then sooner or later you will end up with a pile of old documents kept as supporting proof for these returns and ask the question: How long does one have to preserve these papers? All documents such as rent receipts or rental agreement, section 80C tax saving documents etc. which prove the claims made by you in your tax-return are advised to be kept safely once you have filed your ITR for a particular financial year. Here, you should keep in mind that the income tax department does not ask you to submit any documentary evidence to substantiate the claim made at the time of filing ITR. The ITR is filed on the basis of self assessment but the income tax department has the right to ask you to prove the claims in the ITR by sending you a notice. How long should you keep the documents? Nowhere does it say for how long you have to keep these documents. Chartered Accountant Naveen Wadhwa, DGM, Taxmann.com says, "There is no provision in the Income Tax Act which suggests for how long the documents must be kept by the taxpayer." However, he adds, "Section 149 of the Income Tax Act specifies the time limit for issuing an income tax notice to an individual which can be interpreted as the time period for which documents must be kept." He states that according to section 149, the income tax department has the powers to issue notice to taxpayers for seven years from the end of the financial year. So, this would mean that if you have filed ITR for FY 2017-18, then you must keep the related documents with you till the end of FY 2024-25. The seven-year time period is applicable for various classes of taxpayers. "The time limit for retaining documents for seven years from the end of relevant financial year is same whether you are a salaried person, self-employed or a professional," Abhishek Soni, CEO, tax2win.in, a tax-filing firm. For those with income from foreign assets: If have any sort of income from foreign assets, then you will have to keep the ITR related documents for longer. Wadhwa says, "For any individual having income relating to a foreign asset or having a financial interest in any foreign entity, then, in that case, such related documents must be kept for 17 years from the end of the relevant financial years." Should you keep it beyond 7 years? Yes, it is advisable to keep the documents for seven years, however, this does not mean that once the specified period is over, you can throw away the required documents. Soni says, "According to the amendment made in Budget 2017, applicable with effect from AY 2017-18 (April 1, 2017), income tax officers can now ask details up to 10-year-old cases that involves large amounts of escaped income." But the income tax department cannot ask tax-related details from just about anyone; it is meant for certain exceptional cases. "Income tax department does have the power to ask details of old cases up to 10 years, however, this comes under exception where the department has proofs against you and this can be done in the search cases only," adds Soni. If you are filing ITR or have filed ITR for a deceased member of your family, remember in that case, too, you have to keep the documents for either seven or 17 years from the end of the financial year, depending on the type of income the taxpayer had.
Facebook is a place to engage clients and prospects in a personable way. It's a lighthearted platform, characterised by discussion, interaction, and personality. If your strategy for reaching clients and prospects is to be easily accessible, Facebook may be a good medium to pursue. Use Facebook to reach clients and prospects where they already spend time, giving them an opportunity to engage with you-and you an opportunity to add value to your network. Here are few tips, suggested in a white paper published by LPL Financial, USA, to get acquainted with the mood and purpose of Facebook: Determine your strategy: You can approach Facebook in several ways: Create a page you use to post engaging content This option is appropriate when your primary audience is on Facebook and you have the time and resources to dedicate to engaging them. You also have value to add to your network. Create a landing page and use ads to drive people to it and/or your website This approach may be beneficial if you don't have the time to invest in engagement efforts, and you also have the financial resources to commit to ads. Identify the value For most people, Facebook is a way to connect with others and engage with interesting and/or relevant information. Tactics you may consider: Share links to articles, write commentary on current events, provide tips or other educational content, use humour or provide other entertainment. 2. Step 2: Set up your page Setting up a business page on Facebook is a straightforward, guided process. Before you start, it's useful to have the following ready and available: Your value proposition Two photos/images you'd like to use to represent your business-one for the main picture that will appear throughout the site and one for the background/header image Facebook provides guidance on the best sizes (height and width, by pixel) for each 3. Step 3: Engage your audience If you are planning to use an engagement or ad strategy, you will need to plan and prepare content. Establish guidelines for what and when you'll post, then take a more ad hoc approach. Consider the following: How frequently you want to post? What tone/approach will you use (commentator, educator, entertainer, etc.)? Will you link to outside sources, and how will you determine whether a source is credible? What topics would interest to your audience?
Employees are key to creating a strong work force for your business. For employees to safely make a long-term commitment to an organisation, the employer will need to give them good reason to stay. Retaining key employees is one of the best competitive advantages your business can build. Make sure your employees are happy working in your company. Here are a few tips that can help you retain your employees. Provide them a good salary You have to give them the right salary so that they don't feel the urge to explore outside. You need to offer them a good package right from the start so that other offers will not make any difference to them. Also, offer them small perks like flexible working hours and work-from-home options. This will promote a healthy work-life balance. Take personal care Personal connection is key to getting people to enjoy their work and stick around longer. Bhilai based Zian Khan of Omega Financial feels that employees are an asset to advisors. "Ensure that you fulfil all their requirements as they are the pillars of your business. If they have some family emergency, give them leave and help them financially. Make a note of their birthdays and anniversaries and do a small celebration in office. These small gestures will help you make a personal connection and sustain their longevity in your business," he says. Work for their benefit You have to find a growth path for your key employees. Before appointing a new employee, see if existing employees can fill up the new position. It is your job to understand, and facilitate, the career path of all your key employees. Tap into their passion and allow them to focus their time and energy on projects they enjoy. Also, let them know what career development plans you may have for them and what opportunities are available for them to grow with the company. Vishal Dhawan of Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors recommends advisors to let key employee take on a different role in the company. "Allow key employees to look at multiple aspects of the business. It will give them exposure to various projects and help them develop a new skillset, which can be crucial in their career growth," he says. "Give your employees meaningful work which they feel will make a difference in their lives," he adds. Treat them right You need to treat key employees more like business partners. Give them the freedom to speak freely and generate ideas. Suresh Sadagopan of Ladder 7 Financial Advisories believes that employees want to be treated nicely. "I give them more responsibility. In my view, when you give them more responsibility, they feel more worthy. However, make them responsible for jobs which they like doing and can help them learn. Also, ask them to monitor junior employees, let them take a decision in your absence; promote them if they do an exceptional job," he says. Conduct `stay' interview Consider asking your employees why they stay. Ask questions like `Why did you come to work here?', `Why have you given so many years to this company?' or, `What would you change or improve?' Then use that information to strengthen your employee-retention strategies. Recognise the good work Give raise to employees who are achieving and exceeding your expectation. Also, reward employees for truly superior performance - take them out for dinner or give them a gift voucher. While feedback is important, people also need to feel appreciated in a tangible way. "Motivate top-performers by promoting and giving them new challenges. For instance, promote your paraplanner to a financial planner. This will boost his/her morale and also benefit your company," says Lovaii Navlakhi of International Money Matters. Have a transparent working environment Hold meetings in which employees can ask questions. Have an open-door policy that encourages employees to speak frankly with you without fear of repercussion. Transform your organisation into an environment where people are comfortable providing feedback. Suresh adds that employees spend 9-10 hours in the office daily. Create a friendly office environment so that they enjoy their work and feel happy. Also, do not lose your calm if they make mistakes. "Accept the fact that they will make mistakes; just remind them not to repeat the same mistakes," says Suresh. Vinod Jain of Jain Investments also feels that advisors should maintain transparency among their employees. "Have a policy that let your employees talk to you when they feel the need. Also, let them know about key changes that you are making in the office and ask for their feedback. Implement some of their good feedbacks," he says.
If you read the breathless business headlines about Amazon, Apple, Google, and Facebook, it would be easy to conclude the technology giants are the world's biggest companies. Not even close. Rank Company Nation Revenues (in billions of US dollars) 1 Walmart US $500 2 State Grid China 348.9 3 Sinopec China 326.9 4 China Natural Petroleum China 326 5 Royal Dutch Shell Netherlands 311.8 6 Toyota Japan 265.1 7 Volkswagen Germany 260 8 BP UK 244.5 9 Exxon Mobil US 244.3 10 Berkshire Hathaway US 242 There are no tech names among the top 10 global companies by revenue, according to Fortune, which released its Global 500 list today (July 19). Apple, the biggest tech company, came in at 11, followed by Samsung at 12. For all of Amazon's size and influence, it's only the 18th-largest company, trailing such unglamorous companies as McKesson, a pharmaceutical wholesaler. And despite its pitched competition with Walmart for retail dominance, Amazon's revenue is less than half that of the Bentonville, Arkansas-based discounter. While few dispute the future is in technology, the present is still very much in energy. Five of the top 10 are oil and gas companies, and another-State Grid-is China's biggest utility. Two of the top 10 are car companies that help generate the demand for fossil fuels. Tesla, among the companies most written about and obsessed over, didn't crack the top 500. Of course, revenue is only one metric to measure the size of a company. It's useful because its durable over time and reflects the goal of all companies (money!). Market capitalization-the value of a company's outstanding shares-may be a better measure of a company's current influence in the world, however, since it measures investor expectations for company's future potential. By that score, tech companies are clearly dominant, and only Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffett's holding company, is on both top 10 lists: Rank Company Nation Market cap (in billions of US dollars) 1 Apple US $851 2 Alphabet (Google) US 719 3 Microsoft US 703 4 Amazon US 701 5 Tencent China 496 6 Berkshire Hathaway US 492 7 Alibaba China 470 8 Facebook US 464 9 JP Morgan Chase US 375 10 Johnson & Johnson US 344 But market cap, like investors, can be fickle, and the value of companies, and thus the order of rankings, can fluctuate wildly. The list above, compiled by PwC in March (pdf), is already out of date. Apple is now worth almost $940 billion, and Amazon briefly surpassed $900 billion yesterday (July 18), adding an astounding $200 billion in market value since March. If its sales can catch up to investor sentiment, it may not be long before Amazon breaks into Fortune's top 10 by revenue.
The advent of the e-commerce boom brought about a paradigm shift in operations in varied sectors across the globe. Just as any novel force stands to challenge the status quo of the traditional ways, e-commerce disrupted various businesses including the apparel retail industry. As per the latest KSA Technopak Report, while India's GDP is likely to grow by 7%, the apparel retail sector is expected to grow by CAGR of 9.7% for next 10 years. Back in 2014, the Morgan Stanley Report had predicted the e-commerce growth at 37% CAGR that is close to USD 13bn for the year 2018. The prediction is very well coming true! Apparel e-commerce has eventually grown by 45% CAGR in the last 5 years and is expected to take on the value of a whooping 7bn - 8bn by 2020. The numbers in the reports, while being clearly indicative of where the apparel sector is headed, also speak volumes about the unprecedented growth of the apparel e-commerce segment. Of course, it can be argued that there is no disparity between what proportions of sales are coming from increased consumption and what are stemming from the share of the retail industry. But, the argument doesn't stand to change the consumption trend or consumer preference and their growing lean towards apparel e-commerce. However, the retail sector has also brought about significant changes in keeping with the evolving trends and preferences and the landscape at large. Retail spaces are taking innovative measures to attract the customers and give them a comprehensive shopping experience. Let's dive deep into how the impact of e-commerce is re-shaping the apparel retail industry. Omni / Endless Aisle I have always believed in the amalgamation of virtual endless aisle inside retail stores, which is simply making available interactive tabs and surfaces for the consumer to pick and choose, customize and even have the product delivered at their doorstep. The retail space makes the selection process easier for the customer and adds to the whole experience of receiving endless options, to making purchases from the store as well as opting for customizations and home-delivery of products through the virtual experience. Stores are looking at various versions of implementing such practices to deliver a better customer service. Personalization Store managers and staff leverage their direct connection with the consumer to deliver truly personalized recommendations. Brands also take educating and training the store managers and staff seriously. The customer gets to try on clothes based on their body-types and accordingly ask for required garments to make purchases on-the-spot. The whole activity stands to be a major differentiator that continues to pull customers into the retail space. Discount Parity Today, brands have become extra cautious that the discounts they offer in-store and on the brand's e-commerce platform match each other. This new practice now directly translates to higher discount rates in the retail stores; it has brought about the consumer to believe that the offerings post-discounts are available at more or less similar price-points, as on the brand's e-commerce portal. As a result, there is a shift in consumer bias toward e-commerce, who are now also seen browsing retail stores during discount periods. Newer Markets E-commerce came and won over consumers, including those in Tier 2 and Tier 3 towns who may not have access to certain brands available in the cities. However, when e-commerce proved the sales potential in these cities, brands were quick to open their retail outlets in these regions since the market was already being built by e-commerce, and they could then leverage the standing through retail outlets. Mall Culture E-commerce obviously creates the convenience of buying from home and hence, footfalls drop in physical stores. To overcome that particular challenge, malls are carrying out on-ground activations, discounts, compelling events such as food fiestas and offering cr�che facilities as well as indoor play areas for kids, all of which assists with attracting consumers. During festivals like Diwali or Christmas, malls also have local celebrities visit stores. Brands happily partner with the malls to create a buzz and deliver a luxurious experience to encourage more footfalls in stores. Rationalised Rentals Indian retail rentals have been one of the highest in the world, and that is gradually changing. It is interesting to witness the numerous sectors e-commerce has impacted. With a drop in footfalls at retail stores owing to e-commerce, the rentals are being renegotiated and moreover, are now being linked with sales. The practice has marginally reduced the pressure from the brands, and profitability is not as deeply impacted. Dropped Prices E-commerce assists local manufacturers to reach out to potential buyers across the country/world at once. This gives consumers the choice to receive great value and infinite options with hundreds of manufacturers reaching out to them. Inadvertently, premium brands have to retain or reduces prices; and while margins do come under pressure, brands are hopeful that it will always add up to corresponding sales. In a nutshell, the consumer has emerged as the king, with heavy discounts on e-commerce platforms, as well as with privileges in-store and a more refined shopping experience at malls. It is certainly a major win for the consumers, while the brands, manufacturers and the supply chain at large grapple and adapts with the evolution of the landscape to deliver more value to the customer and maintain its standing in the markets.
Dear readers, A month ago, right before we hit the launch button, we were unsure of what our foray into a subscription model would bring. Would we fade into irrelevance and embarrass ourselves in the process? It didn't help that - over long emails and in chat groups - people were already spelling our doom. They wouldn't succeed, went the refrain. But then we watched the subscriptions roll in, one after another. The cash register kept ringing. Our pageviews didn't plummet. The signs are unambiguous: There's demand for quality content about the Asian tech and startup scene. And enough people have faith in Tech in Asia to deliver that content. Our first batch of subscribers hail from the likes of Apple, Bain & Co, Carousell, Facebook, Founders Fund, Grab, J.P. Morgan, Sequoia Capital, Salesforce, Shopback, Stripe, and Traveloka. To be clear, we still have a lot to prove. We've barely begun our journey to the summit. We have a lot to work on. We're not out of the woods yet. But the initial traction means that we will be able to reinvest thousands of dollars back into creating more content exclusive to subscribers. And we're going to do that now. We want to uncover more startups that are on the cusp of breaking out. We want to spot more trends in the tech and startup scene. We want to provide practical and timely information that can improve your daily work. I'm writing this for a few reasons. First, it's to update you on how we're progressing. Second, we're reaching out to talented freelance journalists to help us report on what's happening in Asia. Third, if you're in the know and think there's a story we should pursue, do drop us a tip. Last but not least, now's the time to sign up and help us narrate one of the most exciting periods in the history of Asia. As a company situated in the heart of Southeast Asia, Tech in Asia is here to stay. We hope to have you on our side. Terence Lee Chief editor
t got delayed after Facebook found itself in the privacy scandal earlier this year, but finally Facebook's smart video calling device is here. The social media company on Monday evening launched Portal and Portal+ smart cameras with large screens, which will allow people to make immersive video calls. One of the top features of the Portal and Portal+ is their smart camera - or may be some will find it creepy - that will follow people around in a room while they are on a video call. As far as privacy is concerned, Facebook wants to assure people that it has taken relevant steps for the Portal and Portal+. The cameras and the microphones in these two devices can be disabled with a switch. Facebook also says that cameras in the Portal and Portal+ come with a cover that should give an assurance to people that Facebook is not watching their moves. Although, when Portal and Portal+ are in use the cameras will indeed follow users. Facebook says that the smart cameras, although they lack facial recognition feature for now, will be able to follow users while video calls while they are "cooking in the kitchen or chasing the kids around the living room". "Smart Camera stays with the action and automatically pans and zooms to keep everyone in view. Smart Sound minimizes background noise and enhances the voice of whoever is talking, no matter where they move. It's like having your own cinematographer and sound crew direct your personal video calls," says the company. For now, the Portal and the Portal+ will be available only in the US. They will go on sale from November. The Portal comes with a 10-inch display that has 720P resolution. The Portal+ uses a 1080P display that measures 15.6 inches diagonally. Both the devices will use a 12-megapixel camera to enable video calls. Both also come with Alexa, Amazon's smart assistant, integrated in them, and both will respond to "Hey portal" command. The Portal has been priced at $199 while the Portal+ will cost $349. Facebook says that even the Facebook Messenger users who don't have Portal will be able to connect with Portal users by utilising cameras built in a laptop, smartphone or tablet. AlSO READ: Delhi teen shoots himself after brawl with sister over smartphone In addition to video calls, the Portal and Portal+ will also stream music or video shows. "Portal also enables shared activities like listening to music together or watching some of your favorite shows. We've partnered with Spotify Premium, Pandora, and iHeartRadio, as well as Facebook Watch, Food Network and Newsy - and we'll add more soon," says Facebook.
c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 17-47-50.txt kkkkkk ‘Startups should find it easier to wind up’ TIMES NEWS NETWORK Bengaluru: Startup entrepreneurs on Sunday called for a policy to ease the shutdown of companies, which is a time-consuming process at present. They were participating in a manifesto-preparation exercise of the Congress party, where 100 entrepreneurs took part in the discussion, Consultation on startups. Ravi Gururaj, founder and CEO of QikPod and board member of Nasscom, said it takes time to shut down a startup as a lot of agencies and paperwork are involved. “Startup is a sector where people come to innovate, but sometimes they fail. At this juncture, procedures have to be made easy for entrepreneurs to shut down the company.” Social welfare minister Priyank Kharge said 95% of the startups shut down and his government wants to bring the number down by providing them legal and financial assistance. Entrepreneurs expressed displeasure over GST levied on startups and said the sector needs at least a three-year exemption to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Rajeev Gowda, MP and convener, All Indian Congress Committee manifesto committee, said suggestions that came up during the exercise will be inculcated in the party’s 2019 election manifesto. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 17-48-45.txt kkkkkk WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY This confluence will be an ideal platform for stalwarts in the industry dealing with glass, faÇades, fenestration and aluminium extrusions in Mumbai Respedit.Chennai@timesgroup.com The construction sector across the world is undergoing a revolutionary change, with the objective focused on the necessity of cities. Buildings are now more congenial for the people who reside in it. These changes are creating technologies that are being driven by the need for visionary resolutions for the challenges faced by the construction industry, especially with respect to doors, windows and facades. To counter the complications that threaten the global construction and realty industry and to create a stage for pioneers from all over the world to display their innovations, the annual exhibition of glass, doors, windows, facades and aluminium extrusion technologies will be organised in Mumbai. This expo has grown to become a major draw by serving as a platform for industry stalwarts, manufacturers, traders, experts and suppliers from glass, façades, doors, windows and aluminium extrusions over the last 16 years. The 2018 edition which has about more than 300 exhibitors, is expected to have a 20 per cent increase in the number of visitors. This year, the expo will be at the forefront for state-of-the-art products, concepts and solutions in windows, doors, façades, glass and aluminium. These innovations will surely propel the industry to reach out to new markets, interact with a diverse audience, promote and evaluate new ideas, notions and designs. This expo will exhibit more than 3,000 products from more than 400 brands from 31 countries. Being the only trade show in India that is exclusively focused on doors, windows and facades technology, it will be a great forum to learn about latest technologies and developments in the construction arena and to expand one’s network in the industry. The expo is open to all architects, developers, contractors, entrepreneurs, façade consultants, fabricators, importers and distributors. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 17-52-14.txt kkkkkk Flipkart plans major hiring, looks for CTO, CPO Digbijay.Mishra@timesgroup.com Bengaluru: Binny Bansal’s exit last week led to one of the most turbulent times at Flipkart, but CEO Kalyan Krishnamurthy is trying to quickly stabilise the company. The management is said to be in discussions with top headhunting firms to fill senior positions that have been vacant for a while, including that of chief technology officer (CTO) and chief product officer (CPO). Punit Soni who was CPO left in 2016. In November last year, Flipkart had moved its chief of tech, Ravi Garikipati, to what it called the fin-tech department. Since then the tech team has been reporting to Krishnamurthy. One of the founding partners of a senior executive search firm said the company is looking to fill leadership roles that were folded into Krishnamurthy. Several executives of the firm had moved out when Krishnamurthy became CEO, and he had taken on some of those roles. Over the next two weeks, some expect Krishnamurthy to meet with some of the leading head hunters. A Flipkart spokesperson said there were no such plans. A source said some HR solutions partners have reached out on their own to Flipkart after the recent developments. TOI reported on Saturday that Flipkart had hired an HR head -- Smriti Singh. “Flipkart is committed to the growth of e-commerce in India particularly to innovate to get the next 100 million customers online! In line with that vision, we have aggressive growth plans in place. We have an enormous focus on getting top talent and talent acquisition at all levels and grooming will continue to be in line with these plans, which we only see being accelerated in future,” a spokesperson told TOI. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 17-54-34.txt kkkkkk View 1 View on page twitter facebook IISc, IIT, IIM produce most employable graduates American universities continue to be largest producer of employable graduates, while only three Indian institutes make it in the latest employability rankings Shyna.Kalra@timesgroup.com Campus placement plays a vital role in deciding the prominence of a university. What kind of companies come for placements and how employable the fresh graduates are adds to the credibility of an educational institute. Global University Employability Ranking 2018, published by Times Higher Education (THE), lists the top 150 institutions for employability based on a survey of 7,000 major employers around the world. INDIA’S BEST The list includes three Indian institutes — the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore, at 28th position globally while the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi, jumped 92 ranks higher from last year and made it to 53rd most employable institute in the world. Indian Institute of Management (IIM), Ahmedabad, made a debut in the list making a mark at 144th position. RISE OF THE DRAGON Despite the presence of three institutes from India and a climb of almost 100 points, India still lags behind China. The Land of Drangons has seven universities in the list, including Peking University at the 19th spot. The year was great for Asia as closer to home destinations — Japan and Singapore— made it to top 10 institutes. The University of Tokyo, Japan, secured 9th and National University of Singapore secured 10th spot. FALL OF THE BRIT The western education institutes continue to find place in the top 10 list, with USA leading with top three most employable institutes — Harvard University, California Institute of Technology, Massachussetts Institute of Technology, respectively. > For the complete story, visit c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-00-11.txt kkkkkk It’s official, Indian-made stents as good as the best Study Calls Out MNCs On Demand For Better Price For ‘Quality’ Rema.Nagarajan@timesgroup.com After much controversy regarding the quality of stents manufactured in India, yet another study comparing an Indian stent with the foremost foreign stent brand has concluded it is just as good. On Monday, the results of a 10-year study comparing clinical outcomes of the Indian stent Yukon Choice PC with those of the market leader, Xience stents from the American company Abbott, showed that they were equally good. A study presented two months back had also concluded that another Indian stent, Supra Flex was as good as Xience. At the scientific session of the American Heart Association held in Chicago, cardiologists from Germany presented the results of an extended follow up of 2,603 patients who were randomised to treatment with two new generation stents — everolimus eluting Xience and sirolimus eluting Yukon Choice — and a first generation sirolimus eluting Cypher stent. Cypher is not in the market any more. The study published in the journal of the AHA showed there was no difference in outcomes between the two new generation stents. In February 2017, the government had capped the price of stents leading to a three-fourths reduction in the prices for drug eluting stents. Several multinational stent companies had threatened to withdraw their stents from India claiming that they were superior to Indian ones and hence deserved a higher price. Several cardiologists too had questioned the quality of Indian stents. However, with studies showing that Indian stents are as good as foreign ones, cardiologists appear to have changed tack. “These are the kind of studies we need — large, randomised, long-term studies. More Indian companies should do such studies to establish their credibility internationally. Every stent needs to be proven,” said Dr Ashok Seth, head of cardiology for the Fortis Group of hospitals. He added that the study also showed there was no difference between stents with biodegradable polymer coating and permanent polymer coating putting paid to the argument that biodegradable polymer coated stents should get a higher price. Dr Upendra Kaul, chairman of Batra Heart Centre, who initiated the earlier one-year study comparing Supra Flex to Xience along with Prof Patrick Serruys from the Netherlands, pointed out that even with good newer generation stents, 3% of patients still had heart attacks and needed restenosis each year. “Further research is being done to bring down this 3%,” said Dr Kaul. Yukon stents are made in India from German technology, while Supra Flex is a fully indigenous stent, pointed out Dr Kaul. In an editorial in the journal Euro Intervention last year, Dr Kaul had written: “There is a perception in the minds of cardiologists, which gets passed on to the patients, that imported stents are superior.” He had added that it was time for Indian companies to prove to cardiologists and patients that their products were as safe and effective as those of multinational companies. So far, no brand of drug eluting stents anywhere in the world has been shown to be superior to other brands in the market, both Dr Kaul and Dr Seth pointed out. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-00-52.txt kkkkkk Shivananda Circle flyover may take 6 more months to be reality Atul.Chaturvedi@timesgroup.com Bengaluru: Work on Shivananda Circle flyover, central Bengaluru, is likely to be delayed by at least six months. The project, expected to be completed by March 2019, is now facing hurdles in shifting underground utilities, especially water pipelines and drains. The project was conceived in 2013 to ease traffic flow on Race Course Road, Hare Krishna Road and Kumara Krupa Road. But it was put on the back burner due to paucity of funds. In 2016, then chief minister Siddaramaiah earmarked funds for the project, but it got caught in legal tangles after residents raised objections and went to court. The project was rebooted in January this year after the high court gave the green signal. “The project may be delayed by more than six months as shifting of underground utilities, especially pipelines and drains, will take more time,” a BBMP engineer said. The delay will force motorists, who already face a harrowing time while passing the area, to cope with the menace for some more time. BBMP engineers said they have held talks with the Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB) to shift utilities at the earliest. BBMP chief engineer (projects) KT Nagaraj said: “Work on piers (pillars) is under way. There are water and sanitary pipelines near the Karnataka Judicial Academy, we’ve requested BWSSB to shift them. Other works are progressing as per schedule. We hope to open the flyover on time.” Length increased The length of the flyover has been increased from 163 to 168 metres. As per the earlier plan, the flyover had to end near the Karnataka Film Chamber of Commerce office, but now it will move a little ahead. Subsequently, the number of pillars increased from six to 16 for the composite steel flyover. Around 4,000 metric tonnes of steel will be required for the structure. The vertical slope has been decreased from 5.5% to 3.5%. This after the high court observed that it’d be easier for vehicles to get on to the flyover, said Nagaraj. The project does not face any land acquisition-related issues as the total space required has reduced from 1,500sqm to 717sqm following the court’s intervention. “The required land belongs to the BBMP. A major part of it falls in a park owned by the civic agency,” he added. TIMES VIEW Project delays have become the norm and, to an extent, quite expected. Better infrastructure is an indispensable prerequisite to speeding up a city’s development. Planning calls for more time and consideration but speedy construction is attainable. Delays and cost overruns have a wide ripple effect — they worsen road conditions, double citizens’ woes and stunt overall growth. Flyovers are a practical solution that can reduce traffic-heavy Bengaluru’s infrastructure lacuna. It's high time the authorities learnt to set practical deadlines, ensure alternative solutions to ease public's burden and complete work on time. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-03-02.txt kkkkkk Views 1 View on page twitter facebook Just tap for productivity These apps can manage your work, organise your life, help collaborate with teams and more in.pcmag.com We all have come across apps that help declutter our inbox, keep track of our schedules and to-do lists as well as get our work done on the go. Since there’s a sea of such productivity apps on Google Play and App Store, it may take you endless scrolling to search for ones that best suit your needs. Here’s making the task easier with this list of six productivity apps that may come handy: For collaboration Podio From $9 per user per month Podio is a business collaboration and work-management platform that’s flexible and customisable. It’s a hub where work gets done. You add apps to it, such as those for invoicing or project management, and even to design an online workspace that meets the needs of your business. The ability to customise the platform by adding the apps you need is Podio’s main strength. FOR MANAGEMENT FreshBooks Free; $14.99 per month FreshBooks is an app to manage and track invoices, time, and expenses for businesses that don’t need a full-blown double-entry accounting system. It’s ideal for entrepreneurs leading small businesses and sole proprietors. It can create professional invoices instantly, accept online payments, keep payment records, track time and expenses, and more. FOR SECURITY Keeper Password Manager $29.99 per year Keeper Password Manager is a full-featured password manager with focus on security and a ‘zero-knowledge’ policy. It supports high-end features such as twofactor authentication and secure password sharing. Keeper also works on the vast majority of platforms and browsers. FOR SOCIAL MEDIA Sprout Social From $99 per user per month Finding a social media management platform with the right analytics tools for a small to midsize business can take months of expensive trial-anderror exploration. Sprout Social Premium can take the pain out of it. This beautifully-designed suite of tools meets all the needs of a tech-savvy marketing pro. It also integrates with Google Analytics. Not only are the dashboard and interface well-designed, but it also comes with a thoughtful lineup of partners, networks, and analytics tools. FOR WORKFLOW Stayfocusd Free Stayfocusd is a browser extension that keeps you productive by blocking distracting websites while you are trying to work. You can set it to block distractions either for set times and dates that you choose (say, 9 am to 5 pm, Monday through Friday) or after a certain time limit (like, no more than 30 minutes of Facebook per day). This free browser extension is a great tool aimed at helping your selfdiscipline toward a more productive life. FOR ORGANISATION Pocket Free; $44.99 per year for premium We all get distracted by articles online that are relevant to our work, but that we maybe shouldn’t read right now. When internet rabbitholing seems imminent, just click on Pocket. Pocket is a service and app that saves online reading materials for you. It can create pared down versions of online articles, too, getting rid of ads and excess graphics c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-06-16.txt kkkkkk Why you shouldn’t get too attached to your job If you end up losing a job you’re devoted to, you might feel like you’ve also lost your identity businessinsider.in A meaningful job is something most of us aspire to (or at least say we aspire to). A recent BetterUp survey found that nine out of 10 American workers would sacrifice some of their lifetime earnings if they could find greater meaning at work. Yet in her new book The Job, journalist Ellen Ruppel Shell makes a persuasive and relevant argument for the potential hazards of finding too much meaning in your work. Shell spoke to Amy Wrzesniewski, a Yale professor whose research on “job crafting” — or moulding your job to be more meaningful to you — has made its way into more than a few career-advice books and articles. Wrzesniewski’s research also divides workers into three categories: those who see their work as a job, a career, or a “calling.” If you see your job as a calling, you’re inclined to see your life and work as linked inextricably, and you’re motivated by a sense of purpose and mission (as opposed to financial rewards). Sounds fine so far. But feeling called to your job is, as Shell puts it, a double-edged sword. You may not always work at your current job Jeffery Thompson, a professor at Brigham Young University who has researched job callings, gave Shell a few reasons why seeing your work as a calling can be dangerous. Thompson said, “If you believe you were put on this earth to fill some ‘calling,’ and for whatever reason you do not do it, you might easily consider that a moral failure.” What’s more, Thompson said, if you feel called to your work, you might even be more vulnerable to exploitation from managers, because they sense you’ll do anything to stay in this role. Another practical reason why callings can be harmful is the fact that, one day, you might lose your job. This happened to Dan D’Agostino — who was fired from his position as CEO of a multi-million dollar business. But as D’Agostino wrote on Business Insider, “Being fired and taking a year off has provided me with the space to get truly comfortable with not having my identity tied to an occupation.” Instead, D’Agostino spent time travelling with his family. Sometimes finding new passions can be beneficial In The Job, Shell describes research conducted by Sally Maitlis, a professor at the University of Oxford’s Said Business School. Maitlis followed professional dancers and musicians who had to stop that work because of illness or injury. And she learned that the artists who had felt most passionate about their former careers were the least likely to bounce back. On the other hand, some of the less passionate artists found ways to channel their dedication to music or dance in other ways that weren’t “jobs” per se. One former bassoon player who had been hit by a car began reading and teaching writing. She told Maitlis that her “world started opening. A lot. And I started finding out I had ideas and interesting things to say.” (This quotation isn’t included in The Job, but it appears in a chapter Maitlis wrote in the book Exploring Positive Identities and Organizations.) Shell summed up her conversation with Maitlis: “Flourishing in a global economy requires us to see ourselves independent of our jobs while maintaining a strong grasp of our work identity” — something that, to be sure, is easier said than done. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-10-30.txt kkkkkk AI gets a leg up, can now identify you from your walk Even if your face is covered, or you walk differently, the system can’t be fooled in.pcmag.com China is leading the way for surveillance technology, to the point where police use facialrecognition glasses. One click of a button scans the face, recognises the person, and brings up all their details on a smartphone-like handheld device. But what if a person’s face is covered? China has a solution for that, too. The surveillance system across China, which is becoming ever more pervasive, is in the middle of a software upgrade. Once complete, a new tool will be available to the authorities in the form of ‘gait recognition’. It means that even if your face can’t be seen, the system will be able to identify you from your body shape and walk. As AP reports, artificial intelligence has been employed to allow such recognition to happen. The system was developed by Watrix and it works from up to 50 metres away even if the person’s back is turned. If you try to adjust your walk or introduce a limp, the system can still ID you because it takes into account ‘features of an entire body’. Storing gait information about an individual is as simple as watching a sequence of images of the person moving and then feeding it into a computer powerful enough to analyse the data and turn it into a gait ID. It does this using a silhouette of the movement, which is then used to create and store a walk model. Link that model to a face, build a profile, and the system has everything it needs to ID the person regardless of what clothes they choose to wear, what they choose to cover up, and how they change their movement. For now, the gait detection doesn’t happen in real-time. It takes roughly 10 minutes to sift through an hour of video and identify the individuals in it. However, in a few years it seems likely this will be a real-time system because China can keep upgrading to more powerful computers as they become available. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-27-01.txt kkkkkk Men and matters of heart We list out some essentials to keep a man’s heart healthy… Supriya.Sharma2@timesgroup.com As men age, cardiovascular health becomes a high priority. There is a long list of risk factors, besides smoking and excessive drinking that can increase the chance of heart disease in men. The least one can do is do everything in moderation, be it exercise, drinking or eating sweets. Excess of any of these can make things go horribly wrong. Daily moderate exercise: One should remain physically active (it is recommended you perform at least 150 minutes of moderately intensive exercise each week). Maintaining normal weight and BMI in a normal range is the most important thing. It is the regularity that matters, not the intensity. Measurable health boosts come from daily brisk walking, cycling and swimming. Moderate diet: Eating habits deserve particular attention. Consumption of sugar sweetened beverages (aerated drinks, packed juices) should be minimised. Intake of fast food and processed foods should also be restricted to not more than once or twice a week. Increasing fruit and vegetable content of diet is inarguably helpful. A serving of nuts every day also improves cardiovascular health by providing essential minerals and fatty acids. Focus on eating healthy foods rather than obsessively counting grams of fat, although do pay close attention to how much sodium you consume in your food. De-stress: Excessive stress harms the cardiovascular system. Women and men tend to handle stress differently – women like to talk it through, while men tend to bottle it up. Studies show that chronic stress, especially the kind that generates fear or anger, is a risk factor for heart disease. De-stress through therapy, music, exercise, deep breathing or other mental relaxation techniques. Fat to fit: Research shows eating too much saturated fat is not good for the heart. Foods such as bacon, red meat, butter and ice cream contain saturated fat. You should also avoid transfats or partially hydrogenated oils. These fats can clog arteries and raise cholesterol levels. Screenings: Go for regular cholesterol and BP screenings, both are markers of future heart problems. Keep your cholesterol below 200 milligrams per deciliter (mg/dL), LDL cholesterol below 100 mg/dL, and “good” protective HDL at 40 mg/dL or higher. If you have not been diagnosed with high blood pressure, strive to keep yours down to around 120/80 millimeters of mercury (mm Hg). c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-28-08.txt kkkkkk Why blockchain could be as revolutionary as smartphones Andrew Ross Sorkin This is bonkers. A new so-called blockchain company is selling virtual real estate online with prices as high as $120,000 for a 10-meter by 10-meter piece of virtual land. You can buy a plot of virtual land in a virtual city, with certain neighbourhoods costing more than others, like in a real city. Except that it isn’t a real city. It is all virtual. Follow? Me neither. Somehow the company, Decentraland, raised $26 million in 30 seconds from investors last year. That money isn’t “virtual” — it’s real. Welcome to the world of blockchain, the latest technological revolution to those inthe-know — and what seems like the latest get-rich-quick gibberish to the layperson. You’ve probably heard the blockchain is a technology that is going to change the world — it is the backbone of Bitcoin, the now infamous cryptocurrency. You might even have heard someone trying to explain blockchain by describing it as a “trusted distributed ledger.” If you’re like most people, that’s when you stopped understanding — or even trying to understand — what this whole blockchain thing is all about. (Stick with me for a moment and I promise you’ll understand it very soon.) It all feels a bit like 1999, circa the dot-com bubble. In Cannes, France, in June, at a gathering of advertisers, there was a “blockchain yacht” and a “blockchain villa.” In Davos, Switzerland, there was a “blockchain lounge.” Meanwhile, Fortune 500 companies are investing billions in the blockchain. IBM has a whole division focused on blockchain, as do the consultancies Accenture and PwC. Jamie Dimon, JPMorgan Chase’s chief executive, has dismissed Bitcoin, but says “the blockchain is real.” Silicon Valley venture capitalists have already sunk more than $1.3 billion into blockchain technology just this year. And in June, Andreessen Horowitz, one of the most prominent technology firms founded, in part, by Marc Andreessen — who is credited with inventing the modern Web browser — announced a $300 million “crypto” fund to exclusively invest in blockchain technologies. “For those of us who have been involved in software for a long time, it feels like the early days of the internet, web 2.0, or smartphones all over again,” Andreessen and his colleagues said when introducing the fund. That explanation of where this new technology sits within history feels right: While prognosticators love to talk about crypto and blockchain as a bubble, it is likely just very early days. And while 1999 marked what seemed like a high point for the internet before a precipitous fall, it proved to only be the first stage of the its rise. And what was arguably considered wild overspending in the 1990s on internet infrastructure and experimental companies, ultimately set the foundation for the modern era we live in today. Think about blockchain like this: There will be huge failures and misspent money — and yes, scams (the US Securities and Exchange Commission can hardly keep up), but a decade from now, when you look back at 2018, it’s more likely than not that blockchain will be embedded in our day-to-day lives in ways that, today, we can’t even imagine. “New models of computing have tended to emerge every 10 to 15 years: mainframes in the ’60s, PCs in the late ’70s, the internet in the early ’90s, and smartphones in the late 2000s,” Andreessen said. And now blockchain. The easiest and most basic way to think about the underlying technology is to think about a technology that keeps a master list of everyone who has ever interacted with it. It’s a bit of an oversimplification, but if you’ve ever used Google Docs and allowed others to share the document so they can make changes, the programs keep a list of all the changes that are made to the document and by whom. Blockchain does that but in an even more secure way so that every person who ever touches the document is trusted and everyone gets a copy of all the changes made so there is never a question about what happened along the way. There aren’t multiple copies of a document and different versions — there is only one trusted document and you can keep track of everything that’s ever happened to it. The blockchain is, of course, being used to create all sorts of cryptocurrencies, led by Bitcoin and Ethereum. But more important, it is touching all different industries. The advertising industry plans to use it to track ads on the internet; the music industry is planning to use it to track songs; banks and mortgage companies want to use it to track the deeds of homes and the complex process of tracking all the documentation; shipping companies are investing in blockchain technology to track bills of lading, the pharmaceutical industry wants to use the technology to verify the drug supply chain. If it is successful, blockchain technology will bring a new level of enhanced trust to business and will also cut out the middlemen that have historically tracked — and profited — from the complexity of so many different systems trying to communicate with each other. That could lower prices for goods and services. At the same time, for all the promise of blockchain, there are real questions about whether it may be applied to solve problems that don’t exist. Databases already exist and, in certain cases, a centralised database might actually be preferable to the blockchain. Blockchain is about solving society’s ultimate challenge: trust. Or rather, lack of trust. It’s about using technology to create a shared sense of trust in a group of disparate participants. The biggest question is whether the hundreds of projects like Decentraland, where individuals are using real money to buy virtual property, will end well or badly — and whether that experience will ultimately instill or undermine trust in this emerging technology. NYT NEWS SERVICE c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-28-53.txt kkkkkk Property regn goes online Chief minister HD Kumaraswamy on Friday launched Kaveri, a portal that will provide a host of online services related to property registration. The portal will help users get digitally-signed encumbrance certificates, certified copies of registered documents and offer e-stamps for agreements and affidavits, among other services. P 2 c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-30-00.txt kkkkkk Experts stress on non-cognitive learning skills Santrupti.Rajankar@timesgroup.com Bengaluru: Fostering learnability, leading to innovative and well-balanced manpower should be the aim of educational institutions today. This was the consensus of the elite panel that deliberated on what modernisation of education actually is. Addressing a gathering of 200 school principals at the Times NIE principals’ seminar, held in association with Byju’s The Learning App, on Friday, they stressed that modernisation doesn’t entail just bringing in the latest technology. On the contrary, it should focus on non-cognitive and experiential lear ning. Questioning whether there really is a requirement to modernise education, Sangeeth Varghese, founder & chairman of Lead Cap Ventures, said inter-disciplinary non-cognitive learning is vital today. One can’t predict what new career options will emerge in future, hence by 2020, non-cognitive skills will be more important than ever. It is important to determine the innate nature of a student and work accordingly to supplement skills, he added. Pointing out that change in the corporate sector is very rapid, Mona Bharadwaj, head, university relations at IBM India, emphasised that schools have a foundational role to play and must focus on experiential learning so that students are able to think innovatively, communicate proficiently and have a strong value system with the right attitude to life. These skills have always been important, but more so now with 75% employers feeling that they don’t get manpower with the right skill sets. Whatever change society undergoes, these are three areas that will take individuals a long way ahead, she said. Modern education needs to train people who can identify and solve problems, said venture capitalist Srinivas Pothapragada. Modernisation in education should lead to balanced rather than just technically skilled manpower. The philosophy, approach, right mix of pedagogy and the tools to deliver education are the four pillars of modernisation that every school must adopt. Developing an emotional quotient is the prime role of a teacher as an individual’s wellbeing is important, he said. Shrimn Nishit, associate vice president, business development at Byju’s The Learning App, felt all principals at the seminar were receptive to adopting changes and transforming the way students learn in the classroom. The meet ended with an enthralling ballet recital by Shona D’sa and her troupe from the Shona Dee Academy of Dance. c:\users\admin\desktop\---paste\20-11-2018 18-31-54.txt kkkkkk buyer’s guide – Ashutosh Desai I have to buy a laptop for official use and travel within a budget of ₹80,000. It should have a sturdy build, be lightweight, and come with long battery power per recharge. Please suggest relevant features and a few models. – Sankalp Jadhav, Rohit Khatri, Darshan Patel, Ephraim Thomas SCREEN SIZE AND TYPE: Consider a laptop with a 13.3-inch display if your work revolves around internet use and e-mails. Laptops of this size are generally lighter and weigh under 1.5kg. Go for a larger 14-inch display if you work with presentations, design, spreadsheets and multimedia. If you can, opt for a touchscreen. But understand that these displays usually have a glossy finish which are quite reflective in bright environments. PROCESSOR: All the machines in this segment can handle productivity suites, playback of Full HD content and image-editing with ease. However, there are minor performance differences: While the AMD Ryzen 3 chip is on a par with the Intel i3 eight-gen CPU, the Core i5 provides a 15-20 per cent performance improvement over the two in tasks like archival, batch processing, photo editing and audio/video encoding. STORAGE: Consider laptops with a solid-state drive (SSD) only. This storage type offers faster bootup, resume-fromstandby, and data read/ write times than a hard drive. Besides, an SSD does not contain moving parts so it is less prone to mechanical failure caused by bumps or shocks. BACKLIT KEYBOARD: This feature is handy when working in low light or in the dark. CONNECTIVITY: The laptop should support dual-band Wi-Fi (denoted by the 802.11 “ac” standard). This will let you connect to the higher 5GHz wireless band, when available, for better Wi-Fi speeds. All the laptops suggested below sport a metal build, Full HD display, backlit keyboard, battery life of around 3.5-4 hours per charge, and dualband Wi-Fi. Some are also equipped with a fingerprint sensor and/or an infrared camera for face recognition… HP Envy x360 13-ag0034au ₹63,500 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen 2GHz AMD Ryzen 3 2300U processor 4GB RAM AMD Radeon Vega 6 graphics 128GB SSD USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI, (2x) USB 3.1, infrared camera Win10 Home 1.3kg Acer Spin 5 SP513-52N (NX.GR7SI.001) ₹68,000 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor 8GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB SSD USB 2.0, (2x) USB 3.0, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1.6kg Dell XPS 13 9360 (XPS1358256iS5) ₹77,900 13.3-inch Full HD display 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor 8GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB SSD (2x) USB 3.0,USB Type-C Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1, HDMI, Ethernet, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1.2kg HP ProBook x360 440 G1 ₹78,250 14-inch Full HD touchscreen 2.2GHz Intel Core i3-8130U processor 4GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB SSD (2x) USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Type-C, Ethernet, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Pro 1.7kg Asus ZenBook UX430UN-GV069T ₹79,000 14-inch Full HD display 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor 8GB RAM Nvidia GeForce MX150 (2GB) graphics card 256GB SSD USB 2.0, USB 3.0, USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1.3kg Lenovo ThinkPad L380 (20M8S20N00) ₹79,000 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen 2.2GHz Intel Core i3-8130U processor 8GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB SSD (2x) USB 3.1, (2x) USB 3.1 Type-C, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1.5kg Acer Swift 5 SF514-52T (NX.GTMSI.004) ₹80,000 14-inch Full HD touchscreen 1.6GHz Intel Core i5-8250U processor 8GB RAM Intel UHD Graphics 620 256GB storage (2x) USB 3.0, USB 3.1, HDMI, fingerprint reader Win10 Home 1kg