Sanjeeb Mukherjee And Neha Alawadhi

Stories by Sanjeeb Mukherjee And Neha Alawadhi

'Neutral' La Nina may bring normal monsoon this year

'Neutral' La Nina may bring normal monsoon this year

Rediff.com   15 Feb 2022

Though early days, meteorologists point towards a neutral La Nina during the initial phase of the four-month monsoon season this year that starts from June. If this holds true, by the time the rains hit the mainland, it could mean there would be one less reason to worry about the prospects of the monsoon this year. Weathermen said making any accurate prediction of how El Nino will behave and what impact it can have on the progress and distribution of rains is difficult to say at this point. A clear picture will emerge around late May or early June.

Centre gives big push for use of drones in agriculture

Centre gives big push for use of drones in agriculture

Rediff.com   22 Jan 2022

The Centre has, perhaps for the first time, decided to provide funding support to farmer-producer organisations, krishi vigyan kendras, custom hiring centres, and individuals for purchasing them.

IT firm Atos plans to hire 15K people in India by mid-2023

IT firm Atos plans to hire 15K people in India by mid-2023

Rediff.com   7 Jan 2022

French IT firm Atos is planning to hire 15,000 people in the next 12-18 months in India, including climate experts, as it moves towards decarbonisation by 2028, chief operating officer (COO) Nourdine Bihmane said. "India is a strategic market for Atos. "We have been present here for the last 30 years, and we have grown organically since. "People and innovation are our two key drivers to build momentum. "India represents one-third of our total workforce," Bihmane said. Atos has around 40,000 employees in India.

What will cost India Rs 4 trn?

What will cost India Rs 4 trn?

Rediff.com   7 Jan 2022

The government's food subsidy in the ongoing fiscal year is expected to be a little less than Rs 4 trillion.

What the top Twittter trends and RTs say about India 2021

What the top Twittter trends and RTs say about India 2021

Rediff.com   10 Dec 2021

The top hashtag in India was #COVID19, as the country grappled with the deadly second wave of the pandemic.

'Skills are the new currency across biz'

'Skills are the new currency across biz'

Rediff.com   7 Dec 2021

'As the demand for transferable skills that can be remotely applied increases, the need for tech-based courses is on the rise/'

Of all farmers' demands, legalising MSP is tricky and highly complicated

Of all farmers' demands, legalising MSP is tricky and highly complicated

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2021

Among the key demands of agitating farmers has been a legal guarantee on minimum support price (MSP). The protest reached a crescendo when thousands of farmers from Punjab and elsewhere marched towards Delhi late last year and decided to block the main entry points once they were denied entry. The Centre, on its part, held 11 rounds of discussions with the protesters and even offered to amend some of the provisions without much success. With now one of their chief demands met, farmers have now moved on to force the government to concede on MSP.

Uttar Pradesh and its 'sugarcane politics'

Uttar Pradesh and its 'sugarcane politics'

Rediff.com   5 Dec 2021

Nitin Tyagi is a young farmer in Budhagaon village of Baghpat district of Uttar Pradesh. A few years ago, Tyagi left his fairly lucrative job in the medical industry and shifted base to his ancestral village to look after his land and property. He opened a small shop selling farm inputs in the village and also started taking a greater interest in agricultural matters which had so far been looked after by his father and uncles. Tyagi and his brothers primarily grow sugarcane, potato and wheat on nearly 10 acres of land with sugarcane taking up most of his time and effort. Being one of the most important and lucrative cash crops of the region, sugarcane is directly linked to the fate of millions of farmers in west UP and with it, the electoral fortunes of political parties seeking their votes in the coming assembly polls.

GDP report card: Agriculture sees 4.5% growth in Q2

GDP report card: Agriculture sees 4.5% growth in Q2

Rediff.com   1 Dec 2021

Gross value added in agriculture and allied activities clocked a healthy growth rate of 4.5 per cent at constant prices in the second quarter of FY22, up from 3 per cent during the same period last fiscal year and 3.5 per cent in Q2 of 2019-20. In the first quarter of FY22, gross value added in the sector was also 4.5 per cent. Growth in current prices was also a healthy 7.9 per cent in July-September 2021-22, up from 7.3 per cent in the same quarter last fiscal year. It was slightly less than the 8.7 per cent of the second quarter of 2019-20.

After farm Acts' repeal, govt may table seeds Bill in Winter Session

After farm Acts' repeal, govt may table seeds Bill in Winter Session

Rediff.com   30 Nov 2021

The Centre, after the repeal of the farm Acts, may bring in another important piece of legislation concerning farmers in the form of the long-pending Seeds Bill. This will be in the ogoing winter session of Parliament. Sources said the draft Seeds Bill, in the way it was prepared in 2019, sought to overcome several of the shortcomings of the Seeds Bill of 2004, which was proposed to replace the Seeds Act of 1966. However, the 2004 Bill could not be cleared owing to deficiencies in it.

'It is hard to decipher precisely why Paytm share price would go down'

'It is hard to decipher precisely why Paytm share price would go down'

Rediff.com   30 Nov 2021

'I can tell shareholders we're going to be very responsible with our capital, we're going to be absolutely execution focused.'

Farm laws: Centre to take states route

Farm laws: Centre to take states route

Rediff.com   29 Nov 2021

'As far as contract farming is concerned, we already have a model Act and states will be encouraged to adopt them.'

'We've reduced hate speech by half'

'We've reduced hate speech by half'

Rediff.com   26 Nov 2021

'Our proactive detection rate for hate speech in India is close to 97 per cent -- which means that of the hate speech content we remove, we detect 97 per cent of it proactively, even before anyone reports it.'

It's clear, regulatory woes can't kill online gaming in India

It's clear, regulatory woes can't kill online gaming in India

Rediff.com   14 Nov 2021

Even as the gaming industry battles multiple regulations in different Indian states, it has received more than double the amount of investment this year compared to 2020. Industry watchers attribute this to the growing popularity of gaming, spurred by the pandemic, and the innovative business models gaming firms have built. According to data from industry tracker Venture Intelligence, investment in India's gaming sector in 2021 has more than doubled to $794 million, as against a total investment of $339 million last year. In 2019, this number was $176 million. Marquee investors such as Tiger Global (Dream11), Sequoia Capital India (Mobile Premier League), WinZO (Griffin Capital Partners), Tencent (Dream11) and Matrix Partners (Zupee) have pumped money into the sector.

Crucial fertiliser shortage may pinch farmers

Crucial fertiliser shortage may pinch farmers

Rediff.com   9 Nov 2021

Enthused by rising potato prices after a prolonged slump, Pradeep Sharma was planning to sow the crop on his 15-acre farm near Agra slightly earlier than usual. The delayed departure of the southwest monsoon also prompted his decision, since the good soil moisture would have saved at least one initial irrigation. But the acute shortage of diammonium phosphate (DAP), a crucial nutrient ahead of the sowing season for potatoes, nipped those hopes in the bud. DAP is the second-most used fertiliser in the country after urea.

Big Tech invests $1.82 bn in Indian startups so far this year

Big Tech invests $1.82 bn in Indian startups so far this year

Rediff.com   8 Nov 2021

Their startup investments number 13 so far, compared to 17 deals in 2020.

How Bhavit Sheth and Harsh Jain Changed Cricket

How Bhavit Sheth and Harsh Jain Changed Cricket

Rediff.com   3 Nov 2021

Mumbai-based Dream11, which is run by Sporta Technologies Private Limited, reported a profit of Rs 181 crore (Rs 1.81 billion) in FY2020, making it one of the few Indian consumer-tech unicorns to have turned profitable.

18 states to impose stock limits on edible oils ahead of Diwali

18 states to impose stock limits on edible oils ahead of Diwali

Rediff.com   26 Oct 2021

In order to check the abnormal surge in edible oil prices during Diwali festivities, as many as 18 states are in the process of imposing stock holding limits on oilseeds and edible oils after being empowered by the Centre for doing so. Of the 18 states that are in the process of imposing stock limit on my edible oils apart from UP, include Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Kerala, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Tripura and the Union Territory of Chandigarh. Of the 18, Uttar Pradesh, has already imposed stock limits on edible oils, the Centre was informed with as many as 23 states to discuss ways and means to ensure further easing of edible oil prices.

Urban Company tries to soothe frayed nerves of women partners

Urban Company tries to soothe frayed nerves of women partners

Rediff.com   15 Oct 2021

Urban Company, the home services firm, announced a 12-point programme on Thursday to improve partner earnings and livelihood for all partners on its platform in India. The announcement comes after most women partners on the platform staged a protest last Friday, demanding better layouts and safer working conditions. Among the provisions in the 12-point programme are reduction of highest commissions in the beauty category, in which most of Urban Company's female partners work.

How chip shortage is impacting automakers, other industries

How chip shortage is impacting automakers, other industries

Rediff.com   27 Sep 2021

Time was when you turned on your car's ignition, all that happened was that the mechanical system fired up your engine and made it run. Today, the moment you do so, your stereo system probably lights up, connects to the Bluetooth on your smartphone, and lets you make calls through an audio assistant or play music from your phone, which you can hear on the car's speakers. All these smart features in a car are powered by semiconductors, or chips, as they are commonly called.