Shine Jacob, Shivani Shinde, Ajinkya Kawale

Stories by Shine Jacob, Shivani Shinde, Ajinkya Kawale

War Has Broken Between IT Giants

War Has Broken Between IT Giants

Rediff.com   12 Jan 2024

Trouble started brewing after Cognizant announced that Ravi Kumar, former Infosys president, would take over as the Nasdaq-listed company's CEO.

Q3 continues to be a slow quarter for IT sector due to curtailed spending

Q3 continues to be a slow quarter for IT sector due to curtailed spending

Rediff.com   11 Jan 2024

India's top technology companies will witness a tepid revenue expansion in the third quarter (October - December) of the current financial year (Q3FY24) - along expected lines - on the back of furloughs and no blockbuster deals, even as the momentum gained from Generative AI (GenAI) is likely to take centre stage. IT services and consulting firm Accenture's first quarter numbers in FY24 showed a significant pick up in GenAI spending. It signed new bookings to the tune of $450 million in this space, a surge from the $300 million signed in the whole of FY23.

Tour operators in Maldives feel the heat as row escalates

Tour operators in Maldives feel the heat as row escalates

Rediff.com   10 Jan 2024

The diplomatic rift between India and Maldives, coupled with the suspension of flight bookings on one of India's major travel portals, has sent jitters down the spine of tour operators in the island nation. The Maldivian Association of Travel Agents and Tour Operators (MATATO), a forum for travel agents, has stressed that the Indian market is important to the success of tourism in Maldives.

Interim Budget 2024-25: Funds to boost reach on fintech industry wishlist

Interim Budget 2024-25: Funds to boost reach on fintech industry wishlist

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2024

Indian fintechs and associated entities are hoping that the Union Budget 2024 will provide a boost and empower firms to extend their reach beyond Tier-II regions, with an emphasis on supporting enterprises led by women. The fintech industry, which has witnessed regulatory reforms over the last year, expects the Budget, scheduled to be presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1, will further encourage financial inclusion, empower micro-small-medium enterprises (MSMEs) with lending solutions, and push for upskilling initiatives for the country's young workforce.

Can India Create Multi Language AI Like Chat GPT?

Can India Create Multi Language AI Like Chat GPT?

Rediff.com   8 Jan 2024

Creating an LLM trained on Indian languages is not easy. Experts say each language in India has a nuance of its own, so creating a ChatGPT-like product is an ambitious challenge.

Tamil Nadu pulling out all stops for investor meet

Tamil Nadu pulling out all stops for investor meet

Rediff.com   4 Jan 2024

Tamil Nadu is leaving no stone unturned in marketing its upcoming global investors meeting on January 7 and 8. While business veterans are promoting the positives of the state's industrial climate through the 'Titans of Tamil Nadu" campaign, the state is narrating the human stories behind its robust industrial growth via the 'One Trillion Dreams' campaign. Among the industry bigwigs, who are showcasing Tamil Nadu to the world through this mega marketing initiative include Venu Srinivasan of TVS Motor Company, K M Mammen of MRF Ltd, Pratap Reddy of Apollo Hospitals, P R Venketrama Raja of Ramco Group, Mallika Srinivasan of TAFE; and Vellayan Subbiah of Murugappa Group.

Indian airlines slapped Rs 2.75 cr fine in 2023

Indian airlines slapped Rs 2.75 cr fine in 2023

Rediff.com   4 Jan 2024

The aviation regulator slapped fines amounting to Rs 2.75 crore on Indian airlines in 2023, marking a 39 per cent rise in financial penalties from Rs 1.97 crore in 2022. The Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) said it imposed fines on domestic carriers such as Air India, IndiGo, AirAsia India and SpiceJet for issues related to non-compliance in 2023. The regulator also carried out a record number of 5,745 surveillance activities in the year to ensure compliance by airlines, aerodrome operators, and aviation personnel among others.

TCS needs to keep evolving in age of GenAI: Krithivasan

TCS needs to keep evolving in age of GenAI: Krithivasan

Rediff.com   3 Jan 2024

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has to "keep evolving" and be relevant to clients as generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) technologies emerge, K Krithivasan, chief executive officer and managing director of the IT company, has said in a New Year's message to employees. "It is always heartening to see the reinforcement of how strong our relationships are with our clients and the level of trust they place with us.

Paytm looks to rationalise employee costs by revising hiring strategy

Paytm looks to rationalise employee costs by revising hiring strategy

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2024

Sources close to the development told Business Standard the company was exploring different ways to save on its employee costs and had laid off a few employees on "performance" grounds. "We will see a similar development for the next few months. "The company is fine-tuning its hiring policies and implement rigourous measures to look into employee performance," a source said.

Insurance claims drop 30-35% during Chennai floods compared to 2015

Insurance claims drop 30-35% during Chennai floods compared to 2015

Rediff.com   1 Jan 2024

Yet another first week of December brought familiar scenes of rain, storm, flooding, power outages, and fallen trees. When Cyclone Michaung wreaked havoc, leading to the heaviest rainfall in 47 years in the city, residents of Chennai drew parallels to the devastating floods of 2015. However, initial data on insurance claims suggests that the impact this time may portray a more optimistic scenario.

Are hospitals ready to handle Covid surge?

Are hospitals ready to handle Covid surge?

Rediff.com   26 Dec 2023

Larger hospitals are not worried about a spike in cases, as they are now accustomed to converting ICUs and general wards into negative pressure zones or isolation rooms. For smaller hospitals, the task is tedious.

Navi Mumbai international airport's commercial launch expected in Dec 2024

Navi Mumbai international airport's commercial launch expected in Dec 2024

Rediff.com   26 Dec 2023

The outer structure of Navi Mumbai International Airport's first terminal building is almost ready. Exactly behind the under-construction building, stands a partially demolished hill. Executives from the airport company are now hopeful the hill will be flattened by mid-January, paving the way for the first commercial take-off by December next year.

AI makes mark in drug discovery in India; start-up Peptris raises $1 mn

AI makes mark in drug discovery in India; start-up Peptris raises $1 mn

Rediff.com   21 Dec 2023

The process of discovering and developing a new drug can take decades and costs hundreds of millions or even billions of dollars. However, technological advances like artificial intelligence can help speed up and transform the time-consuming and labor-intensive exercise. In India, Peptris Technologies, a Bangalore-based AI drug discovery company, has announced $1 million in pre-seed round investment led by Speciale Invest.

Google versus Epic Games verdict in US cheers Indian gaming developers

Google versus Epic Games verdict in US cheers Indian gaming developers

Rediff.com   13 Dec 2023

The verdict in the Google versus Epic Games antitrust case in the US has spread cheer among the Indian gaming and app developers. Ending a three-year legal battle, the San Francisco jury found that Google turned its Play app store and billing service into an illegal monopoly. American video game maker Epic Games, best known for Fortnite, had sued Google in 2020.

Why Deepfakes Are A MENACE

Why Deepfakes Are A MENACE

Rediff.com   7 Dec 2023

'With free software on the Internet and apps, creating a deepfake video can take 3 to 5 minutes. Anyone can make these videos.'

Flights cancelled, airfares jump 52-171% as rainfall batters Chennai

Flights cancelled, airfares jump 52-171% as rainfall batters Chennai

Rediff.com   5 Dec 2023

Airfares on major domestic routes from Chennai surged as flight operations at the airport were disrupted due to strong winds and torrential rain that lashed the city in the wake of Cyclone Michaung on Monday. According to ixigo data, on December 5, one-way spot airfares from Chennai to cities like Mumbai, New Delhi, Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Kolkata rose between 52 per cent and 171 per cent compared to prices three to seven days prior. The Chennai-Mumbai route, the busiest flight route from Chennai airport, saw airfares surge 68.6 per cent from Rs 3,728 to Rs 6,286 in the aforementioned period.

'People Love Diesel SUVs'

'People Love Diesel SUVs'

Rediff.com   4 Dec 2023

'SUV is a very intensely fought category, unlike hatchbacks and cars.'

'It's a tough job to sell life insurance to people'

'It's a tough job to sell life insurance to people'

Rediff.com   2 Dec 2023

'We are expected to grow at above 28 per cent this year, higher than the industry.'

Will Power Decide Telangana Victor?

Will Power Decide Telangana Victor?

Rediff.com   29 Nov 2023

24x7 power supply to farmers emerges as a political lightning rod in the state.

Can KCR Score A Hat-Trick?

Can KCR Score A Hat-Trick?

Rediff.com   28 Nov 2023

Experts foresee possible scenarios: A BRS government with less majority, a BRS government with BJP and AIMIM support, or a Congress government.