Somesh Jha And Neha Alawadhi

Stories by Somesh Jha And Neha Alawadhi

Google to wind down free WiFi services globally

Google to wind down free WiFi services globally

Rediff.com   25 Feb 2020

Google had started the Station as a five-year partnership with the Indian Railways and RailTel in 2015 to provide fast, free WiFi in over 400 stations by mid-2020.

What kind of telecom services do Indian users like?

What kind of telecom services do Indian users like?

Rediff.com   17 Feb 2020

44 per cent Indian respondents say that bundling media services with their telecom plan was the main reason they were willing to spend more on their mobile and fixed broadband bills.

RBI to rejig financial year in line with government's

RBI to rejig financial year in line with government's

Rediff.com   16 Feb 2020

Taking advantage of the RBI's different accounting year, the Centre had started demanding an interim dividend till the time the latter's final balance sheet is prepared (usually in August). To address this anomaly, an expert committee led by former RBI governor Bimal Jalan had recommended aligning the RBI's financial year with that of the government.

Coronavirus: Over 50,000 Indians stuck in China

Coronavirus: Over 50,000 Indians stuck in China

Rediff.com   14 Feb 2020

While many are getting stranded because of lack of clarity regarding the visa rules following the novel coronavirus outbreak, others are stranded in transit as even OCI cardholders are being turned away

WhatsApp Pay gets nod, eyes lion's share of market

WhatsApp Pay gets nod, eyes lion's share of market

Rediff.com   8 Feb 2020

Facebook-owned messaging service WhatsApp has secured regulatory approval for launching its digital payment platform -- WhatApp Pay -- in a phased manner, close to two years after the US-based company's pilot run.

Why EPFO blocked accounts of 1 mn employees

Why EPFO blocked accounts of 1 mn employees

Rediff.com   6 Feb 2020

The government has found about 900,000 beneficiaries of its flagship job formalisation scheme, the PMRPY, were ineligible in the first place as they were part of the formal economy even before the inception of the scheme. The EPFO has also recovered Rs 222 crore so far from the employers concerned.

Will bank customers pay for higher depositors' insurance?

Will bank customers pay for higher depositors' insurance?

Rediff.com   3 Feb 2020

'The banks cannot pass on the hike in premiums to its customers, according to the norms. The premium won't go up substantially in any case and may be hiked to 12-13 paise (per deposit of Rs 100 a year),' Finance Secretary Rajiv Kumar said.

1% TDS levy could make your ecommerce buys costlier

1% TDS levy could make your ecommerce buys costlier

Rediff.com   3 Feb 2020

Apart from making your purchases on these platforms expensive, it will also mean sellers will have to face the brunt of reduced cash flows amid already low margins for some. Experts said the proposal, which will take effect on April 1, 2020, and will be inserted as a new section in the Income Tax Act, is expected to affect the working capital of e-commerce companies and reduce cash flows for e-sellers.

Govt wants Rs 10,000 cr interim dividend from RBI to bridge fiscal gap

Govt wants Rs 10,000 cr interim dividend from RBI to bridge fiscal gap

Rediff.com   31 Jan 2020

This demand comes at a time when the government is falling short of its revenue targets due to dwindling tax and low disinvestment receipts. It could account for the dividend in the upcoming Union Budget on February 1. RBI is, however, yet to take a final call on the government's demand and might decide on this at its central board meeting scheduled for February 15 in New Delhi.

What brands must do to weather troll-storm

What brands must do to weather troll-storm

Rediff.com   19 Jan 2020

From consulting firms to tech and detergent companies, brands are busy swatting away online crusaders. In the fraught times we live in, it is not just religion that stokes the fires of controversy. In such instances, it may be best to take the trolls head on.

RBI plans to put weak private lenders under the hammer

RBI plans to put weak private lenders under the hammer

Rediff.com   16 Jan 2020

The banking regulator is seeking an early exit mechanism for private banks under Prompt Corrective Action.

CCI warns online retailers against unfair practices

CCI warns online retailers against unfair practices

Rediff.com   12 Jan 2020

The warning by the anti-trust watchdog has come days ahead of Amazon founder Jeff Bezos' India visit, about which the Seattle-headquartered company has been tight-lipped. Sources in the know indicated that Bezos, coming on a short trip, has sought a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India lost over $1.3 billion to internet shutdowns in 2019

India lost over $1.3 billion to internet shutdowns in 2019

Rediff.com   10 Jan 2020

The total cost of internet shutdowns across the world stood at $8.05 billion in 2019, an increase of 235 per cent since 2015-16.

Outrage over tech honchos' presence at RSS event

Outrage over tech honchos' presence at RSS event

Rediff.com   7 Jan 2020

Zoho's co-founder and CEO Sridhar Vembu is set to be the chief guest while Accenture's managing director and head of operations (Chennai) Rama S Ramachandran is to be the guest of honour at the 'Resurgent Bharath' event to be held in Chennai on February 2, reports Neha Alawadhi.

JNU fallout: Professor quits statistics panel

JNU fallout: Professor quits statistics panel

Rediff.com   7 Jan 2020

C P Chandrasekhar, who has served on key statistical panels in the past both as a chairman and member, said he was present in the campus when the ruckus broke out on Sunday and found the incident "disturbing" and "unprecedented", and that it further undermined the faith in the system. Somesh Jha reports.

Nutanix bets big on govt clients, defence projects after Nasdaq debut

Nutanix bets big on govt clients, defence projects after Nasdaq debut

Rediff.com   31 Dec 2019

In India, the company serves customers such as stock exchanges, brokers, non-banking financial companies, financial services and insurance, IT and IT-enabled services.

FinMin counters RBI, says stress in banking sector declining

FinMin counters RBI, says stress in banking sector declining

Rediff.com   29 Dec 2019

The net NPA ratio declined to 3.7 per cent in September 2019 from just below 4 per cent in March 2019, reflecting increased provisioning.

CBI told to use director identification number in notices to bankers

CBI told to use director identification number in notices to bankers

Rediff.com   29 Dec 2019

This, said Sitharaman, would remove the possibility of unauthorised communication "and consequent harassment", which was a cause of concern for bankers.

Data Bill: Why Nasscom, mobile body are worried

Data Bill: Why Nasscom, mobile body are worried

Rediff.com   28 Dec 2019

The Bill says that the central government, in consultation with the Data Protection Authority, can direct any data fiduciary or data processor to provide non-personal data to enable better targeting of delivery of services. The government can also ask data processors to provide data for formulation of evidence-based policies for its own use.

New Data Bill may hit tech businesses hard

New Data Bill may hit tech businesses hard

Rediff.com   19 Dec 2019

'If Indians are to be truly protected, Parliament must review and address these dangerous provisions before they become law.'