Surajeet Das Gupta &Amp;Amp; Aneesh Phadnis

Stories by Surajeet Das Gupta &Amp;Amp; Aneesh Phadnis

Like Uber, You Can Book A Drone Soon

Like Uber, You Can Book A Drone Soon

Rediff.com   25 Apr 2023

E-commerce players may soon rent out drones, so you can use them the way you book a cab on an app, and test viable use-cases for last-mile delivery.

Has Apple's Roller-Coaster Ride In India Ended?

Has Apple's Roller-Coaster Ride In India Ended?

Rediff.com   21 Apr 2023

The new mantra was to align Apple's ambition with the government's, focusing on Modi's favourite themes of Make in India, employment generation and India as a high-tech export hub.

Air India pilot unions oppose salary proposal, call it anti-labour

Air India pilot unions oppose salary proposal, call it anti-labour

Rediff.com   20 Apr 2023

Two unions representing Air India pilots have asked members not to accept the revised compensation and employment offer, calling the company's proposals "unfair labour practices." They said any coercion on pilots to sign the offer would lead to industrial unrest. The Tata group airline announced on Monday a new salary structure for pilots and cabin crew.

Air India revises pilots', cabin crew salaries, announces reward, bonus

Air India revises pilots', cabin crew salaries, announces reward, bonus

Rediff.com   18 Apr 2023

Air India on Monday announced a new compensation structure for its pilots and cabin crew, with a guaranteed flying allowance of 40 hours per month for both categories of staff. While the flying allowance has been doubled for pilots, it has been introduced for flight attendants as part of the new compensation structure. Pilots will earn an additional amount as a reward based on the number of years of service with the airline and get an allowance while undergoing training for command or conversion to another aircraft type.

Govt may ask Apple CEO Tim Cook to make more iPhones in India

Govt may ask Apple CEO Tim Cook to make more iPhones in India

Rediff.com   14 Apr 2023

In the run-up to Apple CEO Tim Cook's visit to India, government officials are finalising the talk points with the Cupertino-headquartered tech major. Officials said that the government would like Apple to "deepen" the company's engagement in the manufacturing and assembly of iPhones in the country and not limit itself only to the minimum commitments made under the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for mobile devices. The conversations between the two sides are likely to focus on that.

Apple boost helps India double smartphone exports; shipments hit $11.1 bn

Apple boost helps India double smartphone exports; shipments hit $11.1 bn

Rediff.com   13 Apr 2023

India doubled its exports of smartphones to $11.1 billion (about Rs 91,000 crore) in 2022-23 (FY23) over the previous year's figure of $5.48 billion (Rs 45,000 crore), thanks largely to the Apple juggernaut, according to data from the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA). Union Minister for Communications, Electronics & IT Ashwini Vaishnaw said: "With the doubling of exports of smartphones to over Rs 90,000 crore, India is well on its way to becoming a leader in the global mobile device market." On the flip side, despite the government prodding Chinese companies to export more, their smartphone shipments fell steeply by 26 per cent from $214 million in FY22 to $157 million in FY23.

Is India Prepared For AI Adoption?

Is India Prepared For AI Adoption?

Rediff.com   12 Apr 2023

The impact of AI automation in India is the lowest.

'India has far exceeded our expectations in EVs'

'India has far exceeded our expectations in EVs'

Rediff.com   1 Apr 2023

'The Indian govt's initiatives on EVs are very strong and customers want to buy EVs. This will make the country's conversion to EVs faster than other markets, and I hope even faster than the US'

Chinese Companies May Need Majority Indian Partners To Set Up Plants

Chinese Companies May Need Majority Indian Partners To Set Up Plants

Rediff.com   31 Mar 2023

The government has asked industry to provide a list of Chinese suppliers that would like to shift some capacity to India provided they are willing to set up JVs with Indian companies.

What SoftBank leadership team visits mean for Indian investors

What SoftBank leadership team visits mean for Indian investors

Rediff.com   22 Mar 2023

A top management leadership team from SoftBank has been coming to India in the last few days to meet the founders of start-ups and other investors, signalling the country's emergence as a pivotal market for the global investment giant. Based on current estimates, India accounts for nearly 10 per cent ($20 billion) of SoftBank's invested assets under management (AUM) globally. That makes the country its third largest market after the US and China.

'Foxconn is clearly bullish about India'

'Foxconn is clearly bullish about India'

Rediff.com   20 Mar 2023

Foxconn means serious business in India. Its delegation to India was led by its Chairman Young Liu who met Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

In ChatGPT's shadow, India readies for aggressive AI play

In ChatGPT's shadow, India readies for aggressive AI play

Rediff.com   11 Mar 2023

The government has identified nine key focus areas in the AI national programme, including agriculture, education, Indian languages, smart cities, cybersecurity, transportation, and finance.

Non-metros snapping up electric scooters

Non-metros snapping up electric scooters

Rediff.com   8 Mar 2023

If you thought electric scooters have caught the fancy of only people in the metros, think again. According to data from electric two-wheeler maker, Ather Energy, 54 per cent of its sales of scooters, starting from Rs 1.2 lakh, come from Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities. Based on sales per lakh population, the top five cities for the company are Calicut, followed by Kochi, Kolaphur, Trivandrum and Pune.

IPL 2023: The Rs 5,000 Crore Battle!

IPL 2023: The Rs 5,000 Crore Battle!

Rediff.com   6 Mar 2023

This season, the nature of the advertising game has changed dramatically with TV and digital rights going to different entities.

'Every airport in India is on our radar'

'Every airport in India is on our radar'

Rediff.com   4 Mar 2023

'Domestic will remain very much the core of what IndiGo is.' 'But the emphasis in our next growth phase is going to be on the international side.'

The Challenges Before Ola, Uber...

The Challenges Before Ola, Uber...

Rediff.com   3 Mar 2023

In many states, aggregators operate without a licence; in others, with the risk of the licence being revoked by any regional transport office on the slightest pretext.

Philanthropy by India's super rich falls by a third in FY22, says report

Philanthropy by India's super rich falls by a third in FY22, says report

Rediff.com   2 Mar 2023

Philanthropic contributions made by India's ultra high networth individuals (net wealth of over Rs 1,000 crore), also known as UHNIs, have fallen sharply to Rs 4,230 crore in FY22, from Rs 11,821 crore the previous financial year, according to the India Philanthropy Report 2023 by Dasra and Bain & Co, which was released on Wednesday. The report says that the dramatic fall, almost by a third, was due to the fact that contributions by the Azim Premji Foundation dropped by Rs 9,000 crore due to a share buyback of Wipro, which helped the foundation to access liquidity directly. However, the report laments that even excluding the Premji Foundation's contribution, "Indian UHNI contribution has not kept pace with wealth creation" and is "below par, with a 5 per cent contraction in FY2022".

New bids likely for one vacant slot in advanced cell PLI

New bids likely for one vacant slot in advanced cell PLI

Rediff.com   2 Mar 2023

The government is considering the option of inviting fresh applications to bid for the fourth slot which fell vacant after one of the initial candidates who qualified, Hyundai Global Motors, exited from the production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for advanced chemistry cell battery storage with a capacity of 20 GwH. Earlier, stakeholders had expected that the vacant slot would be offered to waitlisted players ranked on their technical and financial offer. A final decision will be taken soon.

Why GPT App Downloads Are A Concern

Why GPT App Downloads Are A Concern

Rediff.com   1 Mar 2023

How many of the apps downloaded in India deliver the GPT technology they say they are?

Coming Soon: Cibil-Like Rating For Drivers

Coming Soon: Cibil-Like Rating For Drivers

Rediff.com   27 Feb 2023

The plan is to offer the ratings of drivers to insurers, which can then customise their premiums -- a higher score meaning a lower premium, for instance, and vice-versa.