News for 'Big Tech'

Facebook planning to change its name

Facebook planning to change its name

Rediff.com20 Oct 2021

Social media giant Facebook is planning to rebrand the company with a new name next week. As per The Verge, the company is planning to change its name to reflect its focus on building the metaverse, according to a source with direct knowledge of the matter. The name change, which CEO Mark Zuckerberg plans to talk about at the company's annual Connect conference on October 28, but could unveil sooner, is meant to signal the tech giant's ambition to be known for more than social media and all the ills that entail.

Now, big realty projects under Mayawati scanner

Now, big realty projects under Mayawati scanner

Rediff.com13 Jun 2007

After Anil Ambani's proposed special economic zone and land allotments in Noida, all big-ticket real estate projects are being reviewed by the Mayawati government in Uttar Pradesh.

Big-ticket PE investments take Jan-Aug deal tally to $13.8 bn

Big-ticket PE investments take Jan-Aug deal tally to $13.8 bn

Rediff.com20 Sep 2017

Sectors which attracted big-ticket investments were real estate, energy, banking and start-ups

Tiger Global and SoftBank trim investments in India by over a third in 2022

Tiger Global and SoftBank trim investments in India by over a third in 2022

Rediff.com2 Aug 2022

US hedge fund Tiger Global and Japanese investment giant SoftBank have trimmed their investments in Indian start-ups by over a third - from $3.8 billion in the second half of 2021 to a mere $1.08 billion in H1 2022, according to data from Venture Intelligence. While SoftBank's investments in India dropped from $1.9 billion in H2 2021 by more than a fifth to only $0.33 billion in H1 2022, that of Tiger Global fell from $1.92 to $0.74 billion in the same period. Private equity (PE) fund trackers point out that this year most of the deals that Tiger Global has invested in are in the early stage (up to series D), and only a few are in the series E and above.

Will Apple Do in India What Samsung Did In Vietnam?

Will Apple Do in India What Samsung Did In Vietnam?

Rediff.com31 May 2023

Apple is hoping to assemble in India 25 per cent of all iPhones produced globally to reduce its heavy dependence on China.

'India needs 5 Byju's, not one'

'India needs 5 Byju's, not one'

Rediff.com23 Sep 2022

'We have gone through more than what any company will go through.'

Founders built an incredible organisation; Infosys in stable position: CEO Salil Parekh

Founders built an incredible organisation; Infosys in stable position: CEO Salil Parekh

Rediff.com14 Aug 2022

Infosys CEO Salil Parekh, has praised the company's founders for building an "incredible organisation", and exuded confidence that the firm which "has always been solid" will "continue with that stability." Parekh - who steered the firm to stability after a bitter spat between founders and then-management a few years back - believes that Infosys is "well positioned" to leverage tech-led growth opportunities over the next several years. Parekh took over at the helm in January 2018, after a standoff between board and founders, including NR Narayana Murthy, over issues such as governance, led to the exit of then-CEO Vishal Sikka.

Infosys does not support dual employment: Salil Parekh

Infosys does not support dual employment: Salil Parekh

Rediff.com13 Oct 2022

India's second largest IT services company Infosys on Thursday made it clear that the company does not support moonlighting and said it has fired employees who were into dual employment over the last 12 months. Infosys, however, did not divulge the exact number of people who were "let go" on account of moonlighting. Last month, Wipro chairman Rishad Premji revealed that some 300 employees were fired as the IT services company had no place for any employee who chose to work directly with rivals while being on Wipro payrolls.

Shares of cos having Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's investments settle on mixed note

Shares of cos having Rakesh Jhunjhunwala's investments settle on mixed note

Rediff.com16 Aug 2022

Shares of companies having investments of late billionaire investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala ended on a mixed note on Tuesday. The 62-year-old investor, who was known as the Big Bull and Warren Buffett of India for his investment acumen, passed away on Sunday. Jhunjhunwala had investments in more than three dozen companies, the most valuable being watch and jewellery maker Titan, part of the Tata group. Titan ended 0.88 pe cent higher at Rs 2,493.65.

Start-ups get a big boost from big companies

Start-ups get a big boost from big companies

Rediff.com25 Aug 2016

The idea that technology and startups with newer business models will not disrupt traditional businesses has been thrown out the window.

Shoppers need not stop: Dynamics of in-store payments is being rewritten

Shoppers need not stop: Dynamics of in-store payments is being rewritten

Rediff.com12 Jun 2023

In March this year, Worldline India launched Vabox (Voice Alert Box): merchants will now get instant audio alerts on the settlement of UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payments via QR codes in languages of their choice when customers check out. "They needn't worry whether the amount has been credited to their account," says Gulshan Pruthi, the firm's executive vice-president. The French payments giant will roll out 500,000 Vaboxes in the initial phase.

Ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, 62, passes away

Ace investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, 62, passes away

Rediff.com14 Aug 2022

Ace stock market investor Rakesh Jhunjhunwala, often referred to as India's own Warren Buffet, passed away at the age of 62.

Cement sector remains a puzzle to investors

Cement sector remains a puzzle to investors

Rediff.com13 Jan 2023

The cement industry continues to present a puzzle to investors.

Govt not in 'crazy rush' to sell everything: Sitharaman

Govt not in 'crazy rush' to sell everything: Sitharaman

Rediff.com4 Mar 2023

The government is not in a "crazy rush" to sell everything and it will continue to have a presence in four strategic sectors, including telecom, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Saturday. In strategic sectors, a bare minimum presence of the existing public sector commercial enterprises at the holding company level will be retained under government control. The remaining enterprises in a strategic sector will be considered for privatisation or merger with another PSE or for closure.

Britain's spy chief says US tech firms aid terrorism

Britain's spy chief says US tech firms aid terrorism

Rediff.com4 Nov 2014

United States technology companies have become the command and control networks of choice for terrorists and criminals, one of Britain's senior-most intelligence chiefs has warned and sought their cooperation in intelligence matters to tackle the menace.

Elon Musk's alarm over Twitter bots takes the lid off advertising frauds

Elon Musk's alarm over Twitter bots takes the lid off advertising frauds

Rediff.com19 Jul 2022

Elon Musk's decision to drop the idea of acquiring Twitter over purported under-reporting of fake accounts due to the use of bots has opened a can of worms on what is a growing and crucial problem - advertisers who put in money based on these falsified numbers (which is the mainstay revenue of these platforms) are making losses; they are paying for bots in the guise of viewers. mFilterIt - a global digital and advertising (ad) fraud detection and protection company in India - says search engines like Google have the lowest average ad fraud rate of 10-12 per cent, based on the inference arrived at while working with clients that use these platforms. This means 10-12 per cent of the ad viewership is generated by machines.

7 Jobs In The Metaverse

7 Jobs In The Metaverse

Rediff.com20 Apr 2022

By 2026, around 25 per cent of the global population may spend at least an hour a day on Metaverse. This will open the doors for many businesses, the NFTs market will spread, and Web 3.0 will attract more investment.

Mandya: Farmers' collective to challenge BJP, JD-S

Mandya: Farmers' collective to challenge BJP, JD-S

Rediff.com20 Apr 2023

The Congress is not fielding a candidate in Mandya in order to support Darshan and open the constituency up for a direct contest between the SKP and the Janata Dal-Secular which is hoping to retain its seat.

Wipro freshers' dilemma: Work for half the salary or wait longer

Wipro freshers' dilemma: Work for half the salary or wait longer

Rediff.com21 Feb 2023

Information technology major Wipro has asked candidates who have successfully completed their training and who were offered Rs 6.5 lakh per annum earlier whether they would be willing to take up projects for an annual compensation of Rs 3.5 lakh. Wipro told Business Standard that it had to adjust its onboarding plans "in the light of the changing macro environment and, as a result, our business needs". "Like others in our industry, we continue to assess global economies and customer needs, which factor in our hiring plans.

India's big market debuts belie thin IPO pipeline

India's big market debuts belie thin IPO pipeline

Rediff.com14 Oct 2015

Indian companies have raised $1 billion so far this year - almost four times what they raised last year.

ISRO Satellite, Developed By 750 Schoolgirls

ISRO Satellite, Developed By 750 Schoolgirls

Rediff.com20 Feb 2023

AzaadiSAT had around 75 small payloads developed by schoolgirls of 75 rural schools.

Review: Big Hero 6 is a whole lot of fistbumping fun

Review: Big Hero 6 is a whole lot of fistbumping fun

Rediff.com7 Nov 2014

Big Hero 6 is all heart, says Raja Sen.

World Cup: How technology is helping minnows strangulate big teams

World Cup: How technology is helping minnows strangulate big teams

Rediff.com22 Jun 2018

'Everyone now has the technology and the information to prepare games down to detail. Many years ago you used to go to a World Cup and it was a surprise on the day and talent and decisions on the pitch made a bigger difference'

How chatbots, AI and big data are changing investing habits

How chatbots, AI and big data are changing investing habits

Rediff.com9 Sep 2018

Thousands of retail investors are reaping the benefits of the disruption that the latest technologies have brought to the equity market. Brokerage firms are aggressively investing in technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, big data and analytics, social media, chatbots, virtual assistants and so on.

Make or buy: Electric vehicle makers' supply chain dilemma in India

Make or buy: Electric vehicle makers' supply chain dilemma in India

Rediff.com28 Nov 2022

With a million-odd electric vehicles (EVs) - two-wheelers, e-rickshaws, buses and passenger cars - expected to hit the road this calendar year, the shift from gasoline-powered vehicles has become irreversible. Now the question is whether the supply chain is ready for this shift. Key components - the high-powered lithium-ion battery and the cells which go with it, the electric motor, and the electronics powered by chips - account for nearly 60 per cent of the cost of an EV.

From Dixon to Lava, Indian firms in JV talks with Chinese players

From Dixon to Lava, Indian firms in JV talks with Chinese players

Rediff.com11 Nov 2022

Home-grown companies, including electronics manufacturing services (EMS) firm Dixon Technologies and mobile device maker Lava International, have started exploratory talks with Chinese sub-assemblies and component players for setting up joint ventures (JVs) in the country. Sources in the industry say many domestic companies have also had preliminary discussions with original design manufacturers (ODMs) in China to look at a JV model for manufacturing smartphones. Key ODM players in mobile devices in China include Longcheer, Huaqin, and Wingtech, which has already set up a plant in Tirupati.

Jio Platforms deals a big boost for PE investments

Jio Platforms deals a big boost for PE investments

Rediff.com2 Jul 2020

Investments totaling over $9.5 billion in Jio Platforms by a clutch of private equity firms, following social media giant Facebook's $5.7 billion mid-April investment in the company, helped overall.

Why India's gig workforce is still outside purview of basic benefits

Why India's gig workforce is still outside purview of basic benefits

Rediff.com7 Apr 2023

If you have seen Zwigato, Param Kumar's story will sound familiar. Laid off from his job as a repairman at a Gurugram-based water purifier provider, he now delivers groceries and food for a mobile-based delivery app, in Delhi. Kumar, who started making deliveries last August, told Business Standard that he is working longer hours than his older salaried job as an RO repairman, and has no paid leaves or health insurance. Kumar is part of India's estimated 7.7 million-strong force of gig workers.

India Inc takes mental health to heart

India Inc takes mental health to heart

Rediff.com12 Dec 2022

Work-related stress can impact one's mental health. Which is why Saurabh Tiwari says he's fortunate that his company understands this and is doing whatever it can to help mitigate that stress. "My company provides opportunities according to my interest, and if anyone is feeling stressed or has additional workload, they can talk with their supervisor to resolve it," says the 31-year-old who's working from home for a Bengaluru-based IT firm. Not everyone's as lucky.

Explained: Will O-RAN disrupt the way 5G networks roll out in India?

Explained: Will O-RAN disrupt the way 5G networks roll out in India?

Rediff.com22 Jul 2022

Will open radio access network technology (O-RAN) disrupt the way 5G networks roll out in the country? After all, it promises to offer a substantially lower capital cost, enables the choice of an array of vendors, and provides more network flexibility - all very important for telcos who expect to invest over Rs 60,000 crore to roll out a pan-India 5G network and that's without spectrum costs. But more importantly, it counters the stranglehold of global telecom gear makers such as Ericsson, Nokia, and Samsung over telcos to whom they sell propriety technology and bundled hardware and software.

Govt seeks details of algorithm, processes used by Facebook

Govt seeks details of algorithm, processes used by Facebook

Rediff.com29 Oct 2021

The move assumes significance as a series of reports recently citing internal documents showed "a struggle with misinformation, hate speech and celebrations of violence" in India - Facebook's biggest market with over 40 crore users.

Coming soon: iPhone 14 -- made in India, made for the world

Coming soon: iPhone 14 -- made in India, made for the world

Rediff.com26 Sep 2022

Apple's newest phone iPhone 14 will be made in India as the global tech titan bets big on the manufacturing prowess of the world's second-biggest smartphone market after China.

India's sub-Rs 10,000 phone market may be reserved for domestic players

India's sub-Rs 10,000 phone market may be reserved for domestic players

Rediff.com23 Aug 2022

How dominant are Chinese firms in India's sub-Rs 10,000 mobile device market? The question has become relevant as the government has been thinking of reserving this price segment for domestic players who have not been able to battle the Chinese onslaught. However, telecom firms and others are concerned that such a move could stymie the effort to build affordable 5G phones in the sub-Rs 10,000 category.

Data protection bill to be introduced in winter session

Data protection bill to be introduced in winter session

Rediff.com16 Nov 2019

The proposals are mostly based on a report submitted by Justice B N Srikrishna in July 2018. The draft Bill has since gone through at least two updates based on inputs received from industry, report Yuvraj Malik and Peerzada Abrar.

Indian startups created value, wealth even during pandemic: PM

Indian startups created value, wealth even during pandemic: PM

Rediff.com29 May 2022

Noting that the number of unicorns in India has reached the 100-mark this month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said that even in the phase of the Covid pandemic, Indian startups have been creating wealth and value with entrepreneurs emerging from smaller cities and towns as well. In his monthly 'Mann ki Baat' radio broadcast, the prime minister said that on the fifth of this month the number of unicorns in India reached the 100-mark. "The total valuation of these unicorns is more than USD 330 billion, that is, more than 25 lakh crore rupees. "Certainly, this is a matter of pride for every Indian," he said.

Start-ups: How to attract VC funding in 2021

Start-ups: How to attract VC funding in 2021

Rediff.com22 Jan 2021

'We want to look at very strong entrepreneurial teams.' 'I want to focus on a full team and not just the entrepreneur, which is building innovative and amazing differentiated businesses in large markets.' 'We also look at business models that are proven and have reasonably good gross margins, which show that this is where a lot of value is getting built.'

Is Adani a Modi Crony?

Is Adani a Modi Crony?

Rediff.com11 Apr 2023

This State-corporate 'cooperation' didn't begin with the arrival of the Modi government.
Many of the big licences, contracts, and even environmental clearances for the Adani group had come in the UPA's time, points out Shekhar Gupta.

Covid-19 pandemic: PEs pour $584 million into healthcare in 2021

Covid-19 pandemic: PEs pour $584 million into healthcare in 2021

Rediff.com11 Jun 2021

Sensing a huge opportunity in the healthcare sector during the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath, private equity (PE) players are upping their investments in the space. According to data from research platform VCCEdge, the PEs have together invested a staggering $583.82 million in the first five months of 2021 in five deals, which is the highest investment in the sector in the last five calendar years - from 2016 to 2020. The second highest investment in the sector took place in 2017, when PEs invested $503 million in 18 deals, with an average deal size of $29. 9 million.

These 18 companies are most dangerous competitors in tech

These 18 companies are most dangerous competitors in tech

Rediff.com25 Sep 2014

If you have an IT firm, you should avoid encroaching on their turf.

TN to hand over Coimbatore blast case probe to NIA

TN to hand over Coimbatore blast case probe to NIA

Rediff.com26 Oct 2022

A probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) into the Coimbatore explosion case would be recommended to the Centre, the Tamil Nadu government said in Chennai on Wednesday.