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Tag: news

  • How did Vodafone Idea lost 2.3 million Subscribers

    A report published by TRAI in January 2021, earlier said that the Telecom company Vi had added more subscribers to their user base but the most recent news suggests that the company has lost around 2.3 million users in their user base. Let’s look at the reasons for the changes in data.

    Vodafone Idea
    Reason for Subscriber Loss
    Corrected Figures by TRAI
    Speed Reported by TRAI
    FAQ

    Vodafone Idea

    Vodafone Idea Limited is a merged entity. It is an Indian telecommunication company with its headquarters in Mumbai and Gandhinagar. The company is the third largest mobile telecommunication network in India and is the sixth largest mobile telecommunications network in the world.

    In the year 2018 Vodafone India and Idea cellular underwent a merger and the company was called as Vodafone Idea Limited. Currently, Vodafone holds a 45.1% stake in the company and Ravinder Takkar is the current CEO of the company.

    In September 2020 the company had formed a new brand called as Vi. This is a combined brand of the two entities Vodafone India and Idea Cellular. The aim was to build a unified brand from two different companies.

    After the merger in August 2020 Vi had lost a significant number of gross and active subscribers. Vodafone and Idea operated as two different entities until September 2020.

    Vi also provides services such as IoT, Mobile payments, entertainment, and enterprise offerings. The services are accessible through both digital mediums and retail outlets across the country. Vi has a distribution reach of 1.7 million retail outlets and a broadband network of 340,000 sites.

    In the mobile network services, Vi offers 2G, 4G, 4G+, VoLTE, and VoWiFi services across Pan India. Vi provides Wi-Fi and hotspot services in major cities across the country which include Bangalore, Mumbai, and Pune with more than 200 locations.

    Telecom Market Share India
    Telecom Market Share India

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    Reason for Subscriber Loss

    According to reports in January, Vi had added a user base of around 1.7 million in January 2021 and this was the first time in the last 15 months the company has added subscribers to its user base. Also its competitors, Bharti Airtel added a user base of 5.9 million subscribers and Jio which added about 1.95 million subscribers during January 2021.

    According to the report of the Telecom Authority of India (TRAI) in January 2021, Vi had an active user base of 256.3 million which is 89.63 percent of their total users.

    Revised Data by TRAI

    Recently the Telecom Authority of India (TRAI) released a revised telecom subscription data for January 2021. The revised Telecom subscription data showed that the company Vi had actually lost 2.3 million subscribers than gaining 1.7 million in January 2021.

    The company Vodafone Idea has acknowledged earlier about its error in the numbers provided to Telecom Authority of India (TRAI) that the company had added 1.7 million subscribers in the month of January 2021.

    TRAI had examined through the numbers and identified that it was a non-intentional error that was not done through a deliberate planning. TRAI confirmed that the error had taken place by mistake.

    Vi had told the TRAI that it had added a user base of around 3.7 million from Uttar Pradesh west telecom circle alone. There is a total of 22 telecom circles in India and the company has reported that it lost subscribers in 18 telecom circles and gained subscribers in the rest of 4 telecom circles.

    Vi had sent the correct numbers to TRAI. Vi had noted on its website saying that they had found an unintentional error on their subscriber data for January 2021 which was submitted to TRAI. They also said that they had corrected the error and had reported the revised data to the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI).

    Corrected Figures by TRAI

    As per the corrected figures of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India Vi had lost 2.3 million wireless users in the month of January 2021. Whereas its competitors Airtel gained 5.9 million subscribers and Reliance Jio had gained 2 million subscribers.

    Reliance Jio had the highest wireless subscriber numbers with a base of 410.7 million and Airtel in the second position with a subscriber number base of 344.6 million. Vi had taken the third position with a total subscriber number of 281.9 million.

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    Speed Reported by TRAI

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India had reported that Vi had the highest upload speed in the month of February 2021. Vodafone India’s upload speed for the month of February 2021 was 7.2 Mbps which was 6.7 in January 2021.

    Idea Cellular upload speed for the month of February 2021 was 6.4 Mbps which was around 6 Mpbs in January 2021. Vodafone India and Idea Cellular was also ranked as the best in the TRAI’s report for voice call quality charts of February 2021.

    The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) considers the company as two separate entities in its portals for My Calls and MySpeed even after the merger of both Vodafone India and Idea Cellular.

    FAQ

    Will Idea Vodafone survive?

    Rohan Oza, an american businessman and investor believes that Vodafone will survive. “It is unlikely that the company will go bust, as it is in the interest of the government to continue with three players in the market.

    What is the future of Vodafone idea?

    As reporyed by Goldman sachs, Vodafone Idea could potentially save ₹58 billion (5,800 crore) in cash flows annually if the AGR liability were lowered to its self-assessed value.

    Is Vodafone shutting down in India?

    Vodafone Idea, India’s third-largest service provider, plans to shut down its 3G network later in 2021.

    Conclusion

    Vi has been rolling out various strategies and campaigns to capture the market to increase its subscriber base. We will have to wait and see what is going to happen in the future regarding the increase or decrease of Vi’s subscriber base.

  • Xiaomi to soon enter Electric Vehicle Market with $10b Investment

    The Chinese Smartphone company Xiaomi is reportedly planning to enter into the Electric Vehicle platform. The company which is involved in manufacturing consumer electronics is planning to invest into the Electric Vehicle Industry. Let’s look at this article to understand the plans of Xiaomi about its EV industry.

    Xiaomi
    Xiaomi planning to enter Electric Vehicle market
    Xiaomi’s EV Investments
    China’s Electric Vehicle market
    Other Players in Electric vehicle market
    FAQ

    Xiaomi

    Xiaomi is a Chinese Multinational company which is headquartered in Beijing. The company was founded in the year 2010. Xiaomi makes and invests in smartphones, laptops, mobile apps, home appliances, bags, shoes, consumer electronics, accessories, and IoT devices.

    Xiaomi is the fourth company to develop a mobile system on chip (SoC) capabilities after Apple, Samsung, and Huawei. Xiaomi is the fourth largest mobile manufacturing company in the world. The company has a leading position in the largest market which is China and the second largest market which is India.

    Xiaomi planning to enter Electric Vehicle market

    Xiaomi has plans to be part of the Electric Vehicle market. Xiaomi has confirmed its intention to invest $10 billion in its own subsidiary firm which is completely owned by Xiaomi. They had confirmed their intentions at the Mi MIX Fold Global Launch Event.

    The initial investments according to the confirmation stand at CNY 10 billion. The founder and CEO Lei Jun is expected to lead the Electric Car project of the company for the time being. Xiaomi has not revealed any information about the products they plan to introduce or work on in the Electric Vehicle segment of the company.

    There are no announcements regarding their projects and no information about the company’s launch plans. Xiaomi has said that they want to work on providing quality electric vehicles which would let everyone in the world to enjoy smart living anytime and anywhere.

    Top selling light duty plug-in Electric vehicle global market
    Top selling light duty plug-in Electric vehicle global market

    Xiaomi’s EV Investments

    According to the report by Chinese media LatePost Xiaomi’s entry into the EV market to manufacture Electric cars was taken after considering it for years. They have also said that the company’s plans are just in the early stages and it might change in the future as well.

    The report has also said that in the year 2018 Xiaomi had launched an early project in the electric vehicle segment called Mi car to explore the electric car making industry. It is said that the CEO of Xiaomi Lei Jun had visited Elon Musk who is the CEO of Tesla in 2013 twice.

    Xiaomi has also made a mark in the Chinese Electric Vehicle segment by investing in Xpeng motors which delivered around 27,041 vehicles in the year 2020. They have also invested in NIO which is also a Chinese homegrown Electric Vehicle maker.

    China’s Electric Vehicle market

    China’s Electric Vehicle market has seen a significant growth in the recent years. It has attracted a lot of high-profile companies ranging from traditional automobile companies to internet companies.

    According to a research by the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers, In the year 2020, the country saw an increase in the sales of EV which accounted for 1.37 million. There is an increase in the sales of up to 11% year-on-year.

    China based automaker Greely auto has said that it is planning to focus more on to the Electric Vehicle segment. The founder and Chairman of the company Li Shufu have announced that the company has plans to shift 90 percent of its production to hybrid Electric vehicles and is also planning to set up a new factory for New Energy Vehicles.

    The growth of the Chinese Electric Vehicle market has come after the multiple policy campaigns which are to promote carbon reduction which includes the plans to reach carbon neutrality by 2060.

    Other Players in Electric vehicle market

    Earlier, Huawei had announced its plans to enter into the manufacturing of Electric Vehicles. There were several speculations through various news reports which had suggested that the company had approached China’s Changan Automobile, BluePark New Energy Technology, and other players in the industry. Huawei has plans to concentrate on developing smart bits and to let the car manufacturers provide car parts.

    From the western world, there has been a lot of rumors of Apple entering into the Electric Vehicle segment. It is said that the iPhone manufacturer is working on an electric vehicle of its own. The company is focusing on building the autonomous tech, battery, and the technical parts of the car and would require another partner from the automobile sector to work on the rest of the parts of the car.

    FAQ

    Which is the cheapest electric car?

    Smart EQ Fortwo EV is one the cheapest electric car.

    What are the 3 types of electric cars?

    Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs), Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicles (PHEVs), and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) are the 3 types of electric cars.

    Who is the CEO of Xiaomi?

    Lei Jun is the current CEO of Xiaomi.

    Conclusion

    Compared to Apple and Huawei, Mi has still not announced any of its plans for its products or the launch. We will have to wait for any more news regarding the Chinese smartphone manufacturer’s entry into the Electric Vehicle Segment.

  • The Economic Outcomes of the Suez Canal crisis

    The recent news about the blockage of the Suez Canal has gained a lot of popularity on social media. The pictures of the blockage have been widely spread in the online world as memes. But the economic outcomes of the blockage of Suez canal are severe.

    Let’s look at the Economic Outcomes of the Suez Canal crisis

    What happened at Suez canal
    Economic outcome of the Suez Canal crisis
    Loss due to the Suez Canal crisis
    Effect on Crude oil prices
    Other consequences due to the Suez Canal crisis
    FAQ

    What happened at Suez canal

    A giant cargo ship which is 400 meter in length has blocked the Suez Canal. The Canal has been blocked by the ship for the past few days. The ship which is operated by the Taiwanese transport company evergreen marine is one of the world’s largest biggest container vessels.

    The ship weighs 200,000 tones and has a maximum capacity of 20,000 containers. It is said that the ship had lost control after it entered the narrow passage of the Suez Canal from the Red Sea. The salvage company which is trying to refloat the ship has said that it might take weeks for them to complete the task.

    Peter Berdowski who is the CEO of Dutch company Boskalis who is also one of the rescue teams trying to free the ship has said that depending on the situation, they can’t exclude that it might take weeks.

    Economic outcome of the Suez Canal crisis

    The ship has stopped 12% of the world’s seaborne trade and has already cost losses of billions. Almost 50 percent of the container ships pass through the Canal on a daily basis and around 30% of the global container traffic passes through it.
    The current situation is expected to cause a great damage to the global trade. It is expected that the prices of all essential commodities will increase.

    Suez Canal Crisis
    Suez Canal Crisis

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    Loss due to the Suez Canal crisis

    The experts fear that the blockage has led to severe effect on the economy and the global trade. The blockage is costing around 400 million (around INR 2.8k crores) per hour, as ships are asked to take a longer route to reach their destinations.

    Experts have said that this is the worst ship blockage ever witnessed. It is said that many cargo ships which have been diverted would take another 5-6 days to reach their destination.

    Effect on Crude oil prices

    It is said that more than 200 containers carry crude oils through the Canal on a daily basis. Experts have also told that the major hit would be for the small tankers and the crude oil exports from Europe to Asia.

    The director of Asia oil at FGE Sri Paravaikkarasu has said that around 20% of Asia’s Naphtha which is crude oil is supplied through the Suez Canal. He said that re-routing of the ships would add more amount of fuel consumption for the ships that is around 800 tones and increase its operating expenses.

    The shortage in the availability of the crude oil will lead to a jump in the crude oil prices. It is said that the crude oil prices have already increased due to the fear of the crude oil Suez Canal blockage in the past few days.

    Data from Refinitiv has suggested that around 30 oil tankers have been waiting at both the sides of the Suez Canal. David Fyfe who is a chief economist at Argus Media which is a market research firm said that around 5-10 percent of the global shipments passing through the Suez Canal are crude oil, refined oil, and liquefied natural gas shipments.

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    Other consequences due to the Suez Canal crisis

    Lars Jensen who is an independent container shipping expert based in Denmark has said that basically anything you see in the stores would be in shortage because of the blockage in the Suez Canal.

    This includes everything from toilet papers, coffee, furniture, clothes, shoes, exercise equipment to car parts, carpets, and electronics. The blockage has also delayed e-commerce product deliveries which even include food.

    Ian woods who is a marine cargo lawyer and partner at the London-based firm Clyde and Co. has said that, there are commodities worth millions of dollars on other ships waiting for the blockage to be cleared.

    If the blockage is not cleared quickly then they would consider taking longer routes which will increase the operational charges and these extra charges will be carried down to the consumers.

    It is said that eventually the consumers will have to pay the price and this blockage would have a deep impact on the end consumers. The exact amount and the exact effect of the blockage are not yet analyzed but the more it delays the consequences will increase.

    Each day of delay will add more billions of dollars of losses towards the global trade and the economy.

    FAQ

    What country owns the Suez Canal?

    The Suez Canal is operated and owned by Egypt.

    What country built the Suez Canal?

    In 1854, Ferdinand de Lesseps, the former French consul to Cairo, secured an agreement with the Ottoman governor of Egypt to build a canal 100 miles across the Suez.

    Why did Great Britain want to control the Suez Canal?

    Great Britain wanted to control the Suez canal, because it allowed them quicker access to its colonies in Asia and Africa.

    When did Britain buy the Suez Canal?

    In 1875 Britain bought Suez Canal from the Egyptians in £4million worth of shares.

    Conclusion

    However, Egypt’s Suez Canal Authority is looking forward to cooperating with the United States in efforts to refloat the container ship which has blocked the Suez Canal for the past few days. According to Arab News, the Canal revenue for Egypt was $5.6 billion in 2020.

  • List of Biggest Media Companies in the World

    The participation of mass media enterprises such as commercial, print publication, digital media, motion pictures and news, make media companies the most powerful. In the early 1980, over 90% of the media in America was run by almost 50 different companies. But in 1992 the number dropped to less than twenty-four, and in recent years, that same 90% lay fallen to a number of major conglomerates.

    Here is the list of the Top media giants that set a benchmark for other media enterprises throughout the world.

    Comcast
    The Walt Disney Company
    Time Warner
    CBS and Viacom
    Netflix
    Sony
    The New York Times Company
    YouTube
    Zee News
    FAQ

    Comcast

    Net Worth estimated at around $210 billion.

    Founded almost 58 years ago, Comcast is a massive multimedia conglomerate in the world by revenue. In 2014, Comcast reportedly made nearly $69 billion as reported by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In 2013, Comcast has owned 51% of NBC Universal from GE (General Electric).  Hence Comcast is the preeminent one, for its strong commitments and consistency.

    It is the single major cable TV operator and internet service provider in United States. However, the content is created through its subsidiaries like AT & T Broadband, DreamWorks Animation which is then aired over TV and the Internet through Comcast Xfinity. The leader company is headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

    Comcast vs Disney
    Comcast vs Disney

    The Walt Disney Company

    Net Worth is estimated at around $220 billion.

    The next largest mass media and entertainment conglomerate is The Walt Disney Company and its corporate headquarters are in Burbank, California. The company has ownership in pleasure grounds, film studios, and multiple television networks, such as the ABC, A&E and ESPN.

    They also have holdings in heritage companies like Marvel Entertainment and Lucasfilm of the Star Wars franchise. The mission is to entice and inspire people from all over, with recognized brands, entertaining sources and new innovations.

    Time Warner

    Net Worth is estimated at around $80 billion.

    Time Warner is an independent conglomerate, and is also recognized as the world’s biggest producers by revenue. By 1990, the company became the world’s most famous media company until Warner signed an unsuccessful amalgamation with Dot-Com Bubble that ultimately led to heavy fall of $98.7 billion alliance in 2002.

    The Dot-Com Bubble was one of the most major economic events in recent history that ultimately led to a stock market crash. The Dot-Com Bubble started in 1990s with a rapid wave of new internet companies. So like many other companies, Time Warner too suffered recession with the merger.

    But in 2009, Time Warner regained its leader position. As per 2017 reports, Warner is estimated to have raised $31.27 billion in approx. Since then, AOL and Time Inc., as well as Time Warner’s entire cable division have become separate companies.

    CBS and Viacom

    Net worth of Viacom CBS is estimated at around $17.5 billion.

    CBS and Viacom, being among the diversified multimedia conglomerate reportedly made about $14 to $15 billion in revenue each as per 2013 records. They used to be a single conglomerate administered by National Amusements, a movie theater chain.

    Viacom CBS
    Viacom CBS

    On 13 August 2019, it was officially announced that CBS and Viacom would merge into a new entity known as Viacom CBS after their separation from the first personification of Viacom in January 2006.

    Netflix

    Net Worth is estimated at around $234billion.

    Relatively a new comer to the Entertainment industry, Netflix is one of the top entertainment media that has expanded over time. In just 20-25 years, it has set the bar high making billions in annual revenue, and ranking 15th on the most innovative companies list. And is the 79th most relevant media in the world.

    Netflix Fact
    Netflix Fact

    The film and television joint i.e., Netflix both in annual revenue of approximately $7.15million. The company is headquartered in the town of Scotts Valley, California.

    Sony

    Net Worth is estimated at around $95billion.

    Sony is the biggest and most diverse conglomerate corporation, based in Japan that includes game and network services, music, pictures, and electronic products and solutions.

    The New York Times Company

    Net Worth is estimated at around $10 billion.

    Established in the year 1851, The New York Times Company is currently under the chairmanship of A.G. Sulzberger. The company aims in enhancing society by creating, collecting and distributing high quality news, and other media properties.

    It also produce iconic newspapers and is one of the most respected source of news. In 2019, it had a raise of $1.81 billion revenue. Along with YouTube, Facebook and Twitter, the company added new digital subscribers in the recent quarter.

    YouTube

    Net Worth is estimated at around $170 billion.

    Indeed YouTube is the pulsating sensation of the electronic community that has incited the video sector. From my reminiscence, VCR and then DVD player were the only source of medium to watch videos, and then we moved to cable networks and now its YouTube.

    YouTube fact
    YouTube fact

    But only about 30 years ago, streaming videos over the internet was pretty much the toughest science figment. The YouTube phenomena has been around for approximately 15 years and already it has definitely changed the world with its influence and it is truly over-whelming.

    Zee News

    Net Worth is estimated at around $93 billion.

    Owned by the Essel Group, Zee News is an exclusive news channel from India and World that research and streamline breaking news relating to business, glamour, economy, politics, sports, art and science. With a dedicated team of sincere and efficient employees, the company is predominantly focused on public awareness about all affairs.

    The journalists reach anywhere and everywhere to give eyes to the necessities, and with this they are able to spread cognizance about uncertainties and promote good for the better. In 2018, there was a raise in valuation from about 75 billion rupees.

    FAQ

    Is Google a media company?

    Richard Gingras, an American Internet executive and entrepreneur, argues that the company does not “produce media” that this is the reason Google does not describe itself as a media company.

    What is the richest entertainment company in the world?

    Comcast is the richest entertainment company in the world.

    Who is the biggest broadcaster in the world?

    Comcast Corp is the biggest broadcaster in the world.

    Conclusion

    Digital media companies are different from traditional companies as they tend to have more streams of revenue. Media industry is considered as the one of the most profitable industries in world. Many advertisers are more comfortable paying to reach consumers online.

  • How Indian media has Transformed over years [Case Study]

    Media as we know it has become an indispensable part of our lives. Without it, I think we’d barely sustain the economic and demographic environment lest having a path carved to move forward. The enormous sea of information that we have access to, is to the grace of this media.

    We have come decades ahead from telegrams and fax messages which were the primary mediums of passing sensitive information to the world of the internet and smartphones where nothing really is ever sensitive.

    The 24*7 media has taken us into the whirlpool of its headlines and breaking news and keeps us on our toes with the latest updates. Print media, Cinema, broadcasts, radio, and now the Gen Z favorite digital media are now the new improved, tech-savvy, and info-rich tools used to pass on information to the masses.

    History of Indian Media
    The Present of the Indian Media
    Growth of Indian channels, and media outlets
    How Indian media has changed the course of country’s politics and dynamics
    Future of Indian Media
    FAQ

    History of Indian Media

    Indian media is the largest and the oldest media that has seen itself unfold during the 18th century. The footfalls of pre-independence saw the birth of print media in 1780. Hicky’s Bengal Gazette was the first newspaper introduced under the British Raj.

    As the fate of India unfolded in the hands of the colonizers there were several other newspapers that steadily made their presence established. This print media later proved to become a powerful weapon at the hands of freedom fighters who spread the message of independence to the masses. The Madras Courier (1785) and the Bombay Herald (1789) were the ones that followed in the early 18th century.

    Pre-Independence

    Pre-Independence saw a multitude of print media founders support and aggregate the freedom struggle. Mirat-ul-Akbar ( a Persian Journal) by Raja Ram Mohan Roy, Rast Goftar by Dadabhai Naoroji, Kesari by Bal Gangadhar Tilak. The Indian Opinion by Mahatma Gandhi were some of the prominent newspapers that took responsibility to encourage masses to come forward for the freedom movement.

    After Independence

    Even after Independence, the print media was dominated by English newspapers. Firstly, because of the exalted position of the language and secondly because of the Morse code on typewriters which were difficult for vernacular languages. Steadily, Indian languages rose to the occasion and started printing their own press.

    Indian press witnessed its first-ever revolt when the (then) Prime Minister Indira Gandhi announced a nationwide emergency during 1975-1977. This has set a precedent for how nations should not be treating their press. This suspended basic civil liberties-press being among several others.

    The Draconian law

    The Draconian law under the government threatened and arrested anyone who reported against the tyranny. The 21 month period of emergency had the Indian media on its leash and the publications had to run their content through a Chief Press Advisor before publishing.

    Radio broadcasting was first initiated in 1927 but became a state-owned department in 1930. The ministry of broadcasting and information then held the apparatus including Doordarshan, the first Indian Television channel. It is one of two statutory bodies of the Indian Public Broadcaster Prasar Bharati.

    Doordarshan
    Doordarshan

    Indian Cinema

    The Indian Cinema dates back to 1913 when Dadasaheb Phalke, a scholar on Indian languages and culture, pioneered the motion picture industry by producing the first full-length motion picture “Raja Harishchandra”. Indian cinema has been tested in many waters to become Bollywood today. Today, India is the second-largest producer of movies in the world.

    Indian cinema with respect to its viewers has been very protective of the content and subject matter that is shown to the masses. India holds very dearly to its religious and social-political views. Indian audiences are still not very accepting of mature and sensitive topics such as same-sex relationships, casteism, and politics.

    There have been excellent filmmakers who have tried to carve out these subjects keeping in mind the sensitivity of the Indian audience. We are yet to reach the maturity mark as a collective audience when it comes to raw and unfiltered content.

    Indian media
    Indian media

    The Present of the Indian Media

    The media and entertainment industry has grown exponentially over the past few decades. Today, with more than 118000 registered publications for newspapers and periodicals and makes India the second-largest country in newspaper consumption.

    Television Media

    India has 850 TV channels across all spoken languages with 197 million households having television sets in use. Every language in the Indian subcontinent has its own set of channels of entertainment. Colors, Zee, Star are some of the leading networks spread pan India covering news and entertainment in all the main languages.

    India is currently witnessing the exit of single-screen theatres as major multiplex players like Cinepolis, INOX, PVR, and Carnival Cinemas have taken over the screenings. India has lost about 12% of single-screen theatres due to the novel corona Virus outbreak. These theatres are unlikely to return to business and may be taken over by multiplex chains.

    OTT Platforms in India

    The Over-the-top (OTT) platforms have been around since 2008. But their viewership rose significantly when we were forced into our homes for almost a year thanks to the pandemic. OTT platforms were devoid of censorship and operated pan India since the internet has no geographical barriers.

    Today OTT platforms in India have valued at a revenue of Rs 40,000 crore with 40 mainstream OTT platforms running under the Indian umbrella. Amazon Prime, Disney+ Hotstar, Netflix India, SonyLiv, Alt Balaji, Voot are some of the established OTT platforms which are giving the DTH industry a run for its money.

    Growth of Indian channels, and media outlets

    Currently, the country consumes media through platforms such as TV, OTT, Print, VFX, Radio broadcasts, Gaming, and digital advertisements. India’s Ad revenue is forecasted to expand at a CAGR of 4.3% between 2021-2024.

    Due to the rapid growth in the number of internet users, the digital avenues are looking at a projection to reach a CAGR of 26% by 2024 including print and TV platforms, making India the six-largest demographic with an industry revenue worth $2.9 Billion.

    Digital advertising revenue in India from financial year 2008 to 2020
    Digital advertising revenue in India from financial year 2010 to 2020

    How Indian media has changed the course of country’s politics and dynamics

    News Media

    With news giants like NDTV, CNBC, Aaj Tak, and ABP networks, India has around 892 news channels. These media houses have gained power over the course and have divided the Indian audiences into two wings.

    Some of the media houses are owned by the wings themselves. The politics and propaganda attribute to the success and TRPs of these media houses. A free press is becoming a serious worry in terms of authenticity and is lacking awareness.

    In recent times, journalism has cost a few passionate journalists their lives, and freedom of expression which one of the basic human rights in our constitution is ceasing to have much value. The political dominance over the free press is evident and intimidating.

    India’s Freedom status

    India’s status has been degraded from ‘Free” to “Partially Free” by the NGO Freedom House due to a “crackdown on expressions of dissent by the media, academics, civil society groups, and protesters”.

    According to the Freedom in the World report, 2020, India’s score has decked to 67 from 70 out of 100. This is extremely serious and unnerving as we are losing the democratic status that we’ve held on since our independence.

    “Under Modi, India appears to have abandoned its potential to serve as a global democratic leader, elevating narrow Hindu nationalist interests at the expense of its founding values of inclusion and equal rights for all,” the report said.

    The free reign enjoyed by the digital media became a recent target of the nationalist government when it introduced new Guidelines for Intermediaries and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules 2021 (Rules) for the functioning of OTT platforms. The new code of ethics needs to classify the content based on the viewer’s age, theme, tone, and impact.

    Future of Indian Media

    “With India’s decline to Partly Free,” the report said, “less than 20 percent of the world’s population now lives in a Free country, the smallest proportion since 1995.” The current state of media and entertainment is a little gloomy and seems to be surrounded by the clouds of arbitrary laws and coercion.

    The growth in terms of numbers is truly exponential. With OTT and Social Media platforms, media is pushing itself towards its highest potential. Content is King: but what if this content is under constant surveillance and the freedom of expression is compromised.

    The future is blurry for Indian Media and entertainment with an arbitrary wave riding its proficiency. Will India go back to being “Free” again? Or will it succumb to the political propaganda and lose its free press. These are the questions that are doing rounds of discussions among the intellectuals of our country.

    FAQ

    Who owns print media?

    ThePrint is an Indian online newspaper. It is supported by Printline Media Pvt Ltd, a company headquartered in New Delhi.

    Who owns NDTV in India?

    New Delhi Television Ltd. is an Indian news media company that owns and operates the broadcast news channels of NDTV India and NDTV 24×7.

    Who is the first woman journalist in India?

    Homai Vyarawalla was India’s first woman photojournalist.

    Conclusion

    Indian media is a mess and we need to learn to distinguish between faux news and genuine journalism. As citizens, it is our responsibility to maintain the status of a democratic nation on the world front.

  • How Zomato is Handling the Recent Delivery Controversy

    Zomato is an online food-delivery startup. Their services are available in 24 countries and around 10,000 cities. There was a recent allegation against a delivery executive of the company by Hitesha Chandranee from Bengaluru. She made an allegation against a Zomato delivery executive and shared some videos on social media explaining the allegation.

    The Allegation
    The Plea
    Zomato’s Response
    FAQ

    The Allegation

    In the first video, Hitesha Chandranee said that her Zomato delivery was late. She was talking to the customer care executive of Zomato regarding the order being arrived late. She pointed to her nose which was bleeding and said that while she was talking with the customer care executive, the delivery man hit her nose and ran away.

    Hitesha Chandranee uploaded another video on her Instagram profile which gave a detailed explanation of what actually happened. She said that she was working from morning and ordered food from Zomato around 3.30 pm. The delivery was supposed to be made by 4.30 pm.

    Since the delivery hadn’t arrived on time, she was following up with the customer care executives. She was explaining to the customer care executives to cancel the order or to provide free delivery for her order.

    She later told the delivery executive the same when he had reached with the order. She told him that she was talking to the customer care executive and didn’t wanted to receive the order as it was too late.

    She said that the delivery executive started shouting at her, asking her whether he was her slave. In the video, she said that she tried closing the door and the delivery executive pushed the door, snatched the delivery package from her hand, punched her and ran away.

    The Plea

    The Zomato Delivery executive Kamraj spoke to the media. He said that after he reached her apartment, he handed over the order to Hitesha Chandranee and was expecting to be paid because the mode of payment was COD.

    He also told that, he had apologized for the delivery being late and explained to her that it was because of the traffic and bad roads in Bengaluru. He said that, Hitesh Chandranee was very rude from the beginning, and asked him why he was late. Even after the apology she kept on insisting that the delivery was supposed to reach within 45-50 minutes.

    Kamraj then said that she had taken the food from him and refused to pay for it. She told him that she was speaking to the customer support and in fear of losing his money, he begged her to pay for the order. And it was at this moment she started shouting and calling him a slave and asked him what he could do.

    At that time the Zomato customer care informed Kamraj that the order has been canceled at the request of the customer and he had asked her to return the food. He said that she did not cooperate and because of her actions he decided to leave the apartment without taking the food.

    When he was walking towards the lift, she started using abusive words in Hindi and threw her slippers at him and started hitting him. And to defend himself from the ongoing attack he shielded himself using his hands. She then hit herself on her nose with her ring accidentally while trying to move his hand.

    Kamraj said that she did not let him go through the lift and he ran down to the third floor. He said that he had called up the Zomato support system executive in Delhi and explained the incident.

    Number of orders received by Zomato
    Number of orders received by Zomato 

    Zomato’s Response

    As soon as the first video was uploaded by the woman, Zomato’s official Twitter handle had responded saying that a local representative from the company would get in touch with her. They said that they would help her with the police investigation.

    Zomato took quick actions. They made a statement saying that the delivery executive was delisted from the app and they empathized and apologised for the incident.

    After hearing the delivery executive’s plea, the co-founder of the application has said that they are providing support to both of them to ensure that both sides of the story are heard.

    The co-founder of Zomato Deepinder Goyal said that they are in touch with the woman and is covering her medical expenses and helping her with the case. He confirmed that they have temporarily removed access of Kamraj towards the application but they are covering his earnings while the case is going on. They are also covering his legal expenses.

    Conclusion

    Zomato has said that Kamraj had made 5,000 deliveries for them and is one of the top delivery executives in the app with a average rating of 4.75/5 star. They said that he had been working with them for 26 months. Deepinder Goyal also reminded the public that these were facts and not an opinion. They have provided the information for record purposes.

    FAQ

    What is the salary of Zomato delivery boy?

    Delivery boys earn approximately between ₹ 25,000 per month, depending on factors such as the number of deliveries completed and the distance they cover.

    Who is the founder of Zomato?

    Deepinder Goyal is the founder and CEO of Zomato.

    What is Zomato’s valuation?

    As of January 2020, Zomato’s valuation is $3 billion.

  • Complete Scenario of NITES involvement in Tata Employees Layoff

    Tata technologies were founded in the year 1989, situated in Pune, India. It is one of the largest firms in India. Tata Technologies provides services in product lifecycle management, engineering and design, product development, manufacturing,  and IT service management to automotive and aerospace original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers.

    The company has branches in North America, Middle eastern countries, the Asia-specific region, and Europe. They have their regional headquarters in the United States. The company has around 8,000 employees which is their global workforce since they operate in more than 25 countries.

    There was a recent controversy against Tata technologies which said that they had illegally terminated around 800 – 1000 employees.

    Why Tata terminated 800 people
    NITES’s involvement in the Scenario
    What Tata has to say
    FAQ

    Why Tata terminated 800 people

    In June 2020 Tata Technologies has put around 400 employees on Furlough. In simple terms, furlough is a temporary leave that is given to employees due to certain needs of the company or employer. It can be because of special needs like economic conditions.

    June 2020, when the lockdown was imposed in India and the company saw its business slowing down during the pandemic. This was the reason for putting the employees on Furlough.

    According to the company, the employees on furlough would be part of the company and would have access to their corporate insurance. But the employees wouldn’t receive their monthly salary until their furlough is removed. These 400 employees were asked to continue their leave until 31 December 2020.

    On 1 March 2021, around 800 – 1000 employees received an email of termination from the company. The email had the content which said that the employees would receive a month’s salary and 31 March 2021 would be their last working day. The employees will be terminated without providing them their compensations, when they were on furlough.

    The email received by the employees said that they were being asked to leave since the company was not able to find any billable assignments for its employees. The company has also stated that during the employee’s paid and unpaid leaves.

    The company stated that, they tried to find billable assignments for employees. But unfortunately, they couldn’t find billable assignments according to the employees proportionate job expertise, work experience, and qualification.

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    NITES’s involvement in the Scenario

    NITES is an employee union that is a non-profit organization. It is based in Pune, Maharashtra. NITES (Nascent Information Technology Employees Senate). NITES has received several complaints from the employees of Tata regarding the termination.

    Harpreet Saluja, the president of NITES has filed a complaint with the Labor Commissioner’s office in Pune. NITES has filed a complaint to take legal actions against Tata technologies, Hinjewadi, Pune. NITES filed a complaint stating that the employees were illegally terminated for maintaining the profitability of the business, during the pandemic.

    According to the purview of the Industrial Disputes Act and the Shops and Establishment Act, IT firms like Tata technologies can’t implement Furlough. The concept of Furlough is considered illegal for IT firms.

    In the complaint which was filed to the Labor Commissioner Pune, NITES wrote that the company has violated the Statutory Labor Laws and other rules and regulations issued on 31 March 2020 by the Government of Maharashtra.

    NITES has stated that they are expecting the authorities of the state/central government to take necessary actions towards the company. They would want the authorities to provide them with a basic structure to handle such situations.

    They would want the authorities to take strict actions so that this can be an example to other companies, also the rights of the employees would be protected. This incidence should avoid such insensitive behavior towards employees in the future. This was stated in the complaint letter provided by NITES.

    Revenue of Tata Group
    Revenue of Tata Group

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    What Tata has to say

    Tata Technologies have refused such claims. It stated that they haven’t terminated 800 employees. They had a discussion with a selected set of employees and according to the discussion they had opted for paid leave and later on followed by unpaid leave. This was for a specific period of time.

    The company also stated that these employees were still part of the company and received health and medical insurance from the company. Tata has claimed that even their immediate family members were covered under their corporate insurance policy.

    The company said, due to the arising business challenges during July 2020 because of the lockdown in India. They had taken measures to make Tata technologies an agile, flexible, and responsive organization. They have said that the statement by NITES is not true.

    FAQ

    Do employers have to pay for layoffs?

    Generally employees who lose their jobs in a layoff have no automatic right to severance pay but there are few exceptions-Mass layoff severance. The company has to provide a small amount of severance.

    Can you be rehired after being laid off?

    Yes, There are are no laws prohibiting employers from rehiring laid-off employees.

    Who qualifies for furlough?

    You can be furloughed whether you are on a full-time, part-time, agency, flexible or zero-hour contract, but you must have been on your employer’s payroll before the extension was announced.

    Conclusion

    The spokesperson of the company has stated that they were successful in assigning 18% of their employees with new tasks and projects. Meanwhile, the company has been trying to communicate and maintain the relationship with the remaining set of employees sticking to their statutory norms.

  • Shekhar Gupta – Padma Bhusan recipient and the founder of The Print

    In the puddle of journalism and the controversy about how virtuous it is, Shekhar Gupta is a gem. This 63 years old is now editor- in- chief and the founder of The Print. The journalist who won Padma Bhushan for his dedication and hard-work in the field of journalism and serving the national interest.

    Shekhar Gupta – Biography

    Name Shekhar Gupta
    DOB 26 August, 1957
    Birthplace Palwal, Haryana
    Nationality Indian
    Profession Journalist
    Spouse Neelam Jolly
    Major Award Padma Bhushan (2009)

    Shekhar Gupta- Early Life and Personal Life
    Shekhar Gupta- Education
    Shekhar Gupta- Professional Career
    Shekhar Gupta as founder of The Print
    Shekhar Gupta- Books
    Shekhar Gupta- Awards and Achievements

    Shekhar Gupta- Early Life and Personal Life

    Shekhar Gupta was born on 26th August, 1957 at Palwal, Haryana. He is married to Neelam Jolly, who is a social worker and runs a NGO.

    He started working in the year 1977 in Indian Express. He worked for 6  years there. But he gave his resignation there in order to join Indian Today.

    There he completed Operation Bluestar– the Nellie Massacre in Assam and Gulf War in 1991. Through these shows he brought the ring-side view of contemporary history. But after that he again rejoined the Indian Express as editor in chief and CEO. There he again worked for 19 years from 1996-2015.

    Shekhar Gupta- Education

    He started his schooling in Saraswati Shishu Mandir in Palal, Punjab. He went there for 3 years from 1962- 1965.

    And then he graduated from School of communication from Punjab University to do his Bachelor’s in Journalism. He passed it in the year 1976.

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    Shekhar Gupta- Professional Career

    Currently he is the editor in chief of The Print, which was launched in August,2017. He started this paper keeping in mind of being “liberal and factual“.

    Before retiring from Indian Express in 2014, he was enjoying an annual package of Rs 10 crores. Which was the highest in the Indian journalism or World Journalism scenario.

    He is also a columnist in Business Standard. He has had long stints at Indian Express and India Today. He writes a weekly column for India Today named “National Interest“.

    All the columns of National Interest from Indian Express were compiled together in 2014 to make a book, “Anticipating India”. He also hosted an “interview- based ” television show “Walk the Talk ” for almost 15 years for NDTV. In that period he covered around 600 guests.

    Shekhar Gupta with Richard Verma in Walk the Talk show
    Shekhar Gupta with Richard Verma in Walk the Talk show

    Some of his major projects were :

    • Operation Bluestar
    • Olympic Games in Los Angeles
    • Student Uprising in Tiananmen Square in Beijing
    • Fall of Berlin Wall
    • First Gulf War from Baghad, Jerusalem and Kuwait
    • The first Jihad in Afghanistan

    Apart from this he also covered the troubled decade (1983-1993) in Sri Lanka’s Tamil north. Shekhar also had uncovered the LTTE training camp in India. He uncovered a spy scandal in the Indian Space Research Organisation. He dug out the truth behind the falsely implicated scientist in there. He also covered the terrorist attack in the US on September 11, 2001.

    He was a very brave man. A man full of courage. He was even able to report extensively from pan- national fundamentalism from around the world- Afghanistan, Pakistan, Germany, the USA and the UK including its links with Osama Bin Laden.

    He is also a regular guest speaker at prestigious forums. Including the Asia Society, New York, National Defense College, Defense Service Staff College and the World Economic Forum in Davos and its India Summit.

    Shekhar Gupta and Manu Pubby from Indian Express brought AgustaWestland scam into the public domain. The deal was cancelled by then UPA government after Indian Express exposed the scam.

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    Shekhar Gupta as founder of The Print

    Shekhar Gupta incorporated Printline Media Pvt Ltd it in New Delhi, India, in September 2016.

    It basically focuses on politics and policy. The venture is associated with the Off the Cuff program. That is broadcast on NDTV 24×7 and promoted on The Print’s YouTube and Facebook channels.

    In May 2017, this digital news platform received an undisclosed amount of funding from:

    • N.R. Narayana Murthy and Nandan Nilekani, co-founders of Infosys
    • Ratan Tata,
    • Kiran Mazumdar Shaw, Biocon Founder
    • the Uday Kotak Family
    • Vijay Shekhar Sharma,Paytm founder  
    • Bengaluru-based tech entrepreneur Rajiv C. Mody,
    • chairman of LVMH Asia Ravi Thakran, and
    • IIFL founders Nirmal Jain, R. Venkatraman, Karan Bhagat and Yatin Shah

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    Shekhar Gupta- Books

    Name of the Book Year
    Walk the Talk: Decoding 2017
    Anticipating India 2014
    India Redeefines its Role 1995
    Assam, a valley divided 1984

    Anticipating India was published by Oxford University Press and International Institute of Strategic Studies, London.

    Shekhar Gupta- Awards and Achievements

    He won his first award in the year 1985, the Inlaks award for Young Journalist of the Year. He is the recipient of G.K Reddy Award for Journalism. Also the Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Memorial Award for National Integration.

    He won the Padma Bhushan in 2009 by UPA government for his contribution in the Journalism field.

    He was also elected as the President of the Editor’s Guild of India in 2018.

    The Indian Express won the Vienna-based International Press Institute’s Award for Outstanding Journalism in the Public Interest thrice under his leadership.

    • the first time for its coverage of the Gujarat riots of 2002,
    • the second time for uncovering the Bihar flood relief scam in 2009 and
    • the third time for its sustained investigation into the Malegaon and Modasa blasts of 2008 and the alleged role of extremists and organisations.

  • Instagram Rolls Out New Feature – Reels To Rival TikTok: Here’s How To Use It!

    TikTok was one of the most popular social media platforms in India until it was banned with 58 other Chinese mobile applications by the Government of India. The ban of TikTok has led to the creation and popularity of many other similar apps that allow users to create short entertaining videos such as ‘Mitron’. Instagram, the biggest and most popular social media platform in India has also joined this competition. Instagram has rolled out a new feature on its application – Instagram Reels, which will allow users to make 15-second videos similar to TikTok.

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    Instagram has made this feature available on its app from 7:30 PM today. Since the feature is still in its testing period, it will not be available to all users. Users will be available to create short videos of 15 seconds and apply various features and effects. The Reels feature has already been rolled out for testing in 3 countries:
    Brazil, Germany, and France. Therefore, India becomes the fourth country in which Instagram is rolling out the Reels feature.

    Instagram Launches Reels To Rival TikTok

    How To Use Reel On Instagram?

    • Update the Instagram app.
    • Open the Instagram Camera
    • There you will see the Reel option among other option such as Live, Story, and Boomerang. Choose the Reel option.
    • Creating a Reel video is very much similar to creating a Tiktok video. You can select a song from Instagram music that you want in your video. You can also choose the part or duration of the song you wish in your video.
    • You can also adjust the speed of your video to give slow motion and fast effects to the video. You can choose from 0.3x, 0.5x, 1x, 2x, and 3x.
    • In the effects option, you can add different effects and filters to your video.
    • Next is the Timer button which allows you to choose the length of your video. You can record a video of any duration with 15 seconds being the maximum.
    • You can also trim a video after shooting it. You can remove the parts you don’t want in the final video.
    Instagram Reels
    You can edit your Reel video just like on Tiktok and they will appear on the Explore Page
    • After shooting the video, you can add text and stickers in the video or even draw something in the video. It is just like customizing a story on Instagram.
    • There are different options for sharing your Reel video. You can share it as a story which as usual remains for 24 hours. Or you can share the video directly to a friend. You can also share the video on your personal feed where it will remain forever and all of your followers will be able to see it. Or you can share it in the explore section where it will appear with Reel videos from other users if you have a public account.
    • If you go to the explore section on Instagram, you will find the Reel section where Reel videos from different users are available to watch. If you like an audio/song in someone’s Reel video, you can use that audio or song in your video simply by touching on the ‘Use Audio’ button.

    This new Reels Feature on Instagram will help people to display their creativeness and use it to spread a message. The Reel feature is almost the same as TikTok, so if you have used TikTok before, you will find no difficulties in using Reel. Many people in India used TikTok and they were very disappointed when it was banned. They will now be able to create the same type of videos and content on Instagram which will be beneficial for them as well as for Instagram. You can use this new feature for reaching out to a wide audience on Instagram. If you have a public account you can share it in the explore section which shows public posts from all around the world.

  • PM Launches ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’ | Urges Techies And Startups To Participate

    Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted about the new ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’. The challenge which was launched through the PM’s tweet challenges Indian Startups and companies to develop ‘Made in India’ applications that will facilitate not only the people of India but the whole world. In his tweet, PM urged all the tech and startup community to come forward and develop world-class mobile applications under the challenge.

    PM Narendra Modi Launches The ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat App Innovation Challenge’ Through Twitter

    The challenge was launched under the Digital India mission by the collaboration of The Ministry of Electronics And IT with The Atal Innovation Mission (AIM) which is an endeavor of Niti Aayog.

    In a second tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi urged everyone with such a working product or the ideas and vision to create one to come forward and take part in the challenge. He also gave a tagline for this challenge:

    Let us Code for an Aatmanirbhar Bharat!

    PM urged Technology Startups and Enthusiasts To Participate

    It has been only a few days since the Government of India banned 59 Chinese mobile applications such as TikTok, ShareIt, Xender, etc. from the Indian market. And the Government of India has already started to make India Aatmanirbhar in terms of world-class mobile applications.

    “Today, when the entire nation is working towards creating an Aatmanirbhar Bharat, it is a good opportunity to give direction to their efforts, momentum to their hard-work and mentorship to their talent to evolve Apps which can satisfy our market as well as compete with the world.”, wrote PM Narendra Modi on his LinkedIn post.

    Why Is This Important?

    China had huge control over the Indian market until the ban of the 59 Chinese applications a few days ago. These 59 applications contained some applications which were very popular in the Indian market. Some of such popular apps were TikTok, Xender, UC Browser, Shein, Club Factory, and more. While the Indian alternatives of these applications are available to download, they are much behind in terms of quality. Therefore, it was an important decision to launch the challenge.
    The challenge will motivate Indian Startups and techies to create such world-class applications that will find top spots in the world market. One more reason is that although Chinese apps have been banned in India, we still have many foreign-based applications that are very popular in India. These include popular social media apps WhatsApp and Instagram, Google apps, and more. Therefore, this decision was made not only for developing Indian alternatives for the 59 Chinese apps that were banned but also to develop apps that can conquer the World market and leave other apps behind.

    Although the Chinese apps have been banned by the Government from the Indian market, there are still many apps that Indians use which are not India-based. Therefore, this challenge will prove out to be a good step towards the Aatmanirbhar Bharat movement and the revenue generated by Indian apps will stay in India itself, helping a little to the Economy of India.
    PM Narendra Modi informed on his LinkedIn account that the challenge will be run on 2 different tracks. First – To promote existing Indian applications. And Second – To help people and startups to develop new applications in terms of financial and ideation support.

    The innovation challenge is being launched in 8 different categories:

    1. Office Productivity and Work From Home
    2. Social Networking
    3. News
    4. Games
    5. E-Learning
    6. Health and Wellness
    7. Entertainment
    8. Business (including Agritech and Fintech)

    The last date for submission of work has been set to 18th July and the work will be judged based on its ease of use, Security Features, Scalability, and Robustness.
    Along with the motivation to work, the challenge also offers money prizes to the top 3 contestants in each category along with the top 3 candidates of sub-categories decided by the Jury. The prizes will be as follows:

    Position Attained (in each category) Prize
    First 20 Lakhs
    Second 15 Lakhs
    Third 10 Lakhs

    Position Attained (in each sub-category) Prize
    First 5 Lakhs
    Second 3 Lakhs
    Third 2 Lakhs

    Along with the prize money, the apps will be given a place on the top leader-boards.

    Conclusion

    This challenge will motivate many individuals and companies to come forward and use their brains for the benefit of India. It is true that India has brains but lacks the motivation to create such world-class applications. This challenge will give them support as well as the motivation required by them to use their skills towards the betterment of India.