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<keyword id="245721" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tallin">Tallin</keyword>, <keyword id="110656" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="estonia">Estonia</keyword> 
 Due to a simple reason of <keyword id="172365" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Russian-army">Russian Army</keyword>'s memorial being brought down by protestors, the Russians supposedly attacked through what is called a DDOS attack (Distributed Denial of Service).They jammed all networks with so much traffic that it brought down all the financial networks of the country! This has been nicknamed WWI or Web War I. 
 
United States- May 2009 
 <keyword id="13473" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="North-Korea">North Korea</keyword> attacked all the web services of Homeland Security &amp; Transportation departments and brought them down. Could the US counterattack when North Korea has no grid and hardly any internet connections? 
 
<keyword id="6356687" type="COUNTRY" weightage="100" keywordseo="canada">Canada</keyword>, 2009 
 
The Canadians suddenly discovered Ghostnet that took over 1300 Computers at various embassies around the World. This had the capability to turn on a computer's camera and microphone remotely without alerting the user and to export images and sound silently back to servers in China. 
 
Preempting this necessary evil, China has built both offensive and defensive cyber warfare units from 2003 onwards. 
 Our lives today have become increasingly dependent on technology and being connected. We cannot imagine lives without phones, tablets and the internet. DARPA, the <keyword id="2987813" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defence-RD">Defence R&amp;D</keyword> funding organization, originally created the Internet but the question arises if they were aware of its potential both positively and negatively at that time? 
 
India is a large country with neighbors like China and Pakistan and in today’s technologically advanced era, looking at the size of the armed forces and military equipment will not be enough to defend and attack. Nuclear deterrence has always been a hot topic but now we need to talk about Cyber-war deterrence too. Cyber crimes have the capability to attack in a completely new environment where one cannot be prepared to defend. In cyber wars, one can attack a country by targeting its financial system, electricity grids and other critical services. It has become extremely crucial that we understand the gravity of these cyber wars and be aware of all the areas of vulnerability that exist in our system. 
 Recently, the new Government also recognized the importance of cyber security and I believe a new unit has been created in the PMO to overlook this aspect. We need to look at our Public and Private infrastructure including power, banking, financial, nuclear, telecom etc and create strategies to protect them. The import of telecom equipments increased from all over the world without considering the possibility of <keyword id="48511" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Spyware">spyware</keyword> being present. The <keyword id="43909" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Defence-ministry">Defence Ministry</keyword> should also consider the creation of a <keyword id="2987812" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Joint-Command-for-Cyber-Warfare">Joint Command for Cyber Warfare</keyword> and create warriors trained only on this. We will need to create both defensive and offensive capabilities to be prepared for such attacks. Like China, India also needs to build indigenous capability in key technologies in computers using our own operating systems and networking equipment for our networks to become secure. This effort also requires support from corporate’s as we move ahead to privatized infrastructure like railways, power etc. 
 
The time has now come for India to recognize this need and address any vulnerability that exists in the system. In the increasingly digital world that we are moving towards, we need to prepare ourselves to defend any web wars that come our way 
 
Mr Ajai Chowdhry is the founder of HCL. He served as the chairman of the company from 1999 onwards. Mr. Chowdhry has been the key driving force in changing the face of IT industry in India.

World War III: It’s going to be cyber war but is India prepared?

<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> is planning a <keyword id="22964001" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="repairability-index" source="keywords">repairability index</keyword> for <keyword id="20016418" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mobile-phones" source="keywords">mobile phones</keyword> and electronic products to address the growing <keyword id="19932462" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="e-waste" source="keywords">e-waste</keyword> problem and encourage manufacturers to produce more easily repairable items, officials said on Thursday. The <keyword id="20026051" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Consumer-Affairs-Ministry" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Consumer Affairs Ministry" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Consumer Affairs Ministry">Consumer Affairs Ministry</keyword> is spearheading the initiative, which will provide a score on key parameters to inform consumers about the ease with which a product can be repaired, the officials said at a national workshop on the issue. Addressing the workshop, <keyword id="20003684" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="consumer-affairs" source="keywords">Consumer Affairs</keyword> Secretary Nidhi Khare said: "As India emerges as the third largest economy in the world, we should have a vibrant and tech-savvy repair system." She also added, "India can become a repair hub for the world." The proposed index will be similar to initiatives in other countries, such as France's repairability index. It will rate products on criteria including availability of technical documents, ease of disassembly, spare parts availability and pricing. The workshop was aimed at establishing a consensus among industry stakeholders on "key parameters for accessing and evaluating repairability index" besides promoting longevity in product design, and democratizing repair information to enhance consumer experiences in reusing the mobile and <keyword id="19896834" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electronics" source="keywords">electronics</keyword> products they own. Additional Secretary Bharat Khera emphasized the need for transparent and affordable repair solutions, increased consumer awareness, and support for local repairers. Joint Secretary Anupam Mishra highlighted concerns about the lack of genuine spare parts in local markets, compatibility issues with product components, and the absence of information for consumers to repair their own devices. He also mentioned that the Repairability Index of France rates products on five criteria, while the EU has additional parameters. <keyword id="20032279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="HCL-Technologies" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="HCL Technologies" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="HCL Technologies">HCL Technologies</keyword> Founder Ajai Chowdhry called for legislation to drive change. "Today, most products are not repairable. We need to design products which can be repaired.... Unless we create a law, things will not change," he said. The government has already launched a <keyword id="22964002" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Right-to-Repair-Portal" source="keywords">Right to Repair Portal</keyword>, with 63 companies onboard, including 23 from the mobile and electronics sector. India is the third largest electronic waste producer globally after China and the US. The initiative aims to reduce e-waste, promote <keyword id="20128078" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-practices" source="keywords">sustainable practices</keyword>, and create opportunities for third-party repairers in India's growing electronics market.

India plans repairability index for mobile, electronics to tackle e-waste

The market, today, is fiercely competitive and performance is the key to corporate growth. Especially in case of a <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startups&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">startup</a>, performance becomes a necessity for survival in the market. While this depends on various factors and practices, it is important to have a structured and holistic approach in order to achieve the best results for your organisation. 
 
Performance Oriented Culture Unlike larger companies, <keyword id="6362513" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Startups">startups</keyword> look to optimise the output from each employee to drive highest productivity, often with limited resources. Hence, it is crucial for the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=management&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">management</a> to develop a performance oriented culture in the organisation. This can only be possible when each employee not only understands his / her role but also functions with the rest of the organisation in perfect synergy. 
 
However, since it can be a difficult task for the management to pay individual attention to each employee, it is very important to develop a culture that keeps employees involved and motivated towards a common goal. There are many methods and processes that can be implemented in this direction. Several startups, understanding the importance of driving high performance, are implementing these and reaping the benefits. 
 
An organisation’s performance depends on the functioning of various factors and departments to bring out the best from each individual, leading to achieving a high level of efficiency and productivity on an organisational level. 
 
Intelligent <keyword id="6357342" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hiring">Hiring</keyword> 
A major need, not exclusively for startups, is to hire people for both short-term and long-term goals. While <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=hiring&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">hiring</a> people with desired qualification and direct experience may be a good idea to meet short-term requirements, a result-oriented and motivated candidate may be a long-term asset to your organisation. Hence, it is extremely important to have a balanced approach keeping these factors in mind when hiring your team. 
 
It is important to list down the ‘must haves’ ahead of going into the hiring process that are clearly mapped against the job responsibilities. Defining the required results first and then choosing the best suited person to excel at achieving them is a more effective method of acquiring the right talent. This would filter the pool of candidates down to high-potential individuals who could get the job done most efficiently. 
 
Effective Induction 
Once hired, the organisation should also consider the responsibility of ensuring the employees’ subsequent success. It is important to make the new employees understand the organisation’s culture and objectives besides helping them align themselves to the company’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=work+culture&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">work culture</a>. They should also be completely aware of the role they play and the organisation’s expectations from them. Additionally, each employee should be able to clearly visualise his/her own growth path within the organisation, both professional and personal. This acts as a key motivating factor to drive them towards giving their best. 
 
Performance Management 
<a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=incentives&amp;sortorder=effectivedate">Incentivising</a> achievements is an effective way to keep the workforce motivated towards performing to their full potential. Recognising and appreciating one’s efforts and rewarding with incentives keeps them engaged to give their best. 
 
Planned Structure 
Departments need to be created in a way that assignments are carried out seamlessly and each team member is able to contribute as per the role he/she plays in the particular department or team. The departments / teams should be planned in a way that each employee gets enough opportunities to not just give their best, but also to work on skills they want to improve. This is a way to align the organisational objectives with individual goals which will consequently result in higher work satisfaction within the organisation. 
 
Measurement 
Measuring results is a key part of performance management as it clearly lays out the organisation’s strengths and weaknesses. It also builds the basis to recognise and incentivise good individual performances. It is important to emphasise on a result-oriented approach to measure performance instead of blindly going by the traditional, job-description based assessment tests. 
 
A performance-oriented culture is created when each individual’s approach and efforts are aligned with the organisation’s core objectives and goals. While these are some of the ways which can help you in creating such a culture within your organisation, it is still a learning process that each entrepreneur goes through to find out what works for their enterprise. 
 
(The article has been authored by HCL Founder Ajai Chowdhry) 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

These are the Key steps to create a performance-oriented culture in your startup

India is evidently witnessing a surge in entrepreneurship with new and innovative startups mushrooming in every sector possible, and some of them are even creating new categories. 
 Investors, today, are more open towards investing in an innovative idea than ever before. However, it is also crucial for <keyword id="53533" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="entrepreneurs">entrepreneurs</keyword> to understand the investors’ psyche in order to succeed in their pitch to raise capital. 
 <keyword id="6365770" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="angel-investors">Angel investors</keyword> who are investing in businesses could have multiple objectives. While some are looking to make a difference by supporting unique business ventures, which have a potential to bring about a societal change, others are looking for a way to give back to the community by sharing their knowledge of running a business or just as a means of staying connected to their industry. 
 
Then there are those who are looking purely for a good return on investment. 
 
In all cases, the secret to their success is to put their money in businesses that will pay highest returns. Intelligent investors always plan to exit the businesses they invest in, typically, three to five years, which means they have an exit strategy even before they begin their journey with the startup. Although, an angel investor is open to taking risks but with high levels of expectations from the entrepreneurs’ abilities to run the business and make it profitable. There are some traits that are common amongst most angel investors. 
 
Play as a team 
Most professional angel investors invest as part of a team. This ensures that when they invest in a business, thorough evaluation and validation of the business model is done collectively. The investors, collectively, also bring along experience of having seen several businesses grow, hence entrepreneurs get access to the resources and advisory that they bring along. However, it is important to remember that they will only work behind the curtains. 
 
Reliable mentor 
Successful angel investors mostly have lot of knowledge and experience by having worked very closely with several businesses, however, remain highly enthusiastic about learning new things. This makes them a reliable knowledge pool and think-tank for the entrepreneurs which they can utilise by frequently consulting them on their business plans. 
 
Strategists 
Investing into businesses with an unpredictable future is a considerably big risk which is definitely not an easy decision. While the investors are ready to take that risk, they, in most cases, have a strategy in mind for the venture to be able to give healthy returns. It is important for any entrepreneur to understand and align business strategies with the assumptions and expectations of the investors to avoid difference of opinions at any stage. This can only happen through constant discussions and counseling. 
 
It is clear that an angel investor will not invest into a business till he/she is totally convinced of its potential to be profitable. They will not necessarily ask, but it is important for the entrepreneur to answer the questions they might have in their minds. There are few key criteria that they evaluate the business models on. 
 
The core 
The core of any venture is the idea behind it and it is crucial that it has the potential to create space for itself in the market, all the more important in a competitive market like India. The business should either be addressing a prevalent need or be able to create a segment in itself. Scalability and a considerable prospective consumer base are also important for future expansion. 
 
Ability of the entrepreneur 
Businesses are run by people and investors understand this fact very well. Hence, it is almost certain that any investor will assess and evaluate the people involved with a venture before investing in it. Investors prefer associating with people who are not just passionate about the idea but also have the skill sets to carry out the business. This is one of the most crucial aspects that I judge start-ups on, before associating with them. Since most investors are seasoned entrepreneurs themselves, they prefer associating with teams who are open to learning from their experiences also. 
 
A convincing presentation 
Any successful investor goes through a large number of business plans on a daily basis and does not always have the luxury of time while evaluating one. Hence, it is crucial to present the business model in the most effective, realistic way highlighting the most important aspects of the business like the core idea, market scenario, go-to-market approach and details of the financials. This helps them get the complete picture in a snapshot, hence enabling them to take an informed decision. 
 
Profitability 
Return on investment is an investor’s aim from associating with the start-up venture; hence, this becomes the most crucial aspect for them. It is important to show them a realistic picture of the possible returns and profitability of the business model in order to help them take a decision. While most investors prefer investing in the industry of their experience, however, are usually open to exploring newer and promising industries. 
 
The exit route 
As I have mentioned above, angel investors plan their exit well before entering a venture, hence they are constantly planning ahead. Most of them have a well thought of time-period in mind for their exit which can be anything from three to five years. 
 
(The article has been authored by HCL Founder Ajai Chowdhry) 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

8 things you must know about angel investors

India is evidently witnessing a surge in <keyword id="107737" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Entrepreneurship">entrepreneurship</keyword> with new and innovative startups mushrooming in every sector possible, and some of them are even creating new categories. 
 
Investors, today, are more open towards investing in an innovative idea than ever before. However, it is also crucial for entrepreneurs to understand the investors’ psyche in order to succeed in their pitch to raise capital. 
 <keyword id="6365770" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="angel-investors">Angel investors</keyword> who are investing in businesses could have multiple objectives. While some are looking to make a difference by supporting unique business ventures, which have a potential to bring about a societal change, others are looking for a way to give back to the community by sharing their knowledge of running a business or just as a means of staying connected to their industry. 
 
Then there are those who are looking purely for a good return on investment. 
 
In all cases, the secret to their success is to put their money in businesses that will pay highest returns. Intelligent investors always plan to exit the businesses they invest in, typically, three to five years, which means they have an exit strategy even before they begin their journey with the startup. Although, an angel investor is open to taking risks but with high levels of expectations from the entrepreneurs’ abilities to run the business and make it profitable. There are some traits that are common amongst most angel investors. 
 
Play as a team 
Most professional angel investors invest as part of a team. This ensures that when they invest in a business, thorough evaluation and validation of the business model is done collectively. The investors, collectively, also bring along experience of having seen several businesses grow, hence entrepreneurs get access to the resources and advisory that they bring along. However, it is important to remember that they will only work behind the curtains. 
 
Reliable mentor 
Successful angel investors mostly have lot of knowledge and experience by having worked very closely with several businesses, however, remain highly enthusiastic about learning new things. This makes them a reliable knowledge pool and think-tank for the entrepreneurs which they can utilise by frequently consulting them on their business plans. 
 
Strategists 
Investing into businesses with an unpredictable future is a considerably big risk which is definitely not an easy decision. While the investors are ready to take that risk, they, in most cases, have a strategy in mind for the venture to be able to give healthy returns. It is important for any entrepreneur to understand and align business strategies with the assumptions and expectations of the investors to avoid difference of opinions at any stage. This can only happen through constant discussions and counseling. 
 
It is clear that an angel investor will not invest into a business till he/she is totally convinced of its potential to be profitable. They will not necessarily ask, but it is important for the entrepreneur to answer the questions they might have in their minds. There are few key criteria that they evaluate the business models on. 
 
The core 
The core of any venture is the idea behind it and it is crucial that it has the potential to create space for itself in the market, all the more important in a competitive market like India. The business should either be addressing a prevalent need or be able to create a segment in itself. Scalability and a considerable prospective consumer base are also important for future expansion. 
 
Ability of the entrepreneur 
Businesses are run by people and investors understand this fact very well. Hence, it is almost certain that any investor will assess and evaluate the people involved with a venture before investing in it. Investors prefer associating with people who are not just passionate about the idea but also have the skill sets to carry out the business. This is one of the most crucial aspects that I judge start-ups on, before associating with them. Since most investors are seasoned entrepreneurs themselves, they prefer associating with teams who are open to learning from their experiences also. 
 
A convincing presentation 
Any successful investor goes through a large number of business plans on a daily basis and does not always have the luxury of time while evaluating one. Hence, it is crucial to present the business model in the most effective, realistic way highlighting the most important aspects of the business like the core idea, market scenario, go-to-market approach and details of the financials. This helps them get the complete picture in a snapshot, hence enabling them to take an informed decision. 
 
Profitability 
Return on investment is an investor’s aim from associating with the start-up venture; hence, this becomes the most crucial aspect for them. It is important to show them a realistic picture of the possible returns and profitability of the business model in order to help them take a decision. While most investors prefer investing in the industry of their experience, however, are usually open to exploring newer and promising industries. 
 
The exit route 
As I have mentioned above, angel investors plan their exit well before entering a venture, hence they are constantly planning ahead. Most of them have a well thought of time-period in mind for their exit which can be anything from three to five years. 
 
(The article has been authored by HCL Founder Ajai Chowdhry) 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

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World War III: It’s going to be cyber war but is India prepared?

Ajai Chowdhry

India plans repairability index for mobile, electronics to tackle e-waste

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These are the Key steps to create a performance-oriented culture in your startup

Ajai Chowdhry

8 things you must know about angel investors

Ajai Chowdhry

8 common traits of angel investors when they begin their journey with startups

Ajai Chowdhry

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