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<keyword id="1017412" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aruna-Sundararajan">Aruna Sundararajan</keyword>, secretary of IT and electronics will now be taking full charge of the department of telecom (DoT), which till now was an additional charge given to her in May. A notification to this effect was issued by the department of personnel, Wednesday, according to which <keyword id="213726" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sundararajan">Sundararajan</keyword> will be at the helm of telecom department filing a vacancy created by posting of former telecom secretary <keyword id="3030164" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="JS-Deepak">JS Deepak</keyword> to the WTO as India representative. After Deepak, power secretary <keyword id="3258053" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="PK-Pujari">PK Pujari</keyword> was handling DoT as additional charge for a few months before Sundararajan was brought in. Ajay Prakash Sawhney will take over as secretary for electronics and IT, the government notification added. One of the key challenges ahead of Sundararajan is the critical condition of the financial health of the sector, for which telecom minister Manoj Sinha and the secretary will be meeting promoters of leading Indian carriers on Thursday. The meeting - to be attended by Bharti Airtel chairman Sunil Mittal, Reliance <keyword id="6379089" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Communications">Communications</keyword> chairman Anil Ambani and chief executives of Reliance Jio, Tata Teleservices and Idea Cellular - is part of deliberations on solutions for the massive stress on the sector's financials. Banking sector puts the debt associated with telecom at Rs 7.29 lakh crore. An inter-ministerial panel consisting of members from telecom, <keyword id="25455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="finance">finance</keyword> and revenue, is already looking into this issue, even as the department has sought for cutting of non-tax revenue estimates for 2017-18 by 37% to just over Rs 29,500 crore.

Aruna Sundararajan gets full charge as DoT secretary, Ajay Prakash Sawhney new IT secretary

The Indian government would allow <keyword id="6354427" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Apple">Apple</keyword> to import some components at zero duty, but in return, the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/iphone-owners-are-far-more-loyal-than-android-users/articleshow/58797498.cms">iPhone</a> maker will have to increase local manufacturing in the country in a phased manner. As per <keyword id="1017412" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aruna-Sundararajan">Aruna Sundararajan</keyword>, Secretary for the Ministry of Electronics and IT, the ministry is currently holding talks with Apple for its proposal to locally manufacture its components for which it had sought several concessions, including waiving off import duty for 15 years on products that need to be imported. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Apple-has-started-assembling-iPhone-SE-in-Bengaluru/articleshow/58733730.cms">Apple has started assembling iPhone SE in Bengaluru</a> "They are saying that some of their components cannot be manufactured in India because that requires certain kind of manufacturing capability. Our roadmap for indigenisation also envisages only those products that can be (locally) manufactured. There are many products that we also admit that cannot be manufactured, so they can be imported duty free," said <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Government-calms-down-fears-about-loss-of-IT-jobs/articleshow/58713975.cms">Sundararajan</a>. As per industry experts, Apple is asking for special concessions for its component manufacturers over and above what is already been offered by the Indian government. Also read: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/small-business/tech/keep-calm-you-would-be-paying-more-for-phone-bills-and-buying-make-in-india-phones/articleshow/58760376.cms">Keep calm: you would be paying more for phone bills and buying ‘Make in India’ phones</a> It was after Indian government’s decision to allow incentives for <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/markets/economy/good-news-for-investors-new-and-simpler-fdi-reforms-are-coming-in-defence-telecom-and-broadcasting/articleshow/57444146.cms">domestic manufacturing</a> that several companies set up their local factories in different parts of the country. However, most of them are merely assembling phones in these factories after importing components from abroad. Sundararajan added that the government has made a list of components that can be manufactured in India over the next three, five or seven years. "So Apple's roadmap is slightly different (from ours) and we are looking at harmonising it." (Image source Phone Current)

Apple can import at zero duty, but has to scale up local manufacturing

The government has asked people to calm down and not believe rumours surrounding job losses in the IT sector. Secretary for IT and telecom <keyword id="1017412" type="PERSON" weightage="100" keywordseo="Aruna-Sundararajan">Aruna Sundararajan</keyword> said that the Indian IT industry is maintaining its growth rate of 7 to 8%, and the government was in "close coordination" with the US authorities on the ongoing <keyword id="6358066" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="H-1B-visa">H-1B visa</keyword> issues. Asked about the global malware '<keyword id="6362093" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="wannacry">WannaCry</keyword>' ransomware cyber attack and its effect on India, she said that the government has set up a multi-agency team which would continuously monitor and assess the situation. "Since March the government of India has been on high alert," she said. "We have installed the necessary security patches as far as government key networks are concerned. We have not got any reports of widespread infection." As per Cert-in, the agency under the ministry of IT and electronics which is responsible for tracking computer security in India, apart from five or six isolated instances, the malware has affected very small, fragmented, and isolated machines in the country. Further on the H-1B visa issues that Indian IT companies have been facing, the secretary said that she was certain of US considering the value add that Indian companies provide. "There have been no steps or actions taken which curb the number of visas by individual companies, so I am sure as and when US government does a review, they will take into account what has been the value added by Indian companies," she said. (Image source YouTube)

Government calms down fears about loss of IT jobs

After the govt’s big demonetization push, electronic payments spiraled in the country. With the increasing rise in the digital payments especially new age methods such as wallets, the ministry of electronics and IT is working on draft rules for digital payments which will deal with "consumer interests" and "security concerns." <keyword id="6354886" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravi-Shankar-Prasad">Ravi Shankar Prasad</keyword>, union minister for electronics and IT said. 
 Currently, digital payment companies are governed by <keyword id="6354335" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="reserve-bank-of-india">Reserve Bank of India</keyword> and these rules will be formed in consultation with the <keyword id="6358156" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Central-Bank">Central Bank</keyword>. "The idea is that the consumer interest is protected and we should grow this business in an orderly manner," <keyword id="1017412" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aruna-Sundararajan">Aruna Sundararajan</keyword>, secretary, ministry of electronics and IT said. She added that three rounds of workshop has already happened by the wallet companies and other stakeholders and some "gaps" have been identified. "If wallets have to grow as an instrument, issues such as what is the liability of the service provider, how the data is being protected, what the grievance redressal means have to be addressed," she added. The government's demonetization exercise announced on November 8 has given a huge push to digital payments in the country. <keyword id="6356623" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Prasad">Prasad</keyword> also said that electronic payments saw an increase of 195% in terms of volume and 54% by value between October-¬January. Aadhaar enabled payments, which would require just a person's biometric would be started later this month. The paper that is expected to address all aspects of electronic payments will be put up for public consultation soon.

Demonetization effect: e-payments saw 195% jump, govt to release draft rules for digital payment for public consultation soon

<ul><li>The government wants to deploy <keyword id="764355" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="5G">5G</keyword> by 2020. </li><li>India will likely be auctioning spectrum in the 3300-3400 MHz and 3400-3600MHz bands. </li><li>In terms of technology, India might for once be at par with the rest of the world.</li></ul>We're doing it. We're going 5G, the ultimate promise of the Internet is to be delivered by 2020. Or at least that's what the Indian government would have you believe. As countries in the west stride towards a 5G future, the Indian government says it doesn't want to be left behind. But what is this claim based on? Why are we so confident that we'll deploy 5G by 2020? More importantly, Is it even possible? The fact is that despite failing to keep up on 2G, 3G and <keyword id="122479" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="4G">4G</keyword> deployment, India might actually be well placed to not just catch up but race ahead of the world this time. The rollout of 5G globally has been ahead of its estimated deployment time in a way, agrees Amit Marwah, Head, Customer Marketing and Communication at Nokia. It isn’t any different here. He further adds that most hurdles in moving to 5G in India are regulatory, meaning a properly motivated government can achieve the set milestones. At its current state, mobile connections in Tier I cities in India are already at what is called “4.5G,” which you see as LTE on your phone. "From a purely technical perspective, we have the capability to offer 5G network solutions to Indian carriers by mid-2019, but the government and industry will first need to decide on a mutually convenient timeline to auction 5G airwaves," said Nitin Bansal, Head of Network Solutions, MOAI, at Ericsson. Nokia and Ericsson are two of the biggest equipment, software and infrastructure suppliers for the <keyword id="6354776" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom">telecom</keyword> industry. 
	
	
	
	
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 Technologically Ready... Telcos worldwide have been amping up their 5G preparation and trials have been underway with great enthusiasm. And this time around, India refuses to play catch up. In fact, Amit Marwah, Nokia expects proof of concepts for 5G rollout to begin by the end of the year. The company is amongst the leaders in the race for a 5G future. Others like <a href="https://telecom.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/airtel-huawei-conduct-indias-first-5g-network-test-trial/63043433" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Airtel and Huawei Technologies</a> have already conducted the first successful test of 5G networks at the beginning of this year in India. Base stations shipping from Nokia's Chennai factory are already 5G ready, as are routers and other equipment required for telecom networks. Technology-wise, India is ready. When telcos moved to 4G LTE, they switched from <a href="https://www.digit.in/telecom/understanding-how-calling-works-on-reliance-jio-31607.html" data-type="tilCustomLink">circuit-switched to packet-switched</a> networks. Packet-switched networks are newer and future facing, allowing 5G to be deployed quicker. These networks are run using computer servers instead of physical switches. They also use optical fibre in place of copper cables, which were used on the older circuit-switched networks. These packet-switched networks are at the core of future telecom infrastructure. And with leading telcos offering LTE services, their networks are already there. For instance, Jio has had a completely packet-switched network from day one. Or Not... While we may be ecstatic about India’s readiness for a 5G future, it may well be argued that its predecessor (4G), despite registering tangible growth, is still largely a Tier 1 phenomenon. That poses a very real issue for telcos in the country, and by extension the country itself. 2G has outlived its usefulness, but it still exists in India, as does 3G. These networks are tougher to upgrade because of reasons explained above. 
	
	
	
	
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 "To capture the full opportunities of 5G, it will require an evolution of the whole network and not just parts of it. The best way to start would be to build an efficient 4G network and while doing that, modernise the legacy equipment that can only operate on 2G," said Ericsson's Bansal. “It is also important to prepare for automation of 5G operations as the increased opportunities and complexities of the 5G business landscape will require a much higher degree of automation and self-service," he added. Both Marwah and Bansal say that a roadmap for 5G is important . The Indian government has already set up panels for these, and spectrum auctions are next. The primary difference here is, the US plans to start 5G spectrum auctions by the end of 2018, while we're yet to get word on that for India. In fact, telcos have asked for spectrum auctions to be deferred due to financial strain. But consumers still have to wait... A colleague recently asked me why India is talking about 5G when it could be focusing on 4G. And it's true, 4G is yet to live out its life in the country. But then again, business is never truly done for consumer benefits. Businesses have higher spending power than consumers, and service providers go where the money is, especially with emerging technologies. You may have read reports about how 5G will allow you to download movies in seconds. And that's true, but that's only when 5G becomes a mainstream affair. But as Marwah says, 5G initially will help where it can. And that, in essence, will be for enterprises. In October 2017, Thomas Noren, Head of 5G Commercialisation at Ericsson <a href="https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/2017/10/5g-readiness-on-the-rise" data-type="tilCustomLink">said</a> that operators will use 5G “not only in the consumer segment but also with enterprise users and specialised industries”. Noren was talking about the <a href="https://www.ericsson.com/en/press-releases/2017/10/5g-readiness-on-the-rise">Ericsson 2017 5G Readiness Survey</a>. As Marwah correctly points out, deployment for enterprises doesn't mean consumers won't see the benefit. It's just that mass rollout of 5G may take longer. When companies get better services, their own services can improve, which in turn helps you. Yet, that's tough to quantify. So, when will you actually feel the benefits of 5G? <keyword id="104695" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Qualcomm">Qualcomm</keyword> <a href="https://www.techradar.com/news/qualcomms-x50-5g-modem-is-being-launched-by-xiaomi-and-whole-hoard-of-companies" data-type="tilCustomLink">recently</a> tied up with about a dozen OEMs so that smartphones can start supporting 5G. When that happens, and it's expected to by 2019, you will be able to "feel" the benefits of 5G. That is if telcos are ready by then. When we say India will move to 5G by 2020 though, it will probably benefit businesses first. It helps in the Internet of Things, automobiles and more, that need low latency connectivity. Latency here means the time taken for data to travel from your phone/car to the required server. With 5G, latency can be as low as 1 millisecond, something Airtel also demonstrated in its test recently. So, where does India stand? Simply put, India is indeed en route to achieving 5G deployment by 2020. But you may not see tangible benefits of the same till at least a few years later. Aruna Sundararajan, Telecom Secretary and Chairman of India's Telecom Commission, recently said that the <keyword id="106128" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Telecom-Policy">National Telecom Policy</keyword> of 2018 is going to include 5G spectrum auctions. These will likely be the 3300-3400Mhz/3400-3600MHz bands, as mentioned by Telecom Minister Manoj Sinha <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/company/corporate-trends/telcos-want-government-to-postpone-5g-spectrum-auctions-till-fy20/articleshow/62841665.cms">earlier</a>. As long as telcos are onboard to buy spectrum and the government works out the right regulations, India is indeed on track to move to 5G by 2020.

India will go 5G by 2020, but you won't feel the difference

<ul><li>In its largest ever spectrum auction, govt plans to spend ₹6 trillion. </li></ul><ul><li>100 times faster than 4G, India moving towards universal internet access. </li></ul><ul><li>Nearly, 8600 MHz of mobile airwaves likely to be auctioned.</li></ul>India is set to conduct a spectrum auction for the 5G and other radio waves in 2019. The time limit to start 5G trials is set at 100 days, where nearly 8600 MHz of mobile airwaves are likely to be auctioned, the new Telecom minister, Ravi Shankar Prasad said on June 3, 2019, <a href="https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/spectrum-auction-including-for-5g-services-this-year-telecom-minister-ravi-shankar-prasad-2047270">NDTV</a> reported. At an estimated value of ₹6 trillion, the telecom auction is expected to be India’s largest ever. The plan for the auction was reportedly approved by the Digital Communications Commission (BCC). Aruna Sundararajan, Telecom secretary and DCC chairperson told TOI that even if all the spectrum is sold at reverse price, the government will net at least ₹5.8 trillion. However, the telecom secretary <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/centre-plans-largest-spectrum-auction-to-ensure-affordable-5g/articleshow/69780086.cms?from=mdr">said</a>, the government is focusing not on maximizing revenue, but to ensure that telecom services become more inclusive. The <keyword id="30356" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (TRAI) has already suggested reserve prices for the new round of auctions. The government is also <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/centre-plans-largest-spectrum-auction-to-ensure-affordable-5g/articleshow/69780086.cms?from=mdr">trying</a> to ensure that apart from the regular telecom operators (Reliance Jio, Bharti Airtel, and Vodafone-Idea) and equipment providers such as Ericsson, Nokia and Samsung, a wide spectrum of participants take part in the auctions. Rural India to run on 5G In order to ensure spread of digital services and 5G in rural areas, the government is also looking at possibilities of public-private partnership (PPP) mode. The digital services initiative of the central government in rural areas has also brought under the new plan’s ambit, as it was decided that the over 300,000 common service centres (CSC’s)<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/centre-plans-largest-spectrum-auction-to-ensure-affordable-5g/articleshow/69780086.cms?from=mdr"> will provide</a> at least two wifi hotspots in 100,000 gram panchayats and high speed internet to nearby development institutes. The government has also decided to use the telecom fibre, that was laid across India, under the Bharat net Programme, to provide internet at homes through fibre-to-the-home initiative. The fibre is also to be used to connect towers to have more data and voice carrying capacity. As per <a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/centre-plans-largest-spectrum-auction-to-ensure-affordable-5g/articleshow/69780086.cms?from=mdr">media reports</a>.

The Indian government wants to raise ₹6 trillion from the largest 5g spectrum auction ever

New Delhi, Feb 25 () Critical personal data of the people must be kept within the country, Niti Aayog CEO Amitabh Kant said here on Tuesday.The statement comes in the backdrop of India mandating global technology giants including Mastercard and Visa to comply with the data localisation norms in the public interest. Data localisation requires data about residents be collected, processed, and stored inside the country, often before being transferred internationally, and usually transferred only after meeting local privacy or data protection laws."On cross border data, I am quite clear that...there is vast amount of data and critical personal data must be kept within the country. I am a great believer that the personalised critical human data definitely must be kept within the country," he said.Kant also said that the government is in the process of creating a portal to share data on public platform for public use as India generates a huge amount of data."India has a vast amount of data. Niti Aayog is working on a portal to put this data in an anonymous manner in public domain so that the people across the sectors can utilise it," he said at the US-India Forum organised by industry body FICCI and supported by the central government.India has over 2,000 startups working in artificial intelligence and machine learning and the start-ups can't be starved of the data. "There is a need to create an economic framework for data pooling as a business resource in a responsible manner. It is not possible for India to grow rapidly at high rates without a technological leapfrogging in many areas of growth. India has to get into sunrise areas of the industry, and I believe India can radically change the landscape of electric mobility," said Kant.The Niti Aayog CEO said India offers the size and scale to do innovations across health and education among other sectors. India has a scale of data that no other country can offer. "Indians are going to use data to a greater size and scale as we are the only country in the world which has a varied bank of biometrics," he added.Aruna Sundararajan, former telecom secretary, said: "We must open up and enlarge the regulatory sandboxes in every area and have a full play for innovations."In a separate session on Advancing US-India Energy Cooperation, ReNew Power Chairman and Managing Director Sumant Sinha said there is a need for structural reforms in the power sector.The most important thing that needs to be looked at is that renewable energy is subset of power sector, he said, adding unless some structural reforms in the power sector are done, there will be problems in all parts of value chain in power sector including renewables. "We have state power distribution companies which are in poor financial health. If the health of discoms does not improve then fundamentally we will not have healthy power sector. It is not just renewables but also thermal power generating companies (which are affected due to discoms non-payment)," Sinha said.He also talked about issues such as land acquisition, local connectivity which need to be sorted out to give boost to power sector in the country. KPM KKS MKJ

Critical personal data must be kept within country: Niti CEO

<ul><li>Passengers on airlines will soon be able to make calls, send texts and connect to WiFi.</li><li>The government says the plan will be live in 3-4 months. </li><li>Pricing of <keyword id="1017274" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="in-flight-connectivity">in-flight connectivity</keyword> will be left up to the airlines.</li></ul>You may soon be able to make calls and send texts when you’re on a flight in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>. The country’s <keyword id="158388" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Commission">Telecom Commission</keyword> has <a href="https://gadgets.ndtv.com/telecom/news/in-flight-wi-fi-calls-cleared-by-indias-telecom-commission-1845449" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">approved</a> recommendations made by the <keyword id="30356" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Regulatory-Authority-of-India">Telecom Regulatory Authority of India</keyword> (<keyword id="6356988" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="trai">TRAI</keyword>). TRAI had earlier recommended that voice calls, texts and WiFi be allowed on-board flights in India. Aruna Sundararajan, Telecom Secretary, stated, “Almost all recommendations by TRAI on this have been accepted. We are expediting the process and within 3-4 months, it should be ready. We will be operationalizing this decision immediately.” The only exceptions to TRAI’s original recommendation were that instead of foreign satellites and foreign gateways being permitted, an Indian satellite or a satellite that has been approved by the Department of Space would be allowed to operate in Indian airspace. The TRAI will have to create a separate category of licenses called ‘in-flight connectivity providers’. Aside from airplanes, ships would be eligible to apply as well. The token license fee would be Rs 1, applicable to anyone who wants to operate 3,000 meters above sea level. In addition to in-flight connectivity, the Telecom Commission has also approved proliferation of broadband through the public Wi-Fi network. a Telecom Ombudsman and 12 major recommendations on the ease of doing business by TRAI.

India just allowed in-flight connectivity within its airspace

<ul><li>Department of Telecommunications has approved the implementation of ‘<keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">net neutrality</keyword>’ recommendations made by <keyword id="6356988" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="trai">TRAI</keyword>. </li><li>Internet service providers are now expected to treat all internet traffic equally, without any discrimination regarding content. </li><li>Critical services like autonomous vehicles, disaster management and remote diagnostic surgery will be exempted from the rules since emergency situations require them to prioritise a few things over the others.</li></ul>On Wednesday, the <keyword id="158388" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telecom-Commission">Telecom Commission</keyword>, which is the highest decision making body of the Department of Telecommunications (<keyword id="16054" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="DoT">DoT</keyword>), approved of the net neutrality <a href="https://www.trai.gov.in/sites/default/files/Recommendations_NN_2017_11_28.pdf">regulations</a> which were recommended by Telecom Regulatory Authority of <keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> (TRAI) back in 2017. These will make internet services in India fairer and freer as the service providers are now expected to treat all internet traffic equally without any content discrimination. Once, net neutrality comes into play, they can not degrade, slow down or grant preferential speeds to any website or online service. As per <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-42162979">BBC</a>, these rules could turn into the strongest net neutrality project all over the world. The topic of net neutrality, which had been hotly debated in India for four years, seems to finally be getting some direction. The Telecom Secretary, Aruna Sundararajan said that the licence <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Industry/tfTAMNjXAnKyGmYzx4S8LK/Government-accepts-Trais-net-neutrality-recommendations.html">agreements </a>with service providers will be immediately amended and be made subject to the net neutrality principles. This is the best way to implement the rules because if they are violated, the service provider will be simultaneously violating the licence clauses. Such a situation can make internet providers subject to legal action against them. 
 
 
 
 
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 As per the TRAI recommendations, Internet of Things (IoT) will need to adhere to the regulations but certain critical services like autonomous vehicles, disaster management and remote diagnostic surgery will be exempted from following the rules. This clause has been put in because these services often need to prioritise some things and situations over others. DoT is also planning to frame a policy on traffic management practices for the service providers. Internet service providers (ISP) often tend to discriminate against websites that do not invest much in them or give them good traffic. A <a href="https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/technology/internet/telecom-commission-approves-net-neutrality-new-telecom-policy/article24391077.ece?homepage=true">body </a>of industry representatives and civil society will also be set up to monitor and enforce the net neutrality norms. The Cellular Operators Association of India (COAI) has, however, recommended that the government review traffic prioritisation policies in the country for <a href="https://www.lightreading.com/net-neutrality/ericsson-ceo-net-neutrality-threatens-5g/d/d-id/740854">5G-enabled </a>devices and applications. COAI is worried as they will be unable to use the 5G technique of network slicing, which allows an operator to provide many different types of network service over the same physical device. TRAI recommendations also stand against zero-rating plans which lets an ISP give free services to some customers. The critics believe that it would give wealthy American companies an unfair advantage over local startups. Two companies, Facebook’s Internet.org and Free Basics project, were <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2015/2/19/8069667/mark-zuckerberg-facebook-access-911-internet-org">offering free access</a> to certain internet services in developing nations. In 2016, India had taken its first step to net neutrality by <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2016/2/8/10939594/mark-zuckerberg-internet-org-india-court-defeat-zero-rating">banning Free Basics</a> along with similar zero-rating programs. In contrast to this, USA’s net neutrality law was <a href="https://www.upi.com/FCC-leader-promises-better-Internet-as-net-neutrality-rules-expire/4031528727013/">repealed </a>in June, this year. However, some states in the country are trying to come up with their own bills on the matter.

India gives a nod to Net Neutrality, might have the strongest rules in the world

<ul><li>India’s new e-commerce rules may be a setback for global players like Amazon and Flipkart. </li><li>The biggest beneficiary will be large Indian retailers and the largest of them all is Mukesh Ambani’s Reliance Retail. </li><li>While his physical stores benefit from less pricing pressure, his e-tail venture will get a level playground to fight established giants, at no extra cost. </li></ul>E-commerce in India is gearing up for some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-new-e-commerce-policy-has-rivals-flipkart-and-amazon-teaming-up-to-counter-the-new-directive-and-the-republic-day-sale-will-probably-be-their-last/articleshow/67366996.cms">massive changes</a> from February 1. Foreign e-commerce players — like Amazon and Flipkart — will no longer be able to offer consumers ‘deep discounts’ or sell their own brands through their respective platforms. It’s a big blow to Jeff Bezos’ and Walmart, and not the best news for consumers in India. Local vendors are voicing their support for the new policy, hoping they can regain some market share, without having to lose more money by offering discounts. 
	
	
	
	
	
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 However, the biggest beneficiary of the new policy may not be a broke Snapdeal or the now-jaded Shopclues. It is likely to be India’s <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/e-commerce-wars-amazons-jeff-bezos-vs-mukesh-ambani-in-india/articleshow/67620116.cms">largest retail chain operator</a> Reliance Retail, owned by Mukesh Ambani — the richest man, not only in India, but in Asia. The facts Physical retailers — with the brick-and-mortar stores— are the immediate benefactors. The new rules are expected to boost sales for offline vendors by taking away the discounts available to consumers online. CRISIL estimates that it could increase revenue for offline retailers by ₹100 billion to ₹120 billion by 2020. Just as the loss of business for e-commerce is the gain for retail chains, the advantage is usually with the larger players in the space — because of the sheer scale, reach and resources at their disposal. And the largest of them all is Reliance Retail. “The impact on e-tailers would be largely in the electronics and apparel segments, which account for a bulk of their revenues,” says Anuj Sethi, the senior director at CRISIL Ratings. Coincidentally, 34% of Reliance Retail’s revenue comes from its electronics arm — Reliance Digital. It’s also the largest holder of foreign brand licences for apparel in India. Some of its top brands include Diesel, Hamleys, Kenneth and Steve Madden. Reliance Retail’s offline avatar served 3.5 million customers a week through 9,146 stores across 5,800 cities as of September 2018. Brokerage house CLSA further estimates that the company’s revenue may grow nearly 12-fold to $138 billion in the next 10 years. 
 
 
 
 
 
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 If CLSA’s estimate were to come true, Reliance Retail alone will be making over a quarter of all revenue from retail — both online and offline — in India, expected at about $550 billion, in the next decade. The timing There is no doubt that online retail still has a lot of potential in India. Nasscom and PricewaterCoopers (PwC) estimate that the market will balloon to $150 billion by 2022. Online players still make for <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Industry/9iUxlQZ4iHwPiXRKscx3LK/Indias-ecommerce-market-to-grow-30-to-200-billion-by-202.html">only</a> 3% of the total retail market in India, and the prospects are still huge. So for Mukesh Ambani, as the chairman of Reliance Industries, it’s an unavoidable opportunity. One part of Reliance Retail— the apparel brand Ajio — is already online. Now, he is looking to expand the offerings beyond apparel, with a pilot programme in the state of Gujarat. Before Ambani’s entry, Amazon had <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/amazon-takes-the-fight-to-walmart-by-investing-another-27-billion-in-india/articleshow/65404423.cms">invested over $4.7 billion</a> in India over the last six years, primarily because it identified the potential of a market with a population of nearly a billion and half people. For the same reason, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-unicorn-flipkarts-board-approves-15-billion-deal-with-walmart/articleshow/64027810.cms">Walmart bought Flipkart</a> in 2018 for a whopping sum of $15 billion, paying a heavy premium for joining the game late. Over the years, Amazon, Flipkart and other early birds have burnt billions of dollars giving discounts, getting people used to shopping online and creating a market. Then, the government revised its policy on foreign direct investment (FDI) in e-commerce on December 26, 2018, changing the rules of the game, which would bring the likes of Amazon and Walmart on a level playing field with new entrants. Less than a month later, Mukesh Ambani took the stage at the investor summit Vibrant Gujarat and unveiled his plan to expand his online retail business. The government’s new e-commerce rules are essentially trying to protect India’s retailers — including Reliance Retail — from the deep discounts offered by e-commerce giants. That is how Ambani’s physical stores gain. What’s more, as a new entrant to e-commerce, going against established players with equally deep pockets, Ambani will not have to burn money through discounts. In fact, he is not allowed to. He gets a level-playing field to fight established giants like Amazon and Walmart-owned Flipkart, at no extra cost. The spin Ambani had his own spin on why the change in rules was justified. "In this new world, data is the new oil. And data is the new wealth. India's data must be controlled and owned by Indian people and not by corporates, especially global corporations,” Ambani said at the Vibrant Gujarat Summit in January 2018. He was alluding to the fact that two biggest e-commerce companies in India are owned by foreigners, and they have access to priceless data on Indian consumer behaviour. Even people from the government echoed the ‘nationalistic’ spin to the story that Ambani offered. “We don’t want to build walls, but at the same time, we explicitly recognize and appreciate that data is a strategic asset,” Aruna Sundararajan, the nation’s secretary of telecommunications said last year at a press conference. The other view can be equally convincing to Ambani’s critics. John Elliott, the author of “Implosion: India’s tryst with reality” begs to differ. “The idea that Reliance is any safer at protecting Indian people’s data than Amazon or Walmart is ludicrous,” Elliott told Business Insider. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indias-new-e-commerce-policy-has-rivals-flipkart-and-amazon-teaming-up-to-counter-the-new-directive-and-the-republic-day-sale-will-probably-be-their-last/articleshow/67366996.cms">India’s new e-commerce policy has rivals Flipkart and Amazon teaming up to counter the new directive — and the ‘Republic Day’ sale will probably be their last</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/the-indian-government-just-dealt-a-serious-surprise-to-amazon-and-flipkart-heres-what-that-means-for-online-shoppers/articleshow/67272151.cms">The Indian government just dealt a serious surprise to Amazon and Flipkart — Here’s what that means for online shoppers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/e-commerce-wars-amazons-jeff-bezos-vs-mukesh-ambani-in-india/articleshow/67620116.cms">Amazon's newest challenger may be the richest man in Asia</a>

Mukesh Ambani may be the surprise winner from India's new rules hurting Amazon and Walmart

TiE, a global network of entrepreneurs and professionals, successfully concluded its first ever, TiE Global Summit. The event showcased success stories and business strategies of entrepreneurs and startups. Delivering on the theme of a ‘Million Entrepreneurs, the TiEGolbal Summit curated a platform for emerging businesses, aspiring entrepreneurs to learn from the leaders in the entrepreneurial space, through its various brain storming chat sessions. The event witnessed over 3000 delegates including business leaders, investors and entrepreneurs and provided a platform to meet and exchange unique ideas while networking. 
 
Rajan Anandan, VP South East Asia &amp; India, Google along with Hitesh Oberoi, MD &amp; CEO, Infoedge India Limited shared his insight on start ups. In his address, Rajan spoke about the need for home-grown startups to focus more on the next set of internet users in India. "Think of the large new businesses you can build once you have 600 million connected users. In line with this, Google's main focus is on getting the next billion users online," he commented. Talking about the overall development of India’s Start-up ecosystem, Rajan stated, “Though we are the third largest start-up base in the world, we are still at a very early stages of building a robust startup ecosystem. We are standing on the first day of the first match of a five match test series I believe! " 
 
Another highlight of the two day conference was the high powered panel discussion anchored by Amitabh Kant, CEO, Niti Aayog along with Ramesh Abhishek, Secretary, DIPP, Saurabh Srivasatava, Chairman Emeritus, TiE Delhi Ncr, Aruna Sundararajan, Secretary, Ministry of Electronics &amp; IT, Govt. of India, Pragya Saksena, Joint Secretary, CBDT and UK Sinha, Chairman SEBI. Talking about the innovation and disruption in new ventures, Amitabh Kant stated, “Innovation is always ahead of regulation. We must have the ability to transform regulations and if we do not do this then India will never be able to grow. Uber is disrupting the world and when disruptions like these take place India must have the capability to understand and modify and change regulations to keep with the innovation." 
 
“If you build differentiators to build a successful venture, all what the western world has created so far will become redundant in India by 2024,” Amitabh Kant said during the discussion. 
 
Commenting on the of the enthusiastic response from entrepreneurs, Industry leaders and policy makers that characterized the TiE Global Summit, Venkatesh Shukla, President, TiE Global said “The first ever TiE Global Summit was aimed at inspiring and educating entrepreneurs as well as providing a platform to connect with angel investors, VCs, corporate executives, policy makers and other members of this growing ecosystem. With an intention to not just inspire a ‘Million Entrepreneurs’ but to encourage them to ‘Think Big and Think Global’, this landmark event was a result of spirited collaboration amongst the 20 chapters of TiE from India, Silicon Valley, Singapore and Dubai. We hope that the success of this inaugural summit will provide a template for the industry for future endeavors.” 
 
TiE Global Summit is one of the largest entrepreneurship forums in India, which is instrumental in creating an exciting and vibrant entrepreneurial ecosystem in the country. The platform acts a pivotal base for startups and investors helping them to build upon their businesses. TiE has always been a hub for accelerators and incubators to come together. It has given entrepreneurs and investors an opportunity to meet and exchange ideas for a better future. 
 
Started in the year 1992 in Silicon Valley by a group of successful entrepreneurs, TiE has completed 25 years of fostering entrepreneurship across the world.

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