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The <keyword id="19901179" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="international-cricket-council" source="keywords">International Cricket Council</keyword> (<keyword id="19901177" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ICC" source="keywords">ICC</keyword>) is mulling a dedicated fund of at least USD 15 million for <keyword id="19935483" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Test-cricket" source="keywords">Test cricket</keyword> that will help increase the players' match fee and address the migration of talent to lucrative <keyword id="22888428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="T20-franchise-leagues" source="keywords">T20 franchise leagues</keyword>. The initiative, which was was proposed by <keyword id="19897940" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cricket-Australia" source="keywords">Cricket Australia</keyword> (CA), has the support of <keyword id="19901245" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="BCCI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="BCCI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="BCCI">BCCI</keyword> Secretary <keyword id="19930802" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jay-shah" source="keywords">Jay Shah</keyword>, who is the front-runner to become the next ICC Chairman, and the <keyword id="20312896" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="England-and-Wales-Cricket-Board" source="keywords">England and Wales Cricket Board</keyword> (ECB), a report in 'The Sydney Morning Herald' stated. The fund would increase the minimum match payment for Test players and cover the cost of sending teams on overseas tours. It would support national boards like the West Indies that currently struggle to compete with the wages offered in global T20 competitions. "The fund would ensure a minimum Test payment for all players, thought to be USD 10,000, and pay the costs of overseas tours for struggling countries," the report stated. "It's fantastic to see some momentum behind the Test match fund," CA chairman <keyword id="21076759" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mike-baird" source="keywords">Mike Baird</keyword>, who floated the concept in January, said. "We need to take away the barriers and encourage Test cricket to be the best of the best. To retain that history and that legacy, which goes alongside the newer forms of white ball cricket," he added. The fund is unlikely to benefit the three wealthiest cricket nations — India, Australia, and England — since they already offer substantial salaries to their players. However, how much money is available for Test cricket from the ICC is also likely to depend on a dispute with broadcaster Star, the report added. The Star network wants to renegotiate a 2022 broadcast deal with the ICC and reduce its value to half of the original cost of over USD three billion. The BCCI had introduced an incentive scheme for India's men's Test cricketers earlier this year to encourage players to prioritise Test cricket and reward consistent performances in the longest format of the game. Under the new scheme, a player who plays at least 75 per cent of India's Test matches in its annual cycle, from October to September, will earn a whopping Rs 45 lakh per match in addition to the Test match fees of Rs 15 lakh. The players who feature in the 50-75 per cent games bracket will earn a bonus of Rs 30 lakh per match. The non-playing members — if selected in the squad — will be paid half the amount.

ICC planning multi-million dollar fund to save Test cricket: Report

<div type="image" title="Data from RBI suggests that the outstanding amount on gold loans has swelled from Rs 85,009 crore in September 2022 to Rs 1,47,081 crore in September 2024." msid="115250619" hostid="261" sizebytes="118350" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Data from RBI suggests that the outstanding amount on gold loans has swelled from Rs 85,009 crore in September 2022 to Rs 1,47,081 crore in September 2024.&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> “Ye le beta, humare khaandani sone ke gehne. Ise girvi rakhva de, shayad kuch paise aa jaye ghar main.” How many times have we seen similar dialogues repeat itself in Bollywood films of the 70s and 80s—abject poverty and a frail-looking old mother pleading to her son to pawn the family’s heirloom <keyword id="18712" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold" source="Orion">gold</keyword> ornaments to a jeweller, all to get a few bucks? Well, if you’d ask that son in 2024, he’d rather hit the loan button on his <keyword id="19977340" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="demat" source="keywords">Demat</keyword> account than pawn his mother’s gold jewellery. Given how Indians are rapidly resorting to taking loans against their investments in shares and mutual funds, these might as well be a cherished family heirloom in today’s time. Fair warning though; it's not as if gold and loans against it are going down in India’s lending scene. It's very much the opposite, shining brighter than ever! The secured loan category is having its time in the spotlight, and people are certainly looking beyond land and property to get their hands on some extra monies! But what is funding the steep rise behind these loans? And are they as failsafe and secure as they’re made out to be? We decode for you in this week’s Simply Put. <h2>The great Indian pawning party</h2>Pawning one’s gold has been, by far, the OG Indian financial move to get a loan. That continues well into 2024, and apparently, more so when India decides to wed and celebrate! Data from <keyword id="19899808" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rbi" source="keywords">RBI</keyword> suggests that the outstanding amount on gold loans has swelled from Rs 85,009 crore in September 2022 to Rs 1,47,081 crore in September 2024. It looks like Gold took the motto of rise and shine too seriously! Table 1: Growth in gold loans <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; table-layout: fixed; width: 468pt;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Year </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Amount (In Rs crore) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">September 2022 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">85,009 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">March 2023 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">89,370 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">September 2023 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">97,426 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">March 2024 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,02,562 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">September 2024 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,47,081 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Source: RBI data While the world continues to be riled up in multiple geopolitical crises in 2024, gold has been making merry of these tough times. Thus far this year, domestic gold prices have grown by 23%, outperforming benchmark indices like Nifty and Sensex by a mile, which have gone up by 9.85% and 8.86%, respectively. The growth in gold loan disbursal rates month on month this year could also put Nifty and Sensex’s growth to shame. In just September 2024, gold loans grew an astounding 51%, up from 40.9% in August, 30.5% in June, and just 14.8% in March. <h2>Hey, wait up for me, says <keyword id="23953567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="las" source="keywords">LAS</keyword></h2>In lockstep with the elder, gold loan sibling, advances against shares and bonds have also been inching up since 2022. Data from RBI (Reserve Bank of India) notes that as of September 2022, the outstanding quantum of loans that were taken against shares (LAS) and bonds stood at Rs 7,397.94 crores. This inched up to Rs 7,764 crore in September 2023. Come 2024, and it looked like this was LAS’ time to shine. Loans swiftly skyrocketed, with outstanding loans in this category going up from Rs 8,492 crore in March 2022 to a staggering Rs 9,546 crore at the end of September 2024. Naturally, the smoke of LAS has its fire in the record inflows that Indians are pouring into the stock market and mutual funds month on month. Per AMFI (<keyword id="20090034" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="association-of-mutual-funds" source="keywords">Association of Mutual Funds</keyword> in India), the net AUM (assets under management) of India’s mutual fund industry grew to Rs 67,25,614.61 crores in October 2024, up from Rs 67,09,259.24 crores in September 2024. Even the number of retail mutual fund folios, which include equity, hybrid, and solution-oriented mutual funds, burgeoned to 17,23,52,296 in October, as compared to 16,81,61,366 in September. The same goes for stock investments in India, where the number of new demat accounts that are added every month just simply refuses to climb down. As of last month, total demat accounts in the country stood at 17.9 crore, which is more than the entire population of full-fledged nations like Japan (12.45 crore), Russia (14.38 crore), and Bangladesh (17.3 crore). In fact, since February this year, the monthly growth of LAS has been hitting double digits. From 11.3% in March to 21.6% in May to 26.8% in August, growth in LAS has been exceptional, hitting 22.9% in September this year. For context, monthly growth in the LAS segment was at a mere 5% in September 2023. <h2>What's driving the growth?</h2>It's a win-win for both the bank and the customer. Customers love them because LAS is available at a lower interest rate compared to unsecured personal loans. You can get a loan at an interest rate of anywhere between 9 and 12% by pledging your gold, MF units, or shares. Compare this to over 10-28% rates, which is the range where unsecured personal loans charge interest. Banks love <keyword id="827883" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="secured-loans" source="Orion">secured loans</keyword> since they are well-secured. In case you default on paying back, the bank can sell off your gold, shares, or mutual fund units to recover the amount. This takes a lot of stress off the banks, which are already dealing with secured loans’ riskier sibling-unsecured lending. High NPAs (non-performing assets) and non-payments in the unsecured borrowing space have already put RBI on red alert, which is why the apex bank is tightening the screws on unsecured lending, which was well on its way to becoming a ticking time bomb. As a result, credit growth has moderated to 12.8% YoY in October, as against the 19.3% rise recorded in the year-ago period. Yet it's not like the banks won't feel the heat. Analysts at Nomura note that personal loan delinquencies in India that have been overdue by over 90 days rose to 5.1% in the last financial year, as opposed to just 3.9% in the year prior. <h2>How does it work?</h2>Both these loans work on a similar principle: Your loan amount is equal to a certain percentage of the actual market value of your asset. This is known as the <keyword id="20051485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ltv" source="keywords">LTV</keyword> (loan-to-value ratio). In the case of gold and debt mutual funds, RBI mandates that this LTV be about 75-80%. So, for every Rs 100 of gold or debt mutual fund unit you pledge, your maximum loan amount cannot exceed Rs 80. If you pledge gold, which has a market value of Rs 10 lakh, you can take a loan of up to Rs 8,00,000. In the case of shares and mutual fund units, this limit is set at 50%. So, your shares worth Rs 5,00,000 can only get you a loan worth Rs 2,50,000. But the bright side? You can continue earning returns on your investments and pay interest only on the amount you use, since this loan works as an overdraft facility. <h2>Super safe, you say?</h2>Interest rates on both of these loans are very much dependent on the market value of the asset, which wildly fluctuates on a day-to-day basis. So, in case the value of your asset falls, you’ll have to keep a margin or more of the same asset in order to continue with the loan and maintain the LTV balance. Failure to do so could mean the bank can even sell off your asset. Says financial planner Nema Chaya Buch. “Yes, LAS offers easy availability of funds since these loans come with a lower interest rate as compared to personal loans. Also, you continue to earn average returns of 10–13% on your equity investments. But the downside is, in case of emergency, those pledged securities cannot be sold. Also, if the equity market goes down, then the bank may ask for additional collateral. Raghvendra Nath, MD, Ladderup Wealth Management notes that taking a LAS is best when the value of your securities has appreciated significantly. “This allows you to maximize the loan amount based on your collateral while also addressing financial needs without having to liquidate your investment portfolio. However, there are notable disadvantages to consider. The market risk is significant; a substantial decline in market value could lead to margin calls, which may incur fees and charges if there are delays or prepayments, ultimately increasing the effective cost of borrowing. Furthermore, failure to make timely payments could result in the loss of your assets.”. Umesh Mohanan, ED &amp; CEO, of Indel Money, cautions that one should have a sufficient quantity of gold to get the loan amount one wants. "According to the current RBI rules, the loan applicant/borrower can draw up to 75% of the total market value of the collateral/gold jewellery. So, always carry a sufficient quantity of gold based on one’s loan requirement. “The most important thing is that the valuation of the gold depends on the purity of the gold. If the borrower pledges gold with higher purity, such as 24 carats or 22 carats, he will get the maximum loan amount," he adds.

Simply Put: Secured Loans 2.0 — why more and more Indians are turning to gold, shares and mutual funds to get loans

Over three-fourths of wealthy Indians have sent or are planning to send their kids overseas for education, according to an <keyword id="19916458" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hsbc" source="keywords">HSBC</keyword> survey. The survey of 1,456 Indians, having investable surplus between Rs 84 lakh ($100,000) and nearly Rs 17 crore ($2 million), conducted in March found a strong urge for overseas education with 78% of the respondents saying they are keen on a <keyword id="382324" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="foreign-education" source="Orion">foreign education</keyword> for their children. Investable survey is the amount set aside for investment from overall net worth. The <keyword id="23129277" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-quality-of-life" source="keywords">Global Quality of Life</keyword> 2024 survey commissioned by foreign lender HSBC said the <keyword id="19900781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-states" source="keywords">United States</keyword> is top overseas destination for Indians, followed by the <keyword id="19956320" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="united-kingdom" source="keywords">United Kingdom</keyword>, <keyword id="19896882" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="canada" source="keywords">Canada</keyword>. <keyword id="19895799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="australia" source="keywords">Australia</keyword> and <keyword id="19895045" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="singapore" source="keywords">Singapore</keyword>. So strong is the urge for foreign education for the child that the parents are willing to suffer financial strains as well, the survey said, pointing out that the investment in education may come at the sacrifice of retirement savings. The expected or actual annual cost of overseas education works out at $62,364, and may use up to 64% of parents' retirement savings. Parents resort to dipping into general savings, taking loans and selling assets to fund the overseas education, the survey said. The quality of overseas education tops the list of primary reason for considering the overseas education, followed closely by the possibility to specialise in an area, the survey said. The survey said that financial concerns are the biggest worry for parents when the kid flies out for education, and followed by others like social or mental concerns and physical or health concerns.

Wealthy Indians send kids overseas for education, says HSBC Survey

Australian High Commissioner to <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>, <keyword id="20307863" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="philip-green" source="keywords">Philip Green</keyword> OAM, on Wednesday, expressed Canberra's willingness to collaborate with New Delhi in the <keyword id="20242397" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-sector" source="keywords">space sector</keyword> and added that both nations are going ahead with the three collaborative space projects and signing the first Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) today. While speaking to ANI, Philip Green expressed <keyword id="19895799" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Australia" source="keywords">Australia</keyword>'s interest in partnering with India in its <keyword id="19929542" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="space-exploration" source="keywords">space exploration</keyword> endeavours, adding that the Australian government has pledged a USD 18 million grant for <keyword id="22187831" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="joint-India-Australia-space-projects" source="keywords">joint India-Australia space projects</keyword>. "Here today we are saying that we are keen to be partners for India in its space journey. We're already strategic and quad partners with India and we want to do more with space and my government is backing it," said Philip Green. Today we're signing the first MOU of three that has been settled as a result of an USD 18 million dollar grant for my government specifically, for India-Australia space collaborations," he added. Further, the Australian envoy said they are excited about the <keyword id="20535850" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-space-sector" source="keywords">Indian space sector</keyword> and believe its different and complementary skills can benefit each other. "We're very excited about the Indian space sector and we're particularly excited about the fact that Australia has different and complementary skills," the Australian envoy said to ANI. "We're a very big continent with very few numbers of people, which means we have very dark skies. We have great abilities in terms of space tracking," he added. Congratulating PM Modi for his victory in the 2024 general elections, Philip Green said that Australia is looking to work even more closely in the future. He also disclosed during the interview that there could be high-level visits by Australia and India to galvanise the already strong partnership. "We congratulate Modi and his government on re-election. We look forward to working even more closely as we go forward. There are three powerful drivers in our bilateral relationship, our new strategic alignment, the very strong complementarity between our economies and what we call the human bridge, the more than a million people of Indian origin who now make Australia their home," said Philip Green. "We're planning visits I'm not going to announce them to you today, but I can assure you there will be high-level visits by Australia and India to galvanise what is already a strong partnership," he added On April 30, "the Australian Government announced funding for three collaborative space projects that will strengthen the space economy for the two partner nations," said the <keyword id="22187832" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Australian-Space-Agency" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Australian Space Agency" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Australian Space Agency">Australian Space Agency</keyword> in an official statement. "The projects will receive a total of A$18 million (Rs 98 crore) as part of the International Space Investment India (ISI) Projects program," the statement added. Each project will include a number of Australian and Indian partners, who will help address climate change, boost manufacturing, and advance artificial intelligence, among other objectives.

"Keen to be partners with India in its space journey": Australian envoy on space collaboration projects

New Delhi [India], May 20 (ANI): A recent Certified Practising Accountant (CPA) Australia survey has revealed an overwhelming optimism among <keyword id="21735155" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-small-businesses" source="keywords">Indian small businesses</keyword>, with 84 per cent anticipating continued growth in 2024, significantly surpassing the market average of 70 per cent. Despite global <keyword id="20413867" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="economic-uncertainties" source="keywords">economic uncertainties</keyword>, 80 per cent of Indian respondents remain confident about the local economy's prospects for 2024, well above the survey average of 65 per cent. This buoyant outlook has been on an upward trajectory since 2022, highlighting the resilience and dynamism of India's small business sector. <keyword id="21735156" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CPA-Australia-survey" source="keywords">CPA Australia survey</keyword> showed a rise in the growth rate of Indian <keyword id="390673" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="small-businesses" source="Orion">small businesses</keyword> from 73 per cent in 2022 to 77 per cent in 2023--the highest since 2019. Indian small businesses are riding a wave of optimism and growth, according to <keyword id="21735157" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CPA-Australia" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="CPA Australia" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="CPA Australia">CPA Australia</keyword>'s latest annual Asia-Pacific Small Business Survey. The survey reveals that over three-quarters of Indian small businesses reported growth in 2023, surpassing pre-pandemic levels and making India's small business sector one of the most dynamic and fastest-growing in the Asia-Pacific region. Prafulla Chhajed, a CPA member of CPA Australia in India, emphasized the critical role of Micro, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises (<keyword id="19910977" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="MSMEs" source="keywords">MSMEs</keyword>) in driving India's economic success. Chhajed said, "Micro, Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (MSMEs) are making a significant contribution to India's economic success. Not only is India's rapid economic growth and improving business environment boosting their confidence, support from the government ranging from digitalisation to access to funds, is assisting businesses to recover from the pandemic." He further said, "India's small businesses are enthusiastically improving their performance through innovation, adopting technologies, and building connections with overseas markets. 'Good staff' was nominated as the top positive factor that benefited India small business performance in 2023. It explains why Indian respondents have been so willing to add new employees over the past two years". "This year the pace in jobs creation by small businesses is expected to slow, although remain high in comparison to other markets. This is most likely due to a combination of factors including increasing levels of automation and rising labour costs," he added. However, Chhajed cautioned that the pace of job creation might slow down due to rising automation and labor costs, though it will still remain high compared to other markets. The survey highlighted several challenges faced by Indian small businesses, including increasing costs, competition, and cashflow difficulties. Staff and material costs were particularly detrimental in 2023, rising slightly from the previous year. To cope with these expenses and support growth, 68 per cent of small businesses sought external funding last year, though this figure dropped 20 percentage points from 2022. This year, 81 per cent plan to seek finance, despite tougher financing conditions. Only 42 per cent of respondents found it easy to secure funds in 2023, a sharp decline from 69 per cent in 2022. This trend is expected to continue, with just 43 per cent anticipating ease in accessing funds this year, down from 64 per cent previously. "Difficulty in accessing finance is a common challenge for small businesses worldwide. Though government loans like <keyword id="20151906" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pradhan-mantri-mudra-yojana" source="keywords">Pradhan Mantri MUDRA Yojana</keyword> (PMMY) helps to foster entrepreneurship by offering financial support, MSMEs should not solely rely on borrowing to fund their long-term development, particularly in a high-interest rate environment", Chhajed explained. A significant number of Indian small businesses focused on managing costs and cash flow last year. Among the technologies they invested in, accounting software was particularly popular, with 23 per cent adoption. Professional advice was also sought frequently, with 34 per cent consulting accountants and 38 per cent seeking advice from friends and family. "Indian MSMEs are very competitive in many areas such as digitalisation and innovation, now they should focus on cost management and cashflow to increase their financial return. It's wise to use accounting software to control cost and analyse financial performance regularly. Further, financial experts like qualified accountants may provide professional advice to small businesses to manage technical issues like taxation and improve financial performance", Chhajed suggested. Indian small businesses also show a strong inclination towards innovation and global expansion. Leading the 11 surveyed markets, 34 per cent of respondents expect substantial revenue growth from overseas markets this year, significantly higher than the survey average of 19 per cent. Additionally, 44 per cent plan to introduce new products or services, compared to the market average of 29 per cent. Chhajed said, "The Indian government has established good platforms to bolster our MSMEs' global expansion, for example, international trade fairs for MSMEs. He added, "They could leverage these opportunities to connect with overseas customers and promote their novel products globally. Besides, our thriving digital economy also fosters MSMEs' innovation and revolution in the digital era." The survey gathered insights from 4,222 small businesses across 11 Asia-Pacific markets, including 505 respondents from India, providing a comprehensive overview of the region's small business landscape. (ANI)

84% of Indian small businesses anticipate robust growth in 2024: CPA Australia survey

India remains highly dependent on imports for minerals critical to accelerating its <keyword id="19951336" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="energy-transition" source="keywords">energy transition</keyword>, with a full reliance on shipping in lithium, cobalt and nickel, according to a report released Monday. The report, published by the Institute for Energy Economics and Financial Analysis (IEEFA), said that India's demand for <keyword id="19978839" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="critical-minerals" source="keywords">critical minerals</keyword> is expected to more than double by 2030, while domestic mining operations may take over a decade to start producing. It stresses that India needs a carefully crafted import strategy to mitigate potential trade risks while balancing international relationships to secure these essential minerals. IEEFA's report examines five critical minerals (and their compounds) - cobalt, copper, graphite, lithium and nickel - from the perspectives of import dependency, trade dynamics, domestic availability, and global price fluctuations. The findings show that India remains largely import-dependent for these minerals and their compounds, with 100 per cent import reliance for minerals like lithium, cobalt, and nickel. "India should strive to de-risk its critical minerals sourcing by identifying new international resources and expediting <keyword id="20681115" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="domestic-production" source="keywords">domestic production</keyword>. A concerted effort to partner with and foster bilateral relations with <keyword id="23713985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mineral-rich-nations" source="keywords">mineral-rich nations</keyword> should be a priority for India," said the report's co-author Charith Konda, Energy Specialist, IEEFA. "The country can also explore investment opportunities in resource-rich, friendly nations, such as Australia and Chile, as well as African countries like Ghana and South Africa," he added. The report said India depends heavily on China for synthetic graphite and natural graphite and it should explore cooperation initiatives with countries like Mozambique, Madagascar, Brazil and Tanzania which are some of the highest graphite producing countries. "As part of the Global South cooperation initiatives, these countries could be favourable partners for India for <keyword id="23713984" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="graphite-trading" source="keywords">graphite trading</keyword>," said the report's co-author Kaira Rakheja, Energy Analyst, IEEFA. India is also highly import-dependent for copper cathodes and nickel sulphates from just two countries - Japan and Belgium. The report suggests India could look at the US, the fifth largest producer of copper in the world, to diversify its suppliers and enhance <keyword id="23714709" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supply-security" source="keywords">supply security</keyword>. For minerals like lithium oxide and nickel oxide, the dependency is low on one country, but overall imports largely come from Russia and China, both countries with potential trade risks. "Developing domestic lithium refining capacity will help India integrate with the global lithium supply chain," said Rakheja. The report also notes the significant efforts that the Indian government is making to improve domestic production of critical minerals with the auctions by the Ministry of Mines and the planned Critical Minerals Mission. "The critical minerals mining block auctions can serve as an opportunity for India to focus on building refining and processing capabilities to emerge as a global value-adding hub," said Rakheja. "Government support in the form of viability gap funding and technology development will help promote such auctions and ultimately the domestic production of critical minerals. "A stable supply of critical minerals is imperative for India to achieve its <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword> goals," Konda said. India has committed to achieving 500 gigawatts (GW) of non-fossil fuel-based electricity installed capacity by 2030. Currently, the country's renewable energy installed capacity stands at 201 GW, with solar energy accounting for 91 GW. According to another study, the fast-developing South Asian nation needs to install around 7,000 GW of renewable energy capacity to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.

Energy transition: India remains highly dependent on imports of critical minerals, says report

The professors filmed themselves having sex with porn stars. Their university was not pleased.

According to a new analysis, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> contributed $1.28 billion in <keyword id="20000757" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climate-finance" source="keywords">climate finance</keyword> through <keyword id="20401772" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="multilateral-development-banks" source="keywords">multilateral development banks</keyword> (MDBs) in 2022, surpassing the contributions of many developed countries. The study, conducted by the UK-based think tank ODI and the <keyword id="23038658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zurich-Climate-Resilience-Alliance" source="Orion">Zurich Climate Resilience Alliance</keyword>, comes amid a renewed push by some developed countries to broaden the donor base for climate finance to include developing countries like China and <keyword id="50996" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Saudi-Arabia" source="Orion">Saudi Arabia</keyword>. The report reveals that only 12 developed countries provided their fair share of international climate finance in 2022. These countries are -- Norway, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Sweden, Denmark, Switzerland, Japan, the Netherlands, Austria, Belgium and Finland. Researchers noted that the significant gap in climate finance is largely due to the United States failing to contribute its fair share. Australia, Spain, Canada and the United Kingdom also performed relatively poorly in this regard. The analysis has identified the top 30 non-Annex II countries that provided substantial climate finance to developing countries in 2022 through multilateral contributions to development banks and climate funds. This group includes former economies in transition like Poland and Russia, countries that have achieved high-income status since 1992, such as Chile, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and South Korea, and middle-income countries with large populations, including Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Nigeria, the Philippines and Pakistan. India provided $1.287 billion in climate finance to other developing countries through MDBs in 2022, a sum larger than what was contributed by some developed countries like Greece ($0.23 billion), Portugal ($0.23 billion), Ireland ($0.3 billion) and New Zealand ($0.27 billion). China provided $ 2.52 billion in climate finance through MDBs in 2022, Brazil gave $ 1.135 billion, South Korea gave $1.13 billion and Argentina gave $1.01 billion. According to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (<keyword id="21931277" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="UNFCCC" source="keywords">UNFCCC</keyword>), adopted in 1992, high-income, industrialised countries (referred to as Annex-II countries) are responsible for providing finance and technology to help developing countries combat and adapt to climate change. These countries, including the US, Canada, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and European Union (EU) member states, such as Germany, France and the UK, have historically benefitted from industrialisation and contributed the most to greenhouse gas emissions. At COP15 in Copenhagen in 2009, these developed countries pledged to jointly provide $100 billion each year by 2020 to help developing countries mitigate and adapt to climate change. However, this target has not been fully met, leading to a significant finance gap. This shortfall has eroded trust and hindered climate action in developing countries. In May, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (<keyword id="19916574" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OECD" source="keywords">OECD</keyword>) claimed that developed countries had met the long-standing $ 100 billion-a-year promise by providing nearly $ 116 billion in climate finance to developing countries in 2022, with nearly 70 % of the money given in the form of loans. The ODI researchers pointed out that many developed countries, despite performing well in terms of climate-finance contributions, would make "markedly less progress towards meeting their fair share if the finance provided was accounted for on grant-equivalence terms" -- in other words, if it reflected their real fiscal effort. The report calls for the inclusion of a "burden-sharing mechanism" in the New Collective Quantified Goal (NCQG) to provide clarity on each country's obligations and hold countries accountable. The NCQG refers to the new, larger amount that developed nations must mobilise annually, starting 2025, to support climate action in developing countries. Countries are expected to finalise the NCQG at this year's UN climate conference -- <keyword id="20082972" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="COP29" source="keywords">COP29</keyword> -- in Baku, Azerbaijan in November. The current $100 billion annual climate-finance goal is a collective commitment by developed countries. Its collective nature has meant that individual developed countries are not accountable for specific sums of money, potentially reducing the overall amount of climate finance provided due to the lack of individual scrutiny. The inclusion of a burden-sharing arrangement among developed countries could potentially strengthen the NCQG by fostering greater accountability and trust among parties, according to the ODI researchers. Many developing countries, including India, have recently advocated for such an arrangement to enhance accountability among developed countries.

India provided more climate finance in 2022 than many rich nations, noted recent report

Former <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> head coach <keyword id="19692" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ravi-Shastri" source="Orion">Ravi Shastri</keyword> has revealed his combined Test XI, selecting players from the two ICC World Test Championship finalists, India and <keyword id="6355478" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="australia" source="Orion">Australia</keyword>. As the build-up to next month's WTC final between India and Australia at The Oval intensifies, <keyword id="11712" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="shastri" source="Orion">Shastri</keyword> faced the unenviable task of naming his best combined XI. Former India head coach admitted he found the task a difficult one due to the sheer amount of world-class players on both sides. But, he stuck his neck out and settled on a final XI with four India stars and seven from Australia making the cut. The 60-year old is a long-standing supporter of Rohit Sharma and said the India captain gets the nod as skipper over Australian counterpart Pat Cummins and wins a spot as one of the two openers as a result. "I would give the captaincy to Rohit because he's much more experienced than Pat. He's been around and he's captained sides for a long time," Shastri said in the latest episode of The ICC Review "If Steve Smith was captain of Australia, then maybe it's a different story, but since it's Pat Cummins and Rohit Sharma, Rohit wins it. Plus, you know, as a captain, you're a certainty in the XI so he opens the batting," he added. The decision on who would partner Rohit at the top of the order is a tough one, according to Shastri, with the likes of Australian duo David Warner and Usman Khawaja and emerging India right-hander Shubman Gill all in the mix for the crucial position. Only England star Joe Root scored more runs than Khawaja during the 2021-23 World Test Championship cycle and Shastri said the Australian left-hander deserves to get the nod. "It's a tight one between Usman Khawaja and Shubman Gill," Shastri admitted. "Shubman is the rising young star and he's a terrific player, but Usman Khawaja, just by current form and the number of runs he's got over the last couple of years, I think he gets in there," he added. The noted commentator said it was an easy decision as to who bats at No.3, No.4 and No.5, with the No.1 ranked Test batter Marnus Labuschagne and experienced duo Virat Kohli and Steve Smith the obvious choices to fill these vital spots. "Number three is a no-brainer as Marnus (Labuschagne) has been outstanding in Test match cricket. He averages close to 60, so he gets in there straight away," Shastri said. "Kohli at four for just what he's done over the years and Smith at five for what he's done over the years and the kind of quality they bring to the table," he added. Shastri is a massive fan of young Australia all-rounder Cameron Green, but thinks Ravindra <keyword id="4167" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="jadeja" source="Orion">Jadeja</keyword> earns the spot to bat at No.6 due to his ability to act as a second spinning option. "At No.6, I get in Jadeja, because I believe he is one of the best all-rounders in the world," he noted. "We know there's (England captain) Ben Stokes, but Ben has had problems with his fitness, so Jadeja comes in there and gives a lot of balance to that side," he added. Australia keeper Alex Carey wins the spot as wicket-keeper and to bat at No.7 ahead of India's KS Bharat, while Shastri admitted he found it difficult to leave out India veteran Ravichandran Ashwin and opt for Nathan Lyon as the front-line spinner in his XI. "The reason why I picked Nathan Lyon ahead of Ashwin is because of Nathan's overseas record. Not just in Australia, but outside Australia and (Lyon is) probably stronger to bowl those overs in England if needed," Shastri said. "So he comes in with Jadeja as the second spinner, with Jadeja more the all-rounder and Lyon the spinner," he added. The former India skipper said the decisions on the pace attack was relatively easy to make, with experienced left-armer Mitchell Starc providing the variety alongside a pair of in-form right-armers. "(Pat) Cummins, of course, for me, he's a top-class operator and Mohammed Shami, he's like vintage and he's just getting better and better as we're seeing in this IPL. And stronger. So he comes in there," Shastri noted. "And then it was a tough one between (Josh) Hazelwood, Starc and Cameron Green also there. But I preferred Jadeja because you get a better balance with two spinners, three fast bowlers, out and out fast bowlers and I would take Starc (to complement them) because of pace and variety being the left-armer. It's a hard choice (to settle on final XI) because Ashwin's world-class, you've got Hazelwood world-class there and you've got (Cheteshwar) Pujara there who could be threatening. So it's not easy," he added. Ravi Shastri combined India-Australia Test XI: Rohit Sharma (c), Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Virat Kohli, Steve Smith, Ravindra Jadeja, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins, Mitchell Starc, Nathan Lyon, Mohammad Shami SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/personalities/news/gautam-adani-in-striking-distance-of-entering-the-top-20-richest-club-once-again/articleshow/100437220.cms">Gautam Adani in striking distance of entering the top 20 richest club once again</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/bank-deposits-gold-sales-real-estate-to-get-a-boost-with-2000-note-withdrawal-kotak/articleshow/100429411.cms">Not just bank deposits, gold sales &amp; real estate to get a boost from ₹2,000 note withdrawal</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/angel-tax-changes-to-cheer-investors-aid-late-stage-funding-say-experts/articleshow/100422848.cms">Angel tax changes to cheer investors, aid late-stage funding say experts</a>

Ravi Shastri reveals combined India-Australia Test XI ahead of WTC final

A drug used to treat high blood pressure was found to be ineffective in treating even mild COVID-19 cases, according to a study based on 'real world' data from <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>. Scientists, from the London School of Hygiene, University of Oxford and TPP House, UK, have provided 'real world' evidence on the effectiveness of COVID-19 treatments, through two studies, helping shed more light on whether the drugs used to treat covid cases can prevent people from becoming seriously ill. One of the studies, which is published in the British Medical Journal, is based on data from India and involves angiotensin receptor blockers (ARBs), or drugs widely used to treat high blood pressure and heart disease, including telmisartan. The study is a randomised controlled trial involving 787 patients, 778 from India and nine from <keyword id="6355478" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="australia" source="Orion">Australia</keyword>, with an average age of 49 years, admitted to the hospital from May 2020 to November 2021. Included patients who had predominantly mild disease, although the researchers aimed to recruit patients at risk of severe covid, the study said. Half of the participants received ARBs and the other half, or controls, received a placebo for 28 days. A standard dose of the ARB drug telmisartan, starting dose 40 mg/d, was used only in India while the type and dose of ARB were at the discretion of the treating physicians in Australia. These particular drugs were chosen because they work by regulating the same angiotensin protein which the coronavirus uses to enter the body, and in the laboratory have shown potential protectivity against the severe effects of coronaviruses, the study said. However, after 14 days of treatment, the researchers found no meaningful difference in illness severity between the two groups. These findings should help to inform clinical practice. The lack of effect provides reassurance that it is safe to use these protective agents in people indicated, with or without covid-19. The other study is an observational one carried out in <keyword id="6355981" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="england" source="Orion">England</keyword> between December 2021 and February 2022. Researchers used hospital records and death certificates for high-risk adults with covid-19, with an average age of 52, to compare the effectiveness of the antibody treatment sotrovimab with the antiviral drug molnupiravir. The researchers found that those who received sotrovimab were at a substantially lower (46 per cent) risk of severe covid-19 outcomes than those receiving molnupiravir, within 28 days of treatment. The researchers say that their "real-world findings within a time period when both drugs were frequently prescribed and when new variants of covid-19 were circulating provide evidence of current effectiveness of sotrovimab over molnupiravir", according to the study. Their analysis also "supports the conclusion that sotrovimab remains beneficial in fully vaccinated patients, which now represent the majority of the covid-19 patient population in many settings", the study said. Both studies have some important limitations. For instance, in the observational study, some misclassification about the cause of death or hospital admission may have occurred, and the researchers cannot rule out the possibility that differences in the initial severity of covid-19 or other unmeasured factors between treatment groups may have influenced their results, the study said. In the randomised controlled trial, the researchers were unable to source a placebo in Australia, meaning participants and treating clinicians knew they were taking an active drug. Participants were also treated with a relatively low drug dose, so the effect of higher doses remains unknown, the study said. Nevertheless, key strengths included the scale, level of detail and completeness of the underlying data in the observational study, good adherence to study treatment and an adaptive design that allowed the study question to be answered most quickly in the randomised trial, the study said. Results were consistent when restricted to fully vaccinated people and also after further analysis of patients treated between February and May 2022 when the BA.2 omicron variant of covid-19 was dominant in England, suggesting that they are relevant to current clinical care, the study said. There is currently ongoing discussion about the effectiveness of different antibody and antiviral treatments for covid-19 with recent <keyword id="43588" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="world-health-organization" source="Orion">World Health Organization</keyword> guidance recommending against the use of sotrovimab. However, both drugs are currently available for use in England, the study said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/stillbirths-are-a-hidden-tragedy-says-icmr-as-it-seeks-research-funding/articleshow/95582779.cms">Stillbirths are a hidden tragedy says ICMR as it seeks research funding</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/news/genetics-says-mating-is-random-but-in-reality-it-takes-shared-interests-to-pair-up-say-researchers/articleshow/95597434.cms">Genetics says mating is random, but in reality it takes shared interests to pair up, say researchers</a>

Blood pressure drug ineffective in treating even mild Covid-19 cases, as per 'real world' data from India

Indian-origin paediatrician <keyword id="15532658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="angraj-khillan" source="Orion">Angraj Khillan</keyword> from Victoria state has been honoured with the 2023 Australian of the Year award for delivering key healthcare and health education to several Australian communities. <keyword id="2832378" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="khillan" source="Orion">Khillan</keyword>, 56, is the co-founder of the Health Awareness Society of <keyword id="6355478" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="australia" source="Orion">Australia</keyword> (HASA), which dispels myths, taboos and misinformation about health through forums in a range of languages. HASA delivers forums and virtual sessions in English, Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Arabic on topics from mental health to Covid-19 vaccinations. "It is an honour, and privilege at the same time it brings a lot of responsibility to me to work harder to cater for the needs of Australian multicultural communities," Khillan told The Australia Today. As a student in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, he sold offerings outside a temple to fund his medical education. After moving to Melbourne in 2010, Khillan worked to raise awareness of domestic violence and dowry abuse. He has played a pivotal role in delivering key healthcare and health education to culturally diverse communities in Victoria, a government release note stated. "Congratulations to paediatrician <keyword id="15532659" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="dr-angraj-khillan" source="Orion">Dr Angraj Khillan</keyword>, 2023 Victorian Australian of the Year. Dr Khillan has changed lives by delivering healthcare and health education to culturally diverse communities across Australia," Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria, tweeted. Having been associated with the Royal Darwin Hospital in 2004 as a paediatrician, Khillan, also known as 'Dr Raj', has tirelessly worked for the remote Aboriginal communities. He has also been raising funds for philanthropy in India, East Timor and Australia, apart from being a member of The Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and founder of the Doctors Against Domestic Violence Group. He has several awards to his credit, including the 2019 Small Business Champion Awards, the 2019 India Australia Business and Community Awards, the 2017 Victorian Multicultural Awards for Excellence and the 2019 Wyndham Business Awards, among others. Apart from Khillan, there were three other recipients of the award from Victoria, who will come together with awardees from other states for the national awards ceremony in Canberra on January 25, 2023. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/international/news/eu-to-train-up-to-15000-ukrainian-soldiers/articleshow/95547273.cms">EU to train up to 15,000 Ukrainian soldiers</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/elon-musks-weight-loss-mantra-is-not-new-but-heres-how-to-do-it-right/articleshow/95550740.cms">Elon Musk’s weight loss mantra is not new, but here’s how to do it right</a>

You Searched For "Australia India Film Fund" and got 11 results

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Energy transition: India remains highly dependent on imports of critical minerals, says report

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The professors filmed themselves having sex with porn stars. Their university was not pleased.

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India provided more climate finance in 2022 than many rich nations, noted recent report

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Ravi Shastri reveals combined India-Australia Test XI ahead of WTC final

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Blood pressure drug ineffective in treating even mild Covid-19 cases, as per 'real world' data from India

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Indian-origin paediatrician Angraj Khillan wins Australian of the Year award

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