Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Are you an entrepreneur struggling to accelerate your <keyword id="138263" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="startup">startup</keyword>? What are your biggest concerns: finding <keyword id="6357455" type="EVENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword>, lack of mentoring or missing enterprise connects? The help is now just a click away. Many big organisations are coming forward to help budding entrepreneurs propel their growth in the Indian market. This, by providing them everything they need: right from angel funding to accelerator and incubator support, mentorship from experts to a piece of the leading minds. 
 
This article would introduce you to organisations who can give wings to your ‘entrepreneurial dreams’. 
 
 
<a href="http://www.ciieindia.org/">Centre for Innovation Incubation and Entrepreneurship (CIIE):</a> If you are looking for a one-stop-shop for funding, mentoring, and enterprise connect, CIIE is it. It was set up by IIM Ahmedabad with support from the Government of India. Since its inception, the group has been successfully fostering entrepreneurship through incubation, ecosystem development and academic initiatives. Its portfolio ventures have an impressive success rate and employ more than 1,000 people. Boasting of less than 5% mortality rate since 2008, the CIIE, along with its investee companies, has raised over Rs 125 crore till date. 
 
<a href="http://www.ediindia.org/">Entrepreneurship Development Institute of India (EDI):</a> Lucky are those, who can find mentors. But if you are still searching for one, get enrolled with EDI and you stand a sure-shot chance to find world’s best mentors who would guide you on the road to entrepreneurship. The EDI came into being in 1983, when the Industrial Development Bank of India, the apex financial institution, joined hands with Industrial Credit and Investment Corporation of India (ICICI), Industrial Finance Corporation of India (IFCI), and State Bank of India (SBI) to support the <keyword id="2493894" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Gujarat-Centre-for-Entrepreneurship">Gujarat Centre for Entrepreneurship</keyword> (CED). Since then, it has been facilitating emergence of competent first generation entrepreneurs and transition of existing SMEs into growth-oriented enterprises through entrepreneurship education, training, research &amp; institution building. As of March 31, 2014, the group has set up 9,591 micro enterprises, and trained over 17,567 micro entrepreneurs. 
 
<a href="http://iie.nic.in/">Indian Institute of Entrepreneurship (IIE):</a> India has the largest rural population; this explains why IIE was established in the year 1993 by the erstwhile Ministry of Industry, Government of India as an autonomous national institute. With focus on development of micro, small and medium enterprises, it undertakes several initiatives every year to achieve the following key objectives: promote and develop entrepreneurship; conduct research and provide consultancy for entrepreneurship development; provide consultancy and monitoring service to MSMEs/ potential entrepreneurs and enhance employability of participants; promote greater use of information technology in the activities/ functions of the IIE. Join and get trained by the best in the industry. 
 
<a href="http://10000startups.com/">NASSCOM 10,000 Startups:</a> This is one of the recent and latest startup initiatives by <keyword id="746972" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="National-Association-of-Software">National Association of Software</keyword> and Services Companies (<keyword id="6372077" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Nasscom">NASSCOM</keyword>), the trade association of Indian Information Technology and Business Process Outsourcing industry, which every enthusiastic entrepreneur should keep a tab on. The NASSCOM 10,000 program is created with the aim to enable thousands of entrepreneurs to start-up and grow their businesses. It has successfully launched three phases as of June 2014. Through this program, NASSCOM would be offering startups a substantial funding amount—ranging from Rs 25 lakh to Rs 2 crore—through leading angel investor networks of the country. The program has so far received 7000 applications, shortlisted 500 and impacted 150. Become a member and who knows, it might give your start-up the wings that it needs to succeed. 
 
Image: Thinkstock

Startup! Claim
Your F.A.M.E. (Funding. Acceleration. Mentoring. Enterprise Connect)

<ul><li>The Modi government had started the startup rankings to encourage states to have an entrepreneurially conducive environment. </li><li>While Gujarat took the Best Performer ranking, Karnataka and Kerala got the top performers' titles.</li><li>22 states and 3 Union Territories participated in the exercise. </li></ul>The Indian government has announced the second edition of its state <keyword id="7145805" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="startup-ranking">startup ranking</keyword>. The Modi government had started the startup rankings to encourage states to have an entrepreneurially conducive environment. The idea behind the exercise is to build capacities at the state level to support innovation and entrepreneurship. Here is the 2019 startup ranking list <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt; table-layout: fixed;"></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;">Emerging Startup Ecosystems </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;">Chattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Sikkim, Nagaland, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Assam </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;">Aspiring Leaders </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;">Punjab, Telangana, Uttarakhand, Jharkhand, Haryana </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;">Leaders </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;">Maharashtra, Bihar, Odisha, Rajasthan, Chandigarh </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;">Top Performers </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;">Karnataka and Kerala </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;">Best Performers </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;">Andaman and Nicobar Islands (among UTs and north eastern states) Gujarat (among all other states) </td></tr></tbody></table> Minister of Commerce and Industry Piyush Goyal applauded the states for their initiatives and India’s startups. He also shared three recommendations for startups: <ul><li>Product – Startups should focus on how we can reimagine new products, how products can be used, what is relevant in today’s day and age.</li><li>Processes - Startups should look at how we can constantly redesign and reengineer the processes of doing the same thing. </li><li>People - Ultimately we need people-centric ideas, the consumer at the centre point of all new ideas of the startup ecosystem.</li></ul>22 states and 3 Union Territories participated in the exercise. Along with the rankings, the government also released a report on how the states can further work on improving innovation in the region. The startup rankings were done by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (<keyword id="7281036" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="dpiit">DPIIT</keyword>). And the states were awarded points according to performances across seven categories – Institutional Support, Easing Compliances, Relaxation in Public Procurement norms, Incubation support, Seed Funding Support, Venture Funding Support, and Awareness &amp; Outreach. India is home to over 50,000 startups with over 30 unicorns. India has about 9,300 tech startups alone, while 1,600 are deep tech startups. It also has 335 incubators and accelerators. According to the Nasscom-Zinnov report Indian Tech Start-up Ecosystem, India will see 100 unicorns by 2025 and will create over 1.1 million direct jobs. Currently, 36,614 startups are recognized by DPIIT. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/zomato-ipo-could-make-the-company-as-valuable-as-one-of-its-biggest-investors-info-edge/articleshow/78055318.cms">Zomato’s IPO could make the company as valuable as one of its biggest investors – Info Edge</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/exclusive-indigo-exec-shares-why-it-is-the-second-best-performing-airline-stock-globally-this-year-despite-record-losses/articleshow/78055738.cms">EXCLUSIVE: IndiGo exec shares why it is the second-best performing airline stock globally this year despite record losses</a>

India announces the states' startup ranking list – Gujarat gets the best performer, while Karnataka and Kerala are top performers

Yes, you are reading it correct. The land of rajwadas, which is well-known for its appetizing cuisines and royal forts, might soon become a startup hub. According to reports, the state government is planning to establish around 500 <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=startups+">startups </a>by 2020. 
 
Under its startup policy, which is expected to be announced next week, the state has already shed Rs 55 crore for the coming five years, reported The Economic Times. 
 
Veenu Gupta, Principal Secretary, Industries at Government of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=Rajasthan+">Rajasthan </a>says, “We plan to bring investments of up to Rs 500 crore in next five years and help set up at least 500 startups in the state, with the help of India's leading venture capital firms, accelerators and tech companies." 
 Gupta, who is also the Managing Director for <keyword id="6355588" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Rajasthan">Rajasthan</keyword> Industrial development and Investment Corporation (RIICO) says that the government will provide an assistance of Rs 10 lakh per startup in the form of equity or loan. 
 The partner organisations like Indian Institute of Management Ahmedabad's Centre for Innovation, Incubation &amp; <keyword id="107737" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Entrepreneurship">Entrepreneurship</keyword> will do the screening of startups. 
 
Apart form Rajasthan, only Karnataka, Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala have launched a dedicated policy for tech-based startups. 
Moreover, the state plans to set-up about 50 incubators in the coming five years and it intends to take help of partner organisations like Rajasthan Venture Capital Fund, IIM-A's CIIE, Rajasthan Angel Investors Network (RAIN) and Chennai-based Impact investment firm Villgro. 
 Rajasthan currently possess venture-funded startups including CarDekho and Culture Alley, besides a tech park in Jaipur with firms such as Infosys and Genpact. Moreover, eCommerce firms like Amazon, <keyword id="6354742" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>, Urban Ladder and PepperFry too source a huge amount of textiles and furniture form the state. 
 
"A challenge for Rajasthan-based startups is visibility, which impacts fundraising and hiring. Initiatives like incubation could go a long way for VCs, talent, and potential customers to get to know of exciting startups here," said Nishant Patni, CEO of Jaipur-based language app startup Culture Alley, which raised $6.1 million (Rs 36 crore) in funds this year from New York-based Tiger Global Management and a few angel investors. 
 
<a href="http://media.indiatimes.in/media/content/2014/Dec/reuters-camel-600_1418819720.jpg">Image source</a>

Rajasthan to become north India’s startup hub in the next five years

Union Commerce and Industry Minister <keyword id="6355222" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="piyush-goyal" source="Orion">Piyush Goyal</keyword> held a meeting with the CEO of <keyword id="154806" type="General" weightage="40" keywordseo="micron-technology" source="Orion">Micron Technology</keyword> <keyword id="257681" type="General" weightage="60" keywordseo="sanjay-mehrotra" source="Orion">Sanjay Mehrotra</keyword> on Wednesday (local time) and discussed how India's growing semiconductor ecosystem presents vast opportunities for company to collaborate and expand its footprint in India. Taking to X, Piyush Goyal stated, "Met Mr. Sanjay Mehrotra, CEO &amp; President of @MicronTech. Discussed how India's growing semiconductor ecosystem presents vast opportunities for the company to collaborate &amp; expand its footprint in the country." Earlier this July, Mehrotra had met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat's Gandhinagar and they discussed US chip giant's plans to bolster the semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem within India. In June this year, Micron Technology had announced its plans of investing USD825 million in a new chip assembly and testing plan in Gujarat. India hopes to become a major global hub in semiconductor manufacturing over the next 10 years. Meanwhile, Goyal, who is on a four-day visit to the US, also held a roundtable discussion with prominent academicians at Stanford University. Taking to X, Goyal stated, "Held a roundtable discussion with prominent academicians at Stanford University. Highlighted the vast opportunities for collaboration with India's higher education institutions to foster a vibrant exchange of knowledge, research and pathbreaking solutions to key global issues." He also met Silicon Valley entrepreneurs and venture capitalists. He highlighted how India's young talent, business ecosystem and growing economy presents opportunities for investments. Goyal tweeted, "Had an engaging interaction with Silicon Valley Entrepreneurs &amp; Venture Capitalists. Highlighted how India's young talent, vibrant business ecosystem &amp; growing economy presents the perfect opportunity for investments." Meanwhile, US-India Business Council Board Chair and Nasdaq Executive Vice Chairman Edward Knight has said there have been energetic interactions and engagements between the Indian and US governments in promoting entrepreneurship in both countries. "What I would underscore is the energetic interaction and engagement between the two governments and the two ministers on the issue of promoting entrepreneurship in India and here in the US and how we can do that better, how cooperation between the two governments and the two business communities can lead to more high growth companies, entrepreneurship and economic growth both here and in India," Edward Knight told after the meeting with Piyush Goyal. Asked what his take on the India-US relationship is in terms of business, Knight recalled his recent visit to India where he learnt about many US companies creating centres of excellence and other projects within India. "A few weeks ago with the US-India Business Council and the Ambassador, we saw during that trip (to India) that Google announcing an assembly facility and for that matter many companies creating centres of excellence and other projects within India," Knight noted.

After PM Modi, Piyush Goyal meets Micron CEO to discusses India's semiconductor opportunities

Ahmedabad, Jan 15 () Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Wednesday hit out at the Congress and other opposition parties for spreading negativity on jobs and economy fronts, saying those who did nothing in 60 years of their rule are now questioning the Modi government. 
Addressing a gathering after laying the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) here, the minister said the government's target to make India a USD 5 trillion economy was achievable and the youth's inclination towards entrepreneurship may play a big role in achieving the objective. 
Shah said the Congress could only manage to take the country's economy to a USD 2 trillion mark despite ruling for decades, but the NDA government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership took it to USD 3 trillion in just 5 years time. 
Taking a dig at the Congress, he said those who did nothing to steer the country's economy in 60 years were now questioning the present government. 
He said the government is taking necessary steps to ensure that youth get the required skills and employment opportunities and are future ready. 
On the Opposition being raising the issue of unemployment, he said there are some who view things through a negative prism. 
"When they talk about unemployment, a question always comes to my mind, you have ruled this country for 50-60 years, what measures did you take," Shah asked referring to different Congress-led governments that were in power at the Centre since Independence. 
 He further asked was there any new solution found during 50-60 years of Congress' rule to provide employment to the country's youth. 
 Is it justifiable that "you (Congress) ruled for 50 years without doing anything new and now you are seeking answers from us", he said. 
 The senior BJP leader said that the government has been taking several initiatives to skill the youth, saying that the young population is a major strength of the country. 
"Some may view this as a weakness, but I think 70 crore young population is a major strength," the minister said. 
 He said the Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) will not only help skill India's youth but will also make them job creators instead of job-seekers. 
 On this occasion, Industrialist Ratan Tata, whose group is partnering the government in setting up the institute, said many visionary initiatives were being taken up by the present regime. 
 "I wish I was 20 years younger so that I could contribute more," Tata said. 
 Union Minister for Skill Development Mahendra Nath Pandey said before Narendra Modi became prime minister, the country had seen politics of opportunism barring a small period of ruling under the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. 
Pandey also emphasised on skill development and said it ranged from areas from defence to artificial intelligence now. 
 The 20-acre Indian Institute of Skills is among the three institutes that the government is setting up.
 The government has chosen Kanpur, Mumbai and Gandhinagar to set up Indian Institutes of Skills. 
 The foundation stone for IIS, Kanpur was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at NSTI, Kanpur in December, 2016. The foundation stone for the institute in Mumbai was laid last year. 
 The proposed institutes are to be modelled on Singapore's ITES. Shah laid the foundation stone of the Indian Institute of Skills (IIS) at Nasmed in Kalol tehsil of Gandhinagar through remote control at a ceremony at the Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar. 
 The IIS Gandhinagar and Mumbai are being set up in partnership with the Tata Education and Development Trust. Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran were also present on this occasion. 
 Shah suggested linking of the Indian Institute of Skills, Gandhinagar with around 272 industrial training institutes in the state towards upgradation of ITIs, a suggestion which was accepted by Ratan Tata. RSN MKJ

Those who did nothing in 60 yrs questioning Modi govt: Amit Shah on Congress raising jobs, economy issues

<div type="image" msid="54427818" hostid="261"></div> <keyword id="176127" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intel-India">Intel India</keyword> claims to have made the experience of personal computing real for more than 250,000 local citizens till now, thanks to their Unnati Kendras. The technology giant <keyword id="28115" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Intel">Intel</keyword> is also investing ₹1,100 crore in its upcoming R&amp;D centre, which can create 3,000 jobs. Unnati Kendras were inaugurated last year and are on-ground facilities serving as common access digital learning centers for local citizens, focusing on education, entrepreneurship and innovation. Each centre is equipped with Intel powered devices, vernacular language content, and relevant training programs for local citizens in the state, to create opportunities for skill development and digital empowerment. 
 Since the launch of the first centre in April 2016, Intel India has seen an average of 47 citizens entering each <keyword id="3331525" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unnati-Kendra">Unnati Kendra</keyword> per day, and of these, 18 requested demos in basic PC skills. 
 
According to Intel data, 44% of the walk-ins wanted to use computers to access e-learning and educational content, with 28% aspiring to use computers for creative self-expression, and 28% for entrepreneurial activities. 33% of this universe were students and youth between 18 and 25 years old and 22% were women, who are the early adopters and change agents in these new markets. 
 
Debjani Ghosh, Vice President, Sales &amp; Marketing Group, and Managing Director, South Asia, Intel said, “Technology relevance and access are crucial for a knowledge economy, and given that majority of the Indian population resides in non-urban areas, the vision behind Ek Kadam Unnati Ki Aur has been to make digital skills mainstream in those towns. This milestone is a moment of pride for all of us, and just the start of something bigger. Through continued work with the government and the ecosystem, we strive to make a tangible difference to individual lives and communities through the power of the computing.” 
 
Meanwhile, Sandeep Aurora, Director, Marketing at Intel South Asia said, “As the next wave of technology adoption comes from non-urban India, Ek Kadam Unnati Ki Aur has been oriented specifically for these markets. We have worked with nearly 20 eco-system vendors to ensure that the Unnati Kendra experience has enabled first-time users in regional areas to better understand how computing technology can be integrated to improve their daily lives.” 
 
User rights: 
 
According to the user insights from the centres, the top PC-based activities have been video-based computer training, understanding e-commerce, browsing detailed information on government policies, e-mail and applying for jobs on job portals. 
 Village Level Entrepreneurs in charge of the centers are taking on the mantle of Unnati Gurus or local knowledge bearers of technology, who are responsible for demonstrating the basics of PC usage to walk-ins on Darpan, a multilingual user interface which comes in six regional languages. These trained personnel are conducting daily in-depth sessions on <keyword id="6372493" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-literacy">digital literacy</keyword>, computer skills and internet facilities, along with dedicated guidance sessions in entrepreneurship, language and vocational training to improve the educational and employment prospects for local citizens. 
 The 100 centers in Tier II, III, IV and V towns are in operation across 11 states pan-India; <keyword id="68884" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Telangana">Telangana</keyword> (14 centers), Uttar Pradesh (14), Andhra Pradesh (13), Haryana (11), Maharashtra (11), Tamil Nadu (10), Karnataka (7), Gujarat (6), Assam (5), Chhattisgarh (5), and Kerala (4). The centers are also being used as platforms for the delivery of last mile digital services and government related information about Digital Literacy, Financial Inclusion, and Healthcare, for the benefit of local citizens. 
 
Of the 11 states, Telangana, Maharashtra, and Uttar Pradesh witnessed the highest footfall and interest in PC literacy. Telangana and Uttar Pradesh, which have the highest number of Unnati Kendras in any state, with 14 centres each, together account for 115,000 individuals experiencing the power of the PC, almost half the national total, while Maharashtra has outperformed the national average, with a weekly footfall of 1000 citizens across 11 centres.

How Intel is digitizing rural India

<ul><li>Finance Minister <keyword id="129243" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> on Saturday announced <keyword id="8192304" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="union-budget-2020">Union Budget 2020</keyword> which gave an impetus to the country’s digital ecosystem.</li><li>The budget came up with an optional new tax regime which could lead to lower taxes for taxpayers.</li><li>She also acknowledged the role entrepreneurs have played in creating more jobs and capital for the country.</li></ul>As Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman presented the Union Budget on Saturday, the industry came together to applaud the government’s digital push with the announcement of the setting aside of Rs 6,000 crore for BharatNet, to ensure low cost internet reaches every household in the country. The government also announced an optional new tax slab which has lower tax rates, although the people opting for the new tax regime will not get any exemptions. The FM also spoke about the role that entrepreneurs have played in creating jobs and bringing in more capital to the country. However, there were a few industry experts who felt that the expectations from ‘the budget were much higher and it feels like a missed opportunity.’ Here are the views of some experts: Ashish Bhasin, CEO, APAC and Chairman, India - Dentsu Aegis Network: I think this is a good budget in some ways because it has attempted to put money in the hands of the middle class through rationalisation of tax rates as well as has concentrated on looking after the agricultural sector, including introduction of best practises like storage for producers and other measures. However, I do feel that the expectations from the budget were much more and it does feel like a bit of a missed opportunity. While it is good to see that the dividend distribution tax has been abolished, I expected more on the rationalisation of direct taxes, particularly the cess introduced over and above the tax rates. It is good to see efforts being made to encourage new-age skill development as well as helping the start-ups and what's particularly interesting is the proposal to set up data centre farms all over the country. This will prepare India for the economy of tomorrow. It is also good to see attempts at simplification of taxation through digitisation but the proof of the pudding will lie in seeing its implementation on ground. It would be fair to say that at best it is a mixed budget and while there are some encouraging decisions, enough does not seem to have been done for the situation the economy is in. RS Sodhi, Managing Director of the Gujarat Cooperative Milk Marketing Federation: <keyword id="7836802" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Budget-2020">Budget 2020</keyword>, an excellent move, will bring more investments in the dairy sector which will increase the farmers’ bargaining power to get better prices for their produce, if done properly it will create 80 lakh jobs in Rural India and 16 lakh jobs in Urban India. Anand Bhadkamkar, CEO, Dentsu Aegis Network (DAN) India: The budget has provided relief to the middle class with lower tax rates which is a welcome move, as it will provide more liquidity. On direct taxes, the abolition of DDT and introduction of a tax dispute resolution scheme is a welcome step alongside tax reliefs for startups. The budget is focusing on easing and simplification of compliance, with changes in corporate laws as well as in GST and direct taxes. However, I was expecting further simplification of cess and surcharges beyond tax rates across slabs. The proposals for development of road infrastructure, setting up data centre parks and skill development initiatives are welcome steps in addition to allocations for social welfare schemes. However, the expectations from the budget were high on the background of current economic slowdown, and as such seems to be short on matching those expectations, with no specific industry sector focused sops to provide stimulus. While the budget shows focus on long term growth and social development, overall in the current scenario it looks like a mixed budget, falling a bit short of market expectations of more corrective measures. Mukesh Kalra, Founder &amp; CEO - ETMONEY: The Finance Minister's proposal to introduce a new tax regime is a great step towards giving equal chance to every Indian in the lower income segment to maximize their post tax incomes. In the old regime, an individual supporting a larger family &amp; negligible savings was forced to pay higher tax compared to an individual supporting a smaller family or one with no dependents. This created disparity when it came to effective taxation for the former group. In the new regime, the disparity ends &amp; also frees up income in the hands of individuals to give a boost to consumption. Nishant Pitti, Co-Founder &amp; CEO, EaseMyTrip: In tune with the present government vision to encourage Indian travellers to travel more and contribute towards the nation's growth, this budget takes it a step ahead. The budget has focused on promoting tourism &amp; travel with an overall budget of Rs. 2500 crores in year 2020-21. Government aims to develop 100 more domestic airports under the UDAN scheme. To promote travel via railways, the government will focus on more Tejas type trains that will connect tourist destinations in India. The Finance Minister has also laid stress on the development of archaeological sites into iconic sites with on-site museums. Five such sites are- Rakhigarhi, Hastinapur, Shivsagar, Dholavira and Adichanallur. Government has also announced the renovation of 4 key museums. Rs,150 crore have been allocated for the ministry of culture in 2020-21. We are hopeful that this budget will open new avenues for the travel industry. Sabyasachi Mitter, Founder and Managing Director of Fulcro: The key takeaway for me has been the simplification of tax regimes as well as giving a boost to consumer and investor sentiments. The removal of DDT is a significant move and long overdue as it effectively leads to double taxation. Simplification of personal Income Tax rates by giving the option to tax payers to avail the reduced tax rates by not availing deductions is a welcome step towards a future free from the historical legacy of compliance issues. The focus on encouraging start-ups is also welcome, both in terms of giving relief to the ESOP taxation which has been increased to 5 years. The turnover of availing 100% income Tax benefit has also seen two key changes; increasing the turnover threshold to 100 crores as well as increasing the block of years from which to avail three years of exemption to 10 years from the 7 years presently. All of these will increase the cash in hand of corporates, individuals as well MSMEs leading to a spur in demand. Specifically to the digital ecosystem the aggressive plans to increase the coverage of Fiber to Home being extended to 1 lakh gram panchayats will give a significant boost to the digital ecosystem. The recognition of the need for data and therefore the policy announcement on data centre parks is also a welcome move. Anish Sarkar, CEO, Sodexo BRS India: Sodexo always believes in giving our consumers the freedom of choice; the tax proposals in the budget are also on a similar philosophy. We believe that consumers should have a higher purchasing power – while this announcement will give them the power to choose their tax structure, our consumer base will continue to benefit from the current regime. Sodexo’s solution suite goes much beyond tax-saving products; driving the digitization of corporate cafeterias &amp; factories along with digitizing expense management to achieve workplace efficiency. We are very focussed on enhancing the employee experience of our clients by creating an ecosystem of value-added benefits much beyond tax savings. Devendra Shah, Chairman, Parag Milk Foods Ltd: We happily welcome the government's big push to the India's dairy industry. We are excited to be a part of the government's plan to double India’s milk processing capacity. Strategic measures like increasing the coverage of artificial insemination and eliminating Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) and Brucellosis in cattle will result in higher yields. While such measures are welcomed, the dairy sector also needs to ensure the yearlong availability of green fodder. We can currently import the green fodder from Australia, Canada and USA. All these collectively help in Increasing milk consumption amongst urban and rural consumers thus attracting new investments and jobs. Navin Khemka, CEO, Mediacom South Asia: What is required is more purchasing power to the Indian middle class. This will help boost demand in the sluggish economy. I hope the investment in infrastructure and kisan express helps in achieving this objective in the long run. Short term, however, I think this budget is status quo. Demand growth could be sluggish and this could continue to impact media investments by corporates. Indroneel Dutt, CFO, Cleartrip: The government has backed its vision to turn India into one of the world’s top tourism hubs by allocating INR 2,500 crore for promoting tourism in general and setting aside a sum of INR 3100 crore for the Culture Ministry to boost regional tourism. What would be wonderful is to have an empowered nodal body comprising of the Govt / OTA / airline, hotel and other industry representatives with the objective of promoting discoverability, ease of booking and fulfilment of our cultural, natural and heritage sites. Introduction of more Tejas Express type trains and the inauguration of several culturally-significant archaeological sites are other much-needed moves. We also welcome the Hon’ble FM’s proposal to develop 100 more airports as well as the doubling of the airline fleet by 2024. This calls for skilled manpower development in parallel. The aim to double the fleet to 1200 in the next 3 years will certainly accelerate the passenger growth rate. Ramesh Kaushik, VP Brand Experience at Blackberrys: The government remains committed to accelerate consumption in budget 2020. Government measures of reducing corporate tax and initiatives to boost MSME sector will definitely help accelerate industrial and corporate growth in the country. Measures like simplifying GST and income tax relief are sure to give requisite push to consumer consumption and demand thereby accelerating growth across industries. Additionally allocation of funds for infrastructural development is a welcome move clearing path for expansion. We expect more measures/announcements specific to the retail industry from the government in the coming future that will give the right impetus to the industry. Sameer Makani, Co-Founder and Managing Director, Makani Creatives: Budget 2020 aims at the betterment of all sections of the society. The key highlight is certainly the tax regime where the government has proposed alternative tax policies and new rates to benefit the taxpayers. The vision to improve the start-up scenario in the country will help in creating more job opportunities and further ensuring the economic growth. The Skill development programme will enable overall personality development In comparison to budget 2019, MSMEs will experience a 71% rise over and above the budgetary allocation. Sudhanshu Agarwal, Founder &amp; Director, Citykart: The announcements made by the government in Union Budget 2020 are a promising move to boost the income and purchasing power of people. So far, the rollout of GST has resulted in gains of about Rs.1 lakh crores to consumers, which is likely to increase further with revised GST laws being implemented from April 2020. Simplification of GST norms will be significant in inspiring consumer demand &amp; consumptions and spur industrial growth. Additionally, allocation of Rs.100 lakh crores for infrastructure development also opens growth prospects for the brands in non-metro cities. However, we feel specific measures pertaining to the retail sector have still not been fully addressed in the budget. Kunal Lakhara, VP of Finance and Operations, Pocket Aces: Budget 2020's revised fiscal deficit target of 3.8% of the GDP seems more realistic and focus on spends/benefits was required to boost the economy. The thrust on entrepreneurship and tax regulations for both startups and taxpayers is a move in the right direction. India is the third largest startup hub globally and the announcement of an investment clearance cell to provide end-to-end support to startup founders will encourage more youth to be job creators. Further, the ability to defer taxes on ESOPs will democratise wealth creation for startup employees, ensuring the right talent is benefitted. Finally, the decision to grant 100% tax exemptions to sovereign wealth funds on their investment in priority sectors will provide the much needed funding boost to the sector and create value in the longer run. Sahil Vaidya, Co- Founder &amp; Director, The Minimalist: Following the announcement of the Union Budget 2020, one thing is certain, is that the Government is heavily focused on becoming an entrepreneurial superpower. By investing in the MSME sector, the Government’s support towards new companies will go a long way in producing high growth business. Furthermore, the tax waiver on ESOPs will enable more talent to place their bets on early stage disruptive start-ups, which have the potential to become the corporates of tomorrow. Among other sectors, the Budget 2020’s focus on start-ups and technology will be a boost to companies that are doing some cutting edge design thinking to enable the best of digital products for a booming digital economy. Sanil Jain, Co-founder, CupShup: The start-up ecosystem in India is not more than a decade old and has come a long way to become the third largest in the world after USA and China. 2019 was not what we can call a good economic growth year but this budget has definitely brought some relief to start-ups. The implementation of the Investment Advisory Cell will aid new start-ups. Deferring the Taxation on ESOPs is definitely a big win as it will go a long way in acquiring and retaining quality talent. While on the other hand, decreasing direct tax to a historic low of 22% will boost export opportunities and drive growth across various industries. Nikhil Mathur, Managing Director – India, GfK: The proposal to boost rural economy, infrastructure and enhance purchasing power of middle class, if implemented well would certainly be fruitful. It could further improve the consumption of consumer durable and electronics. As per GfK data, CE-MDA category registered a volume growth of ~9% in 2019/2018. I think the market is expected to grow in the back of technology companies and given the state of economy we can be hopeful of a better future. Besides, encouraging local manufacturing of mobile phones and semiconductors may fuel the ‘Make in India’ vision.

You Searched For "Gujarat Centre for Entrepreneurship" and got 9 results

Startup! Claim Your F.A.M.E. (Funding. Acceleration. Mentoring. Enterprise Connect)

Richa Sharma

India announces the states' startup ranking list – Gujarat gets the best performer, while Karnataka and Kerala are top performers

Sanchita Dash

Rajasthan to become north India’s startup hub in the next five years

BI India Bureau

After PM Modi, Piyush Goyal meets Micron CEO to discusses India's semiconductor opportunities

ANI

Those who did nothing in 60 yrs questioning Modi govt: Amit Shah on Congress raising jobs, economy issues

PTI

How Intel is digitizing rural India

Anushree Singh

Industry experts share their optimism about Budget 2020

BI India Partner

Namaste Trump: Full text of Donald Trump's speech at Ahmedabad's Motera stadium

Sriram Iyer

Full transcript of PM Narendra Modi's TV interview

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides