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Houston: Petroleum minister <keyword id="19968713" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Hardeep-Singh-Puri" source="keywords">Hardeep Singh Puri</keyword> lauded India's economic growth under Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword>, saying the country has advanced from the 10th largest economy in 2014 to the 5th largest by 2019, surpassing the UK. Speaking at a community reception, organized by Consul General of India in Houston, D C Manjunath, at India House here, Puri emphasized Houston's pivotal role in the global energy sector, particularly in green hydrogen and aerospace. Expressing his thoughts about deepening <keyword id="22356868" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-India-collaboration" source="keywords">US-India collaboration</keyword> in the clean energy sector, Puri praised India's refining capacity and initiatives in biofuel blending, aiming to boost refining capacity to 300 million metric tons per annum. He termed the US-India Strategic Clean Energy Partnership as a cornerstone of future collaboration between the two countries. He acknowledged the political successes of Prime Minister Modi's party in the recent elections and said the country under Modi's regime has advanced from the 10th largest economy in 2014 to the 5th largest by 2019, surpassing the UK. The minister also pointed towards the Indian government's ambitious urban development initiatives, saying that the country has committed USD 25 billion (Rs 1.57 lakh crore) to urban schemes from 2017 to 2024. He compared this investment to constructing a new Chicago each year, illustrating the rapid expansion of urban infrastructure, including new metro systems and airports. He also noted that India's civil aviation sector is set to grow significantly, with the number of airports increasing from 74 to 150. Puri lauded Houston as a global hub for energy innovation and said events like "Howdy Modi" in 2019 showcased the strength of Indian-American relations. The minister paid tribute to the contributions of the Indian diaspora in various fields, particularly in medicine and engineering, while emphasizing the importance of maintaining cultural traditions, even while living abroad. He expressed gratitude for the warmth and hospitality received from the Indian community in Houston, acknowledging their role in enhancing India's global image.

India advanced from 10th place in 2014 to become 5th largest economy in 2019: Petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri

<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> and Maldives have signed an agreement to introduce the <keyword id="19998949" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Unified-Payments-Interface" source="keywords">Unified Payments Interface</keyword> in the archipelago nation, which will have a "very positive" impact on its <keyword id="20260982" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism-sector" source="keywords">tourism sector</keyword>, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said. The Memorandum of Understanding was signed on Friday during Jaishankar's three-day official visit to the Maldives. "Witnessed signing of MoU between (the) National Payments Corporation of India and (the) Ministry of Economic Development and Trade of Maldives on (the) introduction of (a) digital payment system in the Maldives," he said in a post on X. Developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (<keyword id="19998946" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NPCI" source="keywords">NPCI</keyword>), Unified Payment Interface (UPI) is an instant real-time payment system to facilitate inter-bank transactions through mobile phones. Addressing a press conference with his Maldivian counterpart Moosa Zameer after their "productive discussions", Jaishankar said that India, through its UPI, has "revolutionised digital transactions". Stressing that it has taken financial inclusion in India to new levels, he said "Today 40 per cent of the world's real-time digital payments take place in our country." "We see this revolution, every day in our lives. I am pleased to note that with the signing of the MoU today, we have taken the first step towards bringing this digital innovation to Maldives," he said. "I wish the very best to stakeholders on both sides and hope that we will soon see the first UPI transaction here. I should mention that it will have a very positive impact on tourism," he added. Tourism is the main source of economic activity for the Maldives, contributing nearly 30 per cent of the GDP and generating more than 60 per cent of foreign exchange. Jaishankar's visit aims to reset the bilateral relationship with the Maldives and is the first high-level trip from India after the archipelago nation's pro-China president, Mohamed Muizzu, assumed office last year. "India's partnership with the Maldives is based on our deep desire to work together for each other's welfare and interests. It is a partnership that has enabled us to always swiftly and effectively respond to challenges, as witnessed in the past," Jaishankar said. "It is a partnership that has enabled us to deliver results and bring tangible benefits to our people in accordance with their wishes, aspirations and priorities," he said. In a post on X, Jaishankar also said, "Jointly inaugurated six High Impact Projects in areas of street lighting, mental health, children speech therapy and special education." "Welcome renewal of MoU between National Centre for Good Governance and Civil Services Commission on (the) training of additional 1,000 civil services officers," he added. Addressing the joint press conference, Maldivian Foreign Minister Zameer said, "India has always been one of our closest friends and a vital development partner." He said the "enduring friendship" was built on a foundation of mutual trust and respect and has continued to flourish over the years. "High-level exchanges between our countries have deepened our dialogue and cooperation in areas of shared interest. We remain dedicated to strengthening and advancing this mutually beneficial partnership," he said. "Minister Dr Jaishankar and I agreed that much more needs to be done to promote trade and investment between the Maldives and India," he said, adding that both sides are committed to establishing "effective mechanisms to enhance economic cooperation, fostering a vibrant and prosperous partnership that will benefit both the nations." Zameer said he conveyed President Muizzu's proposal to begin negotiations on a Free Trade Agreement between the Maldives and India. "This agreement alongside other economic and trade-related agreements will facilitate trade liberalisation and ease the risks of doing business in both our countries," he said. Zameer said that India and Maldives have also mutually agreed to further strengthen their partnership by continuing joint exercises and expanding training opportunities for officers from both countries, asserting that this reflects "our commitment to working together to ensure the security of our nations as well as ensuring the safety and stability of the Indian Ocean region." India's relations with the Maldives suffered a major setback last year when President Muizzu demanded the withdrawal of Indian military personnel manning three aviation platforms in the Maldives. Subsequently, the Indian military personnel were replaced by civilians by May 10, the mutually agreed date. "On regional and multilateral issues of importance, our countries have a common understanding and are united in our efforts to resolve them. We agreed to continue our cooperation on issues ranging from combating terrorism, violent extremism, drugs, human trafficking and to the promotion and protection of human rights," Zameer said. In his press statement, Jaishankar said that India and the Maldives "are not just close neighbours, we are also natural partners." "Today, we are mutually invested in each other's development and progress. In a globalised and interconnected world, we see a lot of volatility and global tensions. Even as the world is recovering from the impact of the COVID pandemic, we have been confronted with new challenges arising from international conflicts," he said. In this tumultuous environment, India has been and will be, an anchor of stability for its friends, partners and neighbours. To the Maldives specifically, India has provided support to deal with economic challenges through financial assistance and budgetary support, and by ensuring an uninterrupted supply of critical items, he noted. India's actions have been and will continue to be guided by its firm commitment to the philosophy of 'Sabka Saath, Sabke Vikas - which is- Together, we prosper', Jaishankar said. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/brainbees-solutions-firstcry-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/112403576.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/brainbees-solutions-firstcry-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/112403576.cms" target="_blank">Brainbees Solutions (Firstcry) IPO allotment – How to check allotment, IPO GMP, listing date and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indias-wearables-market-decline-for-the-first-time-as-smartwatch-shipments-fall/articleshow/112397246.cms" target="_blank">India’s wearables market decline for the first time as smartwatch shipments fall</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/ola-wants-to-re-enter-the-quick-commerce-business-to-take-on-blinkit-and-swiggy-instamart/articleshow/112364583.cms" target="_blank">Ola wants to re-enter the quick commerce business to take on Blinkit and Swiggy Instamart</a>

India to introduce UPI payment service in Maldives

With the onset of <keyword id="6393318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wedding-season" source="Orion">wedding season</keyword>, <keyword id="19621691" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sectors-like-jewellery" source="Orion">sectors like jewellery</keyword>, <keyword id="6362766" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="apparel" source="Orion">apparel</keyword>, <keyword id="6368036" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hotels" source="Orion">hotels</keyword>, <keyword id="31907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aviation" source="Orion">aviation</keyword> and other related industries are likely to gain traction. "Next week, we expect some momentum in market to return as investors will take cues from various economic data including GDP numbers for US, China &amp; India," said Siddhartha Khemka, Head - Retail Research, Motilal Oswal Financial Services. Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services, said domestic indices traded within a range throughout the week with a positive bias. The Fed reserve adopted a cautious stance and the muted trend in European and German markets was also echoed in domestic markets. Declining inflation and recent cooling job data in the US, along with easing US bond yields, attracted foreign funds to the emerging market. The broader Indian market experienced some profit booking as investor attention shifted to the primary market, marked by a set of IPOs scheduled for the week. Sectors such as consumer durables and realty took the lead, driven by a strong rebound in festive demand. However, the IT sector showed subdued performance in response to weak global data. Despite the RBI's scrutiny of unsecured lending by NBFCs, the banking index demonstrated resilience this week, he said.

Sectors like jewellery, apparel, hotels, aviation to gain traction with the onset of wedding season

<ul><li>As much as 12.5% of healthcare wealth globally comes from India. </li><li>India has the second-largest concentration of automobile billionaires after China. </li><li>The wealth of Indian real estate billionaires increased by 150%. </li><li>The report also said that 63% of the world’s billionaires make physical products, while 37% sell software and services. </li></ul> The healthcare sector minted the most number of Indian dollar billionaires in the last one year, according to 2023 M3M <keyword id="2721202" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="hurun-global-rich-list" source="Orion">Hurun Global Rich List</keyword>. As much as 12.5% of healthcare wealth globally comes from India, and vaccine king Cyrus Poonawalla of Serum Institute is the richest healthcare billionaire in the world. With Poonawalla and Dilip Shanghvi of Sun Pharmaceutical, the top 10 richest Indians list has two entrants from the healthcare sector. Ranking at 46 globally, Poonawalla of the unlisted empire, is the only billionaire in the top 10 richest Indians whose wealth went up by 4% to $27 billion. Shanghvi, on the other hand, lost 6% wealth in the last one year to end at $17 billion, and is ranked 98 globally. After healthcare, the sectors that created the most Indian dollar billionaires are consumer goods and chemicals, said the Hurun report, adding that financial services, healthcare and retail sectors minted the most global billionaires. “With 13 billionaires from the automobile and auto components sector, India has the second-largest concentration of automobile billionaires after China, which has 39 billionaires. India needs to catch up on sectors such as investments and media and entertainment,” the report said. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Industry </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">% of Indian Wealth in the industry </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Richest in the world and in India </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Main Company </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Consumer Goods </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">4.40% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global: Bernard Arnault India: Harsh Mariwala </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">LVMH Marico </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Financial Services </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3.70% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global: Michael Bloomberg India: Uday Kotak </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bloomberg Kotak </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Healthcare </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">12.50% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global and India: Cyrus Poonawalla </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Serum Institute of India </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Food &amp; Beverages </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2.30% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global: Zhong Shanshan India: Nusli Wadia </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">YST Britannia </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Real Estate </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">5.00% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global: Lee Shau Kee India: Rajiv Singh &amp; family </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Henderson Land DLF </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Retail </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2.50% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global: Jeff Bezos India: Radhakishan Damani </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Amazon Avenue SuperMarts </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Media &amp; Entertainment </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0.30% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global: Steve Ballmer India: Shiv Nadar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Microsoft HCL </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Software &amp; Services </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7.80% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global: Steve Ballmer India: Shiv Nadar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Microsoft HCL </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Industrial Products </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3.40% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global: Chen Jianhua &amp; Fan Hongwei India: Anu Aga </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;background-color:#d9d9d9;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hengli Thermax </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Investments </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">0.70% </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Global: Bill Gates India: Rekha Rakesh Jhunjhunwala </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-right:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;border-top:solid #000000 0.6000000000000001pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Microsoft Rare Enterprises </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody></table> Source: 2023 M3M Hurun Global Rich List IT, aviation and real estate sectors shine As much as 7.8% of IT sector wealth globally is from India, with Shiv Nadar of HCL as the richest software and services billionaire. His global counterpart is Steve Ballmer, the former CEO of Microsoft. Real estate sector is the third most important sector with 5% of the sector’s global wealth coming from India. “We at M3M are even further excited about the value creation potential of the real estate sector. As Andrew Carnegie also said – Ninety percent of all millionaires become so through owning real-estate. For instance, when cumulative wealth of Indian billionaires increased by 80%, the wealth of Indian real estate billionaires increased by 150%,” said Pankaj Bansal, Director, M3M India. India is also home to the richest aviation billionaires in the world and surprisingly both of them are the founders of the same airline, IndiGo which is the largest airline in India. Rakesh Gangwal and Rahul Bhatia possess wealth of $3.6 billion and $3.3 billion respectively. Energy vs new-age and tech biz Globally, billionaires who belonged to sectors like fertilizers and commodity trading, iron and steel, oil and gas, soft drinks and confectionery, casinos and hotels, sports clubs and luxury goods had a good year. Tech based and new-age businesses, however, had a bad year. “It’s a bad year for semiconductors, cloud solutions, cyber security, payment systems, e-commerce, batteries and new energy,” the report said. The report also said that two thirds of the world’s billionaires – 63% of them make physical products, while 37% sell software and services. In the last one year, the world has lost five billionaires every week. This is only the second time in the last ten years that the number of global billionaires has reduced. The world which has lost 269 billionaires, now has 3,112 billionaires. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/mukesh-ambani-races-past-gautam-adani-as-richest-indian/articleshow/98910286.cms">Mukesh Ambani races past Gautam Adani as richest Indian: Only Indian in the top 10 in 2023 M3M Hurun Global Rich List</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/personal-finance/indian-super-rich-bracing-for-a-better-year-ahead-knight-frank/articleshow/98338254.cms">India's super-rich gear up for a better year ahead: Knight Frank</a>

Healthcare, consumer goods minted the most Indian dollar billionaires

By Quaid Najmi The tottering <keyword id="528556" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-aviation-sector" source="Orion">Indian aviation sector</keyword> hit fresh turbulence when early this month, another flourishing private airline was suddenly grounded owing to various problems, making it the 11th in a decade to �fall from the skies. Throwing their hands up, the <keyword id="11252024" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="go-first" source="Orion">Go First</keyword> budget airline's owners -- the Wadia Group -- filed voluntary insolvency resolution proceedings before the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) sending shockwaves through the entire <keyword id="34990" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="airline-industry" source="Orion">airline industry</keyword>. Go First was plagued by a peculiar problem -- the purported failure of the jet engine manufacturer, Pratt &amp; Whitney, USA, to supply engines/spares for its aircraft that grounded nearly 40 percent of the fleet for several months before it was compelled to totally suspend operations from the first week of May 2023. While the <keyword id="6354787" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="DGCA" source="Orion">DGCA</keyword> slapped a show-cause notice on the carrier for its abrupt actions that created havoc with thousands of flyers, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia seemed sympathetic to Go First grappling with the engine problems. While assuring that the government was helping out as best as possible, Scindia also called upon Go First to make alternative travel arrangements for its flyers to avoid inconveniencing them. According to Go First the application under the IBC came after the "ever-increasing number of failing engines supplied by PW" which led to the grounding of around 25 of its 61-strong Airbus A-320neo aircraft, or almost 40 percent of its fleet by April 30, 2023. Go First said in a statement that the groundings due to faulty PW engines increased from 7 percent of its fleet in December 2019 to 31 percent in December 2020 and 50 percent in December 2022, and blamed PW for giving assurances but failing to meet them. In view of this, the beleagured carrier suffered a whopping loss of nearly Rs 10,800 crore and even demanded Rs 8000 crore as compensation from the PW which could help Go First to meet its financial commitments/obligations. Besides, Go First had also coughed up Rs 5,657 crore to its lessors in the past couple of years comprising Rs 1,600 crore as lease rent for the non-operational grounded aircraft. Go First was also hampered by the PW reportedly not honouring the March 2023 award of the Emergency Arbitrator in Singapore to immediately provide the airline with at least 10 serviceable spare leased engines by April 2023 and 10 more per month till December 2023 to enable the carrier to resume full operations, financial rehab and survival. An aviation official said that after the NCLT processes the Go First application, it could appoint an interim Resolution Professional to take over and re-start operations, adding that a similar exercise in 2019 with another grounded private carrier failed to take-off. Though Go First's promoters have pumped in around Rs 3,200 crore in the past three years, coming to a total investment of nearly Rs 6,500 crore, plus support from the government's emergency credit line guarantee, all this failed to help as the airline kept incurring 100 percent of its operational costs and with a total loss of Rs 10,800 crores, it �succumbed'. In the NCLT plea, the 17-year-old airline which operated over 32 flights to 29 domestic and 10 international destinations, has sought several interim directions including restraining the lessors from taking back their aircraft, any adverse action by the DGCA, suppliers of essential goods-services, etc. Since launching low key operations in November 2005 as �GoAir', Go First gradually climbed up to become the fifth largest private carrier, consistently profitable and expanding till the PW �engine troubles' started from December 2020, hitting its operations and forcing it to ground in May 2023. However, the owner-promoters have already made it clear that they are keen to revive and not sell the venture or even exit this sector, which has witnessed many ups and downs with the practical �demise' of another 10 airlines in the past 10 years - or average one per annum! The Go First imbroglio came at a crucial juncture for the country's aviation sector which was soaring to pre-Covid 19 levels after the harsh pandemic and the ongoing peak summer holidays - and its full impact on the industry remains to be seen. (Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in) SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/buried-toxic-waste-from-old-mining-operations-could-destroy-ecosystems-as-warming-thaws-the-arctic-permafrost/articleshow/100394167.cms">Buried toxic waste from old mining operations could destroy ecosystems as warming thaws the Arctic permafrost</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/53-of-largest-lakes-worldwide-losing-water-storing-capacity-due-to-global-warming-and-unsustainable-human-consumption/articleshow/100394475.cms">53% of largest lakes worldwide losing water storing capacity due to global warming and unsustainable human consumption</a>

Go First Gone: 11th private airline to 'drop' out of skies in a decade

The <keyword id="22186137" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="US-transport-security-body" source="keywords">US transport security body</keyword> has sought a unique "one-stop agreement" with <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> to end the rescreening of <keyword id="19915258" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="passengers" source="keywords">passengers</keyword>, asserting that the "really powerful" concept will raise global <keyword id="20051539" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="aviation" source="keywords">aviation</keyword> <keyword id="19900703" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="security" source="keywords">security</keyword> standards. Addressing the India US Aviation Summit here on Tuesday, David Pekoske, Administrator of the US Transportation Security Administration (USTSA) said that the one-stop security concept is "very reachable" between the countries. "I think very tangible and very reachable between India and the United States is one-stop security," he said. "It's a concept that expedites the flow of passengers and baggage to their destinations by eliminating the duplication of security controls at transfer points," Pekoske said. He said in the case of a one-stop agreement, passengers who reach an airport in another country and have a connecting domestic flight would not need to be rescreened and their checked bags would go from aircraft to aircraft. Terming it a "really powerful" concept, Pekoske said it raises global aviation security standards. "Flights inbound to the United States are more secure. If there's a reverse agreement between the United States and India where US screening satisfies Indian requirements, that means that flights to India would also be more secure. It does require the regular exchange of information," he said. "It requires improvements to security processes to maintain the agreement. It yields a reduction in security costs through better allocation of resources, reduces flight connection times and missed connections, and improves the passenger experience," he said. Pekoske said the two countries should consider signing a memorandum of agreement to share sensitive security information. "We have a category of classification of information that is not classified in the true sense of classified material, but it is sensitive enough that it needs additional protections," he said. He said that whenever there is a sharing of sensitive security information -- which is critical to a growing partnership -- there is a need to have a memorandum of agreement which covers the aspects of that sharing arrangement. He noted that both the TSA and India's transportation security posture were born of cruel tragedy. For India, it was the bombing of Air India 'Kanishka' Flight 182 in 1985, while for the TSA, it was the 9-11 attacks in 2001. "These tragic events were paradigm shifts in how we both thought about transportation security that continues today," he said. Meanwhile, addressing the summit, US Federal Aviation Administrator Michael Whitaker said that India and the United States need to work together on issues like aviation safety. Asserting that safety is a team sport, he said that sharing data between the two countries can allow better identification and mitigation of risks in the sector. "Our (US and India's) national systems of aviation are inextricably linked into a single global network," he said, adding that the two counties have adjoining air spaces, integrated supply chains, and international services that connect their economies and people. "We need to work together on issues like safety, we need to share ideas and share innovations, especially in how to safely incorporate some of these new technologies into our airspace," he said. Noting that the two countries have different systems that will take different approaches to solving challenges, he said, "We can and should work together to share best practices and learn from one another." "We all have an interest in increasing safety within our respective countries, but we must work together to increase the level of safety in the global aviation system," he added. "This means sharing data. Sharing information allows us to better identify and mitigate risks before those risks become accidents and even before they become failures to the safety layers in our system," he added. "When I started in aviation, accidents were unfortunately not uncommon. They were almost annual events, and safety regulators learned from those accidents and made the system safer," he said. "For the past couple of decades, we've moved beyond that model, and accidents are now extremely rare, and they are simply unacceptable as an outcome," Whitaker said. "Our challenge is to bring safety to the next level, and that means we need to proactively analyse data and find those risks of failure and mitigate those risks before they happen," he said. Asserting that all the job categories in the aviation sector are highly sought after, he said that "for regulators, it means new questions about how we oversee those operations". "We have to find a safe yet nimble way to regulate these new entrants who are operating at the speed of a startup while we are operating at the speed of government, he said. He added that there is a need to figure out how to close the gap, identify these risks and leverage technology to incorporate them safely into the airspace. "In the US, we've seen the public perception of safety and risk in the system evolve over time. As more people have access to aviation, the expectation grows that the system will be completely safe," he asserted. 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US transport security body seeks one-stop pact with India to end rescreening of passengers

Mumbai, The domestic air passenger traffic is expected to surpass the pre-Covid levels of 141.2 million and reach 150-155 million this fiscal, registering an estimated growth of 8-13 per cent, credit ratings agency <keyword id="19908266" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="icra" source="keywords">Icra</keyword> said on Wednesday. Icra also projected a significant reduction in industry's net loss for the next two fiscals and was also of the view that supply-chain challenges and engine failure issues may remain near-term headwinds. Icra maintains a "stable" outlook on the domestic aviation industry, amidst the continued recovery in domestic and international air passenger traffic, and relatively stable cost environment, it said. The momentum in traffic growth is expected to continue in FY2025 as well, with a similar estimated year-on-year growth, aided by rising demand for both leisure and business travel and improving airport infrastructure, it said. The international passenger traffic for Indian carriers surpassed the pre-Covid levels in FY2023, although it trailed the peak levels of 25.9 million witnessed in FY2019, according to Icra. It is expected to cross this level in the current fiscal, with an estimated 25-27 million passengers, representing a <keyword id="19921444" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yoy" source="keywords">YoY</keyword> growth of 7-12 per cent, the ratings agency said, adding the same is expected to further grow by 7-12 per cent to 27-29 million in FY2025. "The industry has witnessed improved pricing power, as reflected in increase in yields and thus the spread between revenue per available seat <keyword id="20544428" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kilometre" source="keywords">kilometre</keyword>-cost per available seat kilometre (RASK-CASK) for the airlines. "The same is expected to remain favourable, aided by a decline in aviation turbine fuel (ATF) prices and the relatively stable foreign exchange rates," said <keyword id="20849526" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="suprio-banerjee" source="keywords">Suprio Banerjee</keyword>, Vice President and <keyword id="20225498" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sector-head" source="keywords">Sector Head</keyword> for corporate ratings at Icra. The industry is thus estimated to report a significantly lower net loss of Rs 300-4,000 crore (Rs 30-40 billion) in FY2024 and FY2025 compared to Rs 170-175 billion in FY2023, he added. According to the ratings agency, the ATF prices and indian rupee-US dollar movement have a major bearing on the airlines' cost structure. The average ATF price stood at Rs 103,547/KL in the April-February period of FY2024, which is a YoY decline of 15 per cent compared to Rs 120,978/KL in FY2023, it said. However, this was 60 per cent higher compared to an average of Rs 64,715/KL during FY2020, as per Icra. Fuel accounts for around 30-40 per cent of the airlines' expenses.

Domestic air passenger traffic to surpass pre-Covid levels to reach 150-155 mn this fiscal: Icra

The last 9-10 years have seen tremendous growth across four major consumer <keyword id="6380512" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electronics" source="Orion">electronics</keyword> segments -- <keyword id="38260" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mobile-phones" source="Orion">mobile phones</keyword>, consumer electronics, <keyword id="189485" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="it-hardware" source="Orion">IT hardware</keyword> and electronic components -- that account for over 70 per cent of India's domestic manufacturing profile. The pace is such that tech giants are now lining up investments worth billions of dollars in the country. The country is rapidly becoming an electronics manufacturing hub, with the sector expected to rise to $300 billion by 2025-26. From <keyword id="6354427" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="apple" source="Orion">Apple</keyword> to Foxconn and US-based Micron Technologies to domestic major Tata Group, the companies are aiming to leverage domestic capabilities to achieve supply chain diversification and scale up production by manufacturing in the country. Taiwanese contract manufacturer Foxconn has received approval to invest at least $1 billion more in a plant in India that will manufacture Apple products. The fresh investment is on top of the $1.6 billion it earlier set aside for the 300-acre site close to the Bengaluru airport. Meanwhile, the Tata Group is planning to build one of India's largest iPhone assembly plants in Tamil Nadu's Hosur. According to media reports, the facility is expected to feature around 20 assembly lines and employ 50,000 workers within two years. The site is expected to be operational within 12 to 18 months. With Taiwanese electronics manufacturer Wistron selling its India operations to the Tata Group for $125 million, Tata Electronics is going to become the first Indian company to manufacture new Apple iPhones in the country, which is a major fillip to the government's 'Make in India' initiative. According to reports, Apple plans to expand its investment in the country to approximately $40 billion over the next four to five years. Apple has already crossed the $7 billion production milestone during the previous fiscal year. Apple is aiming to manufacture more than 50 million iPhones in India per year, as it aims to shift some of the production out from China. The tech giant aims to achieve the target within the next two to three years, with additional tens of millions of units planned after that, according to the Wall Street Journal. According to government and industry data, India saw mobile phones exports worth $5.5 billion (over Rs 45,000 crore) in the April-August period in the ongoing fiscal year (FY24). As per estimates by the Department of Commerce and the India Cellular and Electronics Association (ICEA), accessed by IANS, the April-August period saw mobile phone exports worth $5.5 billion, against $3 billion (about Rs 25,000 crore) in the same period in FY22-23. India is set to cross Rs 1,20,000 crore in mobile phone exports in the current fiscal year. The country is now the second-biggest manufacturing hub for mobile phones due to heavy investment from original equipment manufacturers, original design manufacturers and companies dealing in components and parts. India is expected to export about 22 per cent of its total assembled mobile phones in 2023, according to Counterpoint Research. However, "China's manufacturing and supply chain will still maintain its essential role in the longer run," says senior research analyst Ivan Lam. According to Prabhu Ram, Head-Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CMR, India's domestic consumer electronics manufacturing sector has soared, propelled by a mix of strong tailwinds. "A conducive policy environment is attracting strong investments, while a burgeoning R&amp;D pool in areas like chip design and AI is fostering innovation. Domestic champions are leading the charge, prioritizing IP-driven value creation and localisation," Ram told IANS. India's electronics sector is set to harness $7 billion untapped revenue by 2035 via circular business model and policy pathways, say industry stakeholders. Current commitments and targets set the projected market size for these circular models at $13 billion in 2035. Yet, the total addressable market, achievable through the right public and private actions, can reach an astounding $20 billion, revealing an untapped potential of 35 per cent, according to the ICEA. Three core business models -- Repair, Resell, and Recycling -- are already thriving in India, predominantly driven by the informal sector. Around 90 per cent of collection and 70 per cent of recycling are handled by this competitive sector. However, only 22 per cent of the collected e-waste is managed by the formal sector, revealing room for improvement. Pankaj Mohindroo, Chairman, ICEA, highlighted the future potential of India's electronics sector as a global manufacturing hub. "I am confident that the electronics industry would facilitate sustainable circular economy practices to ensure a sustainable green future for the generations to come," Mohindroo said. Meanwhile, the ICEA is also setting up a task-force to ensure that the current electronics trade between India and the US goes up from an estimated $8 billion to $100 billion in a decade. "We are setting up a task-force to ensure that the current electronics trade between the two countries goes up from an estimated $8 billion to $100 billion in a decade. The role of lead firms of global value chains (GVCs) will be crucial but, at the same time, new jobs and opportunities for Indian businesses and startups will be created," Mohindroo informed. In September, US-based Micron Technology started the construction of a Rs 22,500 crore facility in Sanand, Gujarat, that will set a benchmark for India's semiconductor journey. "This plant sets a major milestone for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making India a semiconductor hub - the way the country has achieved in sectors like mobile, electronics, defense, railways, aviation and multiple other areas where progress is visible," Union IT MInister Ashwini Vaishnaw had told IANS. The engineering major Larsen &amp; Toubro (L&amp;T) has also announced to invest up to Rs 830 crore to build a fabless semiconductor chip design subsidiary which will ramp up the country's plan to become a semiconductor hub. In just 15-16 months' time, India has seen the construction of its first-ever semiconductor plant in Gujarat, received more manufacturing proposals along with several chip-designing startups now operational in the country. "This momentum is expected to continue in 2024, with India poised to become a major hub for consumer electronics manufacturing and a formidable export powerhouse," said Ram.

Phones to chips, electronics sector buoyed by strong tailwinds

New Delhi, <keyword id="175577" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="commercial-pilot-license" source="Orion">Commercial pilot license</keyword>s will now be valid for ten years, with the government amending rules as part of efforts to further improve ease of doing business in the aviation sector. Till now, the validity of Commercial Pilot License (CPL) was for five years and after completion of that period, it had to be renewed. The civil aviation ministry amended the Aircraft Rules, 1937. Among various changes made, the validity of licenses in relation to Airline Transport Pilot License (ATPL) and CPL holders has been increased from five years to ten years. "This change is expected to reduce administrative burden on pilots and aviation authorities like DGCA, promoting a more streamlined and efficient licensing process," the ministry said in a statement on Monday. Besides, rules have been amended to address concerns related to the display of lights in the vicinity of an aerodrome. It has also been clarified that the term 'light' encompasses lantern lights, wish kites, and laser lights. Also, the government's jurisdiction over those exhibiting such lights has been extended from 5 kilometres to 5 nautical miles around an aerodrome. "It is made explicit that the government possesses the authority to take action against individuals displaying lights that disrupt the safe operation of aircraft or pose hazards to the operating crew. "Should such lights remain unattended for 24 hours, the government is empowered to enter the location and extinguish them," the ministry said. Simultaneously, the matter should be reported to the relevant police station for legal action under the Indian Penal Code (IPC). When the source of the observed light is unidentifiable or if it shifts locations, the airport or airline operator is obligated to promptly report the incident to the local police station, initiating potential criminal proceedings. Another amendment is that the requirement for validation of foreign licenses has been removed. "This change signifies aligning the regulations with the evolving needs of the aviation sector," the ministry said. Further, the requirements related to continued competence for <keyword id="6414849" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="air-traffic-controller" source="Orion">Air Traffic Controller</keyword> (ATC) license holders have been liberalised. According to the ministry, this change offers increased flexibility to accommodate situations with limited movements or watch hours. ATC license holders must complete a minimum of ten hours of simulated exercises, including emergencies. Subsequently, they must undergo a skill assessment for their respective rating within ten consecutive days of commencing these exercises, it said. The ministry said the amendments to the Aircraft Rules, 1937, notified on October 10, mark a crucial shift in promoting ease of doing business and ensuring safety and security within the aviation sector. India is one of the fastest growing aviation markets in the world. Airlines are expanding their aircraft fleet and will be hiring more pilots to cater to rising air traffic demand.

Govt amends aircraft rules; commercial pilot licenses to be valid for 10 years

<ul><li>The <keyword id="69007" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-economic-forum" source="Orion">World Economic Forum</keyword> has picked ten breakthrough technologies that show promise for the future. </li><li>Flexible batteries, <keyword id="15777223" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="generative-ai" source="Orion">generative AI</keyword>, <keyword id="7931350" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-aviation-fuel" source="Orion">sustainable aviation fuel</keyword>, wearable sensors for plants and <keyword id="432748" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-computing" source="Orion">green computing</keyword> are some of them. </li><li>Many other biological breakthroughs like designer phages, metaverse for mental health, brain-machine interfaces and more have made it to the list. </li></ul>The world is changing fast with new dangers and permacrisis afoot. However, the good news is that a number of breakthrough new technologies are working to make it a better place. The World Economic Forum has picked ten such for 2023 — right from deep biology that can look into the cells to flexible batteries that can be twisted, bent and stretched. To make it to this coveted list, the technologies must offer promising major benefits to societies and economies, be disruptive, attractive to investors and researchers; and expected to have achieved considerable scale within five years. “New technologies have the power to disrupt industries, grow economies, improve lives and safeguard the planet – if designed, scaled and deployed responsibly,” said Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director, World Economic Forum and Head of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In the past, the WEF has picked many such winners — like the genetic-engineering tool CRISPR-Cas9 which was featured in 2015, went on to win the Nobel Prize five years later. “It is now being used to create insect and drought-resistant crops in harsh growing conditions around the world,” said Jurgens. Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, earned their place in the 2017 report, became the technology underpinning the majority of Covid-19 vaccines protecting lives worldwide. AI-led molecular design made it onto the 2018 list. Since then, Deepmind’s AlphaFold predicted the structure of 200 million proteins, and the first AI-discovered drugs have entered clinical trials. Let’s look what technologies made it to this year’s list: Flexible batteries: Bend, twist &amp; stretch The world is going flex – with rollable computer screens to smart clothing. And the systems that power them should be so too. Flexible batteries, made of lightweight materials that can be easily twisted, bent or stretched, will soon hit the market and make standard rigid batteries a thing of the past. “The rapidly escalating development of wearable devices, flexible electronics and bendable displays demand power sources that match the agility of these systems,” the report says. One study forecasts that the global flexible battery market will grow by $240.47 million from 2022-2027, accelerating at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.79%, says WEF. Several companies like LG Chem, Samsung SDI, Apple, Nokia are are actively developing and commercialising flexible battery technology. Generative AI: Sparring partner to conventional thinking Imagine an algorithm that can draw the image that a human holds in his mind? That’s one example of the boundless potential of generative AI which can design drugs, aid in architecture and engineering — in addition to what ChatGPT does. NASA engineers are working to use this technology to build lightweight spaceflight instruments. But this technology needs to build something more, trust. “To build public trust in generative AI, applications should meet agreed-upon professional and ethical standards. Care should be taken to mitigate AI bias based on training data, with a focus on including “outlier” data and novel societal conventions,” WEF says. It should also address copyright attribution and more. With correct controls, generative AI can demonstrate the boundaries of knowledge, and act as a sparring partner to challenge conventional thinking. Sustainable aviation fuel: Moving up, with challenges ahead The road-bound cousins of aeroplanes – cars, bikes and more are going green at a rapid pace. However, the cost of making the aviation sector, which contributes to 2-3% of CO2 emissions annually, is enormous. Enter sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that’s produced from biomass, and non-biological resources. Now it makes up for 1% of the global jet fuel demand, but must rise to 13-15% by 2040, WEF says. “Such an increase will require the creation of 300-400 new SAF plants; and airlines, manufacturers and fuel companies are working around the clock to enable this level of scale,” the report says, adding that availability and collection of raw materials, along with the need for sustainably produced green hydrogen, remain major challenges. Designer Phages: Virus that carry ‘genetic scissors’ Viruses, as scary as they are, can be engineered to benefit humans. Key to this engineering are phages – viruses that selectively infect specific types of bacteria. Upon infection, a phage injects its genetic information into the bacterium. With ‘genetic scissors’, these phages can execute a set of instructions – they can change a bacterium’s functions. It can be made into a therapeutic molecule or to become sensitive to a certain drug and more. “Phages are also being designed as feed supplements to enhance the growth of livestock, treat certain plant diseases and eliminate dangerous bacteria in food supply chains,” WEF says. Locus Biosciences and Eligo Biosciences are using this approach to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Metaverse for mental health: Augmenting connections The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed the mental health crisis to such an extent that the world is falling short of health providers. The conditions are ripe for metaverse-enabled mental health treatment, WEF says. “Maturing interface technologies could further augment social and emotional connections between distant participants,” the report says. Many players are already working on it with gamification and other ways which can also reduce the stigma attached with mental health. Noninvasive neurotechnologies can provide feedback attuned to a user’s emotional state. For example, Neurable headsets use electrodes to measure emotion and can adjust music accordingly. Eventually, the metaverse will also connect to therapeutic neurotechnologies, such as direct brain stimulation to treat intractable depression,” WEF adds. Wearable plant sensors: The new frontier Traditionally, crops have been monitored via soil testing and visual inspections, both of which are expensive and time-consuming. Recent tech advancements have been monitoring crop health via low-resolution satellite data, which has gone on to sensor equipped drones and tractors which provide information. The next frontier is monitoring individual plants – with wearables. “These sensors are small, non-invasive devices that can be attached to crop plants for continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity, moisture and nutrient levels,” the report says. Growvera and Phytech have developed micro-sized needle sensors that insert into a plant’s leaves or stems to measure changes in electrical resistance, but challenges remain in terms of expense and the reading of the data might need specialised expertise. It needs data analytics tools that can help farmers ‘read it’ and make informed decisions. Spatial omics: Unravelling evolutionary secrets Humans are made of millions of cells —- but what happens inside them? Spatial omics might actually help us ‘see’ the biological processes, how they work in detail that was unprecedented before. A spatial omics study of samples from people who died from Covid-19 revealed that SARS-CoV-2 causes widespread disruption of cellular pathways across all tissues. Scientists have also identified a set of neurons that help paralysed mice walk, sooner. But this technology needs to be democratised, WEF believes. It had a total market value of $232.6 million in 2021 and an estimated revenue of $587.2 million in 2030. While academic and translational research centres made up 89% of the market in 2020, the market is dramatically expanding to include pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Flexible neural electronics: Biocompatible now Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) allow electrical signals the brain produces to be captured by sensor hardware – and are already being used for patients with epilepsy, and create prosthetic limbs connected to the nervous system. But the current implants are made of hard material like chips, which can scar humans and cause substantial discomfort. They cannot bend or adapt to brain movements so, over time, they “drift” in position, decreasing the accuracy. But now researchers developed these circuits on biocompatible materials that are soft and flexible. It can deepen understanding of conditions like dementia and autism; and can also be used to develop cardiac pacemakers and more. But eventually, it holds the potential to true human-AI interfacing – but since the data from the brain is sensitive, privacy and ethical use guidelines must be established. Sustainable computing: Optimism ahead Every time we search on Google, send email or use any form of AI, we are connecting to data centres — which consume an estimated 1% of the electricity produced globally. And, this will only grow. There is no single “green data” magic bullet, but the coming decade will see strides toward net-zero-energy data centres. The first is to use cooling systems to dissipate the heat. Stockholm is using heat from data centres to heat homes. Then, AI itself can come with a solution for the heat it is generating, but analysing and optimising energy use in real-time. DeepMind has successfully demonstrated the potential of AI-powered energy management, achieving up to a 40% reduction in energy consumption at Google’s data centres. Crusoe Energy instals its modular data centres at sites where methane flaring occurs to enable cloud computing infrastructure to be powered by methane gas that would otherwise have been released directly into the atmosphere. “Given the wave of innovation and investment in this area, there is reason to be optimistic about the years ahead,” WEF says. AI-facilitated healthcare: Easing access Ever since the pandemic governments and academic teams alike have been using AI and ML models to improve access to patient care – to cut down the long delays many patients experience. This can aid developing nations in particular. India, for example, has a widely dispersed population of over 1.4 billion and has embraced an AI-based approach to enhance medical outreach. “The Indian government has enabled physicians to engage remote communities through assistive technologies, with requisite privacy safeguards in place,” the report says. However, hurdles to this system remain like patient compliance and national security concerns. “Moreover, any system that curates personal data on the health and welfare of a vast population must function within the bounds of a carefully crafted legal and ethical framework,” WEF says.

Wearables for plants, bacteria eating viruses, and 8 technologies in 2023 that can change the future

New Delhi, Ahead of the Budget 2021, the government has hinted at rationalization of various taxes in the <keyword id="45911" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aviation-sector">aviation sector</keyword>, which is among the hardest hit by the Covid-19 induced economic meltdown. "We are working on a long-term plan to help the sector by rationalizing various taxes. We are looking forward to make the ecosystem smarter and more efficient to make the <keyword id="31907" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Aviation">aviation</keyword> sector sustainable," said Usha Padhee, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation. Addressing a webinar on "Connecting the Dots-Recovery of aviation, tourism and hospitality" on Friday, she underscored the need for the sector to be geared for any challenges and said that policy rejig will also help it in the long run, if it is hit by a similar crisis in the future. The webinar was organised by Women in Aviation International - India Chapter. Highlighting the success of Udan scheme, she further added: "Though the pandemic has adversely impacted the aviation and allied sectors, yet we have managed to take steps towards recovery. We are systematically opening the air space for operations and the air bubbles have helped aviation sector to get 60% capacity of domestic sector back." She added that great solutions are borne out of crisis while delving into the fact how the industry has fast adapted to technology and transformed digitally. "The crisis has led to digital transformation for the aviation sector. Now we have 100% web check-ins and various technology driven solutions have been adopted to offer touchless experience to passengers," she quipped. Pre-Covid forecasts indicated that in 2036 aviation industry will provide 98 million jobs and generate $5.7 trillion in GDP. Post Covid, the situation has reversed completely throwing the industry in a state of flux. All commercial activities are now dependent on the recovery of aviation, tourism and hospitality industry. The webinar was also attended by Fang Liu - Secretary General of the <keyword id="159139" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Civil-Aviation-Organisation">International Civil Aviation Organisation</keyword>. The panel also had industry leaders and experts - Dr. Naresh Trehan, Chairman and Managing Director at Medanta, Dr. Shefali Juneja - Representative of India at <keyword id="179332" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="International-Civil-Aviation-Organization">International Civil Aviation Organization</keyword> (first lady to be in this position), Kiran Jain - Chief Operating Officer at Noida International Airport (A Zurich Airport Company). Jain is also the first lady COO for an Indian airport. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-delivers-yet-another-strong-quarter-with-16-growth-in-profit-as-covid-drives-tech-spending/articleshow/80173561.cms">TCS delivers yet another strong quarter with 16% growth in profit as COVID drives tech spending</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/retail/news/dmart-the-nearly-two-trillion-dollar-indian-retailer-may-post-strong-earnings-watch-out-for-the-progress-on-e-commerce/articleshow/80172629.cms">DMart, the nearly two trillion dollar Indian retailer, may post strong earnings ⁠— watch out for the progress on e-commerce</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/oyo-bags-a-7-4-million-cheque-as-pandemic-forces-ritesh-agarwal-to-reimagine-the-business/articleshow/80170847.cms">OYO bags a $7.4 million cheque as pandemic forces Ritesh Agarwal to reimagine the business</a>

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