<ul><li>The number of cases in Rajasthan now stands at 9,930 and fatalities at 213. </li><li>Jaipur reported 16 cases, 4 were from Baran, two from Kota, two people from other states and one from Sawaimadhopur also tested positive.</li></ul>Rajasthan reported 68 fresh cases of COVID-19 on Friday, taking the total number of positive cases in the state to 9,930, an official said. While 23 cases were reported from Jhalawar, 20 people tested positive for the novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> in Bharatpur. Jaipur reported 16 cases, 4 were from Baran, two from Kota, two people from other states and one from Sawaimadhopur also tested positive, the official said. So far, 213 COVID-19 patients have died in the state including 101 in Jaipur alone. A total of 7,162 patients have recovered so far and 6,551 of them have been discharged. There are 2,555 active cases in the state as of now. More than 13 lakh migrants have returned to Rajasthan through Shramik special trains and buses, while over six lakh have gone to their home states from the desert state, a senior official said. With this, the movement of migrants is almost over in the state, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries, Subodh Agarwal, said. "A total of 13.43 lakh migrants who were stuck in various states have arrived in Rajasthan from different states in buses and Shramik special trains and 6.13 lakh have reached their states from Rajasthan so far," he said. The last Shramik special train departed from the state on June 1. "We conducted a smooth movement and ensured relief to migrants. The movement of migrants is almost over now. However, we still have 100 camps ready in various parts of the state to accommodate migrants," he said. The officer, who is looking after movement of migrants, said the registration for arrival and departure was much higher in initial days of lockdown relaxation but many migrants in the later stage also cancelled their movement and stayed back. Migrants have returned to districts like Dungapur, Pali, Sirohi, Jalore, Nagaur, Bikaner and Barmer among others. The maximum number of arrivals has been from Maharashtra, where Rajasthani migrants were running small businesses, while in Gujarat the migrants were working as labourers. Similarly, migrants from West Bengal and southern states like Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh have also arrived. The officer said the crisis of migrants was tackled in a systematic manner. "Shelter, food, medicines, safe screening, transport facilities were arranged in a systematic manner which helped us in smooth movement. The transportation cost was borne by the state government. Apart from buses, other vehicles, even personal vehicles in some cases, were provided to those walking on foot," he said. District administration officials kept a check on roads and migrants walking home were provided transport, the official said. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot on Tuesday directed officials to conduct the exams of universities, postponed due to the COVID-19 lockdown, in July. Chairing a review meeting of the higher education department, the chief minister asked the officials to start examinations of final year of UG and PG courses from second week of July, a statement said. It was decided in the meeting that first and second year students will be promoted to next year on provisional basis and their exams will also be conducted later on, according to the statement. Same pattern will be followed for B Tech, MBA and polytechnic courses He said that health protocols, social distancing should be followed properly in view of coronavirus during exams and other activities, it said. Higher Education Minister Bhanwar Singh Bhati, Technical Education Minister Subhash Garg, Chief Secretary DB Gupta and other senior officials were also present in the meeting. Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot insisted that the Centre should double the number of days of employment under the rural job guarantee scheme, saying the UPA-era law MGNREGA has proved its worth in providing livelihood to the poor. The Centre should increase the limit of days for providing employment to the rural poor from the present 100 days to 200 under Mahatama Gnadhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, said Gehlot. He made the remark while interacting with sarpanches, gram sevaks, patwaris and other gram panchayat functionaries through a video conference on the issue of corona pandemic. The significance of MGNREGA, introduced by the previous UPA government, has been proved during the corona pandemic. At a time when people lost their jobs, MGNREGA gave them work, he said, adding millions of people got job opportunities under MGNREGA in the country. Gehlot also said Rajasthan has been successful in tackling the corona crisis because of the cooperation of common people in following the government's advisories. He said a good work has been done in rural areas of the state where large number of migrants returned from other states and adequate arrangements of quarantine facilities were made. Now it is our endeavour to bring economic activities back on track so that normalcy could be restored while protecting lives, he said. The chief minister said villagers and public representatives gave their cooperation and support in taking care of migrants who returned to rural areas of the state. Gram panchayat functionaries also worked like a team to handle the situation in rural areas, he said. Deputy Chief Minister Sachin Pilot said Rajasthan is the leading state in providing job opportunities under the MGNREGA. MNREGA scheme is proving to be a boon for the workers who returned to Rajasthan due to lack of employment in other states, besides for those deprived of employment at the local level, he said. He said 42.80 lakh workers have been provided job opportunities in the state this year. He said where almost all other employment opportunities were shut during the lockdown, the MNREGA scheme has proved to be a lifeline for the poor and backward people in rural areas. Job cards of 1.77 lakh migrant labourers returned from various states have also been issued to provide employment under the MNREGA scheme, he said. Pilot also said that in view of the scorching summer, the central government should reduce the working time under MNREGA. During the video meet, sarpanches and other functionaries apprised the chief minister of arrangements in their area for handling corona pandemic, distribution of food to the needy and quarantine arrangements. The officials too apprised Gehlot of various activities carried out in quarantine centers, including yoga, plantation etc. The issues of locust invasion and water scarcity too were discussed in the video meet. In the meeting, the officials informed the CM that 96,000 hectare of area in 20 districts of the state are affected with the menace of locust and the situation was controlled in 73,000 hectare. In present, there are some swarms of locusts in Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, Dausa, Bikaner, Barmer and Jodhpur and locust control activities were being carried out through resources like sprayer machines, fire brigades etc. PHED Minister B D Kalla, Agriculture Minister Lalchand Kataria, Health Minister Raghu Sharma, Chief Secretary D B Gupta and other senior officials were also present in the meeting. Free supply of food under NFSA A core group has been formed to make daily decisions, which shall visit the deprived and poor section of the society to check on their needs during the lockdown period. Families connected with the National Food Security Act (NFSA) shall get free wheat for two months. The street vendors and daily workers, who are out of the NFSA list, shall get food packets free of cost for two months from April 1. The CM also appealed to all factory workers to ensure that they are being paid their salaries during the lockdown period. Also, they should not be terminated from their jobs during this period. Private vehicles banned in Rajasthan CM Gehlot on Tuesday (March 24) announced a ban on all private vehicles in the State. “To save lives from #coronavirus infection, we have taken the decision to ban all private vehicles on roads from tomorrow. Only vehicles related to essential services and those in exempted services would be allowed. State highway tolls will also be closed from 12 o’clock midnight,” he tweeted. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/rbi-governor-shaktikanta-das-announces-steps-to-save-indian-economy-amidst-coronavirus-lockdown/articleshow/74840342.cms">WATCH RBI Governor Shaktikanta Das unveil $50 billion ammunition to keep the Indian economy breathing amidst coronavirus lockdown</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/lockdown-package-poor-indian-women-given-cash-grain-pulses-cooking-gas-to-feed-their-families/articleshow/74826863.cms">Lockdown package: Poor Indian women given cash, grain, pulses, cooking gas to feed their families</a>

Rajasthan coronavirus tally inches towards 10,000-mark with 68 fresh cases as of June 5

Checkout the names of the containment zones in Kolkata, West Bengal

Come September 24, one of the biggest pop-culture events of the year will kick off at Hyderabad. <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Marvel-Is-About-To-Dominate-Comic-Con/articleshow/39082406.cms">Comic Con</a> India is all set to host its 4th edition of the Hyderabad chapter on 24th and 25th September at Hitex Exhibition Center, Hyderabad. Dedicated to creating <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Marvel-Is-About-To-Dominate-Comic-Con/articleshow/39082406.cms">unique events</a> and giving the fans a platform to celebrate their undying love and passion for comics and pop culture, Comic Con has been quite a phenomenon. 
 
With a ‘sold out’ show last year, the Comic Con this season would be much bigger and better with an exhibition area double the size of the previous one along with a range of new activities. This year’s action packed show features the best of <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Marvel-Is-About-To-Dominate-Comic-Con/articleshow/39082406.cms">Comics</a>, Merchandise, Toys, Experiential Zones, International Guests, Meet &amp; Greet Sessions, Gaming Tournaments, Fan Meet-ups &amp; Much More. 
 Like every year, <keyword id="3573991" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="hyderabad-comic-con">Hyderabad Comic Con</keyword> will feature special guests and has arranged for meet and greet for fans. 
 
What to fall for 
 
Afshan Azad, the British born Bangladeshi actress, known for her performances as Padma Patil in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Marvel-Is-About-To-Dominate-Comic-Con/articleshow/39082406.cms">Harry Potter films</a> is one of the major attractions. As per sources, Dan Parent, American comic book artist and writer best known for Archie Comics would also be there. 
 
David Lloyd, British comic- artist, best known for V for Vendetta; Nicole Marie Jean, a famous cosplayer from California will be attending and taking special sessions at Hyderabad Comic Con this time. 
 
Long story 
 
Apart from the exciting events, the Hyderabad Comic Con will also feature an awesome and a first of its kind <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Marvel-Is-About-To-Dominate-Comic-Con/articleshow/39082406.cms">WWE</a> Zone. The WWE experience will have a grand stage complete with a huge LED wall. This will allow fans to select their favourite WWE Superstar’s entrance music, as they make their way down the specially created ramp. WWE is giving fans a never-before experience; a chance to feel, act, and enter the ring just like their favourite WWE Superstar! 
 
Also you can come dressed as your favourite comic hero or super hero and get a chance to win Rs 50,000 cash prize each day. Moreover, there are actually lots and lots of merchandise! Pick up some awesome merchandised T-shirts, mugs, toys, posters, and the list simply doesn’t end. 
 
Other exclusive Experiential Zone at Hyderabad Comic Con includes AXN Zone. It will have lots of fun engagements with a chance to win some cool goodies. Fans can witness some of their favourite characters like Sam &amp; Dean, Sherlock, Heisenberg, Dexter etc come alive and engage with them in the most fun-filled way! 
 
Fans will find an “Artist Alley”. It is a zone, exclusively featuring artists from all over India and Hyderabad. It will give fans an opportunity to interact with awesome artists, illustrators, designers working for comics and related fields. The alley will feature artists like Saumin Suresh Patel, Abhijeet Kini, Reshmi Chandrashekhar, Nikita Das Gupta, Leena Swamy, and many more. 
 
Well known creators like Vivek Goel from Holy Cow Entertainment, Aniruddho Chakraborty from Chariot comics, Shamik Dasgupta from Yali Dreams and Prasad Bhat from Graphicurry will be at the show as well! 
 
The event will also have a unique fan-made costumes and models booth called H.A.V.I.S.H, where there will be customised <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Marvel-Is-About-To-Dominate-Comic-Con/articleshow/39082406.cms">Iron Man </a>Mark - XLIII (Classic Comic Book Version Prototype Metal Armored), Captain America - Industrial, Sport and Bike Gear Combined, Wonder Woman Plated Armor, Batman - Battle Armor, <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Marvel-Is-About-To-Dominate-Comic-Con/articleshow/39082406.cms">BAT-WING</a> Prototype, He-Man Armor, Mjolnir Hammer, Lemurian Star Shield and Arc Reactor (Hulk-Buster) on display. 
 
Fans can buy the best and most exclusive International merchandise at the convention from across the globe. There will also be exclusive merchandise by Indian merchandisers, including Planet Superheroes, The Entertainment Store, Green Gold, Mc Sid Razz, Alpha Vector, Anime Pop Mall, Bombay Merch, Macmerize, Ai Licensing, Goal Squad, Comic Planet, Hoozinc, I love being Hyderabadi, CEXVY Entertainment and lots more!! <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/Apples-co-founder-is-giving-Silicon-Valley-its-personal-comic-con-It-is-obviously-going-to-be-a-nerdier-one/articleshow/50943762.cms">Also read: ​ Apple’s co-founder is giving Silicon Valley its personal comic con! It is obviously going to be a nerdier one</a> 
 
Price to pay 
 
This year, Comic Con India has launched a new ticketing category called Buddy Pass. It’s especially designed for fans coming to comic con with their friends in a group. Five friends who book the buddy pass get access to the show with exclusive (limited edition) set of 5 wristbands created only for this year’s event. Gangs can buy Buddy Pass for Rs 1750.

Highlights of what’s happening at Hyderabad Comic Con this
year

2013 was a decent year for technology. Though we were expecting much more from it, we did see some nice innovations that grabbed our attention. Our expectations from <keyword id="45145" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="2014">2014</keyword> is very high, while wearable tech will be on the rise we are going to see some astounding innovations on the car tech front. We asked some of the tech and IT companies present in India about the <keyword id="877847" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Tech-trends">tech trends</keyword> they think will be on the rise in 2014 and here is what they had to say. 
 
BlackBerry – Ashish Gupta, Director, Marketing, India 
Machine2Machine is the next phase of innovation and is surely to become the next buzzword for consumers. Imagine if you can download a mobile app that helps you open your refrigerator or fill a cup of coffee at the vending machine or broadcast videos on your television set through your smartphone! Who wouldn’t be excited right? 
 
The next big technology about to create waves is – Near Field Communications or NFC. Sure, we may not see a wild proliferation of NFC, but 2014 will be the year when brands will increasingly start offering the taste of the first fruits of NFC as mobile devices begin to adopt the technology. The next trend to look out for is Enhanced connectivity. Consumers can now not only expect to stay connected 24/7, but also want to share their experiences and knowledge from their device(s) whether it’s at home, in the car, or on the go. 
 
Intel - Sandeep Aurora, Director, Marketing &amp; Market Development, Intel South Asia 
2014 will prove to be a year of rapid innovation and Intel will continue to move full steam ahead in the tablet and 2-in-1s space heralding a shift to technology design with the consumer at its core. Tablets and 2-in-1s are revolutionary devices that give users portability along with a desktop experience. People will choose these devices as they are easy to carry and allows them to continue working on the go. This will provide users an integrated experience and they no longer have to choose between the two; as it’s the best of both worlds. 
 
This year would also being rapid increase in emerging technologies such as human augmentation, speech-to-speech translation, augmented reality, gesture control and wearable user interface’s. In terms of big data, Intel believes that having 15 billion connected devices in the next few years is achievable and will prompt the whole industry to grow around predictive analysis and raw data. Big Data will help make companies smarter through predictive analytics making them progressive in terms of business growth. 
 
Sandisk - Rajesh Gupta, Country Manager, India We expect the secular demand <keyword id="15467" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="trends">trends</keyword> of increased content, improved connectivity and more mobility (trends we believe are driving the Smart Digital Lifestyle) will continue into 2014 and beyond. For the enterprise market, this means increased penetration of flash-based solutions to speed access to critical data, lower power consumption and reduce overall Total Cost of Ownership. For the smartphone and tablet markets, we believe that flash will continue to play a critical role in consumers being able to leverage smaller and lighter mobile devices with greater storage capacity. For the PC market, while overall unit numbers are decreasing, the percent of penetration of flash-based SSDs is rising, which we expect to continue. And, lastly, for the retail market, higher capacity solutions and forefront with storage solutions portend on-going strength globally. 
 
Epson - Samba Moorthy – Director, Sales &amp; Marketing, India 
I see adoption of three key technology trends, all related to the businesses we operate in. Firstly Inkjet Ink Tank printers will give people the freedom to print in colour, at ultra-low costs like never before, both at home and office. Secondly for industrial printing while there will always be a place for high-volume single-image production runs, the birth of lean, multi-version, quick turnaround, short-run production is at hand. And finally home entertainment will truly move to the next level and come to life with fantastic 3D Home Theatre projection technology. 
 
WD - Subroto Das, Director – India &amp; South Asia Indians are consuming and generating massive amounts of digital content. Today, Indians are amongst the largest smartphone and internet users; to safeguard their digital lives, they need devices with high storage capacities. 2014 is likely to see growing adoption of personal devices such as smartphones and specialized storage devices like personal cloud storage devices and portable hard drives with large storage capacities. Today’s consumers are becoming increasingly mobile, which leads to an increase in the demand for products with small form factors that support their regime. As a result 2014 will see new <keyword id="6358455" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Gadgets">gadgets</keyword> that are even more compact, sleek and handy, so that they can be carried around easily. 
 
Additionally, consumer lifestyles will also lead to greater demand for access to data, even when the consumer is outside of their work/home environment, making the concept of personal cloud quite popular. Due to privacy, security and high costs, consumers are likely to further embrace personal cloud storage devices for the bulk of their personal storage needs. 
 
Acer - S. Rajendran, Chief Marketing Officer, India 
There will be more and more connected mobile devices such as Smartphones and 3G Tablets than the traditional PC’s and Laptops. Consumers are expected to use at least three connected devices for their diverse needs ranging from editing spreadsheets, watching videos, or simply connecting with friends. Over the next 12 months, with increased and more effective connectivity, we will witness a significant majority of Indians being more connected to the Internet and with each other. While the consumer’s form factor of choice remains to be seen, hybrid devices, an interesting mix of PCs and tablets, may emerge as a winning proposition and Touch interface is expected to be more pervasive due to the positive experience rendered by Smartphones and Tablets. 
 
Zync Global - Amul Mittal – Co Founder 
Tablets running on the Android operating system are likely to lead the way. Smartphones with 3G are the norm now while early adopters are already moving on to models compatible with 4G networks. Operators are also going to try to experiment with phone subsidy plans which are much more common in the US to reduce the overall initial costs of purchasing a phone. With increased mobile usage this year, there will be a flood of apps in app markets, it’s going to become difficult for these apps’s to stand out from each other and many of them might convert into paid apps. 
 
Nimbuzz - Vikas Saxena, CEO 
We are seeing two mega consumer trends right now, messaging and International calling have stopped being a Telco service and are now clearly crossing over to become Internet services. With better access to Wifi and more people adopting 3G and Smartphones, International calling will rapidly climb from here onwards. For example 4 out of 10 Nimbuzz users in India today already connect from a Wifi at least once in a day and this number is climbing fast. This gives us an indication of how fast Internet connectivity is becoming available to Indian consumers. Voip will democratize International telephony in the same manner as 1 paisa per second did to national calling. Our product NimbuzzOut is leading this wave in the country.

Tech Companies In India List Out The
Top Tech Trends Of 2014

<ul><li>We have grown up whispering every time we had to buy sanitary napkins that would then be covered in black polythene and handed over. </li><li>Years of social conditioning have built a culture of silence around menstruation. </li><li>To address the challenges of maintaining <keyword id="584178" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="menstrual-hygiene">menstrual hygiene</keyword> amid a pandemic-induced lockdown and break the taboos around it, feminine care brands have launched awareness campaigns on <keyword id="4584427" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-menstrual-hygiene-day">World Menstrual Hygiene Day</keyword>. </li></ul>Every year, on May 28, sanitary napkin brands come forward to raise awareness around menstrual hygiene, which is still a taboo in India. And periods don’t stop for pandemics. In fact, lockdowns intensify the impact of household level taboos and stigmas on women -- making it more difficult to manage menstruation without shame and discomfort in confined spaces. According to UNICEF, 70% of healthcare workers are women, and shortages of essential menstrual hygiene products like sanitary pads or tampons are already affecting certain populations. Therefore, to break the persisting stigma around menstruation, help women accept their bodies a little more and to make sure they follow safe menstrual hygiene, brands like Whisper, Stayfree, Pee Safe, Rio and UNICEF have launched powerful campaigns this year marking Menstrual Hygiene Day. Whisper’s #KeepGirlsInSchool Moving forward with their #KeepGirlsInSchool movement, Whisper India launched ‘Mobileshaala’ today, an initiative to provide free education while schools across the country remain closed. School closures due to the ongoing pandemic could lead to increased drop-out rates, disproportionately affecting adolescent girls. While closing down schools temporarily might help contain the virus, it could have a permanent effect on the future of many - especially marginalized girls, who are now even more vulnerable to dropping out of school in the absence of structured education. Uninterrupted learning is of utmost importance for these girls. With ‘Mobileshaala’, Whisper aims to #KeepGirlsInSchool. It is a phone-based learning system that gives free access to curriculum-based education modules on key subjects like English, Science and menstrual hygiene education. <div type="Youtube" id="aNBb-mvU4c4" title="Whisper MobileShaala" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/aNBb-mvU4c4/mqdefault.jpg"></div> UNICEF The UNICEF has launched a week-long campaign called #RedDotChallenge to ensure all girls manage their periods safely and with dignity. Organisation’s National Youth Ambassador Hima Das and celebrities like Sejal Kumar, Meghna Kaur, Aashna Shroff, Manushi Chillar and Dia Mirza, Aditi Rao Hydari, Diana Penty, Neeru Bajwa came forward to support the movement. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Pee Safe’s #BleedYourWay Pee Safe has launched #bleedyourway, an integrated campaign, marking Menstrual Hygiene Day with known faces including Kirti Kulhari and Sayani Gupta, among others. Pee Safe aims to break the taboo around menstruation and encourage women to #bleedyourway. Pee Safe’s campaign addresses some prominent themes including sex during periods, vaginal health, use of sustainable period care products, PMS, among others. The brand will also be distributing menstrual cups to underprivileged girls through an NGO. <div type="Youtube" id="vqYO_QyrTdU" title="जिस सोच ने आज बर्बाद किया, उस सोच को आज बदलते हैं | Pallavi Mahajan | STAGE" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/vqYO_QyrTdU/mqdefault.jpg"></div> RIO In our society, women have normalized the extremeness of their period due to lack of awareness about heavy flow and therefore do not realize that their condition might require them to use different products than the norm. This often results in leakage, staining, the napkin overflowing, a higher rate of infections because of leaving on a full pad for longer than it should in addition to rashes and discomfort because of having to compensate by using multiple pads at once. All of these are signs of poor menstrual hygiene practices. This year on Menstrual Hygiene Day, the brand addressed this issue through a campaign with a series of analogies to showcase how women feel when they use a regular napkin during heavy flow and calls out the oxymoronic habit that we have become accustomed with. This is questioned through instances that elaborate on the need for the usage of the right product that can handle heavy flow, which is essential for good menstrual hygiene. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div>

World Menstrual Hygiene Day: Brands come forward to raise awareness

India is seeing a <keyword id="138263" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="startup">startup</keyword> boom thanks to the internet proliferation. But as the deadline for <keyword id="6356988" type="PERSON" weightage="80" keywordseo="TRAI">Trai</keyword>'s consultation approaches, the nationwide clamour for <keyword id="6391709" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Net-neutrality">net neutrality</keyword> is touching a crescendo with a number of internet ventures and startups telling Times of India <keyword id="6358815" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="tech">Tech</keyword> that they firmly stand in favour of an unfettered net. 
 
Almost all entrepreneurs that the TOI spoke to for this report unequivocally expressed that a free internet is their lifeline to future growth. Here are their reasons (in their own words) to vociferously demand that status quo be maintained. Read on... 
 
Metis Learning-- Bharat Gulia, founder, Metis Learning 
 
Startups are taking India by storm and companies that did not exist 10 years ago now have billion dollar valuations. In the process, they are creating thousands of jobs, strengthening India's image in the global markets and creating tremendous value for customers. However, the scenario was very different in the India of yore. 
 
Today's youngsters may not have witnessed the dreary 'License Raj' days. Contrived barriers, reinforced by obscure government policy, created monopolies. Uncompetitive, well-connected and cash-rich conglomerates and PSUs dominated. They thrived in an environment of scarcity where it took many years to buy an outdated scooter model, or even get a phone connection.The recent debate on net neutrality throws one back to those days. The choice India needs to make is simple - do we go back to the imprisoned economy of the license raj, or do we encourage fresh thinking and innovation. 
 
The lifeblood of innovation is a level-playing field where an 18-year-old can come up with a great solution that can beat the option that a huge telecom company is shoving down the throat of its users. Customers need to be free to choose what gives them greater value and entrepreneurs should not be constrained by artificial barriers to provide that solution to customers. 
 
The internet lies at the centre of the digital economy and the game-changing innovation we are seeing today. Let it be open! Let not fuddy-duddy babus and big businesses conspire to set up roadblocks that stifle entrepreneurship. Let's have an India where start-ups thrive along with big businesses and may the best man win. 
 
Whatfix --Vara Kumar, co-founder &amp; CTO, Whatfix, an online productivity tool that allows users and businesses to create interactive guides on their and third party websites 
 
I and Khadim started Quicko Labs after decades of experience of building world class products, this would have been difficult if not for net neutrality. We believe that an open system encourages innovation and if operators start charging for faster access, it would stifle the entire ecosystem. More importantly, competition is inevitable for any product and we believe that innovation and great customer service is what will drive your business ahead rather than faster access. 
 
Infinity Assurance - Puneet Gargya, co-founder and COO at Infinity Assurance Solutions, a startup that provides service administration of warranty programmes "No discrimination should be made against any user for any kind of internet usage. It is THE lifeline for people today with more and more businesses moving to the net. It is as essential as electricity and water. Trai must do whatever is required to protect it." 
 
ePaisa -- Siddharth Arora, CEO and co-founder, ePaisa ISPs and governments should treat all data on the Internet as equal. This means they shouldn't discriminate or change differentially by user, content, site, platform, application, type of attached /equipment or mode of communication. There has been a lot of commentary on these principles of Open Internet since the launch of Airtel Zero and the Trai consultation paper. ISPs think they have cracked the formula of a whole new revenue stream, but at the core of this discussion is the online business and consumer relationship. 
 
Large online players may think they have found a strategic way to find new traffic sources (today's non-internet users) and hold the customers. I believe this is a short-sighted view. Not only will these companies need to offer free access to their sites across all ISPs (increasing their costs, while they are already not making money), but their competition (also with deep pockets) will follow suit. 
 
More importantly, businesses that have focused on ways to lock customers instead of innovating and offering better services have failed. While it's a great introduction to the web for the non internet user, let's not undermine the intellect of this user. Over time, this user will want more and will move on to a service that gives him/her real value, not free access. 
 
ISPs are calling this the toll-free number equivalent of the internet. The truth is, toll-free may get you a customer, but it will not help you retain one." 
 
Binge -- Ajay Joseph, co-founder, Binge (Noroc Solutions), a billing startup that enables restaurant bill presentment and payment over the phone 
 
Net Neutrality is a very critical factor given that the core tenet of the internet is built on being a democratic platform. With the rapid increase in the penetration of the internet, it is critical that we as a country stay true to the core tenet of the internet. All the stakeholders, across the service providers, the OTT players and the governing authorities need to work in unison to continue to improve the value to the consumer and net neutrality will be at the centre of it. 
 
Konotor -- Srikrishnan Ganeshan, co-founder at Konotor, a mobile marketing and CRM product startup firm that helps businesses engage, retain and sell more to their app users 
 As an <keyword id="6359301" type="POSITION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Entrepreneur">entrepreneur</keyword>, I can definitely relate to why not honouring net neutrality creates an uneven playing field. In fact, when my startup was earlier building a messaging app, the fact that there were "Whatsapp only" plans was something that surprised me. Something that has the potential to stifle competition cannot be good for the customer. 
 
Citrus Pay --Satyen Kothari, MD and founder, Citrus Pay 
 
Free market competition and encouraging grass roots innovation is a critical aspect of building up a powerful entrepreneurial ecosystem. Creating obstacles in a truly open, neutral internet creates serious obstacles in enabling this ecosystem. 
 
The concept of net neutrality has been discussed deeply and upheld in many countries across the world, and India should not regress and violate this core foundational concept of the open internet. 
 
GoodWorkLabs -- Vishwas Mudagal, CEO, GoodWorkLabs 
I'm all for net neutrality. Let's not let corporate greed take over the internet. Let's nip this cancer in the bud. #?BhartiAirtel? - I know it makes perfect sense for you to ensure robust revenues from breaking net neutrality by preferring companies that have deep pockets. But it will kill all the innovation and startup boom that has just started. We need a level-playing field where a minnow can take on a shark, and it's the internet medium alone that can provide it. So let's end this right now. 
 
I also know there are various forms of net neutrality issues and violations from various companies both in India and outside, so we need to end this and we need everyone on neutral ground. 
 
Knowlarity -- Ambarish Gupta, CEO and founder, Knowlarity Communications 
 
Net neutrality is fundamental to having a robust set of internet companies in India. In its absence, we are not going to have a level-playing field and ultimately make the innovation suffer. I can understand the revenue pressure telecom operators are feeling because of many of the internet applications. 
 
However, the current position of telecom operators is neither very fruitful, nor sustainable in long term. If there is an end to net neutrality, it will reduce the innovation and increase the barrier to entry for young innovative start-ups to do new things. 
 
Internet is a corridor of doors, like the space Morpheus and Neo enter along with the Key Maker in film 'The Matrix Reloaded'. Just that, once you are at one of the doors of internet, it is endless and you don't need additional keys to open subsequent doors. This, in essence, is also the principle of net neutrality. 
 
The empowering nature of the internet is not merely because it facilitates flow of information, as the advent of radio and television did in the twentieth century. The core trait of the internet is that it has not only given access to abundant reservoir of information to consumers, but most crucially, it has given a level-playing field for the users - to not only consume, but to create, voice and dissent over the internet. 
 
By violating net neutrality in any of the forms, the core principle of the internet will be lost. And with it the aspirations of millions, who are yet to experience the internet, will be trampled. 
 
TripHobo -- Saket Newaskar, CTO and co-founder of TripHobo 
 
Internet is a market place and net neutrality ensures that ISPs don't interfere in this market place. Disturbing net neutrality can not only create a havoc in the online space but may affect offline business in a big way. 
 
Not only market place activities like branding, consumer communication and consumer experience be impacted, even essential activities like consumer service and support will be affected. Big players can give better experience while the smaller ones will struggle. Startups with deep pockets will definitely have a bigger advantage. All the existing big startups have become big because of net neutrality today. 
 
Startups of the future will be at a disadvantage. Airtel's new initiative is about helping Airtel make money. If big apps and content providers are able to subsidize data costs of their users, Airtel will make money. Users are not going to stop using essential and interesting apps even if they cost. However, this creates differential pricing for the same service i.e streaming. 
 
Thus Airtel is interfering in the marketplace. Airtel's role is streaming and not creating content. It could be dangerous in the long run. Internet startups will definitely be affected. Innovation will be scuttled as the cost of reaching one's users will increase. Competitive landscape and even playing-field is essential for new internet startups to flourish." 
 
PropTiger -- Dhruv Agarwala, CEO and co-founder, PropTiger.com 
 
"Net neutrality makes the internet a level playing field. Airtel's Zero will favour app developers and websites with larger pockets who have capacity to pay. As a result, small start-ups may suffer. People and firms with small budgets will have to think long and hard before choosing between various data 
 
packs because certain applications will be free or costly depending on the data pack. People who use free data packs will also not be able to access the websites or apps which have not paid for preferential treatment. What may happen with plans such as Airtel's Zero is that when big app developers and websites pay for it, others might find it difficult to refuse to be part of the race for very long. They might also be compelled to pay eventually. When consumers are compelled to choose between free and paid internet, it is obvious that they would reject paid internet. This might put many internet start-ups out of business. The internet will become less diverse than it is now". 
 
Toppr.com -- Zishaan Hayath, co-founder, Toppr.com 
 
Toppr stands completely in support of net neutrality and the idea that access to internet/data should be same for all without any external throttling. Net neutrality is the basis on which internet was built and it has been successful in providing a level-playing field for all without any bias. Lack of net neutrality would clearly affect the freedom of choice of consumers which could end up creating monopolies across industries". 
 
Wingify -- Paras Chopra, founder, Wingify, PriceBaba.com 
 
It is extremely important to ensure that freedom of speech is upheld. That's a basic human right. Net neutrality implicitly defeats that freedom of speech. We are all in support of net neutrality and want the regulator / government to do the right thing. Internet is an opportunity for innovation to occur without barriers of wealth, access and background. Thus. it should be truly a level playing field for everyone. - Annkur Agarwal, founder, PriceBaba.com 
 
ClearTax -- Archit Verma, founder, ClearTax Net neutrality is required for infrastructure services. I moved back from the US and Silicon Valley to India to start ClearTax. In the US, it took a lot of effort to keep the internet neutral, but now the US president and the FCC have strongly committed themselves to net neutrality.We in India are a fledgling Internet economy and growing quickly. Any mistakes here will stifle innovation. The internet is built for disruption and it gives the big and the small an equal platform to innovate and compete. Net neutrality is a first principle. It is core to the infrastructure. 
 
Thenwat -- Umashankar Das, founder, Thenwat If India believes that it can create a Google, then it should support #NetNeutrality. Otherwise, this will push us to stone ages in another 10 years. - 
 
Rockmetric -- Nimesh, founder Rockmetric 
 
Internet gives a level playing field for 'anyone' with motivation and skills to compete with the biggest players and win over customers with limited capital. Openness of the internet allows this miracle to happen! If the internet starts favouring larger players by increase entry barriers, it will only kill innovation. 
 
Liberated Keypad -- Jayanthkumar, founder, Liberated Keypad Internet Neutrality is part of a larger issue of Trai playing servant to COAI. COAI has successfully made it such that people who by mistake violate their 3G packs face huge bills on postpaid. Airtel, for example, has reduced its monthly validity pack to 28 days so that you might forget to recharge your pack, and not carry forward your balance. That, or they simply just reduced your pack value, urging you to consume more.We need to get more and more people aware that the COAI is a very powerful lobby, and has had its way for a very long time. I will not stand by a service provider so greedy with profits. I want them to serve the consumers, instead of serving themselves.We need to get rid of products like Free Facebook, Free WhatsApp, Free Flipkart, which reduce the ability of small players like myself to compete with bigger media houses, companies, startups." 
 
MeraCareerGuide.com -- Love Chopra, founder, MeraCareerGuide.com The basic foundation of internet is neutrality. Airtel Zero is a very basic attempt to kill its neutrality, you can't imagine how bad this could go if it is allowed; this will surely kill product innovation. No blocking, No throttling, No paid prioritization, No special treatment to deep pocket player. I support #NetNeutrality. 
 
www.tinqr.in -- Karan Aggarwal, co-founder, www.tinqr.in 
 
We are bootstrapped technology startup from Delhi. We have put all our lives' savings into our company because we were confident that in a free country like ours, excellence and hard work will thrive. But today, our confidence is fading. We see a threat to our freedom, a threat to our dreams. We thrive on the internet. Without net neutrality, there will be no level-playing field, no startup dreams. We sincerely request you to let this be the way it is. Don't take this away from us. We demand net neutrality for total online freedom. 
 
Chorusplay --- Hari PK, founder, Chorusplay 
 
India, as a country that's embracing technology, is growing at a massive pace. And it will take us decades to match the pace of developed countries. The only, and the most effective level-playing field for all of us - individuals and businesses, is the window to grab the new technologies, especially for startups. 
 
The compromise on net neutrality (or the idea behind it) will kill the upcoming startups and new businesses. And it will also have a (very) strong retrospective impact on the existing startups (who cannot afford to BUY their way through this problem). With the prime minister spearheading the ""Make In India"" campaign, we all dream of a nation that will be the next tech hub and a budding ground for startups. 
 
The absence of net neutrality will be a potential death row for all those dreams. Let's unite for a better country, a better dream and a much-needed revolution. And we have to do it today, right now. 
 
Yogurt Labs -- - Shardul Mohite, founder, Yogurt Labs 
Telcos controlled VAS and we all know how that whole industry ended up. They were acting like thugs demanding 70-80% of revenue as a fee from VAS companies. If they get to control how the data is being used on their network, we would see similar kind of attitude repeated again. Startups that think Airtel Zero or Internet.org are good ideas for customers are not thinking long term. When telcos start controlling who gets in front of the customer, they would demand huge amount of fees too. Net neutrality is the only way to ensure that no one gets to control (in short-term or long-term) how anybody uses internet to reach potential customers.

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