Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

Founders of Indian start-ups who have tasted success early in their respective ventures and making money are now taking up philanthropy and using their skills and resources to upskill people and transform society. 
 Many entrepreneurs like Naveen Tewari, founder of In-Mobi, his former chief revenue officer Atul Satija, Phanindra Sama of <keyword id="6359128" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Redbus">redBus</keyword>, and <keyword id="1622254" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Satyen-Kothari">Satyen Kothari</keyword>, founder of Citrus Pay are using personal skills, time and resources that had helped them build their disruptive businesses. 
 
Economic Times reported that 37-year-old Tewari got together 100 alumni from his alma mater Harvard Business School ten years ago and mobilised about Rs 32 lakh to impart education in a village near Mathura. Currently, the village has three schools, proper roads and electricity. 
 
Now, apart from Wipro's Azim Premji and HCL founder Shiv Nadar, poster boys of start-ups are also getting on the social side. 
 
"For me, whether I have money or not, it is far more important that there is an intent behind a cause that's pure and can change the lives of certain people. If that's there, then you will be able to get all the resources required,” Tewari told the financial daily. 
 
Tewari's colleague Atul Satija, 39, quit InMobi in April to launch a non-profit organisation, Nudge Foundation, sinking in Rs 1.27 crore ($200,000) of his personal money to help upskill people. 
 
"Poverty alleviation is close to my heart. In my 20s, I decided I would get into social side at 60. By early 30s things were going okay in my career and I thought I could do it in my 40s," Satija, who previously was the head of wireless business for Japan and Asia-Pacific at Google, told ET. 
 
Satija said Nudge will work with illiterate and unskilled people and help them get jobs. "We want to take them out of the cycle they grew up in and make them semiliterate, skilled with a majority of focus being on life skills," Satija told ET. 
 
Sama, who was running bus ticketing firm redBus, left him with no mental bandwidth for much else. 
 After selling it to Ibibo Group in 2013 for about Rs 800 crore, he teamed up with Raju Reddy, former board member at redBus, to replicate the Sandbox model adopted by Hubli's <keyword id="6691921" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Deshpande-Foundation">Deshpande Foundation</keyword>, in their home-town Nizamabad in Telangana. The model brings principles of entrepreneurship to social causes, thereby fostering innovation. 
 
"I had no mindshare on the topic of social impact and I wanted that - it makes you a balanced human being," Sama told ET, unwilling to disclose personal resources he's parted with. 
 
ET reported that Nizamabad Sandbox has implemented 200 projects in the past year, each with about 20 people involved, translating to over 2,000 changemakers and two semi-companies. 
 
And for those like Kothari of Citrus Pay, who is still wired into their ventures full-time, the desire to give back is no less. 
The financial daily reported the emergence of peer-to-peer lending platforms such as Milaap and Kivah has created new credible avenues for the socially sensitive. 
 
Kothari has been active on Milaap since February last year, and lent about Rs 50,000 so far. 
 
"There is pride with this form of lending - it's not a handout for borrowers who feel they have to work hard towards paying it back. For lenders like me it creates a continuous exponential cycle of goodness because after 6-12 months I get the money back, which can be used to give out another loan,” Kothari told ET. 
 
Many (including primary schools teachers) gave him grants and loans to pursue a computer science degree at Stanford. "It's a question of strangers helping strangers and that's the big motivating factor," he said. 
 
(Image: Thinkstock)

Poster boys of Indian start-ups are now taking up philanthropy

<ul><li>When choosing the right <keyword id="151746" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="asset-allocation" source="Orion">asset allocation</keyword> for <keyword id="118491" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="nps" source="Orion">NPS</keyword> investments, one should consider factors such as risk tolerance, investment goals and time horizon. </li><li>Knowledgeable and disciplined investors can select the active option and benefit from the flexibility of allocation. </li><li>One should consider the overall portfolio when deciding on the asset allocation under NPS. </li></ul>Investors participating in the <keyword id="475509" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="national-pension-system" source="Orion">National Pension System</keyword> (NPS) have the opportunity to allocate their investments among various asset classes, namely equity, corporate debt, government securities, and alternative investment funds. Each of these asset classes has the potential to generate returns, but they also carry different levels of risk. “When choosing the right asset allocation for NPS investments, one should consider factors such as risk tolerance, investment goals, and time horizon,” says Satyen Kothari, founder and chief executive officer of Cube Wealth, a financial planning and advisory platform. Active choice vs auto choice NPS offers two investment choices- auto choice and active choice. Auto choice is based on your age and the allocation within different asset classes will change as your age increases. Active choice is where you have the liberty to decide your allocation throughout the tenure of your investment. “The thought process here is that as your age increases, your ability to take risks reduces and hence the money from equity will move into non-equity options,” says Harshad Chetanwala, co-founder MyWealthGrowth.Com, an investment planning firm. “The auto choice could be good for someone who does not want to get into the hassles of changing and managing their allocation based on age, tenure and other criteria. Those who are clear with the kind of allocation they need can go for active choice. Active has the benefit over auto as you are in better control of your allocation when you see from an overall portfolio perspective,” says Chetanwala. Agrees Rahul Jain, president and head, Nuvama Wealth, “Knowledgeable and disciplined investors can select the active option and benefit from the flexibility of allocation. Those who are short on time or need help to keep up with the lifecycle change can choose the auto choice.” Lifecycle-based asset allocation Lifecycle-based allocation is available under auto choice. It adjusts the investment mix based on an individual's age. “It starts with a higher allocation to equities when young and gradually shifts towards debt instruments as retirement approaches. This strategy aligns with a person's changing risk appetite and aims to optimise returns while managing risk, providing individuals with a systematic approach to planning for retirement,” says Kothari. The investor can choose between three lifecycle funds: Aggressive Lifecycle Fund (LC75), Moderate Lifecycle Fund (LC50), and Conservative Lifecycle Fund (LC25). “Within each option, the equity allocation decreases by a specified percentage every year while the debt allocation increases,” says Jain. Let us take the example of LC75. Under this fund, the investor can get up to 75% allocation to equity till the age of 35 years. Beyond 35 years, the equity allocation decreases by 4% every year till 45 years, by 3% till 50 years and by 1% till 55 years. At the same time, allocation to government securities increases by 3% every year till 55 years. The rest gets allocated among the corporate bonds every year. Consider overall portfolio when deciding on NPS asset allocation “When considering NPS asset allocation along with other investments like mutual fund SIPs, Public Provident Fund (PPF), FDs, etc., it is crucial to assess the overall portfolio and align it with one's financial goals and risk tolerance. The asset allocation should be diversified across different investment avenues, taking into account the risk-return characteristics of each,” says Kothari. So far NPS is not a huge part of investors' overall portfolio and the same could remain even when their portfolio grows in future. “Hence, one should consider all the assets at the time of deciding on the asset allocation of NPS. If someone is already investing in PPF or Voluntary Provident Fund (VPF), then you are already accumulating debt for your retirement,” says Chetanwala. In such a case, going for a higher debt allocation may not be the best option. NPS asset allocation lets individuals strategically allocate their investments across various asset classes, offering the potential for returns and managing risk. With careful consideration of their financial goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon, one can create a well-balanced portfolio within NPS.

Choose the right asset allocation to make the most of your NPS investments

<ul><li>The value of money goes down with time as inflation rises. </li><li>One needs a much higher amount in <keyword id="25452" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retirement" source="Orion">retirement</keyword> than one does for monthly expenses today. </li><li>Other financial goals like children’s education needs to be planned separately. </li></ul>The average age of retirement in most countries, including India, is 60. However, life expectancy is inching up by the year and an average Indian is expected to live to the age of 70.42 years, a 33% rise from 2022, as per macrotrends. Hence, it becomes so important to plan for retirement to sustain one’s accustomed lifestyle. To put it simply, there comes a point in life when one is no longer earning an income, but expenses do not stop. In fact, they tend to go up, primarily because of medical reasons. The increased life expectancies mean one may live to 90 years or more, which makes planning for retirement even more crucial. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How much do you need for retirement?" comment="Subhead" text="How much do you need for retirement?">How much do you need for retirement?</cmsannotation> While one cannot say how long one will live, one thing is sure, retirement needs to be planned for during the working years. Estimating how much one needs for retirement will depend on several factors. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Know your monthly expenses" comment="Subhead" text="Know your monthly expenses">Know your monthly expenses</cmsannotation> To know your retirement corpus it is important to get an idea of what your monthly expenses will be in the first month after retirement. Your current monthly expenses can give you a fair idea, but expenses post retirement will not include cost of home loan EMIs and expenses for kids, though it may include costs for hobbies or additional costs to meet medical expenses. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What is the rate of inflation" comment="Subhead" text="What is the rate of inflation">What is the rate of inflation</cmsannotation> This is a very crucial aspect of calculating your retirement corpus. The time value of money goes down with inflation so you would need a much higher amount in retirement compared to your monthly expenses today. “Inflation results in rising cost of living, and the actual value of your retirement corpus will erode substantially by the time you retire. So, it is important to have a futuristic point of view, while planning for retirement,” says Neeru Seal, Research analyst, Alpha capita. At a rate of 6% inflation, ₹1,00,000 today will be equal to ₹5.74 lakh in 30 years. So if you assume that you will require ₹1 lakh in the first month of retirement which is 30 years away, you will actually require ₹5.74 lakh. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="What are your other liabilities" comment="Subhead" text="What are your other liabilities">What are your other liabilities</cmsannotation> Retirement is only one of the long term goals. Other financial goals would include paying off the EMIs for a home and more importantly, the education of children. It is easy to take out money from the retirement fund for other needs, but could be a big mistake as it can throw retirement planning completely out of gear. “Don't forget to include your children's education expenses when estimating your retirement savings. Save separately for their education goals,” says Satyen Kothari, CEO &amp; Co-Founder of Cube Wealth. While one may factor in all these aspects when planning for retirement, and it might very well be enough, one needs to plan for situations when things do not go according to plan. “Plan scenarios in which you would experience higher inflation, lower returns, and higher life expectancy. That way you could avoid running out of money during your retirement years,” says Abhishek Kumar, SEBI Registered Investment Adviser and Founder, SahajMoney.com. Let us take a look at three separate family situations and get an idea of how much retirement corpus they may require. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Subhead" text="Scenario 1">Scenario 1</cmsannotation> Here, let us look at a double income couple with no kids who earn a combined post tax income of ₹30 lakh per annum. Let us say they plan to retire at 60, and require ₹1,00,000 per month at current cost after retirement. Their assumed life expectancy is 80. Other assumptions include an inflation of 6%, pre-retirement investment return of 12% and post retirement investment return of 6%. Assuming that their current retirement corpus is zero, they would need a corpus of ₹13.6 crore at retirement. For this, they need to invest about ₹39,000 every month. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Scenario 2" comment="Subhead" text="Scenario 2">Scenario 2</cmsannotation> In this scenario, we consider a couple whose post tax income is ₹50 lakh per annum with two kids. This means that they have other liabilities, mainly the education of their kids. If this couple requires an income of ₹1.5 lakh per month post retirement, all the other factors remaining the same, they need a retirement corpus of ₹20.4 crore. For this they require to invest around ₹58,000 every month. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Scenario 3" comment="Subhead" text="Scenario 3">Scenario 3</cmsannotation> Here, we consider a couple whose post tax income is ₹1 crore annually. They also have two kids. So, their situation is similar to the previous couple, except that their income levels are higher. If this couple requires an income of ₹3 lakh per month post retirement, all the other factors remaining the same, they need a retirement corpus of ₹40.8 crore. For this they require to invest around ₹1.16 lakh every month. As we have seen, these are all calculations based on certain scenarios and assumptions. Real life is almost always different, and a lot of other unexpected factors may come in. However, it is still prudent to have an idea of the amount of retirement corpus one may need and plan towards it. Periodically reviewing one’s retirement plan and making changes as and when required, is important to set up a strong foundation for one’s retirement.

Retirement on your mind? The required corpus varies but here’s how to plan for it

<ul><li>A start-up named ‘<keyword id="1081249" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="climes" source="Orion">Climes</keyword>’ helps brands like TEDx, MakeMyTrip, Zingbus and Wedding Brigade reduce their carbon footprint.</li><li>Its fintech-enabled marketplace incentivises the movement of capital from individuals at points of consumption.</li><li>The company claims to have neutralised around 46,000+ kg of carbon emissions across five large-scale events, including weddings.</li></ul>At a time when the start-up ecosystem crawls through a harsh funding winter, sustainable investing has continued to thrive and promote innovative green start-ups. Climes — a company that helps brands like TEDx, MakeMyTrip, Zingbus and Wedding Brigade reduce their carbon footprint — raised a million dollars on Tuesday, July 5. The $1.2 million round saw participation from Sequoia Capital India, Kalaari Capital, Avaana Capital, and even the <keyword id="759851" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zerodha" source="Orion">Zerodha</keyword> cofounder Nithin Kamath. Climes — founded by former Airbus executive Anirudh Gupta and former investment professional at Kalaari Capital Siddhanth Jayaram — aims to minimise the effects of climate change by letting individuals take “climate action in a click of a button”. Satyen Kothari of Cube Wealth, Anshuman Bapna of Terra.do, Keshav Reddy of Reddy Futures, Akshay Singhal from Log9 Materials and Smart Joules from Arjun Gupta also participated in the current round. “Finance is the single biggest lever to solve climate change. Fantastic projects and solutions for carbon mitigation exist all around us. However, the finance needed to scale these projects is simply not flowing fast enough,” said the co-founders, Anirudh and Siddhanth. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="How does ‘Climes’ work?" comment="subhead" text="How does ‘Climes’ work?">How does ‘Climes’ work?</cmsannotation> Climes is a fintech-enabled marketplace that incentivises the movement of capital from individuals at points of consumption to UN-approved carbon solution project developers on the ground in India. “We partner with consumer brands that want to go climate-friendly. Every time you [customer] order or buy something from them, you get to see emissions specific to your order. And you can choose to take climate action at checkout,” the company’s website read. The customers can simply pay marginally extra on their order to get some Clime coins, which the company allocates to different verified climatic projects. The platform claims the projects it works with have an impact on sanitisation and conservation, and empower local communities as well. <div type="image" title="A company vows to turn our travels, weddings, and food carbon neutral! Bags a million dollars" msid="92677877" hostid="261" sizebytes="37706"></div> For example, a user can pay an additional ₹2 to neutralise their carbon footprint of 2 kg, produced during a bus ride from Mumbai to Pune. The company charges ₹1 for every 1kg of carbon footprint. “The ideal solution towards climate change problems is to reduce consumption which may not be possible at all times. Making people aware of their carbon footprint and then making it available to offset may be a good mid-way path. We are excited to be a part of their journey and learn ourselves along the way,” says Nithin Kamath, Founder and CEO, Zerodha and Rainmatter. <div type="image" title="A company vows to turn our travels, weddings, and food carbon neutral! Bags a million dollars" msid="92677895" hostid="261" sizebytes="84897"></div> Vani Kola, Managing Director of Kalaari Capital, said, “The rising awareness of the need for carbon-neutral lifestyle and climate costs require urgent new solutions. Entrepreneurs offering solutions with climate sensitiveness can create key differentiating propositions… Climes’ solution makes it possible for brands to embark on that transition by allowing customers to carbon-neutralise every transaction.” Climes plans to use this capital for two aspects: First, integrate its technology with other customer-facing brands in the fashion, food, travel, beauty and personal care industry. Second, to expand its tech-stack to onboard high-quality climate solutions within India, as well as measure and report impact transparently. The company claims to have neutralised 26,000+ kg of carbon emissions across three weddings so far, in addition to 15,000+ kgs of carbon emissions in Global Entrepreneurship Summit (GES) 2022 and 5,000+ kg of carbon emissions at TedxSusMafia 2.0. SEE ALSO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/no-service-charge-on-restaurant-bill-will-impact-waiters-servers-kitchen-staff/articleshow/92668785.cms">Remember to tip your waiter, there is no more service charge on your bill</a> <a class="tout-title-link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/tata-motors-kotak-mahindra-bank-indusind-bank-among-stocks-to-watch-out-for-on-july-5/slidelist/92665853.cms">Tata Motors, Kotak Mahindra Bank, IndusInd Bank among stocks to watch out for on July 5</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indianoil-delivers-cooing-gas-via-boats-in-flood-hit-assam/articleshow/92667303.cms">IndianOil delivers cooking gas via boats in flood-hit Assam</a>

A company vows to turn our travels, weddings, and food carbon neutral! Bags a million dollars

New Delhi, Nov 19 () Customer engagement and rewards platform EasyRewardz on Tuesday said it has raised an undisclosed sum in series B funding from Walmart-owned Flipkart.
 The fund infusion will help EasyRewardz to drive new product development and accelerate global expansion, a statement said.
 EasyRewardz has more than doubled its customers and revenues since its series A funding round in November 2017, which was led by Trans-Continental Venture Fund (TCVF), it added.
 Other investors in the company include Venture Catalysts along with angel investors like Jitendra Gupta, Amrish Rau, Satyen Kothari, Ashneer Grover, Subrat Pani and others.
 "We see CRM Software adoption fastest amongst SMBs (small and medium business) in retail as customer centricity continues to hold centre ground in retailing," EasyRewardz co-founder and CEO Soumya Chatterjee said.
 CRM Software has a market size of USD 48 billion, and is seeing a 16 per cent year-on-year increase globally, with Asia Pacific growing faster at over 20 per cent,
 "We have firmly established our position in India, and have a toe-hold in MENA. We will now accelerate our global expansion to meet the growing demand of Customer Experience Management platforms," EasyRewardz co-founder and sales director Tejas Kadakia said.
 Founded in 2011 by Soumya Chatterjee, Tejas Kadakia, Angad Singh and Sapan Kadakia, EasyRewardz is a customer engagement SaaS solution company, and operates in India, South East Asia and Middle East, among others. The company currently has an annualised revenue of Rs 25 crore.
 "Flipkart continues to make investments in the Indian ecosystem in order to deliver value to our customers. Our investment in EasyRewardz is part of our ongoing initiatives to give superior customer experience," Flipkart said in response to queries on the investment. SR RVK

Flipkart invests in EasyRewardz

New Delhi, Mar 22 () Equity-oriented mutual fund schemes delivered a negative return of about 25 per cent to investors over the last one month as the broader market witnessed significant downtrend amid coronavirus-triggered recession fears. The 44-player mutual fund industry is not immune to the economic blowback of COVID-19, and going ahead, small and mid-cap equity schemes will continue to remain under pressure in the short to medium term on account of volatility in the markets, said Krishna Karwa, Senior Research Analyst, at iFAST Financial India.According to data compiled by Morningstar India, all the equity scheme categories -- equity linked saving scheme (ELSS), mid-cap, large &amp; mid-cap, large-cap, small-cap, mid-cap and multi-cap have given negative return in the range of 25-26 per cent between February 19 and March 18, 2020.Individually, large and mid-cap funds have given a negative return of 26.63 per cent followed by large-cap (26.58 per cent), ELSS (26.47 per cent), multi-cap (26.45 per cent), small-cap (26.32 per cent) and mid-cap (24.84 per cent).Notably, all the funds fell less than their respective benchmark indices during the bear market.The benchmark Sensex crashed about 30 per cent during the same period, falling from 41,000 level to 29,000 level, following the coronavirus pandemic, decline in international crude oil price and the Yes Bank fiasco."We have seen such falls in the market multiple times before, while pessimism may remain for sometime given the uncertain situation with the spread of the coronavirus. But as we have seen in the past over the long term markets will recover," Morningstar India Director- Manager Research Kaustubh Belapurkar said.He, further, said that investors should continue to focus on asset allocation and continue with their investment and systematic investment plans (SIPs). If an investor was underallocated to equities as per his risk profile, it would be a good time to start increasing the equity exposure at current low valuations. He advised investors to keep at least 7-10 year investment horizon in mind with a volatile asset class like equities.Echoing similar views, iFAST Financial India's Karwa said that corrections have made the valuations pretty attractive, and investors should consider going long on small and mid-cap funds. "Despite witnessing a marked dip in net asset value (NAV) in recent times, large-cap and blue chip funds should be able to bounce back at a faster pace. Quality businesses and industry leaders with superior fundamentals will always command a premium multiple over the rest, and would be the first ones to see investment inflows on major dips," he added.With regard to the debt schemes, Karwa expects stress in the credit markets to persist. From a defensive standpoint, an investor should focus more on short duration debt funds (typically up to one year) with good liquidity. Those with a higher risk appetite can keep long duration credit risk funds on their radar as well, he added."The current market downturn has led to both concerns as well as a sense of potential wealth creation opportunity due to this increased awareness," said Satyen Kothari, Founder &amp; CEO, Cube Wealth. SP DRR

Coronavirus: Equity mutual funds give 25 pc negative returns to investors

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.

You Searched For "Satyen Kothari" and got 7 results

Poster boys of Indian start-ups are now taking up philanthropy

BI India Bureau

Choose the right asset allocation to make the most of your NPS investments

Anagh Pal

Retirement on your mind? The required corpus varies but here’s how to plan for it

Anagh Pal

A company vows to turn our travels, weddings, and food carbon neutral! Bags a million dollars

Kritti Bhalla

Flipkart invests in EasyRewardz

PTI

Coronavirus: Equity mutual funds give 25 pc negative returns to investors

PTI

What tech startups have to say about net neutrality

BI India Bureau

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides