Brands, influencers and celebrities who violated ASCI Guidelines for Influencers Advertising

<ul><li>The ticker will broadcast live prices of <keyword id="35140" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="bse" source="Orion">BSE</keyword>’s almond futures contract along with currency derivatives rates.</li><li>This move will lead to increased price transparency and will help market participants in effective decision making.</li><li>BSE had launched what it claims is the world’s only almond futures contract in June 2020.</li></ul>The <keyword id="43628" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="bombay-stock-exchange" source="Orion">Bombay Stock Exchange</keyword> (BSE) on Wednesday launched a ticker for dry fruits at the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) in <keyword id="57321" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="navi-mumbai" source="Orion">Navi Mumbai</keyword>. The ticker will broadcast live prices of BSE’s almond futures contract along with currency derivatives rates. This move will lead to increased price transparency and will help market participants in effective decision making. "The launch of (the) ticker at the APMC market will help market participants gauge overall market sentiment at any point of time. Wide dissemination of prices will be used as reference for physical market transactions, which in turn will positively impact the lives of traders especially when the intensity of information needed in commodities market is increasing day by day,” said <keyword id="300102" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sameer-patil" source="Orion">Sameer Patil</keyword>, chief business officer, BSE. BSE launched what it claims is the world’s only almond futures contract in June 2020. This had been well received by the market participants, it said. Since its launch, the almonds futures contract has seen physical deliveries to the tune of 2.4 lakh kg, along with 52,162 tonnes being traded, aggregating to ₹18,659 million. “This is unprecedented and one of its kind. This will create massive awareness and will result in huge participation from the trading community in the almond futures contract on BSE,” said <keyword id="14801630" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sameer-bhanushali" source="Orion">Sameer Bhanushali</keyword>, MD at Ashapura Agrocomm Pvt. Ltd. The nut and dry fruit industry in India is pegged at ₹20,000 crore, according to media reports. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/government-is-reportedly-reworking-the-fame-ii-scheme-to-ensure-companies-use-domestic-components/articleshow/93752352.cms">Government is reportedly reworking the FAME-II scheme to ensure companies use domestic components</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-phone-brands-may-not-be-able-to-fill-the-void-that-chinese-budget-phone-ban-may-create/articleshow/93751192.cms">Indian phone brands may not be able to fill the void that Chinese budget phone ban may create</a>

BSE launches ticker at Navi Mumbai's APMC Market to display dry fruit prices

<ul><li><keyword id="23343" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="kamlesh" source="Orion">Kamlesh</keyword> Nanasaheb Ghumare aka ‘<keyword id="1699185" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jugaadu" source="Orion">jugaadu</keyword>’ Kamlesh appeared on Season 1 of <keyword id="11924074" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shark-tank-india" source="Orion">Shark Tank India</keyword> and pitched his invention — a <keyword id="16582237" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pesticide-spraying-cart" source="Orion">pesticide-spraying cart</keyword>. </li><li>He received funding only from Peyush Bansal, co-founder of Lenskart.com, but his story and product won over the audience. </li><li>Bansal shared that the go-to-market version of the cart is finally ready. </li></ul>The first season of the reality TV show Shark Tank India not only catapulted the ‘sharks’ into stardom but also boosted the businesses that appeared on the show. But, if there’s one person who became an overnight celebrity, it has to be ‘jugaadu’ Kamlesh aka Kamlesh Nanasaheb Ghumare. Ghumare pitched a pesticide spraying cart on the show — a product he had been working on for seven years. At the time, his determination and attitude had left the sharks and the audience thoroughly impressed. A year after Season 1 concluded, shark Peyush Bansal (co-founder, Lenskart) shared an update about Kamlesh’s product on social media. He shared that “What’s happening with Kamlesh?” was the question he was often asked after Season 1. “I’m delighted to share the first significant update on Kamlesh and his startup KG Agrotech (now a Pvt. Ltd. firm). It took a lot of hard work, research, travel, failures, learnings, and four-iterations to get here. Our first go-to-market version is ready and we are calling it Bharat-K2 (to signify the second version as the original was what was presented in the tank). We are hitting production with this version and the first batch of saleable carts will be on the ground within 60 days,” shared <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7031678059845984256/">Bansal on LinkedIn</a>. <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Farmer-turned-entrepreneur" comment="subhead2" text="Farmer-turned-entrepreneur">Farmer-turned-entrepreneur</cmsannotation> Originally hailing from Tarpada, a village 20 km away from Malegaon, Maharashtra, Ghumare comes from a family of farmers and thus, wanted to invent something that could solve their troubles. Ghumare claimed that his product, a pesticide spray cart, is a cost-effective and safer alternative to those currently available in the market. According to him, the cost-effective pesticide sprayers currently available in the market are heavy. And farmers have to carry them on their shoulders (like a backpack) the entire day. The others are priced high and thus, unaffordable to most Indian farmers. In 2014, Ghumare began designing the product with scraps he bought from scrap dealers. He dropped out of graduation, had no degree in machine design but continued to work on the product for seven years. He presented the final, working prototype on Shark Tank India. While none of the other sharks invested in the product, Bansal invested ₹10 lakh for 40% equity along with a flexible no-interest loan of ₹20 lakh to be repaid in small amounts after Ghumare starts earning profit. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="New and improved version: Bharat K-2" comment="subhead2" text="New and improved version: Bharat K-2">New and improved version: Bharat K-2</cmsannotation> After the show aired, Ghumare and consequently, Bansal received massive interest from the audience. In fact, a short <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi4lOIKTgzg&amp;t=6s&amp;ab_channel=jugadukamlesh">video </a>that Ghumare uploaded on his YouTube channel showing the cart in action, garnered 12 million views. After the show, Ghumare worked with Bansal and his team. He was also assisted by Creative TR, an organisation specializing in research and product design. In a video shared by Bansal, Ghumare talked about incorporating the feedback he received for the earlier versions. The final version, named Bharat K-2, is compact in size so that it can be easily navigated in narrow lanes of a farm. It’s also lightweight and more stable than the original version. Bharat K-2 also has the option to fit a pipe that can spray as far as 200 ft while standing at one location. The cart is also equipped with mechanical ‘arms’ that can be adjusted according to the height of the crop. For example, they can be extended as high as 10 ft to spray on crops like sugarcane. And the cart also has an in-built mechanism to control the pressure of the spray. Ghumare claims that the cart offers a 4x advantage over the current pesticide sprayers — saving nearly 12 hours of the farmer’s time. He also said that after selling 2,000 pieces of the machine, he will take farmers’ feedback and improve the cart further, if required. The manufacturing cost of one cart is ₹20,000 and he plans to sell it for ₹25,000. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/hindustan-unilever-tcs-hero-motocorp-adani-wilmar-among-stocks-in-focus/articleshow/98078052.cms">Sensex, Nifty50 likely to open higher amid mixed global cues: Hindustan Unilever, TCS, Hero MotoCorp among stocks in focus</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/entertainment/news/business-of-nostalgia-reruns-aim-to-bring-india-back-to-the-silver-screens/articleshow/98060436.cms">Business of nostalgia: Reruns aim to bring India back to the silver screens</a>

‘Jugaadu’ Kamlesh from Shark Tank India S1 is ready with the go-to-market version of the pesticide spraying cart

New Delhi, Apr 21 () Markets regulator Sebi on Tuesday disposed of insider trading charges against Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company in the matter of Manappuram Finance. It was alleged that Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Company (earlier known as Kotak Mahindra Old Mutual Life Insurance) sold shares of Manappuram Finance Ltd (MFL) while in possession of unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI) about the company and thereby violated insider trading norms. Sebi, pursuant to investigation in the matter of selective disclosure of UPSI by MFL, observed that Kotak had sold its shares while allegedly in possession of UPSI during March 1-20, 2013 and allegedly violated PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations. Sebi noted that officials of MFL met Ambit Capital Pvt Ltd's research analysts on March 18, 2013 to seek market guidance about the quarterly results and future outlook. Ambit published a research report based on the meeting which was distributed to its clients (broking as well as research) on March 19, 2013 before the market opening hours. In the research report, Ambit had changed its rating of MFL's stock from "buy" to "under review." Ambit published the report based on the meeting which was distributed to its clients (broking as well as research) on March 19, 2013 before the market opening hours. The information of negative profit for the fourth quarter of FY2012-13, which is deemed to be price sensitive information, was disclosed to the stock exchanges by MFL on March 20, 2013 after market hours and the information was already in the public domain before that. Sebi said Kotak was not in a position to know that the information that was distributed in the research report or discussed in the conference call or being covered by media is UPSI. The transactions of Kotak was purely from the point of view of the individual holding life insurance policies issued by the company, and selling of the scrip of MFL during that time was necessary to avoid significant loss to the policy holders in the scheme, since the price of the scrip was rapidly falling after the research report was issued in the morning of March 19, 2013, it added. "It may be noted that the noticee (Kotak) is bound by its fiduciary responsibility with the policy holders to act in their best interest," Sebi said. "I do not find a reasonable and acceptable degree of probability towards proving beyond doubt or even, without existence of significant doubt that Noticee (Kotak) had traded in the scrip of MFL when in possession of UPSI and hence, the allegation of violation of...PIT Regulations...does not stand established," Sebi Adjudicating Officer Vijayant Kumar Verma said while disposing of the show cause notice without any penalty. Earlier, Sebi had disposed of insider trading allegations against four mutual fund houses -- SBI Funds Management, Aditya Birla Sunlife AMC, IDFC Asset Management Company and BNP Paribas Asset Management -- in the same matter. SP RVK

Manappuram Fin: Sebi disposes of insider trading charges against Kotak Mahindra Life Insurance Co 

New Delhi, Apr 13 () Markets regulator Sebi on Monday disposed of insider trading charges against two mutual fund houses - SBI Funds Management and Aditya Birla Sunlife AMC - in the matter of Manappuram Finance.It was alleged that the two fund houses had sold shares of Manappuram Finance Ltd (MFL) while in possession of unpublished price sensitive information (UPSI) about the company and thereby violated insider trading norms.Sebi, pursuant to investigation in the matter of selective disclosure of unpublished price sensitive information by MFL, observed that the two fund houses had sold its shares while allegedly in possession of UPSI during March 1-20, 2013 and allegedly violated PIT (Prohibition of Insider Trading) Regulations.Sebi noted that officials of MFL met Ambit Capital Pvt Ltd's research analysts on March 18, 2013 to seek market guidance about the quarterly results and future outlook.Ambit published a research report based on the meeting which was distributed to its clients (broking as well as research) on March 19, 2013 before the market opening hours.In the research report, Ambit had changed its rating of MFL's stock from "buy" to "under review."Ambit published the report based on the meeting which was distributed to its clients (broking as well as research) on March 19, 2013 before the market opening hours.The information of negative profit for the fourth quarter of FY2012-13, which is deemed to be price sensitive information, was disclosed to the stock exchanges by MFL on March 20, 2013 after market hours and the information was already in the public domain before that.Sebi said the asset management companies (AMCs) were not in a position to know that the information that was distributed in the research report or discussed in the conference call or being covered by media is UPSI.The transactions of the asset management companies was purely from the point of view of the unit holders in the mutual fund and selling of the scrip of MFL during that time was necessary to avoid significant loss to the unit holders in the scheme, since the price of the scrip was rapidly falling after the research report was issued in the morning of March 19, 2013, it added."I do not find a reasonable and acceptable degree of probability towards proving beyond doubt or even, without existence of significant doubt that Noticee (the two fund houses) had traded in the scrip of MFL when in possession of UPSI and hence, the allegation of violation of...PIT Regulations...does not stand established," Sebi Adjudicating Officer Vijayant Kumar Verma said in similarly worded separate orders."I hereby dispose of the SCN (show cause notice) in the matter without any penalty," he added.Last month, Sebi had disposed of insider trading allegations against IDFC Asset Management Company and BNP Paribas Asset Management in the same matter. SP SHWBAL

Manappuram Fin: Sebi disposes of insider trading charges against SBI MF, Aditya Birla Sunlife MF

New Delhi, Jan 31 () IT services major Infosys on Friday said it is using latest technologies like artificial intelligence, virtual reality, voice and machine learning to deliver digital experience to tennis fans at the Australian Open.
 Infosys is the official digital innovation partner for the Australian Open.
 "Innovation is one of the hallmarks of the Australian Open, and alongside Infosys we are constantly striving to take tennis to a new level in terms of delivering insightful and engaging digital content," Australian Open Tournament Director Craig Tiley said.
 Infosys' AI match highlights uses artificial intelligence to deliver highlights of tennis matches to fans within minutes of the match being completed. The 'Shot of the Day' uses machine learning to pick out the most exceptional piece of skill each day, traversing every shot played at each of the 17 courts where the action unfolds. 
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* Wipro forms alliance with Smart Energy Water 
 IT services major Wipro on Friday announced a multi-year global strategic alliance with Smart Energy Water (SEW) to develop and deliver joint solutions that can accelerate digital transformation for enterprise clients in the utilities space globally.
 Headquartered in California, SEW is a global energy and water cloud platform provider serving over 200 utilities worldwide.
 "The Wipro-SEW partnership is key to our utilities marketplace as clients seek to provide enhanced experience for their customers and workforce. We will leverage our rich industry expertise, domain-specific knowledge and SEW's products with its analytics capabilities, to help fulfill the digital transformation agenda of our utilities clients," Wipro President and Global Head, Energy, Natural Resources, Utilities and Construction NS Bala said. 
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* Bayside Media raises pre-series A funding from Equanimity Ventures
 Bayside Media on Friday said it has raised an undisclosed amount in pre-series A funding from Equanimity Ventures Fund for its management training program, SEAL Professional. 
 The funds will be used to support program development and marketing, a statement said.
 SEAL Professional was set up in 2016 and over 4,000 people have gone through the course. Of these, more than 1,800 have been placed across companies including Flipkart, Aditya Birla, Zara, Calvin Klein and others. 
**** 
* Dr Trust launches Bluetooth body scale
 Dr Trust, a home health-tech space brand, on Friday said it has launched hi-tech Bluetooth body scale, which the company claims assesses an individual on 18 critical health parameters.
 "Along with weight, the Dr Trust Bluetooth body scale gives a true picture of fitness levels by assessing an individual on 18 critical health parameters like body mass index (BMI), basal metabolism rate (BMR), body age, bone mass, visceral fat, muscle mass, body fat percentage, skeletal muscle and much more," said Saurabh Goyal, executive director of Nureca Pvt Ltd, which owns Dr Trust brand.
 Goyal said the device has four high-precision gauge sensors which bring down deviation in weight measurement to 50 grams as against the market range of 100-200g. SR SUN SHW RVK

Infosys designs digital experience for Australian Open

<ul><li>As we enter a new year, we wanted to understand what to expect from the Over-the-top (<keyword id="1245953" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ott" source="Orion">OTT</keyword>) industry in 2022.</li><li>In today's feature, we speak to industry experts who share their thoughts on what this year has in store for us.</li></ul>After 2020 we had hoped that 2021 would bring us some respite from the pandemic. However, things were challenging for a large part of the year. With many of us stuck within the four walls of our house for the most part of the year, OTT platforms sometimes became the only source of entertainment in our lives. Not only did 2021 see the launch of a lot of big-budget originals on various OTT platforms, a lot of movies like Sardar Udham Singh, Mimi and Shershaah launched on these platforms. Content producing companies put their best foot forward and created award-winning shows that won both commercial and critical acclaim. There has been a visible increase in investments in content production, a trend that is here to stay in 2022 as well. A recent joint report by industry body CII and Boston Consulting Group (BCG) stated that the Indian OTT sector is currently in the scaling stage with strong subscription growth and high investment in premium as well as original content. The Indian OTT sector is one of the most competitive amongst emerging markets with over 40 players. While there have been debates about more and more people moving away from TV, Mandeep Kohli, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group India states that we are still some time away from that happening at a large scale in India. “The share of traditional media is slowly declining with increased digital adoption but there is still high headroom for penetration with only 54% of Indian households having a pay TV connection compared to more than 70% in China. For many households, TV continues to be the center of the home and a significant part of family time,” said Kohli, Managing Director and Partner, Boston Consulting Group India. The report further stated that the industry is at a scaling stage currently and has the potential to become a $13-15 billion industry by 2030. To understand what the new year has in store for us, we spoke to a few of the most important voices from India’s OTT industry, along with some of the biggest content production houses. Here is what they had to say about what lies ahead: Manish Kalra, Chief Business Officer, <keyword id="6245082" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="zee5" source="Orion">ZEE5</keyword> India The already-growing online media and entertainment business received a major boost with the black swan event that the Covid-19 pandemic was, setting a new growth trajectory in the last year. The audience adopted a more digitally advanced way of entertainment, something that went beyond the conventional mediums, leading to mass adoption of OTT platforms which resulted in a surge in both viewership and watch-time. This pandemic-induced growth in demand for quality content led to an increased focus on storytelling across languages leading to the creation of extensive and expansive content libraries. People also became more open to sampling diverse content from different languages and were keener to opt for the living room experience thanks to the increased adoption of connected devices. This growth of the connected devices ecosystem has made OTT a preferred choice not only for personal but also for family consumption. At ZEE5, we have seen a 3X growth in the viewership on connected devices. The rise in power-packed dynamic storytelling and the rise of connected devices has led to the advent of the ‘Home Box Office’ which is a trend that is here to stay. While we grew 200% this year at the back of an aggressive slate of content line-up and hyper-personalization, we aim to make deeper inroads into Indian homes going into 2022. Sameer Nair, CEO, <keyword id="1322450" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="applause-entertainment" source="Orion">Applause Entertainment</keyword> <div type="image" title="IMG_8153 (1)" msid="88694220" hostid="261"></div> I believe the biggest emerging trend for the streaming industry in 2022 and beyond is the increasing flattening of the Earth, with both geographical borders and language barriers breaking down as internet connectivity reaches the remotest audiences. Our audiences, both local and global, have become smarter, more perceptive and way more critical; this requires us as Content Creators and Distributors to significantly improve the quality of our storytelling, of our productions and of the consumer experience we offer. Authentic, rooted stories that have a universal appeal can and will breakout to reach audiences globally. The more we collaborate with talent from diverse cultures and geographies, the richer we will become as storytellers. The ‘One Planet One Species Shared Cultures’ is an idea whose time is truly upon us. Divya Dixit, SVP, Marketing &amp; Revenue, <keyword id="4241922" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="altbalaji" source="Orion">ALTBalaji</keyword> With the traditional marketing budgets on a decline and digital and influencer marketing taking center stage, there are many trends, however interrelated, that we will see emerging in 2022. The digital audiovisual industry will explode; according to Bain and Company, India's online video user base has increased to more than 350 million people, growing 24% in the last three years. Influencer marketing will rapidly move to include micro-influencers and not just be dependent on Celebrity influencers, thereby also promoting UGC. Video marketing, live streaming will give rise to Social commerce and tier 2 and 3 cities will claim the growth chart curve. With all these interrelated events/trends triggering off, Users will expect personalized experiences which will be offset by deeper integration of ML, which will give rise to AI usage; however, the world of marketers will also see a more focused emerging curve towards Organic retention – CRM, surveys, retention tools, recommendation cycles, SEO, UI/UX as Google continues the stance of stopping 3rd party cookies by end of 2023. Manjit Sachdev- Head – Originals, Voot and Voot Select, Viacom18 Digital Ventures <div type="image" title="Manjit Sachdev _Head Content at VOOT AND VOOT Select" msid="88694240" hostid="261"></div> After an unprecedented 2020, with an acceleration in the growth of OTT platforms, 2021 was a year for creating milestones in curating unique and enthralling stories for the audience. Now as we step into 2022 with hope and resilience, the OTT sector will witness an increase in the demand for personalized and purpose-driven content. Given the increasing competition in the OTT space, staying relevant and purposeful is most critical. Considering the changing realities in today's times, having a purpose-driven story telling approach is the way to go. Content with purpose has the power to travel beyond boundaries, spread values, knowledge and positivity and build deeper engagement with subscribers. This trend will act as a key differentiator in changing behaviours. Megha Tata, Managing Director, South Asia, Discovery, Inc As SVOD continues to grow aggressively, we are seeing an increasing number of audiences now willing to pay for good content. I believe a right combination of compelling content and pricing would be the key in attracting a bigger share of consumers into the SVOD world next year. Also, differentiated programming will add to a player’s competitive advantage in the midst of most mainstream players offering similar content. This is a trend familiar to what we saw even broadcast channels go through. I believe some players will be able to carve out a niche for themselves, while most streaming catalogs will end up resembling each other. Rishi Negi, COO, Banijay Asia 2020 was a game changer for the whole world, we strategized a smooth transition to the streaming era and the year 2021 was about sustaining the positive change and envisioning the prospects of growth. With changing narratives and experimental content taking a lead, along with the fact that the data &amp; streaming charges have dropped, has resulted in the content reaching a much bigger audience. I anticipate the year 2022 to be vibrant with original productions, compelling storytelling and some path-breaking performances. Fighting the content inflation with a wide variety of exceptional chronicles intertwined with existing catalog shows in this post-pandemic world, viewers are streaming more than ever. With nominal data plan and streaming charges, content is reaching even the darkest corner of the world. Considering the pace of content transmission, at Banijay Asia, we have become more aggressive towards producing content that delights the heartland of India. We see a hike in demand for stories which are untold, female centric and with CTV on the rise, we anticipate growing interest in regional unscripted content in 2022. While we have seen this trend kickstart already with our Tamil unscripted show The Survivors as it received unparalleled response from the audience and our hinterland drama Matsya Kaand recently crossed a 100M views on <keyword id="2214311" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mx-player" source="Orion">MX Player</keyword> within a month. These numbers affirm that the trendsmap that we're following leads to a sustainable future. Given these past two years have been a real tester, we have pushed through every possible challenge posed by the virus this year and successfully produced shows for the streaming giants and kept the show running. While we have covered grounds with our scripted, non-scripted, international format adaptation, book adaptations, in the upcoming year, we aim to keep up with our pace and keep reinventing our ways. To sum it up, we are thoroughly looking forward to 2022 to be a year full of exciting and enthralling projects to keep our audiences engaged and invested. Rohit Jain, Managing Director, <keyword id="193261" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lionsgate" source="Orion">Lionsgate</keyword> South Asia and Networks, Emerging Markets Asia 2022 is going to be an exciting year for OTT players as the content pipeline will be stronger than ever. While the pandemic has leapfrogged growth in terms of viewers and subscription we expect 2022 to further amplify the reach and will witness growth not only in the metros but also in tier II &amp; tier III cities. Today’s viewers are constantly looking for edgy and unique stories. We have always said premium content is the ultimate winner. The OTT industry will have to concentrate on quality content over quantity of content. Siddhartha Roy, COO, Hungama Digital Media The media and entertainment industry has been making rapid strides in the interior of India. Regional markets are becoming the industry’s point of convergence as the digital infrastructure expands across the length and breadth of the country. Content houses and creators are going vocal through local, thereby, making homegrown, high-quality content available at the click of a button. Going further, consumption of entertainment, in addition to audio and video, will be extended to varied mediums, such as gaming. As the Indian online gaming sector is witnessing tremendous growth in 2020 it sets a tone that gaming will be the next big thing. The industry will witness a rapid rise in the use of AI and ML to create a customised and personalised experience for audiences. This makes industry consumer friendly; not just that, it helps in massive consumption and double consumer engagement. Hiren Gada, CEO-Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd <div type="image" title="Hiren Gada, CEO, Shemaroo Entertainment Ltd." msid="88726664" hostid="261"></div> With regional internet penetration growing at a rapid pace, localization of content and OTT apps are going to be one of the emerging trends to look out for. Content that was earlier restricted to just Bollywood and Hollywood is getting extended to other native languages and it is going to play a key role in attracting new consumers and in supporting other industries such as dubbing and subtitling that will further boost the content bank. Other than localization, we will also see content being offered across other segments that include devotional, and kids’ categories. As we see new OTT apps being launched almost every month with multiple paying models, the consumers will have more flexibility and power to make their own choices. With increased smartphone adoption along with affordable data, mobile penetration of the OTT will see more focus. Mobile-centric plans have been introduced by most OTTs today to cater to the Millennials and GenZs who have the hunger to consume content but not the deep pockets to pay. This space will continue to grow with the increased bundling of OTT by telecos. Additionally, the arrival of 5G which is most likely to take off this year will be a game-changer not just for the OTTs but also for the consumers. It will enable faster connectivity, accessibility to content and further enhance the viewing experience with reduced buffering issues, and an uninterrupted real-time streaming experience. Shailesh Kapoor, The Founder &amp; CEO, Ormax Media The last two years have been exceptional for the OTT market in India, aided in no small measure by the lockdowns. As things begin to get back to normal, the question that we will hear a lot more in 2022 is: Where is the next level of OTT growth in India going to come from? The category has grown at an estimated 30-35% in its user base and more than 50% in paid subscriptions over the last two years. But these growth rates are not sustainable in the long run. Platforms will have to look for offerings that are both compelling and distinctive, to get new subscribers in a category that will continue to grow, but at more modest levels of 15-20% per annum. Crossover content, be it Indian (such as Jai Bhim) or foreign (such as Squid Game or Money Heist), will play an important role in this regard. The language barrier has been broken considerably by the OTT medium, and with dubbing and subtitles available in many languages for all major shows and films now, platforms cannot stick to single-language, homogenous offerings anymore. We can expect more language-led experimentation, both in content acquisition and presentation."

Where the Indian OTT industry is headed in 2022

<ul><li>The invitation-only event saw top business houses of India under one roof.</li><li>This year, the committee received 80 by-invitation only nominations in India across 24 industry categories.</li><li> APEA has a membership base of 2000 winners, with a total net worth of over USD 50 billion.</li></ul>In a gala event organised to recognise and celebrate entrepreneurship, the <keyword id="7570094" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Asia-Pacific-entrepreneurship-awards">Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards</keyword> 2019 held on April 18 saw India’s top business houses gather for a grand evening. The invitation-only event hosted industry leaders, leading <keyword id="53533" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="entrepreneurs">entrepreneurs</keyword> and dignitaries including Tan Sri Dr. Fong Chan Onn, Chairman of <keyword id="3328093" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Enterprise-Asia">Enterprise Asia</keyword>; H.E. Dato’ Hidayat Abdul Hamid, High Commissioner of Malaysia in New Delhi; Mr. Vijay Kalantri, President of All India Association of Industries; Lieutenant General Sudhir Sharma, Advisor to Enterprise Asia; and Dato’ William Ng, President of Enterprise Asia. The event was also supported by Skill India, an initiative under the Ministry of Skill Development and Entrepreneurship, Government of India; Pernod Ricard India as the Official Beverage Sponsor; and Business Insider India and SME Magazine as Official Media Partners. Organized by Enterprise Asia, the leading non-governmental organization for entrepreneurship in Asia, APEA is a regional awards program which aims to recognize Asia’s outstanding entrepreneurs and enterprises for demonstrating sustainable growth, responsible leadership and operational excellence. As one of the largest business awards of its kind, APEA has a membership base of 2000 winners, with a total net worth of over USD 50 billion. The Awards ceremony is currently held in 14 countries and markets, including BIMP-EAGA, Brunei, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, United Arab Emirates, and Vietnam. This year, the committee received 80 by-invitation only nominations in India across 24 industry categories. Being an invitation-only event, APEA open doors for winners to join an exclusive alumni of who’s who across Asia, providing them with the opportunity to share knowledge, form lifetime acquaintances, and receive complimentary access to the International Innovation Summit and International CSR Summit organized annually by the organization. “This year marks the 10th year of running the Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards in India, and we are gratified by the continued interest in the program. We believe this is a reflection of the ongoing success of entrepreneurs and enterprises, as well as our steadfast commitment to upholding the highest standards of our global criteria,”shared Ng. He further commented, “The panel of judges were impressed by the quality and diversity of submissions this year and had the challenging task of evaluating and determining this year’s top nominees. The Awards were given solely on merit and aimed to commend those most deserving for their ingenuity, passion, and commitment to excellence, distinguishing them from their competitors and proving them worthy of recognition.” Leading the list of winners was Mr Salil Singhal, Chairman Emeritus of PI Industries Ltd., who received the Special Achievement Award. The Award is only dedicated to one recipient per country, and winners are entrepreneurs who have shown remarkable performance in their communication of the visions, brands, and strategies, setting new standards, and leading their business to success over a sustained period of time. Other notable winners of the APEA include Mr Ashish Khemka, Chairman and Managing Director of AMN Life Science Pvt. Ltd (Outstanding Category); Baker Hughes, a GE Company (Corporate Excellence Category); and D-Link (India) Limited (Corporate Excellence Category). According to Ng, “We are proud to be the oldest business awards program in Asia and have been privileged to shine the spotlight on some of India’s exceptional game changers of tomorrow, whose entrepreneurial spirit in growing successful businesses have made a positive and enduring impact on their community and country. Beyond recognising the efforts of these extraordinary entrepreneurs and management teams behind responsible and dynamic businesses, we hope to encourage them to continue taking their businesses to the next level, and in the process, encourage even greater entrepreneurial activity. This is aligned to Enterprise Asia's purpose, Democratizing Entrepreneurship, Institutionalizing Sustainability and Empowering Innovation.”

15 Winners honoured at the 10th Asia Pacific Entrepreneurship Awards 2019

The 40-year old volunteer, who works as a business consultant had wanted to investigate the cause of him contracting severe neurological health complications he had suffered after being vaccinated with Covidshield shots under development at <keyword id="95879" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Serum-Institute-of-India">Serum Institute of India</keyword>, but the company was intimidating him with a threat of over Rs 100 crore damage suit, said his advocates. "We are yet to get any reply for the legal notice sent to various parties, including Serum Institute. We have seen news reports about Serum Institute threatening our client with a suit for over Rs 100 crore," N.G.R. Prasad, Advocate, Row &amp; Reddy, told IANS. "Our client had restricted his claim only for Rs 5 crore and wanted investigation to start as to the cause of him suffering severe neurological problems and stop the vaccine from affecting other people," Prasad added. On the other hand, Serum Institute without getting into the root cause is intimidating its volunteer with a threat of over Rs 100 crore damage suit. "The client is ready to fight it out legally if needed," R.Rajaram, another Advocate for the volunteer told IANS. The two advocates said this will be a medico-legal case and the evidence of medical professionals will be obtained in support of their client. "The volunteer was a healthy male prior to being vaccinated. He was tested only for coronavirus infection before being vaccinated with Covidshield. He was found negative for coronavirus infection," Prasad said. "No other medical tests were done to ascertain his health condition," Prasad added. He said in case of any adverse reaction, investigation into the issue should have been carried out immediately-whether it is related to the vaccine or not. "But it was not done despite the severe neurological health complications our client had developed," Prasad said. Reacting to the volunteer's legal notice, Serum Institute in a media statement on November 29 said: "The claim is malicious because the volunteer was specifically informed by the medical team that the complications he suffered were independent of the vaccine trial he underwent. In-spite of specifically being made aware of the same, he still chose to go public and malign the reputation of the company." The company is silent on what basis the medical team told the volunteer that his neurological problems are independent of the vaccine trial that he underwent. According to Prasad, no other medical tests were done on his client to ascertain his pre-vaccination health status and other pre-existing ailments. "The allegations in the notice are malicious and misconceived. While the Serum Institute of India is sympathetic with the volunteer's medical condition, there is absolutely no correlation with the vaccine trial and the medical condition of the volunteer. The volunteer is falsely laying the blame for his medical problems on the <keyword id="8983421" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Covid-vaccine">Covid vaccine</keyword> trial," Serum Institute had said. "It is evident that the intention behind the spreading of such malicious information is an oblique pecuniary motive. The Serum Institute of India, will seek damages in excess of 100 crore for the same and will defend such malicious claims," the company issued a counter threat. "We had sent a legal notice to the Serum Institute; Indian Council for Medical Research (ICMR); AstraZeneca, UK; Drugs Controller General of India; Andrew Pollard, Chief Investigator, Oxford Vaccine Trial; The Jenner Institute Laboratories, University of Oxford; and the Vice Chancellor of Sri Ramachandra Higher Education and Research," Prasad said. As per the legal notice issued, the volunteer, a 40-year old male is married and has two kids aged about 12 and 7 years. On coming to know about the call for volunteers for the third phase of human trial at Sri Ramachandra Institute of Higher Education and Research (formerly called Sri Ramachandra Medical College &amp; Research Institute or SRMC) for testing the Covid-19 vaccine developed by the Oxford University, the public spirit in him wanted to volunteer, the notice said. The volunteer was informed by the Ramachandra Institute that it was a randomised controlled study to determine the safety and immunogenicity of Covishield (Covid-19 vaccine) in the health of Indian adults. The 'participant information sheet' given to him said that the sponsors were (a) Serum Institute of India Pvt Ltd (SII), and (b) The Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); and the investigation site is Sri Ramachandra Higher Education and Research (deemed university), Chennai, and the investigator is S.R. Ramakrishnan. According to the notice, as per the 'participant information sheet', "Oxford University has developed a vaccine against Covid-19. This vaccine has been previously tested in around 500 healthy adults of 18 to 55 years of age in the UK and was found to be safe and induce an immune response. Currently, three large clinical trials in thousands of healthy adults are ongoing with this vaccine in the UK, Brazil and South Africa. The SII has collaborated with the Oxford University and AstraZeneca (a pharmaceutical company in the UK) to manufacture this vaccine on a commercial scale, which is called Covishield." According to the notice, the Sri Ramachandra Institute and the trial investigator also assured the volunteer that the vaccine has already been found to be safe and that this study is to further confirm the safety and immune response of Covishield in Indian adults. "Our client further states that the contents in Page 8 of the participant information sheet further assured the safety of the vaccine, though two participants in the UK developed unexplained neurological symptoms that were concluded to be not related to the vaccine," the notice stated. As per the notice, there is nothing in the participant information sheet to educate or warn the participants about any serious side-effects of the said vaccine, like the one suffered by him. The volunteer had signed the consent form on September 29. As the test for antibodies against Covid-19 was negative, the Covishield study vaccine was given to him on October 1. For 10 days after vaccination, there was no adverse reaction, but on October 11, the volunteer woke up at 5.30 a.m. with a severe headache and went back to sleep and did not get up when his wife tried to wake him up at 9 a.m. At 2 p.m., he woke up and vomited and went back to sleep, saying he had a severe headache. There was a total behavioural change in him -- he was not aware of his surroundings, he showed irritation towards light and sound, and was resisting any effort to make him get up from bed, the notice said citing his wife. The Covishield volunteer vomited in the ambulance enroute the emergency ward of the Sri Ramachandra Medical College Hospital. "According to the hospital's discharge summary, he was brought into the hospital "in an altered mental state" and was "disoriented". The Covidshied volunteer was discharged from the hospital on October 26, with the discharge summary stating that he had suffered "acute encephalopathy". "He says that in the 16 days that he was in the hospital, almost all possible medical tests and investigations were done on him to connect his neurological set back to any of his earlier health condition, that is, to connect it to some factor other than the test vaccine that was administered on him on October 1. But all the tests done on him was found to be negative, confirming that the setback in his health was due to the test vaccine he was administered on October 1, and not because of any prior health condition," the notice said. The volunteer was even fastened to the bed as he was aggressive. Citing his wife, the notice stated that the volunteer is still not stable, has severe mood swings, has problems with comprehending and focusing on things, is finding it difficult to even do simple routine things like making online payments, leave alone focusing on work-related matters. So much so that he is feeling utterly frustrated and lacking confidence totally. Even after a month of the severe adverse reaction to the vaccine, neither has the regulator (Drugs Controller General of India/Data and Safety Monitoring Committee), the sponsors (ICMR and SII) or the collaborators of the sponsors (AstraZeneca and Oxford University) got in touch with him to find out about the severe adverse effect after vaccination and investigate the severe reaction the test vaccine has had on him. According to the notice, this clearly goes against the protocols and guidelines set by the World Health Organization (WHO) in dealing with an Adverse Event Following Immunization (AEFI)/Vaccination. "The WHO protocol clearly states that 'the criteria for initiating investigation (an AEFI) could be fixed as within two working days for serious events and five working days for non-serious events'. And 'a report must be made as quickly as possible so that an immediate decision can be made on the need for action and investigation'," the notice said. "Our client's wife states that EEG tests done on November 12 (18 days after discharge from the hospital) shows 'dysfunction involving both hemispheres', and 'dysfunction involving the ascending sensory pathways on both sides from both the lower extremities'. Psychiatric evaluation done on the same day shows 'mild deficit in verbal &amp; visual memory functions', 'mild deficit in dealing with complex information', and 'an under-functioning in overall cognitive functions'," the notice stated. The volunteer is claiming a financial compensation of Rs five crore for all the trauma he is undergoing and with an uncertain future in his health, and also the testing, manufacturing and the distribution of the vaccine should also be stopped immediately. When contacted, a spokesperson of Sri Ramachandra Higher Education told IANS that the matter is subjudice and cannot comment on the matter despite no suit has been filed by the volunteer.

Serum Covishield legal row: Chennai volunteer seeks investigation, lawyer says company is intimidating him with ₹100 crore suit

<ul><li>Over the years, jingles have proven to be effective for brands in helping them differentiate themselves and create a unique identity.</li><li>However, we haven’t heard too many jingles lately. Much to our delight, a Genie has finally heard our prayers and granted our wish.</li><li>There’s a new jingle in town that the internet is humming to. It is <keyword id="9167642" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="swiggy-genie" source="Orion">Swiggy Genie</keyword>’s ‘<keyword id="12405659" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="genie-dekh-lega" source="Orion">Genie Dekh Lega</keyword>.’</li></ul>Remember those old, golden days when you would actually turn on your television’s volume during a commercial break to hear ‘Washing Powder Nirma’ or Badshah Masala’s jingle and your whole family would join in and hum along? Be it Lijjat Papad from the 90s or Idea’s Hunny Bunny from the early 2000s, jingles hold a special place in our hearts. They are still fresh in our memories like they were launched yesterday. Over the years, jingles have played a critical role in building a brand’s identity -- helping them stand apart from the crowd because jingles stick and leave a long-lasting impression on consumers’ minds. However, lately, we haven’t been hearing too many jingles in India. Granting our wish to revisit these old days, <keyword id="6358977" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="swiggy" source="Orion">Swiggy</keyword> Genie has come up with the new earworm, a jingle called ‘Genie dekh lega.’ <div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Video"><cdata><![CDATA[ ]]></cdata></div> Conceptualised by Schbang, Swiggy has launched a new campaign that aims to position it as a brand that comes to its consumer’s rescue even at the eleventh hour. With a catchy jingle that will make a home in your mind, Swiggy reminds the audience that no matter how small the item is -- be it a lehenga or a charger or sending a Diwali gift to your loved ones -- it will deliver it to you or for you. Commenting on the release of the film, Rishabh Pande, Creative Lead at Schbang said, “When you land a brief from Swiggy India, you need to tell yourself as a creative to take the excitement down a notch and channel that energy to create work that takes creativity up a notch. This film isn’t memorable because it chose to explore humour, like all Swiggy ads, but because it chose to explore and own a category unlike any Swiggy ad we’ve seen before. That’s where the idea of this ear-worm was born and boy does it deliver.” Sneha John, Director, Marketing at Swiggy said, “Festivals like Diwali see a lot of consumers using Genie to run last minute errands for the home or to send sweets and homemade treats to family and friends. With this film, we want to showcase Genie as an always dependable service that comes to your aid for last minute Diwali shopping and party needs.” According to the Oxford Dictionary, a Genie is a spirit of Arabian folklore, as depicted traditionally imprisoned within a bottle or oil lamp, and capable of granting wishes when summoned. Swiggy has been focusing on establishing its delivery associates as superhumans of sorts, a genie, to be precise. It grants your wishes anytime you summon it and deliver to you in a jiffy -- as if appearing from thin air. Before the ‘Genie Dekh Lega’ advertisement, Swiggy ran a campaign called ‘Swiggy Genie’s got your back.’ It shows how Swiggy can share the load if you have got a lot on your plate and pick up your grocery for you. <div type="Youtube" id="Rqjyt2iTlMI" title="Tired of being a running Ranjith? Swiggy Genie's got your back!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Rqjyt2iTlMI/mqdefault.jpg"></div> <div type="Youtube" id="8gEcscom18s" title="On the go all day? Swiggy Genie is here to help." thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8gEcscom18s/mqdefault.jpg"></div> When the Indian Government announced the country's first lockdown last year in March 2020 and said that only essential service providers were allowed to function, Swiggy came up with the idea of launching Swiggy Genie. Whether it was flu medicine or healthy food, Genie has been helping end-users to make instant deliveries from one point to another. Client: Swiggy India Agency: Schbang Production House: Schbang Motion Pictures Head, Schbang Motion Pictures: Abhimanyu Balasubramanyam Director: Nilay Singh Cinematographer: Jay Charola Executive Producer: Raashi Priya Nahata Associate Producer: Rahul Rohra Music Composer - Kanishk Seth Chief Assistant Director: Sohil Kohli Line Producer - Durgesh Dadhich (OMG Productions) Production Manager - Lalit Sippy DA - Gaurav Ahuja 2nd AD: Rishabh Sharma Art Director: Prince and Team Costume Stylist: Vidhi Gurnani Hair and Makeup - Priti Pannu Vice President- Isha Amin Group Solutions Manager - Sanjana Jaikishin Rohera Creative Director - Aditya Mehendale Group Creative Manager- Tanaiya Saigal Creative Lead - Rishabh Pande Sr. Creative Strategist- Pearl Alex Account Lead- Mehernaz Mistry Sr. Solutions Strategist - Janya Sindhu Business Development Manager- Radhika Raheja Sr. BD Executive- Jinita Shah Creative Strategist- Simran Kumar, Rebecca D'silva Cast - Manoj Mathew, Shruti Puranic, Usha Palan, Vallabh Gada, Myra Shah Support Cast- Deven Patel, Devendra Ahirwal, Nihal Nischal, Gaurav Ahuja, Rishabh Pande, Rishabh Sharma, Prakhar Casting Director- Shubham Tiwari and Team Offline Editor - Vishnu Prasad Designer - Ayushi Bhawsar and Abhishek Shigwan Animation- Nitin Malekar Colourist- Christian Leivia Online- After Studio Sound Mix and Master - Kardam 1st AC- Kshitij Singh Gaffer- Rajesh Singh Focus Puller- Chandan Yadav Camera Equipment - Uni10 Media Works Pvt Ltd Light Equipment - Light World Storyboard - Akhilesh Catering - Nathmauli Spot Team - Noor Alam Sheikh and team Accounts - Suryakant Bondre, Prathamesh Patkar and Kailas Salunke Location- SS bunglow Location manager- Laxman Rathore and team Office Boy - Vaibhav Kamble

There’s a new jingle in town as Swiggy uses the power of music to connect with its audience and establish itself as a last-minute Genie coming to your rescue

<keyword id="3205550" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="LeEco">LeEco</keyword>’s first Made for India phone, the Le 1s (Eco), has made waves in the industry by launching a device at remarkably attractive price of Rs. 9999. The global internet and technology conglomerate announced its <keyword id="3349224" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Blockbuster-Superphone">Blockbuster Superphone</keyword> yesterday at a grand launch event in Mumbai, showcasing its unique content integration model and features LeVidi and Live that will give users access to a plethora of entertainment content anytime anywhere! 
 
The Blockbuster Superphone is a power-packed performer and the first device to showcase the integrated content one-stop experience coupled with breakthrough technology. The Le 1s Eco is the first “Made for India” Superphone by the company, showcasing its unique ecosystem and first of its kind in the Sub-10,000 category packed with powerful features. Bringing alive company’s content integration with partners Eros Now, Yupp TV and Hungama, Le1s Eco packs seamless interface through unique functions -Le Vidi and Live, which allows users to consume high quality content to user on-the-go! 
 
“We are extremely overwhelmed with the response that we have received for our blockbuster Superphone – Le 1s Eco. We were confident that our “Made for India” Superphone will strike an instant chord with our Indian customers, given its great features coupled with the best-in-class content library. We understand that entertainment plays a critical role in the lives of people and therefore remain committed to bringing blockbuster content to them wherever they want, whenever they want. At LeEco, it is our constant endeavour to offer users breakthrough technology and innovative features such as our content integration at a sustainable price, ensuring users get a true value product”, said Mr. Atul Jain, COO, Le Ecosystem Technology India Pvt. Ltd. 
 
Equipped with a 5.5” inch (403 ppi) screen of 1080x1920 resolution display, the device delivers an ideal balance of performance, battery life and graphics to users. With slick dimensions, the device is easy to hold and light to carry. It runs on the latest Android 5.0 eUI and packs a powerful Helio X10 MediaTek Processor, 1.8 GHz with a 3 GB of RAM, enabling uninterrupted video streaming; offering powerful multitasking and a rich multi-media experience. The 13 MP rear camera and 5 MP front camera ensure quality pictures and great video capability. The device also sports a powerful 3000 mAh lithium polymer battery for on the go usage. Designed for both work and entertainment, the device is the optimal device for viewing videos, playing enhanced games, and reading e-books anytime, anywhere. 
 
Supertainment package which is otherwise also priced at Rs 10,899, including Le 1s Eco for Rs 9,999 and a one-year membership fee of Rs 4,900, and a LeEco offer of Rs 4,000 is undoubtedly a killer deal any smartphone brand could have offered to its consumers. As a part of this blockbuster deal, not only the consumers get the Superphone with features like no other but also the wide range of entertainment content anytime anywhere. 
 
The LeEco advantage for consumers with the company’s best- in- class after-sales set up is unparalleled. The company has already announced 555 service centres across prominent locations pan-India and 24*7 toll-free call centre support. 
 
LeEco entered the India market with the launch of its Superphones in early 2016 - the Le 1s and the Le Max. The devices which are exclusively available on Flipkart, have truly disrupted the market with their best in class specifications at democratized pricing. 
 
About LeEco: 
 
LeEco, formerly known as Letv, is a global pioneering internet and technology company with multiple internet ecosystems across content, devices, applications and platforms. Founded in November 2004 by Jia Yueting and Liu Hong, LeEco employs more than 10,000 people and is the world’s first video company to go public with a market capitalization of more than $12 billion USD. Headquartered in Beijing, China, it has regional headquarters in Hong Kong, Los Angeles and Silicon Valley. 
 
With “Complete Ecosystem, Groundbreaking technologies, and Disruptive Pricing” as the guiding principle, LeEco is engaged in a myriad of businesses, spanning from Internet-based Super TV and Superphones, video production and distribution, smart devices/accessories and large-screen applications, to e-commerce and even connected super-electric cars. The company also features one of the world's largest content libraries, comprising of movies, TV dramas, entertainment shows, sports and music, which can be conveniently viewed on LeEco products, including the Superphones, Super TVs, and in the near future, Le Autos. Breaking the barriers of industries, LeEco provides personalized products and services for an enhanced user experience at disruptive prices.

The Blockbuster Superphone will now be available for just Rs. 9999 as introductory offer

The growth of the <keyword id="6375224" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="higher-education">higher education</keyword> system in India has been relatively steady for a period of over 20 years, beginning from 1985-86. Recently, student enrolment has picked up speed, from an approximate 16 million in 2009-10 to well over 26 million today, and it is slated to hit 40 million by the year 2020. But the focus of the policy-makers during this period has largely been on issues of expansion, of access and equity, and relatively less so on excellence. Even back in 2007, <keyword id="222693" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="The-National">the National</keyword> Knowledge Commission described the situation in the higher education arena (undergraduate, postgraduate and vocational education after 12th grade, age group 18 years and above) as ‘a quiet crisis that runs deep.’ Fortunately, there is a ray of hope in the new National Higher Education Mission (2013) announced by the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD) of the <keyword id="6377129" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Government-Of-India">Government of India</keyword>, also called the Rashtriya Uchchatam Shiksha Abhiyan or RUSA. 
 <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="investments">Investments</keyword> in relevant quality education not just produce robust economic returns but also strengthen the democracy by creating an enlightened citizenry. The <keyword id="1862062" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="RUSA-mission">RUSA mission</keyword> will attempt to bring the focus back to where it ought to be – on the quality of higher education delivered at the educational institutions that are under the purview of the state governments. Mainstream English language media prefer to cover the institutions run by the central government – the top favourites being the IITs and IIMs, the central universities, IIITs, AIIMS and many others, to a lesser extent. And yet, these institutions account for just 2.6% of the student intake! So, what about the remaining 97%? 
 
The skew between the central government-run institutions and those controlled by the state governments is not just in the number of students enrolled. The quality of higher education imparted at the state government-run institutions is relatively inferior in almost every discipline. Figures regarding youth employability from TeamLease show that 57% of the young people suffer from some degree of unemployability and 53% of the employed youth suffer from some degree of skill deprivation. These are staggering figures that are already hurting the health of the nation. The private sector, which runs over 60% of the educational institutions but accounts for just 40% of the enrolment, has not lived up to expectations either, in terms of quality. 
 The state governments will point to the fact that the Central institutions have been heavily funded at the expense of all others, but the problem extends beyond that. The states have paid little attention to higher education, spending far too small a portion of their GSDP (Gross State Domestic Product) on it, just 0.5% on an average. A few states like Maharashtra spend as little as 0.14%! The RUSA mission of MHRD aims to correct this skew in <keyword id="6357455" type="EVENT" weightage="40" keywordseo="Funding">funding</keyword> by providing the states with block grants, against the state-wide perspective plans for spending and for the outcome prepared by the state higher education councils. The difficulty here is that some of the state higher education councils, Maharashtra for instance, are not active. So these states could end up wasting precious time in claiming their share of funds. Indeed, the sense of urgency for bringing about change appears to be missing, be it the MHRD or the state governments. 
 
The fragmentation of our higher education system necessitates a strong focus on scalable solutions. We have 690 universities/university-level institutions and nearly 37,000 colleges, educating approximately 26.6 million students. Compare this with China where just 4,000 universities and colleges cater to a similar number, 25.4 million students (as per 2010 data)! 
 
It is well known that addressing problems at scale requires a completely different approach – one needs to begin differently. The regulatory regime has also contributed in no small way to the erosion of quality and needs to be reworked. Governments need to focus on creating an enabling framework within which the management and the faculty can be empowered to innovate and deliver desired outcome. Complete autonomy to institutions, supported by an appropriate accountability regime, will help unleash the creativity and energy of the faculty and students. Fortunately, giving autonomy to colleges is a key goal of the RUSA mission. 
 
The management and regulation of education ought to be a space where there is active engagement of a large number of academics – teachers, educators, researchers, scientists and social scientists – all active practitioners in their respective fields. Expertise and experience are critical and decision-making bodies must be expanded and made more inclusive. They must also be made more accountable. The focus must shift from processes towards outcome. For instance, researchers, who by definition need to do things that have never been done before, ought not to find themselves constrained by cumbersome processes set up in the interests of preventing the misuse of funds. 
 
Also, many years of functioning in an extremely constrained environment has robbed the faculty of much of their capacity to take charge of quality education delivery. This problem will have to be taken head on and the capacity will have to be painstakingly rebuilt. Being expected to specify the outcome and working towards delivering the same are what the faculty must get used to doing. Governments and managements of institutions must correspondingly ensure that their working conditions are conducive. 
 Unfortunately, a large number of faculty members are employed on contract basis for years on end and they are paid poorly. Worse still, many are even hired on ‘clock-hour-basis’ and are paid paltry sums such as Rs 250 for a 50-minute lecture! Teaching has long ceased to be a profession of choice. The attractive salaries of the <keyword id="54272" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="6th-pay-commission">6th Pay Commission</keyword> are available only to a small group of tenured faculty. Sadly, it is this group that is vocal in its opposition to autonomy. 
 
How well the RUSA mission is implemented will be a reflection of how diligently we discharge our collective responsibility to the future generations. As most reforms take a minimum of a decade to show results, many international experts have pointed out that India’s window of opportunity is already slipping away. It is entirely up to us to revive it. 
 Dr Leena Chandran-Wadia is a Senior Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation Mumbai. She received her PhD in Physics from IISc Bangalore and did her post-doctoral at ETH Zurich, <keyword id="103" type="COUNTRY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Switzerland">Switzerland</keyword>. She has been a researcher at several places in India and abroad including NCST Mumbai (now CDAC), EPFL and CERN in Switzerland, and IIT Bombay. Most recently, she has served as the Senior VP and CTO at Netcore Solutions Pvt Ltd, a start-up company in the space of mobile value-added services. At ORF, she is engaged in research and advocacy, primarily in the areas of Higher Education and Research, but also in Public Health, Sustainable Agriculture and Renewable Energy.

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