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We’ve all been there: waiting anxiously as your <keyword id="20544300" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="food-delivery-app" source="keywords">food delivery app</keyword> teases you with the promise that your order will arrive "in 20 minutes." You watch in despair as the driver appears to be stuck in some alternate universe, making you wonder if your meal is actually taking a detour through a black hole. Worse yet, the order arrives with half your items missing, or, horror of horrors, your curry has decided to bathe the entire delivery bag. And when you try to reach out for some help? You're met with a <keyword id="19896299" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="chatbot" source="keywords">chatbot</keyword> that’s more interested in looping you through pre-programmed responses than connecting you with a real human. As usual, redditors are here for your rescue. Very recently, a Reddit user took to a Bengaluru sub to share a “hack” to help those who were struggling with food delivery apps and wanted the “premium experience” without paying more for it. As per the redditor, the key is to choose <keyword id="20635241" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="cash-on-delivery" source="keywords">cash on delivery</keyword> while placing your order on <keyword id="19901323" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zomato" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Zomato" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Zomato">Zomato</keyword> or <keyword id="19896956" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swiggy" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Swiggy" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Swiggy">Swiggy</keyword>. They went on to claim that the app would then prioritise your order over even gold customers. Further, their chatbots are more likely to connect you to a human if the delivery is delayed beyond a point or if there’s any other issue with your order. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="112865820" title="The new &amp;quot;Zomato for Enterprise&amp;quot; will directly bill your company for business-related food orders" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>“The user experience remains exactly the same — once the order is delivered you can pay via any UPI app or wallet or saved card through the app but you never again have to worry about being Zomato’s starving hostage,” u/steve7evans <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/bangalore/s/YokaI9aYfC" id="docs-internal-guid-b04dfa38-7fff-1b3e-b0be-47598d49afdf">wrote</a>. Many users shared their bad experiences with the delivery apps and <keyword id="19925749" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="customer-support" source="keywords">customer support</keyword>. While some agreed that they got the order faster than usual after opting for <keyword id="21690601" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cod" source="keywords">COD</keyword>, some felt that the experience is rather subjective. “I'm always able to connect with an agent. And I am always offered a refund generally when I complain. But I only complain in case of a genuine issue. Maybe because I don't abuse their system?” read one of the comments on the thread. However, this hack isn’t about cheating the system or stiffing hard-working delivery partners. The OP clarifies that this is about ensuring that you get the level of service you deserve, minus the unnecessary hassles. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111758782" title="Zomato and Swiggy increase platform fee by 20% – food deliveries to get costlier" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

The “ultimate Zomato and Swiggy hack” might be opting for COD while placing your order, claim redditors!

Artificial Intelligence in Customer Support

<ul class="summary-list"><li>VMware customers face steep <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vmware-customers-report-massive-price-increases-since-broadcom-deal-2024-8">price hikes</a> and late fees post-Broadcom acquisition.</li><li>Under Broadcom, VMware now focuses on strategic clients and subscription models.</li></ul>VMware customers have been experiencing sticker shock since <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vmware-chaos-broadcom-acquisition-layoffs-conference-employees-customers-2022-8">Broadcom acquired</a> the software company nearly a year ago.Besides <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vmware-customers-report-massive-price-increases-since-broadcom-deal-2024-8">massive price increases</a>, some customers are being hit with a late fee of around 20%, according to two partners. They said customers have been caught off guard because these are net new subscriptions. The exact late fee charge depends on factors like their specific deal with Broadcom and which products they use.Under <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadcom-ceo-vmware-new-remote-work-policy-2023-11">Broadcom</a>, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadcom-memo-kkr-acquiring-vmware-euc-division-2024-2">VMware</a> now focuses on its largest or most <a target="_blank" href="https://news.broadcom.com/news/vmware-by-broadcom-business-simplification">"strategic" customers</a>, and its customers must also convert from a perpetual licensing model to a subscription model— moves that Wall Street analysts are optimistic about.It's unclear when these late fees started. The partners who spoke with Business Insider said that it's impacting some customers transitioning to a subscription when they miss renewals and even customers who still have existing support and subscriptions (SnS) that haven't expired but haven't yet signed up for new subscriptions.Additionally, some customers are charged this fee if they initially dropped support but then resumed it when they upgraded to a new version. "Two customers I was talking to last week said, 'Out of nowhere, it seems, a VMware sales rep sent me a note and said, hey, if they don't renew before SnS expires, there will be a 20% late renewal fee," said Dean Colpitts, CTO at Members IT Group. "My response was, how can there be a late renewal fee?"Likewise, Ignacio Llorente, CEO of OpenNebula Systems, said in an email that his company has received "numerous emails from companies expressing concerns over VMware's recent changes in contractual terms, licensing models, and pricing policies.""Many customers who transitioned from perpetual licenses to VMware's subscription-based services are finding the new model challenging, as they are unaccustomed to the ongoing renewal process," Llorente said." This has led to some being caught off guard by unexpected additional costs, especially when renewals are missed."Colpitts said that the text about the late fee in the email was bolded, making it seem like a "scare tactic." He added that customers did not get any previous warnings or communication about this late fee."They're not giving customers any discount or consideration for what they currently have," Colpitts said.Rick Vanover, vice president of product strategy at Veeam, said it's common for companies to charge a fee if customers don't renew on time. Although this is not always enforced, it can be used to negotiate a deal with customers to get them to renew before the price increases, he added.Broadcom did not respond to requests for comment from Business Insider.<h2 id="9e52b290-865c-4a7f-8421-be68e3da4e71">Changes to VMware under Broadcom</h2>Several <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadcom-ceo-hock-tan-vmware-consolidation-2023-11">VMware</a> partners and customers previously told BI that they are seeing <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vmware-customers-report-massive-price-increases-since-broadcom-deal-2024-8">price increases</a> up to 10 times as high as their previous contracts when they renew, largely due to product bundling. "This shift has proven particularly difficult for organizations that have long relied on VMware, especially cloud service providers," Llorente said.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadcom-vmware-new-policy-remote-work-leaked-email-2023-11">VMware</a> partners have also faced several changes in how they sell their software. Colpitts said there's been less tech support, and partners no longer get early access to VMware's software as they previously did. This means they'll have to buy their own copies to test it before rolling it out to customers."I think Broadcom went about it completely the wrong way and left a bad taste in people's mouth," Colpitts said.<h2 id="ddada1f5-0f4f-4154-82b9-83eda4179d1a">Switching to VMware alternatives</h2>Some <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadcom-vmware-new-era-begins-2023-11">VMware competitors</a> have seen the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/vmware-broadcom-acquisition-deal-leaked-email-options-employees-2023-9">acquisition by Broadcom</a> as an opportunity to win over <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadcom-ceo-hock-tan-vmware-reorganization-software-defined-edge-acquisition-2023-11%5C">VMware</a> customers."This frustration with VMware business practices is causing massive demand for alternative virtualization solutions," Bruce Kornfeld, chief product officer at StorMagic, said in an email.A <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.forrester.com/blogs/predictions-2025-cloud/">recent Forrester report</a> said that <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadcom-vmware-reviews-business-units-2023-11">VMware</a> revenue would continue to drop. While customers will invest further in the private cloud or hybrid cloud for regulatory compliance, they likely won't increase business with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadcom-vmware-layoffs-employees-face-job-cuts-acquisition-2023-11">VMware</a>, the dominant private cloud player, because of bundling and price increases. Still, "many VMware shops will renew at a limited scale," the report said.The report said alternatives like Nutanix or open-source software like OpenStack will see increased interest, although OpenStack will require improved tech sales processes.Llorente said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/broadcom-vmware-deal-employees-concerned-carbon-black-euc-2023-5">VMware's changes</a> have made customers concerned about being locked into one vendor and driven increased interest in similar offerings that are available as open source.Still, other partners say there's no other viable alternative. Plus, it's a difficult, costly process for customers to switch to a different provider, Colpitts said."What other really good options are there?" Colpitts said.Got a tip? Contact this reporter via email at <a target="_blank" href="mailto:rmchan@businessinsider.com">rmchan@businessinsider.com</a>, Signal at rosal.13, or Telegram at @rosaliechan. (PR pitches by email only, please.) Other types of secure messaging are available upon request.

VMware customers are seeing massive late fees since Broadcom acquired the company

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Microsoft told customers that a software bug caused inconsistent collection of log data.</li><li>The bug affected key security products, including Microsoft Sentinel and Entra.</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-punts-365-ai-bundle-pilot-tests-copilot-2024-9">Microsoft</a> is telling customers that it failed to consistently collect log data for several important cloud services, according to an update viewed by Business Insider.A log is a record of events within a program, such as account sign-ins. This record of events could include instances of unauthorized access to networks and accounts. If logs are not recorded properly, then any records of potential problems are lost and the company and its customers may have missed intrusions.Between September 2 and September 19, "a bug in one of Microsoft's internal monitoring agents resulted in a malfunction in some of the agents when uploading log data to our internal logging platform," Microsoft wrote in the customer notification.There's no evidence of cyberattacks stemming from this incident."This issue did not impact the uptime of any customer-facing services or resources -- it only affected the collection of log events. Additionally, this issue is not related to any security compromise," the notification explained.Affected products included Microsoft Entra, an identity-management service. Microsoft Sentinel, a security information and event-management product, was also impacted, along with Microsoft Defender for Cloud and Microsoft Purview, a data loss prevention product."Microsoft Sentinel customers may have experienced potential gaps in security related logs or events, possibly affecting customers' ability to analyze data, detect threats, or generate security alerts," the update warned.BI asked Microsoft to comment on this episode on Thursday and Friday. Spokespeople Frank Shaw and Jill Austin, along with the company's outside PR firm WE Communications, didn't respond to multiple requests for comment. This is a particularly a big deal for Microsoft because the company has been saying that <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/internal-microsoft-email-shows-security-leadership-shakeup-2023-12">security</a> is a top priority. It recently introduced a Security Futures Initiative, largely in response to its mishandling of security incidents, including what the Department of Homeland Security called "<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-security-issues-government-report-chinese-hacks-2024-4">cascade</a>" of errors that allowed Chinese hackers in 2023 to access thousands of cloud customer emails.The idea was that Microsoft would make security its first priority in everything. It's become so important that every Microsoft employee will be evaluated on a "core priority" of security in performance reviews, according to an excerpt of an email shared with BI."If you're faced with the tradeoff between security and another priority, your answer is clear: Do security," Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella wrote in an email to employees in May."In some cases, this will mean prioritizing security above other things we do, such as releasing new features or providing ongoing support for legacy systems," the CEO added. "This is key to advancing both our platform quality and capability such that we can protect the digital estates of our customers and build a safer world for all."Are you a Microsoft employee or someone else with insight to share?Contact the reporter, Ashley Stewart, via the encrypted messaging app Signal (+1-425-344-8242) or email (<a target="_blank" href="mailto:astewart@businessinsider.com">astewart@businessinsider.com</a>). Use a nonwork device.

Microsoft tells customers it lost log data for key security products

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Salesforce CEO Marc Benioff says AI and human customer service agents are indistinguishable.</li><li>Benioff said AI agents had reached "another level of capability."</li></ul><a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/marc-benioff">Marc Benioff </a>thinks AI has progressed to a point where humans and AI customer service agents are now indistinguishable.In an <a target="_blank" class="editor-rtfLink" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TtNrCJCwwlc">interview with David Sacks at the All-In Summit,</a> the Salesforce CEO was asked if AI had reached a level where people speaking to customer support could tell if it was a human or an AI agent."We are already at the point. We already have that live," Benioff said. "We're really getting to, like, another level of capability, and I think that's it's pretty impressive."Benioff said the company planned to scale the feature to thousands of customers before the end of the year.Customer service has long been seen as one of the sectors where AI could have the biggest impact. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cvs-pharmacy-use-ai-customer-service-call-centers-tilak-mandadi-2024-6">Many companies</a> have been incorporating the tech into customer service departments to see if it can improve customer experience.Earlier this year, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/klarna-ai-chatbot-work-700-people-2024-2">Swedish fintech company Klarna </a>claimed its AI assistant was doing "the equivalent work of 700 full-time agents." The company said the chatbot was more accurate in "errand resolution" and on par with human agents when it came to customer satisfaction.Some companies have claimed that AI agents deliver <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-work-automation-octopus-energy-greg-jackson-2023-5">better customer satisfaction</a> than human workers.Last year, the CEO of Octopus Energy, a UK-based household energy supplier, said emails written by AI delivered 80% customer satisfaction, improving on the 65% achieved by skilled, trained people.However, introducing AI in other customer service areas has not been as successful. In June, McDonald's said it was removing its Automated Order Taker technology <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/mcdonalds-ai-voice-order-technology-drive-thrus-2024-6">from over 100 restaurants after videos</a> showing flaws with the tech went viral the previous year.Representatives for Salesforce did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider, made outside normal working hours.

Marc Benioff says AI and humans are now indistinguishable in customer service 

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Parminder Bhatia was appointed in March 2023 as GE HealthCare's first chief AI officer.</li><li>Bhatia said AI could help the company provide better clinical support by optimizing healthcare data.</li></ul>Artificial intelligence will have an appreciable impact on the healthcare industry, Parminder Bhatia, the chief AI officer of GE HealthCare, says. Specifically, he told Business Insider, there's a "huge opportunity" for AI to assist in clinical support and decision-making.In 2023, GE HealthCare appointed Bhatia as its first chief AI officer to spearhead its AI strategy and integration. Bhatia joined the company with experience from his previous role at Amazon, where he led the development of several generative-AI products.Bhatia's job at GE HealthCare, he said, is to understand AI's capabilities and limitations to accelerate its application.The following has been edited for clarity and length.The role of chief AI officer is new for GE HealthCare, and you're the first to have this title. How did this position come about?It began when GE HealthCare spun off from the larger GE conglomerate in January 2023.At that same time, GE HealthCare formed a science and technology organization to drive innovation through research and development.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gehealthcare.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/ge-healthcare-names-health-tech-pioneer-taha-kass-hout-first-chief-technology-officer?npclid=botnpclid&amp;srsltid=AfmBOoqyATRb06pqIRdU4sOpTYxQUP2W1PXC6nr-BM1n7owwmF2yrmfg">The company hired Dr. Taha Kass-Hout to lead it</a>, who became CTO, and he created the role of chief AI officer. I joined in March 2023 as CAIO.Just to give some context, about one-third of all the world's data comes from healthcare. Yet only 3% of that data is actively used. There's a huge opportunity in how AI can better use that data for clinical support and decision-making.What brought you to this role, and what's your background in AI?Before joining GE HealthCare, I was at Amazon, where I led the development of generative-AI products like <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-asks-its-coders-to-use-aws-chatgpt-rival-codewhisperer-2023-3">Amazon CodeWhisperer</a>. I also worked on AI healthcare solutions such as <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-amazon-will-impact-the-300-billion-health-it-market-2018-12">Amazon Comprehend Medical</a>, which helps understand unstructured clinical notes.It was a great experience at Amazon, but I felt I was a step away from the customer. At GE HealthCare, I'm closer to the patient experience. GE HealthCare technologies are embedded directly into devices like MRI and CT machines, directly impacting over a billion patients every year.How does your role interface with the rest of the company?I work on streamlining operations across different businesses. We have divisions like ultrasound, CT, and MR imaging, each with their own needs. I accelerate their AI adoption by building platforms that help them move faster.I also work with external partners. They bring key complementary skills and technologies. For instance, our collaboration with AWS focuses on security and compliant cloud solutions, which are essential for handling sensitive healthcare data. Our partnership with Nvidia aids in scaling our AI technologies.And finally, I work with institutions like Mass General Brigham and Vanderbilt University Medical Center, which help us research and evaluate new solutions.Can you share some examples of how AI is being integrated into GE HealthCare's products?One example is <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gehealthcare.com/products/magnetic-resonance-imaging/air-recon-dl">GE HealthCare's Air Recon DL</a>. It's an AI-powered imaging solution that reduces MRI scan times by up to 50% while maintaining the same image quality. This is beneficial for patients who have difficulty staying still for long periods, like those with dementia. We've also developed medical-imaging foundation models to accelerate the development of AI capabilities.With Mass General Brigham, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.gehealthcare.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/ge-healthcare-and-mass-general-brigham-collaborate-on-an-ai-algorithm-to-predict-missed-care-opportunities?srsltid=AfmBOopC9AD7hvEgDIpmoRyWNIwl99nXz_Z0Lzu6Lv9CIVKfw_P7JUIa">we investigated missed care opportunities</a>. That's when a patient skips or misses an appointment. With them, we built a model that can predict this with up to 96% accuracy.Do you have an engineering team that reports directly to you, or do you provide a strategy for existing teams?It's a hybrid approach. GE HealthCare has a strong skill set across its businesses and often when building platforms, we are working with the company's other businesses.We also have science and engineering teams as part of my group. We can build capabilities from the ground up.How are you thinking about the future of AI at GE HealthCare over the next three to five years?I think it's important to understand what AI can and can't do.<a target="_blank" href="https://www.gehealthcare.com/about/newsroom/press-releases/ge-healthcare-announces-ai-innovation-lab-showcasing-five-new-research-projects?srsltid=AfmBOoowhGbNSGe8KXncWYUIM-Acm4QVqyJ8mMkGJfWNyQZbq6XmD63t">We've established an AI Innovation Lab</a> to evaluate cutting-edge technologies. We are asking, "How can we put solutions out to our customers to get their input?" AI technologies have great potential, but we're still early, and we need that feedback.I also think that long term, this role is about how we align and understand our overall AI strategy. Everyone is asking about AI, from internal teams to company boards. We need to understand how we're making progress in the space to know that we're investing in the right direction.

GE HealthCare is tapping into AI to improve clinical support — an initiative led by the company's first-ever chief AI officer

One aspect that always garners much traction on the <keyword id="19936553" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Budget" source="keywords">Budget</keyword> day is what got <keyword id="20257498" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cheaper" source="keywords">cheaper</keyword> and what got <keyword id="20286063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="costlier" source="keywords">costlier</keyword>. Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> as part of her Budget presentation proposed a host of tweaks in basic <keyword id="20454068" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="customs-duty" source="keywords">customs duty</keyword> (BCD) for various products or items that are critical for manufacturing. In her Budget speech, Sitharaman proposed an exemption on customs duty on certain <keyword id="22516435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="cancer-medicines" source="keywords">cancer medicines</keyword> and a reduction in duties on <keyword id="19920958" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mobile-phone" source="keywords">mobile phone</keyword> parts and chargers, aimed at bringing down their prices in the retail market. "With a three-fold increase in domestic production and almost 100-fold jump in exports of mobile phones over the last six years, the Indian mobile phone industry has matured. In the interest of consumers, I now propose to reduce the BCD on mobile phone, mobile PCBA and mobile charger to 15 per cent," said Sitharaman in her Budget speech that lasted around 90 minutes. To provide relief to cancer patients, she proposed to fully exempt three more medicines from customs duties. Imported <keyword id="19895579" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gold" source="keywords">gold</keyword>, silver, leather goods and seafood will also get cheaper, as duties were invariably lowered on them. Duty cut on gold would boost retail demand and help in curtailing smuggling in the world's second-biggest bullion market. "To enhance domestic value addition in gold and precious metal jewellery in the country, I propose to reduce customs duties on gold and silver to 6 per cent and that on platinum to 6.4 per cent." She also proposed changes in the customs duty on X-ray tubes and flat panel detectors for use in medical X-ray machines under the <keyword id="20330318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="phased-manufacturing-programme" source="keywords">Phased Manufacturing Programme</keyword>, so as to synchronise them with domestic capacity addition. Also, she proposed to fully exempt customs duties on 25 critical minerals and reduce basic customs duty on two of them. Minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt and rare earth elements are critical for sectors like nuclear energy, renewable energy, space, defence, telecommunications, and high-tech electronics, said the finance minister. "This will provide a major fillip to the processing and refining of such minerals and help secure their availability for these strategic and important sectors," Sitharaman said. Putting energy transition on focus, as it is critical in the fight against climate change, the finance minister proposed to expand the list of exempted capital goods for use in the manufacture of solar cells and panels in the country. However, in view of sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity of solar glass and tinned copper interconnect, it was proposed not to extend the exemption of customs duties provided to them. To enhance competitiveness in marine products, the reduced duty on certain broodstock, polychaete worms, shrimp and fish feed to 5 per cent, besides exempting customs duty on various inputs for manufacture of shrimp and fish feed. Moving on to leather and textile, reduction in duty was announced for various items. "...to enhance the competitiveness of exports in the leather and textile sectors, I propose to reduce BCD on real down filling material from duck or goose," Sitharaman said. To reduce cost of production of steel and copper, two important raw materials, it was proposed to remove the customs duty on ferro nickel and blister copper. "I am also continuing with nil BCD (customs duty) on ferrous scrap and nickel cathode and concessional BCD of 2.5 per cent on copper scrap." On the flip side, to support chemicals and petrochemicals, an increase in duty was proposed. To support existing and new capacities in the pipeline, an increase in duty on ammonium nitrate from 7.5 to 10 per cent would be applicable. PVC flex banners are non-biodegradable and hazardous for environment and health. To curb their imports, a propose was made to raise the duty on them from 10 to 25 per cent. To incentivise domestic telecommunication equipment manufacturing, a propose to increase the duty from 10 to 15 per cent on PCBA (printed circuit board assembly) of specified telecom equipment was made. Explaining her rational behind the indirect taxes tweak, Sitharaman said her proposals for customs duties intend to support domestic manufacturing, deepen local value addition, promote export competitiveness, and simplify taxation, while keeping the interest of the general public and consumers surmount. In Budget 2022-23 too, the government reduced the number of customs duty rates.

Here's what will get cheaper and costlier after this Budget

Finance Minister <keyword id="19916618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nirmala-Sitharaman" source="keywords">Nirmala Sitharaman</keyword> announced a reduction of 15 per cent in the <keyword id="19962888" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Basic-Customs-Duty" source="keywords">Basic Customs Duty</keyword> (BCD) on <keyword id="20016418" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mobile-Phones" source="keywords">mobile phones</keyword> while presenting the <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget" source="keywords">Union Budget</keyword> for the fiscal year 2024-25 in Parliament on Tuesday. Along with mobile phones, the BCD on mobile Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA), and mobile chargers will be lowered to 15 per cent. Sitharaman said, "With a threefold increase in domestic production and almost a 100-fold jump in exports of mobile phones over the last 6 years, the Indian mobile industry has matured. In the interest of consumers I now propose to reduce the Basic Customs Duty (BCD) on mobile phones, mobile Printed Circuit Board Assembly (PCBA) and mobile charger to 15 per cent." The reduction in BCD is expected to make mobile phones and related accessories more affordable for consumers. By lowering the cost of imported components and finished products, the government aims to pass on the benefits to end-users, potentially leading to reduced retail prices. This move is anticipated to stimulate demand and increase the accessibility of mobile technology across different segments of the population. For the domestic mobile phone industry, the reduced BCD is likely to enhance competitiveness and encourage further investments. Manufacturers can benefit from lower import costs for essential components, thereby improving their production efficiency and profit margins. According to the Worldwide Quarterly Mobile Phone Tracker by International Data Corporation, India's smartphone market shipped 34 million units in the first quarter of 2024. This represented a year-over-year growth of 11.5 per cent, marking the third consecutive quarter of increased shipments. Earlier, to bolster the Indian start-up eco-system, boost the entrepreneurial spirit and support innovation, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to abolish the so-called angel tax for all classes of investors. This was a proposal from the industry for a long time, and this announcement will drive more investments towards startups in particular. Startups function as engines of economic growth, playing a crucial role in generating new jobs, ideas, products, and services. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-25-changes-to-tax-slabs-increased-standard-deduction-and-other-changes-to-direct-taxation/articleshow/111951205.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-25-changes-to-tax-slabs-increased-standard-deduction-and-other-changes-to-direct-taxation/articleshow/111951205.cms" target="_blank">Budget 2024-25 – Changes to tax slabs, increased standard deduction and other changes to direct taxation</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/union-budget-2024-live-updates-finance-minister-nirmala-sitharaman-key-announcements-23-july/liveblog/111942008.cms" target="_blank">Budget 2024 Live Updates: FM Sitharaman announces comprehensive review of the Income Tax Act 1961</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/expectations-from-union-budget-2024-25-how-will-this-budget-impact-you/articleshow/111946291.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/expectations-from-union-budget-2024-25-how-will-this-budget-impact-you/articleshow/111946291.cms" target="_blank">Union Budget 2024-25: How will this budget impact you?</a>

Union Budget 2024-25: Mobile Phones to get cheaper, as FM Nirmala Sitharaman reduces basic customs duty to 15%

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Amazon wants to expand its use of nuclear power to meet rising AI energy needs.</li><li>The company's energy strategy team recently pitched CEO Andy Jassy on the benefits of nuclear power.</li></ul>In June, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-big-tech-cash-king-wall-street-wants-a-piece-2024-10">Amazon's</a> Global Energy Strategy team pitched CEO Andy Jassy the idea of doubling down on <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-google-microsoft-openai-big-tech-investment-nuclear-ai-race-2024-10">nuclear power</a> to support its growing network of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-energy-centers-water-energy-land-2023-10">data centers</a>.The group argued that nuclear can be more reliable and cost-efficient than other clean energy sources, such as wind and solar. Jassy agreed, according to an internal Amazon document from the third quarter that was obtained by Business Insider."We have strong conviction that nuclear power is the most economical and credible path to scale carbon free energy to meet the next decade's rapid capacity growth," the company's energy strategy team wrote. "We took this conviction to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-andy-jassy-wooed-wall-street-overhauled-bloated-tech-giant-2024-7">Andy Jassy</a> in June 2024, and received approval to execute against our proposed expansion to the carbon free energy strategy through new nuclear generation."<div type="image" title="Andy Jassy onstage at an event." height="1293" width="1940" msid="114563910" hostid="261" sizebytes="57026"></div>Fast forward a few months and Amazon's nuclear ambitions are becoming clearer. Last week, Amazon <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-invests-in-nuclear-for-aws-following-google-and-microsoft-2024-10">led</a> a $500 million investment in X-energy to develop small modular reactors, following <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/data-centers-amazon-ai-nuclear-power-grid-2024-5">an earlier deal</a> to buy power from a nuclear plant in Pennsylvania.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/servicenow-ceo-bill-mcdermott-ai-software-2024-10">Generative AI</a> is the main reason for this sudden interest in nuclear energy. Running these new AI workloads in data centers requires <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-data-centers-energy-cloud-microsoft-chatpgt-amazon-google-2023-7">way more electricity</a> than traditional computing tasks. Burning <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/data-centers-energy-demand-utilities-green-renewable-2023-10">more coal</a> and other fossil fuels is bad for the environment, so nuclear is an attractive alternative, despite its checkered safety record.Amazon sees nuclear as a key part of dealing with this AI-driven <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/amazon-data-centers-delays-costs-power-labor-shortages-aws-ai-2024-10">surge in energy demand</a>. The company considered tapping into at least four additional existing nuclear power plants and sought even more small modular reactor deals. It also looked at other energy sources, such as geothermal, to meet long-term renewable energy goals, according to the internal document."Machine Learning, GenAl and commercial capacity demand continues to significantly outpace available power capacity globally and requires new solutions that are reliable, cost-effective and carbon free," the document explained, while noting that success in this space would help Amazon Web Services meet customer needs for sustainable data center capacity.<h2 id="9f054fc5-4a26-481d-81e9-4ebeece00b52">Amazon considers all solutions</h2>An Amazon spokesperson said the final details of the company's plans could be "very different from the preliminary ideas," and cautioned against drawing conclusions from an "outdated" document.The cloud giant supports more than 500 solar and wind projects, and has been the largest corporate purchaser of renewable energy for four years in a row. It's also investing in emerging technologies through a Climate Pledge Fund, the spokesperson added."There isn't a one-size-fits-all solution for transitioning to carbon-free energy and we believe all viable and scalable options should be considered, so we frequently consider a wide range of projects before deciding which ones we move forward with," the spokesperson wrote in a statement.<h2 id="e4e8b6a9-955c-4738-a29e-1533eb23b75f">Big Tech's embrace</h2><div type="image" title="three mile island" height="1343" width="2000" msid="114563911" hostid="261" sizebytes="136424"></div>Amazon isn't the only big tech company embracing nuclear to meet AI's insatiable hunger for power.Google recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-nuclear-power-ai-data-centers-2024-10">unveiled</a> a partnership with Kairos Power to build small modular nuclear reactors. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman loves talking about nuclear and has backed projects. Microsoft <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/three-mile-island-nuclear-plant-reopens-power-microsoft-ai-push-2024-9">struck a deal</a> to get power from the Three Mile Island nuclear plant.That last deal highlights the nuclear industry's troubled past. In 1979, Three Mile Island <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-happened-three-mile-island-worst-us-nuclear-disaster-2019-8">experienced</a> a major disaster that stalled the US nuclear sector for decades. There have been even worse events in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/chernobyl">Chernobyl</a> and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/haunting-photos-of-the-fukushima-disaster-zone-2017-3">Fukushima</a>.<h2 id="991ea7a5-102b-4e4a-bbbd-ca9c560c342b">"Piano Man"</h2>Prior to the June meeting with Amazon's Global Energy Strategy team, Jassy approved another nuclear plan in December 2023, according to the internal document obtained by BI.Under that plan, codenamed "Piano Man," Amazon targeted existing nuclear plants that had spare capacity. The company wanted to sign agreements that gave it access to "dedicated, reliable power" in the future. The first project within this strategy was announced in March, when Amazon <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/data-centers-amazon-ai-nuclear-power-grid-2024-5">agreed</a> to pay $650 million to purchase energy from a nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania, the internal document showed.Amazon considered at least 4 other similar nuclear projects, the document stated. One was in Maryland for an option to use up to 0.88 gigawatt of energy. Another was in Texas for 1.2 gigawatts. There were two other arrangements in Pennsylvania for 0.96 gigawatt and 0.9 gigawatt of power each. In general, a one gigawatt plant is estimated to have enough capacity to power roughly 876,000 households for a year.It is unclear whether Amazon is still looking into these types of "Piano Man" deals."There are limited pipeline opportunities after these projects, but we will continue to develop all feasible options," the document explained.<h2 id="8dc1cc69-aec8-4677-aef7-89452bc1e7b2">Learning curve</h2><div type="image" title="The cooling towers of a nuclear power plant against a blue sky." height="1414" width="2121" msid="114563912" hostid="261" sizebytes="98642"></div>Amazon has also been "actively conducting due diligence" on more than a dozen opportunities in the small modular reactor space. As part of this, the company has developed relationships with utilities, nuclear construction companies, and the US Department of Energy, according to the document.Nuclear power can be safer, more reliable, and more cost-efficient in the long term compared to other power sources, according to Jacopo Buongiorno, a nuclear engineering professor at MIT. However, he said some of the new advanced small modular reactors are still being tested and often use different designs and systems, making them a relatively riskier option."There will be a learning curve because some of these technologies are not mature yet," Buongiorno told BI.<h2 id="1b22c795-2c48-4282-8e9c-8728dc854c1e">Prioritize 'earlier access to power'</h2>The internal Amazon document described the company's nuclear initiatives as part of a broader "non-standard" energy plan. The company also looked into power arrangements for natural gas plants and geothermal energy."As we drive development of first of a kind, non-standard energy sources within the industry, our scope is primarily medium to long term, supplying power in large amounts beyond 2030," the document stated.In 2024, Amazon's goal is to deliver 8 gigawatts of incremental renewable energy, the document said. Amazon reached 4.1 gigawatts of renewable energy in 2023 and 10.2 gigawatts in 2022, it noted.The internal document listed the main "tenets" that the Global Energy Strategy team follows. It emphasized delivering "highly reliable, cost-effective" power on time, and making bets on technologies that are "on the cusp of scaling and mass adoption."It also stressed the need to find the earliest available power options."While we target obtaining large amounts of power over time, we will prioritize opportunities with the earlier access to power," it said.Do you work at Amazon? Got a tip?Contact the reporter, Eugene Kim, via the encrypted-messaging apps Signal or Telegram (<a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" class="c-link">+1-650-942-3061</a>) or email (<a target="_blank" href="mailto:ekim@businessinsider.com">ekim@businessinsider.com</a>). Reach out using a nonwork device. Check out Business Insider's <a target="_blank" rel="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-guide-to-securely-sharing-whistleblower-information-about-powerful-institutions-2021-10">source guide</a> for other tips on sharing information securely.

Inside Amazon's nuclear ambitions, its 'Piano Man' project, and CEO Andy Jassy's support

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Larry Fink says China is the biggest, fundamental supporter of Russia's economy.</li><li>Fink added that BlackRock needs to review its ties with China.</li></ul>China is Russia's biggest war backer, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/left-blackrock-after-becoming-vp-leaving-pursue-passion-2024-9">BlackRock</a> chairman and CEO <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackrock-ceo-larry-fink-net-worth-career-history">Larry Fink</a> said on Tuesday.Fink was speaking at a panel at the Berlin Global Dialogue conference when he said that Western businesses need to re-evaluate their relationship with China."Russia's biggest supporter and fundamental supporter of the Russian economy is China. And that has to be at least discussed," Fink said in comments reported by Bloomberg."I'm not here to make any judgments but I don't believe there's been enough assessment."Earlier in the panel, Fink expressed surprise that there hasn't been a "larger questioning or demanding" of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-putin-visit-china-xi-enemy-friends-2024-5">China's support for Russia</a> amidst the latter's war with Ukraine."You're supporting our enemy, we're putting billions and billions of dollars into supporting the survival of Ukraine, and there should be a cost to that," Fink said of China.Fink told dialogue attendees that China's continual backing of the Russian economy also means BlackRock may need to review its operations in the Chinese market."We have businesses in China, I'm sure everybody here has some businesses in China," Fink said."We all have to re-evaluate that, like we have to re-evaluate a risk in liquidity traps, a risk in everything," he added.Representatives for Fink at BlackRock did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Business Insider sent outside regular business hours.China has been a critical lifeline for Russia as it continues to struggle under the West's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-economy-putin-solve-trilemma-wartime-economy-gdp-prokopenko-2023-12">crippling economic sanctions</a> since it invaded Ukraine in February 2022. In 2023, Russia and China's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-russia-trade-record-ukraine-war-xi-jinping-vladimir-putin-2024-1">bilateral trade hit a record $240 billion</a>, per Chinese customs data."Russia's economy is suffering long-term setbacks, and the country is sealing its fate as China's economic vassal," CIA director <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/cia-chief-ukraine-war-failure-for-russia-on-many-levels-2024-1">William J. Burns</a> wrote in an opinion article for Foreign Affairs in January.To be sure, China has been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/xi-jinping-olaf-scholz-china-ukraine-peace-intensifying-russia-support-2024-4">trying to broker peace</a> between Russia and Ukraine. China has claimed to be neutral when it comes to the war in Ukraine.In February 2023, China unveiled a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/rift-grows-between-xi-putin-russia-refusal-ukraine-peace-deal-2023-8">12-point peace plan</a>, but that was rejected by Russia.In July, Finland's President <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/nato-member-china-end-ukraine-war-single-phone-call-putin-2024-7">Alexander Stubb</a> told Bloomberg in an interview that Russia's reliance on China means the Asian giant could end the Ukraine war if it wanted to."I argue that Russia is so dependent on China right now that one phone call from President Xi Jinping would solve this crisis," Stubb told the outlet."If he were to say, 'Time to start negotiating peace.' Russia would be forced to do that. They would have no other choice," he continued.

BlackRock's CEO says China is the biggest supporter of Russia's economy amidst the Ukraine war

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Tuesday announced a cut in customs duty on minerals such as lithium, copper and cobalt, which are critical for nuclear energy, renewable and other sectors, to give a fillip to the energy transition. In her budget speech in Lok Sabha, Sitharaman recalled that in the interim budget she had announced a strategy to sustain high and more resource-efficient economic growth, along with energy security in terms of availability, accessibility and affordability. "We will bring out a policy document on appropriate energy transition pathways that balances the imperatives of employment, growth and environmental sustainability," she said. Noting that minerals such as lithium, copper, cobalt and rare earth elements are critical for sectors like nuclear energy, <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword>, space, defence, telecommunications, and high-tech electronics, she proposed to fully exempt customs duties on 25 critical minerals and reduce BCD (basic customs duty) on two of them. This will provide a major fillip to the processing and refining of such minerals and help secure their availability for these strategic and important sectors, she said. She stated that energy transition is critical in the fight against climate change. To support energy transition, she proposed to expand the list of exempted capital goods for use in the manufacture of solar cells and panels in the country. Further, she stated that in view of sufficient domestic manufacturing capacity of solar glass and tinned copper interconnect, I propose not to extend the exemption of customs duties provided to them. Noting that steel and copper are important raw materials and to reduce their cost of production, she proposed to remove the BCD on ferro nickel and blister copper. "I am also continuing with nil BCD on ferrous scrap and nickel cathode and concessional BCD of 2.5 per cent on copper scrap," she said. About the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, which was rolled out earlier this year, he informed the House that in line with the announcement in the interim budget, PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana has been launched to install rooftop solar plants to enable 1 crore households obtain free electricity up to 300 units every month. The scheme has generated remarkable response with more than 1.28 crore registrations and 14 lakh applications, and we will further encourage it, he stated. She further stated that a policy for promoting pumped storage projects will be brought out for electricity storage and facilitating smooth integration of the growing share of renewable energy with its variable &amp; intermittent nature in the overall energy mix. She stated that nuclear energy is expected to form a very significant part of the energy mix for Viksit Bharat. Towards that pursuit, our government will partner with the private sector for setting up Bharat Small Reactors; research &amp; development of Bharat Small Modular Reactor and research &amp; development of newer technologies for nuclear energy, she informed the House. The R&amp;D funding announced in the interim budget will be made available for this sector, she added. The development of indigenous technology for Advanced Ultra Super Critical (AUSC) <keyword id="20421620" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="thermal-power" source="keywords">thermal power</keyword> plants with much higher efficiency has been completed, she informed the House. A joint venture between NTPC and BHEL will set up a full-scale 800 MW commercial plant using AUSC technology and the government will provide the required fiscal support, she added. Moving forward, the development of indigenous capacity for the production of high-grade steel and other advanced metallurgy materials for these plants will result in strong spin-off benefits for the economy, she pointed out. A roadmap for moving the 'hard to abate' industries from 'energy efficiency' targets to 'emission targets' will be formulated, she stated adding that appropriate regulations for the transition of these industries from the current 'Perform, Achieve and Trade' mode to 'Indian Carbon Market' mode will be put in place. She further stated that an investment-grade energy audit of traditional micro and small industries in 60 clusters, including brass and ceramic, will be facilitated. Financial support will be provided for shifting them to cleaner forms of energy and implementation of energy efficiency measures. The scheme will be replicated in another 100 clusters in the next phase, she stated. Gaurav Kedia, Chairman, Indian Biogas Association said that the <keyword id="19908389" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Union-Budget" source="keywords">Union Budget</keyword> 2024 has unveiled a roadmap towards a sustainable and resilient India, with agriculture and energy security at its core. It is anticipated that these initiatives will catalyze the growth of the biogas industry, leading to increased rural employment, reduced carbon emissions, and improved soil health, he stated. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-25-changes-to-tax-slabs-increased-standard-deduction-and-other-changes-to-direct-taxation/articleshow/111951205.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-25-changes-to-tax-slabs-increased-standard-deduction-and-other-changes-to-direct-taxation/articleshow/111951205.cms" target="_blank">Budget 2024-25 – Changes to tax slabs, increased standard deduction and other changes to direct taxation</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/expectations-from-union-budget-2024-25-how-will-this-budget-impact-you/articleshow/111946291.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/expectations-from-union-budget-2024-25-how-will-this-budget-impact-you/articleshow/111946291.cms" target="_blank">Union Budget 2024-25: How will this budget impact you?</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/budget/news/budget-2024-record-allocation-of-rs-1-48-lakh-crore-for-education-employment-and-skilling/articleshow/111951228.cms">Budget 2024: Record allocation of Rs 1.48 lakh crore for education, employment and skilling!</a>

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