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A sixth-grade social science textbook that I read described India as a piece of fabric, with countless threads coloured in a myriad of majestic shades, woven together. This metaphor holds exceptionally well when put into the context of our <keyword id="22706215" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="handloom-industry" source="keywords">handloom industry</keyword>. India has a rich history of handlooms and weaving cultures. The culture of handlooms is so intricately woven into Indian culture, that there are whole towns dedicated to the same: <keyword id="248532" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chanderi" source="Orion">Chanderi</keyword> in Madhya Pradesh to Pochampally in Telangana and a dozen more! Unfortunately, the handloom industry in India is dying. The struggle is multi-faceted, ranging from a declining workforce to fierce competition from <keyword id="20496028" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="power-looms" source="keywords">power looms</keyword>. Hence, five years ago, August 7 was proclaimed <keyword id="22677698" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Handloom-Day" source="keywords">National Handloom Day</keyword> in response to this crisis and to heighten public awareness. This date holds special historical significance, commemorating the initiation of the Swadeshi Movement in 1905—a pivotal act of defiance against British colonial rule. <h2>When did this industry come into existence?</h2>According to archaeological findings, the origins of handloom in the Indian subcontinent may be traced back to the Indus Valley Civilization. The Mughal Empire was known to support and patronise <keyword id="20258864" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weavers" source="keywords">weavers</keyword>. The support from the royal patrons resulted in the invention of new textiles such as ‘Mulmul’ and ‘Banarasi Brocade’ among others. This era witnessed a heightened worldwide demand for Indian textiles. In the 17th century, India produced 25% of the world’s textiles, with Bengal accounting for more than 50% of textiles and 80% of silks imported by the Dutch from Asia. <h2>What led to the decline of the <keyword id="19934660" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Indian-handloom" source="keywords">Indian handloom</keyword>?</h2>The East India Company's entry fuelled the industry's initial decline, which started in the 1830s. The weavers were obliged to sell only to the British, and that too at exceedingly cheap prices, virtually putting them out of business. On the other hand, Indian cloth was taxed excessively to promote machine-made British clothing. The Industrial Revolution in Britain strengthened their indigenous textile industry, giving rise to new markets for cheaper textiles. In India, the collapse of the Mughal aristocracies meant no access to royal patronage. As a result, textiles like Khadi and muslin had little demand in the market. Circling back to the present, the industry is facing both similar and new challenges. Fabrics made on power looms are cheaper and faster to produce, in comparison to handloom fabrics. The industry is largely unorganised, and the wages are shockingly low. 67% of <keyword id="22706216" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="handloom-workers" source="keywords">handloom workers</keyword> are earning less than the minimum wage every month. Faced with economic challenges, the older artisans are thus forced to encourage the newer generation to choose an alternative career path. This migration of the workforce from a traditional sector is evident from the fall in the number of weavers less than 35 years of age- from 26.13 lakh in 2009-10 to 16.07 lakh in 2019-20. The majority of weavers do not have access to banking facilities, let alone institutional credit. Furthermore, if one manages to accumulate credit, there is a mismatch between the supply and demand forces due to the lack of awareness about handwoven textiles in the current generation. <h2>Initiatives for revival</h2>The cultural significance of the Indian handloom isn’t just limited to its beauty and extravagance, but it extends to our independence struggle as well. The Swadeshi movement immortalised the charkha and advocated for the use of indigenous goods. Following independence, the Indian government took many measures to revive the handloom industry. In 1953, India’s Parliament approved the Khadi and Other Handloom Industries Development Act. In 1955, the All India Handloom Fabrics Marketing Cooperative Society was formed to promote the sale of fabrics produced by handloom cooperatives across India. The National Handloom Development Programme (NHDP) aimed to provide financial assistance for marketing and production. The Handloom Weavers’ Comprehensive Welfare Scheme offers health and life insurance to weavers, to ensure social security. The organisation commenced a fortnight-long exhibition, “VIRAASAT” dedicated to celebrating the 10th National Handloom Day began at Handloom Haat in Janpath, New Delhi on Saturday, 3rd August 2024, and will conclude on 16th August 2024. The Handloom Mark scheme was introduced to authenticate handloom products, thus enabling weavers to gain better market access and ensuring that consumers get genuine products. Moreover, the India Trade Portal also mentions that the GOI plans to provide financial assistance of Rs. 30 crore to at least 10,000 handlooms. Various state governments also regularly conduct handloom expos and fairs, providing platforms for weavers to showcase and sell their products directly to consumers. <h2>Contemporary Brands and their love for Indian handloom</h2>Modern, popular designers such as <keyword id="8264" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sabyasachi" source="Orion">Sabyasachi</keyword> and <keyword id="21493890" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ritu-kumar" source="keywords">Ritu Kumar</keyword> are known to work closely with weavers and have been doing their part by bringing worldwide attention to the handloom industries. Recently, <keyword id="1472101" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ajrakh" source="Orion">Ajrakh</keyword> was brought into the limelight when Alia Bhatt wore a custom Abu Jani Sandeep Khosla Ajrakh saree to Joy Awards in Riyadh. However, it’s not just the fashion moguls who are working towards the revival of this industry. Contemporary indie brands are partnering with local weavers, and creating awareness about their work. The emergence of such indie brands and their association with local artisans is beneficial for both entities. For instance, Joskai Studio derives its name from ‘Joskai’, a woven piece of cloth worn as a part of the traditional costume of the Tiwa community of Assam. They work with artisans in northeast India, specifically from the weaving village of Saualkuchi in Assam. Rouka by Sreejith Jeevan is a Kerala-based brand that works strictly with weavers from Kerala, specifically Chendamangalam and Kuthampally. <h2>Employment and Exports</h2>According to the Indian Trade Portal, the Indian handloom sector is the country’s second-largest employer after agriculture in rural areas. The Handloom Census 2019-20 mentions that the industry employs about 35,22,512 workers across the country, with women forming 77.29% of the workforce. India is the second largest exporter of handloom products in the world, with exports valued at $ 353.9 million in 2017- 18, as per EXIM bank's working papers. The major handloom export centres are Karur, Panipat, Varanasi and Kannur where handloom products like bed linen, table linen, toilet linen, floor coverings, and embroidered textile materials and curtains etc. are produced for export markets. During April 2021-February 2022, India exported handloom products worth 1693 crore, as per Indian Trade Portal. Indian silk scarves also form a sizable chunk of total handloom exports, in addition to home textiles like carpets, rugs and mats, which constitute over 13.6% of India’s total handloom exports. <h2>The Path Forward</h2>The mere existence of organisations and allocation of funds isn’t enough to sustain the legacy of India’s rich handloom industry. Big corporations working with local weavers ensure employment but don't protect them from exploitation and meagre wages, leaving them vulnerable. The people in power ought to come up with strategies that ensure the trickle-down effect of the schemes and funds. The new generation of buyers has a greater purchasing power than the one before them. Marketing focused on bringing Indian handloom practices into the limelight can do wonders in this case.

Fabric of a nation: Sustaining India's handloom legacy in modern times

<ul class="summary-list"><li>A Swiss court convicted four members of the UK's richest family of exploiting staff at their Geneva villa.</li><li>The family was given sentences ranging from four to four-and-a-half years.</li></ul>A Swiss court has convicted four members of the UK's richest family of exploiting staff at their Geneva mansion.The court found Prakash Hinduja, his wife Kamal, their son Ajay, and Ajay's wife Namrata guilty of exploitation and illegal employment, the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c3ggl6pe52eo">BBC</a> reported.They were given sentences ranging from four to four-and-a-half years, the report said.More serious charges of human trafficking were dismissed.The ruling followed claims by three workers at the villa that the family had taken their passports, paid them as little as $8 to work 18-hour days, and barred them from leaving the house, which is located in <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/train-ride-geneva-switzerland-to-milan-italy-worth-it-2023-12">Geneva's</a> wealthy Cologny neighborhood — a hot spot for wealthy buyers that has attracted the heirs to several fortunes, including Chanel and Peugeot, per <a target="_blank" href="https://www.mansionglobal.com/articles/with-elegance-and-cachet-cologny-is-geneva-s-most-attractive-suburb-100191">Mansion Global</a>.The workers, who were brought to <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/switzerland">Switzerland</a> from <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/india">India</a>, also received little or no vacation time and slept in the basement, sometimes on a mattress on the floor, <a target="_blank" href="https://apnews.com/article/hinduja-switzerland-geneva-human-trafficking-exploitation-india-b0a40f9872ea096c4722754c1267490b">the Associated Press reported</a>.Lawyers representing the family said they would appeal the decision, per the BBC.Robert Assael, a lawyer for the family, said outside the court: "I'm shocked. We're going to fight it to the bitter end."<h2 id="a897e166-d7b2-4551-b968-e94f32ab96cf">The Hinduja family</h2>The family has a net worth of £37.196 billion, which is just over $47 billion, making them the UK's wealthiest family, according to the Sunday Times Rich List 2024.Prakash and his three brothers lead a family conglomerate that has interests in finance, healthcare, real estate, media, energy, and information technology, among other areas. Their companies operate across 48 countries, per the report.The family owns the five-star luxury Raffles Hotel in London, where the cheapest room usually costs more than £1,000 (around $1,200) a night, and the most expensive, the Haldane suite, can cost £25,000 (roughly $31,600) a night.The family also owns a 25-bedroom mansion on Carlton House Terrace, an exclusive street overlooking St James's Park in central London.In 2015, Gopichand Hinduja, Prakash's brother, told the Times of London that the family did not spend more than one in five nights at the 67,000-square-foot home due to fears that it may bring them bad luck."Indians are very sentimental, emotional and they believe in omens and good luck," Gopichand Hinduja said."Although this has been built for the whole family, my wife and the family don't want to move here because they say that [our old house] has good luck . . . I can tell you the occupancy [here] is not more than 20 per cent," he added.

4 members of UK's richest family convicted of exploiting servants at Swiss mansion

<ul><li>An overall growth of 150% was recorded in the payments/salaries to gig workers between October 2021 and September 2022. </li><li>The potential of gig workers can grow further if online retail grows across the country. </li><li>The report predicts that the penetration of online retail was just 5% in 2019 and is expected to grow to 11% by 2024.</li></ul>As more e-commerce platforms enter the 10-minute delivery space, demand for gig workers has not only ballooned – but their monthly earnings have increased too. A report by StrideOne, a tech-enabled NBFC, titled ‘The Startup Economy Report 2022’ says that 25% of gig workers surveyed reported an over 50% rise in their monthly income as compared to their previous mode of livelihood – in the last one year. An overall growth of 150% was recorded in the payments/salaries to gig workers between October 2021 and September 2022, the report said. Majority of the gig workers are engaged in retail trade and sales which includes fast commerce like food and beverage, grocery, medicines delivery etc. Around 56% of the gig workers surveyed previously had full-time employment. “Startups are limiting their hiring of permanent employees. Gig workers have begun to replace these permanent employees,” the report said. The number of companies who shifted to a semi-gig workforce model has increased by 15% since October 2021. The potential of gig workers can grow if online retail expands across the country. The report predicts that the penetration of online retail was 5% in 2019, and is expected to grow to 11% by 2024. Non-farm sectors of <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> have the potential to add over 90 million gig jobs in the longer term, the report predicts. As of now, the <keyword id="3080230" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="gig-economy" source="Orion">gig economy</keyword> constitutes 1.5% of the total workforce in India and is expected to expand to 23.5 million by 2024 constituting 4% of the workforce. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Startup ecosystem of India" comment="subhead" text="Startup ecosystem of India"><keyword id="15794501" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="startup-ecosystem-of-India" source="Orion">Startup ecosystem of India</keyword></cmsannotation> The number of jobs created by the startup ecosystem of India, which is said to be the third largest in the world, grew by 78% CAGR between 2017 and 2022. It is further projected to grow at a CAGR of 24% from 2022-27. The ecosystem altogether created over 2 lakh jobs this year, according to the report. However, several startups like Byju’s, Udaan laid off several employees from its workforce as a part of their retrenchment due to funding winter. “The rapid growth phase and maturity of the ecosystem have unlocked tremendous appetite for scalability, alternate funding options, expansion into the global market and the capacity to enable millions of jobs. This meteoric rise of startups has made India the third largest startup ecosystem in the world and has significantly impacted the Indian economy showcasing the ability to contribute approximately 4-5% to the gross domestic product (GDP) of India,” said Ishpreet Singh Gandhi, founder, StrideOne. Sectors like textile, apparel and logistics however retain the title of being the biggest job creators in the country. The textile industry is said to be the second largest employer in India, which has given direct employment to 5 crore people, and 10 crore people in allied industries. Whereas, logistics sector currently employs 22 million people and is estimated to contribute 11% to the overall GDP of the country. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/indian-railways-backed-spacetech-startup-galaxeye-raises-3-5-million-in-seed-round/articleshow/96250010.cms">Indian Railways backed spacetech startup GalaxEye raises $3.5 million in seed round</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/will-be-lucky-if-we-grow-5-next-year-says-former-rbi-governor-raghuram-rajan/articleshow/96249572.cms">Will be lucky if we grow 5% next year says former RBI governor Raghuram Rajan</a>

A quarter of Indian gig workers’ salaries grew by 50% in the last one year

Workers in <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword>, who use advanced digital skills like <keyword id="11929101" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="cloud" source="Orion">cloud</keyword> architecture or software development, are contributing an estimated $507.9 billion (Rs 10.9 trillion) to the country's annual gross domestic product (GDP), a report showed on Wednesday. This is attributed to the 92 per cent higher salaries that these workers earn compared to those with a similar education who do not use digital skills at work. About 80 per cent of organisations in India that employ workers with advanced digital skills report higher annual revenue growth, but 88 per cent of organisations are facing hiring issues, according to the report by Amazon Web Services (AWS) conducted by Gallup. The findings showed advanced digital workers in India are benefitting from more than just a boost in their income. About 91 per cent of workers who use advanced digital skills express higher job satisfaction, compared to 74 per cent of workers with intermediate skills and 70 per cent of workers with basic digital skills. "India has the opportunity to seize immense economic benefits from building a strong pipeline of cloud talent to support the country's ongoing digital transformation. AWS has trained more than four million people with basic, intermediate, and advanced cloud skills in India since 2017, and our work doesn't stop here," said <keyword id="989663" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="amit-mehta" source="Orion">Amit Mehta</keyword>, Head of Training and Certification, AWS India Pvt Ltd. The report found that 21 per cent of Indian organisations that run most of their business on the Cloud report a doubling of annual revenue or more, compared to 9 per cent of those that use the cloud for some or none of their business. Cloud-based organisations are also 15 percentage points more likely to have introduced a new or improved product within the last two years. With many organisations now preparing for the challenges of a digital future, the Gallup study looked at 10 emerging technologies including AI, edge and quantum computing, blockchain, and cryptocurrency. Around 92 per cent of employers in India said at least one of these technologies is likely to become a standard part of their future business operations, with 5G ranking the highest at 78 per cent. "This research shows that digital skills provide immense economic value to India at the individual, organisational, and macroeconomic level," said Dr <keyword id="5521204" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="jonathan-rothwell" source="Orion">Jonathan Rothwell</keyword>, Gallup principal economist. However, shortage of tech talent is a global phenomenon. "While it is good that India has the lowest tech talent demand-supply gap among the top tech locations, it is imperative for individuals and organisations to continue to invest in digital skills training," said <keyword id="1561490" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="kirti-seth" source="Orion">Kirti Seth</keyword>, CEO, Sector Skills Council, Nasscom. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/shark-tanks-anupam-mittal-calls-this-startups-wellness-offerings-a-sin/articleshow/98150903.cms">Shark Tank’s Anupam Mittal calls this startup’s wellness offerings ‘a sin’</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/apple-watch-band-may-change-colour-based-on-your-outfit-in-future/articleshow/98152211.cms">Apple Watch band may change colour based on your outfit in future</a>

Indian workers with digital skills contributing $508 billion to country's GDP

Last week, the President of the United States, <keyword id="19919748" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="joe-biden" source="keywords">Joe Biden</keyword>, announced significant tariffs on a range of <keyword id="20139085" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Chinese-products" source="keywords">Chinese products</keyword> to protect American workers from unfair trade practices. The targetted measures include a 100% tariff on <keyword id="6354973" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="electric-vehicles" source="Orion">electric vehicles</keyword>, a 50% tariff on semiconductors and solar cells, and a 25% tariffs on batteries, steel and aluminium products, some critical minerals, and essential health equipment like medical gloves, syringes and needles. In his address from the Rose Garden of the White House, Biden said America can continue to buy any kind of car they want, "but we're never going to allow China to unfairly control the market for these cars. Period." He claimed that the Chinese government has been investing state funds in various Chinese companies for years, spanning industries across the above-mentioned sectors. How does this brewing geopolitical <keyword id="20736760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="trade-war" source="keywords">trade war</keyword> impact <keyword id="20742235" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-firms" source="keywords">Indian firms</keyword>? Experts say the impact could be in two ways, benefitting some sectors, while harming the few others. Let’s start with the bad news. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Threat to Indian firms" comment="subhead" text="Threat to Indian firms">Threat to Indian firms</cmsannotation> Beijing offers significant subsidies on most of these products, leading to surplus production that exceeds domestic and even regular export demand. Subsequently, Chinese companies are known to flood the global markets with surplus products at unreasonably low prices, forcing local manufacturers out of business in many countries, including <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword>. A prime example of this in practice can be found in the steel sector, where weak domestic demand is pushing the world’s largest steel producer China to offload surplus production into Indian markets at cheaper prices. Indian steel manufacturers are already struggling to compete with a glut of cheaper Chinese steel, with shipments nearly doubling year-on-year in the financial year ending March 2024. “India is already under grave threat of import because all major steel consuming economies are shutting their doors on these steel producing countries. We are highly vulnerable to surging and predatory import,” said Alok Sahay, secretary general of the Indian Steel Association, to Reuters. Global trade experts say that a majority of Chinese products are sold at unreasonably low prices in global markets because the companies in these sectors do not have to worry about profits. They are heavily subsidised by the Chinese government. <keyword id="20279291" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Steel-Authority-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Steel Authority of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Steel Authority of India">Steel Authority of India</keyword>’s (SAIL) chairman Amarendu Prakash also said that they are keenly watching Chinese imports after the US tariff increases. Additionally, China has been accused of employing anti-competitive strategies like compelling foreign companies to transfer their technology in order to operate in China. These factors have led to the US effectively shutting its door on several Chinese products through heightened tariffs, and other developed markets like Canada are also likely to follow suit. White House also emphasised that it continues to consult with its partners and allies who are facing similar threats from China’s unfair trade practices and are keen on taking action. If more and more global markets restrict entry of Chinese products, the risk of the majority of such products being dumped in neighbouring India increases drastically. Trying to block Chinese excess production "is like squeezing a balloon. It shrinks in one place and pops out in another," William Reinsch, a trade expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, tells Reuters. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="An opportunity also arises" comment="subhead" text="An opportunity also arises">An opportunity also arises</cmsannotation> While some products risk being dumped into the Indian market, in a few other cases, Indian firms could benefit from fresh openings in the lucrative US market. "Of the products affected, India has opportunities in face masks, PPE, syringes &amp;needles, medical gloves, aluminium, iron, and steel. Opportunity may come in China also with retaliation, provided we have market access in products targeted by China," Ajay Sahai, Director General of the Federation of Indian Export Organisations (FIEO), told ANI. However, China is not likely to retaliate against the US tariffs at the moment, say experts, though the country’s Ministry of Commerce said it would take 'resolute measures to safeguard its own rights and interests' "China's economy is fragile. With household spending and the property market on the wane, manufacturing for export markets is one of its few bright spots. Beijing will not want to cut off its nose to spite its face. More broadly, China is desperately trying to encourage new foreign investment. Rash retaliatory action could spoil its case," Moody's Analytics explained in a recent report. Out of China's USD 420 billion exports to the US, only USD 18 billion is impacted due to the latest hike in tariffs — representing slightly over 4% and therefore considered marginal. But Sahai says that this market will continue to grow with time and provides an opportunity to India and other competitors to chip in the supply gap. Ajay Srivastava, the founder of the Global Trade Research Initiative (GTRI), also echoes Sahai’s opinions. He emphasised that the increased duties on Chinese face masks, syringes, needles, medical gloves, and natural graphite offer a substantial opportunity for India, as quoted by ANI. "By ramping up production and export of these in-demand products, India could enhance its trade footprint in the US market," he added. In terms of products like electric vehicles and semiconductors, India remains a net importer, and therefore, may not be in a position to capitalise right now. In the long term, however, as India begins semiconductor production at scale in 2025, there will be opportunities to export some of it to the US and other European countries, offering fresh impetus for domestic manufacturing. As the security risks associated with importing Chinese semiconductors prompts more and more trade barriers from the Western countries, demand for supply from India is likely to grow. Efforts are already underway for the establishment of four large semiconductor plants in India, with three located in Gujarat and one in Assam. Last fiscal year, Indian exports to the US dipped marginally by 1.32 per cent to $77.5 billion as against $78.54 billion in 2022-23. The new development now gives an unique opportunity to turn the tide over the next few years. Overall, some sectors like steel and aluminium do face a serious challenge due to the fresh US tariffs on Chinese products. However, the development will open new avenues for Western market entry and expansion for several other products. (With inputs from agencies)

US-China tariff war could benefit several sectors in India while harming a few others

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Russia could exploit its influence with white nationalist groups in the US to foment election day violence, terrorism experts have told Business Insider. </li><li>In recent years, the <keyword id="9016555" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="russian-imperial-movement">Russian Imperial Movement</keyword> has formed ties with US white nationalists, and spread racist propaganda and conspiracies on social media.</li><li>The movement was recently designated a terror group by the US State Department.</li><li>Experts believe that the Kremlin provides tacit support to violent white nationalists as part of a strategy to internally fracture western nations. </li></ul>Russian extremists could exploit their ties with white nationalist groups in the US to foment violence around the presidential election, terrorism experts have told Business Insider. They warned that Russia's influence with white nationalists in the US is growing. They say that Russian propaganda and disinformation targeting extremists who believe that progressives are plotting to steal the election could inspire violence.The fear of election-day violence is already having consequences. <a href="https://www.voanews.com/2020-usa-votes/states-bracing-possible-violence-us-election-nears">US state-level officials</a> are preparing for potential violence, as are <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-preparing-violence-after-us-election-may-restrict-content-2020-9?r=US&amp;IR=TIR=T">companies like Facebook</a>, which has a contingency plan to slow inflammatory content.The experts Business Insider spoke to said that Russian extremists — with the Kremlin's tacit approval — could seek to exploit existing tensions to help them spill over into violence."Russia wants chaos and violence serves that, violence divides, violence reduces trust in institutions," said Daniel Byman, a senior foreign policy fellow at the Brookings Institute in an interview with Business Insider. Jason Blazakis, a professor of terrorism studies at the Middlebury Institute in California, said that Russia is seeking to "light the fuse" of US white supremacy.Blazakis told Business Insider: "It is in the Russian Federation's strategic interests to create a politically unstable United States. Cyber and disinformation efforts targeting the radical right in the United States remain part of the tool-kit — a kit that is being used to light the fuse of white supremacy."<h2>How Trump laid the ground for extremism </h2>The 2020 presidential election is proving the most contentious in recent history. President <keyword id="6354484" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Donald-Trump">Donald Trump</keyword> has spread groundless accusation that Democrats are plotting to steal the election, and has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trumps-history-of-support-from-white-supremacist-far-right-groups-2020-9">accused of offering encouragement</a> to far-right and white nationalist groups.In turn, they have taken encouragement from the president's anti-immigrant policies and his willingness to stoke white grievances. Far right so-called militia groups <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/armed-groups-planning-to-monitor-polling-sites-on-election-day-2020-10">have said they will heed Trump's call</a> for supporters to monitor polling stations.One such group is accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer. The head of the FBI, Christopher Wray, in <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/17/us/politics/fbi-russia.html">testimony to Congress in September </a>warned that racist extremists are the most urgent domestic terror threat in the US.Far-right groups on social media channels just ahead of Election Day, fuelled by Trump's Twitter feed talk of voting fraud and rioting left-wing mobs, have been urging followers to prepare for conflict, <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/01/far-right-militia-groups-election-doomsday-scenarios-433785">Politico reported Sunday. </a>For years, ties have been forming between white nationalist groups in the US and Russia, the experts said. <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/leaders-charlottesvilles-alt-right-protest-all-have-ties-russian-fascist-651384">US extremists have long seen</a> Russia's President Vladimir Putin as a bulwark against what they regard as the forces of decadent liberalism. Neo-Nazi Matthew Heimbach, one of the organisers of the 2017 Charlottesville white nationalist rally, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/russia-connections-to-the-alt-right-2016-11">in 2017 described Putin as "the leader of the free world."</a>Alex Newhouse, who researches online white nationalist propaganda, also at Middlebury, said the reverence US white nationalists feel for Russia exposes them to manipulation. "One of the scariest parts of the developments in the information space and the extremism space over the last five years is the gradual — the pretty significant but gradual increase in pro-Russian sentiment among American white nationalist groups," he said."And that is a very specific trend that needs to be addressed. Because it does open them up to influence and manipulation."<div type="image" title="Charlottesville white supremacists 2017" height="3456" width="4608" msid="78731211" hostid="261"></div><h2>The Russian Imperial Movement</h2>The relationship between Putin's Russia and America's resurgent white nationalists goes further than expressions of admiration or ideological affinity. Experts say that groups have for years been building alliances in an effort to form an international white nationalist movement. One is the Russian Imperial Movement (RIM), which in April became the first white nationalist organisation to be <a href="https://www.state.gov/designation-of-the-russian-imperial-movement/">designated a terrorist group by the US State Department</a>.<div type="image" title="Sweden attack" height="1289" width="1718" msid="78731213" hostid="261"></div>Operating paramilitary training camps outside St Petersburg, the group aims to re-establish the old Tsarist Russian empire. According to <a href="https://www.counterextremism.com/threat/russian-imperial-movement-rim">CounterExtremism.com</a>, the group blames western culture for the "destruction of the family and healthy moral values" through "abortion, propaganda of debauchery and acceptance of sexual perversions."Heimbach, the Charlottesville organizer, met with RIM leaders in the wake of the rally. They had travelled to the US to broker alliances with white nationalist extremists. Heimbach at the time told <a href="https://eurasianet.org/us-hate-group-forging-ties-third-rome">Think Progress</a> that the movements shared a commitment to "conservative reactionary politics, spiritual revival, and nationalist principles."Blazakis, the academic, said: "RIM has worked hand-and-glove with US-based white supremacists."They've invited US-based far-right ideologues to conferences to exchange ideas and tradecraft. There have long been efforts between US-RIM extremists to coordinate messaging. This is emblematic of the transnational nature of the RIM."Heimbach in April <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2020/05/14/two-prominent-neo-nazis-recant-their-actions-sow-doubts">claimed to have renounced white nationalism</a>, and his Traditional Workers Party has folded. Business Insider was unable to reach Heimbach for comment. A source who monitors counter-extremist groups told Business Insider that he has been keeping a low profile. In Europe, neo-Nazi extremists are known to have received training at the RIM's camps, where Russians have been trained to fight in Ukraine and Libya, <a href="https://warsawinstitute.org/kremlin-uses-radical-russian-imperial-movement-destabilize-west/">according to the Warsaw Institute's Russia Monitor project</a>. Two members of the neo-Nazi Nordic Resistance Movement in 2016 and 2017 bombed a left-wing cafe and refugee center in Sweden, and tried to bomb a campsite housing refugees. They were found to have received training at a RIM camp outside St Petersburg, <a href="https://www.state.gov/united-states-designates-russian-imperial-movement-and-leaders-as-global-terrorists/">according to Swedish prosecutors.</a>The group has also formed ties with extremists in Poland, Spain, Bulgaria and Austria at meetings and far-right conferences. The German government <a href="https://www.focus.de/politik/ausland/rechtsextreme-lager-deutsche-neonazis-ueben-terrorkampf-in-sankt-petersburg_id_12067019.html">told Focus magazine in June</a> that two neo-Nazis attended RIM training in camps in Russia, which according to the State Department involves "woodland and urban assault, tactical weapons, and hand-to-hand combat training."Blazakis said that the RIM operates with the blessing of Russian officials, even if they do not always see eye-to-eye."It is my assessment that the Russian Federation, at a minimum, implicitly supports the RIM. The RIM operates safe havens and training camps within the Russian Federation and does so with impunity. These training grounds have been an important avenue for far-right extremists to train," he said. Elizabeth Grimm, an associate professor at Georgetown's School of Foreign Service, told Business Insider that supporting extremists abroad is a way that "Russia seeks to sow discord in liberal democracies from inside the countries themselves.""By highlighting divisions and hatreds that already exist in societies (including but certainly not limited to the United States and Europe), Russia advances its goal of undermining the liberal order while also maintaining plausible deniability of these efforts."Another recent case appears to show a direct connection between Russia's intelligence agencies and extremism in the US.In January, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/23/revealed-the-true-identity-of-the-leader-of-americas-neo-nazi-terror-group">the Guardian reported</a> that a suspected member of neo-Nazi group The Base told investigators that he believed the group's leader, Rinaldo Nazzaro, was a Russian agent.Law enforcement sources backed the man's claim.<h2>How Russia hosts and boosts conspiracy theories</h2>In the febrile atmosphere ahead of the US election, Russian extremists have a unique opportunity to exploit their growing influence on US white nationalists. This could be leveraged, say Grimm and Blazakis, through connections formed in training camps and far-right conferences, or through the dissemination of racist conspiracy theories and election disinformation on social media. Grimm said, that prior to its classification as a terror group, RIM ran a sophisticated social media operation, spreading racist propaganda and conspiracy theories in English on YouTube and Facebook.Since the designation, social media companies have acted to remove its channels, but the group maintains an active presence on the Russian social media site VK, and encrypted messaging app Telegram. A study by the <a href="https://www.middlebury.edu/institute/sites/www.middlebury.edu.institute/files/2020-04/rim_coronavirus_brief2.pdf?fv=N5zmrDfx">Middlebury Institute earlier in the year</a> found the RIM spreading COVID-19 disinformation, and propaganda hostile to LGBTQ people and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-antifa-movement-charlottesville-va-trump-news-2017-8">the antifa movement</a>. <a href="https://www.voanews.com/usa/us-white-nationalists-barred-facebook-find-haven-russia-site">Reports have found</a> that many extremists who were kicked off mainstream social media platforms migrated instead to Russian ones, including people from <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/08/18/us-nazi-supporters-move-russian-social-media-facebook-ban/">the US</a>, <a href="https://ecpr.eu/Events/Event/PaperDetails/53809">UK</a> and GermanyBlazakis also pointed to the <a href="https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-usa-election-qanon-russia/russian-backed-organizations-amplifying-qanon-conspiracy-theories-researchers-say-idUKKBN25K137">Russian state's role in boosting the QAnon conspiracy theory</a>, the sprawling online movement that believes that "deep state" operatives are plotting against Trump. The conspiracy has inspired violent crimes by several followers and is openly supported by some Republican candidates.Newhouse said that his own research had found that QAnon rhetoric is "rapidly merging with anti-Semitic and white supremacist rhetoric on big social media platforms and Russian-language communities." Civil rights non-profit the Southern Poverty Law Center <a href="https://www.splcenter.org/hatewatch/2019/04/23/qanon-conspiracy-increasingly-popular-antigovernment-extremists">last year found increasing overlap</a> between the propaganda of so-called militia groups and QAnon. On extremist online forums, links between white nationalists in Russia and the US are extensive, he said. He cited leaked data from the Iron March white supremacist forum that showed "pretty significant patterns of reaching out and cross pollination, so to speak, between American white nationalists, white supremacists; and Russian and Ukrainian white nationalists and white supremacists."<h2>'Playing with fire'</h2>The Trump administration's response to these threats has been piecemeal. Earlier in September a whistleblower at the Department for Homeland Security (DHS) <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/house-intel-committee-investigating-dhs-whistleblower-complaint-2020-9">said that Trump officials had told analysts to downplay the threat from Russia and white nationalist extremism</a>. The State Department referred Business Insider to the FBI for comment on the combined threat posed by white nationalist extremists and Russia. The FBI declined to comment. The DHS did not respond to a request for comment.President Trump's continuing reluctance to condemn white nationalist groups, meanwhile, has been interpreted by extremists as a call to action. And the president publicly castigated FBI director Wray for addressing the threat posed by Russian interference in his congressional testimony. With Biden currently leading in the polls, Byman said that Russia is taking a big gamble in its support for white nationalists — a gamble that could backfire if an atrocity by a far-right extremist is linked to Russia, or one of the white nationalist groups in its borders. "What happens if we find that there is an individual who was triggered by something Russia-linked? What does that mean? Does it simply get lost in the noise? Or is it that Russia becomes responsible for the deaths of several Americans?""I think that Russia is playing with fire, and under Trump that hasn't been a big deal, because he has downplayed it. But under a traditional Republican or someone like Joe Biden it'd be a much bigger deal."

Russia could exploit its ties with US white nationalist groups to encourage election violence, experts warn

Introduced by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the health insurance scheme with a grand vision is named as <keyword id="6199405" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ayushman-bharat">Ayushman Bharat</keyword> providing the subscribers a medical expenses cover of up to Rs 5 lakh. Here is what you must know about the scheme and the eligibility criteria that will help you benefit from the scheme. Called by other names such as the National Health Protection Mission (AB-NHPM) or Modicare, this government-sponsored health insurance scheme offers free coverage of up to Rs 5 lakh per family per year for medical care availed of at any government hospital or an empanelled medical care facility in India. The scheme is meant only for poor families and the economically deprived segments of the society. The scheme aims to cover about 10.74 crore beneficiary families and around 50 crore Indian citizens. Key aspects of <keyword id="6199968" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ayushman-Bharat-scheme">Ayushman Bharat scheme</keyword> The medical insurance cover will provide a maximum of about Rs 5 lakhs per family per year on secondary as well as tertiary medical care availed of from medical facilities. Eligibility is strictly based on the Socio-Economic Caste Census (SECC) database and those that are eligible will be covered by the program automatically without having to register for it. If a person from an eligible family is hospitalized, the family need not spend on the treatment when they visit a government or an empanelled private hospital for treatment. The policy covers all kinds of diseases and the benefit offers coverage both for pre and post hospitalization expenses. Unlike other kinds of medical insurance schemes, there is no waiting period for pre-existing ailments. Though Aadhaar card is not a mandated requirement for availing of the medical care under the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the beneficiaries will have to produce a prescribed ID at the hospital to receive free treatment. Eligibility criteria for Ayushman Bharat scheme in rural areas 1. Families inhabiting a single room or a domicile with “kuchcha walls and kuchcha roof" 2. Families in which there is no adult member in the age group 16 and 59 3. Family headed by a female with no adult male member belonging to the 16-59 age group 4. Families in which there is at least one disabled member and no able-bodied adult member 5. SC/ST households 6. Landless households making a majority of their earnings from manual casual labour 7. Extremely poor and those individuals surviving on alms 8. Families of manual scavengers 9. Families belonging to primitive tribal groups Eligibility criteria for Ayushman Bharat scheme in urban areas As per the guidelines issues as part of the Ayushman Bharat scheme, the following 11 occupational categories of workers are included in the list automatically. 1. <keyword id="6470258" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Domestic-worker">Domestic worker</keyword> 2. Street vendor, cobbler, hawker, and other service providers working on the streets 3. Construction worker, plumber, mason, labour, painter, welder, security guard, coolie and other head-load workers 4. Sweeper, sanitation worker, and gardener 8. Home-based worker, artisan, handicrafts worker, and tailor 9. Transport worker, driver, conductor, helper to drivers and conductors, cart puller, and rickshaw puller 10. Shop worker, assistant, peon in small establishment, helper, delivery assistant, attendant, and waiter 11. Electrician, mechanic, assembler, and repair worker 12. Washer-man, and chowkidar 13. Homeless people

What is Prime Minister health insurance scheme?

The <keyword id="6354977" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Supreme-Court">Supreme Court</keyword> Friday said it would hear on November 23 the plea filed by Rajya Sabha MP Binoy Viswam seeking direction to the RBI for framing regulation to ensure that data collected on UPI platforms is not "exploited" or used in any manner other than for processing payments. The matter came up for hearing before a bench comprising Chief Justice S A Bobde and Justices A S Bopanna and V Ramasubramanian which listed it for hearing next week. On October 15, the apex court had sought responses from the Centre, Reserve Bank of India (RBI), National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) and others including Google Inc, Facebook Inc, WhatsApp and Amazon Inc on the plea. Viswam, the Communist Party of India (CPI) leader, has sought a direction to the RBI and the NPCI to ensure that data collected on Unified Payments Interface (UPI) platforms is not shared with their parent company or any other third party under any circumstances. "In India, the UPI payments system is being regulated and supervised by Respondent no. 1 (RBI) and Respondent no. 2 (NPCI), however the RBI and the NPCI instead of fulfilling their statutory obligations and protecting and securing the sensitive data of users are compromising the interest of the Indian users by allowing the non-compliant foreign entities to operate its payment services in India," the plea has alleged. "The RBI and NPCI have permitted the three members of 'Big Four Tech Giants' i.e. Amazon, Google and Facebook/WhatsApp (Beta phase) to participate in the UPI ecosystem without much scrutiny and in spite of blatant violations of UPI guidelines and RBI regulations," it claimed. The plea has alleged that this conduct of RBI and NPCI put the sensitive financial data of Indian users at huge risks, especially when these entities have been "continuously accused of abusing dominance and compromising data", among other things. It said these allegations have become particularly worrisome at a time when India has banned host of Chinese applications on the ground that those applications were or could be used for data theft and could lead to security breaches. It has further sought a direction that RBI and NPCI should ensure that WhatsApp is not permitted to launch full scale operations of 'WhatsApp Pay' in India without fulfilling all legal compliances to the satisfaction of the court regarding requisite regulatory compliances. It said that in April 2018, the RBI, with a view to secure the data of Indian users, had issued a circular directing all system providers to ensure that entire data relating to payment systems operated by them are stored in systems only in India and they were asked to ensure compliance by October 15, 2018. The plea claimed that later, the RBI toned down the April 2018 circular by issuing Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and permitted processing of all payment transaction abroad, including domestic transactions. In the said FAQ it was clarified that in cases of data processing done abroad, the data should be deleted from the systems abroad and brought back to India within 24 hours, the plea said. It has sought the apex court's direction to declare the FAQ dated June 26, 2019 issued by the RBI as ultra vires to the circular dated April 6, 2018. The plea referred to another pending petition in the apex court and said that in that matter, the counsel appearing for WhatsApp had undertook that his client would not go ahead with payment services without complying with all the regulation in force. It alleged that Google and Facebook already have access to "immense personal data of millions of Indian users" and if they are permitted to collect "unrestricted financial data" of Indian users while operating at the UPI platform, the same would give them "draconian control" over sensitive Indian data. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/mumbais-massive-power-cut-last-month-may-have-been-the-work-of-hackers/articleshow/79318282.cms">Mumbai’s massive power cut last month may have been the work of hackers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/vodafone-idea-shares-jump-after-selling-stake-in-indus-towers-for-3760-crore/articleshow/79316662.cms">Vodafone Idea soars nearly 5% on fund infusion from Indus Towers stake sale</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/pubg-mobile-india-was-supposed-to-launch-today/articleshow/79315462.cms">PUBG Mobile India was rumoured to launch today — but there is no official update from the company</a>

Plea for regulation to ensure UPI data is not 'exploited' to be heard by the Supreme Court on November 23

<ul><li>Indian states including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have suspended several <keyword id="176311" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="labour-laws">labour laws</keyword> including <keyword id="85252" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Minimum-wages">minimum wages</keyword>. </li><li>However, the idea does not resonate well with the experts. </li><li>It will only exacerbate the conditions of low wage workers and the way we do business and industry,” said <keyword id="6419840" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Azim-Premji">Azim Premji</keyword>, the founder of Wipro. </li><li>In fact, this might push more women out of the workforce — which will further drop the Female Labour Force Participation in the country. </li></ul>Indian states including Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh have suspended several labour laws including minimum wages. Of these, at least 10 states introduced amendments to the Factories Act — increasing the daily working hours from 8 to 12 hours. The <keyword id="176732" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="State-governments">state governments</keyword> said that diluting these laws will attract more foreign direct investments as well as local investments post COVID crisis. However, the idea does not resonate well with the experts. “It was shocking to hear that various state governments, encouraged by businesses, are considering suspending — or have already suspended — many of the labour laws that protect workers. It will only exacerbate the conditions of low wage workers and the way we do business and industry,” <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2020-05-16/billionaire-defends-workers-rights-as-indian-states-dilute-laws?utm_source=dlvr.it&amp;utm_medium=twitter">said</a> Azim Premji, business tycoon and the founder of Wipro. “The migrant workers we find fending for themselves and their families have almost no social security and too little — not too much — <keyword id="9244630" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="worker-protection">worker protection</keyword>,” he added. After a notice from the Allahabad High Court on hearing a plea from the UP Workers Front, the UP government also pulled back the order to increase the daily working hours. However, this makes no change to the key labour laws that have been suspended for three years. <div type="image" title="workers" msid="75818115" hostid="261"></div> According to <keyword id="118657" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Gurcharan-Das">Gurcharan Das</keyword>, a renowned author and the former CEO of Procter and Gamble India, and <keyword id="55796" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kiran-Mazumdar-Shaw">Kiran Mazumdar Shaw</keyword>, Executive Chairperson of Biocon, the country needs a model that protects workers — that can help the workers with some protection when they lose their job — before doing away with the labour laws. There is a need for creating an unemployment Welfare Fund for labour that is funded by the employers and government,” Shaw said in a tweet. <div type="twitter" handle="kiranshaw" handlename="Kiran Mazumdar Shaw" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/815537398444654592/o67mUQoz_normal.jpg" favoritecount="2987" retweetcount="758" status="Has the stimulus package missed an opportunity to provide a minimum basic income for the vulnerable informal labour… https://t.co/S2DgSCX9C5" createdat="1589684640000" id="1261854957050814465"></div> <div type="twitter" handle="kiranshaw" handlename="Kiran Mazumdar Shaw" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/815537398444654592/o67mUQoz_normal.jpg" favoritecount="177" retweetcount="40" status="India’s ‘labour reforms’ need these three safety nets⁠— or else the people will be exposed to exploitation | Busine… https://t.co/wB95q7UVhA" createdat="1589685220000" id="1261857390946734080"></div> Impact on female workforce In fact, on the gender employability front, this might push more women out of the workforce — which will further drop the Female Labour Force Participation in the country — which has already been falling for two decades. “Be it agriculture or manufacturing, there is already a decline in women’s participation. Women are employed in textiles or food processing, services, hospitality, which will take longer to revive. Only as domestic workers, their work might not see a decline. But even there, their wages will have to co-relate with middle-class household incomes as many households will make cuts or reduce their work to only physically-intensive tasks such as cleaning,” Neetha N, director of the Centre for Women’s Development Studies <a href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/women-to-bear-brunt-of-new-labour-laws-experts/articleshow/75794353.cms">told</a> ET. 44 labour laws to be compressed Meanwhile, the government of India is set to introduce several initiatives for the welfare of workers including universalization of minimum wages, implementing national floor wage to eliminate the regional disparity in wages and more. The Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman recently announced that 44 labour laws have been compressed into four codes, awaiting the approval of the Parliament and the Standing Committees. “Such an extreme measure may actually drive a shift in the workforce from the formal to the informal sector. If different states engage in regulatory competition, this could put pressure on systemic wages, hurting both the revenue and mark-ups of staffing companies,” according to a staffing report by Motilal Oswal Group, a financial services company. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/indian-women-dont-like-being-gig-workers/articleshow/75757460.cms">Indian women don’t like being gig workers ⁠— the potentially $455 billion industry has to woo them with fair pay to start with</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/from-minimum-wages-for-all-to-social-security-for-gig-workers-these-are-the-broad-outlines-of-upcoming-labour-reforms-in-india/articleshow/75733790.cms">From minimum wages for all to social security for gig workers ⁠— these are the broad outlines of upcoming ‘labour reforms’ in India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/indias-top-lawyer-harish-salve-says-this-may-not-be-right-time-for-labour-reforms/articleshow/75528999.cms">India's top lawyer Harish Salve says this may not be right time for labour reforms</a>

Billionaires Azim Premji and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw argue against the labour ‘reforms’ in Indian states⁠— and they are not alone

Indian technology sector growth is set to slow down to 8.4 per cent to USD 245 billion in FY23, <keyword id="6372077" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="nasscom" source="Orion">Nasscom</keyword> said on Wednesday. The industry had grown at 15.5 per cent - its best in a decade - to USD 226 billion in FY22 as the changes brought about by the Covid pandemic made technology spending a necessity for clients. However, as the Russian aggression against Ukraine rages on posing geopolitical challenges and stoking inflation which has led to rate hikes the world over, the tech sector seems to be bracing for choppy times. A survey of chief executives by Nasscom has revealed that chief executives are "cautiously optimistic" about the future, and the industry lobby also declined to share its target for FY24. The body's president <keyword id="875687" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="debjani-ghosh" source="Orion">Debjani Ghosh</keyword> said the geopolitical worries are leading to delays in decision-making at companies to award IT contracts and there is also a demand contraction in some markets. She also said that there is a slew of tailwinds working for the industry, like a strong demand with the top-5 companies reporting a deal pipeline of USD 18 billion, a 10 per cent growth in overall client base reported by select tech companies and companies' ability to increase utilisation by 6-7 per cent, which will help profits. On the headwinds front, <keyword id="4757" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ghosh" source="Orion">Ghosh</keyword> flagged an "employability gap" that has its roots in the education system, where the industry is not getting fresh graduates with the right skill sets and has to invest a lot of resources to make them ready to serve client needs. The overall headcount is set to increase by 2.90 lakh during the fiscal year which will be ending on March 31 to take the sector's overall base to 54 lakh people. The increase in employees is lower than the 4.5 lakh jobs added in FY22, but <keyword id="2644831" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="krishnan-ramanujam" source="Orion">Krishnan Ramanujam</keyword> of the largest IT player TCS, who is the current chairman of the body, said the last two years were an exception and the addition is higher than the pre-Covid period. Ghosh said that generative artificial intelligence platforms like ChatGPT's impact on jobs will be limited to doing away with routine work done by employees, but stressed that AI will be a creator of jobs. She also said that while the larger debate is centred around the impact on jobs, sufficient attention also needs to be paid to using AI responsibly and added that Nasscom runs a centre on ethical AI. Ghosh also exhorted jurisdictions to regulate the end use of technologies rather than technologies itself in order to promote innovation. The Indian IT exports are set to grow by 9.4 per cent to USD 194 billion on a reported currency basis, and would have grown by 11.4 per cent if not for the currency impact, Nasscom said. India presently takes care of 57-58 per cent of the global sourcing requirements and the tech sector is all set to be USD 500 billion in size by 2030, Nasscom said. The domestic revenues are set to jump by a surprising 13 per cent to Rs 4.12 lakh crore on continued investments by government and local governments enterprises, Ghosh said. On the talent side, Nasscom said 36 per cent of the 54 lakh employees are trained in digital skills. Attrition - which had turned into a big trouble for the sector in the recent past because of the high demand for talent on the back of handsome revenue growth - has softened to 21.8 per cent as of December quarter as against 25.7 per cent at the end of June quarter, Nasscom said. The 2.90 lakh new hires in FY23 will include 1.40 lakh women, Nasscom said, adding that of the 54 lakh workers, 20 lakh are women. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/gst-collections-slide-month-on-month-to-1-4-lakh-crore-in-february/articleshow/98334898.cms">GST collections slide month-on-month to ₹1.4 lakh crore in February</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/the-lifestyle-of-the-super-rich-rare-whiskey-handbags-watches-amp-more/slidelist/98334667.cms">The lifestyle of the super rich: Rare whiskey, handbags, watches &amp; more</a>

You Searched For "exploiting Indian domestic workers" and got 10 results

Fabric of a nation: Sustaining India's handloom legacy in modern times

Prerna Tyagi

4 members of UK's richest family convicted of exploiting servants at Swiss mansion

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A quarter of Indian gig workers’ salaries grew by 50% in the last one year

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Indian workers with digital skills contributing $508 billion to country's GDP

IANS

US-China tariff war could benefit several sectors in India while harming a few others

Deekshith Pinto

Russia could exploit its ties with US white nationalist groups to encourage election violence, experts warn

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What is Prime Minister health insurance scheme?

BI India Bureau

Plea for regulation to ensure UPI data is not 'exploited' to be heard by the Supreme Court on November 23

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Billionaires Azim Premji and Kiran Mazumdar Shaw argue against the labour ‘reforms’ in Indian states⁠— and they are not alone

Prerna Sindwani

Indian tech sector growth slows in FY23, CEOs cautiously optimistic: Nasscom

PTI

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