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Mumbai: Tata Indica, the <keyword id="19924335" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Group" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tata Group" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Tata Group">Tata Group</keyword>'s big passenger car bet, was not delivering expected returns a year into its launch. Desperate, the <keyword id="19906967" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tata-Motors" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tata Motors" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Tata Motors">Tata Motors</keyword> brass, led by <keyword id="19981455" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ratan-Tata" source="keywords">Ratan Tata</keyword>, acceded to a meeting request from <keyword id="23121503" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ford-Motors" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ford Motors" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Ford Motors">Ford Motors</keyword> for a possible sale of the passenger vehicles division to the American auto major. Some people had advised Tata to sell the business, and the Ford officials came to Bombay House to hold talks. During the meeting at the Tata headquarters, the American company evinced interest in buying out the business after the not-so-warm response to the hatchback car for over a year since launch. Soon, top Tata officials, led by Ratan Tata, went to the US for a further meeting, which lasted about three hours. According to a person who attended the meeting, officials from Ford "humiliated" the visiting Indians at the meeting in Detroit. "You do not know anything, why did you start the passenger car division at all," the Ford officials told their guests, and spoke about doing a favour to the Indian company by buying out the latter's business. The team decided to return to India immediately after the meeting, which was described as "humiliating" by the person present. On the 90-minute flight taking them back to New York, a sombre Ratan Tata spoke very few words. "This was in 1999 and come 2008, the same Ford's <keyword id="19916884" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="JLR" source="keywords">JLR</keyword> was bought by us. Ford chairman Bill Ford thanked Tata, saying, 'You are doing us a big favour by buying JLR'," Pravin Kadle, a long-time group veteran, had recounted during a public event a few years ago. In 2008, the Tata Group bought the iconic brands from making sedans and sports utility vehicles in a USD 2.23-billion deal from Ford. Post-acquisition, the Tata Group has scripted one of the most fabulous turnarounds in the auto industry and has been able to position the marquee British brands as formidable entities in the fiercely competitive global car market. Even as Tata Motors has come a long way and gained market share in India, it continues to earn a significant part of its revenues from the JLR.

The Tata way of paying back humiliation: doing the 'favour' of 'buying out'

<ul><li>The <keyword id="22500787" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Motorola-Edge-50-Neo" source="Orion">Motorola Edge 50 Neo</keyword> mid-range smartphone has been launched in India.</li><li>The device is priced at ₹23,999 and is available in one variant.</li><li>Here’s everything you need to know about the latest mid-range smartphone from Motorola.</li></ul>Motorola has launched its latest mid-range smartphone in its Edge series, dubbed the Motorola Edge 50 Neo in India. It is the successor of the Motorola Edge 40 Neo that was launched in 2023. The Motorola Edge 50 Neo, has received several upgrades over its predecessor, including a revamped design, new UI, better durability and more. <h2>Motorola Edge 50 Neo price and availability</h2>The Motorola Edge 50 Neo has been priced at ₹23,999 for the single 8GB RAM + 256GB storage variant. The device comes in four Pantone colour options – Poinciana, Latte, Grisaille and Blue. The device will go on sale from Flipkart, Motorola Online Store and the company’s authorised retail stores nationwide from September 24. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111165774" title="Motorola Edge 50 Pro review – a feature-packed smartphone with good design" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>Motorola Edge 50 Neo specifications</h2>The Motorola Edge 50 Neo runs on Android 14 out of the box with the company’s new Hello UI. The smartphone will get five years of Android updates and security updates. It features a 6.4-inch 1.5K 120Hz pOLED display with Corning Gorilla Glass 3 protection. The smartphone is powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 7300 chipset. It is available in only one variant for now, offering variants – 8GB RAM and 256GB of internal storage. Coming to the camera department, the Motorola Edge 50 Neo is equipped with a triple camera setup at the back consisting of a 50MP primary camera with LYTIA 700C sensor with OIS, a 13MP ultra-wide-angle camera and a 10MP telephoto camera with 3x optical zoom. The Motorola Edge 50 Neo is powered by a 4,310mAh battery and comes with 68W fast charging support and 15W wireless charging support. The device comes with IP68 water and dust resistance and has MIL-STD 810H certification. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomi-and-samsung-accused-of-colluding-with-amazon-and-flipkart/articleshow/113381204.cms">Xiaomi and Samsung accused of colluding with Amazon and Flipkart</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ford-is-returning-to-india-expresses-intent-to-restart-its-tamil-nadu-plant-for-exports/articleshow/113317956.cms">Ford is returning to India, expresses intent to restart its Tamil Nadu plant for exports</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/iphone-16-pro-iphone-16-pro-max-india-price-specifications/articleshow/113204340.cms">iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with bigger displays, A18 Pro chipset launched starting at ₹1,19,900</a>

Motorola Edge 50 Neo with Dimensity 7300, 50MP camera launched in India

<ul><li>Smartphone makers and e-commerce players have come under the scanner of CCI.</li><li>Smartphone makers have been accused of colluding with <keyword id="19904608" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon">Amazon</keyword> and <keyword id="19896939" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Flipkart" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Flipkart" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Flipkart">Flipkart</keyword>.</li><li><keyword id="23184977" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="exclusive-launches" source="keywords">Exclusive launches</keyword> and steep discounting are among the practices being investigated.</li></ul>The <keyword id="19895221" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Competition-Commission-of-India" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Competition Commission of India" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Competition Commission of India">Competition Commission of India</keyword> (CCI), the antitrust watchdog in the country has reportedly accused smartphone makers such as <keyword id="19901379" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Xiaomi" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Xiaomi" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Xiaomi">Xiaomi</keyword> and <keyword id="19897758" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Samsung" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Samsung" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Samsung">Samsung</keyword> of colluding with e-commerce players Amazon and Flipkart. According to a <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-accuses-samsung-xiaomi-colluding-with-amazon-flipkart-2024-09-14/">report </a>by Reuters, smartphone makers have been accused of colluding with e-commerce players to launch products on their platforms exclusively. The smartphone makers have also been accused of violating competition laws by giving preference to select sellers, prioritising listings, steeply discounting products and more. <h2>CCI submits report on Amazon and Flipkart</h2>The CCI has reportedly submitted a 1,027-page report on Amazon which has accused Samsung, Xiaomi, OnePlus, Motorola and Realme of being “involved in the practise of exclusive phone launches” and “colluding” with Amazon, breaking competition law. Similarly, the watchdog has submitted a 1,696-page report on Flipkart that has accused Samsung, Xiaomi, Lenovo, Motorola and Vivo of “colluding”. "Exclusivity in business is anathema” CCI's additional director general G.V. Siva Prasad said, as per the report. “Not only is it against free and fair competition but also against the interest of consumers," Prasad added. While the e-commerce giants Amazon and Flipkart reportedly downplayed the practice of launching “exclusive” smartphones, the practice was found to be “rampant” during the investigation. India’s e-commerce market is expected to grow from $57 billion in 2023 to over $160 billion in 2028. Smartphone maker Vivo currently has a market share of 19% in smartphone shipments, followed by Samsung and Xiaomi, which have a combined market share of over 35%. As per a recent <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/indian-smartphone-market-records-7-2-growth-in-the-first-half-of-2024-vivo-leads-the-market-in-q2/articleshow/112629172.cms">report</a> by the International Data Corporation, the shipments to online channels grew by 8% year-on-year to reach 50% in Q2 2024, up from 47% in Q2 2023. As per the report, the exclusive launches pushed customers towards these online platforms and harmed small retailers. The investigation stems from a complaint lodged by the Confederation of All India Traders (<keyword id="20143308" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CAIT" source="keywords">CAIT</keyword>) in 2020. The traders body, which has over 80 million members had accused the smartphone makers and e-commerce players of disadvantaging offline retailers and favouring online exclusive launches. We should know more about the investigation and its impact on smartphone makers, e-commerce players and the future of exclusive launches in the coming weeks. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ford-is-returning-to-india-expresses-intent-to-restart-its-tamil-nadu-plant-for-exports/articleshow/113317956.cms">Ford is returning to India, expresses intent to restart its Tamil Nadu plant for exports</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/webstories/western-carriers-ipo-price-band-to-risk-factors-all-you-need-to-know/slidelist/113312196.cms">Western Carriers IPO – Price band to risk factors, all you need to know</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/iphone-16-pro-is-already-cheaper-than-the-iphone-15-pro-in-india-but-you-can-get-it-for-up-to-30000-cheaper/articleshow/113220789.cms">iPhone 16 Pro is already cheaper than the iPhone 15 Pro in India, but you can get it for up to ₹30,000 cheaper</a>

Xiaomi and Samsung accused of colluding with Amazon and Flipkart

Many brands across the globe have jumped on the <keyword id="2039682" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-media-bandwagon">social media bandwagon</keyword>. However, most of them have done it out of compulsion simply because their competitors are doing it or it has been a mandate from the top management. This approach will definitely lead to disaster and even after allocating resources for <keyword id="6354632" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-media">social media</keyword> activities, you won’t reach anywhere near your anticipated ROI on spends. 
 This article will sum up the essentials of <keyword id="2039683" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-media-hygiene">social media hygiene</keyword> that <keyword id="476741" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="brand-managers">brand managers</keyword> can’t ignore. So consider this a Holy Grail for your company’s <keyword id="1844596" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-Media-Strategy">social media strategy</keyword>. 
 
1. Hire a specialist. Whether you believe it or not, conventional marketers are not a good option when it comes to social media planning and execution. I have seen some great brands suffer and lose their brand reputation irrecoverably due to dismal social media strategy. But that mostly happens because people are lacking in basic social media skills at the execution level. Yes, you need to hire a <keyword id="1707691" type="POSITION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-Media-Specialist">social media specialist</keyword> having specific skills including: <keyword id="2039691" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Copywriting">Copywriting</keyword> expertise 
Sound SEO/SEM knowledge Basic <keyword id="15509" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="Research">research</keyword> &amp; analytical skills Technical skills: Well-versed in different promotional tools used across social networking sites and ability to use tools like <keyword id="1573530" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="HootSuite">HootSuite</keyword>, <keyword id="854975" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="buffer">Buffer</keyword>, <keyword id="2039686" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Optify">Optify</keyword>, <keyword id="2039687" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="SEOMoz">SEOMoz</keyword>, <keyword id="1107152" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Google-Analytics">Google Analytics</keyword> etc. <keyword id="2039690" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Report-generation">Report generation</keyword> &amp; expertise to stay ahead of the curve. 
 
2. Decouple social media from other media planning. Many great brands have not succeeded across <keyword id="1020663" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="social-media-platforms">social media platforms</keyword> because their <keyword id="2039672" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-media-promotion">social media promotion</keyword> is riding the campaigns across other media formats such as print, <keyword id="6355065" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="tv">TV</keyword>, <keyword id="12905" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Radio">radio</keyword>, <keyword id="2014281" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="OOH">OOH</keyword>, etc. You have to decouple social media from your <keyword id="2039692" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Conventional-marketing">conventional marketing</keyword> strategies. Take <keyword id="94301" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="100" keywordseo="Dove">Dove</keyword>, for example. Its <keyword id="2039693" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Digital-campaigns">digital campaigns</keyword> are completely different from TV or print ads. The campaigns have different objectives and <keyword id="2039694" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Target-groups">target groups</keyword> for print and TV. Dove’s viral campaign is the <keyword id="2039724" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Most-watched-video-ad">most watched video ad</keyword> of all times. 
 
3. Don’t sell on social media; engage and create awareness. Digital advertising KPIs like CPC/CPD or <keyword id="2039726" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Lead-generation">lead generation</keyword> may not work great for you on social media platforms. Online audience is not interested in booking a car <keyword id="135251" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="80" keywordseo="Test-drive">test drive</keyword> or getting discount on coffee, which they get otherwise. Use social media platform to educate them about you product features, future roadmap, brand recall, etc. For instance, the <keyword id="275427" type="COMPANY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Harley-Davidson-India">Harley-Davidson India</keyword> <keyword id="6354576" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Facebook">Facebook</keyword> fan page has more than 1 million fans but undoubtedly, the company doesn’t have so many customers in India. However, it has managed to create a great <keyword id="41188" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="fan-following">fan following</keyword> on Facebook, including those who can’t afford the bikes. 
 
4. Engage, educate &amp; evolve your customers. It is widely believed that social media is the best platform for customer interaction. Overall, Facebook is the best destination for reaching out to the uber youth segment, <keyword id="28120" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Linkedin">LinkedIn</keyword> for professionals with ample discretionary income, <keyword id="6354616" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> for reaching out to a great magnitude of people globally, in the fraction of a second, <keyword id="10879" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="YouTube">YouTube</keyword> for viral marketing and <keyword id="939877" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Pinterest">Pinterest</keyword> for promoting your products in the multimedia format. As a result, one must have in-depth knowledge of many promotional tools available on these sites and must comprehend which tool best suits your campaign objective. The best example here is <keyword id="6355174" type="CITY" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ford">Ford</keyword> Ecosport. Last year, the car-maker launched a 360 degree digital campaign called Urban Discoveries contest in India to engage with customers much before the car launch. It was a well-planned campaign, integrating online and offline objectives. The response was overwhelming and Ford showrooms across India were inundated with test drive enquiries. 
 
5. Define social media KPIs. Each <keyword id="878518" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Social-Media-Campaign">social media campaign</keyword> should be designed with clear end objective. Simply increasing the likes on Facebook is no big deal and will not yield ROI on <keyword id="2039734" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Digital-spends">digital spends</keyword>. In fact, as per a research report, there are many fake accounts on Facebook and the likes may not be genuine. But if you look at the <keyword id="2039736" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Best-digital-media-campaigns">best digital media campaigns</keyword> in 2013, you will find that almost all of them focused on creating awareness and deeper engagement with the audience. 
 
6. Have a proactive <keyword id="1063442" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Online-reputation-management">online reputation management</keyword> (<keyword id="705957" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="100" keywordseo="ORM">ORM</keyword>) system in place. 
Your online reputation is as sacrosanct as your brand image. Any erroneous post, racial comment, any content that is publically enraging may lead to bitter reactions. In such cases, you must be proactive as you take responsibilities, apologise, give proper justifications and be honest in your response. Not doing so will harm you manifold than you can imagine. 
 
7. Be prepared, stay alert. Finally, there is no rule of thumb for social media promotion. It varies for different industries and key factors such as the nature of your brand, budget, campaign objective and target audience impact every campaign. So it is imperative for brand managers to proactively plan social media strategies and constantly review them for bigger <keyword id="2039743" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Returns-on-social-media">returns on social media</keyword> spends. 
 
About the author: Kamlesh Dixit is co-founder of Leo9 Studio and an experienced digital &amp; social media professional. He enables global brands to build digital properties and advises organisations on how to enhance their digital and social media revenues.

7 Things You Need To Know About Social Media Strategy
For Better Brand Engagement

How Lincoln returned from near death and restored Ford's luxury brand

Sundance 2022 returns to Park City with an expanded lineup that includes Netflix's Kanye West documentary

How Lincoln returned from the brink of death and put Ford back on the luxury map

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"></div></div></div><ul><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/f-stock">Ford Motor Company</a> announced a joint venture with the Indian carmaker Mahindra &amp; Mahindra on Tuesday.</li><li>The goal is to boost Ford sales in India and other emerging markets. </li><li>Shares of Mahindra climbed as much as 3.5% on the news, while Ford traded slightly higher.</li><li>As part of the $275 million venture, Ford will transfer all India operations to Mahindra. The move comes amidst a massive $11 billion restructuring at Ford. </li><li><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/f-stock">Watch Ford trade live on Markets Insider</a>.</li></ul><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/f-stock">Ford Motor Company</a> has teamed up with Indian carmaker <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/mahindramahindra_3/company-profile">Mahindra &amp; Mahindra</a> to stem the company's losses in the merging nation, the company <a href="https://shareholder.ford.com/investors/news-and-events/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> Tuesday.Ford will transfer all of its India operations to Mahindra in the joint venture, valued at $275 million. Mahindra will own 51% of the venture, which Ford expects to be operational by mid 2020. Shares of Ford gained roughly 0.5% in early trading Tuesday on the news. Mahindra's <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/quote/M&amp;M.NS?p=M&amp;M.NS&amp;.tsrc=fin-srch" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stock</a> climbed as much as 3.5%.The move is a continuation of a strategic partnership with Mahindra that began in September 2017. It builds on CEO Jim Hackett's work to make Ford a leaner, more profitable company. Since taking the top job in 2017, Ford has announced it will close five plants in Europe and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/27/ford-to-slash-12000-jobs-in-europe-by-2020.html">slash 12,000 jobs there</a>. It is also cutting <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-to-cut-jobs-as-part-of-global-restructuring-effort-2018-10">7,000 global salaried employees</a> - about 10%- in an $11 billion restructuring plan. Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dan-fuss-buffett-of-bonds-on-investing-strategy-credit-risks-2019-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dan Fuss is revered as 'the Warren Buffett of bonds.' He walked us through the investing approach that's delivered market-beating returns and turbocharged his 61-year career.</a>The joint venture will help grow Ford's brand in India and other high-growth emerging markets. India is the fourth-largest automobile market, and Ford has failed to take a meaningful stake there for two decades, <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2019-09-24/ford-to-put-struggling-india-business-into-venture-with-mahindra">Bloomberg reported</a>."Strong alliances like this play a crucial role in assuring we continue to achieve our vision while at the same time staying competitive and delivering value to our global stakeholders," Hackett said in a statement. The joint venture will introduce three new Ford vehicles that will have a combination of Ford branding and Mahindra technology. The venture will also be responsible for developing electric vehicles and supporting "the growth of sustainable mobility across emerging markets," the company said. The company has had a rocky year. In July, it announced it would step up its global alliance with Volkswagen, to use VW technology and invest further in self-driving cars. Then, In September, Moody's downgraded its shares <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/moodys-downgraded-ford-to-junk-status-and-stock-is-set-to-tank-2019-9-1028511833">to junk status, citing its weak financial outlook</a> after second quarter earnings <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ford-second-quarter-profit-falls-on-restructuring-charges-2019-7">largely disappointed.</a> <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/f-stock">Ford is up 18%</a> year to date.Read more: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/wework-ipo-fiasco-marks-top-for-unicorns-tech-stock-trouble-2019-9" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morgan Stanley says WeWork's failed IPO marks the end of an era for unprofitable unicorns - and explains why it leaves the market's tech kingpins vulnerable</a><div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image"><a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/stocks/f-stock"></a></div></div></div>Get the latest Ford stock price<a href="http://markets.businessinsider.com/stock/f-Quote"> here.</a>

Ford announces $275 million joint venture with Indian automaker Mahindra

After suspending the <keyword id="307144" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="FCRA">FCRA</keyword> registration of <keyword id="69355" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Greenpeace">Greenpeace</keyword> India and putting foreign donor <keyword id="57946" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="80" keywordseo="Ford-Foundation">Ford Foundation</keyword> on the watchlist, the government has now cancelled the licences of 8,975 NGOs for failing to file annual returns for the years 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. 
 
In a cancellation order issued on Sunday, the Union home ministry recalled that it had issued notices to 10,343 NGOs on October 16, 2014, stating that they should file their annual returns within a month, specifying amount of foreign funds received, sources of such funds, the purpose for which these were received and the manner in which such foreign contribution was utilized. However, only 229 NGOs reverted to the home ministry. Their replies are being examined on case to case basis. 
 
"No reply has been received from the remaining associations numbering 8975," said the home ministry order communicated to the NGOs, district magistrates of the concerned districts where the NGOs are based and RBI. 
 
"..in exercise of the power conferred by Section 14 of the FCRA 2010, the Central government hereby cancels, for violation of Section 18 thereof, read with Rule 17(2) of Foreign Contribution (Regulation) Rule, 2011, the certificate of registration of 8975 associations...which includes 510 associations to whom notices were sent but returned undelivered and 632 associations from whom no reply has been received to the notices within the stipulated period," said the order.

Is this the complete truth? The govt cancelling licences of 8975
NGOs for not filing tax returns?

Across major Indian cities a silent revolution is brewing among taxi drivers who are gaining from the advent of a new breed of startups that are transforming the industry. 
 
Monthly income of several taxi drivers have at least tripled and a few with leadership skills have become entrepreneurs themselves, by managing scores of other drivers. 
 
The startups, which use technology to manage this network of drivers and link them to customers, earn a 2-5 per cent commission from the driver on every trip. Companies like Olacabs, TaxiForSure, Meru and Uber are making a dent in India's taxi-rentals market estimated at about $ 6 billion. 
 
In the process, they are changing the lives of thousands of drivers. ET takes a close look at five people who have benefited enormously from this rising trend. 
 
Khamer Gulzar B.Com first year dropout MERU CABS INCOME BEFORE: NIL 
 After having worked in Dubai as a sales executive for about 15 years, Khamer Gulzar returned to India in 2003 with some <keyword id="25450" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="savings">savings</keyword> to start a restaurant. It failed. He started a used car business with the leftover savings. 
 
Two failed ventures landed Gulzar in deep debt of Rs 15 lakh. That's when he decided to join Meru Cabs as a driver in 2009. Within four years, Gulzar has become debt free. He earns about Rs 40,000 per month, of which he saves nearly Rs 10,000. 
 
"My next goal is to buy my own house and ensure my kids have the best education," said Gulzar, a father to two school-going children. "My daughter wants to be a doctor and I can support her dream with this job," said Gulzar, who owns a Mahindra Logan cab. 
 
Bharathi Veerath School dropout UBER INCOME BEFORE: Rs 14,000 
 
Bharathi Veerath migrated from Warangal in 2005 to Bangalore with her mother and brother in search of a livelihood. A school dropout, she took to odd jobs of tailoring and working in travel agencies, before taking to driving taxis with an all women operated Angel Cabs last year. 
 Veerath was the first woman licenced <keyword id="51966" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Taxi-driver">taxi driver</keyword> in India. She earned Rs 15,000 per month till October as a driver with Angel Cabs, when she heard of India entry of USbased taxi hailing application Uber. She decided to risk and join Uber. Veerath bought a <keyword id="67915" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ford-Fiesta">Ford Fiesta</keyword>, loaned by Canara Bank on an <keyword id="6357050" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="EMI">EMI</keyword> of Rs 17,000 per month. Within five months, her income increased to Rs 45,000 per month, from her own car which she drives for Uber and other taxi fleet operators. 
 "Owning my car has given me freedom to work upon my will," said Veerath, who loves to drive for almost 12 hours a day. When not in a mood to take work, she simply switches off her <keyword id="6354606" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="iPhone">iPhone</keyword> which has the Uber app loaded on it. 
 
GG Balaji SSC dropout SAVAARI INCOME BEFORE: Rs 10,000 
 
While taking a few tourists around Coorg last year, Bangalore-based <keyword id="6371561" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cab-driver">cab driver</keyword> GG Balaji's father suffered a cardiac problem. He left the cab in Coorg and returned to Bangalore to mortgage family gold to have a bypass surgery done for his father. None of the local taxi operators came to his rescue. 
 
That's when Balaji decided to attach himself to Savaari Car Rentals, an Intel Capital-funded taxi rentals startup, as a full time driver. His monthly income has grown from Rs 10,000 per month to Rs 35,000 within six months. Over and above that, Balaji gets a diesel allowance of about Rs 20,000 per month. 
 
"It's a nice feeling to know that a fixed salary will get credited every month," said Balaji, who had earlier served in Indian Army's Corp of Artillery Air Defence till 1996 on the borders. Balaji's next goal is to buy a plot of land. "I am also buying a Tata Manza this Diwali and attaching a relative of mine who will pay me a monthly commission on it," said Balaji. 
 
Reshma Banu 12th Standard Pass OLACABS INCOME BEFORE: NIL 
 
 
Bangalore-based Reshma Banu, a housewife, morphed into a mini entrepreneur in 2006 when she started her car rental business in 2006, egged on by her husband. She bought a Tata Indica with a bank loan. With the emergence of taxi startups in Bangalore, last year, her business took off. 
 Banu signed up with Olacabs as an operator last year. Her business has now grown to a fl eet of 16 cars, which includes Innovas, Fiestas and Micras. "I bought five <keyword id="46283" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nissan">Nissan</keyword> Micra cars for use in Olacabs last month at a discount of Rs 1 lakh per car offered by the company," she said. 
 
"The drive to be an independent woman keeps me motivated," said Banu. Banu has also tied up with seven more aggregators and earns a net profit of about Rs 1 lakh a month, from Olacabs alone. "My next goal is to buy five more cars, this year," she added. 
 
Rajesh Kumar 7th Standard Pass TAXIFORSURE INCOME BEFORE: Rs 15,000 
 
Delhi-based Rajesh Kumar used to be a bus driver earning Rs 15,000 per month before he attached himself with TaxiForSure in January, last year. 
 
On a visit to Delhi, TaxiForSure chief executive Aprameya Radhakrishnan, asked Kumar, the name of a company, if he ever owned one. Kumar came out with the name 'Shabnam Cabs'. 
 
In March 2013, Shabnam Cabs was up and running in Delhi as a local taxi operator. The 43-year-old now has over 100 cab drivers under him, and earns a commission of 2 per cent per trip from each of them in addition to Rs 1,000 as monthly commission per driver. 
 
His monthly gross income has increased 10-fold to Rs 1.2 lakh, out of which he gets a profit Rs 60,000. Father of two grown up kids, Kumar plans to have his son involved in the business, after he graduates from Delhi University. 
 
"My next goal is to expand my business to Chandigarh and Jaipur," said Kumar, who was recently flown to Hyderabad by TaxiForSure to coach newly attached drivers.

How Startups Like Meru, Uber, Olacabs, TaxiForSure Have Transformed Lives Of Taxi Drivers

The government’s recent move to cancel the registration of nearly 9,000 non-governmental organisations (<keyword id="6397455" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="NGOs">NGOs</keyword>) for failing to provide details of foreign funding for three years starting from financial year 2009-10 clearly shows that it has intensified its ongoing major crackdown on non-profit organisation operating in the country. The move came soon after the government suspended the licence of Greenpeace India and put US-based Ford Foundation on a security watch list, necessitating government approval to carry out their activities in the country. 
 
A few months ago, the home ministry said lobby groups such as Greenpeace were damaging the country's economy by campaigning against genetically modified food, mining and power projects. 
 
The Ford Foundation was put on a watch list following accusation that it was providing funding to a local group run by an activist who is a Modi critic. This has given some fodder to Modi’s critics to argue that the government's move to restrict the movement of foreign funding to local charities is an attempt to scuttle the voices of those, who oppose the government’s economic agenda. 
 
The sudden spurt in the number of circulars issued by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) against organisations registered under The Foreign Contributions Regulation Act, 2010 (FCRA) in the recent past has proved that the ministry has intensified its scrutiny of NGOs. 
 
In December, an RBI circular listed NGOs such as Danish International Development Agency, US-based Mercy Corps, US, Netherlands-based Hivos International and US-based Climate Work Foundation and Greenpeace in a list of those whose funds should be monitored by banks. Any NGO receiving funds from them will now need prior permission of the MHA before they bring in the funds. Also, from April 1, all organisations registered under the FCRA have to reapply for licence within a year. 
 
The previous Manmohan Singh government too issued notices to NGOs that hadn’t filed their returns during 2006-2009. But critics say the crackdown has become more pronounced under the Modi government because it wants to stifle voices against its economic and growth agenda. 
 
The government’s supporters say this increased scrutiny is to safeguard national security. The significant spurt in cross-border terrorist activities over the last couple of decades, which reared its ugly head following a series of terror strikes including 9/11 attacks in the US and 26/11 carnage in Mumbai, has forced the government to track every penny that is flown to the country by NGOs and think-tanks to ensure that the money is not used to fund terrorist or secessionist activities. 
 
The government suspect that most of these organisations misuse funds by indulging in money laundering and campaigning against development work. 
The strain in the relationship between bureaucracy and the civil society in the country that is increasingly being based on mutual suspicion and hostility is also cited as a reason for the crackdown on NGOs, which activist groups accuse as an attempt to silence free speech, opposing views and dissent. 
 
Both Indian and foreign donors are shying away from engaging with NGOs which work in governance, environment and human rights as the government is seen increasingly hostile to and suspicious about activities in the space supported by donor money. 
 
The government’s ‘blacklisted’ of foreign donors amply indicates that those working on environment issues and climate change, and those organisations which have an alternative vision and definition of growth elicit government ire more than others. 
 
The fall in fund flow to the NGOs in the country in the recent past is also seen as a fallout of the deterioration in mobilising funds for charity and development aid because of the global economic recession as well as the projection of India as an ‘emerging economic power’. 
 
Following the intensified government scrutiny, donor entities are likely to go slow on their funding plans till the political opposition to the government’s approach against charities becomes more visible and vocal in the public domain. 
 
This may also lead to a situation where funding for NGO activities will become more decentralised—smaller donations from a large section of the civil society supporting social entities that genuinely pursue larger common good instead of a few big funders controlling fund flow. 
While the government cannot be criticised for putting national security on the top of its agenda, whether voices of dissent should be stifled in a mammoth democracy like ours needs to be debated. 
 
Image: www.grist.org

The crackdown: Is the government really at war
with NGOs?

<ul><li><keyword id="19894961" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apple" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Apple" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Apple">Apple</keyword> will start rolling out the <keyword id="19480741" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="ios-18-update" source="Orion">iOS 18 update</keyword> today globally.</li><li>The <keyword id="19899648" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="iOS-18" source="keywords">iOS 18</keyword> update brings several new features, including AI features, customisation options and more.</li><li>Here are the new features with iOS 18 and the eligible devices.</li></ul> Apple at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024 announced iOS 18, the latest version of its operating system for the iPhone. The Cupertino tech giant will start rolling out the iOS 18 update today for eligible devices. The iOS 18 update brings several major updates, including a host of artificial intelligence (AI) features with Apple Intelligence, improved privacy controls, a customisable home screen, a new theme engine and more. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113204340" title="iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max with bigger displays, A18 Pro chipset launched starting at ₹1,19,900" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> <h2>iOS 18 release date and time in India</h2>The iOS 18 update is expected to be available from 10:30 PM today, September 17, 2024. <h2><keyword id="23199614" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ios-18-eligible-devices" source="Orion">iOS 18 eligible devices</keyword></h2><ul><li>iPhone 16 </li><li>iPhone 16 Plus </li><li>iPhone 16 Pro </li><li>iPhone 16 Pro Max </li><li>iPhone 15 </li><li>iPhone 15 Plus </li><li>iPhone 15 Pro </li><li>iPhone 15 Pro Max </li><li>iPhone 14 </li><li>iPhone 14 Plus </li><li>iPhone 14 Pro </li><li>iPhone 14 Pro Max </li><li>iPhone 13 </li><li>iPhone 13 mini </li><li>iPhone 13 Pro </li><li>iPhone 13 Pro Max </li><li>iPhone 12 </li><li>iPhone 12 mini </li><li>iPhone 12 Pro </li><li>iPhone 12 Pro Max </li><li>iPhone 11 </li><li>iPhone 11 Pro </li><li>iPhone 11 Pro Max </li><li>iPhone XS </li><li>iPhone XS Max </li><li>iPhone XR </li><li>iPhone SE (2nd gen and later) </li></ul><h2>iOS 18 features</h2><h3>Apple Intelligence</h3> Apple has announced new AI features, which Apple has dubbed Apple Intelligence. The company has said that its AI will be able to understand you and your context better than other AI services available in the market. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113203568" title="iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus with A18 chipset launched starting at ₹79,900" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> With iOS 18, users will be able to generate images in the Messages app, notifications will be priortised to show notifications that the device thinks are more important, and more. Siri, the company’s virtual assistant will offer more natural conversations and be able to answer a wide range of questions. The voice assistant will also get On-Screen Awareness features. Siri will also be able to perform a lot more actions, including taking action with apps on your iPhone. <h3>Customisable home screen</h3>Apple has announced improved home screen customisation features. Users will now be able to easily move around app icons as per their preferences. Additionally, the app icons will now be in a darker tone when the dark mode is enabled. Apple has also announced a new theme engine that will allow users to universally apply a chosen colour across the app grid for improved personalisation. <h3>The Control Center gets an update</h3>The Control Center has received a significant overhaul, offering users the ability to customise the layout and functionality of their quick access controls. Users will now be able to easily swipe between multiple pages of controls and toggles. Not just this, third-party apps will now be able to offer control centre integration with their apps. Users will be able to replace the camera and flashlight icons on their lock screen with other control centre toggles with iOS 18. <h3>Improved privacy controls</h3>iOS 18 also brings improved privacy controls. Users will now be able to enable authentication for any particular app, similar to app locks provided in some Android devices. Users will also be able to hide particular apps, which will only be revealed after the user provides authentication. This is again similar to what Android smartphone makers like OnePlus and Xiaomi already offer. Another privacy feature that has been announced is the ability to share certain contacts with apps instead of sharing all the contacts. <h3>Messages app</h3>The Messages app will get Rich Communication Services (RCS) with iOS 18. Apart from this, users will now be able to use any emoji in a Tapback response, along with new text formatting features. Like email, Apple will now allow you to also schedule messages. Apple’s satellite communication feature will now also allow users to send messages. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/alienware-aw3225qf-32-inch-qd-oled-gaming-monitor-review-for-the-perfect-gaming-experience/articleshow/113404175.cms">Alienware AW3225QF 32-inch QD-OLED gaming monitor review – for the perfect gaming experience</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomi-and-samsung-accused-of-colluding-with-amazon-and-flipkart/articleshow/113381204.cms">Xiaomi and Samsung accused of colluding with Amazon and Flipkart</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ford-is-returning-to-india-expresses-intent-to-restart-its-tamil-nadu-plant-for-exports/articleshow/113317956.cms">Ford is returning to India, expresses intent to restart its Tamil Nadu plant for exports</a>

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