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<ul><li>The use of technology has hit the roof as most people turn to digital services to meet their day-to-day requirements amid the coronavirus pandemic.</li><li>NASSCOM President Debjani Ghosh believes that the lockdown has people — consumers and business owners alike — saying, “technology bacha le (save us)”.</li><li>However, the uptake of technology has also highlighted the digital divide that exists in our society. </li><li>Most of the services available online can only be accessed using smartphones, and people need to speak English or be literate in order to use them effectively.</li></ul>Digital technology has been a saviour for many during the coronavirus pandemic and its accompanying lockdown in India. “They’re saying technology bacha le (save us),” NASSCOM President Debjani Ghosh said during the Big Reset panel with Business Insider India in collaboration with the Observer Research Foundation (ORF). Technology may certainly have been a boon for the 4.35 million people employed in the IT industry, it’s not the same story across the board. Nearly 67.8 million migrant workers — 83.5% of whom are employed in blue-collar jobs, the informal sector — had to “<a href="https://www.orfonline.org/expert-speak/what-indias-digital-divide-means-for-migrant-workers-in-a-covid19-world-and-beyond-65900/">be allowed to move</a>” back home once the lockdown hit amid the coronavirus pandemic. “India needs a completely different playbook from the west when it comes to technology,” said Ghosh. Technology adoption has become faster — but cutting costs can’t be the only priority The coronavirus pandemic has eroded business opportunities and along the way, it’s been eating away at revenue as well. Needless to say, entrepreneurs and business owners are more cost-conscious as they focus on ensuring that their business survives to thrive in the post-COVID world. <div type="image" title="tech_work_edited" msid="76317033" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Women who were returning home after the work wait for bus maintaining social distancing at a waiting shed near Infopark, in Kochi on May 29&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> One of the aspects of being cost-conscious is focusing on how technology can be a way for them to reduce costs. In the west, technology has, and threatens to, reduced cost by replacing workers via automation so far — in part, due to the ageing population. But that is not something that India can afford given that the median age lies between 23 to 25 years, and around 90 million young people will be flooding in, looking for jobs in another five years. “It’s not a machine versus man story, it’s a machine and human story,” said Ghosh. Essentially, businesses have to find new revenue sources by leveraging technology to increase productivity — not just cut costs. <div type="image" title="tech_work2_edited" msid="76317138" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;After reaching at Kalyan the migrants wait to board the train from Kalyan to Guntur in Andhra Pradesh. With no work and their savings depleting fast, the workers who either lived or worked in Dongri were provided meals by the police and BMC during the lockdown period. &amp;lt;br&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Other countries may need technology to replace the loss that they’re facing, but India needs a way to increase productivity and ensure that employment opportunities don’t shrink any faster than they already are. As of May, more than one-fifth of India’s demographic dividend — 23.48% — was unemployed, according to the Centre for Monitoring Indian Economy (<a href="https://unemploymentinindia.cmie.com/">CMIE</a>). The massive young population of job seekers is not the only problem “I have always said that Indians take to technology like fish take to water,” said Ghosh during the panel discussion. A lot of middle-class people who did not order groceries online have learnt how to. The same goes for renting houses, booking airline and railway tickets, and even acquiring liquor tokens. But even having access to these facilities is limited to less than half of the Indian population. According to market research firm techARC, India had 502.2 million smartphone users as of December 2019 — which is less than half of the 1.3 billion population of the country. <div type="image" title="tech_rickshaw_edited" msid="76316900" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Ritlal Sahani speaks over cell phone from his rickshaw stand at Padmapukur to his family in Muzzafarpur Bihar on 10 June&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Among them are 22% of people who are below the poverty line (BPL) grappling against the average wage of around ₹247 per day, according to the International Labour Organisation. “This is a great time for digital thinking, this great time for pulling into digital manufacturing, work from home is a great idea. But COVID-19 also shows us that there are problems in the way our societies have been organized,” said Sunjoy Joshi, chairman of ORF. <div type="image" title="tech_rickshaw2_edited" msid="76316936" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;A passenger sits back side of a share auto rickshaw along with huge luggage and using the mobile phone unmindful of risk in Vijayawada on May 28&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Despite the government’s attempts to bring in digitisation measures to overcome the challenges of physical access to public goods — many were seen starving, squabbling over a packet of Parle G biscuits, the cheapest among biscuit brands, and struggling to survive as most of India was shut down. <div type="twitter" handle="Benarasiyaa" handlename="Piyush Rai" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1219264195021029377/fC6-ctxh_normal.jpg" favoritecount="997" retweetcount="625" status="Passengers of a Shramik train loot water bottles kept at platforms at Mughalsarai railway station in UP's Chandauli… https://t.co/NmtFqs5U70" createdat="1590223944000" id="1264116960503246848"></div> Most of the services are in English Even though global conglomerates like Google and Microsoft have been working on localising the web, most of these online services are available in English. It’s the first language for only 256,000 people and a second language for 83 million. That doesn’t even scratch the surface of India's 1.3 billion large demographic. Even without the English language becoming a barrier, India’s literacy rate is 74.04% — leaving one-fourth of the population out of its fold. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76133893" title="BevQ, Kerala’s liquor home delivery app, is ‘on the rocks’ with a 2.1 rating on the Google Play Store" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> For them, digital innovation is far from adequate. “This is not going to something just gonna happen in the next two, three years, four years of ideas and there are going to be conflicts — managing those conflicts is going to be key for that reset,” said Joshi, citing the example of how the Black Lives Matter movement is currently happening in the US. “COVID has struck different sections of society differently no matter where it came from, no matter the origins,” he added. “But the fact is that the marginalized have been struck the hardest and they are the ones who are going to be most feeling the impact,” he added. Technology may be a short-cut to cutting costs, but for the long haul — it may do more harm than good for Indian society at large without a ‘people-centric’ approach. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/bcci-wants-indian-premier-league-to-happen-even-if-that-means-playing-in-empty-stadiums/articleshow/76313974.cms">BCCI wants Indian Premier League to happen — even if that means playing in empty stadiums</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/what-is-capitalism-without-capital-and-why-is-the-ceo-of-bombay-stock-exchange-recommending-it-for-india/articleshow/76315962.cms">What is ‘Capitalism without Capital’ and why is the CEO of Bombay Stock Exchange recommending it for India</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/policy/economy/news/six-indian-ceos-list-out-the-policy-changes-that-should-be-prioritised/slidelist/76313181.cms">Six Indian CEOs list out the policy changes that should be prioritised</a>

'Technology bacha le' is not an option for everyone in India

New Delhi, Nov 23 () The literacy rate among those in the age group of seven years and above was recorded at 77.7 per cent during July 2017-June 2018 in the country, showed a National Statistical Office (NSO) survey on Saturday.
 This rate was 73.5 per cent in rural and 87.7 pe cent in urban areas, showed the NSO survey on Household Social Consumption: Education as part of 75th round of National Sample Survey (NSS).
 The study further showed that among persons in the age group of 15 years and above, 30.6 per cent had completed secondary or above level of education in villages, 57.5 per cent in urban areas.
 Nearly 10.6 per cent of the persons of age 15 years and above in India had completed graduation and above level of education. This rate was 5.7 per cent in villages and 21.7 per cent in cities.
 Among persons of age 3 to 35 years, 13.6 per cent never enrolled, 42.5 per cent ever enrolled but currently not attending while 43.9 per cent were currently attending.
 In rural areas, 15.7 per cent never enrolled, 40.7 per cent ever enrolled but currently not attending while 43.5 per cent were currently attending.
 In cities, 8.3 per cent never enrolled, 46.9 per cent ever enrolled but currently not attending while 44.8 per cent were currently attending.
 Among males, 11 per cent never enrolled, 42.7 per cent ever enrolled but currently not attending while 46.2 per cent were currently attending.
 Among females, 16.6 per cent never enrolled, 42.2 per cent ever enrolled but currently not attending while 41.2 per cent were currently attending.
 The Gross Attendance Ratio (GAR) at primary level was 101.2 per cent. The figure was 94.4 per cent at 'upper primary / middle level' and 98.7 per cent at 'primary and upper primary /middle level'.
 The Net Attendance Ratio (NAR) at primary level was 86.1 per cent. The figure was 72.2 per cent at 'upper primary / middle level' and 89.0 per cent at 'primary and upper primary /middle level'
 Nearly 96.1 per cent of the students were pursuing general courses and 3.9 per cent were pursuing technical/professional courses. Among male students, nearly 95.5 per cent were pursuing general courses and 4.5 per cent were pursuing technical or professional courses.
 Among female students, nearly 96.9 per cent were pursuing general courses and 3.1 per cent were pursuing technical/professional courses.
 Among students pursuing general courses, nearly 55.8 per cent were male students and 44.2 per cent were female students.
 Among students pursuing technical/professional courses, nearly 65.2 per cent were male students and 34.8 per cent were female students.
 Under indicators relating to 'free education', 'free/subsidised textbooks' and 'free/subsidised stationery' to students of age 3 to 35 years currently attending at pre-primary and above level, the study showed that nearly 57 per cent in villages and 23.4 per cent in cities received free education.
 Nearly 15.7 per cent students in villages and 9.1 per cent in cities received scholarship/stipend/ reimbursement.
 It also showed that nearly 54.2 per cent of the students in villages and 23.7 per cent in cities received free or subsidised textbooks.
 Nearly 10 per cent of the students in rural and 7.2 per cent in cities received free/ subsidised stationery.
 On the expenditure on education for students of age 3 to 35 years currently attending pre-primary and above level basic course, it showed that in villages, average expenditure per student pursuing general course in current academic year was Rs 5,240, while in cities it was Rs 16,308.
 In villages, average spend per student pursuing technical/professional course in current academic year was Rs 32,137, while in cities it was Rs 64,763.
 About use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) among students, the study showed that nearly 4.4 per cent of rural families and 23.4 per cent in cities had computer.
 Nearly 14.9 per cent of rural households and 42 per cent of urban households had internet facility.
 In rural areas, among persons of age 5 years and above, 9.9 per cent were able to operate a computer, 13 per cent were able to use internet and 10.8 per cent used internet during last 30 days.
 In urban areas, among persons of age 5 years and above, 32.4 per cent were able to operate a computer, 37.1 per cent were able to use internet and 33.8 per cent used internet during last 30 days. KKS MKJ

77.7% literacy rate among those above 7 yrs of age during July 2017 to June 2018: Survey

<ul><li><keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> has manufactured 2 billion smartphones between 2014 and 2022.</li><li>The country is now the second largest manufacturer of smartphones after China.</li><li>98% of the smartphones sold in India in 2022 were manufactured locally.</li></ul> The push to make India a hub for smartphone manufacturing as part of the Make in India initiative is yielding results. India has emerged as the second largest smartphone manufacturer after China. According to a<a href="https://www.counterpointresearch.com/india-mobile-phone-production/"> report</a> by Counterpoint Research, mobile phone production in India has crossed the 2 billion cumulative mark under the Make in India initiative during 2014-2022. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Increase in shipments" comment="subhead" text="Increase in shipments">Increase in shipments</cmsannotation> According to the report domestic production of smartphones is expected to hit 270 million this year, up from last year’s 250 million. Most smartphones sold in India presently are manufactured locally. Out of the 250 million smartphones produced last year, the country exported 20% of the devices. “In 2022, more than 98% of shipments in the overall Indian market were ‘Made in India’, compared to just 19% in 2014,” said Tarun Pathak, research director, Counterpoint Research. It’s not just production that has been on the rise, local value addition has also reached an all-time high. “Local value addition in India currently stands at an average of more than 15%, compared to the low single digits eight years ago,” Pathak added. “The government now intends to capitalise on its various schemes to make India a ‘semiconductor manufacturing and export hub’. Going forward, we may see increasing production, especially for <a href="https://www.counterpointresearch.com/global-smartphone-market-q1-2023-infographic/">smartphones</a>, as India gears to bridge the urban-rural digital divide and also become a mobile phone exporting powerhouse,” Pathak said. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Apple accounts for a huge chunk" comment="subhead" text="Apple accounts for a huge chunk">Apple accounts for a huge chunk</cmsannotation> According to a report by ET, Apple accounted for 25% of the total value of domestically manufactured smartphones in 2022, more than double the 12% in 2021. While Apple’s production has increased by 65% year-on-year in 2022, its value has increased by 162%. One of the reasons for this could be the increased sales of premium <keyword id="57315" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="iphones" source="Orion">iPhones</keyword>. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="India records 23% CAGR" comment="subhead" text="India records 23% CAGR">India records 23% CAGR</cmsannotation> India has reportedly recorded a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23%. Huge internal demand, increasing digital literacy and government’s push are reported to be the top reasons for this growth. The Indian government has introduced schemes such as Phased Manufacturing Program (PMP), Make in India, <keyword id="8870884" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="production-linked-incentive" source="Orion">Production Linked Incentive</keyword> (PLI) and Atmanirbhar Bharat to increase local manufacturing. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/gadgets/news/with-smartwatches-leading-the-pack-indian-wearables-market-grows-over-50-in-the-first-half-of-2023/articleshow/102638102.cms">With smartwatches leading the pack, Indian wearables market grows over 50% in the first half of 2023</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/cash-card-or-talk-rbi-bats-for-conversational-upi-increased-offline-payments/articleshow/102599474.cms">UPI joins the AI bandwagon, offline payments get a push</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/auto-sales-slip-5-percent-in-july-companies-build-up-inventory-ahead-of-the-festive-season/articleshow/102494498.cms">As auto sales slip in July, dealers pin hopes on upcoming festive fervour</a>

India crosses the 2 billion mark in its journey to become a smartphone manufacturing powerhouse

<ul><li>According to <keyword id="2008319" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Upgrad">upGrad</keyword>, online learning platform for working professionals, <keyword id="4027797" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Data-literacy">data literacy</keyword> is one of the key skills in the digital space. </li><li>Data Science, Blockchain, Full Stack Development, Digital Marketing and Machine Learning are the most sought after courses among professionals, Mayank Kumar, Founder &amp; MD of upGrad told Business Insider India in an interview. </li><li>Almost half the learners on upGrad — over 350,000 — come from tier 2 and tier 3 cities.</li></ul>Thanks to easy access to internet connectivity, Indians from tier 2 and tier 3 cities are now able to benefit from online learning. Over 350,000 of the learners on upGrad — an online learning platform — come from tier 2 and tier 3 cities. This accounts for almost half of its total learner base. India is the second largest e-learning market with as many as 70 million learners. The user base of the online education industry is expected to hit 9.6 million by 2021, which was 1.6 million in 2016, as per a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/most-demanded-skiils-by-employers-in-india/articleshow/69085603.cms">KPMG report</a>. According to upGrad, data literacy is a popular buzzword in the job market. Those who are seeking to enhance their digital skills are enrolling in technology and data science courses. Others include entrepreneurial skills and hobbies. “However data science, blockchain, full stack development, digital marketing and machine learning are the most sought after courses among professionals. And the completion rate for such courses is as high as 85%,” Mayank Kumar, Founder &amp; MD of upGrad told Business Insider India. UpGrad is now planning to expand its services to first-time job seekers and college students. It also collaborated with premier Indian and foreign institutions including IIT Madras, MICA and University of Cambridge. Companies spend up to Rs 1.5 lakh per fresher for hiring and training. Online upskilling programmes claim to reduce it by almost 60%. “We are now moving towards courses on software development as well like Android, Python, Java and IoT. We have a course on insurance sales for our job guarantee programme,” Kumar added. upGrad claims to provide a human touch unlike other platforms.The startup focuses on customising the learning experience through personalised feedback from dedicated mentors. In addition to this, the platform provides an industry connect for professionals who want to transition from their existing job roles. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/article/learn-these-4-skills-to-become-a-top-notch-digital-marketing-expert/articleshow/71714306.cms">Learn these 4 skills to become a top notch digital marketing expert</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/indian-students-prefer-online-coaching-for-jee-neet-gate-ssc-and-banking-exams/articleshow/69956565.cms">Indian students prefer online coaching to offline classes</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/education/news/coursera-launches-campus-product-to-integrate-online-learning-with-university-lessons/articleshow/71433652.cms">Coursera launches campus product to integrate online learning with university lessons</a>

This Indian startup gains as students from Tier 2 and 3 cities opt for online digital courses

Prime Minister <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=narendra+modi">Narendra Modi </a>flagged off the <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=digital+india">Digital India</a> Initiative on July 1 last year, with the aim to make all citizens of the country digitally literate and bring e-governance and internet to all sections of the society. 
 
Additionally, it also aimed at inclusive growth of electronic services, products, manufacturing, job opportunities, etc. 
 Thus, the vision of <keyword id="1929810" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Digital-India">Digital India</keyword> was centred on three key areas- 
 
-Digital infrastructure as a utility to every citizen. 
- Governance and services on demand 
-Digital empowerment of citizens. 
 
He also promised investments to the tune of Rs 4.5 lakh crore which would as a result add 1.8 million more jobs. 
 
A host of global investors also lent their unending support. Be it, Facebook’s <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=mark+zuckerberg">Mark Zuckerberg</a> or Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, everyone rallied behind Modi’s vision of a digitally connected India. 
 
Granted that TRAI’s recent ruling against Mark Zuckerberg’s Free Basics is indeed a huge win for Digital India, but that is definitely not enough. 
 As it turns out, Digital India has a long way to go and a lot of hurdles to cross, which we hope would be addressed in <keyword id="3206186" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="100" keywordseo="Union-Budget-2016">Union Budget 2016</keyword>. 
But, until then here’s a look at the two main hurdles facing Digital India- 
 
1. Broadband penetration in India 
 
Broadband penetration has always been a prime concern, considering how India is down the slippery slopes when it comes to this aspect. 
Additionally, The State of Broadband Report which was released by the UN Broadband Commission in October last year stated that India ranked 131 out of 189 countries on fixed-broadband subscriptions on 2014. The fact that it is a drop from the 15th rank a year before is an added worry. 
 
Then there’s India ranking 80 among 133 developing countries on percentage of internet in 2014 with a 15.3 percent penetration, which clearly proves that the need of the hour is to ensure that there is an increase in the online representation in India, a country with high linguistic diversity. 
 
 
 
2. Rural connectivity: 
 
The government has been trying to improve rural connectivity with the aim to connect about 2.5 lakh village panchayats by the end of this year. 
 
Taking broadband to such areas is going to be a tough task considering there needs to be special value-added services, questions raised on quality of services and if the lines will be laid down effectively. 
 
The fact that the total number of broadband-enabled households is a little over than 1.5 crore is no good news, considering that it translates to a penetration rate of mere 5 percent. 
 
Another major setback when it comes to fixed broadband is the fact that a low budget phone is way cheaper than a computer and even though government-run cyber cafes and post offices for e-services are a great solution, but it’s important to keep in mind that most of these villages are struggling with frequent power cuts. 
 
Thus, for the government to step up this numbers in such a short span of time is nothing short of a herculean task. 
 
The question thus is- Will the government be able to solve these hurdles in <a href="http://www.businessinsider.in/searchresult.cms?query=budget+2016">Budget 2016</a>? 
 
Image credit: Indiatimes

Will the government solve these two hurdles facing
Digital India in Budget 2016?

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some investors see India as the new China, but the South Asian economy still has to narrow a few gaps.</li><li>India is lagging behind China in national literacy, infrastructure investment, and a supply-chain ecosystem.</li></ul>India is shaping up to be the biggest growth story of the moment, as evidenced by <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/apple-says-it-is-excited-be-manufacturing-iphone-14-india-2022-09-26/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tech giant Apple</a> and <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/micron-confirms-up-825-mln-investment-india-chip-facility-2023-06-22/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">chipmaker Micron</a>'s recent efforts to enter the market.The country's potential appears brighter after its population surpassed China's, <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/india-economy-beat-us-gdp-by-2075-goldman-sachs-2023-7#:~:text=India's%20economy%20is%20on%20track%20to%20surpass%20the%20US%20by,China%20and%20the%20US%2C%20respectively" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prompting many observers to tout the South Asian country</a> as the next economy to watch. There's so much optimism about India that <a href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/how-india-could-rise-to-the-worlds-second-biggest-economy.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow">Goldman Sachs</a> forecasts <a href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/india-economy-beat-us-gdp-by-2075-goldman-sachs-2023-7">India's economy will surpass the US</a> by 2075.But <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-business-market-entry-barriers-tariffs-supply-chain-china-2023-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">India isn't an easy landscape</a> for foreign investors to navigate. This is "<a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-is-the-new-china-2016-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">not the first time people have said India is on the rise</a> and then watched it make a series of major political errors or have political problems at home that stalled that growth," Pramit Chaudhuri, the head of the South Asia practice at Eurasia Group, told the firm's <a href="https://www.gzeromedia.com/is-india-the-new-china-not-quite" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">GZERO Media outlet.</a>"It might happen, but it would require India to get a lot of things right," Chaudhuri added.Here are four ways India is still playing catch-up to its Asian rival, China.<h2>1. India lacks the supply chain ecosystem of China</h2>Despite Prime Minister Narendra Modi's push to attract foreign direct investments since he took office in 2014, India's manufacturing system still lags behind China."India lacks the manufacturing ecosystem that has been a key driver of China's phenomenal economic growth," analysts at Swiss bank UBS wrote in a <a href="https://www.ubs.com/us/en/wealth-management/insights/market-news/article.1591577.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">May 17 note titled "Is India the new China?"</a>Experts told Insider in December that while India is seen as an up-and-coming contender to China thanks to its burgeoning young population, it still doesn't quite have the set-up to be a manufacturing powerhouse.According to these experts, India doesn't have the interconnectivity of a large ecosystem like in China, where products are built from parts sourced directly in the country.Indian manufacturers often need to import parts from outside the country — thereby adding to the cost of the finished product, they said. <h2>2. India's infrastructure investments lag China's</h2>One reason India hasn't built up the extensive web of manufacturing facilities that China has managed to construct is that it hasn't been spending as much on infrastructure.For example, in pre-COVID 2019, China invested about 6.5% of its GDP in infrastructure development, while India invested just 4.5% — something the government is working on boosting, per UBS' May 17 note.However, the Indian government has committed to ramping up infrastructure spending, Modi's administration <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-202324-budget-raises-capex-spend-10-trillion-rupees-2023-02-01/">announced in February</a>. It raised capital investments by 33% in this fiscal year to 10 trillion Indian rupees, or $121 billion.<h2>3. India's social indices still lag behind China's</h2>Even though India's population surpassed China's, its social indices — such as literacy rates — still lag behind those of the East Asian nation, according to Eurasia Group's Chaudhuri.About 78% of Indians are literate — but the percentage drops to 62% for women, according to data released by the <a href="https://knowindia.india.gov.in/profile/literacy.php" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Indian government</a> in November 2019. On the other hand, as of 2020, about <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SE.ADT.LITR.ZS?locations=CN" target="_blank" rel="noopener">97% of Chinese nationals were literate</a>, per World Bank data. A lower literacy rate means that India doesn't quite have the big pool of skilled labor that China has — and this labor pool has been a major part of China's growth story. Furthermore, about 1.6 million Indians were enrolled in vocational education in 2021, <a href="https://pib.gov.in/Pressreleaseshare.aspx?PRID=1783494" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the country's government.</a> In China, about 5.6 million people enrolled in higher vocational colleges in the same year, state-owned outlet <a href="https://www.chinadaily.com.cn/a/202205/25/WS628d8782a310fd2b29e5ecf2.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">China Daily reported,</a> citing the education ministry.<h2>4. Business processes can take longer in India due to decentralized decision-making</h2> As the world's largest democracy, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-india-supply-chain-covid-sanctions-manufacturers-relocating-tariffs-options-2022-12" rel="">decision-making can get complicated</a> in India. "As a federal system, power and decision-making are decentralized in India, with differences at the state level in political leadership, quality of governance, regulations, taxation, and labor relations," the US International Trade Administration <a href="https://www.trade.gov/country-commercial-guides/india-market-challenges">wrote in September</a>, in a post outlining market challenges in India.While China also has issues like compliance and licensing, it can still move more quickly than India, simply because the South Asian nation is "much more democratic and there are just too many stakeholders to satisfy," Ashutosh Sharma, a research director at market researcher Forrester, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/china-india-supply-chain-covid-sanctions-manufacturers-relocating-tariffs-options-2022-12" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Insider in December.</a>It took 18 days to start a business in India in 2019 — double the time it took in China, according to <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/IC.REG.DURS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">World Bank data.</a> The report this measure came from has since been discontinued.But India is still a bright spot in the current global economy, with tremendous growth potential, analysts say."All in, we think India's secular growth outlook is more promising than China's. Still, the economic development gap between the two countries will take a long time to meaningfully narrow, in our view," UBS analysts wrote.

India's been touted as the new China — but here are 4 key areas where the South Asian giant is still playing catch up

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Jugalbandi is an AI-chatbot villagers in India can use to learn about government programs. </li><li>The chatbot can understand, transcribe, and translate text and voice queries in many Indian languages.</li></ul>AI chatbots are coming for rural villages in India. Earlier this week, Microsoft, along with AI organizations OpenNyAI and AI4Bharat, launched Jugalbandi, an AI chatbot designed for mobile devices that can help all Indians — especially those in underserved communities — access information for up to 171 government programs, <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/features/with-help-from-next-generation-ai-indian-villagers-gain-easier-access-to-government-services/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Microsoft</a>. Using voice recognition and natural language processing models, Jugalbandican can understand, transcribe, and translate text and voice queries in 10 official languages in India — a country where up to 120 different languages are spoken, Smita Gupta, a lawyer at OpenNYAI, <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1661131002515955714" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said in Microsoft's product launch video</a>. In turn, the chatbot can respond to questions through written and verbal speech. "We saw this Jugalbandi as a kind of 'chatbot plus plus' because it's like a personalized agent," Abhigyan Raman, a senior AI researcher AI4Bharat, a collaborator, told Microsoft. Backed by the Indian government, Jugalbandi aims to address the "technical" and "linguistic" divide in remote parts of the country, <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1661131002515955714" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Raman said in the chatbot's launch video</a>. "These are all communities living in media-dark areas, which means that penetration of traditional media like television and radio is very sparse," Aaditeshwar Seth, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology in Delhi, said in the video. Seth also mentioned India's "literacy challenges," where newspapers have "very low access" in those areas. Microsoft said community volunteers have been introducing the chatbot to Indian villages since early April — and so far, the results have been promising. Vandna, an 18-year-old freshman at a college in the village of Ferozepur Jhirka, used the chatbot last month to find scholarships, <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/features/with-help-from-next-generation-ai-indian-villagers-gain-easier-access-to-government-services/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Microsoft's blog post</a>.She asked the chatbot "What kind of scholarships are available for me?" in Hindi and added political science, Hindi, and history as her course of study. As a result, the chatbot spit out a list of government programs, to which she picked one and asked the bot follow-up questions, providing her with info on eligibility criteria and the documents required for the application. "Jugalbandi gives me one answer at a time," Vandna told Microsoft in Hindi. "It's easier to understand." Farmers have also used Jugalbandi to seek advice on how to apply for pensions and why they stopped receiving government assistant payments, <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/features/with-help-from-next-generation-ai-indian-villagers-gain-easier-access-to-government-services/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to Microsoft.</a>The announcement comes as generative AI tools take the world by storm. Since <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/everything-you-need-to-know-about-chat-gpt-2023-1">OpenAI launched ChatGPT</a> last November, big tech companies like <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-is-bard-google-ai-chatbot-gpt-rival">Google</a> have released their own AI chatbots in a race to make the most impressive AI. Baidu, a Chinese tech giant, even launched <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-chatgpt-reportedly-bans-users-from-mentioning-winnie-the-pooh-2023-5">Ernie, its own chatbot</a>, to Chinese residents this year.Now India is entering the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/google-workspace-cloud-microsoft-threats-ai-chatgpt-2023-3">AI arms race.</a>Moving forward, Microsoft hopes Jugalbandi can be used to seek medical information in Urdu and English-language court documents in Tamil, <a href="https://news.microsoft.com/en-in/features/with-help-from-next-generation-ai-indian-villagers-gain-easier-access-to-government-services/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the company's blog post</a>. "The rate of diffusion of this next generation of AI is unlike anything we've seen, but even more remarkable is the sense of empowerment it has already unlocked in every corner of the world, including rural India," <a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1661131002515955714" target="_blank" rel="noopener"></a><a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1661131002515955714" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Microsoft's CEO</a><a href="https://twitter.com/satyanadella/status/1661131002515955714" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> Satya Nadella tweeted</a>. Microsoft's Asia division didn't respond to Insider's immediate request for comment.

Microsoft launched a ChatGPT rival in India to help rural villagers in 'media-dark areas' access government services

There are two things for certain that Indians are talking about this week – <keyword id="107991" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="petrol-prices" source="Orion">petrol prices</keyword>, and of course, the sweltering <keyword id="6359239" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heat" source="Orion">heat</keyword>. <div type="image" title="If you say so, Chris!" msid="90575450" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;If you say so, Chris!&amp;lt;span class=&amp;quot;redactor-invisible-space&amp;quot;&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/span&amp;gt;&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> After 9 out of 10 days of fuel price hike, there are high chances that people might be talking about the price rise of fuel more than the scorching sun. While social media is flooded with memes of consumers wrecked by the soaring <keyword id="61430" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fuel-prices" source="Orion">fuel prices</keyword>, one of the major challenges for the government is to justify the petrol price hike, which is a global phenomenon. <keyword id="102132" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="crude-oil-prices" source="Orion">Crude oil prices</keyword> internationally have been skyrocketing for several reasons that seem to be beyond the control of any country’s government. <div type="image" title="Fuel prices are making Indians sweat more this summer" msid="90575509" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Fuel prices are making Indians sweat more this summer&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Even the market can feel the impact of rising crude oil prices. The Stocktwits’ Stock Room Sunday episode discusses this in detail. <div type="image" title="Impact of crude oil on stock markets" msid="90575763" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Impact of crude oil on stock markets&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> So, how are petrol prices determined exactly? Until 2010, the prices of petrol were determined by the Indian government and were revised every fortnight. After debating it for years, the government finally deregulated petrol and <keyword id="6397171" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="diesel-prices" source="Orion">diesel prices</keyword>, in 2010 and 2014, respectively. Since 2017, petrol and diesel prices have been revised on a daily basis by the public sector oil marketing companies – <keyword id="6354412" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="indian-oil" source="Orion">Indian Oil</keyword>, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum. They determine the prices based on international crude oil prices, foreign exchange rates, tax structure, freight and other cost elements. <div type="image" title="How fuel prices are determined" msid="90575555" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;How fuel prices are determined&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> depends heavily on crude oil imports, with some estimates pegging the number at over 80% of the country’s total oil needs. The oil marketing companies use the Brent Crude as the benchmark to determine prices. The international benchmark crude prices also depend on the whims and fancies of oil producing nations as to what they do to curb the price rise. Under pressure domestically, US President Joe Biden’s administration is now reportedly thinking about releasing its strategic reserves of 1 million barrels per day in a bid to control crude prices. More supply leads to lower prices. <div type="image" title="India&amp;#39;s oil imports" msid="90575590" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;India&amp;#39;s oil imports&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> India is one of the biggest importers of crude oil after the US and China. And of late, India has been importing crude from <keyword id="6358826" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="russia" source="Orion">Russia</keyword>, a country which is currently at war with Ukraine, and hit with sanctions from US and its allies. According to a BBC report, <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-60783874#:~:text=After%20the%20US%20and%20China,2%25%20of%20its%20total%20imports.">India bought around 12 million barrels of crude per day from Russia in 2021</a>. Russia, which has had to bear the brunt of international sanctions following its Ukraine invasion, has reportedly offered huge discounts to India for buying its crude oil. According to a BloombergQuint report, <a href="https://twitter.com/bloombergquint/status/1509378490843369473?s=20&amp;t=T9sdA14FH9EEDJq7FaEN5g">Russia has offered crude oil to India at a discount of $35 per barrel on pre-war</a> prices. This action has also invited a lot of flak on India’s stance in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, even though it imports only a miniscule amount of its total oil needs from Russia at the moment. In the upper house of the parliament, India’s minister for petroleum and natural gas clarified that oil imports from Russia in the financial year 2020-2021 was not even 0.2% of total import of 175.9 million tonnes. It has not been an easy task for India to trade with Russia since the war broke out as Russian banks and transaction systems have also been subject to sanctions. The Indian government is even considering trading in local currency – Indian Rupee – till the time the sanctions on Russia have been lifted. There is another nation apart from India that may take advantage of the cheap Russian crude. As analysts believe, China could tap the discounted Russian crude market and purchase more oil from Russia. Being the third largest oil importing nation, a fall in global oil prices will surely benefit India. And currently, there are two things Indians are eagerly waiting for – rains for respite from the rising temperatures and stability in petrol prices. Here's a short video on how fuel prices are calculated in India. <div type="image" title="How fuel prices are determined in India" msid="90581321" hostid="261"></div> Before we let you go, do check out Business Insider India’s personal finance series Money Insider, which brings together the country’s leading ‘Fin-fluencers’ who are heralding a new beginning in the world of financial literacy <div type="image" title="BI India launches Money Insider" msid="90575972" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;BI India launches Money Insider&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

You Searched For "india literacy rate" and got 8 results

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India's been touted as the new China — but here are 4 key areas where the South Asian giant is still playing catch up

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Microsoft launched a ChatGPT rival in India to help rural villagers in 'media-dark areas' access government services

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Simply Put: Will petrol prices in India stabilise anytime soon?

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