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Prime Minister <keyword id="19895781" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="narendra-modi" source="keywords">Narendra Modi</keyword> urged CEOs of US majors to take advantage of India's growth story as the country is making all efforts to become the third largest economy of the world in his third term. India is currently the fifth largest economy of the world after the US, China, Germany and Japan with a GDP of around USD 3.9 trillion. India has been the fastest growing large economies of the world with GDP growth rate of over 7 per cent for the last three consecutive years. Addressing CEOs of the large US tech firms on Sunday, Modi said India will make every effort to become the third largest economy in the world in his third term (2024-29). Companies should take advantage of India's growth story for collaboration and innovation by co-developing, co-designing, and co-producing in India for the world, harnessing the opportunities from the country's economic and technological growth, he said. Assuring the business leaders of India's deep commitment to the protection of intellectual property and to fostering tech innovation, Modi highlighted the economic transformation happening in the country, particularly in electronics and information technology manufacturing and semiconductors. Modi asserted that his government was committed to making India a "global hub of <keyword id="20073013" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="semiconductor-manufacturing" source="keywords">semiconductor manufacturing</keyword>". The meeting took place at the Lotte <keyword id="19904497" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-York" source="keywords">New York</keyword> Palace Hotel on Sunday during the second leg of Modi's three-day US visit. It saw the participation of CEOs of 15 major US-based firms working on cutting-edge technologies such as AI, quantum computing and semiconductors. "Had a fruitful roundtable with tech CEOs in New York, discussing aspects relating to technology, innovation and more. Also highlighted the strides made by India in this field. I am glad to see immense optimism towards India," Modi said in a post on X. During the conference, Modi said technology collaboration and efforts such as the Initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (ICET) lie at the core of the India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership, according to a Ministry of External Affairs press release. Organised by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Engineering, the CEOs of top US tech firms, including Google CEO Sundar Pichai, Adobe CEO Shantanu Narayena, Accenture CEO Julie Sweet and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang attended the meeting. Others who participated in the roundtable included AMD CEO Lisa Su, HP Inc. CEO Enrique Lores, IBM CEO Arvind Krishna, Dr Noubar Afeyan, Chairman of Moderna, and Verizon CEO Hans Vestberg. Modi also talked about India's BIO E3 (biotechnology for environment, economy and employment) policy to develop the country into a biotech powerhouse and on the topic of AI, noted that India's policy is to promote AI for all, underpinned by its ethical and responsible use. The CEOs appreciated India's growing prominence as a global technology hub, driven by its innovation-friendly policies and flourishing market opportunities. They also expressed strong interest in investing and collaborating with India, agreeing that investing in startups would be a synergistic opportunity to innovate and develop newer technologies in the country. Others who attended the conference included Biogen Inc CEO Chris Viehbacher, CEO of Bristol Myers Squibb, Chris Boerner, Eli Lilly and Company CEO David A. Ricks, LAM Research CEO Tim Archer, GlobalFoundries CEO Thomas Caulfield, and the CEO of Kyndryl, Martin Schroeter. "Further cementing technology and business connect. PM @narendramodi interacted with the top tech leaders and CEOs of USA, in a Roundtable hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology School of Engineering, in New York today. PM emphasised India's growth prospects and discussed initiatives to foster collaborations and innovation across diverse sectors," the official account of the MEA said in a post on X. The prime minister had a separate meeting with Krishna P Singh, CEO of Holtec International, which is into nuclear and solar power generation. They discussed Holtec's plan for expanding manufacturing in India and advancing energy cooperation, PMO India said in a post on X. Earlier on Sunday, Modi addressed the <keyword id="20115166" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-diaspora" source="keywords">Indian diaspora</keyword> at the packed Nassau Veterans Coliseum on Long Island in New York. He also held bilateral meetings with world leaders at the sidelines of the UN General Assembly session here. Modi reached New York on Saturday after attending the Quad Leaders' Summit hosted by President Joe Biden in Wilmington, Delaware. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113516805" title="Why is Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting the US this weekend?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

PM Modi invites US CEOs to take a 'byte' out of India's growing technology sector

New Delhi: <keyword id="21530712" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Ola-Founder-Bhavish-Aggarwal" source="keywords">Ola Founder Bhavish Aggarwal</keyword> is placing bold bets on new-age technologies with a view for <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> to be at the forefront of the current global <keyword id="22912054" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tech-transition" source="keywords">tech transition</keyword> led by AI, and build <keyword id="22912488" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="jobs-of-the-future" source="keywords">jobs of the future</keyword> in the country. In an interaction with PTI editors at the agency's headquarters here, he said the private sector has to do the bulk of job creation, step up and do more, while creating an enabling environment and correcting imbalances, such as that of trade, are the responsibility of the government. Aggarwal also supported the government's move to offer fiscal incentives to global EV makers, including Tesla, through the new EV policy saying it is important for India to attract all kinds of investment, and globally established players will help in the development of the EV ecosystem in the country. The group's newly-listed entity <keyword id="19945904" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ola" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Ola" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Ola">Ola</keyword> Electric aims to make India a global electric vehicle (EV) hub but the country has to invent an EV and energy transition paradigm for itself based on its needs as the world cannot achieve a sustainable future without India, he added. "There is a global technology transition happening and AI is a very important technology of the future, and we in India need to lead this journey. If you look at the current state, I think we are still adopters of somebody else's technology paradigms, especially in the digital world," Aggarwal said, explaining why the Ola group had set up AI start-up Krutrim last year. One of the things in Krutrim is to build AI models on Indian data, which is more attuned to Indian use cases, Indian paradigms, he said, adding, "We are making our own AI, on our own cloud, on our own chip." Despite India producing 20 per cent of the world's digital data at present, he lamented that the country does not fully own the data, as 80 per cent are stored outside, which are then processed into AI and "brought back into India and sold to us in dollars". When asked about concerns over AI leading to job losses, he allayed the apprehension saying that the IT boom created jobs in India when people feared that computers would take away jobs, and AI is a similar tool. "AI is not going to replace anyone. Maybe that future is a few decades away... We don't need to get anxious about that future right now. We need to, as a country, see that AI is going to amplify productivity. If we don't get onto the bandwagon, we will be left behind...," he asserted. In his view, Aggarwal said the way forward is for India to become experts in future technology. "Future technologies bring with it jobs of the future, supply chain of the future. And if we are global leaders, we are the fastest adoptive market of future technologies (then) jobs of the future will be built in India, supply chains of the future will be built in India. This is the only way... If we focus on protecting the past, you remain uncompetitive," he added. Sharing his take on employment generation in India, Aggarwal said, "I actually believe the private sector has to do the bulk of the job creation. The government's job is to create the enabling environment, create the fundamentals, help correct imbalances wherever they are, be it trade imbalances, etc and incentivise wherever it needs to be incentivised, like the PLI schemes." The government's steps such as the employment-linked incentives will also encourage private industry, he said, adding "But fundamentally the private sector has to step up and do more". Asked if the government is doing enough to create that ecosystem for the private sector, Aggarwal said, "I'm not in the government, so I want to put the limelight on ourselves. Is the private sector doing enough? I think we all can do more, and I'm on the same page. We all need to do more." In response to a query on his views over the government in extending the fiscal concession that companies like Tesla have been demanding from India, he said, "It is very important for India to attract all kinds of investment, especially (from) world leading companies. "Tesla is a best in class company. The more companies like these invest into India, the better it is for India, in a broad sense as well for the industry." He further said, "The (EV) ecosystem, including my company, will benefit from it, because it will raise the bar on expertise, on excellence, on talent, everything..." About the newly-listed entity Ola Electric, he said, "Our mission at Ola electric is to really make India a global EV hub." The company will build products such as electric two and three-wheelers that Indians need for the country to be able to invent an EV and energy transition paradigm for itself, different from the current global solution for sustainability that is focussed on electric luxury cars, Aggarwal added. On Ola Consumer, he said the ride-hailing mobility vertical is fairly profitable, while it is investing into the new e-commerce for which it has partnered with ONDC.

India needs to lead global tech transition, build jobs of the future: Ola Founder Bhavish Aggarwal

A day ahead of the final Budget presentation, India released the <keyword id="20613906" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="economic-survey" source="keywords">Economic Survey</keyword> 2023-2024, outlining a plethora of optimistic — and some bittersweet — indicators of the health of the nation’s economy. When you consider the climate-related aspects of the report, there’s a ton of good news: we have achieved massive strides in clean power generation, while cutting out a ton of dirty emissions from our products. However, scroll down to the bottom of the report, and you find a scathing criticism of the “western” approach to climate change. Here's a closer look at why, and what clues do such narratives hold about India's <keyword id="22513472" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="environmental-strategy" source="keywords">environmental strategy</keyword> in coming years. <h2>Problems with the “Western way”</h2>The major criticism, as per the survey, is that the Western approach to climate change is far too alarmist. They argue that this “one-size-fits-all” attitude often fails to account for the diverse needs of countries like India. To that end, it also points out that the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) promotes "accelerated and equitable mitigation pathways" that don't always align with the developmental priorities of <keyword id="20353838" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="developing-nations" source="keywords">developing nations</keyword>. Additionally, the report notes that Western solutions often prioritise market-based strategies to sustain high consumption levels rather than addressing the root issue of overconsumption. The survey emphasises that <keyword id="20224417" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-living" source="keywords">sustainable living</keyword> is deeply ingrained in <keyword id="19983840" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-culture" source="keywords">Indian culture</keyword>, which contrasts sharply with the consumption-driven lifestyle prevalent in the West. This focus on high consumption misses the mark, as it doesn't consider the environmental impact of such lifestyles. And for the most part, this bit is true; Indian history is enriched with traditions that emphasise the conservation of nature. As <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1155/2017/3828609">per estimates</a>, religious practices have preserved an estimated 1.5 lakh sacred groves across India, and natural conservation efforts can be traced back to the time of Ashoka. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111925936" title="Economic Survey 2023-24: Where does India stand on the employment, and what&amp;#39;s next?" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>Therefore, it may not be entirely inaccurate to say that in India, sustainability isn't a new concept; it's a way of life. Traditional Indian practices like using reusable materials, upcycling, and embracing minimalism have always promoted sustainability. The survey highlights that these practices are now threatened by Western capitalist ideals that equate consumption with progress. By returning to these roots, India can offer a model of sustainability that's both practical and culturally relevant. <h2>Fixation on technical solutions</h2>The Economic Survey also critiques the Western obsession with high-tech solutions, such as solar-powered buildings and electric vehicles. These solutions require substantial financial and infrastructural resources that many developing countries simply don't have. Moreover, they often overlook the broader environmental impact and lifecycle costs associated with urban sprawl and high-density living. Instead, the survey suggests that simpler, more holistic solutions might be more effective and sustainable. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111774972" title="Economic Survey shows India&amp;#39;s energy needs to grow 2.5x, healthy growth in formal employment" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, this does not mean that India refuses to embrace greener tech. Not only has the country launched various initiatives to promote energy efficiency and reduce carbon emissions, it also aims to to generate 40% of its energy from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030. As per the report, India is the only G20 country on track to meet the 2°C warming commitment under the Paris Agreement, with significant investments in <keyword id="19895602" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="renewable-energy" source="keywords">renewable energy</keyword>, particularly solar power. <h2><keyword id="20269618" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mission-LiFE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Mission LiFE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Mission LiFE">Mission LiFE</keyword>: A sustainable initiative</h2>In order to help reinforce and rejuvenate the Indian way, the survey highlights Prime Minister Modi's Lifestyle for Environment initiative, or Mission LiFE. This initiative underscores individual responsibility in combating climate change, drawing from ancient Indian philosophy that advocates for a naturally sustainable lifestyle. By focusing on small, individual actions that collectively lead to significant environmental benefits, Mission LiFE contrasts sharply with the Western top-down policy approach. This grassroots strategy could be key to achieving real, lasting change, the report asserts. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="111927198" title="On the right track — Economic Survey 2023-24 outlines India’s commendable climate action" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>All in all, the report challenges the dominance of Western policies and offers a pathway that could be more adaptable and relevant for other developing nations facing similar challenges. With its ongoing progress towards climate goals, India is well-placed to lead by example, showcasing a sustainable and culturally attuned approach to environmental stewardship.

Why did the latest Economic Survey of India heavily shun the ‘Western ways’ of climate action?

<keyword id="20069374" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IT-services" source="keywords">IT services</keyword> firm <keyword id="19924892" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Tech-Mahindra" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Tech Mahindra" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Tech Mahindra">Tech Mahindra</keyword> on Saturday reported a more than two-fold jump in its consolidated <keyword id="19942166" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="net-profit" source="keywords">net profit</keyword> to Rs 1,250 crore for the July-September quarter, driven by special income from the sale of assets. The Mahindra Group company posted a net profit of Rs 493.9 crore in the year-ago period, according to an exchange filing. Revenue rose by 3.49 per cent to Rs 13,313.2 crore in the second quarter of 2024-25 compared to Rs 12,863.9 crore in the same quarter of 2023-24. "Other income includes gain on sale of property of Rs 4,502 million which comprises of freehold land and its related buildings along with the furniture &amp; fixtures sold for a consideration of Rs 5,350 million, receivable over a period of four years along with interest of 8.2 per cent p.a," the company filing said. Sequentially, net profit rose by 46.81 per cent and revenue by 2.36 per cent. "We continue to progress on our strategic improvement efforts even as the overall IT services industry has remained soft. "We have focused on strengthening client relationships and expanding the partner ecosystem while maintaining a sharp focus on operational excellence through project Fortius, which has resulted in an expansion of margins for the third sequential quarter," Tech Mahindra CEO Mohit Joshi said. The CEO unveiled Project Fortius in April, a three-year plan to achieve a 15 per cent operating margin with a focus on organic growth. "This quarter we see consistent performance around increasing deal wins, <keyword id="19965932" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="revenue-growth" source="keywords">revenue growth</keyword>, cost optimisation and steady free cash flow generation as we continue our journey towards FY27 stated targets. In line with our capital allocation policy the board has declared an interim dividend of Rs 15 per share," Tech Mahindra CFO Rohit Anand said. The company's TCV (<keyword id="23580531" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Total-Contract-Value" source="keywords">Total Contract Value</keyword>), or net new deal wins, stood at USD 603 million in the second quarter of FY25. Joshi further said the company is on the right path for a long-term sustainable transformation, with its leading indicators moving in the right direction, and its 'Scale at Speed' narrative resonating in the market. "We have invested in strengthening the capabilities in the focus service lines by broadening the leadership and investing in technical specializations. "We continue to invest in strengthening our fresher hiring program, building the right mindset and future skilling and associates, by building capabilities in AI-first and cloud-first skill sets," he told reporters. Investments shall continue in creating and sustaining an outcome-driven learning organisation and cultivating a high-performance culture based on the pillars of simplifying, clarifying, innovating and driving a high-performance orientation, he added. This year could be volatile because we are in the turnaround phase, Joshi said. "I am confident, however, that the platform is being set for a long-term, valuable franchise thanks to a high-calibre and united leadership team and a clearly articulated strategic plan," Joshi said. The Pune-headquartered firm added 6,653 employees during the quarter under review, bringing the total staff count to 1,54,273. Shares of Tech Mahindra settled at Rs 1,688 apiece on the BSE on Friday, down 0.68 per cent from the previous close. 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Tech Mahindra profit jumps over 2-times to ₹1,250 crore in Jul-Sep quarter

<ul class="summary-list"><li>The Indian economy has grown strongly under Narendra Modi, whose party is set to win another term.</li><li>India's success has caught the eye of figures including Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, and Tim Cook.</li></ul>India's powerful economic growth and blossoming middle class under Narendra Modi have caught the eye of corporate titans like Elon Musk, Jamie Dimon, and Tim Cook.Modi is pretty much a shoo-in for a third term as prime minister after the national election now underway ends on June 1. But the work starts there, as he'll have to navigate thorny issues such as youth unemployment, income inequality, and reliance on sanctioned Russian oil.<h2>Fueling growth and shaking hands</h2>India's economy has more than doubled in size during Modi's decade in charge to more than $3.7 trillion last year.The International Monetary Fund (IMF) <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imf.org/en/Blogs/Articles/2024/04/29/asias-growth-and-inflation-outlook-improves-but-risks-remain">recently upgraded</a> its growth forecast for real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to a robust 7.8% this year, 6.8% in 2025, and 6.5% in 2026.India has already overtaken Britain to become the world's fifth-largest economy. It's on track to leapfrog Japan and Germany into third spot behind the US and China by 2027.The country's flagship stock index has also tripled in value since Modi took office in May 2014, thanks to wealth gains and growing investment appetites.Moreover, <a target="_blank" href="https://sbi.co.in/documents/13958/36530824/270224-HCES_Feb24.pdf">one estimate</a> puts the percentage of the Indian population living on less than $2.15 a day at below 5%, down from 12% in 2011. However, the <a target="_blank" href="https://pip.worldbank.org/country-profiles/IND">World Bank</a> pegged that figure at nearly 13% in 2021.India's middle class has also ballooned with 60 million people now earning the rupee equivalent of more $10,000 a year — about $37,200 once adjusted for <a target="_blank" href="https://www.imf.org/external/datamapper/profile/IND">purchasing power</a>. Goldman Sachs <a target="_blank" href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/intelligence/pages/indias-affluent-population-is-likely-to-hit-100-million-by-2027.html">expects</a> the ranks of the relatively affluent to swell to 100 million by 2027."Modi has done an unbelievable job in India," JPMorgan's Dimon <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-economy-inflation-recession-stagflation-geopolitics-crypto-bitcoin-2024-4">told</a> the Economic Club of New York last month. "I know the liberal press here, they beat the hell out of him. He's taken 400 million people out of poverty."Musk has <a target="_blank" href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1781541775183610310">posted</a> on X that he's looking forward to visiting India and meeting Modi this year. He delayed his trip last month, blaming "very heavy Tesla obligations." The pair are expected to discuss Tesla building a multibillion-dollar factory in the country.As for Apple's Cook, he hailed India on a November earnings call as an "incredibly exciting market" and a "<a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/apple-tim-cook-obsessed-india-consumers-iphone-2023-7">major focus of ours</a>" given the explosive growth in potential customers as locals get richer.<div type="image" title="Sundar Pichai, Tim Cook, Narendra Modi, Joe Biden" height="3907" width="5861" msid="109838230" hostid="261" sizebytes="846512"></div>Modi has also met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, and Alphabet's Sundar Pichai. He's likely to be seeking to attract foreign direct investment (FDI) in India — and to capitalize on bosses' <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/us-china-relations-reshoring-manufacturing-jobs-made-in-america-2023-10">desire to hedge their bets on China</a> given its strained relationship with the US, economic woes, and how disruptive its strict pandemic lockdowns were to global supply chains."India's population and economic growth numbers are causing a lot of global executives to revisit their India presence and consider scaling up," Richard Rossow, a senior advisor and chair in US-India Policy Studies at the Center for Strategic &amp; International Studies, told Business Insider."Paired with increased concerns about supply chain resilience and security concerns about China, it's a very good time for a hard push to win investments."The United Nations said that India and China both had a population of 1.426 billion in April last year, meaning India is probably now the most populous given its rising birth rate.<h2>Change for the better — mostly</h2>Modi has instigated a raft of major economic reforms since taking office, intended to make India more business-friendly, and boost government revenues by taxing more of the country's vast informal economy.He rolled out a tax on goods and services, simplified bankruptcy laws, lifted FDI restrictions, cut corporate income tax, and ended retrospective taxation.However, not all of Modi's moves spurred growth."Demonetisation was a key economic policy which had negative effects on the economy," Kunal Sen, a director of the United Nations University World Institute for Development Economics, told BI.Sen is the author of several books about India's economy and a professor of development economics at the University of Manchester.He was referring to Modi's sudden declaration in November 2016 that all 500 and 1,000-rupee bills — 86% of Indian currency in circulation — would <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-ending-500-and-1000-rupee-bills-to-fight-corruption-2016-11">no longer be accepted as legal tender</a>.The government's goals were to capture undeclared income, get rid of counterfeit currency, broaden the tax base, and bring more activities into the formal economy."The other key economic policy was JAM — the trinity of bank accounts for the poor, mobile numbers and a biometric card. This last economic policy has been revolutionary," Sen said.He was hailing a broader digitization drive under Modi that has <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/how-indias-digital-payments-ecosystem-has-evolved-in-the-last-one-year/slidelist/90595832.cms">transformed</a> how Indians bank, invest, pay their taxes, and conduct business.<h2>Prosperity for all</h2>Modi's efforts have helped to usher in a more prosperous era for some Indians, but many have been left behind.Young people are India's beating heart, with about half its population under 25 and almost two-thirds under 35. Matching those hundreds of millions of people with jobs has proven a challenge, with youth unemployment almost tripling from below 6% in 2000 to about 18% in 2019. It still stands at a hefty 10% in 2023, per the <a target="_blank" href="https://webapps.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---asia/---ro-bangkok/---sro-new_delhi/documents/publication/wcms_921154.pdf">International Labor Organization</a>.The report found that nearly 30% of India's graduates were unemployed in 2022, and only about 10% of the working-age population was formally employed.<div type="image" title="A farmer uses oxen to plow fields for lentils in Nimaj, Rajasthan, northern India." height="3464" width="5196" msid="109838232" hostid="261" sizebytes="690700"></div>"Unemployment is a big issue," Rossow said, emphasizing this isn't just a problem with recent graduates but a "much, much larger bubble: the underemployed farm laborers."Rising agricultural productivity is likely to help farm workers make a faster transition to city life in the years ahead, but they'll struggle to secure modern jobs in the services industry "without significant reskilling and education," Rossow said.As a result, lower-skilled manufacturing and assembly jobs and lower-end services jobs will be needed, he added.Another major challenge will be tackling a widening wealth divide. The richest 10% of the population hold more than 72% of the nation's wealth, per an Oxfam report <a target="_blank" href="https://d1ns4ht6ytuzzo.cloudfront.net/oxfamdata/oxfamdatapublic/2023-01/India%20Supplement%202023_digital.pdf?">published</a> last year.Business tycoons Mukesh Ambani and Gautam Adani both rank among the world's 15 richest people, per the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/billionaires/">Bloomberg Billionaires Index</a>. Luxury-goods sales are booming with <a target="_blank" href="https://www.carwale.com/news/mercedesbenz-lineups-waiting-period-reduced-in-india/">long waitlists</a> for flashy purchases like the Mercedes "G Wagon."<div type="image" title="The Ambani family onstage with Rihanna." height="854" width="1280" msid="109838233" hostid="261" sizebytes="99148"></div>The <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/anant-ambani-pre-wedding-festivities-lack-empathy-india-radhika-merchant-2024-3">lavish pre-wedding party</a> thrown by the Ambani family earlier this year was singled out by some as an affront to the huge number of Indians living in poverty.Almost 1.3 billion people live on less than $3,500 a year by one estimate, and India ranks 111th on the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.globalhungerindex.org/ranking.html">Global Hunger Index</a>, below even North Korea.Rising equality is partly explained by a "capital-intensive mode of economic growth along with increasing power of business conglomerates," Sen told BI, referring to how huge companies like the Adani Group secure huge government contracts to build ports, bridges, highways, and other infrastructure.A third challenge is regional inequality, as some states like Bihar and Uttar Pradesh haven't experienced the same growth and modernization of their economies as others, Rossow said.<h2>The Russia riddle</h2>One striking aspect of Modi's economic boom has been its reliance on Russia since it invaded Ukraine in early 2022.India went from getting 2% of its crude oil from Russia before the war, to 35% last year. During that period, the US and Europe slapped sanctions on Russian oil to defund Putin's military machine and punish Moscow for attacking a sovereign nation.Despite that, India purchased an estimated $37 billion of Moscow's oil in 2023 — 13 times the amount it bought annually prior to the conflict. Its buying helped Russia rake in a <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russia-economy-oil-sales-india-ukraine-war-moscow-western-sanctions-2024-2">record $320 billion</a> of federal revenue last year.Indian demand for Russian oil has <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russia-oil-trade-crude-india-discount-barrel-sanctions-price-cap-2024-2">cooled</a> in recent months as new sanctions have made it <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/russia-economy-oil-energy-exports-india-imports-revenue-sanctions-discount-2024-3">more expensive</a>, but the buying remains controversial.Officials in India have <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/commodities/crude-oil-prices-india-russia-trade-geopolitics-opec-supply-puri-2024-2">defended</a> the purchases, saying that if they'd bought Middle Eastern oil instead, global crude prices would have shot up.India is also one of the world's largest oil refiners and has helped Western nations to maintain access to refined petroleum products even as they're refraining from buying Russian crude directly.Yet the country imports 85% of its oil, so its overriding interest is securing the cheapest oil possible to support its development, said Neelima Jain, a senior fellow and chair in US India Policy Studies at CSIS."India will continue to buy Russian oil if the price remains favorable and allows for firm volume guarantees, as the country prioritizes energy affordability and accessibility during its rapid rural-to-urban transition, which has led to a 6% year-on-year growth in energy demand," she told BI."In an inflationary environment, economics [rather] than geopolitics will drive India's energy choices."<div type="image" title="Narendra Modi and Vladimir Putin" height="3196" width="4714" msid="109838234" hostid="261" sizebytes="426292"></div><h2>India the IT hub</h2>Under Modi, India has made big strides in modernizing its economy, combating bureaucracy, and appealing to foreign investors.Big Tech stalwarts like Microsoft have a <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/microsoft-has-so-many-patents-its-outsourced-the-job-to-india-2013-5">long history</a> of outsourcing to India, but recent efforts to cut red tape and slash corporate taxes appear to have fueled fresh interest.Sweeping layoffs at Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Salesforce and other US tech titans in the past few years could presage a large exodus of jobs to India.Sanjay Shetty of Randstad India <a target="_blank" href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/tech/technology/outsourcing-hubs-like-india-to-bag-40-of-jobs-lost-to-layoffs/articleshow/101088673.cms?">told The Economic Times</a> last summer that he expected 30% to 40% of the tech jobs eliminated globally to move to India by 2025."India is going to be the biggest gainer in the medium to long term, as almost every company that we speak to is looking at expanding its India base," Shetty said.Even if that pans out, it won't be a panacea for a country facing not just unemployment and underemployment, but also stark income inequality, regional disparities, and the risk of alienating Western allies by continuing to buy Russian oil.Yet overall, India appears to be headed in the right direction."The growth is real, if focused on a few key states," Rossow said. "India's dynamic technology services sector is to IT services what China is to manufacturing. So there is much to cheer, even as the reform agenda seems to never end."

Tech titans love Modi's economic powerhouse India — despite mass unemployment and abject poverty 

<keyword id="19902762" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="google" source="keywords">Google</keyword> on Friday said that after giving developers in <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword> more than three years to prepare, including three weeks after the <keyword id="19895345" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="supreme-court" source="keywords">Supreme Court</keyword>'s order, it is taking necessary "ensure our policies are applied consistently across the ecosystem, as we do for any form of policy violation globally". The company said in a blog post that enforcement of its policy, when necessary, can include removal of non-compliant apps from Google <keyword id="20163860" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="play" source="keywords">Play</keyword>. Developers are welcome to resubmit their apps to be listed on Play by electing any of the three billing options as part of the company's payments policy. One of the options is to operate on a consumption-only basis without paying a service fee, even if it is part of a paid service. "With this option, any developer could allow a user of their app to access content that they paid for outside the app," said Google. The second option is to integrate Google Play's billing system to transact with millions of customers around the world and give their users safe ways to pay and the ability to manage their payments from a central location. The third option is to offer an alternative billing system alongside Google Play's for users in India. "When users opt for alternative billing systems, the fee is further reduced by an additional four per cent. App developers expanding in international markets can also enroll as part of our user choice billing pilot currently available in 35 markets," Google explained. In the meantime, "these developers continue to have other options to operate their business on Android, including distribution through alternative Android app stores or directly via their websites." "Existing users will be able to continue to access the apps without interruption - and we continue to offer our support to help developers get into compliance," said the company. The Android and Play ecosystem have collectively supported over 2.5 million jobs in India, said the company. In India, less than 60 developers on Google Play are subject to fees above 15 per cent, it added. The company said it has over 200,000 Indian developers using Google Play who adhere to the policies. The Supreme Court last month issued notice on a petition to Google India filed by tech startups, challenging Google Play Store's billing policy as "exploitative". SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomi-14-to-launch-in-india-on-march-7-to-take-on-the-galaxy-s23-and-oneplus-12/articleshow/107841326.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/xiaomi-14-to-launch-in-india-on-march-7-to-take-on-the-galaxy-s23-and-oneplus-12/articleshow/107841326.cms" target="_blank">Xiaomi 14 to launch in India on March 7, to take on the Galaxy S23 and OnePlus 12</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-12-5g-with-dimensity-7050-chipset-to-launch-in-india-on-march-6/articleshow/108129873.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/realme-12-5g-with-dimensity-7050-chipset-to-launch-in-india-on-march-6/articleshow/108129873.cms" target="_blank">Realme 12+ 5G with Dimensity 7050 chipset to launch in India on March 6</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-tablet-market-down-by-24-9-in-2023-samsung-leads-the-market/articleshow/107878795.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/indian-tablet-market-down-by-24-9-in-2023-samsung-leads-the-market/articleshow/107878795.cms" target="_blank">Indian tablet market down by 24.9% in 2023, Samsung leads the market</a>

Google begins to enforce Play Store policies in India, to remove non-compliant apps

<ul class="summary-list"><li>In October 2023, Soni Mehra left her Big Tech job to focus on her own home decor business.</li><li>Becoming a full-time entrepreneur has come with changes and challenges, she said.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a transcribed conversation with Soni Mehra, a 30-year-old who left her job at Uber to start her own home decor company, <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.marble-lotus.com/">Marble Lotus</a>. Business Insider verified her previous employment at Uber with documentation. The following has been edited for length and clarity.I was born in Delhi in India. My family and I moved to the<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/the-worst-things-about-leaving-san-francisco-for-la-2024-4"> San Francisco Bay Area</a> when I was 5.Like many other South Asian immigrant families chasing the "American dream," we came for the opportunities.I grew up surrounded by technology and majored in Environmental Economics and Policy at the University of California, Berkeley.I developed a knack for project management and took on coveted roles in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quit-big-tech-dream-job-pay-perks-not-worth-it-2024-5">Big Tech companies</a> like Lime, LinkedIn, and later Uber, where I was focused on marketing and product operations roles. I spent almost four years as a senior product manager at Uber, earning nearly $300,000, including my bonus.But I left <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/uber-ceo-calls-elon-musk-robotaxi-vision-compelling-2024-10">Uber</a> in October 2023. Earlier in spring, I launched my own South Asian-inspired home decor company.I wanted to take a chance on something I truly loved, but it involved letting go of my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/quadrupled-salary-big-tech-job-hopping-negotiating-2024-8">Big Tech salary</a> and navigating various challenges as a founder and bootstrapper.<h2 id="3a829088-4d6d-4509-817e-9bcfe2d71087">My time at Uber taught me about mentorship, problem-solving, and building in-person connections</h2>I joined Uber in 2020, right before the COVID-19 pandemic. One of my projects was launching Uber Connect, a delivery system for transporting packages to people during the pandemic.Our Mission Bay office was swanky, but it was only half occupied most days during COVID-19. Whenever I could, I went in and built in-person connections.I loved being a <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/product-manager-shares-resume-cisco-consulting-pivot-big-tech-interview-2024-10">product manager</a> and had great mentors. In Uber's work environment, ambitious and hardworking people got promoted. Everyone I worked with was incredibly sharp. I enjoyed solving complex problems together.<h2 id="520e0131-6f89-45cb-999a-670a36a7d517">Tapping into my creative side prompted my entrepreneurial journey</h2>I loved my job, but a part of me knew something was missing. I wanted to be more creative, but I wasn't getting that at Uber because aspects of my role were very technical.I'd always considered <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-start-and-grow-a-business-founders-advice-2023-1">running my own business</a>. My dad was an entrepreneur, so family dinners often turned into strategy meetings. Plus, I valued his flexibility at work.I started taking art, sewing, and pottery classes to fulfill my creative itch. The classes confirmed I should tap into my entrepreneurial side and create a business to invest all my time and energy into.It wasn't until I got married in June 2022 and planned a multi-day South Asian wedding that my hunger for creativity began to deepen. Planning a wedding requires thinking about minute details, interiors, and table settings. When it was over, I wanted to make a concerted effort to infuse creativity into my daily life.<h2 id="b07aa3e2-bd4c-48cf-9683-289a7cc463fd">Marble Lotus was the creative outlet I always looked for</h2>In March 2023, while working at Uber, I launched <a target="_blank" href="https://www.marble-lotus.com/collections/frontpage?utm_source=pggoogleads&amp;utm_medium=cpc&amp;utm_campaign=PG_Search_Brand_Exact_15/06/2024&amp;gad_source=1&amp;gclid=Cj0KCQjwpP63BhDYARIsAOQkATZml_NlM3bB-Uq7iMiEXhmohRzHxo9HiA1euBXAZA9bOQoQES5ORToaAocEEALw_wcB">Marble Lotus</a>, a homeware store that sells artwork and decor inspired by the South Asian diaspora. I wanted to create a tangible manifestation of my heritage that I could share.I spent a lot of time sourcing and designing products. I built our website and launched our first collection online in April 2023, starting with only seven products.In October 2023, I decided to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/left-exec-job-uber-polywork-how-i-balance-2021-8">leave Uber</a> to focus on the business full-time. It felt like the right time, but it raised eyebrows from family and friends. They questioned if my business would ever be as profitable as my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/poached-tech-job-linkedin-good-decision-2024-10">tech job</a>.I didn't have children or financial responsibilities. Pursuing something I loved was now or never, and I didn't really worry about how I'd cope if things didn't go well.I grew the business by traveling to India to source products and investing time into understanding the shipping and distribution models. The trips helped me expand our design offerings, and as of summer 2024, we had 600 products on our site.<h2 id="03bb1bfe-0d49-43c9-a9b1-5f4478cfc7c8">Running a business is different from working in Big Tech — and it's come with challenges</h2>Marble Lotus is run by myself, three team members in India, and a part-time project manager in the US. I was accustomed to working with larger teams in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/dating-silicon-valley-big-tech-hard-want-marriage-kids-2024-7">Big Tech</a>, so I've had to get used to balancing multiple tasks.I'm <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/startup-founders-are-bootstrapping-instead-of-raising-money-from-vcs-2023-9">bootstrapping my business</a> using personal savings. While there are a lot of resources for entrepreneurs who want investment, I feel there aren't many for bootstrapping entrepreneurs. There are fewer networking opportunities, so I've spent a lot of time reaching out to individuals and growing my network.Entrepreneurs in the Bay Area often question why I've launched a company that requires shipping, stock, and warehousing rather than creating a digital product. They don't think the business model can scale as easily.I often have to motivate myself to keep going during times of fluctuation. There'll be days where I have low sales, but the next day I'll have signed on new clients who are interested in Marble Lotus styling their homes or interiors. I need to keep trusting my vision and look at my long-term goals.Right now, I don't pay myself a salary and reinvest everything into the business. Thankfully, I can rely on savings from my prior Big Tech roles. I no longer make the same salary as I did in Big Tech, but still prioritize spending money on things my partner and I value, like travel. While my health insurance used to be provided by my employer, I now have to pay for my insurance and rely on my husband's.<h2 id="abe870c4-9c3d-499a-b962-cdefd8c2d6c5">I'm not opposed to returning to tech</h2>I left Uber at the right time to launch my company, and I don't think I'd do anything differently. I'm young and in a financial phase where I can take on risk.People ask me if I'd ever return to Big Tech. I'd consider pivoting back into tech to start my own interior design software company because I see a lot of potential in that space.But right now, I'm focused on growing my business.

I left my Big Tech job to bootstrap my own business. I went from making nearly $300,000 to not paying myself a salary.

US presidential candidate <keyword id="19918985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Donald-Trump" source="keywords">Donald Trump</keyword> has gone from suggesting that immigrants were poisoning the blood of the country to saying that he would welcome immigrants from “nice” countries like Denmark, Switzerland and Norway to his most recent plans of automatically granting green cards to <keyword id="22128571" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="foreign-graduates" source="keywords">foreign graduates</keyword> of US colleges in a rather short duration of time. Feeling a little whiplashed, anyone? Securing a green card in the US is a Herculean task whose difficulty is probably comparable to capturing and bringing back Cerberus. And this legal permanent residence, which can sometimes take decades, is only the first step to becoming a US citizen. Many Indians have tried, whether it’s through residing and working for decades, navigating rather lengthy paperwork or marrying someone who is already a US citizen. Sadly, many have failed too. However, should Donald Trump become the President of the United States again (and decide to keep his word), Indian students might actually have an easier time getting a green card. In a surprising shift from his previous stance on immigration, former President Donald Trump has unveiled a bold plan to automatically grant green cards to foreign graduates of US colleges if re-elected. This announcement, made during a podcast interview with Silicon Valley investors, marks a departure from Trump's traditionally tough rhetoric on immigration. During the podcast hosted by Chamath Palihapitiya and others, Trump expressed his commitment to retaining talent educated in American universities. He argued passionately for granting green cards as a standard benefit for graduates, regardless of the institution they attended. Trump emphasised that this policy should encompass graduates from renowned institutions like Harvard and MIT as well as from junior colleges across the country. “It’s so sad when we lose people from Harvard, MIT, the greatest schools, and lesser schools that are phenomenal schools also,” Trump lamented on the All-In Podcast. “I think you should get, automatically, as part of your diploma, a green card to be able to stay in this country and that includes junior colleges, too.” A green card affords its holder permanent residency rights in the United States and represents a crucial step towards citizenship. Trump's proposal, if enacted, could potentially introduce hundreds of thousands of new applicants for citizenship annually. Adding to the exodus of Indians who have already migrated to the US, over 200,000 Indian nationals are enrolled in institutes across the US in 2024, setting a new record. In fact, the significant surge in Indian students seeking education in the country between 2022-23 represented an unprecedented 35% increase from the year before that. The former US president specifically mentioned India and China, highlighting how talented individuals were unable to stay in the US because of current <keyword id="22151110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="visa-policies" source="keywords">visa policies</keyword>. We can see how this may show him in a favourable light for green card aspirants. And while we’re not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, it is important to remember that Trump has made his discriminatory nature very public in several instances. Immigration has been a hot topic in the US political arena for decades. However, in recent years, the political right and others have been more divided than ever on this issue. Republicans have been calling for stringent immigration policies and strict border protections. Therefore, even if Trump does deliver what he promises, the packaging will most likely have fine print that might continue to make it difficult for students to attain green cards. In fact, the presidential candidate’s campaign press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, has already clarified that Trump's proposal would only apply to thoroughly vetted college graduates who can “make significant contributions” to America and would not undercut American wages or workers. She emphasised that Trump has outlined the most aggressive vetting process in US history to exclude "all communists, radical Islamists, Hamas supporters, America haters and public charges." Anyhow, Trump’s proposal starkly contrasts with Trump's previous hardline stance on immigration, which had been a cornerstone of his political platform. During his presidency, Trump advocated for stringent immigration policies, including the largest deportation campaign in US history, aimed at undocumented migrants, and building a wall on the southern borders of the country. Trump intensified restrictions on legal immigration amid the pandemic and his final year in office. He proposed halting all immigration to the US and deporting foreign students who didn't attend some in-person classes. A month before the 2020 election, Trump once more moved to tighten regulations on the <keyword id="20773661" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="H-1B-visa" source="keywords">H-1B visa</keyword> program. He has also criticised the H-1B visa program, which tech companies favour for hiring foreign skilled workers, as detrimental to American prosperity. The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa allowing US firms to employ foreigners in specialised occupations requiring theoretical or technical expertise. At a recent campaign event in Wisconsin, Trump criticised Biden's immigration policies, particularly lambasting a new program allowing undocumented spouses of US citizens to apply for permanent residence without leaving the country. Trump characterised immigration under Biden as an "invasion" and argued against discussing amnesty, urging instead for measures to halt what he perceives as an influx of unauthorised migrants. Estimates from the Department of Homeland Security suggest that approximately 11 million migrants currently reside in the US without authorization, a statistic that has been central to Trump's arguments against leniency in immigration policy.

Donald Trump strikes again: Ex-President proposes automatic green cards for foreign graduates of US colleges

Dear readers, As another week ends and festive season lights up India, the world of business, tech, and sustainability brings you some new stories to explore. <keyword id="19896956" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Swiggy" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Swiggy" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Swiggy">Swiggy</keyword> is preparing for a grand IPO launch, expected to open on November 6, which could set the tone for India’s tech sector. Meanwhile, a Blinkit customer was in for a shock when he ordered a gold coin online. There was also a stark forecast that India could lose 25% of its economy by 2070 if immediate action isn’t taken. In addition to this, <keyword id="19974102" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Amazon-Web-Services" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Amazon Web Services" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="Amazon Web Services">Amazon Web Services</keyword> CEO was in the limelight for his comments on <keyword id="20294959" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="work-from-office" source="keywords">work from office</keyword> mandate. <h2>Top stories of the week </h2> Swiggy sets IPO price band between ₹371-₹390; offer likely to open on November 6 Swiggy has announced its initial public offering (IPO) price band, which will range between ₹371 and ₹390 per share. The much-anticipated IPO includes both fresh issues and an offer for sale, and it is expected to open on November 6. Swiggy’s move to go public this year highlights its growth trajectory as one of India’s top tech IPOs, with proceeds likely aimed at expanding its footprint and product offerings. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/swiggy-sets-ipo-price-band-between-rs-371-390/share-offer-likely-to-open-on-november-6th-heres-all-you-need-to-know/articleshow/114722518.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> “I was scammed, cried while talking to delivery executive,” man orders gold coin from Blinkit, claims to receive wrong item In a recent incident, a Delhi resident reported receiving a 0.5 gm gold coin instead of the 1 gm he had ordered from Blinkit. Despite sharing evidence and CCTV footage, Jain’s complaints were not addressed in time, as Blinkit’s support team said the complaint window had closed. The issue has sparked a social media discussion, highlighting concerns about quality control and customer service on e-commerce platforms. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/i-was-scammed-cried-while-talking-to-delivery-executive-man-orders-gold-coin-from-blinkit-claims-to-receive-wrong-item/articleshow/114767787.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> India could lose a quarter of its economy by 2070, here’s why A new report has forecast that India’s economy could shrink by up to 25% by 2070 due to unchecked climate risks. Key sectors across the country may face significant productivity and revenue losses if policies aren’t adapted to mitigate these impacts. This sobering projection calls for urgent action in sustainability efforts to protect India’s economy and ensure long-term resilience against climate-induced disruptions. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sustainability/news/india-could-lose-a-quarter-of-its-economy-by-2070-heres-why/articleshow/114840631.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> 'Find another company if it doesn’t work for you’: Amazon Web Services CEO on work from office mandate Amazon Web Services (AWS) CEO Adam Selipsky has reaffirmed the company’s commitment to a work-from-office mandate, even suggesting that employees unhappy with the policy may want to consider alternatives. AWS’s stance underscores Amazon’s prioritization of in-office work, aligning with its broader efforts to encourage collaboration. The decision comes as many tech firms continue to face challenges in balancing remote and in-office work. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/find-another-company-if-it-doesnt-work-for-you-amazon-web-services-ceo-on-work-from-office-mandate/articleshow/114677655.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> Partner pay at big 4 firms is dropping, the latest sign of the consulting slowdown A slowdown in the consulting industry is leading to notable reductions in partner pay at Big 4 firms. This comes as demand for consulting services sees a dip amid economic uncertainty, with firms choosing to cut back on bonuses and other expenses. This trend reflects broader economic pressures affecting consulting firms worldwide, forcing some to rethink their strategies and compensation models. <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/partner-pay-at-big-4-firms-is-dropping-the-latest-sign-of-the-consulting-slowdown/articleshow/114696160.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Read more</a> <h2>Top web stories </h2> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/travel/india/webstories/8-incredible-getaways-from-jaipur-this-november/slidelist/114769420.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">8 incredible getaways from Jaipur this November</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/health/food/webstories/weight-loss-myths-debunked-facts-you-need-to-know/slidelist/114726093.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Weight loss myths debunked</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/thelife/webstories/9-budget-friendly-bhai-dooj-gifts-to-make-your-sister-feel-special/slidelist/114841910.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">9 budget-friendly Bhai Dooj gifts</a>

Weekend wrap: Swiggy IPO price band, BlinkIt gold coin customer's ordeal, India's GDP woes, and more

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Some expat Indians are moving back home to launch companies of their own.</li><li>India's booming market size, internet growth, and post-pandemic spending is driving their decision.</li></ul>Nithin Hassan, 41, has always been fascinated with building something of his own.As a child in India, he would get in trouble for dismantling electronics around the house just so he could peek inside.In college, in true <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/startups-to-bet-your-career-on-in-2024-2024-2">startup</a> fashion, he started working on a small business out of his parent's garage in Bengaluru, assembling computers for friends and family.It was the early 2000s and the internet was not the trove of knowledge it is today — Hassan was relying on books to learn. Finding mentorship and the right guidance was a challenge, too.Everyone around Hassan told him that going to the <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/resume-tips-google-software-engineer-skills-experience-careers-software-tech-2024-3">US for a master's degree</a> was the next big opportunity. So he did.Over the next 16 years, he put his startup plans on hold and worked at some of the world's biggest companies, including Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta.<div type="image" title="Nithin Hassan" height="2450" width="3266" msid="113831978" hostid="261" sizebytes="215682"></div>But the pandemic felt like a turning point. And its aftermath made India look like a lab-designed business environment: It had just become the world's most populous country, the pandemic had created <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/economy/indicators/private-consumption-continues-to-be-supported-by-pent-up-demand-finance-ministry/articleshow/99069973.cms?from=mdr">pent-up demand</a> for consumer products, and growing internet adoption made commerce more scalable, he said.So Hassan left behind about $500,000 in annual pay at Meta to move back to Bengaluru in December 2023 with his wife and two children. He has since launched two startups.Hassan is part of a group of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/i-moved-back-to-india-after-living-abroad-for-decade-2024-9">expat Indians moving back</a> home to venture out on their own. As such, he's also part of a decades-long trend of reverse migration back to India.The trend began in the 1990s and picked up at the turn of the century, driven by the economic collapse in 2008, said Binod Khadria, the president of Global Research Forum on Diaspora and Transnationalism. Many of those who returned to India for work were largely working for multinational companies.Today, the impetus for the move often looks a bit different: It's driven by factors like unstable visa policies and economic recessions, which lead to uncertainty when it comes to jobs and duration of stay in these destinations.Many returnees find work in tech, but the finance, retail, and climate sectors also absorb a large number of expat Indians, Khadia said. And some of the returnees are heading back to India to start companies of their own.India is undergoing a startup explosion. The country reported over<a target="_blank" href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2043805"> 140,800 recognized startups</a> at the end of June — nearly 50,000 more than last year — and credited them with creating 1.6 million direct jobs.To be sure, not all of these companies will make it big — and some do still stumble, like <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://inc42.com/features/what-are-the-current-problems-being-faced-by-oyo/">Oyo </a>and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/blackrock-hsbc-funds-byjus-startup-valuation-zero-edtech-india-raveendran-2024-6">Byju's</a>. But the chaos, where even established startups are trying and failing, makes India a fair playing field for new entrants, Hassan said.Business Insider spoke to six <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-vc-wants-see-5-traits-new-founders-fundraising-antler-2024-8">first-time founders </a>about why they have recently returned to India after spending several years, or even an adult life, abroad.<h2 id="0e4a3c47-ba19-4690-8b52-c6bfece1c81d">Fastest-growing economy</h2>The health of the economy and interest from investors are fueling the entrepreneurship boom.<a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-billionaire-karan-adani-plans-challenge-china-dominance-seaports-2024-8">India's economic growth</a> in 2023 — 8.2% — was the fastest of all large economies worldwide. That's led to greater purchasing power, which lets companies, including startups, sell more.India's inflation rate of about 3.5% is well below its annual wage growth of 9.6%. This makes inflation less of a challenge than it is for slower-growing peers, where consumer-focused businesses have been <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/economy-jobs-report-sentiment-consumers-elections-recession-inflation-mortgage-rates-2024-9">hurt by high prices</a>.Investors are getting in on the action.From 2015 to 2021, the number of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/sequoia-capital-vc-firm-split-china-india-2023-6">unique investors in India</a> nearly quadrupled, though the number is tracking much lower this year, per PitchBook."Other than a slight downturn in 2022 and 2023 due to global macroeconomic factors, VC funding has been consistently growing in India," said Ben Mathias, a managing partner at Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia &amp; India.Besides funding, domestic developments have encouraged founders and VCs too, Mathias said.The Indian government's Universal Payment Interface system has spurred consumers and businesses to pay online, and <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.bcg.com/press/2june2022-digital-payments-in-india-projected-to-reach-10-trillion-by-2026">40% of all digital payments</a> globally happen in India today, the partner said.Programs like Startup India, which provides founders benefits like tax exemption, easier compliance, and funding support, have made creating a company smoother.Devyani Parameshwar worked in the microfinance and fintech space in India in the 2010s before heading to the UK and Africa. She returned to India in 2022 to launch a financial management venture."It's changed dramatically. I remember standing in line at various ministries in Delhi trying to get meetings and then trying to get answers and it wasn't easy in the past," she said of her memories of India.Now, she can use an online platform to ask the country's central bank and banking regulator questions.It's easier than ever for foreign companies to invest in India, which means startups have a clearer exit path through acquisition — something VCs think hard about before entering new markets or writing checks.<h2 id="e5dd7b6f-a09f-4ff2-84c1-5907de96dc5e">Market ripe for the taking</h2>For Rohan Bhide, who spent most of his college and professional life <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/worked-in-big-tech-before-launching-my-own-startup-engineer-2024-9">preparing to launch something of his own</a>, a trip home in 2017 while he was studying in the US was a turning point.Indian telecom giant Reliance had recently launched a cheap unlimited data plan, which spiked Indian internet adoption. India was charting among the countries with the highest online transactions."That really, really drew my attention," said Bhide, who worked at Meta after graduation. "It was my dream come true — a huge market, a huge user base, and at the same time, the ability to adopt technology was incredible."Bhide returned to India in January, leaving behind about $580,000 in total compensation at ticketing platform StubHub. He and a cofounder are working on launching a consumer tech product later this year.<div type="image" title="Rohan Bhide" height="2304" width="3072" msid="113831979" hostid="261" sizebytes="218468"></div>Most Indians grew up wanting to work at a multinational company — but that's changing, Bhide said.Freelancing, running your own business, or working for a startup is much more socially acceptable now, because people see the success of other Indian startups. The country has the third-largest number of "unicorns" — companies worth $1 billion or more — with 64, per PitchBook.<h2 id="7f423804-745b-4e04-a250-839e01663f09">Boom in entrepreneurship culture</h2>A lot has changed since Hassan first wanted to launch his hardware startup in the early 2000s.Tech hot spots like Bengaluru and Gurugram have seen a boom in entrepreneurship culture in the last few years, with meet-ups, networking mixers, and even morning walks with like-minded builders.<div type="image" title="man standing in front of mountains in USA" height="2268" width="3024" msid="113831980" hostid="261" sizebytes="141132"></div>Dhruv Anand, who left Google in the US to move back to India in 2021 to launch an <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/ai-startups-most-promising-2024-9">AI startup</a>, said that there were lots of other founders and mentors to help guide him."If you want to figure out who's the right chartered accountant to talk to, who's the right lawyer to help you draft agreements, all of that stuff is very easy," Anand said."It's been a really, really supportive community," Bhide said. There are people "telling you about their entire lives just because they want to help you and they're hoping that you pass the favor onto the next person who moves to India and wants to start their own company."<h2 id="3c8bff36-e855-4530-9b44-bcc7f36b0825">Not everything is perfect</h2>Although these founders made the decision to return to India, that doesn't mean they no longer see the benefits of operating in the US.Ruchit Garg founded an agriculture startup in Silicon Valley in 2016, with a focus on supporting farmers around the globe. In 2019, he returned to India, where his late grandfather worked as a farmer.Garg has been building in India ever since, but he says its startup ecosystem cannot yet compete with the Valley's decades of experience."The overall ecosystem was more mature back in Silicon Valley. It's still one of the best places for entrepreneurs. India isn't there yet, although it's growing pretty drastically," he said.Despite efforts to digitalize key processes, many bureaucratic challenges persist.For most founders, after living in US cities where populations are a fraction of those in Mumbai and Bangalore, congested roads and poorer air quality are also everyday annoyances.But India provides some big perks, including affordable domestic help and the appeal of building solutions for problems they witness firsthand."It's a different joy to be able to build for problems that you feel for very personally," Parameshwar, the fintech founder, said. When she worked in Africa, she needed translators. Now, she can speak with her users herself.Bhide said the general sentiment among local founders is shifting from "Build from India" to "Build for India."For some founders, being surrounded by family and the culture they grew up in was another selling point.Niranjan Vemulkar moved back to India in 2015 and later founded a digital legacy planning platform.He said that he never fully felt at home in the US, where he lived for over a decade."For us, it was the fact that we wanted to raise a family in an environment where the children would have access to the grandparents and Indian culture," Vemulkar said. "The fact that you could come back to India, start something of your own and figure things out in an ecosystem which was potentially booming for startups, was just a cherry on the cake."Are you in India and have a story to share about the tech and entrepreneurship landscape? Please reach out at shubhangigoel@insider.com

Some techies are leaving cushy Silicon Valley jobs to launch startups at home in India

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the 8th edition of the International Telecommunication Union - World Telecommunication Standardization Assembly (<keyword id="23549707" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ITU-WTSA" source="keywords">ITU-WTSA</keyword>) at <keyword id="19950568" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bharat-Mandapam" source="keywords">Bharat Mandapam</keyword> here in the national capital today. This is the first time the ITU-WTSA will be hosted in India and the Asia-Pacific. Prime Minister will also inaugurate the 8th edition of the <keyword id="21058244" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="India-Mobile-Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="India Mobile Congress" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="India Mobile Congress">India Mobile Congress</keyword> (IMC), with the theme, "The future is now." Prime Minister Modi took to X to announce both events, saying, "At 10 AM tomorrow, 15th October, the International Telecommunication Union - World Telecommunication Standardisation Assembly and the India Mobile Congress 2024 will be inaugurated. These forums are important ones, bringing together leading stakeholders from across the sector." Aa per a statement by the Prime Minister's Office (PMO), the event will be facilitating interactions with various industry leaders, policy-makers and tech experts from over one ninety countries. It is a pivotal global event that will bring together more than 3,000 industry leaders, policy-makers and tech experts from over 190 countries, representing telecom, digital, and ICT sectors. The ITU-WTSA event will also facilitate discussion on the standards set for new age technologies such as 6G, AI, IoT, Big Data, cybersecurity, etc. "Hosting this event in India will provide the country an opportunity to play a key role in shaping the global telecom agenda and to set the course for future technologies. Indian startups and research institutions are set to gain critical insights into developing Intellectual Property Rights and Standard Essential Patents," the PMO said. India Mobile Congress 2024 will be showcasing the telecom ecosystem, with leading telecom companies highlighting advancements in Quantum technology and Circular Economy along with spotlight on 6G, 5G use-case showcase, cloud &amp; edge computing, IoT, semiconductors, cybersecurity, green tech, satcom and electronics manufacturing. India Mobile Congress is Asia's largest <keyword id="21099140" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-technology" source="keywords">digital technology</keyword> forum, and has become a well-known platform across the globe for showcasing innovative solutions, services and state-of-the-art use cases for industry, government, academics, start-ups and other key stakeholders in the technology and telecom ecosystem. The IMC will feature over 400 exhibitors, 900 startups, with participation from over 120 countries. The event also aims to showcase more than 900 technology use case scenarios, host more than 100 sessions and discussion with over 600 global and Indian speakers.

PM Modi to inaugurate 8th ITU's telecom standard meet, India Mobile Congress in Delhi today

<keyword id="19897919" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="social-media" source="keywords">Social media</keyword> platforms like X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook have established safeguards to combat <keyword id="23571068" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="bot-accounts" source="keywords">bot accounts</keyword>, including policies and technical mechanisms. However, the effectiveness of these measures is increasingly being questioned as AI-driven bots evolve and find ways to bypass restrictions. <h2>AI bot evolution</h2>While <keyword id="21559036" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="AI-bots" source="keywords">AI bots</keyword> can serve legitimate purposes like marketing and customer service, some are designed to manipulate public discussions, incite hate speech, and spread <keyword id="19933162" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="misinformation" source="keywords">misinformation</keyword>. Research from the University of Notre Dame investigated the bot policies of platforms like LinkedIn, <keyword id="19932634" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tiktok" source="keywords">TikTok</keyword>, and X, testing how well these platforms enforced their rules. The findings were troubling. "Despite what their policy says or the technical bot mechanisms they have, it was very easy to get a bot up and working on X. They aren't effectively enforcing their policies," said Paul Brenner, a Director at Notre Dame. Even interns, who had only a high school-level education and minimal training, were able to launch the test bots using technology that is readily available to the public, Brenner explained. Their bots were created using commonly-available AI tools such as <keyword id="19918823" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="OpenAI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="OpenAI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="OpenAI">OpenAI</keyword>'s GPT-4o and DALL-E 3, and the tests were run on LinkedIn, Mastodon, Reddit, TikTok, X, Facebook, Instagram and Threads. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114283439" title="Security threats to AI models are giving rise to a new crop of startups" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>As per the tests, none of these platforms had sufficient safeguards to keep the bots out. Researchers successfully published benign test posts from bots across all platforms, with X and Reddit posing minimal challenges. While <keyword id="19911549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="meta" source="keywords">Meta</keyword> platforms proved somewhat more challenging due to stronger enforcement mechanisms, they ultimately could still be bypassed — even by relatively inexperienced folk. <h2>Why does it matter?</h2>In India — and the rest of the world, for that matter — the rise of AI-driven bots has significant implications for public discourse, particularly in the political arena. Research has indicated that a substantial portion of misinformation circulating during electoral periods can often be traced back to automated accounts. Many experts emphasise that the pervasive influence of these accounts can negatively shape public perception and discussion, and is often used to target certain sensitive groups and stoke communal tension. As platforms struggle to keep pace with the evolving tactics of malicious bots, the need for stronger regulations becomes increasingly evident. Considering that AI is evolving at a rapid pace that makes it supremely difficult to tell bots apart from real human accounts — even for the tech-savvy — Brenner argues for US legislation that mandates platforms to identify human versus bot accounts. Similar measures are needed in India, where the lack of accountability for social media platforms allows harmful bot activity to proliferate. <h2>What needs to be done?</h2>Addressing the bot problem requires a multitude of different solutions. For starters, enhanced technology, such as more sophisticated AI detection systems, could help platforms identify and mitigate bot activity more effectively. Recent advancements in machine learning are paving the way for tools that can better analyse user behavior and detect anomalies that indicate bot activity. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="114250696" title="AI labs are fragmenting because of ego clashes and commercial pressures. It&amp;#39;s about to drive a wave of new startups." mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>However, it is almost just as necessary to educate users about identifying bots and understanding online discourse. To platforms can implement user-friendly tools that highlight potentially automated accounts, empowering users to make more informed decisions about whom to engage with. Legislation could also play a pivotal role in shaping how social media platforms handle bot accounts. By requiring transparency about bot activity and holding companies accountable for enforcement, policymakers can create an environment where genuine discourse thrives and misinformation is curtailed. In India, the proposed <keyword id="19955205" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Digital-India-Act" source="keywords">Digital India Act</keyword> could be an avenue for strengthening regulations around <keyword id="19979951" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="digital-platforms" source="keywords">digital platforms</keyword> and enhancing user safety. While platforms like X and Facebook have made strides in developing detection methods, the sophistication of AI-driven bots continues to outpace current safeguards. This situation requires urgent attention from both tech companies and policymakers to ensure a safer social media environment. The findings of this research has been published on a pre-print server and can be accessed <a href="https://arxiv.org/abs/2409.18931">here</a>.

You Searched For "india tech policy" and got 12 results

PM Modi invites US CEOs to take a 'byte' out of India's growing technology sector

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Why did the latest Economic Survey of India heavily shun the ‘Western ways’ of climate action?

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Tech Mahindra profit jumps over 2-times to ₹1,250 crore in Jul-Sep quarter

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Tech titans love Modi's economic powerhouse India — despite mass unemployment and abject poverty

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Google begins to enforce Play Store policies in India, to remove non-compliant apps

IANS

I left my Big Tech job to bootstrap my own business. I went from making nearly $300,000 to not paying myself a salary.

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Donald Trump strikes again: Ex-President proposes automatic green cards for foreign graduates of US colleges

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Some techies are leaving cushy Silicon Valley jobs to launch startups at home in India

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PM Modi to inaugurate 8th ITU's telecom standard meet, India Mobile Congress in Delhi today

ANI

Even high school interns were able to use common AI tools to bypass security and launch bots on X, Facebook and other social media: report

Ankush Banerjee

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