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Former World no. 1 <keyword id="25683" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="venus-williams" source="Orion">Venus Williams</keyword> is gearing for a comeback during the North American hard-court tennis season. Drawing inspiration from her sister <keyword id="19996430" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="serena-williams" source="keywords">Serena Williams</keyword>, she is determined to make a successful return to the sport. In a recent video shared on her YouTube channel, the seven-time Grand Slam singles champion expressed her aspirations to participate in the <keyword id="13862998" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="wta-1000" source="Orion">WTA 1000</keyword> events in Indian Wells and Miami, considering them "big goals". "One of my big goals is to play United States, to play in the <keyword id="279394" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="miami-open" source="Orion">Miami Open</keyword> and at Indian Wells," Williams said. "I have not played there since 2019 due to injuries. It's a long time... It's a lot of years not to play at home. So that's of course one of my big goals on the horizon, is to be there, prepare to do that. Amongst many goals on the court, too. "My little sister, Serena, told me I'm not allowed to quit, and of course, I would never quit. But it's the mandate. She said no, so I will be back on the court," Venus was quoted by WTA website. In the video, the 43-year-old Williams revealed the challenges she has faced with injuries over the past year and discussed the knee injury that left her hobbling off Centre Court at Wimbledon last summer (she took a fall in the second game of her first-round match against Elina Svitolina) at length for the first time. "I don't talk a lot about my injuries because I hate complaining," she said, but called the cartilage damage she suffered as one of the "craziest" injuries she's tried to play through in her long and storied career. After the early exit at Wimbledon, Williams said the lingering swelling and pain impacted her ability to train and even, sometimes, walk -- in advance of events in Montreal and Cincinnati, as well as the US Open. Despite that, she scored what was then a Top 10 victory over Veronika Kudermetova in Cincinnati, her first Top 10 win in four years. But after that tournament, the swelling in her knee blew up and she was forced to withdraw from the WTA 250 event in Cleveland, where she had intended to play as a wild-card entry. "I felt terrible about that, because when I give my word, I keep it. When I said I was going to Cleveland, I meant it, and the fact I had to withdraw, I felt miserable because that's not me. I do what I say I'm going to do." In an effort to play the US Open, Williams revealed she had a cortisone injection for the first time in her three-decade career, but it did little to help. Her season eventually ended with a 6-1, 6-1 loss to Belgian qualifier Greet Minnen in the first round, the heaviest defeat she ever suffered at her home Grand Slam event.

'Serena told me I'm not allowed to quit': Venus Williams targets return

When you buy through our links, Business Insider may earn an affiliate commission. <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/insider-reviews-expertise-in-product-reviews">Learn more</a>The Indian Wells Masters, also known as the BNP Paribas Open, ends this weekend. Some of the best tennis players from around the world have made their way to the later rounds of the annual tournament in California. We'll show you all the details on where to watch the Indian Wells live streams, including how to tune into your live TV subscriptions from anywhere in the world via <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=5e1dc4bc98cb6a89e9eb97f6917eacd884f09ce419cd239563253a9629cabf9f&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.expressvpn.com%2Fc%2F196318%2F1462857%2F16063%3Fsharedid%3DIndianWells2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VPN</a>.Today's men's semis features a really strong lineup as Alcaraz meets Australian open winner, Sinner. And Medvedev meets the USA's Tommy Paul, who will be hoping to muscle his way into a home crowd final during these early months of the tennis season with more Grand Slams coming up soon.<ul><li>See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/free-f1-live-stream-where-to-watch-formula-1-gp-online-anywhere">Free F1 live stream</a> | <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/where-to-watch-champions-league-live-streams-free">Free Champions League live streams</a> | <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/streaming/where-to-watch-us-survivor-live-stream">Where to watch Survivor live streams</a></li></ul>The women's final is now set for Sunday and will feature Iga Swiatek vs. Maria Sakkari of Greece. While we're used to regularly seeing Iga in finals, the tournament's biggest shock in the women's game undeniably goes to the Greek player after she eliminated Coco Gauff in the semis yesterday.Below, we've compiled everything you need to know about watching Indian Wells. In this case, every country has a different streaming service, and the US has multiple live TV subscription services with the Tennis Channel, so keep reading to learn all of your options.<h2>Indian Wells live stream quick links</h2><ul><li>Access your subscriptions from anywhere: <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=5e1dc4bc98cb6a89e9eb97f6917eacd884f09ce419cd239563253a9629cabf9f&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.expressvpn.com%2Fc%2F196318%2F1462857%2F16063%3Fsharedid%3DIndianWells2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ExpressVPN (30-day money-back guarantee)</a></li><li>USA: <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=1e3fb696bbdb86813884158ec2e9e64a5dc2a54ce1cba247f82c951a9c2e37b6&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sling TV (half-off first month)</a>, <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=150a2720738a87c950bb0c493f4479128b07fa6de59a3e8cd344ac5bd0a2896e&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulu.com%2Flive-tv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hulu + Live TV</a></li><li>Australia: <a href="https://www.beinsports.com/en-au" target="_blank" rel="noopener">beIN Sports (free trial)</a></li><li>UK: <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=9becc219fa73f0d1b5ffc0d8d12bad7d470e424cc5c1031bf7566dbc6c77c8ee&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sky.com%2Fglass%2Fbuy%2Fstream%2Ftv-packs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sky Sports</a></li><li>When: March 6–March 17</li><li>Upcoming matches:</li><li>Jannik Sinner vs. Carlos Alcaraz, Saturday at 4:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. GMT / 4:30 a.m. AWST</li><li>Tommy Paul vs. Daniil Medvedev, Saturday at 5:50 p.m. ET / 9:50 p.m. GMT / 5:50 a.m. AWST</li><li>Women's final: Iga Swiatek vs. Maria Sakkari, Sunday at TBC</li></ul><h2>Where to watch Indian Wells Open in the USA</h2>In the US, Indian Wells Open matches stream on the Tennis Channel, which is available as a part of several live TV packages like <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=1e3fb696bbdb86813884158ec2e9e64a5dc2a54ce1cba247f82c951a9c2e37b6&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sling.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sling TV</a>, and <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=150a2720738a87c950bb0c493f4479128b07fa6de59a3e8cd344ac5bd0a2896e&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.hulu.com%2Flive-tv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hulu + Live TV</a>. Sling TV users will want to choose the Orange package or the more expensive Orange and Blue combo. Subscriptions for Sling start at $40 per month and new users get half off their first month (making it $20 total for the introductory month). Hulu + Live TV subscriptions start at $76.99 per month.<h2>Where to watch Indian Wells Open from anywhere</h2>If you're outside the US right now and unable to access the Indian Wells live stream, you can use a VPN (virtual private network) to access your existing live TV subscriptions. This will change the country that your device is associated with so that you can access relevant websites and apps. VPNs are also a solid way to increase your online security and privacy. You need a US payment form to sign up for these live TV packages, so this strategy works best for Americans who are overseas at the moment and want to utilize their existing subscriptions.If that's not an option that works for you, try setting your VPN to the UK and joining the <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=fee487eab98afd74cee014574d65c7c414c59858f086baa1ec95907f9f502e5e&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nowtv.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Now TV</a> sub-brand for <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=9becc219fa73f0d1b5ffc0d8d12bad7d470e424cc5c1031bf7566dbc6c77c8ee&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sky.com%2Fglass%2Fbuy%2Fstream%2Ftv-packs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sky Sports</a> access, as it's a streaming-only service you can join on short one-month contracts.Not sure where to start when it comes to VPNs? We suggest <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=5e1dc4bc98cb6a89e9eb97f6917eacd884f09ce419cd239563253a9629cabf9f&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.expressvpn.com%2Fc%2F196318%2F1462857%2F16063%3Fsharedid%3DIndianWells2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ExpressVPN</a>, a straightforward VPN with a 30-day money-back guarantee. Check out our <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/guides/tech/expressvpn-review" rel="">ExpressVPN review</a> and keep reading to learn how to use it.<h2>How to watch Indian Wells Open with a VPN</h2><ul><li>Sign up for a <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=5e1dc4bc98cb6a89e9eb97f6917eacd884f09ce419cd239563253a9629cabf9f&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fgo.expressvpn.com%2Fc%2F196318%2F1462857%2F16063%3Fsharedid%3DIndianWells2024" target="_blank" rel="noopener">VPN</a> if you don't already have one.</li><li>Install it on the device you're planning to watch on.</li><li>Turn it on and set it to a US location. </li><li>Sign up for one of the live TV streaming packages with a US form of payment.</li><li>Select the Tennis Channel and enjoy the new episode.</li></ul>You could also try using a VPN set to the UK to access the streaming-only version of Sky Sports on <a href="https://affiliate.insider.com?amazonTrackingID=biauto-64615-20&amp;h=fee487eab98afd74cee014574d65c7c414c59858f086baa1ec95907f9f502e5e&amp;postID=65e8ad5c48eec3d3e77edcd2&amp;postSlug=guides%2Fstreaming%2Fwhere-to-watch-indian-wells-live-streams-2024&amp;site=bi&amp;u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nowtv.com%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Now TV</a>.Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

Where to watch the Indian Wells live stream tennis from anywhere in the world

<keyword id="1575" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress" source="Orion">Congress</keyword> president <keyword id="19897159" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Mallikarjun-Kharge" source="keywords">Mallikarjun Kharge</keyword> on Monday wrote an open letter to the country's bureaucracy on the eve of counting of votes for the <keyword id="19923279" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Lok-Sabha-elections" source="keywords">Lok Sabha elections</keyword>, urging officers to adhere to the Constitution and serve the nation "without fear, favour and ill-will against anybody". "Do not get intimidated by anyone. Do not bow down to any unconstitutional means. Do not be afraid of anyone and discharge your duties, based on merit, on this counting day," he wrote. "We owe it to future generations, a vibrant Democracy and a long-lasting Constitution, as penned by the makers of modern India," he said. The counting of votes polled in the Lok Sabha elections will be held on Tuesday. <div type="javascript" title="Custom" contenttype="Infographic"><cdata><![CDATA[]]></cdata></div> "In this hope that India remains truly Democratic in nature, I extend good wishes to each one of you, and expect that our eternal ideals of the Constitution remain untarnished," the Congress chief said. In his appeal to all civil servants and officers, he said he is writing in his capacity of the Leader of the Opposition (Rajya Sabha) and as the president of the <keyword id="19964138" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-National-Congress" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="Indian National Congress" meta.hostid="83" meta.entityid="Indian National Congress">Indian National Congress</keyword>. He congratulated the Election Commission of India, the Central Armed Police Forces, state police forces, civil servants, district collectors, volunteers and all in the bureaucracy who were involved in the smooth conduct of the mammoth general elections. "Our inspiration and India's First Home Minister, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel famously called the civil servants as the 'Steel frame of India'. The people of India are well aware that it is the Indian National Congress which established numerous institutions, laid their solid foundation, and devised mechanisms for their independence, on the basis of the Constitution of India. "Independence of the institutions is paramount, for every civil servant takes oath of the Constitution that they 'will faithfully and conscientiously discharge their duties and will do right to all manner of people in accordance with the Constitution and the law, without fear or favour, affection or ill-will'," he said. "In this spirit we expect every bureaucrat and officer - from top to bottom of the hierarchy, to discharge their duties in the spirit of the Constitution, without any coercion, threat, pressure or intimidation either from the ruling party/coalition or from the opposition party/coalition," the Congress chief said in his letter. He said that the Congress, through the Constitution prepared by inspirational founding members such as Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, B R Ambedkar, Rajendra Prasad, Maulana Azad, Sarojini Naidu and countless others, not only created a framework of strong governance, but also ensured affirmative action through representation of the marginalised in the bureaucracy and the civil society. "The last decade has witnessed a systemic pattern to assault, undermine and suppress our autonomous institutions by the ruling party. India's Democratic ethos are being consequently damaged. There is a widespread tendency to turn India into a regimental dictatorship. "We are increasingly seeing some institutions shedding their independence and brazenly following the diktats of the ruling party. Some have completely adopted their style of communication, their way of functioning, and in some cases even their political rhetoric," Kharge said. But it is not their fault, he said. "With brute power, threat, coercive mechanisms and misuse of agencies, this tendency to bow to the powers that have become a way for their short-term survival. Even though, in this denigration, India's Constitution and Democracy have become a casualty." The Congress chief also said that the "will of the people" is supreme, and people want Indian bureaucracy to again be the same 'Steel frame of India' as envisaged by Sardar Patel. "Indian National Congress now urges the entire bureaucracy, to adhere to the Constitution, enact their duties, and serve the nation, without fear, favour and ill-will against anybody," Kharge said. Counting for the 2024 Lok Sabha elections would be held on Tuesday, and both the ruling NDA and the opposition INDIA bloc have claimed victory. Meanwhile, BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya shared a purported letter of the Congress in which it has asked all its cadres to reach the counting centres. However, there was no confirmation of the letter from the Congress. "<keyword id="1571" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="congress-party" source="Orion">Congress party</keyword>'s instruction to its workers' reads like a manual to riot...There is absolutely no merit in asking people to assembly in state and district offices because counting happens in a designated secure zone for each Lok Sabha, unless the idea is to unleash mobs and disrupt the process," Malviya said in a post on X while sharing the unsigned letter of the Congress.

'Follow Constitution, serve nation without fear': Congress chief Kharge writes open letter to bureaucrats

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Avi Singh and Rishi Rajpal left their stable jobs to open a New York City cocktail bar in 2019.</li><li>They hired David Muhs as their head bartender.</li></ul>This as-told-to essay is based on a conversation with Avi Singh, 30, and Rishi Rajpal, 34, the co-owners of Sama Street, and David Muhs, 40, the head bartender at Sama Street. All three also own and operate another New York City cocktail bar, Monkey Thief.This conversation has been lightly edited for length and clarity.Avi: Rishi and I go way back. We grew up together in <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/visit-india-2016-3">New Delhi, India</a>. Our parents were friends.Fast forward to 2016, Rishi was living with my brother in New York City, and we reconnected.Rishi: After I graduated college, I worked in event management. Two years later, I pivoted and started working for a tech startup where I was leading <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-double-dip-work-two-jobs-2023-9">quality assurance.</a>I liked the creative aspect of getting to work with different companies. But my <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/tech-worker-left-job-opened-natural-wine-bar-brooklyn-2024-11">work was very monotonous</a>. It got boring. And I didn't like being behind a desk for 10 to 13 hours a day.Avi: I went to college at Emory in Atlanta. My peers were entering one of three fields: finance, marketing, or consulting. The thing that intrigued me most was consulting because of its <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-get-hired-top-consulting-firms-bcg-mckinsey-pwc-2024-7">problem-solving nature. </a>I took a job at a consulting firm that would allow me to move to New York City. Reality hit pretty quickly with regard to what you actually do as a business analyst at a consulting firm. It was 80 hours a week sitting on Excel and PowerPoint, building models, and putting together decks. I didn't feel like I got to see any of my work being implemented. I had a hunger to <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/six-figure-consulting-job-not-fulfilling-quit-start-business-2024-11">make more of an impact.</a>Rishi: When I reconnected with Avi, we were both in a position where we didn't know what we wanted to do with our lives. We didn't like where we were at. We didn't want to go through life like that, so we started talking about what would happen if we followed our dreams.<h2 id="891d925d-e92d-4743-9282-ab8459339509">We wanted to go into food and beverage</h2>Avi: Growing up in India, food was a big part of our social and familial interactions. That's where the love started.We knew how <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurants-america-eating-out-crisis-your-fault-labor-shortage-tipping-2024-2">difficult the industry</a> was, but we were still fairly young, so we just said let's give it a shot. In the worst-case scenario, we can always come back to our desk jobs.Rishi: I started working as a dishwasher, busser, server, and then manager at an Indian restaurant to gain experience while we came up with our concept.Avi: It was definitely a risky move. Coming from Asian households, we were guided toward a more <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/modern-career-path-2018-7">traditional career path</a>. I had to present my dad with a full business plan and pitch the bar to him. But we had done our market research and knew we had a good idea.We wanted Sama Street to be based on our upbringing and experiences. We wanted a cocktail bar where we utilized ingredients in ways people might not be used to.<div type="image" title="A photo of the interior of Monkey Thief" height="5268" width="7898" msid="115385467" hostid="261" sizebytes="4338152"></div>There are some bars in New York where you don't necessarily feel welcome. Maybe you need to be dressed a certain way, or you're afraid to be loud with your friends. We wanted to create a space where, whether you're wearing sweatpants or coming in on a date night, you are welcome and treated equally.That's where the name comes from. Sama is from the Sanskrit word meaning true equality to all beings.We were looking for a head bartender and posted an ad on Craiglist. That's how we met David. He helped us realize our vision.David: I was working as a general manager at the time, but wanted to get back behind the bar. I saw the ad and skipped over it a few times because they seemed pretty green. But my wife convinced me to call them. We talked for an hour and a half and just clicked right away. We had all the same sort of ideas about hospitality.<h2 id="88091082-fd0e-4bc0-9939-3fbe42de37fc">We opened Sama Street in 2019</h2>David: We learned so much during that process. We <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/changes-restaurants-pandemic-qr-codes-self-service-kiosks-2024-10">survived the pandemic.</a>Avi: It was rough. We celebrated our one-year anniversary over FaceTime. But Sama Street is in Greenpoint, a very close-knit neighborhood, so our regulars showed up for us. The other bars and restaurants did, too. There was a lot of <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/what-its-like-to-eat-restaurant-outdoor-dining-nyc-pandemic-2020-6">local industry support.</a>We basically did everything that we were <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/new-york-restaurants-are-struggling-2020-12">legally able to do</a> to get as many people drinks and food during the lockdown.We're definitely still feeling the ripples of COVID, but it was a great learning experience and taught us that anything can change overnight, and you have to be able to pivot.<div type="image" title="four craft cocktails" height="5464" width="8192" msid="115385469" hostid="261" sizebytes="2130388"></div>I still get worried about financial security some days. As an entrepreneur, you can't pay yourselves unless the business is doing well.<h2 id="e8d53f13-0f83-4bae-9d07-d009ad306ed7">We knew we wanted to expand</h2>David: We searched and searched and searched and came across a spot in Hell's Kitchen and fell in love immediately.Avi: We opened Monkey Thief in October.David: It was very fast. We didn't have to do a lot with the space, mostly cosmetic changes and getting staff trained. The fast opening was good for our pocketbooks but also very high stress. We've all been doing 18-hour days for the last two months.Rishi: We couldn't have asked for a better opening. We've had so much support from the neighborhood, and our regulars from Sama Street have come in to see the new concept.David: It's been a learning curve because it's <a target="_blank" class="" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/restaurant-owners-how-to-run-a-successful-profitable-small-business-2023-10">bigger than Sama Street. </a>But it's a good problem to have. We've got people waiting outside to come in.Rishi: Hopefully, we will open a couple more spaces in the future.Avi: One of the things I love about this industry is that every day is different, though not necessarily in a good way. You might walk in and see the AC has stopped working or the gas is turned off. It's never boring.David: This is not an industry for everyone. The reason we've been successful is that we love coming to work every day. We love the chaos. We love the community.

We left stable careers in tech and consulting to open a cocktail bar in New York City. It was professionally risky but worth it.

The retention lists of all ten franchises for the <keyword id="6354831" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-Premier-League" source="Orion">Indian Premier League</keyword> (<keyword id="6354312" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="IPL" source="Orion">IPL</keyword>) season next year were finally unveiled on Thursday, with several big names like Jos Buttler, Aiden Markram, Glenn Maxwell, Faf Du Plessis, KL Rahul, Rishabh <keyword id="19900230" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="pant" source="keywords">Pant</keyword>, <keyword id="19904097" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="shreyas-iyer" source="keywords">Shreyas Iyer</keyword> etc being let go by their respective franchises. The surprising retentions and releases by all ten franchises have laid down the foundation for what could be an exciting, fun and record-breaking auction later this year. Let us look at several takeways from the auction: <h2>Several captaincy options available</h2> With the release of IPL winning skipper Shreyas Iyer from Kolkata Knight Riders (<keyword id="19924483" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="kkr" source="keywords">KKR</keyword>), Rishabh Pant from Delhi Capitals (DC) and KL Rahul from Lucknow Super Giants, three top-class Indian captaincy options are available. <h2>Auction could be defined by wicketkeepers pulling double/triple duties</h2>The announcement of retention lists have seen many wicketkeeping options being released by their respective franchises, including Pant (from DC), KL (from LSG), Ishan Kishan (from Mumbai Indians) and Jos Buttler (from Rajasthan Royals). With all of them having captaincy experience at various levels, including international <keyword id="1521" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cricket" source="Orion">cricket</keyword> in case of Pant, KL and Buttler, several teams could go after them. Their experience and strong records as wicketkeepers and top-order batters, particularly opening except for Pant, will help teams find a captain, wicketkeeper and an opener in just one player and save them plenty of money. <h2>No English players retained? Could withdrawing/not playing full season be a cause?</h2> No England players have been retained by franchises this team around. Various stars players like Jos Buttler, Liam Livingstone, Jonny Bairstow, Moeen Ali, Sam Curran, Harry Brook, Phil Salt, Will Jacks etc have been let go. These players missed out some part of their season due to international commitments, while Harry Brook pulled out due to personal reasons. England batter Jason Roy pulled out of IPL ahead of this season due to personal reasons. These all developments damaged the team balance at times, with several teams dependent on their overseas talent. Has the habit of not honouring contracts and missing matches caused this move? The hammer strikes at auction could answer this question. <h2>Caribbean power trusted ahead of mega auction</h2>Four of current top West Indies stars, Nicholas Pooran, Shimron Hetmyer, Andre <keyword id="20287010" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="russell" source="keywords">Russell</keyword> and Sunil Narine have been retained by their respective franchises. Pooran has dominated the T20 run charts this year, scoring a record-setting 2,251 runs in 68 matches with a century and 15 fifties at a strike rate of 160.90. Hetmyer is one of the best finishers in T20 circuit and Rajasthan Royals trusts in his abilities. Russell (222 runs in nine matches and 19 wickets) and Narine (488 runs and 17 wickets) have also been reaped rewards for their title winning performances last season and their loyalty to KKR brand. While seven West Indies talents have been released, namely, Shai Hope, Sherfane Rutherford, Kyle Mayers, Shamar Joseph, Romario Shepherd, Alzarri Joseph and Rovman Powell, the four modern-day T20 greats keeping their spots safe with the franchise shows how much trust franchise has in Caribbean power. And who knows, the released names could get brought using right-to-match card or find a new home at a higher price. <h2>Another setback for Ishan Kishan?</h2> Five-time champions Mumbai Indians (MI) placed their trust in Indian core, consisting of skipper Hardik Pandya, former captain Rohit Sharma, pacer Jasprit Bumrah, 360-degree hitter Suryakumar Yadav and young left-hander Tilak Varma. It was expected that Ishan could retain his place, given his youth and experience with the franchise. Aged just 26, he had spent seven seasons with the franchise and did reasonably well. However, after being brought for Rs 15.25 crores ahead of 2022 season, the price tag seemed to have caught up with Kishan. In next 44 matches for the franchise till the 2024-season-end, Kishan scored 1,192 runs in 43 innings at an average of 28.98, with just seven fifties. While these numbers are not bad, it could be debatable that he did not deliver as per expectations, with 19 scores being below 20. In the 2024 season, he could score just 320 runs at an average of just over 22, with just a fifty to his name. After being excluded from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) central contract this year after not participating for red-ball cricket, this is another big setback for Kishan, who has not been considered for international cricket despite participating and doing well in red-ball tournaments like Buchi Babu Trophy, Duleep Trophy and Ranji Trophy recently. <h2>DC era 2.0 on cards?</h2> With wicketkeeper-batter and biggest superstar of the franchise, Pant released from the franchise and looking for a new franchise as per several media reports, Delhi Capitals could be moving to their 2.0 era, placing trust in young, under-the radar names like Axar Patel (235 runs with two fifties and 11 wickets in 2024), Tristan Stubbs (378 runs with three fifties and three wickets), Abhishek Porel (327 runs with two fifties) and Kuldeep Yadav (16 wickets at an average of 23.25) after good performances last year. Franchise has also released big time stars like David Warner, Mitchell Marsh, Anrich Nortje, Prithvi Shaw. Could this be the start of a new era for DC? Only time will tell. <h2>Shreyas Iyer joins unfortunate list of captains</h2>The IPL winning captain Shreyas Iyer has been let go after winning the title for his franchise KKR this year, their first in a decade and overall third. While many argue his batting stats of 351 runs in 14 innings with two fifties at a strike rate of 146.86 could be a reason behind his release, the other half of the story is that the in-form KKR top-order did not leave the middle-order with much to do. His recurring fitness issues, which caused him to miss 2023 season, also could be a reason. Irrespective of what the reason could be, one thing is for sure, Iyer is up there with likes of Adam Gilchrist (released by Deccan Chargers in 2011 after title win in 2009, semifinal finish in 2010), David Warner (released by Sunrisers Hyderabad ahead of 2022 season despite 2016 title win and multiple playoff finishes) as one of the most unluckiest captains in IPL. <h2>Strong faith in Indian uncapped/inexperienced stars</h2>The franchises have been extremely bold this time around, opting to release experienced, household Indian/overseas names and placing their trust in several Indian uncapped/inexperienced players. Out of a total of 46 players retained across all franchises, 36 players are Indian. Out of these, 10 players are uncapped Indians stars. These players are Abhishek Porel, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan, Ramandeep Singh, Harshit Rana, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni, Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh, Yash Dayal. Also, out of other 24 capped Indians, 13 players have played less than 30 international matches and eight have played 10 or less international games for India. Of these 24 uncapped players, no one has all format experience for India and only two have Test cricket experience, Dhruv Jurel and <keyword id="20022019" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rajat-patidar" source="keywords">Rajat Patidar</keyword>. Notably, it is Jurel, who has just played international matches for India, who has received the biggest pay hike, going from Rs 20 lakh this season to Rs 14 crores next season. <h2>End of 'KGF' era for Royal Challengers Bengaluru?</h2> With stars like Faf and Maxwell released, it could spell the end of 'Kohli, Glenn, Faf' (KGF) era for <keyword id="20282652" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rcb" source="keywords">RCB</keyword>, which lasted from 2022-24. During this phase, they all scored heavily for RCB. Despite a lull in 2022 season, Virat scored 1,721 runs in 45 matches and innings at an average of 44.12, with three centuries and 13 fifties. Skipper Faf also scored 1,636 runs in 45 innings at an average of 38.05, with a strike rate of 146.99 and 15 fifties to his name. Maxwell sits at the third spot with 1,266 runs at an average of 28.77 and a strike rate of over 159, with 12 half-centuries in 50 innings. The only player that came closer to the trio was Indian wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who made 796 runs in 44 matches and 42 innings at an average of 29.48, with three fifties. If RCB had Virat-AB de Villiers-Chris Gayle in 2010s, KGF dominated the RCB batting numbers in 2020s. When RCB starts rebuilding their side from scratch in the auction, they would have a huge task in hand of finding one or two highly popular, capable and consistent foreign stars to help Virat unleash the carnage in a "Play Bold" avatar. Also, with the Rajat Patidar being retained for 11 crores, RCB might have made it clear that he could be the next big Indian batter the franchise invests in. His exceptional spin abilities have made a lot of difference for the side. Ever since he was brought by the franchise in 2021 for Rs 20 lakh, Patidar has played 27 matches, scoring 799 runs at an average of 34.73 with a strike rate of 158.84 and having registered a century and seven fifties. A complete list of retained players is as follows: <ul><li>Chennai Super Kings: Ruturaj Gaikwad, Matheesha Pathirana, Shivam Dube, Ravindra Jadeja, MS Dhoni</li><li>Delhi Capitals: Axar Patel, Kuldeep Yadav, Tristan Stubbs, Abhishek Porel</li><li>Gujarat Titans: Rashid Khan, Shubman Gill, Sai Sudharsan, Rahul Tewatia, Shahrukh Khan</li><li>Kolkata Knight Riders: Rinku Singh, Varun Chakaravarthy, Sunil Narine, Andre Russell, Harshit Rana, Ramandeep Singh</li><li>Lucknow Super Giants: Nicholas Pooran, Ravi Bishnoi, Mayank Yadav, Mohsin Khan, Ayush Badoni</li><li>Mumbai Indians: Jasprit Bumrah, Suryakumar Yadav, Hardik Pandya, Rohit Sharma, Tilak Varma</li><li>Punjab Kings: Shashank Singh, Prabhsimran Singh</li><li>Rajasthan Royals: Sanju Samson, Yashaswi Jaiswal, Riyan Parag, Dhruv Jurel, Shimron Hetmyer, Sandeep Sharma</li><li>Royal Challengers Bengaluru: Virat Kohli, Rajat Patidar, Yash Dayal</li><li>Sunrisers Hyderabad: Pat Cummins, Abhishek Sharma, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Heinrich Klaasen, Travis Head.</li></ul>

From spotlight on uncapped stars to big releases, a look at key takeways from latest IPL retention lists

<div type="image" title="For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire" height="900" width="1200" msid="114064202" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;For the unversed, trading in futures and options can be akin to setting their hard-earned money on fire&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Once upon a time, there thrived a wild, wild land. Here, it was all about super high monetary stakes, lightning-fast trade deals, and bucketloads of money shifting hands every single second. This wilderness lured millions of individuals with the promise of super duper high returns. But, at what cost? Welcome to the unforgiving, ultra-risky wild west of <keyword id="19991165" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-equity-markets" source="keywords">Indian equity markets</keyword> called the <keyword id="145718" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="Futures-and-Options" source="Orion">futures and options</keyword>. Here, everyone seems to just fly right through the bright red-flagged warnings of financial risks to earn even a fraction of these promised returns. Most burn themselves in the process, but carry on nevertheless, as if nothing ever happened. <h2>Chasing the cloudy profits</h2>The data conclusively proves that every 9 out of 10 individuals only lost their hard-earned money in this land. But hey, what do the numbers know? Some hide their losses out of shame, some out of fear. The proponents, meanwhile, proudly boast unusually high returns on their investments, some open social media channels while others encourage their friends and family to take the plunge. Naturally, news of this unstoppable and humongous en-masse migration to the F&amp;O (futures and options) town has reached sheriff <keyword id="19901201" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="SEBI" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="SEBI" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="SEBI">SEBI</keyword>, galvanising them into action. After all, it was time to put a leash on this madness and save the common man. The inhabitants of this town doubled in the last 2 years, from 51 lakh in FY22 to 96 lakh in FY24—99.8% of whom were small and mid-income traders. But profits? Well, that's a different, rather completely absent story. <h2>Que Sera Sera, much?</h2>A recent report by SEBI (Securities and Exchange Board of India) that studied profits and losses made by traders in the equity derivatives segment between FY22-24 exposed the mad mania of futures and options trading in India, especially since the pandemic. Per the report, 91.1% of individual traders, or about 73 lakh traders had only lost money trading in futures and options in FY24. Between FY 22-24, over 1 crore traders, or about 92.8% of individual traders, had lost Rs 2 lakh each. But once bitten, twice shy? Well, not in this case. More than 75% of individuals, who had only made losses trading in F&amp;O in FY22 and FY23, continued to trade vigorously in FY24 as well, without any changes in the bottom line, which remained deep in red and negative. So, then all these traders must be uber-rich, with tons of cash and not much care to spare? Nope. 76% of traders in the F&amp;O space in FY24 had an annual income of less than Rs 5 lakh. 2 years ago, their share stood at 71%. And their choice of poison? Options! In FY24, 60% of traders made losses trading in futures, but a whopping 91.5% burnt their funds trading in options. Mind you, futures are riskier than options. With futures, which require significant capital investment, the buyer and seller both are contractually bound to adhere to the pre-determined strike price of the futures or options contract, irrespective of whether the prevailing prices are higher or lower (and thus, resulting in losses for either the buyer or seller). With options, since this adherence ain't necessary, individuals end up taking debt to take highly leveraged positions while trading here. <h2>Scale of the explosion</h2>Anyone who trades even infrequently will tell you that a demat account is the mitochondria or powerhouse of the trading cell. As of August 2024, India had over 17.1 crore <keyword id="20957284" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="demat-accounts" source="keywords">demat accounts</keyword>, which are a prerequisite for trading in the markets. India is the 9th biggest country in the world, in terms of total demat accounts. Did you know that our demat accounts are at par with the entire population of Bangladesh? Talk about scale! Just 4 years ago, in March 2020, this number was a mere 4 crore. Naturally, the total F&amp;O turnover on both <keyword id="20004725" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="NSE" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="NSE" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="NSE">NSE</keyword> and BSE has hit the roof, and also broken it. As of October 4, 2024, the total futures and options turnover on NSE stood at a massive Rs 4,78,27,27,750.30 crore. Good luck counting the thousands! <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;" class="redcator-table-advance"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Year </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Total Turnover (Both Futures and Options) (In Rs Crore) </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2020-21 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">64,36,03,951.51 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2021-22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">1,69,52,33,134.47 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2022-23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">3,82,23,26,468.06 </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">2023-24 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,99,27,67,152.43 </td></tr></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody><tbody></tbody></table>Source : NSE Another metric that underlines the meteoric growth of trading in India is the collection of STT or <keyword id="20930760" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Securities-Transaction-Tax" source="keywords">Securities Transaction Tax</keyword>. As of September 2024, India's STT mop-up had gone past Rs 26,000 crore. Traders have to pay STT whenever they buy or sell any security in the market. So, more trading brings in more STT, and hence, more revenue for the government, so they're not really complaining. After all, this is certainly what they'd call enviable growth. As of August 2023, our STT collection stood at about Rs 21,599 crores. And in FY20-21, India's STT collection had been Rs 16,000 crore. If only our salaries also managed to grow at this rate! <h2>So, what's happening?</h2>Two things. One, it's the big bulls who are raking in all the moolah. And it's the younger lot (those aged under 30) who are propping them up for this. In FY24, 43% of individual traders in the market were less than 30 years of age. In just one year, this number has swelled by 12 percentage points from just 31% of individual traders. But who says ageing is bad? Wrinkles and silver hair seemingly have a propensity of incurring lesser losses in the market. In FY24, only 79% of traders aged above 60 years made losses, as compared to 93% of those aged below 30. Small and mid-income traders, which make up 98% of the total trader base, witnessed average losses per person of Rs 65,000 and Rs 1.5 lakh in FY24 in futures and options, respectively. The winner here? Clearly, the big bulls, who declared an annual income of over Rs 1 crore, ended up with average profits of Rs 96,000 per person this year. <h2>What’s the sheriff up to?</h2>The government has finally swung into action, hiking the STT rate for F&amp;O during this year’s budget. Effective October 1, 2024, the STT on futures stands at 0.02%, up from 0.0125%. For options, it was upped to 0.1% versus 0.0625% previously. Small margins, but huge impact oncoming. Says Puneet Sharma- CEO and Fund Manager at Whitespace Alpha, “SEBI aims to enhance market stability while safeguarding investor interests, reflecting the regulator's intent to balance risk management with market participation”. But this might come with its own share of challenges, too. “Stricter norms around leverage, transparency, and capital adequacy could limit the ability of investors to determine their own risk appetite, thereby stifling innovation in trading strategies. Over-regulation in an environment that thrives on strategic flexibility and creativity could dampen the market’s dynamism, affecting India's competitiveness in the global derivatives landscape”, he observes. SEBI recently came out with a set of guidelines that aim to thwart <keyword id="19972907" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="retail-investors" source="keywords">retail investors</keyword>' participation in futures and options and hinder them from taking undue risks. Here's a quick recap of what's to come for the residents of the F&amp;O town Margin Requirements: To battle the high volatility and chaos which is generally seen on expiry days(i.e the last mandated date, post which an option becomes invalid), SEBI will put in place an extreme loss margin (ELM) of 2% for all open short options on the day of expiry. Translation? Traders will need to pony up more cash upfront, leaving them with fewer funds to take on risky bets. It ain't a choice: No more of one expiry every single day! Going ahead, an exchange like BSE or NSE will just be able to offer weekly expiries, that too, only on one benchmark index, as opposed to an entire buffet it currently offers. At present, NSE offers weekly options contracts for its financial index, bank and midcap indices. But say goodbye to this, and hello to derivatives on only 1 index per exchange. Raising the bar: Effective November 30, 2024, the minimum contract value for index derivatives will be upped to Rs 15 lakh, from the present Rs 5-10 lakh. The hope is that by making it ultra-expensive to enter these trades, investors will be dissuaded from taking on risky trades. Pay upfront: Starting February 2025, those trading in options will have to pay the entire options premium upfront, even before their trades are executed. This is because options generally carry very high leverage, and paying a significant sum upfront can force traders to think twice. Invigilation Pro Max: Starting April 1 2025, to make sure that the number of positions for equity index derivatives does not slyly slip over the mandated limit, especially on expiry days when trade volumes are huge, the exchanges will have to take a minimum of 4 position snapshots randomly. The question is, will these injections of sobriety be enough to calm down the steroid-fed bull of the futures and options market in India? Well, only time and market turnover will tell! For more insights into the financial markets and business news, stay tuned to our site and social media handles. And don’t forget to subscribe to Business Insider India’s newsletters for your weekly dose of Simply Put! Disclaimer: The content on this website is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as investment advice. We recommend readers consult certified, qualified and registered advisors for professional and personalised financial advice.

SIMPLY PUT: SEBI is on a mission to take on the wild, wild west of futures and options in India. Here’s why, what, and how

New Delhi [India], August 4 (ANI): India's <keyword id="21307504" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="outbound-tourism" source="keywords">outbound tourism</keyword> market is expected to reach USD 18817.72 million (USD 18.81 billion) in 2024 and grow at a <keyword id="20256055" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="CAGR" source="keywords">CAGR</keyword> of 11.4 per cent in the decade between 2024 and 2034 to reach approximately USD 55388.41 million (USD 55.38 billion), highlighted a FICCI-Nangia knowledge paper. The paper titled '<keyword id="22661864" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Navigating-Horizons" source="Orion">Navigating Horizons</keyword>: <keyword id="22661865" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Rise-and-Future-of-Indian-Outbound-Tourism" source="Orion">The Rise and Future of Indian Outbound Tourism</keyword>', released during the '3rd Outbound Tourism Summit' here in the FICCI office earlier this week, asserted that few emerging markets and opportunities for outbound <keyword id="19916662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel" source="keywords">travel</keyword> include various Southeast Asian, Middle Eastern, African and Eastern European countries. India's online travel market, which consists of sales of travel services through online channels, is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.5 per cent between 2024-29, from USD 17.24 billion to USD 28.40 billion. International travel has thus been eased by the steady growth in affordable technology, states the paper. It further states that the government administration and the tourism industry stakeholders in India may undertake various strategic interventions to promote the outbound tourism market. These include bilateral engagement; improved connectivity; support to travel industry stakeholders; marketing of international destinations; curated packages; and hospitality partnerships, among others. Speaking at the launch of the report, Mary M Mutuku, Deputy High Commissioner of Kenya to India said that Kenya is not only committed to deepen the relations between India and Kenya but also promoting Kenya as a preferred tourist destination. "Currently, the India market is among the top 5 Kenya's key sources of tourists, and this has the potential to grow even further," she said in her brief address. To attract more <keyword id="110519" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-tourists" source="Orion">Indian tourists</keyword> to Kenya, Mutuku stated that Kenya has put in place the necessary infrastructure to ease travel in the country. "With an increase in the number of flights between the two countries along with the opening of the Nairobi Expressway, tourists will have more convenience traveling in Kenya. A new cruise terminal at Mombasa port is a major boost to cruise tourism. The berth targets to enhance passenger handling capacity as well as allow for an increased volume of cruise ships arrival at the port," she added. Seitenov Darkhan, Deputy Ambassador, Embassy of Kazakhstan to India had said, "We have huge potential for mutual and beneficial cooperation in the tourism sector. There has been significant growth in the number of tourists coming to Kazakhstan from India which is also due to offering 14 days visa-free regime for Indian tourists along with an increase in a number of direct flights." While highlighting the investment potential for Indian industry, Darkhan further said that in order to meet the needs of Indian tourists in Kazakhstan, it would be advisable to consider building a network of Indian hotels and restaurants in the major cities in Kazakhstan. "We invite major Indian investors to participate in implementing these initiatives in our country," he added. Geshan Dissanayake, Minister Commercial, High Commission of Sri Lanka in India said, "The strong shared heritage between India and Lanka forms the bedrock of our bilateral relationship. India alone stands out as a key source market for Sri Lanka. The integration of the Indian UPI payment system with 'LankaPay' has made simplified payment options for Indian tourists visiting Sri Lanka," he added. Dissanayake further stated that to fully realize the potential of outbound tourism there is a need to focus on marketing and promotion of various offerings by Sri Lanka; infrastructure development; promoting sustainable tourism and further streamlining the visa process. Working together, we can unlock the potential of outbound tourism between India and Sri Lanka," he added. Jyotsna Suri, Past President, of FICCI and CMD, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group stated that any country has to have healthy inbound and outbound tourism. "<keyword id="644076" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Indian-tourism" source="Orion">Indian tourism</keyword> has witnessed a major growth in the last few years and while we are at the threshold of massive growth, we must be cognizant of sustainability as well," she added. Ankush Nijhawan, Chairman, of FICCI Outbound Tourism Committee and Co-Founder, TBO.com and MD, of Nijhawan Group said that the global travel and tourism industry is expected to reach USD 2.6 trillion by 2027, growing at a CAGR of 8.2 per cent. "Traveler preferences are becoming increasingly diverse, and demand tailor-made travel services. Demographic boost, government support, increased connectivity, and niche segment growth are powering India's outbound travel boom," he added. Representatives from the Embassy of Madagascar to India, the Embassy of Georgia to India, the Malaysia Tourism Promotion Board, Singapore Tourism Board also shared their perspectives during the session.

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