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<ul><li>The influencers include dignitaries such as <keyword id="6354361" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Kiran-Bedi">Kiran Bedi</keyword> and Ravi Shankar Prasad and many prominent women leaders. </li><li>The list comprises influencers from diverse industries such as financial services, startups, HR, social impact, and IT Services. </li><li>Indian contributors are three times more likely to respond to comments on posts and received over ten times more engagement in the past year.</li></ul>Social media platform <keyword id="28120" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Linkedin">LinkedIn</keyword> has put out its third annual list of 25 most-influential voices for India that has featured Indian dignitaries like Kiran Bedi, Ravi Shankar Prasad and several other prominent women leaders like Debjani Ghosh, Pooja Kapur, Ester Martinez, and Sairee Chahal. The list features contributors who have shaped industry opinion, analysed key trends, and used the platform in innovative ways inspiring other professionals to join conversations and share opinions. The influencers hail from diverse industries such as financial services, startups, HR, social impact, and IT Services who are industry leaders writing about a range of topics from HR policies and work culture to data privacy, women issues, entrepreneurship, and technology. Influencers who made to the list for the first time include <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiran-bedi-15154b57/">Kiran Bedi</a>, Lt. Governor of Puducherry and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankarprasad/">Ravi Shankar Prasad</a>, Minister for Law &amp; Justice &amp; Electronics &amp; IT of India, who have regularly shared updates on the progress they are making regarding government campaigns such as <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6465414101538566144">Digital India</a> campaign and have been vocal about the growing security concerns with the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/whatsapp-building-india-team-to-curb-fake-news-but-government-is-not-satisfied/articleshow/65292048.cms">spread of fake news</a> via social platforms. The contributors have shared opinions on trending topics such as <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/orbits-ankur-warikoo/">entrepreneurship</a>, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/womens-way-leading-sairee-chahal/">women in leadership roles</a>,<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6440158559043973120">developments in technology</a>, and the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6405420129366179840">startup ecosystem</a> that have kickstarted engaging industry discussions. The posts that performed exceptionally well and earned the highest social signals and public engagement include <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidpai/">Siddharth Pai’s</a> article on ‘<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/limbic-thought-artificial-intelligence-siddharth-sid-pai/">Limbic thought and artificial intelligence</a>’ and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vartika-kashyap-30653245/">Vartika Kashyap's</a> article on ‘<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/morning-habits-keep-my-productivity-levels-sky-high-vartika-kashyap/">Morning Habits That Keep My Productivity Levels Sky High</a>’. Also, <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/warikoo/?originalSubdomain=in">Ankur Warikoo’s</a> video series <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/search/results/content/?keywords=%23WarikooWednesdays&amp;origin=GLOBAL_SEARCH_HEADER">#WarikooWednesdays</a> has drawn more than 44,000 video views and more than 1,000 social signals. Here’s the full list: <ul><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/swatyaggrawal/">Swati Agarwal</a>, General Manager, Social Venture Partners</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tamal-bandyopadhyay-818b2b9/">Tamal Bandyopadhyay</a>, Consulting Editor, Business Standard</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kiran-bedi-15154b57/">Kiran Bedi</a>, Lt Governor, Puducherry, Government of Puducherry</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sairee/">Sairee Chahal</a>, Founder, CEO Sheroes</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/schandra100/">Subhash Chandra</a>, Founder, CrowdWisdom360</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/annesha-dutta/">Annesha Dutta</a>, Consultant &amp; Corporate Trainer- Communications &amp; Branding</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/debjani-ghosh-48298b1/">Debjani Ghosh</a>, President, <keyword id="6372077" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="nasscom">NASSCOM</keyword></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jraja/">Raja Jamalamadaka</a>, Leadership coach, Advisor to startups</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/poojakap/">Pooja Kapur</a>, Ambassador of India to Bulgaria and Macedonia</li><li><a href="https://in.linkedin.com/in/vartika-kashyap-30653245">Vartika Kashyap</a>, Marketing Manager, ProofHub</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/estermartinez/">Ester Martinez</a>, CEO &amp; Editor-in-Chief at People Matters</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hansimehrotra/">Hansi Mehrotra</a>, Founder, The Money Hans</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/menonpurnima/">Purnima Menon</a>, CMO, Microland Limited</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/procyon/">Procyon Mukherjee</a>, Chief Procurement Officer, LafargeHolcim</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/sidpai/">Siddharth Pai</a>, Founder and General Partner, Siana Capital</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jayashreepatnaik/">Jayashree Patnaik</a>, Chief Strategy Officer, CFA Technologies</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/ravishankarprasad/">Ravi Shankar Prasad</a>, Minister for Law &amp; Justice &amp; Electronics &amp; IT of India</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/pooja-sareen-23874151/">Pooja Sareen</a>, Editor in Chief &amp; Co-founder at Inc 42</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/limasehgal/">Lima Sehgal</a>, Senior HR Advisor &amp; job market specialist</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/kunalshah1/">Kunal Shah</a>, Advisor to the Board, Bennett Coleman and Co. Ltd.</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/riteshbusinesseconomist/">Ritesh Kumar Singh</a>, Founder and Chief Economist, Indonomics Consulting</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/tapansinghel/">Tapan Singhel</a>, Managing Director and CEO, <keyword id="113665" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bajaj-Allianz-General-Insurance">Bajaj Allianz General Insurance</keyword> Co. Ltd. </li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thesomani/">Amit Somani</a>, Managing Partner, Prime Venture Partners</li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/harimrinal23577532/?originalSubdomain=in">Hari T. N</a>, Head HR, <keyword id="964794" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BigBasket">BigBasket</keyword></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/warikoo/">Ankur Warikoo</a>, Cofounder &amp; CEO, <a href="http://nearbuy.com/">nearbuy.com</a></li></ul>

Here are the 25 most influential people on LinkedIn in India

<ul><li><keyword id="19897349" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola-electric" source="keywords">Ola Electric</keyword> has come under the scanner after a surge in customer complaints.</li><li>The company’s sales and market share have also been declining.</li><li>The government has reportedly issued a show cause notice to <keyword id="19945904" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ola" source="keywords">Ola</keyword> Electric.</li></ul>Ola Electric was once considered the most promising electric automaker in the country, from dominating the electric two-wheeler with its electric scooters to introducing multiple electric bikes simultaneously. The company had many things going for it, hosting a vast distribution network via its cab-hailing platform and a conducive policy environment that incentivised the growth of EVs. But within a few years of its launch, somewhere something seems to have gone awfully wrong! The Bhavish Aggarwal-led company has recently been in the news for all the wrong reasons, from the company’s founder engaging in an online spat with comedian Kunal Kamra to customers taking to social media to complain about their scooters. But that’s not where the company’s problems end. One of the seemingly direct effects of the rise in customer complaints has been subdued sales in recent months. Besides this, the company has also come under the government’s scanner. <h2>Surge in complaints</h2>According to a recent report, Ola Electric recently formed a new service team to deal with the surge in customer complaints. As per the report, the electric two-wheeler maker is receiving as many as 80,000 customer complaints per month, overwhelming its service infrastructure. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="113699039" title="Ola Electric plans to expand sales and service infra to 10,000 outlets by 2025-end" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> The high number of complaints reportedly resulted in high wait times for customers, resulting in growing customer dissatisfaction, which is regularly played out on social media. <h2>Declining market share</h2>It’s not just social media, the company’s market share has also been on the decline along with its sales. From nearly a 50% market share in April 2024, the company’s market share declined to 27% in September 2024. While the company still leads the Indian electric two-wheeler market, legacy automakers like Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor are closing in. While Bajaj Auto reported a 21.5% market share in September 2024, TVS Motor reported a 20.3% market share. From occupying nearly half of the market, Ola Electric has now been restricted to a quarter and by the looks of it, the company may not even be able to hold the top position by the end of the year if the current trend continues. <h2>Ola Electric comes under the government’s scrutiny</h2>Amid rising complaints, Ola Electric has also come under the government’s scanner. The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA), India’s consumer watchdog issues a show-cause notice to Ola Electric over potential violations of the Consumer Protection Act (2019). According to a report, The National Consumer Helpline (NCH) run by the Department of Consumer Affairs has received 10,644 complaints against Ola Electric since September 2023. When the NCH approached Ola Electric, the body was reportedly met with apathy by the company. Out of the 10,644 complaints, 3,389 relate to delays in providing service to the vehicles, 1,899 are around delivery delays for new vehicles and 1,459 customers have complained about services that were promised but not provided. According to a report by CNBCTV-18, CCPA chairman Nidhi Khare has said the complaints against Ola Electric have been classified in 10 categories, including “delayed and unsatisfactory service”, “refusal or delay in warranty services”, “recurrent defects despite services”, “unprofessional conduct and complaint closure” and more. <h2>A customer’s harrowing experience</h2>Business Insider India spoke to Mr Rakesh (name changed), an Ola Electric customer who has been facing issues with his Ola S1 Pro. The customer paid for the vehicle in August 2023 and the scooter was delivered in January 2024, after a five-month wait. The first issue that the customer faced was that despite the scooter only being delivered in January 2024, the scooter’s warranty began in August 2023, depriving the customer of five months of warranty. Not just this, the vehicle’s insurance began in November 2023, two months prior to the delivery. While this is a concerning issue, this was the least of the customer’s problems. <div type="image" title="1" msid="114120836" hostid="261" sizebytes="68242" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Ola S1 Pro being towed&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> As per the customer, his scooter repeatedly faced issues, not even turning on at times. Rakesh said that he was forced to restart his vehicle four to five times a day just to be able to use it and if this didn’t work, he was forced to remove and re-insert a plug placed under the seat. However, even this failed several times and in less than eight months of usage, Rakesh was forced to get his vehicle towed to the service centre multiple times with the help of roadside assistance (RSA). He claimed that he faced the issue nearly 30 times so far. He further said that the scooter has spent the majority of its time at the service centre, which is extremely disappointing after spending over ₹1.6 lakh on a vehicle. <div type="image" title="2" msid="114120876" hostid="261" sizebytes="65944" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The Ola S1 Pro being towed again&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> At the service centre, the service executives were unable to find the exact cause of the issue. To try and solve the issue, the scooter’s control unit was reportedly changed twice and there were multiple software updates. Rakesh has had a disappointing experience so far, especially with the service executives being unable to diagnose the issue and him having to repeatedly visit the service centre. <h2>A wake-up call?</h2>Many users on the internet have labelled Ola vehicles as subpar and not fit for this competitive market that’s growing rapidly. The initial marketing was good, helping the company conquer almost half of the market share. But a bad quality product can dent the reputation of a company severely in the long run. This must serve as a wake-up call for <keyword id="1543567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhavish-Aggarwal" source="Orion">Bhavish Aggarwal</keyword> and everyone at Ola Electric and the consumers hope that the company not only works on improving its quality control but also overhauls its service infrastructure to more efficiently diagnose and solve issues with their vehicles. During an interaction early in the company’s journey, Aggarwal once said that he hopes to sell around 1.5 lakh to 2 lakh scooters a month, which is close to what one of the popular petrol scooters manages to do each month. While this dream looked achievable at one time, the journey now seems quite tedious. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/september-auto-sales-automakers-report-a-decline-mahindra-and-mahindra-overtakes-tata-motors/articleshow/113925972.cms">September Auto sales – Automakers report a decline, Mahindra and Mahindra overtakes Tata Motors</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/ola-electric-continues-to-lose-market-share-as-bajaj-auto-and-tvs-motor-gain/articleshow/113900252.cms">Ola Electric continues to lose market share as Bajaj Auto and TVS Motor gain</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/auto/news/pm-e-drive-scheme-with-10900-crore-outlay-announced-for-electric-vehicles/articleshow/113816837.cms">PM E-DRIVE scheme with ₹10,900 crore outlay announced for electric vehicles</a>

The Ola Electric Saga: Are surge in complaints and declining market share a wake-up call for Bhavish Aggarwal?

Mumbai, <keyword id="4200835" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Equity-benchmarks">Equity benchmarks</keyword> surged to lifetime closing highs on Tuesday as better-than-expected GDP data and progress on the COVID-19 vaccine front gave fresh impetus to investor bullishness. A strengthening rupee and persistent foreign capital inflows further boosted market sentiment, traders said. The 30-share <keyword id="53232" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="BSE-sensex">BSE Sensex</keyword> zoomed 505.72 points or 1.15 per cent to end at its fresh closing record of 44,655.44. Similarly, the broader NSE <keyword id="6354813" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Nifty">Nifty</keyword> surged 140.10 points or 1.08 per cent to close at its all-time high of 13,109.05. Sun Pharma was the top performer in the <keyword id="6484188" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="sensex">Sensex</keyword> pack, spurting 5.51 per cent, followed by IndusInd Bank, Tech Mahindra, ONGC, Bharti Airtel, Infosys, ICICI Bank and Bajaj Auto. On the other hand, Kotak Bank, Nestle India, Titan, Bajaj Finance, HDFC Bank and NTPC were among the main laggards, shedding up to 1.40 per cent. World equities perched near all-time highs as strong factory output figures from China bolstered expectations of a swift economic recovery. Meanwhile, Moderna Inc applied for emergency authorisation for its COVID-19 vaccine in the US after full results from a late-stage trial showed around 94 per cent effectiveness. "The markets started December trading on a strong footing raising the benchmark to a fresh high due to a good GDP data. The Manufacturing PMI released today showed a slight contraction in manufacturing activities compared to the previous month, though growth remained strong. "Markets across the globe made a positive start to the month expecting an extension of November's record-breaking gains along with strong hopes of coronavirus vaccine. We believe that this optimism can sustain in the near term with a shift towards mid and small caps, led by lag effect," said Vinod Nair, Head of Research at Geojit Financial Services. India's economy recovered faster than expected in the September quarter as a pick-up in manufacturing helped GDP clock a lower contraction of 7.5 per cent, official data showed after market hours on Friday. However, India's manufacturing sector activity lost momentum and fell to a three-month low in November amid slower increases in factory orders, exports and buying levels, a monthly survey said on Tuesday. GST collections posted growth for the third month in a row in November over the previous year's figures. Collections of tax on the sale of goods and rendering of services came in at Rs 1,04,963 crore in November, <keyword id="1549446" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-Finance-Ministry">the finance ministry</keyword> said. The collections were higher than Rs 1.03 lakh crore recorded in November 2019 but were Rs 192 crore lower than October 2020 collections. Barring consumer durables, all BSE sectoral indices finished in the green, led by realty (3.49 per cent), telecom (2.52 per cent), teck (2.42 per cent) and IT (2.39 per cent). The broader BSE midcap and smallcap indices rose up to 0.94 per cent. Elsewhere in Asia, bourses in Shanghai, Tokyo, Hong Kong and Seoul ended with significant gains. Stock exchanges in Europe were trading mixed in early deals. The rupee strengthened 37 paise to close at 73.68 against the US dollar. Brent crude futures, the global oil benchmark, was trading 0.10 per cent lower at USD 47.83 per barrel. Foreign institutional investors remained net buyers in the capital markets as they purchased shares worth Rs 7,712.98 crore on Friday, according to provisional exchange data. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kunal-shah-cred-raises-80-million-valuation-doubles-to-800-million-for-the-just-two-year-old-startup/articleshow/79502864.cms">Kunal Shah’s CRED raises $80 million – valuation doubles to $800 million for the just two-year old startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-dr-reddys-indiabulls-housing-mm-tata-motors-bajaj-auto-maruti-hero-moto-pnb-and-others/articleshow/79502563.cms">Top stocks to watch — Dr Reddy’s, Indiabulls Housing, M&amp;M, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Maruti, Hero Moto, PNB, and other</a>

Sensex, Nifty close at record high on recovery hopes, vaccine boost

<keyword id="12161" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="San-Francisco">San Francisco</keyword>, <keyword id="6354576" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="facebook">Facebook</keyword> has acquired <keyword id="10359244" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="kustomer">Kustomer</keyword>, a startup specialising in <keyword id="1816380" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="customer-service">customer-service</keyword> platforms and chatbots, for a reported sum of $1 billion. Kustomer was last valued at $710 million in a private funding round. Facebook said late on Monday that Kustomer businesses will continue to own the data that comes from interactions with their customers. "Facebook eventually expects to host Kustomer data on secure Facebook infrastructure," said Dan Levy, VP of Ads and Business Products. In doing so, Facebook will act as a service provider at the instruction of business customers. While Facebook will not automatically use Kustomer data to inform the ads that a user sees, businesses will have the option to use their data at Kustomer for their own marketing purposes, which may include separate advertising services on Facebook. "Our goal with Kustomer is simple: to give businesses access to best-in-class tools that deliver excellent service and support," said Matt Idema, COO, WhatsApp. Some 50 million businesses and 175 million people message a WhatsApp Business account every day. This number is growing because messaging provides a better overall customer experience and drives sales for businesses. "To that end, we recently announced several API updates for WhatsApp and Messenger, allowing for further integration into our partners' tools and faster onboarding to help businesses manage their communications with customers," Idema said in a statement. Kustomer is an omnichannel CRM platform that brings customer conversations from various channels together into a single-screen view. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kunal-shah-cred-raises-80-million-valuation-doubles-to-800-million-for-the-just-two-year-old-startup/articleshow/79502864.cms">Kunal Shah’s CRED raises $80 million – valuation doubles to $800 million for the just two-year old startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-dr-reddys-indiabulls-housing-mm-tata-motors-bajaj-auto-maruti-hero-moto-pnb-and-others/articleshow/79502563.cms">Top stocks to watch — Dr Reddy’s, Indiabulls Housing, M&amp;M, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Maruti, Hero Moto, PNB, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/checkout-which-states-have-reimposed-curfews-and-restrictions-again-as-second-covid-19-wave-hits-india/articleshow/79366320.cms?upcache=2">Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand issue fresh COVID-19 guidelines,TN extends lockdown — these are the states reimposing curfews and restrictions</a>

Facebook acquires customer service platform Kustomer for $1 billion

<keyword id="6358777" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi">New Delhi</keyword>, <keyword id="819905" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Instagram">Instagram</keyword> on Tuesday announced that its '<keyword id="10360783" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="live-rooms">Live Rooms</keyword>' feature, now has an ability to go Live with up to three <keyword id="10360784" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="additional-people">additional people</keyword> in India which help creators grow their <keyword id="8202" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Audiences">audiences</keyword> by going live with multiple guests. The early tests for this feature were done in India and now India is one of the first countries to roll it out more broadly, the social media platform said. Instagram Live gives people the ability to go live and create and connect virtually, and hence has seen diverse use cases this year. "From the launch of Reels, to the testing and rollout of Live Rooms, India is playing a crucial role in the way products are being designed for the future," Ajit Mohan, Vice President and Managing Director, Facebook India, said in a statement. In March, Instagram Live views in India grew 60 per cent in a week-on-week basis. Now with the ability to go Live with up to three guests, creators have more opportunities have conversations with their communities, and to expand their reach and use cases for Live, such as starting a talk show or a podcast, hosting a jam session etc. "While Live Rooms will facilitate greater audience engagement, safety continues to be a focus and the existing safety measures will work on Live Rooms as well. There are built-in controls to keep the community safe," the company said. To use 'Live Rooms', users need to go live, tap the plus sign in the top left-hand corner of your stories tray or click the 'Create' plus icon in the top right of the home navigation bar. To add guests to the live stream, the creators need to tap the Camera/Rooms icon. Then, they will see people that have requested to join them live. Users can also search for the guest's name to send them a request to join live. User can add all three guests at one time, and they can also add guests at a later time. According to the company, the rollout for 'Live Rooms' has begun and will be available to everyone in India and Indonesia soon. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kunal-shah-cred-raises-80-million-valuation-doubles-to-800-million-for-the-just-two-year-old-startup/articleshow/79502864.cms">Kunal Shah’s CRED raises $80 million – valuation doubles to $800 million for the just two-year old startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-dr-reddys-indiabulls-housing-mm-tata-motors-bajaj-auto-maruti-hero-moto-pnb-and-others/articleshow/79502563.cms">Top stocks to watch — Dr Reddy’s, Indiabulls Housing, M&amp;M, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Maruti, Hero Moto, PNB, and other</a>

Instagram's 'Live Rooms' is rolling out in India —  allows four people to stream simultaneously

The UK's new post-Brexit points-based visa and immigration system, described by the government as "simple, effective and flexible", opened for applications from Tuesday. The UK Home Office said applicants for the new <keyword id="302785" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="skilled-worker">Skilled Worker</keyword> Visa can now apply to work and live in the UK from January 1, 2021, when the Brexit transition period ends to bring European Union (EU) migrants in line with non-EU countries, such as India. Under the new points-based immigration system unveiled earlier, points will be awarded for a job offer at the appropriate skill level, knowledge of English and being paid a minimum salary. "This government promised to end free movement, to take back control of our borders and to introduce a new points-based immigration system. Today, we have delivered on that promise," said Home Secretary Priti Patel. "This simple, effective and flexible system will ensure employers can recruit the skilled workers they need, whilst also encouraging employers to train and invest in the UK's workforce. We are also opening routes for those who have an exceptional talent or show exceptional promise in the fields of engineering, science, tech or culture," she said. People will normally need to be paid at least 25,600 pounds per year unless the "going rate" for that job in the wider economy is higher. Applications are made online, and as part of this, people will need to prove their identity and provide their documents. "Once someone outside the UK has gone through all these steps, they will usually get a decision within three weeks," <keyword id="4731590" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-home-office">the Home Office</keyword> said. Applicants will need to have enough money to cover the application fee will range between 610 pounds to 1,408 pounds, plus a healthcare surcharge (usually 624 pounds per year) and be able to support themselves (usually by having at least 1,270 pounds available). The Skilled Worker visa lasts for up to five years before it needs to be extended. Alongside the work visa, a number of other routes are also now open for applications, including Global Talent Visa, for people who can show they have exceptional talent or exceptional promise in the fields of science, engineering, humanities, medicine, digital technology or arts and culture. <keyword id="10362070" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="an-innovator-visa">An Innovator Visa</keyword> will be open to those seeking to establish a business in the UK based on an innovative, viable and scalable business idea, a start-up visa for someone seeking to establish a business in the UK for the first time, and an Intra-company <keyword id="10361837" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="transfer-visa">Transfer Visa</keyword> for established workers who are being transferred by the business they work for to do a "skilled role" in the UK. <keyword id="10362069" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-student-route-and-child-student-route">The Student Route and Child Student Route</keyword> under the new system opened earlier, in October, to eligible international students for the next academic year. The Home Office said its new system will encourage employers to focus on training and investing in the UK workforce, driving productivity and improving opportunities for individuals, especially those impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. Indian industry and students' groups had broadly welcomed the new post-Brexit points-based regime unveiled by Patel earlier this year as a means to attract the "brightest and the best" from around the world. Under the system, workers from the EU will be at par with those from outside the economic bloc once its free movement of people rules stop applying to the UK at the end of the Brexit transition period on December 31. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kunal-shah-cred-raises-80-million-valuation-doubles-to-800-million-for-the-just-two-year-old-startup/articleshow/79502864.cms">Kunal Shah’s CRED raises $80 million – valuation doubles to $800 million for the just two-year old startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-dr-reddys-indiabulls-housing-mm-tata-motors-bajaj-auto-maruti-hero-moto-pnb-and-others/articleshow/79502563.cms">Top stocks to watch — Dr Reddy’s, Indiabulls Housing, M&amp;M, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Maruti, Hero Moto, PNB, and others</a>

New immigration rules: Visa applications open under UK's post-Brexit 'simple' points-based system

United Nations, On <keyword id="34644" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-AIDS-Day">World AIDS Day</keyword> on Tuesday, a latest report from <keyword id="10359536" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-joint-un-program">the Joint UN Program</keyword> on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) has warned that the <keyword id="9345522" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="ongoing-covid-19-pandemic">ongoing Covid-19 pandemic</keyword> could result in 123,000 to 293,000 new HIV cases and 69,000 to 148,000 additional AIDS-related deaths in the next two years. In the report titled "Prevailing against pandemics by putting people at the center", UNAIDS has warned that the global AIDS response was off track even before the pandemic, Xinhua news agency reported. It used to set the triple 90s targets years ago, including that by 2020, 90 per cent of people living with HIV know their HIV status, 90 per cent who know their status are receiving treatment, and 90 per cent on HIV treatment have a suppressed viral load. However, the rapid spread of the coronavirus has created additional setbacks. For the world to be back on track to ending AIDS by 2030, as part of <keyword id="10053862" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-un-sustainable-development-goals">the UN Sustainable Development Goals</keyword> (UNSDGs), UNAIDS called on countries to make far greater investments in global pandemic responses and adopt a new set of bold, ambitious but achievable HIV targets. "The collective failure to invest sufficiently in comprehensive, rights-based, people-centered HIV responses has come at a terrible price," UNAIDS Executive Director Winnie Byanyima said. "Implementing just the most politically palatable programs will not turn the tide against Covid-19 or end AIDS. To get the global response back on track will require putting people first and tackling the inequalities on which epidemics thrive." UNAIDS has since proposed a new set of targets for 2025 that, if achieved, will make the UNSDGs of ending the AIDS epidemic by 2030 possible. Those include achieving a number of 95 per cent by 2025, such as 95 per cent of women of reproductive age have HIV, sexual and reproductive health service needs met; 95 per cent of pregnant and breast-feeding women living with HIV have suppressed viral loads; 95 per cent of HIV-exposed children are tested; and 95 per cent of people at risk of HIV infection use appropriate, prioritized, person-centered and effective combination prevention options. The 2025 targets also include ambitious anti-discrimination goals, such as that less than 10 per cent of countries have punitive laws and policies, that less than ten percent of people living with and affected by HIV experience stigma and discrimination, and that less than ten percent experience gender inequality and violence. Faced with the unabated Covid-19 pandemic, the UNAIDS chief has reiterated her call for global solidarity and for the world to learn from mistakes of the HIV response. "No country can defeat these pandemics on its own. A challenge of this magnitude can only be defeated by forging global solidarity, accepting a shared responsibility and mobilizing a response that leaves no one behind. We can do this by sharing the load and working together." According to UNAIDS, there were 1.7 million new HIV infections and 690,000 deaths from AIDS-related illnesses in 2019. Globally, 38 million people are living with HIV, with more than 12 million people waiting for life-saving HIV treatment. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kunal-shah-cred-raises-80-million-valuation-doubles-to-800-million-for-the-just-two-year-old-startup/articleshow/79502864.cms">Kunal Shah’s CRED raises $80 million – valuation doubles to $800 million for the just two-year old startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-dr-reddys-indiabulls-housing-mm-tata-motors-bajaj-auto-maruti-hero-moto-pnb-and-others/articleshow/79502563.cms">Top stocks to watch — Dr Reddy’s, Indiabulls Housing, M&amp;M, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Maruti, Hero Moto, PNB, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/checkout-which-states-have-reimposed-curfews-and-restrictions-again-as-second-covid-19-wave-hits-india/articleshow/79366320.cms?upcache=2">Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand issue fresh COVID-19 guidelines,TN extends lockdown — these are the states reimposing curfews and restrictions</a> <h1 style="margin-top: 6px; margin-bottom: 30px; color: rgb(44, 44, 45); font-family: futura_ltbold; font-size: 40px; background-color: rgba(234, 234, 234, 0.69);"></h1>

World AIDS Day: UN report warns that COVID-19 could result in more HIV cases, AIDS-related deaths

<keyword id="3658" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> made "strong progress" in the fight against malaria, recording the largest reduction in cases in South-East Asia from 20 million in 2000 to about 5.6 million last year, <keyword id="2555741" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-World-Health-Organisation">the World Health Organisation</keyword> (WHO) has said. <keyword id="10359478" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-world-malaria-report">The World Malaria Report</keyword> 2020, released Monday, said that in 2019, malaria cases globally numbered about 229 million, an annual estimate that has remained virtually unchanged over the last four years. Last year, the disease claimed about 409,000 lives, compared to 411,000 in 2018. "Countries in South-East Asia made particularly strong progress, with reductions in cases and deaths of 73 per cent and 74 per cent, respectively. India contributed to the largest drop in cases region-wide - from approximately 20 million to about 6 million," WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus said in the report's forward. The report said that the WHO South-East Asia Region accounted for about 3 per cent of the burden of malaria cases globally. Malaria cases reduced by 73 per cent in the region, from 23 million in 2000 to about 6.3 million in 2019. WHO noted the "impressive gains" made by India in the fight against malaria, with reductions in cases and deaths of 18 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively, over the last 2 years. India also recorded decrease in number of deaths from malaria between 2000 and 2019. Malaria deaths in India declined from about 29,500 in 2000 to about 7700 last year, the report said. In the WHO South-East Asia Region, malaria deaths reduced by 74 per cent, from about 35,000 in 2000 to 9,000 in 2019. India, however, still accounted for 88 per cent of malaria cases and 86 per cent of malaria deaths in the WHO South-East Asia Region in 2019. The WHO is calling on countries and global health partners to step up the fight against malaria, a preventable and treatable disease that continues to claim hundreds of thousands of lives each year. A better targeting of interventions, new tools and increased funding are needed to change the global trajectory of the disease and reach internationally-agreed targets. The report noted that the 11 highest burden countries - Burkina Faso, Cameroon, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Ghana, India, Mali, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Uganda and the United Republic of Tanzania - account for 70 per cent of the global estimated case burden and 71 per cent of global estimated deaths from malaria. According to the WHO report, progress against malaria continues to plateau, particularly in high burden countries in Africa. Gaps in access to life-saving tools are undermining global efforts to curb the disease, and the COVID-19 pandemic is expected to set back the fight even further. As in past years, the African Region shouldered more than 90 per cent of the overall disease burden. Since 2000, the region has reduced its malaria death toll by 44 per cent, from an estimated 680,000 to 384,000 annually. However, progress has slowed in recent years, particularly in countries with a high burden of the disease. A funding shortfall at both the international and domestic levels poses a significant threat to future gains. In 2019, total funding reached USD 3 billion against a global target of USD 5.6 billion. Funding shortages have led to critical gaps in access to proven malaria control tools. This year, COVID-19 emerged as an additional challenge to the provision of essential health services worldwide. According to the report, most malaria prevention campaigns were able to move forward this year without major delays. Ensuring access to malaria prevention - such as insecticide-treated nets and preventive medicines for children - has supported the COVID-19 response strategy by reducing the number of malaria infections and, in turn, easing the strain on health systems. WHO worked swiftly to provide countries with guidance to adapt their responses and ensure the safe delivery of malaria services during the pandemic, the report said. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/startups/news/kunal-shah-cred-raises-80-million-valuation-doubles-to-800-million-for-the-just-two-year-old-startup/articleshow/79502864.cms">Kunal Shah’s CRED raises $80 million – valuation doubles to $800 million for the just two-year old startup</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/top-stocks-to-watch-dr-reddys-indiabulls-housing-mm-tata-motors-bajaj-auto-maruti-hero-moto-pnb-and-others/articleshow/79502563.cms">Top stocks to watch — Dr Reddy’s, Indiabulls Housing, M&amp;M, Tata Motors, Bajaj Auto, Maruti, Hero Moto, PNB, and others</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/checkout-which-states-have-reimposed-curfews-and-restrictions-again-as-second-covid-19-wave-hits-india/articleshow/79366320.cms?upcache=2">Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand issue fresh COVID-19 guidelines,TN extends lockdown — these are the states reimposing curfews and restrictions</a>

India records the largest reduction in malaria cases in SE Asia between 2000-2019: WHO

<ul><li>In 2007, Indian IT department slapped a demand notice seeking ₹8,000 crore in capital gains tax.</li><li>With penalty and interest included, the tax claim now amounts to ₹22,100 crore.</li><li>Resolution professionals say that all pending litigation have to be wrapped up before liquidating a company.</li></ul>The world’s largest telecom company Vodafone is on its backfoot in the world’s largest telecom market – India. And it is nothing new. Many troubles have dented the company ever it purchased the 67% stake in Hutchison Essar twelve years back. And it's been a nightmare for small investors who have bet on the stock. 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
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 A year before the price wars started eating into the investment, Indian Income Tax department slapped a demand notice seeking ₹8,000 crore in capital gains tax over the deal. Now this ghost which is a ₹22,100 crore liability with interest and penalty included – might haunt the British parent even as it considers liquidation. “All pending litigations have to be cleared before it goes in for liquidation,” Mamta Binani, a resolution professional informed Business Insider India. The case in currently in international arbitration after many dramatic twists. The former UPA government<a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/vodafone-back-to-square-one-112031700019_1.html"> retrospectively amended a</a> law to tax Vodafone, after the Supreme Court said that Vodafone is not liable as per ‘existing tax laws’. In the last six years, the arbitration has been dragging on at a snail’s pace. In the meanwhile, yet another Supreme Court decision has made Vodafone question the logic of continuing in India, amongst many hurdles. A few days back, its CEO Nick Read said that if Indian government does not provide a relief in the aggregate gross revenue (AGR) case--- it might<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/vodafone-writes-off-book-value-of-indian-operation-ceo-flags-liquidation-risk/articleshow/72031766.cms"> consider liquidation</a>. Indian government is in no mood to relent and has given three months to Bharti Airtel and Vodafone Idea to clear its dues. Vodafone was asked to pay up ₹44,150 crore to the department in piled up AGR dues after it lost a case in the Supreme Court last month. This hit has made Vodafone Idea posted the highest-ever quarterly loss by Indian company at ₹50,000 crore. Should the company fall, it could set yet another dubious record as largest-ever non-performing asset or a dud loan. As per an<a href="https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/business/india-business/lenders-fear-vodas-rs-1l-cr-turning-into-npa/articleshow/72063199.cms"> Economic Times report</a>, banks have an exposure of as much as ₹1,00,000 crore to Vodafone. These loans are in trouble as most of them lack securities and guarantees. Neither of the two promoters – Vodafone and Kumar Mangalam-led Aditya Birla Group— are keen on infusing equity. In fact, their stock is being sold at the price of hot cross buns -- ₹3 per share with a face value of ₹10. If Vodafone Idea is unable to pay up its lenders, it has assets to fall back on, say experts. “I think the assets, including the network and spectrum are definitely very valuable, so it would not come to a situation where surrendering should be required,” Kunal Bajaj, an independent telecom analyst told Business Insider India. Whether the asset will be able to offset the loans, deferred spectrum payment (not including AGR dues) it owes to the government and the tax claims if at all – is yet to be seen. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/vodafone-idea-share-price-falls-sharply-after-record-loss-in-second-quarter/articleshow/72065283.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink" target="_blank">Vodafone-Idea is now a ₹3 stock after a shocking quarterly loss</a>

Vodafone has to wrap up ₹22,100 crore tax case before it can think of liquidating India business

<ul><li>RCom made an early bet on CDMA technology which went out of style, while Jio chose LTE technology of 4G. </li><li>Mukesh spent massively on country-wide fibre networks, yet he is cognizant of the risks that a massive debt at the group level.</li><li>The plan to list Reliance Retail and <keyword id="6354504" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance-jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> in the next five years will complete the circle of deleveraging giving his telecom venture a longer lifetime than RCom.</li></ul>It's been three years since Mukesh Ambani launched Jio, a business that is close to his heart. Moreso, this is the second time that he is launching a telecom venture, yet it is the first time he tasted success. His first telecom venture, <keyword id="46907" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-communications">Reliance Communications</keyword>, was launched in early 2000s under the auspices of his father, the legendary Dhirubhai Ambani. Even before the business went to his brother as the Ambani family divided in 2004, the first venture was fraught with troubles. A bet on the wrong technology meant extra investments, which coincided with the global economic slowdown, and piled debt so high, the risks of which were ignored at its peril. Now, RCom is facing bankruptcy proceedings while Jio seems to be thriving. The only difference is Mukesh seems determined not to repeat the mistakes of the past, both his own and that of his brother, with Jio. CDMA- a technology that took its toll on finances RCom had early on bet on an obsolete-to-be technology, which became its undoing. In the early 2000s when Airtel and Hutch (later Vodafone) went with GSM technology, both Tata Teleservices and RCom went in for CDMA technology, which users did not fancy. "I doubt if that could be termed as a mistake as many countries were using the technology but the world just went another way," Alok Shende, Managing Director of Ascentius Insights, a management consulting firm tells Business Insider India. Years after RCom came under Anil Ambani, as <a href="https://www.indiatoday.in/business/india/story/ambani-vs-ambani-when-brothers-broke-up-150083-2011-12-27">Reliance Industries was divided </a>in 2004, he had to shift to the much-popular GSM technology. The shift required one more costly one-time investment in terms of network upgrade and spectrum; and the timing wasn’t right either. Mukesh Ambani has stepped with Jio, which started out on LTE technology of 4G. And he is not stopping at that. "Because of our early adoption of the ongoing enhancements to LTE technology our wireless network is already 4G PLUS. And we can upgrade this to 5G at minimum incremental cost," he promised his shareholders at his annual general meeting this month. <keyword id="4056036" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jio-Fiber">Jio Fiber</keyword> cable will deliver high-speed Internet right to homes and this will kickstart yet another set of services without having to fork out extra for spectrum. The telecom tariff war and its many victims Jio is currently waging a bitter price war in the telecom market. However, it is nothing new. A raging telecom price war started by Tata Teleservices in 2008 with one paisa per second plan, had hurt many others <a href="https://www.livemint.com/Home-Page/vaUfK95QU2z2cInvqWBv2I/RCom-sets-1-paisa-SMS-fee-extends-the-tariff-war.html">including him</a>. However, the shift from CDMA to GSM soaked in a lot of fresh investment that RCom could have spent to survive the price war. There are times when investments are affected the broad economic conditions. RCom’s second round of investments was followed by a global credit crunch after the Lehman Brothers’ collapse in September 2008, which made debt expensive and business extremely difficult. Debt is not bad, high-cost debt is. What is worse is to binge on it. Jio too has piled on a massive debt in rolling out its services and burning cash offering discounts and ultra-cheap tariffs to lure over 330 million customers in the first three years of its operations. The tariff attack <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/details-of-jio-fibre-new-tariff-plan/articleshow/70639942.cms">continues with Jio Fibre</a>, too as the company speeds to acquire 500 million subscribers, but there is a difference between the Ambani brothers. Clearing debts will clear the air of apprehension Mukesh spent massively on country-wide fibre networks and is bleeding his competitors. Yet, he is cognizant of the risks that a debt of ₹2.8 lakh crore at the group level poses. In a timely move, Reliance Industries (RIL) announced that it would sell 20% stake in its oil-to-chemicals business to Saudi Arabia’s state-owned Aramco, the world’s largest oil producer, for $15 billion. Not just that, he plans to turn RIL into a zero net debt conglomerate by March 2021. Within the telecom business too, he brought in Canadian fund Brookfields which invested ₹ 25,215 crore in the towers unit. The plan to list Reliance Retail and Reliance Jio in the next five years will complete the circle of deleveraging giving his telecom venture a longer lifetime than Anil’s RCom. "It is a very classic Reliance way of doing things which is vertically integrated model. And, the results will play out in the next 5-10 years," Shende said about Mukesh’s plan to retire debt early. It will allow Jio to focus on adding services, like it already plans to, and bring its A-game to the tight race in telecom with Airtel and Vodafone Idea. "Jio will look at massive dominance in many areas like entertainment, e-commerce, Internet Of Things and will get more aggressive," says Kunal Bajaj, a top telecom expert and consultant.

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