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New Delhi, Jun 11 () ICICI Prudential Life Insurance Company on Thursday said it has reappointed M S Ramachandran as an independent director. The current term of appointment of Ramachandran as an independent director of the company will expire on June 28, 2021, it said in a regulatory filing. "In view of this, the board of directors of the company at its meeting held on June 11, 2020, has approved the reappointment of Ramachandran as an independent director of the company for another term of five consecutive years, with effect from June 29, 2021 till June 28, 2026," it said. The reappointment, it said, is subject to approval of the members of the company. Further, the board also approved continuation of Ramachandran as the chairman of the company during his term as an independent director, it said. Shares of ICICI Pru Life on Thursday closed 0.52 per cent lower at Rs 394.90 apiece on the BSE. KPM RVK

ICICI Pru Life reappoints M S Ramachandran as independent director

Broadband <keyword id="3658" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="india" source="Orion">India</keyword> <keyword id="23897" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="forum" source="Orion">Forum</keyword> (<keyword id="979219" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="bif" source="Orion">BIF</keyword>) on Wednesday hailed the government's step to raise the minimum speed of broadband to 2Mbps from 512Kbps, which is a 400 per cent increase. However, it stressed that this is not enough for a 'mobile first' country. The Forum said that it is unfortunate that as many as 45,180 villages in India do not have any 4G coverage at all. "While this upgradation in minimum broadband speed is indeed a big milestone, India still has a long way to go to catch up with major regimes like the US where the regulator (FCC) has already prescribed a minimum broadband speed of 25Mbps," said the BIF. Even Bangladesh has prescribed a higher minimum broadband speed of 5Mbps. Still, the move will help in lifting the overall quantum of per capita data consumption and improve the service experience. Being a 'mobile first' country, India heavily relies on mobile broadband with almost 98 per cent of the broadband users accessing it via their mobile phones. "2Mbps may not sound good enough for the modern broadband era as one would need much higher speeds for satisfactory experience in applications viz. telecommuting, file downloading, video conferencing, streaming video - both SD &amp; HD," said <keyword id="1146565" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="tv-ramachandran" source="Orion">TV Ramachandran</keyword>, President, BIF. Nevertheless, "this strong nudge provided by the government will definitely help ensure improved consumer experience and consumer satisfaction," <keyword id="90527" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="ramachandran" source="Orion">Ramachandran</keyword> added. The move will particularly benefit consumers in rural areas, suburban areas and fringes of metros who are heavy video consumers and rely more on video and data-rich apps. "Studies have shown that for experiencing good quality of video streaming one needs to have download speeds much in excess of even 5Mbps and probably nearer values of 14Mbps or 15Mbps," said the BIF. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/adani-group-stocks-continue-to-fall-on-wednesday/articleshow/98142716.cms">Adani group marketcap falls by over ₹45,000 crore on Wednesday</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/markets/news/more-money-to-made-on-investment-beyond-nifty50-stocks/articleshow/98142890.cms">More money to made on investment beyond Nifty50 stocks</a>

India raises broadband speed to 2Mbps but even Bangladesh offers 5Mbps

<ul><li><keyword id="12251305" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="nua" source="Orion">Nua</keyword>, a direct-to-consumer wellness brand that came into existence in 2017, has already built a community of 4 lakh women.</li><li>Nua started its journey by introducing <keyword id="584042" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sanitary-pads" source="Orion">sanitary pads</keyword>, followed by a range of innovative products such as Cramp Comfort, Foaming Intimate Wash, and 1mm Everyday Liners. All these products have been launched after having a one-on-one conversation with consumers on Instagram.</li><li>In its last investment round, it raised $7.1 million and added <keyword id="598" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="deepika-padukone" source="Orion">Deepika Padukone</keyword> as an investor who is now working closely with Nua to ideate and create new wellness solutions.</li><li><keyword id="12251306" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ravi-ramachandran" source="Orion">Ravi Ramachandran</keyword>, CEO, and Founder, Nua talks to us about brand's journey so far, how community marketing has helped the brand carve a niche in the market, why there’s a need for long-term engagement at the core of women’s wellness, and a lot more.</li></ul>Menstruation has historically been a taboo subject in India. The word ‘Period’ is usually uttered in hushed voices and years of social conditioning has built a culture of silence around what is a normal biological process. Women are used to buying sanitary pads off the shelf, covered in black plastic, without having a chance to read the packaging and decide whether that particular pack of pads actually caters to their needs or not. In the advertising and marketing world, menstruation has always meant a cis-gendered woman in white pants conquering the world with blue liquid dripping on her cotton strips. Therefore, there was an urgent need for a brand that could actively change this narrative, include non-binary people in their campaigns to help minimise dysphoria among AFAB (Assigned Female At Birth) people who are not women, challenge existing superstitions around menstruation and encourage menstruators to talk about their sexual wellness openly. Enter Nua, a wellness brand that has managed to carve a niche for itself by simply having an open, candid conversation with menstruators. Nua engages with its audience one-on-one on Instagram and offers advice on their health issues. It wanted to provide a platform where menstruators feel they are heard without being put in a box and provide solutions in return, specific to their individual needs. Even Nua’s products are born out of insights gathered from its community of over 4 Lakh women. The direct-to-consumer (D2C) business model also allows Nua to connect directly with its customers and maintain control over product development, marketing and distribution. Ravi Ramachandran, CEO and Founder, Nua told us that the brand was born to give the women's wellness category a new beginning, as the name ‘Nua’ suggests. Its story began with a pad and the brand soon realised there’s a need for safe and effective products that goes beyond just pads. Nua asked the women in its community to tell them what they were looking for and launched Cramp Comfort (self-heating patch), Foaming Intimate Wash, 1mm Everyday Liners and <keyword id="1675549" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="uplift" source="Orion">Uplift</keyword> (period nutrition drink mix). “We believe that our Sanitary Pads, Cramp Comfort (India’s first unique self-heating patch), Foaming Intimate Wash, 1mm Everyday Liners, and Uplift (period nutrition drink mix) are made by us but are created by our community of over 4 Lakh women who wanted to start a new and improved wellness journey. Our ability to co-create solutions with our community of over 4 lakh women is, what we believe, sets us apart. We are always listening to what our community has to say, especially things that bother them, and this translates into new product development. With menstrual cramps being a big pain point, we created India’s first revolutionary self-heating patch for menstrual cramps known as ‘Cramp Comfort’. Recently, we launched a period nutrition drink mix ‘Uplift’. 100% safe, effective, and made of inclusive ingredients, Uplift is a result of insights gathered from the Nua community and worked upon through extensive research in labs to address the issue of period fatigue. In addition to these period care products, we also offer hygiene products such as Foaming Intimate Wash and Everyday Liners,” said Ramachandran. When you start following Nua on Instagram, the page sends you a message and Ramachandran told us that 80-90% of the time, customers respond to their questions. In 24 hours, Nua gets even up to 25,000 responses on Instagram. Its team responds to each query personally. <div type="image" title="57c50ec6-ec3f-42b0-b7c3-855c40f65448" msid="86794187" hostid="261"></div> “Social media has played a major role in allowing us to interact with our consumers and understand their purchase patterns and requirements. Our approach has, and will always be, to keep the community at the heart of everything we do. We want women to feel safe, seen, and heard. Today, we have a strong community of over 4 lakh women across our social media channels. We focus on holistic content based on our conversations with them, we have sessions with experts, and also provide a platform for women to engage and learn more about a wide range of wellness aspects - mental, physical, sexual. Moreover, we are always listening to what our community has to say, especially things that bother them, and this also translates into new product development,” Ramachandran told Ad and Media Insider. On the back of its community, D2C model and unique marketing strategy, Nua aims to grow 4x by the end of this fiscal. Sharing his larger vision for the brand, Ramachandran said, “Our mission is to build holistic solutions in solving real problems and focus on being customer-first. The market for women’s wellness is massive as several large opportunities remain unsolved. Over the next 12 months, we are poised to grow 4-5x on the back of new products, tech-enabled solutions, and foray into adjacent categories.”

How Nua is using community marketing to change the conversation around menstruation and wellness

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">CloudGenixCloudGenix employees</div></div></div>Cisco just completed its massive customer conference this week, Cisco Live, where tens of thousands of Cisco's customers descended on Las Vegas for a week of technology and parties.That seemed the perfect time for CloudGenix, a startup founded by former Cisco engineers, to strike with a guerrilla marketing event of their own.These engineers used to work on Cisco's wide area networking (WAN) products, which are routers and switches that connect a network across long distances.The one thing they didn't plan on? Cisco's ability to block them.The networking industry, dominated by Cisco, is undergoing a huge change right now called "software-defined networking" where software is being used to set up and control computer networks. Cisco still makes most of its money selling hardware products.SDN is the most exciting thing to happen in corporate networks since, perhaps, Cisco itself was born, and networking engineers have been leaving Cisco in droves to launch new SDN startups. CloudGenix is one of those startups. It makes SDN software for WANs.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">CloudGenixCloudGenix CEO Kumar Ramachandran</div></div></div>CloudGenix was founded by a group of ex-Cisco engineers, including its CEO Kumar Ramachandran, who was once responsible for building the WAN routers that his software company now competes against.The plan was to put together "A covert, Pepsi-vs.-Coke event," Ramachandran told us, where people could try CloudGenix right next to several of Cisco's products. Those who setup their networks fastest would win.They even lined up <a href="http://ethancbanks.com/about/">Ethan Banks as a host. He runs Packet Pushers</a>, a well-respected blog for IT pros. Banks as like the Kara Swisher of the computer network industry.But whenCloudGenix tried to book space for the event, they kept getting rejected.<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table float_right"><div><div class="image on-image">CloudGenixAttendees at the CloudGenix event</div></div></div>"We contacted hotels on the Strip, like Mandalay Bay, MGM, several others. They would say yes, we have a conference room available and when we would submit the details like our company name, we got declined," Ramachandran told us. Turns out, Cisco Live is so big, Cisco held dibs on all of Mandalay Bay and on at least two other hotels on the strip as well.When CloudGenics asked them why they were getting rejected, the hotels told them, "it was Cisco that was rejecting us," Ramachandran said.The CloudGenix teams turned to restaurants, many of which are independent from the hotels, and booked the Aureole Restaurant, at the Mandalay Bay.But two days before the event, a restaurant manager called CloudGenix telling CloudGenix it needed cancel its event. The reason? Pressure from Cisco, the manager told Ramachandran."We had contracts drawn up. We paid several thousands dollars, paid for projectors, for food, drinks. Our employees are flying in, customers are flying in. You can't cancel two days before an event," Ramachandran responded.In the end, the restaurant honored most of the contract, but it weirdly refused to provide the projectors and microphones, again citing Cisco as the reason.Ramachandran found some mikes and some large TV screens and the event took place. The rosters of attendees included some names he knew: about a dozen Cisco employees and one business person who's job it is to scope out competitors."We welcomed them with open arms," Ramachandran said. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/marines-zulu-cobra-attack-helicopter-2016-7">The 'Zulu Cobra' helicopter is one of the Marines' most powerful weapons </a></h3> <div> <div> <div class="ooyala-video-player" data-video-autoplay="false" data-video-id="0zb3dnMTE6-QawCIxD9EmsObwInmKKBb" data-player-variable="ooyalapopvideo" id="ooyalaplayer_popvideo" style="width:1280px;height:720px"></div> </div> </div> </div>

A bunch of ex-Cisco engineers say Cisco tried to kill their startup's marketing event

<ul class="summary-list"><li>People with darker <keyword id="6371970" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="skin">skin</keyword> have more melanin, which is a natural pigment that can protect skin from sun damage.</li><li>Dark-skinned people also have more of a specific type of melanin, called eumelanin, which is better at protecting skin from UV rays. </li><li>But even if you have dark skin, it is still important to take precautions like applying sunscreen and using protective coverings while outside.</li><li>This article <a href="https://www.insider.com/insider-medical-review-board" target="_blank" rel="noopener">was medically reviewed</a> by <a href="https://www.drjaliman.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Debra Jaliman, MD</a>, a board-certified dermatologist with a private practice in New York City.</li></ul>While we usually mainly associate <keyword id="6404681" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Sunburn">sunburn</keyword>s with people with pale skin, people with all different types of complexions can experience sun damage and sunburns. However, the severity of sunburn depends on complexion. It all boils down to melanin. <h2>More melanin usually means less sunburn</h2>Melanin is a natural pigment that determines the color of skin, hair, and even nails, according to <a href="https://www.yalemedicine.org/doctors/sarika_ramachandran/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sarika Ramachandran, MD</a>, a Yale Medicine dermatologist and assistant professor at Yale School of Medicine. Dark-skinned people have a higher amount of melanin when they're born. Melanin also serves to protect your skin from UV damage, Ramachandran says. For example, tanning happens when the UV light from the sun increases melanin production. This extra melanin darkens your skin and gives it some protection from UV rays. Since people with darker skin have higher amounts of melanin to begin with, they technically are better protected from damage from UV radiation. Additionally, Ramachandran says dark skin has more of one specific type of melanin called eumelanin, which tends to protect skin from UV damage. For this reason, it's less common for people with darker skin to get sunburn, but it's still possible. According to <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6118a1.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the CDC</a>, the prevalence of sunburn is highest in Caucasians, affecting 65.6% of people. Black people have the lowest prevalence of sunburn, at a rate of just 10.9%.So, while it's less common, it's absolutely possible for dark-skinned people to get sunburn. <h2>How you should protect your skin</h2>A 2010 study published in the <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/20171530/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Journal of Preventive Medicine</a> showed that only 31% of African Americans use sun protection — whether it's sunscreen, sunglasses, or wide-brimmed hats. Whereas 63% admitted to never using sunscreen.However, Ramachandran says everyone should take protective measures when outside, regardless of skin color. Sunburn is still possible, as are other risks associated with harmful UV radiation, such as premature aging and skin cancer. "In people with darker skin types, skin cancers may occur on the hands, feet, or mouth. People may not check these areas regularly and this may lead to delayed diagnosis of the skin cancer," says Ramachandran.To protect yourself while outdoors, use a broad spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30, and reapply every two hours. Ramachandran also recommends wearing sun-protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats. You may want to limit sun exposure during the sun's peak hours, which are 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. according to the <a href="https://www.aad.org/public/everyday-care/sun-protection/sunscreen-patients/sunscreen-faqs" target="_blank" rel="noopener">American Academy of Dermatology</a>. Taking care of yourself while exposed to the sun by following these instructions will greatly reduce the risk of sunburn and skin cancer.<h2 id="related-articles-from-health-reference:">Related articles from <a href="https://www.insider.com/health-reference" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Health Reference</a>:</h2><ul><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-is-sun-poisoning" target="_blank" rel="noopener">What is sun poisoning and what makes it different from sunburn</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-causes-dry-skin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The causes of dry skin, from hot showers to winter weather</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/what-vitamins-are-good-for-skin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Vitamins A, B, C, and E are good for your skin</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/does-vinegar-help-sunburn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Why you should never treat a sunburn with vinegar</a></li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/how-to-get-rid-of-oily-skin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">How to get rid of oily skin safely without drying it out or causing acne</a></li></ul>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/can-dark-skinned-people-get-sunburn">Insider</a>

People with dark skin can still get sunburn, but it's less likely

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Melia Robinson</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>Since June, Zume Pizza, a SoftBank-backed startup valued above $1 billion, has lost several high-ranking executives, Business Insider has learned.</li><li>The startup was developing a robotic arm to make pizza more efficiently when it took on $375 million in funding from SoftBank's private equity fund in November 2018. The round valued Zume higher than the most popular pizza chains in the United States combined.</li><li>According to people familiar with the matter, Zume executive Kartik Ramachandran, who served as interim CFO and in other high-level roles, was terminated in June.</li><li>Kira Druyan, the General Counsel, departed in October, as did Susan Alban, the VP of Talent.</li><li>The company touted its food trucks and food packaging products, but made no mention of its robotic pizza machines in response to a Business Insider inquiry. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/prime?module=article&amp;area=summary">Click here for more BI Prime stories</a>.</li></ul>Zume, the Silicon Valley startup developing pizza-cooking robots, has seen a raft of high-level departures and growing internal doubts about the company's shifting direction, Business Insider has learned. The turmoil comes as the company, valued at more than $1 billion, is <a href="https://www.vox.com/platform/recode/2019/11/21/20974979/zume-pizza-softbank-fundraising-four-billion">reportedly in talks with SoftBank</a> for another mega-funding round.Kira Druyan, Zume's company's general counsel, and Susan Alban, the executive in charge of human resources and recruiting, both left last month, according to sources familiar with the matter.Those exits followed the departure in June of Kartik Ramachandran, a high-level executive who held various roles at Zume, including interim CFO and President of Zume Source. Ramachandran was terminated after repeatedly butting heads with management and employees across the organization, multiple sources told Business Insider.Meanwhile, the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/zume-pizza-robot-expansion-2017-6">futuristic robo-pizza making machines</a> that Zume touted when it came on the scene a few years ago appear to no longer be a priority. The company also makes compostable packaging that Pizza Hut uses, and also has a fleet of food trucks dubbed "mobile kitchens" that it says it says include "intelligent software" and connected appliances.Several people close to the company told Business Insider that Zume was spending money aggressively on hiring and was meandering between various projects and strategies, even as progress on its ambitious robotics technology appears to be stalled. Zume's business model seemed to fluctuate according various executives' whims, often changing week-to-week or even day-to-day, sources said. Asked about the status and advances in the development of the company's robotic pizza makers, a Zume spokesperson said in a statement that the company's mission is to "engineer a more successful sustainable food future." The statement mentioned Zume's packaging and its mobile kitchens, but made no mention of the robots.The spokesperson confirmed the executive departures, but declined to comment on the reasons for any of the departures. "The Zume team members all left for various personal reasons. Out of respect for their privacy, we will not disclose the specific personal nature of their departure. We're grateful for their contributions and the stellar team here at Zume is looking forward to building on their accomplishments," Zume said in a written statement.<h2>"We were nowhere near doing what we were supposed to be doing"</h2><a href="https://www.vox.com/platform/recode/2019/11/21/20974979/zume-pizza-softbank-fundraising-four-billion">According to a report in Recode on Thursday</a>, Zume is once again in funding talks with SoftBank and other potential investors for a new round of funding that could value the company as high as $4 billion. The report noted that SoftBank, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/softbank-reports-65-billion-loss-uber-wework-investments-bailouts-2019-11">which has suffered huge writedowns on investments in Uber and WeWork</a>, might not lead the next round in Zume and the funding might involve taking some debt. The company's first funding deal with SoftBank in 2018 was brokered in large part by Ramachandran, the former interim CFO, who was eager to secure what he thought could be the biggest Series C deal in history, sources said.The $375 million investment valued Zume at $1 billion and was based on aggressive growth projections."My understanding was that we were nowhere near doing what we were supposed to be doing," a source said of the actual capabilities of Zume's technology and business versus what was promised at the time of the SoftBank funding. Zume's struggles to meet some of those promises caused friction between Ramachandran and others, sources told Business Insider, noting that Ramachandran frequently bullied, demeaned, and undermined those who spoke up. "A third of the people liked him, a third hated him, and a third were terrified of him," the source said.Ramachandran, who is now Deputy CFO at Splunk according to his LinkedIn bio, did not immediately return a request for comment. Meredith Whitney, a former financial analyst, took over the CFO job in April, according to her LinkedIn profile. The whiplash from the shifting strategies has led to underdeveloped tech, strained resources, and low morale overall, sources said.Accepting the money from SoftBank was like "pouring gasoline on a fire," the first source said.Do you work at Zume or another SoftBank-backed startup and want to share your story? Contact this reporter via encrypted messaging app Signal at +1 (331) 625-2555 using a non-work phone, email at mhernbroth@businessinsider.com, or Twitter DM at @megan_hernbroth. <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/we-used-the-motorola-droid-on-its-10th-anniversary-2019-11">I used the 10-year-old original Motorola Droid for a week</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

Zume, the robotic pizza maker that SoftBank valued at $1 billion, has lost several top execs and appears to have moved away from robots, even as it seeks new money

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Thomson ReutersA Hanjin Shipping Co ship is seen stranded outside the Port of Long Beach</div></div></div><ul><li>HSBC has made what it claims is the world's first commercial trade-finance transaction using blockchain.</li><li>The exchange was for a shipment of soybeans transported from Argentina to Malaysia, made by US food giant Cargill. HSBC and ING facilitated the deal.</li><li>The technology is expected to cut transaction times, reduce costs, paperwork and increase security.</li><li>"This is an inflection point for how trade is conducted," Vivek Ramachandran, HSBC's global head of innovation and growth for commercial banking, said in a statement.</li></ul>LONDON - HSBC said on Monday it has made what it claims is the world's first commercial trade-finance transaction using blockchain.The exchange was for a shipment of soybeans transported last week from Argentina to Malaysia. HSBC handled the deal for US food and agricultural group Cargill, in partnership with Dutch ING Bank NV. Both used blockchain technology developed by the R3 consortium.The technology allowed the transaction to be made on one central platform and minimised the time and paper trail needed to make the trade. HSBC hopes the transaction will be a milestone that could enable mass-adoption in the $9 trillion trade-finance market and shake up a centuries-old industry."This is an inflection point for how trade is conducted," Vivek Ramachandran, HSBC's global head of innovation and growth for commercial banking, said in a statement."With blockchain, the need for paper reconciliation is removed because all parties are linked on the platform and updates are instantaneous."Blockchain is the digital technology which underpins cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin. Banks have long studied its application in mainstream financial markets, spending millions researching pilots and use cases. The Cargill exchange was done using Corda Blockchain, a platform developed by the R3 consortium which HSBC and ING are both a part of.Earlier this year ING also <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/energy-and-commodity-companies-use-blockchain-tech-for-trading-2018-1">touted a similar cross-border soybean deal that was completed using blockchain technology.</a>HSBC said the transaction announced on Monday can be replicated and shows the technology is ready to be adopted across the industry. It hopes the technology will make trade finance deals can be made simpler, quicker, more transparent and more secure.HSBC said putting all of Asia Pacific's trade-related paperwork onto the blockchain like this could cut the time of exporting goods by up to 44% and cut costs by up to 31%.A transaction of this kind would normally take between five and ten days for the full exchange of documents, HSBC said. The Cargill blockchain transaction was completed in 24 hours.<a href="http://www.hsbc.com/news-and-insight/insight-archive/2017/blockchain-can-pull-trade-into-the-digital-age">The bank added:</a> "Blockchain can pull trade into the digital age.""The next stage is actually encouraging as many participants as possible to sign up to the utility," Ramachandran said, stating that banks, shipping companies, ports and customs operations would have to adopt the technology before it could be used widely.There are still significant hurdles for blockchain before it becomes an efficient and legally compliant technology, said Ramachandran. Each country has different laws, so policy makers would need to make changes to enable its use across borders.But a closed system where transactions are only visible to registered buyers and sellers could be possible within five years, Ramachandran said"It is only by working together that we will create a platform that all those involved in trade want to use, from banks, exporters and shippers to regulators and lawmakers."<a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/intelligence/bitcoin-101?IR=T&amp;utm_source=businessinsider&amp;utm_medium=ctgr&amp;utm_term=ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_content=fintech_ctgr_leadgen&amp;utm_campaign=fintech_ctgr_leadgen_bitcoin-101"></a> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="http://www.businessinsider.com/socially-responsible-investing-esg-risk-management-tool-2018-5">How socially responsible investing can help you avoid catastrophic drops within your portfolio</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

HSBC is shaking up a centuries-old industry using blockchain

A new technology has come to town. Where internet is going to be the core of everything and different machines will be able to talk to each other using it. There is plenty of development going on here and we spoke to Prabhu Ramchandran, Director, <keyword id="1557965" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="40" keywordseo="WebNMS">WebNMS</keyword> about the new technology and what is it all about? This is what he had to say: 
 
What is WebNMS all about? Please tell our readers something about the company. With more than 15 years of market presence and rich experience in telecom network management space, WebNMS has forayed into <keyword id="6404332" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="M2M">M2M</keyword> (machine to machine) solutions for remote monitoring of passive infrastructure and operating tens of thousands of devices on a large scale. The M2M platform and solutions are built on the WebNMS Framework, which has been deployed to more than 25,000 systems by equipment vendors and telecom service providers worldwide. 
 
WebNMS offers highly scalable and customisable M2M Platform to build innovative M2M solutions across verticals swiftly, rather than spending time in reconstructing the core infrastructure. WebNMS M2M has also been recognised as the Best M2M Platform for Service Providers in M2M Evolution 2013, in Miami, Florida. 
 WebNMS’s niche applications like WebNMS ATM Site Manager, Cell Tower Site Manager, Road Infrastructure Manager, <keyword id="6368906" type="CITY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Power-Grid">Power Grid</keyword> Monitoring, DCIM, Smart Home, Wind Mill Manager, and Solar Farm Manager facilitate rapid deployment. 
 
Indian customers are not too familiar with M2M technology. What is the new tech all about? 
M2M or IOT (Internet of Things) is the next revolution after mobile and Cloud computing. M2M application involves sensors/wireless communication embedded into devices like vending machines, wind turbines, trucks, appliances, pets, people and buildings. The captured data is sent via an IP network (e.g., LAN, WAN, hybrid) to the M2M platform, which in turn can analyse the event and take necessary action. 
 
M2M provides real-time monitoring, remote automation &amp; control, asset management, inventory management, security, fault management, environmental management and analytics. 
 
What are the challenges you are facing in India and what are the key points that have helped you? 
The M2M evolution is opening lots of avenues to communication service providers (CSPs), system integrators, managed services and application domain experts. But at present, the M2M ecosystem is fragmented and the realisation of an ecosystem might be time-consuming. However, co-ordination with all the parties in the ecosystem will stir the market and increase the adoption rate. 
 With the spur in the M2M market in India, the government has intervened and taken initiatives to frame an M2M Policy. WebNMS M2M is co-ordinating with the <keyword id="44734" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Indian-Government">Indian government</keyword> in framing the policy. 
 
 
Is the Indian consumer ready for such kind of technology, especially as the majority of the population still stays in rural areas? 
 
Although industrial implementations are more prominent in India than the consumer segment, the need for M2M has been realised and consumers are adopting it at a slower pace. 
 
As the majority of the population resides in rural areas, the M2M fortune also lies at the bottom of the pyramid. M2M can play a vital role in agriculture by improving farm yield, reducing food processing cost, etc. M2M applications can be taken to rural India with necessary support and guidance from the government of India. 
 
What can end-users get from M2M tech and how will it make their life better? 
M2M or IOT is gaining prominence and is transforming every industry into ‘smart’. Apart from industrial implementation, M2M also shows momentum in the consumer sector with the advent of Smart Home technology. 
 
Smart Home technology involves automation and remote control of home appliances including security, centralised remote control of appliances/devices, theft monitoring, alert notifications, lighting &amp; HVAC control, energy usage monitoring, and fire &amp; smoke monitoring. Home automation solutions shrink the home into one’s palm; it guards the home and protects one’s family. It empowers owners as they can control locks and other home appliances while on the move. 
 
Other advancing M2M applications in the consumer segment are vehicle tracking and healthcare solutions. 
 
How early will the technology be deployed here? Do you have any partner on board? 
WebNMS M2M platform’s open API and n-tier architecture allow M2M applications to be built and deployed in a few weeks’ time. Currently, we are working with partners in Dubai and Indonesia.

The Machine2Machine Technology Demystified By Prabhu
Ramachandran

Political machinations during the formation of state and central governments often become interesting and unpredictable. During one such episode that happened over the short period following the announcement of election results in Maharashtra, <keyword id="6355042" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Devendra-Fadnavis">Devendra Fadnavis</keyword> resigned his post shortly after swearing in. This occurrence adds his name in the list of shortest serving Chief Ministers in India. Just three days after swearing in as the chief minister of Maharashtra for his second term, Devendra Fadnavis of the BJP resigned his office. On Tuesday, he submitted his resignation to the Governor of the state <keyword id="314718" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Bhagat-Singh-Koshyari">Bhagat Singh Koshyari</keyword> following the resignation of Ajit Pawar as the deputy CM. Just three days back, the governor had administered the oath of office for these two leaders in a hastily organized ceremony at the Raj Bhavan. The event sent political ripples all over the nation and across all the other parties in the state. Addressing a press meeting immediately after his resignation, Fadnavis remarked, “We don’t have the majority after Ajit Pawar’s resignation as Dy CM.” Devendra Fadnavis held the CM post only for 3 days By resigning his CM post in just three days, Fadnavis becomes the second CM in the state of Maharashtra to have served the shortest term. Before him, PK Sawant who swore in as the CM of Maharashtra in 1963 remained in office only for nine days. Nevertheless, there had been other CMs who remained in their office for very short terms in other states of India. BS Yedyurappa sat on the PM chair just for 3 days Last year when the government of Karnataka was being formed, BS Yedyurappa functioned as the CM only for three days. He resigned shortly after his swearing in since BJP could not show its majority during the floor test in the state assembly. Following his resignation, Yedyurappa joined the list along with Jagadambiga Pal as the shortest serving chief minister. The Supreme Court gave a day’s time for Yedyurappa to prove his majority support in the assembly. Jagdambiga Pal occupied the CM’s seat only for a day In 1988, Jagadambiga Pal served as the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh just for a day. When a floor test was called for, the state assembly witnessed an unprecedented turmoil and violence. Following that, the governor <keyword id="217358" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Romesh-Bhandari">Romesh Bhandari</keyword> recommended that the state comes under President’s rule. <keyword id="2173573" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Satish-Prasad-Singh">Satish Prasad Singh</keyword>’s tenure as the CM lasted just for a week In the year 1968, Satish Prasad Singh swore in as the Chief Minister of Bihar. When he assumed his office, he was the youngest to become the CM of the state. However, he could remain in power only for about a week due to some unexpected political turns. SC Marak remained in the CM’s office only for 13 days In Meghalaya, SC Marak, a senior Congress Leader remained on the CM’s seat only for 13 days. His tenure lasted from February 27, 1998 to March 10, 1998. Janaki Ramachandran functioned as the CM for 23 days only Janaki Ramachandran, wife of AIADMK founder and Chief MG Ramachandran functioned as the Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu only for 23 days. Her tenure stretched from January 7, 1988 to January 30, 1988.

Indian chief ministers who had the shortest stint with power

<div class="KonaFilter image-container display-table"><div><div class="image on-image">Getty ImagesNetflix CEO Reed Hastings.</div></div></div><ul class="summary-list"><li>The Wall Street Journal's Shalini Ramachandran and Joe Flit <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-netflix-radical-transparency-and-blunt-firings-unsettle-the-ranks-1540497174" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spoke</a> to more than 70 current and former <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/netflix" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Netflix</a> employees for a report on the company's radically transparent work culture. </li><li>They reported that some teams at Netflix have dinners or lunches where coworkers take turns giving feedback or criticism to others sitting at the table in "real-time 360" sessions.</li><li>This practice is a part of the company's commitment to transparency.</li></ul>Netflix's 5,400 employees are encourage to give blunt feedback to each other online, in person ... and on occasion, over dinner. <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-netflix-radical-transparency-and-blunt-firings-unsettle-the-ranks-1540497174">The Wall Street Journal</a>'s Shalini Ramachandran and Joe Flit spoke to more than 70 current and former Netflix employees for a report on the company's radically transparent work culture.Not much is kept under wraps at the company. Higher ups at Netflix, like directors and executives, have access to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-salaries-available-to-execs-pay-transparency-2018-10">view salaries of every employee</a> and their pay history. To give feedback, employees use a software called "360" for an annual review of any employee at the company, including CEO <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/category/reed-hastings" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Reed Hastings</a>. Some executives choose to share their 360 feedback with their teams.And sometimes, teams do a version of these reviews in person.Ramachandran and Flit report that some teams at Netflix have dinners or lunches where coworkers take turns giving feedback or criticism to others sitting at the table. Executives call it "real-time 360." "It can be intense and awkward," Brandon Welch, a former talent executive, told The Wall Street Journal.Employees are encouraged to be as forthcoming as possible with feedback, and managers are expected to be honest about whose skills are needed. One of the most intense examples of this transparent culture is the "keeper test." In <a href="https://jobs.netflix.com/culture">Netflix's online culture memo</a>, the company writes: "We focus on managers' judgment through the 'keeper test' for each of their people: If one of the members of the team was thinking of leaving for another firm, would the manager try hard to keep them from leaving?"Business Insider's Nathan McAlone <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-severance-package-4-months-full-pay-2017-6">previously reported</a> that those who don't pass the test are given a severance package and dismissed. The Wall Street Journal report said that Hastings even used the keeper test to decide to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-ceo-reed-hastings-used-keeper-test-to-fire-product-chief-2018-10">fire his product chief and friend</a> after 18 years at the company.Some managers disclosed to the Journal that they feel pressured to fire people or risk "looking soft" to other executives. In 2017, Netflix had an 8% firing rate, which is more than the 6% average. However Netflix had an 11% turnover rate, lower than the 13% average for tech companies, the Journal reported. Netflix disagrees that its culture is harsh, noting to the Journal it ranks second on <a href="https://www.comparably.com/blog/happiest-companies-2018/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Comparably's</a> "Happiest Employees" 2018 list. In response to The Wall Street Journal article, Netflix gave a statement to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-ceo-reed-hastings-used-keeper-test-to-fire-product-chief-2018-10" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Business Insider's Travis Clark</a>:"We believe strongly in maintaining a high performance culture and giving people the freedom to do their best work. Fewer controls and greater accountability enable our employees to thrive, making smarter, more creative decisions, which means even better entertainment for our members. While we believe parts of this piece do not reflect how most employees experience Netflix, we're constantly working to learn and improve."<h2><a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-netflix-radical-transparency-and-blunt-firings-unsettle-the-ranks-1540497174" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read the full article at the Wall Street Journal »</a></h2> <div class="margin-top"> <h3>NOW WATCH: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/netflix-headed-for-huge-profit-milestone-this-year-2018-1">Netflix is headed for a huge profit milestone in 2018</a></h3> <div> </div> </div>

At some Netflix team dinners, employees go around the table and criticize people's work to their face

Apple is still trying to figure out how to crack the TV market. 
Its latest plan involves Comcast, according to <a href="http://stream.wsj.com/story/latest-headlines/SS-2-63399/SS-2-489093/">a new report from Shalini Ramachandran, Daisuke Wakabayashi, Amol Sharma at the Wall Street Journal</a>.
Apple is talking to Comcast about using Apple TV, the little box for streaming video as a cable box that streams video. 
The talks are still in preliminary stages, and seem uncertain to happen.
More to come ...

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