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<keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="india" source="keywords">India</keyword>'s rank on the <keyword id="20020435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Economic-Forum" source="keywords">World Economic Forum</keyword>'s <keyword id="21747126" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Travel-Tourism-Development-Index-2024" source="Orion">Travel &amp; Tourism Development Index 2024</keyword> has risen to 39th place, with global tourism activities returning to pre-pandemic levels, the annual report showed on Tuesday. While the US topped the list, India is ranked highest in South Asia and among the lower-middle-income economies, the <keyword id="102110" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WEF" source="Orion">WEF</keyword> said. India was ranked 54th in the previously published index in 2021, though changes made to the index parameters limit its comparability to earlier years. After the US, Spain, Japan, France and Australia figure among the top five in the 2024 list. The index, prepared in collaboration with the University of Surrey, showed India is highly price-competitive (18th) and boasts competitive Air Transport (26th) and Ground and Port (25th) infrastructure. In particular, India's strong Natural (6th), Cultural (9th) and Non-Leisure (9th) Resources help drive travel, and the country is only one of three to score in the top 10 for all the resource pillars, the WEF said. Moreover, despite a decline compared to 2019, the country still scores well for <keyword id="2173225" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel-and-tourism" source="Orion">travel and tourism</keyword> demand sustainability, especially thanks to more sustainable long stays among inbound visitors. It further said that as with many economies, travel and tourism enabling conditions in India have been impacted by global inflationary supply-side trends for the sector, with price competitiveness declining, while air transport and tourist services infrastructure are yet to recover to the 2019 level. As a result, the country's overall TTDI (Travel and Tourism Development Index) score is 2.1 per cent below its 2019 level. High-income economies in Europe and Asia-Pacific continued to lead the index. "International tourist arrivals and the travel and tourism sector's contribution to global GDP are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, driven by the lifting of COVID-19-related travel restrictions and strong pent-up demand," the WEF said. The Middle East had the highest recovery rates in international tourist arrivals (20 per cent above the 2019 level), while Europe, Africa and the Americas all showed a strong recovery of around 90 per cent in 2023. The biennial index analysed the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries around a range of factors and policies. Germany was ranked 6th, followed by the UK, China, Italy and Switzerland in the top ten. The results highlighted that high-income economies generally continue to have more favourable conditions for travel and tourism development. This was helped by conducive business environments, dynamic labour markets, open travel policies, strong transport and tourism infrastructure, and well-developed natural, cultural and non-leisure attractions.

India rises to rank 39th on WEF's Travel & Tourism Development Index 2024, becomes highest ranked South Asian nation

New York [US], May 21 (ANI): International tourist arrivals and the <keyword id="2173225" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="travel-and-tourism" source="Orion">travel and tourism</keyword> sector's contribution to <keyword id="572312" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-GDP" source="Orion">global GDP</keyword> are expected to return to pre-pandemic levels this year, driven by the complete lifting of COVID-19-related <keyword id="19916662" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="travel" source="keywords">travel</keyword> restrictions and strong pent-up demand, as per the new <keyword id="20020435" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="World-Economic-Forum" source="keywords" meta.keywordsubtype="org" meta.entityname="World Economic Forum" meta.hostid="261" meta.entityid="World Economic Forum">World Economic Forum</keyword> travel and <keyword id="19997361" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tourism" source="keywords">tourism</keyword> study, released on Tuesday. Topping the 2024 list of economies are the US, Spain, Japan, France and Australia. The Middle East had the highest recovery rates in international tourist arrivals - 20 per cent above the 2019 level, while Europe, Africa and the US all showed a strong recovery of around 90 per cent in 2023. <keyword id="21745194" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Travel-and-Tourism-Development-Index-2024" source="Orion">Travel and Tourism Development Index 2024</keyword> (TTDI), a biennial report published in collaboration with the University of Surrey, analysed the travel and tourism sectors of 119 countries around a range of factors and policies. "This year marks a turning point for the travel and tourism sector, which we know has the capacity to unlock growth and serve communities through economic and social transformation," said Francisco Betti, Head of the Global Industries team at the World Economic Forum. "The report offers a forward-looking window into the current and future state of travel and tourism for leaders to navigate the latest trends in this complex sector and sustainably unlock its potential for communities and countries across the world." The <keyword id="840423" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-tourism" source="Orion">global tourism</keyword> industry is expected to recover from the lows of the COVID-19 pandemic and surpass the levels seen before the crisis. As per the report, this is largely being driven by a significant increase in demand worldwide, which has coincided with more available flights, better international openness, and increased interest and investment in natural and cultural attractions. However, the report painted that the global recovery has been mixed. While 71 of the 119 ranked economies increased their index scores since 2019. Although the sector has moved past the shock of the global health crisis, it continues to deal with other external challenges, from growing macroeconomic, geopolitical and environmental risks, to increased scrutiny of its sustainability practices. In addition, labour shortages are ongoing, and air route capacity, capital investment, productivity and other sector supply factors have not kept up with the increase in demand. This imbalance, worsened by global inflation, has increased prices and service issues. Out of the top 30 index scorers in 2024, 26 are high-income economies, 19 are based in Europe, seven are in Asia-Pacific, three are in the Americas and one (the United Arab Emirates) is in the Middle East and North Africa region (MENA). The top 10 countries in the 2024 edition are the United States, Spain, Japan, France, Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom, China, Italy and Switzerland. The results highlight that high-income economies generally continue to have more favourable conditions for travel and tourism development. This is helped by conducive business environments, dynamic labour markets, open travel policies, strong transport and tourism infrastructure, and well-developed natural, cultural and non-leisure attractions. "It's essential to bridge the divide between differing economies' ability to build a strong environment for their travel and tourism sector to thrive," said Iis Tussyadiah, Professor and Head of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of Surrey. "The sector has big potential to foster prosperity and mitigate global risks, but that potential can only be fully realized through a strategic and inclusive approach." If managed strategically, the travel and tourism sector - which has historically represented 10 per cent of global GDP and employment - has the potential to emerge as a key contributor to growth, it said. (ANI)

Worldwide tourism and its contribution to global GDP to return to pre-COVID levels this year: WEF study

<ul><li>India, Indonesia, Mexico, UK and US are set to go for elections in the next two years.</li><li>Widespread misinformation fuelled by elections could threaten democratic processes, says a report by WEF.</li><li>Societal polarisation is among the top three risks over both the current and two-year time horizons.</li><li>AI fuelled <keyword id="2479020" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="fake-news" source="Orion">fake news</keyword>, the emotive effect they have and fast progress versus controls are also worrying stakeholders across the world. </li></ul>It’s a year of many elections across the world. This, on top of two ongoing wars, could make it the year of misinformation and disinformation, says a report by the <keyword id="69007" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-economic-forum" source="Orion">World Economic Forum</keyword> (WEF) in its <keyword id="602682" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="global-risks" source="Orion">global risks</keyword> report 2024. Close to three billion people are expected to head to the electoral polls across several economies – including Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Pakistan, the United Kingdom and the United States – over the next two years. “The widespread use of misinformation and disinformation, and tools to disseminate it, may undermine the legitimacy of newly elected governments. Resulting unrest could range from violent protests and hate crimes to civil confrontation and terrorism,” WEF said. State-backed campaigns too can add fuel to fire in the form of sanctions, cyber offenses, detentions and more. These detentions could also be targeted based on nationality, ethnicity and religion, the report says. In an increasingly polarized world Societal polarization is the third-most severe risk over the short term, and a consistent concern across stakeholder groupings. Societal polarization features among the top three risks over both the current and two-year time horizons. Social polarisation is interconnected to economic downturn, and is an influential set of risk factors. It can serve as drivers for many consequences of numerous risks. “Divisive factors such as political polarization and economic hardship are diminishing trust and a sense of shared values. The erosion of social cohesion is leaving ample room for new and evolving risks to propagate in turn,” it added. And a clear victim of these polarizing effects and perceived reality is the truth. “As polarization grows and technological risks remain unchecked, ‘truth’ will come under pressure,” WEF says. As truth is undermined, propaganda and censorship will rise. “In response to mis- and disinformation, governments could be increasingly empowered to control information based on what they determine to be “true”, WEF worries. AI-powered misinformation highway Who is affecting the truth? AI is leading the misinformation highway, driving more and more factors into it. Apart from being very effective in generating believable content, it’s also becoming much harder to discern even for the digitally educated consumer as well as detection mechanisms. Another layer on top of it AI hallucinated content. In the survey, most people voted AI-generated misinformation and disinformation as the second biggest risk after extreme weather conditions that could rock the calendar year. “Such information can thus still be emotively powerful, blurring the line between malign and benign use,” the report says. For example, an AI-generated campaign video could influence voters and fuel protests, or in more extreme scenarios, lead to violence or radicalization, even if it carries a warning by the platform on which it is shared that it is fabricated content. The report says that synthetic content will manipulate individuals, damage economies and fracture societies in numerous ways over the next two years. It will also aid the proliferation of new classes of crime like non-consensual deepfake pornography or stock market manipulation. “However, even as the insidious spread of misinformation and disinformation threatens the cohesion of societies, there is a risk that some governments will act too slowly, facing a trade-off between preventing misinformation and protecting free speech, while repressive governments could use enhanced regulatory control to erode human rights,” WEF report says.

Election fuelled misinformation is serious global risk in 2024, says WEF

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

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

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 class="summary-list"><li>Narendra Modi's party won far fewer seats than expected in India's election.</li><li>Modi's weakened majority may make it tougher for his government to push through reforms.</li></ul>Narendra Modi looks set to secure a historic third term leading Indian despite his party winning <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-election-results-narendra-modi-bjp-congress-2024-6">far fewer seats than exit polls had suggested</a>.The outcome sent <a target="_blank" href="https://markets.businessinsider.com/news/stocks/india-stock-market-news-narendra-modi-election-nse-nifty-50-2024-6">Mumbai-listed stocks plummeting</a> — and Modi's significantly weakened majority could be a source of concern for American businesses, too.Modi's decade as Prime Minister has often been controversial, with his vision of building a "divine India" fueling <a target="_blank" href="https://edition.cnn.com/2024/02/05/india/india-modi-ram-temple-analysis-intl-hnk/index.html">a rise in Hindu nationalism</a> that's threatened to marginalize other religious groups.But his pro-growth, pro-business policies have boosted growth and drawn in huge amounts of foreign investment — as well as winning the support of some of the <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/modi-india-election-economy-russia-oil-wealth-dimon-cook-musk-2024-5">loudest voices on Wall Street</a>."Modi has done an unbelievable job in India," JPMorgan boss Jamie Dimon told <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-jamie-dimon-economy-inflation-recession-stagflation-geopolitics-crypto-bitcoin-2024-4">the Economic Club of New York</a> in April. "I know the liberal press here, they beat the hell out of him. He's taken 400 million people out of poverty."Elon Musk has also <a target="_blank" href="https://x.com/elonmusk/status/1781541775183610310">posted on X</a> about his desire to visit India and meet with Modi. The pair are expected to discuss Tesla's plan to build a multibillion-dollar new factory in the world's most-populated country.Meanwhile, Apple CEO Cook said on a November earnings call that India is an "incredibly exciting market" and a "major focus of ours" given the explosive growth in potential customers as locals get richer. Modi has also met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, Microsoft boss Satya Nadella, and Alphabet's Sundar Pichai in recent years.<h2 id="cc1fb394-3381-4ed0-9ccc-2a81f77556e6">Political stability</h2>"I think most investors have read the tea leaves and have realized that some of the political stability and predictable policies that they expect, that they desire when it comes to making investment decisions, is likely to be available in India," Rajesh Kumar Singh, a trade official for India, told Business Insider in January at <a target="_blank" href="https://www.businessinsider.com/davos-global-elite-saying-about-ai-behind-closed-doors-2024-1">the World Economic Forum in Davos</a>."I think the trick for India is going to be political stability, going forward for a period of time — because I think a lot of the economic fundamentals are there," Andy Baldwin, a partner at EY, said at the same conference.But Modi's significantly reduced majority could erode that sense of stability and make it tougher for him to pass further pro-market reforms, analysts said on Tuesday.<h2 id="f9ebf5af-aee7-426d-b5c8-03320c6cb9dc">China hedge</h2>"The fear will be that if he has to rely on alliances with smaller parties, any market-friendly policies will be diluted," Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, wrote in a research note."Some may now worry that India's lofty earnings rating leaves it exposed on the downside now that the political narrative may not be quite as clear cut as once thought," he added.One appeal of India for the likes of Dimon, Musk, and Cook will likely have been Modi's firm grip on power, as USA Inc aims to hedge its bets on China given its strained relationship with the US and post-pandemic economic woes.The surprise election result could undermine that confidence.

Modi's election surprise raises questions about India for USA Inc 

<ul><li>The <keyword id="69007" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="world-economic-forum" source="Orion">World Economic Forum</keyword> has picked ten breakthrough technologies that show promise for the future. </li><li>Flexible batteries, <keyword id="15777223" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="generative-ai" source="Orion">generative AI</keyword>, <keyword id="7931350" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="sustainable-aviation-fuel" source="Orion">sustainable aviation fuel</keyword>, wearable sensors for plants and <keyword id="432748" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="green-computing" source="Orion">green computing</keyword> are some of them. </li><li>Many other biological breakthroughs like designer phages, metaverse for mental health, brain-machine interfaces and more have made it to the list. </li></ul>The world is changing fast with new dangers and permacrisis afoot. However, the good news is that a number of breakthrough new technologies are working to make it a better place. The World Economic Forum has picked ten such for 2023 — right from deep biology that can look into the cells to flexible batteries that can be twisted, bent and stretched. To make it to this coveted list, the technologies must offer promising major benefits to societies and economies, be disruptive, attractive to investors and researchers; and expected to have achieved considerable scale within five years. “New technologies have the power to disrupt industries, grow economies, improve lives and safeguard the planet – if designed, scaled and deployed responsibly,” said Jeremy Jurgens, Managing Director, World Economic Forum and Head of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In the past, the WEF has picked many such winners — like the genetic-engineering tool CRISPR-Cas9 which was featured in 2015, went on to win the Nobel Prize five years later. “It is now being used to create insect and drought-resistant crops in harsh growing conditions around the world,” said Jurgens. Messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) vaccines, earned their place in the 2017 report, became the technology underpinning the majority of Covid-19 vaccines protecting lives worldwide. AI-led molecular design made it onto the 2018 list. Since then, Deepmind’s AlphaFold predicted the structure of 200 million proteins, and the first AI-discovered drugs have entered clinical trials. Let’s look what technologies made it to this year’s list: Flexible batteries: Bend, twist &amp; stretch The world is going flex – with rollable computer screens to smart clothing. And the systems that power them should be so too. Flexible batteries, made of lightweight materials that can be easily twisted, bent or stretched, will soon hit the market and make standard rigid batteries a thing of the past. “The rapidly escalating development of wearable devices, flexible electronics and bendable displays demand power sources that match the agility of these systems,” the report says. One study forecasts that the global flexible battery market will grow by $240.47 million from 2022-2027, accelerating at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.79%, says WEF. Several companies like LG Chem, Samsung SDI, Apple, Nokia are are actively developing and commercialising flexible battery technology. Generative AI: Sparring partner to conventional thinking Imagine an algorithm that can draw the image that a human holds in his mind? That’s one example of the boundless potential of generative AI which can design drugs, aid in architecture and engineering — in addition to what ChatGPT does. NASA engineers are working to use this technology to build lightweight spaceflight instruments. But this technology needs to build something more, trust. “To build public trust in generative AI, applications should meet agreed-upon professional and ethical standards. Care should be taken to mitigate AI bias based on training data, with a focus on including “outlier” data and novel societal conventions,” WEF says. It should also address copyright attribution and more. With correct controls, generative AI can demonstrate the boundaries of knowledge, and act as a sparring partner to challenge conventional thinking. Sustainable aviation fuel: Moving up, with challenges ahead The road-bound cousins of aeroplanes – cars, bikes and more are going green at a rapid pace. However, the cost of making the aviation sector, which contributes to 2-3% of CO2 emissions annually, is enormous. Enter sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) that’s produced from biomass, and non-biological resources. Now it makes up for 1% of the global jet fuel demand, but must rise to 13-15% by 2040, WEF says. “Such an increase will require the creation of 300-400 new SAF plants; and airlines, manufacturers and fuel companies are working around the clock to enable this level of scale,” the report says, adding that availability and collection of raw materials, along with the need for sustainably produced green hydrogen, remain major challenges. Designer Phages: Virus that carry ‘genetic scissors’ Viruses, as scary as they are, can be engineered to benefit humans. Key to this engineering are phages – viruses that selectively infect specific types of bacteria. Upon infection, a phage injects its genetic information into the bacterium. With ‘genetic scissors’, these phages can execute a set of instructions – they can change a bacterium’s functions. It can be made into a therapeutic molecule or to become sensitive to a certain drug and more. “Phages are also being designed as feed supplements to enhance the growth of livestock, treat certain plant diseases and eliminate dangerous bacteria in food supply chains,” WEF says. Locus Biosciences and Eligo Biosciences are using this approach to combat antibiotic-resistant bacteria. Metaverse for mental health: Augmenting connections The Covid-19 pandemic has pushed the mental health crisis to such an extent that the world is falling short of health providers. The conditions are ripe for metaverse-enabled mental health treatment, WEF says. “Maturing interface technologies could further augment social and emotional connections between distant participants,” the report says. Many players are already working on it with gamification and other ways which can also reduce the stigma attached with mental health. Noninvasive neurotechnologies can provide feedback attuned to a user’s emotional state. For example, Neurable headsets use electrodes to measure emotion and can adjust music accordingly. Eventually, the metaverse will also connect to therapeutic neurotechnologies, such as direct brain stimulation to treat intractable depression,” WEF adds. Wearable plant sensors: The new frontier Traditionally, crops have been monitored via soil testing and visual inspections, both of which are expensive and time-consuming. Recent tech advancements have been monitoring crop health via low-resolution satellite data, which has gone on to sensor equipped drones and tractors which provide information. The next frontier is monitoring individual plants – with wearables. “These sensors are small, non-invasive devices that can be attached to crop plants for continuous monitoring of temperature, humidity, moisture and nutrient levels,” the report says. Growvera and Phytech have developed micro-sized needle sensors that insert into a plant’s leaves or stems to measure changes in electrical resistance, but challenges remain in terms of expense and the reading of the data might need specialised expertise. It needs data analytics tools that can help farmers ‘read it’ and make informed decisions. Spatial omics: Unravelling evolutionary secrets Humans are made of millions of cells —- but what happens inside them? Spatial omics might actually help us ‘see’ the biological processes, how they work in detail that was unprecedented before. A spatial omics study of samples from people who died from Covid-19 revealed that SARS-CoV-2 causes widespread disruption of cellular pathways across all tissues. Scientists have also identified a set of neurons that help paralysed mice walk, sooner. But this technology needs to be democratised, WEF believes. It had a total market value of $232.6 million in 2021 and an estimated revenue of $587.2 million in 2030. While academic and translational research centres made up 89% of the market in 2020, the market is dramatically expanding to include pharmaceutical and biotech industries. Flexible neural electronics: Biocompatible now Brain-machine interfaces (BMIs) allow electrical signals the brain produces to be captured by sensor hardware – and are already being used for patients with epilepsy, and create prosthetic limbs connected to the nervous system. But the current implants are made of hard material like chips, which can scar humans and cause substantial discomfort. They cannot bend or adapt to brain movements so, over time, they “drift” in position, decreasing the accuracy. But now researchers developed these circuits on biocompatible materials that are soft and flexible. It can deepen understanding of conditions like dementia and autism; and can also be used to develop cardiac pacemakers and more. But eventually, it holds the potential to true human-AI interfacing – but since the data from the brain is sensitive, privacy and ethical use guidelines must be established. Sustainable computing: Optimism ahead Every time we search on Google, send email or use any form of AI, we are connecting to data centres — which consume an estimated 1% of the electricity produced globally. And, this will only grow. There is no single “green data” magic bullet, but the coming decade will see strides toward net-zero-energy data centres. The first is to use cooling systems to dissipate the heat. Stockholm is using heat from data centres to heat homes. Then, AI itself can come with a solution for the heat it is generating, but analysing and optimising energy use in real-time. DeepMind has successfully demonstrated the potential of AI-powered energy management, achieving up to a 40% reduction in energy consumption at Google’s data centres. Crusoe Energy instals its modular data centres at sites where methane flaring occurs to enable cloud computing infrastructure to be powered by methane gas that would otherwise have been released directly into the atmosphere. “Given the wave of innovation and investment in this area, there is reason to be optimistic about the years ahead,” WEF says. AI-facilitated healthcare: Easing access Ever since the pandemic governments and academic teams alike have been using AI and ML models to improve access to patient care – to cut down the long delays many patients experience. This can aid developing nations in particular. India, for example, has a widely dispersed population of over 1.4 billion and has embraced an AI-based approach to enhance medical outreach. “The Indian government has enabled physicians to engage remote communities through assistive technologies, with requisite privacy safeguards in place,” the report says. However, hurdles to this system remain like patient compliance and national security concerns. “Moreover, any system that curates personal data on the health and welfare of a vast population must function within the bounds of a carefully crafted legal and ethical framework,” WEF says.

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