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<ul><li>Two wheeler sales were robust in January with top players seeing over 20% growth in sales volume.</li><li>Passenger vehicles sales went up in the mid teens, with sales tilting towards utility vehicles.</li><li>Commercial vehicle sales fell marginally, but tractor sales declined sharply. </li></ul>Indians kept up with their love for cars and bikes in the month of January, but tractor sales showed a sharp fall, indicating extended pain in the rural markets. Passenger vehicles sales went up in the mid teens, with sales tilting towards utility vehicles. “As per our estimates, domestic PV industry wholesale volumes increased by low teens <keyword id="19921444" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="yoy" source="keywords">YoY</keyword> driven by channel filling whereas retail sales grew by single digit during the month,” said a report by Kotak Institutional Equities. The country’s largest automaker Maruti Suzuki posted a robust 16% sales volume even as its mini portfolio of <keyword id="20400567" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="alto" source="keywords">Alto</keyword> and S Presso fell by 37%. Its utility vehicle portfolio sales doubled as compared to January 2023, indicating a shift in consumer preferences. Hyundai Motors reported 14% growth whereas Toyota witnessed strong growth of 92% on a YoY basis in January. Tractor sales slump Tata Motors too showed the same pattern as its total auto sales went up 6%, with commercial vehicle (CV) sales falling by around 2%. Even VE Commercial Vehicles saw its CV volumes slip by 2%. <keyword id="19967472" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="mahindra" source="keywords">Mahindra</keyword> and Mahindra too posted 15% sales growth on the back of its robust UV sales, even as its tractor sales declined by 17%. <keyword id="19906966" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="ashok-leyland" source="keywords">Ashok Leyland</keyword> and Escorts also saw tractor sales decline by 7% each. “Domestic tractor industry volumes saw a low-teen decline owing to tapering of agriculture activities led by a delayed harvesting season and lower rabi sowing. Announcement of higher horticulture production, government support and improved Rabi sowing will support demand recovery in coming months,” opines Kotak. January auto sales <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none;"></colgroup><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Company </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">January sales </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">YoY change </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Maruti Suzuki </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">199,364 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">16% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Mahindra &amp; Mahindra </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">97,892 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Tata Motors </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">86,125 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">TVS Motor </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"> 339,513 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">23% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Bajaj </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;"> 356,010 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">25% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Hero Moto Corp </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">433,598 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">21.6% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Escorts Kubota </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">6,185 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-7% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">Ashok Leyland </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">15,939 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-7% </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">VE Commercial Vehicles </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">7,066 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;overflow:hidden;overflow-wrap:break-word;">-2% </td></tr></tbody></table>Source: Kotak report Two wheelers: Off to a flying start Steady demand, a favourable base has pushed two-wheeler sales of most players, even as exports remained tepid during the month. All the three listed players - Hero, Bajaj and <keyword id="20036540" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="tvs" source="keywords">TVS</keyword>’ sales grew over 20% during the month. As per a report by Jefferies, two wheeler sales will outpace that of passenger vehicles in 2024, due to pent-up demand. The sales of two wheelers which have been lagging behind passenger vehicles (PVs) for the last three years; are expected to catch up. It expects two wheelers sales to grow at 15% compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) over the next two years, while passenger vehicles and trucks are expected to grow at 7-8% CAGR. PVs on the other hand, which showed robust growth for the last two years, will grow albeit at a lower pace. “Compared to the respective FY19 peaks, FY23 volumes were 23% lower for 2Ws but 15% higher for PVs,” said Jefferies. In 2023, 2Ws started charting their recovery, and grew at 9.5% as compared to 11% growth seen in PVs, as per data by Federation of Automobile Dealers Associations (FADA). New model launches as well as lower fuel prices and crop payments can also aid growth, the association said in its 2024 outlook.

Tractor sales stutter in January as two-wheelers zoom ahead

<ul><li>In India only two third of the police stations across 22 states have access to a functional computer. </li><li>One in every five Indian police officer says they don't have to technology to investigate cyber crimes. </li><li>Forget computers, one in every ten police station do not have access to drinking water. </li></ul>In India, a third of police stations across 22 states do not have access to a functional computer, reported Status of Policing in India 2019. This is in spite of the fact that cybercrime in India grew by a massive 457% in the last five years. Yet, one in every five Indian police officers says they don't have to technology to investigate cyber crimes. The police are not well equipped to handle offline crimes either. As many as 46% police officials said they have faced a situation when they needed a vehicle but didn't get any. Moreover, 41% say that they are understaffed, and unable to reach a crime scene on time. The state government typically allocates 3% of its budget to the police department. However, most of the allocated budget goes into salaries and other capital expenditure, leaving no room for development. The resources in police departments are so low that 28% say they purchased stationery, carbon paper in the past 2-3 years from their pocket to keep the work going. Forget computers, one in every ten police station do not have access to drinking water Screenshot from Status of Policing in India 2019 According to the study, many police stations lack clean toilets and drinking water facilities. As many as 18% of police officers said their station doesn’t have clean bathrooms. Further, 10% of the police personnel said they do not have a drinking water facility. In fact, some of the police stations do not even have a sitting area or provision for food, all of which affect their ability to devote more time towards investigation. The police officers in India are already overworked as they pull in 14 hour shifts, and miss weekly offs sometimes. See also: <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="71075344" title="Tired of 14-hour work days, a third of Indian police officers are keen on quitting" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div>

Indian police stations are struggling to access computers as cybercrime zooms

<ul class="summary-list"><li><keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> has been in a standoff in <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> over censoring accounts amid huge anti-government protests.</li><li><keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword>'s Government has backed <keyword id="3518161" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="koo">Koo</keyword>, an app so similar to Twitter it even has a bird logo.</li><li>The "free expression" app, which has been accused of hosting hate speech, doesn't moderate content.</li></ul><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/india-government-attack-us-celebrities-backing-farmer-protests-burn-effigies-2021-2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">India's farmers' protests</a> put Twitter in a censorship standoff with the Indian Government, which reacted by backing "Koo", the app mimics tweets and says it has no plans to moderate its content.Koo is just 10 months old. But <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/how-twitters-india-standoff-dragged-in-journalists-and-activists-2021-2">Twitter's refusal to block accounts supporting the protests outside Delhi </a>- where tens of thousands farmers have come to global attention in their bitter, at times violent, demonstrations against new agriculture laws - has been its making.Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ministers were among those encouraging people in the world's second-fastest growing internet economy to switch to Koo. It crossed more than 4.1 million downloads in two weeks in February and has secured $4.1 million in funding.Celebrities, politicians, and right-wing publications are now "Kooing". Even the yellow bird logo and the name - Koo is a bird's sound in Hindi - emphasize its desire to challenge Twitter. Some even cheekily used Tweets to announce their new Koo profiles."I am now on Koo," says <a href="https://twitter.com/PiyushGoyal/status/1359058583934013442">the pinned tweet</a> of Piyush Goyal, India's minister of railways, commerce, and industry who has more than 9.5 million followers on Twitter. "Connect with me on this Indian micro-blogging platform for real-time, exciting, and exclusive updates."According to mobile analytics firm Sensor Tower, Koo's downloads soared by 159.9% on February 9, the day Goyal endorsed it.This was on top of a 186.8% jump in downloads the previous day, triggered when Twitter published <a href="https://help.twitter.com/en/rules-and-policies/tweet-withheld-by-country">a defiant response</a> to the government.<div type="image" title="Koo account" height="1200" width="1696" msid="81278576" hostid="261"></div>"We strongly believe that the open and free exchange of information has a positive global impact," Twitter wrote, "and that the Tweets must continue to flow." The surge put Koo at the top of the app charts. Koo was founded in the southern city of Bangalore by Aprameya Radhakrishna, who sold his cab-hailing startup for $200 million to Uber's biggest rival in India, and Mayank Bidawatka, a serial entrepreneur.At first glance, the similarities with Twitter are remarkable. Koo lets you follow people, read updates in a reverse-chronological feed, add and track hashtags, post a "Koo" in up to 350 characters, attach media, and respond to and like other people's Koos.But Koo has features, unavailable on Twitter, that are tailored to the Indian market. it is compatible with a handful of Indian languages and lets people filter out content by their chosen language, which helps in a country where only 10% of the population speaks English.<div type="image" title="Koo as it appears in the Google Play Store" height="1120" width="1434" msid="81278578" hostid="261"></div>It also has a dedicated button for forwarding "Koos" to WhatsApp, India's most popular messaging app.But arguably what truly sets this social network apart is its lack of content moderation. Its homepage invites people to "join India's best minds that speak their mind".Its founders say they won't govern their network the way the likes of Twitter and Facebook currently struggle to do. Instead, when Koo discovers any post that can be deemed unlawful, it will hand it over to the government for action."We don't govern. Why should we govern? It's a free-expression platform," <a href="https://restofworld.org/2021/how-koo-became-a-right-wing-darling-in-india/">Radhakrishna recently said</a>, "We're not the ones to take action. There's an elected government. Irrespective of who runs the government in the future ... If it's going to lead to violence, we'll cooperate with the government."The Indian government meanwhile has pulled out all the stops to make Twitter fall in line, with Koo effectively becoming a weapon in the fight. Twitter has since agreed to comply partially with India's banning order, suspending more than 500 accounts. Challenging Twitter is no easy feat - it has 340 million users worldwide. In late November, another Twitter-esque app called Tooter got a lot of attention. Its brash "About" page likened Twitter's dominance in India to the British Empire in the days before independence. But the absence of diverse voices meant its early adopters soon left.<div type="image" title="Koo homepage" height="1124" width="1800" msid="81278580" hostid="261"></div>Modi's government's endorsement of Koo has made it particularly inviting to India's right-wing and supporters of the governing party.Nikhil Pahwa, a digital rights activist and founder of tech policy publication MediaNama, posted on Koo about the internet shutdowns authorities imposed to disrupt the protests and was soon flooded with "hateful comments and responses," he told Insider. Pahwa said he found Koo's approach to moderating "extremely problematic." "To allow any platform that just gives a wholesale licence to the government to censor our speech is not a platform worth being on," he said. This has led many to draw parallels between Koo and <keyword id="9465142" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="parler">Parler</keyword>, a US-based "free-speech social network" that grew after Twitter began censoring and <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/trump-twitter-ban-wont-be-lifted-if-runs-president-again-2021-2">eventually banned former President Donald Trump</a>.Radhakrishna has dismissed the comparison, telling tech blog Rest Of World that Parler was a "pro-Trump thing", adding, "We are existing today irrespective of whether Twitter gets into trouble or not, irrespective of one ideology being there or not. We exist because we want to give a voice to every Indian."But while <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/parler-website-is-back-online-2021-1">Parler has struggled</a>, Koo might thrive under India's current administration. Modi has made the "Make in India" campaign his party's centerpiece and has rolled out policies that promote domestic manufacturing and Indian startups.The government is reportedly developing a range of homegrown apps aimed at eventually replacing Western services like WhatsApp, Zoom, and of course, Twitter.China has already gone down this road with apps such as TikTok and WeChat. Will India follow? "I know that the Indian government has China envy," Pahwa said. "They want to exercise the kind of control that the Chinese government does over speech and over technology in its country. "But I sure hope India doesn't become like that."Koo did not respond to a request for comment from Insider.

Koo, the 'free expression' social media app, is the Indian government's latest weapon in its standoff with Twitter

Equity benchmark <keyword id="6484188" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="sensex">Sensex</keyword> rallied over 1,400 points in opening session on Wednesday as <keyword id="6354814" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="prime-minister-narendra-modi">Prime Minister Narendra Modi</keyword>'s Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package to revive the coronavirus-hit economy boosted domestic investor sentiment. After touching a high of 32,845.48, the 30-share index pared some early gains to trade 818.68 points or 2.61 per cent higher at 32,189.80. Similarly, NSE Nifty soared 213.50 points, or 2.32 per cent, to 9,410.05. ICICI Bank was the top gainer in the Sensex pack, surging around 7 per cent, followed by L&amp;T, Axis Bank, Bajaj Finance, Hero MotoCorp, M&amp;M, UltraTech Cement and Maruti. On the other hand, <keyword id="6356830" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="nestle-india">Nestle India</keyword>, <keyword id="6354287" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="bharti-airtel">Bharti Airtel</keyword>, <keyword id="44642" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Sun-Pharma">Sun Pharma</keyword> and <keyword id="6355199" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance-industries">Reliance Industries</keyword> were trading in the red. In the previous session, the BSE barometer settled 190.10 points or 0.60 per cent lower at 31,371.12, and broader Nifty declined 42.65 points, or 0.46 per cent, to 9,196.55. Foreign portfolio investors offloaded equities worth Rs 1,662.03 crore in the capital market on Tuesday, provisional exchange data showed. According to analysts, domestic investors cheered the government's massive stimulus package to revive the pandemic-stricken economy. The Prime Minister on Tuesday announced massive new financial incentives on top of the previously announced packages for a combined stimulus of Rs 20 lakh crore. He said the package will be around 10 per cent of the GDP and "will play an important role in the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat Abhiyan' (self-reliant India campaign). The special economic package will have emphasis on land, labour, liquidity and laws, and will be for "our labourers, farmers, honest tax payers, MSMEs and cottage industry", Modi said. Meanwhile, bourses in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Tokyo and Seoul were trading with losses as fears of a second wave of coronavirus infections gripped global markets. On Wall Street, stock exchanges settled on a negative note. International oil benchmark Brent crude futures were trading 1.53 per cent lower at USD 29.52 per barrel. In India, the death toll due to COVID-19 rose to 2,415 and the number of cases climbed to 74,281, according to the health ministry. Globally, the number of cases linked to the disease has crossed 42.61 lakh and the death toll has topped 2.91 lakh. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/how-corporate-india-reacted-to-modis-stimulus-package/articleshow/75692607.cms">This is how corporate India reacted to Modi’s stimulus package</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/maruti-suzuki-share-price-investors-expect-sales-and-margin-to-shrink/articleshow/75708285.cms">Maruti Suzuki saw a sales decline of 16% in Jan-March⁠— investors wait to see the margin squeeze</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/finance/news/kotak-mahindra-bank-earnings-and-share-price-expectation/articleshow/75707938.cms">Kotak Mahindra Bank's earnings may reflect the pain in India’s auto sector as well as the rising job losses and pay cuts</a>

Modi's stimulus package gets Indian markets excited — Sensex zooms over 1,400 points

<ul><li>According to data by the <keyword id="76562" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Confederation-of-All-India-Traders" source="Orion">Confederation of All India Traders</keyword> (CAIT), over 3 million marriages will take place this <keyword id="6393318" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Wedding-season" source="Orion">wedding season</keyword> in India, which will generate a business of over ₹3.75 lakh crore. </li><li>Hotels in North India are already sold out for this and the upcoming season next year already. </li><li>Most weddings continue to have shorter guest lists, in spite of high budgets. </li><li>Young couples are choosing off-season weddings.</li></ul>The onset of winter always spells a boom for the wedding market in India, but this season is different. After the Zoom weddings during the pandemic, this season 3.2 million weddings are expected to be held over December and January, as per CAIT. Like the festival season, there is no scrimping of the budgets either but something has changed after the pandemic. Call it the side effect of inflation or just a change in mindset, but weddings in India are more intimate affairs now, with thinner guest lists. “The pandemic has made the trend of mid-scale weddings with limited guests a big success. Couples are now keen to do small events and going big on intricate details,” Anam Zubair, head of marketing, <keyword id="13318814" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="WeddingWire" source="Orion">WeddingWire</keyword> India told Business Insider India. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Size does matter" comment="subhead" text="Size does matter">Size does matter</cmsannotation> Weddings are once-in-a-lifetime events, and Indians are known for throwing ‘<keyword id="486654" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Big-fat-Indian-weddings" source="Orion">big fat Indian weddings</keyword>’. As per a <a href="https://www.livemint.com/politics/news/band-baaja-baraat-returns-with-gusto-11668965532547.html">KPMG report</a>, an Indian is likely to spend a fifth of his or her lifetime earnings on a wedding, and they can cost anywhere between ₹5 lakh to ₹5 crore. Over the last two years, the few weddings that were held during the pandemic had to stick to a slim guest list, following government’s restrictions on gatherings. Though the restrictions have been lifted, experts believe that the idea of an intimate wedding has struck a chord with people, and it’s here to stay. “The big fat Indian wedding has evolved and while people are spending more or less the same amount, the guest list size has significantly come down. From 400-500 guests on an average pre-Covid, it has now come down to 200-250. But the spending has not reduced as couples are focusing on enhancing the guest experience,” Zubair further explained. There, however, are exceptions, like in the case of a section of business families, who are continuing with their love for going big on celebrating marital unions. “In India, the concept of slim and slack weddings will coexist with big fat weddings. While the business families are back to big fat weddings with long guest lists, young couples still prefer intimate marriages,” Parthip Thyagarajan, CEO at <keyword id="4316003" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="weddingsutra" source="Orion">WeddingSutra</keyword>, a wedding portal, told Business Insider India. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Small but grand" comment="subhead" text="Small but grand">Small but grand</cmsannotation> Even as most couples are thinking ‘small’, it has had no effect on the size of the wedding season, that’s expected to hold around 3 million weddings. As per a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/estimated-32-lakh-weddings-till-dec-14-with-a-trade-of-rs-3-75-lakh-cr/articleshow/95352679.cms">report</a> by Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT), this year’s wedding season is expected to generate a business of about ₹3.75 lakh crore - an increase by 25% since last year. This, however, covers wedding purchases, services along with allied factors like house repairs that are undertaken as a part of wedding preparations. And, around 11% of the 3 million weddings are expected to be held in the national capital of India. In fact, most hotels in North India are already sold out for this and the upcoming wedding season next year. “We are getting a good response regarding the number of queries generated at our properties. Quite a few bookings have been confirmed until February 2023,” Vishal Lonkar, general manager, business development, <keyword id="14087766" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="renest-hotels-and-resorts" source="Orion">Renest Hotels and Resorts</keyword> told Business Insider India. Couples are now more focussed on perfect decor, cuisines and other smaller details, say experts. “Instead of a huge number of guests, the trend has shifted to grand weddings with a grand layout, décor, smaller number of guests, intimate gatherings, bespoke experiences, personalized services, exemplary selection of cuisine, beverages, the emphasis is ‘on the moment’, ‘luxury’, ‘larger than life’,” Kush Kapoor, CEO, <keyword id="3629833" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="roseate-hotels-and-resorts" source="Orion">Roseate Hotels and Resorts</keyword> told Business Insider India. Thanks to the wider selections being demanded by couples, the per plate costs of weddings also went up this season. “The cost has marginally increased by about 15%, but this is more to do with guests preferring luxurious, bespoke experiences, opting for more unique, global, fine dining cuisines, elaborate menus, wider selections,” Kapoor of Roseate Hotels further highlighted. <cmsannotation type="cmsannotation" annotationid="Off-season weddings in trend now" comment="subhead" text="Off-season weddings in trend now">Off-season weddings in trend now</cmsannotation> Couples who are now focussed on better wedding experiences are also willing to forego the muhurats or the traditional weddings seasons. This trend too was evident in the number of off-season weddings that took place this year, ahead of the busy November season. Zubair also says that they have seen an 18% y-o-y increase in couple sign-ups for bookings for off-season weddings. “It helps them reduce their wedding expenses significantly. During the wedding season/muhurat dates, both venues and vendors like photographers, caterers, etc. charge higher for the same products/services. In the over $50 million Indian wedding industry, this trend continues to resonate with consumers and drive new revenue opportunities for professionals,” Zubair said. SEE ALSO: <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/companies-discussing-labour-shortage-up-by-28-in-2022-report/articleshow/95654525.cms">Companies discussing labour shortage up by 28% in 2022: Report</a> <a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/science/space/news/humans-will-be-able-to-live-for-longer-periods-on-the-moon-in-this-decade-says-nasa/articleshow/95652408.cms">Humans will be able to live for longer periods on the Moon in this decade, says NASA</a>

Big fat Indian weddings back but with slimmer guest lists

New Delhi, July 6 (IANS) Facing social media onslaught over it being a Chinese company, US-based video meet platform Zoom on Monday that they are clear about its identity and plan to significantly invest and hire local talent in the country over the next five years. Velchamy Sankarlingam who is President of Engineering and Products at Zoom said India is and will continue to be an important market for Zoom. "We do recognize that as we continue to introduce ourselves to the Indian market, there has been some confusion about the facts as it relates to Zoom. We want to work through these," said Sankarlingam who joined Zoom in May from enterprise softare major VMware. He said that some of the misconceptions are disheartening, especially those about Zoom and China. "Zoom has been clear about its identity: Zoom is a US company, publicly traded on the NASDAQ, founded and headquartered in San Jose, California. And like many global technology companies, Zoom has offices in China operated by subsidiaries of the US parent company," emphasized Sankarlingam who spent more than nine years at VMware. The popular video conferencing platform Zoom was left stunned last month after the Indian intelligence agencies red-flagged it along with Chinese apps over safety and privacy issues of users. Later, when the Indian government banned 59 Chinese apps over national security concerns, Zoom was also targeted on various social media platform for being Chinese. According to Sankarlingam, they look forward to engaging with more stakeholders in India in the coming months to support key priorities such as Digital India, StartUp India, and Skills India, as well as introducing them to Zoom. "We will expand our footprint and hiring more top talent in the region," he added. Zoom's presence in India is represented on the ground by an office in Mumbai, as well as two data centres (one in Mumbai and the other in Hyderabad). Three of Zoom's top executives are of Indian descent: Aparna Bawa, Chief Operating Officer; Sunil Madan, Corporate Chief Information Officer; and Sankarlingam. "These characteristics are why many global technology companies, including my former employer VMWare, choose to invest in India as a key regional operational hub, and we are looking to expand our service to as many of India's 1.3 billion people as we can reach," said Sankarlingam. --IANS na/

No China origin, will invest and hire more in India: Zoom

<ul><li><keyword id="6354504" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="reliance-jio">Reliance Jio</keyword> has launched <keyword id="9035830" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="JioMeet">JioMeet</keyword>, its free video conferencing platform.</li><li>JioMeet will take on existing platforms like Zoom, <keyword id="4237083" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="google-meet">Google Meet</keyword> and Microsoft Teams.</li><li>JioMeet allows up to 100 participants and users can host a call for up to 24 hours.</li></ul>Indian telecom operator Reliance Jio has announced the launch of JioMeet, a free video conferencing app that will take on the likes of Zoom, Google Meet and Microsoft Teams. The HD video conferencing app has been available for beta users for over a month now and has finally been launched for <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.jio.rilconferences&amp;hl=en_IN">Android</a> and <a href="https://apps.apple.com/in/app/jiomeet/id1507770643">iOS</a> users. It can also be accessed through Google Chrome and Mozilla Firefox on computers. The Coronavirus pandemic and lockdowns across the world have led to an increase in the usage of video conferencing apps. Zoom has emerged as one of the most popular platforms and has witnessed a substantial increase in usage. JioMeet features The JioMeet app allows users to set up a one on one call or a conference call with up to 100 participants with enterprise-grade host controls. The JioMeet app offers similar features such as Zoom, including the ability for users to join a meeting without having to sign in. Users can simply use a ‘Meeting ID’ or a ‘Personal link name’ to join a meeting. JioMeet allows users to host or join an unlimited number of calls. Additionally, unlike Zoom that limits the duration of calls with three or more users to 40 minutes, JioMeet has said that its calls can last even for up to 24 hours. The ‘enterprise grade host controls’ offered in JioMeets include password protection for meetings, multi-device login support, ability to share screen, a waiting room, ability to schedule meetings and more. Devices that support JioMeet <ul><li>Android devices running on Android 5.0 and above.</li><li>iOS devices running on iOS 9 or above.</li><li>Windows 10 devices.</li><li>Mac devices running on version 10.13 and above.</li></ul>SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-airtel-share-price-may-gain-as-broadband-plan-rates-fall/articleshow/76525187.cms">Home broadband bills could come down if government cuts its share⁠ — big boost for Reliance Jio and Airtel</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/even-before-the-india-china-clash-asias-richest-man-mukesh-ambani-was-working-on-replacing-huawei/articleshow/76460868.cms">Even before the India-China clash, Asia’s richest man Mukesh Ambani was working on replacing Huawei</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/zoom-expects-to-boost-revenue-by-200-and-profits-by-300-this-year-these-5-charts-show-the-video-conferencing-upstartaposs-explosive-growth-/slidelist/76180048.cms">Zoom expects to boost revenue by 200% and profits by 300% this year. These 5 charts show the video-conferencing upstart's explosive growth.</a>

Reliance Jio launches JioMeet app to take on Zoom

<keyword id="6358777" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="New-Delhi">New Delhi</keyword>, Jun 1 () Videoconferencing platform Zoom has released an enhanced and encrypted version of the application in order to ensure protection and privacy of personal information, country's federal cyber security said on Monday, asking users to update its latest version. "The latest version 5.0 of Zoom has been released which supports AES 256-bit GCM encryption of meeting data and greater resistance to tampering," said a latest CERT-In advisory, accessed by . Other security improvements include changing the minimum default password length to six characters for meetings, webinars and cloud recordings and giving the capability to admins to disable sharing on cloud recordings and setting their expiration times, said the national technology arm to combat cyber attacks and guarding of the Indian cyber space. The latest addition of security features in the platform, whose usage spiked due to the nationwide lockdown, is believed to have been carried out in view of security-related advisories issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs and CERT-In to its users. In April, the Union home ministry had issued an advisory and said that the Zoom meeting platform is not safe and it is not to be used for official purposes by government officials. Such a warning was also issued by the CERT-In and was reiterated by <keyword id="9278552" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="the-cyber-coordination-centre">the Cyber Coordination Centre</keyword> (CyCord) of the home ministry. Unguarded usage of Zoom between professionals working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic can be vulnerable to attacks by leakage of sensitive office chat to cyber criminals, the CERT-In had said in April. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-launches-50gb-data-plan-checkout-comparison-with-airtel-and-jio/articleshow/76134078.cms" data-type="tilCustomLink">Vodafone Idea launches 50GB data plan – comparison with Jio and Airtel data add-on plans</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/mumbai-hikes-petrol-and-diesel-prices-by-2-per-litre-after-maharashtra-hikes-cess/articleshow/76132438.cms?upcache=2" data-type="tilCustomLink">Mumbai hikes Petrol and Diesel prices by ₹2 per litre</a>

Zoom app releases latest encryption, security features

<ul><li>The <keyword id="8637077" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Coronavirus-lockdown">coronavirus lockdown</keyword> has attracted sharper <keyword id="9265597" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="scrutiny-on-social-media">scrutiny on social media</keyword> <keyword id="6354741" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Apps">apps</keyword> from Indian authorities.</li><li><keyword id="6762469" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="TikTok">TikTok</keyword> has been in the news recently, after millions of Indians called for a ban on the app after videos promoting violence against women went viral.</li><li>The National Commission for Women chief Rekha Sharma has said she will write to the Indian government seeking a ‘total ban’ on the app.</li><li>On the other hand, a new petition has been filed against <keyword id="6354616" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Twitter">Twitter</keyword> by a BJP leader, seeking a mechanism to check the spread of fake news on the platform.</li><li><keyword id="10296" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zoom">Zoom</keyword>, too, has been called out for its security issues, and a new petition in the Supreme Court seeks to ban it in India.</li></ul><keyword id="1004414" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Social-media-apps">Social media apps</keyword> TikTok and Twitter, and video calling app Zoom have attracted the scrutiny of Indian authorities after instances of promotion of anti-women violence, fake news and security issues surfaced during the COVID-19 pandemic, exacerbating the existing troubles in the country. To be clear, TikTok and Twitter are not new to scrutiny from the Indian authorities. Earlier in April 2019, TikTok was <a href="https://yourstory.com/2019/04/tiktok-ban-timeline-supreme-court-india">briefly banned</a> in India by the Madras High Court for hosting ‘pornographic and sleazy’ content. Twitter, too, has had its share of controversies in India. It has been <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/twitter-continues-to-be-toxic-for-women-in-2020/articleshow/74497707.cms">termed as ‘toxic for women’</a> by non-governmental organisations like Amnesty International. 2020 has seen a fresh wave of outbursts against the social media platforms. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75800571" title="Faizal Siddiqui’s TikTok acid attack video is adding to the growing list of problems for the platform in India" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> India’s National Commission for Women seeks a ban on TikTok Now, these apps are in the news once again for wrong reasons. In a protest of sorts, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tiktok-gogole-play-ratings-fall-to-1-3-stars-after-4-million-comments/articleshow/75842653.cms">millions of Indian users</a> of TikTok have taken to uninstalling the app and rating it 1-star on the Google Play store. This happened after some TikTok users posted videos promoting violence against women and were subsequently roasted by popular YouTubers like CarryMinati. The videos promoting violence prompted the National Commission for Women’s chairperson Rekha Sharma to step in. She <a href="https://twitter.com/sharmarekha/status/1262550128105328642">said</a> she would write to the Indian government seeking to ban the app. <div type="twitter" handle="sharmarekha" handlename="Rekha Sharma" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/929715131096776704/3F99PFvv_normal.jpg" favoritecount="23943" retweetcount="9313" status="I am of the strong openion that this @TikTok_IN should be banned totally and will be writting to GOI. It not only h… https://t.co/CmkjHYX4Ox" createdat="1589850382000" id="1262550128105328642"></div> Ruling party leader wants action to be taken against Twitter Vinit Goenka, a leader from the ruling party, Bharatiya Janata Party, has filed a public interest litigation (PIL) in the Supreme Court, asking for a mechanism to curb fake news and instigative messages on the platform. “The logic and algorithms that twitter usage should be shared and vetted by Indian government authorities or competent authority for screening anti India tweets,” the plea says, alleging that the social media platform has given a very long leash to "anti-nationals", "separatists" and the likes. “KYC of all social media handles in India must be conducted for making social media safe and accountable and traceable,” the plea further added. ‘Zoom users vulnerable to cyber threats’ says a plea seeking ban on the app Zoom has had its share of glaring security issues in the recent past. On several occasions, users have reported ‘Zoombombing’, which is essentially the digital equivalent of gatecrashing a meeting. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="75192771" title="How to ensure privacy and security while using Zoom" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> “Rather than lending a hand to people in need, Zoom violates the privacy of its millions of users by misusing and exploiting their personal information and falsely, deceptively and misleadingly advertising fictitious security benefits of the program,” said the plea filed in the Supreme Court, according to a PTI report. “Zoom is reported to have a bug that can be abused intentionally to leak information of users to third parties. The app has falsely claiming calls are end-to-end encrypted when they are not,” the plea further added. Zoom has <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/companies-and-organisations-that-have-banned-zoom-and-google-hangouts/articleshow/75156719.cms">already been banned</a> by ten companies and government organisations around the world. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/researchers-found-and-bought-more-than-500000-zoom-passwords-on-the-dark-web-for-less-than-a-cent-each/articleshow/75138495.cms">Researchers found and bought more than 500,000 Zoom passwords on the dark web for less than a cent each</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/how-to-ensure-privacy-and-security-while-using-zoom/articleshow/75192771.cms">How to ensure privacy and security while using Zoom</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/tiktok-gogole-play-ratings-fall-to-1-3-stars-after-4-million-comments/articleshow/75842653.cms">TikTok got 4 million comments on Google Play Store dragging down its rating to 1.3⁠ — but it may not disappear yet</a>

Not just TikTok, Twitter and Zoom are also in the dock in India

<ul><li>Zoom announced that it will be opening up a new technology centre in Bengaluru to expand its footprint in India.</li><li>Zoom also plans to begin recruitment for Bengaluru operations</li><li>As a part of its expansion strategy, Zoom plans to integrate new value-added services to its video conferencing app.</li><li>While the new data centre will be in India to focus on India specifics and features, any app developments will still be considered global.</li></ul>The video-conferencing app, Zoom, that has gained popularity in the recent lockdown, has solidified its India plans. Zoom just unveiled its plan to set up a new technology centre in India’s Silicon Valley, Bengaluru and is looking to hire talent over the next few years. The company’s COO Aparna Bawa also disclosed that the company has plans to add value-added services onto the platform after the flurry of new use-cases since December. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76988430" title="Zoom wants you to buy a $600 second screen to use exclusively for videoconferencing" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> In the first four months of 2020, Zoom saw its daily participants grow from 10 million to 300 million. Bawa pointed out that the majority of the use cases for the video conferencing platform in that time were new; with the number of free user sign-ups witnessing a whopping 6700% growth between January and April. “It’s up to us to answer the call and provide some longevity, value and value-added services to support those use cases,” said Bawa, highlighting that events like yoga classes, wedding, funerals or even a merger have led to the rise in usage. Zoom’s new technology centre in Bengaluru will be set up to help with just that with everything from R&amp;D, DevOps. Business operations to IT engineering. “As you look at a headquarters, it will have representation for all segments,” said Zoom’s new president of engineering and product, Velchamy Sankarlingam, who was appointed in May earlier this year. Technology center in India, roots still global Sankarlingam highlighted that while Zoom’s business headquarters will be working closely with Indian firms to launch specifics and features for India, it will still be looked at as an extension of the global organisation. Which is why standalone revenues from India are unlikely to be shown anywhere in the near future. “We don’t call out revenues except for the US and then the international market,” said Bawa. Rising concern over security Zoom says that it’s in conversation with the Indian government over security concerns and data sharing with China. India’s cyber authority CERT-In had initially released an advisory on the security loopholes in Zoom and asked users to update their software. The Home Ministry followed that up by a ban on using Zoom by government employees. “The Chinese data centre is ring-fenced. Any data that’s on Zoom’s servers goes around China,” explained Sankarligam. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76636946" title="INTERVIEW: Zoom's India head believes he will able to convince the Home Ministry that the app is safe" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> Competition heating up Even though Zoom could not cite India-specific numbers in terms of growth during the lockdown, <keyword id="9123500" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="zoom-india">Zoom India</keyword> Head Sameer Raje highlights that business has grown exponentially in smaller businesses (SMEs) that have overcome the initial hesitancy to go digital. It faces competition from Jio who holds the largest market share and has launched its own video conference apps called Jio Meets. Many have pointed out the similarity between the user interface. “Beyond the UI there are so many things that have an advantage for Zoom like the back-end architecture and reserve engineering capacity when we talk to customers,” said Bawa. <div type="Article" hostid="261" msid="76762100" title="Reliance Jio launches JioMeet app to take on Zoom" mstype="2" mssubtype="0"></div> India holds importance for Zoom as one of the biggest telecom markets in the world with a user base of more than 115.2 crore subscribers according to the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority of India’s (TRAI) latest figures. The video-conferencing giant already has an office in Mumbai along with two data centres in Mumbai and Hyderabad. The new set-up in Bengaluru is a reflection of Zoom’s expansion plans in India and its aspirations for growth in one of the largest markets in the world. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/threatened-zoom-says-not-worried-about-jiomeet-competition/articleshow/76782254.cms">Zoom says they are "not worried" about JioMeet competition</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/what-is-zoom-a-comprehensive-guide-to-the-wildly-popular-video-chatting-service-for-computers-and-smartphones/articleshow/75685199.cms">'What is Zoom'?: A comprehensive guide to the wildly popular video-chatting service for computers and smartphones</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/zoom-wants-you-to-buy-a-600-second-screen-to-use-exclusively-for-videoconferencing/articleshow/76988430.cms">Zoom wants you to buy a $600 second screen to use exclusively for videoconferencing</a>

Zoom opens up new technology centre in Bengaluru with plans to introduce value-added services to the video conferencing app

<ul><li>The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) issued an advisory in April 2020 calling Zoom unsafe.</li><li>Zoom India Head, <keyword id="9465901" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="sameer-raje">Sameer Raje</keyword>, tells Business Insider that the MHA’s advisory is factually incorrect.</li><li>He explains that Zoom is currently in conversation with the MHA and is hoping for a positive outcome soon.</li></ul>The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) released an advisory note on the video-conferencing application Zoom not being safe. Sameer Raje, Head of India at Zoom, told Business Insider that the discussions are progressing quite well. “We expect the MHA to give some positive feedback very soon. We’re at advanced stages of discussion so it should change,” said Raje, explaining that 9-year-old company is sharing any and all prerequisite information that the ministry may need. US-based Zoom has been heavily scrutinised since its popularity boomed in a matter of three weeks from just 10 million participants a day to over 300 million from March to April when news of the coronavirus pandemic broke. The advisory is factually incorrect, says Zoom The <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=1615008">MHA</a> asserted that Zoom should not be used by government officers for official use based on an earlier advisory from Indian Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT-In). “Zoom is a not a safe platform and advisory of CERT-In on the same dated 6 February 2020 30 and March 2020 may kindly be referred,” said the ministry in its note. However, Raje points out that CERT-In never actually said that Zoom isn’t safe — it pointed out that Zoom has certain vulnerabilities, as is its responsibility for all applications that are currently in use in India. “Unfortunately, due to the misinformation out there, the MHA released its advisory which is factually incorrect. It is based on the CERT-In advisory citing that Zoom is unsafe to use, but CERT-In never said that,” he explained. India's nodal cybersecurity agency may not have said that Zoom is unsafe but it did point out that there are <a href="https://www.cert-in.org.in/s2cMainServlet?pageid=PUBVLNOTES02&amp;VLCODE=CIAD-2020-0011">multiple vulnerabilities on the platform</a>, which could allow an attacker to gain elevated privileges or obtain sensitive information on the targeted system. “If you look at their advisory, nowhere does it say that Zoom is not safe for users. It says that please be secure, upgrade your applications, these are the vulnerabilities reported and these are the fixes,” said Raje. Zoom is working with MHA to change the narrative To Zoom’s credit — since the MHA’s advisory and the multiple incidents of ‘Zoom Bombing’ — it has introduced a number of measures to make the platform more secure like hiding meeting IDs and making it mandatory for schools to set meeting passwords. Earlier this month, Zoom announced that it will begin beta testing free end-to-end encryption for both free and paid users in July. However, there is a catch. End-to-end encryption only works if a person connects to a call using the Zoom client. As a communications platform, Zoom also allows the audio conferring lines to come in — and that’s where the encryption pattern changes, according to Raje. This means that since the call is no longer restricted to the Zoom platform, encryption at that end is not during the app’s purview. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/us-based-zoom-left-stunned-to-see-itself-in-list-of-flagged-chinese-apps/articleshow/76469726.cms">US-based Zoom app left stunned to see itself in list of flagged Chinese apps</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/apps/news/made-in-india-app-say-namaste-video-conferencing-app-to-take-on-zoom/articleshow/76277547.cms">Say Namaste⁠ — a Mumbai startup is pitching itself as a challenger to Zoom</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/how-to-ensure-privacy-and-security-while-using-zoom/articleshow/75192771.cms">How to ensure privacy and security while using Zoom</a>

INTERVIEW: Zoom's India head believes he will able to convince the Home Ministry that the app is safe

New Delhi, June 19 (IANS) Video conferencing platform <keyword id="10296" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="20" keywordseo="Zoom">Zoom</keyword> said on Friday that it is a US-based company and has nothing to do with China after media reports clubbed its name with a bunch of Chinese apps that were reportedly red flagged by the Indian intelligence agencies over safety and privacy issues of users. Popularity of San Jose (California)-based Zoom skyrocketed following the Covid-19 restriction across the world forced a large section of the global population to stay indoors. "There has been significant misinformation and blatant inaccuracies circulating about Zoom with regards to China from various channels," a Zoom spokesperson said in a statement. "Zoom is a US company, publicly traded on the NASDAQ, founded and headquartered in San Jose, California. In India, we've been proud to help businesses, government agencies, communities, school teachers, and other users stay connected during this global health crisis," the spokesperson added. Although Zoom is not a Chinese company, it did come under the scanner of Indian government agencies for its security features, promoting the Cyber Coordination Centre (CyCord), under the Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), issuing an advisory on secure use of the platform by private individuals. This advisory, issued in April, stated that the platform was not for use by government officers/officials for official purposes. Facing criticism for security features, Zoom has implemented new security controls designed to protect users' personal data, as well as features to help Zoom users protect the security of their meetings. In a blog post this week, Zoom said it will be providing end-to-end encryption to all users as an advanced feature at no additional charge. It plans to roll out early beta of the end-to-end encryption feature from next month.

US-based Zoom app left stunned to see itself in list of flagged Chinese apps

<ul><li>Zoom has said that it will not provide free users with end-to-end encryption.</li><li>This was announced by the company’s CEO during a recent earnings call with the investors.</li><li>Zoom has said that this will allow it to cooperate with law enforcement agencies in case its platform is misused.</li></ul>Video calling and conference platform Zoom has emerged as one of the top platforms amid the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic. However, it has had its fair share of privacy and security issues. Issues like the Zoom bombing led to several <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/companies-and-organisations-that-have-banned-zoom-and-google-hangouts/articleshow/75156719.cms">companies</a> prohibiting their employees from using the platform. The Indian government also released an advisory asking users to adopt some <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/how-to/how-to-ensure-privacy-and-security-while-using-zoom/articleshow/75192771.cms">measures</a> to ensure their privacy while using Zoom. Zoom announces 90-day feature freeze To solve the security and privacy issues, Zoom CEO Eric S. Yuan <a href="https://blog.zoom.us/wordpress/2020/04/01/a-message-to-our-users/">announced</a> a 90-day feature freeze in April to focus on fixing the privacy and security issues. “Over the next 90 days, we are committed to dedicating the resources needed to better identify, address, and fix issues proactively,” said Yuan. One of the features that was expected to solve these issues was end-to-end encryption. However, during a recent earnings call with its investors, Yuan revealed that this feature will be reserved only for the platform’s paid users. End-to-end encryption will not be available for free users While announcing the feature, Yuan said that the company wants to keep this feature away from free users so that it can help law enforcement agencies in case its platform is misused. "Free users for sure we don’t want to give that because we also want to work together with the FBI, with local law enforcement in case some people use Zoom for a bad purpose." Said Yuan. One of the reasons could be the issues faced by platforms like WhatsApp and Apple who have been unable to trace the origins of suspicious or misleading messages. Zoom reports huge growth due to Coronavirus Zoom <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/despite-concerns-zoom-sales-boom-amid-covid-19-pandemic/articleshow/76169526.cms">reported</a> $328.2 million in revenue in Q1, which is up by 169% year-on-year. The cash flow increased from $22.2m during the Q1 last year to $259m this year. The company added that a majority of its paying customers were companies with more than 10 employees. It reported 2,65,400 such companies, a 354% increase compared to last year. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/zoom-ceo-eric-yuan-accidentally-left-his-mic-on-mute-while-talking-to-investors-over-zoom/articleshow/76166145.cms">Zoom CEO Eric Yuan accidentally left his mic on mute while talking to investors over Zoom</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/news/a-soccer-team-in-denmark-brought-thousands-of-fans-into-their-stadium-through-zoom-and-people-cant-decide-if-its-clever-innovation-or-something-out-of-black-mirror/articleshow/76081655.cms">A soccer team in Denmark brought thousands of fans into their stadium through Zoom and people can't decide if it's clever innovation or something out of 'Black Mirror'</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/zoom-is-a-goldmine-for-playing-pranks-here-are-the-best-ways-to-mess-with-your-friends-and-coworkers-/articleshow/76079912.cms">Zoom is a goldmine for playing pranks. Here are the best ways to mess with your friends and coworkers</a>

Zoom's end-to-end call encryption service is only for paid users

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Labour told <keyword id="6380867" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="boris-johnson">Boris Johnson</keyword> to cancel his planned trip to <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword> next month.</li><li>It comes amid a massive surge in <keyword id="8763838" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19">COVID-19</keyword> cases there.</li><li>"I'd much rather the prime minister did it by <keyword id="10296" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="Zoom">Zoom</keyword> rather than traveling to India," said Labour's Steve Reed.</li></ul>The opposition Labour Party has told Boris Johnson to cancel his planned trip to India for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi later this month amid a massive surge in COVID-19 cases.The prime minister is set to visit India on April 26, and Downing Street has refused to cancel it, with a Number 10 spokesman on Friday saying the trip had been made "<a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56777062">slightly shorter than it will have been</a>."Labour on Sunday said Johnson should cancel the trip altogether."I think he shouldn't be [traveling to India]," Labour's shadow communities secretary <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Auq9mYxFEE">told Sky News's Sophy Ridge on Sunday.</a>"There are new variants emerging all around the world, the government is telling people 'don't travel if you don't absolutely have to travel.'"I can't see why the prime minister can't conduct his business with the Indian government via Zoom.""The prime minister, like all of us in public life, needs to try and set an example. I'd much rather the prime minister did it by Zoom rather than traveling to India."India reported a further 261,500 coronavirus cases on Sunday, <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-under-siege-covid-19-hospitals-overwhelmed-2021-04-18/">per Reuters</a>, a figure which has surged in recent weeks.That took the total number of confirmed cases to nearly 14.8 million, with the chief minister of New Delhi warning that hospital beds were "<a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/india-under-siege-covid-19-hospitals-overwhelmed-2021-04-18/">filling fast</a>."The new Indian variant of the COVID-19 virus is potentially very dangerous, experts warn. It has two mutations that allow the virus to lessen the potency of the vaccine. The variant - officially named B.1.617 - is believed to driving the spike in India's cases and 77 cases have been reported in the UK, <a href="https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-indian-double-mutation-variant-arrives-in-britain-and-has-hallmarks-of-very-dangerous-virus-12276922">Sky News reported.</a>Boris Johnson's spokesperson was also unable to explain on Friday why India had not been placed on the red list of countries from which people arriving in the UK must enter quarantine.Johnson was due to visit India for four days for talks with the government, but most meetings will now occur on Monday, April 26, Downing Street said, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-56777062">per BBC News</a>.

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