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Toyota Kirloskar Motors and Honda Motors have announced plans to launch a small car in India.
Toyota said it would launch a small car in the next 2-3 years as a part of its strategy to grab 10 per cent of the Indian automobile market by 2010.
"We still maintain the target of grabbing 10 per cent of the Indian automobile market by 2010, in which the small car will form a major chunk," Toyota Kirloskar Motors managing director Atsushi Toyoshima said on the sidelines of the SIAM summit.
"In the next two to three years we will bring a small car in India but as of now we have not finalised the plan," he said.
On the proposed second plant from where the small car is to be manufactured Toyoshima said, "We still haven't finalised the location and the investment."
The company is looking at 20 per cent sales growth this year at 50,000 units compared to 42,000 units last year.
Honda to launch small car in India
Honda Motors on Thrusday said it was looking at bringing in a small car in the Indian market for expanding its product portfolio.
"We are looking at a small car for introducing in the Indian market," Honda-Siel India president and CEO M Takedagawa said on the sidelines of SIAM summit.
He appreciated the government's move to cut excise duty on small cars by 8 per cent
Honda expects sales in India at 62,000 units this fiscal against 43,000 in 2005-06. Of this, 40,000 are expected of 'Honda City,' 16,000 of 'Civic,' and 3,000 each of 'CRV' and 'Accord,' Takedagawa said.


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Reliance Communication today announced the launch of Reliance Mobile GSM service in J&K.The launch of Reliance Mobile’s GSM services in J&K marks the completion of the company’s nationwide footprint,which already covers over one billion Indians in other states of the country.The GSM subscribers in J&K can now experience “Customer Experience Programme” for customers choosing Reliance mobile GSM services, a plan that offers GSM SIM just for Rs 49 with Free Night calling to own network and some Free Talk Time per day.
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domain: news


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News: Nintendo shoots down the obviously false rumors about it's next console. There definitely will be a successor to the GameCube.
Nintendo has decided to set the record straight after the ridiculous rumors from the Nikkei Index stated they would not develop a successor to the GameCube and instead only support their current machine with new peripherals. The rumor was said to come from an "unnamed senior executive at Nintendo" and from there people let their imagination sort out the rest of the details. A completely out of context quote from an interview president Satoru Iwata conducted months ago was used to corroborate the rumor. The whole thing was just a case of Internet hysteria and people playing the one-upmanship game that fuels all idiotic rumors. Here's what Nintendo had to say:
"Contrary to what has been reported in one Japanese publication, Nintendo is staying in the console hardware business and still plans to launch our next home console in the same timeframe as our competitors. In addition, we are working on a number of complementary technical advances that we believe may significantly enhance the gaming experience. We also continue to look for exciting ways to extend the value of the Nintendo GameCube, and will share those ideas with you in the coming months.
Specific details about other accessories or systems and their functionalities haven't yet been made public. However, we will make further information about our next console available in the near future, and we look forward to further demonstrating our record of breakthrough innovation in video game play."
When there's real news on Nintendo's next console, we'll be there.


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NEW YORK – Starbucks announced Tuesday it will close 8000 US stores for one afternoon to offer staff training on racial tolerance, in response to a widespread condemnation and boycott call following the arrest of two black men in a Philadelphia store.
“I’ve spent the last few days in Philadelphia with my leadership team listening to the community, learning what we did wrong and the steps we need to take to fix it,” Starbucks CEO Kevin Johnson said in a statement cited by The CNN.
“While this is not limited to Starbucks, we’re committed to being a part of the solution,” he said.
“Closing our stores for racial bias training is just one step in a journey that requires dedication from every level of our company and partnerships in our local communities.”
The company said that it would also provide training materials for non-company workers at the roughly 6,000 licensed Starbucks cafes that will remain open in locations such as grocery stores and airports.
Sherrilyn Ifill, the president of the NAACP Legal Defense and Education Fund, and Jonathan Greenblatt, CEO of the Anti-Defamation League, will also help design the program, as will executives from the Equal Justice Initiative and Demos, the progressive think tank.
The announcement from world’s biggest coffee company comes as it tries to cool tensions following the widely-condemned Philadelphia incident that sparked accusations of racial profiling and led to a boycott campaign on social media.
Johnson has apologized for the “reprehensible” arrests of the two men in Philadelphia on Thursday and took personal responsibility for the incident.
Starbucks attorneys said Johnson and the men, who were released without charges, have “engaged in constructive discussions about this issue as well as what is happening in communities across the country.”
“It’s good that Starbucks is giving all staff race training on May 29. But let’s not lose sight of the real problem which is police accountability,” Tiffany Dena Loftin, director of the youth and college division at NAACP, told Reuters.
Islam’s arrival was really a turning point in the battle against discrimination. Islam was able to change people’s beliefs and behavior to a huge extent. A few decades after the death of the Prophet, leaders from all spheres of the Muslim community, whether political, scientific, or spiritual, were from different tribes and nations without regard for their color, or racial origin.
Humanity is in dire need for such a blessed guidance to eradicate the discrimination that continues in our society today. Educators, political leaders, and community leaders have a rich pool of resources to use in the battle against discrimination.


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Deutsche Telekom, Camelot ITLab, and SAP are building a blockchain network to prevent cell phones from being stolen. SAP is also taking the technical steps necessary to implement the shared governance that makes blockchain unique by running the network on external Hyperledger Fabric nodes.
It’s perhaps most likely at a restaurant, but it can also happen at work: You leave your smartphone unattended on the table for just a moment, and when you come back, it’s gone. And it’s not just your personal information that has found its way into a stranger’s hands; the stolen device often contains business data as well, including addresses, contacts, credit card information, and passwords.
In situations like these, speed is of the essence to prevent the misuse of your data and, in the worst case, identity theft. According to a study by Lookout Mobile Security, 90 percent of the victims of smartphone theft try to recover their device, but only 32 percent succeed. They reach out to the police, their cellular service provider, or the manufacturer of their device. As a telecommunications provider, Deutsche Telekom receives many messages about stolen smartphones.
There are ways to locate a pilfered device and delete the data on it. The next step would be to block the smartphone entirely and prevent any further use by putting it on a blacklist. Based on its International Mobile Equipment Identity — IMEI, a 15-digit serial number — every mobile device in the world can be identified. You can view your smartphone’s IMEI by entering the key combination +#06#. Your device manufacturer and network operator also have a record of the number, which makes it possible to contact them in such cases and have the smartphone in question blacklisted.
Co-Innovation Designed to Protect Smartphone Users and Companies
There is one problem: The device will then be on only one blacklist among many around the world, which are typically maintained by cellular service providers. In some countries, local regulations have led to the introduction of a common blacklist for all providers, which has reduced the number of mobile devices stolen. So far, however, it has not been possible to establish a widespread, integrated solution for exchanging such information among all the stakeholders across the globe.
In its search for an innovative solution to this challenge, Deutsche Telekom has joined the SAP Blockchain Co-Innovation Program. It is now working with SAP and implementation partner Camelot Innovative Technologies Lab (Camelot ITLab) on a security network for mobile devices in which information can be shared in a trustworthy, transparent manner. The goal of this project is to create a shared IMEI blacklist with the help of blockchain technology. The idea is to enable every network operator, smartphone manufacturer, and end user to access the list in the future. When one of the partners involved blacklists the IMEI of a particular mobile device, all the other partners and members of the corresponding blockchain will receive this information in real time, making it impossible to use the device with a SIM card from another provider.
By using cryptographic algorithms and because data is shared across all participants of the blockchain network, the entries become practically unalterable. As a result, criminals are unable to manipulate entries to the blockchain. Only the involved parties are authorized to make new entries, thereby securing the trustworthiness of the IMEI data.
Along with device manufacturers and network operators, this concept should attract interest from insurance companies, public authorities, and in the future, private individuals.
“Unfortunately, smartphone theft is a lucrative business,” says Dr. Stephan Westermeyr, vice president of Order Management and Billing at Deutsche Telekom. “If we succeed in using blockchain technology to dry up this black market, we’ll not only protect smartphone users against theft, but safeguard companies’ sensitive business data for the long term as well.”
Secure Exchanges Thanks to Blockchain Technology
Only blockchain is capable of ensuring secure, transparent transfers of information in an infrastructure that no one participant can control on its own. It also makes the exchange of information more efficient by sharing data directly through a common layer. SAP offers its customers this technology in SAP Cloud Platform Blockchain.
As part of its project with Deutsche Telekom, SAP is now connecting the Hyperledger Fabric protocol, one of two blockchain technologies currently on SAP Cloud Platform, with external nodes operated by Deutsche Telekom and Camelot ITLab. In doing so, SAP is reinforcing the strategy of operating blockchain networks in a distributed fashion.
“Through these efforts, we’re implementing the shared governance that makes blockchain networks unique in technical terms, as well,” explains Benjamin Stöckhert, business developer within the SAP Innovation Center Network.
For end users, this would mean having the ability to put a smartphone on the blockchain-based blacklist as soon as they realize it’s been stolen, even if they don’t know its IMEI number. Every smartphone would also be assigned a “guardian,” such as the manufacturer or network operator in question, that its owner could contact when necessary. Smartphone IMEIs are already stored in Deutsche Telekom’s customer relationship management system, for instance; the company’s employees would then be able to add a corresponding entry to the blacklist to block a stolen smartphone.
But what if a user manages to track down his or her stolen smartphone, or realizes that it was only misplaced?
“In cases like these, it’s easy to whitelist the device again — in the same way, using the same blockchain technology,” Stöckhert reveals.


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Megawatt style turned up in the most unexpected places this week, from Comic Con to the Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly Awards.
Even under the scrutinizing gaze of Comic Con attendees, stars weren’t shy about rocking the midriff trend. Jennifer Lawrence showed off a slice of toned abs in a black-and-white Proenza Schouler ensemble, while Lily Collins provided a tiny hint of tummy in a printed look by Paper London. Speaking of prints, Scarlett Johansson‘s floral Versace frock and Hailee Steinfeld’s evil eye Kenzo dress vied for Best in Show. Meanwhile, Zoe Saldana showed up to promote her recent role in the Star Trek sequel in a balanced Balmain jumpsuit.
At the ESPYs, Olivia Wilde worked a sleek and sultry look in a form-fitting cropped A.L.C. top and tight midi-length pencil skirt. Olivia Palermo looked fresh from the beach in a loose white Alexander Wang dress that she freshened up with a colorful layered statement necklace at the premiere of Red 2. Keep your eye on Style Watch every week for our reveal of the best looks from the red carpet.
Zoe Saldana wearing a Balmain jumpsuit at the Comic-Con International 2013
Olivia Wilde wearing an A.L.C. top and skirt at the The 2013 ESPY Awards
Olivia Palermo wearing an Alexander Wang dress and Christian Louboutin sandals at the Red 2 screening
Jennifer Lawrence wearing a Proenza Schouler top and skirt and Nicholas Kirkwood sandals at the Comic-Con International 2013
Hailee Steinfeld wearing a Kenzo dress and Christian Louboutin booties at the Comic-Con International 2013
Lily Collins wearing a Paper London top and skirt at the Comic-Con International 2013
Scarlett Johansson wearing a Versace dress at the Comic-Con International 2013
Hailee Steinfeld wearing a Bibhu Mohapatra top and skirt at the Comic-Con International 2013


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ServiceNow, Inc.NOW is scheduled to report second-quarter 2018 results on Jul 25. The company has surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three of the trailing four quarters while coming in line in the remaining one, recording an average positive surprise of 20.03%.
In the first quarter of fiscal 2018, earnings of 56 cents per share outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 19 cents. The figure soared 80.6% from the year-ago quarter.
Moreover, revenues increased 37.4% year over year to $589.2 million, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $573 million.
We believe robust adoption witnessed by company's expanding range of application based products will drive top-line growth in the to-be-reported quarter. This is reflected in the share price performance.
Notably, shares of ServiceNow have gained 46.5% year to date, significantly outperforming the industry 's rally of 18.6%.
Guidance & Estimates
For second-quarter 2018, non-GAAP subscription revenues adjusted for constant currency are forecast between $548 and $553 million, representing 36-37% year-over-year growth.
Moreover, non-GAAP subscription billings adjusted for constant currency and constant billings durations are expected grow 28-29% year over year to $584-$588 million.
The Zacks Consensus Estimate for revenues is pegged at $619.7 million and translates to year-over-year growth of 31.38%.
Moreover, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for earnings is pegged at 43 cents per share, exhibiting a surge of 95.45% from the year-ago quarter.
Deal Wins: Key Catalyst
The company is well poised to benefit from shifting focus to adoption of its platform and tools by public and big private companies over Global 2000 ("G2K") companies. Per the last reported quarter, ServiceNow added 12 G2K companies. The company closed 21 contracts in the quarter with an annualized contract value ("ACV") of more than a million.
ServiceNow had more than 536 customers, contributing more than $1 billion to the business, increasing 43% on a year-over-year basis. Moreover, the company had 52 customers, generating more than $5 million a year, reflecting growth of a whopping 108% on a year-over-year basis.
Information Technology Service Management ("ITSM") was part of 20 out of the top 21 deals struck in the last quarter.
New deal wins remain a driving factor. In the non-ITSM HR segment, three new deal wins in CSM products and six new deal wins of HR Service Delivery, individually aided ServiceNow garner $1 million of new ACV. The company continues to invest heavily in platform and emerging product services.
The new deal wins are anticipated to boost the top line in the second quarter.
Other Factors Likely to Influence Q2 Results
The company continues to focusonupdates related to machine learning ("ML") which have been implemented as part of its business process automation platform, Kingston.
In fact, ServiceNow recently acquired Parlo, an Artificial Intelligence ("AI") driven workforce solution. Parlo's natural language understanding ("NLU") engine capabilities are expected to bolster the AI capabilities of its Now Platform and other related products.
Moreover, ServiceNow introduced "Virtual Agent", a new conversational bot technology developed to enhance customer and employee experiences. The virtual assistant aids users to resolve conversational requests in real-time. With the buyout of Parlo, the company plans to strengthen capabilities of its virtual agents further by inducting more NLU into the system.
The company's growing influence with its ServiceNow Governance, Risk, and Compliance ("GRC") offering is also a positive.Further, the company's global presence and strong partnerships are other tailwinds.
We believe that company's efforts in automated AI related developments and aiding clientele with digitization are expected to positively impact the company's results in to-be reported quarter. These factors are likely to bolster customer base going ahead.
ServiceNow, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise
ServiceNow, Inc. Price and EPS Surprise | ServiceNow, Inc. Quote
What the Zacks Model Unveils
Per the Zacks model, a company with a favorable Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold) and a positive Earnings ESP has good chances of beating estimates.
The Sell-rated stocks (4 or 5) are best avoided, especially when the company is seeing negative estimate revisions. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they're reported with our Earnings ESP Filter .
ServiceNow has a Zacks Rank #3 and an Earnings ESP of +8.13%, which makes us reasonably confident about a possible earnings surprise.
Other Stocks to Consider
Here are some other stocks from the broader technology sector, you may want to consider as our proven model shows that these too have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat this quarter.
Advanced Micro Devices AMD has an Earnings ESP of +1.19% and a Zacks Rank #2. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank stocks here .
Wix.com Ltd. WIX and PayPal Holdings PYPL have an Earnings ESP of +16.28% and +0.44%, respectively. Both the stocks carry a Zacks Rank #3.
Looking for Stocks with Skyrocketing Upside?
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Ignited by new referendums and legislation, this industry is expected to blast from an already robust $6.7 billion to $20.2 billion in 2021. Early investors stand to make a killing, but you have to be ready to act and know just where to look.
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Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free reportPayPal Holdings, Inc. (PYPL): Free Stock Analysis ReportServiceNow, Inc. (NOW): Free Stock Analysis ReportWix.com Ltd. (WIX): Free Stock Analysis ReportAdvanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD): Free Stock Analysis ReportTo read this article on Zacks.com click here.


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A popular chicken shop chain has announced it will close its Eastbourne premises due to 'insane' energy costs. In a statement posted on social media, owners of The Bok Shop said it has become increasingly difficult to keep its large units running amid the cost of living crisis.
The Bok Shop was founded in Brighton by friends Jamie O’Mara and Howard Kaye in 2017, before opening the Eastbourne premises in The Beacon in November 2019. Confirming that the Southampton shop will also close, the owners said it has been forced to make an "incredibly hard decision".
Their statement reads: "It has become increasingly difficult to keep these large units running after such insane price increases such as energy. As an independent business started by two mates, we only ever want to be transparent with you.
"Over the course of the last few years we have really honed in on what The Bok Shop is, what it means to us and most importantly what it means to our customers. We started this journey wanting to combine opening some bad-ass chicken shops with our love for sneakers, gaming and music.
"What we have built is just that but more importantly a team of incredible people that have showed nothing but resilience and support. This is truly the most humbling part of our journey so far."
Jamie and Howard thanked the "amazing" teams in Eastbourne and Southampton, but said their Brighton and Hastings shops will continue to serve their iconic food. They also teased some upcoming changes to the menu.
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Delay hits Bernerd move on Chelsfield
DOUBTS grew today over whether property developer Chelsfield will ever be taken private by its founder and chairman Elliott Bernerd after six months of talks.
After Bernerd told Chelsfield's independent directors last month that a fully funded £858m offer would be ready by the middle of November, the company said today that this 'will be delayed into December' without giving a specific date.
Since Bernerd, a 12% Chelsfield shareholder, said in October he wanted to offer 305p per share, at least 10 companies have looked at Chelsfield's books to consider making rival offers, according to deal insiders.
Despite this Chelsfield's independents, chaired by Sir Bruce MacPhail, warned today: 'There can be no assurance that any offer will be forthcoming either during or after this process.'
Chelsfield reiterated its belief today that Bernerd's indicative offer was undervalued. It added 'This concern is shared by certain institutional investors.'
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Sterling's relaxed weekend
Actions v words
Sterling looked relatively relaxed at the end of last week. There were only a couple of UK ecostats in its way; the CBI's Distributive Trades Survey, which was helpful to the pound, and GfK's consumer confidence measure, which wasn't. Compared with Thursday morning's levels the pound starts this week an average of 0.3% firmer.
The CBI reported stronger than expected figures for July, saying "Summer sunshine spurs retail sales growth". The result was at odds with GfK's index of consumer confidence for the same month, which touched a four-year low. It is difficult to reconcile consumer's supposed lack of confidence with their readiness to splash the cash but that is apparently what went on.
Investors preferred to focus on the retail sales data, which quantify actual spending, rather than the more subjective sentiment figure. Between Thursday and Monday morning the pound was unchanged against the euro and the US dollar and higher against the commodity-oriented currencies, which lost ground as the yen edged ahead.
The biggest loser last week was the Swiss franc, down by -3.2% against sterling. The move appeared to be the result of a reappraisal of the Swissy's advantages over the euro, which look less compelling today than they did a year or two ago.
The European Central Bank has yet to begin the wind-down of its quantitative easing programme but there can be little doubt it is leaning that way. The Swiss National Bank, on the other hand, shows no sign of bringing an end to negative interest rates. Add to that the accelerating €Z economy and the absence of new panics about Club Med economies and flaky banks, and the franc is no longer the default European currency of choice.
It is unclear whether the SNB had a hand in the Swissy's precipitate retreat: it has said often enough in the past that the franc is overvalued and it has a history of intervention but there is no evidence that it was involved last week. What the SNB will be doing now, though, is re-evaluating what it perceives to be a defensible level for the franc against the euro. The likelihood is that the Swissy will be weaker in the next 12 months than it was in the last 12.
A slew of data appeared in the Far East this morning, rather as though the numbers were being rushed out to meet a month-end deadline. They did not add much to the fund of human knowledge and the rest of the day's ecostats promise to be fairly ho-hum too.
Even the provisional Euroland consumer price index figures will only have an appreciable impact if they show a marked changed to the 1.3% rate of inflation. They will have little influence on the ECB's QE decision.
The Reserve Bank of Australia is expected to leave its Cash Rate unchanged at 1.5% after tonight's board meeting. Any other outcome would be a major surprise.


text: Asian tourists went up 27.2%, followed by a 19.5% increase in visitors from African countries, while the number of European and American tourists rose by 9.8% and 12.5% respectively. In September, the Vietnam National Administration of Tourism (VNAT) held many tourism promotion activities in a number of markets to attract more foreign visitors. Notably, events were held for the first time in Canada on the 45th anniversary of diplomatic ties, during which Vietnam’s new policies, destinations, products and services were introduced to potential travellers. Currently Vietnam is issuing electronic visas to citizens from 46 countries, including Canada, which saw more than 33 million people travel abroad in 2017, ranking 7th in the world in terms of outbound tourism. In Asia, the Philippines, Vietnam and Japan are the fastest growing markets for Canadian visitors, in addition to China. Besides Canada, the VNAT collaborated with the US Travel Association and the Hanoi Investment, Trade and Tourism Promotion Centre to organise a programme to introduce Vietnamese tourism in Washington DC and New York. The administration has determined that the US is a key source of visitors to Vietnam since it has always been among the top five markets with the largest number of tourists to Vietnam in recent years. US tourists are known for their high expenditure and long stays. Last year, the number of US visitors to Vietnam rose 11% to more than 614,000. In the first eight months of 2018, Vietnam has already welcomed 486,000 visitors, up 14.5% annually.


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In The News
Female-Owned Marketing & Innovation Company Celebrates One Year
In just one year, award-winning Fifth & Cor built up its service roster influencing the strategy of 46 businesses, nurturing 28 strategic partnerships, and publishing 16 case studies.
(BOCA RATON, Fla.) The welcoming of 2023 marks one year of transforming brands for female-owned marketing and innovation company, Fifth & Cor.
One year ago, Robin Dimond, CEO & Founder, took the leap to launch Fifth & Cor and has since seen the ups and downs that come along with being a business owner during such unprecedented times. Dimond accredits her strong, talented team, for the company’s groundbreaking success in its first year along with their ability to work with clients to quickly pivot strategies in the face of the unknown.
“This is not a one-person job and our success comes from our team working together to create results for our clients,” said Dimond. “We have some of the most incredibly driven, innovative and dedicated people you have ever met, all on one team.”
The meaning behind the business's name is an accurate depiction of its work. Fifth comes from the five senses – the team strives to make marketing an immersive experience that encompasses sight, sound, taste, touch and smell – and Cor is the Latin root word for heart, which the team puts forth into each and every campaign they execute.
Fifth & Cor has secured its stance as a leader in marketing and innovation by speaking and being part of countless events, nationally, and immersing itself into the community. Within South Florida, the company is a service provider for NSU’s Alan B. Levan Broward Center of Innovation, and engages in philanthropic endeavors including veteran-focused organizations and various charities.
Over the last year, this Florida-based company has worked with a total of 46 clients, globally, touching various industries including fashion, consumer-packaged goods, automotive, food & beverage, healthcare, beauty, luxury goods, home services, technology and more. The company has continuously expanded its services based on the diverse talents that the team encompasses and plans to continue the momentum in the year ahead.
In year two, Fifth & Cor sets to triple in size with the intent of improving the economy through elevated marketing strategies for both small and large businesses. To do so, the team will continue to expand on its skill sets, offer employment opportunities to well-seasoned marketers and new graduates, strive to improve businesses, and offer a hand in the community relentlessly.
“The future for Fifth & Cor will focus on implementing an innovative mindset while building the future of experiences' said Dimond. “The ability to adapt and take on new challenges will be essential for our growth.”


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Local brews help make tasty 'Iron Chef' at Brewfest
ROSEBURG, Ore. -- Three former UCC culinary arts students were part of an Iron Chef competition using beer from local breweries at the annual Brewfest.
The event was held Saturday, and Kasey Hovik of Umpqua Watersheds explained how the contestants came up with local brews for their dishes. "They're working with our local brewers here, and each of the brewers donated beer, and so, the students are going to be cooking with the beer and also figuring out what tastes best with the beer."
The three local chefs spent four hours perfecting their beer pairings for guests to sample.
Chris VanDyke, the UCC Director of Culinary Arts, says they were happy for the opportunity. "UCC is excited to be here and it's a great opportunity for the students to come down and serve some food to some customers, which is what the culinary arts program is all about."
Two Shy, Old 99 and Draper breweries provided the beer for the first-ever Iron Chef competition.
When it was said and done, ticket buyers chose the beef chow paired with Draper's Blueberry Wheat as their favorite dish.


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Bioplastics A Rising Star in Clean Tech Industry
Konarka Technologies is one of a handful of bioplastics startups that is catching some attention. A developer of photovoltaic plastic used for portable solar systems, the company brought in $45 million in its latest round of funding from Mackenzie Financial and Good Energies.
Another such company is Metabolix, which makes plastics out of fermented starches. In 2006, it partnered with ADM to commercialize Mirel plastics and signed a deal with Target to sell bioplastic gift cards. The company has yet to turn a profit, but last year it posted $4.6 million in sales.
Cereplast recently announced plans for a new facility in Seymour, Indiana, that will add 500 million pounds a year to its bioplastic resin production. One article last fall examined the niche bioplastics has been carving in the market.
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Bengaluru: Online education start-up Byju’s is in talks with new and existing investors to raise fresh funds of more than $150 million at a valuation of $1.8-2 billion, according to three people aware of the discussions.
Byju’s (Think and Learn Pvt Ltd) is in talks with at least two new investors and existing investors led by Tencent Holdings Ltd to participate in the latest round, said the people mentioned above. All three of them requested anonymity as these talks are confidential.
India’s largest ed-tech firm is seeking a valuation of $1.8-2 billion in its latest round, up from its previous-round valuation of roughly $1 billion, the people quoted above said.
In July last year, Byju’s had raised about $40 million from Tencent, months after it raised $30 million from Verlinvest.
Since starting out in 2008, Byju’s has raised more than $240 million from Tencent, Verlinvest, Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative, Sequoia Capital, Lightspeed Venture Partners, Aarin Capital and others.
Byju’s has exceeded investor expectations over the past three years. It started out as an offline teaching centre in Bengaluru. Its founder, Byju Raveendran, travelled across Bengaluru and to other cities giving lectures and classes to students preparing for the Common Admission Test (CAT), which opens the doors to India’s top management institutes. In 2015, the company launched an app that vastly increased its audience. Byju’s currently offers two separate learning apps—its flagship learning app caters to students from Class VI to XII, while its other app targets students in classes IV and V. The online education start-up also plans to launch a separate app for younger students soon.
The move to a digital education platform has been lucrative for the company. In June, Byju’s said that it touched ₹ 100 crore in monthly revenue and it raised its annual revenue target for this year to ₹ 1,400 crore. Mint reported in June that Byju’s has been growing at 100% annually consistently for the past three years. The company claims it is one of the few Indian unicorns that has become profitable though that could not be independently verified. The rapid rise of Byju’s comes at a time when ed-tech start-ups are seeing a revival in investor interest.
Byju’s is part of a small but growing bunch of Indian tech start-ups that have rapidly grown their business within a short space of time, consistently attracted marque investors and increased their valuations with each funding round.
Earlier this month, online food-delivery start-up Swiggy became the quickest Indian company to hit $1 billion in valuation and enter the so-called “unicorn" club, after raising $210 million from South Africa’s Naspers and new investors, such as DST Global.
This year has already seen a sharp increase in fundraising across consumer internet start-ups, compared with the last two years, as investors have been more willing to write bigger cheques for startups that are growing quickly. A number of start-ups, including the likes of FirstCry and Lenskart, are also in the process of raising large rounds.
Byju’s declined to comment.


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The government will give incentives to investors wanting to put their money in the Philippines as long as their businesses benefit the consumers and the economy as a whole, a Palace official said on Thursday.
Issues were raised after the Board of Investments (BOI) granted a six-year term tax incentives to a Thai company producing meat products. But the local hog and poultry industries complained that it negatively impacted on their businesses.
In a press conference at Malacanang on Thursday, Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office Secretary Ramon Carandang said striking the balance between foreign investors’ interests and those of the local industries is the real challenge for the government.
“Exactly that’s the challenge—striking the balance. Certainly, no one will doubt that a large investment in our agricultural sector is something that we’re encouraging and it may or may not have negative effects on some of the players,” Carandang said.
“But in the end, if it leads to, first of all, better consumer prices, more stability, and a more reliable supply, and if it leads to more export earnings, then that’s something that we would weigh against the possible negative effects.”
Carandang also said that the fact that the BOI has issued the incentives to the Thai company means there has already been a process for weighing the positive and negative effects of its business.
Asked if the government is adopting similar policies of other countries, he said the premise is not really based on whether or not the Philippines is giving incentives but how to prioritize the grant of support.
Among the government’s priority areas include tourism, agriculture and infrastructure, he said.
“We have chosen these areas because these are areas where we believe that investments and jobs will do most to alleviate poverty. There are certain sectors kasi na ‘pag nag-invest ka diyan you won’t generate as many jobs as, say, other sectors,’” Carandang said.
“Agriculture is one sector where we feel that there’s a strong anti-poverty component so we’re encouraging that. It has nothing to do with whether or not other countries are granting similar incentives but it has everything to do with whether we want the economy to grow in a more inclusive way,” he added.


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Study: $2.1 Billion to Be Spent on E-Mail Marketing in 2001
The "E-Mail Marketing Report" also found that there is a significant difference in click-through rates between opt-in e-mail and banner ads. Opt-in e-mail has an average click-through rate of 3.2 percent, compared with 0.3 percent for banner ads.
According to the study, more than 1 billion e-mail messages of all kinds are sent daily in the United States. Both unsolicited and permission-based e-mail is significantly cheaper than traditional marketing methods, including telemarketing and postal direct mail. The average cost per e-mail message in the United States is less than 1 cent, compared with $1 to $3 for telemarketing and 75 cents to $2 for direct mail. Total ad spending for traditional direct marketing is expected to be about $40 billion by 2003, according to eMarketer. Telemarketers are expected to spend $668.8 billion this year, according to the Direct Marketing Association.
"No marketing communications medium exists that is more targetable, customizable and more flexible than e-mail," said Jonathan Jackson, a senior analyst at eMarketer. "E-mail direct marketing, when done correctly, can overcome the limitations of traditional direct marketing by offering limitless targeting ability at pennies per e-mail and allowing marketers to have a one-to-one conversation with each of their customers."
The study also stated that e-mail users in the United States outnumber Web users by 10 percent, with 96.6 million e-mail users and 87.9 million Web users. About 80 percent of all responses to e-mail marketing messages come within 48 hours, compared with six to eight weeks for traditional direct marketing methods.


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Apple released a small iPhone software update Thursday to address an issue iPhone users have struggled with since iOS 15.4 reached devices. Users took to forums, Reddit, social media platforms, and Apple support channels to complain that their iPhones’ batteries were draining unusually quickly after updating to iOS 15.4. With the update, Apple now says the issue is fixed, along with a couple of issues with accessibility features.
Here are Apple’s brief release notes for the update:
This update includes the following bug fixes for your iPhone:
- Battery may drain more quickly than expected after updating to iOS 15.4
- Braille devices may become unresponsive while navigating text or displaying an alert
- Made-for-iPhone hearing devices may lose connection within some third-party apps
Thursday’s update comes roughly two weeks after the launch of the new iPhone SE and iOS 15.4, which was likely the last major feature update before iOS 16. iOS 15.4 gave users the ability to use Face ID while wearing a face mask, introduced a gender-neutral American English voice for Siri, and added a plethora of new emoji, among other things.
Apple also released iPadOS 15.4.1, watchOS 8.5.1, and tvOS 15.4.1. Bug fixes and security updates are big parts of today’s OS update, but they add support for Apple’s Business Essentials program as well. Apple calls Business Essentials “one complete subscription that seamlessly brings together device management, 24/7 support, and cloud storage.”


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Singapore and New York, USA – July 22, 2019 – TVS Motor (Singapore) Pte. Limited, a wholly-owned subsidiary of TVS Motor Company Limited, India, has signed definitive agreements to invest US$7 million in Scienaptic Systems Inc., a Delaware corporation, headquartered in New York City. TVS Motor (Singapore) Pte. Limited led this Series A funding in Scienaptic. The closing of the investment is subject to obtaining appropriate regulatory approvals.
Scienaptic has combined latest big data technologies and proprietary machine learning and artificial intelligence algorithms on its decision platform, “Ether”. Solutions built on Ether enable enterprises to improve risk and credit assessment, monitor evolving fraud patterns, and improve customer journeys and experience. Scienaptic counts several marquee Fortune 100 enterprises as its clients.
Rajesh Narasimhan, Board Member of TVS Motor Company and CEO of TVS Motor (Singapore), stated that “We evaluated many companies providing big data analytics and risk management solutions and found Scienaptic’s product offerings and solutions with their ability to help organizations leverage actionable insights through the power of a strong analytics platform to be a clear differentiator and a unique proposition. Scienaptic’s end-to-end data analytics solution, with applicability to customers in various industries, has the potential to generate a new profit stream for our group. We are happy to invest in, and strategically partner with, Scienaptic as they continue to pursue bottom-line impact for Fortune 100 companies, and to leverage Scienaptic for our businesses.Our current investment in Scienaptic is part of the initial set of investments being made in strategically relevant digital startups.”
Pankaj Kulshreshtha, Founder & CEO of Scienaptic added, “We are witnessing the adoption of our AI platform at Fortune 100 companies. With the cutting edge instruments on our platform, companies are able to drive adoption of AI in their processes. The investment by TVS enables us to accelerate our sales and product development. We found a significant match in value systems between the two organizations and believe that our collective strengths will enable Scienaptic to grow exponentially and become a global leader in AI-powered decisioning space.”
About TVS Motor Company & the TVS Group
TVS Motor Company is a public listed company, headquartered in India. It is a highly-reputed two and three-wheeler manufacturer, and the flagship company of the USD 8.5 billion TVS Group. Rooted in the 100-year legacy of Trust, Value, Passion for Customers and Exactness, it takes pride in making [internationally aspirational products of the highest quality through innovative and sustainable processes. TVS Motor Company is also the only two-wheeler company to have received the prestigious Deming Prize.It is the third largest two-wheeler manufacturer in India and ranks in the top 10 globally. The company has an excellent track record with innovation and quality and is the market leader in customer service.


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MyPillow has hit headlines recently following the CEO’s controversial claims that led to the product being released from many large stores. Less than a day before the brand’s very public consequences, the product’s social media was promoting a massive discount on the now-viral product.
We can’t help but wonder if MyPillow’s “hope7” sale is their last hope at keeping their brand afloat. Big-name retailers including Bed Bath and Beyond, Kohl’s, Wayfair and HEB, recently dropped MyPillow from their stores. MyPillow CEO, Mike Lindell, claims retailers are dropping his product because of public pressure on social media. Lindell has been vocal about his belief that the 2020 presidential election was rigged and has received backlash for these beliefs.
People Are Not Impressed By MyPillow Sale
People were quick to respond to the Tweet with their opinions about the brand. One commenter replied, “I like my pillows with more floof and less fascism and white supremacy….so …nah, I’m good.”
Another commenter wrote, “I bought one last week, but whenever I lay down your pillow keeps whispering in my ear to wear it’s pillowcase as a hood :(”
Another follower wrote, “This is the best toilet paper!!! Very fluffy. Doesn’t clump. Cleans in on swipe. Use this pillow since my Walmart is out of standard toilet paper. Highly recommend it.”
Another unhappy follower wrote, “Change the promo code to BidenWon.”
However, other followers are standing by the MyPillow brand. One fan wrote, “Bought two pillows 8 or 9 years ago, for my boys. Wash them frequently. Amazing quality! Thank you for standing by our President!”
Another supporter replied, “Love my pillow, just bought 2 last week! So comfortable!”
MyPillow CEO, Mike Lindell, May Be Sued
Officials with Dominion Voting Systems have sent Lindell a legal letter warning him that they will take action against his claims of fraud in the 2020 presidential election.
“You have positioned yourself as a prominent leader of the ongoing misinformation campaign,” the letter said. “Litigation regarding these issues is imminent.”
Dominion sent letters to several other prominent figures who claim there were inaccuracies in Dominion’s voting machines. Celebrities include former federal prosecutor, Sidney Powell, and former New York City Mayor, Rudolph W. Giuliani.


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Foreign supermarket chains are struggling to compete on the mainland and should expand their online sales platforms to boost their revenues, industry insiders say.Saturday, 23 February, 2013, 4:51am
Carrefour said on Tuesday it had agreed to sell its 60 percent controlling stake in its Indonesian supermarket operations to closely held CT Corp for 525 million euros (US$672.78 million).
The sale is the latest in a series of moves by Europe’s largest retailer to retreat from secondary markets as it seeks to cut debt and refocus on its core operations.20 Nov 2012 - 4:11pm
Carrefour, France's biggest grocer, agreed to sell its Malaysian operations to Aeon, Japan's largest retailer, for €250 million (HK$2.5 billion).
The sale was effective immediately, Carrefour said in a statement. The retailer is the fourth-biggest in Malaysia, where it had 26 stores and €400 million in sales in the 12 months to June 30, the company said.2 Nov 2012 - 5:30am
Telecommunications equipment supplier Motorola Solutions forecasts major retailers in China to drive a steady rollout of advanced, mobile automation systems in their stores over the next few years.
The US-based company said it would be involved in "a lot of high-level pilot projects that will happen shortly on the mainland and in Hong Kong".5 Oct 2012 - 9:03am
Carrefour said on Tuesday that it was pulling out of Singapore with the closure of its two existing outlets in the city-state by the end of this year. The French retail giant was the first to introduce the hypermarket concept in Singapore with the opening of its first store in 1997.28 Aug 2012 - 5:25pm
China’s largest hypermarket chain, Sun Art Retail Group, posted a 75 per cent jump in first-half net profit on Tuesday, helped by effective cost controls and an expanded sales network, highlighting its resilience to an economic slowdown that has sapped consumer demand and bloated inventories.28 Aug 2012 - 9:25am
Chinese retailers who braced themselves a decade or so ago for an influx of competitors, such as Carrefour and Walmart, have matched, and in some cases, even outclassed their giant international rivals.21 Nov 2011 - 12:00am
I came back to see the Games, but also to meet up with old friends in a city I love,' said Lionnet, who moved back to Paris 18 months ago after working in Beijing as a freelance journalist for nearly four years.14 Aug 2008 - 12:00am
Students rally, but many shoppers continue to use French chain stores
Protests against French retailer Carrefour took place again yesterday in several mainland cities, despite tentative government moves to cool the anti-foreign sentiment of recent weeks.2 May 2008 - 12:00am
No more violence over Olympics
I think the Tibetan and foreign demonstrators who obstructed the Olympic torch relay are unreasonable.
On the other hand, some Chinese people have hindered the normal operation of the Carrefour supermarkets.
Aren't both parties being irrational?29 Apr 2008 - 12:00am
A group of scholars has issued a statement against rising nationalistic and xenophobic sentiment on the mainland, warning that it threatens the country's development.28 Apr 2008 - 12:00am
French supermarket giant Carrefour has stopped a planned nationwide promotion for the Labour Day holiday in the hope of avoiding more protests at the company's branches by angry mainlanders.26 Apr 2008 - 12:00am
Carrefour chain remains focus of demonstrations
Beijing repeated calls for calm amid an 'eruption of nationalist passion' as protests targeting French supermarket chain Carrefour spread to more mainland cities yesterday.21 Apr 2008 - 12:00am
After simmering in internet chat rooms for more than a week, the popular backlash against western support for Tibet, 'biased' overseas media reports, and the protests during the Olympic torch relay finally erupted over the weekend with protests in Beijing and several other major mainland cities.21 Apr 2008 - 12:00am
Thousands turn out for anti-French rallies
Anti-French protests snowballed across the mainland yesterday as tens of thousands of protesters brandished banners defending China, attacking Beijing's critics and backing the Olympics.20 Apr 2008 - 12:00am


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After three-and-a-half weeks on a ventilator battling COVID-19, the owner of two iconic North Shore donut shops is awake and making a steady recovery. But with his business shuttered, hundreds of people have rallied to assist John Akatyszewski of Ziggy’s Donuts until he can return to baking.
Akatyszewski, who owns the donut shops in Peabody and Salem with his wife, Pattie, was first admitted to Salem Hospital in early December, according to a GoFundMe set up to support his family. Since then the 58-year-old has spent 25 days on a ventilator, was placed in a medically-induced coma, and had a tube inserted into his windpipe to help him breathe.
“Ziggy’s is a cultural fixture in Salem, having been started by [Akatyszewski’s] parents, Ziggy and Alice in 1964,” the GoFundMe said. “John’s hand-cut donuts, bismarks, and other delicious fried goods are what has his loyal patrons flocking to both donut shop locations time and again.”
Both locations of the donut shop were closed as Akatyszewski’s recovery stretched longer than originally expected.
“Resuming his everyday activities, including making donuts to keep his businesses open, may not be possible for a long time,” the GoFundMe said. The Salem store has since resumed business on weekdays.
In the last roughly three weeks, the grassroots fundraising campaign has generated nearly $36,000, with over 500 people pitching in to support the family.
Akatyszewski was first admitted to Salem Hospital on Dec. 4 with low oxygen levels due COVID-caused pneumonia, the GoFundMe said. He is the recipient of a transplanted kidney, but he wasn’t able to get a bed at the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston where his kidney doctors are.
In the days that followed, Akatyszewski was put on a heavy dose of oxygen and later suffered a collapsed lung. Doctors had no choice but to intubate him. He was put into a medically induced coma and placed on a ventilator, the fundraising page said.
While Akatyszewski fought the virus in his sleep, his Salem donut shop stayed open selling pastries, cookies and muffins made by his sister, Patricia, and nephew, Jonathan. But the location was forced to close just after the new year as the recovery dragged on. Without Akatyszewski baking the donuts, the Peabody shop stayed shuttered.
The business was the family’s only source of income, and unemployment does not cover people who are self-employed. “There is currently no income coming into their household. Whatever little bit of income is coming into the Salem store is being used to purchase the food products to make the pastry and muffins and pay the utilities and rent,” the GoFundMe said.
Akatyszewski has, however, begun to slowly recover. The day after Christmas, he opened his eyes as his wife and sister, Carol, visited. The next week, he had a tracheotomy to insert a breathing tube into his windpipe after weeks of intubation, the fundraising page said.
When Pattie, John’s wife, visited the hospital Monday, he was only able to mouth “I love you.” But he will soon begin speech therapy, aiming to regain his voice after weeks of quiet.
- 48 hours to live: A father and daughter’s battle with COVID just floors apart in a Boston hospital
- With COVID cases still spiking, these Massachusetts communities have the highest infection rates; Search your city or town
- COVID infections among Massachusetts K-12 students exceeds 40,000


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The U.S. government said 277 shipments to Afghanistan had false shipment receipts.
Pacific Maritime Association says ILWU is refusing to dispatch dockworkers in Los Angeles, Long Beach.
Maersk Line affiliate will retain full ownership of New Jersey container terminal.
Teamster-supported strikers continue labor action against units of XPO Logistics.
The ILWU and ILA will likely have concurrent contract negotiations, making cargo diversion difficult, an NRF official said.
No rapid conclusion is expected in labor contract talks that have been ongoing for six months.


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Chinese telecoms equipment maker Huawei has a bit of an image problem. It pulled in revenues of more than £10bn in the first half of 2012, thanks to its status as the number two maker of telecommunications infrastructure in the world, just behind Ericsson. It also operates a burgeoning enterprise business and its fast-growing smartphone business has China’s second-largest market share.
Outside China, however, the company is treated with suspicion.
Australia, after receiving briefings on the company from US sources, banned it from supplying kit to its national broadband network on national security grounds. India seems set to adopt a similar stance. The EU looks set to launch a case against Huawei and Shenzhen rival ZTE accuses it of selling kit at below cost, thanks to Chinese government subsidies.
Needless to say, Huawei is spending a fair bit of money to correct such perceptions, redoubling PR efforts and hiring several high profile execs from senior government positions to improve its international relations and smooth relationships abroad. These include former UK CIO John Suffolk as its new global cyber security chief and Donald Purdy, a former White House security advisor, as CSO.
The charm offensive even extends to inviting members of the foreign press to meet the company. So, keen to see what all the fuss is about The Reg went along to Huawei’s Shenzhen headquarters in southern China’s Guangdong province to cop a feel of its soft power efforts.
Trouble away from home
We all probably know the Huawei story by now. Founded in 1987 by Ren Zhengfei, a former civil engineer in the People’s Liberation Army, with just a few thousand pounds, it now has 140,000-employees, annual sales exceeding $32bn, operates in 150 nations and happily sells fixed line and mobile communications infrastructure kit, mobile devices, and even cloud computing and datacentre products.
Founder Ren’s military background, his Communist Party membership and the growing number of cyber attacks on US government, military and private enterprises originating in China have sparked intense scrutiny of Huawei, fuelled by some incendiary third-party reports.
Critics argue that it could, or already has, provided the means for the Chinese authorities to disrupt or spy on the communications of rival states. These claims are strongly denied by Huawei, as are any statements claiming it’s under government influence. The firm is always at pains to point out that its global competitors have much of their kit made in China too, but are not subject to the same level of scrutiny.
Yet suspicion continues. In the face of such hostility, the UK has proved a rare friendly market to Huawei, which is a major supplier of equipment for BT, Talk Talk, Virgin Media and all of the country’s mobile operators. That might be why the Chinese giant recently staked a further £1.2bn investment in Cameron’s Britain, including at least 700 more jobs.
Ren Zhengfei with David Cameron at Downing Street, September 2012
Welcome to the campus of dreams
It’s little wonder with that media narrative, that Huawei is looking to soften its image and promote its better side to the world, which was why The Reg was taken on an extended tour of its impressive 2km2 campus. The sprawling site located in the Shenzhen suburb of Bantian is a lush green landscape of perfectly coiffured vegetation, charming ponds and low rise glass and metal office blocks. There are huge on-site canteens serving up delicious looking meals for a pittance – including superb curries, apparently – recreational areas where staff can de-stress with a game of basketball, pool or ping pong, and even a mini-village of temporary accommodation for 7,000 employees complete with outdoor swimming pool.
Huawei's main campus building
It’s a welcome respite from the frenetic, polluted frontier land of Shenzhen proper, but still feels slightly surreal and – aside from the huge crush of lunchtime, where tools are ubiquitously downed for 1.5hrs – the perfectly kept pathways and corridors are virtually deserted. Those workers, when we did see them, ambled down to lunch in casual clothes with the relaxed, amiable disposition one would expect given the unique financial and career opportunities they have at the firm.
Huawei says it is not a state-owned enterprise nor is it listed on an international stock market, but instead is fully owned by its Chinese employee ‘shareholders’, with founder Ren having the largest share at 1.4 per cent. The 65,000 shareholders currently at the firm then vote for a kind of electoral college of 60, who are able to elect members to the board.
Although salary levels are around the standard for similar Chinese firms, after two years with the company employees are given shares, according to rank, performance and time spent at the firm. It’s the dividend payments of these shares, a spokesperson said, that means Huawei staff can retire at the ridiculously early age of 45 – as long as the employee has been with the firm for eight years or more. They apparently provide a generous source of income and help Huawei attract the best talent, as well as giving the campus, where the average age of employees is just 29, an atmosphere more Logan’s Run than Silicon Valley.
Innovation, innovation, innovation
These employees, plucked from the best universities in China, are seen as the key to Huawei’s success. Over 10 per cent of the firm’s revenues are spent on research and development, with 70,000, or around half, of its employees working in this part of the business. Some 70 per cent of this bunch are said to possess doctorates.
The key message we were fed at every turn was just how innovative Huwaei has become. The company may have clashed with rival Cisco in the past over alleged patent infringement, but wants the world to know it is determined to single-handedly fly the flag for a nation whose tech firms have historically been known as copycats rather than innovators. Huawei now has 23,000 patents which it hopes will stand it in good stead for the future.
The proof of all this investment is on display in the huge exhibition hall, where customers, regulators and government representatives are all treated to an impressive array of kit designed to show off the company’s best efforts. Kit such as its SingleRAN products designed to offer mobile operators multiple spectrum band capabilities of competing standards from a single antenna. Or its user-targeting beamforming technology which has been developed to save power and increase efficiency in the transmission of radio waves by intelligently targeting the signal towards where there are most users.
The AtomCell is one early product that makes use of this beamforming tech. Unveiled at Mobile World Congress this year it’s Huawei’s answer to the coverage and backhaul problems associated with small cells, which are increasingly being demanded by operators to light up coverage blind spots. Not yet deployed, this micro base station product could be seen in airports, office blocks, and shopping malls before long, a Huawei spokesman explained.
Huawei is also working on Beyond LTE technology which could offer speeds of up to 30Gbps to cope with the rising flood of global data, although this is still at a very early stage. Elsewhere on the exhibition floor we were shown prototypes of new datacentre cabinets which the firm said can improve energy efficiency by up to 30 per cent by effectively sealing off the cabinet to the outside air and cooling it, rather than the room.


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More than ever, food insecurity issues are rising as the COVID-19 outbreak has led people to stockpile. These issues are even more alarming when we think about food desert areas such as Lowertown and Sandy Hills in Ottawa, just a stone’s throw away from the Desmarais building, since a major grocery store closed its door earlier this year for construction.
This is where Sprout, a student-driven initiative created within the social-enterprises incubator Enactus uOttawa, comes in with an affordable and comprehensive solution to help the community and its residents. Sprout provides fresh and affordable food by partnering up with local corner stores in those food desert neighborhoods in order to ease accessibility for people who don’t have the luxury to go to a grocery store outside their area for regular runs, even prior to current confinement regulations.
Fresh food accessibility
Not only do they give corner stores access to local fresh food provided by Orleans Fresh Fruit, but they also help raise awareness through marketing initiatives to give visibility to their services directly and the ones offered through their convenient store partners. They are also building partnerships to expand covered territory, and they will hopefully cover all food deserts across town.
Another service offered by the Sprout team is the “do-it-yourself” meal kits. The meal kits are composed of five easy-to-do recipes with all the ingredients to prepare them, which can feed up to a family of four. Of the 13 current team members of Sprout, a dedicated group is making the meals and creating the different recipes to ease the life of many families and students and to help avoid stress related to maintaining a healthy and balanced diet, or simply securing five meals a week.
Acting as a good neighbor
Ryan Narendran, Project Manager of Sprout, summarized the current situation: “It's a local option that is accessible to the members of the community that are often forgotten. These communities are usually composed of the elderly and students who cannot drive to go to the store. In a time of social distancing, it’s even harder for the elderly community to go to a grocery store, so oftentimes corner stores are all that’s accessible.”
Currently, Sprout products and services are available at four key locations in central Ottawa:
o Wix Mart
TAG along with Sprout
Sprout services and assistance are available to any local stores who would be interested in expanding their service offering, especially under these special circumstances.
However, they are looking for community help to find another location to prepare the meal kits as the facility they were using had to close due to the outbreak. Anyone who has a commercial/community kitchen space they could lend is encouraged to reach out to the organization directly and pass along another Telfer Act of Greatness to help them out.
Nevertheless, according to Ryan, Sprout was already prepared to face the upcoming COVID-19 situations, and they have been increasing the production of meal kits earlier this year, and as they write those lines, they can still provide a standard level of service on that end.
Sprout would like to highlight the work of all non-for-profit volunteer-based organizations currently giving a hand, putting their own health at risk. Most initiatives that emerged or kept going during the COVID-19 outbreak wouldn’t be possible if it weren’t for them, and hopefully if everybody could thank any volunteer they meet while using an essential service this could raise their spirit so they can keep it going.


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Updated TVR Sagaris officially announced
During a very secret event, the British automaker TVR, revealed its new updated version of the Sagaris and officially announced to start building it by the end of 2008. The new model will feature a revised suspension set-up and steering system for improved handling. Also the interior will suffer some changes, a new air-conditioning system, new carpets and an updated center console. There is an important element which remains the same and that is the car’s straight-six engine which 380hp and 349lb-ft of torque from its 4.0L of displacement.
The TVR’s officials are planning to start the first sales for the new Sagaris early ext year and they also have scheduled some other models. Nothing is known for sure in terms of prices but the rumors go around €85,000m with expectations of running up. The car will be available in both RHD and LHD configurations and will be sold in the Middle East and Europe as well as the UK, initially.


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According to an online survey conducted by the National Research Group (NRG), many people still have limited knowledge about web3 solutions, although they see web2 not enough. The research surveyed 1,500 US-based consumers and showed that more awareness needs to be done about the Web3 interface.
According to the findings, 54% of the respondents said they feel their rights and freedom as being threatened by technology. 35% of them are not satisfied with the lack of control over their data, 38% are angry with the level and invasive nature of online ads, and 44% are generally concerned about privacy issues.
The Level Of Web3 Knowledge Is Still Low
Almost 50% of them believe that tech companies wield so much power, which should be trimmed down.
The survey also revealed that 54% of them have not heard about Web3 while about 13% know what Web3 means. 33% of them are concerned about cybercrime when asked about the potential downsides of the new web as it relates to decentralized internet.
However, an impressive 83% of the surveyed believe that the new version of the internet will improve their lives.
In terms of crypto adoption, 39% of the respondents believe that cryptocurrencies are similar to shares and stocks to fiat currency while 15% believe that crypto investment is like gold. 57% of the respondents said they have either bought crypto or are hoping to do so in the future.
More Users Want Greater Control Of Their Online Experience
Global head of insights and senior vice president at NRG, Marlon Cumberbatch, commented on the research. According to him, the most surprising thing about the research is to find out that consumers think there is a lack of agency in online spaces. He added that many of the respondents strongly want more control of how they engage with content online.
Also, they would want to see a situation where their data is respected and not handled the way corporations handle them now. As a result, the advocacy for Web3 iteration is getting louder each day, as more consumers want more control and more freedom in the use of the internet.
Cumberbatch stated that the survey highlights people’s desire to enter a new era of the internet where there will be a greater sense of control over their experiences online.
Your capital is at risk.


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Surveyed Atlantic Canadians heavily support buying local when it comes to legal cannabis, with almost three-quarters of those polled touting the importance of purchasing Canadian-produced weed and about the same percentage preferring to buy that grown even closer to home.
The newly released poll—reflecting the views of 406 people in PEI and Nova Scotia—is being called the first-ever, Atlantic Canada-focused consumer study gauging the opinions, behaviours and concerns of respondents towards cannabis business and culture since legalization of recreational cannabis last October.
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Biome Grow’s deal with N&L touted as Atlantic Canada’s largest cannabis supply agreement
Atlantic Canadians buying far more weed than rest of country, sales figures show
Survey results show 74 percent of respondents say it is important to buy Canadian-produced cannabis, notes a press release from FIGR, the Toronto-headquartered, vertically integrated cannabis company that commissioned the survey.
Taking the “buy local story” to the next level, “hyper-local product was preferred whenever possible, with three-quarters (75 percent) of respondents citing the importance of buying cannabis that is locally produced in Atlantic Canada as the first choice,” indicates the survey conducted last December, which employs Leger’s online panel and has a margin of error was plus/minus 4.9 percent, 19 times out of 20.
“These data are being used to develop FIGR’s innovation pipeline and inform FIGR’s plans for ongoing education of Atlantic Canadians in the cannabis category,” notes the company statement.
“Studies like this continue to show there is demand for an authentic customer experience,” suggests Harvey Carroll, president of FIGR, which is expanding its Charlottetown footprint from about 30,000 sq. ft. to approximately 325,000 sq. ft., and its production capacity from 1,200 kg to an estimated 35,000 kg.
Survey respondents also voiced belief that local, homegrown cannabis can play a role as an economic driver for the region. Specifically, 53 percent of respondents say that “the cannabis industry will have a positive impact on the economy of Atlantic Canada,” while 57 percent of Islanders and Nova Scotians “feel the legal cannabis industry will lead to economic opportunities for farmers in the region,” the statement adds.
“At FIGR, we’re preparing to expand our workforce in Charlottetown from 30 to nearly 200, with a focus on attracting local talent—from farmers to quality assurance specialists to botanists and beyond,” Carroll reports.
While locally grown cannabis and economic possibilities certainly appeal to Atlantic Canada consumers, the survey found the desire for transparency was also top of mind for about half of respondents. These consumers “are increasingly placing significant value on the right to more detailed information and transparency around the origins of their product from growing and harvesting to processing,” FIGR reports.
Specifically, 49 percent of respondents report that “it is important to know where their cannabis comes from and 52 percent say it is important to know how the cannabis they purchase is grown and processed.”
Other survey results include the following:
- 67 percent of Islanders and Nova Scotians say recreational cannabis is more socially acceptable since legalization; and
- 81 percent of cannabis buyers report that their in-store experience has been positive since legalization.
Want to keep up to date on what’s happening in the world of cannabis? Subscribe to the Cannabis Post newsletter for weekly insights into the industry, what insiders will be talking about and content from across the Postmedia Network.


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Ailing camera chain Jessops is to shut all its 187 stores across the UK with the loss of 1,370 jobs, it has been announced.
The high street chain fell into administration earlier this week, with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) appointed to find a buyer for the struggling company.
Stores will begin closing from today, with further job losses expected at the firm’s head office in Leicester.
Appointed administrator Rob Hunt said it was an ‘extremely sad day for Jessops and its employees’ following unsuccessful discussions with its suppliers to continue trade.
‘The stock will be collected over the coming days and returned to a central warehouse. It will be returned to suppliers if they are entitled to it,’ he told the BBC.
‘As a consequence of the closure, Jessops is no longer able to accept returned product from customers.
‘We will continue to ensure that employees are paid as they assist us during the closure.’
Despite additional funding being made available to the company, a decline in the marketplace means Jessops has not generated the profits it had planned.
The group’s administration marks the first high profile retail collapse of 2013 and comes soon after consumer electricals chain Comet hit the wall before Christmas, sparking more than 6,000 job losses.


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Japan resumes commercial whaling, seen as face-saving end
TOKYO — Japan has resumed commercial whaling after 31 years, meeting a long-cherished goal of traditionalists that’s seen as a largely lost cause.
Whaling boats embarked Monday on their first commercial hunts since 1988, when Japan switched to so-called research whaling, but will stay within the country’s exclusive economic waters. Japan’s six-month notice to withdraw from the International Whaling Commission (IWC) took effect Sunday.
The Fisheries Agency said the catch quota through the end of this year is set at 227 whales, fewer than the 333 Japan hunted in the Antarctic in recent years. The quota for this season’s catch, planned for release in late June, was postponed apparently to avoid criticism during the Group of 20 Summit that concluded over the weekend in Osaka.
As the boats left port, whalers, their families and local officials in two major whaling towns, Shimonoseki in southwestern Japan, which is Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s electoral constituency, and Kushiro in the north, celebrated the fresh start, hoping for a safe return and a good harvest.
While the resumption of commercial whaling is condemned by many conservation groups, others see it as a face-saving way to let the government’s embattled and expensive whaling program gradually succumb to changing times and tastes.
Despite the massive attention and tax money and political support from ruling party lawmakers, whaling in Japan involved only a few hundred people and accounted for less than 0.1 percent of total meat consumption in fiscal 2017, according to the latest government data on food sufficiency.
Whale meat was an affordable source of protein during the lean times after World War II, with consumption peaking at 223,000 tons in 1962. But whale was quickly replaced by other meats. Whale meat consumption was down to 6,000 tons in 1986, a year before the commercial whaling moratorium imposed by IWC.
Under the research hunts, which was criticized as a cover for commercial hunts as the meat was sold on the market, Japan at its peak caught as many as 1,200 whales but has drastically cut back on its catch in recent years after international protests escalated and whale meat consumption slumped at home.
Today, about 4,000-5,000 tons are supplied to Japan annually, or 30-40 grams of whale meat consumed per person a year, Fisheries Agency officials say.
The research whaling program lost money for years – 1.6 billion yen ($15 million) in the last year alone.
Japan will stick to a very strict catch quota with respect to IWC findings, and will continue conducting research, said Hideki Moronuki, a Fisheries Agency official and a chief negotiator at IWC. He said Japan’s commercial whaling will never harm its stock.
The commercial whaling will be carried out by two groups. The mother boat Nisshin-maru and two support boats that used to go to the Antarctic will travel as far as the 200 nautical mile exclusive economic zone (EEZ) to catch minke, Bryde’s, and sei whales. Five other smaller ships will stay closer to the coast but also hunt minkes, in addition to Baird’s beaked whales, and dolphins that they used to catch under an IWC loophole.
Whales caught in coastal waters are expected to be brought back for fresh local consumption at any of six local whaling hubs that are mainly in northern Japan but include Taiji, the home constituency of ruling Liberal Democratic Party heavyweight Toshihiro Nikai. The town is also known for dolphin hunts because of the documentary film “The Cove.”
Whale meat caught further off the coast will be frozen and distributed for wider consumption.
Moronuki said the fate of commercial whaling depends on whether whale meat is widely accepted by consumers since it won’t be getting as much subsidies as it used to get. Moronuki said he hoped whale meat would be reasonably priced so that it will gain popularity in the long-term instead of becoming an expensive delicacy for a limited clientele. /kga


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According to the National Retail Federation, the average holiday shopper has completed 52.9 percent of their shopping as of December 10 and 29 percent of people start their holiday shopping before Halloween. With this in mind, VigLink is starting early as well. This year we will be publishing four major pieces of research to help our community publish timely, relevant and content with higher earning potential. Look out for these and more throughout the 2015 holiday season!
- 2014-2015 Top Merchants, Products and Trends Infographic
- Whitepaper and Video about VigLink’s best practices for the holiday season
- Top merchants for Black Friday and Cyber Monday
- Black Friday and Cyber Monday Review: What’s Trending?


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The debate on complementary medicines is often so polarised that to date it’s been hard to move forward, says one pharmacy researcher who has created an ethical framework for the sector
The University of Queensland School of Pharmacy Dr Adam La Caze has looked at the ethical challenges for pharmacists posed by the sale of complementary medicines – many of which lack a substantial evidence base – and how pharmacists can improve their use.
Alongside UQ’s Amber Salman Popattia, Dr La Caze has published An ethical framework for the responsibilities of pharmacists when selling complementary medicines in Research in Social and Administrative Pharmacy.
“The discussion so far gets stuck in two extreme points of view – and we need a kind of gateway between those two,” Dr La Caze told the AJP.
One stance is that “unless you’ve got perfect large-scale randomised trials, we can’t possibly have them in pharmacy” while the other, he says, is “We have no obligation whatsoever – we’re just sales people”.
“I think the way the discussion ends up is always between those two – and there’s somewhere in between where we can act to resolve some of the conflicts,” he says. “They come up, but no-one tries to resolve them.
“This is a deliberate attempt to resolve some of those conflicts.”
The research paper recommends pharmacists:
- Provide consumers with evidence-based recommendations, train their staff to do the same and refer to a pharmacist when required;
- Provide sufficient information for consumers to make informed decisions;
- Set up pharmacy processes so consumers are offered advice from a pharmacist when purchasing complementary medicines;
- Ensure pharmacists are available to advise staff and customers;
- Be vigilant for complementary medicine harm and intervene if risk of harm is significant.
The two authors “used a really common ethical framework, the Bioethical Principles, started with that and looked at the actual context of complementary medicines and selling complementary medicines in pharmacy”.
“We recognise that these products are regulated in such a way that the regulatory bodies have decided that they’re safe for self-use, and widely available all over the place,” Dr La Caze says. “Once you accept that they’re on the market, we think the key question is: how can pharmacists make a contribution to the wide use of these complementary medicines?
“And that’s where we can start to have a discussion about the fact that they’re everywhere, so how can pharmacists help?
“There are things pharmacists could do less of, like suggesting that it’s going to work for particular conditions when there is no evidence that it does.”
He cited media reports over recent years, such as a Four Corners piece a couple of years ago on the subject of CMs, saying that “all these were kind of pointing out: can you trust your pharmacist to tell you about CMs?”
“One of the key things that I learned from that was that when people get really nervous is when pharmacists say ‘it works’. It wasn’t really about selling them; it was that pharmacists were saying they work.
“That’s something we can do less. We can be careful about how we talk about therapeutic claims in regard to CMs, and recognise that there’s some CMs that have good evidence, and it’s appropriate to sell them on the base of that evidence, but with others we have to be much more careful about how we talk about their possible benefit.
“Part of it is being clear, saying that we don’t know, we don’t have good evidence for it, but it’s available and if you want to try it it’s safe.”
There are also things pharmacists can do more in this space, Dr La Caze says.
“We can proactively have conversations about complementary medicines. Where possible, part of the framework is that when people come to purchase CMs, ask them would they like to talk to a pharmacist.
“One of the arguments for having them in pharmacy is that pharmacists can do a lot to aid quality use of CMs, but to do that we’ve got to be involved.
“The first level is offering advice. If they don’t want that, the medicines are regulated in such a way that they’re safe and we should respect that, but if they do take it up we have some obligations about how we then give that advice.”
This includes talking about CMs in conversations about prescription and OTC medicines, and vice versa.
“The model we’re talking about is pretty much the model we have with OTC medicines,” Dr La Caze says.
“Part of it is recognising the commercial pressures pharmacies have, but as much as possible, trying to be proactive with CMs and being a place where we can help people.”
View the framework here.


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The month of March will be one of the most jam-packed months of the year 2023. A ton of manufacturers will be launching some of their most popular vehicles this month. We will be seeing launches from the South Korean automaker Hyundai, Indo-Japanese Toyota Kirloskar Motor, Mahindra and Mahindra, and Honda Cars India as well. The list of models that will be soon launched is as follows.
2023 Honda City Facelift
The first car that will be launched in the month of March will be the Honda Motors Company’s City mid-size sedan. The facelift of the most popular mid-size sedan in India will be launched today which is the 2nd of March. The facelifted models have started reaching the dealerships and the pictures of the car have also been leaked via the company’s official website. The company will be offering an all-new entry-level variant for the standard ICE iteration of the sedan and will also introduce an entry-level trim for the hybrid variant as well. The new 2023 Honda City will receive some subtle cosmetic updates such as redesigned front and rear bumpers, a new grille, and a set of new alloy wheel design.
2023 Hyundai Verna
One of the most anticipated models in the country the newest iteration of the Hyundai Verna will be launched on March 21st. The model has long been in testing and recently the company released the official renderings of the car. Soon after that we also saw some pictures of an undisguised vehicle from South Korea as well. The pictures showed that the model will boast aggressive styling at both – the front and rear. Most likely it will be getting an all-new interior layout along with a new and more powerful drivetrain as well. One of the main highlights of the 2023 Verna will the offering of ADAS features. Recently it was also reported that the deliveries could commence from mid-April.
2023 Innova Crysta Diesel
Earlier in January of this year, Toyota Kirloskar Motor recommenced the bookings of the its highly popular facelifted Innova Crysta MPV. The company reintroduced the model with an all-new front fascia and will be offering the model in four grades of Diesel Manual Transmission. Most likely the company will be launching the model in mid-March. Currently the booking amount of Rs 50,000 is being charged by the company for the updated MPV. The 2023 model will be available in four grades Zx (7 Seater), Vx (7/8 Seater), Gx (7/8 Seater) and G (7/8 Seater) and in five colors – White Pearl Crystal Shine, Superwhite, Silver, Attitude Black and Avant Garde Bronze.
2023 Hyundai Alcazar Turbo Petrol
The South Korean carmaker opened the bookings for the 2023 Alcazar with the all-new 1.5 Turbo GDi Petrol engine on February 27. The model will most likely be launched in the middle or towards the end of March. For the those unaware the updated Alcazar will feature a brand 1.5L Turbo GDi Petrol engine which has been in rumours for a long time in the country. This same engine will be offered in the updated Creta and the mid-size sedan Verna’s update as well. The new 1.5 Turbo GDi petrol engine in the Alcazar will be available with either a 7DCT or 6MT gearbox option. As for the specifications of this motor, it will be able to generate a maximum power of 160 PS at 5 500 rpm and a maximum torque of 253 Nm at 1500–3 500 rpm.
2023 Mahindra Scorpio Classic S5
One of the most popular SUVs in the country the Mahindra Scorpio’s Classic iteration is about to receive and an all-new mid-spec variant called the S5. Currently the company offers the Scorpio-Classic in just two variants the entry-level S and the top-spec variant S11. This new model will be placed right in the middle of the lineup and will be great point to lure in more buyers who do not want to shell out extra for the top-spec variant and want something more equipped than the entry level trim. It will be offered with 3 seating configurations which will be a 7-seater with bench, a 7-seater with captain’s chairs and a 9-seater with bench. As for the drivetrain side of things it will come powered by the same 2.2L turbo-diesel engine producing 132hp and 300Nm of torque. It will most likely be priced at Rs 14 lakh and will be launched in mid to end of March.


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Cote d'Ivoire Economic Outlook
May 21, 2019The economy expanded at the fastest pace in almost two years in the last quarter of 2018 (Q4: +7.8% year-on-year; Q3: +7.7% yoy). A rebound in output from the all-important cocoa sector and robust manufacturing activity fueled the overall expansion. In addition, household spending likely accelerated, amid higher farmgate prices for the late-year crop and low inflation throughout the quarter. Turning to Q1, growth appears to have sustained its momentum, underpinned by a bumper cocoa harvest. Industrial production consequently gained steam in January, thanks to robust production in the nascent agro-processing sector, while merchandise exports rose in Q1 amid higher exports of cocoa and oil-derived products.
Cote d'Ivoire Economic GrowthGrowth is expected to remain strong this year, underpinned by healthy domestic activity. Private consumption will likely accelerate, amid stable farmgate prices and weak inflation. While the mid-year cocoa crop is expected to be affected by dry weather in April, favorable rainfall in May should boost the harvest ahead. Our panel sees growth at 7.1% in 2019, which is unchanged from last month’s forecast, and at 6.8% in 2020.
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|Exchange Rate||579.4||-1.11 %||Jun 13|
|Stock Market||0.6||0.0 %||Jun 13|
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Business management software vendors, Netsuite, posted its final quarter
figures for 2008 showing 30% growth in comparison to Q4 2007.
NetSuite revealed its first non-GAAP profit in Q4 2008, revealing total
revenue for the business was $152.2m (£106m).
Zach Nelson, chief executive officer at NetSuite said: ‘I’m delighted that
NetSuite delivered one of our best quarters to date in what has been a very
difficult economic environment. I am especially excited that we posted the first
non-GAAP profitable quarter in the company’s history even against the headwinds
of global economic challenges.
‘This is a strong performance in any quarter, and is especially impressive
with business spending on equipment and software falling 27.8%, the worst in a
half century’ he added.
On a GAAP basis there was a net loss in 2008 of $0.07 per share compared to
$0.22 per share in 2007.
Revenue from the Americas for 2008 totalled $123.4m while international
revenue accounted for $29.1m.
Making Tax Digital will impose significant additional tax compliance costs on small businesses for little or no medium term benefit, tax and small business experts told MPs
The drive towards a fully digital tax regime is an admirable one, but mandation is simply wrong, according to one of the UK's most senior tax technology practitioners - Paul Aplin
Colin responds to the call for 'Darwinism' in accountancy
Does Darwin's theory apply to taxation? Colin ponders...


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The days of waiting in line at your local McDonald’s could be over soon.
The fast food chain started a pilot program for an order-ahead app in a limited number of stores around the Columbus, Georgia area — not to be confused with the “McD App,” which offers coupons and loyalty offers in test markets elsewhere in the nation.
“You download it, you place your order, and when you get to the restaurant, you scan in your phone, and at that point the kitchen starts to fire up your meal,” says Bloomberg Business reporter Venessa Wong, who adds that the new app is part of an initiative to make things more convenient for customers.
The new app targets the young, tech-savvy customer whose life is, inevitably, tied to his or her smartphone.
“Being able to reach your customers and push out promotions to them on their phone is actually quite valuable,” said Wong.
What may be convenient for the customer, however, may be less convenient for the restaurant itself as it may struggle to keep up with the increased speed at which orders are coming in.
“The point is to improve speed and improve service,” she said, “but when you have orders coming in from a new and separate stream, the kitchen has to adapt to that.”
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India is playing an amazing role in the electric vehicle boom that is taking place globally but the country needs to catch up with other countries that are outperforming it in terms of the infrastructure they offer. EV charging facilities have become the need of the hour now and despite the Government’s best efforts to set up thousands of EV charging stations, India still has a lot to do before it can match top countries such as China or the USA.
White paper released by the firm recommends 46,000 EV charging stations:
Alvarez and Marsal, a global professional services firm suggest that India needs to install a minimum of 46,000 electric vehicle charging stations in the upcoming 8 years to be able to compete with China and the USA. As of now, the ratio of charging stations in comparison to the electric vehicles on the road is dismal in India.
The paper that was launched at an event surrounding EVs elaborated on the global average when it came to EV infrastructure. In China, there is one EV charging station for every six electric vehicles on road, the Netherlands is another country that has an impressive ratio, and finally, the USA has one station for every 19 electric vehicles. India has just one station for 135 vehicles.
Besides the lack of necessary infrastructure, the paper also highlights other challenges such as high prices, range anxiety, and safety among some other reasons why EV adoption in India is progressing at a snail’s pace.
“We believe that if these issues can be addressed by a concerted effort by the industry along with the government support. India can potentially become one of the leading markets and manufacturing hubs globally for the EV segment,” Manish Saigal, the MD at Alvarez & Marsal India stated.
Sudhendu J Sinha, Adviser on Infrastructure Connectivity and Electric Mobility at Niti Aayong in a statement said, “It is vital that the quality standards are top-notch, the businesses must have better control over the supply chain, and ethics should be the unshakable backbone of the industry.” He went ahead to clarify that India intends to become the top EV manufacturing hub in the world and lead the export sector for EV batteries and other components.
- Electric Vehicle two-wheeler sales to go up by 78% in India by 2030
- Baidu unveils Apollo RT6, its latest autonomous electric vehicle
- GST Cut On Batteries Could Reduce Price of Electric Vehicles In India