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As colleges strive to provide opportunities for students to develop the skills they need to become entrepreneurs and to successfully launch businesses, the lessons no longer start and end in the classroom.
Locally, the schools of business at the University of Evansville and the University of Southern Indiana have embraced programming to nurture the entrepreneurial skills of their students.
UE requires all of its business students to participate on an entrepreneurial team that develops a small business. Approximately 80 to 90 students enroll each year in the two-semester sequence, most often as sophomores.
“During the first semester, teams develop business proposals that are reviewed by a panel for their profit potential and also their risks,” said Peter Sherman, associate professor of management in UE’s Schroeder School of Business. “The panels determine an interest rate for a startup loan so the students can begin and develop their business during the second semester. Part of the students’ grade for the semester is based upon the performance of their business.
“Students who overcome barriers while developing a business and create their own balance sheets learn from those experiences and then learn more in their upper-level finance courses.”
Businesses UE students have developed through the program include an academic-styled Facebook, a tanning salon and a business that featured custom-tailored business suits. One team hosted a writing competition, selected the winning book, published the book and then developed a marketing plan for book sales.
Students who have graduated from UE have taken what they learned to develop their own businesses. Jenna Stratman has successfully built the online magazine RegaleMag.com since her graduation.
Sherman appreciates the support of the local business community.
“There’s a strong level of energy in this community to encourage an entrepreneurial spirit,” he said.
The Chamber of Commerce of Southwest Indiana, the Southwest Indiana Small Business Development Center and Evansville SCORE all work with students to share an outside-the-classroom, real-world perspective.
USI has developed an entrepreneurship minor that is open to all undergraduates.
“The entrepreneurship minor was launched in 2010 to give students a full-immersion learning experience,” said Bryan Bourdeau, an instructor with USI’s Romain College of Business. “Our three-management-course sequence moves students out of their comfort zone by pushing them to higher accountability and standards. The real-life scenarios we use add a sense of urgency to our projects. Students prefer it.”
The students learn to develop businesses using a Business Model Canvas, a new approach used to supplement or replace traditional business plans. The Business Model Canvas offers a “lean” approach to business planning, providing quick opportunities to respond to changes.
“Students learn that it’s OK to fail with a business idea. They learn to fail fast and move on,” Bourdeau explained.
“Our teams have transparent accountability,” Bourdeau said. “If a team member is not meeting standards or completing tasks on schedule, the other team members have the option to ‘fire’ or ‘vote’ that member off the team.
The team member who is voted out then has the option to withdraw from the course or complete all future assignments and the final presentation individually. We’ve only had one member voted off a team, but he learned from the experience and completed the course, doing all work and completing the final presentation by himself.”
About 20 students are enrolled in USI’s entrepreneurship minor. They are a mix of majors, with some students studying in the school of business and others studying in fields including education.
“We work to develop an entrepreneurial mindset,” Bourdeau said. “Our program changes how students in many different fields look at things.”
USI’s Technology Commercialization Academy, which has trained students the past two summers, brings together business and engineering majors. This summer, four teams with a total of 16 students analyzed patents developed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Crane Division. They explored commercial uses for patents for radio intelligence, intuitive interfaces and fire control lasers and developed nonmilitary, commercial uses for the patents.
The final products created included a wristband to use in amusement parks that tracks children, ride wait times, cash and ticket information; an inventory tracker for warehouses and retail stores; a device to track customers in a store; and a device for large institutions to track people and quickly identify emergency/disaster situations.
Students in the academy worked full-time for five weeks, developing their products and business proposals that they presented at Crane as well as at USI.
“Through the academy, I’ve learned how to plan a business and run it,” said Pedro Alfaro, a USI junior mechanical engineering major. “I have also learned what is needed to obtain financing to start a business. I have applied some of what I’ve learned by sharing it with my dad, who is a business owner who runs a car lot.”
Michelle Muse is a USI junior who is majoring in marketing and business administration, with a minor in entrepreneurship. She worked with three engineers on her team and said, “I helped them with a business model. I like taking something and developing it into a marketable product.”
Muse added that her experiences with Startup Weekend Evansville the past two years helped prepare her for the academy. Startup Weekend Evansville has hosted team members from the area business community, as well as students from USI and UE. Participants work on teams for 54 hours in a weekend to develop a product, a marketing strategy and a presentation for angel investors.
High schools are also beginning to offer entrepreneurial tracks. The Evansville Vanderburgh School Corp.’s New Tech Institute started an Entrepreneurial Academy in 2012, which had 25 high school juniors enrolled. Those students spent last year studying finance, accounting, and networking and will augment their studies during their senior year with internships.
“I want to help our students learn as much as possible,” said Barbara Nichols, business educator and facilitator at New Tech’s Entrepreneurial Academy. “Some students think they would one day like to have their own business. By experiencing this early, when they go to college, they will have more insight into business.”
New Tech Institute’s Entrepreneurial Academy participants partnered last year with Aurora, a local nonprofit that works to alleviate area homelessness. Five teams of academy students developed potential business plans for Aurora’s clients. The teams presented their proposed business plans to Aurora’s board of directors, which then selected one of the plans, a commercial cleaning business, as something their clients could develop and launch.
Students at UE, USI and New Tech Institute all plan to participate in the 2014 Startup Weekend Evansville. The 2013 weekend had a 20 percent increase in attendance from the first one in 2012, and two of the ideas that were presented have now been launched. Andrew Moad, a USI-Crane partnership manager, has launched Fence Chips. Neil Kassinger, a USI student in the entrepreneurship program, filed a patent for his product and has launched his company, Strap Holster.
Bourdeau said local entrepreneurial programs, the Technology Commercialization Academy, and Startup Weekend work together.
“They strengthen our local entrepreneurial ecosystem,” Bourdeau said. “We need a collaborative culture. We bring together like-minded individuals and give people an outlet to develop new ideas. We help people move from ideas to action, to take those great ideas to the next level.”
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Hyundai has revealed a new N Line variant for its latest Tucson SUV, bringing what it calls “motorsport-inspired” exterior and interior tweaks and trim-specific tuning.
Channelling Hyundai’s ‘Sensuous Sportiness’ design language while offering more performance-inspired features, according to the car maker, the N Line targets customers who want a Tucson with “even more attitude”.
On the outside, the front grille has been made longer and wider and extra detail added, including the N Line badge. The front and rear bumpers are bigger than on the standard Tucson, too.
Additionally, an elongated aerodynamic spoiler has been fitted to the N Line’s rear, alongside a red reflector band and diffuser, and “aggressive” twin tip exhausts also feature. Customers can choose from seven exterior colours, including a two-tone option, from ‘Polar White’ and ‘Phantom Black’ to a ‘Shadow Grey’ coat that is exclusive to N Line.
The styling additions continue inside, where Hyundai has ushered in red stitching, N logos and racier metal pedals, footrest and door steps.
In terms of suspension, the N Line is broadly unchanged from the standard Tucson if not equipped with the optional Electronically Controlled Suspension. However, Hyundai Europe has retuned the system to provide “even more driving fun”.
Also as with the standard Tucson, the N Line sports several powertrains. These include 148bhp and 178bhp mild-hybrid petrols, a 148bhp diesel, a 227bhp petrol hybrid and the 2021 Tucson’s new 261bhp plug-in hybrid.
The Tucson N Line, alongside the new standard model, will be delivered to customers in Europe this spring, with the hybrid and plug-in hybrid variants available from the summer. UK specifications and pricing for the N Line will be announced shortly.

domain: news


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Yesterday Samsung announced the new Galaxy S4 smartphone. It has been called the iPhone killer, while this seems to be the news item most outlets are reporting. The real interesting thing that happened during the launch announcement was their introduction of a line of heath devices along with the phone. Is this Samsung’s attempt at jumping ahead of Apple in the iHealth arena? There has been a lot of speculation that Apple’s alleged iWatch is going to be a health monitor that connects to iPhones. This wouldn’t be the first time that Apple wasn’t first to innovate, take the original iPod for example. They took the mp3 player and made the iPod, one might argue they are the same, but history has shown us that to the consumer they were not. Will this be a similar circumstance? Only time will tell, but one thing is certain. Consumers seem interested in self quantification and Samsung has decided to enter this market with the launch of their new flagship smartphone. Check out some of my earlier posts on self quantification here and
Wired is reporting that there are several new devices about to enter the market that track the a cars fuel economy. Griffin has the CarTrip and Automatic has what they are calling “Your Smart Driving Assistant“. These devices plug into your cars OBD port and are meant to show the driver just how they are spending their fuel dollars. This is a natural extension of the self-quantification phenomenon I’ve talked about earlier here. The Fitbit or Nuke Fuel have shown that people want to know how much they are moving around and to some extent augment their activity in a positive way based on this feedback. The premise is drivers will want to do the same sort of thing to their driving and potentially save some cash in the process. I’m sure that some auto enthusiasts will certainly enjoy a smartphone app that captures this data easily, but will the average consumer find this useful? I would guess that the answer is no. For a while now, most cars have been able to report fuel economy information back to drivers, albeit sometimes in a hard to decipher format, and this has not changed overall fuel consumption. If the data were presented in a more easy to read and actionable from will this help? Perhaps… Some early assessments of feedback mechanisms in hybrid cars, have shown that drivers can augment their habits when confronted with an easy to understand graphic, like the Ford leaf graphic used in some of its hybrid models. Overall I like the idea, I’m just not sure that it’s different enough from what’s currently already available in cars.


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The Price of Rice Will Stabilize as Idul Fitri Approaches: Food Task Force
Jakarta. The National Police's Food Task Force has assured the public that the price of rice will remain stable during the Idul Fitri holiday and that the State Logistics Agency, or Bulog, has enough rice in their warehouses to satisfy demand.
"The recommended retail price for rice will stay at Rp 10,912 (70 cents) per kilogram as Idul Fitri approaches," National Police spokesman Chief Comr. Ahmad Ramadhan said on Thursday.
According to Ahmad, Bulog has 1.4 million tons of rice kept in its warehouses around the country, more than enough to meet demand during Idul Fitri.
However, Ahmad said seven provinces are currently experiencing a rice stock deficit: Riau, Riau Islands, North Kalimantan, Maluku, North Maluku, Bangka Belitung and West Papua.
"The Food Task Force has been trying to speed up rice distribution from rice-producing regions to these provinces," Ahmad said in an online press conference from the National Police headquarters.
The task force also estimated that demand for sugar from April to May would reach 700,000 tons and noted that there is currently a sugar stock deficit of 28,540 tons.
Ahmad said the shortage could be overcome by importing sugar. If that happens, the task force will also monitor its import and distribution.
"Meanwhile, the price of sugar has gone down 4.4 percent from Rp 17,062 to Rp 16,300," Ahmad said.
Prices for garlic, chili, egg and chicken are expected to rise between 1 percent and 29 percent.
Prices of shallot, beef and cooking oil are expected to fall between 0.01 percent and 5.9 percent.
"We're closely monitoring staple food distribution by inspecting markets and rounding up hoarders," Ahmad said.
Trade Minister Agus Suparmanto has appealed for people to avoid panic buying for Idul Fitri festivities.
"We have enough stock of staple food for everyone, and the prices will remain affordable," Agus said in an online press conference from the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) headquarters in Jakarta.
The Trade Ministry has also issued a Covid-19 protocol for markets to limit the spread of coronavirus. Agus said every market now has to provide free masks and gloves for sellers.
Sellers and staff at traditional markets should get tested for Covid-19 using either the rapid test or the swab test that will be available from regional governments.
"Markets should erect a barrier fence to limit the number of visitors. They should keep it at 30 percent the number of visitors before the pandemic. Each visitor should stay no more than 2.5 hours at the market," he said.
Agus also said people should avoid shopping with cash at supermarkets and keep banknotes in a plastic bag when they shop at traditional markets.
"If at all possible, you should order your groceries online and get them delivered to your house instead of going out to shop," he said.Tags:


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IGN: First Details on the Intellivision Reboot Console
IGN has published an article about the Intellivision Reboot Console, where Intellivision Entertainment president, Tommy Tallarico, put light on some details about the console, games, and accessories.
About the games, a possible initial line up might include classic games like Shark! SharK!, Astro Smash, Tron: Deadly Discs, Biplanes, Snafu, Major League Baseball, Pitfall!, and Night Stalker.
Interesting to see that Intellivision president states clearly that the console is for everybody but hardcore gamers. That’s not hard to understand since the hardcore gamer usually demands high-end graphics and the games that might have a chance will cost hundreds of millions of dollars to be created,
Tallarico also makes clear that every game on the new console will have to be E rated.
I particularly think it is hard to believe such a console will be successful in the long term due to the fierce competition from phones, tablets, consoles, and PCs. On the other hand, I hope it does if it manages to keep the original Intellivision DNA.
You can read the full article over IGN, following the link below.


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Martek Says IoM Report On Infant Formula Will Not Impact Sales
This article was originally published in The Tan Sheet
Recommendations in the Institute of Medicine's recent report on evaluating new infant formula ingredients will not affect currently marketed products containing Martek's docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and arachidonic acid (ARA)
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Finalization of a settlement between the Federal Trade Commission and Rexall Sundown regarding unsupported cellulite treatment claims for the firm's Cellasene dietary supplement hinges upon approval of two related class action settlements pending in California and Florida, according to FTC
Perrigo promotes in pricing, planning


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January 27, 2006
Microsoft Says Xbox 360 Sales Started Slow
SEATTLE -- Microsoft Corp. has lowered its 90-day Xbox 360 sales forecast due to production-related shortages but is holding fast to its target to sell between 4.5 million and 5.5 million video game consoles by the end of June, the company said on Thursday.
The world's biggest software maker, which said it sold 1.5 million units of its next-generation video game console in its December quarter, now expects to sell 2.5 million Xbox 360s by late February.Its initial forecast had called for sales of 2.75 million to 3 million units in that 90-day time frame, Microsoft Chief Financial Offer Chris Liddell said in a conference call with analysts.
The Xbox 360 made a huge splash when it debuted on November 22 in North America, where it sold 900,000 units by December 31 and demand has outpaced supply. It also got a warm reception in Europe, where sales hit 500,000 at year end. But it was a different story in Japan, where response was tepid and sales came in under targets at around 100,000.
Microsoft's revenue in the fiscal second quarter ended December came in slightly below analysts' and its own forecasts, due to issues of short supply of the Xbox 360, Colleen Healy, Microsoft's director of investor relations told Reuters.
Liddell said Microsoft's third manufacturing partner, Celestica Inc., will come on board next month, helping to ease shortages.
He added that Microsoft continues to expect $1.5 billion in sales of Xbox 360 consoles, video games and accessories in the first 90 days. Video game and accessory sales have outpaced expectations.
Sony Corp., the world's biggest video game console maker, and Nintendo Co. Ltd are preparing to ship their next-generation machines in 2006.
(Additional reporting by Lisa Baertlein in Los Angeles)


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Tuesday, July 30, 2019 - Nairobi Woman Representative, Esther Passaris, has thrown her weight behind the push to legalise the use of Marijuana for medical purposes in Kenya.
The campaign to decriminalize the growth and use of Marijuana in the country was spearheaded by the late Kibra MP, Ken Okoth, who tabled a bill in Parliament in 2018.
In the draft Bill, the legislator was seeking to have a regulation for the growth and safe use of the stimulant, including the registration of growers, producers, manufacturers and users.
Mr. Okoth also believed that legalising bhang would boost the economy and provide jobs.
“Progressive taxation measures for the marijuana industry to boost economic independence of Kenya and promote job creation along the full spectrum of the value addition chain for marijuana and hemp,” part of his draft bill read.
Passaris made her stand known when replying to a twitter user by the name Dennis, who wrote:
“This is the time to legalize medical marijuana,”
To which Passaris responded: “I second.”
There is also a petition in the Senate for the same by Mr. Gwada Ogot from Siaya County, who describes Bhang as “God’s gift to mankind”.
So far, only two countries in Africa - Lesotho and Zimbabwe - have legalised the production of Marijuana for scientific and medical purposes.
The Kenyan DAILY POST


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Here's a K 2007 blog contribution from senior staff reporter Frank Esposito:
The state that's home to the Tennessee Titans now is home to a Tennesee Tritan. Tritan is the brand name of a new copolyester resin introduced by Kingsport, Tenn.-based Eastman Chemical Co. at K 2007 in Dusseldorf. The material is aimed at a broad range of applications including housewares, appliances and sheet, officials said at an Oct. 24 news conference. (The Titans, of course, are an American pro football team that plays its home games in Nashville. Eastman officials said that the similarity of the two names is pure coincidence.) Tritan "removes obstacles and compromises" while providing higher heat resistance, increased toughness and ease of processing, said executive vice president Greg Nelson, who's head of the firm's polymers business group. Tritan is expected to compete with polycarbonate in a number of applications. Eastman copolyester innovation director Deborah Baum Crain added that the material, which is being made in Kingsport, "will expand the entire category of copolyesters." "Traditionally, low heat resistance has limited copolyesters, but Tritan's is higher without sacrificing clarity and toughness," Baum Crain said. Eastman customers using Tritan include: CamelBak Products LLC of Petaluma, Calif., which is using it in reusable water bottles. Vita-Mix Corp. of Olmsted Falls, Ohio, which is using it in containers for its Vita-Mix 5200 household blender. The containers are molded by Laszeray Technology Inc. of North Royalton, Ohio. Carlisle Food Service Products of Charlotte, N.C., which is using it in commercial soup bowls.Meantime, here's a K show attendance update: On Sunday, Oct. 28, 21,000 visitors came to the Messe. That's 1,500 fewer than on Sunday three years ago. Still, total attendance is up compared to 2004. This year's current total is 163,000, up by 13,500 compared to the first five days at K 2004.


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Mecum Auction company has a 2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe in there Auction lineup on Wednesday May 13, 2020 in Indianapolis. Lot # 85.
Dependent on the current crisis our country is facing right now!
2009 Pontiac Solstice GXP Coupe | W85 | Indy 2020 | Mecum Auctions
Take a look at this bit of info from Lori Queen at GM. She reports to Bob Lutz and his some information on production status. She also assures that the first 1000 eill actually be the 1st 1000. http://fastlane.gmblogs.com/
The United Auto Workers' strike against General Motors is affecting a high-profile product, the long-awaited mid-engine Chevrolet Corvette. Citing inside information from unnamed sources, the Detroit Free Press said today that production is going to be delayed because of the strike.
For Release: Jan. 4, 2004, 12:00 a.m. EST
SOLSTICE ADDS NEW DIMENSION TO PONTIAC’S PERFORMANCE RENAISSANCE
DETROIT - Bringing the popular concept car to life, GM announced production of the Pontiac Solstice roadster as a 2006 model. The vehicle is expected in dealer showrooms in fall 2005...


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Black Diamond Announces Key Promotions to its Senior Leadership Team
September 21, 2021
SALT LAKE CITY, September 21, 2021 /OUTDOOR SPORTSWIRE/ Black Diamond Equipment®, a global innovator in climb, ski, and mountain sports equipment, is pleased to announce key promotions to its senior leadership team in Black Diamond’s sales and operations divisions. Industry veteran Brian Block was appointed to vice-president of sales for North America, while eleven-year Black Diamond employee Fabian Garza was named vice-president of operations.
“Brian’s 29 years of industry experience, penchant for building relationships and passion for climbing and the sports that BD serves, are obvious merits for this role. He’s always moving and therefore the perfect person to lead sales for Black Diamond North America,” states John Walbrecht, president of Black Diamond Equipment. “Fabian has been instrumental in solidifying a strong and dynamic supply chain, improved demand planning processes and systems across our entire organization. Most notable, is the way he along with the rest of our supply chain, sourcing, logistics, manufacturing, and warehouse teams have led us through the unprecedented challenges associated with COVID-19.”
After working at Petzl as its sport division manager from 2015-2017, Block joined the Black Diamond team in 2017 where most recently he has been serving as the director of national accounts for North America including managing relationships with key partners REI and MEC. In his new position, Block will support Black Diamond’s overall business with an emphasis on improved alignment in sales and distribution to better service its existing customer base.
With over six years of experience across planning, manufacturing, quality, maintenance, warehousing and logistics, Garza joined Black Diamond in 2010 after having served at Gregory Mountain Products since 2004. Garza started as a procurement manager and quickly ascended into the position of director of global supply chain and demand planning. With his new responsibilities, Garza will oversee the sourcing, planning, execution, and distribution of global inventory for Black Diamond Equipment, Black Diamond Europe and Pieps Austria.
“Great teams build great brands,” adds Walbrecht. “We are excited to have both Brian and Fabian join Black Diamond’s senior leadership team.”
Black Diamond Equipment is a manufacturer of equipment and clothing for climbing, skiing and mountain sports. By consistently building innovative, standard-setting products and actively preserving the mountain/canyon environment, Black Diamond Equipment has assumed a leadership role in the international outdoor community. For more information on Black Diamond Equipment, visit BlackDiamondEquipment.com


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By Tony Winterburn • 13 March 2021 • 6:53
Amazon Canada Asked To Shut Brampton Facility Over COVID-19 Concerns. image: Stock Photo
Amazon Canada Asked To Shut Brampton Facility Over COVID-19 Concerns.
Amazon.com Inc’s Canada division has been ordered to close its Brampton facility in South Ontario, with workers being asked to self-isolate for 14 days, according to a statement from Peel Public Health.
Over the past few weeks, the rate of COVID-19 infection across Peel has been decreasing while the rate inside this facility has been increasing significantly, the statement added. Amazon said it will appeal the decision, adding that the facility closure may have some short-term impact on its Canadian customers.
The company said that in its most recent round of mandatory testing in the facility, COVID-19 positive cases were less than 1%. Peel Public Health said a current investigation determined high-risk exposure to COVID-19 for everyone working at the facility cannot be ruled out.
All employees will be required to self-isolate through March 27, unless they have tested positive in the last 90 days and completed their isolation period, the health agency said.
Last month, New York’s Attorney General Letitia James sued Amazon over its handling of worker safety issues related to the pandemic at two warehouses, a Staten Island fulfilment centre and a Queens distribution centre, both in New York City.
Thousands of UK Amazon workers received the wrong Coronavirus test results after a mistake meant they were given inaccurate information by test and trace. It is understood that 3,853 staff members at the online retailer received an erroneous result. Officials said they had tested negatively but received notifications to say they had tested positive and asking them to self-isolate.
The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) said it had been resolved in a day but those working for the “world-beating” service that tracks down those who may have been infected with the virus said they were still dealing with the fallout.
One test-and-trace worker said: “The tests, as far I can tell were good, but what people were told about their results is wrong.”
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By Jim Karpen on Fri, 06/08/2012
After rumors surfaced earlier this week, Virgin Mobile, a seller of prepaid phone service, confirmed yesterday that they'll begin offering the iPhone on June 29. Here's the bottom line: If you go with a Virgin Mobile iPhone 4, you'll pay more money upfront, but over a two-year period you'll save $800 or more compared to a similar phone purchased with a contract from Sprint (provider of Virgin Mobile's network). An 8GB iPhone 4 will cost $549. And service starts at $30/month for 300 minutes, unlimited text messages, and unlimited data. Though if you use over 2.5GB of data during your monthly billing cycle, Virgin Mobile will significantly reduce the speed of your service for the rest of that cycle. The service actually costs $35/month, but you get a $5 discount if you sign up for automatic payment with a credit card. Virgin Mobile will also offer a 16GB iPhone 4S for $649.
Along with a Cricket, which announced last week that its prepaid phone is coming June 22, this is the first time the iPhone will be available as a prepaid phone. This is currently the fastest growing segment of the cell phone market, with the growth in contract phones having leveled off and actually beginning to decline slightly.
Cricket's iPhones, by the way, are cheaper, at $399 and $499. But service is $55/month.


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It seems as though everyone’s jumping on the AI train because no one wants to be left behind. The latest company to climb aboard is Amazon. The company has ambitious plans to develop a more advanced large language model (LLM) to supercharge its voice assistant, Alexa.
Rohit Prasad, Alexa AI senior vice president and head scientist says: “To continue to meet customer expectations, Alexa can’t just be a collection of special-purpose AI modules. Instead, it needs to be able to learn on its own and to generalize what it learns to new contexts.”
Unlike Microsoft’s Bing, which uses OpenAI’s ChatGPT model, Amazon is using its own LLM, called the Alexa Teacher Model. The endgame is to make Alexa seem more thoughtful, insightful, better at making media recommendations and giving information, while making overall communication more interactive.
Prasad explains that “we are enabling conversational explorations on ambient devices, so you don’t have to pull out your phone or go to your laptop to explore information on the web.”
“Instead, Alexa guides you on your topic of interest, distilling a wide variety of information available on the web and shifting the heavy lifting of researching content from you to Alexa.”
The Alexa team is said to be focusing on three primary areas: dialogue flow prediction through deep learning in Alexa Conversations; web-scale neural information retrieval to match relevant information to customer queries; and automated summarization, to distill information from one or multiple sources, according to Prasad.
Amazon believes that improving the LLM will help achieve Amazon’s ultimate goal of creating “the world’s best personal assistant.”


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Celerio from Maruti Suzuki will come in to replace both A Star and Estilio, which are being discontinued. It will be unveiled at 2014 Auto Expo where the Celerio will sport a 1.0 liter K10 petrol engine mated to a 5 speed transmission while a 2 cylinder 800 cc diesel motor developed in-house is also expected to be seen on board the upcoming Celerio.
This segment first Automated Manual Transmission system does away with the cumbersome clutch pedal and thus ensures that driving is less of a hassle, specially in Indian stop/go driving conditions. AMT is also cheaper than conventional automatic gearboxes which will allow the company to price the upcoming Celerio efficiently, while higher fuel efficiency is also one of the added advantages of this system.
The upcoming hatchback was spotted for first time during a photo shoot and while no prices have yet been made known, it will not be long before further details of Celerio or YL7 hatchback, as it is known as on date, will be revealed. (source)


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Infrastructure software giant CA moved a step closer to fully integrating the technology it acquired from application management specialist Wily earlier this year, with the launch yesterday of a new version...
Legislators ignore protests, experts and activists to sign directive - including Articles 11 and 13 - into law
McDonald's makes its largest acquisition of the past 20 years - with a decision-support technology company
Ocado Smart Platform to go live in Australia's Coles in the next four years, with warehouses in Sydney and Melbourne
Apple launches Apple News+, Apple Arcade and new Apple TV subscription services alongside a credit card to pay for them
Open wide: Apple plans new services to cash-in on its customers


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As protesters took to the streets in a whole bunch of cities throughout america and the globe to assist Black Lives Matter and decry police brutality, Starbucks, like many main American firms, rushed to publicly proclaim its assist for the motion and pledged to do extra to fight racial injustice.
On June 1, the espresso retailer vowed on Twitter to “stand in solidarity with our Black companions, clients and communities.” A couple of days later, it tweeted, and then pinned, a extra in-depth dedication to supporting Black Lives Matter and confronting bias and racism and to “being part of change.”
Being a part of that change doesn’t lengthen, nonetheless, to permitting the corporate’s baristas and different workers to put on T-shirts, pins, or every other accent that mentions Black Lives Matter.
In truth, the corporate explicitly said that Black Lives Matter apparel was prohibited from the lists of issues workers can put on because of its costume code coverage, which additionally contains any sort of political, non secular, or private equipment or clothes. Nonetheless, as many workers famous to BuzzFeed Information, Starbucks not solely exempts buttons and apparel celebrating LGBTQ rights and marriage equality, however arms them out.
In response to an inner bulletin obtained by BuzzFeed Information, retailer managers had been contacting senior management on behalf of workers who wished to put on BLM-related apparel as protests continued to comb main cities and small cities throughout the nation.
In response, administration, in accordance with the memo from final week, argued that carrying clothes and accessories highlighting Black Lives Matter may very well be misunderstood and doubtlessly incite violence. The bulletin pointed workers to a video, which has now been eliminated, wherein its VP of inclusion and variety defined that “agitators who misconstrue the elemental rules” of the motion and will use them to “amplify divisiveness.”
Calvin Bensen, a 22-year-old barista from Atlanta, advised BuzzFeed Information the corporate’s response was “disappointing in methods I can’t categorical in phrases. That assertion prioritizes those that really feel discomfort over Black lives.” He referred to as it “violent.”
“My pores and skin colour incites violence at Starbucks. Ought to I not come to work?” he requested. “It’s silencing and Starbucks is complicit. Now greater than ever, Starbucks wants to face with us.”
In an interview, a Starbucks spokesperson stated the corporate is devoted to serving to finish “systemic racism,” however that the costume code coverage would stay in place as a result of it was vital “to create a secure and welcoming” surroundings for purchasers and employees.
“We respect all of our companions’ opinions and beliefs, and encourage them to convey their complete selves to work whereas adhering to our costume code coverage,” the spokesperson stated.
Starbucks created its “Third Place” policy in Could 2018, which goals to create an area inside its shops that’s inclusive and welcoming to all clients.
The corporate has additionally pledged $1 million to organizations selling racial fairness, partnered with Arizona State College to design anti-bias sources and coaching, and says it’s actively internet hosting open and vital conversations with workers about “racism the Black group faces.”
Starbucks companions even have the choice to purchase a T-shirt from its accepted “Black Partner Network,” which goals to spark dialog “across the African diaspora.”
Many workers weren’t happy. For some workers, the statements really feel “performative,” shallow, and hypocritical.” A barista in Massachusetts advised BuzzFeed Information that on the bottom, the corporate remains to be working to protect its picture with clients to not disrupt gross sales.
“Now we have a police element outdoors of the shop most days anyway. Let’s simply name him over if a buyer is offended by somebody’s BLM pin,” the worker stated. “There’s one thing deeper right here. [Starbucks CEO] Kevin Johnson talks a giant speak on Twitter, however he is nonetheless the pinnacle of a multibillion-dollar firm that has to maintain up with its picture. God forbid if workers tarnish that pristine international picture.”
One other employee in Colorado agreed that the choice was made to “not trigger battle with clients” and didn’t agree with the corporate’s rationalization that Black Lives Matter needs to be outlined as political.
“I do not suppose asking for and supporting those that need fundamental human rights is essentially political,” this particular person stated.
At a location in Washington, a supervisor stated that he felt “muted” by not with the ability to visibly present his assist at work.
“I work in a retailer the place I’m considered one of 5 folks of colour out of 30, and it could be good to have the ability to present some type of unity with them,” he stated. “I personally am having a tough time with this, as most individuals know Starbucks caters to a predominantly Caucasian buyer base and Starbucks expects us to uphold a tremendous buyer expertise for these demographics, to make sure the cash retains coming in.”
Almost each worker with whom BuzzFeed Information spoke identified that the corporate allowed employees to put on equipment supporting marriage equality and LGBTQ rights, even giving them pins and Homosexual Pleasure shirts, since June is Pleasure Month.
Benson, who’s black and transgender, stated watching how Starbucks ralied behind and continues to embrace the LGBTQ motion made its response to Black Lives Matter much more “shocking and disappointing.”
In a tales part on its web site, Starbucks has a comprehensive timeline of its historical past of “LGBTQ Inclusion,” writing, “For greater than three a long time, Starbucks has been dedicated to constructing a tradition the place all are welcome, standing as an ally to the lesbian, homosexual, bisexual, transgender and queer group.” Through the years, the corporate has launched a spate of initiatives to make sure it helped obtain LGBTQ office equality, supported LGBTQ workers with healthcare, and has marched in Pleasure parades world wide.
“Starbucks LGBTQ+ companions put on LGBTQ+ pins and shirts, that additionally might incite and create violent experiences amongst companions and clients,” Benson stated, including that workers have been capable of put on LGBTQ+ pins and shirts with out buying them immediately from Starbucks. “Now we have companions who skilled harassment and transphobia/homophobia for carrying their pins and shirts, and Starbucks nonetheless stands behind them.”
Some workers, nonetheless, agree with the corporate’s place. On an inner portal with hyperlinks and data on methods to get up for racial justice, together with hyperlinks to assist totally different organizations just like the NAACP, one employee thanked Starbucks for sharing the sources, but in addition for its dedication to not permitting companions to put on BLM gear, noting that for some it represents anti-police sentiment and unrest.
“Consider the households which have even have damage emotional [sic] and bodily from violence and threats from those who affiliate with BLM that aren’t peaceable,” they wrote, speaking particularly about cops.
The concept that Black Lives Matter is violent and politically divisive, Benson stated, really hurts the reason for racial fairness. And it is much more infuriating now, at a time when the corporate is publicly supporting the trigger.
“Our actions are simply too controversial for Starbucks to face behind,” he stated.


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Janees Reghelini , Retail Today
Mumbai, April 2012
Once again the Central Government doesn’t seem to have listened to retailers’ calls. Janees Reghelini analyses this year’s budget.
Modern retail might be growing fast, but it is now starting to
face considerably more obstacles than it did in its nascence.
It is also having a much wider impact on India’s economy.
“Traditionally, retail has been known to be one of the largest employment generators in the world. For a country like India this is the biggest advantage. Policy changes by the government, for example, will open up strategic investment opportunities for global retailers. This, along with spurring employment creation, will have a significant positive impact on all stakeholders and will provide a necessary fillip to the growth of the Indian economy on the whole,” says Rajendra Kalkar, senior centre director, High Street Phoenix.
Having great expectation from the Union Budget 2012-13, retailers voiced a number of demands they feel would help.
One of the most obvious demands was granting industry status, although it wasn’t addressed once again.
Contributing to over 10 per cent of the country’s GDP, Indian retail is India’s second largest employer after agriculture. With an increasing market demand, the sector is expected to grow at a pace of 25 to 30 per cent annually. Providing industry status would be the first basic step to reform the sector, politically.
Kalkar feels retail would benefit from having a ministry for
a number of reasons, not least because its role has changed profoundly
over the last few years. “Today, large-scale retailers are
no longer perceived as mere sellers of products. A modern, advanced
retailer must be able to innovate and enrich the value of its
offering throughout its network, integrating more goods and services
under an umbrella brand that increases distinctiveness and loyalty.
In order to do so, it is necessary to have an entrepreneurial
Retail still in the cold towards the evolution of demand, a socially-focused company mission, and also a legislative landscape that allows for this innovation process,” he says
“The present value of the Indian retail market is estimated by the India Retail Report to be around $500 billion. For consumption of this size, a ministry is entirely justified for us.”
CHALLENGES FACING INDIAN RETAIL INDUSTRY
• Tax structure in India favors small retail business
• Lack of adequate infrastructure facilities
• High cost of real estate
• Dissimilarity in consumer groups
• Restrictions in FDI
• Shortage of retail study options
• Shortage of trained manpower
• Low retail management skillretail in India.
The advantages of such a status include greater focus on retail development, fiscal incentives for the industry, an availability of organised financing and the establishment of integrated insurance norms. Currently, retail businesses are answerable to a number of authorities, from local municipalities to a hotchpotch of central ministries — Consumer Affairs, Commerce, Urban Development and Human Resource Development, to name a few. “Due to the nature of the sector, while the accountability to many authorities will remain, many of the larger retailers are lobbying to be taken under the wing of one ministry that can be a single source of cohesive policy and also champion the sector’s cause, similar to other significant business sectors, such as the Ministry of Commerce Industry, Mining, Textiles and Telecommunications,” says Devangshu Dutta, CEO of Third Eyesight.
“We must provide retailers with the necessary incentive to improve their overall standards and practices by recognising retail as an industry. This also means encouraging large companies with large investments, so they will be able to bring new methods of working into the market much more quickly.”
Dutta firmly believes that, if given due attention and supported by a planning and policy infrastructure, organised retail could become an unexpected source of widespread economic benefit.
Indian retailers were expecting much more by way of GST from the Union Budget 2012; they had hoped to see definite plans for the roll-out of a formal GST regime. But no significant announcements were made on the FDI and GST fronts, although it was announced that efforts were underway to arrive at a consensus on FDI in multi-brand retail.
Guruduth Prabhu of the Shopping Centres Association of India (SCAI) has been particularly vocal about the contents of the Budget: “It was insignificant from a shopping centre point of view. The industry’s much awaited FDI in multi-brand retail was not even considered as the government is yet to arrive at a consensus.”
So what will it take to convince the government to open up FDI in multi-brand retail? There is a dire need to find a catalyst to speed up this process. Can agencies like SCAI play a role to make this happen?
“As a body, SCAI has been attempting to meet with ministers and convince them of the advantages of retail, but it is a process that is so time consuming. As an association, we will be attempting to motivate relevant ministries and educating them about organised retail, and particularly retail real estate, as a future driver in terms of employment opportunities and the growth of economy,” Prabhu says.
Shopping centres are an important asset class for investors and developers who believe in returns over a long-term investment. Presently real estate itself is trying to motivate the government for recognition. “We are also approaching the government for separate status for the retail real estate industry as we believe that this sector will be one of the major drivers of economy. Secondly, the sector feels that shopping centres should be considered as part of urban infrastructure. Opening up of FDI will have a positive impact by opening up a number of avenues for both retail and real estate. We urgently need a catalyst, and any directives by the Government to assist with the inflow of international retailers and brands into India would be welcome,” Prabhu says
Agreeing with Prabhu, Dutta also believes that we must view retail as part of urban and social infrastructure, and it needs adequate planning, support and guidance for growth, rather than being treated as a “trading activity”, an afterthought in the urban planning of the last few decades. “It should also not be overly consolidated. A healthy mix is needed between the large and the small, between local, regional, national and international,” he insists, adding that opening up FDI will help bring more international brands into the country to fill the ample retail space that India has on offer and plug the gap made by a shortage of Indian-grown brands.
The budget might have fully exempted branded silver jewellery from excise duty but it has still imposed a four-per cent import duty on gold bars and ore, and 10 per cent on platinum and coloured gems.
“This has led to a setback in the jewellery industry and the jewellers association has planned a three-day nationwide bandh to protest against new excise, customs duty and consumer tax on gold imports,” says Subhash Verma, CEO of Aerens Gold Souk Group. “Also, the downside of this increase in custom duty is that it will lead to the trafficking of gold through illegal channels and will reduce demand among consumers, who will have to pay more.”
It is important to consider both the positive and the negative aspects of the impact of FDI, says Ian Douglas Watt, director of Pioneer Property Zone. “Regrettably, most of the discussion revolves around the perceived negative aspects, rather than the opportunities that exist for both local and foreign retailers by embracing it as a positive contribution toward India becoming a major player in the retail space internationally.”
Comparing retail to the Indian cricket team, Watt says that to be considered one of the best in the world, it is important to look at developing strengths overseas. The cricket team cannot only play under a protected umbrella locally where wickets are prepared to suit their strength and nullify the strength of the competing teams. They need to master all conditions, and that is also the case for retail.
“Given the size of the Indian population and their aspirations, it needs to be recognised that the Indian retailer has to plan to be a major player in world markets in the future. Right now, because the retail industry has not had the opportunities to become globally competitive, it is at a disadvantage as it really does not have a full understanding of the standards of the other players,” he says.
The sheer force of weight once this happens will mean that Indian companies will have the potential to become significant players internationally, even if this might not be immediately obvious as there is just so much to do to meet local needs. Every international retailer that enters the Indian market creates an employment opportunity for local Indians and the demand for their goods will only be as much as the Indian consumer sees as the need.
It is important to note that by preventing international players from having a presence in India will only compel them to establish a rather stronger online presence to meet Indian demands. This will eventually place them at an advantage as they will have established a presence and developed a customer base without even having entered the country.
“They scrape off the cream with very little cost whereas if they were to establish a physical presence, they would have to do so with local conditions influencing how they operate,” adds Watt.
Kalkar says: “Reforming the corporate tax system is an international innovation we should look at. Retailers pay the highest effective tax rate of any industry. Simplifying the tax code will ease the industry’s tax burden so retailers can grow.”
He continues to address the supply chain as another huge challenge. “The government must support efforts to streamline the transportation of goods from manufacturer to retailer to customer. The industry opposes regulatory proposals that lengthen the supply chain, raise transportation costs, or undermine the rapid delivery of affordable products.”
On the government’s part, harmonisation of taxes and tarriffs across the country is another area that needs immediate attention, says Dutta. “We might be one nation, but we are not yet one economically integrated zone. This leads to fragmentation of manufacturing and distribution, inefficiencies and additional supply chain costs that are entirely avoidable.”
By the next general election in 2014, retailers hope that the scenario would have improved significantly.
Payal Chopra, director of PS Srijan Group, spells out his perfect-world scenario for 2014: “The ministry will understand the importance of the retail industry and the advantages of a regulated sector in retail. Retailers and retail developers will have a healthy understanding and will work together in bringing an organised set-up to India. Small- and medium-sized players will receive assistance from a ministry so that their presence is not eliminated; and big chains will also receive incentives so investment can flow.”
Recently, Tier- II and III cities have become major drivers for
the progress of retail. “It is for sure that these cities
offer major potential for more retail giants by 2014, not least
with their low lease rentals compared to the metro cities; they
also require lower overhead costs and offer greater availability
of manpower at much lower cost,” states L.V.S Rajasekhar,
CEO of LEPL. “One can only hope that by the next general
elections, Indian retail will be a stronger entity by itself and
work towards ensuring that all their current demands are met by


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March 13, 2021
Omnio names Rachael Lord as Chief Product Officer
Omnio, the Banking-as-a-Service platform FinTech, has announced the appointment of Rachael Lord as Chief Product Officer (CPO) as part of the company’s ambitious growth plans for its European operations.
Rachael brings over 20 years’ experience of product development in the banking and finance sector with over 10 years at Barclays and, most recently, 2 years as Chief Product Officer at Vive, a digital start-up bank. As CPO, Rachael will be responsible for the strategy and development of Omnio’s products and services, ensuring that the company has a market-leading portfolio to excel in the highly competitive and dynamic fintech industry.
Commenting on her appointment Rachael said, “The disruption in the banking and finance sector, that Fintechs like Omnio have driven, has meant banks need to be more flexible to meet the changing demands of commerce and consumers. The emergence of digital-only banking has forced traditional banks to change the way they operate and develop better products that better serve their business and consumer customers.
“After meeting with Adrian and the team, it was clear to me that Omnio is driving change within the industry with their portfolio of emerging digital banking services. I’m excited to join a team that is a catalyst for positive change in financial technology, enabling everyone to have access to the banking services that they deserve.”
Adrian Cannon, Omnio CEO said, “Rachael’s addition to the team as Chief Product Officer is a significant moment in the growth and development of Omnio. Having a highly experienced and skilled professional such as Rachael leading the product innovation and development at Omnio will ensure our sustained growth and is another superb addition to the first-class team we are building in Europe.”
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Deere and Company earned $1.13 billion in the quarter ending April 28, down from $2.21 billion is the same period last year. Delayed planting and the U.S. China trade war are causing caution in the sector. The company reported a five percent jump in overall sales. Construction and forestry sales were up 11 percent to $2.99 billion. Agriculture and turf sales were up three percent to $7.28 billion.
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Government clears 23 strategic projects under National Technical Textiles Mission
"Among these 23 research projects, 12 projects of Speciality Fibres having application areas in agriculture, smart textiles, healthcare, strategic application and protective gears were cleared. "Four projects from sustainable textiles having application area in agriculture and healthcare sector were cleared. Also, five projects from geotextile, 1 from mobiltech and 1 from sportech were cleared," the Textile Ministry stated.
Pakistan trade body asks federal government to allow import of cotton from India
Due to the dire condition of the textile industy in the country following devastating floods, a Pakistan trade body has approached the Shehbaz Sharif government to allow the import of cotton from India.
Union ministers, industry leaders condole death of Cyrus Mistry
Mistry was was killed on Sunday when his luxury car hit a road divider in Maharashtra's Palghar district.
Textile MSME units have added 64,000 jobs in Karnataka in 3 years, says minister
Mega projects attracted another Rs 1,060 crore investments, creating about 17,300 jobs, the Minister said at an interaction with textile industrialists. The garment policy 2019-24, Munenakoppa added, aimed at attracting investment of up to Rs 10,000 crore and adding about 5 lakh jobs.
Make India’s textile ecosystem $250 billion in 5-7 years, Piyush Goyal tells industry
At the Asian Textile Conference (ATEXCON) organised by the Confederation of Indian Textile Industry, he also asked industry to make best use of the free trade agreements (FTA) that India is entering into.
China’s grip on the textile market is slipping. Can India pocket a sizeable chunk of $1-trillion global trade?The government has set a target of $100 billion in textile exports by 2030. But in the midst of global factors that threaten economic revival, how can textile exporters up their game to garner a larger chunk of the global exports pie?
Piyush Goyal asks govt departments to buy handloom products for textile needsGoyal stressed upon the need to connect weavers and artisans with a greater clientele with both domestic as well as International customers. He also said that the Census data of Handlooms of over 35 lakh handloom workers should be put out in public domain for transparency and validation so that the benefits of handloom schemes reach the genuine beneficiaries.
Need to put Handloom Census data in public domain: Piyush GoyalGoyal also highlighted the need to connect weavers and artisans with a greater clientele in both domestic as well as international markets, an official statement said.
Goyal reviews overseas trade scenario with Export Promotion CouncilsGoyal reviewed the country's overseas trade scenario with export promotion councils and representatives from industry associations here.
Assam government to procure 50 lakh flags from textiles ministryHimanta Biswa Sarma released a video on Har Ghar Tiranga to generate awareness on the initiative to mark the Independence Day celebration in a programme held at Janata Bhawan.
Piyush Goyal calls for private sector's contribution in boosting production, branding of Indian cottonThe meeting was also attended by Union Agriculture and Farmers' Welfare Minister Narendra Singh Tomar and Minister of State for Textiles and Railways Darshana V Jardosh.
Engage with MCX, SEBI to find solutions on ‘contract’ front: Piyush Goyal to textile groupAddressing the need of specific delivery based contract and open position limits on MCX, Goyal directed the ministry, Textile Commissioner, Cotton Corporation of India (CCI) and TAG to engage with MCX/SEBI and find structured solutions on ‘contract’ front, according to a release issued by the textiles ministry on Friday. “Any possibilities of manipulations on price front to the disadvantage of cotton textile value chain have to be contained,” the ministry said.
States must ensure affordable power, land, effective labour laws to be part of textiles park scheme: Piyush GoyalUnion minister for commerce, industry and textiles Piyush Goyal said that pricing of things like land and power should be affordable. "Power cost should be affordable as investors look at it very seriously. High cost will act as a deterrent to industry... If we find that the existing parks are not being put to use then I promise you that no new parks will come in your area. At least government will not support you.
Trying to remove GST registration restriction for handicrafts’ ecomm onboarding: Goyal“There are companies which are willing to promote handicrafts and handlooms online. We are working to try and see to remove the restriction of GST. You have to be GST registered to be able to onboard yourself on e-commerce,” Goyal said at the event organised by the Export Promotion Council for Handicrafts (EPCH).
PLI scheme for apparel manufacturing on cards: Piyush GoyalThe govt has announced PLI scheme, with an outlay of Rs 1.97 lakh crore, for over a dozen sectors including man-made fibre, technical textiles, white goods, medical devices, and automobiles and auto components.
No consensus yet among cotton, textiles players on high pricesThe cotton traders say spinning mills should reduce yarn prices. For this to happen, millers say cotton prices have to drop, leading to a deadlock. Millers also say exporters are getting good orders and should be able to absorb higher prices, an argument rejected by garment manufacturers.
Goyal tells stakeholders to resolve cotton price issueThe minister called upon the spinning and trading community to ensure hassle-free supply of cotton and yarn first to the domestic industry and appealed to divert only surplus cotton and yarn for exports.
India traders should fulfill local cotton, yarn demand before exports: Textile minister Piyush GoyalThe minister's comments came after textile mills in the southern state of Tamil Nadu, a leading exporter of garments, went on a two-day strike earlier this week demanding a ban on exports.
Textile minister receives applications from 67 firms for PLI in man-made fibres, techtexThe PLI scheme for textiles covers 40 man-made fibre (MMF) garment items, 14 MMF fabric goods and 10 technical textile products.
India's textile industry revs up, giving hope on jobs for PM ModiAfter being outpaced in recent years by neighbouring Bangladesh and then hammered by the COVID-19 pandemic, India's garment factories are now humming near full capacity - a rare labour market bright spot for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his ruling party as they head towards an election in 2024.
GST Council decides to defer rate hike on textiles from 5% to 12%Indian industry and other various States have opposed the increase in the tax to 12% from 5% effective January 1, citing higher compliance cost for the unorganised sector and MSMEs, and also claiming that it will make the 'poor man's clothing expensive'.
Representation on interest equalisation scheme forwarded to finance ministry: Textile ministerMinister of State for Textiles Darshana Jardosh in a written reply to the Lok Sabha said regular meetings are held between Department of Commerce with her ministry to analyze the export trend of the textile sector and discuss the strategy to achieve the exports targets.
Traders up in arms against 12% GST on textiles, footwearCAIT National President B.C. Bhartia and Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that in the cotton textile industry there was no inverted tax structure, then why fabric and other cotton textile goods were brought under the 12 per cent bracket.
Retailers Association of India urges govt to reconsider proposed GST rate hike on textiles, apparelsRAI asked "the central and state governments and GST Council to reconsider its decision to prevent a complete collapse of the sector and maintain an atmosphere of hope and certainty." It further said, "A far more beneficial and reasonable solution is to make the entire value chain subject to a flat 5 % GST rate. This will not only resolve the inverted duty structure anomaly but also give a fillip to the industry."
India has potential to become fashion capital of world: Piyush GoyalTo do this, India has to move to one quality standard that is nothing short of the best in the world. "Indian quality should define what is world class," he said recalling that there was time when Indian textiles was most sought after.
Time for India to aim 5x rise in technical textile exports in 3 years: Piyush GoyalAddressing representatives of the Indian Technical Textile Association (ITTA), he said the government will support production-linked incentives for the textile sector in states supporting the development and offering affordable infrastructure for textile manufacturing like cheap land and power.Load More
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A number of Pret A Manger stores in Berkshire are reopening their doors to customers.
It comes as the chain announced this morning (May 28) it will reopen a further 204 shops for takeaway and delivery on Monday (June 1).
Shops will reopen for the first time in towns and cities such as Bath, Bournemouth, Newcastle, Exeter and Liverpool.
This brings the total number of reopened shops to more than 300, following the temporarily closure of all shops in March due to the outbreak of COVID-19.
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The outlet at the bottom of Thames Tower next to the station in Reading town centre is already open for takeaways and deliveries.
From next week, there will be two more openings in Berkshire.
A limited menu is in place which includes the Classic Super Club sandwich, Posh Cheddar and Pickle baguette, Tuna Mayo & Cucumber baguette, and Chef’s Italian Chicken Salad.
Keeping customers and staff safe
As part of the phased reopening, the company has introduced several new safety measures to help keep customers and team members safe, in line with government guidance.
- Protective Perspex screens fitted to the till counter.
- Restricted customer flow into shops, with the number of people allowed inside at any one time based on the square footage of the shop.
- Social distancing restrictions in kitchens, which will allow only one person in certain areas of the kitchen at any one time – for example, fridges or staff rooms.
- Enhanced cleaning processes, including 30-minute sanitising of all hand contact surfaces.


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A report from Carol Green on Bike Te Atatu’s highly effective Buy-Cycle campaign to highlight people on bikes as regular shoppers. Expect to see a lot more of this sort of thing!
In March this year, Bike Te Atatu ran a photo competition, encouraging people to take photos of their local shopping trips by bike and upload them to social media using the hashtag #BuycycleTeAtatu all month long. All photos then became part of an exhibition at the Te Atatu Peninsula Community Centre in the first two weeks of April, and winners were awarded prizes in the form of gift vouchers for local businesses.
Our goal was to increase both the number and visibility of people shopping by bike in Te Atatu. We especially wanted to highlight our existence to business owners, who often assume all their customers arrive by car.
(Editorial note: Studies show retailers overestimate the number of people who arrive by car and underestimate those who rock up by bike, on foot, or via public transport. Take for example this survey of K Road businesses and shoppers, carried out preparatory to the current improvements project. Related: a recent piece of research from Toronto, Canada, found that when a bike lane pilot replaced parking spots on a shopping street, both the number of shoppers AND the total amount spent increased!)
Impressively, across the course of the month we had a grand total of 117 photo entries, from 38 people, featuring at least 42 different businesses – from supermarkets and dairies, takeaways and restaurants, to the local dentist, toy library and barber shops and all sorts in between.
In April, we mounted an exhibition of all the entries at Te Atatu Peninsula Community Centre and had a lively opening event to which we invited Councillor Penny Hulse (who is both a local and a bicycle-rider) to judge the winners.
Sarah Wroe’s gorgeous photo of her son outside Orient Bakery won the grand prize.
And while the remaining prizes were picked out of a hat (actually a cycle helmet), Penny gave honourable mention to a few other photos that captured the spirit of the campaign.
- Davanea Forbes’s photo “Early morning and the cats are complaining about lack of food? No worries”. Penny said she could identify as a cat owner.
- Charlotte Owens’s photo “Fish no chips with this girl from Blue Lagoon Te Atatu South on a lovely evening” – Penny spoke about the joy in this photo, and how much she loves seeing kids riding their bikes without grown-ups.
- Liesa Leyland’s “Mr Illingsworth pit stop”, noted for the arty composition.
- Pshem Kowalczyk’s “bread series“, posted via Twitter: one man and his bread obsession.
- Tim Sutton’s photo taken outside E Tu Bistro; Penny said she loves riding at night past lit-up shops.
We also rather loved this one, taken by Simon Vincent (who came up with the punny name for the competition), and showing Shane Price buying an ice cream.
— story by Carol Green, who also took the header photo showing a classic dairy-bike scenario.


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More than five thousand Auckland businesses impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns have now received support from the Activate Tāmaki Makaurau business support package since registrations opened on 1 December 2021.
The $60m business support package announced by the Minister of Finance and the Minister of Small Business in October 2021 is administered by Auckland Unlimited in partnership with the region’s business support network, and supported by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment (MBIE).
Auckland Unlimited Director Investment & Industry, Pam Ford says more than $17m in business support had been allocated as the organisation helps Auckland’s regional economic recovery.
“We’re pleased to see such a high number of businesses connecting with industry experts to help navigate the challenges COVID-19 has caused, and we’re hearing firsthand the impacts this support is having across businesses throughout Tāmaki Makaurau, and the positive changes in behaviour it’s creating,” she said.
“Auckland has spent more time under COVID-19 restrictions than other parts of New Zealand, which has had a significant and compounding impact on businesses – particularly small to medium businesses and sole traders. We know Auckland businesses have had it tough and the impact is now being felt far beyond their business operations.”
Ms Ford said Activate Tāmaki Makaurau assists Auckland small-to-medium-sized businesses facing the many uncertainties and impacts caused by COVID-19 to navigate the current environment, build more resilient businesses, navigate tough decisions and seize future opportunities and productivity gains.
Auckland businesses were invited to access up to $3000 +GST worth of one-to-one expert business advice. Implementation Grants of up to $4000+GST help businesses access industry experts with the tools and know-how to put business plans, often created through previously accessing Business Advice, into action.
Arthur Crawford, owner of Meez, an online platform offering restaurant-prepared meal kits, applied for Business Advice through Activate Tāmaki Makaurau in February.
“COVID-19 has had a massive impact on the hospitality industry which has caused flow on effects for our business – we’ve experienced lengthy delays in onboarding new restaurants to the Meez platform, and restaurants that had previously committed to joining Meez have had to delay onboarding by several months as they have been struggling to manage their in-restaurant operations. Outside of this, COVID-19 also caused massive delays to the building of our digital platform,” he said.
With demand high and funding limited, registrations were closed to businesses on 17 February for Business Advice and 24 February for implementation grants. Registrations received prior to those dates continue to be processed.
Auckland Business Chamber Chief Executive, Michael Barnett said he was unsurprised by the demand from businesses for health and wellbeing support.
“We’re seeing a high demand for support around stress management, and this tells us business owners are recognising that their effective management of personal health and wellbeing is crucial to them successfully leading teams throughout tough circumstances and navigating the impacts of COVID-19.”
“The First Steps website has had over 22,000 visitors to date, and we’re able to offer these businesses not only therapy from registered psychologists, but also resources they can continue accessing on an ongoing basis, and, if they wish, share directly with their employees,” Mr Barnett said.
The Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA) has created the Activate Tāmaki Makaurau Business Community, an online platform enabling Auckland businesses to share and connect with other businesses facing the same challenges and operating within the same constraints, region, and industries.
EMA Chief Executive, Brett O’Riley says “Giving Auckland businesses the independence to research and access the type of support they need, at their own pace and in their own time is also an important element of Activate Tāmaki Makaurau.”
“The Business Community provides instant access to free tools, resources, and events, and provides a platform for businesses to connect with fellow businesses seeking to overcome challenges like their own,” he said.


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The model that the United States has established to promote U.S. beef exports internationally has been a successful one – and has spawned a growing replication of the model, proving that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. At the same time, it is creating vigorous competition for overseas red meat customers.
The infrastructure that the U.S. red meat industry, through the U.S. Meat Export Federation (USMEF), which contracts to manage foreign marketing programs for the beef checkoff, has established in key markets has given a face to the U.S. beef industry and facilitated the development of relationships with importers, retailers, foodservice industry and government officials to grow U.S. beef exports.
“Those lessons have not gone unnoticed by our international competitors, who are making similar moves to establish permanent offices in key markets – like Japan – to recapture some of the high-margin customers the United States has taken from them over the years,” says Greg Hanes, AVP, International Marketing & Programs, USMEF. “Other nations have adopted the U.S. international model and begun aggressively pursuing the same high margins that the United States has come to enjoy from beef exports.”
U.S. producers realized a return of approximately $170 in October per head of fed slaughter, with high-value markets like Japan and Korea accounting for a significant amount of that return.
Australia has had the highest profile of U.S. competitors in key Asian markets through its beef and lamb promotional organization, Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA). In Japan, MLA has aggressively promoted its “Clean and Safe” image, developing programs for health professionals including doctors and nutritionists as well as chefs, foodservice operators and retailers. In the past year, MLA has introduced a new theme: “Traceability you can trust,” to emphasize a traceability program that has strong appeal to Japanese consumers.
While a smaller player in Asian markets, Canada’s Canadian Beef Export Federation (CBEF) has put together a concerted effort to expand both its market access and its footprint in the region. Late in 2009, Canada concluded negotiations with Hong Kong on the resumption of full market access for Canadian Beef exports, which CBEF estimated could result in an increase of $26 million per year in Canadian beef exports to that country.
"The Safe Choice" is the theme that the Mexico Beef Exporters Association (MBEA) has adopted for its promotional campaign in South Korea. In its press statements, the MBEA director declares: “the difference between Mexican beef and the ones from its northern neighbors is that we do not have BSE or mad cow outbreaks.”
New Zealand is yet another competitor that is active in the export markets. It is the No. 3 exporter to Japan, South Korea and Taiwan behind Australia and the United States, and one of the top exporters to Hong Kong. Exports are critical to New Zealand – as they are to Australia – as it exports about 80 percent of the beef it produces.
“Food safety is an issue that has mobilized people in nations around the world,” explains Hanes. “In Japan, for example, every prefecture that produces beef has elected to perform testing on every animal raised to give consumers a sense of comfort that BSE is not present.”
The situation was similar in Taiwan in the fall of 2009, when Taipei’s mayor led protests against the expansion of U.S. beef access in that nation. Fortunately, the protests were relatively short-lived, and the impact on U.S. beef was minimal. This year, in fact, exports of U.S. beef to Taiwan set a new full-year value record ($172.4 million) through October with two more months to go.
“The continuing challenge for the United States is to utilize checkoff dollars, along with USDA's Market Access Program support, to maintain and grow its beef export market share to key regions,” concludes Hanes. “While U.S. beef exports to targeted countries, including Japan and Korea, continue to rebound, the greatest opportunities come from expanded access (including raising age limits for beef to Japan and gaining access to China) and concluding Free Trade Agreements (starting with South Korea) that will ease import duties on U.S. beef.”
For more information about your beef checkoff investment in foreign marketing programs, click here. For more about your beef checkoff, visit MyBeefCheckoff.com.


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STOCKHOLM — SAS Group, owner of the Nordic region's biggest airline, said it would start selling tickets and travel packages in supermarkets and convenience stores in Scandinavia to make access to travel easier.
By establishing the new travel agent GO, a joint venture with the retailing company Reitan Servicehandel, SAS is able to sell travel packages in 2,400 Narvesen, 7-Eleven and Rema 1000 stores in the Scandinavian countries, SAS said Tuesday.
Sales will be through a new Internet portal, online terminals in stores and via mobile phones, said Robin Kamark, a senior vice president.
GO will start selling tickets in January.$@
Thousands flee fire
A German tourist was killed and dozens of people were hospitalized with breathing problems and burns Tuesday as a forest fire raged in northern Greece, forcing an overnight evacuation of hotels and holiday homes, the authorities said.
Several thousand people fled the blaze on the Halkidiki Peninsula - popular with European vacationers - that destroyed or seriously damaged more than 50 homes and dozens of cars. Fire officials said they suspected arson.Continue reading the main story
The police said a German tourist had drowned while trying to escape a fire- stricken area by boat. Coast guard and private boats picked up hundreds of stranded tourists and local residents from beaches in the Kassandra area, the Merchant Marine Ministry said. Other tourists were staying at temporary shelters set up on the peninsula.
The fire was burning out of control on two main fronts about 80 kilometers, or 50 miles, south of Thessaloniki, Greece's second-largest city.$@(AP)
Missing tourists found
Twenty-one Italian tourists believed to have been kidnapped on the border between Niger and Chad were found Tuesday, the Italian Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry said earlier that one German who was among the group of tourists - 21 Italians, one German and one Brazilian woman - managed to escape and report the abduction to the German authorities.
The ministry said the group was attacked by bandits Monday afternoon in the desert area of southeast Niger, near the border with Chad. Until a peace deal last year, northern Chad was the scene of a rebel uprising which spilled over into Niger.
The lawless border area is notorious for banditry and smuggling. The Italian government advises tourists against visiting the area, which it describes as "particularly dangerous."$@(Reuters)
Vacationers visiting France's beaches are getting some unusual promotional goodies - such as condoms stamped with the logo of the governing conservative political party.
With presidential elections coming up in the spring, French politicians are testing new waters in a country that usually emphasizes rhetoric - speeches and pamphlets - over image- building buzz.
Members of the conservative Union for a Popular Movement, or UMP, have been touring beaches and vacation spots across France with truckloads of party merchandise to shore up support for Nicolas Sarkozy, interior minister and party leader.
Among the most popular items are condoms emblazoned with the party's logo and flip-flops that leave a U-M-P footprint behind when worn over wet sand, the party said.$@(AP)
CANBERRA: Australia warned its citizens Monday against staying at international hotels in Pakistan, saying it had received recent credible reports that militants were planning attacks against a range of targets. $@ (Reuters)Continue reading the main story


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Corona outbreak: Lockdown to hit essential supplies?Updated: Mar 24, 2020 00:47 IST
Despite reiterations from the state that essential goods will be available during the statewide lockdown to curb coronavirus outbreak, Mumbai’s supply, distribution, and retailing of essential goods such as vegetables, groceries, and medicines has run into multiple hurdles. While this could make buying essential commodities and groceries tough in the coming days, the government has promised to intervene if such a situation arises.
The traders of Agriculture Produce Marketing Committee (APMC) market in Navi Mumbai have announced a shutdown between March 25 and March 31, citing threat from large number of retailers, who gather at the market every morning. The fruit market traders shut their market on Monday, while the vegetable market has planned closure from March 25. The onion-potato market is shut till March 25, but it is likely to get extended to March 31.
While APMC director Sanjay Pansare appealed to residents of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region to stock up on vegetables for at least one week, APMC vegetable market director Shankar Pingle said: “We have decided to shut the vegetable market from March 25 to 31. The daily wage labourers have told us that they will not work for now. Around 20,000 people come to our vegetable market every day and the area becomes highly prone to contracting the coronavirus.”
On the likelihood of supplies being affected, he said, “We have a lot of stock from Saturday that was not sold. More stock will arrive today and around 1200 to 1300 vehicles are expected on Tuesday.”
Balasaheb Patil, state co-operation minister, said, “APMC cannot be closed at any cost, as it is an essential service provider. There is a government circular on this. For crowd control inside APMC, only three people will be allowed in – vendors purchasing goods, farmers, and distributors or transporters. Everyone will have to wear masks, use sanitisers.” Patil also clarified the ministry has conveyed to the home ministry to ask policemen not to hinder their movement in the city. Ramdas Pawle, a trader, said, “There will be shortage of vegetables in a few days as it is a perishable commodity.”
The shutdown of local train and bus services has hit the supply chain of even essential services and goods despite the provisions made by the civic body. For instance, after BEST bus services and local train services were stopped in Mumbai on Sunday, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) issued a circular starting special state buses and BEST bus services to ease commute for policemen, medical staff, and essential service providers. The circular clarified that employees of grocery stores, medical stores, who do not have government issued identification can avail of on these services by making verbal declaration of their employment. However, on Monday, several service providers found it difficult to use these services. A co-owner of a pharmaceutical company told Hindustan Times, “One of the partner in my spouse’s firm tried to avail MSRTC bus service to go to work from Kalyan to Thane, and he was not allowed, despite showing his licence. The firm supplies injections to hospitals in Thane for critical patients in the ICU.”
Viren Shah, president of the federation of retail traders welfare association, said, “The government needs to clarify how will distribution of essential items work, and how employees of such stores will get to work. After a few days, provision stores will not be able to sustain because commute is not available.” A senior state official from the food and civic supplies ministry said, “If any essential service provider is finding it difficult to commute, we will write to the home ministry again on Tuesday, ensuring such persons are not stopped at checkpoints.”
Industries minister Subhash Desai stressed the need to promote e-commerce, and ensure all raw material used in bakery, fuel and petrol needed for commute will be available.


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When you should and should not invest in tax-free bonds
Though tax-free bonds offer tax-exempt interest, you should consider these points before investing in them.
Six items taken out of the 28% GST tax bracket
Finance Minister Arun Jaitley Saturday said that six items have been removed from the 28 per c...
Now, only 35 goods in highest tax bracket of GST
There were around 226 goods in the 28 per cent category when Goods and Services Tax (GST) wa...
Leading pad manufacturers unhappy with tax cuts
Last week the GST panel abolished the 12 percent GST on sanitary pads after severe protests from women's rights organisations who wanted the tax on the essential women's commodity to be outside the tax bracket.
GST slab of 28% may become virtual "hollow shell" in year or so, says CEA
When the 28 per cent tax rate was imposed on certain items under GST, there was a political reaction against it, and the GST Council responded by "really whittling down...quite substantially" the number of products in that slab, Subramanian said.
You will have to shell out more for banking transactions from July
These services were so far taxed at 15% and the hike in the tax rate means that individuals will have to pay Rs 3 more for every Rs 100 paid.
Only 14 lakh individuals fell in 30% tax bracket in AY 2012-13
The data showed there were 2,669 taxpayers with an income exceeding Rs 5 crore, accounting for 9.6 per cent of taxes collected.
GST slabs necessary for transition: Arjun Ram Meghwal
"There will be slabs in the tax rate beside a standard rate. Some sectors like Bikaneri Papad where tax is just one per cent... these industries will die if a single standard rate is applied."
Budget 2015: Not in the tax bracket? You can avoid TDS on life insurance proceeds
Now, Union Budget 2015-16 has amended this rule to exempt policyholders who do not have have a taxable income from paying TDS on such policies.
Copyright © 2019 Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All rights reserved. For reprint rights: Times Syndication Service


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The Vietnamese Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development has proposed two initiatives for Vietnam’s ASEAN Chairmanship Year 2020.
The first initiative is to build a roadmap to fighting illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in 2020-2025.
The ASEAN Secretariat sent the initiative to the ASEAN Sectoral Working Group on Fisheries (ASWGFi) to collect feedback for supplements and revisions.
The ministry will coordinate with the ASEAN Secretariat and the ASWGFi to make a draft roadmap, which is expected to be considered at the 27th ASWGFi meeting in Brunei in May before being submitted to the 42nd ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry Meeting in Cambodia in October for approval.
The second initiative is to build the ASEAN Integrated Food Security (AIFS) Framework and Strategic Plan of Action on Food Security in The ASEAN Region (SPA-FS) in 2021-2025.
The initiative was agreed by ASEAN countries which are members of the ASEAN Food Security Reserve Board (AFSRB).
The draft documents are hoped to be considered at the 40th AFSRB meeting in Vietnam in July before being submitted for approval at the 42nd ASEAN Ministers on Agriculture and Forestry Meeting.
In addition, the ministry suggested establishing a network developing one commune-one product model in the bloc, holding an international symposium on science and technology in disaster prevention and another on reducing disaster risks for vulnerable groups.
This year when Vietnam takes the ASEAN Chairmanship, the ministry will host a series of important events, including the 40th AFSRB meeting slated for July 6-7 in Hanoi./. VNA
According to the World Health Organisation, nearly 30 countries and territories have reported confirmed cases of 2019-nCoV, including six in Southeast Asia.
The ASEAN Secretariat launched the Year of ASEAN Identity 2020 and presented awards for winners of the Year’s logo design competition on January 21.


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Cuties and other brands of baby wipes will be pulled off the shelves this week in response to a nationwide product recall from Pennsylvania manufacturer Nutek Disposables Inc., according to an Oct. 25 press release from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.
The company, which manufactures wipes under several names including Cuties, Diapers.com, Femtex, Fred’s, Kidgets, Member’s Mark, Simply Right, Sunny Smiles, Tender Touch and Well Beginnings, recalled its own products voluntarily after learning that some packages may contain bacteria.
Earlier this fall, Nutek received some complaints about odor and discoloration in the wipes. The company tested the product and found a bacteria called burkholderia cepacia in some items. On Oct. 3, the company issued a withdrawal of the items that tested positive for the bacteria, as well as other products manufactured during the same time frame.
Burkholderia Cepacia can jeopardize the health of people with already compromised immune systems or those suffering from lung disease or cystic fibrosis. Anyone with these isues who has used the affected wipes is instructed to call a physician immediately.
The company is working with the FDA to find the source of the problem and to notify participating retailers of the recall. The wipes could previously be found at Walgreens, Sam’s Club, Family Dollar, Fred’s and Diapers.com.
Call The Bee’s Sammy Caiola, (916) 321-1636.


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RDA Limited is pleased to announce the release of our new and improved website, designed with a fresh new look and user-friendly navigation.
We have worked side by side with South Shields based Urban River to create a fresh new design and updated user experience. Our website boasts a responsive layout too, so you can easily browse through our services while out and about using your smart phone or tablet.
- Latest News – Regularly updated with the latest news here at RDA Limited
- Navigation – Optimised and re-ordered for ease of use
- Responsive – Works on all major devices including smart phones and tablets
What do you think?


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- Hy-Vee will begin hosting quarterly virtual summits in 2021 across its eight-state region to connect local vendors with the its buyers, according to an announcement on Thursday.
- Efficient Collaborative Retail Marketing (ECRM), a marketing company that links brands to retailers and also owns online product discovery software RangeMe, will facilitate the supplier selection process for the "Best of Local Brands" virtual summits.
- Local businesses can now submit their products to Hy-Vee’s purchasing team for consideration to get shown at a summit, which will include 15- to 30-minute virtual presentations from suppliers. Hy-Vee is using the summits to support small businesses and integrate their products into the grocer's in-store and online shopping experiences as consumers increasingly seek out local brands.
Hy-Vee, a regional grocery chain with more than 275 stores across eight states in the Midwest, has put substantial effort into keeping its stores relevant and building its reputation for innovation.
Its latest move to bring more local suppliers to its stores comes as shoppers are looking to invest more in locally owned as well as women- and minority-owned businesses, according to recent research. Darren Baty, executive vice president and chief merchandising officer for Hy-Vee, said in the announcement that the grocer is seeing increasing customer demand for local vendors.
With its upcoming summits, Hy-Vee joins Instacart, Giant Food and Food Lion in featuring more products from small businesses. Hy-Vee is sourcing local brands across the retail categories of grocery, produce, deli, general merchandise, frozen, dairy, health and beauty care. Summit dates are set for Feb. 10-12, May 11-13, Aug. 4-6, and Nov. 3-5.
Hy-Vee is taking a technology-forward approach to seeking out new products with ECRM and RangeMe, whose software helps connect retailers with relevant small-scale producers. Walmart, Target, Ahold Delhaize USA and Albertsons all have used RangeMe to find new suppliers.
Some national grocers have found during the novel coronavirus pandemic that supporting badly-hit local businesses can extend beyond stocking their products. The Giant Company, for example, has offered $500,000 in emergency grants given to small food-related businesses in Pennsylvania with special designations for minority-, women-, LGBT- and veteran-owned businesses.


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“Your next mission awaits”.
Earlier this week, it was discovered Retro Studios had a new Twitter banner, and now there’s been another minor development.
A Nintendo advertisement over on ArtStation has been spotted promoting the team behind Metroid Prime 4 – informing users of the website that their “next mission awaits” and that “Retro is hiring”. It also happens to feature the same Metroid Prime artwork in the background as the company’s Twitter banner.
Read the full article on nintendolife.com


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Major Food delivery apps Zomato and Swiggy both suffered a glitch in their applications causing their systems to crash, during lunchtime on Wednesday afternoon. The incident caused a furor among customers who flooded social media with complaints.
Both the firms’ customer support handles responded to the social media users who were unable to place orders or browse menus and listings. Taking to Twitter, Zomato wrote, “Hi there, we are facing a temporary glitch. Please be assured our team is working on this and we will be up and running soon.”
Swiggy also reached out to its customers through the micro-blogging site and wrote, “…we are facing a temporary technical glitch. Please be assured that our best minds are working on the issue at the moment to get the issue resolved at the earliest. Please bear with us till then.”
Both firms are also being investigated for alleged unfair business practices, the (CCI) Competition Commission of India has said. The National Restaurant Association of India (NRAI) had filed a complaint against both Swiggy and Zomato for fraud, after which they have been under probe.
Zomato and Swiggy both have denied the allegation after the complaint was filed against them to the CCI in July last year. The NRAI represents 500,000 restaurants across the country had asked CCI to investigate the two companies under the accusation that they have been prioritizing some specific eateries, giving them more preference.
The complainant claimed that the two firms have been providing discounts through their apps after charging “exorbitant commissions” from restaurants. The body of CCI said that their agreements are making entry of new platforms difficult without accruing any benefit to the consumers.


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Femtocells now outnumber conventional outdoor cell sites in the United States, marking a major milestone in the evolution of mobile networks, according to Informa Telecoms & Media’s new quarterly market status report.
Conservative estimates suggest there are 350,000 femtocells and around 256,000 macrocells in the US. Furthermore, by March 2011, there are expected to be at least twice as many femtocells as macrocells in the US. Over the past quarter, the total number of global femtocell deployments has increased to 17 alongside six further commitments.
Since June, the femtocell market has also seen a number of important new operator deployments, including Telefónica’s Spanish mobile arm, Movistar, Everything Everywhere (the UK Orange/T-Mobile joint venture) and Vodafone Greece, which marks the fourth territory where the operator has rolled out the technology.
Over the same period, several operators that are already offering femtocell services have started offering them for free, or at highly discounted rates, as a customer retention measure signifying that the consumer proposition is still evolving.
“We are now starting to see practical evidence that femtocells are irrevocably changing the traditional macrocell culture of mobile networks,” said Dimitris Mavrakis, senior analyst at Informa Telecoms & Media.
Millions of femtocells predicts
“Whereas today’s networks consist of a few thousand cells, in the future there will be millions – this will have a massive impact on mobile broadband capacity at a time when networks are under increasing strain.”
“Over the past quarter, we’ve also seen more major operators roll out the technology and perhaps more importantly an evolution in the femtocell consumer proposition. Three months ago, only one operator was giving away free femtocells, now there are several showing that femtocells are becoming an important customer retention tool.”
Other recent developments include the publication of the first LTE application programming interfaces (APIs) for femtocells, which will help ensure that device manufacturers can cost effectively source semiconductor components from multiple manufacturers, thereby making the market more competitive.
Standards development continues to progress, with the announcement of the femtocell industry’s second plugfest, which is set to take place early in 2011.
Informa Telecoms & Media expects the femtocell market to experience significant growth over the next few years, reaching just under 49 million femtocell access points (FAP) in the market by 2014 and 114 million mobile users accessing mobile networks through femtocells during that year.
Healthy growth is anticipated throughout the forecast period, with femtocell unit sales reaching 25 million in 2014 alone.
The expansion of the femtocell industry is reflected in the growing membership of the Femto Forum, the femtocell industry association, which now includes 77 vendors and 58 mobile operators representing more than 1.5 billion mobile subscribers worldwide, across multiple wireless technologies (WiMAX, UMTS and CDMA) and accounts for 33pc of total mobile subscribers worldwide.