India Is 9th Largest Recipient Of FDI; Foreign Reserves Swell To $500 Billion, 1st Time Ever!
When India claimed its Independence in 1947, we had just Rs 1500 crore with us. Now now, our foreign reserves are about to breach half-trillion-dollar mark, for the first time ever.
Meanwhile, India has just become world’s 9th largest recipient of foreign direct investment, and this way, we have entered the top 10 nations to receive FDI, first time ever.
India Is 9th Largest Recipient Of FDI
As per The UN Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), India received total of $51 billion in FDI in 2019, which makes us 9th largest recipient of FDI.
As per the The World Investment Report 2020 report released by the UN, compared to $42 billion of FDI received in 2019, India received $52 billion in 2019, and this way, India entered the top 10 list of nations receiving FDI.
Last year, India was ranked #12 in the list.
Within Asia, India was ranked in the top 5 list of nations receiving FDI.
As per the UN, global FDI can reduce by 40% in 2020, due to the coronavirus epidemic.
India’s Foreign Reserves Is $500 Now
In the week ended June 5th, India’s foreign reserves swelled by $8.22 billion, to reach half a trillion mark, for the 1st time ever in history.
As per RBI’s weekly statistical data, India’s foreign reserves is now $501.7 billion, compared to $493.4, a week back.
India’s foreign currency assets (FCAs), gold reserves, special drawing rights (SDRs) and India`s reserve position with the International Monetary Fund (IMF) are included in the overall foreign reserves calculation.
The Principal Economic Advisor in the Ministry of Finance Sanjeev Sanyal in a tweet said, “India’s Foreign Exchange Reserves hit USD501.7 billion. As I have been saying in recent weeks, demand suppression (such a lockdown) would push the INR to appreciate after an initial capital outflow.”
An Amazing History Of India’s Foreign Reserves
In 1947, when India got independence, we had just Rs 1500 crore in cash with us, and even paying Rs 55 crore to Pakistan was a big deal. Mahatma Gandhi had to keep a day’s fast to convince Vallabhbhai Patel to transfer Rs 55 crore to Pakistan.
Then we started storing foreign reserves to the calamity and emergency.
In 1960, India had foreign reserves of $1.46 billion, which could have lasted just 8 weeks of import.
In 1980, India had foreign reserves of $7 billion
In 1991, India’s foreign reserves dipped to an alarming level of just $1.2 billion, which could have lasted just 3 weeks of imports. RBI had to pledge 46.91 tonnes of gold with the Bank of England and the Bank of Japan, and raised $400 million to deal with the unprecedented crisis
In 2004, for the first time, we achieved foreign reserves of $100 billion
Due to solid performance of our foreign reserves, we somehow navigated the recession of 2009, and our foreign reserves stood at $270 billion
And now, for the first time in our history, India will have $500 billion of foreign reserves, which is enough to sustain imports for 17 months.
We are right now world’s 3rd biggest nation with foreign reserves, after China and Japan.
India has indeed come a long way from having just Rs 1500 crore in cash to pledging Gold to sustain the economy, to crossing half a trillion-dollar of foreign reserves.
Indians Can Ditch Xiaomi & Buy Samsung Smartphones For Their Next Upgrade (Survey)
A new survey undertaken by 91Mobiles has just revealed few interesting trends regarding the future of the Indian smartphone market. According to the Buyer Insights Survey 2020, Samsung is expected to see more growth in the coming months, which will likely affect its rival brands like Xiaomi.
In the survey, it was found that the South Korean smartphone manufacturer will overtake Xiaomi as the smartphone customers are likely to choose for their next handset upgrade in the next 1 or 2 years. This means, Samsung might be the more popular choice for a new smartphone a user would want to move over to.
The statistics show the percentage of people that would like to buy either Samsung or Xiaomi as their next device in both 2019 and 2020.
Samsung saw an increase from 17% in 2019 to 24% in 2020, while Xiaomi saw a decrease from 24% in 2019 to 20% in 2020. Thus, the trend signals a complete switch in positions in the market.
Likewise, the survey also included the criteria of brand loyalty or sticking by your favorite brand with your next upgrade. Xiaomi saw a decrease, down from 56% in 2019 to 51% in 2020. On the other hand, Samsung saw a growth from 53% in 2019 to 59% in 2020.
The survey also noted the overall preference of the customer, which has Samsung seeing a rise of 6.6% from 2019 over 2020, while Xiaomi saw a decline of 4.4% during the same period.
Notably, Realme has seen impressive growth of 10.4% in this time with various factors weighing in. Analyzing the graph, Xiaomi’s slow adoption of features like punch hole display and higher fast charging rates in their mid range offerings might have been the reason for the decline.
Brands like Realme have become a notable figure in the Indian smartphone market, thanks to its lucrative pricing and up to date specs and features.
Despite these figures being highly detailed, some important aspects need to be considered. Firstly, the survey is done not to include the entire market, so they might not be completely accurate. And secondly, the smartphone market is highly volatile and dynamic, with changes in position and popularity seemingly shifting in mere days. So while the data depicts a certain image now, the same might not hold true in the coming days. Although, the trend that shows an increase in competition in the market will only benefit the consumer at the end of the day.
From Paytm To Swiggy: Chinese Money Is Powering These Indian Startups
20 jawans were martyred on June 15 in the Galwan Valley in the bloodiest clash in almost 50 years with Chinese troops during a disengagement exercise to end a prolonged standoff along the Line of Actual Control. The first India casualties in a border conflict with China since 1975 have tensed the already tense ties between the two countries.
With Indo-China border tensions surging and an anti-China sentiment brewing amongst Indians, a boycott of Chinese products will grow in the coming days. Although, China’s roots have a firm grip over the Indian startup ecosystem.
Chinese companies are big investors in the Indian startup space, which has not only created a new class of entrepreneurs but also given India the much-needed technological push, generating employment on the side.
Read to find out which chinese investors are backing which startups…
Xiaomi
The smartphone maker Xiaomi has been an active investor in the Indian startup ecosystem.
It has led rounds in Sharechat, lending startup Krazybee and few others. Back in 2018, Manu Kumar Jain, its top India executive, said the company was looking to pump in Rs 6,000 crore across 100 Indian startups. As of now, it has around $61 million invested in 8 companies.
Ant Financial/Alibaba
One of the most prolific Chinese investors in India, Ant Financial, the fintech arm of the Jack Ma-owned tech conglomerate Alibaba Group, has pumped millions of dollars in Paytm and Snapdeal.
It has invested close to $2.7 billion in India across 7 companies. Within Paytm, it has separately funded its ecommerce arm, Paytm Mall. In November 2019, Ant Financial said it was trying to raise a billion dollar for fresh investments in startups in India and Southeast Asia.
Tencent
In China, Tencent runs an instant messaging platform WeChat, which is an equivalent of WhatsApp, and a host of gaming apps and ecommerce businesses.
Tencent is another aggressive investor that has backed unicorns like Flipkart, Swiggy and Ola. It has close to $2 billion of exposure to India across around 15 startups. It has backed growth-stage players like Khatabook, MyGate, Niyo Solutions and other established players like PolicyBazaar, and Udaan. Tencent is reportedly in talks with multiple new startups looking for rounds in the range of $10 to $15 million.
Shunwei Capital
Shunwei Capital has led multiple rounds in Indian startups like food delivery giant Zomato, social commerce startup Meesho, messaging app Sharechat and lending platforms Krazybee and Loantap. It has invested $129 million across 17 companies.
Fosun Group
Founded in 2013, Fosun RZ Capital is a quick-paced emerging Chinese investor in India. It has invested around $85 million in 12 Indian startups, with some late stage investments like in Ixigo and Delhivery and some early-stage ones like LetsTransport, Mylo and others.
The Tej Kapoor-run firm is known to cut smaller cheques and does not directly compete with the likes of Tencent and Alibaba. The only fintech investment Fosun has done in India is in digital lending startup Kissht.
Hillhouse Capital
Hillhouse Capital, an investor in Baidu, Tencent, Grab Airbnb and others, has put in more than $165 million in India already. It has stakes in 7 companies including Swiggy, Udaan and Cred. Started in 2005, Hillhouse has been active in the mobility segment. In 2014, it invested $50 million in online automobile comparison platform CarDekho.
TR Capital
Popularly known as the secondary specialists, TR Capital is an active secondary investor in India and even set up an office in Mumbai in 2018. Flipkart, Lenskart, Urban Ladder and BigBasket are among the nine companies it has invested in. Its India investments are to the tune of $111 million.
What Does Indian Startups’ Future Look Like?
India’s top startups, including Paytm, Zomato, Swiggy, Udaan, BigBasket, LensKart, CarDekho and many prominent startups that count Chinese investors among their largest backers, are likely to face further hurdles in raising capital, as the anti-China sentiments escalate following the ongoing military standoff between the two countries.
As per reports, Chinese investors have pumped in $3.9 billion in 2019, up from $2 billion in 2018. In the process, they have emerged as the biggest backers of the country’s fast-growing digital economy, superseding the US investors.
Siddarth Pai, founding partner of 3one4 Capital, told ET said, “The conversation that is going to take place among startups is going to be about the quality of the capital that is going to come aboard, and not just the adequacy of it…The conversation of quality over quantity has reached a chorus amongst investors across all and we see this becoming a mainstay of investing.” The Bengaluru-headquartered VC firm, which manages assets of about Rs 800 crore across 4 funds, does not count Chinese or Chinese-origin investors in its list of Limited Partners.
When all entrepreneurs and enterprises refused to comment on the topic when questioned by ET amidst the border tensions some prominent risk capital investors are asking their respective portfolios to diversify cap tables.
Some industry insiders also feel that the impact on early and growth-stage companies will be more prominent compared to late-stage bets.
A founder of a unicorn pointed out that while his company’s exposure to China may be large, that bet is now too big to fail. He added, “The risk is for early and growth-stage companies where these cheques are still an option-value,” he said. “Businesses that already have investors deeply invested cannot and will not back out at this point.”
“The entire sentiment is leaning anti-China right now. It is becoming a moral hazard for a company to accept any capital from China in this environment…The current standoff at the border does little to mitigate that,” Pai of 3one4 Capital said.
If Not China Ray Of Hope From the US, Middle East, UK?
Although, as per last month’s reports, Chinese venture capital investors have turned increasingly wary about India’s new foreign direct investment policy, after the government mandated that all investments from countries sharing a land border with India will require its prior approval.
However, another startup founder said even as investments from China began to slow after notification of the government’s Press Note 3 in April, more avenues have opened up — from the US, UK, and Middle East.
On condition of anonymity, as he has received a small cheque from a Chinese fund but also counts a set of 10 diversified investors he told ET, “Capital from China always comes with riders and isn’t preferred beyond a certain level in high-quality companies. Founders are equally wary of raising beyond, say, 15-20% capital pool from Chinese investors and their affiliates.”
A second investor who counts at least 2 unicorns in his portfolio said, “Chinese capital is expected to stay away, at least in the medium term, and we will step up and pump in more money if the situation requires us to do so. We have to align to these new geo-political scenarios.”
A founder of a unicorn that has raised money from Chinese investors said, “The sentiment has been impacted.” He added, “It’s becoming clearer that China would now prefer allocating capital to markets outside India, if all other factors remain the same.”
The worrisome matter however remains that the country’s startup ecosystem continues to be dependent on large swathes of foreign funding given the ongoing absence of home-grown pools of capital. It will face significant near-to-medium term cash constraints if investors from the world’s second-largest economy walk away.
Multiple Xiaomi smartphones will not receive the full set of MIUI 12 features. As the company has been sending out MIUI 12 update on different Mi and Redmi devices, there’s multiple Xiaomi devices which will not support certain MIUI 12 features as some camera functions, super wallpapers, animations and more.
Your Xiaomi Phone Will Not Receive These MIUI 12 Updates (Camera, Wallpaper, Icons And More)
The all-new MIUI 12 brings in a slew of new improvements and features.
The company has claimed that the latest MIUI 12 will offer the most refined experience you can get on a Xiaomi or Redmi phone ever. To be available from late June, MIUI 12 in India will be available during the same period, to be released in different batches.
MIUI 12 Devices Which Will Support New Camera Features
These following devices on MIUI 12 devices will only support the latest camera features:
Mi 10
Mi 10 Pro
Mi 10 Lite
Mi Note 10
Mi Note 10 Lite
Mi 9
Mi 9T Pro
Mi 9T
Mi 9 Lite
Mi 9 SE
Mi 8
Mi 8 Pro
Poco F2 Pro
Poco X2
Poco F1
Mi MIX 3
Mi MIX 2S
Redmi K20 Pro
Redmi K20
Redmi Note 9 Pro
Redmi Note 9 Pro Max
Redmi Note 9
Redmi Note 8 Pro
Redmi Note 8
Redmi Note 8T
Redmi 8
Redmi 8A
Redmi 8A Dual
Redmi Note 7 Pro
Redmi Note 7
Redmi Note 7S
Redmi 7
Redmi 7A
Redmi Note 6 Pro
Redmi Y3
MIUI 12 Devices Which Will Support Super Wallpapers
The much-appreciated Super Wallpapers from MIUI 12 will also be available on a few Xiaomi devices:
Xiaomi Mi 10
Xiaomi Mi 10 Pro
Xiaomi Mi 10 Lite
Xiaomi Mi 9
Xiaomi Mi 9T Pro
Xiaomi Mi 8
Xiaomi Mi 8 Pro
Xiaomi Mi MIX 3
Redmi K20 Pro
Poco F2 Pro
Multiple Xiaomi devices may also not support the newly upgraded multitasking features as floating window, animated icons or direct reply options.
MIUI 12 Update Schedule (India): MIUI 12 Update India, MIUI 12 India
As confirmed by the company, a total of 42 devices will initially be getting the MIUI 12 update in different batches. MIUI 12 release date India is set for June. MIUI 12 in India will be available in the following weeks after the June release.
MIUI 12 release date India has been officially confirmed by the company, and the MIUI 12 update will be available in India from June.
Here MIUI 12 update schedule for India divided into respective devices.
MIUI 12 Download, Update: (Batch 1) – Already Released
The first batch of Xiaomi and Redmi devices for MIUI 12 update:
Mi 10 series
Mi 9 series
Redmi K30 Pro series
Redmi K30 (5G and 4G)
Redmi K20 Pro Premium Edition
Redmi K20 Pro
Redmi K20
MIUI 12 Download, Update (Batch 2)
The second batch of Xiaomi and Redmi devices for MIUI 12 update:
Mi MIX 3
Mi MIX 2S
Mi CC9 series
Mi 9 SE
Mi 8 series
Redmi Note 8 Pro
Redmi Note 7 Pro
Redmi Note 7
Poco X2, Poco F1
MIUI 12 Download, Update (Batch 3)
The third batch of Xiaomi and Redmi devices for MIUI 12 update:
Mi CC9E
Mi Note 3
Mi Max 3
Mi 8 Youth Edition
Mi 8 SE
Mi MIX 2
Mi 6X
Redmi Note 8
Redmi 8
Redmi 8A
Redmi 7
Redmi 7A
Redmi 6 Pro
Redmi 6
Redmi 6A
Redmi Note 5
Redmi S2
MIUI 12 Download, Update (Batch 4, Expected)
This list hasn’t been officially confirmed. These smartphones from Xiaomi are expected to receive the MIUI 12 update in the final batch.
Govt Can Ban TikTok, Zoom & 50 Chinese Apps; Intel Agencies Advice To Govt Is The Reason?
As per the reports, the Indian intelligence agencies have asked the government to block or advise people to stop the use of 52 mobile applications linked to China.
They fear that these weren’t safe and ended up extracting a large amount of data outside India.
Which Are These Applications?
Moving ahead, the list of applications sent by the security establishment to the government include video conferencing app Zoom, short-video app TikTok, and other utility and content apps such as UC Browser, Xender, SHAREit and Clean-master.
Further, a senior government official said the recommendation of the intelligence agencies had recently been supported by the National Security Council Secretariat, which felt these could be detrimental to India’s security.
The official said, “The discussions on the recommendations are continuing,”, further explaining that the parameters and the risks attached to each mobile app will have to be examined one by one.
Before this, during April this year, the home ministry had issued an advisory on use of Zoom on the recommendation of the national cybersecurity agency – Computer Emergency Response Team of India (CERT-in).
Apart from India, Taiwan and German Foreign Ministry have also banned government agencies from using Zoom.
Why Would This Happen?
According to the officials, there were inputs that many Android and IOS apps, either developed by Chinese developers or launched by companies with Chinese links, had the potential to be used as spyware or other malicious ware.
Apart from this, there have been reports that security agencies had advised security personnel from using them in view of the “detrimental impact that this could have on data security.
Similar kinds of concerns were raised about backdoors in China-linked hardware or software that have been frequently articulated by western security agencies too.
The other argument has been that China could use its access to degrade communications services in case of conflict.
What About Chinese Imports?
While in the meantime, in another development, the commerce ministry is fast-tracking measures to cut down on Chinese imports and the findings will be presented to the Prime Minister’s Office soon.
The government has been gearing up to place tighter restrictions on the import of 371 items — ranging from toys and plastic goods to sports items, and furniture — which are worth $127 billion, as per the sources.
A senior official said, “A large chunk of these originates in China and for those goods, we will pursue import substitution,”.
75,000 IBM India Employees Will Permanently Work From Home; IBM Reduces Office Space by 50%!
After TCS and Infosys, it’s the turn of IBM to turn on the work from home bugle. As per reports coming in, IBM is planning to make only 25% of their employees to work from office in the coming months.
And some large scale administrative and logistical changes are being executed for the same.
It seems that coronavirus has changed the very foundation of IT sector in India, forever.
IBM: Only 25% Employees Will Come To Office
An unnamed source from IBM India has revealed that only 25% of the employees will come to the office to do work, and rest 75% will have a flexible work schedule, which includes working from home.
The source said, “Maybe 25% of the people need to come to the office regularly. For others, it will be flexible, and their workspace will also be the same,”
IBM has overall 3.5 lakh employees globally, and out of them, around 1 lakh are in India.
This means that more than 75,000 IBM employees will never come to office!
A tectonic change in the way IT sector is planning the work culture in India.
IBM India Will Reduce 50% Of Office Space
Since most of the employees will never come to office, and will always work from home, IBM India is now reducing office spaces.
If we believe the reports, then upto 50% of all office spaces in India will be removed and reduced.
The management is working to re-draw the lease agreements, as per the reports.
IBM has right now more than 100,000 square feet of office space in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Noida, Gurugram and Kolkata, and 50% of this office space will be removed.
IBM’s global revenues fell by 2% to reach Rs 27,279 crore in 2019, as the profits reduced to Rs 2426 crore, a dip of 12%.
The new Flipkart sale is here. Flipkart Big Saving Days sale starts from June 23 with an array of offers on a wide range of products. It’s one of the first big sales on Flipkart post relaxation of restrictions due to Coronavirus pandemic in the country. Big Saving Days have some good deals on smartphones from Apple, Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme and More.
Flipkart Sale (Top Big Saving Days Offers): Redmi K20 Pro, Realme X2 Pro, Vivo Z1X, Pixel 3A, Mi MIX 2, iPhone 8, Narzo 10
iPhone 8, Vivo Nex, Google Pixel 3A, Redmi K20 Pro, Vivo Z1X and other bestselling devices are on sale.
Flipkart Big Saving Days will continue till June 27. Flipkart Plus members will get early access from June 22 8PM. You can also avail an additional discount of 10 percent with HDFC Bank cards on all products including appliances, fashion, furniture electrical accessories and more.
Flipkart Sale Offers: Top Big Saving Days Offers, Big Saving Days Sale
Scheduled from June 23 to June 27, the Flipkart Big Shopping Days sale is offering an instant 10 percent discount and no-cost EMI offers with HDFC Bank cards.
Here are some of the top deals on smartphones from Flipkart Big Shopping Days sale.
Vivo Z1X At Rs 14,990
Vivo mid-range flagship is getting a flat price cut at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale. Flipkart is offering a flat Rs 2,000 off on Vivo Z1X with an additional instant 10 percent discount with HDFC Bank cards at the Flipkart sale. Vivo V1X will sell starting at Rs 14,990 at the sale for the 64GB model and Rs 16,990 for the 128GB variant.
Vivo Z1X comes with a Super AMOLED display, in-display fingerprint sensor, Snapdragon 712, 48MP powered triple camera and a big battery with the fast charger.
Redmi K20 Pro At Rs 23,499
The best-selling entry-premium flagship segment, Redmi K20 Pro will be available at a special price at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale. Redmi K20 Pro is being offered with an instant Rs 1,500 discount at Rs 23,999 at the Flipkart sale with HDFC Bank cards.
Redmi K20 Pro runs on Snapdragon 855 featuring a full-screen AMOLED display, triple camera system, glass body, 4,000mAh battery and fast charging support.
Redmi K20 At Rs 20,499
Redmi K20 will be available at a special price at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale. Redmi K20 is being offered with an instant Rs 1,500 discount at Rs 20,499 at the Flipkart sale with HDFC Bank cards.
The Redmi smartphone runs on Snapdragon 730 featuring an 6.39-inch AMOLED Full HD+ full-screen display.
Redmi K20 packs in a triple rear camera featuring a 48MP sensor with a 4,000mAh battery backing it supporting 18W fast charging.
Realme X2 Pro At 27,999
Realme top-end flagship, Realme X2 Pro will be available at a special price at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale. Flipkart is offering extra Rs 4,000 off on exchange with an additional instant 10 percent discount with HDFC Bank cards at the Flipkart sale. Realme X2 Pro new price starts at Rs 29,999, increased by Rs 2,000 from the earlier starting price of Rs 27,999.
Realme X2 Pro under 30,000 rupees is the best smartphone in the price segment. It’s been doing well in the entry premium flagship space, and with the flagship features backing it, Realme X2 Pro is a winner under the 30000 category.
Infinix Hot 9 At Rs 7,649
The recently unveiled Infinix Hot 9 will be available at a special price at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale. Flipkart is offering an instant 10 percent discount with HDFC Bank cards at the Flipkart sale. Infinix Hot 9 price in India is set at Rs 8,499 for the lone variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB internal storage.
Infinix Hot 9 comes with a 6.6-inch HD+ display, Helio P22 SoC, rear quad-camera setup, 8MP selfie camera, Android 10 OS and a hefty 5,000mAh battery.
Mi MIX 2 At Rs 14,999
The top-end flagship from 2018, Mi MIX 2 will be available at Rs 14,999 at the Flipkart sale. Originally priced at Rs 37,999, the device will be available at this heavily discounted price at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale with an instant 10 percent discount with HDFC Bank cards alongside.
Mi MIX 2 comes with a full-screen display offering 6GB of RAM, 128 storage capacity, single camera, 3,400mAh battery running on Snapdragon 835.
Realme Narzo 10 At Rs 10,799
Realme Narzo 10 will be available at a special price at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale. Flipkart is offering an instant 10 percent discount with HDFC Bank cards at the Flipkart sale. Realme Narzo 10 comes with a 6.5-inch HD+ display running on MediaTek Helio G80 SoC. For optics, Realme Narzo 10 features a quad rear camera setup.
The quad camera setup is powered by a 48MP camera with a 16MP shooter upfront. Realme Narzo 10 is backed by a 5,000mAh battery with support for 18W fast charging via a Type-C port with Realme UI Android 10 on top.
Vivo Nex At Rs 22,490
The 8GB variant of Vivo Nex with 128 GB storage is up for sale at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale. The 128GB variant will be available at Rs 23,990 at the Flipkart sale. Originally priced at Rs 39,990, you can avail an instant 10 percent discount with HDFC Bank cards at the Flipkart sale.
The innovative Vivo smartphone, Vivo Nex comes with a full-screen display, pop-up camera and is powered by Snapdragon 845.
iPhone 7, iPhone 7 Plus At Special Prices
The iPhone 7 series will be available at special prices at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale. The e-commerce platform is also offering an instant 10 percent discount with HDFC Bank cards at the sale. iPhone 7 will be available at Rs 28,499 for the 32GB variant.
You can avail the bank discount additionally on both the iPhone 7 series smartphones. iPhone 7 Plus will be available at Rs 34,999 for the 32GB variant.
Pixel 3A At Rs 28,499
Coming to the last deal, here’s a big offer from the upcoming Flipkart sale. Google Pixel 3A, the yesteryear Google flagship will be available for Rs 29,999 at the Flipkart Big Saving Days sale. Originally unveiled in India at Rs 39,999, it’s the first mid-range smartphone from Google. It comes with Snapdragon 670, 4GB of RAM, Adreno 615 GPU and 64GB of storage.
Pixel 3A features a 5.6-inch full HD+ display, 12.2-megapixel dual pixel rear camera with OIS, 3,000mAh battery and 18W wired fast charging support.
Air India’s Buys 600,000 PPEs With Face Shields, Masks For Passengers; Flights To 43 Countries Starting Soon?
Air has its ongoing Vande Bharat mission, under which, starting the 1st week of May, Air India and its subsidiary Air India Express have launched repatriation flights, in an attempt to bring back all the Indians stranded in different countries around the globe.
Air India is now known to have purchasing 600,000 safety kits for its passengers.
Safety Kits for Repatriation Flights
As it is crossing so many boundaries, Air India is recognising the importance of the highest levels of hygiene to passengers.
It will be purchasing 600,000 safety kits for its passengers. The kits will include face shields, masks, and hand sanitizers.
Domestic flights in India require airlines to give all passengers a safety kit, which include masks, hand sanitizers and face shields so that safety for passengers aboard can be ensured.
Govt Announces Rs 50,000 Crore Package For Migrants: Everyone Will Get Jobs For 4 Months, Across 116 Cities
In a bid to generate jobs for migrant workers now returned to their respective hometowns, amid the coronavirus led lockdown, PM Modi will release the ‘PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan’ on June 20, the details of which have been shared by FM Nirmala Sitharaman.
PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan
FM Nirmala Sitharaman shared the details of PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan, yesterday through a press conference.
The Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is a public work scheme worth Rs 50,000 crore that aims to provide job opportunities to approximately 25,000 migrants, who have returned home from cities, now without any source of income.
For this programme, as many as 116 districts of Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Jharkhand and Odisha have been selected.
According to Sitharaman, the prime aim and priority of PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is to provide immediate relief to migrant workers who have gone home.
Let us see detailed keypoints of the press conference under:
Employment to Migrant Workers
Through the Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan, the Centre targets employment opportunities to migrant workers (labourers), to find livelihood amid this coronavirus pandemic.
This will be lunched on June 20.
What all Jobs are to be Entailed?
Under the PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan, there will be 25 different kinds of works involved. Some of them include various construction options, like:
Construction of wells,
Horticulture,
angwadi centres,
plantation,
rural connectivity,
border road works,
railway works,
Shyama Prasad Mukherjee RURBAN mission,
PM KUSUM works,
laying of fiber optic cable under Bharat Net,
works under Jal Jeevan mission
and more.
Migrants will have jobs in community santitaion complex, Gram panchayat bhawan, works under finance commission funds, national highways works, water conservation and harvesting works.
Total 25,000 Migrants from 116 Districts
116 districts spread over six states received huge number of migrant workers.
The 116 districts span over these 6 states that are estimated to cover about two third of such migrant workers:
Bihar,
Uttar Pradesh,
Madhya Pradesh,
Rajasthan,
Jharkhand, and
Odisha
The central government has selected 116 districts.
Jobs Provided for 125 Days
In the 1st instalment (phase) of this programme, jobs will be provided to migrant workers for a period of 4 months, as per the finance minister.
Later on, the government will evaluate all the changes and see how everything works out for migrants and central government.
Main Priority of this Yojana
The first priority of PM Garib Kalyan Rojgar Abhiyaan is to provide immediate relief to migrant workers who have gone home.
The government mapped the skill sets of migrants who have returned from several states of the country.
There will be 25 different projects which will create job opportunities for migrants.
Migrants will not have to leave their States
Migrant workers, under this Yojana will be provided employment opportunities in several government projects like Jal Jeevan Mission, Gram Sadak Yojna, as these projects need people.
Job opportunities will be created in these projects.
The Abhiyaan will start from Telihar village, Bihar
This PM scheme will be launched from the Telihar village, Khagaria district, Bihar.
Bihar CM Nitish Kumar will also be present in the virtual launch of the scheme, which will be headed by PM Modi. The chief ministers of five other states will too be plugged in this launch.
10 Unique Features Of Huawei Watch GT 2e Which No One Told You
Health and fitness have become the burning topic once again. Whether one is working from home or daring to venture out, it has never been more important to be physically fit and strong. On a separate note, the world of watches has evolved to something unbelievable. It has moved from the era of utility of knowing time to an era of making a statement.
Today, the humble watch has entered into an era of redefined style and utility and its uses is not limited to time or alarms. Of all that a 21st century smartwatch can boast off, it has essentially become a health and fitness partner of today’s consumers. The HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e is testament of this era. Its following features is what makes it must have watch of the year.
Two Week Long Battery Life
The Huawei Watch GT 2e is a meticulously crafted smartwatch, designed for those who are always on-the-go and fitness enthusiasts, boasting of the longest battery life. The HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e is equipped with Huawei’s proprietary Kirin A1 chip to provide a two-week battery life, assisting users to perform fitness and health management actively and comprehensively.
Automatically Detects 6 Workout Modes
When you do an impromptu workout, you may overlook to activate an exercise tracker on your smartwatch, the HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e can automatically detect 6 professional workout modes, offering a smarter sporting experience. The feature is only available in select few premium smartwatches
85 Custom Workout Modes
Whether the users are into mainstream sports or something a little more experimental, they can enjoy the unique perks offered through various tracking modes on the HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e. The HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e supports 85 custom workout modes and 15 professional workout modes including eight outdoor activities (running, walking, mountain climbing, hiking, trail running, cycling, open water swimming, triathlon) and seven indoor activities (walking, running, cycling, pool swimming, free training, elliptical machine, rower).
SpO2 Level Measuring Feature
The HUAWEI WATCH GT series has an important health parameter measuring application – the SpO2 feature. With this feature, users can monitor the oxygen levels in blood easily. This feature is highly useful for fitness enthusiasts, sports people, or those people who medically need blood oxygen monitoring.
Huawei TruRelax
A technology that helps people to beat stress by recording HRV (heart rate variability) values and providing continuous feedback on the user’s stress index. It is also equipped with a sedentary alert reminding the user to stand up and move around after a certain period of time.
Heart Rate Monitoring
Based on a high-performance heart rate sensor, Huawei’s self-developed Truseen 3.5 heart rate monitoring technology Armed with a heart rate monitoring feature, Huawei Watch GT 2e users will be notified if heart rate is above 100 bpm or below 50 bpm for more than 10 minutes, unless it is in the sports mode. People can also see the data in the Huawei Sports and Health App to monitor the data in real time.
Huawei Trusleep
Sleep quality is essential for healthy living, and many people suffer from poor sleeping habits. Looking into the need for a regular sleep monitoring system, Huawei TruSleep 2.0 technology tracks sleep quality. Powered with Huawei AI technology, it accurately analyses sleep problems and provides sleep improvement suggestions. It can scientifically track and diagnose 6 common types of sleep issues while providing suggestions for better rest.
Classic Display
HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e boasts of a 1.39-inch AMOLED high precision touch display supporting a Retina-grade resolution. The vibrant display assists clear viewing even in strong sunlight during summers. The superlative display blends into the body of the dial giving it an unmatched look and feel.
Best-in-class Built & Design
The design of the HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e is sporty yet classy. Instead of following traditional designs where the watch face is separated from its strap, it possesses a classic round dial with an integrated strap for a streamlined, modern look – a refreshing take on the future of smartwatches. Its stainless steel body complements the concealed, crown design that blends in with the watch’s curved silhouette. The strap is made of a soft and comfortable fluororubber. The dual-colour, breathable TPU material completes a flawless unibody design. All of these features not only highlight how comfortable HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e is to put on, but also underline its durability. Even during intense exercise, fitness and health monitoring is still accurate, which makes it a priceless acquisition for the any consumer.
Powerful Chipset
The HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e is equipped with Huawei’s proprietary Kirin A1 chipset, the company’s first self-developed wearable chip. It ensures high operation performance and incredibly low power consumption. Dual-chip design and power saving algorithms 2.0 ensure HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e consumes less energy to achieve astonishing power for all day and night support.
Staying Connected
The Huawei Watch Gt 2e can store upto 600 songs to enrich workout sessions. The watch receives real-time notifications for incoming calls, SMS messages, emails, calendar events, and more. It also packs a treasure trove of intuitive features that make daily life a breeze, from weather forecast, alarms, timer and flashlight. It can even use it to find phone. Turning into a remote shutter of the phone, HUAWEI WATCH GT 2e helps to easily capture memorable moments on the move.
Huawei has always offered trendsetting products for its consumers, keeping the world amazed and its competitors play catch-up. But with Huawei Watch GT 2e it has gone to a whole new level offering unmatched specifications and priceless features in a price range that’s accessible to masses.
Most of all, Huawei Watch GT 2e democratizes technology, health, and fitness for almost anyone who can get a watch. In the 21st century’s fast paced lifestyle, it is one must have gadget which will help you track your health and time.
Biryani Is India’s #1 Dish During Lockdown Craving; Cakes, Icecream Beat Gulab Jamun At #2 (Swiggy Data)
The lockdown has not impacted the eating habits of people in India at all! Swiggy has revealed the trends of online food ordering that have been observed in the duration of the lockdown.
While most of the industries were shut down during the lockdown, some select restaurants stayed open and made sure people were fed. Swiggy, Zomato stayed functional, delivering safe and secure food items to the people who ordered them.
Find out what dishes people have ordered on Swiggy during the lockdown right here!
Swiggy Reveals Biryani Ordered The Most; Cakes, Icecreams, Pastries Come In Close Second
Swiggy has revealed the trends noted by the popular online food delivery app. Swiggy said that Biryani was ordered the most in 2020, which was the number one in 2019 as well. The app sold 95 biryanis in every 5 minutes in 2019.
This was followed by cakes sweets and ice creams. Looks like people developed a huge sweet tooth during the lockdown!
Swiggy’s Chief Operating Officer Vivek Sunder said, “People are ordering many more cakes and sweets and ice-creams during the lockdown era than they ever did. Which if you think about it is good for everybody. They are usually expensive and nicely profitable for the restaurant and even for us it is easy, nice and easy, it’s packed and so on and so forth.”
Why The Sudden Increase In Demand For Ice Cream, Cakes, and Sweets?
Swiggy thinks that the increase in the demand for ice cream cakes and sweets isn’t because of the weather and is probably because of the lockdown and people have been treating themselves during this depressing time. Swiggy has come to this conclusion based on their experience for the past couple of years.
As per Swiggy, the trend for cooking and posting on social media has dwindled down and was balanced out by ordering ice creams and cakes and pastries. Before the lockdown began, the most ordered dessert was the Gulab Jamun, with as much as 17.6 lakh orders clocked for it in 2019.
In 2019, chicken biryani, masala dosa, paneer butter masala, chicken fried rice, mutton biryani, chicken dum biryani, veg fried rice, veg biryani, tandoori chicken and dal makhani were the dishes that were ordered the most.
Indian Railways Cancel Chinese Contract Worth Rs 471 Crore: Has Trade War Started Between India-China?
Indian Railways is now following in the footsteps of the Telecom Ministry and announced that their contract with China, which was of Rs. 470 crore, will now be terminated.
there is news that this decision has been taken because the Chinese firm has been able to complete only 20% of the work in 4 years.
Find out all the details about the railways discontinuing their contract with China right here!
Indian Railways Terminates Contract With China Worth Rs. 471 Crore; Here’s Why
Taking a similar decision is The Indian Railways’ Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) who has announced that it will be terminating its signaling contract that was made in the year 2016. This contract was given to Beijing National Railway Research & Design Institute of Signal & Communication.
The company was given the responsibility to complete the signaling and telecommunication in the 417 km long Kanpur-Deen Dayal Upadhyay section. The contract was worth Rs. 471 crore was canceled as the Chinese company was hesitant to produce technical documents as required by the contract. Additionally, no engineers or authorized personnel were provided at the site by the Chinese form which is quite a serious matter.
India To Fund Signalling Contract On Its Own; Chinese Firm Unable To Keep Up
However, an official who is close to the development has revealed that the Indian railways had already decided to end the contract prior to the ongoing war at the border.
Anurag Sachan, managing director of the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India Limited (DFCCIL) confirmed the news about the Chinese firm not keeping up with the work in recent years.
He said, “We had already approached the World Bank seeking their NOC for the termination. We have not heard from them, but if there is no reply until the end of June, we will unilaterally terminate the contract, and India will fund the project on its own.”
It was yesterday that the Telecom Ministry announced that BSNL, MTNL, and other private companies will not be using any Chinese equipment, however, this decision was taken by the Telecom Ministry because of the ongoing tensions at the border.
