Cinema halls to operate at 100% seating capacity from 1 February.
From February 1 onwards, cinema halls will be allowed to operate at 100% seating capacity. This was announced on Saturday by The Ministry of Home Affairs.
In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, new set of SOPs for cinema halls and theatres have been issued by The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
Following are some of the general guidelines:-
1. Outside the auditoriums, common areas and waiting areas at all times an adequate physical distance of at least 6 feet must be followed.
2. It should be mandatory for everyone to use face covers/masks at all times.
3. The hand sanitizers must be available at entry as well as exit points as well as common areas within the premises. Sanitizers will be preferable if available in a touch-free mode.
4. All the respiratory etiquettes such as covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow as well as disposing off the used tissues in a proper manner etc. are to be strictly followed.
5. Reporting any illness at the earliest to state and district helpline as well as Self-monitoring of health.
6. Spitting shall be strictly prohibited.
7. Advising everyone to install as well as use Aarogya Setu App.
The existing seating capacity of 50% inside the auditorium of the cinemas/theatres/multiplexes will be increased to a seating capacity of 100% according to the I&B order issued regarding the seating arrangement.
A Sigh Of Relief For Distributors & Owners :-
Film distributors and theatre owners have lionized and received this notification with a lot of positivity, as they were the ones who struggled a lot due to the shutdown since March due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
However, as government decided to open up the economy, cinema halls were allowed to operate at 50% seating capacity from October, 2020.
Producers Guild of India said in a tweet that they welcome the decision of government to allow 100% capacity in cinemas from February 1. They expressed their gratitude to Mr. Prakash Javdekar, Minister of Information and Broadcasting and everyone who were involved in the decision making of recovery of film industry.
Akshaye Rathi, a film exhibitor tweeted that he is hopeful that from 1st February onwards this will open the floodgates for films to announce their release dates as well as bring massive numbers of audiences back to cinemas.
Film exhibitor Vishek Chauhan was happy that big films may now be able to plan the releases without constraints, now that 100% capacity is allowed.
Cinema halls to operate at 100% seating capacity from 1 February.
From February 1 onwards, cinema halls will be allowed to operate at 100% seating capacity. This was announced on Saturday by The Ministry of Home Affairs.
In order to prevent the spread of coronavirus, new set of SOPs for cinema halls and theatres have been issued by The Ministry of Information & Broadcasting.
Following are some of the general guidelines:-
1. Outside the auditoriums, common areas and waiting areas at all times an adequate physical distance of at least 6 feet must be followed.
2. It should be mandatory for everyone to use face covers/masks at all times.
3. The hand sanitizers must be available at entry as well as exit points as well as common areas within the premises. Sanitizers will be preferable if available in a touch-free mode.
4. All the respiratory etiquettes such as covering one’s mouth and nose while coughing or sneezing with a tissue/handkerchief/flexed elbow as well as disposing off the used tissues in a proper manner etc. are to be strictly followed.
5. Reporting any illness at the earliest to state and district helpline as well as Self-monitoring of health.
6. Spitting shall be strictly prohibited.
7. Advising everyone to install as well as use Aarogya Setu App.
The existing seating capacity of 50% inside the auditorium of the cinemas/theatres/multiplexes will be increased to a seating capacity of 100% according to the I&B order issued regarding the seating arrangement.
A Sigh Of Relief For Distributors & Owners :-
Film distributors and theatre owners have lionized and received this notification with a lot of positivity, as they were the ones who struggled a lot due to the shutdown since March due to the outbreak of coronavirus.
However, as government decided to open up the economy, cinema halls were allowed to operate at 50% seating capacity from October, 2020.
Producers Guild of India said in a tweet that they welcome the decision of government to allow 100% capacity in cinemas from February 1. They expressed their gratitude to Mr. Prakash Javdekar, Minister of Information and Broadcasting and everyone who were involved in the decision making of recovery of film industry.
Akshaye Rathi, a film exhibitor tweeted that he is hopeful that from 1st February onwards this will open the floodgates for films to announce their release dates as well as bring massive numbers of audiences back to cinemas.
Film exhibitor Vishek Chauhan was happy that big films may now be able to plan the releases without constraints, now that 100% capacity is allowed.
Karnataka government has ordered schools to reduce the tuition fees.
In the light of COVID-19, Karnataka government on Friday ordered schools to reduce the tuition fees for the current academic year by 30%. These orders are given to all schools, may it be following central syllabi or state syllabi. The government went a step ahead and said that no other fees like development etc or any other can be charged apart from tuition fee.
According to the order by the state government, that for the next year the school managements will have to adjust the amount in the fee paid, if in case parents have already paid the full fees.
A section of parents took it to protest in front of the residence of Karnataka’s Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar and the decision regarding the same came after two weeks. The minister’s residence in Bengaluru’s Basaveshwarnagar, witnessed Karnataka Private School Parent Organization Coordinating Committee sweeping the street as a form of protest in order for the Minister to reduce the fees in the backdrop of the pandemic.
On January 5, in the light of the COVID-19-induced economic slowdown, an advisory calling for reduction in school fees by its member schools was passed by Associated Management of Primary and Secondary School (KAMS).
Instructions To Schools:-
As per the advisory issued by KAMS, following are the instructions in the current year:-
The school with fee structure is more than Rs 25,000 per annum can reduce 20% to 25%.
The school with fee structure between Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per annum are asked to relax the special development
The school with fee structure is less than Rs 15,000 per annum can reduce their term fee to a maximum of 10% of their whole tuition fee.
The General Secretary of KAMS, Shashi Kumar said that the reduction is not just 30% of the tuition fee, but in actuality be almost 40-50%, as the government has not only asked to reduce tuition fee but also directed us not to collect any fess for laboratory, sports and computer education.
Regulate The Schools But Also Issue Guidelines For Parents:-
Instead of just regulating the schools, the government should also regulate and issue guidelines to them as well. This is because there are some parents who have not paid the fees for the past two years. He added that either this or government could have helped the schools who have already reduced their fees by 20-25 percent by directing the parents towards those schools.
As CEO Thierry Delaporte is on a mission to restructure the organization, many senior officials leave. Read to know more.
As many as 75 senior VPs and VPs and as many as 300 general managers are exiting Wipro while Wipro CEO Thierry Delaporte is carrying out the reorganization of the company structure.
This planned reorganization was reported in November. The prime focus of doing the same was to drive sharper client focus by reducing the number of layers in the firm.
Thierry Delaporte, who was with Capgemini for a long time said, after taking over in Wipro six months ago, that the multiple layers has impacted accountability. As far as numbers as concerned, there are almost 200 SVPs and VPs in the company.
Changes In The Structure:-
On the exits of such senior professionals, the company said that it will from January 1, replace its earlier structure. The earlier structure of seven strategic business units, service lines and nine geographies will be replaced by four strategic market units (SMUs) and two global business lines (GBLs) as a part of restructuring. As the top pyramid was narrowed down, company has selected leaders best suited for the roles in the new structure.
Wipro shall also be recruiting for outside from outside and be onboarding several global account executives as well as senior regional leaders soon. The company has also appointed Douglas Silva, IT veteran and former AWS executive, as the country head of Brazil, who will be reporting to the managing director of Latin America, Mukund Seetharaman.
Changing Needs Of Clients:-
Shifting from 20 to 4 P&Ls, from industry verticals to geographies to changing the mix of talent, Deloporte is going all the way. Speaking of talent, he said that the need for content and domain specialists and technology experts has increased while decreased for generalists. He added that Wipro is hiring from outside too, and aspires to become a truly global player. He added that increasingly clients want firms to be proactive, have strong opinions, be disruptive, challenge the status quo as well as be a force of change.
According to the CEO of HfS Research, Phil Fersht, As the new model will require some time to get right, in order to ensure that delivery stays stable extra resources must be readily available. This is due to the new geographic restructuring. He added that a strong year as far as outsourcing from US and European firms is concerned is expected. Also there is little immediate need to downscale when the pipeline is there to grow the firm.
1st Time Ever, UAE Offers Permanent Citizenship To Foreigners: Check Eligibility Criteria
For a few years now UAE is trying to attract investors to increase the capital infusion in the country. Last year, the country made changes in its foreign ownership policy and removed the compulsion for companies to have Emirati shareholders. But this time UAE has made drastic amendments in its laws to ensure the development of the country especially when the pandemic has affected the economy.
UAE has become the first Gulf nation that has decided to grant citizenship to a particular group of professions along with their families on certain terms. These citizens will have several benefits like the right to own or set up a commercial property on the gulf land.
What Change Has UAE Done In Its Policies?
For a lot of decades, the Gulf states have been protecting the privileges of their citizens though they constitute a very little part of the total population. But to abide by the new vision that UAE has set for itself, the policies are changed for the first time ever.
The PM of UAE, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, went on Twitter to announce the law amendments to the world,
We adopted law amendments that allow granting the UAE citizenship to investors, specialized talents & professionals including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families. The new directives aim to attract talents that contribute to our development journey.
This means, UAE will now allow the recipients of UAE passports to retain their original citizenship. Only the rulers, Crown Princes’ Courts, Executive Councils, and the Cabinet are allowed to grant Emirati citizenship through federal nominations.
What Is UAE Aiming For?
Right now, the economy of the gulf nations is majorly driven by the oil fields that they are blessed with. But now they are aiming to explore their possibilities by expanding in different fields and march towards development.
As many as 80% of the people living in UAE and gulf nations are foreign nationals currently. They contribute so much to the economy that UAE is now compelled to make the changes in its policy and give these people permanent citizenship status.
Who Is Eligible To Get Citizenship In UAE?
The doors of UAE are open for all the professions which can contribute to the growth of the country. This includes investors, doctors, specialists, inventors, scientists, talents, intellectuals and artists. Even the families of the mentioned professions get the privilege of being a citizen of the UAE. There are a few terms and conditions that they need to satisfy to be completely eligible to get citizenship.
For instance, an investor needs to have his own property in the UAE. The doctors need to satisfy the requirement of UAE or are expected to be a specialist in a unique field. It’s compulsory for scientists to be active researchers and have experience of minimum 10 years irrespective of whether they work in the public or private sector. For inventors, at least one patent approved by the UAE Ministry of the economy or any well known international body must be registered by their name. The inventors also need to have a LOR issued from the economy ministry.
Maruti’s Rs 5 Lakh Electric Car Is Disruptive: Full Charge In 6 Hours, 250kms Range & More (Interesting Details)
Most of the car makers are trying to adopt electric automobile technology to comply with the needs of the future. If we look at the current scenario, EVs are rarely seen on the road specially in India. But with a trustworthy carmaker like Maruti introducing its classic cars in electric version, we can expect the situation to change in upcoming years.
Maruti to Introduce Electric WagonR
The news of Maruti launching an Electric WagonR has been in the air since a long time now. On the other hand, many of the sources also claimed that the plan was on the verge of cancellation.
However, Maruti has always planned to enter the EV market when the infrastructure allows the carmaker to manufacture EVs. Hence Maruti giving up the plans of introducing an electric WagonR seems doubtful.
Specifications
One of the major factors of an EV is its charging time. It is speculated that Maruti WagonR might take around 6 hours to get charged fully. This can set Maruti WagonR apart from its rivals since most of the EVs take more than 6 hours to get charged. Besides, the Electric WagonR might also come with a fast charging mode. This mode is also seen in Nexon EV which takes just about an hour to get charged through fast charging stations set up by Tata.
However, the range of this new EV lags behind. The comparatively less charging time of electric WagonR has reduced the range of this car. While its rivals like Nexon EV and Mercedes-Benz EqC cover a distance of 312km and 430 km respectively when charged fully, Maruti WagonR could cover only 250 km.
Looks And Features
Maruti might choose to make a few changes in the body graphics to make the Electric version appear more stylish. The EV might also come with a larger central space where the gear knob is present. However, most of the remaining internal as well as external look of the EV will be identical to the classic WagonR.
Besides, to compensate for the shorter range, the electric WagonR might be equipped with standard regenerative braking. The EV can also provide attributes like Connected car technology and Wireless charging.
Price
The best part about Maruti is that it always offers very affordable and durable vehicles. Even with the brand new electric WagonR the Indian carmaker has kept its promise. The Wagon EV is priced just at Rs 5 Lakh, which might make it one of the cheapest EV.
One of the reasons behind EVs not being popular among Indian is that they are usually quite expensive. By introducing one of the most sought after cars like WagonR in electric form that too at a cheap price, Maruti is greatly helping to normalize electric vehicles in Indian market.
Whatsapp Brings Biometric Security For Desktop, Web Access: How Will It Work?
Whatsapp has now introduced a new feature into the social networking platform which will add to the security of the app. The feature by Whatsapp is a new authentication layer – the biometric feature.
This will now be available for those using the web or desktop version of the app.
Read on to find out how this will work, right here!
Biometric Layer Of Authentication To Be Introduced In Whatsapp
Whatsapp has confirmed that the company will now enable people to add in a a fingerprint, face, or iris scan to use WhatsApp on desktop or web. For this, the mobile app will need to be linked. Also, this feature is in addition to the QR code authentication.
This new featuer will enable you to add a biometric login, be it a fingerprint, face ID or iris ID. this will be dependent on the device, whether it is an Android or iPhone handset. This will act as a second layer of authentication.
However, it will work only if you have enabled biometric authentications on your device and not otherwise.
Visual Refresh For The App Coming Soon
The company has recently announced that they will be introducing a visual refresh of the Whatsapp web page on the Android and iOS apps. This will enhance the linking and managing devices connected to your account. The company has also revealed that some more updates will be coming soon.
Whatsapp’s official release states, “This will limit the chance that a housemate or officemate (when we have those again) can link devices to your WhatsApp account without you. This builds on our existing security measures today, which pop up a notice in your phone whenever a Web/Desktop login occurs, and the ability to unlink devices from your phone at any time.”
When the feature is implemented, it will appear for users before a desktop or web version can be llinked up with a mobile app account. As of now, it relies on using only a QR code. This code will not go away and it will act as a second layer of authentication on a handset.
The app has also assured that the biometric information will not be stored and it will not be able to access these details from a phone’s operating system.
Karnataka government has ordered schools to reduce the tuition fees.
In the light of COVID-19, Karnataka government on Friday ordered schools to reduce the tuition fees for the current academic year by 30%. These orders are given to all schools, may it be following central syllabi or state syllabi. The government went a step ahead and said that no other fees like development etc or any other can be charged apart from tuition fee.
According to the order by the state government, that for the next year the school managements will have to adjust the amount in the fee paid, if in case parents have already paid the full fees.
A section of parents took it to protest in front of the residence of Karnataka’s Primary and Secondary Education Minister S Suresh Kumar and the decision regarding the same came after two weeks. The minister’s residence in Bengaluru’s Basaveshwarnagar, witnessed Karnataka Private School Parent Organization Coordinating Committee sweeping the street as a form of protest in order for the Minister to reduce the fees in the backdrop of the pandemic.
On January 5, in the light of the COVID-19-induced economic slowdown, an advisory calling for reduction in school fees by its member schools was passed by Associated Management of Primary and Secondary School (KAMS).
Instructions To Schools:-
As per the advisory issued by KAMS, following are the instructions in the current year:-
The school with fee structure is more than Rs 25,000 per annum can reduce 20% to 25%.
The school with fee structure between Rs 15,000 to Rs 25,000 per annum are asked to relax the special development
The school with fee structure is less than Rs 15,000 per annum can reduce their term fee to a maximum of 10% of their whole tuition fee.
The General Secretary of KAMS, Shashi Kumar said that the reduction is not just 30% of the tuition fee, but in actuality be almost 40-50%, as the government has not only asked to reduce tuition fee but also directed us not to collect any fess for laboratory, sports and computer education.
Regulate The Schools But Also Issue Guidelines For Parents:-
Instead of just regulating the schools, the government should also regulate and issue guidelines to them as well. This is because there are some parents who have not paid the fees for the past two years. He added that either this or government could have helped the schools who have already reduced their fees by 20-25 percent by directing the parents towards those schools.
As CEO Thierry Delaporte is on a mission to restructure the organization, many senior officials leave. Read to know more.
As many as 75 senior VPs and VPs and as many as 300 general managers are exiting Wipro while Wipro CEO Thierry Delaporte is carrying out the reorganization of the company structure.
This planned reorganization was reported in November. The prime focus of doing the same was to drive sharper client focus by reducing the number of layers in the firm.
Thierry Delaporte, who was with Capgemini for a long time said, after taking over in Wipro six months ago, that the multiple layers has impacted accountability. As far as numbers as concerned, there are almost 200 SVPs and VPs in the company.
Changes In The Structure:-
On the exits of such senior professionals, the company said that it will from January 1, replace its earlier structure. The earlier structure of seven strategic business units, service lines and nine geographies will be replaced by four strategic market units (SMUs) and two global business lines (GBLs) as a part of restructuring. As the top pyramid was narrowed down, company has selected leaders best suited for the roles in the new structure.
Wipro shall also be recruiting for outside from outside and be onboarding several global account executives as well as senior regional leaders soon. The company has also appointed Douglas Silva, IT veteran and former AWS executive, as the country head of Brazil, who will be reporting to the managing director of Latin America, Mukund Seetharaman.
Changing Needs Of Clients:-
Shifting from 20 to 4 P&Ls, from industry verticals to geographies to changing the mix of talent, Deloporte is going all the way. Speaking of talent, he said that the need for content and domain specialists and technology experts has increased while decreased for generalists. He added that Wipro is hiring from outside too, and aspires to become a truly global player. He added that increasingly clients want firms to be proactive, have strong opinions, be disruptive, challenge the status quo as well as be a force of change.
According to the CEO of HfS Research, Phil Fersht, As the new model will require some time to get right, in order to ensure that delivery stays stable extra resources must be readily available. This is due to the new geographic restructuring. He added that a strong year as far as outsourcing from US and European firms is concerned is expected. Also there is little immediate need to downscale when the pipeline is there to grow the firm.
1st Time Ever, UAE Offers Permanent Citizenship To Foreigners: Check Eligibility Criteria
For a few years now UAE is trying to attract investors to increase the capital infusion in the country. Last year, the country made changes in its foreign ownership policy and removed the compulsion for companies to have Emirati shareholders. But this time UAE has made drastic amendments in its laws to ensure the development of the country especially when the pandemic has affected the economy.
UAE has become the first Gulf nation that has decided to grant citizenship to a particular group of professions along with their families on certain terms. These citizens will have several benefits like the right to own or set up a commercial property on the gulf land.
What Change Has UAE Done In Its Policies?
For a lot of decades, the Gulf states have been protecting the privileges of their citizens though they constitute a very little part of the total population. But to abide by the new vision that UAE has set for itself, the policies are changed for the first time ever.
The PM of UAE, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, went on Twitter to announce the law amendments to the world,
We adopted law amendments that allow granting the UAE citizenship to investors, specialized talents & professionals including scientists, doctors, engineers, artists, authors and their families. The new directives aim to attract talents that contribute to our development journey.
This means, UAE will now allow the recipients of UAE passports to retain their original citizenship. Only the rulers, Crown Princes’ Courts, Executive Councils, and the Cabinet are allowed to grant Emirati citizenship through federal nominations.
What Is UAE Aiming For?
Right now, the economy of the gulf nations is majorly driven by the oil fields that they are blessed with. But now they are aiming to explore their possibilities by expanding in different fields and march towards development.
As many as 80% of the people living in UAE and gulf nations are foreign nationals currently. They contribute so much to the economy that UAE is now compelled to make the changes in its policy and give these people permanent citizenship status.
Who Is Eligible To Get Citizenship In UAE?
The doors of UAE are open for all the professions which can contribute to the growth of the country. This includes investors, doctors, specialists, inventors, scientists, talents, intellectuals and artists. Even the families of the mentioned professions get the privilege of being a citizen of the UAE. There are a few terms and conditions that they need to satisfy to be completely eligible to get citizenship.
For instance, an investor needs to have his own property in the UAE. The doctors need to satisfy the requirement of UAE or are expected to be a specialist in a unique field. It’s compulsory for scientists to be active researchers and have experience of minimum 10 years irrespective of whether they work in the public or private sector. For inventors, at least one patent approved by the UAE Ministry of the economy or any well known international body must be registered by their name. The inventors also need to have a LOR issued from the economy ministry.
Maruti’s Rs 5 Lakh Electric Car Is Disruptive: Full Charge In 6 Hours, 250kms Range & More (Interesting Details)
Most of the car makers are trying to adopt electric automobile technology to comply with the needs of the future. If we look at the current scenario, EVs are rarely seen on the road specially in India. But with a trustworthy carmaker like Maruti introducing its classic cars in electric version, we can expect the situation to change in upcoming years.
Maruti to Introduce Electric WagonR
The news of Maruti launching an Electric WagonR has been in the air since a long time now. On the other hand, many of the sources also claimed that the plan was on the verge of cancellation.
However, Maruti has always planned to enter the EV market when the infrastructure allows the carmaker to manufacture EVs. Hence Maruti giving up the plans of introducing an electric WagonR seems doubtful.
Specifications
One of the major factors of an EV is its charging time. It is speculated that Maruti WagonR might take around 6 hours to get charged fully. This can set Maruti WagonR apart from its rivals since most of the EVs take more than 6 hours to get charged. Besides, the Electric WagonR might also come with a fast charging mode. This mode is also seen in Nexon EV which takes just about an hour to get charged through fast charging stations set up by Tata.
However, the range of this new EV lags behind. The comparatively less charging time of electric WagonR has reduced the range of this car. While its rivals like Nexon EV and Mercedes-Benz EqC cover a distance of 312km and 430 km respectively when charged fully, Maruti WagonR could cover only 250 km.
Looks And Features
Maruti might choose to make a few changes in the body graphics to make the Electric version appear more stylish. The EV might also come with a larger central space where the gear knob is present. However, most of the remaining internal as well as external look of the EV will be identical to the classic WagonR.
Besides, to compensate for the shorter range, the electric WagonR might be equipped with standard regenerative braking. The EV can also provide attributes like Connected car technology and Wireless charging.
Price
The best part about Maruti is that it always offers very affordable and durable vehicles. Even with the brand new electric WagonR the Indian carmaker has kept its promise. The Wagon EV is priced just at Rs 5 Lakh, which might make it one of the cheapest EV.
One of the reasons behind EVs not being popular among Indian is that they are usually quite expensive. By introducing one of the most sought after cars like WagonR in electric form that too at a cheap price, Maruti is greatly helping to normalize electric vehicles in Indian market.
Whatsapp Brings Biometric Security For Desktop, Web Access: How Will It Work?
Whatsapp has now introduced a new feature into the social networking platform which will add to the security of the app. The feature by Whatsapp is a new authentication layer – the biometric feature.
This will now be available for those using the web or desktop version of the app.
Read on to find out how this will work, right here!
Biometric Layer Of Authentication To Be Introduced In Whatsapp
Whatsapp has confirmed that the company will now enable people to add in a a fingerprint, face, or iris scan to use WhatsApp on desktop or web. For this, the mobile app will need to be linked. Also, this feature is in addition to the QR code authentication.
This new featuer will enable you to add a biometric login, be it a fingerprint, face ID or iris ID. this will be dependent on the device, whether it is an Android or iPhone handset. This will act as a second layer of authentication.
However, it will work only if you have enabled biometric authentications on your device and not otherwise.
Visual Refresh For The App Coming Soon
The company has recently announced that they will be introducing a visual refresh of the Whatsapp web page on the Android and iOS apps. This will enhance the linking and managing devices connected to your account. The company has also revealed that some more updates will be coming soon.
Whatsapp’s official release states, “This will limit the chance that a housemate or officemate (when we have those again) can link devices to your WhatsApp account without you. This builds on our existing security measures today, which pop up a notice in your phone whenever a Web/Desktop login occurs, and the ability to unlink devices from your phone at any time.”
When the feature is implemented, it will appear for users before a desktop or web version can be llinked up with a mobile app account. As of now, it relies on using only a QR code. This code will not go away and it will act as a second layer of authentication on a handset.
The app has also assured that the biometric information will not be stored and it will not be able to access these details from a phone’s operating system.
A higher regular income pension product to be brought out by IRDAI
If you were always wondering whether or not you will ever be able to buy a a pension product that will give you higher regular income, then god has smiled upon you, or maybe it’s the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India.
To come up with guidelines for a floating rate annuity product, a group has been formed by IRDAI, said its chairman, Subhash Khuntia. He announced this on January 29 at the 17th Annual Summit of Insurance Brokers Association of India (IBAI), while speaking during a virtual press conference.
The cost of living goes down when the overall interest rates falls, and when the rate goes up, so does the cost of living. To be linked to a benchmark such as G-Sec or an inflation index, IRDAI is planning to introduce a floating rate annuity option. As inflation is rising, so is cost of living, this type of product will come in handy.
Benefits of such a product :-
Going through multiple cycles of ups and downs, interest rates changes with time. As an indicator for interest rate movement, if we take the fixed deposit (FD) rate offered by the State Bank of India (SBI), then during the last decade the variation has been huge. The highest FD rate ranged between 5.4% and 9.25%.
Funds are locked in for longer period and often for life, in an annuity investment. Life Insurance companies in order to give a guaranteed fixed income which can be sustained over a long period like 20 to 30 years, go for the lower side, it being the most conservative rate.
On a majority of annuity products, the best interest rate has been less than 6%. This is less and the primary reason as to why investors are uninterested in annuity products in India.
There have been multiple instances in the economy when increase in interest rate is so high that there is a vast difference between the general interest rate of fixed income products and the annuity rate. On the other hand, it is the fixed and lower rate of annuity which often prevents investors from getting compensated for high inflation when general interest in the economy is higher.
Abridging The Gap:-
This is exactly when, a pension product which is linked with an inflation-index can be instrumental. This is because, the flexible pension commitment based on market rate will allow insurers to offer a higher rate to investors. An annuity product which is linked to benchmark like G-sec or CPI will be very useful in the context.
This will leave higher regular income in the hands of annuitants, when the inflation increases, eventually abridging the gap between wish and ability. By that we mean, those who are looking for variable annuities with better rates and those investors who find no such option in annuity products.
Upcoming Smartphones February? Xiaomi has confirmed two new flagships for India. Global VP Manu Kumar Jain shared on Twitter about the launch of two new powerful Mi devices in India. Xiaomi will soon be launching two new flagships in the country, said to be Mi 11 and either Redmi K40, a new Mi 10 variant or Mi 11 Lite. The next few weeks will see some major smartphone releases in the country.
Top Upcoming Smartphones February: Mi 11, Redmi K40, Redmi Note 10 Pro, OnePlus 9, Realme X7, Mi 11 Lite, OnePlus 9 Lite
Given the fact, Jain confirmed it to be top-end flagships, it’s being speculated to be Mi 11 with Snapdragon 888 and Redmi K40 or a new Mi 10 variant with Snapdragon 870.
From OnePlus 9 series to Mi 11 series to Redmi Note 10 series, the much-awaited smartphones in different price categories will release in India. OnePlus 9 Lite is said to be launching as soon as February to be later joined by OnePlus 9 and OnePlus 9 Pro.
The Note 10 devices are said to be launching in February alongside Mi 11 series. Industry insider Ishan Agarwal told 91mobiles that Redmi Note 10 series launch will happen in a few weeks, expected in February.
Redmi Note 10 prices in India are also said to be very aggressive given competitors.
Mi 11 India launch will happen by February. Xiaomi is already prepping up on Mi 11 Global units, and Mi 11 India availability could get confirmed in a while. The Xiaomi flagship launched with the latest Qualcomm flagship chip, Snapdragon 888 and 108MP cameras. The company is yet to announce Mi 11 Pro, the Pro model of the series.
Upcoming Smartphones February: Upcoming Mobiles India
Major upcoming smartphone launches likely to happen in India in the next few weeks.
OnePlus 9 Lite
OnePlus 9 Lite price has been tipped. The device is rumoured to be the first smartphone to run on Snapdragon 870. A new leak has revealed the OnePlus 9 Lite price including key specifications. The Lite version of the upcoming OnePlus flagship is said to be made available in two models: LE2100 and LE2101, expected to be two storage versions. OnePlus 9 Lite launch could happen by March.
OnePlus 9 Lite will reportedly arm Snapdragon 870, the newly announced Qualcomm SoC, a lite version of the flagship Snapdragon 888. Coming to leaked OnePlus 9 Lite specs, reports say it will pack in Qualcomm Snapdragon 870 with a 90Hz / 120Hz AMOLED panel and also 65W fast charging.
Further, the OnePlus device may have the same camera optics as OnePlus 8T. The 8T has a four camera system at the back donning a primary 48-megapixel Sony IMX586 sensor with an aperture of F/1.7 with support for both OIS and EIS. The main 48MP sensor pairs with two more lenses: 5-megapixel macro lens and a 2-megapixel monochrome lens.
Redmi Note 10, Redmi Note 10 Pro, Note 10 Pro Max
Redmi Note 10, Note 10 Pro India launch dates launch in India are tipped. The Note 10 devices are said to be launching in February alongside Mi 11 series. Redmi Note 10 Pro 4G launch could happen first and come to India. The company is expected to ship a 120Hz AMOLED display this time as per the sources with 64MP powered quad rear cameras. 33W fast charging technology is expected on Redmi Note 10 and the slightly toned-down Redmi Note 10 Lite.
Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro 5G will probably be powered by a Snapdragon 750G / Dimensity 820 chipset coupled with 8GB RAM and MIUI 12.5 powered Android 11 OS.
Coming to battery, Redmi Note 10 will fit in a similar sized battery with support for at least 33W fast charging this time. The just launched Redmi Note 9 features a 5,020mAh battery with support for 22.5W fast charging. Battery on Redmi Note 10 and Redmi Note 10 Pro is expected to stay around 5,000mAh with faster fast charging support on Note 10 Pro.
Redmi K40, Redmi K40 Pro
The second Mi flagship expected to launch in India could be Redmi K40 or a new Mi 10 variant. Given the fact, Jain already confirmed a flagship will be powered by Snapdragon 870, it’s being speculated to be the upcoming Redmi K40. The device is said to be powered by the all-new Snapdragon 870 chipset. The new SoC was announced this week as a sub-flagship processor positioned below Snapdragon 888 SoC. It’s an upgrade over Snapdragon 865+ SoC offering incrementally improved performance, connectivity and efficiency.
Weibing also hinted at an AMOLED display for the Redmi K40, but not a 3D curved design as Mi 11. Redmi K40 will come at a reasonable pricing offering longer battery life and similar premium experience. Redmi K40 series launch has been officially confirmed by Redmi’s General Manager, Lu Weibing. He took to Weibo, the microblogging website revealing some key features of the upcoming flagship K40 series.
Mi 11, Mi 11 Lite
Xiaomi is already prepping up on Mi 11 Global units, and Mi 11 India availability could get confirmed in a while. Mi 11 India launch is expected by February / March, depending upon the global availability and Mi 11 Pro launch. The company will probably unveil Mi 11 and Mi 11 Lite in the country in short intervals. At FCC, Mi 11 was cleared with three memory configurations: 6GB/128GB, 8GB/128GB and 8GB/256GB. The same models are expected to be brought to India.
Mi 11 price in China will start at CNY 3,999 for the base 8GB and 128GB option. It’s around Rs 45,000. As per the rumours, Mi 11 price in India may start at Rs 44,999 which will directly challenge the likes of OnePlus 9, Galaxy S21 and iPhone 12 Mini.
Some earlier reports suggest that Mi 11 Lite could come to India as a rebranded Poco F2, but the rumours were later refuted. The device was earlier spotted on FCC certification site. The leaked specifications will include a 4,150mAh battery with 33W fast charging, 6GB RAM and 64GB / 128GB storage options. Mi 11 Lite is going to be a toned-down variant of the recently-launched affordable Xiaomi flagship, Mi 11.
OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro
OnePlus 9 launch date tipped again. OnePlus 9 Pro price has been leaked as well alongside launch date, and it’s said to be happening in early 2021. The OnePlus 9 series launch will launch in the later part of first quarter of 2021. Previously, the OnePlus 9, OnePlus 9 Pro CAD renders confirmed that the upcoming OnePlus phones will come with curved displays.
The company last unveiled OnePlus 8T in India, and OnePlus Nord 2 is said to be in the development phase as well.
OnePlus 9 Pro launch is expected by March, similar to the OnePlus 8 lineup launch timeline in 2020. OnePlus 9 price in India is expected to start at Rs 37,999. OnePlus 9 Pro price in India will start at around Rs 49,999 for the base model. The OnePlus 9 lineup may also include the OnePlus 8T Pro model as well given the company gave it a miss this year.
Realme X7, Realme X7 Pro
Realme will unveil a number of devices in the next few weeks, expected to start with Realme X7 series and then Realme X9 series and the top-end Realme Race series. Realme X7 series launch in India will happen soon. The series has already been launched in China, and will be powered by the MediaTek Dimensity 1000+ chipset on the Pro variant. The phone will directly go up against the likes of upper mid-range phones as OnePlus Nord, Pixel 4a and Oppo Reno 5 Pro. Realme X7 is will run on MediaTek Dimensity 800U processor.
Realme X7 will sport a 6.4-inch AMOLED Full HD+ screen offering up to 120Hz refresh rate and 180Hz touch sampling. It will come with a 64MP primary camera sensor along with an 8MP ultrawide camera, and two 2MP macro and black and white sensors.
X7 will pack in a 32MP camera on the front. The unit will be powered by a 4,300mAh battery. On the other hand, Realme X7 Pro will feature a bigger 6.55-inch AMOLED Full HD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate and 240Hz touch sampling. The same camera setup could be seen on the Realme X7 Pro as the Realme X7. It will have a slightly bigger 4,500mAh battery with 65W fast charging support.
