A number of mutual fund houses are focusing on ‘direct plan’ mode to sell their schemes, a move that may maximise the returns for the investors as against regular plans involving distributors. Under the direct plan mode, investors can directly invest in mutual fund schemes without involving distributors or agents. They are required to visit…
Online shoppers are expected to increase from 20 million in 2013 to 40 million in 2016, as an additional 200 million Indians will access the Internet in the next three years, with majority of them coming online through smartphones, indicates a new joint study by Assocham and Grant Thornton. According to the study, a significantly…
The reality is that 10 years ago people did not use tablets and mobile phones as much as they do now, says Trevor Bull, the new CEO and Managing Director of Aviva Life Insurance Company India. And, it is this significant shift in the way people live their lives that is prompting the company to…
IT services companies Mphasis Ltd and Genpact Ltd along with Nasscom Foundation, the not-for-profit arm of software lobby Nasscom, will give Rs.60 lakh to social innovators who use technology-led innovation to create social impact. The two companies, as part of the Nasscom Social Innovation Forum, will use their corporate social responsibility funds to support innovations…
Propelling itself ahead of other states in e-initiatives, Kerala will be declared India’s first ‘Digital State’ on August 15. This will be followed by the launch of several projects including high-speed Internet and Wi-fi services in government schools and e-office in all government offices. The government will also unveil ‘Digital Literacy-Phase II’ as part of…
The Cellular Operators’ Association of India, which represents the interests of major telecom companies such as Bharti Airtel Ltd and Idea Cellular Ltd, has opposed any move to allow “a particular operator” (understood to be Reliance Jio) to use state-owned Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd’s cellular network for its voice services. “We are made to understand…
The Mahindra Group is drawing up a digital and ecommerce strategy and has hired Jaspreet Bindra, an angel investor and former CEO of Askme.com, to helm the initiative, as India’s oldest business houses begin to seriously tap technology. Bindra, who joined mid-July, has been appointed Group Senior Vice President for Digital Innovation and Ecommerce and…
Recently, my daughter questioned the point of studying science when there was ‘nothing to invent’. After some parental panic, her words almost made sense. Historically, we invented ‘things’, but the digital age is about harnessing data and IT capabilities to invent ‘solutions’. It is the potential of this data and IT combine that has driven…
Scaling on the optical fiber network, the country’s flagship programme of digital india is surging ahead with indusry captains pitching in large numbers to make the ambitious plan a reality, asserting investment will not come in the way. On the launch day, an upbeat india Inc. Pledged over Rs 4.5 lakh crore, creating 18 lakh…
The Tata Group is set to foray into e-commerce, digital health and data analytics as the 147-year-old conglomerate seeks new growth drivers. The new businesses are housed under Tata Industries, which is usually the vehicle for investing and promoting sunrise ventures. The group’s internal leadership meeting on Wednesday also saw its chairman Cyrus Mistry making…