Think India Foundation

Telecom bodies want 'essential services' status for industry

NEW DELHI: Industry bodies representing mobile service providers and tower companies want an 'essential services' status to be given to telecom infrastructure companies. The associations have demanded that the telecom sector be treated at par with other infrastructure providers such as energy and power and be given tax benefits for a 20-year period. 

The Cellular Operators Association of India representing incumbent telecom companies, Tower and Infrastructure Providers' Association representing tower providers and Reliance Communications have written to the telecom department and have unanimously asked the government to not bring tower companies under the uniform licensing regime. Read more

Source : economictimes.indiatimes.com

Mobile phones to aid infrastructure development

Villagers in India suffering daily due to lack of good infrastructure can now initiate action by clicking a picture of the concerned area on their mobile phone, and forwarding the same to the Union ministry of programme implementation, reports ET.

Srikant Jena, minister for programme implementation, has said that they are working on a proposal so that a complaint can be filed through mobile phones. Anyone can take a picture of a substandard road constructed under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana, or a poor quality house built under the Indira Awas Yojana, and send it to them. The ministry will inquire and act. Read more

Source : wirelessfederation.com 

Auspicious C-Sections in India? Not really

Caesarean births in Urban India have risen from 7% in 1993 to 17% in 2006, the Economist pointed out in its new article. That sounds about true and probably the C-section births are much more than 17%. The Economist also points out the reasons for this rise as being: Indians’ belief in astrology, rise in mobile phone penetration which makes consulting astrology services easier, technology, and India’s rising income levels.

I disagree with all the reasons given by Economist for the rise in C-Section births. I will get to the real reasons in a bit. Before that let me get something off my chest. Technology and mobile phones are almost a standard template for all things related to India. Read more

Source : asiancorrespondent.com

Set For A New Innings

Operation clean-up has begun. Hopefully, the new telecom policy will prove to be third time lucky

It has been in the pipeline for a while. Communication and information technology minister Kapil Sibal announced the broad direction of India’s telecom policy that will come into effect from April 2012. It looks to simplify licensing, bring transparency to the sector and encourage consolidation. Most of the changes will help incumbent mobile telecom service providers.

This is the third time that India has come up with a telecom policy. The first was in 1994, followed by the NTP ’99. Read more

Source : businessworld.in

Mobile towers’ registration, renewal made mandatory in Bihar

PATNA: The state cabinet on Tuesday okayed the new Bihar Telecom Tower and Allied Infrastructure Rules under which the telecom companies will have to get their old and new mobile towers registered and get them renewed annually. This rule will be applicable under the jurisdiction of urban local bodies only. 

The registration and annual renewal fee will vary in municipal, nagar parishad and nagar panchayat areas. In municipal areas the registration fee will be Rs 40,000 and annual renewal fee Rs. 15,000; Rs 40,000 and Rs 10,000 respectively in Nagar Parishads and Rs 30,000 and Rs 8000 respectively under the Nagar Panchayats. Under the new rules, urban local bodies will have the powers to revise the rates in future. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

TRAI likely to issue biz guidelines for new operators

Hyderabad: To protect mobile users' interest in the backdrop of cancellation of 2G licences by the Supreme Court, telecom regulator TRAI is likely to come out with fresh guidelines on the business modalities to be followed by the companies that have lost licences, according to sources.

     
As the companies, which have invested billions of dollars in infrastructure, are set to lose the existing licences in four months, the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) is examining the issues such as selling recharge coupons and fresh connections by these service providers, sources close to the development said. Read more

Source : zeenews.india.com

Regulation to ring towering changes

BHUBANESWAR: The mindless installation of telecom towers across the State is all set to come to a grinding halt. The State Government is ready with a special regulation which will check mushrooming of cellphone towers across urban areas.

As per the proposed regulation, installation of telecom towers will not be allowed on and around 100 metre of buildings where educational, religious and health institutions are operating. Keeping in mind the radiation, the draft document stipulates that instruments radiating the emission will not be installed within 36 metre from the area where people inhabit for at least eight hours for over 100 days a year. Read more

Source : ibnlive.in.com

Now, get birth certificate on your mobile

New Delhi : Soon, getting a birth certificate or a school mark sheet, or transferring money from one bank account to another, will be possible with the click of a button on your mobile phone.

The service will be rolled out in major cities such as Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and some rural areas by March. The rest of the country will be covered over the next two years. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

The Turning Point is Not Far Away

The removal of uncertainty over 2G issues, subscriber-centricity and the beginning of market consolidation are likely to make the Indian telecom sector one of the most vibrant and dynamic industries across the world

In the last decade, India has witnessed a telecom revolution scripting a social as well as an economic transformation of the nation. With the revised National Telecom Policy to be announced in 2012 after 13 years, the year 2012 can be seen as the starting point of the second wave of growth for this sector. While market conditions will remain tough, the new policy is expected to bring regulatory clarity on several issues. The removal of uncertainty over 2G issues, subscriber-centricity and the beginning of market consolidation are likely to make the Indian telecom sector one of the most vibrant and dynamic industries across the world. The emphasis on providing localized services in rural sector through strategic tie-ups will be critical for bridging the digital divide. The focus will also be on indigenous manufacturing and creating intellectual property rights (IPRs) to promote economic health. Needless to say, innovation and rational voice and data tariffs across the sector will be of utmost importance for operators across the value-chain. Read more

Source : voicendata.ciol.com

Debt, logistics slow growth of rural mobile networks

New Delhi : The rural mobile user is increasingly left out. Service providers, laden with debt and eager for revenue, are growing more slowly into the countryside, where networks are more expensive to build and customers willing to pay less.

Data from the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India shows that subscriptions outside cities rose 1.5 per cent to 307.59 million in the three months to December 31, 2011, having grown 9.98 per cent to 259.78 million a year earlier. The slowdown has come about despite only 36.6 per cent of the rural population having a mobile subscription.Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Equipment sourcing rule likely for IT, telecom

New Delhi : In an initiative that could prompt foreign telecom equipment majors such as Huawei, ZTE and Ericsson to set up base in India, the government is working on a Cabinet note to make it mandatory for all information technology (IT) and telecom public sector units to source 30 per cent of their purchases from domestic equipment makers.

Work on the note has started following a proposal by the Department of Telecommunications (DoT), recommendations of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) and the IT department. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

2G verdict: Affected subscribers to turn to number portability, new SIM cards

PUNE: Rajat Upadhyay uses the mobile phone connection of a service provider that is at the receiving end of the Supreme Court's order of Thursday to cancel 2G licenses issued by the government after January 2008. However, he is not worried about the possibility of his connection going dead once the SC order is implemented. He says he will shift to some other operator and continue to use his connection.

Ankit Kulkarni is similarly not too bothered. He took a connection only last month and cannot change his operator for another 70 days or so, given the portability norms of the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI). But he plans to buy a new SIM card and remain mobile. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Surf as you drive to the outback of Bangalore

BANGALORE: Soon, you will be able to send presentations to your office from your car, as you drive out of town. Green Field Expressways (GFE) is a new concept initiated by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORTH), which has pitched for five new expressways, with Bangalore as the pivotal point of three.

The first phase of this project, called the coordinated corridor of rural development (CORD) will cover Mangalore-Karwar-Panaji (400km). The second phase will take up Honnavar-Shimoga-Bangalore (325km), Chitradurga-Solapur (400km) and Bangalore-Mangalore (360km). The Bangalore-Coimbatore (402km) line will be taken up in the third phase. Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Rise in telecom tariffs likely, say analysts

MUMBAI : There were wide ranging reactions from telecom sector analysts to the Supreme Court's verdict in the 2G case.

It is good news for established incumbent operators and in the short term there is likely to be some increase in tariffs, said Mr C.S. Benoy, Director, ICT Practice, Frost & Sullivan, South Asia and Middle East. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

Hospitality majors use mobile apps to boost biz

Such apps help customers make hotel bookings, get directions using GPS navigation, check facilities and enjoy special offers

Hyderabad : Aiming to attract customers on-the-go, mobile applications (apps) and user-friendly mobile sites have become extremely important for hotels and restaurants.

In fact, many claim that mobile apps are opening up a whole new field by enabling bookings at the press of a button, especially for same-day stays. Such apps are an easy way for customers to book a stay, get directions using GPS navigation, check hotel facilities and can even be used to promote special offers using push notifications. With smartphone penetration reaching 10 million last year and Indian research company, IMRB suggesting that one out of three urban Indian internet user has access to a mobile phone application, the hospitality sector is eager to cash in on these latest technologies. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

Cept varsity to host online placement this year

AHMEDABAD: Faculty of Planning and Public Policy at Centre for Environmental Planning and Technology (Cept) University will begin its 'placement-2012' from February 1. Along with regular campus placements, the 10-day-long placement will organize a special system for teleconference between students and recruiters as well.

"Unlike in past years, many organizations have shown preferences for conducting their recruitment process through tele-conferences and online video conferences. This appears to be a new trend," said Saswat Bandyopadhyay, placement chair of the faculty. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Developers plan app invasion

Mumbai : A report by Deloitte and ASSOCHAM has projected the mobile value-added services market (which includes mobile apps) to reach Rs 214.1 crore by the end of 2012 from Rs 158.6 crore in 2011. Mobile app developers in India are relying on the steady rise in handset penetration to whet the appetite for apps (applications) among youngsters.

Mobilewalla, the mobile analyst firm, says in 2012 there will be a mobile app explosion, due to the higher proliferation of smartphones and tablets. Developers from tier-I and -II cities across the country are flooding app stores with apps that act as transport fare checkers and even tell you how to wear a sari. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

Caution! Walking with headphones could kill

New Delhi : Shutting yourself from the outside world by plugging in earphones and listening to music while walking on the streets might help kill stress. But it can also kill you if one is to go by the recent accidents involving ''distracted pedestrians''.

Sixteen-year-old Kaushlendra Pal, a Delhi student, was crushed to death by a speeding train Saturday afternoon as he failed to hear the sound of an approaching train since he was listening to music on headphones in Ghaziabad. Read more

Source : deccanherald.com

Finding the innovation key to million problems

From cars to vaccines, companies are busy introducing a slew of cost-effective products

India’s image in the eyes of the world undergoes a major shift in every 30 years or so. From Independence to the import of PL-480 wheat, it was one of abject poverty and utter helplessness — of a nation unable to feed itself. Read more

Source : mydigitalfc.com

Cities in transformation: Towards an intelligent future

Are cities about to die?

This is what many people were thinking just a few years ago. Back in the 1990s, scholars speculated about the impact of the ongoing digital revolution on the viability of cities. The mainstream view was that, as digital media and the Internet had killed distance, they would also kill cities. Technology writer George Gilder proclaimed that "cities are leftover baggage from the industrial era" and concluded that, due to the continued growth of personal computing, telecommunications and distributed production, "we are headed for the death of cities".

In actual fact, this is exactly opposite to the view that has shaped our conversations as part of the World Economic Forum Global Agenda Council 2011. Starting in Abu Dhabi - and during our discussions leading up to Davos - we have observed that cities have never prospered as much as they have over the past couple of decades. China is currently building more urban fabric than has ever been built by humanity. Since 2008, for the first time in history, over half the world's population lives in urban areas and, according to some estimates, there is a US$40 trillion opportunity in global infrastructure investment, mostly urban. Read more

Source : nationmultimedia.com

Handset makers want curbs on unbranded Chinese phones

NEW DELHI : Pre-Budget recommendations 2012;

Mobile handset makers have sought action against unbranded Chinese phones flooding the market as part of the pre-Budget recommendations. The Indian Cellular Association, which is the industry body representing all the branded handset makers in the country, have also sought removal of the 1 per cent National Calamity Contingent Duty (NCCD) on mobiles phones. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

Mobile users find SMSes turn big irritant

About 850 million mobile customers thought September 27, 2011 would be their D-day to get rid of pesky SMSes. For, that was the day when the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) finally came out with its revised set of rules barring unsolicited calls and SMSes. But even after four months, there seems to be little let-up from nuisance calls and messages for most mobile users in the country.

Illustration: P.K. Job.

As per TRAI data, an urban mobile user receives approximately four marketing or promotional messages in a day on his device. And to curb these, the regulatory body came up with its exercise of do not disturb (DND) registry, later renamed as national customer preference register (NCPR), where a customer can register to avoid being harassed by telemarketers. Read more

Source : deccanchronicle.com

Digital drive holds promise for India

NEW DELHI: Boosting mobile and internet penetration in India could offer substantial benefits for the country's economy, according to a new report.

IAMAI and DIT, two government bodies, and ICRIER, a think tank, argued that rising usage of these channels would fuel activity in areas from ecommerce and education to agriculture, healthcare and finance. Read more

Source : warc.com

States with more internet use likely to grow faster

NEW DELHI : States with higher internet penetration can be expected to grow faster, and by 1.08 per cent for every 10 per cent increase in the number of internet subscribers. So, if Bihar had half as many internet subscribers as in Punjab, it would have resulted in an increased growth of over 7 per cent in the State per capita income, according to a study.

Similarly, States with higher penetration rates show a greater growth with the developed States (having higher per capita income and level of internet penetration) will grow at 2.36 per cent for every 10 per cent increase in the number of internet subscribers, according to India: The Impact of Internet, a study done by the Indian Council for Research and International Economic Relations (ICRIER) sponsored by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and the Department of Information Technology. Read more

Source : thehindu.com

Telecom biz incubator to come up in Kochi

Kochi : India's first public-private partnership (PPP) telecom business incubator, 'Startup Village', is being set up on a 15,000-square feet space at the Kinfra Park in nearby Kalamassery and the first phase of the project will be inaugurated in February this year.

An agreement in this regard was signed between MobME CEO Sanjay Vijayakumar and Kerala Infrastructure Development Authority (Kinfra) Managing Director S Ramanath. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

Cellular towers in Gurgaon to stay

Gurgaon : If the cellular tower in your area has been a nuisance, there is bad news for you. Despite protests by residents, the Haryana Urban Development Authority (Huda) has decided to allow such towers in residential areas if operators pay a regularization fee for authorisation. Cellular firms have also been directed to obtain a no objection certificate from the defense department, civil aviation and Doordarshan. 

In the fresh guidelines, HUDA has advised mobile tower companies to mandatorily seek structural certificates from prestigious institutions such as IIT Delhi, Roorkee, Punjab Engineering College and Kurushetra University. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

Out with the Old, In with the New

Key trends like BYOD, broadband, 4G, etc, are going to define the Indian telecom industry in 2012

Trend #1: BWA/4G Rollout: Wait and Watch

Sluggish adoption of third-generation mobile services and rising questions about return on investments in the country's overcrowded telecom sector will push the launch of fourth-generation (Broadband Wireless Access) mobile services further into 2013.

Telecommunication Service Providers (TSPs) will continue to aggressively promote 3G services, build volumes, and stabilize returns during 2012 and use the learning before committing further resources to the as yet nascent 4G/BWA ecosystem. Specifically, the device and content pieces need to come together to make the go-to-market viable for the operators, and at the same time offer a compelling proposition to a user. Read more

Source : voicendata.ciol.com

Spoken web service for farmers soon

New Delhi : Soon farmers across the country can get their agriculture and weather-related queries answered quickly. The government is planning to launch a spoken web service that will provide an interactive medium for the farming community.

In a country where close to 60% of the 1.21bn population still depends on agriculture for a living, the spoken web service can be a boon to farmers in distant areas. Read more

Source : gulf-times.com

TRAI recommends telecos to cut 17% carbon emission by 2019

Under these recommendations, all service providers should declare to Trai carbon footprint of their network operations twice in a year.

The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (Trai) on Friday asked telecom companies to use green certified products and aim 17 per cent carbon emission reduction from their telecom networks by 2018-19.

The telecom regulator issued highlights of its recommendation on 'Approach Towards Green Telecommunications'. Read more

Source : profit.ndtv.com

Indian Mobile Phone App Aims to Thwart Sexual Assaults

In India's burgeoning economy, more and more women are going to work in offices - exposing them to what can sometimes be dangerous urban conditions. Now, a new technological initiative aims to protect women against sexual assault.

A recently launched mobile phone application in India called 'Fight Back' aims to protect women against sexual assault as more women in nation's growing economy join the work force in urban areas.

Cheena Sikka is typical of the modern, professional Indian woman. She works hard. She works late. Read more

Source : voanews.com

Government may subsidize mobile bills in rural areas

NEW DELHI: The Planning Commission has proposed that the government pay 20% of all mobile bills that are less than Rs 300 a month for customers in rural India by dipping into funds set aside for providing subsidized telephony.

The Planning Commission had sent the proposal to the Prime Minister's Office, which in turn has asked the telecoms department to study the feasibility of the proposal. The telecoms department must submit its response by 17 January and ET reviewed a copy of this communication. Read more

Source : articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com

Is your city smart enough?

The 21st century has been referred to as “the urban century”. By 2050, over 70 per cent of the world’s population will live in cities. The rate of urbanisation is staggering: more than 400 million people in China and 215 million people in India will migrate to cities by 2015. Today’s cities can barely handle the burden of their current populations: core services like energy, water, communications, transportation and public safety are inefficient and increasingly decrepit. The burden on the environment is also profound: cities only occupy 2 per cent of the earth’s landmass, but account for over 75 per cent of our resource consumption. Indian cities like Delhi and Mumbai will be stretched to breaking point.

Management professor C.K. Prahalad famously said in 2009, “India needs to build a minimum of 500 new cities urgently. However, it has to be done from scratch to accommodate people who are on the move and to provide them better quality life.” Whether India builds new cities, or extends and develops existing ones, it needs a new city governance model that is faster, better, cheaper. Read more

Source : ieet.org

Panel on infra funding to assess bottlenecks today

New Delhi: A high-level committee is set to meet on Tuesday to assess the bottlenecks likely to impede fund flows in ten key areas of the infrastructure sector during the Twelfth Plan period (2012-17).

Headed by former deputy governor of Reserve Bank of India, Rakesh Mohan, the committee would ascertain the extent of foreign and domestic fund flows in the projects in these sectors — electricity, roads and bridges, telecom, railways, irrigation, water supply and sanitation, ports, airports, storage and oil and gas. “The committee would make recommendations on the role that the government could play in developing the capital markets for intermediating long-term savings for investments in infrastructure projects. It will identify areas and activities to be financed by the government, PSUs and the private sector,” Rakesh Mohan told The Indian Express. Read more

Source : indianexpress.com

Your CM on your phone, laptop

Ranchi : Arjun Munda is now aapka CM on your Twitterverse. Get direct access to your chief minister from your Facebook or Twitter accounts and tell him about your grievances.

Arjun Munda launches the grievance management system at his Ranchi residence on Friday. Picture by Prashant Mitra

Or else, just dial the toll-free number (0657) 3059999 or send an email to info@aapkacm.com and narrate your woes. The chief minister and his secretariat will personally look into the matter. Read more

Source : telegraphindia.com

Leh is lacking in Bandwidth, needs better connectivity

Leh (ANI): Imagine a day, when you wake up to find that all your mobile phones, internet connectivity, landlines, fax lines - have stopped working. Panic? This would be akin to a comma placed in your lifeline as we have become so addicted to our tech-stuff that all our daily chores will be seriously affected in their absence.

They keep us connected and updated. Nowadays the connectivity is pumping at the speed of 3G as evident from one of the several advertisements that target the need of rapid connectivity by telling the entire nation to get "Busy on 3G". Others will tell you the same in different words. We are so full of options that we have started taking these services available to us for granted. Read more

Source : newstrackindia.com

Traffic police in Pune start cellphone helpline from 1st Jan

PUNE: The city traffic branch will launch a 24x7 mobile phone helpline service from the New Year's day on Sunday. "The new helpline (8888004455) will enable road users to send SMS alerts to the traffic branch on situations like vehicular jam and commotion, besides alerts on road accidents," deputy commissioner of police (traffic) Vishwas Pandhare told reporters on Saturday.

"We are deliberately emphasising on SMS alerts although people can also call this mobile helpline number in case of extreme emergencies," he said. "The traffic branch is already operating a landline service (020-26122000) for similar purposes." Read more

Source : articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Is 2012 the year for India's internet?

Mumbai : It's estimated as many as 121 million Indians are logged onto the internet.

Creating a 'sense of access' is crucial to getting more Indians online

It is a sizeable number, but still a relatively small proportion of the country's 1.2 billion population. Read more

Source : bbc.co.uk

Targeting the mobile-friendly rural consumer

The rural consumer is more exposed and aware now than he has ever been in the history of India. He also has more choices and more brands trying to fit into his mind space. Becoming increasingly important for brands looking for fresh growth beyond urban India’s market penetration, especially in the larger towns and cities, rural consumers are no longer a simple target to woo, as their exposures and growing awareness have made them more discerning than earlier. At the same time, their aspirations for consuming branded and more sophisticated products make them very attractive for brands. 

The two paradigm shifts that have affected rural consumer behaviour are rooted in urbanisation and the advent of the mobile phone. Urbanisation has changed the credentials of the influencer. Earlier, influence was a function of designation or social status; in the last few years, villagers who have either studied or worked in larger cities are seen as the trendsetters. Living and studying with their urban counterparts translates into increased exposure across all facets ranging from everyday product choices to financial instruments. Read more

Source : hindustantimes.com

Slow down, India!

We are too wound up, at work and home. The state of the nation adds to the stress. Take it easy and have a healthy 2012!

The year 2011 is wrapped up. All wrapped up on a cold December morning. Ready to be buried. It's time to take stock of what went into it in marketing terms. What, then, were the trends that defined the calendar year 2011 in marketing and brand terms?

Here goes. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

India needs to rethink notion of 'smart cities'

The 21st century has been referred to as "the urban century". By 2050, over 70 per cent of the world's population will live in cities.  

The rate of urbanization is staggering: more than 400 million people in China and 215 million people in India will migrate from villages to cities by 2015. Today's cities can barely handle the burden of their current populations: core services like energy, water, communications, transportation, and public safety are inefficient and increasingly decrepit. Read more

Source : rediff.com

High Court reserves order on entry tax in Srinagar

Srinagar : High Court has reserved judgment on the petition filed by telecommunication companies wherein they have challenged the state government’s decision of imposing entry tax on their equipments transported into the state.

Justice Muzaffar Hussain Attar reserved the judgment after hearing arguments of senior counsel Z A Shah representing the petitioners and senior Supreme Court Lawyer M L Verma, Advocate General M I Qadri and H Tasaduq Khwaja who defended the state government. Read more

Source : greaterkashmir.com

Govt hails India’s telecoms success story

New Delhi (IBNS): The Indian telecoms ministry on Saturday hailed India’s telecommunications sector as an international success story in its year-end review, even as uncertainty in the once-booming sector continued to spiral from damaging competition and the 2G spectrum scandal.

About 870 million telephone connections were added against the target of 600 million during 11th five year plan (2007-2012) with the overall subscriber base reaching 914.60 million, the government said. Read more

Source : indiablooms.com

Operators move tribunal after 3G blow

New Delhi : DoT notice to Airtel, vodafone & idea to stop services through roaming agreements.

Private telecom service providers Bharti Airtel, Vodafone and Idea Cellular have moved the Telecom Disputes Settlement and Appellate Tribunal (TDSAT) on Friday against the department of telecommunications' (DoT) directive to immediately stop 3G mobile services through roaming arrangements. Read more

Source : business-standard.com

Is India planning to launch $10 device?

Telecom minister Kapil Sibal hinted at it and if launched, it could be a device for empowerment

New Delhi, India : For Indian government, sky isn't the limit. After $35 Aakash (meaning sky) tablet, there is now a possibility of $10 device. It wouldn't just be a political gimmick, but a need for mobility parlance.

With a focus on mobile services delivery, which might be a reality in  mid-2012, the low-cost device is one of the key imperatives for the government. Read more

 

Source : ciol.com

Panel for cap on cell tower radiation

NEW DELHI: Electromagnetic radiation from mobile towers must be brought down to one-tenth of existing levels, an inter-ministerial committee has said, in the run-up to framing the country's first guidelines in the matter.

Electromagnetic radiation from mobile towers must be brought down to one-tenth of existing levels, an inter-ministerial committee has said.

India has around 4 lakh mobile towers and with 3G mobile telephony, an additional 1 lakh towers will be needed, according to Trai. The mobile base stations mounted on these towers emit radiation, feared to pose health hazards. The panel has urged continuous online monitoring and display of emissions and a national database of the stations. Read more

Source : timesofindia.indiatimes.com

Consumerism blurs urban-rural divide

Believe it or not, Bharat is gradually becoming India, at least in the matter of consumption of fast moving consumer goods (FMCG). Increasingly, the rural market is demanding — and getting served too — the kind of goods that the urban consumer takes for granted.

To put it in perspective, the urban market always ate biscuits; so did the rural market. The difference was only in the kind of biscuits and is blurring. It’s good news for FMCG companies. After all, 72 per cent of all Indian households live in the countryside and together consume 55 per cent of all FMCG products. Read more

Source : mydigitalfc.com

India enjoys mobile growth

MUMBAI: The Indian mobile phone sector will grow by an average of 13% over the next four years, with sales boosted by the popularity of dual SIM handsets.

According to IDC, a consultancy, handset shipments reached 47.1m units in the third quarter of 2011, up 12% from the previous three months and equating to a year-on-year increase of almost 14%. Read more

Source : warc.com

Ditch plastic, NFC is taking over

Staggering smartphone growth, backed by industry biggies, is fuelling NFC's growth in mobile payments. 

During a recent spate of travelling on international and local flights, I observed that over half of my co-passengers were using smartphones. Not surprising, since analysts expect a growth of 30 per cent or more CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) for smartphones (regular feature phones are expected to show only single digit growth rates). Of course, smartphone adoption is a global phenomenon - 43 per cent of mobile phone users in the US own a smartphone and 55 per cent of mobile phone buyers bought a smartphone in the previous three months, according to a survey by Nielson. The staggering growth can also be attributed to the platform and ecosystem built around these devices to fully leverage their potential as a multi-utility device rather than mere consumption devices. Smartphones aren't going to be restricted to a communication and social platform; soon, they're going to drive commercial transactions for digital and physical goods. Read more

Source : thehindubusinessline.com

Bharat Nirman Campaign kicks off in Odisha

Malkangiri: A three days long Public Information Campaign on the flagship programmes of the Central Government has begun at the DNK Ground here on Friday.

 
The campaign is aimed at creating awareness among the public on the flagship programmes like National Rural Health Mission (NRHM), Sarva Siksha Abhiyan (SSA) and mid day meal, National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (NREGS), Rural Road (PMGSY), Rural Drinking Water Supply, Rural Housing (Indira Awaj Yojna), Right to Information Act, Rural Telephony, Total Sanitation Campaign, Integrated Child Development Services Scheme (ICDS), etc. Read more

Source : orissadiary.com

A Rs 1,00,000-cr bill no one's talking about

Cost over-runs for even Rs 1,000-cr project outlays are $23 billion

New Delhi : An avalanche of delayed projects has meant huge cost overruns where the taxpayer is left to foot the bill.

The private sector has been bitterly complaining about the logjam in permissions and approvals, resulting in delayed projects. While private capital has no doubt suffered as have investors, the biggest loser from Government’s delays is perhaps the Government itself. And thus, the taxpayer. A report prepared by the Government’s Ministry of Programme Planning & Statistics shows that cost over-runs, just for projects with investment outlays of over Rs 1,000 crore, are a staggering Rs 1,00,000 crore or $23 billion. IndiaSpend takes a closer look at the projects and the departments that were responsible. Read more

Source : business-standard.com