Buzz: Cyrus Mistry family on a tiger safari

ET’s weekly roundup of the wackiest whispers and murmurs in corporate corridors & policy parlours:Eye on IndiaEvery year after the budget, this legal eagle packs his bag and heads for an American rendezvous, catching up with clients and updating them about the Indian dream. This year, thanks to the travel restrictions, that wasn’t possible and it had to be a virtual session. The exuberant gent lined up a series of transactions that he felt were top of the charts in terms of complexities and smooth execution. Odd though that most that made the cut were ones his firm had been involved with. We don’t know if the controversies that each one of them had attracted were also mentioned.Dickie SeatsThis sporting arena that made global headlines also houses close to 75 AC boxes for VIP guests. During the recent event, several local and national corporates spent Rs3.5-5.5 crore to buy these prime seats, only to be disappointed due to the early end of the game and the sub-optimal arrangements. The location of the seats and the poor hospitality meant money down the drain complained a few who had high hopes of mingling with political and business royalty for over five days.All Dressed UpWhen we received calls from over-eager PR executives hard-selling the turnaround story of this once industry leader, we were rather surprised considering its core business would have taken some hard knocks over the last few years thanks to government reforms.Apparently not, we were told, as the firm has turned a corner thanks to a brand new business model. We almost bought into the story till we realised the asset was getting prettied up for a sale — that explains the hoopla. After all, if you have a PE owner, that is inevitable. Watch this space as the action will firm up in the coming weeks.Jab We TookThe mandarins up on the hill are concerned about the hesitancy among some quarters about the efficacy of desi vaccine programmes, we are told. Two of the leading ad men of the country close to the current dispensation, Piyush Pandey and Suhel Seth, were entrusted with brainstorming and suggesting ways of dealing with misconceptions, especially among health workers, in a strategy paper. They have submitted their views, is what we learn. With CII acting as the nodal agency for coordination, we expect a mega PPP initiative soon.'Pawri Ho Rahi Hai'It’s lovely to see this once billionaire party boy settling into matrimony. Spending his first wedding anniversary with friends and family by the sea, it does seem some of the boisterous boyish charms are very much thriving but that’s totally acceptable, right? After all, it’s been a crazy year shuttling among Mumbai, Riyadh, Dubai and London, all in the middle of a global lockdown. You gotta let your hair down, sometimes.Safari SojournWhen we heard the Cyrus Mistry family had been tiger-spotting in Pench, we wanted to know if they were staying at the Taj, the only premier accommodation that we know of in the reserve. But just when we tried to ask him during brekkie after the jungle safari, the family hurriedly left the crowd behind. Clearly, the fanatically private family had no intention of being in the public glare. Before the apex court verdict that’s expected any moment, some downtime is indeed a necessity.

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Golden Globes LIVE: 'The Crown' wins big

The 78th Golden Globes went live on Monday, taking place virtually for the first time in the history of the award show. The event is hosted by none other than comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, who are returning for the fourth time, after hosting in 2013, 2014, and 2015. The two are hosting the show from opposite coasts due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Fey is presenting the show live from New York’s Rainbow Room, Poehler is live from the Beverly Hilton, in Beverly Hills, while nominees from various locations around the world join in. 81265058Mark Ruffalo, British actors Daniel Kaluuya and John Boyega, Aaron Sorkin and animated film 'Soul', were among the early winners at Sunday's virtual Golden Globes ceremony.Daniel Kaluuya wins the award for Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture at the… https://t.co/a0YKu4CxVU— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) 1614566463000 Ruffalo bagged the Best Actor in a TV series, while Emma Corrin won Best Actress in a Television Series for Netflix drama 'The Crown'.British royal drama 'The Crown' and comedy 'Schitt's Creek' won top television honors at the event. The 'Black Panther' star Chadwick Boseman, who passed away in 2020, won the Best Actor in a drama for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'.Follow the live updates from the event here:Actor Daniel Kaluuya bags Best Performance by an actor in a supporting role for film 'Judas and the Black Messiah'.Congratulations to Daniel Kaluuya - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in Any Motion Picture - Judas… https://t.co/tl50n0ACqM— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) 1614561122000Actor John Boyega won the Best Actor in a supporting role on TV for 'Small Axe'.Congratulations to John Boyega (@JohnBoyega) - Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Supporting Role - Small… https://t.co/Prbvr0Cz1N— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) 1614561379000Catherine O'Hara bags Best Performance by an Actress in a Television series - Musical or Comedy - for 'Schitt's Creek'.Movie 'Soul' wins the 'Best Motion Picture' - Animated at the Golden Globe Awards this year.Congratulations to Soul (@PixarSoul) - Best Motion Picture - Animated. - #GoldenGlobes https://t.co/IHa1xFrim5— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) 1614561976000Star Mark Ruffalo won the Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television - 'I Know This Much Is True'. This is his first Golden Globe award.Congratulations to Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) - Best Performance by an Actor in a Limited Series, Anthology Series… https://t.co/HdsM0iPDqW— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) 1614562568000Aaron Sorkin, the writer of 'The Trial of the Chicago 7', wins the night in the original script category as he bags Best Screenplay for the film.Norman Lear receives this year's Carol Burnett Award. Emma Corrin bags Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series for Netflix drama 'The Crown'. It was her first nomination, and now her first win.Congratulations to Emma Corrin - Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Series - Drama - The Crown (… https://t.co/ATNQ6aaVKJ— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) 1614564508000Trent Reznor, Atticus Ross and Jon Batiste win Best Original Score in Motion Picture catergory for animiated film 'Soul'.While Diane Warren, Laura Pausini and Niccolò Agliardi win Golden Globes for 'Io Sì (Seen)' - Best Original Song - Motion Picture - 'The Life Ahead'.Show 'Schitt's Creek' bags Best Television Series! Actor Jason Sudeikis wins the Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series for 'Ted Lasso'.Rosamund Pike wins Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - for 'I Care a Lot'. Congratulations to Rosamund Pike - Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy - I Care… https://t.co/plfi9vmabM— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) 1614566000000Josh O'Connor bags Best Performance by an Actor in a Television Series for Netflix drama 'The Crown'.The Korean-American film 'Minari', which depicts the story about an immigrant family starting a farm in rural America in the 1980s, won best foreign language movie at the award show.Netflix drama 'The Crown' takes the crown as it bags best TV drama at the Golden Globe 2021 award show.Jodie Foster wins Best Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in for 'The Mauritanian'. Jane Fonda receives this year's Cecil B. deMille Award.Gillian Anderson bags Best Performance by an Actress in a Television Supporting Role for 'The Crown'.Star Anya Taylor-Joy won Best Performance by an Actress in a Limited Series, Anthology Series, or a Motion Picture Made for Television for 'The Queen's Gambit'.Late actor Chadwick Boseman wins Best Actor in a drama for 'Ma Rainey's Black Bottom'.Congratulations to Chadwick Boseman (@chadwickboseman) - Best Performance by an Actor in a Motion Picture - Drama -… https://t.co/TRkingGRyv— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) 1614569573000Filmmaker Chloé Zhao bagged Best Director - Motion Picture for 'Nomadland'. While director Jason Woliner's 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' wins Best Motion Picture in Musical or Comedy category at the Golden Globes 2021.Sacha Baron Cohen bags Best Actor in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy category for film 'Borat Subsequent Moviefilm' at the show.And the Golden Globe for Best Movie Drama goes to... 'Nomadland'! Congratulations to Nomadland (@nomadlandfilm) - Best Motion Picture - Drama. - #GoldenGlobes https://t.co/lPo4Dyy99d— Golden Globe Awards (@goldenglobes) 1614571262000Andra Day bagged Best Actress in a Motion Picture for movie 'The United States vs. Billie Holiday'.

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'कोवैक्सीन' पर सवाल खड़ा कर रहा था विपक्ष, पीएम मोदी ने टीका लगवाकर दिया जवाब

प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने सोमवार को कोरोना वैक्सीन की पहली डोज ले लगवाई है। एक मार्च से कोरोना टीकाकरण का दूसरा चरण शुरू होने वाला है, ऐसे में प्रधानमंत्री मोदी ने टीका लगवाकर लोगों को एक खास संदेश दिया है।

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जरूरी खबर: आज से देश में हो रहे हैं ये चार बड़े बदलाव, जानिए आपको फायदा होगा या नुकसान

मार्च 2021 से भारत में चार बड़े बदलाव होने जा रहे हैं। इन बदलावों का आपकी जिंदगी पर सीधा असर पड़ेगा। इन नए नियमों से एक ओर जहां आपको राहत मिलेगी, वहीं अगर आपने कुछ बातों का ध्यान नहीं रखा तो आपको आर्थिक नुकसान भी हो सकता है।

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व्हाइट हाउस छोड़ने के बाद पहली बार सामने आए ट्रंप, अलग पार्टी बनाने को लेकर कही ये बात

अमेरिका के पूर्व राष्ट्रपति डोनाल्ड ट्रंप व्हाइट हाउस छोड़ने के बाद पहली बार सार्वजनिक रूप सामने आए है।

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AstraZeneca Sold Its Stake In Moderna For More Than $1 Billion: Report

AstraZeneca Plc has sold its 7.7% stake in Moderna Inc for more than $1 billion after the U.S. biotechnology company's shares soared on the back of its coronavirus vaccine breakthrough, The Times...

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"Thanks": Saudis 'Welcome' US Report Blaming Prince For Khashoggi Killing

A U.S. intelligence report blaming the Saudi crown prince for a critic's murder is being celebrated by some commentators in the kingdom as an effective vindication.

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Golden Globes 2021: 'The Crown' Rules

Golden Globes 2021: The Crown has won four of its six nominations

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पीएम मोदी ने ली कोरोना वैक्सीन की पहली डोज, एम्स में आज सुबह लगवाया टीका

आज से कोरोना वैक्सीन का दूसरा चरण शुरू हो गया है। इसी के साथ आज प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी ने भी कोरोना वैक्सीन की पहली डोज ले ली है। पीएम मोदी खुद सुबह-सुबह नई दिल्ली स्थित एम्स पहुंचे और कोरोना वैक्सीन का टीका लगवाया।

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PM Modi's Message To India As He Takes First Shot Of Coronavirus Vaccine

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today tweeted to say that he took first dose of coronavirus vaccine at Delhi's premier All India Institutes of Medical Sciences.

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"Can't Imagine What It Must've Been...": Harry, Oprah Talk About Diana

Prince Harry, who shocked Britain last year when he and his wife Meghan stepped back from royal duties, told U.S. interviewer Oprah Winfrey that he had worried about history repeating itself,...

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Golden Globes Open With First Bi-Coastal Ceremony

Comedians Tina Fey and Amy Poehler opened a very unusual Golden Globes ceremony Sunday, broadcasting Hollywood's traditional awards season-opener from New York and California.

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Esports is the new rage in the Indian arena

Bengaluru: Inspired by the rapid pace of growth in the Indian esports sector, Animesh Agarwal, an esports professional, decided to move from just playing games to becoming an entrepreneur. The 25-year old, who launched a gaming talent agency recently, now divides his time between his gaming talent agency and attending invitation-only esports tournaments globally.Esports, which takes the form of organised, multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players who are playing individually or as teams, is broadcast live for interested audiences, much like athletic sporting events.“Covid-19 really helped the gaming industry a lot because the only form of leisure apart from OTT platforms was gaming. We saw a huge surge of people following us across YouTube, Instagram, Loco,” Agarwal said. “Since we are very optimistic about how 2021 would be for gaming, we are going heavy with investments that we are putting into our company.”Agarwal’s rise from a professional player to an entrepreneur over the last three years points to the growing prominence of esports in India, where viewership doubled to 17 million in 2020. At the same time, the prize pool for esports grew about 25-30%, according to industry estimates.The ecosystem consists of players, tournament organisers, streaming platforms and brand sponsors—much like cricket and basketball. Unlike traditional sporting events, these tournaments can be played online too with referees.Consultancy KPMG estimates that the audience for esports will exceed 130 million by 2025. Recently the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) included esports as a medal sport for the first time at Asian Games 2022.India AngleGlobal gaming firms, such as Activision, Garena and Supercell, which publish Call of Duty, Free Fire, and Clash of Clans, are lining up to invest in India’s esports ecosystem after PlayerUnknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) had to exit late last year due to the Indian government's clampdown on Chinese or China-associated apps.Consumer and electronic brands are increasing budgets for sponsoring these tournaments, said industry executives who estimate that the highest prize pool in India was Rs1.5 crore and lowest has been Rs 1,000.“We are at most a couple of years behind (the US and China),” said Anirudh Pandita, founder of Pocket Aces, which owns game-streaming platform Loco. “PUBG had really set up the market. Now other publishers have seen that and that is why you see companies like Activision invest. They are looking at the market and saying there is real potential here.”Activision did not respond to queries emailed by The Economic Times."In the aftermath of the pandemic, mobile esports and streaming witnessed a significant surge in user base as people had more time on hand. In order to cater to this audience, multi-gaming platforms, streaming players and telcos have started to invest in esports tournaments to capture or engage their users," said Girish Menon, partner and head-media and entertainment at KPMG in India.India has seen brands—including Mountain Dew, Poco, Qualcomm, Logitech, Airtel, Dell, Acer, Coca-Cola, and Oppo—sponsoring esports tournaments and teams in the last two years. The increase in commercial interest is spurring greater interest in esports as a viable career option, according to industry executives. Sidharth Kedia, group CEO at esports company Nodwin Gaming, said that despite the cut in advertising budgets in 2020, the percentage contribution for esports has increased.Several companies that are part of the burgeoning esports ecosystem in India approached the government recently seeking a sports categorisation for the sector, and to separate it from online casual and real money gaming. “Esports is the only sport that can outrun cricket easily. We need government support to recognise it as a sport and not mix it with online gambling,” said Lokesh Suji, director of Esports Federation of India, who estimates there are 200 million esport enthusiasts in the country. “The biggest benefit of sports categorisation will be getting parental approval. Our athletes have a short shelf-life and peak at the age of 15-19.”Underscoring the growing interest in this category, Winzo, a real-money gaming platform, is organising online tournaments for esports such as Free Fire and Call of Duty. The platform, which regards esports tournaments as a source of content creation, also streams these events on YouTube.“Esport players have longer session durations and deeper engagement (compared to casual or real-money card games),” said Saumya Singh Rathore, co-founder at WinZO, who estimates that of the 60 minutes spent on the platform by a mobile gamer, a third or about 20 minutes is spent consuming content.“Esports is the next big thing and India is warming up to it gradually,” Rathore said.Real-money gaming platforms such as Winzo and MPL also categorise casual online games such as chess, carrom, and pool as esports—a practice that is unique to the Indian esports sector-- and also hosts online tournaments for these e-games.Sai Srinivas, Co-founder and CEO at Mobile Premier League (MPL), estimates that “in the next 5-6 years, an incredible number of digital athletes will emerge from India and win medals”. The company held a total of 432 speed chess, carrom, and pool tournaments last year. “As data becomes cheaper and devices become more accessible, the best way to enable physical sports is through digital sports,” he said.

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JLR eyes strategic partnership for electric switch

Tata Motors-owned Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) is open to the idea of a strategic partner for Jaguar after having decided to convert the iconic brand into an ‘electric only’ range by 2025. This is aimed at both reducing the time to market and building economies of scale.“We need to look at the opportunities in terms of architectures that we could utilise or we find to give us a type of stunning, jaw-dropping design, or it may be that we might actually develop a platform internally to deliver these products that are drop-dead gorgeous,” JLR CEO Thierry Bollore told investors Friday. “I want to say, the choice of the platform has to respect the proportion of designs that are going to be proposed to us.”Under the new roadmap “Reimagine”, JLR expects to double the pace of expansion (4.5% compounded annual growth rate) between FY20 and FY26 compared with a CAGR of 2.8% in the last six.It has set a target of attaining 30 billion (Rs 3 lakh crore) of turnover by FY26, which would take Tata Motors’ group revenue to Rs 4 lakh crore in the next five years.The company is right-sizing production by 25% in the next five years and will take a write-off of Rs 15,000 crore within a quarter for shelving past projects.JLR will invest Rs 1.25 lakh crore in the next five years to carve a space for itself in the luxury car space.Better revenue growth, coupled with margin improvement from the ‘Refocus’ initiative and new architectures should result in an operating profit margin (EBIT) of 10% in FY26, compared with 4% in the first half of FY21.81265024

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Kuaishou IPO lights up India’s short-video space

Mumbai: Last month, Kuaishou listed on Hong Kong’s stock exchange at a valuation of $160 billion—nearly as much as larger rival TikTok’s worth. By way of comparison, the IPO makes Chinese short-video app almost as valuable as Qualcomm, a storied chipmaker and holder of foundational wireless technology patents, whose market capitalisation is $167 billion.These developments are being closely watched in India’s short-video space, which mushroomed in the aftermath of the TikTok ban in June last year.Over the past few months, Indian short-video apps have been consistently among the top free apps on Google’s Play store. Times Internet’s MX TakaTak, Dailyhunt’s Josh, Sharechat’s Moj are leading the pack and indicating the traction gained in the absence of their Chinese rivals.Investors see the Kuaishou IPO as a giant thumbs up for the sector. “It will be a big positive,” said Anand Lunia, founding partner at India Quotient, one of the investors in Moj. “Now you know how to value a non-American, early-stage content company. We’re going to see a huge amount of capital now coming into this space in India.”In recent months, Google has backed Dailyhunt’s Josh and InMobi’s Glance, signalling the rising investor interest in the sector.“This (Kuaishou IPO) should open doors for multiple IPOs too,” said Lunia. “We feel that there will potentially be over a dozen companies launching IPOs in the social space in China in the near future.”Kuaishou boasts of 300 million daily-active users, and its Indian counterparts would likely have about 20-30 million DAUs. But these are much younger companies, said an executive at a short-video app, requesting anonymity.“The success of Kuaishou’s IPO has demonstrated the massive potential of the global short video market,” said Karan Bedi, chief executive officer of MX TakaTak’s operator MX Player. “It’s success story is a reflection of this new content format's success in various markets around the world, including India...It's exciting to see for us, as India’s No.1 short-video platform.”Kiko, another local short-video platform, said that it has already added to its platform video commerce, which happens to be one of the major revenue streams for Kuaishou. “Currently, we are receiving nearly 100 orders per day and have attained a GMV of Rs 30 lakh per month. We have also recorded steady growth in GMV of 20% on a month-on-month basis,” CEO Shivam Varshney said.Sumit Ghosh, CEO of Chingari, said, “If multiple players can thrive successfully in a market like China, then multiple companies in this space can come out of India as well.” It indicates that India is a very promising opportunity for investors looking at the short-video market, he said.Some investors, however, differed.“While some Indian players in this space have hit early scale, their business models may not end up like Kuaishou’s,” said Deepak Gupta, founding partner of WEH Ventures, an investor in short-video app Trell. For example, virtual gifts are one of the biggest sources of revenue for Kuaishou, but it has not been proven in India yet, he said.India AngleMultiple experts ET spoke with said that Indian over-the-top (OTT) players can also look at a valuation that’s six times their topline after they achieve significant size—Rs 200-250 crore in revenue and 20-25 million paying subscribers.“There is huge competition in the India OTT space with 40-plus players, but in the last few months, especially during the pandemic, the consumption has jumped manifold,” said a top executive at an OTT service. “The rise in engagement levels as well as the number of users has certainly increased the valuation of the OTT players.” He said that strategic or private equity investors will look for investment opportunities with a minimum size of Rs 1,200-1,500 crore.“The pure-play OTT services will always have much higher multiples, some will manage a range of 6-8 times topline in the current environment. The broadcast or legacy companies tend to have lower multiples as the valuation is blended with broadcast,” said a senior investment banker.However, a top executive at a broadcaster-led OTT service said that, at present, there is no price discovery as players are fairly small. “There is no science to the valuation of OTT services right now in the country. Currently, it is a combination of fair value and using subscribers as surrogate,” he said. There are very few pureplay OTT players in India, which can boast a significant size and topline.Most of the companies have either legacy broadcast business, like Star (Disney+ Hotstar), Zee Entertainment Enterprises (Zee5), Viacom18 (Voot) and Sony Pictures Networks India (SonyLIV). Some are associated with production houses like Balaji Telefilms (Alt Balaji) and Eros International (Eros Now) and MXPlayer (Times Group). Others are international players like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video and Lionsgate Play.Disclaimer: MX TakaTak’s operator MXPlayer is owned by Times Internet, a part of the Times Group that publishes The Economic Times and ETtech.com.

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Trump hints at rerun for 2024 presidential polls

Former President Donald Trump hinted on Sunday at a possible presidential run in 2024, attacked President Joe Biden and repeated his fraudulent claims he won the 2020 election in his first major appearance since leaving the White House nearly six weeks ago. Addressing the Conservative Political Action Conference in Orlando, Florida, Trump vowed to help Republicans try to regain majorities - lost during his presidency - in the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate in 2022 congressional elections and dangled himself as a possibility for president in 2024. "With your help, we will take back the House, we will win the Senate and then a Republican president will make a triumphant return to the White House. I wonder who will that be?" he said, smiling. "Who, who, who will that be, I wonder." Trump's weeks away from Washington do not appear to have dimmed his anger at Republicans who voted to impeach or convict in a failed congressional effort to hold him responsible for inciting a deadly attack on the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6. He singled out several such Republicans by name, like Senators Mitt Romney and Pat Toomey and House lawmakers Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger, and suggested he would support candidates who opposed them in Republican primaries. "Get rid of 'em all," he thundered. Trump repeated lies he has told about his Nov. 3 presidential election loss to Biden, and offered a withering critique of his Democratic successor's first weeks in office. "They just lost the White House," the Republican former president said after criticizing Biden's handling of border security. "But who knows, who knows, I may even decide to beat them for a third time." Trump and his allies spent two months denying his election defeat, and claiming without evidence it was the result of widespread voter fraud, before his supporters stormed the Capitol on Jan. 6 seeking to disrupt congressional certification of Biden's win. A civil war has erupted within the Republican Party, with establishment figures such as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell eager to put Trump in the rearview mirror, and others, like Trump ally Senator Lindsey Graham, believing the party's future depends on the energy of the pro-Trump base. Trump declared the Republican Party united behind him, with opposition coming only from "a handful of Washington, D.C., political hacks." When he mentioned McConnell's name, the crowd booed. NO PLANS FOR THIRD PARTYHe said he had no plans to try to launch a third party, an idea he has discussed with advisers in the past couple of months. "We're not starting new parties. We have the Republican Party. It's going to be united and be stronger than ever before. I am not starting a new party," he said. In a straw poll, 55 per cent of CPAC conference participants said they would vote for Trump in the 2024 Republican presidential nominating race. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came in second at 21 per cent. Without Trump, DeSantis led the field with 43 per cent, and other potential Republican candidates had single digits. But not everyone supported Trump. A separate question on the poll asked whether Trump should run again in 2024, with 68 per cent saying he should and 32 per cent opposed or having no opinion. Still, Trump fervor at the four-day CPAC event was so strong that Trump's eldest son, Donald Trump Jr., declared it "T-PAC" and participants rolled out a golden statue of the former president. Trump's flirtation with another run could freeze the Republican field for 2024 as other potential candidates try to decide whether they will have to compete against him. Many of those 2024 possible candidates spoke during the CPAC event. The Biden White House dismissed Trump's speech. "While the GOP casts about for a path forward, President Biden is going to remain laser-focused on crushing the virus, re-opening schools, and getting Americans back to work," White House spokesman Michael Gwin said after the speech. An hour into his 90-minute speech, Trump dove deeply into his unfounded claims of election fraud, going against the advice of confidants who believe he needs to look to the future. "We have a very sick and corrupt electoral process that has to be fixed immediately. This election was rigged," Trump said. "And the Supreme Court and other courts didn't want to do anything about it." "You won! You won!" the crowd shouted. Trump's campaign and his supporters brought dozens of failed lawsuits trying to overturn the results of the election, which Biden won by more than 7 million votes. The fraud claims were repeatedly rejected by state and federal officials. In the short term, Trump is making plans to set up a super PAC political organization to support candidates who mirror his policies, an adviser said. He sought to position himself as the lead critic of the new president, including on immigration and security along the U.S. border with Mexico, and the slow reopening of schools closed due to the pandemic. "Joe Biden has had the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history," Trump said. Recent Gallup polls have given Biden a job approval rating well past 50 per cent. Trump never achieved above 49 per cent.

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प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी कल को मैरीटाइम इंडिया सम्मेलन का करेंगे उद्घाटन

प्रधानमंत्री नरेंद्र मोदी मंगलवार को वीडियो कान्फ्रेंस के माध्यम से ‘मैरीटाइम इंडिया समिट 2021’ का उद्घाटन करेंगे।

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1 मार्च: आज दिनभर इन खबरों पर बनी रहेगी नजर, जिनका होगा आप पर असर

हर रोज हम अलग-अलग खबरों से दो-चार होते हैं। हमारी आंखों के सामने से कई सारी खबरें गुजरती हैं। इनमें से कुछ ऐसी अहम खबरें होती हैं, जिनका हमारे जीवन पर असर पड़ता है...

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कोरोना का एक सालः लापरवाही बरती तो फिर मिलेगी चुनौती, टला नहीं है खतरा

 दिल्ली में कोरोना संक्रमण का पहला मामला दो मार्च को आया था।

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दिल्ली-मुंबई एक्सप्रेसवे से जुड़ेगा नोएडा एयरपोर्ट, रास्ता साफ

नोएडा एयरपोर्ट को दिल्ली-मुंबई एक्सप्रेसवे से जोड़ने का रास्ता साफ हो गया है।

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आईएसआई के इशारे पर दी सुशील पंडित की सुपारी, फरीदकोट जेल में फोन चला रहा आरोपी प्रिंस

मानवाधिकार व कश्मीरी कार्यकर्ता सुशील पंडित की हत्या की सुपारी पाकिस्तानी खुफिया एजेंसी आईएसआई के इशारे पर दिए जाने की आशंका है।

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Covid Vaccine Acceptance Rises In Some Countries, Shows Study

Willingness to get a Covid-19 vaccine is on the rise compared to last year, a survey of six industrialised countries published on Monday showed.

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Trump, Returning To Political Stage, Teases Possible 2024 Run

Donald Trump returned to the spotlight Sunday telling enthusiastic conservatives that he may run for president again in 2024, as he sought to reassert his dominance over a Republican Party that is out...

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Rs 220 Crore In Black Money Detected After Raids On Chennai-Based Company

The Income Tax Department has detected undisclosed income of about Rs 220 crore after it raided a leading tiles and sanitaryware manufacturer based in Chennai, the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT)...

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Big B Shares An Update On His Health, Writes About Undergoing A Surgery

"Medical condition... Surgery ... Can't write," Amitabh Bachchan wrote in his blog entry

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New York Governor Accused Of Sexual Harassment By Second Woman

A second ex-employee of powerful New York state Governor Andrew Cuomo has accused him of sexual harassment, charges the governor denied on Saturday.

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Ladakh disengagement upsets Indian officials

After the deadliest fighting in decades, India and China are setting up demilitarized areas along their Himalayan border -- a move that has rankled some members of India’s security establishment.Soldiers from both countries for now will no longer patrol a nine-kilometer (six-mile) stretch on the north bank of Pangong Tso, a glacial lake some 14,000 feet above sea level where troops clashed last year, according to two Indian officials aware of the developments. The agreement would result in India pulling back from strategic high ground occupied in a stealth operation last August, they said.The move followed the creation of a similar demilitarized zone last year some 150 kilometers away along the Galwan river, where 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops were killed in brutal hand-to-hand combat. That escalation on June 15, the first time casualties were reported along the disputed frontier since 1975. China only acknowledged the deaths on Feb. 19.While the pullback has calmed tensions for the moment, some members of India’s security establishment believe the creation of non-militarized areas work in Beijing’s favor, according to the officials, who asked not to be identified discussing private conversations. They said China raised suspicions by objecting to an Indian proposal for both countries to patrol the area around the lake on alternate days on the grounds that it would affect Beijing’s sovereignty.Indian defense and security officials had raised their concerns about the area around Pangong Tso with the government but it opted for a speedy disengagement. On Feb. 10 the two countries began rolling back soldiers, tanks and artillery guns that were stationed around the lake in rifle range of each other for nearly 10 months.The Indian army, Defense Ministry and the Prime Minister’s Office didn’t immediately reply to requests for comment.China’s Foreign Ministry said the creation of non-militarized zones along the border was “made up by the media” in response to questions. On Friday in Beijing, Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said the situation on the ground “significantly eased” after the disengagement.“The two sides should cherish this hard won momentum and consolidate existing outcomes, maintain momentum for consultation and further ease the situation,” he said at a regular briefing.Distrust between the two militaries could lead to further misunderstandings, according to Sushant Singh senior fellow at the New Delhi-based Centre for Policy Research and author of “Mission Overseas: Daring Operations by Indian Military.“The model of buffer zones is temporary and full of challenges,” he said. “More importantly, India’s options are limited in case China -- a much bigger military power -- violates the agreement.”If the demilitarized areas end up keeping the peace, they could become a model for how India and China deal with a border nearly as long as the one between the U.S. and Mexico. Nationalism stoked by the fighting has had an economic impact, with Modi’s government banning hundreds of Chinese apps, slowing approvals for Chinese investment and strengthening security ties with the U.S., Japan and Australia.Still, while the demilitarized zones are aimed at preventing clashes of the sort that erupted last summer, the competing claims between the two sides remain, officials said. And a previous experiment with creating a demilitarized zone on the border with China has shown that it’s not a guarantee of peace.An 80-square-kilometer (31-square-mile) patch of pasture land along the southern edge of the Tibetan Plateau and the Indian border state of Uttarakhand was the first to be set aside as no-man’s-land in the 1950s. Yet that has failed to prevent conflict in the area, according to Jayadeva Ranade, a member of India’s National Security Council Advisory Board and head of the New Delhi-based Centre for China Analysis and Strategy.“Uttarakhand border continues to be a hot spot,” he said. “Beijing’s track record of respecting agreements is poor.”

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महाराष्ट्र: जैश उल हिंद ने ली मुकेश अंबानी के घर के बाहर विस्फोटक रखने की जिम्मेदारी

एशिया के सबसे अमीर व्यक्तियों में शुमार मुकेश अंबानी के घर के बाहर हाल ही में एक मिली संदिग्ध कार मिली। इस मामले में आतंकी एंगल सामने आया है।

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चुनावी घमासान: क्या 'बंगाल की बेटी' को भाजपा हरा पाएगी

बीस साल पुरानी बात है। तब मैं पूर्व प्रधानमंत्री अटल बिहारी वाजपेयी के कार्यकाल में पीएमओ में अपनी सेवाएं दे रहा था और तृणमूल कांग्रेस के साथ तालमेल बनाने वाला उनका प्रमुख दूत था।

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इसरो साल के पहले मिशन के लिए तैयार, आज लॉन्च करेगा ब्राजीली सैटेलाइट अमेजोनिया-1

भारतीय अंतरिक्ष अनुसंधान संगठन (इसरो) 2021 के अपने पहले मिशन के लिए पूरी तरह तैयार है। इसरो रविवार को श्रीहरिकोटा अंतरिक्ष स्टेशन से पहली बार ब्राजील के सैटेलाइट को लॉन्च करेगा।

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एमआरआई स्कैन तकनीक विकसित करने वाले भौतिक विज्ञानी का निधन, जानें प्रो. जॉन मल्लार्ड का योगदान

मैगनेटिक रिजॉनेंस इमेजिंग (एमआरआई) तकनीक विकसित करने की राह दिखाने वाले ब्रिटिश चिकित्सा भौतिक विज्ञानी प्रो. जॉन मल्लार्ड का शुक्रवार को 94 वर्ष की उम्र में निधन हो गया।

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मध्यप्रदेश: सिवनी में कुएं में गिरी तेज रफ्तार स्कॉर्पियो, पुलिस निरीक्षक और आरक्षक की मौत

घटना के बारे में एपसी प्रतीक कुमार ने बताया कि इस दुखद हादसे के बाद पुलिस प्रशासन ने दोनों मृतकों के परिवार को एक-एक लाख रुपये की आर्थिक सहायता दी है।

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EXCLUSIVE: 12 साल पुराने इस शो की नकल है जी टीवी की प्रो म्यूजिक लीग, आइडिया से मेकिंग तक सब कॉपी

छोटे परदे पर अपना पूरा जोर लगाकर भी रियलिटी शो ‘बिग बॉस’ को टीआरपी की रेस में पूरे सीजन भर अव्वल नंबर नहीं बना पाए सलमान खान का नाम ज़ी टीवी के शो ‘इंडियन प्रो म्यूजिक लीग’ को भी फायदा पहुंचाता नहीं दिख रहा।

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अमेरिका में जॉनसन एंड जॉनसन कंपनी की वैक्सीन को मिली मंजूरी, दी जाएगी केवल एक खुराक

अमेरिका को कोविड-19 का तीसरा टीका मिलने जा रहा है, इससे कोरोना वायरस संक्रमण से जूझे रहे अमेरिका में टीकाकरण की गति तेज हो सकेगी।

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Saudi Arabia Says It Thwarted Yemeni Rebel Missile Attack Over Capital

Multiple blasts shook Riyadh on Saturday as Saudi state television reported that a missile attack launched by Yemen's Huthi rebels had been thwarted.

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28 फरवरी: आज दिनभर इन खबरों पर बनी रहेगी नजर, जिनका होगा आप पर असर

हर रोज हम अलग-अलग खबरों से दो-चार होते हैं। हमारी आंखों के सामने से कई सारी खबरें गुजरती हैं। इनमें से कुछ ऐसी अहम खबरें होती हैं, जिनका हमारे जीवन पर असर पड़ता है...

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कोरोना टीकाकरण: एक मोबाइल नंबर से हो सकेगा चार लोगों का पंजीकरण

टीकाकरण के लिए पंजीकरण के कुछ नियमों को बदला गया है। इस बार लाभार्थी 'कोविड 2.0 एप' से खुद भी पंजीकरण करा सकेंगे।

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प्रधानमंत्री के नाम पर स्टेडियम का नाम, कितना उचित?

मारे अपने गणतंत्र के इतिहास में तीन शाही प्रधानमंत्री हुए हैं। ये हैं जवाहरलाल नेहरू, इंदिरा गांधी और नरेंद्र मोदी। इन सभी का कद पार्टी और सरकार में अपने सहयोगियों से काफी ऊपर हो गया।

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Protein Day 2021: 5 Classic High-Protein Indian Recipes You Should Try Today

Protein day is celebrated on 27th February, and here are some of our most favourite recipes that come loaded with good dose of protein.

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मौसम का हालः पहाड़ों पर बर्फबारी के बाद शीत लहर, दिल्ली में हो सकती है बारिश

उत्तर पश्चिम में विक्षोभ सक्रिय होने से पहाड़ों पर बर्फबारी होने के साथ ही रविवार को दिल्ली-एनसीआर समेत मैदानी इलाकों में बारिश हो सकती है। 

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डाटा चोरी: फेसबुक देगा 4,783 करोड़ का मुआवजा

 लोगों के चेहरे पहचानने के लिए उनका बायोमीट्रिक डाटा चुराकर अपने सर्वर पर स्टोर करने के लिए फेसबुक 4,783 करोड़ रुपये का मुआवजा देगा।

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चिंताजनक: औद्योगिक क्षेत्रों में हवा-पानी की गुणवत्ता हो रही खराब

केंद्रीय प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड (सीपीसीबी) और राज्य प्रदूषण नियंत्रण बोर्ड ( एसपीसीबी) द्वारा 88 औद्योगिक क्लस्टरों के आकलन में पता चला है कि 2009 से 2018 के बीच इनमें से 33 में वायु प्रदूषण का स्तर बेहद खराब रहा है।

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ये है दुनिया की सबसे धीमी गति की ट्रेन, जानिए इससे जुड़ी कई रोचक बातें

वैसे कहने के लिए ये एक एक्सप्रेस ट्रेन है, जिसका रफ्तार सामान्य ट्रेनों से अधिक होना चाहिए, लेकिन ऐसा बिल्कुल नहीं है।

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"Most Daring...": Boxer Vijender Singh's Tweet On Rahul Gandhi's "Abs"

Boxer Vijender Singh shared a photo of Rahul Gandhi commenting on the Congress MP's "abs" during his visit to Kerala, where assembly election will be held in April.

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US Authorizes Johnson & Johnson Covid Vaccine For Emergency Use

The United States on Saturday authorized Johnson & Johnson's Covid vaccine for emergency use, giving the nation a third shot to battle the outbreak that has killed more than 500,000 Americans.

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Pope Francis Expects To Spend His Final Days In Rome, Reveals New Book

Pope Francis expects to die in Rome, still the Catholic pontiff, without returning to spend his final days in his native Argentina, according to a new book titled "The Health of Popes."

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NFTs are all the rage right now. Here's why

Good morning,If you have any interest in technology, and -- this is just a wild guess -- you probably do, you may have come across the acronym NFT this past week. We at ETtech certainly did. We decided to look into what NFTs are, what all the hype is all about, and whether they're just a passing fad or the foundation of something truly revolutionary.Grab your coffee and settle in.NFTs: digital trinkets or much more?Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs, are hotter than a barbeque in May right now.Here's what they are, and why the world has gone NFT-crazy in the past two weeks.Fungible (adjective): Replaceable by another identical item; mutually interchangeable.For all their differences, that Rs 100 note in your pocket and a single Bitcoin token (worth around Rs 35 lakh as of writing) share one important thing. They are no different from any other Rs 100 note or bitcoin. They were designed, as all currencies are, to be mutually interchangeable.NFTs, on the other hand, are a class of crypto assets in which each item, or token, is entirely unique. This makes them useless as a currency, but quite useful for other things.Such as? Well, creating digital art, for one.And because this is shiny new technology, and we're human beings, and this is the internet, NFTs first went mainstream as -- you guessed it -- cats.Created in October 2017, Cryptokitties is a virtual game that allows players to adopt, raise and trade virtual cats.From its website: "CryptoKitties is one of the world's first blockchain games. 'Blockchain' is the technology that makes things like Bitcoin possible. While CryptoKitties isn't a digital currency, it does offer the same security: each CryptoKitty is one-of-a-kind and 100% owned by you. It cannot be replicated, taken away, or destroyed."So that's it? Virtual cats? Not quite. A lot has happened since, especially in the past two weeks, during which NFTs have turned from the nichiest of niche pursuits into a straight-up global obsession.The Big Bang: On February 15, 2021, the venerable Christies, founded in 1766, became the first major auction house to announce plans to sell a purely digital piece of art -- an NFT created by digital artist Mike Winkelmann, aka Beeple.Called Everydays -- The First 5000, it comprises, as the name suggests, 5,000 individual images created every day from 2007 to 2021 and posted on Beeple's Instagram.If you think that's absurd, get this.An hour after the auction began on Thursday, the price jumped from $100 to $1 million.Alex Rotter, Christie's head of 20th and 21st century art, was understandably quite excited, writing: "#Beeple leads the way. It's all happening" on Instagram.As we write this, the going price is a cool $2.4 million, with 121 bids. The auction ends 12 days from now on March 11.Cryptokitty's all grown up.But are NFTs just the latest fad, we hear you ask? They could be.For one, most NFTs currently exist on a single blockchain - Ethereum.And because humans gonna human, their use is for now largely restricted to creating and selling digital trinkets. Multi-million dollar trinkets, but trinkets nonetheless.It can also be tricky and time-consuming, not to mention energy-intensive, to develop decentralised applications for NFTs.There are also teething issues, too technical to go into here, around the protocols used to create them.That said, they could very well be the next big thing. Truly big. Not for cats and giggles, or a digitally encoded version of this epic LeBron James dunk (which sold for $208,000 on Monday), but for more sober and practical uses.Such as? The most obvious use of unique, hack-proof virtual tokens is storing all kinds of data, private and public -- from your birth certificate and health data to land records and much, much more.More importantly, they could one day revolutionise the way we create and execute agreements to exchange money, shares, property, or virtually any asset through smart contracts. These digital contracts could one day do away with the need for a third-party arbitrator, such as a court, and instead use a computer program on the blockchain to confirm that the conditions have been met.Now that would be revolutionary. - Zaheer MerchantLet's move on to other big developments of the week, and there were plentyINDIA'S NEW DIGITAL MEDIA RULESOn Thursday, India notified new regulations that call for sweeping changes in the way social media platforms, news portals and streaming services are regulated. This could result in messaging apps losing their biggest selling point for millions of users in India, in the form of end-to-end encryption. WhatsApp said it is currently evaluating "all options", adding that the app remains committed to offering users end-to-end encryption on its platform.The new rules also call for self-regulation by streaming platforms while expanding the definition of digital media. News portals are now mandated to follow similar norms that govern traditional media publishers, such as newspapers and television news channels.81239130THE NUE RACEThe opportunity to build an NPCI rival is attracting proposals from stakeholders ranging from tech giants to local upstarts and domestic conglomerates.Reliance Industries is eyeing a licence in tie-up with Google and Facebook while the Tata Group has taken over State Bank of India's bid that was earlier flagged by the Finance Ministry on account of potential competition risk. Tatas will now co-promote the consortium with HDFC Bank, Kotak Mahindra Bank, Airtel, MasterCard and PayU. Also in the fray is Amazon in partnership with ICICI Bank and Axis Bank and a Paytm-Ola-IndusInd Bank combine.Meanwhile, the Reserve Bank of India extended the application deadline on Friday from February 26 to March 31 in view of the pandemic.DEALS IN THE WORKSDream11 parent Dream Sports is in talks with a clutch of investors including Abu Dhabi's Alpha Wave Incubation for a fresh round of funding, three people in the know told ET. The round is expected to be in the range of $300 million, valuing the firm at around $4 billion.Fintech startup Razorpay has held discussions with its existing investor Singapore's sovereign investment fund GIC and others to raise $150-200 million in a financing round that could see its valuation nearly double to $2 billion in less than six monthsReliance Industries' Jio Platforms is finalising an investment of up to $200 million in domestic venture capital fund Kalaari Capital, according to two people in the know of the matter. The Mukesh Ambani-led conglomerate has closed a $100-million infusion, with an additional commitment of $100 million slated for later, said another person aware of the group's plans.81239111Grofers will likely make its public market debut through a merger with New York-based Cantor Fitzgerald's blank-check firm, sources told ET. The online grocer is expected to raise between $400 million and $500 million through a NASDAQ listing in May, at a valuation of more than $1 billion.Private equity Carlyle Group has emerged as the sole bidder to acquire Blackstone Group-owned Mphasis, in what would be the largest buyout in the Indian IT industry, said multiple people involved in the deal. Blackstone's 56.12% stake in Mphasis is valued at Rs 17,280 crore, based on the IT firm’s market cap of Rs 30,791.82 crore at the close of trade on Friday.81239100OTHER BIG STORIES BY OUR REPORTERSThe tide seems to be turning on pandemic's 'Work from Goa' trendOnly 30% of those from the tech circle who moved to Goa during the pandemic may consider staying back for long. It could imply that they were choosing a better quality of life over better career prospects.Many Indian techies get paid in crypto, say it's faster and easierInternational crypto companies are hiring engineers and back-end developers in India as contractors and paying them in cryptocurrencies to accelerate their adoption and bypass local taxes and laws regarding cross-border payments.Snap plans to take its India localisation strategy to the worldSnapchat chief executive Evan Spiegel said that Stories has become the largest revenue stream for the company, despite substantial competitive pressure.Indian fintech lenders grab turf from China as Google begins app clean-upMost domestic fintech lenders that ET spoke with said that their business rose 20-40% month-on-month since December, when the crackdown started.That's about it from us this week. Have a great weekend!

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The Saudi kill team behind Khashoggi’s death

Seven Saudis involved in the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi belonged to an elite unit charged with protecting Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, according to a declassified report on the assassination released Friday. The New York Times has linked the group to a brutal campaign to crush dissent inside the kingdom and abroad, citing interviews with U.S. officials who have read classified intelligence reports about the campaign.The role of operatives from the so-called Rapid Intervention Force, or RIF, in the Khashoggi killing helped bolster the U.S. intelligence case that Crown Prince Mohammed approved the operation. “Members of the RIF would not have participated” in the killing without the crown prince’s consent, according to the report.The group “exists to defend the crown prince” and “answers only to him” the report said. On Friday, the Treasury Department designated the Rapid Intervention Force for economic sanctions for its role in the Khashoggi killing.Here is some of what is known about the unit:OperationsThe killing of Khashoggi was but one particularly egregious operation involving members of the group. The Rapid Intervention Force appears to have begun its violent campaign in 2017, the year Crown Prince Mohammed pushed aside his older rival to become heir to the Saudi throne.According to U.S. officials, the group has carried out dozens of operations both inside the kingdom and beyond — including forcibly repatriating Saudis from other Arab countries. The group also appears to have been involved in the detention and abuse of prominent women’s rights activists who had campaigned for lifting the kingdom’s ban on women driving. One of them, Loujain al-Hathloul, was imprisoned in 2018 and released this month.Another of the women detained by the group, a university lecturer, tried to kill herself in 2018 after being subjected to psychological torture, according to U.S. officials. Some of the detainees were held temporarily inside an opulent palace belonging to Crown Prince Mohammed and his father, King Salman.The group was so busy that, in June 2018, its field commander asked an adviser to Crown Prince Mohammed whether the Rapid Intervention Force might get bonuses for Eid al-Fitr, the holiday marking the end of the holy month of Ramadan, according to U.S. officials who have read an intelligence report that mentions the request.Leadership and OperativesThe group was overseen by Saud al-Qahtani, one of the crown prince’s top aides who served as a media czar for the royal court. One of al-Qahtani’s roles was to manage the kingdom’s “troll farms” — organizations that used legions of online bots and avatars to smother the voices of prominent critics like Khashoggi. The intelligence report released Friday made reference to a 2018 quote from al-Qahtani that he “did not make decisions without the crown prince’s approval.”American officials said the field commander for the Rapid Intervention Force was Maher Abdulaziz Mutreb, an intelligence officer who often traveled overseas with Crown Prince Mohammed. Another operative on the team, Thaar Ghaleb al-Harbi, was a member of the Saudi Royal Guard who in 2017 was promoted for acts of valor during an attack on one of Crown Prince Mohammed’s palaces.The declassified report Friday named all three men as part of a group of 21 people who “participated in, ordered or were otherwise complicit in or responsible for the death of Jamal Khashoggi” on behalf of the crown prince.The TrialThe Saudi government has long denied that Crown Prince Mohammed had any role in Khashoggi’s killing, and it put eight men on trial for it. The government never released the names of the accused.In September, a Saudi court announced that five of the men had been sentenced to 20 years in prison, and three others received lesser sentences. Some of the defendants had originally received death sentences, but those sentences were lifted after one of Khashoggi’s sons said publicly that he and his siblings had pardoned the men who killed their father.It was unclear whether any members of the Rapid Intervention Force were put on trial or sentenced, but al-Qahtani was publicly exonerated by the Saudi government because prosecutors said there was insufficient evidence to try him in Khashoggi’s killing.

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The tide seems to be turning on ‘Work from Goa’ trend

Mumbai: "The exodus has finally begun", a local real estate agent told Devika Sarin recently.Sarin, the co-founder of a boutique bed and breakfast and co-working space in Goa - Curioso Studio and Suites, knew immediately what the agent was referring to.Big-city dwellers, predominantly from the startup and tech community, who had – amid a raging Covid-19 pandemic - moved to the coastal paradise in the middle of last year to soak in its beaches, weather, natural habitat, and more importantly, for its short flight distance from hubs like Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad and Mumbai, were going back. During the pandemic, reverse migration emerged as one of the biggest trends in the startup and tech community in the United States, where prominent founders, venture capitalists and big companies like Tesla moved base from the San Francisco Bay Area to states like Texas and cities like Miami.India, too, saw a similar trend, where a host of startup staff went back to their hometowns, while others relocated to Goa.Since June, 90% of the occupants at Curioso had comprised “fintech boys” as opposed to the usual mix of creative and design professionals. The exodus “in” had also spiked realty prices by 20%-30%. However, now they were reverting to tier-1 city homes in Delhi-NCR and Bengaluru as many offices moved to reopen starting March. Fun and franticOver the last five months, the cofounder of co-working spaces operator 91 Springboard, Pranay Gupta (also based in Goa), received one query every week from founders eager to have a remote working set up in the coastal state, compared to one a month before the pandemic. 81239660Tech Twitter had been abuzz with the community’s reverse migration to Goa of late with chatter around turning it into the Miami of India’s startup world. In fact, cafes in North Goa reverberated with “Koramangala talks” – as Raj Kunkolienkar, a Goan and cofounder of startup MBA school Stoa said, referring to chatter around funding news at the startup central in Bengaluru. Yet, the hype around any reverse migration posed its own set of challenges.Talent acquisition, internet connectivity, mobility, among other things that make it hard for people to sustain the shift, were ultimately reducing it to a short-lived fad. Are people going back to Bangalore?— ankit (@ankitkr0) 1614319851000Experts said only 30% of those from the tech circle who moved to Goa during the pandemic may consider staying back for long. It could imply that they were choosing a better quality of life over better career prospects, they added. With Covid-19 virus outbreak normalising remote work, many tech professionals were able to put into motion their dream of having a life in Goa, away from the traffic and pollution of a large metropolis. “But the excitement seems to be wearing off now,” Sarin of Curioso said. While working on a beach sounds enticing, Goa is still not there in terms of infrastructure for a startup hub to flourish even though the state government is driving initiatives to change that. Ride hailing services providers Ola and Uber are banned there, only state-run cab facility GoaMiles works. Internet connectivity is patchy at best. Millenials’ paradiseThe move is easier for unmarried millennials who are not tied down by familial responsibilities.“For the next year or so, it gives us the option to optimise for quality of life,” said Rishi Raj Rahul, founder of upskilling platform Aviate. The 33-year-old moved to Goa in July while most of his team members are still in Bengaluru. It may also be feasible for founders running small teams to operate out of Goa, “but hiring senior talent becomes the main issue if you want to scale up as families with dual-income may struggle to shift to Goa,” said Akhil Singh, cofounder of ed-tech startup Questt.Singh moved to Goa in November 2018 but is currently thinking of shifting base to Bengaluru as his company scales up. Naman Shrivastava, 28, cofounder of Global Governance Initiative, a think-tank that works with the United Nations in Boston, came home to Delhi during the pandemic but soon moved to Goa to escape the extreme weather. Even his move is temporary, though, as he is planning to explore the possibility of remote working from Madhya Pradesh next. “Goa is not a good place to stay between April and May because of the hot weather,” he said. Bhagyashree Pancholy, a remote work and law specialist, said work-from-home in the same city has found acceptance among Indian tech companies and other corporates but remote working or work from ‘anywhere’ is still a fancy concept that is not feasible in the Indian construct. The spurt of technology workers who spent three-to-six months in the state has helped eradicate the myth that Goa is just a place to party. “People know that it is possible to work from here, too, now,” says Singh of Questt, adding that to sustain the trend, one needs a startup success story out of here. Those bullish on Goa feel that logistics company Delhivery, which shifted base to Goa from Gurugram sometime before the pandemic, will be that story. “The only problem I had during my six-month stay in Goa was that during some podcast recordings, I was told to mute myself as there were a lot of birds chirping in the background,” said Saransh D, 30, a startup business development professional who recently returned to hometown Delhi for some unavoidable work. He is contemplating working remotely from Rishikesh next.At present, Goa seems like it was just the first preference for those from the startup world who could afford to be digital nomads. 81239996The influx of tech geeks into the state did keep the economy afloat in the absence of international tourism, said Shruti Chaturvedi, founder of media company Chaaipani, who moved to Goa from Mumbai two years ago.“But now they’re moving back to the cities they came from while they have inflated prices in so many categories for the locals,” she said, adding that when the reverse migration happens for real, people would start giving back to the state -- by generating employment for starters -- instead of just using its resources. Noah Martins, a Goan and a student at BITS Pilani’s Goa campus, hoped people would respect the state’s culture. “I hope they won’t do here the things they’re mindful of not doing in their big cities as well.”Ilustrations by Rahul Awasthi

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हैती: जेल तोड़कर भागे 400 से ज्यादा कैदी, हिंसक झड़प में 25 कैदियों की मौत

हैती की एक जेल से शुक्रवार को 400 से ज्यादा कैदी भाग गए। इस दौरान हुई हिंसा में 25 कैदी मारे गए हैं।

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देश के सबसे अमीर शख्स मुकेश अंबानी अपनी सुरक्षा पर कितने रुपये करते हैं खर्च?

देश के सबसे अमीर व्यक्ति मुकेश अंबानी के घर के बाहर विस्फोटक मिलने के बाद मुंबई पुलिस ने उनकी सुरक्षा और कड़ी कर दी है। अपनी मेहनत और लगन से रिलायंस इंडस्ट्री के मालिक मुकेश अंबानी अपने बिजनेस को लगातार बढ़ाते रहते हैं।

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लोगों का विश्वास बढ़ाने के लिए अतिरिक्त विकल्प और अधिकार देगा ट्विटर, कमाई पर भी नजर

डिजिटल जहर पर लगाम लगाने के लिए केंद्र द्वारा जारी दिशा-निर्देशों का असर देखने को दिखने लगा है। ट्विटर ने कहा है कि सोशल मीडिया कंपनी विश्वास खोना पड़ रहा है।

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नीरव मोदी: तीन साल पहले आज ही के दिन हीरा कारोबारी से बना था भगोड़ा, ट्रंप से कराया था जूलरी स्टोर का उद्घाटन

भारत की जांच एजेंसियों समेत कनाडा की जांच एजेंसी, इंटरपोल और अमेरिका की एफबीआई भी विभिन्न मामलों में नीरव पर मुकदमा चलाना चाहती हैं।

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Why Russian Diplomats Returned From North Korea On Rail Trolley

Eight Russian diplomats and family members -- the youngest of them a three-year-old girl -- have arrived home from North Korea on a hand-pushed rail trolley due to Pyongyang's coronavirus...

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Redmi Max 86-inch Ultra-HD TV with 120Hz Refresh Rate Launched

Xiaomi sub-brand Redmi has launched a new 86-inch Ultra-HD TV alongside the Redmi K40 series in China, called the Redmi Max. The new television is priced at CNY 7,999 (roughly Rs. 91,000) and is...

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"Shallow Victory": Michael Vaughan Blasts BCCI Over "Poor" Motera Pitch

India vs England: Michael Vaughan had some scathing criticism in store for Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), who he thinks get away with producing "poor pitches" like the one in third...

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PM to receive global energy and environment award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive the CERAWeek global energy and environment leadership award during an annual international energy conference next week. The prime minister will also deliver the keynote address at the CERAWeek Conference-2021, which will be held virtually from March 1 to 5, its organiser, IHS Markit, said on Friday. Prominent speakers at the conference include US special presidential envoy for climate John Kerry, Co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and founder of Breakthrough Energy Bill Gates and president and CEO, Saudi Aramco, Amin Nasser. "We look forward to Prime Minister Modi's perspectives on the role of the world's largest democracy and are pleased to honour him with the CERAWeek Global Energy and Environment Leadership Award for his commitment to expanding India's leadership in sustainable development to meet the country's, and the world's, future energy needs," IHS Markit vice chairman and the conference's chair, Daniel Yergin, said. In charting its path towards economic growth, poverty reduction and a new energy future, India has emerged at the centre of global energy and the environment, and its leadership is crucial to meet climate objectives for a sustainable future while ensuring universal energy access, he said. The annual international conference is a gathering of energy industry leaders, experts, government officials and policy makers, leaders from the technology, financial and industrial communities, and energy technology innovators.

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Jio, Google, FB's NUE bid: What does this mean?

Mumbai: In a bid to capitalise on growing digital payment space in India and a push for a digital ecosystem; Reliance Jio, Google, Facebook and Infibeam Avenues are coming together for Reserve Bank of India’s (RBI) New Umbrella Entity (NUE). Experts say that a successful bid for NUE is set to add to the company's plans to make further inroads into the buoyant digital space. Mukesh Ambani led Jio has managed to raise funds from some of the largest global investors for India's growth story. Jio Infosystems, Google and Facebook would pick up stake in So Hum Bharat Digital Payments Private Limited; a wholly owned subsidiary of BSE listed financial technology company Infibeam Avenues.For the NUE, the players intend to create a national payments network to capitalise on India’s fast growing digital payment ecosystem that is dominated by the National Payments Corp of India. So Hum was planning to submit a proposal to RBI on Friday, which was the last day for submitting proposals, but is expected to do so within next one month follwoing RBI's decision to postpone the last for submissions to March 31.“The intention of RBI is to ideally have four but at least two consortiums or entities for NUE. The intention is that no one is able to create a monopoly or create a nationwide panic in case of a technical glitch for one player,” said another person aware of development.As per the RBI’s guidelines all players are required to disclose their plans of partnering or any intention of equity sale when they submit their proposals for NUE. RBI has stringent requirements for NUE, keeping data centres in India being one of them. Jio and Infibeam Avenues have their data centres in India, said sources. “One of the crucial requirements for applying and being taken seriously for NUE is that the company or consortium must display its operational capability along with a substantial size, say Rs 500 crore or above. With Jio, Google and Facebook’s entry in So Hum, that requirement is met,” said a third person who’s advising one of the buyers.An email questionnaire sent to Reliance, Facebook on Wednesday afternoon remains unanswered. Google refused to comment. An Infibeam spokesperson said, "We are bound by confidentiality of the process and cannot comment."This would be the second time the global tech giants and Reliance are coming together for India’s digital play. Facebook has invested Rs 43,574 crore in Jio Platforms for a 9.99% while Google has invested Rs 33,737 crore in the company and picked up 7.73%.ET was first to report on April 16 last year that Reliance and Facebook are looking to create a "super-app" similar to Chinese super-app We-Chat by leveraging the WhatsApp platform and user base. The process is underway, as per several announcements by Jio during last one year“The terms of investment in Jio did include future collaboration,” said a fourth person aware of the development. “Jio has an experience of working with Google, Facebook and even Infibeam.”Infibeam in October last year said in a filing that it has signed a deal to licence its payment software to Jio. Infibeam in the filing to BSE said that its platform allows enterprises to transact online, manage orders, inventory and logistics, process digital payments and manage online marketing. The company claims to process billions of digital transactions on a daily basis and boasts of a cloud based data centre in Gandhinagar based GIFT city.ET had first reported on February 11 that Infibeam is looking to apply for NUE. The company had then said that So Hum was in discussion with Yes Bank for 9.99% equity investment and will jointly work towards the NUE’s product; business strategy with key focus on accelerating innovations, inclusion and digital penetration in India. It is still not clear whether Yes Bank could be part of the NUE project.Yes Bank did not respond to ET’s questions sent on Thursday late night.With NUE the government hopes to build a settlement system similar to unified payments interface. The system would be focussed on small and medium enterprises, merchants and consumers. The RBI in August 2020 issued guidelines for creating a “for profit NUEs.”

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27 फरवरी: आज दिनभर इन खबरों पर बनी रहेगी नजर, जिनका होगा आप पर असर

हर रोज हम अलग-अलग खबरों से दो-चार होते हैं। हमारी आंखों के सामने से कई सारी खबरें गुजरती हैं। इनमें से कुछ ऐसी अहम खबरें होती हैं, जिनका हमारे जीवन पर असर पड़ता है...

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"My Heart Is Sick": Lady Gaga Offers $500,000 For Stolen Dogs

Lady Gaga has offered half a million dollars for the safe return of her two pet dogs, saying her "heart is sick" after they were stolen at gunpoint in Hollywood.

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Vivo S9 Pre-Bookings Go Live Ahead of March 3 Launch

Vivo S9 series pre-bookings is now live in China. Separately, Vivo has revealed the development of the Vivo S9e that could arrive alongside the Vivo S9 on March 3.

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Petrol Diesel Price: कुछ दिनों की राहत के बाद झटका, आज फिर बढ़े पेट्रोल-डीजल के दाम

सरकारी तेल कंपनियों की ओर से लगातार आज फिर पेट्रोल और डीजल की कीमतों में वृद्धि हुई है। आज डीजल की कीमत में 15 से 16 पैसे तक की बढ़ोतरी हुई है, तो वहीं पेट्रोल की कीमत भी 24 से 25 पैसे तक बढ़ी है।   

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बीमा क्लेम के लिए दे दी पत्नी और बेटे के कत्ल की सुपारी.... पर इसलिए पसीज गया किलर का दिल

कविनगर थानाक्षेत्र में बीमा क्लेम लेने के लिए पति ने 10 लाख रुपये में पत्नी व चार वर्षीय बेटे की हत्या की सुपारी दे डाली।

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2018 में राजकुमारी लतीफा के बदले दुबई ने क्रिश्चियन मिशेल को किया था भारत के हवाले

अगस्ता वेस्टलैंड हेलीकॉप्टर घोटाला मामले में बिचौलिया रहे व ब्रिटिश हथियार डीलर क्रिश्चियन मिशेल के भारत प्रत्यर्पण में दुबई की राजकुमारी शेखा लतीफा की अहम भूमिका रही थी।

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PM Modi To Receive Global Energy And Environment Leadership Award

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will receive the CERAWeek global energy and environment leadership award during an annual international energy conference next week.

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Tesla CEO Elon Musk Says U.S. Factory Closed For Two Days Due To Parts Shortages

Tesla Chief Executive Officer Elon Musk said the electric vehicle company's Fremont, California plant shut down for two days this week due to "parts shortages" and had reopened on Wednesday.

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कांग्रेस के जी-23 गुट की आज जम्मू में बैठक, उठेगा लोकतंत्र बहाली का मुद्दा

कांग्रेस नेता राहुल गांधी की उत्तर-दक्षिण से जुड़ी टिप्पणी और जी-23 गुट की लगातार अनदेखी से पार्टी के भीतर असंतोष है।

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Elections 2021: जिन राज्यों में कभी भाजपा का नहीं था वजूद, आज बन गई है बड़ी ताकत

दो राज्यों के चुनावों की तारीखा का ऐलान चुनाव आयोग ने कर दिया है। पश्चिम बंगाल समेत चार राज्य और एक केंद्र शासित प्रदेश पुडुचेरी में विधानसभा चुनाव की तारीख सामने आने के बाद अब राजनीतिक दल जोर शोर से प्रचार में लग जाएंगे।

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US Airstrike In Syria A Warning To Iran: Joe Biden

President Joe Biden said Friday that a US airstrike against an Iranian-backed militia in eastern Syria should be seen by Iran as a warning.

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Paytm, Ola and IndusInd team up for NUE licence

Paytm and Ola - two of India’s largest startups - have joined hands with private sector lender IndusInd Bank to apply for a New Umbrella Entity (NUE) licence that will allow them to set up a national payments network with powers similar to incumbent, National Payments Corporation of India.Vijay Shekhar Sharma-led Paytm is expected to play a leading role in the consortium, in which Ola Financial and IndusInd Bank will have significant stakes, three people aware of the matter told ET.Non-bank lender Centrum Finance, along with fintech companies Zeta Pay and Electronic Payment and Services (EPS), are also expected to be part of the group that will submit its proposal to the Reserve Bank of India before the deadline expires on February 26, they said.ET reported previously that Amazon, along with ICICI Bank and Axis Bank, are also in the fray for the licence. Two other consortiums led by the Tata Group and Infibeam Avenues are also learnt to be in the reckoning.According to a source close to the development, the synergies between consortium partners in the Paytm, Ola, IndusInd partnership will be the key differentiator for the proposed NUE.“The diversity and technology leadership of consortium partners will be a unique differentiator for this consortium,” the person said.“This set understands consumers better and has successfully delivered national-level complex businesses leveraging technology in the best way. India's digital payments boom requires robust multiple payment products for the next level of growth," the source added.Paytm, Ola, IndusInd, Centrum Finance, Zeta Pay and EPS did not immediately respond to ET’s queries seeking comment.“Paytm is a dominant player in the offline payments segment, whereas IndusInd has a strong presence in small Indian towns. Together, they can form a payments network that can be focused on semi-urban and rural acceptance,” said another person.Paytm is one of India’s leading fintech brands with payments business across categories such as Unified Payments Interface (UPI), wallet, offline and QR code. Through its licensed payments bank, it also runs a payment gateway service for merchants.Separately, the SoftBank- and Ant Financial-backed startup has also forayed into lending, insurance and brokerage businesses with ambitions to turn into a full-fledged financial services player.An NUE license can give Paytm more autonomy in developing new suites of bundled payment and financial products. Meanwhile, Ola Financial, the financial services arm of the Noida-based ride-hailing startup, has targeted to build a super app backed by a wide range of financial services. The company raised Rs 200 crore from Falcon Edge and Matrix Partners, ET reported in May last year.Paytm Payments Bank was fifth on the UPI charts and processed more than 145 million UPI transactions in January. It also gained market share from Google among UPI apps in the same month.IndusInd Bank, meanwhile, processed just 19.48 million such transactions.For IndusInd Bank, its digital transaction mix continues to grow with 89% of transactions happening digitally and 70% of requests also processed digitally. Its volume or service requests increased 62% on digital channels in a year.In August last year, RBI released a framework for Indian and foreign firms to set up for-profit NUEs to "de-risk" India's burgeoning payments ecosystem, which in recent weeks has been subject to increased downtimes and mass-outages due to system vulnerabilities.These NUEs can also set up payment systems to rival UPI and roll out new products in digital payments. NPCI is a not-for-profit undertaking, controlled largely by banks and regulated by the central bank.

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PSU banks may outperform pvt peers in next few qtrs

You could see a very powerful trading rally. Already one is underway, but this has got more wings and can fly even higher, says Dipan Mehta, Founder & Director, Elixir Equities.Would you recommend buying afresh into any of the banking names at these levels?Banks have been in the leadership zone right from Budget day and perhaps even before that. As the economy is starting to rev up, we are seeing that banks which are economically sensitive when it comes to their performance, have been doing exceedingly well and some of the uncertainties surrounding their NPAs and credit cost have been largely resolved. Yesterday’s announcement was just a bit of a trigger which has let the banking stocks come back into limelight again. It does not make that much of a material difference to the profitability of the banks. Sure it opens up a new avenue for gaining more business, especially lucrative business from the government, but it is going to be incremental. End of the day, the story about banks is lower NPAs and therefore lower credit cost and higher net interest income as the economy and credit growth start to pick up. Those are the two foundations on which bank stocks have been rallying. In light of the commentary coming in from the Finance Minister as well as the Prime Minister himself yesterday stating that they are very serious about the disinvestment process and that the government has no business to be in business, should PSUs now be looked as an investment prospect?Although those are great words and music to the ears of many, we need to take it with a pinch of salt. I do not think that the government is looking at privatising the PSU banks per se, although a couple of smaller ones may be privatised. They are not looking at privatising the big four or five banks and those banks will remain under the public sector. Having said that, we are very positive about PSU banks. You could see a very powerful trading rally. Already one is underway, but this has got more wings and can fly even higher. The reason for that is the entire NPA problem has been resolved at the PSU bank and the economy is in fine fettle and they have improved their lending standards. It is unlikely that the next one or two years would see heightened credit costs. Just because of significantly lower credit costs, the profit for the next financial year will look very impressive. These stocks will look cheap as compared to what they are just now. They are trading at 0.6 times price to book value and mid to slightly higher single digit price to earnings ratio. With their profitability moving up even further, these valuations will compress. Keeping that in mind, one can expect very good returns from PSU banks for the next six to 12 months or so. No doubt two, three years later, they may get into some other problem, but for the next few quarters, PSU banks look very good and investors should consider investing a certain portion of their portfolio in PSU banks, maybe even at the expense of some of the private sector banks. I feel that over the next few months and quarters, PSU banks could outperform private sector banks in price movement. As far as other public sector enterprises are concerned, let us see one or two serious disinvestments or privatisation and then perhaps make a call.

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Messaging apps may lose biggest USP

Messaging apps WhatsApp, Telegram and Signal may have to dilute their biggest privacy proposition for millions of users in India — end-to-end encryption. The government has mandated that they need to trace the originator of flagged messages that contribute to crimes of a severe nature, such as those related to the country’s security and sovereignty, and rape. Critics said the new rules will undermine privacy and freedom of expression.Platforms such as Telegram and Signal, which have gained users in India recently, are also expected to come under pressure to comply with the new rules. WhatsApp and Signal have end-to-end encryption for all messages while Telegram offers it on certain features.The government isn’t insisting on scrapping encryption on these messaging platforms, information technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said."When we’re talking about the first originator, we’re not asking them to disclose the content. Simple question — who began this mischief? It will be only in relation to issues where the punishment is for more than five years, such as security, sovereignty of India, rape etc." He added that proper "safeguards" have been put in place to avoid misuse of the law.Under the rules, no intermediary will be required to disclose the contents of a message or information related to the originator and other users. If the message started overseas, the first person to have shared the content in India will be considered the "first originator". The rules also stipulate that no order will be passed in cases where other less intrusive means are effective in identifying the originator of the information. WhatsApp, Signal and Telegram didn’t respond to queries.81217138Enabling traceability will have an impact on privacy, said Internet Freedom Foundation (IFF) executive director Apar Gupta."This opens it up to cyber security threats and undermines privacy," he said. "I expect a high level of public controversy from people who value their high levels of privacy. Many new requirements in the new rules undermine their privacy and free expressionExperts said the rules are possibly the strictest among democratic countries. Messaging apps will have to tweak their tech infrastructure and operating models to enable traceability and accommodate India's mandate of voluntary verification. Such a mandate is the first anywhere in the world, they said.Some welcomed the new rules. "The rules are probably one of the strictest rules in the world. They seem to have been inspired by the German Network Enforcement Act. They separate social media companies from other intermediaries, and that's a good development," said Nikhil Narendran, partner, Trilegal"The rules make it clear that tracing originators should not decipher messages. Identifying the originator may need some KYC (know your customer) by social media companies."While the rules are well intended, certain aspects may actually undermine national security, said Kazim Rizvi, founder of tech policy think tank The Dialogue."Tracing the originator of content would not be possible without breaking end-to-end encryption, and we believe that this mandate must be reconsidered," he said. "Breaking end-to-end encryption might impact the privacy, safety and security of citizens and the national security of the state."Earlier, the government had asked WhatsApp to digitally fingerprint every message sent on its platform without breaking encryption. It also wanted the company to identify where a message originated and how many people had read and forwarded it without reading the text.WhatsApp has opposed the demand for traceability and insisted that it will not compromise on end-to-end encryption, citing user privacy. WhatsApp has more than 400 million users in India, making the country its largest market. The government has, however, argued that lack of control over fake news and misinformation through platforms such as WhatsApp were leading to people dying as mobs inflamed by such messages were lynching people in the country. Misinformation has also given rise to challenges amid the Covid-19 pandemic and the farmers’ agitation among others.

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Debt MF returns down. Time to change your strategy?

After a good run of one year, long duration debt funds appear to be losing their sheen. These debt mutual fund schemes which were topping the charts during the equity market fall in 2020 are seen at the bottom of the return chart right now. Experts believe that the ‘rally’ in the longer term bonds is behind us and these meagre returns might continue for some time. Debt mutual fund investors need to take a fresh look at their portfolio in this situation. In the last three months, the debt mutual fund categories have fallen in to the negative return zone. Long duration funds and gilt funds have fallen the most in three months. Scheme name 1-month returns (%) 1-year returns (%) Long Duration -1.60 6.31 Gilt with 10 year Constant Duration -1.30 6.83 Gilt -1.06 6.60 Medium to Long Duration -0.96 6.38 The primary reason for the dip in returns is the rise in bond yields. The 10-year bond yields touched 6.20% on 22nd February, 2021 - the highest since 21st April, 2020. The reason behind the rising yields is the expectation of oversupply of bonds in the coming days. “The government, in this year’s Budget announced an extra Rs 80,000 crore borrowing for this fiscal and Rs 12.05 trillion of gross market borrowing for the next. In the current fiscal, the government has already borrowed more than Rs 13 trillion from the market and sta­tes an additional Rs 10 trillion. This has resulted in the yield crossing the 6 percent marker set by RBI, thus making bonds an expensive proposition for borrowing,” says Prateek Mehta, Co-Founder and CBO, Scripbox. Fund managers believe that this is also an opportunity for investors to lock-in higher yields in funds. Data suggests that India is expected to bounce back strongly this year on the back of higher govt spending, part of which will be financed via larger than usual market borrowings, which may induce the RBI to cut back on stimulus. “RBI has already given its first hint by announcing variable reverse repo operation and restoring of CRR gradually. With growth set to bounce back, this is also likely to increase the credit growth into the economy. Taking into consideration that borrowings are going to be higher by government as well as corporate, the spreads are likely to widen going ahead proving a good opportunity for investors to lock in higher yields and attractive spreads,” says Mahendra Jajoo, Headp-fixed income, Mirae Asset, India. In this scenario, debt mutual fund investors need to take a re-look at their investment strategy. If you are a risk-averse investor, looking for safety of returns and capital, advisors believe you should invest in very low duration funds. “Liquid, ultra short-term, low duration funds will enable them to mitigate the risk of interest volatility,” says Prateek Mehta. However, fund managers believe that long term debt investors can stick to their holdings in bond funds and keep investing. “Investors with asset allocation approach, better option might just be to stick to a disciplined approach rather than worrying too much about market volatility. For those investors who wish to take a tactical call or who are too worried about possible increase in rates or higher volatility, low duration category may sound interesting,” says Mahendra Jajoo.

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पेट्रोस-जीएसटी की कीमतों के विरोध में व्यापारियों ने आज बुलाया भारत बंद, इनका मिला समर्थन

व्यापारियों के संगठन कन्फेडरेशन ऑफ ऑल इंडिया ट्रेडर्स (सीएआईटी) की ओर से वस्तु एवं सेवा कर (जीएसटी) के प्रावधानों की समीक्षा की मांग, पेट्रोल-डीजल की बढ़ती कीमतों सहित कई मुद्दों को लेकर आज भारत बंद बुलाया है।

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बिहार में चलती ट्रेन में अपराधियों का तांडव, फायरिंग में गार्ड घायल

बिहार में अपराधियों के हौंसले बुलंद होते जा रहे हैं। अपराधियों के बेखौफ जुर्म करने का ताजा मामला बिहार के मोकामा रेलवे स्टेशन से आया है, जहां कुछ बदमाशों ने उपासना एक्सप्रेस ट्रेन में गुरुवार रात को ताबड़तोड़ फायरिंग की।

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कंगना रणौत ई-मेल मामले में ऋतिक रोशन का दर्ज होगा बयान, मुंबई क्राइम ब्रांच ने भेजा समन

ऋतिक रोशन की मुश्किलें बढ़तीं हुई दिख रही हैं। कंगना रणौत के मामले में मुंबई पुलिस क्राइम ब्रांच ने उन्हें समन भेजा है।

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INDvENG: धोनी से भी बड़े कप्तान बने कोहली, दो दिन तक चले टेस्ट में तोड़ा 'विराट' रिकॉर्ड

विराट कोहली घरेलू सरजमीं सबसे ज्यादा टेस्ट मैच (22) जीतने वाले कप्तान बन गए। इस मामले में उन्होंने पूर्व भारतीय कप्तान महेंद्र सिंह धोनी (21) को पीछे छोड़ दिया। 

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Biden Believes Important To Modernise Immigration System: White House

US President Joe Biden believes that it is important and long overdue to modernise the immigration system, and this includes taking steps to help ensure high skilled workers can stay in the country,...

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Why this sudden bonhomie between India and Pak?

In a significant development having far-reaching ramifications in respect of strategic alignments in South Asia, both India and Pakistan have agreed to “mutually beneficial and sustainable peace” along the borders from the midnight of February 24/25, 2021. The Director Generals of Military Operations (DGMOs) of India and Pakistan, in a joint statement released on February 24, 2021, have agreed to a ceasefire on the Line of Control (LoC) and other sectors (international border in Jammu region) to address “each other’s core issues and concerns which have the propensity to disturb peace and lead to violence”. The ceasefire comes after the LoC and international border in Jammu witnessed the bloodiest year in terms of number of violations (incidents) by both sides in 2020. According to the Ministry of Home Affairs, there were 5,133 incidents of ceasefire violations by Pakistan in 2020, up from 3,479 in 2019 and 2,140 in 2018. In these incidents in 2020, India lost 24 security force personnel and 22 civilians. The picture is no different on Pakistan’s side. Major general Babar Iftekhar, director general Inter Services Public Relations, at a press briefing on January 11, 2021, informed that 3,097 ceasefire violations by India took place in 2020 causing 28 civilian deaths. No information was given on deaths of Pak security personnel, but it would be around the same figure. The crucial question is why this sudden bonhomie between the two countries? The answer can be found in the first foreign policy statement of Joe Biden, the US president, at the headquarters of the state department on February 4, 2021. Countering the “growing ambitions of China to rival the United States” and “determination of Russia to damage and disrupt our democracy” were listed by him as the two major challenges that the diplomats of the country will have to face. He informed that he had spoken with the leaders of “closest friends” to restore the habits of cooperation and rebuilding the muscle of democratic alliances that have “atrophied”. This would mean that the US and China would try to divide the world into two competing camps vying for proxy countries to ensure economic domination of the globe for the benefit of their corporates — a new cold war. The US foreign policy makers seem to have acknowledged that the days of unipolar world dominated by the US, after disintegration of the erstwhile Union of Soviet Socialist Republics, are over. The military and economic might of the US is now being challenged and questioned by a rampaging China.In the US scheme, India and Pakistan would naturally be part of the “muscle of democratic alliances”. While India remains firmly in the US fold, Pakistan, an old trusted ally, needs to be brought back. Pakistan had gradually drifted into the arms of China after Imran Khan received a cold and indifferent response from the Trump administration on the changes made by India in Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019. But now, in the joint statement, India has agreed to address “each other’s core issues”. This would satisfy Pakistan that Kashmir would be on the table whenever talks resume at whatever level. Earlier, soon after initial briefings of Biden, Pakistan army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa stressed the need for a “dignified and respectable” solution of Kashmir to bring this “human tragedy to its logical end” and restore peace. It was followed by PM Imran Khan, who, in a tweet on February 5, reiterated that Pakistan was ready to take two steps forward for peace, if India took one. 81219617 The unfortunate part is that both sides suffered so many avoidable losses of human lives when a similar formulation was agreed in November 2003 between Indian PM Vajpayee and Pak president Musharraf. Nevertheless, this is a welcome development and must be carried forward. At the same time, it must be realised that joining either side in this new cold war is fraught with serious consequences for both the countries. That can only happen when both are at peace with each other without outsiders having any role to play.The writer is a former Intelligence Bureau officer, who served in Pakistan

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Social Media OTT Platform: कब से लागू होगी नई नियमावली? जानिए ऐसे ही कई सवालों के जवाब

सोशल मीडिया और ओवर द टॉप (ओटीटी) प्लेटफॉर्म की मनमानी पर लगाम लगाने की दिशा में सरकार ने निर्णायक कदम उठा लिया है।

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गलत खबर दी, छवि खराब की तो डिजिटल न्यूज मीडिया पर भी होगी कानूनी कार्रवाई

सरकार ने डिजिटल न्यूज मीडिया को भी कानून के दायरे में ला दिया है। इस वजह से  अब यह भी ओटीटी और सोशल मीडिया प्लेटफॉर्म की तरह तीन-स्तरीय निगरानी व्यवस्था में आएंगे। 

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जीवन बीमा प्रीमियम के अग्रिम भुगतान पर मिलेगी 2.7 फीसदी की छूट

जीवन बीमा खरीदने वाले ग्राहकों को जल्द प्रीमियम भुगतान पर छूट की सुविधा मिल सकती है। बीम नियामक और विकास प्राधिकरण ने जीवन बीमा कंपनियों को इस बाबात मसौदा बनाकर भेजा है।

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Katrina Kaif Is A Fan Of This Pic. But That's Not Her

Gabriella Demetriades and Tahira Kashyap were also all hearts for Malaika Arora's throwback photo.

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'Metro Man' E Sreedharan Formally Joins BJP

"Metro Man" E Sreedharan formally joined the BJP on Thursday, party leaders said.

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Rahul Gandhi To Address Students Of US' Cornell University On Democracy

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on March 2 will address the students of prestigious Cornell University and interact with them on the subjects of democracy and development, the university said on...

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23 कैरेट सोने से तैयार दुनिया की सबसे महंगी बिरयानी, कीमत इतना की नहीं करेंगे यकीन

बिरयानी एक ऐसा स्वादिष्ट व्यंजन है, जो दुनियाभर में मशहूर है। भारत में अलग-अलग जगहों पर अलग-अलग तरीकों से इसे बनाया जाता है। लेकिन आज हम आपको एक ऐसी स्पेशल बिरयानी के बारे में बताएंगे, जिसे बनाने के लिए सोना का इस्तेमाल किया जाता है।

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England Out Of Test Championship Final Contention; India Move To Top Spot

India vs England: As India defeated England by 10 wickets in the third Test in Ahmedabad, England were knocked out of the race to the World Test Championship final.

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भारत-पाक संघर्ष विराम: दिसंबर से बैक चैनल बातचीत कर रहे थे दोनों देशों के एनएसए

बालाकोट हमले के बाद भारत और पाकिस्तान के ठंडे पड़े रिश्तों में अचानक आई गर्मी के पीछे की वजह राष्ट्रीय सुरक्षा सलाहकार (एनएसए) स्तर पर महीने भर से चल रही कोशिश बताया जा रहा है।

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वेतन के अनुपात में पेंशन देने के आदेश पर सुप्रीम कोर्ट की फिलहाल ‘रोक’

वेतनभोगियों को भविष्य निधि पेंशन कितनी मिलेगी, यह जानने के लिए उन्हें अभी इंतजार करना पड़ेगा। सुप्रीम कोर्ट ने बृहस्पतिवार को वेतन के अनुपात में भविष्य निधि पेंशन देने के फैसले पर फिलहाल परोक्ष रूप से ‘रोक’ लगा दी है।

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Tax Raids At Residences, Offices Of Haryana Independent MLA Balraj Kundu

The Income Tax Department on Thursday raided offices and residences of Haryana's Independent MLA from Meham, Balraj Kundu, in Rohtak, with the CBDT saying in the late evening it has detected alleged...

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How To Make Halwai Style Atte Ka Peda With Just 3 Ingredients!

Halwai-style atta peda recipes: Atta, sugar and ghee are the three ingredients you need to make this recipe, so what is it that is still holding you back?

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Lata Mangeshkar, Padmini And Leena Chandavarkar In A Beautiful Memory

ICYDK, Padmini Kolhapure is the niece of Lata Mangeshkar

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Army Chief Says Beijing's South China Sea Strategy "Won't Work With Us"

The disengagement of armies of India and China from north and south banks of Pangong Tso is a "very good end result" and a win-win situation for both the sides, Army chief Gen MM Naravane said on...

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How section 80C of the Income-tax Act works

One of the most common deductions available under the Income-tax Act, 1961 is section 80C. The deduction under this section can be claimed only if an individual opts for the old/existing tax regime in a financial year. On the other hand, if an individual opts for the new concessional tax regime, then the individual will not be able to claim deduction under this section.Here is how this section works and helps an individual save tax in a financial year.1. Through section 80C, an individual or an HUF can reduce up to Rs 1.5 lakh from their gross total income in a financial year thereby reducing their net taxable income and tax payable thereon. Full utilisation of this deduction can save up to Rs 46,800 (inclusive of cess at 4%) for those in the highest tax bracket of 30%. 2. To claim this deduction, a taxpayer is required to invest the amount in eligible investment instruments or spend the money on the specified deductible in the same financial year. The tax payer can claim tax benefit under this section by investing/spending up to Rs 1.5 lakh in the specified avenues under this section. 3. Eligible investment instruments include Employees' Provident Fund (EPF), Public Provident Fund (PPF), Equity-linked savings scheme (ELSS) mutual funds, Sukanya Samriddhi Savings Scheme, National Savings Certificate (NSC), five-year tax-saving fixed deposits with a bank and/or post office, National Pension System (NPS), and Senior Citizen Savings Scheme (SCSS).4. Do keep in mind that each of the eligible investment has its own investment limit, rate of return, liquidity, and tax treatment on its returns.5. Specified expenditures that are allowed under this section include expenditure on the life insurance premium, repayment of principal of a home loan, children's school fees.Also Read:All about tax savings for FY 2020-21

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