< Back Road Ministry planning centralised hubs for all transportation modes 21 Aug 2024 The ministry aims to develop integrated public transport and terminals across India, combining road, rail, air, water, helipads, and ropeway modes of transport. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways is actively working on its One Nation, One Location initiative to integrate all modes of transport for speedier freight and passenger movement. National Highways Logistics Management, National Highways Authority of India’s fully owned subsidiary, will develop two pilot hubs in Tirupati and Katra within two years, followed by Nagpur and Varanasi. It will reduce passengers' navigation challenges due to a fragmented transportation system, including local public transport. An integrated system will minimise transit time, facilitate smooth transfers between different transport modes, and offer amenities like parking spots, hotels, and retail outlets. Integration will happen using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) and data analytics. The government is encouraging Public-Private Partnerships for this project. The hubs will be a one-stop solution for 87% of the passenger traffic using road transport in India. The development of city centres will further reduce city congestion and boost economic activity. Previous Next

< Back Govt launches AI-based National Pest Surveillance System (NPSS) 20 Aug 2024 The app will connect farmers with agricultural scientists to improve pest control measures. The Union Government launched the AI-based NPSS app on August 15, Indian Independence Day, to connect farmers with agricultural experts on pest control. Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan announced the new system will reduce farmers’ dependence on pesticide retailers and boost awareness of pest management. The app analyses pest infestations in real time, thus allowing for timely interventions. Farmers can upload images of affected crops on the app, which reach the experts for rapid diagnosis and quick response. Accurate pest management will help avoid the overuse of pesticides, hence promoting sustainable agricultural practices. State-level programs will widen this app's reach to 140 million farmers, who will receive experts’ support according to their regional agricultural challenges. They will also receive support for boosting crop yield, seasonal forecasting, improving IoT devices for efficient farm management, and choosing better-suited crops for a farm’s needs. The app also has a chatbot for quick assistance. Previous Next

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< Back Foreign companies prepare for a lawsuit against GST evasion notices 23 Sept 2024 Online Information and Database Access or Retrieval (OIDAR) covers online services with or without a physical user interface and is subject to an 18% tax slab. OIDAR services were GST-exempt until an amendment took effect in October 2023, which made foreign companies liable to pay the tax. The revised law mandated that companies were liable to pay GST irrespective of the level of human intervention in rendering their digital services. As per the law, foreign organisations must register in India and pay GST to offer their services to Indians. The Directorate General of GST Intelligence (DGGI) issued tax evasion notices for the period between 2017 and 2023 to 70 foreign companies for providing OIDAR services in India. These companies include Meta, Netflix, Spotify, and Google across subscription-based services, advertising, online gaming, and edtech. The companies argue that their services involve human intervention and can be delivered offline, which was GST-exempt before the amendment. Online training and exam platforms say their services are not covered under OIDAR. They will soon file the case in the high court. Previous Next

< Back Airtel shuts Wync Music, will offer Apple Music at discounted prices 29 Aug 2024 All Wync employees will be absorbed In the Airtel ecosystem. Airtel has partnered with Apple Inc. to offer discounted rates on OTT videos, Apple TV+, and Apple Music streaming to its Xtream fibre customers. As part of the move, it is shutting down Wync Music ten years after its launch. Wync has been generating ₹250-300 crore annual revenue as a part of Airtel's digital services arm. Apple's discounted services will be available exclusively to Airtel customers by the end of this year. This deal will be a carrier billing alliance that will help Airtel offer enhanced streaming services to its customers with a focused monetisation plan. It will allow Apple access to a quality audience and monetise its OTT streaming services in India. In 2023, of the 185 million active users of online Music streaming apps, only 7.5 million paid for a subscription. Airtel tried an alliance with Times Internet and the Gaana app, but the talks didn't succeed. Previous Next

< Back Indian budget 2026-27 highlights 3 Feb 2026 Sitharaman focused the budget on the Three Kartavyas – Accelerate growth, build capacity, and equitable development. - Revamped New Income Tax Act, 2025, to take effect from April 1, 2026. It is a new law that may: o Rationalise capital gains tax o Include tax regime for gig workers, influencers, crypto and digital assets, and cross-border digital income o Reduce litigation perpetuated by the ambiguous wording in the 1961 Act. o Introduce fewer deductions, exemptions, and lower tax rates. - ₹12.2 lakh crore in capital expenditure, compared with ₹11.11 lakh crore last year. - Semiconductor Mission 2.0 with a ₹40,000 crore outlay. - National Fibre Scheme for self-sufficiency in advanced materials. - Support for critical mineral facilities in Odisha, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Andhra Pradesh. - 7 high-speed rail corridors (Delhi–Varanasi, Mumbai–Pune, Pune–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Bengaluru, Chennai–Bengaluru, Varanasi–Siliguri) - NIMHANS‑2 and upgraded mental health institutes in Ranchi and Tezpur. - Girls’ hostel in every district to support women’s higher education. - Dedicated retail and digital marketplaces for women-led businesses- SHE Marts Check out my new book, THE BLACK FLAMES . A gripping, high-stakes mystery. Previous Next

< Back Jio becomes the world’s leading mobile operator by data traffic 24 Apr 2024 Total data traffic on Jio’s network reached 40.9 exabytes against China Mobile’s 38 exabytes between January and March 2024. Reliance Jio now boasts the world’s largest 5G subscriber base, a staggering 108 million, which accounts for up to 28% of its total wireless data traffic. Last financial year, Jio's subscriber base grew from 449 to 482 million, with each user consuming an average of 28.7 GB per month. The demand for AirFiber was also robust, spanning across 5,900 towns. However, its average revenue per user (ARPU) remained stagnant for three quarters and ended the year at ₹182 due to affordable JioBharat plans and promotional unlimited 5G plans. Jio offers 30% of its network coverage for free to 5G subscribers. In comparison, Bharti Airtel’s user base grew from 339 to 350 million, and ARPU reached ₹211 from ₹200, but a lower data usage of 22.5 GB. All telecom players are expected to gradually increase tariffs in FY2025 and FY2026 to monetise and earn ROI on 5G services. Previous Next

< Back Northeast bound Alliance Air costing ₹6 lakhs per passenger to govt 4 Dec 2023 State-run airline connects India’s smaller towns with Northeastern cities. In April 2022, it carried just three passengers but charged the exchequer a lofty ₹6 crore. Alliance Air deploys Hindustan Aeronautics Limited's (HAL) 15-seater Dornier aircraft. The central government funds flights from smaller towns to northeast cities under the northeastern connectivity scheme. It connects Dibrugarh (Assam) to Ziro, Tezpur, and Itanagar (Arunachal Pradesh). Between April 2022 and June 2023, it carried 1500 passengers, costing around ₹100 crore, or ₹6 lakh per passenger to the government. While a burden, the government cannot scrap it as Alliance Air connects crucial northeastern airports near the Chinese border. Moreover, the Dornier aircraft is the first Made in India civilian fleet enjoying the government’s push. Government put up Alliance Air for sale after its parent Air India’s takeover by Tata last year. There were no takers, as investors expected the government to clean up Alliance Air’s ₹4,326 crore debt, as it had done for Air India. The government recently gave ₹600 crore to clear its old debt carried forward from Air India. Previous Next

< Back Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund to launch ₹250 mutual fund 3 Sept 2024 The minimum limit till now has been ₹500 for Systematic Investment Plan (SIP). Speaking at a CII event, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) Chairperson Madhabi Puri Buch mentioned that Aditya Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund will soon introduce ₹250 mutual funds in India. This will make Aditya Birla Sun Life the pioneer of low-value mutual fund SIPs in the country. The minimum amount for SIPs has been reduced from ₹500 to ₹250. This reduction will make financial inclusion more accessible to a wider population and allow more Indians to partake in wealth creation towards a ‘Viksit Bharat’. The Association of Mutual Funds in India (AMFI), market regulators, and industry players spearheaded the initiative. It aims to reduce onboarding and servicing costs by deploying advanced technology. In India, investments in SIPs have been increasing every month since July 2023. In July, they secured the highest gross value ever, at ₹23,322 crore, with 9.34 crore SIP accounts active in the country. Previous Next

< Back Lesser known facts about Indian Women’s Cricket Team 3 Nov 2025 The team played its first test match in 1976 against West Indies. Shantha Rangaswamy led India in the 1976 World Cup held in Bangalore. She became the first woman to lead India in Test and ODI and win the Arjuna Award in 1976. India reached the Women’s Cricket World Cup Final in 2005 for the first time and then in 2017. Mithali Raj led the team both the times. The Women’s Cricket Association of India managed the team until BCCI took charge in 2006. India won their first T20 International in 2006 defeating England a few months after the format was introduced. Deepti Sharma and Poonam Raut’s 320 runs against Ireland in 2017 stays the highest opening partnership in women’s ODIs. Deepti holds the record for one of the highest individual scores in women’s ODIs at 188. The launch of the Women’s Premier League (WPL) in 2023 boosted visibility, pay and opportunities for female cricketers. Check out my new book, THE BLACK FLAMES , on Amazon Kindle. A gripping, high-stakes novel. ⭐⭐⭐⭐.6 stars on Amazon ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ on Goodreads Previous Next

< Back Amidst stringent rules, deepfakes available for ₹8 per video in India 12 Feb 2024 In 2023, deepfakes rose 550% to around 96,000 cases, making India the 6th most vulnerable country. Deepfakes use deep generative methods to create videos and voice calls artificially. Companies like The Indian Deepfaker offer deepfake-as-a-service. In India, it is available for just ₹8 per video compared to ₹25 in Japan or the US. Many political parties use deepfake videos and voice calls to engage their party workers in a personalised chat. However, their usage by cybercriminals has increased by 230%. As per Rule 3(2)(b) of the Information Technology Act (IT Act), in November 2023, the government directed social media companies to remove fake content from their platform within 24 hours of a complaint being filed. Section 66D of the same Act cites imprisonment of up to three years and a fine of ₹1 lakh as a punishment for impersonating someone using computer technology. Besides, Sections 499 and 500 of the Indian Penal Code cover defamation. A user can file a complaint for a deepfake video intentionally created to defame them through impersonation. Previous Next

Le nouveau gouvernement de gauche élu la semaine dernière a amélioré le sentiment des investisseurs. < Back L’indice boursier de la Corée du Sud au plus haut depuis 3,5 ans Le nouveau gouvernement de gauche élu la semaine dernière a amélioré le sentiment des investisseurs. Le nouveau président sud-coréen Lee Jae-myung a promis aux petits investisseurs que leur indice de référence, le KOSPI (Korea Composite Stock Price Index), atteindrait 5 000 points au cours de son mandat. L’indice a augmenté de plus de 7 % pour dépasser les 2 900 points depuis son élection le 3 juin. L‘ancien président Yoon Suk Yeol a déclaré la loi martiale en décembre 2024, qui a entrainé sa mise en accusation et son éviction lors des élections du 3 juin. Lee prévoit de résoudre le problème de la « Korea discount » - ou les entreprises cotées en bourse souffrent de valorisations historiquement basses. La loi sud-coréenne ne protège pas les actionnaires lorsque les entreprises fusionnent ou diversifient les secteurs d’activité contrôles par les familles fondatrices par le biais de participations minoritaires. Lee a proposé des mesures de protection des actionnaires, notamment l’introduction d’une obligation fiduciaire à leur égard. Ne manquez pas un autre article de SalestorrsNouvelles150. Suivez Salestorrs sur WhatsApp , LinkedIn , Facebook , X , et Instagram . Previous Next