First of all, let me wish all trak readers a very very Happy New Year!
Being the last week of 2016, we did not have too many newsworthy items in the last few days, however, there were one or two news bits that were really interesting! Here is our wrap-up of the week. If you were offline last week, this is the best way to catch up with all the tech buzz!
It is the end of the year and Amazon India has released their 2016 Reading Trends Report. Impressively, Delhi-NCR topped the list of most well read cities in India – FOURTH YEAR in a row.
Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) has asked the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gases to issue guidelines which prohibit usage of e-wallets and PoS terminals at petrol pumps. In a communication dated December 19th, Chief Controller of Explosives at PESO has strongly recommended banning of all electronic devices at the hazardous area (zone-1) nearby petrol pumps.
For small traders and businesses looking for ways to save taxes, this is the golden time indeed. India’s Finance Minister, Arun Jaitley has explained two ways using which small traders can save upto 46% tax.
Cyanogen, the startup that made a one of the most popular custom fork of Android and had legions of fans, has announced that it’s winding up all the operations and will stop releasing nightly builds of the software by the end of the year.
With smartphones having replaced traditional cameras , we have become lazy and we’re settling for the second best. We tend to accept the presets on our phone, click the pics and share without thinking. Here are 7 tips from a pro to create stunning photos on your smartphone.
Despite Govt. of India’s massive push for startups and entrepreneurship, one cannot discount failure. It is an integral part of the eco-system, of the process of creation. Herein, we bring to you India’s 5 biggest, funded startups which failed in 2016:
In a recent survey about tech related skills requirement, it was found that project management would be great demand next year. Right from electronics to manufacturing; aviation to health, project managers would be high demand right through 2017.
India’s largest bank: ICICI has just launched a unique mobile app called Eazypay, which can threaten Paytm’s dominance when it comes to merchant-centric cashless solution.
Jio has been sent a letter seeking explanation for the same by TRAI on 20 December. Jio has also been asked to explain why its new promotional scheme, the ‘Happy New Year’ offer, should not be treated as “predatory”.
Which business decisions affected our day to day normal lives? Which business related amendments in law led to chaos and which introduced order? Which businesses gained momentum and disrupted the status quo. Here are the biggest and most influential business moments of 2016:
Over 8 Indian startups raised 100 million plus amounts, with Snapdeal topping the charts with 200 million that they raised in February 2016. The following table gives you 93 funding and investments (exceeding 10 million USD) that happened in the Year 2016.
One of the largest companies in the world, Microsoft, could be the next biggest company if reports are to be believed. Led by Satya Nadella, Microsoft is said to be growing at a faster rate, considering the acquisitions and new product launches.
Income Tax Department has released some interesting numbers, which showcases the depth and intensity of black money in India. After understanding these numbers, it is clear that PM Modi’s harsh, sudden demonetization drive was indeed needed desperately in our country.
Poker, a skill-based cards game, which is often confused with gambling, is finally going big in India. Adda52, which is a gaming portal focussing on games such as poker, rummy and chess has joined forces with Dabur’s Vice Chairman Amit Burman to launch India’s 1st Poker League.
Last week, rumors floated in about a possible investment of $200 million by Paypal in none other than Freecharge, a mobile wallet fast challenging the dominance of Paytm and MobiKwik in India’s eWallet market.
Eyeing a world record and a historic event – ISRO has announced that they will launch a record 83 satellites in one go. The payload will be delivered using ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle PSLV-XL in January end.
Jio Sim cards will now be delivered by Snapdeal, that would include the Happy New Year offer. Snapdeal has started sending emails to its customers stating that the home delivery of SIM cards is a ‘token of gratitude’ for them and their support.
As per reports coming in, a new app for UPI would be launched in the next few days, which would act as a single platform for all bank users. Right now, there are more than 30 UPI apps from every bank, and the bank customer is often confused regarding its usage.
India beats the rest of the world in binge watching a TV series. Indians took 3 days to devour an entire TV series on average, while the global average is 4 days! The binge watched series were Narcos, Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt, Marvel’s Jessica Jones and Bloodline. Sci-Fi ended up being the most popular genre in India with shows like Sense 8 and Ascension.
Taking a step ahead Amazon has just launched new service in India called Sell as Individual, which allows anyone to sell their used goods online on the platform. The service is currently been operated only in Bengaluru and will be expanded across other cities as well.
Herein, we bring to you 5 biggest and most powerful scientific discoveries, inventions and attempts which actually redefined our World as we know it, and took humanity one step further:
The purpose of advertisements is no doubt, to seek attention. But sometimes, creative agencies and marketing professionals go one step ahead, and cross the boundary between senseful and senseless creative, thereby attracting the ire of the audience, rather than attention.
BHIM App, launched by PM Modi has the power to beat established eWallet czars such as Paytm, Freecharge and Mobikwik. Here are 3 Reasons Why BHIM App may soon be adopted by millions of Indian
And while you are at it, don’t forget to check out our Indian Startup Funding & Investment Chart, that offers you details on close to 1000 funding deals struck in 2016.
