National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN), the flagship initiative of Wadhwani Foundation was conferred the ‘IWFCI – India Award’ during a gilttering valedictory ceremony at “Global Women Investors, Entrepreneurs & Policy Influencers – Summit 2015” in the presence of business leaders, international delegates and media at The Lalit Ashok, Bangalore. Sashi Chimala, Executive Vice President –National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) and Sunita Singh, Co-founder-NEN and Executive Vice President – Wadhwani foundation received the award on behalf of the NEN team.
The aim of the summit was to understand the challenges faced by women entrepreneurs to scale¬up and globalize and provide a white paper to the government for enabling policy makers to take the right decisions in terms of support, subsidies and schemes and encouraging women entrepreneurs to graduate from Micro Enterprises to Small and Medium Enterprises. Encouraging the attendees by their presence were the dynamic Member of the Karnataka Legislative Assembly, N.A Haris and Sudhakar Rao, former Chief Secretary of Karnataka.

On receiving the award, an elated Sashi Chimala, Executive Vice President –National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) said, “It is gratifying to see the decade old hard work of NEN team being recognized. The NEN team has over the years worked tirlelessly and has shown immense passion in creating a vibrant entrepreneurship ecosystem in India. NEN has successfully connected beneficiaries [students, aspiring entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs] to its support services and programs that are learning based, network oriented and transactional in nature. Our vision is to create many silicon valleys in India and we will continue to work towards fructification of this paradigm shift. ”
National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) was co-founded in 2003 with IIT Bombay, IIM Ahmedabad, BITS Pilani, SP Jain Institute of Management and Research and the Institute of Bioinformatics and Applied Biotechnology. The award recognized NEN’s outstanding contribution in creating and supporting high growth entrepreneurs, and driving entrepreneurship as a catalyst for high value job-creation and economic growth in India.
Over the last decade, NEN has championed the cause of entrepreneurship by establishing advanced curriculum at over 500 colleges and by setting up a national network of mentors that continue to inspire, educate and support emerging, high-growth entrepreneurs. Since inception, NEN has resulted in the creation of hundreds of sustained startups, and thousands of direct and indirect jobs. NEN has also built national platforms that showcase, reward and celebrate entrepreneurship.
About Wadhwani Foundation:
Wadhwani Foundation’s primary mission is accelerating economic development in emerging economies through large-scale job creation. Five Initiatives driving innovation, entrepreneurship and skill development cater to this mission. The Foundation is present in India, Indonesia, Pakistan and Malaysia, and has plans to expand to other countries in Southeast Asia, Africa and South America.
National Entrepreneurship Network (NEN) inspires, educates and supports student entrepreneurs, startups and SMEs for creating high-value jobs.
Skills Development Network (SDN) provides vocational training support to educational and training institutes, and employers for entry-level mid-skill jobs through a video based online platform.
Opportunity Network for Disabled (OND) mainstreams the educated disabled into sustainable high quality corporate jobs through a business value proposition.
Research and Innovation Network (RIN) aims to create a world-class innovation ecosystem in India with the goal of propelling India towardsthe top ten innovative nations in the world.
Policy Research Centre provides data driven research inputs for informed policy action towards accelerating economic growth. The initiative has also established a chair in U.S-India policy at the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, D.C.

(IANS)

Geneva-based International Road Federation (IRF) on Monday expressed concern over increasing road accidents on Yamuna Expressway and suggested use of intelligent transport system and generating awareness about road condition of the “deadly” highway.

IRF Chairman K.K. Kapila said the driving conditions on Mumbai-Pune Expressway and Noida-Agra Expressway are different than other roads, and for safe driving there, Intelligent Transport Management System along with strict enforcement of speed limits must be implemented.

“Most of users are not aware about concrete construction of Yamuna Expressway. For using such surface, vehicle tyre and condition has to be checked along with driving conditions including weather and visibility,” he said.

A pre-warning about weather condition and driving conditions should be provided to drivers by the road maintenance authorities, he noted.

Kapila said that various studies conducted by the government and non-government agencies have shown that human error is the main reason for accidents on these expressways.

Installation of Intelligent Traffic Management System involving speed cameras and digital warning boards on both the expressways would go a long way in improving safety standards, he said.

“Several other road safety measures need to be taken on e-ways include setting up of trauma care centre, air ambulance, a highway surveillance system, truck terminals close to the two ends, and use of wire ropes crash barrier system,” he added.

To continue long-term measurements of the Sun’s incoming energy, NASA has powered on a new instrument installed on the International Space Station (ISS).

The instrument, Total and Spectral solar Irradiance Sensor (TSIS-1), became fully operational with all instruments collecting science data as of this March, NASA said.

“TSIS-1 extends a long data record that helps us understand the Sun’s influence on Earth’s radiation budget, ozone layer, atmospheric circulation, and ecosystems, and the effects that solar variability has on the Earth system and climate change,” said Dong Wu, TSIS-1 project scientist at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland.

TSIS-1 studies the total amount of light energy emitted by the Sun using the Total Irradiance Monitor, one of two sensors onboard.

This sensor’s data will give scientists a better understanding of Earth’s primary energy supply and provide information to help improve models simulating the planet’s climate.

The second onboard sensor, called the Spectral Irradiance Monitor, measures how the Sun’s energy is distributed over the ultraviolet, visible and infrared regions of light.

Measuring the distribution of the Sun’s energy is important because each wavelength of light interacts with the Earth’s atmosphere differently.

For instance, spectral irradiance measurements of the Sun’s ultraviolet radiation are critical to understanding the ozone layer — Earth’s natural sunscreen that protects life from harmful radiation.

“All systems are operating within their expected ranges,” said Peter Pilewskie, TSIS-1 lead scientist at the University of Colorado Laboratory for Atmospheric and Space Physics in the US.

(IANS)

Lakhs of Mumbai commuters were severely hit as more than 80,000 drivers of aggregator cabs like Ola and Uber went on strike here on Monday, an official said.

“The strike has been launched from midnight in support of various demands of the drivers who are being meted out injustice by the companies. If the government fails to intervene, they shall go on an indefinite strike,” Sanjay Naik, President of Maharashtra Navnirman Vahatuk Sena (MNVS), told,

The MNVS is affiliated to Raj Thackeray-led Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS).

He added that several thousands of drivers of Ola and Uber had also joined the protest in Aurangabad, Nashik, Pune and other cities in Maharashtra as part of an all-India agitation.

Despite repeated attempts by IANS, spokespersons for both the companies declined to comment on the strike.

The worst-hit were people proceeding to airport or railway stations to catch flights or long-distance trains, besides local commuters rushing for business meetings.

Naik claimed that both Ola and Uber had promised big returns of more than Rs 1.25 lakh per month to the cab drivers who invested beteen Rs 5 and 7 lakhs.

“Now the situation is that many drivers earn barely half the promised amount which is not even sufficient to cover their costs. The drivers are practically on the verge of starvation owing to the mismanagement by the two companies,” Naik said.

Moreover, the companies give preference to their own vehicles rather than the driver-owned vehicles, which has led to a steep decline in the latter’s business.

Owing to these, Naik said there has been drop of more than 20 percent in Mumbai alone of the cabs running on this platform, hitting both the drivers and the commuters.

The MNVS has appealed to the Mumbai commuters to make alternative arrangements and “support the fight for justice” by the Ola and Uber drivers.

The Mumbai Taximen’s Union has supported the strike. Its General Secretary A.L. Quadros demanded that the Regional Transport Authority take strict action against Ola and Uber for violating permit conditions and eating into the business of autorickshaws and taxis.

IANS

Sony India on Monday announced the appointment of Sunil Nayyar as its new Managing Director, a first for an Indian.

Nayyar’s term as Managing Director of the company will take effect from April 1, Sony India said in a statement.

“Being one of the most recognised consumer electronics brand, it is an exciting time to lead the company’s direction in India,” Nayyar said on his appointment.

Nayyar replaces Kenichiro Hibi, who has now been appointed as President for Sony Brazil also with effect from April 1.

Hibi held the position as Managing Director of Sony India for six years from 2012 till 2018.

At Sony India, Nayyar held the position of Sales Head from April 2006 till April 2015 prior to moving to Sony North America as head of Retail Experience, a position which he held from May 2015 till March 2018.

Nayyar started his stint at Sony in 1995, as part of Sony Gulf’s sales team in charge of North and East Africa, Russia, Lebanon, Syria and several other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

“In this time of transition, I look forward for an insight from our stakeholders and help guide in further strengthening Sony’s presence in India,” Nayyar said after being appointed as Sony India’s Managing Director.

Sony India on Monday announced the appointment of Sunil Nayyar as its new Managing Director, a first for an Indian.

Nayyar’s term as Managing Director of the company will take effect from April 1, Sony India said in a statement.

“Being one of the most recognised consumer electronics brand, it is an exciting time to lead the company’s direction in India,” Nayyar said on his appointment.

Nayyar replaces Kenichiro Hibi, who has now been appointed as President for Sony Brazil also with effect from April 1.

Hibi held the position as Managing Director of Sony India for six years from 2012 till 2018.

At Sony India, Nayyar held the position of Sales Head from April 2006 till April 2015 prior to moving to Sony North America as head of Retail Experience, a position which he held from May 2015 till March 2018.

Nayyar started his stint at Sony in 1995, as part of Sony Gulf’s sales team in charge of North and East Africa, Russia, Lebanon, Syria and several other Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries.

“In this time of transition, I look forward for an insight from our stakeholders and help guide in further strengthening Sony’s presence in India,” Nayyar said after being appointed as Sony India’s Managing Director.

(IANS)

About the survey: Expedia®, world’s largest full service online travel agency, released the results of the Generational Study, a report exploring the travel preferences and behavior of consumers across multiple generations. The report also highlights online travel searching and booking habits and critical details that influence travel consumer trends and action. The study suggests that over than 85% of Indians have personally booked travel online (Boomer: 85%, Gen X: 86%, Millennial: 90, Gen Z: 70%) in the last year.

Mr. Manmeet Ahluwalia, Marketing Head, Expedia in India said, “Travel is becoming a crucial part of life, especially with the younger generations- Millennials and Gen Z. While 61% of Gen Z are willing to get a part-time job to save money to go on a leisure trip, 91% Millennials save money for travel. Travel is not just a getaway, but also a time for self-reflection and introspection. No wonder the statistics suggest that 71% of millennials travelled alone last year”.

“We are also witnessing the older generations catching up with the online marketplaces. They are getting more and more comfortable with online purchases, be it fashion, home furnishings or travel. The study points out that 86% Gen X and 85% Boomers personally booked travel online in the past year,” he added.

DETAILED FINDINGS:
TRAVELER PROFILE & BEHAVIOR
· More than 85% of Indians have personally booked online travel in the past year. Married people of all ages, particularly those with children, are the sweet spot for booking travel.
o Boomer: 85%, Gen X: 86%, Millennial: 90%, Gen Z: 70%
o Married: 91% and Non Married: 78%
o With Kids: 87% and Without Kids: 80%
· Saving for travel is a top priority, especially for Millennials while Gen Z is the least likely to implement this into their budget. Overall 83% save money for travel with 69% Gen Z, 91% Millennials, 80% Gen X and 75% Boomers saving money for travel.
· There is higher propensity to spend extra money on experiences over products
o Experiences: Gen Z- 57%, Millennials – 63%, Gen X- 62%, Boomers – 63%, Total-61%
o Products: Gen Z- 43%, Millennials – 37%, Gen X- 38%, Boomers – 37%, Total-39%
· Interestingly 70% Baby Boomers, 74% of Gen X, and 81% of Millennials are willing to spend half or more of 1,000,000 rupees on leisure travel, while 77% of Gen Z would allocate half or less to travel.
o All: Gen Z- 5%, Millennials- 19%, Gen X- 10%, Boomers- 8%
o None: Gen Z- 11%, Millennials- 1%, Gen X- 3%, Boomers- 29%
· Preferred type of leisure travel experience
o Connections (Spending time with loved ones): Gen Z- 74%, Millennials- 81%, Gen X- 78%, Boomers- 80%
o Adventure (Exploring, meeting new people, trying new things): Gen Z- 76%, Millennials- 81%, Gen X- 69%, Boomers- 66%
o Relaxation (unwind, de-stress, sleep in): Gen Z- 68%, Millennials- 82%, Gen X- 74%, Boomers- 70%
o Traditional (site-seeing): Gen Z- 65%, Millennials- 78%, Gen X- 81%, Boomers- 81%
o Living like a local (unique experiences such as one-of-a-kind events, restaurants, etc.): Gen Z- 62%, Millennials-71%, Gen X- 20%, Boomers- 66%
· Most common reason for leisure travel
o Getaway (leisure trip or vacation): Gen Z- 40%, Millennials-47%, Gen X- 61%, Boomers- 59%
o Friend or family-related visits: Gen Z- 44%, Millennials-32%, Gen X- 31%, Boomers- 39%
o Holiday (Republic Day, Christmas): Gen Z- 38%, Millennials-40%, Gen X- 25%, Boomers- 12%
o Cultural (exploring a new area): Gen Z- 25%, Millennials- 34%, Gen X- 35%, Boomers- 35%
o Pilgrimage or religious travel: Gen Z- 16%, Millennials-14%, Gen X- 23%, Boomers- 31%
· Average amount of time spent on a typical leisure trip (including travel time)
o 2 Days (Weekends): Gen Z- 23%, Millennials-14%, Gen X- 10%, Boomers- 7%
o 3-5 Days (Long Weekend): Gen Z- 32%, Millennials-34%, Gen X- 38%, Boomers- 33%
o 1 Week: Gen Z- 21%, Millennials-26%, Gen X- 30%, Boomers- 28%
o 10 Days – 2 Weeks: Gen Z- 10%, Millennials-19%, Gen X- 14%, Boomers- 25%
· While overall 36% Indians travelled alone last year, a staggering 71% of millennials travelled alone. Boomers and Gen X split their travel time evenly between travelling with others and alone.
[Gen Z- 62%, Millennials- 71%, Gen X- 47%, Boomers- 50% ]
· Company on leisure trip (usually or always)
o Spouse: Gen Z- 14%, Millennials- 60%, Gen X- 73%, Boomers- 84%, Total – 53%
o Family Members: Gen Z- 50%, Millennials- 52%, Gen X- 36%, Boomers- 29%, Total – 47%
o Child(ren): Gen Z- 12%, Millennials- 51%, Gen X- 68%, Boomers- 51%, Total – 44%
o Significant other: Gen Z- 18%, Millennials- 43%, Gen X- 38%, Boomers- 45%, Total – 36%
· Travel cost split for leisure trips last year: Spouse
o We pay together: Boomer – 11%, Gen X – 18%, Millennials – 17%, Gen Z- 8%
o Partner pay for them: Boomer – 61%, Gen X – 37%, Millennials – 35%, Gen Z- 11%
· Travel cost split for leisure trips last year: Friends
o We pay for our own individual costs: Boomer – 31%, Gen X – 21%, Millennials – 37%, Gen Z- 25%
o We pay together: Boomer – 30%, Gen X – 36%, Millennials – 37%, Gen Z- 47%

SEARCH AND BOOKING TRAVEL
· 84% Indian travelers think it is helpful to be able to book all travel and hotel accommodations on one website. Generational Preference: Gen Z- 77%, Millennials- 85%, Gen X- 86%, Boomers- 89%
· Preferred way to book leisure travel and accommodations
o Online travel agency website: Gen Z- 50%, Millennials- 59%, Gen X- 45%, Boomers- 59%
o Visit websites separately: Gen Z- 23%, Millennials- 16%, Gen X- 14%, Boomers- 20%
o Talk to or work with a travel agent: Gen Z- 16%, Millennials- 12%, Gen X- 26%, Boomers- 13%
· Saving between 20% – 29% is the sweet spot (minimum savings required) necessary for half of travelers to book flight and hotels together
· Factors to absolutely choose an online travel agency website over an individual website when booking transportation and/or accommodations for a leisure trip:
o Best price available/guaranteed: Gen Z- 28%, Millennials- 36%, Gen X- 42%, Boomers- 53%
o Excellent customer service: Gen Z- 23%, Millennials- 29%, Gen X- 29%, Boomers- 28%
o Free cancellation on hotels: Gen Z- 23%, Millennials- 17%, Gen X- 24%, Boomers- 18%
o Cash back offers: Gen Z- 24%, Millennials- 18%, Gen X- 20%, Boomers- 13%
o Discount coupons on hotels: Gen Z- 21%, Millennials- 14%, Gen X- 15%, Boomers- 10%
· Primary motivating factors when selecting the details of a leisure trip:
o Best Deal (By Total): Airline Flight: 60%, Hotel: 60%, Rental Car: 54%, Restaurants or bars: 39%, Sightseeing or activity: 29%, Cruise: 22%
o Best Experience (By Total): Sightseeing or activity: 61%, Restaurants or bars: 39%, Cruise: 32%, Hotel: 32%, Rental car: 24%, Airline Flight: 22%
· Advance flight and accommodation bookings for leisure trip:
o 0-14 Days: Gen Z- 42%, Millennials- 19%, Gen X- 20%, Baby Boomers- 14%
o 15-30 Days: Gen Z- 28%, Millennials- 38%, Gen X- 31%, Baby Boomers- 30%
o 30-60 Days: Gen Z- 17%, Millennials- 35%, Gen X- 34%, Baby Boomers- 39%
o 60-90 Days: Gen Z- 6%, Millennials- 5%, Gen X- 9%, Baby Boomers- 14%
o Over 90 Days: Gen Z- 8%, Millennials- 4%, Gen X- 6%, Baby Boomers- 4%

ONLINE TRAVEL BOOKING INFLUENCES
· Important features for booking accommodations for a leisure trip on an online travel website are Clear Pricing: 86%, Easily accessible information: 85%, Online Reviews: 82%, Online Ratings: 81%, Website easy to navigate: 78%
· Top conditions that would absolutely prevent you from booking a hotel online
o Lack of information about the hotel, rooms, or amenities: Gen Z- 40%, Millennials- 37%, Gen X- 44%, Boomers- 47%
o Multiple poor online reviews: Gen Z- 39%, Millennials- 36%, Gen X- 37%, Boomers- 42%
o Pricing that is notably different than similar hotels in the area: Gen Z- 26%, Millennials- 33%, Gen X- 35%, Boomers- 36%
o Not enough or poor quality online photos of the hotel, rooms, or amenities: Gen Z- 27%, Millennials- 20%, Gen X- 25%, Boomers- 21%
o If it takes too long to complete the online booking process: Gen Z- 16%, Millennials- 25%, Gen X- 12%, Boomers- 19%
· Good hotel reviews are an absolute necessity, nearly 1/3 of all travelers say that a hotel must have good reviews in order for them to stay there. The other conditions include:
o Good Hotel Reviews: Gen Z- 24%, Millennials- 30%, Gen X- 40%, Boomers- 31%
o Restaurants with good reviews: Gen Z- 22%, Millennials- 18%, Gen X- 17%, Boomers- 20%
o Room Service: Gen Z- 21%, Millennials- 18%, Gen X- 13%, Boomers- 16%
o Wi-Fi: Gen Z- 15%, Millennials- 10%, Gen X- 12%, Boomers- 6%
· What would you do to go on a trip?
o 61% of Gen Z would get a part-time job to save money to go on a leisure trip
o 42% of Gen Z would stay off the Internet for a week in order to go on a trip
o 52% of Millennials would take on an odd job or freelance work to go on a leisure trip
o 48% of Millennials have postponed a breakup with a significant other in order to still go on a planned trip
· Social media plays a huge part in gen z and millennial travel decisions
o 66% of Millennials have posted a potential travel trip on social media to get the opinion of their friends and family before booking a trip.
o 62% of Gen Z have chosen a destination, flight, hotel, or car rental because they saw it on social media
o 47% of Gen Z have chosen a hotel room or leisure trip destination so they could get a positive response on social media.
· The majority of all generations feel obligated to send a text to a significant other or family member but over 80% of Millennials feel this pressure.
o Yes: Gen Z- 65%, Millennials- 81%, Gen X- 70%, Boomers- 74%
o No: Gen Z- 35%, Millennials- 19%, Gen X- 30%, Boomers- 26%
· Last person you text before you have to turn off wi-fi on the plane?
o Spouse: Gen Z- 4%, Millennials- 35%, Gen X- 32%, Boomers- 44%, Total- 28%
o Mom: Gen Z- 25%, Millennials- 20%, Gen X- 20%, Boomers- 7%, Total- 20%
o Friend: Gen Z- 36%, Millennials- 17%, Gen X- 12%, Boomers- 9%, Total- 20%
o Dad: Gen Z- 15%, Millennials- 10%, Gen X- 7%, Boomers- 4%, Total- 10%

Methodology
The study was jointly led by Expedia and The Center for Generational Kinetics and administered to 1,250 Indian respondents ages 18-65 including a 250-person oversample of Gen Z ages 18-21. Gen Z is defined as those born 1996 and after, Millennials are defined as those born between 1977 and 1995, Gen X is defined as those born between 1965 and 1976, and Baby Boomers are defined as those born between 1946 and 1964. The sample was weighted to the current census data for age, gender, and region. The survey was conducted online from August 8, 2017 to August 17, 2017 and has a margin of error of +/-3.1 percentage points.

About Expedia:
Expedia is world’s largest full service online travel agency with localized sites in 33 countries. Expedia is a one-stop solution for all travel needs, with a comprehensive and distinctive suite of travel with 25000+ holiday activities, 500+ airlines, 500,000 properties and 40M+ post-stay reviews and 30M+ real-time reviews . Expedia in India helps consumers book flights, hotels, flight + hotel, car rentals and tourist attractions, all supported by a call center in India. Also Expedia loyalty program, Expedia+, besides earning points on bookings, allows consumers amenities like room upgrade, spa discounts, breakfast, wi-fi and more. For more information, visit- https://www.expedia.co.in/ or Download the app.
© 2018 Expedia, Inc. All rights reserved. Expedia and the Airplane logo are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Expedia, Inc. in the U.S. and/or other countries.

by Ankit Agarwal, MD at Alankit

In the past couple of months, there has been enough discussion and debate around GST and its implementation. We have almost seen it all, whether it is talking about the viability of GST, its impact on economy, global comparison with various nations which have adopted the structure, experts from various sectors dissecting it, etc. The fact which is now a reality of the day leaves no option for the businesses and other sectors but to adopt and accept this reform in the Indian tax structure. And, in all fairness, this change is only going to lead to a larger national good in the long run.

If we talk about introduction of GST, like any other major transformation in the country- this fact will also take some time to settle in the minds of the people and for the businesses to change the way of doing businesses. The question remains that why is there such a furore and pother about something which has been scanned by various financial experts and has been implemented after thorough economic deliberation for larger good of the nation? Maybe it’s just the fear of unknown.

In India’s tax compliance structure, major challenge lies in the fact that India is not a DIY (Do it yourself) economy. Whenever there is anything related to direct/ indirect business taxation we prefer and reach out to our very own subject matter expert – ‘The CA friend’ to do it for us. Despite the availability of various tools and techniques which can actually help us ease the compliance, we ignore them being too complex for our understanding. Taxation is not the only subject.

There have been many roadblocks for GST compliance which have been highlighted such as technological dependence, complicated compliance tax structure, immense revisions in product changes within the tax slabs, changes in the deadlines etc. most often goes unnoticed is the psychological barrier in change adoption. Taking a step back to remember that when was the last time any economic reform was welcomed with open arms by all stakeholder groups in India? Talking about diversity, it is a well-known reality to everyone. It brings with itself plethora of divergent opinions, which are then laced by local/national political point of views and undercurrents, which together make a perfect cocktail of sentiments which have you vote-in or against a change.

Looking at the situation from a different perspective, we see GSTN is being chastened for many technology glitches, network failure, etc. while filing returns in the present tax structure. Not only GSTN, if we talking about searching for CBSE board results, booking a ticket in ‘tatkal quota’ on the IRCTC website, logging in to a flash sale at any e-commerce website portal, when has the network not broken down? Every form/technology comes with a specific capacity and whenever we overshoot that, it is bound to break down. Then, why are we only pointing out GSTN in this case? Instead, shouldn’t we question our laidback behavior for this break-down?

Procrastination is intrinsic to our nature, we always end up waiting for the last moment or the last minute to file tax returns and if given an option, we don’t even mind paying a little extra to get our jobs done of filing our tax returns post the date of compliance. If this same load is divided across different days of the month in even timeslots, half the problem would be resolved there itself. Therefore, It wouldn’t be wrong to say that GST compliance is a reality we cannot shy away from and hence, instead of creating much ado about nothing, let us all embrace the change and start acting in the direction of positivity together to bring the change in the economy.

About Ankit Agarwal

Mr. Ankit Agarwal, aged about 29 years, is the Managing Director of Alankit Limited, the Flagship company of Alankit Group which is listed on both the premier exchanges of the country- National Stock Exchange of India Limited (NSE) and Bombay Stock Exchange Limited (BSE). He is the youngest director of the Group who joined the company in 2009 and has been contributing towards the growth of the business since then.

He holds a Bachelor degree in Commerce from the University of Delhi. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and is an Associate member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India. Mr. Ankit Agarwal has over 7 years of experience in the field of Finance, Accounting, Process Enhancements, Liaising & Co-ordination as well as Research activities.

His interests include Photography, Traveling, Music and Adventure Sports.

Ola, India’s most popular mobility platform & ICICI Bank, the country’s largest private sector bank by consolidated assets, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to bring forth a range of integrated offers to their customers & driver -partners. Through this alliance, 2 of India’s most popular & trusted brands will bring together their respective technology platforms to offer the following facilities:

Ola booking facility on ICICI Bank’s mobile banking platforms: It will enable ICICI Bank customers to seamlessly book an Ola & pay the fare by using the bank’s mobile banking applications; “iMobile” & “Pockets”.

Access to instant small ticket digital credit: The facility will help Ola customers to get small ticket digital credit instantaneously from ICICI Bank, on the Ola Platform. The digital credit will be available on the basis of a real – time credit assessment algorithm created by the bank. It is based on an intelligent combination of financial & digital behavior patterns like ride frequency & amount amongst others.

The bank will instantly ascertain the creditworthiness of a customer & extend digital credit within a few seconds. The entire process will be completely digital, without requiring any paperwork.

Enable digital payments to driver partners: ICICI Bank will offer a “Pay Direct” card for Ola’s driver partners. With this, Ola’s auto & cab driver partners will be able to get their daily earnings directly into their “Pay Direct” card accounts. Additionally, driver partners can also swipe this card at merchant outlets for their purchases.

Co – branded credit card: ICICI Bank will launch a new co -branded credit card in association with Ola. With this card, customers will benefit from several exclusive offers such as cashbacks & accelerated reward points.

Bhavish Aggarwal, Co – Founder & CEO of Ola averred, “Mobility & banking both play a key role in fostering inclusive growth & creating a lasting development benefits. This alliance will provide increased convenience to customers on both the platforms, as well as hundreds of thousands of driver partners. From API integration, to launching new products & solutions tailored to suit our common pool of millions of customers, the 2 brands will capitalise on each other’s strengths to deliver superior experience and enable smart, sustainable & inclusive mobility for India.”

Anup Bagchi, Executive Director, ICICI Bank averred, “ICICI Bank has always pioneered in ringing in digital innovations & provide world – class banking experience to its customers. Keeping this in view, we are delighted to partner with Ola to introduce a range of new integrated offerings that will deliver unparalleled convenience for customers as well as Ola’s driver partners. These new propositions will help Ola driver partners to manage their finances in a better way, while also enable Ola customers to get easy access to instant credit in a simple & secured manner. Furthermore, ICICI Bank customers will get the dual benefit of booking a cab & making payments directly through their “iMobile” & “Pockets” application. This new partnership resonates our effort of bringing in path breaking solutions, making mobility in banking simpler than ever before. We will continue the model of co -creating to deliver innovative products & services to our customers.”

Ola was Founded in Jan, 2011 by IIT Bombay alumni Bhavish Aggarwal & Ankit Bhati, Ola (formerly Olacabs), is India’s most popular mobile app for personal transportation. Ola integrates city transportation for customers & driver partners onto a mobile technology platform ensuring convenient, transparent & quick service fulfillment. Ola is committed to its mission of building mobility for a billion people. Using the Ola mobile app, users across 110 cities can book from over 800,000 vehicles across cabs, auto – rickshaws & taxis.

Ola has also introduced a range of shared mobility services on its platform like Ola Shuttle & Ola Share for commute & ride – sharing respectively. The app is available on Windows, Android & iOS platforms. Please visit www.olacabs.com/media for more information.

ICICI Bank Ltd. (NYSE:IBN) is India’s largest private sector bank by consolidated assets. The Bank’s consolidated total assets stood at US$ 156.8 billion on 30th Sept, 2017. ICICI Bank’s subsidiaries include India’s leading private sector insurance, asset management & securities brokerage companies, and amongst the country’s largest private equity firms. It is present across 17 countries, including India.

Hyderabad based startup, MYD Labs Private Limited, built another stellar product in making new strides in to SME businesses to make accounting easier, online, cost effective, less stressful in filing their GST Returns.

Traditionally, Indian businesses, particularly, unorganized Small and Medium Enterprises (SME, in short) made their accounting thru written invoices, and few thru accounting consultants who did their accounting at a low monthly pricing. With the introduction of GST, “one nation one tax” initiative under current NDA government, the whole business accounting must be more thorough, and systematic to meet the new compliance norms. This is simply not possible with the paper work, part time accountants, as the law is difficult to understand, and mistakes made by the low-cost service providers may reduce the tax credits there by impacting their profits.

Today, maintaining an accountant costs the businesses around 16K/month (direct) and with the seating costs, and a dedicated computer required for legacy (old) software such as Tally may mount into 20K/month in addition to the software costs, and issues around the software. Innovative cloud solution from EZTax.in helping SMEs to make the accounting effortless, compliant, innovative, and made easy on their pockets.

Cost effective: GST ready Accounting from EZTax.in made available to reduce the overall cost drastically to a one-time cost of Rs. 2.5K (after 50% discount) per year. The whole software runs on Cloud where there is no need to take backups regularly, and an SME himself/herself can book the transactions in the system without any help from an accountant.

Zero Setup: While the cost is just one aspect of it, the software is designed to run with almost Zero setup and provisions made to migrate from Tally like systems to get the customers and items to kick-start the process of creating sales & purchase invoices and send them to the customers and suppliers online, real-time without printing, unless a DC (Delivery Challan), where printing is mandatory.

Handling Complexities from new business: Today, many channels available in selling the products or services. Whether a trader or a manufacturer, SMEs operating with newer business models such as e-commerce operators like Amazon, Flipkart etc. need to bring their invoices from the e-commerce operators, and are required to enter such invoices into the accounting systems to get the GST Return filing done but with EZTax.in GST, a spreadsheet from the e-commerce operators can be uploaded directly to reduce the time to enter and human typo errors that may lead to wrong GST filings.

More Time for your Business: According to Suneel Dasari, CEO of EZTax.in, “Innovation in building a next generation accounting software requires unlearning of what was taught over the years”, he further continued, “SMEs in today’s marketplace has lot pressures in competing with larger companies, the systems need to bring automation required to give them the time to run their business rather struggling to understand accounting”.

Process Maps: New generation entrepreneurs starting businesses due to recent changes by the government made India a business-friendly nation. This in turn producing entrepreneurs with Zero knowledge about accounting, compliance requirements, and is a challenge in adhering Accounting & Tax compliance. Due to the shift in target users, EZTax.in GST made the system extremely user friendly, provided customer, and supplier process maps for easy to follow processes.

Touch / Mobile Friendly: Further to it, Touching or clicking on an entity such as a customer name or supplier name in the system gives the user a complete 360 view of that business transactions including invoices, payments, account receivable and analytics around it, in contrast, eg. a Tally like system requires a well-trained accountant to go to a specific PC, and run a report to send it back to the business owner.

Made for India: The company claimed that the the system is entrely built in India for India, made it with et most care in keeping the data safe in Indian Data Centers, unlike other foreign companies. In addition, the language the system uses simple to understand for even a novice in accounting knowledge.

1st Customer, Customer 1st: While the company is a young organization, their aims are high, and quality standards are on par or some exceeding the mature product development organization. When making the products, the company made sure, that the entire company operations are running on its own product and made itself the 1st customer, Per CEO, “it looks crazy to think, but that makes us 1% of the 1% in the market place. As a service provider, it’s important for us to support our customer with et most respect and dignity, by calling customer 1st organization”.

Future Growth and Revenue modals

MYD Labs as a company’s strategy is to extend EZTax.in beyond its comfort zone to reach new heights. It started around 1.5 years ago, built massive systems including but not limited to Income Tax Filing, TDS, GST, Accounting, Contact Center, Data standards, Artificial Intelligence (AI) modules, analytics. Per CEO, “Next major step for us would be to extend us beyond online presence and establish local tax centers to help our customers. India is a different market in our view where the strategies that worked in other parts of the worlds may not yield great results. Indian customer demands both the right price point and greater engagement. Typically, this is either or in other parts of the world. We are ready take this challenge, plan to extend us. While we expect low margins in Self Service modal until mid-2018, that may change quickly. Our Expert Services, Value Added Services, and Unique services made us strategic made break even in our business”.

When asked on funding the initiatives, Mr. Suneel Dasari, CEO of the company told media that “we are here for long haul, and a self-funded multi crore venture but looking for a strategic partnership that bring visibility, & growth prospects”.

Dr. Wishwas Julka
Worked as Vice President- Global Tata Group Sales
Tata Technologies for 11 plus year and started own startup Aryaanwish Tech Private Limited as Director now catering to skill development and education space
B-12, UGF, Chattarpur Enclave Phase 2
New Delhi-110074
Contact Number- 9810279223/9810499753/9810887223/9871244301(alternate)
Email:- wjulka@yahoo.com, wjulka@hotmail.com and wishjulka@gmail.com
___________________________________________________________________________

Recipient of Four National Awards in 2017

1. Business Leader of the year for inspiring youth for skill development in India by PM office jury
2. Best Motivational speaker Award by Ministry of HRD
3. Edupreneur of The year award by Ministry of Education
4. Most Admired Leader in India for skill development in 2017 by Ministry of Skill Development.
Award ceremony on 25th November,2017 at Constitutional Club of India

Recipient of Honorary Doctorate by Centre for International Accredition Commission India (CIAC) and US university for contribution to Society, Skill Development and Business Fields. To be awarded in person in February 2018 at a Function in Colombo Sri Lanka. I have received one by post – Doctorate in Excellence in Management.

Getting Prestigious HFF Excellence Award on 24th December 2017 at Mumbai. This award had been given to Ms. Hema Malini, Cricketor Ajnkya Rahane, Comedian Sunil Pal, DGP Crime Mumbai, Choreographer Remo Desuza in past years. This year I have been selected for this award.

Dr. Wishwas Julka is an Experienced leader having 19 years plus experience in Indian and International business. Have a meritorius record and got lot of awards and accolodes from World’s leading IT companies for Sales Leadership, Best Sales Leader, Platinum Award etc. Served as Global Tata Group Vice President with Tata Technologies and have demonstrated history of working in the information technology and services industry. Strong professional skilled in Business Process, Product Lifecycle Management, Business Planning, Sales, and Go-to-market Strategy, education and skill development.

A Bechlor of Tech in Electrical Engg from NIT Hamirpur and MBA from IGNOU, and honorary doctorate from CIAC and US University .Believes in even IMPOSSIBLE SAYS I AM POSSIBLE,

Only one in Tata Group 6 Lac plus employees, who is rated A for a decade in appraisals and got 7 promotions in 9 years at Tata

Known for setting up business from scratch and scale it and multiply it, Very ethical, hardworking and focussed professional. Easy to mingle, a team player.

Feel very energetic when intereact with young students and help them with their queries and issues resolution. Have a good fan following among students for my lectures and singing. Have been to 400 colleges for career guidance and motivational lectures

Worked with Former President Dr APJ Abdul Kalam for long time in areas of Technology and skill development in institutes.

Have adopted 35 Kids at an Orphanage in Karnal Haryana (MDD Bal Bhawan) for last 7 Years and take care of their schooling, residential expenses/boarding & Lodging, sports, medical expenses.

Have adopted 2 kids at Missionaries of Charity Goa for 5 years

Have been donating a ration of 1000 rupee each per month to 11 Underpriviledged Families in New Delhi for 5 Years now and donating a sum of 20000/- per month to Gobind Sadan New Delhi, a worship place for Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs and Other religiones, per month for service to humanity and food to underpriviledged.

On Advisory Board of three IIMs, 3 NITs, IMS Ghaziabad, IMT Ghaziabad, Symboisis Nashik and Amity University as a director.

Was BRAIN BEHIND AND ALSO Creative Director of FILM FESTIVAL AND ENTERTAINMENT THUNDER-FFET 2017, FIRST FILM FESTIVAL IN DELHI NCR FEW MONTHS AGO.

Total Experience
19 Years 6 Months
Key Strengths and Professional Achievements
I have enterpreneural skills , and have setup and scaled up business for all the companies I worked for I have strong relationships in India and Abroad and specially in Worldwide Tata Group, which can be a new play area for your organisation.

I am a self motivated, positive attitude person who has never missed his targets- never done 99% and have done 100% plus. 52 awards by Tata Tech, Honda and leading PLM and IT companies for Best Sales Leader in the world, Platinum Awards etc.

Special Traits
I have never missed my targets in my career and known in industry to meet 100% number. Revenue Storm USA, a renowned worldwide company that train senior leaders have rated my competence in worldwide Industry Benchmark levels

International Exposure
I was part of Global Account Plans and sales process for Global Accounts like Honda, Airbus, Goodrich, Tata Steel, Tata Motors/Jaguar Land Rover,Visteon/Varroc India etc. The Global Account had representations from Account Manager/ my counterpart VP for EU and NA and we used to plan/ review and control the account in best possible “ Global Way”.
Opened Thailand , Korea, Extended Singapore, started China operation and Japn operations for Tata Technologies

Key Achievenents and Area of work
I have spent 16+ years out of approx 19 years experience in selling E products in PLM/ ERP space and in software space and in Education Skill Development space
I have worked through and through in software selling, engineering and enterprise services selling ( Engg & Design, Digital Manufacturing, Product Life Cycle Management (PLM), Education, Training & skill develeopment and Govt and Defense.
Have managed and led Tata Tech- Hindustan Aeronotics Limited (HAL) JV- Tata HAL Tech in Bangalore way back in 2008-2009
Also, Runner up of a TV singing Reality Show and this year recording three playback songs , one movie named Dr APJ Abdul Kalam. HAVE WON 400 PLUS BEST SINGER AWARDS AND PERFORM WITH ALMOST ALL PLAYBACK SINGERS LIVE WHEN GET TIME. YOU MAY GOOGLE AND SEE MY VIDEOS.
Regular and in demand guest faculty for students from IIMs, IITs, NITs and other institutes for my motivational lectures and practical knowledge sharing with students, had been to more than 400 colleges.

Family Members
My Father Sh. Kailash Nath Julka, Mech Engineer and retired from Himachal Govt Services and 76 years old
My wife Vandana Julka, MBA, MA English and BSc Genetics. A housewife
My Son Aryan Julka, 14 years old, 9th Standard. Best Under 12 Player of Cricket in Delhi and got award from Mr. Sehwag. Will try for Indian Junior Premiur League next year. Also a singer.