Month: January 2021

Memoir my way of capturing the experiences of common man for posterity: Sonu Sood

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Actor Sonu Sood, who transformed from a reel-to-real hero for thousands of migrants as he helped them reach home during the lockdown and even find jobs through his charitable initiatives, says his memoir ”I Am No Messiah” is his way of chronicling the experiences of the masses when life came to a standstill courtesy the coronavirus pandemic.

Sood was catapulted to national fame as he came forward to help stranded and jobless migrants during the over two month-long lockdown from March 25, 2020, as the country’s poor poured out of cities and took to highways to reach their home, sometimes covering the journey of thousand miles on foot.

Moved by their plight, Sood and his team launched an initiative to help these workers in Mumbai and different parts of the country. He also introduced Pravasi Rojgar app for job seekers and launched e-rickshaws to the underprivileged. Looking back, the ”Dabangg” star said, his interactions with the people changed the way he looked at life and inspired the memoir, which he has penned with Meena K Iyer.

It (lockdown) changed my outlook towards life. I will always remember 2020 as a year when we all tried to be the best versions of ourselves. It (memoir) was my way of capturing those moments for posterity. The memoir is extremely special. Right from the time when I began penning down my experiences to the time when it released a while back, every moment has been special, Sood told.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Accept or Delete your account: WhatsApp’s new policy update explained

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Facebook backed messaging platform WhatsApp has updated its terms of service and privacy policy which will come into force from February 8, 2021. To continue using the app, WhatsApp clarifies that users can either accept the new terms and policy or delete their accounts, making this update mandatory for all.

The biggest highlight with this new update is that going forward, WhatsApp will share all the information collected with Facebook and its subsidiaries. The company claims that they are updating the new policy for better “integrations across Facebook’s family of apps and products” while providing transparency on what data will be shared with Facebook and more importantly how it will be used.

Both Android and iOS users received a full-screen pop up on their application, that provided a snapshot of the key updates.

Automatically Collected Information: How WhatsApp Plans To Use Your Data

The company’s new Terms and Privacy Policy provides information on how WhatsApp will collect and process your data. The app will now automatically collect your usage and log information. This includes information about your activity, which includes details like how you use the app’s services and how you interact with others who are using their services, especially on business accounts. WhatsApp will record the time, frequency, and duration of your activities and all your interactions.

Automatically Collected Information: Device And Connection Information

This includes information such as hardware model, operating system information, battery level, signal strength, app version, browser information and mobile network. WhatsApp will also be tapping into your connection information which includes your phone number and mobile operator.

What’s New: Transactions And Payments Data

With a sharper focus on services, going forward if end up using WhatsApp’s payments services, or their services meant for purchases or other financial transactions, additional information about you will be processed. This will include payment account and transaction information like payment method, shipping details and transaction amount.

What’s New: Location Information

WhatsApp will collect and use precise location information from your device. The company claims that this will be done with the user’s permission or when you choose to share your location with your contacts.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Hero Electric delivers first 12 e-bikes to Pioneer Asia Group

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

EV maker Hero Electric on Wednesday said it has delivered the first 12 e-bikes to Sivakasi-based Pioneer Asia Group for employees’ commute in the first phase of the deal and is in discussion with the group for further orders. Pioneer Asia Group is the largest match producer in the country with more than 400-workforce, including factory workers.

”We are happy to partner with Pioneer Asia Group and be a part of their initiative to provide green vehicles to its employees for the work commute. Hero Electric Optima-HX will offer a great experience of a smooth, efficient ride to the company’s employees,” said Sohinder Gill, Chief Executive Officer, Hero Electric. ”We are looking forward to providing more Hero bikes to the company for the rest of its employees under this initiative,” he added.

With the partnership taking shape, Hero Electric will deliver more electric bikes to the company in future, Hero Electric said. With its recent launch of the Optima-HX under the ”City Speed” variants, the e-two-wheelers will ensure low running cost, high-performance, best value for money, among others for its clients, the company said.

.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

COVID-19 test kit makers are preparing for a life post-pandemic: Here’s how

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

India’s diagnostics majors spent the greater part of 2020 trying to make COVID-19 test kits in India. These companies have now begun planning for a post-pandemic life.

With daily case counts revealing a plateau in numbers of infections and tests, diagnostics companies are bracing for an inconvenient but expected fall in demand for COVID-19 test kits.

Part of the game plan involves launching a quest for alternate revenue streams, especially once vaccination begins.

When the pandemic began early last year, Chennai-based medical devices manufacturer Trivitron began investing in manufacturing RT-PCR test kits at its plant in Chennai. Today, the company has a capacity of two crore COVID test kits per month, at its plants in Chennai and Vizag, which account for 60 percent of Trivitron’s 2020 revenues. The company’s conventional business through the manufacturing ultrasound machinery and CT scans is down 50 percent

With India moving to the vaccination phase, Trivtrion has begun looking beyond RT-PCR tests.  “The RT-PCR infrastructure which we have created, will have to be put to use in testing for more acids, in order to detect ailments like Malaria, Dengue and HIV,” said Dr GSK Velu, Chairman and Managing Director, Trivtron, “Testing for these ailments has so far been import-dependent. Now, I foresee companies producing test kits for these ailments as well, in India.”

Dr Velu believes the implication of such a scenario is a molecular approach to testing (like the RT-PCR test for COVID-19) for other viruses as well, infrastructure for which is already present in India thanks to investments while preparing for COVID-19 testing. “So the approach of entire molecular testing, which was almost 95 percent import-dependent, will become less than 10 percent import-dependent now,” he adds.

To provide context, when the pandemic had only just begun in March, India’s COVID-19 testing infrastructure was only about 10 percent localised and heavily reliant on Chinese imports. Subsequently, manufacturers like Mylab and Trivitron began making COVID test kits, which were priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,300 per kit. These prices have fallen to just under 300 rupees today, thanks to large-scale manufacturing.

Mylab now wants to replicate this model for other molecular test kits too, to ensure that molecular testing is the norm even after COVID-19 comes to an end.

“Just before COVID, India was hardly doing 1 percent PCR or molecular tests. Today, we have more than 3,000 to 4,000 centres doing these tests,” says Hasmukh Rawal, Promoter & Managing Director of Pune-based Mylab, “The major factor was the cost of infrastructure, but we have proved that even a high-end test like a molecular test, which was hardly 1 percent, can be brought to the common man if we work at scale.”

Indian companies aren’t the only ones making these test kits in India. The Aatmanirbhar Bharat push seems to have worked in getting overseas diagnostics manufacturers to manufacture here. German medical device maker, Siemens Healthineers, has earmarked about Rs 1,300 crore to set up an innovation hub in Bengaluru, with specific focus on molecular testing.

With localisation levels of these kits hitting the 90-percent mark, a country with a population as large as that of India’s, seems to be ticking most boxes in staying self-reliant even in the post-pandemic months.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Toyota drives in new Fortuner in India with price starting at Rs 29.98 lakh

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Toyota Kirloskar Motor (TKM) on Wednesday launched the new version of its premium SUV Fortuner, priced between Rs 29.98 lakh and Rs 37.43 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi). The company also introduced a high-end trim of the model, christened as Legender, priced at Rs 37.58 lakh.

The new Fortuner comes with 2.8-litre diesel engine mated to a six-speed automatic and six-speed manual transmission and 2.7-litre petrol powertrain with six-speed automatic and five-speed manual transmission. The manual two-wheel diesel trim is priced at Rs 32.48 lakh, while the automatic variant is tagged at Rs 34.84 lakh. Similarly, the manual four-wheel-drive version is priced at Rs 35.14 lakh and the automatic is tagged at Rs 37.43 lakh.

Similarly, the manual petrol trim is priced at Rs 29.98 lakh and the automatic version is priced at Rs 31.57 lakh. Legender with diesel-powered two-wheel-drive engine mated to an automatic transmission is priced at Rs 37.58 lakh (all prices ex-showroom).

TKM said it has commenced the bookings of Fortuner as well as Legender. The Fortuner trims get new features like 11 speaker JBL Audio, seat ventilation system and a new infotainment system, with Android Auto/Apple Carplay connectivity.

Besides, both Fortuner and Legender also come with connected features like geo-fencing, real-time tracking, last parked location, among others. The four-wheel-drive versions now come with lockable differential as an additional feature. ”For more than a decade, the Fortuner has proven itself to be the most dependable SUV becoming the top-most choice for customers across every corner of the country.

Also Read: Maruti Suzuki adds S-Cross, Ignis, WagonR to its subscription offering

”The Fortuner witnessed demand despite the effects of the pandemic on the economy. Therefore, it gives me great pride to introduce the new Fortuner and new Legender to the ever-growing base of loyal customers in India,” TKM Managing Director Masakazu Yoshimura said. TKM Senior Vice President (Sales and Service) Naveen Soni said the key addition to the new Fortuner and Legender is connected technology that enables many features.

”The infotainment system also comes with Android Auto/Apple Carplay connectivity to provide more convenience. We are sure that the customers will enjoy the new features and continue to put their faith in India’s most admired SUV,” he added. The company anticipates great demand for the new offerings across all major Tier I, II and III markets in the country, Soni said.

Fortuner currently commands over 50 percent market share in the premium SUV segment in the country, he noted. ”With new features and design changes we expect to continue to lead the segment,” Soni said.

Since its launch in 2009, over 1.7 lakh units of Fortuner have been sold in India. ”The new Fortuner is born out of our understanding of customer feedback. The idea was to enhance the toughness of the vehicle and give it a powerful presence and distinctiveness like no other,” Toyota Motor Corporation Chief Engineer Yoshiki Konishi said.

The enhancements were more than just skin deep in the model, he noted. ”We have also upgraded the engine by introducing a new heavy-duty Turbo, designed for powerful performance, and improved frictional efficiency. As a result, the Fortuner Automatic now puts out 500Nm of torque, making it the best in the segment,” Konishi said.

For Legender, the company has brought in a sense of exclusivity in the design language and style, he added.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

IOC buys its first cargo of Iraqi Basra Medium oil-data: Source

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Indian Oil Corp (IOC), the country’s top refiner, has loaded its first cargo of Iraq’s new Basra Medium crude grade which was introduced this year, according to ship-tracking data from Refinitiv Eikon and a source with knowledge of the matter.

IOC loaded the cargo onto Minerva Kalypso, a suezmax-sized vessel, which left Iraq’s southern port of Basra on Jan. 4, the data showed. The ship is expected to arrive at Chennai port in southeastern India around Jan. 14.

Iraq has increased Basra crude exports by introducing this new grade after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and its allies agreed to raise output by 500,000 barrels per day (bpd) in January.

”From this year IOC will get all three grades – Basra Light, Basra Medium and Basra Heavy – depending on the availability with the supplier,” the source said, adding that the 1 million barrels of Basra Medium crude would go to IOC’s subsidiary Chennai Petroleum Corp.

Chennai Petroleum and Indian Oil Corp did not immediately respond to requests for comments. Along with Chennai Petroleum, IOC controls about a third of the 5 million bpd of refining capacity in India.

Iraq’s state oil marketing company (SOMO) launched the new sour crude grade in January by splitting the existing Basra Light production into two grades to provide better quality stability.

”Basrah Medium helps fill the gap of a shortage of heavy oil globally due to sanctions on Iran and Venezuela, declining production in Colombia and Mexico and OPEC+ quotas,” analytics firm Kpler said.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow

Four dead at India steel plant after suspected gas leak

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

Listen to the Article (6 Minutes)

Four contract workers at the Steel Authority of India Limited’s Rourkela steel plant in eastern India died on  Wednesday after a suspected gas leak, the state-owned company said in a statement. The four men were employees of private firm M/S Star Constructions and were engaged in maintenance work at the plant’s coal chemicals department, SAIL said.

”The workers felt unwell at around 9 a.m. on 06.01.2021 and were immediately rushed to the ICU of Ispat General Hospital (IGH) at Rourkela for treatment,” the company said in a statement.

”A high-level committee has been formed to inquire into the cause of the incident and all emergency protocols have been immediately activated in the plant.” The inspector general of police Kavita Jalan told Reuters that the police were investigating the deaths.

The plant was functioning normally, public relations officer Dhirendra Mishra said. SAIL shares fell after the news and were down 2.8% on India’s National Stock Exchange as of 0900 GMT.

Elon Musk forms several ‘X Holdings’ companies to fund potential Twitter buyout

3 Mins Read

Thursday’s filing dispelled some doubts, though Musk still has work to do. He and his advisers will spend the coming days vetting potential investors for the equity portion of his offer, according to people familiar with the matter

KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow