From Irfan Pathan to Mayank Agarwal, Twitter floods with reaction on Harbhajan Singh’s retirement

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

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Veteran off-spinner Harbhajan Singh on Friday bid adieu to all forms of cricket, bringing down the curtain on a 23-year career in the sport. The 41 year old announced his retirement on Twitter.

Soon after the announcement, congratulatory messages poured in from the cricket fraternity. Here’s how some of the current and former players reacted to Harbhajan’s retirement.

Wishing Harbhajan a happy retirement, Irfan Pathan tweeted, “Happy Retirement brother @harbhajan_singh You have been an absolute legend. Always loved your aggression on the field. It was pleasure playing for India alongside you. My favourite memory of us is winning the world t20 and VB series for India!”

Happy Retirement brother @harbhajan_singh You have been an absolute legend. Always loved your aggression on the field. It was pleasure playing for India alongside you. My favourite memory of us is winning the world t20 and VB series for India ! pic.twitter.com/yZ0pE3WEeL

— Irfan Pathan (@IrfanPathan) December 24, 2021

Calling him a legend of the game, Kuldeep Yadav tweeted, “A legend of the game and a match winner for our country Thank you @harbhajan_singh Paaji for your guidance and helping me with my game. You will be missed. Best wishes.”

A legend of the game and a match winner for our country 🇮🇳 Thank you @harbhajan_singh Paaji for your guidance and helping me with my game. You will be missed. Best wishes 🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/JyudeIuKtK

— Kuldeep yadav (@imkuldeep18) December 24, 2021

Congratulating the spinner, Mayank Agarwal said, “Congratulations @harbhajan_singh for a wonderful career. I remember as a kid watching you take that hattrick against Australia in 2001. Thank you for the great memories Bhajji paa. I wish you best for the journey ahead.”

Congratulations @harbhajan_singh for a wonderful career. I remember as a kid watching you take that hattrick against Australia in 2001. Thank you for the great memories Bhajji paa. I wish you best for the journey ahead.

— Mayank Agarwal (@mayankcricket) December 24, 2021

“More than a truly great player, Bhajju Pa was always a big brother for all the juniors.@harbhajan_singh would make us laugh all the time and was someone who always made the dressing room like our home. Best wishes in your new innings. #harbhajansingh,” Parthiv Patel said on Twitter.

More than a truly great player, Bhajju Pa was always a big brother for all the juniors. @harbhajan_singh would make us laugh all the time and was someone who always made the dressing room like our home. Best wishes in your new innings. #harbhajansingh pic.twitter.com/8aNhOYvFDW

— parthiv patel (@parthiv9) December 24, 2021

Umesh Yadav said, “One of the finest to represent who won so many games for the nation. Best wishes Bhajju Paa on your retirement @harbhajan_singh.”

One of the finest to represent 🇮🇳 who won so many games for the nation. Best wishes Bhajju Paa on your retirement. 🙏 @harbhajan_singh

— Umesh Yaadav (@y_umesh) December 24, 2021

Suresh Raina tweeted, “Your contribution to Indian cricket will always be cherished, @harbhajan_singh paaji wishing you all the best for your future.”

Your contribution to Indian cricket will always be cherished , @harbhajan_singh paaji wishing you all the best for your future 🙌🇮🇳 https://t.co/QryqQd3557

— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) December 24, 2021

Gautam Gambhir said, “Those who say cricket is becoming a batsman’s game should look at your career. You’re a true superstar @harbhajan_singh!”

Those who say cricket is becoming a batsman’s game should look at your career. You’re a true superstar @harbhajan_singh! 💪💪 pic.twitter.com/LkLywlFGkO

— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) December 24, 2021

Yuzvendra Chahal said, “Congratulations Bhajji paa on an amazing career. Thank you for always supporting me like a big brother. Best wishes for the future @harbhajan_singh paaji.”

Congratulations Bhajji paa on an amazing career. Thank you for always supporting me like a big brother. Best wishes for the future @harbhajan_singh paaji 🤗 pic.twitter.com/Luh2b6Okva

— Yuzvendra Chahal (@yuzi_chahal) December 24, 2021

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

Explained: How TikTok algorithm is designed to get young users addicted

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

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TikTok was recently crowned as the world’s most popular website in 2021. The video-focused social networking app hosts several short-form videos across a variety of genres. The app beat out internet big names like Google, Facebook, Microsoft, Apple, Netflix and Amazon. A report by domo.com said around 167 million TikTok videos get streamed each minute every day. In comparison, Google, which handles about 90 percent of all internet searches, conducts 5.7 million searches every minute.

Much of the most-visited app’s success hinges on its secretive algorithm. The company’s algorithm aims to create “user value,” “long-term user value,” “creator value,” and “platform value” as translated from Mandarin, reported the NYT.

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The goals were found on a document titled ‘TikTok Algo 101,’ which NYT managed to review. The app is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, which also owns the Chinese sister app to TikTok, called ByteDance.

As per previous reports by The Wall Street Journal, the key to assessing a user’s interest in the app is by calculating the length of time he or she spends looking at the video content. Re-watching the content also makes a difference in TikTok’s scoring.

According to the NYT, the document lays out clearly that the company’s “ultimate goal” is to add daily viewers by increasing “retention” and “time spent.” TikTok wants its users, mostly teens and young kids, to spend as long as possible on the platform and keep coming back as often as possible.

“This system means that watch time is key. The algorithm tries to get people addicted rather than giving them what they really want,” Guillaume Chaslot, the Founder of Algo Transparency, told NYT after reviewing the TikTok documents.

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“Each video a kid watches, TikTok gains a piece of information on him,” he added.

The app’s sophisticated algorithm ensures that every user gets recommended more videos that would make them stay on the platform for longer. And the longer a user spends on the app, and the more videos they watch, the better the algorithm gets at recommending more videos to them.

While the app has recently come under fire for possibly sharing the data of its users with the Chinese government, something for which the app was wholly banned in India, perhaps the real risk that apps like TikTok have are the threat that they possess for addiction of teenagers and young children.

Also read: Complete list of 59 Chinese apps banned by Indian government

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

Mumbai-based Darwin Platform Infrastructure Ltd wins Rs1,814 crore bid for unfinished Lavasa smart city

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

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Darwin Platform Infrastructure Ltd (DPIL) has won the financial bid for Lavasa Corporation — the country’s first privately developed township, near Pune. A press release issued today said Lavasa’s Committee of Creditors (CoC) voted in favour of the plan submitted by DPIL, which proposed a total resolution plan to the tune of Rs 1,814 crore.

Lavasa has been at the centre of controversy in recent years. The corporation developing Lavasa went bankrupt after the environment ministry issued a stop work order in 2010. Thereafter, plans to raise funds failed, leaving the township unfinished and its investors in a lurch. The company was admitted for insolvency to the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLT) in August 2018.

A CoC member, on the condition of anonymity, said DPIL’s plan includes pending payments to homebuyers in 24 months, and construction and delivery of properties in 108 months, among other measures.

Also read: The invisible victims of an unfinished city

“DPIL has proposed a payment plan and schedule that include upfront payment (Rs 100 crore), payment to homebuyers (under RERA) within 24 months of the receipt of EC, construction and delivery of homebuyers’ properties and redemption of the secured NCDs at the end of 108 months. These will incur a cost of Rs 1,466.50 crore. Adding working capital, repair/refurbishment, and other construction costs, the company has offered a total of Rs 1,814 in its revised resolution plan,” the member said.

On November 25, DPIL had submitted an addendum to its November 20 resolution plan. Early this month, the CoC had started the process to finalise a bidder.

“We have an ambitious and long-term plan for Lavasa Smart City. DPIL has capabilities and resources to meet the expectations of the CoC. Our revised resolution offer was very competitive and based on rational cost calculations. DPIL is committed to executing the plan as per the schedule proposed to the CoC,” said Ajay Harinath Singh, group chairman, Darwin Platform Group of Companies.

“Homebuyers are the biggest sufferers, besides the secured financial creditors. We understand their concerns and involve them in the process of revival,” said Vineet Tulsyan of R3 Corporate Advisors, which advised Darwin Group in this endeavour.

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

Trends in digital payments sector we can foresee in 2022

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

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With technology infiltrating and modifying every part of our lives, it has also influenced how we purchase and make payments. There has been a significant movement toward e-commerce, as well as an increase in digital payments. Also, with a host of technological advancements in a full phase, consumers have an expanding variety of options for spending money fast and easily.

The frequency of using digital payments has significantly increased in the past few years. It is no wonder that India continues to shine as a worldwide leader in the sector of digital payments, which underscores the reality that digital payments are becoming an increasingly more vital part of our daily lives.

One of the most consistent trends that have been gaining importance year by year is the Buy Now Pay Later method which is abbreviated as BNPL. The latest generation of BNPL models lets individuals stretch out their expenditures while still getting what they want when they want it frequently with no interest. However, there is an obvious drawback to this type of payment model. Consumers might get themselves into sticky circumstances and even serious debt if repayments are not managed effectively.

India is the fastest-growing digital payments industry, with a 5x increase in contactless payments in only 5 years, and is well on its way to becoming a significant less-cash economy. To meet expanding customer demand, the number of businesses accepting contactless payments has increased tremendously in the last five years, from a numeric figure of 1.2 million in 2015 to over 8 million today.

Obviously, it is still seen as an emerging trend which surely will see its growth in the upcoming year too. In recent years, the advent of QR codes has opened up a whole new world of contactless possibilities. The codes enable immediate payments by scanning them with your mobile phone, making virtual payments even faster. With all these developments in the picture, it would only be a matter of years until India adopts contactless payments on a broad scale and becomes a genuinely cashless economy.

With the wide usage of digital payments, reward points along with purchases have been adopted by various merchants in order to boost brand engagement and retention which can be foreseen as a trend in the digital payment sector to be set in 2022. With this one’s increasing popularity, users can now effortlessly and conveniently redeem reward points, allowing businesses to acquire and attract new customers. But the act of earning credit card reward points varies from one bank to another as well as from one card to another because of the difference in the value set in the respective card by the issuing merchant.

Moving on to the next trend that we expect in 2022 is Blockchain Technology. Although we have seen its true essence during its development phase related to cryptocurrencies, we are set to witness exponential development and its impact in the Fintech industries. Blockchain is an open-source platform that enables the real-time movement of online services among market players.

Using any of the blockchain APIs chosen, one may demonstrate a significant reduction in asset transfer costs and timeframes. It is expected that Blockchain will considerably boost transparency among market participants, therefore leveling the competition. With lots of benefits on the plate, it surely is a trendsetter in the digital payment sector in the upcoming year.

With the top trends and technological improvements in the digital payments sector, we are surely going to witness a great deal of positive impact on India’s economy. This eventually will pave the way to a better future with a lot more developments and innovations that are in pace with the businesses as well as the customers.

The author, Rohith Reji, is Co-founder and CBO at Neokred. The views expressed are personal

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

Not just Tesla, this Chinese company too is cashing in on EV boom

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

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The world is rapidly trying to shift to technologies that produce less to no carbon emissions. For most, the biggest change may be in terms of the vehicle that they will be driving in a few years. Vehicles are one of the biggest global emitters of carbon dioxide, and it’s for that reason that the world is switching to EVs and other green alternatives.

Also read: Electric vehicle batteries: Major players and their expansion plans

When it comes to electric vehicles, Tesla might be the most popular choice for many. The California-based automotive giant was recently valued at over $1 trillion, a feat shared by only a few select companies. While Tesla is the world’s largest EV maker, China dominates the sector for its expertise in almost every field associated with EVs.

China’s Contemporary Amperex Technology Company Limited (CATL), in particular, has  greatly benefitted from the boom in EVs. The Chinese company, founded in 2011, specialises in manufacturing lithium-ion batteries for EVs and other energy storage systems. CATL supplies lithium-ion batteries to about half of all the EVs sold in China, and nearly 30 percent of all EVs sold across the world.

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The company’s dominance of the EV battery market is not an accident. The Chinese government has been none too shy to invest in making China a hub for the production of new-age technologies like EVs, and lithium-ion batteries. The country’s decade-long effort to create a powerful lithium-based ecosystem has paid dividends at a time when the demand for EVs is expected to increase exponentially.

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Zeng Yuqun, CEO and Founder of CATL, is now worth over $56 billion, his wealth more than doubling in the past year much like Elon Musk, whose own wealth has rocketed from Tesla’s soaring valuations.

Heavy subsidies, technology transfers, supporting policies and more have made China one of the largest markets for EVs. China’s strength in lithium-ion refining — controlling 80 percent of the global lithium refining capacity according to BloombergNEF — its dominance in securing most of the world’s battery ready cobalt supplies, and a strong logistical system has secured the position of companies like CATL.

Also read: How will solid-state batteries make electric vehicles better?

Now that CATL is the third-most valuable listed company in China, it is taking advantage of the EV boom to secure its position against global and domestic rivals. The company is funnelling billions into expanding its industrial base, continuing to invest in R&D, while also securing its supply of raw materials from around the world.

Also read: How India can capitalise on the rich afterlife of EV batteries

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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

Ed-tech sector set to bring out self-regulation code; government issues advisory against misselling

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

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The ed-tech industry, which is under fire, with the government issuing an advisory to warn customers against misselling and other practices by some ed-tech platters, is working to bring out a self-regulation code, sources told CNBC TV 18.

Industry body Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) has been working with members, which include the leading ed-tech players, to bring out some form of self-regulation that will protect the interests of the customer.

The government has taken note of rising complaints against some ed-tech companies of misleading consumers and put out a stern advisory on December 23, in which it has warned citizens to “carefully evaluate” offer of free services promised by ed-tech companies and also alerted that “some ed-tech companies are luring parents in the garb of offering free services and getting the Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT) mandate signed or activating the Auto-debit feature, especially targeting the vulnerable families.”

The education Ministry has put out a list of Dos and donts, which include warning customers to “avoid Automatic debit option for payment of subscription fee,” and “Avoid credit/debit cards registration on apps for subscriptions,” and to “not trust the “Success stories” shared by ed-tech companies without proper checks.”

The ministry has also asked ed-tech companies to comply with the Consumer Protection (E-Commerce) Rules, 2020 and the Advertising Standards Council of India’s Code for Self-Regulation and to ensure transparency in advertisements.

There have been multiple Social media posts and reports about ed-tech company Byju’s that cite instances of misleading and misselling, which has led to a concern with the ed-tech sector.

Byju’s did not respond to CNBCTV18’s queries on the advisory and customer complaints.

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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