INDIA | Pixr8 News

25Jul By PriyankaNo Comments

INDIA

WhatsApp to roll out payments service in India later this year

WhatsApp, which has over 400 million users of its messaging service in India, plans to roll out its much-awaited payments service in the country later this year, more than a year after it began testing the offering here. The Facebook-owned company has been testing its payments service in the country since last year with about a million users, but could not launch full-fledged services as it has been awaiting regulatory approvals. Speaking at an event here on Thursday, WhatsApp Global Head Will Cathcart said the company's vision is to make sending money as easy as sending messages on the platform. "We built payments based on the UPI standard, partnered with banks here in India... We believe that if we did this right, it will accelerate financial inclusion and bring more people in I...

24Jul By AdityaNo Comments

INDIA

PayPal opens Third Tech Centre in India

Hyderabad, 24 July 2019: Digital payments platform PayPal opened its third global technology centre in Hyderabad. The two other centres are in Chennai and Bengaluru. "The Hyderabad facility would house around 100 engineers across roles, including risk management and operations, to provide cutting-edge digital payments solutions to customers around the world," said Guru Bhat, Vice-President and Head of Engineering, PayPal India, said to Pixr8 News. The expansion follows the acquisition of fraud prevention platform Simility in 2018. The new centre will focus on leveraging PayPal's extensive expertise in data science, risk management and machine learning to empower small and medium-sized businesses to identify and protect themselves from fraud. The Nasdaq-listed firm said the Hyde...

20Jul By PriyankaNo Comments

INDIA

Jio becomes second largest Indian telecom operator, profit zooms 45.6% to 891 crore

Reliance Jio becomes India's second largest telecom operator in subscriber base posted 45.6 percent rise in net profit for June quarter of 2019-20 to Rs 891 crore, and said the beta trials of its much anticipated 'JioGigaFiber services' is in the final lap. Reliance Jio raced past Bharti Airtel to become the second largest mobile operator, as per May 2019 data released by telecom regulator TRAI. For the first quarter ended June 30, Reliance Jio's operating revenue stood at Rs 11,679 crore, up 44 percent over the year-ago period. Jio's subscriber base stood at 331.3 million as on June 30, 2019. The June quarter net profit at Rs 891 crore was 45.6 percent higher over the year-ago period and 6.1 percent increase when seen sequentially. The company has recorded profit after tax of Rs ...

18Jul By PriyankaNo Comments

INDIA

Netflix to roll out $3 to $7 per month plan for mobile users in India

Video streaming company Netflix will roll out a cheaper mobile-only plan in India as it looks to woo viewers amid growing competition from other players. The premium content platform also believes that growth in the Indian market is a marathon; and that it is witnessing steady progress here. After several months of testing, the company has decided to roll out a lower-priced mobile-screen plan in India to complement existing plans, Netflix said in a statement."We believe this plan, which will launch in Q3, will be an effective way to introduce a larger number of people in India to Netflix and to further expand our business in a market where Pay TV average revenue per user (ARPU) is low (below USD 5)," it added. Netflix had been testing a $3.5 monthly subscription for mobile devices...

8Jul By PriyankaNo Comments

INDIA

Indian Government start tracking system for Lost Mobiles next month

The Indian government will launch a technology solution next month to enable detection of lost or stolen mobile phones that are operating in the country, an official said to Pixr8 News. The tracking system would make the detection of stolen mobile phones possible even if the SIM card is removed or unique code IMEI number is changed, the official revealed. The Centre for Development of Telematics (C-DoT) is ready with the technology and the service is expected to be launched in August. "C-DoT is ready with the technology. The telecom department will approach the minister for its launch after the Parliament session. It should be launched in the next month," a DoT official told Pixr8 News. The ongoing Parliament session will run till July 26. The Department of Telecom (DoT) had...

5Jul By NitishNo Comments

INDIA

Indian Govt Proposes Exclusive Channel for Startups

India's Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman proposed to set up an exclusive television channel for start-ups that will serve as a platform for discussing issues affecting their growth, funding requirement and tax planning. Presenting the Budget for 2019-20, Sitharaman proposed to start a television program exclusively for start-ups that will be executed by start-ups themselves. "This shall serve as a platform for promoting start-ups, discussing issues affecting their growth, match-making with venture capitalists and for funding and tax planning. This channel shall be designed and executed by start-ups themselves," she said. Commenting on the announcement, the Commerce and Industry Ministry said that it would be within the DD (national broadcaster) bouquet of channels. The chann...

5Jul By AnkitaNo Comments

INDIA

To Remove Angel Tax, Indian Government Proposed Series of Steps

India Finance Minister proposed a series of steps to remove angel tax woes of start-ups and relaxation from income-tax scrutiny. In her maiden budget, the finance minister noted that start-ups in India are taking firm roots and their growth needs to be encouraged. "To resolve the so called angel tax issue, the start-ups and their investors who file requisite declaration and provide information in their returns will not be subjected to any kind of scrutiny in respect of valuations of share premiums," she said. The issue of establishing identity of investors and the source of funds will be resolved by putting in place a mechanism of e-verification, she added. "With this, funds raised by start-ups will not require any kind of scrutiny from the income tax department," the minister ...

2Jul By AdityaNo Comments

INDIA

TikTok refutes allegations of Indian politician over data sharing

Chinese video-sharing app TikTok refuted India's opposition leader allegations of collecting user data illegally. In a statement to media, Chinese firm ByteDance owned app said it abides by all local laws and regulations. The privacy and security of users are its top priority. The statement came in response to India's senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor alleging in the Lok Sabha that the short video platform was illegally collecting data and sending to China. Tharoor had described it an issue of national security. TikTok termed the allegations as "untrue" and said it abides by local laws and regulations in the markets where it operates. It said the Chinese government has no access to TikTok users' data nor does it have any existing partnership with China Telecom. "These claim...

28Jun By PriyankaNo Comments

INDIA

Google Maps launches ‘Stay Safer’ feature in India

Google Maps has introduced an India-first 'Stay Safer' feature for users that will alert and notify users traveling in taxis and auto-rickshaws when their vehicle goes off-route. The feature will also allow users to share the live status of their trips with family and friends, Google said in a statement. Indian users will be able to use the new feature on their Android phones with the latest version of Google Maps, it added. "Through our extensive research across India, we found that a lot of people limit their mobility due to safety-related concerns. To address this, we are launching another India-first feature that will deliver a more relevant and reliable experience to our users," Google Maps Product Manager Amanda Bishop said. She added that the company is committed to brin...

27Jun By PriyankaNo Comments

INDIA

Payment Data related Info should be Stored in India: RBI

The Reserve Bank of India said all India related payments data must be stored only in India and data processed abroad will have to be brought back to the country within 24 hours. "The entire payment data shall be stored in systems located only in India," the RBI said in its FAQs on certain implementation issues raised by the Payment System Operators (PSOs). The RBI had issued a directive in April 2018 on 'Storage of Payment System Data'. It had advised all system providers to ensure that within a period of six months, the entire data relating to payment systems operated by them is stored in a system only in India. The FAQs further said there is no bar on the processing of payment transactions outside India if so desired by the PSOs. "However, the data shall be stored only in In...

20Jun By PriyankaNo Comments

INDIA

Rakuten Launched Social Accelerator in India

TOKYO, Japan & Bangalore, Karnataka, India: Rakuten, Inc., a global leader in internet services headquartered in Tokyo launched its social innovation initiative, Rakuten Social Accelerator in Bengaluru, India. Drawing on the success of the program launched in Japan during 2018, Rakuten India selected three local non-profit organizations, Robin Hood Army, Wildlife SOS and Samarpana Charitable Trust for The Disabled, as inaugural partners for 2019. By working with Rakuten, these partners will be able to make full use of the company’s global portfolio of online services and brand visibility, as well as gain access to industry talent to move their business plans forward at a previously unattainable scale. “I’m thrilled with the launch of Rakuten Social Accelerator in India,” sai...

11Jun By AdityaNo Comments

INDIA

Indian man detects WhatsApp bug, Enters ‘Facebook Hall of Fame 2019’

Facebook honoured an Indian man for discovering a WhatsApp bug that violated the privacy of a user. Manipur based Zonel Sougaijam, a 22-year-old civil engineer, said that the social media giant awarded $5000 to him and also included him in the 'Facebook Hall of Fame 2019', for detecting the WhatsApp bug. Sougaijam's name is currently at the 16th position in a list of 94 people, in the 'Facebook Hall of Fame' for this year. "During a voice call through WhatsApp, the bug used to allow the caller to upgrade it to a video call without the authorisation and knowledge of the receiver. The caller was then able to see what the other person was doing, violating the privacy of the receiver," Sougaijam told Pixr8. After discovering the bug, Sougaijam said, he had reported the matter to th...