India will witness a rise in gamers by 2025.

The number of Indian gamers is expanding at a compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12% and is expected to jump to 700 million in FY25 compared with 507 million in 2021, said a new report by Dentsu titled Gaming Report India 2022 – For the Game.

The report said that 46% of gamers in India are women and that overall, ‘Real Money Game’ revenues currently constitute 57% of market size but future growth is projected to be driven by in-app purchases growing at a 34% CAGR. There were 120 million paying users in FY22, which represents a 24% conversion rate.

Anita Kotwani, CEO, Carat India & lead at Dentsu Gaming, said, “Gaming’s growing cultural impact, combined with the promise of the metaverse, has generated endless opportunities for advertisers. With the meteoric expansion of esports and streaming platforms, gaming has shifted from solitary play to spectator sport. Gaming platforms are now the main avenue for social connections and self-expression. One cannot follow the cookie-cutter approach anymore given the fluidity & dynamism of the industry.”

Things To Do Before Purchasing An EV

Electric vehicles (EVs) have become an increasingly popular option for consumers. For starters, they’re better for the environment. However, other advantages like government incentives, tax credits, and reduced fuel costs make it an option many find hard to turn down. Although these are excellent advantages, there are things to consider before driving off the car lot. Continue reading to learn more.

Shop Around For Affordable Insurance

When purchasing an electric car, most consumers don’t realize that they’re more expensive to insure. That’s because the cost to repair or replace an electric vehicle is higher than a gas-fueled car. Insurance companies will have to shell out thousands of dollars if you get in an accident. Ultimately, they try to offset those costs by increasing premiums.

That doesn’t mean you can’t find affordable insurance for your EV; you’ll just have to do your homework. Start with the vehicle type. The make and model of your vehicle can make a significant difference in insurance costs. For instance, Teslas are the most expensive to insure, while a Honda CRV-FHEV is among the cheapest.

As with any auto insurance, do some comparison pricing and consider discounts like bundling, good student, safe driver, defensive driving, and low mileage to keep the costs reasonable.

Selecting And Installing An EV Charging Station

People who have EV charging stations in their homes can make sure their car is always ready to go when needed. Of course, you’ll want to select the correct charger for your vehicle. While most EVs come with options to plug straight into an outlet, the charge time is slow. However, level 2 stations (which charge faster and have many features like wi-fi access) may require professional installation.

Shop around for the most affordable and convenient EV charging station that’s compatible with your vehicle’s battery needs. If an installation is necessary, you’ll want to find a service provider that can safely add the unit to your home. It’s essential to include the cost of installation into your budget. You may also notice a spike in your utility bill, which is an ongoing expense you’ll need to cover.

Evaluate Repair Costs

Electric vehicles might be cheaper to maintain over their lifespan, but that doesn’t include repairs and replacements. As EVs are still relatively new to the auto industry, it often costs more to repair them. Not to mention, parts tend to be more expensive to replace. Before deciding which electric car is right for you, research common repairs and their expenses. Include your findings in your budget, so you don’t get caught off guard.

Find A Mechanic

When a fuel-powered vehicle breaks down, owners have multiple options of where they can go for service. The same isn’t true for EV owners. Believe it or not, most mechanics aren’t well-versed in repairing electric cars. It often requires that they get additional training and certification before working on EVs. Therefore, you want to choose your mechanic wisely.

If your vehicle is still under warranty, you could always take it to the manufacturer or dealership service station for adequate repairs. However, those without a warranty may find that these options are expensive. The next option would be to complete an online search to locate EV mechanics near you.

As you begin your search, look for mechanics specializing in repairing your vehicle’s make and model. Don’t be afraid to call and ask about their certifications and years of experience. The last thing you want is to send your car to an inexperienced technician as more problems could arise. You should also compare hourly rates to find the most affordable mechanic in your area. As gas prices soar and climate change wreaks havoc on the planet, electric cars are an efficient option for drivers who want to help the environment save money. With more automakers getting into the EV field, buyers have multiple choices that make it easier to find a suitable car for their lifestyles. To get the most out of your eco-friendly ride, ensure that you’ve considered the above advice.

NEOM : the futuristic sci-fi city of Saudi Arabia.

With plans under way to build Saudi Arabia’s smart city Neom, it is set to be a place in the desert unlike anything else on Earth.

NEOM is being called as what ‘New Future might look like’ by Saudi Arabia. Neom is a portmanteau of the Greek word neos. NEOM is being built on the Red Sea in northwest Saudi Arabia. It can be imagined as a place where entrepreneurship and innovation would frame the course for this New Future. The city is being marketed as a new model for sustainable living, working and prospering. Saudi officials describe it as “the world’s most ambitious project.”

Unveiling the project, Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said the 170-kilometre coastal strip in the north-west of the country would be free of cars and streets and have zero carbon emissions.

The smart city will be powered entirely by clean energy, a major step in Saudi Arabia’s shift away from an oil-based economy.

The Line is to be built in Neom and will be home to nine million people, who will live in interconnected societies run by artificial intelligence designed to coexist with nature, with excavation on this massive project having now started.

Confronting the traffic, pollution and infrastructure challenges that overshadow urban life in conventional cities, this futuristic development will prioritise walkability, clean energy and technology to create a new way of living.

ISRO's new achievement : launches 36 satellite for UK based OneWeb.

The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has successfully deployed the latest batch of 36 satellites for satellite operator OneWeb, aboard its heavyweight configuration Geosynchronous Satellite Launch Vehicle (GSLV)-Mk.III rocket. The launch marked the first commercial mission that used ISRO’s GSLV, also known as the Launch Vehicle Mark III (LVM3).

The collaboration is a result of ISRO’s commercial arm NewSpace India Limited’s two service contracts, signed with One Web for launching low Earth orbit (LEO) broadband communication satellites. ISRO said that as part of the contract, 36 satellites will be placed into orbit by one LVM3, from Satish Dhawan Space Centre in Sriharikota in Andhra Pradesh.

The mission marked the second launch of the year for OneWeb, backed by Bharti Enterprises, after the conflict in Ukraine disrupted the UK operator’s plan for completing its satellite launches this year. Prior to the Ukraine-Russia war, OneWeb was using Russia’s central space agency Roscosmos’ commercial launch services through its Soyuz rockets.

However, amid geopolitical sanctions imposed on Russia by nations including the UK, erstwhile Roscosmos head Dmitry Rogozin said that the OneWeb satellites would not be released back to the company — unless the UK government ceded to the nation’s demand of removing the sanctions.

What is 'ONDC' initiative by GoI.

To reduce the dominance of e-commerce giants like Flipkart and Amazon, the government rolled out its big initiative — Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC) — for public in Bengaluru. With the help of ONDC, government plans to help small retailers and create an alternative to dominant global giants like Amazon and Walmart, who controls over half of India’s fast-growing e-commerce market.

The platform aims to create new opportunities, curb digital monopolies and by supporting micro, small and medium enterprises and small traders and help them get on online platforms. It is an initiative of the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.

The government says existing platforms work in silos and are tightly controlled, keeping out many small players. It expects ONDC to increase competition and foster innovation by start-ups.
It also hopes to bring in logistics firms and others who can collaborate with sellers to deliver products to customers.

The focus would be on small merchants and rural consumers, with apps in Indian languages.
ONDC officials liken the network to a mall with 1,000 gates instead of just two, thereby limiting opportunities for selected sellers to receive preferential treatment – a common accusation against major e-commerce companies. Users will be able to rate service providers on ONDC, which will be applicable and visible across the network. The government says ONDC will help to end “predatory pricing, especially in high-margin, high-value products”. Amazon and Flipkart deny that they have engaged in predatory pricing.

How does ONDC work?

The ONDC platform lies in the middle of the interfaces hosting the buyers and the sellers. So far, the buyer side interface is being hosted by Paytm, whereas the seller side interface is being hosted by other players like GoFrugal, etc.

When a buyer searches for an item on the Paytm app, from where ONDC has gone live, the app will connect to the ONDC platform, which will connect it to seller side interfaces that will list all the companies from where you can buy the particular item.

On ONDC, there will be several other backend partners such as logistics service providers, enterprise resource planners, e-commerce store hosting service providers, etc.

India set a new record by exporting cellphones more than $1 billion worth in september month

Monthly mobile phone exports from India touched the $1-billion mark (over ₹8,200 crore) for the first time ever in September. They were boosted by the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme, which has pushed global players such as Apple and Samsung to increase local production for the domestic as well as overseas markets.

According to data available, mobile phone exports for April-September more than doubled to $4.2 billion, from $1.7 billion in the corresponding period of 2021. Previously, the highest monthly export of cellphones was in December 2021, when devices worth $770 million were shipped. Exports hovered around $700 million each month during June-August this year.

The growth in exports is primarily driven by Apple contract manufacturers Foxconn, Wistron and Pegatron as well as Samsung; these companies are the leading global participants of the government’s Rs 40,995-crore PLI scheme announced by the government in April 2020.

IInvenTiv to emerge as a key forum which will provide solutions to complex global problems

Union Minister for Education and Skill Development and Patron-in-Chief of IInvenTiv Shri Dharmendra Pradhan, today inaugurated IInvenTiv – the first-ever all-IITs R&D Showcase at the Indian Institute of Technology, Delhi. The two-day event that would conclude on October 15th brings academia and industry under one roof to showcase India’s global R&D strength. A brochure for IInvenTiv was also launched by the Minister, followed by a visit to the exhibition booths.

The inaugural session was also graced by Mr Sunil Bharti Mittal, Founder and Chairperson Bharti Enterprises, as the Guest of Honour, accompanied by Dr. Pawan Goenka, Chairman, Steering Committee IInvenTiv; Dr. BVR Mohan Reddy, Co-Chairman, Steering Committee IInvenTiv; and Dr. Subhasis Chaudhuri, Director IIT Bombay, and Convener, Steering Committee IInvenTiv.

Speaking on the occasion Shri Dharmendra Pradhan expressed his happiness to be part of this historic-first event that bears testimony to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s mantra of ‘Jai Anusandhan’ to build an Aatmanirbhar Bharat. The Minister said that IITs are no more just Indian Institutes of Technology, but today, they have become Instruments of Transformation. IITs are the repositories of knowledge & experience and bridge to the future, he added.

Shri Pradhan highlighted that the Covid pandemic has clearly shown us the impact of what happens when technology driven research commits itself to the service of human race. Whether, it is development of Indian vaccines within a short span of time that not only benefitted Indians but millions of people across the world. It has all been possible because of brilliant minds like yours, he added. He further said that these are the signs of an Atmanirbhar Bharat and we have to encourage the relationship of Academic R&D – new age technology – industry- Society even more to take research and innovation to the zenith so that no one is left behind.

The Minister said that our IITs have to move beyond being just engineering colleges. We have to stop benchmarking IITs on the basis of placement packages. IITs should redefine parameters and benchmark on number of innovations brought in the market, innovations monetised, and number of job creators created. He also said that technology will drive the next phase of growth and development with IT and communications technology among the front runners. The world today will invest more vigorously on India. India’s talent, digital-first attitude, market size, emerging purchasing power and growing aspirations is a heady mix to take India forward at an unprecedented speed and scale. Our IITs should seize this opportunity, he added.

Shri Pradhan stated that in the AmritKaal, the anusandhan-led Bharat would be propelled by innovations at the grass roots level and it would seek the participation of all, especially the rural sector. IInvenTiv shall be the start of such a revolution and emerge as a key forum which will provide solutions to complex global problems.

The R&D Fair is being organized in commemoration of the 75th year of India’s Independence in line with the Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav initiative. It has brought over 300 representatives from industry, including startups, along with government, and embassy officials, and global IIT-alumni. Apart from that, overall footfall of around 1500 attendees is expected throughout the event, which includes faculty, students, and research scholars from various institutions, among others.

There are 75 projects and 6 Showcase projects on diverse themes such as, Defence and aerospace, Healthcare (including devices and digital health), Environment and Sustainability (including air, water, rivers), Clean Energy & Renewables (including Hydrogen and EV), Manufacturing (including smart, advanced and industry 4.0), AI/ML/Blockchain technologies (including quantum computing), Smart Cities & Infrastructure (including smart mobility), Communication Technologies (including education and 5G), Robotics, Sensors & Actuators, and Semiconductors, Flexible electronics & Nanotechnology, being exhibited at the event. The projects are aligned with the vision of Make in India, Digital India, and Atmanirbhar Bharat, and are aimed at impacting the lives of all sections of society.

The two-day event would host representatives from Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry (FICCI) and National Association of Software and Service Companies (NASSCOM), along with students, global IIT alumni, faculties of various CFTIs, scientists from DRDO, ISRO, CSIR and ICAR, and so on.

****

RBI may soon launch E-Rupee on pilot phase.

E-rupee or digital rupee is a digital version of the Indian rupee that the RBI is exploring. The RBI has proposed to issue two versions – wholesale for interbank settlement and retail for the public. According to the indirect model proposed by the RBI, you will hold the digital rupee in a wallet with a bank or service provider.

The Reserve Bank of India on 7^th october said it will soon commence the pilot launch of digital Rupee or e-Rupee for specific use cases as it tests digital currency in India.

“As the extent and scope of such pilot launches expand, RBI will continue to communicate about the specific features and benefits of e-rupee, from time to time,” the central bank said in a concept note on Central Bank Digital Currency (CBDC).

The concept note also discusses key considerations such as technology and design choices, possible uses of the digital rupee, and issuance mechanisms, among others.

Premium subscribers only get to watch 4k content on YouTube

Google has been able to acquire the best of the best in almost all sections of the technology world. YouTube has been one of its prized possessions. But at the end of the day. There are some demerits of every app.
In the latest development, some YouTube users are getting a new option in their apps. Some users are getting a premium sign alongside the 4k video resolution option in their video settings. It means that 4k resolution will only be available for premium subscribers.
This particular change will help Google in getting more subscribers and will also increase its revenue. But it is not confirmed, as the trial is still going on and the decision will be taken after some time. Until now, there is still no update from Google regarding this change.
In the recent past, Google has been trying to increase its revenue through different methods. One of them has been evident with the trial that is going on with the several ads for the free account users.
Google also shut down its Stadia gaming platform to redirect the revenue flow. It will also increase their focus on the selective few options, that are the real money maker for them.

Now, there have also been speculations that Google is trying various things to increase its user base for subscriptions. It is due to lesser revenue this year than last year. But on the bright side, the number of subscriptions is increasing on various platforms for Google. One of them is YouTube music.
Now, on the evidence part, users are posting screenshots of the new premium option on Reddit. In return, Google has confirmed that some of the users are getting such options as a part of the trial program. It will let them analyze whether users are willing to pay for such options or not.
Now, it remains to be seen whether users will accept such a change or not. On the contrary, users can also look at a future where there will be two different options. Users can experience so on various platforms like YouTube, YouTube Music, and many others.
A bigger subscriber base here does not mean that it is the end for the free account users because there are quite a few free account users. Google will support the free users also as it is the first reason that users are using YouTube in the first place. The other reason is the rapidly increasing traffic on the internet. It is for the content that allows the users to learn various things, that are related to various fields.
With 5G, taking on the world in different parts of the world, at a fast pace. As the network coverage will improve, the users will be willing to experience better and more advanced features. They will like to experience a video in 4k resolution. So, in return, it might help Google in getting more subscribers. On the other hand, it might not help Google as people may get comfortable with 2k or even Full HD. All of these, are just speculations, and the future is uncertain but exciting.

Web series is the new favorite entertainment source among Indian youth.

The OTT platforms and web series are getting increasingly popular among the youth especially during the COVID -19 lockdown and also post pandemic too. Many research points out that the OTT platforms are a much more customized medium than television and the youth can more relate to the content of the new breed of web series. The recent breed of Indian web series is causing a paradigm shift from traditional television viewing among millennials. It’s a further shift of a traditional audience of a film from 70mm theatre screen and 40 inches television to ultimately in 6 inches mobile screen.

A web series is a series of scripted or non-scripted online videos, generally in episodic form, released on the Internet and part of the web television medium”. To put it simply, a web series is a series of video episodes that are released over time to tell a story, over the internet.

A survey conducted by Adamas University stated that.

Netflix is the most popular platform with 62.8% followed by Amazon Prime with 53.1% and Hotstar (51.3%). However, MX Player and Hoichoi are not far behind. Some not so popular names include TVF, Addatimes, Popcorn, Viu, Zee5, etc. Voot is being watched by 21% of the respondents.

The survey also found out that the comedy genre was preferred by 82% of the respondents whereas as many as 75% said they also like romance genre. The other popular genres which the audience desired are action, crime, and drama. A small portion of the audience said they should bring out more content based on sci-fi and horror stories. So, we also have viewership for and space for such content and it also provides a scope for profits. But, the comedy and romance genre dominates. So, while making web series, the producers can focus on diverse content to attract a larger audience.

Some of the most popular among the respondents are Sacred games, Byomkesh, Kota factory, Little things, Girl in the City, Mirzapur, Stories by Tagore, A Family man, Ghost stories, etc. So, we can say that the youth are not only consuming international content but also Indian content.

Premium subscribers only get to watch 4k content on YouTube

Google has been able to acquire the best of the best in almost all the sections of the technology world. YouTube has been one of its prized possessions. But at the end of the day. There are some demerits of every app.

In the latest development, some YouTube users are getting a new trial run in their apps. Some premium users are able to see a premium sign alongside the 4k video resolution in their video settings. It means that 4k resolution will only be available for the premium subscribers.

This particular change will help Google in getting more subscribers and will also increase their revenue. But it is not confirmed, as the trial is still going on and the decision will be taken after some time. Until now, there is still no update from Google regarding this change.

In the recent past, Google has been trying to increase its revenue through different methods. One of them has been evident with the trial that is going on with the several ads for the free account users.

Google also shut down its Stadia gaming platform to redirect the revenue flow. It will also increase their focus on the selective few options, that are the real money maker for them.

Now, there has also been speculations that Google is trying various things to increase its user base for subscriptions because it has lesser revenue this year than the last year. But on the bright side, the number of subscriptions is increasing on various platforms for Google. One of them is YouTube music.

Now, on the evidence part, users are posting the screenshots of the new premium option on Reddit. In return, Google has confirmed that some of the users are getting such options as a part of the trial program. It will let them analyze that whether users are willing to pay for such options or not.

Now, it remains to be seen that whether users will accept such a change or not. On the contrary, users can also look at a future where there will be two different options for the users in various settings option of Google on various platforms like YouTube, YouTube Music, and many others.

Bigger subscriber base here does not mean that it is the end for the free account users because there are quite a few. Google will support the free users also as it is the first reason that users are using YouTube in the first place. The other reason is the rapidly increasing traffic on the platform for the content that allows the users to learn various things, that are related to various fields.

With 5G, taking on the world in different parts of the world, at a fast pace. As the network coverage will improve, the users will be willing to experience better and advanced forms of the technological world. They will like to experience a video in 4k resolution. So, in return it might help Google in getting more subscribers. On the other hand, it might not help Google as people will get comfortable with 2k or even Ful HD. All of these are just speculations, and the future is uncertain, but exciting.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z49kMBhCL8&list=UU7cT9ISQnj4RoOjY_f0ekYQ

Premium subscribers only get to watch 4k content on YouTube

Google also shut down its Stadia gaming platform to redirect the revenue flow. It will also increase their focus on the selective few options, that are the real money maker for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Z49kMBhCL8&list=UU7cT9ISQnj4RoOjY_f0ekYQ

State owned BSNL may introduce 5g services in the next Independence day.

State-owned telecom operator BSNL will get 5G next year, Union Minister of Communications Ashwini Vaishnaw has said. The minister added that BSNL could launch 5G services on August 15, 2023. Vaishnaw was speaking at the ongoing India Mobile Congress (IMC) 2022 where Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched 5G services in the country.

Asked how BSNL could achieve that target by next year when it is only just launching 4G on its network now, Vaishnaw said that the transition from 4G to 5G is not long and can be achieved in that time frame. He also clarified that initially, BSNL’s 5G will be based on the non-standalone architecture. In the non-standalone architecture, operators can maximise the utilisation of their existing network infrastructure with relatively lower investment.

In July, the government had cleared a Rs 1.64 lakh crore booster shot for the loss-making BSNL with an aim to upgrade the operator’s network to 4G, while de-stressing its balance sheet. The four-year turnaround plan includes both a cash component and a non-cash component.

Rollout of 5g service in India.

India is close to getting its first taste of 5G for the masses. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to announce 5G network services in the country on October 1 during the sixth edition of the IMC (Indian Mobile Congress) event. Now, Indian telecom player Vodafone Idea has announced that it will also launch and demo its new cloud gaming capabilities at the event.

Reliance Jio is set to bring in its 5G plans by Diwali in India, around the period of October 22 – 26. The service will initially be available in four Indian cities. These are Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata and Chennai Reliance Jio has also announced that other cities in the country will also get access to 5G services in a phased out manner by December 2023.

Airtel has announced that the telecom operator will rollout 5G services in eight Indian cities starting today. While Airtel hasn’t clarified which eight cities these are, expect metro cities like Mumbai and Delhi to be included. Airtel has also announced that it will bring 5G connectivity all across India by March 2024

However, Vodafone Idea did not announce any 5G-related developments during the launch.

Home grown alternative to GPS, know all about India's "NavIC".

Navigation with Indian Constellation (NavIC), also called the Indian Regional Navigation Satellite System (IRNSS), is considered on par with US-based GPS, Russia’s Glonass and Galileo developed by Europe.

Making innovative applications to the entire community in the ocean-based services, especially for the underserved and unserved, the NavIC constellation is really going to create history, according to ISRO Chairman K Sivan.

By using receivers on the ground, IRNSS-1I will help in determining position and time accurately through signals in a space covering India.

Standard Positioning Service (SPS) and Restricted Service (RS), which are provided to all and authorised users respectively, are the services associated with IRNSS.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi named the independent regional navigation satellite system developed by India as “NavIC” which offers services like terrestrial and marine navigation, disaster management, vehicle tracking and fleet management, a navigation aid for hikers and travellers, visual and voice navigation for drivers.

Built at a cost of $174 million, NavIC was originally approved in 2006 and became operational in 2018.

Consisting of eight satellites, NavIC is currently being used for providing emergency warning alerts to fishermen venturing into the deep sea where there is no terrestrial network connectivity and in public vehicle tracking in India.

In order to ensure the availability of NavIC signal in any part of the world, India’s satellite navigation draft policy in 2021 stated the government will work towards “expanding the coverage from regional to global.”

With the aim of removing dependence on foreign satellite systems for navigation service requirements, NavIC is conceived particularly for “strategic sectors.”

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