Facebook & Alibaba To Team Up In India

Reports are spreading up that Alibaba Group Holding Limited and Facebook Inc. are teaming up to play pivotal role together in one of the fastest growing economies, India. Growing smarphone user base in India one of the factor that Alibaba & Facebook will tie knot in India.

This information hasn't garnered much traction in the market but these are calculated moves from the two giants.

Around 80% of the online orders in China were shipped by Alibaba and many believes that China market has come to saturation point for Alibaba and that is why company is eyeing India as its next "go to" market, as India has very similar demographics as China.

Moreover, Alibaba is looking to invest around $550 million in One97 Communications. One97 owns Paytm, an online payment platform with more than 20 million registered users, a platform that Alipay would look to grow with. Alipay is China's leading third-party online payment solution owned by Alibaba.

On the other hand, Facebook not only has a large user base in India but also multiple offices which it is looking at expanding. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg’s maiden trip to India in October, 2014 hints that Facebook is looking tap Indian market and drive more user growth as Zuckerberg spoke of reaching out to the rural areas of the country to improve connectivity through technology, in other words, drive upward a 100 million user-base that Facebook currently has through India, second to USA.

India has over a billion population however only 292 million managed to surf internet constituting about 19% of its population. With such a huge consumer base waiting to be tapped, signs are ominous that the tie-up between the two is only the start to a much more penetrative growth plan.

Top 10 Disruptive Technologies To Watch In 2015, In India

A disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network (over a few years or decades), displacing an earlier technology.

Technology is one such thing which keeps evolving and changing every second, every minute. The year 2014 saw many breakthroughs in high-tech, space-tech, clean-tech, wearable tech, cyber tech, biotech etc. and 2015 seems to be even more promising on the technology front.

India hogged the limelight last year with its inventions like futuristic mass transport, smart shoes, IoT devices Water ATMs and a devicet hat turn breath into words etc. This year, the country has plans of taking forward the previous year’s momentum and is all set to give out some amazing inventions to the tech world.

We, at IndianWeb2.com have put together a list of ten disruptive areas in which the country’s companies can make a mark in the next 12 months.

Here we go!

• 
  

  Immunotherapy

  
  
  
  Pharmaceutical companies all around the world are investing heavily in it. Immunotherapy tries to modulate one’s immune system to fight cancer and autoimmune diseases. It does so by enhancing the immune response and suppressing an overactive immune system respectively. Immunotherapy is an extremely promising field and various Indian companies already established a base for themselves in this field.
  
  Bangalore-based drug discovery services company Aurigene Discovery Technologies has started one such example which has started working in this hot new area of immunotherapy. Although several global Big Pharma and biotech start-ups have immunotherapy molecules, Aurigene has a completely different class of them and is the only company in the world developing peptides against immune checkpoints, natural mechanisms that cancers hijack to evade the immune system.
  
  Delhi-based firm Curadev has a few molecules under development, including for cancer immunotherapy, for which it has filed patent applications. The area of immunotherapy is so hot that Curadev had already got enquiries for acquiring this asset, but the company is pressing on to develop it on its own. With all these programmes now accelerating, no one should be surprised if an Indian anti-cancer molecule hits the market in a decade.
  
  Other companies like Biocon, Invictus Oncology and Apac Biotech are some of examples which can contribute to the field in a large way in the coming years.


• 
  

  Ecommerce Optimization & Security

  
  
  
  The ecommerce market has seen a phenomenal growth in the past few years. This growth in the online commerce has also led to an increase in the need for technologies to optimize the online experience for buyers and sellers. Various Israeli companies are already providing the world with ecommerce solutions and the year 2015 will see these companies moving into software for mobile commerce, affiliate commerce, social-network commerce and various other forms of integrated online business.
  
  A related aspect of this is the user authentication software. The software will enable users to find out if someone’s online profile is fake or real. This software will be of great help to the users of online dating and services websites like Airbnb and eHarmony.
  
  In India, startups like TargetingMantra, TookiTaki and Lytkraft are some of examples which can contribute to the field in a large way in the coming years.


• 
  

  Computer Vision

  
  
  
  As Wikipedia explains - "Computer vision is a field that includes methods for acquiring, processing, analyzing, and understanding images and, in general, high-dimensional data from the real world in order to produce numerical or symbolic information, e.g., in the forms of decisions." Computer vision has also been described as the enterprise of automating and integrating a wide range of processes and representations for vision perception.
  
  Countries like US, Japan and Israel has always remained ahead of the rest of the world in teaching computers how to make sense of what they "see" by making use of smart algorithms. The country is considered as a world leader in this technology.
  
  Not much of promising Indian companies are working in computer vision industry, so its one of a field that requires attention from Indian companies and start-ups to grab this one of the hottest disruptive technology in the world.


• 
  

  Cyber Security

  
  
  
  In today’s world, where most of our time is spent online, cyber security is one of the major concerns. In the past few years, many Indian companies have come forward with detection tools for cyber attacks. The year 2015 will see the companies focusing on smart analytical and big-data security systems so as to prevent the detection-fatigue caused due to false alerts and manage the existing detection tools in the market.
  
  In India, Data Resolve Technologies, Secugenius Security solutions, Lucideus Tech, Pristine InfoSolutions, Valancy Networks and Mirox Cyber Security & Technology are some of the companies to watch out for in the Cyber Security area this year.


• 
  

  Advertising & Monetization

  
  
  
  India is becoming popular all around the world for algorithmic advertising, also known as programmatic advertising to some.
  
  Ad solutions based on the wisdom of ad agencies and creative content are a thing of the past. Nowadays computers play an important role in the execution and planning of ad campaigns. In 2014, Israel earned a whopping $3 billion in exports in the advertising and monetization market. This year will see a massive growth in algorithm buying and real-time advertising and placing of advertising space. Mobile advertising will acquire the centre stage in 2015 and Israel will have an important role to play in it.
  
  In India, InMobi,Komli, Tyroo and Pubmatic are among key player in advertising space whereas Mobobeat is a brand new Goa-based company involved in algorithmic ad serving. ReduceData and AdPushup are other key player in monetization space.


• 
  

  Mobile Productivity

  
  
  
  India companies have plans of taking your Smartphone’s productivity to a whole new level in the year 2015. Personal assistance mobile applications will combine crowdsourcing and big-data crunching capabilities with sophisticated prediction technology in order to take the user to the next level of efficiency in everything from finding a parking space to planning a meeting and reaching there on time.


• 
  

  Wearable & Mobile Health Devices

  
  
  
  Wearable Technology and mobile health devices will achieve new heights in the year 2015. The year could see face and eye tracking devices made in Israel being embedded into smart watches or other wearables in order to measure sobriety and diagnose medical conditions ranging from concussion to ADHD to Alzheimer’s. 2015 could also see Israeli knowhow being packaged into more and more mobile devices that could double as monitoring, diagnostic and treatment tools.
  
  In India, Cochin/Kerala-based RHL Vision Technologies Pvt. Ltd. developed wearable ring called Fin that make your palm as numeric keypad and gesture interface. Another India based startup Ducere Technologies has come up with smart-shoe called Lechal shoes which helps wearer to navigate, tag location, counts your steps, and tracks your calories burnt. Bangalore's Koramangala startup 2mpower Health Management Services Pvt. Ltd. has built a wearable wrist-band called 'GetActive Tapp' which syncs with your smartphone to


• 
  

  Smart Data Storage

  
  
  
  A lot of money was invested in the Indian data storage companies last year. The investment was the result of the growing demand for solutions in storing big data and high-definition, real-time content.
  
  India made innovative storage products are expected to shake the market this year. The market will see the launch of hybrid software solutions which will allow the combing and management of old and cheap magnetic storage with the very new and slightly costly flash storage.
  
  Chennai-based MyEasyDocs, Delhi-based Digiswitch Infotech and Bangalore-based CloudByte Technologies are some of examples which can contribute to smart data storage space in India in a large way in the coming years.


• 
  

  Machine-Machine & Human-Machine Interface

  
  
  
  This year will see more and more Indian companies introducing operating platforms, security systems, sensors and detectors for bringing out the Internet of Things revolution in machine-to-machine connectivity, as well as stirring a parallel revolution in human-to-machine interface.
  
  In India, the most promising startups working in human-machine interface field are - Fin Robotics, GridBots, nKonnect and Solfice. In Machine-Machine interface area CarIQ is key player which looks promising too.


• 
  

  Internet of Things

  
  
  
  Internet of Things (IoT) as a vertical is still in its early stages. Experts feel that IoT has the potential to disrupt in a similar fashion as the internet and mobile did. Global giants like Apple, Google and Samsung have sniffed big opportunities early on and are set to launch their consumer-focused smart devices like smart glasses, smart-watches and health monitoring devices.
  
  India saw many IoT based startups in last one year, CarIQ, RHLvision Technologies, 2mpower Health Management Services, smart-shoes creator Ducere Technologies, Connovate Technology, Ineda Systems and Altizon Systems are some of examples which can contribute to Internet of Things space in India in a large way in the coming years.

Top 10 Disruptive Technologies To Watch In 2015, In India

A disruptive innovation is an innovation that helps create a new market and value network, and eventually disrupts an existing market and value network (over a few years or decades), displacing an earlier technology.

Technology is one such thing which keeps evolving and changing every second, every minute. The year 2014 saw many breakthroughs in high-tech, space-tech, clean-tech, wearable tech, cyber tech, biotech etc. and 2015 seems to be even more promising on the technology front.

India hogged the limelight last year with its inventions like futuristic mass transport, smart shoes, IoT devices Water ATMs and a devicet hat turn breath into words etc. This year, the country has plans of taking forward the previous year’s momentum and is all set to give out some amazing inventions to the tech world.

We, at www.indianweb2.com have put together a list of ten disruptive areas in which the country’s companies can make a mark in the next 12 months.

Here we go!

• 
  

  Immunotherapy

  
  
  
  Pharmaceutical companies all around the world are investing heavily in it. Immunotherapy tries to modulate one’s immune system to fight cancer and autoimmune diseases. It does so by enhancing the immune response and suppressing an overactive immune system respectively. Immunotherapy is an extremely promising field and various Indian companies already established a base for themselves in this field.
  
  Bangalore-based drug discovery services company Aurigene Discovery Technologies has started one such example which has started working in this hot new area of immunotherapy. Although several global Big Pharma and biotech start-ups have immunotherapy molecules, Aurigene has a completely different class of them and is the only company in the world developing peptides against immune checkpoints, natural mechanisms that cancers hijack to evade the immune system.
  
  Delhi-based firm Curadev has a few molecules under development, including for cancer immunotherapy, for which it has filed patent applications. The area of immunotherapy is so hot that Curadev had already got enquiries for acquiring this asset, but the company is pressing on to develop it on its own. With all these programmes now accelerating, no one should be surprised if an Indian anti-cancer molecule hits the market in a decade.
  
  Other companies like Biocon, Invictus Oncology and Apac Biotech are some of examples which can contribute to the field in a large way in the coming years.


• 
  

  Ecommerce Optimization & Security

  
  
  
  The ecommerce market has seen a phenomenal growth in the past few years. This growth in the online commerce has also led to an increase in the need for technologies to optimize the online experience for buyers and sellers. Various Israeli companies are already providing the world with ecommerce solutions and the year 2015 will see these companies moving into software for mobile commerce, affiliate commerce, social-network commerce and various other forms of integrated online business.
  
  A related aspect of this is the user authentication software. The software will enable users to find out if someone’s online profile is fake or real. This software will be of great help to the users of online dating and services websites like Airbnb and eHarmony.
  
  In India, startups like TargetingMantra, TookiTaki and Lytkraft are some of examples which can contribute to the field in a large way in the coming years.


• 
  

  Computer Vision

  
  
  
  As Wikipedia explains - "Computer vision is a field that includes methods for acquiring, processing, analyzing, and understanding images and, in general, high-dimensional data from the real world in order to produce numerical or symbolic information, e.g., in the forms of decisions." Computer vision has also been described as the enterprise of automating and integrating a wide range of processes and representations for vision perception.
  
  Countries like US, Japan and Israel has always remained ahead of the rest of the world in teaching computers how to make sense of what they "see" by making use of smart algorithms. The country is considered as a world leader in this technology.
  
  Not much of promising Indian companies are working in computer vision industry, so its one of a field that requires attention from Indian companies and start-ups to grab this one of the hottest disruptive technology in the world.


• 
  

  Cyber Security

  
  
  
  In today’s world, where most of our time is spent online, cyber security is one of the major concerns. In the past few years, many Indian companies have come forward with detection tools for cyber attacks. The year 2015 will see the companies focusing on smart analytical and big-data security systems so as to prevent the detection-fatigue caused due to false alerts and manage the existing detection tools in the market.
  
  In India, Data Resolve Technologies, Secugenius Security solutions, Lucideus Tech, Pristine InfoSolutions, Valancy Networks and Mirox Cyber Security & Technology are some of the companies to watch out for in the Cyber Security area this year.


• 
  

  Advertising & Monetization

  
  
  
  India is becoming popular all around the world for algorithmic advertising, also known as programmatic advertising to some.
  
  Ad solutions based on the wisdom of ad agencies and creative content are a thing of the past. Nowadays computers play an important role in the execution and planning of ad campaigns. In 2014, Israel earned a whopping $3 billion in exports in the advertising and monetization market. This year will see a massive growth in algorithm buying and real-time advertising and placing of advertising space. Mobile advertising will acquire the centre stage in 2015 and Israel will have an important role to play in it.
  
  In India, InMobi,Komli, Tyroo and Pubmatic are among key player in advertising space whereas Mobobeat is a brand new Goa-based company involved in algorithmic ad serving. ReduceData and AdPushup are other key player in monetization space.


• 
  

  Mobile Productivity

  
  
  
  India companies have plans of taking your Smartphone’s productivity to a whole new level in the year 2015. Personal assistance mobile applications will combine crowdsourcing and big-data crunching capabilities with sophisticated prediction technology in order to take the user to the next level of efficiency in everything from finding a parking space to planning a meeting and reaching there on time.


• 
  

  Wearable & Mobile Health Devices

  
  
  
  Wearable Technology and mobile health devices will achieve new heights in the year 2015. The year could see face and eye tracking devices made in Israel being embedded into smart watches or other wearables in order to measure sobriety and diagnose medical conditions ranging from concussion to ADHD to Alzheimer’s. 2015 could also see Israeli knowhow being packaged into more and more mobile devices that could double as monitoring, diagnostic and treatment tools.
  
  In India, Cochin/Kerala-based RHL Vision Technologies Pvt. Ltd. developed wearable ring called Fin that make your palm as numeric keypad and gesture interface. Another India based startup Ducere Technologies has come up with smart-shoe called Lechal shoes which helps wearer to navigate, tag location, counts your steps, and tracks your calories burnt. Bangalore's Koramangala startup 2mpower Health Management Services Pvt. Ltd. has built a wearable wrist-band called 'GetActive Tapp' which syncs with your smartphone to


• 
  

  Smart Data Storage

  
  
  
  A lot of money was invested in the Indian data storage companies last year. The investment was the result of the growing demand for solutions in storing big data and high-definition, real-time content.
  
  India made innovative storage products are expected to shake the market this year. The market will see the launch of hybrid software solutions which will allow the combing and management of old and cheap magnetic storage with the very new and slightly costly flash storage.
  
  Chennai-based MyEasyDocs, Delhi-based Digiswitch Infotech and Bangalore-based CloudByte Technologies are some of examples which can contribute to smart data storage space in India in a large way in the coming years.


• 
  

  Machine-Machine & Human-Machine Interface

  
  
  
  This year will see more and more Indian companies introducing operating platforms, security systems, sensors and detectors for bringing out the Internet of Things revolution in machine-to-machine connectivity, as well as stirring a parallel revolution in human-to-machine interface.
  
  In India, the most promising startups working in human-machine interface field are - Fin Robotics, GridBots, nKonnect and Solfice. In Machine-Machine interface area CarIQ is key player which looks promising too.


• 
  

  Internet of Things

  
  
  
  Internet of Things (IoT) as a vertical is still in its early stages. Experts feel that IoT has the potential to disrupt in a similar fashion as the internet and mobile did. Global giants like Apple, Google and Samsung have sniffed big opportunities early on and are set to launch their consumer-focused smart devices like smart glasses, smart-watches and health monitoring devices.
  
  India saw many IoT based startups in last one year, CarIQ, RHLvision Technologies, 2mpower Health Management Services, smart-shoes creator Ducere Technologies, Connovate Technology, Ineda Systems and Altizon Systems are some of examples which can contribute to Internet of Things space in India in a large way in the coming years.

Bangalore's Team Indus Bags Google Lunar Xprize of $1 million To Land Robot On Moon

Last year we reported that how a startup from Bangalore - Team Indus has successfully chosen for Google space mission, now the latest update is that Team Indus has been successful in making India proud by becoming the first private enterprise that will land a robot on the moon. The Bengaluru based Startup has also won $1 million in prize for competing with some world class companies and completing an intermediate milestone.

Founded by Indranil Chakraborty, Rahul Narayan and Julius Amrit, Team Indus is one of the five lucky teams in the $30 million Google Lunar Xprize. The startup was successful in crossing a major milestone by developing a robot that is capable of landing on the moon and then travel five hundred meters on its surface and send back information to the Earth.

The Bengaluru startup has raised seed capital funding from a number of investors in the past. Some of the famous names are Sharad Sharama, the founding member of thinktank Ispirt, Shekhar Kirani and Subrata Mitra of Accel Partners and Vivek Raghavan, chief product manager of UIDAI.

According to Vivek Wadhwa, an entrepreneur turned academic, “This is good news for India for sure, but it is a better news for mankind because it shows that governments no longer have a monopoly on space exploration.”

The Bengaluru based startup is battling it out with some of the top private funded companies from all around the word. The companies include Space-IL, an Israel based company backed by several top-notch Israeli institutions, Astrobotic, which is a spinoff from the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute and Moon Express.

Around 26 best teams from all around the world are competing in the Google Lunar Xprize. The mission is expected to cost a whopping $30 million, when it is complete. “I expect it will inspire Indian entrepreneurs to solve many big problems that the country has,” added Wadhwa.

Xprize was launched in India last month. It is an incentive driven competition that has an aim of bringing together problem solvers from all across the globe to take on big challenges head on. India is the first country for Xprize outside the United States of America. Industry veteran Ratan Tata, Paresh Ghelani of BPG Motors and Naven Jain of Inome are the famous names responsible for bringing Xprize to India.

Bangalore's Team Indus Bags Google Lunar Xprize of $1 million To Land Robot On Moon

Last year we reported that how a startup from Bangalore - Team Indus has successfully chosen for Google space mission, now the latest update is that Team Indus has been successful in making India proud by becoming the first private enterprise that will land a robot on the moon. The Bengaluru based Startup has also won $1 million in prize for competing with some world class companies and completing an intermediate milestone.

Founded by Indranil Chakraborty, Rahul Narayan and Julius Amrit, Team Indus is one of the five lucky teams in the $30 million Google Lunar Xprize. The startup was successful in crossing a major milestone by developing a robot that is capable of landing on the moon and then travel five hundred meters on its surface and send back information to the Earth.

The Bengaluru startup has raised seed capital funding from a number of investors in the past. Some of the famous names are Sharad Sharama, the founding member of thinktank Ispirt, Shekhar Kirani and Subrata Mitra of Accel Partners and Vivek Raghavan, chief product manager of UIDAI.

According to Vivek Wadhwa, an entrepreneur turned academic, “This is good news for India for sure, but it is a better news for mankind because it shows that governments no longer have a monopoly on space exploration.”

The Bengaluru based startup is battling it out with some of the top private funded companies from all around the word. The companies include Space-IL, an Israel based company backed by several top-notch Israeli institutions, Astrobotic, which is a spinoff from the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute and Moon Express.

Around 26 best teams from all around the world are competing in the Google Lunar Xprize. The mission is expected to cost a whopping $30 million, when it is complete. “I expect it will inspire Indian entrepreneurs to solve many big problems that the country has,” added Wadhwa.

Xprize was launched in India last month. It is an incentive driven competition that has an aim of bringing together problem solvers from all across the globe to take on big challenges head on. India is the first country for Xprize outside the United States of America. Industry veteran Ratan Tata, Paresh Ghelani of BPG Motors and Naven Jain of Inome are the famous names responsible for bringing Xprize to India.

Microsoft Reveals HoloLens, A Holographic Glasses For Augmented Reality

Microsoft has something wonderful in store for its users. The technology giant has finally taken the holodeck route with Hololens. Microsoft Hololens are completely wireless holographic glasses. They come with see-through lenses, spatial sound and advanced sensors. They are a self contained unit as they have their own custom CPU and a new Holographic Processing Unit to work efficiently.

Microsoft Hololens has been designed to work completely independent. It doesn’t require a computer or a phone to wirelessly connect to in order to work. The glasses are somewhat similar to Google Glass but are definitely bigger and better. The Hololens blends the real world with lifelike virtual objects by making use of different kinds of ocular image techniques. Microsoft Hololens can be expected to be launched at the same time as Microsoft’s Windows 10.

Being a Windows 10 device, the glasses will be capable of running any application that a Windows 10 Smartphone or computer normally able to run. The only prerequisite is that the app should have some holomagic User Interface programmed in.



Along with Hololens, the technology giant also revealed a new version of its Windows that perfectly blends holograms with real world video. This new Windows will provides its users with an augmented reality version of the environment around them that perfectly combines real objects with virtual, and virtual interface elements, information boxes and their guidelines viewable with the help of a wearable headset device.

According to Microsoft, the Windows Holographic can allow engineers to directly see the instructions overlaid on the objects that they are currently working on. It may also provide architects with a chance to survey and showcase their designs to clients located far away.

The Hologram support in the tech giant’s Windows 10 is universal. This means you can build once and use it everywhere. Microsoft is also working on making this Hologram support compatible with all kinds of new and emerging hardware on the block. This includes the Oculus Rift and Magic Leap.

In order to support Microsoft Hololens and Windows Holographic, the tech giant has built a HoloStudio, a three dimensional modelling tool that helps people in building holograms. These holograms are then integrated into software or 3D printed for physical use.

Microsoft Reveals HoloLens, A Holographic Glasses For Augmented Reality

Microsoft has something wonderful in store for its users. The technology giant has finally taken the holodeck route with Hololens. Microsoft Hololens are completely wireless holographic glasses. They come with see-through lenses, spatial sound and advanced sensors. They are a self contained unit as they have their own custom CPU and a new Holographic Processing Unit to work efficiently.

Microsoft Hololens has been designed to work completely independent. It doesn’t require a computer or a phone to wirelessly connect to in order to work. The glasses are somewhat similar to Google Glass but are definitely bigger and better. The Hololens blends the real world with lifelike virtual objects by making use of different kinds of ocular image techniques. Microsoft Hololens can be expected to be launched at the same time as Microsoft’s Windows 10.

Being a Windows 10 device, the glasses will be capable of running any application that a Windows 10 Smartphone or computer normally able to run. The only prerequisite is that the app should have some holomagic User Interface programmed in.



Along with Hololens, the technology giant also revealed a new version of its Windows that perfectly blends holograms with real world video. This new Windows will provides its users with an augmented reality version of the environment around them that perfectly combines real objects with virtual, and virtual interface elements, information boxes and their guidelines viewable with the help of a wearable headset device.

According to Microsoft, the Windows Holographic can allow engineers to directly see the instructions overlaid on the objects that they are currently working on. It may also provide architects with a chance to survey and showcase their designs to clients located far away.

The Hologram support in the tech giant’s Windows 10 is universal. This means you can build once and use it everywhere. Microsoft is also working on making this Hologram support compatible with all kinds of new and emerging hardware on the block. This includes the Oculus Rift and Magic Leap.

In order to support Microsoft Hololens and Windows Holographic, the tech giant has built a HoloStudio, a three dimensional modelling tool that helps people in building holograms. These holograms are then integrated into software or 3D printed for physical use.

Get Real-Life Updates With CONTRAA, An App Developed By Kerala Startup

Information is one such thing that is available in abundance. It needs to be constantly shared to make this world a better and brighter place to live. Contraa, a brand new information sharing mobile application, is here to do just that.

Contraa is developed by a Kerala based software development company, touchQ Software Solutions. It is an ultimate mobile app that enables mass communication of messages, ideas, advertisements and news of all kinds through the internet.

The application provides the users with two types of accounts to choose from. One account type is called Tycoon and the other is called Follower. Tycoon account holders have the power to create and share news, messages, advertisements, videos, audio files and website links etc. through the Contraa profile created by them for their business, institution or organization of any kind. On the other hand, a Follower account holder will receive the advertisements, news and messages created by the Tycoon, provided he/she follows that particular Tycoon’s profile.



Only Tycoon account holders have the option to create and send information, while followers just receive the notifications for information created by the Tycoons. A single user registered as a Tycoon has an option of being the follower of other accounts. A Contraa user can follow as many as accounts he/she wants to.

With a Contraa account, the user can communicate information about their latest events, advertisements, activities, important notices and messages. For example, parents can follow their children’s school Headmaster who is registered as a Tycoon on the app, and receive all the information regarding exam dates, homework, syllabus, class schedules etc. This helps parents to keep in touch with the latest happenings in their children’s academic life.

Contraa can also be used by corporate establishments to keep their shareholders, employees and consumers well informed about the company’s latest moves. The app can be used by new companies in order to establish their brand name on a large scale. Government offices can also make use of the app to keep the citizens informed about all the latest updates in various government schemes.

Contraa is not similar to social media. One significant difference that separates Contraa from social media is the fact that the app offers a one way communication. With Contraa, only a tycoon account holder has the power and means to send messages. Secondly, at contraa, the tycoon is not required to enter or save the contact details of his followers, unlike on social media and other messenger services.

Contraa is a perfect amalgamation of social media and information networks. The app currently has 60 active tycoon profiles which includes two municipalities and ten Grama panchayats. The app is 2.7 MB in size and can be downloaded free of cost from Google Play store.

Get Real-Life Updates With CONTRAA, An App Developed By Kerala Startup

Information is one such thing that is available in abundance. It needs to be constantly shared to make this world a better and brighter place to live. Contraa, a brand new information sharing mobile application, is here to do just that.

Contraa is developed by a Kerala based software development company, touchQ Software Solutions. It is an ultimate mobile app that enables mass communication of messages, ideas, advertisements and news of all kinds through the internet.

The application provides the users with two types of accounts to choose from. One account type is called Tycoon and the other is called Follower. Tycoon account holders have the power to create and share news, messages, advertisements, videos, audio files and website links etc. through the Contraa profile created by them for their business, institution or organization of any kind. On the other hand, a Follower account holder will receive the advertisements, news and messages created by the Tycoon, provided he/she follows that particular Tycoon’s profile.



Only Tycoon account holders have the option to create and send information, while followers just receive the notifications for information created by the Tycoons. A single user registered as a Tycoon has an option of being the follower of other accounts. A Contraa user can follow as many as accounts he/she wants to.

With a Contraa account, the user can communicate information about their latest events, advertisements, activities, important notices and messages. For example, parents can follow their children’s school Headmaster who is registered as a Tycoon on the app, and receive all the information regarding exam dates, homework, syllabus, class schedules etc. This helps parents to keep in touch with the latest happenings in their children’s academic life.

Contraa can also be used by corporate establishments to keep their shareholders, employees and consumers well informed about the company’s latest moves. The app can be used by new companies in order to establish their brand name on a large scale. Government offices can also make use of the app to keep the citizens informed about all the latest updates in various government schemes.

Contraa is not similar to social media. One significant difference that separates Contraa from social media is the fact that the app offers a one way communication. With Contraa, only a tycoon account holder has the power and means to send messages. Secondly, at contraa, the tycoon is not required to enter or save the contact details of his followers, unlike on social media and other messenger services.

Contraa is a perfect amalgamation of social media and information networks. The app currently has 60 active tycoon profiles which includes two municipalities and ten Grama panchayats. The app is 2.7 MB in size and can be downloaded free of cost from Google Play store.

Shaadi.com Bought About 25% Stake In Dating App Thrill In A Close To $1 Million Deal

Matrimonial portal Shaadi.com owner People Group has acquired about 25% stake in dating applications maker Thrill in a cash and stock deal valued at close to $1 million (about Rs 6 crore 13 lakhs). With this Mumbai-based people group has merged its dating platform Fropper with with Delhi-based Thrill Applications.

"We have combined our dating business Fropper with Thrill, making it the largest entity in the online dating space in India from users and revenue perspective," said Anupam Mittal, founder and chief executive of People Group.

Founded in 2012 by Americans Devin Serago and Josh Israel, who later relocated to Delhi to start the company Thrill which is a dating app available for iOS & Android users. Thrill, which claims to have had over 1,00,000 downloads of its app in India, will now get over six million members from Fropper.

"Fropper generates cash of over Rs 1.5 crore a year which we will plough back into growing both platforms," said Josh Israel, 28, a US-born Indian who moved to Delhi three years ago.

With the stake acquisition, Shaadi plans to reduce the product development life cycle for Thrill.

Thrill, which is solely focused on the Indian market, competes with other dating apps like Tinder and Krush. What makes Thrill different is that it is controlled by women. While men can apply to join, they can only begin using the app if the women on the network approve.

In May 2013, Thrill has raised an undisclosed amount in funding from Samir Bangara, a former managing director (digital) at the Walt Disney Company in India and currently the CEO of Qyuki.com, and Rajesh Kamat, CA Media’s Indian operations head, as well as from a couple of unnamed Singapore-based investors.

Pparke Solving Vehicle Parking Problem In India

If traffic woes aren't enough, commuters have to deal with the lack of parking space. How many times have we gone around circles trying to find that prized parking slot for our vehicles? 'Pparke', a mobile application developed by Pristech Analytics which was founded by Shampa Ganguly, an IIM-B alumna, and Pritam Ganguly in August 2013, has devised a way to reserve a parking place in advance and in turn has lessened this herculean task. The company is being incubated at the NS Raghavan Centre for Entrepreneurial Learning (NSRCEL) at IIM-Bangalore.

Shampa Ganguly explained that the Cloud-based concept available on the Google Store as an app for download as well as on the Internet is mainly for parking availability information in any part of the Bangalore city. “You pay in advance and reserve a parking slot for yourself. Right now we are charging the same amount as the parking provider charges. Some malls have already registered with us and we have around 200 people using it so far. We plan to do this in schools and offices which are closed on weekends, especially in the heart of the city, she said.” she added.

Shampa comes with rich 10 years of IT experience in organizations like Daimler AG, Target Corporation & Geometric Software. She has played critical leadership role in implementation, project & program management, business consulting at both domestic and overseas locations like US, UK, Germany and China. Pritam (Co-Founder, CTO) has 14+ years of IT experience, in the field of semiconductor in Conexant Systems, Cortina Systems and Brocade communications. He has been involved in mission critical role and projects and been the pioneer in setting technical and design centre at domestic and overseas locations like US, Taiwan &China.

[caption id="attachment_98197" align="aligncenter" width="700"] Team PParke[/caption]

"Opportunity in this area is very vast and the market is still ripe. Organized parking sector is a more than $40 million industry, while unorganised parking sector is a more than $300 million industry, and growing at a combined annual growth rate of around 20-30%", says Pritam.

With 7 full time members and 3 consultants based out of Bangalore, Pparke is planning to expand to 4 cities in 3 years in India and raise fund up to $2 million in next 6-9months. Also, they are looking forward to expand the team to 20 in next 2 years.

They provide the user with information that includes the lanes where the parking spots are available, and parking updates for the future. Also, the app serves as a platform to reserve the spot for off-street parking facility and help the user with location-specific information and custom retail offerings, providing the parking operator information related to forthcoming parking trends, revenue management, slot management and pricing decisions in a cloud based platform. To obtain information and guide people to the nearest slot, Pparke obtains their information from parking sensors, CCTV and cloud systems.

Pristech Analytics has undertaken the responsibility to merge technology and analytics for improved business. And with Pparke connecting people with neighbourhood parking, they are poised to help their customers provide a rationalized parking experience in the process; make city more environment-friendly. The company is in talks with Traffic Police in order to implement card system for the 'pay and park' system. They are also in process of joining hands with Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike for a partnership.

Being awarded as the top 10 promising start ups at Anthah Prerana 2014 organized by Tie Bangalore has been one of the company’s significant achievements. We wish them all the luck and success.

Flipkart & Others Fined Rs 54-crore Penalty By Kerala

Ecommerce companies seem to have caught the eye of the governments down south and that too, not in a good way. The Kerala state government recently fined a slew of ecommerce retailers to the tune of Rs. 54 Crore for evasion of sales tax in the financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14. This step taken by the Kerala government comes close on the heels of the news of the Karnataka government banning Amazon India from selling electronics and a few other products from its warehouse in the state.

The companies that were fined by the Kerala government include Jabong; Robemall Apparels, company behind garment retailer Zovi.com; Flipkart; and Vector E-commerce, which has a stake in Mynta.com. Flipkart faced the maximum brunt with a fine of Rs. 47.15 crore. Meanwhile, Jabong.com was fined Rs. 3.89 crore, Vector E-commerce Rs. 2.23 crore and Robemall Apparels Rs. 36 lakh.

Ecommerce retailers like Snapdeal, Jabong, Flipkart and Myntra had stopped their delivers to some cities of Kerala last year as their cash on delivery (COD) mode was banned by the state’s commercial taxes department. The companies resumed their services and COD mode after sometime but according to the officials at the commercial tax department, the ban hasn’t been lifted and is very much in place.

The Kerala commercial tax department has plans of making the swoopdown on other ecommerce retailers in the future. According to a senior official of the department, “Since the online retail firms do not have brick-and-mortar showrooms, their websites will be treated as showrooms that display products and prices. If the products are sold to local customers, regional taxes will be applicable. All transactions are taxable.”

According to the state’s commercial tax department, the online retail falls under the purview of the definition of business, trade, goods, and sales as per the Kerala Value Added Tax Act 2003, General Clauses Act 1897, Transfer of Property Act 1882 and Sales of Good Act 1930. The Kerala government is quite confident of its win even if the companies fined decide to knock the doors of the court. Offline traders in the state have also complained about the sales tax evasion by the online players.

"Every day, at least Rs.10 crore worth of products are sold by online retailers. Since they can evade the state’s tax net, they can pass on discounts to the tune of 16% to the customer in the state. They do business at the opportunity cost of offline traders, who also have to cough up on overhead costs like showroom and staff wages," said, E Binny, president of the Kerala Samsthana Vyapari Vyvasayai Samithi in a statement to The Financial Express.

On the other hand, a statement from a Flipkart spokesperson said: "It is our endeavor to be transparent in all our dealings with authorities. We are compliant with the laws of the land in which we operate and will work together with the authorities to ensure that there are no information gaps between us."

Flipkart & Others Fined Rs 54-crore Penalty By Kerala

Ecommerce companies seem to have caught the eye of the governments down south and that too, not in a good way. The Kerala state government recently fined a slew of ecommerce retailers to the tune of Rs. 54 Crore for evasion of sales tax in the financial years 2012-13 and 2013-14. This step taken by the Kerala government comes close on the heels of the news of the Karnataka government banning Amazon India from selling electronics and a few other products from its warehouse in the state.

The companies that were fined by the Kerala government include Jabong; Robemall Apparels, company behind garment retailer Zovi.com; Flipkart; and Vector E-commerce, which has a stake in Mynta.com. Flipkart faced the maximum brunt with a fine of Rs. 47.15 crore. Meanwhile, Jabong.com was fined Rs. 3.89 crore, Vector E-commerce Rs. 2.23 crore and Robemall Apparels Rs. 36 lakh.

Ecommerce retailers like Snapdeal, Jabong, Flipkart and Myntra had stopped their delivers to some cities of Kerala last year as their cash on delivery (COD) mode was banned by the state’s commercial taxes department. The companies resumed their services and COD mode after sometime but according to the officials at the commercial tax department, the ban hasn’t been lifted and is very much in place.

The Kerala commercial tax department has plans of making the swoopdown on other ecommerce retailers in the future. According to a senior official of the department, “Since the online retail firms do not have brick-and-mortar showrooms, their websites will be treated as showrooms that display products and prices. If the products are sold to local customers, regional taxes will be applicable. All transactions are taxable.”

According to the state’s commercial tax department, the online retail falls under the purview of the definition of business, trade, goods, and sales as per the Kerala Value Added Tax Act 2003, General Clauses Act 1897, Transfer of Property Act 1882 and Sales of Good Act 1930. The Kerala government is quite confident of its win even if the companies fined decide to knock the doors of the court. Offline traders in the state have also complained about the sales tax evasion by the online players.

"Every day, at least Rs.10 crore worth of products are sold by online retailers. Since they can evade the state’s tax net, they can pass on discounts to the tune of 16% to the customer in the state. They do business at the opportunity cost of offline traders, who also have to cough up on overhead costs like showroom and staff wages," said, E Binny, president of the Kerala Samsthana Vyapari Vyvasayai Samithi in a statement to The Financial Express.

On the other hand, a statement from a Flipkart spokesperson said: "It is our endeavor to be transparent in all our dealings with authorities. We are compliant with the laws of the land in which we operate and will work together with the authorities to ensure that there are no information gaps between us."

Lybrate Is India's First 'Mobile First' platform That Connect Patients With Doctors

Imagine the pain of patients who have to bear the brunt of heavy traffic for hours just to show the medical report to their favourite doctor. Or a couple just moved in a new city and their kid is sick. They don't know which doctor to go. Or a software engineer who lives in a metro and his parents are alone and sick at home. There are plenty of such situations which call for an all-time access to a trusted doctor or even a multi-specialty clinic. Lybrate.com, an online platform for patients to book appointments with doctors, has addressed these problems with easy techniques.

Founded in 2013 by Saurabh Arora and Rahul Narang, Lybrate is an online and mobile-based platform that connects patients to doctors. Patients can use the service for free to find trusted doctors recommended by other patients near their locations and also book an online appointment with them. Doctors will have their share of advantage as well by using this platform to manage appointments, medical records, payment, billing and expenses for their clinics. Lybrate claims its platform empowers doctors with critical patient information anytime, anywhere, so that they can access patient’s medical history in a short time.

With a user-friendly interface, this app available for Android users can enable a patient a private conversation with any doctor of his choice, just like a Whatsapp chat. They have made sure that doctors too don't have to compromise on their consultation fees. At any point of time, the doctor can decide if he wants the consultation to be paid or not. So now, one can upload their reports, or other medical documents, do voice chats with their doctor and even pay him to have the confidence of right and apt consultation.

"Healthcare is seeing a lot of activity. We see a huge opportunity in improving access to healthcare using technology. Lybrate’s innovative platform and easy to use interface truly brings health at your fingertips", says Saurabh.

One of the foremost features of this app is that top doctors from all over the country can post general suggestions and tips for the patients and health enthusiasts. They can schedule and send Do's and Don'ts to critical patients like pregnant women or patients who just have undergone some surgery. Besides, Lybrate also offers Find Doctors/Book Appointment Service to help people find best doctors around them. So in a nutshell, Lybrate is a complete health platform for people where doctors take care of patients.

Rahul says "Patients will now have the power to have multiple opinions, and that too from different streams, such as Ayurveda, Allopathy, Homeopathy, Unani, etc, right from their home. On doctor's front, they too get a chance to learn from other top doctors in India. All in all it is a win-win situation for all."

The company raised $1.23 million in funding from Nexus Venture Partners. Lybrate is also backed by Gokul Rajaram, a technologist who has played key roles at Facebook and Vispi Daver, prominent project capitalist, who has invested in various other Indian and US based start-ups. The company is available on Android platform and will be available on iOS very soon.

With the motivation towards such a noble cause and in the fast growing online healthcare sector, Lybrate is sure to make some serious inroads. We wish them all the best in their endeavour.

Bangalore's Theramyt Is A BioTech Venture Developing Tech Platforms To Generate New Class Cancer Therapies

Theramyt Novobiologics is a biotech venture started by Sohang Chatterjee and Kavitha Iyer Rodrigues in July 2013. Theramyt is developing technology platforms that can generate a completely new class of therapies for cancer, rheumatoid arthritis as well as diabetes. Theramyt is based on fundamental R&D with a much larger value proposition in the drug development life cycle.

This is Sohang's second biotech venture after Inbiopro Solutions. Inbiopro Solutions was established in 2007 by Sohang with Kavitha and Aditya Julka. Inbiopro was strategically invested in to by Strides Arcolab in 2010 and acquired fully in November 2012. At Inbiopro, they were developed biosimilars which were then licensed out to large Indian Pharma companies for marketing the products.

"When we started Inbiopro in 2007, there was a clear market opportunity for biosimilars as the traditional pharma companies were looking to enter biotechnology market and were looking for a partner who could shorten their entry time to market. We were one of the early players then. Since then, the industry has matured and now there are many more players working on bio-similars. This rush has been precipitated by a large basket of biological blockbusters going off-patent between 2015 and 2020,” adds Sohang.

Now, with Theramyt, they want to be ahead of the pack. "We need to differentiate ourselves and we want to be a game changer not just in the Indian biotech industry but the global scenario. Ours is a capital intensive industry with long incubation period for a product to come to market. With relatively limited funding (compared to a US or UK) we had to innovate our strategy. So, we decided to look at existing innovator's products and explored areas with scope for improving on them. That became the premise for setting up Theramyt," says Kavita. In fact, they are listed as the only Indian company in the Biobetter Innovation field by Global Industry Analysts’ 2014 report 'Biobetter Trends' (Report No. 146053).

[caption id="attachment_98174" align="aligncenter" width="700"] (L-R) Sohang Chatterjee & Kavitha Iyer Rodrigues, Founders, Theramyt[/caption]

Their 27 member strong science team can make them a global power in the bio-pharmaceutical industry. They are a non-traditional organization that thinks fun and serious science can be a healthy mix towards a high performing, purpose driven industry leader. As a startup, they recognized very early the importance of Organizational Development. "Therefore, we have a structured program with various OD activities in addition to the obvious knowledge and skill development programs," adds Kavita. They plan to expand to 50 members soon.

As their first initiative, they are developing our proprietary gene knockout platform for glycosylation modification on monoclonal antibodies. "This would address the Fc portion of the antibody, that responsible for effector function," says Sohang. Their second initiative is developing a proprietary protein library that can be used to screen various disease targets and the selected protein can then be combined with our high-potency Fc portion of the Antibody. To make this commercially viable, they have another program in mind to combine the Knock-out cell line with high expression elements.

"A part of our earning from selling Inbiopro has gone back in to the initial operation of Theramyt," says Sohang. In addition, we have received Rs.27.5 crore VC funding from Accel Partners, IDG Ventures, Aarin Capital and Karnataka state government-backed KITVEN. Most of this capital has gone in to setting our state-of-the-art research labs in Yeshwantpur (Bangalore) and initial proof of concept data of our science. Their immediate plan is to raise a second round of funding in 2 years' time. "That should take us to an inflection point when we decide to either remain a R&D and product development company or become a fully integrated biotech marketing company," says Sohang.

They would be partnering with large global biotech drug development and marketing companies in a couple of years’ time, once they have developed proof of our technology and filed all the necessary patents. "We have already filed 2 provisional patents and our target is to file 5 patents under PCT by 2015," he adds. As a message for future entrepreneurs, they say, "We constantly question ourselves whether we are doing enough. Always think what can be done differently and not just follow benchmark set by others."

Finmart.com Is India's First 360 Degree Financial Advising Platform.

Legal agreements, filing tax returns, registering for your home business and start-up, corporate advisory, International taxation and countless further day-to-day chaotic errands on similar lines have been bugging common people for so long. Not anymore. Finmart.com has come up with online financial advisory web-portal designed consciously to meet any users financial, managerial and advisory requirements.

A hub of enthusiasts, entrepreneurs and experts taking care of the user’s simplest needs of ‘documentation submission’ to toughest of tasks of Loans, Finmart.com is built in with such technologies and several self-help systems which help its users deal with the complexities of various financial situations without being physically present at the expert’s chamber.

Founded in September, 2013 by CA Gaurav V. Singhvi; Finmart Advisory Private Limited has its head office in Mumbai and back office operates from Surat, Gujarat. A Chartered Accountant by profession, he is the founder of 'The financial Supermarket’ which is a diversified corporation in professional practice since 2002 covering verticals across Advisory, Debt, Equity, Outsourcing and Records Management. It constitutes of more than 20 well equipped firms and companies networked in 4 International Off-Shore Locations, 9 Indian offices and 108 associate offices Pan India. It has also served a large clientele covering more than 65 sectors with 2000+ satisfied clients ranging from an Individual to a Corporate including Trust & Societies. Realizing the vacuum of financial services in growing online space, in 2013, he endeavoured to take the professional industry to the next level by going online through www.Finmart.com as a fully automated site functioning in a seamless manner.

Gaurav mentions "Finmart.com is India's first '360 Degree Financial E-Commerce' platform. With internet technology taking the centre stage, we envisioned FinMart.com as an online Financial Advisor to not only Residents but also for Non Resident Indians. We address user’s need and convenience at the centre stage. We are a team of enthusiastic CAs, Technocrats and professionals who aspire to spread awareness amongst as many people as possible. The back office procedures used for providing services at the front end have been mastered meticulously to provide a hassle free end-user experience in the front end."

The company has targeted it’s end-users into six user namely Student, Salaried, Self Employed, SME Business, Corporate and NRI. While grouping the user category, the team has ensured to cover all the major group of customers leaving no category unrecognized.

"The website can be very effective in meeting to the needs of the common people. Saving people’s time in this frenetic world is the main objective with which we designed the website. The NRI section has been specifically been designed keeping in mind their vulnerable knowledge towards Taxation and Financial intricacies. We assure of catering to their requests in the best possible manner. Not forgetting to mention, that it will all be under one portal, thus making advisory 360° effective. Its idea is to hit the right chords of user's queries thus making things simpler." mentions Varsha (team member, Finmart) during our conversation about the USP of their product and service.

Every start up needs a guiding light to show them the correct path and assist them in their crucial juncture. Finmart.com assists entrepreneurs with all their Start Up needs and requirements right from online registration of company in India to any other online financial services in India.

The organization is a self-funding project so far, though they are open to funding from various investors. Few financiers and Private Equities have approached them for funding which are currently under evaluation.

Voice App 'Ringo' Allows To Make Overseas Calls Without Internet

Many of us have our near and dear ones abroad; people with whom we want to stay in touch with 24x7 but the high international calls rates just don’t allow us the luxury of this. We still think twice before calling someone abroad as we know even a short Birthday call can cost us a few hundred bucks. If you are one of those who have their brother, sister, boyfriend, girlfriend or any other acquaintance in abroad because of which you end with a really big phone bill at the end of every month, we have great news in store for you.

Ringo, a mobile application launched by Directi, allows users to make international calls without Wi-Fi, internet or carrier minutes at rates that are about seventy percent lower than those currently offered by mobile phone companies and creditbased calls over Viber or Skype. The huge advantage that Ringo has over all its counterparts is that the receiver is not required to download the app to receive a call.

According to Bhavin Turakhia, founder, Directi, the model has a huge potential of disrupting India’s market for overseas calls. It is estimated that the country spends some $2 billion annually on international calls.

The charges for making overseas calls via the app will be comparable to the local call rates. Making a call to the United States through the Ringo app will cost a user Rs. 1.08 a minute, while a Skype call costs Rs. 1.45 a minute and a telecom company charges Rs.8 for the same.



Once a user makes an international call using the app, the application dials out a local call the user in India and another local call to the overseas user and then connects the two over reliable carriers. In order to make this system work, Directi has partnered with many local and foreign carriers through aggregators. The Mumbai based company buys carrier minutes and pays interconnect charges for calls that terminate on the telcos’ networks.

The users even have the luxury of adding cash to the app for making international calls via debit, credit cards or net banking. The call charges then don’t get deducted from the main balance of the phone. The money added to the app stays valid for a year from the day the cash was added.

The application is available for Windows, Android and iOS devices. Ringo was launched in the year 2014 and is currently available in 14 countries: USA, UK, Australia, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Singapore, Germany, Poland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Italy and Mexico.

Voice App 'Ringo' Allows To Make Overseas Calls Without Internet

Many of us have our near and dear ones abroad; people with whom we want to stay in touch with 24x7 but the high international calls rates just don’t allow us the luxury of this. We still think twice before calling someone abroad as we know even a short Birthday call can cost us a few hundred bucks. If you are one of those who have their brother, sister, boyfriend, girlfriend or any other acquaintance in abroad because of which you end with a really big phone bill at the end of every month, we have great news in store for you.

Ringo, a mobile application launched by Directi, allows users to make international calls without Wi-Fi, internet or carrier minutes at rates that are about seventy percent lower than those currently offered by mobile phone companies and creditbased calls over Viber or Skype. The huge advantage that Ringo has over all its counterparts is that the receiver is not required to download the app to receive a call.

According to Bhavin Turakhia, founder, Directi, the model has a huge potential of disrupting India’s market for overseas calls. It is estimated that the country spends some $2 billion annually on international calls.

The charges for making overseas calls via the app will be comparable to the local call rates. Making a call to the United States through the Ringo app will cost a user Rs. 1.08 a minute, while a Skype call costs Rs. 1.45 a minute and a telecom company charges Rs.8 for the same.



Once a user makes an international call using the app, the application dials out a local call the user in India and another local call to the overseas user and then connects the two over reliable carriers. In order to make this system work, Directi has partnered with many local and foreign carriers through aggregators. The Mumbai based company buys carrier minutes and pays interconnect charges for calls that terminate on the telcos’ networks.

The users even have the luxury of adding cash to the app for making international calls via debit, credit cards or net banking. The call charges then don’t get deducted from the main balance of the phone. The money added to the app stays valid for a year from the day the cash was added.

The application is available for Windows, Android and iOS devices. Ringo was launched in the year 2014 and is currently available in 14 countries: USA, UK, Australia, Switzerland, Belgium, Spain, Canada, Singapore, Germany, Poland, Hong Kong, Netherlands, Italy and Mexico.

Indian Startup DeltaX Chosen for Google's Blackbox Connect 2015 Programme

There is good news in store for India. DeltaX, a Bangalore-based Indian startup, has been chosen for the 10^th Edition of Blackbox Connect Winter 2015 programme at Silicon Valley. It is the only Indian startup selected for the programme.

The Blackbox Connect programme will see the presence of 15 startups selected from all around the world. It is expected to take place in Palo Alto from February 9 to February 20, 2015. The programme is powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, a Google's in initiative.

The Programme will be a comprehensive two week programme, which will conclude with the Startup Showcase on the last day of the programme. The showcase will see the founders of the selected 15 startups showcasing and pitching their product to leading business development professionals, corporate innovation officers, top venture capitalists and a huge community of tech reporters and influencers.

Founded by Akshay Surve and Ravi Kabra, DeltaX is a cross-channel digital advertising platform. The startup leverages user behaviour, machine learning algorithms and big data to enhance performance across the business funnel. It helps performance marketers and advertising agencies buy, optimize, report, attribute and track media across social, search, display, video and mobile advertisements by taking an automation- driven and a unified data approach.

"We are extremely delighted to be selected for the programme. We were planning to expand to the US. Hence, this programme will help us in understanding the Silicon Valley culture, work with startups from around the world and learn from their experiences to create a global product," said Kabra on the selection news.

He also added, "It was a thorough selection process with many rounds of interviews. The initial rounds focused on the business and the traction, but the final rounds laid more emphasis on the team because it is always important to have the right set of people."

According to Rajat Tandon, Senior Director, Nasscom 10,000 Startups, “At 10,000 startups, one of our goals is to connect our thriving partner network of entrepreneur communities worldwide  with one another and with Silicon Valley. A step in that direction was our partnership with Blackbox Connect programme, a global startup accelerator. It brings founders from top accelerators around the world to take part in a two-week, fully immersive programme where they live and work at the ‘Blackbox Mansion’ in Silicon Valley, collaborate with like-minded entrepreneurs, investors, experts and executives from the Silicon Valley community. Last year TookiTaki won the 2014 Blackbox Connect, who recently raised US$1M in a seed funding round. ”

DeltaX is a part of the third phase shortlist of Nasscom 10,000 startups.

Indian Startup DeltaX Chosen for Google's Blackbox Connect 2015 Programme

There is good news in store for India. DeltaX, a Bangalore-based Indian startup, has been chosen for the 10^th Edition of Blackbox Connect Winter 2015 programme at Silicon Valley. It is the only Indian startup selected for the programme.

The Blackbox Connect programme will see the presence of 15 startups selected from all around the world. It is expected to take place in Palo Alto from February 9 to February 20, 2015. The programme is powered by Google for Entrepreneurs, a Google's in initiative.

The Programme will be a comprehensive two week programme, which will conclude with the Startup Showcase on the last day of the programme. The showcase will see the founders of the selected 15 startups showcasing and pitching their product to leading business development professionals, corporate innovation officers, top venture capitalists and a huge community of tech reporters and influencers.

Founded by Akshay Surve and Ravi Kabra, DeltaX is a cross-channel digital advertising platform. The startup leverages user behaviour, machine learning algorithms and big data to enhance performance across the business funnel. It helps performance marketers and advertising agencies buy, optimize, report, attribute and track media across social, search, display, video and mobile advertisements by taking an automation- driven and a unified data approach.

"We are extremely delighted to be selected for the programme. We were planning to expand to the US. Hence, this programme will help us in understanding the Silicon Valley culture, work with startups from around the world and learn from their experiences to create a global product," said Kabra on the selection news.

He also added, "It was a thorough selection process with many rounds of interviews. The initial rounds focused on the business and the traction, but the final rounds laid more emphasis on the team because it is always important to have the right set of people."

According to Rajat Tandon, Senior Director, Nasscom 10,000 Startups, “At 10,000 startups, one of our goals is to connect our thriving partner network of entrepreneur communities worldwide  with one another and with Silicon Valley. A step in that direction was our partnership with Blackbox Connect programme, a global startup accelerator. It brings founders from top accelerators around the world to take part in a two-week, fully immersive programme where they live and work at the ‘Blackbox Mansion’ in Silicon Valley, collaborate with like-minded entrepreneurs, investors, experts and executives from the Silicon Valley community. Last year TookiTaki won the 2014 Blackbox Connect, who recently raised US$1M in a seed funding round. ”

DeltaX is a part of the third phase shortlist of Nasscom 10,000 startups.

India's Public Cloud Service Market To Top $800-mn in 2015: Gartner

According to Gartner, a research firm, the public cloud services in India is expected to grow by 33 percent and reach $838 million by the end of 2015. This growth in the public cloud services is a result of the strong growth in the country’s cloud infrastructure and security solutions.

These High rates of spending on cloud services in the country is expected to continue for another three years and the market is poised to touch $1.9 billion by the year 2018.

The public cloud services market was valued at $632 million last year.

“In 2015, public cloud services revenue is driven by high rates of growth in key market segments, cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS), cloud management and security services and cloud application infrastructure platform as a service (PaaS),” reads a statement released by the research firm.

Spending on IaaS is expected to see an increase of 38 percent over last year and touch $104.8 million in the year 2015.

On the other hand, spending on PaaS and cloud security/management is expected to grow at 35.4 percent to $84.6 million and $56.7 million, respectively during the same amount of time.

Cloud computing basically refers to a pay-per-use model of computing in which software and applications can be accessed by the users over the internet and not owned by them. IT companies can end up saving huge IT costs on these products as they don’t have to invest in buying them.

Some large organisations end up setting a cloud-like infrastructure in their own data centre in order to secure data. This cloud-like infrastructure is called a private cloud.

On the other hand, Public cloud refers to providers whose shared services can be accessed by all. Salesforce.com, Amazon and Google are some examples of the same.

“Organisations in India seeking IT outsourcing services are increasingly turning to public cloud services as an alternative to traditional ITO offerings,” said, Ed Anderson, Vice President, Gartner, in a statement to PTI.

According to the data received from Gartner’s cloud adoption survey in India, 53 percent of organizations in the country confirmed that they were using cloud services today, with another 43 percent indicating plans to begin using the services in the period of next 12 months.

India's Public Cloud Service Market To Top $800-mn in 2015: Gartner

According to Gartner, a research firm, the public cloud services in India is expected to grow by 33 percent and reach $838 million by the end of 2015. This growth in the public cloud services is a result of the strong growth in the country’s cloud infrastructure and security solutions.

These High rates of spending on cloud services in the country is expected to continue for another three years and the market is poised to touch $1.9 billion by the year 2018.

The public cloud services market was valued at $632 million last year.

“In 2015, public cloud services revenue is driven by high rates of growth in key market segments, cloud infrastructure as a service (IaaS), cloud management and security services and cloud application infrastructure platform as a service (PaaS),” reads a statement released by the research firm.

Spending on IaaS is expected to see an increase of 38 percent over last year and touch $104.8 million in the year 2015.

On the other hand, spending on PaaS and cloud security/management is expected to grow at 35.4 percent to $84.6 million and $56.7 million, respectively during the same amount of time.

Cloud computing basically refers to a pay-per-use model of computing in which software and applications can be accessed by the users over the internet and not owned by them. IT companies can end up saving huge IT costs on these products as they don’t have to invest in buying them.

Some large organisations end up setting a cloud-like infrastructure in their own data centre in order to secure data. This cloud-like infrastructure is called a private cloud.

On the other hand, Public cloud refers to providers whose shared services can be accessed by all. Salesforce.com, Amazon and Google are some examples of the same.

“Organisations in India seeking IT outsourcing services are increasingly turning to public cloud services as an alternative to traditional ITO offerings,” said, Ed Anderson, Vice President, Gartner, in a statement to PTI.

According to the data received from Gartner’s cloud adoption survey in India, 53 percent of organizations in the country confirmed that they were using cloud services today, with another 43 percent indicating plans to begin using the services in the period of next 12 months.

Facebook Co-Founder invest $11 million In Mumbai based Etailer Hopscotch

Hopscotch, the Mumbai based babycare and kids products etailer, has raised $11 million in a Series B round of funding led by Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin and Los Angeles headquartered early stage investor Velos Capital.

Other investors in the latest round of funding include Rise Capital, Jabbar Internet Group along with existing investors Toivo Annus and LionRock Capital.

"I have been actively following the Indian Internet market, and I am thrilled to make my first direct investment in India in a company of the calibre of Hopscotch.in. The company’s early track record in the large and growing Indian e-commerce market combined with team’s experience, energy and vision makes this an intriguing investment opportunity," Mr. Savemand, who will join the company’s board as an observer, said in a statement.

Hopscotch, which sells products for infants and kids, will use the funds primarily to build operational capacity and technology, which would expand its product and service offering. Hopscotch websitie features over 1,000 local and international brands across multiple product categories, including apparel, shoes, toys and accessories.

"The latest round of funding will enable us to ramp up marketing, add more product categories and build out the senior management team," said Hopscotch founder and CEO Rahul Anand.

The investment in Hopscotch marks Facebook's co-founder Saverin and Velos Partners' debut investment in India. Singapore-based Saverin, whose net worth at the time of the 2012 Facebook IPO was estimated at $4.2 billion, has been a prolific angel investor in technology startups in Southeast Asia and North America over the past few years.

Mumbai-based Hopscotch has already been backed by Adi Godrej’s younger daughter Nisaba Godrej (in her personal capacity), Skype co-founder Toivo Annus and Singapore-based LionRock Capital.

Tamil Nadu To Set Up Startup Incubators & Warehouses With Guidance From NASSCOM

Following the steps of Karnataka and West Bengal, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to set aside dedicated warehouses for startups to grow and climb the ladder of success. The warehouses will receive guidance from the industrial body for software companies, Nasscom. The first ‘Startup Warehouse’ is expected to be set up in Tidel Park, which is located in the heart of Chennai.

The Tidel centre is expected to have 10,000 square-feet of carpet area and a fully functional plug-and-play office space. It will have some 60 to 80 workstations and a minimum of four conference rooms. In addition to this, the centre will have basement car park, 100 percent power backup, cafeteria, central air-conditioning and leased internet lines. The Tidel Startup Warehouse will have Nasscom as its knowledge partner.

“As a major step to support young entrepreneurs, from 2014-15 onwards, this government will make available 10% of space exclusively for Information Technology Incubation Centres as ‘Warehouses for Startups’ in all information technology parks developed by the government. These centres will promote new ventures and assist upcoming entrepreneurs by creating an appropriate ecosystem,” reads an order released by the government.

Once the Chennai Warehouse becomes fully operational, the state government promoted IT parks in Hosur, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Trichy, Coimbatore and Salem will also have dedicated startups hubs.

The Startup Warehouse programme by the Tamil Nadu will help the startup ecosystem in the state to a great extent. It will create awareness amongst new entrepreneurs and help them build entrepreneurial capability through events. The programme will also help in linking mentors and investors with startups.

According to some sources, the startup warehouses in Tamil Nadu will be integrated into Nasscom’s 10,000 startup programme. Last week NASSCOM launched its second startup warehouse in Kolkata after already existing Bangalore startup warehouse under NASSCOM 10,000 Startups program.

Nasscom will have the responsibility of end-to-end programme management of the Tamil Nadu warehouses. According to the order released by the government, “This will be achieved by hiring a dedicated professional team to staff the warehouse to ensure smooth day-to- day operations of the Startup Warehouse.”

A dedicated board comprising one leader from the Tamil Nadu startup community, two representatives from Nasscom and one or more Tamil Nadu government representatives will be set up. The state government representatives will include managing director of ELCOT and state IT secretary.

“It is a great opportunity for Nasscom to be associated with the government to create an ecosystem for tech startups in Tamil Nadu. We will build all our warehouse activities through this and bring Tamil Nadu under the startup radar,” said K Purushothaman, senior director at Nasscom.

Tamil Nadu To Set Up Startup Incubators & Warehouses With Guidance From NASSCOM

Following the steps of Karnataka and West Bengal, the Tamil Nadu government has decided to set aside dedicated warehouses for startups to grow and climb the ladder of success. The warehouses will receive guidance from the industrial body for software companies, Nasscom. The first ‘Startup Warehouse’ is expected to be set up in Tidel Park, which is located in the heart of Chennai.

The Tidel centre is expected to have 10,000 square-feet of carpet area and a fully functional plug-and-play office space. It will have some 60 to 80 workstations and a minimum of four conference rooms. In addition to this, the centre will have basement car park, 100 percent power backup, cafeteria, central air-conditioning and leased internet lines. The Tidel Startup Warehouse will have Nasscom as its knowledge partner.

“As a major step to support young entrepreneurs, from 2014-15 onwards, this government will make available 10% of space exclusively for Information Technology Incubation Centres as ‘Warehouses for Startups’ in all information technology parks developed by the government. These centres will promote new ventures and assist upcoming entrepreneurs by creating an appropriate ecosystem,” reads an order released by the government.

Once the Chennai Warehouse becomes fully operational, the state government promoted IT parks in Hosur, Madurai, Tirunelveli, Trichy, Coimbatore and Salem will also have dedicated startups hubs.

The Startup Warehouse programme by the Tamil Nadu will help the startup ecosystem in the state to a great extent. It will create awareness amongst new entrepreneurs and help them build entrepreneurial capability through events. The programme will also help in linking mentors and investors with startups.

According to some sources, the startup warehouses in Tamil Nadu will be integrated into Nasscom’s 10,000 startup programme. Last week NASSCOM launched its second startup warehouse in Kolkata after already existing Bangalore startup warehouse under NASSCOM 10,000 Startups program.

Nasscom will have the responsibility of end-to-end programme management of the Tamil Nadu warehouses. According to the order released by the government, “This will be achieved by hiring a dedicated professional team to staff the warehouse to ensure smooth day-to- day operations of the Startup Warehouse.”

A dedicated board comprising one leader from the Tamil Nadu startup community, two representatives from Nasscom and one or more Tamil Nadu government representatives will be set up. The state government representatives will include managing director of ELCOT and state IT secretary.

“It is a great opportunity for Nasscom to be associated with the government to create an ecosystem for tech startups in Tamil Nadu. We will build all our warehouse activities through this and bring Tamil Nadu under the startup radar,” said K Purushothaman, senior director at Nasscom.