How Google Has Become The Biggest Travel Company

Loknath Das

For decades travel agents had a “lock” on vacations. Before the internet it was near impossible to find cheap fares yourself. And choosing the perfect hotel involved a lot of flicking through glossy brochures. The “do it yourself” approach was a huge hassle. It was a lot easier to hire a knowledgeable travel agent. Then disruptor stocks like Booking.com (BKNG) and Expedia (EXPE) blew up the old model forever. With a few clicks, you could compare any flight or hotel in the world. For the first time ever, you could find all the special deals and…

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Which? brands most travel comparison sites a ‘waste of time’

Loknath Das

Holidaymakers spend hours trawling comparison sites but only one or two are worth the trouble. Photograph: Getty Images Most travel comparison websites are a waste of time and fail to find the cheapest prices, according to new research from Which? After asking more than 2,200 holidaymakers about their experiences of using comparison sites, the consumer body found that only Skyscanner, Kayak and TripAdvisor scored highly in terms of finding the best deals and being easy to use. “Holidaymakers spend hours and sometimes days looking for the best hotel rates and…

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What Greta Thunberg Can Teach Us About Business Travel

Loknath Das

Was it really just a little over a year ago that one young girl made the decision to go on a school strike in the name of climate change? From protesting alone outside the Swedish Parliament to being named one of the world’s most influential teens by TIME magazine, Greta Thunberg has had quite a year. Although her speeches have gone viral, gaining worldwide attention, perhaps the most visible and impactful commitment that Thunberg has made is by living as low-carbon a life as possible. In addition to being vegan, she declines…

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Benefits and importance of open source technology for enterprises

Loknath Das

Technology should be carefully selected to actively grow business over the long term, so it requires careful consideration and foresight. Open source has been gaining popularity or a long time due to the benefits it comes with. Those who don’t know the difference between the two, open source software’s source code is available to everyone. Anyone can modify its code while proprietary software is owned by enterprises or individuals and its source code can only be modified by its owners. Enterprises that use open source software enjoy many advantages over…

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7 Unmissable Innovations And The Latest Technology Trends At CES 2020

Loknath Das

CES 2020, the world’s largest consumer electronics show kicks off on January 7 and runs through to January 10 in Las Vegas. As usual, the world leaders in the development of home, leisure, sports, and travel technology will use the occasion to show off their latest gadgets, gizmos, and devices. 7 Unmissable Innovations And The Latest Technology Trends At CES 2020 AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Amongst keynote announcements from the likes of Amazon, LG, and Toyota, as well as thousands of other exhibitors, the first CES of the 2020s will…

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Technology trends for 2020 that should excite you

Loknath Das

As every year passes, digital technology only becomes more and more exciting, the most skilful and intelligent it becomes. When looking at old mobile phones and computer prototypes, it’s hard to envisage that they were – at one point – very sophisticated technology! Here, we go through a few examples of new emerging technologies expected to arrive 2020 and beyond that, you should be excited for. Hyper Automation Automation is ingrained in our modern life, many processes we encounter daily are automated, such as modes on our cars, and even supermarket checkouts!…

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Where In The World? Travel Trends For 2020 – Part 2

Loknath Das

From the rise in eco-friendly hotels to the search for authentic experiences, the world of travel has never been so ‘woke’. In a series of articles revealing what’s new and what’s coming up on the horizon, I continue my look at what’s happening in travel for 2020. 1. Slow Europe Of course, the appeal of not doing very much on holiday is not a new concept – in fact, it’s often the very tenet of what a holiday should be about. But in the days of trying to achieve an…

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Clean energy technology was thought to be uninvestable. One fund thinks otherwise

Loknath Das

Venture capital funding for clean energy technology companies has declined after years of lackluster performance drove investors to other sectors. But a new fund is making a big bet that it’s possible to back clean tech companies at the earliest — and often riskiest — stages, all without sacrificing returns. In October, Clean Energy Ventures announced that it raised $110 million for its first fund, which will target “the current capital gap for seed and early-stage investment in promising advanced energy innovations,” a press release said. The firm’s strategy rests on the belief that…

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman rules out quick recovery for economy

Loknath Das

NEW DELHI : India’s Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said it was too early to say if the slowdown in the economy had bottomed out. Companies are planning new investments after $20 billion worth of corporate tax cuts announced in September, Sitharaman told reporters in New Delhi Friday. Actual investments may take some time to materialize, she said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government has unveiled several steps since August to revive economic growth from the weakest pace since 2013. The surprise decision to lower taxes for companies raised concerns about India’s fiscal discipline, with Moody’s Investors…

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Finance Ministry dismissed RBI’s warning on electoral bonds: report

Loknath Das

The Reserve Bank of India had warned the government on the perils of electoral bonds and its effect on the country’s currency just before its announcement on Budget 2017. However, the Finance Ministry overlooked it stating the apex bank had not “understood the proposed mechanism”. According to a report by HuffPost India, four days before Budget 2017, a senior tax official flagged an issue with electoral bonds the government was planning to announce. He wrote to his superiors in the finance ministry. The report states that on the same day…

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