‘Building smart cities starts with people, not technology’

Loknath Das

When The Jetsons, the candy-coloured cartoon family, came on TV screens in the 1960s, they presented a utopian world powered by technology. From humanoids, holograms, smartwatches and phones, to video chat, drones and 3D printed food, they used things that were straight from a science fiction novel. Now, these things have become an everyday reality, and countries are trying to utilize them to create a smart world. “Smart”, however, doesn’t mean just installing digital interfaces in traditional infrastructure. Building smart cities, in fact, start with people, not technology. It means using…

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Finance Ministry ready to do more for NBFCs, says Nirmala Sitharaman

Loknath Das

Will seek details from PSBs on funding to NBFCs, retail customers on Oct 14 Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, on Thursday, said she is “not sitting back” after the recent spate of measures, and will take more steps if required for non-banking finance companies and other sectors. The minister will be meeting the chiefs of public sector banks on October 14, and she said will seek details of funding to NBFCs and retail customers. “I am not sitting back saying I have given some solutions for NBFCs. There may be more…

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Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to Meet CEOs of Public Sector Banks on October 14

Loknath Das

New Delhi: Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman will hold a review meeting with CEOs of public sector banks (PSBs) next week to discuss various issues, including progress on credit offtake. The meeting, scheduled to be held on October 14, is expected to review fund flow to stressed NBFC and MSME (micro, small and medium enterprises) sectors, sources said. Banks are expected to present report card on partial credit guarantee scheme and fund raising from market to enhance their capital base. The Centre in August issued guidelines on operationalising Rs 1 lakh crore…

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Here Are This Week’s Weirdest Reasons to Travel

Loknath Das

Get ready for some good ol’ wholesome vacation suggestions, my sweet friends. Everybody’s got their reason for traveling, be it for the beautiful locales, incredible cultural experiences, rugged landscapes, et al. But what about those of us with extremely specific interests that reside outside of these (very nice) reasons? We have compiled a list of this week’s weirdest and extremely specific reasons to travel this fall, and approximately five kinds of people who will be very into them (er, one of them, at least). You Never Forgot Lisa Frank and You Never…

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Citroen partners with Axis Bank for auto finance in India

Loknath Das

New Delhi: French automaker Citroen on Wednesday has entered into a white-label arrangement with Axis Bank, as a preferred Banking partner, to introduce Citroen Finance in India. Citroen Finance will provide retail finance and mobility solutions including value added products to its customers and customised credit solutions to its dealers in India, the company said in a statement. Roland Bouchara, Senior Vice President Sales and Marketing, Citroen India said, “This partnership with Axis Bank is in line with our commitment towards providing the best experience to our customers not only at our dealer showrooms but…

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Indiabulls Housing Finance share price falls 38% on concerns over merger with Lakshmi Vilas Bank

Loknath Das

The share price of Indiabulls Housing Finance Ltd (IBHFL) crashed nearly 38% intraday to hit a fresh 52-week low today after Reserve Bank of India put private sector lender Lakshmi Vilas Bank under its prompt corrective action (PCA) plan. The development places the prospects of their prolonged merger into jeopardy. Indiabulls Housing Finance stock opened today with a loss of 6.79% to Rs 363, also its day’s high. Later, the stock crashed 37.8% and touched an intraday low as well as fresh 52-week low of Rs 240.10, against the last…

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No more boring travel

Loknath Das

While on a surprise holiday in some of the major cities like New York City or London, Rathi would be totally absorbed in food trails and check out the gastronomical food in Michelin star restaurants. Talking about trends, Hari Ganapathy, cofounder, PickYourTrail, says, ” Multi-generational family vacations are emerging as a predominant choice among a lot of travellers. These vacations are planned around major family occasions like anniversaries, 60th birthdays, graduation day etc. A lot of people are also gifting vacations these days – this ranges from cousins gifting honeymoon…

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World Tourism Day: Meet these 5 women who choose to travel solo

Loknath Das

Whether it’s going on family trips, making quick getaways with a few friends, we all love to take a break from our routines. Travelling solo is an experience unlike any other. It opens one’s eyes to a very different way of life, boosts confidence, and teaches valuable life lessons. On World Tourism Day, meet these five women who are passionate about travelling solo and exploring the world around them without inhibitions. (L-R) Chandana Rao, Rutavi Mehta, Esha Gupta, Anahita Sriprasad, Priti Vishwakarma Chandana Rao Chandana Rao began travelling solo after quitting a corporate…

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SBI Life signs corporate agency pact with Repco Home Finance

Loknath Das

Private sector SBI Life Insurance on September 24 said it has signed a corporate agency agreement with city-based Repco Home Finance Ltd to offer the company’s range of products to RHFL customers. According to the agreement, the partnership would see over 148 branches and 27 satellite centres of RHFL spread across the country to offer SBI Life Insurance products to its customers. “The longevity associated with life insurance demands a very high level of consumer trust, which is built with tie-ups with highly credible distribution partners. This tie-up with Repco…

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UK travel giant Thomas Cook collapses, Goa set to feel pinch

Loknath Das

More than 600,000 vacationers who booked through tour operator Thomas Cook were on edge Sunday. (AP Photo) Tourist footfalls from the United Kingdom to Goa are expected to take a severe hit after British travel group Thomas CookNSE -2.65 % declared bankruptcy on Monday, an umbrella body of tour and travel operators said here. The 178-year-old operator had been desperately seeking 200 million pounds ($250 million, 227 million euros) from private investors to save it from collapse, but a last-ditch rescue deal failed, triggering the UK’s biggest repatriation since World…

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