Tag: of

First impressions of MG ZS SUV – Ford EcoSport’s global rival

Loknath Das

During our recent visit to the Silverstone race track for the #MGLive2018 event, we managed to get our hands on the much awaited and highly speculative (for India) MG ZS SUV. The quick drive lasted about ten minutes as we drove around the outer periphery of the racing circuit but later, I had more than ample time to spend with this compact SUV. So while there have been lot of speculation about this being the first offering from MG for India, the recent update is that we will get a…

Read More

85% of Small Business Owners Say They’re Living the Dream

Loknath Das

“The American Dream” is a concept that can vary from person to person and seem almost impossible to really achieve. However, the vast majority of small business owners seem to feel that they’ve already reached that lofty goal. American Dream Statistics According to recent findings from Kabbage, a financial services and data platform, 85 percent of small business owners believe that being your own boss and owning a business is achieving the American Dream. In addition, 84 percent said they hope their children will also one day become small business owners. The…

Read More

Can standardisation of exclusions in health insurance policies help customers?

Loknath Das

Different health insurance products carry different exclusions. Photo: iStock Malti Jaswal, chief operating officer, Health Insurance TPA of India Ltd Need to rationalise scope of exclusions One of the most contentious issues, which is also the reason for the highest number of grievances lodged by health insurance policyholders, pertains to “exclusions” under a health insurance contract. As more comprehensive products are being introduced, the list of exclusions by insurance companies (to avoid litigation and court awards) is also growing. Different products carry different exclusions, and the same exclusion could mean different things,…

Read More

The lunar landscapes of India’s Great Rann of Kutch

Loknath Das

Rann of Kutch: As India’s largest salt marsh, the Rann of Kutch draws travelers from all over the world. The Great Rann is home to surreal, silvery landscapes and the Little Rann is a hub of wildlife and salt farming. We asked travelers, tour guides and residents to share their favorite experiences in the region. (CNN) — On the edge of western India, a pure white desert seems to shimmer under the blazing sun. This is the Rann of Kutch, home to India’s largest salt plain, in the Kutch district of the westernmost…

Read More

How fintech companies are bringing the magic of the digital frontier into finance

Loknath Das

From Kashmir to Kanyakumari, and Gujarat to Assam, fintechs, the new and trendy financial companies, have become darlings of investment angels. The odds of the fabulous and trendy fintechs beating banks are narrowing by the day. The fintech threat to the banking industry is no longer a headline. It is close to an accord. China is one of the clearest examples: Tencent and Ant Financial absorbed huge chunks of the payments market which was overwhelmed with big banks and their spaghetti-like Information Technology infrastructure. But fintechs are a new league…

Read More

Reliance Jio Oppo Monsoon offer: How to get up to 3.2TB of 4G data

Loknath Das

Reliance Jio has launched a new scheme for customers purchasing a new Oppo smartphone. Under the scheme called “JIO Oppo Monsoon Offer”, the operator is offering up to 3.2TB of Jio 4G data and benefits up to Rs 4,900. The offer is available for all the Oppo phones. Both new and old Reliance Jio customers are eligible for the scheme. Reliance Jio will give you 3GB of data per day (for 28 days) with any of the Rs 198 or Rs 299 recharge denominations. To avail the maximum data benefit,…

Read More

Car review of new BMW X3 XDrive 20D: On-track, but not offbeat

Loknath Das

New BMW X3 XDrive 20D It’s love at first sight. The striking design language of the new BMW X3—featuring a bold front with a double kidney grille, adaptive LED headlights and fog-lamps, and the expressive rear that has LED tail-lights combined with a low-slung roof spoiler and exhaust tailpipes on both sides in chrome—attracts attention wherever it goes. The X3, in its third generation now, reflects a new, youthful BMW. What is the X3? It’s a premium midsize sports activity vehicle—BMW calls its SUV-shaped vehicles as SAV. It was first launched…

Read More

RBI to launch campaign to make public aware of central bank’s regulations, initiatives

Loknath Das

The Reserve Bank is planning to launch a full-fledged multi-media and multi-lingual campaign to create general awareness among citizens about the regulations and initiatives of the central bank. RBI’s department of communication has sought applications from advertising agencies for designing the creatives for pan-India public awareness campaign. “The campaign will be in 14 languages – Hindi, Assamese, Bangla, Gujarati, Kannada, Malayalam, Marathi, Odia, Punjabi, Sindhi, Tamil, Telugu, Urdu, and English with focus on regional languages,” said the expression of interest document floated by the RBI in this regard. The media…

Read More

Travel tips, how to explore the best of London on a budget

Loknath Das

The sun-kissed scenes from Meghan Markle and Prince Harry’s storybook wedding at Windsor may have put you in the mood to visit the Old Country. But what if you’re just looking to feel like a prince (or princess), not spend like one? Here are a few tips on enjoying London on a budget. (Just don’t count on the sunshine that blessed the royal wedding in a place where on average it rains about one out of every three days.) GO LOW (SEASON) London’s high season is late spring and summer…

Read More

Visit this place in Argentina for the best combination of luxury and nature

Loknath Das

It was about 8 pm, and a cacophany of chirping birds and cicadas filled the inky darkness. If a large animal—a tapir, perhaps, or a jaguar—snapped branches or scampered through the bush, it would have been hard to hear it. My ears strained, my pulse quickened, as I surveyed the dense jungle ahead with a flashlight, waiting to spy a flash of green eyes… Not many visitors make it to this part of northeastern Argentina, despite its Urugua-í Provincial Park being just a 2.5-hour drive from Iguazu Falls, one of…

Read More