Time to Invest in “Green Businesses”

“Go Green” is something we all are hearing from some time and becoming environment conscious has become a very common practice in today’s world,  but nations like USA have not yet come out of  difficulties of reducing emissions and facing energy crunch.

 

Green today is not only a colour but represents environment and Venture Capitalists have shown their interests by investment in Green Businesses. Green Businesses are just like any other business where profits needs to generated for operations and the only difference is weighing the value of sustainability and human resource for an instant.

 

Eco friendly foods, clothing and technology are popular inventions new businesses have adapted to become more effective environmentally . A number of Companies are encouraging their employees to use energy efficient tools and equipments in order to minimize the amount of carbon emissions and waste production.

 

Various Researches have reveled that investments in Business ventures using green technology rose by 35% YoY in 2005 with less than $500 million to total $13.6 billion. The investment and growth in this sector is expected to maintain the same pace for the next few years. One of the reports indicates 35.6% of the total money invested in the new business ventures were made in companies specializing in green materials and Nano Technology used in Industrial and consumer electronics.

 

There is the clear indication to the fact that more and more entrepreneurs are adapting “Green Business” practices and have reflected in their ideas or vision and investors have taken advantage of such lucrative trend in the economy.

“Yeh mera India…..watan mera India…..FDI ho ya SONIA”

"Yeh  mera  India…..watan mera India…."

Could not think of a better line to start writing about FDI and the recent developments that the UPA Government is trying to bring about which looks more like a image makeover attempt.

 

Shah Rukh Khan first did Pardes and then followed it up with Swades. Probably even he was sure that Politics and Corruption will will take the Country places and BLACK MONEY that exists will make money for him.

 

In short anyone can make money here in India.

 

The once dreaded thing of being the most POPULOUS Country in the World has paved the way for “The Youngest Working Population class” in the world breeding with Entrepreneurs and innovative ideas yet stuck due to lack of Government reforms and long-drawn process of “Putting Ideas into Practice” 

 

By now, many of you might be thinking where is the blog on FDI, well the Investments have not yet started, so the details on the policy and its impact would also take some more time to come. 

 

Please co-operate ( Pun intended - UPA Govt to Indian Consumer and Industry Observers)

 

Just months ago, both Tamil Nadu and the epic long West Bengal ruling Governments experienced changes in power. Yes, they had promised the DEVELOPMENTS and CREATION of JOBS that would change the Lifestyle of people. Well that only changed the “VOTEBANK” of these parties, the rest is yet to come.

 

What has changed and increased is Inflation, Petrol Prices, and the Money in the Swizz Bank A/cs (could have also decreased after the Swizz Government agreed on the information sharing)

 

My friends, the above was just a short recall of the Governments doing in the past couple of years. Now after two whole decades since India began its economic liberalization initiative in 1991, the policy on FDI in retail has finally reached its current status. While some regard this as Image Makeover attempt for the UPA Government, (after all the Corruption scandals and scams), yet it will definitely pave the way for several global retail chains to make their foray into India and enter the $500 bn Indian Retail Market. 

 

 

Earlier

• 100% FDI is allowed only in the wholesale (cash & carry) market
• 51% FDI is allowed in Single brand retailing like Adidas, Tommy Hilfiger, etc.
• FDI is not allowed in the Multi-brand retailing like TESCO, Carrefour, and WalMart

 

Highlights of FDI in Multi-brand Retail

• Union cabinet clears 51% for multi-brand supermarkets.
• Minimum investment from foreign retailer is $100 mn.
• At least 50% of the total FDI must be invested in ‘back-end’ infrastructure.
• Minimum 30% of the local sourcing requirements from small industries.
• Retail outlets to come up in cities with more than 1 million population
• The govt will have the first right to procure agricultural produce.

 

Chain stores account for just around 6 percent of a $500 billion retail market dominated by street stalls and corner shops. Today, the organized retail market in India is estimated to be worth around $28 billion; and is projected to grow by 10 times by 2020.

 

The FDI floodgates have opened mega opportunities for not only brick-and-mortar retailers, but for their virtual peers as well. With the policy leg up, global players like Amazon, eBay and Alibaba are also expected to start shopping for Indian companies to step up operations. 

 

The morning after the Cabinet approval, I received a mailer “BE INDIAN, BUY INDIAN”……So are we following the USA in this too. (Refer – Rage in USA to buy only American made products, boycotting the Chinese and products from any other Country)

 

To appease opponents, the government said foreign stores will only be permitted in cities of more than 1 million -- of which India has more than 50 -- and individual states can decide whether to allow global players on to their patch.

 

About 5-6 million of the 8 million FMCG-stocking kiranas are in rural India, and are totally safe, as the new ones can only come into the top 53 cities. The Global giants cannot provide facilities like free, prompt and no-conditions home delivery, superior and customised customer relationship management, khaata credit and willingness to stock small quantities of something used by only a few people in their catchment - a classic 'long-tail' strategy.

 

Inspite of all this there is also a proposal for letting state governments have a say on whether foreign-owned retail businesses should be allowed to set up operations in their states or not, on the ground that “trade and commerce within the state” is a matter reserved for the state to legislate on. This could be a bit of a worrying proposition for foreign retailers.

 

India’s largest private firm Reliance Industries (who faced opposition with its Reliance Fresh stores in Uttar Pradesh) have had a taste of how state governments and local issues can be a big dampener for physical stores.

 

The Parliament has already been stalled because of this proposition by the Government of FDI in Retail, not realizing the fact that many other Bills are also pending including the Lokpal Bill.

 

Warren Buffet in one of his quotes had said, “Make the Parliamentarians responsible for what they do and they should be forced to step down for any increase in Fiscal Deficit”

 

Lekin Bandhu re, “Yeh  mera  India…..watan mera India…..FDI ho ya SONIA”

Significant changes in Algorithm by Google- Why is this happening now ????

Google changes its search Algorithm upto 500-600 times a year. Then what’s the Big Deal this time !!!

Is it a response to the likes of challenges faced from sites like Twitter and Facebook, to enable real-time news feed ?  Or is it that the news of Terrorist Attacks, Earthquakes and Floods are being first updated on Twitter and Facebook ?

(Remember the Mumbai Terror Attack, the Sikkim Earthquake, the sad demise of Jagjit Singh are some of the memories I can recollect while writing this article)

Google tried once before to create real-time search, in 2009, when it introduced google.com/realtime, a service that incorporated Twitter posts that Google paid Twitter to use. But that contract expired in July and the two companies could not agree on terms to renew it.

Times have changed now. For people who want the latest chatter about events happening now, Google directly competes with Facebook, Twitter and Bing, Microsoft's search engine, which, unlike Google, includes Twitter and Facebook posts in search results.

The new formula will affects search results globally but will not change ads that appear on Google, will bring up minutes-old results for recent events, like an unfolding news story. It will also understand that reviews from a few weeks ago are also useful, the company said.

The reason this is happening as Claimed by Company is “Some searches were yielding stale results. It is one of the biggest tweaks ever to Google's search algorithm, affecting about 35 percent of all searches” Google said last week that it aims to be more transparent about algorithm changes going forward

For search marketers, knowing the dates of these Google updates can help explain changes in rankings and organic website traffic. Google also says it is testing algorithm changes that will look more closely at ad-to-content ratio for the portion of a page that resides “above the fold.” Expect this to be a more critical signal in 2012.

But don’t you think that Google is being run by Indians, managerially and technically.

Even though Page and Schmidt are CEO and Executive Chairman of Big G, but still we can’t forget that it was Amit Singhal, an IIT Roorkey Graduate, who re-wrote the whole algorithm of Google Search Engine in 2000 which made Google the best in the industry.

Then, Nikesh Arora of BHU-IT is the Chief Business Manager; Vic Goundotra is the man behind the whole Google Plus… and, many many more. Search FAMOUS INDIANS WORKING IN GOOGLE for more details.

It is this very Amit Singhal a Google fellow who works on search, wrote in a blog post announcing the changes.

For a complete list of ten improvements from the past couple of weeks follow this link :

http://insidesearch.blogspot.com/2011/11/ten-recent-algorithm-changes.html

WE ARE ALWAYS ON FACEBOOK.

Today as we speak, communicate, share and socialize Facebook has entered our world, into every nook and corner, be it the web, tablets, mobile phones and even our TVs. This is not only true for international markets but specifically for the Indian market. 

Every television advertisement these days has a ‘Like Us on Facebook’ ticker at the end of the commercial. Same goes for the news paper ads. This will give you an idea how big Facebook is getting in our country. The huge growth of Facebook and social media in India has made Facebook stand up and look at India as a serious market.

Facebook currently has 800 million people signed up worldwide. This is a whopping figure and the most garnered by any web service. Facebook is used extensively in most parts of the world but India has huge numbers when it comes to new people signing up and the magnitude of the Indian market.

India currently stands tall with 30 million Facebook users at No.3, Indonesia being second with 45 million users and USA being No.1.

Indian corporate houses and businesses have picked up social media tools (esp. Facebook) so that they can communicate and connect better with their audiences.  Social media is here to stay is known by everyone and is rapidly becoming a huge channel for the marketing and advertising industry specially in consumer sectors such as retail. 

A great share of Facebook user’s access it through their mobile phones. The growth in India has been rapid with the launch of 3G services and affordable GPRS handsets and data plans but it has not yet boiled down to the bulk of Indian users. To cater to this segment, Facebook is paying special attention to making Facebook accessible on cheaper and simpler mobile phones. Facebook announced that it would tie-up with mobile phone chip-maker, Mediatek through which they could make Facebook services accessible on low-cost handsets enabling a lot of users, especially Indian ones to access Facebook through a single button. Micromax already has a number of Facebook ready handsets, recently Vodafone also launched Facebook phone called ‘Vodafone Blue’ and it costs Rs. 4950.

Facebook also plans to introduce ‘Facebook Credits’ through which users can spend virtual currency across various games or applications they use on the website.

Facebook Credits enables fast and easy transactions across games on the social networking site and would benefit about 30 million Facebook subscribers in the country.

The users would be able to enter their payment information once and can buy, earn and spend safely across various games or applications they use on Facebook.


So lets sing along.. He's always on Facebook..

India to get 121 million internet users by 2011 - A GOLDEN ERA FOR E-COMMERCE

Why this is the best time to start your business in INDIA?


There are many entrepreneurs who have an idea to start their own venture but are not sure when to start it. They are waiting for the right time to start their venture. If you are one of them then the following article will compel you to start your venture/business ASAP. Wondering how? Go ahead and read it.


With the increasing Internet penetration India is likely to achieve 121 million internet users by December 2011, according to the annual I-Cube Report


In September 2011, India crossed the 100-million mark of Internet users. According to the annual I-Cube Report, jointly published by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) and IMRB.
Out of 121 million, 97 million would be active Internet users who access Internet at least once in a month. Of the 121 million users who claimed to have used Internet in the past, there will be 92 million Internet users from the urban cities of the country and 29 million from rural areas. Of the 97 million active Internet users, 73 million will be from urban cities and the rest 24 million from rural villages.

Recently, IMRB and IAMAI has come out with an interesting report on active internet users in the metros of the country. According to the report, Mumbai with 8.1 million claimed and 6.2 million active internet users is the top internet using city in the country. Delhi including NCR is second with 6.2 and 5.0 million claimed and active internet users. Surprisingly, Kolkata is in the third place and tech city Bangalore rests at number six.

The survey also found that towns with less than 2 lakh population collectively returned a much higher number of internet users than the top four metros put together.

Why you should start your (e-commerce) business in India?

121

Million internet users in India by 2011 end

10%

Of indans will have internet access by 2011 end

21%

of the internet users in India are school children

27%

of the internet users in India are college students

10%

Of the internet users in India belong to the lower economic strata (rural areas)

75%

Access the net more than once a week compared to 68% in 2006

90

Million - Active internet users in India

26.3

Million – active users who access internet through mobile phones

60%

Increase in usage of internet in smaller towns compared to the top 8 metros

87%

Of urban internet users use internet at least once a week

8.7

Million – broadband connections in urban cities in India

The urban rural divide – a great opportunity to tap the internet market

Urban cities Population - 302 million people	Rural cities Population - 603 million
38% Are computer literate (Know how to operate computer) 72% Of the computer literate claim to have used the internet ever 79% Of these are actively accessing the internet, at least once in the past one month 27% Penetration of claimed internet users	8% Are computer literate 36% Of the computer literates claim to have used the internet ever 78% Of these are actively accessing the internet, at least once in the past one month 3% Penetration of claimed internet users

The above graph reflects that usage of internet by youngsters is booming. More than 75% of the internet usage is driven by younger generation. Around a third of young men and working women are heavy users spending more than 16.5 hours on the net. This provides a good opportunity for internet startups to tap these people.

The above graph shows the penetration of internet users is increasing in rural areas. The growth is fuelled by the increasing penetration of telecommunications industry across india as almost all telecom operators are coming up with internet enabled handsets at affordable prices. Moreover the telecom providers are providing internet services such as GPRS and 2G at affordable rates which helps in increasing the usage of internet, thus improving the internet users base in the rural areas.

From the above table it is evident that internet usage is becoming an integral part of peoples live, people use internet at least once a week which helps them avoid physical travel, paper work, meetigns , going to travel agents or taking special trainings. The convenience of online availability of products and services is compelling people to depend on internet to get products and services at their door step. 

Given the above facts this is the most opportune time to tap the potential of venturing into e-commerce in India. What are you waiting for? Get ready with your business plan and get ready to ride the internet boom in India.

extract-icube,exchange4media

Hindi Domain Names With DOT BHARAT To Arrive Soon

One may remember, ICANN had approved the usage of world’s scripts & confirmed that domain names will longer be restricted to Latin alphabets in 2009. Some of the languages approved were Hindi, Tamil, Arabic, Chinese, Korean, Cyrillic & others.


India is preparing to launch the dot-Bharat domain name in Hindi in May with the aim of bridging the digital divide in the country. The move will enable organizations and individuals to register their website addresses in Hindi—and later more local languages—making them more accessible to a large proportion of Indians who aren’t familiar with English.


However, this move of adding a .bharat extension (as against .com, .net, .org) seems to be to appease the “Indian” within us.


The government will give trademark holders first rights on a dot-Bharat domain name to prevent cybersquatting. Such registrations will begin in March before being opened up for everyone else two months after that.


About 11% of the country’s population understands English, while 40% is well-versed in some form of Hindi, according to Census 2001. 


Further, China, Russia, Japan, (South) Korea have long been enjoying this privilege. So why not India? Well, this is a welcome sign, but, there are cautionary voices heard all over. Manish Dalal, VP (Asia Pacific) at VeriSign Naming Services, the largest registrar of domain names globally, says, “Making the domain name available in local languages won’t be enough. The operating system, browser, domain name and the content, everything from start to finish has to be completely in the local language to really break the entry barrier,”

Book Auto Rickshaws ONLINE !

Time is money.

Those who have earned money the hard way have realized the value of time. Everyone has got only 24 hours in a day and they try to make the most of it. In a fast paced city like Mumbai where time is so important that people don’t want to waste time. They have lots of work to do, catch up friends, family, places to go, people to meet.

But, have you wondered how much time is wasted (read as not utilized productively)

·         When you are waiting in the long  queue for an auto rickshaw

·         When you are in a hurry and want to reach home on time but the rickshaw doesn’t want to go towards your destination

·         Even if you get a rickshaw you have to fight with other people to fit in properly

·         You are waiting since one hour but not able to find a vacant auto rickshaw.

These occurrences could play havoc with your duties, schedule, work and could make you frown.

But now Mumbai has got respite from these situations.

Wondering HOW?

Here comes – “RICKSHAWALE” - The first INSTANT AUTO RICKSHAW BOOKING service for Mumbaikars ! It provides the citizens with 24 x 7 doorstep pickup for commuters through a fleet of verified drivers who will take you to any destination you wish to go to.

About Team RICKSHAWALE

The founders of Rickshawale were looking at an option to end the worries of commuters in Mumbai, they identified that auto rickshaws are a cheap mode of transport to quickly zip around. But there needed a mechanism to tap them and use it to the need of the commuters. It was a clear that there was a pressing need to create a smoother commuting experience that is affordable and convenient. Thus was born Rickshawale in June 2011, Mumbai’s first 24 hour auto rickshaw booking service for Mumbaikars that is a worthy option to the more expensive and often unavailable radio cab services

The founders of Rickshawale consists of a team of professionals from the Transport, Logistics and Digital Technology fields who are ably supported by valuable team of ex-auto rickshaw drivers and owners of auto rickshaws, along with the largest fleet of auto rickshaws in Mumbai. This helps us understand the real needs of passengers and the areas where they can positively affect the lives of auto rickshaw drivers. These people are passionate about using technology to make life simpler and committed to delightful customer service.

So the next time you are in a hurry and you don’t get any rickshaw, just dial 022-25747474 to make a booking or you could visit www.rickshawale.com and fill up an online booking form and a customer service associate will shortly contact you to complete your booking.

GROUPON RAISES $700 MILLION IPO 2ND LARGEST AFTER GOOGLE

Groupon Inc raised $700 million after increasing the size of its initial public offering, becoming the largest IPO by an Internet company since Google Inc raised $1.7 billion in 2004. 
Groupon’s has increased the shares to 35 million in total at a price of $20 each. The money raised is a meager 5 % of its valuation and this will support Groupon’s share price when it starts trading on NASDAQ.


The debut of the three-year-old company, which sells Internet coupons for everything from spa treatments to nose jobs, is one of this year's most closely watched.


Groupon faces a stiff competition from ‘biggies’ like Google and Amazon who are both working on clones of Groupon’s products. Google has been in talks with Groupon to acquire it for some $6 billion. The bid was rejected and Groupon is currently valued at $12.8 billion which is more than double of Google’s bid. Google’s Groupon clone is called ‘Offers’ and Facebook has also announced ‘Deals’. These are the biggest threats to Groupon because of the reach and popularity that Google and Facebook enjoy.


Skeptics are questioning the IPO and its future outcome and whether it would be wise to invest in a company whose business model is so shaky. The company’s ability to generate long term profit and revenue growth are also being scrutinized closely and doubts are beginning to crop. Many have advised people to stay away from the IPO because of its volatility. Groupon’s CEO, Andrew Mason and his team of executives have been on the road for almost 2 weeks talking and pitching to investors and allying fears about investing in the company.


Groupon is a company with market to 150 million consumers daily. No other company in the world has ever had that type of reach.


Wall Street will scrutinize Groupon's Friday showing for clues as to how other highly anticipated dotcom IPOs -- from the likes of Facebook or Zynga -- may fare in future.

HOW TO TRANSFORM YOUR IDEA INTO A VENTURE

If you have gotten the business startup idea you want to transform into a reality but you don’t know how to transform it, read on and you will get to know how you can go about it.

The hardest part for many entrepreneurs is executing their idea. They might have gotten the great idea but to execute it, they find it difficult to do. Why? They might be looking for the next step to take or even scared of dishing it out.

The more time you waste on a business startup idea, the more the idea will be dying or someone else will execute it. So, to transform your idea into a reality you must be smart and fast. You don’t know who is thinking about the similar idea with yours. Bothering yourself about if it will get perfect will get you nowhere. So stop wasting time on a startup idea.

Steps To Take In Order To Transform Your Idea Into A Reality:

• Chat With Experts:

Most of you might be scared of sharing your startup idea with someone so that the person will not run away with the idea. I do have that kind of mindset before; it’s of recent when I got convinced that keeping your idea to yourself will help do no good.

Before sharing your idea with people, know the kind of people you want to share it with. Try to look for people who are in the game before you, people who are professionals in the game. Though this does not really matters, you can still share it with people who are in the game but they are not yet professionals. You just have to watch the kind of person you will share your business idea with.

Chatting about your idea with experts will open your eyes to something’s you never knew. Don’t be scared to discard your business idea because when you share an idea with an expert and you both find out that the idea is not worth transforming into a reality due to one reason or the other, try to discard it and look for another startup idea you can start. But if you think that your startup idea has a bright future, go ahead and give it a shot!

When you chat with expert about your idea, and if the idea is worth trying, they will share with you tips on how to turn it into a profitable one in order to yield positive results. Embrace the mindset of sharing your startup idea with people you trust and forget about someone stealing your idea.

• Take Research:

You need to take research on your startup idea. Try to know who your competitors are and what they are lacking in order to implement it so as to stay ahead of them.

You can also apply this logic when taking your research, try to know the customers who patronize your competitors and ask them what they feel about your competitors and what they want your competitors to do for them in order to serve them better.

That does not mean you should be monitoring your competitors here and there because if you should do, you are just wasting your time. The time you used in monitoring your competitors, you might use it to do something productive.

You just need to take proper research about who your competitors are in order to get prepared and know how you can stay ahead of them. Trying to get your competitors customers in order to interview them (not all) has to do with strategy so as not to get busted.

• Build Your Team:

To be candid, if you want to win big in the business world, you must build your team. Because it’s lonely at the top. To win, you alone can’t do it. You need to surround yourself with people who are smarter than you in order to lift you up and help build a great business.

So if you are looking for cofounders who will work with you in order to transform the idea into a reality, try to look for people who will fill up the space you are lacking.

For instance, I want to start a tech startup, and I know that I’m not a good developer. But to do it, I need to find a CTO (Chief Technology Officer) who will work with me in order to transform the startup idea into a reality. So try to know the space you need someone to fill up and look for the right person who will fill up the space in order to get something doing.

• Do You Have A Unique Knowledge Of Improving It?

Though this would be asked by the person who you are sharing your startup idea with. Before looking into a startup, you must have a unique knowledge of improving by being innovative - doing the old things in a new way.

Another entrepreneur who starts a startup without considering this category is likely to fall off the board. You must be ready to give the game a life in order for the universe to reward you. If you can’t, don’t even bother to start the startup.

Be innovative so as to last long in the business world. Also by being innovative you will make your startup a profitable one. I’m sure you don’t want to do the same thing your competitors are doing? You have to think outside the box in order to dwell on the mountain top.

• Create It:

After doing all this, try to get your hand dirty by executing the idea. The more time you waste in execution, the faster your startup idea dies. Don’t bother about perfection because if you should do. You will regret ever trying to transform your idea into a reality.

Stop wasting time, you just have to screw up and do it! Or “Just Do It Like NIKE” By the time you start, you will get to know other steps to take but if you don’t give it a shot, how will you know the next step to take? I’m urging you to get your hands dirty and stop wasting time. See you at the top.

by Samuel .Source-Megabizflakes

Websites made FREE, Fast and Easy for All Indian Businesses - BY GOOGLE INDIA GO GRAB IT NOW

In a country as vast and diverse as India, it’s challenging to get people to notice your business. That's why, Google has initiated getting small businesses in India online and providing them the necessary tools, tips and resources to succeed online.

Small businesses are vital in their contribution to India’s socio-economic development. The nation’s small businesses account for 95% of the industrial units in the country and are the second largest employers of human resources. Almost 45% of the total exports from India are dependent on small businesses. Although majority of consumers look online for local products and services, small businesses do not have a website or online presence. This makes them invisible to many potential customers. 

Given the potential of growth in India – Google has played a master-stroke here by making it absolutely easy for Indian Businesses to come online.

STEPS FOR GOING ONLINE WITH GOOGLE

Go the website, choose your domain name, fill up a form giving some of the details and you are done.

Freebies You Get On Opening Your Account

• It’s free to set up your website. The domain is free for 1 year, and it’s free to maintain your website for 12 months.

• The website tool takes 15 minutes from sitting down to being found online.

•  All you need to start is your address, phone number, TAN/CIN or PAN to verify you as a business.

• The website is simple because customers are looking for simple information online.

• Get your  own .in domain.

• Other features include photos/logos, integration with social media platforms.

• You get a Google Apps account – free personalized email ids.

• If you want to make your website work harder, you’ll have access to steady stream of free tips and tools from the Getting Indian Business Online team and a free coupon of worth Rs.2500 INR advertising trial from Google AdWords to help promote your site.

• After the first year, SMBs can choose to pay a monthly pay-as-you-go to maintain their website using hostgator.

• At the end of the first year, they’ll have to pay a nominal charge if they wish to renew their domain name. They can cancel their website at any time.

On the other hand, you also see the SOOFI Group Website GIBO (Getting Indian Business Online) http://www.gibo.in/  trying to take advantage of Web-traffic using similar search words. I guess probably they also earned some money from my Click and visit to their website....But beware of these proxy websites...

Across India, more and more people are connecting with local businesses online. Make sure they connect with yours with a free professional website. Help customers find you easily and be where they are. 

It's easy……. Really fast……. And absolutely free…….. So get your business online…..

There's no thinking twice…. Get started today…….  Go Online and Succeed……

Logon to www.indiagetonline.in