Z-plus security cover for Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on parole

Thursday February 24, 2022

Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, who is on 21-day parol from jail and staying at his farmhouse

'Would love to debate with Modi on TV': Imran on resolving Kashmir issue

Thursday February 24, 2022

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan has invited Narendra Modi for a TV debate to resolve the differences between

Afghan trucks carrying wheat from India as humanitarian aid for Afghan people arrive at Pakistan's Wagah border

Thursday February 24, 2022

Afghan trucks arrived at Wagah border on feb 22 evening after collecting the first batch of wheat from India

Afghan trucks carrying wheat from India as humanitarian aid for Afghan people arrive at Pakistan's Wagah border

Afghan trucks arrived at Wagah border on feb 22 evening after collecting the first batch of wheat from India to be transported to Afghanistan as part of New Delhi's humanitarian aid to the trouble-torn country.

Earlier in the day, Indian Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla along with Afghan Ambassador to India Farid Mamundzay and World Food Programme Country Director Bishaw Parajuli flagged off the first convoy of 50 trucks transporting the consignment through the Attari-Wagah border crossing.

The trucks will leave for Afghanistan under full security cover.

The next convoy of over 60 Afghan trucks is likely to go India to collect the second consignment of wheat later this week.

New Delhi has committed 50,000 tonnes of wheat for Afghanistan because of food shortages in the war-torn country.

Pakistan had agreed to facilitate both Afghanistan and India through safe and duty-free transportation of the commodity.

The Indian government had agreed with an Afghanistan-based logistics company to send empty trucks via Torkham and Wagah.

The Pakistan authorities had also sought from the Afghan authorities to ensure the installation of tracking devices in all trucks using the Pakistan territory.

Pakistan last year allowed India to send 50,000 metric tonnes of wheat to Afghanistan by using its land route after the humanitarian situation worsened in the wake of the Taliban's takeover of Kabul in mid-August.

As per the bilateral understanding, India should complete the shipment within 30 days of the first consignment sent through the Wagah border.

India has signed an MoU with the World Food Programme (WFP) on the distribution of wheat to Afghanistan. India would hand over the wheat to WFP in Afghanistan that would then distribute it among the people.

Initially, Islamabad wanted the transportation of humanitarian assistance goods to Kabul on Pakistani trucks under the banner of the United Nations.

But India made a counter proposal and wanted the food grain to be shipped to Afghanistan either in Indian or Afghan trucks.

The two sides then agreed that wheat would be carried by Afghan trucks and a list of Afghan contractors was shared with Pakistan. The wheat provided by India is expected to help Afghanistan deal with shortages.

According to international aid agencies, about 23 million Afghan are in need of urgent support.

Putin calls for recognition of Crimea as Russia

Thursday February 24, 2022

Russian President Vladimir Putin called for international recognition of Crimea as part of Russia, an end to Ukraine's NATO

RBI cautions public against prepaid payment instruments issued by unauthorised entities

Thursday February 24, 2022

The RBI has said that Gurugram-registered 'sRide Tech Private Limited' is operating a pre-paid instrument (wallet)

India to have 1 billion smartphone users by 2026, says Deloitte study

Thursday February 24, 2022

India will have 1 billion smartphone users by 2026 with rural areas driving the sale of internet-enabled phones, a

India to have 1 billion smartphone users by 2026, says Deloitte study

India will have 1 billion smartphone users by 2026 with rural areas driving the sale of internet-enabled phones, a according to Deloitte's 2022 Global TMT (Technology, Media and Entertainment, Telecom) predictions. India had 1.2 billion mobile subscribers in 2021, of which about 750 million are smartphone users. It is poised to be the second-largest smartphone manufacturer in the next five years.

This growth is likely to be propelled by the rural sector at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6 per cent, compared with the urban sector growing at a CAGR of 2.5 per cent from 2021 to 2026.

Internet-enabled devices in the rural market will also get a push with the government's plan to fiberize all villages by 2025 under the BharatNet programme.

Deloitte said 95 per cent replacements in the urban market in 2026 will be toward new smartphones, while only 5 per cent will be toward pre-owned phones compared with 75 per cent and 25 per cent, respectively, in 2021.The rural population is expected to demonstrate a similar trend where the average lifespan of a phone is four years.

About 80 per cent replacements are likely to be for new devices, while 20 per cent for pre-owned ones in 2026.

Correspondingly, the replacement of feature phones with smartphones is expected to gradually decrease due to a rise in the number of smartphone users. Feature phone replacements will reach 60 million in 2026 from 72 million in 2021 for the urban sector. These replacements will drop to 60 million in 2026 from 71 million in 2021 for the rural sector.

According to Deloitte's analysis, demand for smartphones in India is expected to increase at a CAGR of 6 per cent, to reach about 400 million smartphones in 2026 from 300 million in 2021.This high demand is likely to be primarily created after the launch of 5G, which will alone contribute 80 per cent of the devices (about 310 million units) by 2026.

5G is believed to become the fastest-adopted mobile technology due its diverse applications, such as high-speed gaming and remote healthcare. After the launch of 5G, additional shipments of smartphones are expected to be 135 million (cumulative) by 2026.

From 2022, 5G uptake will see year-on-year growth, leading to an increase in 5G smartphone sales in India.It will phase out the 3G mobile network given the evolution of the digital ecosystem and the industry's efforts to launch affordable 5G handsets.

The recently announced incentive package of USD 10 billion to boost semiconductor manufacturing in India will drive handset manufacturing and make the country the second-largest smartphone market in the next five years .

The India edition of Deloitte's 2022 Global TMT predictions indicates that digital and mobile are the key enablers of the future of technology.Deloitte said the global shortage of semiconductor chips has affected the manufacturing industries across the world.As demand soars, supply is likely to be constrained in the near term, but gradually ease in 2023.

The government's recent announcement on the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for the semiconductor and electronics manufacturing industries has the potential to create an end-to-end ecosystem for manufacturing electronic products.

Barclays pegs India's Q3 GDP growth at 6.6 per cent

Thursday February 24, 2022

Forecasting a lower-than-previously projected 10 per cent GDP growth for the fiscal year 2022 due to the third

Dubai Tennis Championships: Novak Djokovic wins first match of 2022, Andy Murray battles through

Thursday February 24, 2022

The world number one Novak Djokovic and former champion Andy Murray reached the second round of the

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Z-plus security cover for Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on parole

Z-plus security cover for Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh on parole

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'Would love to debate with Modi on TV': Imran on resolving Kashmir issue

Afghan trucks carrying wheat from India as humanitarian aid for Afghan people arrive at Pakistan's Wagah border

Afghan trucks carrying wheat from India as humanitarian aid for Afghan people arrive at Pakistan's Wagah border

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RBI cautions public against prepaid payment instruments issued by unauthorised entities

India to have 1 billion smartphone users by 2026, says Deloitte study

India to have 1 billion smartphone users by 2026, says Deloitte study

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Barclays pegs India's Q3 GDP growth at 6.6 per cent

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