HMD Global to adopt notch screen, resurrect X-series with Nokia X6: Report

A purported media invite on Weibo hints at a possible Nokia 6 launch in China on May 16. It shows a phone's notch screen with a launch date. Here's everything to know about recent Nokia smartphones.

HMD Global, the Finnish mobile phone manufacturer behind Nokia-branded devices, might bring back the old Nokia X-series smartphones. The first smartphone in the series will purportedly be called the Nokia X6.And the official images shared by the company on the Chinese social media platform Weibo shows that the phone will sport a notch-based screen, a first for Nokia smartphones.
Those who have seen the original Nokia X-series devices would agree that those phones offered a value-for-money proposition. The series had its spot fixed between the premium Nokia N-series and the budget Nokia C-series, therefore it took cues from both. The X-series devices usually had a distinct design language, unconventional mostly, and featured a colourful outlook. The Nokia X7-00 with razor cut metallic design and unconventional pseudo speaker grilles on each corners was the last device of the X-series that came out.
Nokia X6 specifications and features
Speaking of the purported Nokia X6, the Android-based smartphone is expected to sport a notch-based 5.8-inch screen with a 19:9 aspect ratio on the front. The phone is expected to use either a MediaTek P60 system-on-chip (SoC) or a Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor. The earlier leak also hinted that the phone would sport dual camera set-up on the rear. However, just like original Nokia X-series, it may not feature Carl Zeiss lenses.
Nokia X6 Launch
While nothing is officially confirmed about the said Nokia X6, a purported media invite shared on Weibo hints at a possible China launch on May 16. The said invite shows a phone’s notch-based screen cut-out with a launch date marked on it. However, the source of the invite could not be verified yet.

Recent Nokia launches



Nokia 8 Sirocco

HMD Global on April 4 launched the Nokia 8 Sirocco in India. Priced at Rs 49,999, the Nokia 8 will go on sale starting April 30 and be available only in black colour. The phone would go on sale either through Nokia phones' official portal or home-grown e-commerce portal Flipkart. The phone would also be available at select retail outlets like Sangeetha, Poorvika, Big C, Croma and Reliance Digital.

The Nokia 8 Sirocco is an unconventional flagship smartphone with a premium design, top-tier innards, wireless charging, water-dust resistance and the Android One promise of guaranteed future OS updates. The phone’s camera might not impress everyone, especially those who like nightlife photography. But the three omni-directional Nokia OZO microphones compensate for that by allowing crisp sound recording, even during live jamming sessions.



Nokia 7 Plus

The Nokia 7 Plus is a mid-range premium smartphone with modern looks and smooth performance. It does not have top-tier innards, but it manages to run without any lag or jitters, even during demanding tasks. At Rs 25,999, the phone is an all-rounder with powerful battery, fast charge support, good screen and the Android One update promise.



Nokia 6 (2018)

Built on the blueprint of the original Nokia 6, the new Nokia 6 (2018) packs more power and performance. The phone is powered by Qualcomm 630 processor, coupled with 32GB internal storage and 3GB RAM. The phone is powered by a 3,000 mAh battery, which supports fast charge technology. According to company’s claim, the fast charger takes 30 minutes to charge over 50 per cent battery. The phone boasts a 16MP primary camera and 8MP selfie camera.



HMD Global India outlook

Since HMD Global entered the handset business in 2016, it has sold over 70 million devices. India, being one of the fastest growing mobile phone markets globally, is among the company’s top three global markets as the country shows better potential than other European markets.



After making a mark in the feature phone market within a year, HMD is now eyeing the top spot. The Finnish firm wants to clinch a significant share of the smartphone market that is currently dominated by Asian manufacturers.



Pekka Rentala, chief marketing officer of HMD, has set the standards of the local market as a global benchmark. Unlike earlier, when Nokia used to dominate the market, its market share is less than 10 per cent. The market has over 200 handset brands.



Rentala wants to rely on the nimbleness of a start-up, rather than taking the conventional approach. He wants to focus on strengthening distribution.



While, Nokia has an established e-commerce channel in Europe, penetrating offline and online distribution channels in India is crucial. However, the emergence of brands such as Vivo and Oppo had made the job difficult, he added. Instead of penetrating the market with high margins and discounts, Nokia will offer products that are value for money.

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Xiaomi Redmi S2 leak shows Redmi Note 5 Pro-inspired design: Details here

The India-bound budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature face-unlock mechanism. Here are all the details you need to have for the upcoming Xiaomi smartphone.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi is closely working on a new Redmi device that is also expected to make its way to India. Touted as the Redmi S2, the budget-centric smartphone is reported to sport dual rear cameras and feature the face-unlock mechanism, according to a report by online technology-based forum XDA-developers.
Now, the phone's purported image renders, shared by a Czech-based online publication SvetAndroida, show Redmi S2's front and back views. Based on renders, the phone would sport a tall 18:9 aspect ratio screen on the front and dual cameras on the back, along with a fingerprint scanner. The phone’s back seems identical to the Redmi Note 5 Pro, which was launched in India on February 14. However, the dual antenna lines on top and bottom have a different design and, therefore, the phone seems to bring some design element changes too.
In terms of specifications and features, the report in XDA hinted that the Xiaomi Redmi S2 would sport an 18:9 aspect ratio screen of HD+ (1440×720) resolution. It would be powered by a Qualcomm MSM 8953 system-on-chip (SoC), which is a Snapdragon 625 processor. In terms of storage, the phone would have a
16GB variant, though other storage models are also likely, and there would be a microSD card slot for storage extension. As for memory, the phone would likely come in 2GB and 3GB RAM variants.
Talking of imaging, the phone would have a dual-camera set-up on the back, which will either have the 12-megapixel primary sensor of Sony IMX486 or OmniVision OV12A10, and the 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 as the secondary sensor. On the front, there would be a 5MP Samsung S5K5E8 sensor.



The Xiaomi Redmi S2 would have a 3,080mAh battery and boot Android Oreo 8.1 out-of-the-box.
Based on most of the specifications and features, the Xiaomi Redmi S2 seems like a mixture of the Redmi 5 and Redmi Note 5 (Redmi 5 Plus) with added dual cameras on the back. While most of the specifications, such as HD+ screen and storage and RAM variants put it in line with the Redmi 5, the Snapdragon 625 processor would give the Redmi S2 a huge boost in terms of processing power.



Comparison with Xiaomi Redmi Note 5 Pro
The Redmi Note 5 Pro made a global debut with its India launch on February 14. The smartphone offers a modern design, powerful processor, iPhone X-inspired dual camera set-up, mammoth battery and price tags of Rs 13,999 and Rs 16,999 for the 64GB/4GB and 64G/6GB variants, respectively.

The Note 5 Pro does bring substantial upgrades to the predecessor, the Note 4.

Redmi Note 5 Pro camera
The phone uses a 12-megapixel sensor sourced from Sony in combination with a 5MP sensor sourced from Samsung together to deliver refined performance. However, because the secondary camera in the Note 5 Pro is not telephoto lens, the 2x zooming capabilities are missing. On the positive side, the camera boasts portrait mode, powered by some sort of artificial intelligence.
On the front, there is a 20MP selfie camera assisted with LED flash. The front camera also features the portrait mode, which utilises company’s AI algorithms to create the bokeh effect for artificial blurs.

Redmi Note 5 Pro specs and features

The Redmi Note 5 Pro was the first global device powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 636 processor, which is an octa-core SoC built on 14 nanometre (NM) process. The phone boots MIUI 9, which can now be updated to MIUI 9.5. The Android-based customised operating system looks neat and the phone keeps the thermals in control while using power-intensive tasks for extended hours.

Importantly, a 4,000 mAh battery keeps the phone working for almost one full day. A 4,000 mAh battery in the Note 5 Pro is good 100 mAh less than Note 4, yet it manages to deliver almost the same on-battery time or even better. However, the phone takes more than one-and-a-half hours to replenish its battery from zero to 100 per cent.

Other competitors

Infocus Vision 3 Pro

American smartphone brand Infocus recently launched the Vision 3 Pro, which is an upgraded version of its 18:9 aspect ratio screen-based Infocus Vision 3. Priced at Rs 10,999, the budget-centric smartphone boasts a powerful processor, 64 GB of internal storage, 4 GB of RAM, a dual-camera set-up on the back, and a mammoth 4,000 mAh battery.

Infocus Vision 3 Pro specifications and features

The phone sports a modern 5.7-inch HD+ ultra-wide screen on the front and a dual-camera set-up placed horizontally on the upper left side of the back. Talking about imaging, the rear dual-cameras on the back sports 13-megapixel and 8MP sensors. There is a 13MP selfie camera on the front, however, without the selfie flashlight that the competitors offer.

The Infocus Vision 3 Pro is powered by a 4,000 mAh battery that keeps the show running for almost 2 days on a single charge. The phone boots Smile UX, which is a customised Android 7.0 Nougat-based operating system. 

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Cashback and discount: Modi govt's mega plan to boost digital transactions

The proposals to encourage digital transactions are likely to be placed before the GST Council on May 4.

The government is working on a proposal to incentivise digital transactions by providing cashbacks to businesses and price benefits to consumers, a source said.
As per the proposal being worked out by the Revenue Department, consumers paying through the digital mode would be offered a discount over the maximum retail price (MRP). The discount would be capped at Rs 100.

Businesses, on the other hand, could get a cashback based on the quantum of turnover through the digital mode.

The proposals to encourage digital transactions are likely to be placed before the GST Council, chaired by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and comprising state ministers, on May 4.
According to the source, the issue of providing incentive for digital transaction was discussed at a meeting held in the Prime Minister's Office.
During the meeting, three possible modes of incentivising businesses to go in for digital transactions were discussed. Apart from cashbacks, a proposal to allow businesses to obtain tax credit on the basis of turnover obtained through digital mode was also discussed.

This would have worked like the input tax credit mechanism wherein businesses can credit for taxes paid on raw materials.
Besides, the option of allowing businesses to offset their GST liability up to a threshold for using digital transaction was also deliberated.

The source said the Revenue Department has zeroed in on the option of cash back to businesses based on a threshold of digital transaction. This would be easier to implement and cannot be misused by unscrupulous elements.

As a matter of precaution, the department will ascertain the veracity of the digital transactions reported by the businesses and then credit the cash back to their bank account.
During the PMO meeting, it was also discussed if any incentives could be given for digital transaction from the direct taxes side.

The direct tax department, the source said, has outlined the steps it had taken to discourage cash dealings. Besides, for small businesses opting for presumptive taxation scheme, it had reduced the rate for calculation of deemed profit from eight per cent to six per cent in respect of the amount of total turnover or gross receipts received through banking channel/digital means.
The source said since the incentives would have been on the basis of the turnover of the businesses, it was felt that the indirect tax department would be better placed to incentivise the businesses and hence the GST Council would have to give a final go ahead.

Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping Wuhan summit: Sino-India ties pegged on lakeside walks? Top updates

Modi-Xi Jinping summit is aimed at ending decades of distrust between India and China, which has deepened as Beijing asserts itself in the region with projects like the BRI and CPEC

The informal two-day Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping summit will begin on Friday in the Chinese city of Wuhan. The meeting will be different from past such encounters as the talks will be freewheeling, instead of being choreographed. Further, only one Mandarin-speaking Indian interpreter will be present.
Ahead of the Modi-Xi talks, Chinese media was largely optimistic of its outcome and stressed the need for setting aside differences to focus on cooperation. Prime Minister Modi arrived in Wuhan a little past midnight on Friday. Before departing for China, Modi had said President Xi and he "will exchange views on a range of issues of bilateral and global importance" at the summit and "review the developments in the India-China relations from a strategic and long-term perspective".
The Wuhan summit will see Modi and Xi reportedly discuss issues ranging from US President Donald Trump's trade policies, protectionism, globalisation, Xi's ambitious Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) to the India-China border dispute, even as the two leaders take lakeside walks and boat rides together.
With the future of Sino-Indian ties hanging in the balance, Chinese President Xi is hosting Modi for the informal summit where officials said the two leaders would spend most of their time interacting in one-on-one conversations. According to official statements from both sides, the Modi-Xi summit aims to create a broad framework for India-China ties and build trust between the two leaders. The summit is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties, which have faced stumbling blocks and were hit by the 73-day-long Doklam standoff last year.
Even though official sources have said that the Modi-Xi summit will eschew looking into specific issues in favour of the big picture of India-China ties, a section of the Chinese media has accorded high importance to the summit. The Modi-Xi Jinping Wuhan summit could be as significant as the one between former Indian Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and the then leader of China Deng Xiaoping in 1988, the official Chinese media commented on Tuesday. "The meeting can be as significant as the one in 1988 when Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping and then Indian prime minister Rajiv Gandhi met, and will set the course for bilateral ties," an op-ed in Global Times said.
Here are the top 10 developments around the two-day Narendra Modi-Xi Jinping Wuhan summit in China that starts today:
1)Modi-Xi need to 'manage differences, focus on cooperation': Ahead of the Modi-Xi summit, the media in China, by and large, is saying that both sides will need to manage their differences and focus on taking their existing cooperation to the next level.
Leading newspaper China Daily quoted excerpts from a recent article written by China's Ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui in which he said, "Both countries are at a critical stage of economic development and modernisation", acknowledging that "it is natural for neighbours to have differences (and) that when differences can't be solved for now, we should properly manage them and focus on cooperation".
2)Modi-Xi meet 'new chapter in China-India relations':The influential hardline daily Global Times, under the headline ‘Informal Modi-Xi meeting heralds a new chapter in Sino-Indian relations’ has suggested that during the Wuhan meeting, "China should let India know that Beijing does not define New Delhi as an opponent nor seek to hinder its development”. It further states that "China encourages India and Pakistan to resolve (the) Kashmir conflict in a peaceful way".
The Global Times further suggested that "China should convince India that (the) China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (project) is based on promoting economic cooperation" and "does not influence China's neutrality".
It also cautioned India not to use Tibet as a bargaining chip.
3)India and China should 'firmly stick to free trade':State-run news agency Xinhuawrote that the "tete-e-tete between the two leaders was going to set the stage for Beijing and New Delhi to further exchange views over (the) long-term and strategic issues and to initiate fresh momentum for future bilateral cooperation". Placing emphasis on global trade issues, the mXinhua commentary said both Xi and Modi had warned on different occasions of the dire threats of trade barriers to the world economy and that "both countries should firmly stick to the spirit of free trade so as to help maintain current global free trading system with the WTO as (the Centre)".
4) Modi-Xi talks to begin after a tour of Hubei Provincial Museum: Modi arrived at picturesque Wuhan city in Central China past midnight on Friday for the two-day informal summit with Chinese President Xi Jinping.Modi will commence his meetings with Xi at 3:30 pm on Friday at the Hubei Provincial Museum. After touring the museum for about an hour, Modi and Xi, accompanied by six top officials from each side, will hold talks at the sprawling East Lake Guest House, where Xi is staying. This will be followed by the leaders' walk. Dinner will be hosted by Chinese President Xi at the guest house in central Wuhan.
5) A boat ride without aides for Modi and Xi tomorrow: Modi and Xi will have an opportunity on Saturday to spend time without their aides, with the Chinese President taking the Indian Prime Minister for a lakeside walk and a boat ride on the picturesque East Lake. This will be followed by a private lunch hosted by the Chinese President.
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Caste 'stigma': How Dalit bridegrooms on horses are challenging status quo

Such stand-offs are a manifestation of a deeper struggle within society: upper-caste resistance to the rise of Dalits and how the criminal justice system still fails them

As a wedding procession of 200-odd people danced to the hit Bollywood song Ghoomar, Ramprasad Bamnia, 27, dapper in a dark blue suit, a multi-coloured turban, and sword in hand, sat proudly atop a white-coloured mare.
“This was the third most important day of my life,” Bamnia said. The happiest was when he started studying at a special boarding school for children from the scheduled castes (SC)–the constitutional name for those who were considered at the bottom of the social hierarchy in India–and the second happiest when he was selected in Madhya Pradesh’s (MP) police force, after several failed attempts.
As the procession made its way to the house of the bride Sonia Bamnia, in Ghatiya village, 20 km north of the religious city of Ujjain, in the central Indian state of MP, Bamnia and his guests were accosted by about a dozen people between the ages of 20 and 28 years. They threatened to burn the music system if the procession didn’t stop playing the song Ghoomar–a traditional Rajasthani folk song adapted for the movie Padmavat, which the Karni Sena, a Rajput fringe groupprotested alleging that it defamed the Rajput queen Padmavati. The crowd also insisted that Bamnia get off the mare as he crossed the houses of Rajputs, considered to be a higher caste in the traditional system. Bamnia refused to get off the mare.
Over the last couple of years, Dalit weddings have been interrupted by upper castes in Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat.
In April 2018, in Uttar Pradesh (UP), a Dalit, Sanjay Jatav, was denied the right to ride a mare to his wedding. When he protested, water and electricity supply to his and his fiancé’s family were stopped by some upper caste families.
In 2018, a 21-year-old Dalit, Pradip Rathod, was allegedly killed in Gujarat, by upper caste men, for owning and riding a horse. The Dalit community in Gujarat has also been assaulted for sporting a moustache and performing Garba–a Gujarati folk dance.
Such stand-offs are a manifestation of a deeper struggle within society: Men and women from upper castes are increasingly anxious that Dalits–who make up 16.3% of India’s population–previously considered untouchables, and relegated to jobs considered impure, are enrolling in schools in greater numbers, studying in colleges, finding better jobs and aspiring for long-denied equality.
This is the first part of a two-part series on upper-caste resistance to the rise of Dalits and how the criminal justice system still fails them. The second part explores opposition to inter-caste romantic relationships, and the struggle Dalits face getting justice.
Poverty rates for the SC population have fallen sharply: In urban areas, it fell from 40.6% in 2004-05 to 21.7% in 2011-12, comparable to the fall in poverty rates for the rest of the population, excluding other backward classes (OBCs). In rural areas, poverty rates for SCs fell from 53.5% in 2004-05 to 31.5% in 2011-12, less than the rest of the urban population, excluding OBCs.
Dalits question the status quo
Hidden behind these numbers, on the ground, Dalits are questioning the status quo in small ways.
In Dhuwaliya village, in Rajasthan’s Bhilwara district, Prakash Meghwanshi’s wedding procession, or Bindauli, as it is locally called, was stopped by a group of upper caste men and women who asked him to get off the horse in front of the houses of the upper castes, police said. Meghwanshi refused, and when his family threatened to call the police, those stopping the procession let it proceed.
“Since years, no Dalit had ridden a horse at his wedding in our village. People either didn’t even think of doing it or if they did, they would be scared of what the upper caste people would say,” Rampal Balai, the father of the bride in Dhuwaliya, who arranged for the horse, said. “I wanted my daughter to have a big wedding and I was aware of our rights” to mount a horse.
Those who had stopped the procession said it was not caste-related, and that no one rides in front of the temple on a horse. Police said the temple was just a pretext for stopping the procession and that the procession was just passing the side wall of the temple.
“It’s an issue of dignity,” Satish Kumar of the Jaipur-based Centre for Dalit Rights told IndiaSpend. The upper castes feel that if someone considered lower caste can mount a horse, and ride on the main path of a village, “hamari izzat mitti me mil jaayengi (we won’t be respected any longer)”. Dalits, especially those who migrated to urban areas for study and work, want to have the right to ride a horse, just like everyone else does, Kumar said.
“Earlier there was a lot of child marriage in Dalits so such processions were not common. That’s changed now,” said Bhanwar Meghwanshi, who works for Dalit rights in Rajasthan, and is a national council member of the People Union for Civil Liberties.
“This happens because of old attitudes. The upper castes would consider themselves above all, and believe that old traditions would continue forever,” said Panchuram Saraswat, station house officer, who first appeared at the scene of the wedding procession in Dhuwaliya.
“They don’t know about the law.”
In MP, when the upper castes stopped the wedding procession of police constable Ramprasad Bamnia, the guests agreed to stop playing the song Ghoomar, but Bamnia refused to get off the mare or stop the procession. Then, some of the upper castes threw stones–some hit Bamnia’s relatives, one hit Bamnia’s head and he fell off the mare. He was saved because of the turban, he said.
“I never imagined that I would have to go through such trauma at my marriage due to my caste. And there was this unsaid pressure on me because I was a part of the police administration. Had I let it go, what example would others have received,” said Bamnia.“The incident had shaken me and had hurt my self-respect.”
A national human rights commission report lists prohibitions that Dalits have been subjected to such as driving through the locality on their own vehicle, taking a dead body on the main street of the village, especially where upper castes live, mounting a horse at a wedding procession, entering a higher caste locality for wedding functions, and playing musical instruments for their wedding.
“They [upper castes] must think, ‘how can these downtrodden people rise and ride a mare and pretend to be equal to us’,” said Bamnia.
Bamnia went to the local police station to complain but did not receive much help. He then reached out to the district’s superintendent of police (SP), who promised to send his deputy and 20 members of a special task force to ensure a peaceful wedding. “What really touched me was that seeing me walking back home on foot, ASP (additional SP) sir sent his own vehicle to take me to the wedding,”Bamnia recalled.

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Google Gmail now gets smarter with security, productivity and AI features

Search engine and technology giant Google on April 25 started pushing out a new Gmail web client with redesigned features and new upgrades centred on productivity, security and ease of use. The updated email client is currently rolling out in batches. But, you can try the new look by going to the settings (click on clog icon on top right) and selecting ‘Try the new Gmail’ option. You can also move back to the old client, if you find the new look confusing, by going to the setting again and selecting ‘Go back to classic Gmail’.

Here are the new features in the updated Gmail web client:
Gmail security features
In the new email client, Google has introduced a new confidential mode, which enables creating expiration dates or revoking previously sent messages, thereby helping protect sensitive content in emails. Additionally, the new email client could also require additional authentication via text message to view an email, it is now possible to protect data even if a recipient’s email account has been hacked.
Google has also designed the new Gmail web client
with built-in information rights management (IRM) controls. These controls allow you to remove the option to forward, copy, download or print messages. This helps reduce the risk of confidential information being accidentally shared with the wrong people. However, the feature is still in a testing phase and the rollout will begin to consumer Gmail users and a limited number of G-Suite customers in the coming weeks, followed by a broader rollout to all users later.
The new Gmail web client also features redesigned security warnings with a bigger and bolder outlook to keep you informed when it comes to potentially risky email.
Artificial Intelligence for quick replies and easy follow-ups
Google has integrated someAI-powered features in Gmail, such as nudging, smart reply and high-priority notifications. Targeted to improve productivity, these features proactively remind you to follow up on or respond to messages, without making any distractions.
Last year,Googlehad added the smart reply feature in the Gmail mobile client. Smart replies enable you to respond to emails that might not require lengthy texts. The same feature has now been added to web client that makes it easier and time saving to respond to messages.
Productivity features
The redesigned Gmail web client now makes it easier to view, download or share attachments without opening the email threads. The attachments are now visible on the front-end and you can see and click attachments in your inbox before ever opening a thread. You can also do things like RSVP to a meeting invite, archive an email thread, delete an email, mark email as read and snooze an email without opening them. The new tools are enabled to show as soon as you hover over messages and, therefore, require no clicks.
G Suite integration
The redesigned Gmail web client now features other G Suite apps such as calendar, keep, tasks, etc, on the right side in the action bar. These apps enable you to make quick reference, create or edit calendar invites, capture ideas or manage to-dos without leaving your inbox.
The side panel also allows you to access Gmail Add-ons, like third-party business apps. This way you do not have to switch between tabs or apps to get work done.
The new Gmail web client also features native offline capabilities that help you work without interruption even without internet services. Now, you can search, write, respond, delete, or archive up to 90 days of messages, just as you would working online, but offline. However, the feature would roll out in a separate update in coming weeks.
Google’s other initiatives
Job hunting becomes easier in India
On April 24,Google launched a job search feature within its Search product in India that promises to help job seekers discover relevant employment opportunities. Rather than aggregate jobs by itself,Google is partnering with other large job listing companies such as LinkedIn, Quezx, QuikrJobs, Shine.com, T-Jobs and TimesJobs to bring all their listings to one place.

Mumbai frees up 3,355 hectares of land to build 10 Bandra-Kurla complexes

Mumbai development plan has increased the floor space index (FSI), or the extent of construction allowed on a piece of land, for both commercial and residential buildings.

The new development plan for Mumbai is expected to spur construction of properties and make home prices more affordable. The ‘Development Plan 2034’ has put the focus on growth of affordable housing and commercial properties, experts said.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will release 3,355 hectares (8,290 acres) of land, equal to nearly 10 Bandra-Kurla complexes. This land was previously designated as no-development zone, for building houses and commercial complexes in Mumbai and its suburbs.

About 2,100 hectares (5,189 acres) of it will be earmarked for affordable housing under the new development plan, Ajoy Mehta, municipal commissioner of Mumbai, said in a press conference on Wednesday. An additional 300 hectares (741 acres) of salt pan land will also be restricted for affordable homes.

The Mumbai development plan has increased the floor space index (FSI), or the extent of construction allowed on a piece of land, for both commercial and residential buildings.

In the island city, the FSI has been increased from 1.33 to 3 and 5 for residential and commercial properties, respectively. In the suburbs, it has been increased from 2 to 2.5 for residential properties and from 2.5 to 5 for commercial properties.

“It is a welcome move for home buyers since the increase in the FSI will ensure supply and lead to better affordability. Affordable housing is a focus and there is adequate provision for land parcels being earmarked for this,” said Amit Bhagat, managing director and chief executive at ASK Property Investment Advisors, a fund manager.

“For years, Mumbai’s development plans have focused on residential real estate. This time around, the focus has been equally placed on commercial properties, with a focus on decongesting the central business district areas as also extending the ‘walk to work’ aspect to newer locations,” said Niranjan Hiranandani, managing director of Hiranandani Constructions.

He said the new plan brings in a serious effort to ensure that the target of affordable homes is met within a reasonably short time.

Ramesh Nair, CEO and country head at property consultancy JLL, said earlier, the FSI in the island city was lower than the effective FSI allocated to the suburbs, which has now been amended. “The FSI in the island city has now been raised above the FSI in the suburbs, which will lead to higher potential supply,” Nair said.

However, Anuj Puri, chairman, Anarock Property Consultants, was concerned that the infrastructure may not be able to keep pace with the surge in real estate activity in Mumbai, the world’s second most crowded city. “If infrastructure development does not keep pace with increased construction, the stress on civic amenities and traffic may worsen in the city,” Puri said.

He said he wanted to understand how the salt pan developments will take place, given the coastal regulation zone (CRZ) rules. “My understanding is that the CRZ rules will have been relaxed to accommodate affordable housing on salt pans,” he added.

Rape case verdict: Asaram to be in prison until death; top 10 developments

Earlier in the day, the Jodhpur SC/ST court had held the self-styled godman, besides two other co-accused, guilty of assaulting and outraging the modesty of a 16-year-old woman

The Jodhpur SC/ST court, which earlier in the day convicted Asaram in a five-year-case of raping a minor, on Wednesday sentenced the self-styled godman to life imprisonment until death. Two other co-accused in the case, also convicted today, were given 20 years each in jail.

Earlier in the day, while pronouncing the verdict inside the Jodhpur central jail amid tight security, the court had held Asaram guilty of assaulting and outraging the modesty of a 16-year-old woman, who, at the time of the incident, was a student at one of Asaram's ashrams in Chhindwara, Madhya Pradesh. The incident allegedly took place on the night of August 15, 2013, at another Asaram ashram in Manai area near Jodhpur.

After the verdict, the rape survivor's father said he hoped Asaram would get "strict punishment". The self-styled godman's downfall sees him leave behind a Rs 100-billion empire.

The verdict was pronounced inside the premises of the Central Jail in Jodhpur amid tight security to avoid a repeat of the violent protests and arson seen when another self-styled godman, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, had earlier been sent to jail in a rape case.

The Jodhpur Court had earlier dismissed a petition seeking the entry of media persons into the Central Jail of Jodhpur to cover the Asaram rape case judgment. In view of the likelihood of violence and protests, security has also been beefed up outside the victim's residence. And, apprehending trouble, the Union home ministry has issued an advisory to Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Haryana to step up security, directing them to ensure no violence takes place. The three states were also told to deploy additional forces at sensitive places. Apart from these states, the police in Delhi are also on a high. A senior police official said the department was keeping a close watch on Delhi's boundaries and inside the city areas.

Final arguments in the Asaram case had been completed by the special court for SC/ST cases on April 7 and the court had kept the order reserved for April 25. Asaram has been under judicial custody since September 2, 2013. Apart from him, the charge-sheet in the case names four other co-accused -- Shiva, Shilpi, Sharad, and Prakash. In another rape case involving Asaram in Surat, Gujarat, the Supreme Court earlier this month, gave five weeks' time to the prosecution to complete the trial.

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India, World Bank sign $210 mn deal to improve Madhya Pradesh rural roads

The new joint project will cover 10,510 km stretch of rural roads in Madhya Pradesh that fall under the Chief Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana programme.

The Government of India, the Government of Madhya Pradesh and the World Bank signed a 210 million dollar loan agreement for the Madhya Pradesh Rural Connectivity Project.

The project is expected to improve the durability, resilience, and safety of the gravel-surfaced rural roads and enhance the capacity of the state to manage its rural roads network.

The new joint project will cover 10,510 km stretch of rural roads in Madhya Pradesh that fall under the Chief Minister's Gram Sadak Yojana (CMGSY) programme. Of this, 10,000 km will be upgraded from existing gravel to bituminous surface roads, while 510 km of new roads will be built to the same bituminous surface standard.

"Government of India is making all efforts to ensure that communities in the most remote areas across the country are connected through a road network. All weather road connectivity is crucial for economic growth, especially in the rural areas. The Madhya Pradesh roads project will enhance rural road connectivity in the state which will open up opportunities for economic development and access to social services for beneficiary communities in the state and help in reducing poverty," said Sameer Kumar Khare, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs.

"This project will leverage resources to support innovations in road construction, improve road safety, and reduce carbon footprint in the transport sector by mainstreaming climate resilient technology in road design and construction," added Hisham Abdo, Acting Country Director, World Bank India.

Gravel surfaced roads are more prone to washouts than paved roads during flood seasons. This project will undertake resilience measures such as surface sealing of roads, embankment pitching, and balancing culverts to prevent damages caused by extreme flood events.

The transport sector is one of the most significant emitters of greenhouse gases. Alternate sealing options for road construction like polymer modified asphalt, asphalt blended with plastic waste, and multiple surface treatment to be piloted on approximately 20 per cent of the length will not only be more cost-effective but will also reduce the carbon footprint of the transport sector.

This project, on a pilot basis, will engage women self-help groups (SHG) in the post-construction maintenance activity. This will involve routine maintenance of off-carriageway parts of the road, while the main carriageway maintenance will remain part of the original contractor's contract. The SHG members will be trained through the project, and their work will be directly supervised and managed by the Madhya Pradesh Rural Road Development Authority (MPRRDA) field offices. In fact, a direct maintenance contract will be executed between the SHG group and MPRRDA for 3-5 years.

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What makes Xiaomi beat Samsung again, JioPhone the king of feature phones

In the smartphone segment, Xiaomi maintained its lead with 32.1% in the first three months of 2018, followed by Samsung (26%), vivo (6%), OPPO (6%), and Honor (3%)
Chinese smartphone manufacturer Xiaomi has become the top smartphone brand in India, beating Samsung during the January-March quarter of 2018, for a second time. With a market share of 31.1 per cent based on total shipments, Xiaomi shipped more smartphones than Samsung in the January-March quarter of 2018, according to a Counterpoint research report. In the feature phone segment, Mukesh Ambani-owned Reliance Jio’s 4G VoLTE-enabled phone continued to lead the market with a share of 35.8 per cent, based on total number of units shipped in the first quarter of the 2018 calendar year.
In the smartphone segment, Xiaomi maintained its lead, while Samsung was second with a 26 per cent share. Following them were vivo (6%), OPPO (6%), and Honor (3%). Huawei’s Honor brand, for the first time, captured the fifth position in the Indian smartphone market, thanks to the strong performance of Honor 9 Lite and Honor 7X across online channels.

According to the report, the performance of Chinese brands remained strong. They accounted for 57 per cent of the total smartphone market during the January-March quarter of 2018, up from 53 per cent during the same quarter a year earlier. This is Chinese players’ highest-ever contribution in the Indian smartphone market.

Understanding Xiaomi’s growth
In the second half of 2017, Xiaomi disrupted the smartphone segment with an aggressively priced portfolio taken to market with an effective channel expansion strategy. Devices such as the Redmi 5A, priced as low as Rs 4,999 for first 5 million units, set the tone for the manufacturer to expand its user base by reaching out to first-time smartphone users.
This year, the Chinese smartphone maker launched the Redmi Note 5 and Note 5 Pro on February 14, becoming the first smartphone brand to roll out budget-centric devices. In quick succession, the company also launched the entry-level Redmi 5 on March 14 in the company’s budget portfolio for the January-March quarter.
These early launches, coupled with aggressive pricing and value-for-money propositions gave the company an edge, especially in the absence of any new model from competitors. The company’s foray into the television segment cemented the brand’s value even further, helping the company, primarily known for smartphones, grow exponentially in the first quarter.
What set Samsung back?
While Samsung started the year with the launch of premium flagship devices – the Galaxy S9-series – the company’s entry-level Galaxy J-series suffered due to Chinese players' dominance in the value-for-money smartphone segment. Not just Xiaomi, but other Chinese brands such as Tecno, Itel and Infinix also gained popularity in the budget segment of the Indian mobile phone industry.
According to the report by Counterpoint, the China based Transsion Group (the holding group of Tecno, Itel and Infinix) has become the fifth largest player with 4 per cent market share in Q1 2018 (combined for all three brands).
Tecno, which made a debut in April last year, has emerged as a leading smartphone brand and is close to entering the top ten list. The brand grew 23 per cent quarter-over-quarter in Q1 2018.
How Huawei Honor made it to the top five
Huawei’s backed Honor showed a growth of 146 per cent, therefore, becoming the fastest growing smartphone brand followed by Xiaomi (134%) and OnePlus (112%) in Q1 2018.
Of late, Huawei’s Honor has been very active in India. The Chinese smartphone manufacturer launched smartphones such as honor 9i, Honor 7x and Honor 9 Lite across segments in a quick succession. The company also started manufacturing the Honor 7x in India in partnership with Flex, a Sketch-to-Scale solutions provider, at Flex's plant in Sriperumbudur near Chennai.

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iPhone X sales slowdown: Suppliers struggle with high inventory low demand

For now, analysts are still counting on the first three months this year to have been Apple's best second quarter ever with an average estimate for $61 bn in revenue.

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Investors hunting for clues to the iPhoneX’s reception can take a deeper look at its main manufacturing partners. And the latest doesn’t look good.
Apple Inc.’s five largest device assemblers reported a sharp slowdown after peaking at the end of last year, suggesting demand for the high-end device may have faded just a quarter after its release.

While Hai Precision Industry Co., Pegatron Corp. and three other key suppliers reported an 8 percent rise in their total sales across the March quarter, growth slowed sharply later in the period - a drop that in the past has presaged a downturn for Apple.
The concern is that the iPhone X, while enjoying a customary holiday quarter spike for new-generation Apple gadgets, fizzled out rapidly. Apple’s costliest smartphone has struggled to draw customers in emerging markets, while competitors from Huawei to Xiaomi roll out more premium phones and dominate China - the US company’s biggest foreign market. On Friday, Morgan Stanley cut its estimate on iPhone shipments by 6 million, underscoring the growing unease since Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co., the maker of iPhone processors, issued a disappointing outlook that triggered a 7 percent loss in Apple’s value over just two days.
Apple's Friends in Taiwan
Apple's revenue growth has moved in tandem with its five main device assemblers
Apple’s sales growth bears close correlation with that of its main quintet of assemblers, which depend on the iPhone maker for their own business growth - Hon Hai alone gets about half its revenue from Cupertino. While it’s difficult to translate their numbers directly into Apple’s, a look at reported figures since 2016 suggests it’s possible to draw certain conclusions at the general health of the US smartphone titan’s top-line.
The group is responsible for finishing most of Apple’s gizmos: Hon Hai, Pegatron and Wistron Corp. assemble iPhones. Hon Hai also has a role in other Apple products, splitting MacBooks with Quanta Computer Inc. and sharing iPads with Compal Electronics Inc. Quanta and Compal also make Apple Watches.
Hon Hai and crew can indeed offer insights into Apple’s sales but to a limited extent, said Jusy Hong, a director with IHS Markit. While Hon Hai, Quanta and Pegatron both rely on Cupertino for more than half their business, Wistron and Compal are far less dependent on Apple, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. In addition, as hardware mavens, their operations would have no impact on sales of software and services, a significant and growing part of Apple’s top and bottom line.
“It’s true that they are major assemblers of Apple but at the same time they have other customers,” he said in an email.
Investors remain concerned that iPhone sales at Apple, which reports results May 1, failed to meet their lofty expectations. Mia Huang, an analyst at Taipei-based research firm Trendforce, estimates that overall iPhone production volumes grew slightly to 54-56 million units in the March quarter - barely up from 52 million in the same period of last year, when it was propelled by demand for lower-priced and older models like the iPhone 6S and ramp up of the iPhone 7.
“According to our estimates, iPhone X’s production volume fell by 50% in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter,” said Huang.

Still, the iPhone X’s higher price tag ensured a tidy jump in revenue. For now, analysts are still counting on the first three months this year to have been Apple’s best second quarter ever with an average estimate for $61 billion in revenue. And while its assembly quintet saw sales decelerate during the period, their collective growth is still double that of a year earlier.

OnePlus 6 to have glass design, nanotech coating, says CEO: Details here

The OnePlus 6 will depart from the present trend of an aluminium build in favour of a glass body but retain the horizontal lines and curved design, OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed in a blog post.

Chinese smartphone manufacturer OnePlus is gearing up to unveil the fifth iteration of its flagship smartphone, called the OnePlus 6. The smartphone will make a departure from the current trend of an aluminium build in favour of a glass body, but it would retain horizontal lines and curved design,OnePlus CEO Pete Lau has confirmed in a blog post.
Little has so far been officially said about the notch screen-based OnePlus 6, except that the phone will be powered by Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 system-on-chip (SoC) and have a 256GB storage variant paired with 8GB of RAM. But OnePlus has been teasing the features of the smartphone in the form of tweets and as part of other social media promotion activities –ingress protection (IP) rating for water and dust resistance, for example.
Now, talking about the design of the OnePlus 6, Pete Lau wrote a long blog explaining OnePlus’ approach to adopting new industrial designs. In the post, the CEO explained the rationale for the company’s move from a sandstone design in the OnePlus1 to an aluminium design in the OnePlus 3, and now the glass design for the upcoming OnePlus 6. Lau also shared that the new glass build would contain five printed layers of Nanotech coating, which would give the device a stronger impression of depth.

Here is the complete blog post shared by Pete Lau on OnePlus forums:

Before I start to talk about the industrial design of the OnePlus 6, I would like to share with you some facets of our overall design philosophy.

In my last deep-dive, I mentioned that good user experience should be burdenless. Products are deeply tied to the people who use them. Excellent industrial design should give people a sense of ease, which is best embodied by a burdenless feeling.

But to truly achieve such a feeling requires a serious approach and thought-out rationale, and the pursuit of this achievement can sometimes be painful. A company needs to be honest about the design of the product. It also needs to work on a daily basis to refine the subtle details, even if those details may seem minor.

Amazon's next big plan for India: To deliver 'all you need' in 2 hours

Amazon.com Inc expects groceries and household products to account for over half of its business in India in the next five years, as it moves to broaden offerings in the segment and foray into areas such as fresh produce.

Amit Agarwal, the India head of Amazon, said in an interview on Friday that groceries and goods such as creams, soaps and cleaning products, were already the largest product category on Amazon in terms of number of units sold in India.

"I would not speculate on when we would launch AmazonFresh but, absolutely, if you ask me the next five years of vision - from your avocados to your potatoes, and your meat to your ice cream - we'll deliver everything to you in two hours," he said.

AmazonFresh, which launched more than a decade ago in the US market, is the company's flagship fresh grocery delivery service. In India, Amazon currently offers some groceries via a service named Pantry. It has also tied up with local vendors in four cities for Amazon Now, which promises two-hour deliveries.

"Probably in the next five years groceries and consumables would be more than half of our business," he told Reuters.

Agarwal said Amazon had already started experimenting with a few fresh groceries in India, already home to its largest active customer base outside of the United States.

India's e-commerce market is tipped to grow to $200 billion in a decade, according to Morgan Stanley, as cheap mobile data makes online shopping increasingly accessible.

And Amazon, which already has over 100 million registered users in India, is looking to cash-in on the opportunity.

"We want to get the next hundred million customers shopping with us," said Agarwal, adding that Amazon plans to woo new clients with product exchange and staggered payment offerings.

HUGE OPPORTUNITY

With almost 500 million Indians using the Internet in 2018, India, Asia's No. 3 economy, is a huge e-commerce battleground.

Retail giant Walmart is inching closer to buying a controlling stake into home-grown e-commerce player Flipkart, which is already backed by big name investors like SoftBank,and Microsoft.

"I feel extremely excited that e-commerce is attracting so much funding," Agarwal said. "Otherwise, we'd have been wrong in going about it in such as big way."

Amazon's founder Jeff Bezos told shareholders in a letter last week that Amazon India is the fastest growing marketplace in the country. He said Amazon added more members to its Prime loyalty programme in India in its first year, than any previous geography in Amazon's history.

Still profitability in India is years away for Amazon, admits Agarwal, as logistics, payments and other infrastructure needed to address the long-term opportunity are still being built.

He said the $5 billion Bezos had committed to investing in India was just a signal of intent, and the company was ready to invest significantly more to achieve its goals.

"Our ambition is so big it would be futile for us to think about anything other than to ensure we keep investing to bring the next 100 million customers online," Agarwal said.