|In: Books|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

There is a very famous quote by Plutarch – The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled and it is upto our mind on how to act in case of adverse situations! As per a recent study by the UN, there are close to one billion specially-able people  globally out of which 40~80 million people are living in India.

If you are able bodied and want to accomplish something with or without your body, achievement of the end goal only depends on the effort that you put. However for a person with physical disability, the whole life becomes a challenge though some of these challenges can still be overcome only with sheer will and passion to move ahead in life. Though specially abled people do face many obstacles, they still have the will and motivation to succeed and the very first step is to remove the specially abled tag from their minds!

There are many inspiring stories where specially abled people have achieved greater heights (that even a normal person wouldn’t have been able to do) like How Kargil War Hero Major D.P.Singh became India’s first blade runner and did not let his disability affect him to push harder to realize his potential, How Srikanth Bolla built Bollant Industries by fighting odds against his blindness and the list just keeps on growing! As mentioned by the late Stella Young – The only disability is the brain disability and disability doesn’t make you exceptional, but questioning what you think you know about it does.

Though there are innumerable stories of inspiration, Commute is one area that needs to be solved for those who are living with physical disabilities/challenges. People with disabilities have consistently described how transportation barriers affect their lives in important ways. This is where self-driving can make a huge difference and this is the problem that social entrepreneur Harish Kumar’s venture Ability On Wheels is aiming to solve (Earlier coverage here)! Ability On Wheels is an effort to encourage the people with disabilities (PWDs) to take a big leap towards leading a normal life by being able to drive on their own.

Today, we review his book Ability On Wheels which is a book that provides Hope! It is an effort to spread awareness and provide useful information on disability and driving

About the author

Harish Kumar was born with the absence of right arm. He did his M Sc from IIT Roorkee & M Tech from IIT Delhi. In 2012, he became the first physically challenged person in the country to complete a Solo All India Driving Expedition thereby creating a new National Record and one more record in the next year. You can find more information about him here

In order to go ahead with the review, it is very important to look into the aspect – Why Ability On Wheels.

Many people expressed their desire to drive but there was not even a single driving school for them in the entire country. This is where Harish fore-saw an opportunity and gave up his career in telecom with the sole mission : Provide driveway for people with disabilities. After six months of detailed study, multiple iterations, follow-ups and negotiations with the government, etc. Ability On Wheels, India’s first driving school for people with disabilities was born!

Detailed Review

Today the disability sector in India is at the stage where maximum visibility and focus on the potential of the person with disabilities is very much required. This is what Ability On Wheels caters to. The book is enriched by personal experiences of Harish in his quest to provide disability is only in mind and we become what we think.

The book has experiences that are faced by Harish Kumar and how he overcame those hurdles to learn driving. In addition to his own experiences, the book cites real life examples of the following:

Navin Gulia, a gentleman cadet who became paraplegic during a freak incident encountered during is training.

Satendra Singh, a doctor & polio survivor who has been highly vocal on barriers that plague the people with disability.

Kavita Modi & Pallav Pathak, students at the motor driving school for the physically challenged who learnt driving despite all odds!

These are just a few real life case-studies of grit & determination that have been covered in the book. It is a short read of ~150 pages and each chapter covers one specially-abled driver, his/her driving strategies, insights into traffic rules, types of vehicles, Process for obtaining a driving license, general Do’s & Dont’s for driving, driving under different climatic conditions, etc.

Who should read this book

Most of the times we are motivated by looking at other’s actions or by following their journey (and how they became successful by beating all challenges that came their way). They could be an entrepreneur, film-star, sport-star, your fellow colleague or anyone from whom you can draw inspiration! If you are the one who is looking for motivation and love reading stories about grit & determination, then Ability On Wheels definitely should be in your collection.

Ability On Wheels book would also be of immense interest to someone with disabilities, disability advocates & researchers, researchers, travel enthusiasts, car dealers & sales representatives of car manufacturers, officials of transport department, etc. It provides tips for safe driving, customizations/modifications required in a vehicle, related rules, etc.

Closing Thoughts

The book Ability on Wheels is an attempt on visualizing how society can be more inclusive to specially-abled persons by opening up driving for not just their mobility but also for their emotional, social and financial empowerment.

The intent of the publisher Artson Publishing to make a difference by publishing Ability On Wheels is also note-worthy since they are a start-up and inspite of focusing solely on monetization, they chose to focus on such social causes; kudos to them! The book Ability On Wheels is available exclusively on Amazon for Rs. 150.

I would close the review with a motivational quote by Harish

Driving requires mental strength, so use it. Forget about your disabilities – just drive

|In: Technology|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Bonanza Healthcare, India’s leading medical tourism and healthcare Institution launched another revolutionary solution in its endeavor to enhance the user experience,with Medical schedule Alert in its health app, that promises a reliable medical alert system to give you and your loved ones peace of mind. Managing all the headaches associated with taking medications the Bonanza Medicine Schedule Alert is the electronic equivalent of a doting nurse who knows you well.

The Medicine Schedule Alert allows you to create your own med as prescribed by the doctor and have it available to view wherever you go, while keeping in track all the medication you have consumed.

Operation is simple – Key in the medicines individually and save their dosage times and days. You can also enter multiple medicines and multiple dosages along with additional details like – quantity per dose, quantity per refill etc. and any other prescription details for the particular medicine. The app will set off an alarm and a pop-up when the appointed time arrives. It also sends you FREE timely reminders, notifications and emails to ensure that you don’t skip even a single dosage of your med and alert you to get timely refills.

Commenting on the launch of the newest feature, Satya Prakash Goel, Director-Bonanza Group said

A vital and important facet for a fast and quick recovery from any ailment, disease or treatment is taking medicines as prescribed by the doctor or the healthcare professional which is often missed or ignored. The tech solution could be to fall back on the prescription again and again and trust your memory to have (or serve) the right medicine at the right time.The Medicine Schedule Alert empowers you to play a more active role in caring for not only your health but of your loved ones as well

Keeping health, a step ahead in your daily routine schedule, the Medical Schedule Alert is a user-friendly feature which comes in handy on your device, bringing hassle free operation for individual or families, after all Health is Wealth

The Bonanza Healthcare app can be downloaded from here

About Bonanza Health Care

The Bonanza Group of Companies, with 20 years of experience in the Financial Services industry, now brings its expertise to Health Services with Bonanza Healthcare. With an assortment to build the biggest network of high quality medical professionals in India & also to make healthcare accessible and more affordable to the general population of India, Bonanza Healthcare brings a host of primary healthcare requirements all under one umbrella. For more information, please visit Bonanza Healthcare

|In: startups|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

T-hub, India’s fastest growing start-up engine celebrated its first anniversary announcing strategic initiatives which puts  Hyderabad on the start- up world map. The anniversary celebration was inaugurated by Telangana IT Minister Shri. KT. Rama Rao amid senior Industry leaders and government officials.

The event was marked open by the lighting of the ceremonial lamp by Shri K.T. Rama Rao, Board of directors, Srinivas Kollipara, Founder& COO, T-Hub and Jay Krishnan, CEO, T-Hub.

Commenting on the celebrations Shri KT. Rama Rao, Minister for IT, NRI Affairs, Municipal Administration & Urban Development, Industries & Mining, Govt. of Telangana, India, said

When we started T-Hub a year back there were many questions about how we will create a mark in the startup world. But looking at what we have achieved, makes me proud. Today the world wants to talk to Hyderabad, and know how we can bring in more investments. Through T-Bridge we will access and bring the best to you to grow and make the city one of the top startup cities in the world.

Speaking on the occasion, Jay Krishnan, CEO, T-Hub said

Innovation is the core of what we do. Through the year we have strived each day to build a strong structure that fuels a culture of innovation through capacity building and mentorship. This has enabled us to catalyse deal flow and take Hyderabad on the world map in the start-up ecosystem. Some of the products and services we launched through the year, T-Bridge, Sandbox, Playbooks have truly set us apart. We have brought structure to the madness which investors and corporates are recognising. We are an evolving organization and will constantly keep learning and changing as we go along only to ensure we bring the best to Hyderabad and fulfil our vision to make this city one of the top 10 startup cities in the world.

Speaking on the occasion Srinivas Kollipara, Founder & COO of T-Hub said

On this occasion of one year, we would like to thank the support and confidence we have received from our board members.  We are the only ecosystem in the country which is run by professionals. We would like to thank the government for giving us this opportunity and free hand to create a startup world in Hyderabad that is uniquely structured and build to allow for progress and innovation with strong support with policy initiatives and access to the world at large. Today the world wants to talk to us only because we have a structured ecosystem backed by technology with innovation at its core. With this support and interest the sky is the limit.

Jay Krishnan CEO,T-Hub
Jay Krishnan CEO,T-Hub

The inauguration witnessed MoU signings with several Strategic Partners, Corporate Partners and announcement of Partnership Programs.

Strategic partnerships

PwC Innovation Hub Partnership

PwC, one of the leading consulting firms in the world has partnered with T-Hub to create an Innovation Hub within the Catalyst building. This strategic partnership is aligned with PwC’s Innovation Program to support and mentor startups. The Innovation Hub will give startups access to PwC clients across 157 countries and open floodgates for new opportunities.

Carnegie’s Policy Hub within T- Hub

Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, India, a public policy think-tank has partnered with T-Hub to create a ‘Policy Incubator’ within Catalyst. The objective of this one-of-a-kind Policy Incubator is to help startups guide through the regulatory and policy implications of innovation. Operationalize a tracking system to record exciting innovation within T-Hub and create awareness around the same in collaboration with T-Hub.

Corporate Partnerships

DBS Asia Hub-2 partners with T-Hub to create an ‘Innovation Hub’ for Fintech startups

DBS Asia Hub-2 & T-Hub entered into a strategic partnership to re-imagine banking and drive innovation in fintech space. This partnership would leverage a network of fintech start-ups to make banking simpler, seamless and joyful for customers. Further to its quest to lead digital transformation, DAH2 aims at driving innovation and agility in banking through this partnership.

Programs announcements

Agri-Tech Accelerator announcement with ICRISAT, RVP & T-Hub

T-Hub’s AgriTech Accelerator Program is a startup focused initiative created in partnership with ICRISAT (International Crops Research Institute for the Semi-Arid-Tropics) and powered by RViP (Riverbridge Ventures Innovation Platform). It is a unique three-month accelerator program, which enables AgriTech start-ups to move game-changing products to market and scale their existing businesses, providing Market, Business Scale, Global Exposure, Funding Support, Expert Advice, Corporate Partnerships, Government Connects, and more game changing opportunities.

CL Educate-Innovation Partnership for student innovation

T-Hub and CL Educate entered into an MoU to make innovation accessible to millions of youngsters in schools, colleges & jobs. Awareness, research, Technology-platform, curriculum, access to mentors and funds, are some of the benefits that will reach young entrepreneurship aspirants through this collaborative partnership. T-Hub and CL Educate also hope to bring in innovation driven corporations to support and benefit from this program.

Wainconnect, the innovation platform from CL Educate and the T-Hub PlayBook will play a crucial role in the implementation of this partnership.

About T-Hub

T-Hub is a unique public/private partnership between the government of Telangana, three of India’s premier academic institutes (IIIT-H, ISB and NALSAR) and key private sector leaders. It stands at the intersection of the startup, academic, corporate, research and government sectors. T-Hub aims to forge many such partnerships with governments and corporates across the world to setup T-Bridge centers, to strengthen trade relations and attract investment into the state of Telangana.

T-Hub is one of the largest startup ecosystems in India today with over 2000 startups in its database. The members of T-Hub are clustered into various stages of growth across sectors of specialization, a model of community development which is unique to Hyderabad. For more information, please visit T-Hub

|In: Technology|Last Updated: | 0 Comments
The bold step to ban the Rs. 500 & Rs. 1000 notes hogged the entire limelight and the 2016 USA Presidential Elections took a back seat on many news channels! It has been celebrated as a welcome move by mostly every section of the society and this move curbs black-money, corruption, hawala transactions, etc. In fact, PM Modi’s cash ban could boost the budget by USD 45 Billion [Source]. Though there are some short-term problems that every commoner would face because of this ban but definitely there seems to be huge long-term benefits associated with this bold decision!
This became the major point of discussion online (in social media, blogs, leading news publications, etc.) and offline in public transports, houses, offices, etc. since this decision touched the lives of each & every Indian irrespective of the financial status of the person. This decision also sparked discussion (and debate) between my colleagues, which slowly digressed to Financial Planning, Tax Saving Techniques 🙂 In fact, the internal discussion threw some very important facts – Many of the working professionals are completely ignorant about long-term savings or should we say – they are clueless about Personal Finance. Since we had some good financial guru’s in the discussion that happened around the ban, there were some long-term & short-term financial planning tips shared by them.
One clear take-away was that Don’t let your hard-earned money sleep in savings account but create a diversified portfolio in order to get good returns on your investments. You do not get good returns on the amount kept in savings account and it is time to do something smarter and wiser, #PaiseKoJagao
Image Source - Financial Plan
Image Source – Financial Plan
Talking about savings account, majority of the banks offer 4% or even less than 4% interest to their consumers! Though there are some banks that offer higher interest rates but it comes with a clause-higher cap in minimum bank balance in savings account. There are some banks that also offer Zero balance savings account but they also have Conditions Apply* attached to it 🙂 Every investor is different and their asset allocation strategy primarily depends on factors like age, net worth, financial goals, existing portfolio and most important of them all is Risk Appetite. There is a very famous saying Don’t put all your eggs in the same basket and Savings Account should be last basket (based on various other factors discussed above) in order to get better returns on your hard-earned savings!
There are different breeds of investors – Active Investors who keep a tap on each & every move in the financial market but that requires immense market knowledge and more investment of your time. Major chunk are Conservative Investors who have invested their money in less-risky options like PPF, few Mutual funds, Insurance policies, etc. since these options require lesser investment of time and give higher (if not significantly higher) returns compared to Savings Account. In some scenarios money in your savings account might end up earning negative returns, post the impact of inflation and taxes!
Central bank data as of December 11 show that commercial banks had aggregate deposits of Rs.91.32 trillion, about seven times the assets under management of mutual funds. In contrast, 68% of the US citizens who invest in mutual funds hold the majority of their financial assets through the vehicle [Source*]
Can you relate to the problems discussed in the video below

We are sure that many Passive Investors would have answered in affirmation and this is where the latest offering from Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund (BSIL MF) can help your savings earn for you, every single day. Now you can make your hard earned money work harder for you, with just a swipe of a finger!

With their newest offering – Active Account App, BSIL MF is all set to change the way India saves their money! Every Indian holding a valid Bank account can easily put his/her savings to work anytime, anywhere 🙂

Active Account facility allows you to invest surplus money into Birla Sun Life Cash Plus Scheme with a simple swipe! Swipe left and money gets transferred back to your linked Bank Account. In a nutshell, Active Account App is all about bringing life to your money lying idle in the savings account so that you can maximise savings (with minimal risk).

bslmf-introduction

The minimum amount required to register with the Active Account facility is Rs. 1000. The app allows the investor to Purchase into the Birla Sun Life Cash Plus and Withdraw from the activated amount from the Birla Sun Life Cash Plus scheme. We tried the app and it did not disappoint. The overall experience was seamless, you only need to enter PAN number for one-time registration.

Some of the most important questions that lingers in the minds of every investor are answered in the FAQ section (very important one’s are below)

I transferred some amount from my account to the Birla Sun Life Cash Plus fund using the Active Account App and the interest rates varied based on when the transfer was done. It varied all the way from 6.78% ~ 7.9% (which was anyways significantly higher than any savings account would offer :)) and the rates would fluctuate based on many external factors that affect the overall market.

Click to Zoom

To summarise, Active Account App is a very interesting app that compliments your savings account since you do not need to create any seperate profile to get started with investing. Download the Active Account App from Birla Sun Life Mutual Fund and take control of your savings & give your savings a new breath of life!

|In: Funding|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

ToneTag, a sound-based proximity payment company has raised a round of strategic funding, which brings on board, a group of technology evangelists and digital payment crusaders. Arun Seth is a trustee of the NASSCOM foundation, independent Board member at Narayan Hrudalaya, independent director, Jubilant Food Works, advisory board member at The Energy & Resources Institute (TERI) and governing board member of HelpAge India. Seth has also served as Chairman,  Alcatel-Lucent India ltd and Chairman at BT (India) Private Limited.

T.V. Mohandas Pai is the Chairman of Manipal Global Education. He used to be a Member of the board of directors of Infosys and Head-Administration, Education and Research, Financial, Human Resources, and Infosys Leadership Institute. Anand Chandrasekaran  was the Chief Product Officer of Snapdeal, one of India’s pre-eminent Internet companies as well as Chief Product Officer of Bharti Airtel, the third largest mobile operator in the world. Deepak Ghaisas is the chairman of Gencoval Strategic Services Pvt Ltd. Previously he was the CEO – India Operations and CFO of I-flex Solutions Ltd, India

Kumar Abhishek, Founder & CEO, ToneTag said

ToneTag is creating a payment ecosystem for the country that is completely digital, free from the clutches of cash. It enables an inclusive financial environment for the masses. ToneTag with its unique experience, a range of use cases and a strong partner network is striving to push India into a brighter digital era. Mohandas Pai,  Arun, Deepak, Anand and T K  have transformed several businesses with their proficiency and experience. Their association with ToneTag, brings valuable know-how and will be an asset to the core team. Their individual and collaborative expertise will be instrumental in defining innovative solutions for our technology and give  consumers access to many unique digital experiences, through various channels, that were previously not feasible.

Pranav Pai, on behalf of Mohandas Pai via 3one4 Capital, had this to say:

The ToneTag team have combined their deep insights of the financial and banking systems in India with core technology innovations to solve a long-standing challenge through a disruptive yet simple set of modalities. With the radical economic reforms that are being rolled out, technology like ToneTag’s will be a natural enabler of India’s shift into a new information infrastructure. By accounting for multiple channels of contactless proximity payments, including environments where data connections are unavailable, ToneTag is truly optimizing for simplicity and designing for a seamless and delightful experience with every transaction.

The team is also hyper-aware of the balance to be preserved between issuers and merchants, and has converged upon an inter-operable and platform-agnostic solution. We are tremendously excited by the possibilities of the ToneTag tech stack, and we are looking forward to working with them to scale this vital value proposition.

Arun Seth had this to say about ToneTag

Yesterday’s announcement on large currency notes is another indicator of the government’s drive towards a cashless economy.  ToneTag  is right at the centre of this change, as it helps customers make contactless payments, that are easier,  faster and more secure than paying by cash or cards.

ToneTag technology plays to the natural power of the phone to generate and receive audio signals.  As a result, ToneTag payments can be made on smart phones as well as feature phones, the latter being critical for financial inclusion. Also, ToneTag does not need NFC compatible hardware or QR codes to be scanned. ToneTag is fully compatible with existing financial infrastructure like credit card machines and ATM’s so it has universal use and will help drive India to a cashless and cardless economy.

ToneTag has partnered with major players in the areas of mobile wallets and banking to enable contactless digital transactions on mobile phones, card swiping machines, ATMs and all other acceptance enabling devices. ToneTag is completely hardware and platform independent and works via the transmission of sound waves, alone. It requires no special hardware to be deployed.

About ToneTag

ToneTag is a sound based proximity communication provider that enables contactless proximity payments, proximity communication, location based services and customer engagement services among a multitude of other solutions. Backed by Reliance VC among a host of investors, they have enabled contactless, offline, proximity communication on any device through sound and their team continues to innovate and transform the way devices will communicate with each other in the near future. For more information, please visit ToneTag

|In: Mobile|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Leading omni channel travel, retail and fintech company, Via.com, has launched a Lite version of its website for mobile browsing in India. The Lite version is aimed at helping users browse its website faster on their smart phones in areas with slow or poor internet connectivity.

Via Lite loads six times faster and provides a better experience to users in urban and rural areas with patchy networks. Another advantage of the Lite version is that it can be added as a bookmark on the mobile home screen. Other remarkable features include personalized notifications for the latest deals and vouchers and great offline experience. The offline experience would mean that in case of flaky internet connection, you can also search offline.  However, the offline experience is currently available only in the airlines segment. VIA will extend this feature to the hotels, holidays and bus segment in the next three months.

The version that has just been unveiled has already led to an increase in mobile bookings by 200 per cent in just one week.

According to Varun Gupta, CTO, Via.com, this feature is primarily for consumers using slower internet connections.

With powerful features like push notifications, offline access, add-to-home screen, fast page load and a smooth user interface, the main message is that you don’t need to choose between web or app. We are providing users with a friction-less and highly engaging experience on the mobile web.

Via.com launched its mobile app last year and has launched many innovative features, including fare calendar, various payment gateways, etc since then. Progressive Web App (PWA) is a new technology which is intended to help website operators to instill their mobile websites with features typically associated with mobile apps. Known for its penchant for innovation, VIA is one of the few companies in India to join the PWA bandwagon.

About Via.com

Via.com is one of Asia’s leading omni channel travel, retail & fintech company. Its distribution strategy includes enabling small businesses with an intuitive tech platform which helps them with best in class content, closed looped wallet and a range of CRM & accounting functionalities to run their business effectively. Via.com has more than 5,000 corporate customers and also engages directly with consumers through its B2C website and mobile app. Established in 2006 as flightraja.com, Via.com was incorporated in 2007 and has since dramatically disrupted the Indian travel space with its innovative offerings that became hugely viral in multiple markets. IndoUS Venture Partners and Sequoia Capital are the primary investors in Via.com. For more information, please visit Via

|In: Technology|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Unlocking an unparalleled library of kids and learning content, YouTube announced the launch of YouTube Kids in India, an app built with parents and children in mind that makes it easier for kids to find videos on topics they want to explore.  Since YouTube Kids launched in over 20 countries, it’s been downloaded tens of millions of times by families who rate it among the top five kids apps available. The standalone, family-friendly app makes it easier for children to find videos on topics they want to explore, and is available for free on Google Play and the App Store

With its bright and playful design, the app is kid-friendly and makes it easier to find videos like the Little Krishna or one of the many popular videos from ChuChuTV. With larger images and bold icons, YouTube Kids is fast and simple for little thumbs to navigate and also offers voice search to let children find video’s even if they can’t spell or type.

Many top Indian YouTube kids and learning creators will be adding new shows exclusive to the YouTube platform on the occasion of YouTube Kids’ launch. These include new learning shows from ChuChuTV and Kids TV, a new season of  Cat & Keet, a popular chase comedy show by Toonz Animation, the Gummy Bear song in Hindi, and a new season of Appu-The Yogic Elephant. And of course, your kids can watch any series from all of the YouTube channels they already know and love. We’ll also be bringing in new guest-curated playlists from educators, celebrities, trusted names and other parents in the coming weeks.

Designed to offer family focused content, YouTube kids offers an option to parents to let their kids to explore their imagination and curiosity. You can browse channels and playlists in four categories: Shows, Music, Learning and Explore. Search for videos of particular interest like the structure of an atom on Exam Fear Videos, or watch favourites from LittleBabyBum, Galli Galli Sim Sim and Videogyan

Speaking at the launch, Malik Ducard, YouTube’s Global Head of Family and Learning said,

YouTube Kids is our first step in re-imagining YouTube for families, an experience that gives you a world of video in your pockets, and a world of possibility and knowledge at your fingertips. India already has a very diverse and rapidly-growing creator base for kids and learning, with content in this category growing 100% year over year. YouTube Kids comes to India at a great time for millions of Indian families, as it provides children access to content that will enrich their lives and create new opportunities for learning. It also provides the perfect platform to showcase India’s incredibly vibrant, growing community of content creators, from animation studios to edutubers.

Malik Ducard, Global Head of Family & Learning, along with India’s top Kids & Education creators – HooplaKidz, Videogyan, ChuChuTV, Galli Galli Sim Sim and Exam Fear Videos at the launch of YouTube Kids in India

Vinoth Chandar, CEO of ChuChuTV, one of India’s most popular kids YouTube channels, said

Finally, our wish as a creator and as a parent has come true. As a kids creator we always wanted a separate kids app from YouTube because of the huge consumption by kids. As a parent, we always wanted a friendly digital space for our little ones to consume high-quality content. We are so excited about the launch of the YouTube Kids app and I am sure this is a blessing for all parents. As a creator, ChuChu TV has huge content plans for YouTube Kids. Good Luck to YouTube Kids!

Sanjay Raheja, CEO, AppuSeries, said

We are ecstatic about the launch of YouTube Kids in India. Carefully developed with healthy viewing in mind, YouTube Kids has to be, without a doubt, the most sought after edutainment destination. We are proud to be a valued partner of the YouTube Kids’ App.

Jayakumar P, CEO, Toonz Media Group said

Since its launch, YouTube Kids have redefined kids entertainment in a revolutionary way. Toonz’ relationship with the worldwide and Asia Pacific teams has been absolutely incredible. YouTube Kids’ launch in India is indeed exciting news and they will definitely enrich and entertain Indian kids in the most amazing ways. Looking forward to the YouTube Kids Indian avatar and great collaborations with them!

Sashwati Banerjee, Managing Director, Sesame Workshop, said

At Sesame India we believe in the power of engaging parents in interacting with children. In addition to our kids-centric videos, we have recently launched a series of webisodes for parents hosted by the popular Bollywood actor, Twinkle Khanna on topics like self-confidence, bullying, resolving conflict, consent and many more which will be available on the YouTube Kids’ app. We believe YouTube Kids will be a great platform for parents and kids to build new practices for child care and learning.

Parental Control features of the YouTube Kids app

  • Search settings: Automated Prompt allows you to make a choice about how broadly you want your child to explore – turn search on to access millions of family-friendly videos, or turn search off to restrict your child’s experience to a more limited set. Either way, parents decide the right experience for their family from the get-go.
  • Timer: Let the app be the bad guy with a built-in timer that lets you limit kids’ screen time. The app alerts your child when the session is over, so you don’t have to. (You’re welcome. 😉
  • Sound settings: Sometimes you need a little peace and quiet! You have an option to turn off background music and sound effects, so your kids can keep watching while parents catch a breath.
  • Passcode and restricting certain content: Parents have the ability to set their own passcode, and to access settings and other parental information in the app.
  • YouTube Kids on the big screen: You can now also watch YouTube Kids as a family on your big screen using Chromecast, Apple TV, game consoles or a smart TV.

 

Most watched Kids and Learning channels in India

These are the top ten most watched Indian and International channels, ranked alphabetically:

YouTube Kids can be download from the PlayStore from here

|In: startups|Last Updated: | 0 Comments

Tired of living in a rented house? Maybe your family has grown too big for your current 2 BHK or maybe you got a lump sum as a joining bonus you would like to invest. Whatever the reason, real estate has always been the coveted investment. But owing to the large sums that need to be committed, quite often one’s lifetime’s savings, the risks are also high. A thorough knowledge of the market and the individual project is a must for mitigating risks. For most, this in-depth knowledge and information is not readily available and this factor often becomes the difference between a good investment and a huge loss. To address this by bringing trust and transparency to the process of home buying in India and especially in buying real estate online, RoofandFloor was created.

Kasturi and Sons limited, publishers of The Hindu, forayed into online property listings business in September 2014 via a new subsidiary KSL Digital Ventures and launched RoofandFloor with about 6,000 new projects from leading builders in Chennai. The initial Capital was 25 crores and in July 2016, raised an additional capital of 20 crores from its promoters. It officially launched its operations in September 2015 and in less than one year, expanded its presence to Bengaluru, Hyderabad, and Coimbatore.

Within a span of two years, over 1500 developers with 8,000 new projects across Southern India have come on board. They will also commence operations in Mumbai and Pune shortly. In popularity, the portal has already become one of the top 3000 websites in the country.

Established with an end-to-end business model, the venture aspires to change a first-time buyer’s experience of buying real estate online. Although just two years old, RoofandFloor has gone head-to-head with well-established online property portals like MagicBricks and 99acres.

When asked about the objective behind launching such a venture into a market that already has strong and established competitors, Bikash Chowdhury, the Chief Marketing Officer said

RoofandFloor aims to change the experience of first-time home buyers. It has been designed after extensive consultations through focus group discussions in Chennai and Bengaluru to understand market expectations. Reliable, precise and relevant information and value-added services are the portal’s hallmarks.

RoofAndFloor is a one-stop shop for property-related aspects. With each passing day, the demand for housing among urban middle class is getting bigger and the portal has been designed to cater to the community’s specific needs. It has an extensive list of apartments, including the most popular segments, 1BHK and 2BHk. Not to be outdone, the list of Villas available in the portal is enviable too.

When a potential property buyer uses the portal, they attain access to end-to-end services in property buying. This includes detailed information on the paperwork and statutory clearances. From apartments for sale to buying villas online, the magic happens in a matter of minutes. Along with reliable and precise information, value-added services are another hallmark of RoofandFloor. With a very easy and intuitive search feature that is backed by a robust algorithm, the website takes into account multiple parameters to display the most relevant results matching a property buyer’s needs.

The RoofandFloor advisors get in touch with potential buyers and understand their criteria. Once they locate the ideal properties suiting the client’s demands, they convey accurate and up to date personalized information. For Premium advertisers, there are innovative features such as Click to Call and strong integration with print/digital media properties which already have a large reader/user base.

RoofandFloor has a unique differentiating factor for those who wish to purchase a property they would like, be it villas or apartments. All other real estate portals available provide the base price of properties. But the final price of properties includes base price, various builder fees and regulatory charges. No other Real estate website currently lists hidden charges like parking space, floor rise charges, etc.

For example, the buyer wants to buy a 2 BHK flat in his preferred locality. He goes to some real estate portal, puts in the keywords and locality and the listing comes up. One particular project catches his eye. The price is shown as 50 Lakhs. He is happy since that is just about what his budget is. So he clicks on the link, reads about it and goes to finalize the project. Once at the builder’s he suddenly gets a reality check. Including all amenities and car parking and miscellaneous charges, the price shot up to 65 Lakhs!! 30% over the price he was shown. Even though an example, this is actually quite a common scenario in the Indian real estate market and portals.

This is where RoofandFloor comes to the rescue. The portal’s three-pronged strategy hinges on content, community, and commerce. They have incorporated a standout tool, TruePrice. TruePrice is a feature unique to the portal which gives a clear picture of the amount a buyer will have to spend in order to get a home of their choice. No more hidden charges, no more last moment floor rise charges. The same amount the buyer sees on the portal is what they pay to the builder. On the legal front, a panel of independent consultants is on hand to provide counsel, though this service (Truelegal) is not available online on tap currently.

The host of services provided by RoofandFloor does not end there. With additional services starting from information on interior designers to unique service providers for functions such as house warming, the portal stays true to its end-to-end commitment to the buyer.

The upcoming services include creating an interactive platform between those who have bought property (by location) and those looking to. This crowd-sourced content will be moderated by RoofandFloor, with no seeding by developers or the marketplace.

RoofandFloor is also bolstering their leadership by bringing in Industry veterans like T. Shrikanth (from IndiaProperty and Sulekha) to join Gowri Shankar Nagarajan, the CEO and Bikash Chowdhury, Chief Marketing Officer. The other Bigwigs at the helm are Sudha Prabhu (People Operations), Nishant Kashyap (Operations Head) and Niren Pai (Head of products). From about 70 people currently, the headcount is expected to go up to 240 in the current fiscal, coinciding with expansion in the West. The people in advisory roles and operations will grow, as will the product and engineering, and marketing teams.

All in all, The Company is making all the right noises and it seems steadily poised to take over the mantle of leadership in its category. As evident from the recent moves and features it is bringing about, it intends to bank on trust and transparency to become the best online Real Estate website out there, and rightfully so.

Do give RoofandFloor a spin and share your experience in the comments section!