November 2013

Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 30 nov 2013

Indian economy can only benefit from its 'demographic dividend', with one of the largest youth population in coming years, when these youths have right education, required skills and available work. At present Indian job market is in a strange situation, with graduates unable to find suitable work while companies can't find candidates with required work skills. According to a report by FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce & Industry) and Ernst & Young India has less than 10000 vocational training institutes with a capacity of only 1.3 million. The government's skills development plan to provide skills training to 500 million people by 2022 in partnership with private sector is a policy initiative in the right direction. Read on...

BBC News: Training India: Is skills gap holding the economy back?
Author: Yogita Limaye

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 28 nov 2013

There are varied and different, local and global perspectives on how a particular country pursues economic development. Oftentimes it is difficult to completely and totally agree or disagree with one or the other. Similar is the case with India with often conflicting approaches competing with each other and trying to gain relevance both within and outside the government. Governmental policies are often directed towards the developmental agenda based on the majority view within the political party in power and its vision that was depicted in its election manifesto. Moreover global economy and its direction also plays an important role in choosing the development plan as in the globalized and connected world, economies and countries find it unimaginable to pursue their own agendas in isolation. Article explores one such view that questions the neoliberal economic development model that the current government is implementing and provides some alternative concepts and approaches towards India's development considering the massive poverty and social inequality that is prevalent - focus on well-being of the population; invest heavily on education, healthcare and welfare programs; ensure and encourage sustainable farming communities; controlled urbanization; reduce environmental degradation etc. Read on...

Global Research: Mass Poverty and Social Inequality in India - The Devastating Impacts of the Neoliberal Economic Development Model
Author: Colin Todhunter

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 27 nov 2013

With about 70% of India's population residing in rural areas, a converged approach is needed with participation from government, private sector, social sector and entrepreneurs, to fulfil the required rural development agenda. According to Mr. Parmesh Shah, Lead Rural Development Specialist of World Bank, the Last Mile Service delivery is a US$ 19 billion opportunity in India and entrepreneurs have to play a crucial role to translate it for the welfare and benefit of the rural population. He mentions service delivery deficiencies in agriculture, storage of agri-produce and health. He suggests focus on four key areas - entrepreneurship, service delivery, value chain and small scale manufacturing. Read on...

Odisha Diary: India Needs Entrepreneur Managed Service Delivery Models for Rural Areas: Shah
Author: NA

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 21 nov 2013

Sometimes back companies like Yahoo and HP, decided to discourage and reduce flexible working for their employees. But according to a recent report by workplace provider Regus, 75% of Indian respondents feel that flexible working is a critical measure of achieving higher productivity. 77% believe that it encourages greater sense of responsibility and time management and similar percentage said that it fosters greater creativity. Read on...

The Economic Times: Flexible working arrangements boost productivity: Survey
Author: NA

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 20 nov 2013

Most responsible companies around the world are taking diversity initiatives to build an inclusive business ecosystem - management, employees, suppliers, partners, etc - with representation from minority communities, women, people with disabilities etc. Similar initiative is underway in India where 6 big multinational corporations - Accenture, Intel, Marriott, HP, Wal-Mart and IBM - have come together to interact with 100 women owned and operated businesses. This was organized by a non-profit WEConnect International and supported by Times Foundation. The program is directed towards encouraging these corporations to procure a share of their products and services from women-run businesses. According to CEO of WEConnect International, Elizabeth Vazquez, "Women make 70% of the purchasing decisions at home. Yet, women entrepreneurs get only 1% of the global procurement business. They are missing in the supply chain." Read on...

The Times of India: Big companies look to buy from women entrepreneurs
Authors: Anshul Dhamija, Shilpa Phadnis

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 15 nov 2013

According to KPMG's '2013 Global Technology Innovation' survey of 811 business executives from technology industry, India is ranked third after US and China. India was ranked first in the technology confidence innovation index followed by Israel, US and China. Survey mentions cloud computing (with government as the main driver) and mobile (currently 800 million subscribers) as the two most important disruptive technologies that will dominate the Indian market for next three years. Development of biometrics and data & analytics technologies will also gain momentum. Read on...

bdnews24: India third in technology innovation survey
Author: NA

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Mohammad Anas Wahaj | 09 nov 2013

Technologies are faciliating social pervasiveness of mobile phones, electronic and social media and are empowering common people to have their say in various national and international issues and provides them opportunities to participate in political, social and economic processes. According to Professor Vivek Wadhwa of Singularity University, as poor gain access to internet through tablets and smart phones and the middle class gets better connectivity India will witness a revolution in commerce, education and social values. He says that advancement in tablet technology with reduced prices coupled with cheaper and wider avilability of internet provides the necessary tools for the large Indian population to not only have social interactions and community connectedness but also avail benefits through access to ecommerce and online shopping, education through available online courses from around the world (MOOCs) and media and entertainment through quality global and local digital content online. Read on...

The Times of India: Affordable tablets will give the poor a voice
Author: Vivek Wadhwa

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