The Delhi HC in its order said that Google Pay is a “mere third-party app provider” for which no authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is required The PILs sought directions to cease the operations of Google Pay in the country for alleged violations of payment systems and privacy norms The court found no merit in the petitioner’s contention that Google Pay was actively accessing and collecting sensitive and private user data The Delhi High Court has dismissed two public interest litigations (PILs) seeking to stop the operations of Google Pay in the country for alleged violations of payment systems and privacy norms. In 2019, petitioner Abhijit Mishra alleged that Google India Digital Services Private Limited, which operates Google Pay, was doing “unauthorised operation” in India as it did not have the necessary permissions. His petition in the HC called for directions for the company to stop its operations. Dismissing the plea, the Delhi HC, earlier this month, observed that Google Pay is a “mere third-party app provider” for which no authorisation from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) is required under the provisions of the Payments and Settlement Systems Act (PSS) Act. Later, in 2020, Mishra also raised concerns that Google Pay was collecting, storing and using the Aadhar information of the citizens and that it violated objects of the Aadhar Act, 2016.   However, the HC stated that the UPI Guidelines, 2019 make it exceedingly clear that data may be stored under two types, namely, ‘customer data’ and ‘customer payments sensitive data’. While the former may be stored with the app provider in an encrypted format, the latter can only be stored with the payment services providers’ bank systems, and not with the third-party app under the multi model API approach that Google Pay has opted for.  “We therefore do not find any merit in the Petitioner’s contention Google Pay is actively accessing and collecting sensitive and private user data,” the court observed. In its order, the court also held that the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) is the operator of the UPI system for transactions in India and the transactions carried out via UPI through Google Pay are only peer-to-peer or peer-to-merchant transactions and the company is not a “system provider” under the PSS Act, 2007, while dismissing Mishra’s plea. In 2020, Google had informed the Delhi HC that it did not have access to the Aadhaar database and there was no requirement for any such information for operating its digital wallet platform Google Pay. However, it is pertinent to note that Google Pay has recently introduced UPI verification for users via Aadhaar Card. Despite the legal troubles, the payments service platform continues to be one of the main enablers of the UPI ecosystem in the country. As per NPCI data, it processed a total of 349.5 Cr transactions worth INR 5.2 Lakh Cr in July this year. UPI processed total transactions worth INR 15.34 Lakh Cr last month.

Realme has expanded its 11 series of smartphones with the launch of Realme 11 5G and Realme 11X 5G smartphones in India. Both the Realme smartphones are powered by MediaTek chipset and run Android 13 operating system out-of-the-box. The Realme 11 5G sports a 108MP main camera, while the Realme 11X 5G houses a 64MP main sensor. Price and availabilityThe Realme 11 5G comes in two storage variants — 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB priced at Rs 18,999 and Rs 19,999 respectively. The smartphone can be purchased in Glory Black and Glory Gold colour options. The smartphone will be available online on realme.com and Flipkart starting August 29. Customers will also be able to purchase it offline from authorised retail stores starting August 30. As part of the launch offer the company is giving a discount of Rs 1,500 in HDFC Bank and SBI cards.On the other hand, the Realme 11X 5G also comes in two variants — 6GB+128GB and 8GB+128GB priced at Rs 14,999 and Rs 15,999 respectively. The smartphone comes in Midnight Black and Purple Dawn colour options. The smartphone will be available online on realme.com and Flipkart starting August 29. Customers will also be able to purchase it offline from authorised retail stores starting August 30. As part of the launch offer the company is giving a discount of Rs 1,000 in HDFC and SBI bank cards.Realme 11 5G specificationsRealme 11 5G is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset. The smartphone comes in two variants — 8GB+128GB and 8GB+256GB. Users can add more storage by installing a microSD card. Realme 11 5G houses a 6.72-inch FHD+ display with 1080×2400 pixel resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. The smartphone runs Android 13 operating system topped with the company’s own layer of Realme UI.Realme 11 5G sports a dual rear camera setup. The smartphone comes with a 108MP main sensor with f/1.75 aperture and 3x lossless zoom. The smartphone sports a 2MP portrait camera with f/2.4 aperture. The front of the smartphone features a 16MP camera for selfie lovers.Realme 11 5G packs a 5000mAh battery with 67W SuperVOOC charging support. The company claims that the smartphone can charge up to 50% in just 29 minutes. Realme 11X 5G specificationsRealme 11X 5G sports a 6.72-inch full HD+ display with 1080×2400 pixel resolution. The display offers a dynamic refresh rate of up to 120Hz. The smartphone is powered by an octa-core MediaTek Dimensity 6100+ chipset paired with up to 8GB of RAM. The smartphone offers 128GB internal storage which can be expanded up to 2TB by adding a microSD card.Realme 11X 5G comes with dual SIM support and runs Android 13 operating system. The smartphone features a dual rear camera with 64MP main sensor and a 2MP portrait camera. Front is home to a 16MP selfie camera. Realme 11X 5G comes equipped with a side-mounted fingerprint sensor and is backed by a 5000mAh battery with 33W fast charging support.

The Chandrayaan-3 mission is set to land on the moon’s surface this evening, with the movements live-streamed on social media platforms and TV channels. India will be the first country to land on the lunar south pole. The lander module, named after Vikram Sarabhai, successfully separated from the propulsion module and descended to a slightly lower orbit, and is now ready for a soft-landing at around 6:04 PM IST.Where to watch Chandrayaan 3 Vikram Lander landingThe live telecast of the Chandrayaan 3 Vikram Lander landing can be watched on several platforms including Doordarshan TV, ISRO website, and social media channels such as YouTube and Facebook of ISRO. Click here to view the live telecast of Chandrayaan 3. Chandrayaan 3 Vikram Lander landing time (expected)The live telecast of the Chanrayaan 3 Vikram Lander’s landing operations will begin at 5:20 PM (IST) on Wednesday. Viewers can watch the live landing on the ISRO website, its YouTube channel, Facebook, and public broadcaster DD National TV starting at 5:27 PM (IST) on August 23. On July 14, the ISRO launched Chandrayaan-3 into orbit from Sriharikota’s second launch pad. A series of successful orbit-raising manoeuvres followed, leading to the separation of the landing module on August 17. After deboosting operations, the spacecraft was in position to land on the lunar surface on August 23.The Vikram lander is currently searching for a suitable landing spot on the Moon’s surface. If successful, India will become the fourth country to achieve a soft lunar landing, joining the US, Russia, and China.Chandrayaan-3, India’s lunar mission, is scheduled to soft-land on the south pole of the moon at 6:04 PM IST. After landing, the Pragyan rover will search for water and analyse the chemical composition of the moon’s surface during one lunar day, which will be around fourteen days on the earth.

How to improve sleep quality: Follow these natural remedies, yoga and meditation tips to beat insomnia Insomnia remedies: The frustrating cycle of sleeplessness can lead to daytime fatigue, mood changes, and concentration issues, all triggers to more serious health issues. Follow these tips, like consistent sleep patterns, a comfortable sleep environment, and a relaxing bedtime routine, to get your quota of quality shut eye.

Indian VCs have only invested 26% of the dry powder accumulated and set aside for FY24, per Inc42’s latest survey More than 60% of Indian investors are cautious about backing Indian startups VCs have now started asking difficult questions, and only those with answers will be seen confidently flocking with them Despite sitting on massive reserves of dry powder, investors are not too keen on jumping headfirst and investing in Indian startups, an industry survey conducted by Inc42 reveals. According to Inc42’s ‘The State Of Indian Startup Ecosystem Survey 2023’, which surveyed 70-plus active VC firms in India, Indian VCs have only invested 26% of the capital they have accumulated and allocated for FY24, holding on to the rest. However, what presents a promising investment prospect for both local and global investors is that the Indian economy is poised to achieve a growth rate of 6.1% in FY24, outpacing China’s growth rate of 4.5%. According to Inc42 data, Indian startups have raised $6.1 Bn in funding across 528 deals this year (as of July 28, 2023), a far cry from the $19 Bn raised across 900 deals in the first half of 2022. Download The Report The funding slowdown has been, for the most part, due to the investors being cautious with their decision, after having been burned during last year. According to Inc42’s survey, more than 60% of Indian investors remain cautious about backing Indian startups. Over the past few months, multiple issues of egregious corporate governance lapses, massive losses, layoffs, faltering unit economics and other controversies emerging from the Indian startup ecosystem have impacted investors’ sentiments significantly and prompted them to tighten their purse strings. Investor Confidence: A Sand Castle? Indian startups enjoyed unprecedented highs in 2021, as startup funding hit an all-time high. In retrospect, coming out of the pandemic, the investors were flush with cash and threw money at everything that looked lucrative. No wonder Gopal Srinivasan, the chairman and MD of TVS Capital Funds, called the year 2021 an ‘alcohol party’. “We’re coming out of the massive alcohol party of 2021, so some hangover will be there,” Srinivasan said at a media briefing, ahead of the 2023 CK Prahalad Next Practice Entrepreneur Award ceremony. Not to mention, this ‘hangover’ still persists. With no funding in sight and investor confidence at the lowest, the only startups to survive FY24 will be the ones that have enough runway to smoothly glide through the year — and investors will be on the watch out for such startups. The irony of the situation, however, is further highlighted when one looks at the amount of dry powder still at the disposal of Indian startups, indicating that the funding winter may be over and investors could exercise caution to invite guests (founders) to the funding buffet. Rajan Anandan, the MD of Peak XV Partners, declared the end of the funding winter at Inc42’s MoneyX in July. “The funding winter is gone. The Indian startup funding is back to normal, and Peak XV has INR 20,000 Cr to invest,” Anandan said. Since the beginning of 2022, startup investors have raised nearly $22 Bn to back Indian startups; part of it, over $4 Bn has been announced in 2023 alone. In the midst of a volatile investment landscape, marked by the highs of 2021 and the lessons learned from it, the Indian startup ecosystem finds itself at a crossroads. Inc42’s survey paints a vivid picture of cautious investors, reluctant to repeat the exuberance of the past. With the closure of deals becoming a more time-consuming process, and audit cycles growing in duration, it’s evident that investors are being meticulously thorough in their due diligence. The trepidation stemming from past mishaps and uncertainties has led investors to approach the funding arena with a discerning eye. This heightened scrutiny is mirrored in the slowed pace of investments and the accumulation of substantial dry powder reserves. As the Indian economy readies itself for an ambitious growth rate in FY24, the startup realm stands at an intriguing juncture. Despite the past year’s fervor, it’s clear that investor sentiment has evolved. The startups that navigate this new landscape with sustainable runway and compelling value propositions are more likely to emerge resilient.

In a compliance report filed before the Delhi HC on August 17, MeitY said it has taken cognisance of the concerns flagged by the court in its previous orders The HC disposed of the case saying the government’s intention to bring a policy in the matter is sufficient compliance of the Court’s order While hearing a case involving webseries ‘College Romance’, the court previously remarked that there was a need for ‘urgent attention’ to frame rules to regulate content OTT platforms The union government reportedly told the Delhi High Court (HC) that it will frame necessary rules and regulations to curb the use of ‘vulgar language’ on social media and OTT platforms.  As per news agency PTI, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), in a compliance report filed before the HC on August 17, said it has taken cognisance of concerns flagged by the HC in its previous orders. “… (as) part of its regular exercise on policymaking for the techno-legal ecosystem, it (MeitY) gives due consideration to the observations of this honourable court in its judgement to regulate the social media platforms/intermediaries for making it safer from the use of vulgar languages,” noted the affidavit.  In its previous observations, the HC noted that there was a need for ‘urgent attention’ to frame rules to regulate content on social media and streaming platforms.  Meanwhile, the HC disposed of the matter after the submission from the ministry. “This court takes note of the fact that it is a policy decision which is to be undertaken by the Ministry and the legislature, it is sufficient compliance of the order of this court. This court has been assured that the concerns of this court expressed through the said judgement will be incorporated in the future rules and regulations which will be shortly undertaken,” observed the HC.  At the heart of the matter is a case involving a webseries, College Romance, streamed on major Indian streaming platforms such as SonyLiv, YouTube and TVFPlay. In 2019, an Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate directed the Delhi Police to file an FIR in the matter against the show’s director Simarpreet Singh and actor Apoorva Arora under the Information Technology Act. A year later in 2020, an additional sessions judge upheld the order and directed the concerned authorities to register an FIR under the relevant sections of the IT Act. Eventually, the creator of the show, The Viral Fever (TVF), moved the Delhi HC to challenge the matter. On March 6 this year, the HC upheld the order of the Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate but added that registering FIR did not include a direction to arrest the accused or the petitioner. The HC came down heavily on the OTT platforms and raised concerns over the use of vulgar language in public domain and on social media platforms. While delivering the verdict, the HC also said that the bench watched the episodes through earphones and that the ‘profanity of the language’ on the show could not have been heard without ‘shocking or alarming the people around’. It also flagged the ‘sheer enormous power’ and reach of online platforms across all age groups, adding that such avenues were also open to ‘children of tender age’. The HC also remarked that the shows that include the use of ‘obscene words and foul language’ cannot ‘take shelter under the argument of the new generation using such language’. Earlier today, the Supreme Court also warned users of ‘action’ for posting abusive or vulgar content on social media. Earlier in March, Information and Broadcasting Minister Anurag Thakur said that streaming vulgar and abusive content on OTT platforms in the name of creativity was not acceptable.  Later in July, reports surfaced that the Centre told streaming giants such as Netflix and Disney that the content on their platforms ought to be reviewed independently for obscenity and violence before premiering online. 

Amazon India has launched the third edition of Machine Learning (ML) Summer School. This program aims to provide students with the opportunity to learn key ML technologies from Scientists at Amazon. The e-commerce giant claims that this program will make students industry-ready for a career in machine learning. Amazon Machine Learning Summer School: Availability and eligibility The free educational course will be conducted over four weekends in September.This course will cover eight modules that will provide students with an opportunity to gain skills on key ML topics.These topics include Supervised Learning, Deep Neural Networks, Probabilistic Graphical Models, Dimensionality Reduction, and Unsupervised Learning. The course will also focus on fostering a strong foundation in both theoretical concepts and practical applications.ML Summer School is open to all engineering students enrolled in Bachelor’s/Master’s/ PhD degrees from any recognised institute in India and are expected to graduate in 2024 or 2025. Eligible students will be required to take an online assessment focused on basic ML concepts and math fundamentals on topics such as probability, statistics, and linear algebra.The top 3000 students will then be enrolled on ML Summer School, where they cover eight modules in classroom sessions over four weekends, each session followed by live Q&A sessions with scientists at Amazon.Amazon Machine Learning Summer School: Key featuresDiverging from conventional approaches that emphasise theory, Amazon’s ML Summer School offers an application-focused learning method. Participants can not only grasp theoretical concepts but also gain hands-on experience, preparing them for real-world challenges. The program’s curriculum integrates practical applications, equipping learners with both knowledge and practical skills. Moreover, Amazon’s ML Summer School also assimilates existing science curricula in universities with industry trends, and prioritises practical learning, catering to students with varying ML backgrounds.Amazon Machine Learning Summer School: TimelineSince its pilot in 2021, the Amazon ML Summer School has demonstrated growth. The inaugural program saw participation from over 3500 students, with the top 300+ students earning the opportunity to partake. Building on this success, the program expanded in 2022, attracting over 17,500 registrations from engineering students across India. Out of these, a select group of 2880 students were invited to join the program. This year it is being expanded to include engineering students enrolled in any recognised institute in India and will see a bigger class size.

Airtel Payments Bank has enabled Fastag-based parking payments at Jayprakash Narayan International Airport, Patna. Fastag-based parking enables automatic cashless payments at the airport exit. This ensures seamless and efficient vehicle movement within airport parking zones. The parking fee gets deducted from the valid Fastag affixed to the vehicle. This also helps to curb the increasing congestion at the airport.Ganesh Ananthanarayanan, Chief Operating Officer of Airtel Payments Bank said, “Customer convenience is of utmost importance to us.By enabling the Fastag-based parking payments, we aim to alleviate the time-consuming challenges faced in busy airport parking lots, ultimately enhancing the overall travel experience for our customers.”Airtel Payments Bank Fastag: Availability Airtel Payments Bank is working with multiple partners to enable Fastag-based parking payments across the country. The facility is already live at airports in Varanasi, Bhubaneswar and Aurangabad. Airtel Payments Bank is also among the top five issuers of Fastag in the country. The bank claims that its digital-first approach has helped it become a leading player in the Fastag segment. Customers can easily purchase a Fastag from the banking section of the Airtel Thanks App.Airtel Payments Bank: More detailsAirtel Payments Bank is a multi-segment fintech that operates with a banking license. This bank offers a diverse range of safe, simple and other banking solutions through a network of 500,000 banking points spread across the country and its digital platforms. The Bank has also built a digital payments ecosystem across the country. Airtel Payments Bank is committed to contributing to the Government’s vision of Digital India and Financial Inclusion by taking digital banking services to the doorstep of every Indian.

Meta has announced that it is releasing an AI model that can translate and transcribe speech in up to 100 languages. The model can be useful to communicate and understand information in language that people don’t know.“Today we’re releasing SeamlessM4T, a new multimodal AI model that lets people who speak different languages communicate more effectively,” Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said in a post on his Instagram Channel.Zuckerberg said that the AI model can do speech-to-text, text-to-speech, speech-to-speech, text-to-text translation and speech recognition for up to 100 languages. The company plans to integrate the AI model in translation and transcription into Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, Messenger and Threads.How SeamlessM4T AI model worksAccording to Meta, the model supports speech recognition in up to 100 languages, however, the number is less when it comes to text-to-speech translation. Speech recognition for nearly 100 languages Speech-to-text translation for nearly 100 input and output languages Speech-to-speech translation, supporting nearly 100 input languages and 36 (including English) output languages Text-to-text translation for nearly 100 languages Text-to-speech translation, supporting nearly 100 input languages and 35 (including English) output languages “In keeping with our approach to open science, we’re publicly releasing SeamlessM4T under a research licence to allow researchers and developers to build on this work. We’re also releasing the metadata of SeamlessAlign, the biggest open multimodal translation dataset to date, totaling 270,000 hours of mined speech and text alignments,” the company said.According to Meta, SeamlessM4T builds on previous advancements in this space, such as last year’s No Language Left Behind (NLLB), a text-to-text machine translation model that supports 200 languages, which is integrated into Wikipedia as one of the translation providers.The company also shared a demo of Universal Speech Translator, which was the first direct speech-to-speech translation system for Hokkien, a language that doesn’t have a widely used writing system. The company also revealed Massively Multilingual Speech that provides speech recognition, language identification and speech synthesis technology across more than 1,100 languages.

FundsIndia said that Westbridge Capital’s investment in the company, coupled with its expertise and network, will enable the former to significantly enhance its investment offerings FundsIndia provides users access to mutual funds from various fund houses in the country, stocks from the BSE and NSE, corporate fixed deposits, and various other investment products FundsIndia, which has raised a total funding of $16.6 Mn till date, currently claims to have 25 Lakh customers and over 10,000 Cr of assets under management US-based investment firm Westbridge Capital has reportedly picked a majority stake in digital investment platform FundsIndia for an undisclosed amount. FundsIndia, in a statement, said that Westbridge Capital’s investment in the company, coupled with its expertise and network, will enable the former to significantly enhance its investment offerings and pursue expansion plans to further strengthen its position as one of the most trusted financial services brands in India. Inc42 has reached out to FundsIndia for more information on the deal. The story will be updated on receiving a response from the company. Founded in 2009, FundsIndia provides users access to mutual funds from various fund houses in the country, stocks from the BSE and NSE, corporate fixed deposits, and various other investment products. As per publicly available data, FundsIndia has raised a total of $16.6 Mn in funding till date. The company currently claims to have 25 Lakh customers and over 10,000 Cr of assets under management. FundsIndia also announced that Manish Gadhvi has joined the platform as chief executive officer of its B2B partner business. The platform is now reportedly looking to build a pan-India omnichannel experience to support independent financial advisors (IFAs) and their institutional partners.