A brief overview of relevant discussion topics

Prepared by

Issue: 20 Aug, 2021

TABLE
OF CONTENTS
03
IS INDIA READY FOR 5G? 04

IS INDIA READY FOR A CASHLESS

05
ECONOMY? 06

CENSORSHIP OF OTT PLATFORMS

07
RIGHT OR WRONG? 08

GIG ECONOMY: WHY IS IT GROWING,

09
PROS & CONS, IMPACT OF COVID-19
10

DATA PROTECTION REGIME IN INDIA –

11
CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD 12

ALL THAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE

ZOMATO IPO 13
14
 IS INDIA READY FOR 5G?

INDIA 5G READY?
Aug 20, 2021

5G is a wireless communication technology using radio waves or radio

frequency spectrum to transmit and receive data. It is next-generation
cellular network technology built on the foundation created by 4G LTE
which promises to elevate the speed of the wireless networks.

Around the world

The United States, Turkey,
Japan, China, Sweden, and
Estonia are countries who have
introduced 5G technology.
However, it is still in the
development stages.

YES..
There were 624.0 million internet users in India in January 2021.
The number of internet users in India increased by 47 million (+8.2%)
between 2020 and 2021. Internet penetration in India stood at 45.0% in
January 2021.
In 2017, the Indian government has set up a Rs. 500 crores fund for
Research & Development of 5G Technology and thereby to roll out 5G
by 2020, and it is also planning to auction 5G spectrum by January
2020.
According to PTI(Press Trust of India), the committee has
been informed that 5G will roll out in India to some extent
for specific uses, by the end of the calendar year 2021 or
beginning of 2022
The Indian government has announced that networks will
be 5G enabled soon, and by 2024, we will have a full range
of 5G services.
 NO..
Not all telecom companies are ready for 5G yet. Vodafone, one of the biggest telecom
service providers in India is not in favor of auctioning 5G spectrum in 2020.
The Indian telecom sector is in debt of approximately Rs. 4.7 lakh Crore as on March
2021. The price for 5G band auction was so high that no company placed a bid.
The shift from 3G to 4G brought significant performance improvement, and thus saw a
rapid shift to 4G. Owing to higher costs and a relatively smaller performance
enhancement, the transition will take more time to penetrate
Telecom service providers are apprehensive about ROI figures as 5G comes with higher
costs
Being in the early stages of development, 5G still faces security loopholes.
4G performance in India is still lacking compared to other countries. Heavy
development of infrastructure is needed to effectively implement 5G

TRIVIA #1
Airtel has become the first telco to orchestrate and demonstrate live 5G service over a commercial
network in Hyderabad city
Airtel 5G test trials have now gone live in Mumbai’s Lower Parel area. Using Nokia’s 5G gear, Airtel was
able to achieve a speed of 1.2Gbps with ultra-low latency during the 5G test trials.

CONCLUSION
5G technology promises to be revolutionary. Bandwidth for
this is very high and has a high data transfer rate. India is
ready to implement 5G at par with the global launch, but
we cannot expect full transition soon. It may take a few
more years for the full transition to take place.

Further Reading
http://bweducation.businessworld.in/article/Is-India-Ready-for-5G-/12-05-2021-389399/
https://www.groupdiscussionideas.com/is-india-ready-for-5g/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXcwpUtgYLI
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j-vXOf1taZw
IS INDIA READY FOR A CASHLESS

INDIA CASHLESS?
ECONOMY? Aug 20, 2021

WHAT IS CASHLESS
ECONOMY?
Cashless economy is used to describe the
situation wherein the flow of cash doesn’t
exist within the economy and that all the
transactions are undertaken through
electronic channels.

IMPORTANCE OF CASHLESS ECONOMY:

Reduction in cost: the cost of printing and circulating money into the
economy is cut down
Transparency: All transactions are digitally recorded, not allowing for
incorrect accounting and allowing users and government to maintain
records.
Convenience: Exact change can be paid, no risk of losing cash or running
short of change, no paperwork, makes it an easy payment process
Control on black money: digital transactions have proven to cut down
the black money problem in India due to higher transparency in
transactions

BENEFITS
With the advent of digital payments, FinTech
sector is growing exponentially, opening up more
job opportunities
Digital payments allow contact-less transactions
which gained a lot of momentum during the
pandemic
BENEFITS
Digital transaction offer huge Ease of Access. Just by scanning a QR code, you can
easily pay bills for local vegetable vendors, auto-rickshaws, or a supermarket
purchase
Digital transactions lower risks of accidental loss. If stolen, it is easy to block a
credit card or mobile wallet remotely, but it’s impossible to get your cash back.
Customers get lucrative offers like cashback on various transactions

TRIVIA #2
Seigniorage is the profit from the printing of currency. Cashless
money exists in the form of digits on a computer. Hence it does
CHALLENGES not have to be printed.

Challenges with digitalization – Digitalization and Internet penetration is still at 45%

as on January 2021. To enable digital payments for the nation, this number has to rise
largely.
Connectivity issues in rural areas- A stable internet connection is essential for digital
transactions, which is not always the case in rural areas.
Effect of GDP on cash- The rate of cash to GDP is the highest in India at 14.6%, at a
two-decade high. This percentage shows that India is still heavily dependent on cash.
Cybercrimes- Identity theft, risk of fraud and cybercrimes are serious threats that
come along with digitalisation
Transaction Fees- The transaction fees charged by some banks are humungous,
discouraging online transactions. The minimum balance policy of the banks is not
affordable to all, thus discouraging lower income groups.

CONCLUSION
With a change in the world, there is a need for
development in the economy of India. India has
started to aim at a cashless economy with the launch
of E-Rupi. This does have its own benefits and
demerits which are discussed in detail in the blog. The
movement has a lot to offer to help customers and get
customers enrolled in paperless transactions.

Further https://youtu.be/1Vy-P3Nx7pI
https://insideiim.com/india-cashless-economy
Reading //economictimes.indiatimes.com/tomorrowmakersshow/55956343.cms?
utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
CENSORSHIP OF OTT PLATFORMS
RIGHT OR WRONG?

NETFLIX, NO CHILL?
Aug 20, 2021
The Over-The-Top or OTT platforms are changing the face of the
entertainment industry. As we enter into an age of lockdowns amidst a
pandemic, OTTs substituted theatres and multiplexes. As there was no law
regulating these platforms, a free creative space attracted many creators
who couldn’t articulate their ideas in the traditional cinematic forms.

With no bounds on creativity OTT acted

as a platform to easily showcase their
work to a large audience within a limited
budget. On 11th November 2020, Central
government issued a notification stating
OTT platforms and online news portals
will come under ‘Information &
Broadcasting (I&B) ministry’. Before
this, they were under the ‘Ministry of
Electronics and Information Technology.

RIGHT..
Censorship helps in preventing anti-social,
hateful and explicit content from reaching the
audience and thereby social order can be
maintained.
Censorship can protect the sentiments of people
by preventing the content that is hurtful to
cultures/communities.
As per a survey by YouGov, 57% of people support
partial censorship for online streaming.
Easy accessibility and hard to track the user
makes it more important to censor OTT content.
Wrong..
To get clearance and certificate and clearance, sometimes producers have to struggle,
especially when the content criticizes government and their policies. This discourages
diverse opinions, innovation and creativity. It is a threat to freedom of expression.
Power and money may control the content to pursue their goals and political
propaganda.
For some people, a film may seem offensive but for some others, it may seem
progressive. So, it is unfair to dictate what to watch and what not to watch.
We already have laws such as the ‘Information & Technology Act, 2000’ to deal with
hateful and explicit content.
These days, people are preferring OTT content over television content, because of the
quality of content. But if it is censored, the content quality may drop and discourage
investment in OTT platforms.
Unlike Television, people can choose what to watch on OTT platforms. And OTT
platforms mention the appropriate age to watch that content. So, there is no need to
censor them.
Self-regulatory bodies are better than government censorship because the audience can
watch diverse content rather than narrow views.

FOOD FOR THOUGHT

Mirzapur, a web series, faced backlash for allegedly maligning the image of Uttar
Pradesh. Makers of Tandav were accused of hurting religious sentiments.
In these instances, what are your views on censorship content moderation?

CONCLUSION
OTT platforms are gaining so much user base nowadays.
They are promoting varied opinions and thoughts. Indian
directors and producers are creating content on OTT
platforms, which are competing with international
content. Censorship of OTT may discourage investments
and diverse content. And hence, self-regulation code is
much better than censorship in the case of OTT platforms.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ldKm94QzW9A

Further http://www.businessworld.in/article/Should-OTT-Be-Censored-Or-
Regulated-In-India-/10-05-2021-389160/
Reading https://www.legalserviceindia.com/legal/article-3418-censorship-of-ott-
platforms-a-boon-or-bane.html
GIG ECONOMY: WHY IS IT GROWING,
PROS & CONS, IMPACT OF COVID-19

GIG ECONOMY TREND

Aug 20, 2021

What is a Gig Economy?

Gig economy is a labour market characterized by the prevalence of
short-term contracts or freelance work as opposed to permanent
jobs. Here the individuals can market their skill sets (in both
unskilled labour market and as skilled professionals) and sell their
services on different platforms or companies.

Why is it Growing?
The workers seem to prefer freelancing
over full-time employment due to its the
flexibility and independence.
It has created better opportunities of
finding more work across the globe and
made work more adaptable to the
changing needs and demands for flexible
lifestyles.
Workers can decide where to work and
what to charge

Uber is a prime example as a representative of the gig economy,

especially considering the Uber Driver Partners’ app. Here, anyone,
according to their own availability, route and convenience, may choose
to start an earning by connecting their own personal vehicles.

PROS
Flexibility for workers by choosing their time.
Explore a passion for the workers and they can
choose what to charge.
Saves time to select permanent staff and
recruitment process.
Helps in earning additional income.
CONS
Inconsistent income for the workers.
Lack of commitment to one place of work.
Tiring if multiple jobs are taken.
Lack of additional incentives.

TRIVIA #3
Almost 40% of the US workforce now earns at least 40% of their total income through
gig work. More than 75% of gig workers have explicitly stated that they wouldn't
leave their current freelance work for a full-time opportunity.

IMPACT OF COVID-19
Some gig workers are struggling to find work while others are seeing job opportunities
increase in terms of home deliverables .
These workers are not registered with government and regulatory agencies, so
government help might not reach them.
New amendments have been introduced in Labour Laws to safeguard migrant workers

CONCLUSION
Global forces will continue to make the gig economy
relevant. If individuals and organiSations want to consider
proactive strategies to beat the global competition, they
cannot afford to ignore the freelance workforce. In fact,
the gig economy has succeeded to gain momentum
internationally to be a critical factor in the very near
future.

Further Reading
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2021/05/what-gig-economy -workers/
https://www.flexjobs.com/blog/post/what-is-the-gig-economy-v2/
DATA PROTECTION REGIME IN INDIA

DATA ABOVE ALL

– CHALLENGES AND WAY FORWARD Aug 20, 2021

With the rise in the use of Internet facilities and India trying to
become a digital nation promoting digitisation at all levels, the need
for data protection has become an important issue. With the rise of
the telecom sector in India and the number of people using it, it has
become evident that data protection has to be considered a
necessity in India.

Current Situation
Right to Privacy - fundamental right in India.
The Information Technology Act, 2000, the
primary law in India dealing with cybercrime
and e-commerce, only covers data and
information which is exchanged in an
electronic form and not those received
through non-electronic communication.
India does not have a standalone personal
data protection law. Though protections are available, they are
contained in a mix of statutes, rules, and guidelines.
The majority of the provisions only apply to ‘sensitive personal data' and
information collected through 'computer resources'.
There is no provision on data localisation which was the major concern
and reason for the ban of the Chinese apps in India.

CHALLENGES
The main challenge lies in the classification of data as
the bill categorizes data as Personal Data, Sensitive
Personal Data, and Critical Personal data. The lack of
clarity on to which data qualifies under which head
causes dubiety to the industry.
 Ban on re-identification increases the risk of data breaches as explaining the
companies’ secretive data protection techniques and purpose of data collection to
the user is a cumbersome process
The draft of Data Protection bill creates a regulatory structure that is not sufficiently
independent: the central government has significant control over the regulatory
regime, and it is vulnerable to capture by industry.

Way Forward
Personal Data Protection Bill, 2019 (Bill)
Prohibition of processing of personal data – Personal
data can be processed only for specific, clear, and
lawful purpose.
Limitation on collection of personal data
Requirement of notice for collection or processing of
personal data
Restriction on retention of personal data
Restriction on transfer of Personal Data outside India
Exemptions only in the case of national interest

TRIVIA #4
Nearly 1.16 million cases of cyberattacks were
reported in 2020, up nearly three times from
2019 and more than 20 times compared to 2016

Further Reading
https://www.lawfareblog.com/key-global-takeaways-indias-revised-
personal-data-protection-bill
https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/business-laws/whatsapp-and-
the-wait-for-data-protection-bill/article35266846.ece
https://www.onedpo.com/challenges-faced-by-indias-data-protection-
bill/
ALL THAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE

HUNGRY, OFFICIALLY!
ZOMATO IPO Aug 20, 2021

OVERVIEW
Zomato is one of India's top 50 companies by
market capitalization.
Zomato - 43rd most valuable company in India.
The Rs 9,375 crore Initial Public Offering (IPO)
saw a stellar response from investors
IPO received 38.25 times subscription between July 14-16
QIB was subscribed 51.79 times, non-Institutional investors 32.96
times, and retail 7.45 times.
Zomato debuted on Dalal Street on July 23. The stock opened at Rs 116
on the NSE, a 52.63% premium to its final offer price of Rs 76.
The listing price on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) was at Rs 115,
up by 51.3%.
The market capitalization of the company has crossed Rs 1 lakh crore
mark, as it stood at Rs 1,08,067.35, racing ahead of IOC, BPCL, Shree
Cements.

POSITIVES
Largely, the listing was in line with analysts'
expectations despite rich valuations.
Stock markets tend to give premium valuations to
high-growth-sector companies with no competing
listed peer and positive market sentiment.
Healthy interests and demand from investors.
Post IPO, Zomato will have a cash chest of $1.8 billion,
which will help the company make acquisitions,
sharpen its game and thwart competition.
Consistency in gaining market share & improved
financial performance led the debut premium.
Negatives
Zomato earned Rs. 2,605 crores in FY20 while its
outstanding losses mounted to Rs. 4,666 crores
V trend in sales is seen, it is a loss-making
company currently and is likely to be so for 3
years.
As food industry is a potential market, If a strong
player enters in the market it may effect its
business.

TRIVIA #5
Zomato drew praise for introducing a period leave policy, allowing female employees to
take up to 10 days time off per year if they are unable to work due to menstrual cycle health
effects. The policy applies to transgender employees as well.

FURTHER READING
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/markets/stocks/ne
ws/investors-weigh-the-pros-and-cons-of-zomato-ipo-
before-booking-a-ride/listing-gains-long-term-or-
avoid/slideshow/84429854.cms
https://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/ipo/zomato
-ipo-listing-food-delivery-giant-crosses-rs-1-lakh-crore-m-
cap-after-stellar-debut-with-nearly-53-premium-
7210471.html