The electric vehicles (EV) industry in India continues to experience significant growth, with investments coming in from both local and foreign EV manufacturers. While India may not be the biggest EV market in the world right now, the country has the potential to become a major EV hub in years to come.

According to a report by Bain, the EV market in India is at an inflection point. In terms of sales, EVs accounted for about 5% of total vehicles sold between October 2022 and September 2023. But it’s estimated these figures could grow to encompass more than 40% of India’s automotive market by 2030, generating over US$100 billion in revenue.

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To achieve this, Bain’s report says the country needs concerted strategies that include new product development, go-to-market and distribution, customer segment prioritization, software development, and charging infrastructure. Several of these interventions will require category-specific stakeholder action.

The Indian government has already introduced several initiatives to boost EVs in India. These include schemes and policies launched to support the manufacturing and adoption of EVs in India, such as:

• Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Electric Vehicles (FAME)-I & II: This scheme provides subsidies to buyers of electric vehicles, especially those used for public transportation or commercial use. The subsidy is linked to the battery capacity of the vehicle.
• Phased Manufacturing Programme (PMP): This program aims to create a local supply chain for EV components and batteries, and to reduce the import dependence of the EV industry. It provides incentives and tax benefits to domestic manufacturers of EV parts and cells.
• National Mission on Transformative Mobility and Storage: This mission focuses on creating a roadmap for the development and deployment of advanced battery technologies and storage solutions for EVs and other applications. It also supports the establishment of large-scale battery manufacturing plants in India.
• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Advanced Chemistry Cells (ACC) Battery Storage: This scheme offers financial incentives to boost domestic production of ACC batteries, which are essential for EVs and renewable energy integration. The scheme envisages establishing a cumulative ACC battery manufacturing capacity of 50 GWh in India.
• Production Linked Incentive (PLI) Scheme for Automobile and Auto Component Industry: This scheme provides financial incentives to promote the manufacturing of advanced automotive technologies, including EVs and their components.

Dr. TRB Rajaa, Minister of Industries of the Government of Tamil Nadu was pleased with VinFast investment in India.

Foreign EV manufacturers in India

Currently, the biggest EV manufacturer in India is Tata Motors, which is a well-known car maker in India and the largest EV producer in the country. Tata Motors has launched several EV models, such as the Nexon EV, the Tigor EV, and the Tiago EV, and has also developed its own Ziptron technology for battery and motor performance.

India is also home to several foreign EV manufacturers that have set up plants in the country. The foreign EVs manufactured in India are both for local markets as well as to be exported to other countries as well.

The Indian government has already introduced several initiatives to boost EVs in India. (Image generated by AI).

Currently, some of the foreign EVs in India include:

• Hyundai – The South Korean automaker already has a presence in India with its conventional and hybrid vehicles. The company is planning to start producing EVs at its Talegaon factory in Maharashtra from 2025, with an annual capacity of 100,000 units.
• MG Motor – The British-owned, Chinese-backed automaker that launched its first EV model, the ZS EV, in India in 2020. The company has a manufacturing facility in Halol, Gujarat, where it plans to increase its EV production capacity from 3,000 units per year to 10,000 units per year by 2022.
• BYD: The Chinese EV maker has partnered with India’s Olectra Greentech to produce electric buses and vans in India. The company has a manufacturing facility in Hyderabad, Telangana, where it can produce up to 5,000 electric buses per year.

Tesla is also expected to announce manufacturing plans in India this year. In fact, Tesla has been exploring the possibility of entering the Indian market for several years. However, the company has faced some challenges and delays due to the high import duties, regulatory hurdles, and infrastructure issues in India.

Last year, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi met up with Elon Musk and was able to convince him to invest in the country. As such, there have been reports that Tesla is inching closer to an agreement with the Indian government to start importing and selling its EVs in India in 2024. The company is also reportedly considering the states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu for setting up its first-ever manufacturing facility in India, which could be operational by 2025.

VinFast will invest up to US$2 billion for EV in India. (Image by VinFast).

VinFast invests in India

Following its global success, Vietnamese EV manufacturer VinFast has announced a partnership with the Tamil Nadu State Government in India to charge the development of green transportation in the country. VinFast and the state government will work towards a total investment of up to US$2 billion, with an initial commitment of US$500 million in the first phase of the project.

The investment includes the establishment of VinFast’s integrated electric vehicle facility in Tamil Nadu. It is anticipated to generate approximately 3,000 – 3,500 employment opportunities locally. Situated in Thoothukudi, the VinFast Tamil Nadu project aims to evolve into a first-class electric vehicle production hub in the region, with an annual capacity of up to 150,000 units. Construction of the plant is anticipated to begin in 2024.

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Besides the economic benefits, the project will also pave the way for green transportation development, targeting 30% of newly registered private cars to be electric. This aligns with the state government’s initiatives to minimize carbon emissions in the transportation sector.

“The MoU demonstrates VinFast’s strong commitment to the sustainable development and vision of a zero-emission transportation future. We believe that investing in Tamil Nadu will not only bring considerable economic benefits to both parties but will also help accelerate the green energy transition in India and the region,” commented Tran Mai Hoa, deputy CEO of sales and marketing at VinFast Global.

Dr. TRB Rajaa, Minister of Industries of the Government of Tamil Nadu, stated, “EV manufacturing companies are not only important economic drivers but also powerful accelerators to the State’s green vision. We are delighted that VinFast has chosen to invest in Tamil Nadu to establish its integrated EV facility. Possessing robust capabilities and unwavering commitment to a sustainable future, I believe that VinFast will emerge as a reliable economic partner and substantial contributor to Tamil Nadu’s long-term development.”

The green mobility project by VinFast is its biggest investment. The project will create many positive impacts on the economy and society. Both sides will also work together and explore options for setting up charging stations to promote a sustainable transportation future.

The post VinFast makes huge EV investments in India    appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

India is experimenting with AI to develop climate models, enhancing weather predictions. This is a crucial step as the country faces increasing torrential rains, floods, and droughts, according to a senior weather official.

In recent years, global warming has intensified weather system conflicts, leading to rising numbers of extreme weather events in India. The independent Centre for Science and Environment reports that these events have caused nearly 3,000 fatalities in 2023 alone.

Globally, weather agencies are increasingly focusing on AI for its potential to reduce costs and enhance prediction efficiency. The Met Office in Britain has said that AI could ‘revolutionize’ weather forecasting, and a recent Google-funded model has demonstrated superior performance to traditional methods.

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The critical role of accurate forecasts in India, and the use of AI

Accurate weather forecasts are vital for India, home to 1.4 billion people, many of whom live in poverty. Being the world’s second-largest producer of critical crops such as rice, wheat, and sugar, the stakes are particularly high.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) currently relies on mathematical models run on supercomputers for its forecasts. The integration of AI with an expanded observation network is expected to produce higher-quality forecasts at a reduced cost.

K.S. Hosalikar, the head of climate research and services at IMD, told Reuters that the department is developing AI-based climate models and advisories intending to enhance forecasting accuracy.

The IMD has already implemented AI to generate public alerts for heatwaves and malaria-related diseases. Hosalikar mentioned plans to expand weather observatories to the village level, enabling more detailed data collection for improved forecasting.

Recently, the Indian government expressed its intention to blend AI with traditional forecasting models and is establishing a center dedicated to exploring this approach through workshops and conferences.

Saurabh Rathore, an assistant professor at the Indian Institute of Technology-Delhi, highlighted the cost-effectiveness of AI models. Unlike traditional methods, these models don’t require the expense of running supercomputers and can be operated from high-quality desktop computers.

However, experts emphasize the need for better data to fully leverage AI’s capabilities. Parthasarathi Mukhopadhyay, a climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, explained that spatially and temporally high-resolution data is essential for AI models to effectively enhance the location-specific accuracy of existing forecasts.

International perspectives: AI in global weather forecasting

Outside of India, China has also announced its utilization of AI to refine weather forecasting, particularly for weather disasters exacerbated by heatwaves, heavy rains, and typhoons. The Shanghai Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, in collaboration with China’s National Meteorological Center and Shanghai Meteorological Service, employed its AI-driven Fengwu meteorological model to enhance typhoon predictions.

The accuracy of Fengwu in forecasting Typhoon Doksuri, China’s strongest typhoon of the summer, was notably superior to that of both the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) and the US National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP). Similarly, for Typhoon Khanun, Fengwu’s predictions outperformed those of ECMWF and NCEP.

Developed by various Chinese institutions and published in April, the Fengwu model uses multimodal and multitask deep learning technology. It delivers high-resolution atmospheric forecasts over ten days and operates efficiently on a single graphics processing unit. This model can generate ten-day global weather forecasts in just 30 seconds, significantly improving on traditional models that rely on supercomputers.

While AI weather prediction shows considerable promise, researchers acknowledge the need for further improvements. Their goal is to achieve district-level accuracy and eventually extend these predictions to the street level.

The AI model can do 10 days’ weather forecast in just 10 seconds. (Source – X).

AI models like Fengwu and Pangu Weather, another model developed in China, are enhancing the efficiency of weather forecasting. Although predicting weather remains inherently challenging, these AI models are expected to complement traditional physical models. They provide valuable insights for various sectors and Earth science research, supporting initiatives in carbon neutrality, disaster prevention, and energy security.

Despite the success of traditional numerical weather prediction, its progress is hampered by the slow growth of computing power and the complexities of physical models. AI forecasting methods, which have lower computational costs, are seen as a solution to these challenges.

Pangu Weather, developed by Huawei Cloud and recognized in a publication by Nature, employs a 3D neural network and a hierarchical temporal aggregation strategy to process complex meteorological data. Its accuracy surpasses that of some European and American meteorological centers, and the model is accessible online to users worldwide.

The Fengwu and Pangu models have demonstrated their capabilities in recent typhoon predictions. China’s Central Meteorological Observatory plans to continue integrating AI into weather forecasting, particularly for typhoon monitoring. This will involve collaboration with various universities and research institutions to enhance global weather prediction and services.

Private sector engagement in AI weather services

Companies in other Asian countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam, increasingly use AI to protect clients from weather-related disasters. Following a flash flood in 2021 that caused significant damage, an electronics factory in Thailand’s Bangpoo industrial park enrolled in a pilot forecast service offered by Weathernews, a Japanese weather firm. Started early in 2023, this service provides real-time, hyperlocal forecasts, predicting weather changes within three hours, significantly improving the Thai Meteorological Department’s daily regional forecasts.

Weathernews’ AI system collects and analyzes data to provide these precise forecasts, alerting clients to potential squalls and floods. This lets businesses take preventative measures such as erecting barriers or relocating equipment. Additionally, the company is collaborating with local authorities to install radar systems in Thailand, intending to match the forecast accuracy achieved in Japan.

Weathernews fully launched its AI-based forecasting service in Thailand in March, and in Vietnam in June, becoming the first in Asia to set up its own equipment and offer such a service. Primarily serving logistics providers, the company aims to expand its client base to 500, including electronics and auto manufacturers, to increase its annual revenue in Thailand and Vietnam to 3 billion yen (approximately US$22.6 million).

Chihito Kusabiraki, the company’s president, aims to boost overseas revenue to 70% to 80%, up from the current 40%. This expansion is crucial as Asian countries, characterized by dense populations and slow advances in disaster management, are particularly susceptible to natural disasters. According to the Asian Development Bank, developing Asia accounted for 76% of disaster victims and 25% of the global monetary damage from natural disasters between 2010 and 2020, highlighting the critical need for advanced forecasting services in these regions.

In 2021, weather and water-related hazards resulted in damages amounting to US$35.6 billion in Asia. Notably, the Philippines was ranked as the most disaster-prone country in the WorldRiskIndex, underscoring the region’s vulnerability to such events.

Startups are tapping into weather-related opportunities across Asia as well. California-based Atmo is developing an early warning system for flash floods and cyclones in Indonesia and is currently in discussions with neighboring countries. Meanwhile, Tokyo-based Spectee is utilizing social media data for disaster mapping in the Philippines and is planning to establish a local unit to extend the services already provided to 700 clients in Japan.

Since 2018, China’s Ninecosmos has advised companies, including China’s COSCO Shipping, on optimal shipping routes based on weather conditions. Additionally, it has developed an air pollution forecasting service, further expanding its range of meteorological solutions.

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However, the success of these weather-related services in Asia hinges on developing affordable, locally tailored solutions. Products designed for advanced economies may prove too costly for emerging Asian markets, emphasizing the need for region-specific adaptations.

The post AI transforms meteorology in India for better weather forecasts appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

Not long ago, the Minister of Electronics and Information Technology in India, Ashwini Vaishnaw, announced that a semiconductor assembly and testing facility, valued at US$2.7 billion, is being built in Gujarat by US memory chip giant Micron Technology. The new facility will be completed in stages, but the initial phase is expected to be operational by late 2024. In other words, by December 2024, India is set to produce its first domestically manufactured chips with Micron. 

“In December 2024, we should see the first made-in-India chip coming out of the Micron plant. This has given huge momentum and confidence to the entire semiconductor industry worldwide,” Vaishnaw told Forbes India in September this year. The Minister noted that Micron’s plan had triggered inquiries worldwide and that in the following months, India has received more semiconductor proposals. 

“India has excellent expertise in design already. Skill and talent are part of our semiconductor policy, which is succeeding very well. It’s a very systematic way we are working with the industry to get this skill,” he added. Micron’s second phase of the facility is slated to commence in the latter half of the decade, creating up to 5,000 new direct jobs.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Cabinet Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology speaks during a press conference at a railway station in Srinagar on March 25, 2023. (Photo by TAUSEEF MUSTAFA / AFP).

Micron specializes in producing Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) and NAND products. DRAM serves as the primary memory or RAM in devices, temporarily storing data and instructions for processor execution. NAND is a non-volatile storage device retaining data without power, similar to a portable flash drive. 

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Of the comprehensive investment of US$2.75 billion, Micron is set to contribute up to US$825 million across the two project phases, with the remaining assets to be sourced from both central and state governments. The Indian central government will provide 50% fiscal support for the overall project expenditure, and the state of Gujarat will offer incentives equivalent to 20% of the total project cost to the memory chipmaker.

The inaugural high-end semiconductor fabrication facility set to emerge in India will feature complete automation, covering hardware and system processes from assembly to testing. Inventory and warehouse storage will be automated for efficiency. Micron plans to implement advanced process controls and smart manufacturing solutions in the 1.4 million-square-foot facility, including 500,000 square feet of clean room space. 

While the facility is expected to be operational by the end of next year, Micron will gradually increase capacity based on global demand. 

Besides Micron, how is the Semicon India program doing?

Supported by the Indian government’s US$10 billion ‘India Semiconductor Mission‘ aimed at boosting the country’s semiconductor manufacturing ecosystem, potential manufacturers have, since December 2021, been able to access financial incentives covering up to 50% of costs of marketing, packaging, outsourced assembly, testing units, and development and deployment.

Anil Agarwal, the chairman of Vedanta, a British mining and metals group, has said people should expect “Vedanta made-in-India chips” by 2025. Agarwal revealed in late July that there are ongoing discussions with three companies for distinct partnerships in foundry, chips, and packaging/testing for Vedanta semiconductor unit in India. In an exclusive conversation with Mint, Agarwal expressed optimism that these collaborations should materialize within the next few months.

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Vedanta has chosen Dholera, an undeveloped area in Gujarat, as the site for India’s first ‘semicon city,’ an area comparable in size to Singapore. Recently, AMD, a US-based semiconductor design company, opened its largest global design center, covering 500,000 square feet, in Bengaluru.

https://x.com/AshwiniVaishnaw/status/1729538976447336898?s=20 

This facility, encompassing 60,000 sq ft of research and development (R&D) labs, will house 3,000 engineers focusing on semiconductor technology design and development, such as 3D stacking, AI, and machine learning. Initially, with four operational floors for around 1,000 employees, the facility constitutes 25% of AMD’s total US$400 million investment, as previously stated by Mark Papermaster, the company’s chief technology officer.

The post India anticipates first homegrown chip from Micron by December 2024 appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

Deepfake technology continues to get better, especially with generative AI making it easier for anyone today. Prior to deepfake technology, bad actors would need to spend hours or days designing images and videos, editing them multiple times to get the desired results.

Today, they just need to key in a few prompts or make a few edits with a deepfake application and they can get practically impeccable results in minutes. While the improvements in deepfake technology have been revolutionary, there will always be those who use the technology for the wrong reasons.

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Deepfake technology is becoming a growing nuisance not just for businesses and famous people around the world but also for any individual who has a picture of themselves online. All the bad actors need to do is to get an image of an individual and prompt the deepfake application to generate a different version of that image.

With deepfake applications available for free or at a very low price, practically everyone is able to access the technology for the wrong reasons. One of the most common uses of deepfakes today is creating content based on famous individuals to make statements or do things that they never said or did. Improvements in AI have also made some deepfake applications capable of mimicking voices to say different things.

Last year, Europol published a report on the criminal use of deepfake technology, alongside the challenges faced by law enforcement in detecting and preventing the nefarious use of deepfakes. The report highlighted deepfakes’ potential use in serious crimes such as CEO fraud, evidence tampering, and the production of non-consensual pornography.

Advances in AI and the public availability of large image and video databases mean that the volume and quality of deepfake content are increasing, which is facilitating crimes that harness deepfake technology.

A bad example of deepfake content. Look closely at the faces. (Image generated by AI).

Deepfake technology in India

With a population of 1.4 billion, India is not only the second largest country in the world but also the country with the second highest number of mobile phones. By the end of 2023, India is estimated to have over a billion smartphone users.

While this is positive news in terms of digital inclusion, the problem is this also raises the possibility of these devices being used for the wrong reasons – such as spreading news and content that is not accurate.

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Misinformation and disinformation remain a big problem in India. Over the years, unverified news and rumors on social media and messaging services in India have resulted in huge problems, especially among the various communities in the country.

Now with deepfake technology capable of generating content easily, there are concerns that it may be used to create content that could incite anger and unhappiness among the different communities in the country.

At the same time, deepfake content in India is being used by companies to advertise their products. According to reports, several advertisements and sponsored posts on social media have been found to contain deepfakes of Indian personalities such as Shah Rukh Khan, Virat Kohli and Akshay Kumar. While Khan is seen in a deepfake video for a game called Aviator, Kohli’s deepfake is in a video promoting a betting game.

Another example of deepfake content that has been going viral in India features an actress changing their outfit. Business Today India reported that the video, which has been circulating on major social media platforms like Facebook, X and YouTube, is not of an actress but of a social media influencer. The new video comes amid growing concerns around deepfake content after a video of another popular actress went viral in India.

India wants to clamp down on deepfake technology and content.

India to regulate deepfake technology

Given the increase in deepfake content in India, the government has announced plans to control the spread of deepfakes on social media platforms. India’s Union Information Technology Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw stated that the government will come up with a “clear, actionable plan” to tackle deepfakes and misinformation.

According to a report by Indian Express, the decision was made after the minister chaired a meeting with social media platforms, AI companies and industry bodies. He said that the plan will have four key pillars which will be the detection of deepfakes, their prevention by removing or reducing their virality, strengthening reporting mechanisms, and spreading awareness about the technology.

Reuters reported that India’s deputy IT minister Rajeev Chandrasekhar, in a closed-door meeting, warned social media firms including Facebook and YouTube to repeatedly remind users that local laws prohibit them from posting deepfakes and content that spreads obscenity or misinformation.

The Deputy Minister said many companies had not updated their usage terms despite 2022 rules that prohibit content “harmful” to children, obscene or that “impersonates another person.” Chandrasekhar said the companies must raise awareness of the rules by reminding users every time they log in that they cannot post such content, or by issuing reminders.

Meanwhile, Kumar Ritesh, founder and CEO of Cyfirma commented that regulations to guard against the misuse of deepfake technology are highly uneven and vary widely from jurisdiction to jurisdiction.

“We do expect the Indian government to cover a few key areas such as enacting laws specifically targeting the creation, distribution, or malicious use of deepfake content and imposing penalties for those who engage in illegal activities involving deepfakes. We see the government putting in place guidelines for online platforms and social media sites to detect and remove deepfake content to help curb its spread. This would require the government to work with tech companies to implement and enforce such regulations,” said Ritesh.

Ritesh also pointed out that the government could invest in public awareness campaigns to educate people about the existence and potential dangers of deepfake technology. This includes informing individuals about how to identify and report suspicious content.

With the new regulations, Ritesh believes research and development funding that supports research into deepfake detection and prevention methods can be crucial. The government can allocate funds for the development of technologies that can identify and mitigate the impact of deepfakes.

“We hope there will be broader international collaboration as deepfake threats often go beyond borders. Governments can work collaboratively on an international level to share information, and best practices, and coordinate efforts to address the global challenges posed by deepfake technology. And India, with its vast technology talents, is posed to lead this initiative,” added Ritesh.

The post India to have deepfake regulations   appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

The production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme introduced in India in March 2020 had a tepid start, experiencing a significant shortfall. Crafted to stimulate production in 14 sectors, with an outlay of ₹1.97-lakh crore (about US$26 billion), the PLI initiative is a cornerstone of the government’s vision to bolster domestic manufacturing, positioning India as a global export hub. 

It all started with the government targeting mobile manufacturing, electric components, pharmaceuticals, and medical device manufacturing. Since then, the concept has expanded to cover multiple sectors, fostering manufacturing capabilities and export-oriented production. Ultimately, the Indian government aims to enhance local supply chain capacities, introduce new downstream operations, and attract investments into high-tech production.

The PLI scheme targeting IT hardware was only introduced in February 2021, encompassing the production of laptops, tablets, all-in-one PCs, and servers, with an allocated budget of 73.5 billion rupees (US$1.02 billion). But the program faced low participation levels due to the incentives being perceived as insufficient. So, India decided more incentives would be the best bet in luring electronics manufacturers. 

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In May 2023, Delhi unveiled a 170 billion-rupee (US$2.1 billion) financial incentive plan (PLI 2.0 scheme for IT hardware) to draw laptop, tablet, and other hardware makers to the South Asian nation, especially in the wake of the China-US trade tensions, creating an opportune moment for companies to explore alternative production options. It was only through the PLI 2.0 scheme that the Indian government began noticing better uptake. 

How successful is the uptake of the PLI 2.0 scheme?

According to an official statement on November 18, New Delhi has approved subsidy applications from 27 companies out of 40 applicants. The approved companies include Apple supplier Foxconn Technology Group, computer giant Lenovo Group, Dell, HP, and AsusTek Computer.

Ashwini Vaishnaw, the Union Cabinet Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology. (Photo by TAUSEEF MUSTAFA / AFP).

“23 out of 27 approved applicants are ready to start manufacturing on day zero,” Ashwini Vaishnaw, India’s Minister for Railways, Communications, Electronics and Information Technology, said. “Four companies will start production in the next 90 days.”

During the initial year of the PLI scheme, companies are permitted to maintain their regular import practices, with a gradual reduction in the import quota commencing after September 2024, according to local reports. All companies were required to provide their import data for the past three years, specifying the source from which they import the devices.

Vaishnaw also noted that India expects the PLI-approved companies, covering domestic assembly of desktop and laptop PCs, tablets, and other tech hardware, to directly create 50,000 jobs and indirectly, around 150,000 more jobs under the scheme, based on a total investment of US$360 million. He also said the estimated value of information technology hardware production would reach US$42 billion.

Neither Apple nor Samsung applied for the scheme

It appears that Apple has chosen not to participate in India’s PLI 2.0 scheme for IT hardware, mainly because laptops and tablets covered by the scheme constitute a relatively small share of Apple’s total sales in the Indian market, as per an ET report. The report indicates that Apple has no immediate intentions for local production of these products.

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Quoting sources, the report also stated that Apple’s manufacturing strategy deviates from the traditional model, relying on global electronic contract manufacturers instead of establishing its production facilities. Apple also chose not to participate in the smartphone PLI scheme, as highlighted by the executives. Approximately 80% of Apple’s revenue in India is derived from smartphones, the cornerstone of the company’s product lineup.

As a result, Apple’s strategic emphasis is on expanding iPhone production within the country. It’s noteworthy that, even for smartphones, the tech giant did not pursue PLI benefits, although its manufacturing partners, such as Foxconn and Wistron, submitted applications for the scheme.

On the other hand, despite benefiting from the smartphone-focused PLI initiative, Samsung, the South Korean tech giant, has opted not to participate in the PLI 2.0 scheme. This decision is influenced by Samsung’s relatively limited presence in the laptop market, with the tablet sector contributing little to the company’s revenue stream.

Companies approved under PLI 2.0 Scheme for IT Hardware. Source: X.com.

The post Is the second time a charm for India’s PLI scheme for IT hardware? appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

While China, Iran, North Korea and the US continue to dominate the global threat landscape, India is also witnessing an increasing number of cybersecurity incidents. Be it ransomware or state-sponsored attacks, India has emerged as the most targeted country by criminals in 2023.  

In fact, earlier this year, Gartner predicted that end-user spending on security and risk management in India is forecasted to total US$2.65 billion in 2023, an increase of 8.3% from 2022. This was mainly due to the increasing adoption of digitalization and cloud infrastructure, as well as growing concerns on the rising number of ransomware attacks. Stringent government measures on digital data protection and security breach reporting are also pressing chief information security officers (CISOs) to increase their security and risk management spending for 2023. 

Despite this, cyberattacks have been increasing in India. In what is potentially the largest data breach in India, the data of around 81.5 million Indian citizens from the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was reported to be compromised. The Indian government is currently investigating the data breach. 

Investigations are ongoing for India’s largest data breach.

According to CYFIRMA’s India Threat Landscape report 2023, India is the most targeted country, with 13.7% of all attacks, followed by the US with 9.6%, then Indonesia and China with 9.3% and 4.5% respectively.  

Taking a deeper look into the report, there was a 95% increase in cyberattacks targeted at Indian government agencies in 2022 as compared to 2021. The number of state-sponsored cyberattacks in India increased by more than 100% in 2022 compared to 2021. 

Looking at industries in the subcontinent, healthcare is the sector most targeted by hackers, followed by education, research, government and military sectors. The data from the report shows that organizations in India were attacked 1,866 times per week on average in 2022. 

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As expected, the most common types of cyberattacks in India are phishing attacks, malware attacks, and ransomware attacks. 78% of Indian organizations experienced a ransomware attack in 2021, with 80% of those attacks resulting in data encryption.  

“It comes as no surprise that India is the most targeted country in the world by threat actors. India’s growing prominence on the world stage and the push from Western economies to favor India over other large countries, as well as a young and tech savvy population with low cybersecurity maturity has played a key role in hackers coming after critical assets and government agencies with an intent to breach them and harm India’s strategic interests,” commented Kumar Ritesh, CEO & Founder of Cyfirma.

Ritesh also pointed out that while sectors like financial services, healthcare and software companies have spent significantly on improving their security posture, there is an urgent need to understand the external threat landscape.  

“We believe that unless you know who to defend against, billions spent in cybersecurity will not yield expected results,” added Ritesh.  

As India’s geopolitical importance becomes more significant, more threat actors unite against India. (Image by Shutterstock)

Not just a cybersecurity problem  in India

As India’s geopolitical importance grows, more threat actors are targeting India with cybersecurity threats. A disturbing trend of North Korean threat actors collaborating with China and Russia has been observed, with the former offering itself as hacker-as a-service (HaaS) for financial gain.  

For example, the report revealed that between January to July 2023, as part of its external threat landscape monitoring and analysis, Cyfirma observed 39 campaigns targeting various industries in India.  

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Known groups like FancyBear, TA505, Mission 2025, Stone Panda and Lazarus Group are suspected to be behind these campaigns. Of these 39 campaigns, 14 have been orchestrated by Chinese state-sponsored groups with an intent of espionage. 11 of these campaigns were planned by North Korea-backed hackers as part of HaaS. And 10 attacks originated from Russian threat actors, of which only 4 were state-sponsored.  

Apart from that, there have also been internal threats that have caused some panic among Indians. This included reports of the Indian government using spyware to block or spy on content from opposition politicians, journalists and others. While these are more government-related issues, they’re still considered a cybercrime.

Internal threats have caused some panic among Indians. (image by Shutterstock)

 The Indian threat landscape  

Here’s a look at the key trends and attack methods being used by threat actors in India 

• Ransomware: ransomware operators are continuously improving their techniques with an intent to intimidate and force victims to pay ransoms. At present, ransomware operators are suspected to follow a 4-layer approach of targeting organizations, which includes infiltrating into the target organization’s network, followed by exfiltrating and encrypting data. They then demand ransom and “Name & Shame” and leave behind footprints in the targeted organizations – so they can come back and attack them again.
• Crimeware- as-a service: CaaS threats include SMS spoofing, phishing kit, custom spyware, hackers for hire, exploit kit.
• Carpet bombing of SMEs:  SMEs are not spared by cyberwar – businesses of all sizes are targeted.
• Supply chain disruption: software supply chain will continue to be targeted 

With the rising tide of cybersecurity attacks in India, it is critical for government agencies and organizations to engage a comprehensive cybersecurity tool which can take the intel gathered and relate it back to infrastructure, digital footprint, brand, industry, technology, and geolocation.  

The post India threat landscape report highlights cybersecurity concerns appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

India may be a latecomer to 5G deployments but the country is definitely taking the right steps to ensure it remains a key player in the global network industry. 5G in India was only available from August 2022, with services offered by two mobile operators, Airtel and Jio, with roll-out in just 13 cities by October 2022.

Fast forward a year, the two mobile operators continue to increase their 5G network deployment on the subcontinent with services now reaching over 10,000 cities. Despite competing with each other, both telco companies remain committed to India’s 5G agenda. 5G mobile phones in India have also seen increased sales since the network was made available.

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According to a report by GSMA, there will be four 5G networks in India by the end of 2025. Apart from Jio and Airtel, the other two providers will be Vodafone Idea and the state-run Bharat Sanchar Nigam Limited.

Swedish telecom company Ericsson’s Consumer Lab’s Global Survey stated that India currently has about 100 million 5G users and this figure could grow, especially with Indians enjoying high-quality daily engagement with apps, such as streaming high-definition video, video calling services, mobile gaming and augmented reality.

Jasmeet Sethi, Head of Ericsson Consumer Lab, said, “The findings from our global survey underscore India’s potential to lead the way in 5G adoption and usage. With a substantial portion of the population ready for 5G, the opportunities for innovation and growth in the Indian market are immense. Even as app experience is emerging as a key factor in driving satisfaction with 5G, 5G has elevated the overall network satisfaction in India by an impressive 30% compared to 4G.”

Nitin Bansal, Head of Ericsson India and Head of Network Solutions, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and India at Ericsson, anticipates that mmWave technology will serve as the foundation for the next wave of 5G growth in India, given the rapid adoption of 5G, escalating data traffic, and the introduction of Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) offerings by service providers.

India has big 6G ambitions.

From 5G to 6G

Despite India’s focus on 5G, the government is also committed to the development of 6G technology. In March 2023, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented India’s 6G Vision manifesto in which he envisioned the country as a front-line contributor to the design, development and implementation of 6G technology by 2030.

But what exactly is 6G?

If 5G was meant to take network communications to the next level, enabling better automation through lower latency among other advantages, 6G takes it to a whole new level. Nokia describes the 6G era as when the digital, physical, and human worlds will seamlessly fuse to trigger extrasensory experiences.

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6G use cases could include the use of holograms, improved generative AI solutions for healthcare, digital twins, improved cybersecurity, and defense programs as well as use in aviation.

Currently, 6G is being developed by several other countries, including China. China, already a leader in 5G, is hoping to lead the development of 6G. According to reports, China has already made significant progress in 6G by achieving 100Gbps wireless transmission, which could pave the way for future 6G networks.

India wants to be a leader in 6G by 2030. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)

India wants to be a key player in the development effort as well. Hence, the country’s 6G vision as highlighted by the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) will focus on the following:

• To enable India to become a major provider of IP, goods, and services for cost-effective 5G, 6G, and other telecom solutions in the future.
• To implement 6G technologies by 2030 so that India can use them as a powerful force multiplier.
• To encourage and support Indian participation in organizations that develop standards.
• To form alliances with other international technological alliances and organizations as well as comparable 6G Global Alliances.
• To take into account India’s priorities for contribution to 6G and other upcoming global technological standards, deployments, products, operations, and services.
• To support the ecosystem for use cases, pilots, research, design, prototyping, development, proof of concept testing, IPR creation, field testing, security, and manufacturing of telecom goods.
• To research, suggest, and enable the inclusion of national standards in Indian and international standardization organizations.
• To develop suggestions for improving India’s readiness for the implementation of the Bharat 6G Vision.
• To bring together academic institutions, domestic industries, research and development organizations, test labs, government organizations, telecommunication service providers, technology, and innovation start-ups, etc., as well as the Government of India, in order to “foster synergies” for a balanced expansion of the nation’s technology and innovation ecosystem for the benefit of the public.
• To list research priorities with input from all parties, including business, academia, and service providers, and to include theoretical and simulation studies, proof-of-concept prototypes and demonstrations, early market interventions, and start-up-led initiatives.

“India’s pursuit of 6G technology is a key step towards becoming a digitally enabled society. India, with its enormous population and fast-expanding digital infrastructure, stands to benefit greatly from the development and implementation of 6G technology. However, the widespread adoption of 6G in India will necessitate major investment in research and development, as well as infrastructure modifications to accommodate the new technology,” stated the IBEF.

Nokia has been investing and developing 5G technology in India. (Photo by Josep LAGO / AFP)

Nokia in India

Nokia believes that India is expected to emerge into a trillion-dollar digital economy by 2030. For Nokia, the implementation of 5G and associated technologies will not only help drive digital transformation to achieve the goal of digital inclusion and connected society but also empower communication service providers (CSPs) and enterprises to reshape their business models to launch innovative services.

With 369 million 5G subscribers predicted by 2026, Nokia is also making sure that it remains part of India’s 5G mission. The Finnish company is already manufacturing 5G NR and 5G Massive MIMO equipment at its Chennai factory that can satisfy domestic demand and the ongoing export of 5G equipment to other countries.

Nokia’s global delivery centers in Chennai and Noida are already handling 5G network operations in several countries and the strong pool of 5G skilled workforce could support the Indian CSPs to scale for 5G launch. Nokia’s R&D center in Bangalore is playing a key role in developing local ecosystem partnerships to develop 5G use cases. Nokia in association with NIIT and COAI (Cellular Operators Association of India) also launched a 5G certification program – a first-of-its-kind for professionals and organizations across India.

One more step towards PM @narendramodi Ji’s vision of making India a hub of innovation in 6G.

▶️ Inaugurated the Nokia 6G research lab, Bengaluru pic.twitter.com/4S1wYPLd9y

— Ashwini Vaishnaw (@AshwiniVaishnaw) October 5, 2023

Nokia’s 6G plans for India

Given India’s 6G vision and Nokia’s commitment to the development of 6G, both entities continue to work together. Nokia already has a strong presence in India, especially in 5G development. Now, the company is hoping to play a part in India’s 6G vision too.

Nokia is engaged in several global projects and regional initiatives with industry peers, customers, academia, and research institutions. This work aims to form a common view and direction for 6G, including 6G Hexa-X and Hexa-X-II, the first and second phase of the European 6G Flagship. Nokia is also a founding member of the Next G Alliance which is helping to drive the 6G ecosystem in North America and coordinating the German Lighthouse project 6G ANNA.

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In India, Nokia has established a 6G Lab at its Global R&D center in Bangalore. The project aims to accelerate the development of fundamental technologies and innovative use cases underpinned by 6G technology that will address the future needs of both industry and society. The lab will function as a platform for collaboration among industry stakeholders and facilitate testing innovative solutions while establishing their potential for commercialization.

Features of the 6G lab include a setup to research ‘Network as a Sensor’ technology that enables the network to sense objects, people and movement without the need for on-board sensors. A key enabling technology in the 6G era, ’Network as a Sensor’ supports the vision of bringing the digital and physical worlds together. Sensing will be fully integrated into the wireless network and operate simultaneously with communication services.

“The inauguration of the Nokia 6G research lab in Bengaluru is another step towards PM Narendra Modi’s vision of making India an innovation hub. Interesting use cases coming out of this lab will be related to transportation safety, health care and education which will be another big contribution to the entire Digital India suite,” said India’s Minister of Railways, Communications, Electronics & IT, Government of India, Ashwini Vaishnaw

Nokia’s experts at its Bengaluru center will support India’s ambition to make notable contributions towards global 6G technology standards. It is in the process of building research collaborations with institutions in India like IISc/IITs to further scale up the 6G research initiative.

While India may not have been the fastest in 5G deployment, the government’s vision in 6G as well as the partnership with the private sector could see the country innovating 6G use cases in the future, and even end up being a leader in 6G technology.

The post Nokia plays an important role in India’s 6G vision appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

Not too long after India imposed — and then postponed — a licensing requirement on the import of laptops and personal computers (PCs), leading players began registering for the country’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme. Those 40 companies, including Asus, Dell, HP, and Foxconn, plan to start manufacturing in India. In short, the world can anticipate more Made in India laptops and PCs soon.

Last week, local reports indicated that around 30 out of 40 applicants are expected to qualify for the PLI scheme for IT hardware. Those companies committed to making PCs, laptops, tablets, servers, and other equipment worth Rs 4.65 during the scheme period. First introduced in 2020 for electronics makers, PLIs incentivize domestic and foreign companies to invest in Indian manufacturing and meet predetermined output targets.

According to a report by The Economic Times, major IT hardware companies like Dell and HP are participating directly in the program, while other significant players such as HPE, Lenovo, Acer, ASUS, and Thomson are taking part through electronic manufacturing service (EMS) companies with manufacturing facilities in India, such as Flextronics and Rising Star.

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In a Monday post on X, Alphabet chief executive Officer Sundar Pichai announced that Google will begin to make its Chromebook laptops in India through a partnership forged with HP Inc. The announcement by Google is the latest among global technology companies wiming to expand their assembly in the key growth market.

The first Indian Chromebooks – coming soon.

HP explained that the partnership will propel a joint vision: to support the digital education ecosystem in India, and to help more students enhance their learning by providing affordable, safe, and high-quality computing devices to education authorities, schools, and institutions. 

To top it off, with ChromeOS at its core, these Chromebooks include security and accessibility features, making them ideal for classroom environments.

Where will the Made in India Chromebook laptops be manufactured?

HP has a Flex Ltd facility near Chennai in southern India, where the company has been making laptops and desktops since 2020 – the Chromebooks will be built there. HP noted that the Chromebook production started on October 2, 2023. “Chromebooks are typically priced at the lower end of the market and have thin profit margins, making them sensitive to tariff measures,” Bloomberg pointed out.

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That said, local manufacturing allows HP to avoid potential curbs on Chromebook imports. Bani Dhawan, head of education for South Asia at Google, emphasized the company’s ongoing efforts to support the digital transformation of education in India. “The local production of Chromebooks with HP marks an important step in our efforts to support the digital transformation of education in India,” said Dhawan.

“We hope this collaboration will help accelerate the adoption of technology in more schools, so that every student and educator have access to the tools and skills to pursue their potential.” 

A rise in tech production in India

Lately, India has been witnessing a significant uptick in technology production. Just last month, government sources claimed that Apple Inc. has plans to scale up production in India by over five-fold to around US$40 billion in the next four to five years. The iPhone maker crossed the US$7 billion production mark in its 2022 financial year.

Apple is already manufacturing iPhones in India and plans to start manufacturing Airpods in 2024. A government official quoted by the PTI News said, “It [Apple] doesn’t have any plans to participate in the IT hardware PLI [scheme]. It may come later, but now, its focus is to scale up existing production levels.”

India is yielding results even when it comes to the country’s ambitious push for self-sufficiency in mobile phone assembling. The South Asian nation shipped two billion domestically assembled smartphones and feature phones between 2014 and 2022 as part of its Make in India initiative.

India’s export industry for telecom equipment, including smartphones, is rapidly expanding. Source: S&P Global

According to market and research firm Counterpoint, a staggering 98% of all mobile phone shipments within the Indian market in 2022 were domestically produced, and 16% of the production was exported, compared to a mere 19% of domestic phones in domestic production in 2014, the year Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration assumed office.

Modi has been courting several global players in big tech to make India a new powerhouse.

The post HP and Google will start producing Made in India Chromebook laptops appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

When it comes to mobile internet browsers, Google’s Chrome dominates Android devices, while Safari leads for IOS devices. While other mobile browsers are also available, Chrome and Safari’s control seems untouchable.

In fact, statistics from SimilarWeb show that Chrome Mobile’s market share for August 2023 stood at 58.16%. Safari comes in second at 35.49%. The next closest rival to these two giants is the Samsung mobile internet browser at 4.02%, while Opera, which has its cult followers, only makes up 1.09% of the market share.

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Over the years, mobile internet browsers continue to see improvements made, especially in catering to modern website designs and such services. Unlike desktop browsers, mobile browsers are generally slower due to the limits of their processing power.

As such, some websites that are not optimized for mobile browsing could end up taking a long time to load or even have issues with loading altogether. To deal with this, some organizations have websites catering to mobile internet users. For example, bank payment pages have different desktop and mobile browsers interfaces.

Veera is a mobile-only internet browser.

Mobile internet browsers in India

Interestingly, Chrome has a much more prominent lead in mobile browsing in India. At 89.21%, Chrome browsers are pretty much the preferred mobile browser. But this is also because of the number of Android devices in India.

Statistics also show that in 2022, Android held a share of 95.26% of India’s mobile operating system market. Apple’s iOS followed this at just 3.92% market share. There are currently 650 million smartphone users in India, with Android devices also holding substantial control in the smartphone market.

Apple is trying to have an impact on the Indian market. However, given the affordability of Android devices and the multiple brands available in the subcontinent, it may be a while before Apple’s growing presence in India has any significant impact.

Given Android’s dominance on mobile internet browsers in India, there are growing concerns about users’ safety and privacy. While mobile internet browsers are built with security features, they’re still vulnerable to threats.

At the same time, the number of ads and pop-ups on Chrome browsers can interrupt the browsing experience. Some ads even use more data, which can be a problem for some users.

Veera is India’s first mobile-focused browser that brings everything desktop browsers have (and more) but optimized for a mobile experience.

Introducing Veera, India’s mobile-only internet browser 

To ensure a better browsing experience on mobile devices, several Indian techies have created a mobile-only internet browser. Veera is a Made in India and the first mobile-focused browser that brings the desktop browser experience to a mobile device.

“Our mission was to craft a faster, safer, private browsing sanctuary for Indian internet users. We embarked on this journey to build an internet experience that resonates with India’s uniqueness. With the average user spending approximately 7.3 hours per day online, Veera’s impact as the window to the internet for a billion Indians is undeniably significant. But, let me assure you this is just the beginning; there are a whole bunch of features in the pipeline that we are super excited about and will launch shortly,” commented Arjun Ghose, Founder of Veera.

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In a media release, the company said the mobile internet browser boasts fast speeds, clocking in 40.8 runs/minute on Speedometer – a feat that places it ahead of its browser peers. The company also highlighted that Veera boasts an integrated live tracker, showcasing the real-time count of thwarted ads and trackers and a tangible representation of saved data.

According to a report by inc42.com, Veera is built on top of Chromium, Google’s free and open-source software web browser project. Chromium is also the base code for Google Chrome and other popular browsers, including Microsoft Edge, Opera, and Brave.

In an email reply to Tech Wire Asia, the company said that the Veera platform can largely be divided into two parts, the Android mobile app (frontend) and the APIs that power it (backend). The Android mobile application is built on top of the Chromium open-source browser while incorporating the robust security and privacy enhancements of the Brave browser.

“We made this strategic choice to reinforce our deep commitment to user security and privacy. As you know, a web browser is an inherently sensitive piece of software, having privileged access to a user’s device and personal data. And it was imperative for us that the product we offered was provably secure and extensively tested. The APIs that power the app’s logins and profile management are built and managed in-house by the Veera team. Additional supporting APIs, such as those handling things like component updates are open-source, managed by the Veera backend team. We recognized the immense advantages of open-source projects with billions of users and decades of production runtime.

As a nimble, India-rooted startup, we made an early decision to build our browser on the foundation of world-class technology. By harnessing the collective power of the open-source community, we inherit a level of performance, stability, and security that would be challenging to replicate independently. Rather than reinventing every aspect of the browser, we’ve chosen to focus our time and energy on optimizing specific components, aiming to create India’s most feature-rich browser. This approach allows us to provide our users with a seamless and secure browsing experience while leveraging the strengths of established open-source technologies,” said the company.

A unique feature claimed by Veera is its capability to block third-party trackers, ads, autoplay videos, and more. While other mobile browsers have similar capabilities, Veera claims its browser does it by default.

Called Kavach, the feature also safeguards privacy during browsing. For websites that track users on the internet, Kavach blocks access to this content, which protects privacy and speeds up the browser.

“Currently, the app is available only in India. Our focus is on making for India and the Indian customer,” added the company.

Besides Veera, India’s Zoho also launched its version of a privacy-centric browser in May this year. Called Ulaa, the browser is designed to help users secure their data and activity by blocking tracking and website surveillance.

Veera is currently available on Android devices. The company, however, has plans to develop desktop and IOS versions in the future as well. Given Chrome’s dominance, it remains to be seen how big an impact Veera will have on the mobile internet browser market share. 

The post How secure are mobile-only internet browsers? appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.

When WhatsApp for Business was first released in 2018, it was designed as a communication tool between businesses and customers. And it lived up to that purpose. After all, WhatsApp is one of the most used social media chat apps in the world.

Used mostly by small businesses, WhatsApp for Business allows companies to answer frequent questions of their customers, provide product-related information, and offer QR codes for customers to scan and chat with businesses.

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WhatsApp for Business has 50 million customers. Around one-third of them (15 million) are Indian businesses. WhatsApp has been and remains  a popular chat app in India. Despite some controversies regarding the app’s features, most Indian companies and consumers still prefer the app to any of the competitors that have arisen in the last few years.

Even Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is on WhatsApp. The Prime Minister launched a channel on WhatsApp and received over a million followers within a day.

As such, it is no surprise that Mark Zuckerberg, Meta Founder and CEO, continues to focus on improving WhatsApp’s products and services, especially in the Indian subcontinent. At the recent Conversations event in Mumbai, Zuckerberg unveiled several new tools to supercharge businesses using WhatsApp.

In a virtual message, Zuckerberg said the company approaches its messaging products as it has always done with Meta, by looking out for trends in how users use the apps. He added that it’s the same focus that enables them to create simple-to-use and easy-to-scale tools so that businesses can connect with customers in meaningful ways.

WhatsApp for Business Flows in India

One of the innovations announced by Zuckerberg for WhatsApp for Business is Flows. Flows give businesses the ability to create customized experiences within chat threads. For example, companies can offer more experiences for customers, like ordering a meal, booking an appointment, or even choosing train seats without leaving their chat.

Put simply, with Flows, businesses can provide rich menus and customizable forms that support different needs. Flows are expected to be available to companies worldwide using the WhatsApp Business Platform in the coming weeks.

“There are a lot of possibilities here, and businesses can easily leverage the building blocks that we’ve created to build their own unique experiences. Now, for customers, this will be much faster and more convenient than having to jump between apps or websites. And to make it even easier to do business within a WhatsApp chat, we’re also expanding the ways that people can pay for things within a chat thread,” said Zuckerberg.

But here’s the thing. How businesses can integrate this into their current products and services remains to be seen. For example, while Flows gives the possibility of making multiple bookings and appointments within a single chat, it remains unclear whether the integration can support the heavy load. At the same time, while WhatsApp ensures encryption and privacy, how this will be implemented in Flows will also be interesting to observe.

If it works, though, it will potentially be galling to Elon Musk, as it comes closer to the Everything app that has been his long-term goal than anything the Twitter owner currently runs.

Flows will be available to businesses around the world using the WhatsApp Business Platform in the coming weeks

From Flows to payments

Payment via WhatsApp is already available in Singapore and Brazil. Now India will become the third country to enable the service. According to Zuckerberg, with payments in India, WhatsApp will also support other payment methods, including all UPI (unified payment interface) apps.

This is an exciting move, given the number of UPIs present in the country. Again, integrating these apps may be a concern. Still, Zuckerberg believes that “this will make it even easier for people to pay Indian businesses within a WhatsApp chat using whatever method they prefer.”

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A report by India’s Economic Times said that while WhatsApp has more than 500 million users in India, regulators have capped the WhatsApp Pay service to only 100 million people.

Another update is the introduction of Meta Verified to businesses using WhatsApp and other Meta apps. Scams continue to be a big problem for online businesses, and verification tools will let the public know that the company they’re dealing with is verified and authentic. Just like a verification badge on Facebook and Instagram profiles, businesses that subscribe to the service will also get a verification badge.

And yes, verification services by Meta are a paid service for all of their apps. Apart from a verified badge, the verification services include account support, impersonation protection, and additional features to help people find them more easily. Zuckerberg mentioned that WhatsApp has premium features like a custom web page and increased multi-device support.

The service will be tested with small businesses using the WhatsApp for Business app before being introduced to companies on the WhatsApp Business Platform.

The service will be tested with small businesses using WhatsApp for Business app users

WhatsApp a superApp?

Looking at the integrations, products, and services being introduced into WhatsApp, could the social media chat app become a superapp in the future? After all, the app already supports most superapp services.

A super app is an app that can provide multiple services, including payment, financial, and e-commerce services as well as other personal and commercial capabilities.

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WhatsApp already has a vital chat function and is heavily used for businesses in some countries. The app also offers payment services, although these are done through integrations, where WhatsApp acts as a platform.

However, should Meta combine all its apps into one superapp, they could become a powerful and dominant super app worldwide. However, they may also need help to do such a thing, given the number of regulations in place today and the challenges the company faces in some countries.

For now, the success of WhatsApp for Business is probably sufficient for Zuckerberg. Still, his drive and hunger to improve his products and services could see the chat app evolving into something bigger.

And India might just be the right place to test the new features. After all, if WhatsApp can make it in India, it should be able to mirror the success in any other country in Asia – or the world.

The post WhatsApp for Business targets Indian enterprises appeared first on Tech Wire Asia.