TheIndianCapitalist.com - 5 Brands that made it big in 2016

Good companies make you think. Great companies make you feel. To be disruptive, you gotta make something that is unimagined. Your innovation will be the fear for your competitors. Create something unique at a price point that will create ripple in the market. This week, theindiancapitalist.com lists 5 desi brands that made it big in 2016.

1. National Payment Corporation of India

NPCI is an umbrella organisation set up for retail payments system in India. It was set up by RBI and Indian Banks Association. Digital payments is a global hot topic as it curbs money laundering and corruption. NPCI aims to switch notes and coins with digital currency across India. NPCI has tied up all scheduled commercial banks and is successfully building the digital banking structure with various regional rural banks.

NPCI is widely known for IMPS, RuPay, UPI and Bharat Bill Payment System. RuPay is India's very own payment gateway. Every payment transaction from Re 1 is backed by OTP which makes RuPay the safest gateway in the world. RuPay debit card has a market share of 38% with 645 million debit cards so far. NPCI's eureka moment was the Unified Payment Interface. UPI is an inter-allied mobile payment service which allows you to pay instantly from mobile without downloading any app. UPI can collect money from customers by sending them reminders. For eg., LIC can ping you for payment of your premium and you can just pay by clicking on the pop-up. Truly revolutionary! India now has the most sophisticated public payment infrastructure in the world.

2. Patanjali Ayurved Ltd

Patanjali Ayurved has started a war in FMCG space against MNCs. Patanjali has a strong market share in toothpaste, soaps, ghee etc. Patanjali has a brand wagon of nearly a 100 products which are manufactured in Patanjali Food and Herbal Park, Haridwar. CFO Balakrishnan announced that Patanjali has crossed Rs. 5000 crore turnover in March 2016. Global FMCG players like HUL, Colgate, Dabur and Emami are estimated at around the same margin as Patanjali. Patanjali expects its turnover at around Rs. 12000 crore by 2017 says Baba Ramdev, CEO, Patanjali.

March 2016 earning of HUL, Colgate, P&G, GSK Consumer data suggest that 'Sampoorna Swadeshi' Patanjali has defeated these brands by turnover. FMCG was considered to be the safest business by market but attractive pricing and quality products have created a massive dents in this space. Patanjali is in talks with e-commerce giants like Amazon and Flipkart for an exclusive product space.

Patanjali is operated at non-profit module and spends around 15% in R&D nearly double than its competitors an they have plans to open new food parks in Latur, Bundelkhand and in the North East. Patanjali also plans to open 50 Mega stores and 10,000 small stores through franchising. They also have plans to enter the baby care products market and sport wears to woo young Indians. The global craze of herbal products may make Patanjali an international player by 2018.

3. Rural Electrification Corporation

Both urban and rural citizens have equal right to electricity. Electricity is core component in GDP measurement. FMCG, Agriculture, Telecom sectors depend heavily on electricity. Yet, 18,000 villages in India didn't had an electricity connection as on March 2014. REC and Ministry of Power are working on an ambitious plan bring electricity in all villages under 1,000 days.

The progress of the work is digitally tracked. Garv mobile application shows that around 7,000 villages are successfully joined to grid. Most of these villages are in jungles, mountains and are basically cut with modern amenities because of the terrain and poverty. Data suggest that all 18,000 villages will be connected to grid by 2019. REC is also developing SMS based alert system which will update the user regarding power cuts and power savings.

4. LYF Mobile

LYF Mobile is a mobile handset company of Reliance Industries Ltd which specialises in 4G VoLTE devices. The company was launched in 2015. LYF Mobile is the second largest LTE seller in India after Samsung which the market share of 7%.

TheIndianCapitalist.com expects LYF to be $1 billion brand by Diwali 2016. LYF phones are currently manufactured by ZTE Communications in China. LYF has made a deal with Hon Hai Precision Factory ( Foxconn ) which may manufacture in Maharashtra. The real success of LYF depends on Jio. Reliance has invested Rs. 1,50,000 crore in Jio.

5. Tork Motorcycles

Tork Motorcycles is a start-up from Pune which specialises in electronic bikes. Electronic bikes have a image of slow speed, low battery back-up. Pravin Shelke, the mind behind Tork decided to change this forever. Tork Motorcycles has developed an electronic bike which is faster than 82 motorbikes including KTM and Yamaha. A video on youtube shows that Tork motorcycle prototype did 0-100 kmph in just 8.2 seconds. Tork Motorcycles have won in several world rallies.

Tork Motorcycles has raised angel funding from Ola. They plan to launch Tork T6X by December 2016. Tork T6X will have 100km range, cloud computing, GPS navigation, quick charging. Currently, a single 100% charge takes 4 hours but innovation and government reforms may bring revolution in electronic vehicle segment.

Special Mentions - ISRO, Jio, RailTel, Coal India, Adani Ports.

- Chaitanya Kulkarni ( theindiancapitalist.com )

Explained : Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016

The Ministry of Home Affairs, India is seeking suggestions and comments on much criticised Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016. Before we explain, we would like to make clear that The Indian Capitalist fully supports Geospatial Information Regulation Bill (GIRB), 2016. There are some rumours being spread by well established media houses against this bill and it is our attempt to clear all the confusion.

GIRB will regulate the acquisition, dissemination, publication and distribution of geospatial information of India which is likely to affect the security, sovereignty of the nation. Geospatial information means location data acquired digitally through platforms like space, UAV, aircrafts, airships, balloons etc. or graphical data showing charts, surveys, maps, terrestrial photos. Any person, private limited company who has previously acquired geospatial data has to register with Security Vetting Authority. The Security Vetting Authority will accept or reject the application within 3 months. The provision is applicable to both offline and online maps.

No person or company operating in India shall depict, disseminate, distribute or publish any incorrect information on topography of India including international borders. This act will act hard against media houses and internet companies which doesn't show PoK, Arunachal Pradesh or any other state/UT in India's map. The president of India and the constitution clearly states that Jammu & Kashmir and Arunachal Pradesh are integral part of India.

India's map has always been in controversy as both Pakistan and China claim for the land which is acquired by India. In April 2015, Doha based Al Jazeera was banned for 5 days for not showing Andaman & Nicobar Islands in the map of India. Similarly, the ministry of external affairs has protested against BBC and other international media for publishing Jammu & Kashmir state of India in dotted lines.

In November 2014, Queensland university of Technology displayed a map of India without J&K during PM Modi's visit. The university issued an apology after strong protest by the MEA. Similar controversies were seen in India Election 2014 when AAP showed wrong map of India on their website.

Any rule breakers or so called anti-nationalist have to pay huge consequences for non adherence of GIRB. Fine ranging from Rs. 1 crore to 100 crore and/or 7 years jail incase of :-

- Acquisition of digital or physical map of India without the nod of SVA.

- Use of illegal geospatial information outside of India

- Wrong depiction of map of India

- Violation of contract

- In case the company breaks a law, the person in charge is responsible.

The act does not apply to government organisations.

TIC's take

The Indian Capitalist fully support Geospatial Information Regulation Bill, 2016. International news outlets and Internet companies operating in India should respect India's claim on its territory. GIRB is only applicable for digital maps or physical maps taken from satellites, UAVs, aircrafts etc. Hand drawn maps or animated representation of India cannot be described as geospatial information hence use of such art is and will be completely legal.

TIC is of a view that security vetting authority should only give license to map companies. For instance, if Google Maps is approved by SVA then businesses or educational institutes using approved google maps should not require a license to run their daily operations.

After the 26/11 Mumbai attacks and Pathankot attack, it is utmost important to blur important buildings, nuclear stations, dams, military bases as this open information is used by terrorist to create fear among the people of India.

Read the full act - http://mha.nic.in/sites/upload_files/mha/files/GeospatialBill_05052016_eve.pdf

- Chaitanya Kulkarni ( twitter.com/chai2kul )

Live more, bank less with digibank

Imagine a banking technology with no paperwork, no submission of multiple copies for KYC and with no hassle of having your signature matched with your ID Proof. A bank so personalised that can operate without cheque books, branches, pay-slips. There is much more to do in life than visiting a branch. May be you could just visit one in your mobile! Think no more because it's already being done. Bringing together the whole new suite of cutting edge technology, DBS, Singapore's best and Asia's safest bank has launched India's first mobile only bank named Digibank.

Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar is among the first users of digibank. Sachin had a fabulous experience with digibank as it took him only 90 seconds to open a digisavings account. With digibank, Sachin can now utilise his time well out of his busy schedule. Sachin can be seen cooking, shopping, playing football and even painting because there is more to do in life than banking. Sachin has been spotted hanging out with Digor, the cool dinosaur. Digor has survived extinction as he keeps up with time by embracing change. Digor uses digibank tells the story to live more and bank less.

Digibank is safest bank backed by e-KYC procedures and cutting edge security systems. It works on all Android and iOS devices. All you need to do is download the banking application from Google Playstore or Apple App Store and you can become a digibank customer in just 90 seconds!

The signup process is as easy 1 2 3. Create your username and password. Submit your Aadhar Card, Pan Card and boom.. your digisavings account is now active. You may now load e-wallet from Net Banking, Credit Card and Debit Card to enjoy the services.


Safety first

With digibank, payments and fund transfers are easy and secure. Digibank uses dynamic inbuilt security which is more safer than OTP. It is equipped with an embedded soft token security and all you are left with is your transaction getting authenticated. By clicking on the persons photo, you can transfer funds to your friends or family. Digibank app also lets you to add new payee by clicking on 'add a new payee' photo.

The Uber of Banking

Financial services industry is on the cusp of digital revolution. Technology has the power to provide inclusion, innovation, easiness and security. Digibank is India's first mobile only located in your pocket. DigiBank customers can converse with 24/7 virtual assistance to get your queries answered on banking transactions. You can either type or speak with your phone and the answers are ready. For instance, "What are my last 3 transactions with Airtel?" or "what is the balance in my account?" Et voila!

There's more. You can also send money via virtual assistance. DigiBank's virtual assistance is tailored to answer 10000 queries and is regularly updated. Save your valuable time by saying good-bye to call centres.

Digibank is a smart banking application which puts your expenses into charts so that you can analyse your money. Digibank's intuitive budget optimiser studies your spending paterns and even guides you on your progress. It monitors your progress in money management and also gives tips to save more. Digibank also gives privilege category wise offers so that you spend less and save more.

Rewards

Digibank offers tailored deals according to your spending patterns. For instance, if you buy electronics, then you will get deals on mobiles, tv etc.
No minimum balance is required to open a digibank account.
Digibank offers an attractive 7% interest from the 1st rupee invested.
There are free, unlimited ATM transactions with your digibank Visa debit card.
Sachin and Digor have become movie buddies because digibank users get exclusive discounts on movie tickets with bookmyshow.

TIC's take

With over 800 million smartphones, mobile banking will bring inclusion and reduce technological gap. It has the capacity to reach its customers at a lightening speed when compared to branch banking. Digibank's smarter virtual assistance and intuitive budget planning is a game-changer in financial literacy and self help for both urban and rural. It's global, it's local... it's Glocal.

With disruptive technology, digibank stands as a winner in today's banking scenario. With over 800 million smartphones, mobile banking will bring inclusion and reduce technological gap.  In the near future, the same platforms may be used for lending through smart algorithms. Addition of local languages like Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, etc may bring about a glocal experience on your smartphone. Digibank unbanks the banking business and tells you to live more and bank less.

- Chaitanya Kulkarni ( twitter.com/chai2kul )

BounceBack from a critical illness!

This article is all about Critical Illness insurance cover. We all know the increase in the number of critical illness cases. Below are few facts:

• Heart disease is the number 1 killer in India followed by Cancer.
• 1 in every 10 adults suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease. 
• Lung Disease is constantly increasing in India. 

A critical illness impacts not just the patient but the entire family. The entire family undergoes an emotional setback when any member of the family suffers from a critical illness. What hits alongside with the emotional pain is the financial burden to get the critically ill member the required medical treatment which is best for him/her. And God Forbid if one is unfortunate and does not have sufficient funds they are forced to wait for the next stage of the illness or lend money from their friends and relatives.

The term ‘critical’ for an illness means if not treated timely it could lead to death and the other critical factor associated with it is that the treatment for it is extremely costly and hence many times people can’t afford to get themselves treated and the ones who get themselves treated exhaust their entire savings. For example, a cancer treatment may require several rounds of chemotherapy  or radiotherapy which often ranges around 1-2 lakhs per session plus associated costs like travel, subsequent advanced medications. The patient ends up shelling out somewhere between 5 lacs to 20 lacs. Also if the bread winner ends up suffering from a critical illness then he/she will not be in a state to earn for atleast 6 months. Who will pay for EMIs or daily expenses? What about the savings he/she had for the child’s education? All of this will cause huge financial distress.

How a Critical illness plan helps?

From a financial perspective, a critical illness plan can definitely help the patient.If the person suffering from the Illness has a critical illness insurance cover, the insurance company would provide a lump sum amount to the policy holder on diagnosis itself. So no medical or hospitalisation bills have to be submitted. For example, if the cover was taken for Rs. 50 lacs, the entire amount shall be provided to the insured person and the amount can be used for any purpose. A few examples where such lumpsum amount can be used are :

• Hospital Bills 
• Paying of Liabilities  such as house loan, loans taken for personal reason
• House Modification like if a person can no longer climb steps, their bathrooms need modification or he/she will need to purchase mobility accessories to continue living life as normally as possible.
• Regular Source of Income for his/her daily expenses. 

Plans available in the market: 

There are plans like Aegon iCancer and HDFC CancerCare which provide cover against cancer at a low cost premium. However, they only provide cover against one critical illness. Edelweiss Tokio Life –CritiCare+ provides cover against 17 critical illnesses like cancer, heast disease, chronic kidney failure, organ transplant, permanent paralysis, total blindness etc. It also provides a multi claim option where the policy holder can claim thrice if he is diagnosed by a second or third critical illness. The premium rates are comparatively low for higher sum assured. This seems like a comprehensive critical illness plan that can help one bounceback from a critical illness without any financial worry.