By Reuters | Updated: 31 March 2023

Air India, until recently tied to an antiquated manual pricing system when setting airfares, is shifting to algorithm-based software long used by rivals to help it squeeze out more revenue from each flight.

In another sign of the formerly government-owned carrier’s whirlwind transformation under its new owner Tata Group, Air India is testing ChatGPT, OpenAI’s popular chatbot, to replace paper-based practices.

The push to modernise underscores the decay left by years of under-investment as Air India looks to shed decades-old bureaucratic processes and recapture customers from Dubai’s Emirates and powerful domestic rival IndiGo.

“Frankly the system is almost so bad it’s good,” Chief Executive Officer Campbell Wilson told Indian airline executives last week, adding that this offered the chance to start from scratch rather than “jury-rig” existing architecture.

Air India is not only reworking every aspect of operations – from systems to supply chains – but integrating four Tata-related airlines, with Air India due to merge with Vistara while low-cost Air India Express and AirAsia India also converge.

Some areas, such as technology, allow for a clean-sheet approach, the 52-year-old New Zealander said, which is why he is putting artificial intelligence (AI) and other tools at the centre of Air India’s reboot.

Modern “revenue management” software aims to stay one step ahead of demand, continuously anticipating where people want to go and how much each individual flyer is prepared to pay, rather than the old method of having one fare for each block of seats.

The result is higher revenue per flight, making it low-hanging fruit in the company’s transformation.

Fixing the fleet

Wilson faces a tangle of fleets and staff as daunting as Delhi’s zig-zagging traffic, leaving the airline’s path to profit strewn with obstacles.

“Complexity is the curse of airlines,” said Keith McMullan, partner at UK-based consultancy Aviation Strategy, who has experience in the Indian market.

“What they are saying is absolutely right – they should go back to a blank piece of paper, but saying it and actually doing it are two very different things,” he said. “The danger is that you keep on fighting legacy-related fires.”

Air India’s success is critical for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government, which wants to harness its scale and reach to turn India into a global aviation force like Dubai or Singapore.

Wilson’s immediate game plan is to tackle pressing problems to get idle planes flying before Air India starts receiving the 470 jets ordered in a record deal last month.

For instance, it is working with Tata Technologies to build locally some plastic components for economy-class seats instead of waiting for suppliers to deliver the obsolete parts.

And it is grabbing what planes it can find on lease while reworking its network strategy to attract Indians overseas.

Any inconsistencies can be ironed out as the turnaround gathers momentum, Wilson said in an interview on the sidelines of the CAPA India conference last week.

“This is a transformation as well as a startup,” said Wilson who was appointed to lead the turnaround last year by Tata after it regained control of the carrier.

“In a startup, you just do what you need to do to get going and then you refine along the way,” he told Reuters, drawing from this experience of being the founding chief of Singapore Airlines’ budget carrier Scoot.

But he said a clean-sheet approach cannot and should not be applied everywhere.

Merger challenges

Analysts say Wilson’s staggered turnaround plans will be severely tested as Air India executes the twin mergers.

Airline mergers in India have had little success with Air India still hobbled by the botched integration of Indian Airlines in 2007. Jet Airways’ takeover of Sahara and Kingfisher’s merger with Air Deccan hurt them for years.

Jet and Kingfisher are now bankrupt.

Air India’s planes are already a mix of Airbus and Boeing jets with multiple cabin configurations. This will be further complicated when it absorbs the new carriers.

“Managing mixed fleets is a nightmare and given a choice no airline would want to do it,” Vinod Kannan, chief executive of Tata-Singapore Airlines joint-venture Vistara, told Reuters.

Once an inspiration for Singapore Airlines, Air India is now far behind, especially on service and punctuality – areas it must improve swiftly if it wants to reclaim share from the Gulf carriers, who carry most of India’s international traffic.

There are some early signs of success: Air India’s international traffic was up 28 percent in the October – December quarter versus April-June and its domestic share rose to 9 percent at the end of February from 7.5 percent in mid-2022, according to government data.

Those figures should jump significantly when Air India combines with Vistara, but that deal brings new challenges.

“You can get everything right but the people and the culture … it is not easy to get that right,” Kannan said during an interview at Vistara’s office near Delhi where the average age of staff is 29 years.

At Air India it is 50-plus.

“The intent is very much there,” Kannan said of the combination, due to be completed by March 2024. “It’s now just a matter of execution, which is not easy, but we’ll get there.”

© Thomson Reuters 2023

By Reuters | Updated: 23 March 2023

A Chinese start-up inspired by lockdown isolation has invented a long-distance kissing machine that transmits users’ kiss data collected through motion sensors hidden in silicon lips, which simultaneously move when replaying kisses received.

The MUA – named after the sound people commonly make when blowing a kiss – also captures and replays sound and warms up slightly during kissing, making the experience more authentic, said Beijing-based Siweifushe.

Users can even download kissing data submitted via an accompanying app by other users.

The idea was borne out of China’s frequent, lengthy and widespread lockdown measures during the three-year COVID-19 pandemic that, at their most severe, saw authorities forbid residents to leave their apartments for months on end.

“I was in a relationship back then, but I couldn’t meet my girlfriend due to lockdowns,” said inventor Zhao Jianbo.

Then a student at the Beijing Film Academy, he focused his graduate project on the lack of physical intimacy in video calls. He later set up Siweifushe which released MUA, its first product, on January 22 priced around CNY 260 (roughly Rs. 3,100).

The idea was borne out of China’s frequent, lengthy and widespread lockdown measures during the three-year COVID-19 pandemic that, at their most severe, saw authorities forbid residents to leave their apartments for months on end.

“I was in a relationship back then, but I couldn’t meet my girlfriend due to lockdowns,” said inventor Zhao Jianbo.

Then a student at the Beijing Film Academy, he focused his graduate project on the lack of physical intimacy in video calls. He later set up Siweifushe which released MUA, its first product, on January 22 priced around CNY 260 (roughly Rs. 3,100).

Some commentators on social media site Weibo also expressed concern that the device could be used for online erotic content, which is strictly regulated in China.

Zhao said his company complies with regulations, but that “there’s little we can do as for how people use the device.”

MUA is not the first remote kissing device. Researchers at Tokyo’s University of Electro-Communications invented a “kiss transmission machine” in 2011, and Malaysia’s Imagineering Institute made a similar gadget called the “Kissinger” in 2016.

© Thomson Reuters 2023

By Reuters | Updated: 6 December 2022

Japanese electronics and entertainment conglomerate Sony Group said on Tuesday it has the technology to make humanoid robots quickly once it has identified how they could be effectively used.

“In terms of technology, several companies in the world including this one have enough technology accumulated to make them swiftly once it becomes clear which usage is promising,” Sony Chief Technology Officer Hiroaki Kitano told Reuters in an interview.

“The key is the development of application,” Kitano said.

Sony launched a robot dog called Aibo more than two decades ago. It sold about 150,000 units of Aibo from 1999 until 2006 and launched an advanced version in 2018, selling about 20,000 units in the first six months.

Humanoid robots have been in development for decades by Honda Motor and Hyundai Motor and in September, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk showed off a prototype of its humanoid robot Optimus.

Musk’s company is floating plans to deploy thousands of the robots in its factories, expanding eventually to millions around the world.

Sony launched a robot dog called Aibo more than two decades ago. It sold about 150,000 units of Aibo from 1999 until 2006 and launched an advanced version in 2018, selling about 20,000 units in the first six months.

Humanoid robots have been in development for decades by Honda Motor and Hyundai Motor and in September, Tesla Chief Executive Elon Musk showed off a prototype of its humanoid robot Optimus.

Musk’s company is floating plans to deploy thousands of the robots in its factories, expanding eventually to millions around the world.

By Press Trust of India | Updated: 10 October 2022

India and Taiwan should finalise the proposed free trade agreement (FTA) at the earliest as it will remove all barriers to trade and investment and help create a secure and resilient supply chain, Taipei’s de-facto Ambassador Baushuan Ger said.

The envoy said Taiwan is willing to share its expertise with India in critical sectors such as semiconductors, 5G, information security and artificial intelligence, and that his country can be an “excellent” partner in New Delhi’s quest for becoming a hub for manufacturing of cutting-edge electronics.

“The signing of the FTA will further remove all trade and investment barriers and lead to a jump in bilateral trade and investment,” he told PTI.

“In addition, it will help attract Taiwan companies to invest in India to establish production bases, sell India-made products to the world, and help India transform into a global manufacturing centre,” Ger said.

His comments came amid escalating tensions in the Taiwan Strait following China’s military build-up in the region in response to US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s visit to the self-ruled island of more than 23 million people in August. China considers Taiwan as its breakaway province.

“To build on the momentum of increasing bilateral investment and trade collaboration, it is high time that Taiwan and India consider signing an FTA at the earliest possible in order to create a secure and resilient supply chain and more value-added platforms for long-term cooperation,” Ger said.

The Taiwanese envoy said given the changing international political and economic dynamics, there is an opportunity for India to play a more important role in the supply chain “realignment”.

Taiwan is a leading producer of semiconductors globally and at least a couple of Taiwanese companies have shown interest in India’s production-linked incentives (PLIs) scheme worth Rs. 76,000 crore for the electronics sector.

India is looking at manufacturing semiconductors in the face of a global shortage in view of their increasing demands in modern electronic devices such as smartphones and cars.

India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but both sides have trade and people-to-people relations.

Following the eastern Ladakh border row with China, some experts in India have been pushing for upgrading New Delhi’s ties with Taipei, especially in the trade and investment sectors.

The de-facto ambassador said Taiwan has comprehensive supply chains and ecosystems in the manufacturing sectors, including semiconductors, and noted that a deeper trade collaboration would be beneficial to both sides.

Last year, the two sides set up four groups with a focus on setting up of a semiconductor hub, training manpower for the industry, to explore a bilateral investment pact and a free trade agreement.

“Since the US-China trade conflicts, Taiwanese companies have shown flexibility while acting in line with the government’s ‘New Southbound Policy’. Specifically, many have relocated their production bases back to Taiwan or to Southeast Asian countries,” Ger said.

“The sectors involved include high-end servers, ICT equipment, smart transportation, panels, and automated production lines, etc,” he added.

Unveiled in 2016, the New Southbound Policy is aimed at expanding political, economic, and people-to-people linkages with democratic countries, including India.

Ger said Taiwan has advantages in semiconductors and electronics manufacturing, including US-recognised 5G, clean network technology as well as AI, information security and smart cities technology.

He said Taiwan could be an “excellent” partner for India’s high-tech supply chain and product development.

“Other areas of potential cooperation include machine tools, photovoltaics, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. We are looking forward to strengthening cooperation with India in these areas for mutual benefits,” he said.

The envoy said India has been actively attracting foreign investment and made every effort to optimise the investment environment with favourable incentives.

“Therefore, specific examples show that Taiwanese major mobile phone manufacturers such as Wistron, Foxconn and Pegatron have successfully moved their production lines to India with the support of India’s Production-linked Incentive (PLI),” he said.

He emphasised that both sides can focus on specific areas and bring together related stakeholders, including public and private sectors, academia and think tanks to encourage and strengthen the resilience, security and stability of supply chains for each other.

Ger said Taiwan has been actively pursuing FTA with like-minded trading partners.

“Taiwan’s ‘New Southbound Policy and India’s Act East initiative are instrumental in deepening our bilateral engagement,” he said.

“With an increasing domestic labour shortage, Taiwan is looking for a manufacturing partner. India has an abundant talent pool and will make a perfect partner for Taiwan,” the envoy said.

He further added that as the world’s 22nd-largest economy in terms of GDP and a major semiconductor manufacturer, Taiwan plays a key role in the global supply chains.

The envoy said as a defender of democracy, Taiwan is working to support the rules-based international order.

Though India and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic ties, the bilateral trade relations have been on an upswing.

In 1995, New Delhi set up India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei to promote interactions between the two sides and to facilitate business, tourism and cultural exchanges.

India-Taipei Association has also been authorised to provide all consular and passport services.

In the same year, Taiwan too established the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in Delhi.

The volume of bilateral trade has grown nearly six-fold from $1.19 billion (roughly Rs. 9,807 crore) in 2001 to almost $7.05 billion (roughly Rs. 61,810 crore) in 2018 and India ranks as Taiwan’s 14th largest export destination and 18th largest source of imports, according to official data.

By end of 2018, around 106 Taiwanese companies were operating in India, with the total investment amounting to $1.5 billion (roughly Rs. 12,359 crore) in the fields of information and communication technology, medical devices, automobile components, electronics, construction, engineering and financial services.

The Taiwanese envoy said given the changing international political and economic dynamics, there is an opportunity for India to play a more important role in the supply chain “realignment”.

Taiwan is a leading producer of semiconductors globally and at least a couple of Taiwanese companies have shown interest in India’s production-linked incentives (PLIs) scheme worth Rs. 76,000 crore for the electronics sector.

India is looking at manufacturing semiconductors in the face of a global shortage in view of their increasing demands in modern electronic devices such as smartphones and cars.

India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but both sides have trade and people-to-people relations.

Following the eastern Ladakh border row with China, some experts in India have been pushing for upgrading New Delhi’s ties with Taipei, especially in the trade and investment sectors.

The de-facto ambassador said Taiwan has comprehensive supply chains and ecosystems in the manufacturing sectors, including semiconductors, and noted that a deeper trade collaboration would be beneficial to both sides.

Last year, the two sides set up four groups with a focus on setting up of a semiconductor hub, training manpower for the industry, to explore a bilateral investment pact and a free trade agreement.

“Since the US-China trade conflicts, Taiwanese companies have shown flexibility while acting in line with the government’s ‘New Southbound Policy’. Specifically, many have relocated their production bases back to Taiwan or to Southeast Asian countries,” Ger said.

“The sectors involved include high-end servers, ICT equipment, smart transportation, panels, and automated production lines, etc,” he added.

Unveiled in 2016, the New Southbound Policy is aimed at expanding political, economic, and people-to-people linkages with democratic countries, including India.

Ger said Taiwan has advantages in semiconductors and electronics manufacturing, including US-recognised 5G, clean network technology as well as AI, information security and smart cities technology.

He said Taiwan could be an “excellent” partner for India’s high-tech supply chain and product development.

“Other areas of potential cooperation include machine tools, photovoltaics, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. We are looking forward to strengthening cooperation with India in these areas for mutual benefits,” he said.

The envoy said India has been actively attracting foreign investment and made every effort to optimise the investment environment with favourable incentives.

“Therefore, specific examples show that Taiwanese major mobile phone manufacturers such as Wistron, Foxconn and Pegatron have successfully moved their production lines to India with the support of India’s Production-linked Incentive (PLI),” he said.

He emphasised that both sides can focus on specific areas and bring together related stakeholders, including public and private sectors, academia and think tanks to encourage and strengthen the resilience, security and stability of supply chains for each other.

Ger said Taiwan has been actively pursuing FTA with like-minded trading partners.

“Taiwan’s ‘New Southbound Policy and India’s Act East initiative are instrumental in deepening our bilateral engagement,” he said.

“With an increasing domestic labour shortage, Taiwan is looking for a manufacturing partner. India has an abundant talent pool and will make a perfect partner for Taiwan,” the envoy said.

He further added that as the world’s 22nd-largest economy in terms of GDP and a major semiconductor manufacturer, Taiwan plays a key role in the global supply chains.

The envoy said as a defender of democracy, Taiwan is working to support the rules-based international order.

Though India and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic ties, the bilateral trade relations have been on an upswing.

In 1995, New Delhi set up India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei to promote interactions between the two sides and to facilitate business, tourism and cultural exchanges.

India-Taipei Association has also been authorised to provide all consular and passport services.

In the same year, Taiwan too established the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in Delhi.

The volume of bilateral trade has grown nearly six-fold from $1.19 billion (roughly Rs. 9,807 crore) in 2001 to almost $7.05 billion (roughly Rs. 61,810 crore) in 2018 and India ranks as Taiwan’s 14th largest export destination and 18th largest source of imports, according to official data.

The Taiwanese envoy said given the changing international political and economic dynamics, there is an opportunity for India to play a more important role in the supply chain “realignment”.

Taiwan is a leading producer of semiconductors globally and at least a couple of Taiwanese companies have shown interest in India’s production-linked incentives (PLIs) scheme worth Rs. 76,000 crore for the electronics sector.

India is looking at manufacturing semiconductors in the face of a global shortage in view of their increasing demands in modern electronic devices such as smartphones and cars.

India does not have formal diplomatic ties with Taiwan but both sides have trade and people-to-people relations.

Following the eastern Ladakh border row with China, some experts in India have been pushing for upgrading New Delhi’s ties with Taipei, especially in the trade and investment sectors.

The de-facto ambassador said Taiwan has comprehensive supply chains and ecosystems in the manufacturing sectors, including semiconductors, and noted that a deeper trade collaboration would be beneficial to both sides.

Last year, the two sides set up four groups with a focus on setting up of a semiconductor hub, training manpower for the industry, to explore a bilateral investment pact and a free trade agreement.

“Since the US-China trade conflicts, Taiwanese companies have shown flexibility while acting in line with the government’s ‘New Southbound Policy’. Specifically, many have relocated their production bases back to Taiwan or to Southeast Asian countries,” Ger said.

“The sectors involved include high-end servers, ICT equipment, smart transportation, panels, and automated production lines, etc,” he added.

Unveiled in 2016, the New Southbound Policy is aimed at expanding political, economic, and people-to-people linkages with democratic countries, including India.

Ger said Taiwan has advantages in semiconductors and electronics manufacturing, including US-recognised 5G, clean network technology as well as AI, information security and smart cities technology.

He said Taiwan could be an “excellent” partner for India’s high-tech supply chain and product development.

“Other areas of potential cooperation include machine tools, photovoltaics, biotechnology and pharmaceuticals. We are looking forward to strengthening cooperation with India in these areas for mutual benefits,” he said.

The envoy said India has been actively attracting foreign investment and made every effort to optimise the investment environment with favourable incentives.

“Therefore, specific examples show that Taiwanese major mobile phone manufacturers such as Wistron, Foxconn and Pegatron have successfully moved their production lines to India with the support of India’s Production-linked Incentive (PLI),” he said.

He emphasised that both sides can focus on specific areas and bring together related stakeholders, including public and private sectors, academia and think tanks to encourage and strengthen the resilience, security and stability of supply chains for each other.

Ger said Taiwan has been actively pursuing FTA with like-minded trading partners.

“Taiwan’s ‘New Southbound Policy and India’s Act East initiative are instrumental in deepening our bilateral engagement,” he said.

“With an increasing domestic labour shortage, Taiwan is looking for a manufacturing partner. India has an abundant talent pool and will make a perfect partner for Taiwan,” the envoy said.

He further added that as the world’s 22nd-largest economy in terms of GDP and a major semiconductor manufacturer, Taiwan plays a key role in the global supply chains.

The envoy said as a defender of democracy, Taiwan is working to support the rules-based international order.

Though India and Taiwan do not have formal diplomatic ties, the bilateral trade relations have been on an upswing.

In 1995, New Delhi set up India-Taipei Association (ITA) in Taipei to promote interactions between the two sides and to facilitate business, tourism and cultural exchanges.

India-Taipei Association has also been authorised to provide all consular and passport services.

In the same year, Taiwan too established the Taipei Economic and Cultural Centre in Delhi.

The volume of bilateral trade has grown nearly six-fold from $1.19 billion (roughly Rs. 9,807 crore) in 2001 to almost $7.05 billion (roughly Rs. 61,810 crore) in 2018 and India ranks as Taiwan’s 14th largest export destination and 18th largest source of imports, according to official data.

By end of 2018, around 106 Taiwanese companies were operating in India, with the total investment amounting to $1.5 billion (roughly Rs. 12,359 crore) in the fields of information and communication technology, medical devices, automobile components, electronics, construction, engineering and financial services.

By end of 2018, around 106 Taiwanese companies were operating in India, with the total investment amounting to $1.5 billion (roughly Rs. 12,359 crore) in the fields of information and communication technology, medical devices, automobile components, electronics, construction, engineering and financial services.

By Reuters | Updated: 1 August 2022

A Tokyo clothing maker has teamed up with veterinarians to create a wearable fan for pets, hoping to attract the anxious owners of dogs – or cats – that can’t shed their fur coats in Japan’s blistering summer weather. The device consists of a battery-operated, 80-gramme (3-ounce) fan that is attached to a mesh outfit and blows air around an animal’s body.

Rei Uzawa, president of maternity clothing maker Sweet Mommy, says she was motivated to create it after seeing her own pet chihuahua exhausted every time it was taken out for a walk in the scorching summer heat.

“There was almost no rainy season this year, so the hot days came early, and in that sense, I think we developed a product that is right for the market,” she said.

After the rainy season in Tokyo ended in late June, the Japanese capital suffered the longest heatwave on record with temperatures up to 35 degrees Celsius (95 Fahrenheit) for nine days. Soaring energy prices and the threat of power shortages during the recent heatwave had boosted expectations the government would restart some of the dozens of nuclear reactors idled after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.

“I usually use dry ice packs (to keep the dog cool). But I think it’s easier to walk my dog if we have this fan,” said Mami Kumamoto, 48, owner of a miniature poodle named Pudding and a terrier named Maco.

The device debuted in early July and Sweet Mommy has received around 100 orders for the product, Uzawa said. It comes in five different sizes and is priced at JPY 9,900 (roughly Rs. 5,900).

© Thomson Reuters 2022

By ANI | Updated: 21 July 2022

Government think tank NITI Aayog has made a case and offered a template and roadmap for a licensing and regulatory regime for digital banks that focuses on avoiding any regulatory or policy arbitrage and offers a level playing field to incumbents as well as competitors. In a report titled ‘Digital Banks – A Proposal for Licensing and Regulatory Regime for India’, the think tank recommended the issuance of a restricted digital bank license to such financial entities. It mooted for a ‘full-scale’ digital bank license.

The methodology for the licensing and regulatory template offered by the report is based on four factors such as entry barriers, competition, business restrictions, and technological neutrality.

Taking forward the agenda of fintech innovations, and marking 75 years of India’s independence, the government in its Budget for 2022-23 proposed to set up 75 digital banking units in 75 districts of the country by scheduled commercial banks.

The report also maps prevalent business models in this domain. It highlights the challenges presented by the ‘partnership model’ of neo-banking–which has emerged in India due to a regulatory vacuum and in the absence of a digital bank license.

Given the need for leveraging technology effectively to cater to the needs of banking in India, this report studies the prevailing gaps, the niches that remain underserved, and the global regulatory best practices in licensing digital banks, said CEO Parameswaran Iyer while releasing the report.

In recent years, India has made rapid strides in furthering financial inclusion catalyzed by the Pradhan Mantri Jan Dhan Yojana for the unversed. However, credit penetration remains a policy challenge, especially for the nation’s MSMEs that contribute 30 percent to GDP, 45 percent to manufacturing output, and 40 percent to exports, while creating employment for a significant section of the population.

Financial inclusion has only been furthered by the Unified Payments Interface (UPI), which has witnessed extraordinary adoption. UPI recorded over 4.2 billion transactions worth Rs 7.7 trillion in October 2021.

The NITI Aayog report has been prepared based on inter-ministerial consultations. Last year, NITI Aayog released a discussion paper on the subject for wider stakeholder consultations. Comments received from 24 organizations were examined and suitably addressed in the final report.