Category Archives: India

These Asian tech startups have been raking up millions in investments during the pandemic

Economic statistics cannot keep up with the rate at which people are losing jobs all over the world as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The tech industry has been no different, as we have seen mass layoffs, especially in companies whose operations have been severely curtailed by lockdown measures, such as ride-hailing applications. However,Continue reading “These Asian tech startups have been raking up millions in investments during the pandemic”

Why the two most popular manufacturing alternatives to China aren’t as flawless as the media makes them out to be

Vietnam and India have long been touted as manufacturing alternatives to China. This year, their governments have been welcoming foreign investment consideration relocation from China. However, the two countries aren’t quite the exemplary options that some make them out to be. The world has long relied on Chinese factories and firms to provide all kindsContinue reading “Why the two most popular manufacturing alternatives to China aren’t as flawless as the media makes them out to be”

COVID-19, data protection, and the consolidation of the Indian surveillance state

India’s contact tracing app, Aarogya Setu (meaning “bridge to health” in Sanskrit), was released on April 2. The app is similar in many ways to other contact tracing apps, but it looked mainly to the model of China: you input data about yourself including your name, age, and travel history; the app enables Bluetooth andContinue reading “COVID-19, data protection, and the consolidation of the Indian surveillance state”

Tech in Asia weekly briefing︱June 2nd

Covering Mainland China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Philippines, Thailand, Vietnam, India, and Pakistan.

New partners Facebook and Jio Platforms both have top blockchain projects under their belt, but will they collaborate?

Facebook has had a messy history in India. In 2013, it established Internet.org, which aimed to offer free internet to millions in India at the cost of heavily restricting access to the internet. The company came under criticism for violating net neutrality, and in 2016, Facebook withdrew the platform from India after regulators rejected theContinue reading “New partners Facebook and Jio Platforms both have top blockchain projects under their belt, but will they collaborate?”

Is Zoom safe to use yet?

Zoom, a videoconferencing tool, has been one of the COVID-19 success stories. With 10 million users at the end of 2019, it has already grown to over 300 million daily users, growing by over 50% in April alone. At the same time, Zoom has fallen victim to its popularity. Its uptake of new users ledContinue reading “Is Zoom safe to use yet?”

Online scams spike in Asia during the pandemic – are you at risk?

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused an alternate pandemic of online scams. Barracuda, a provider of cloud-enabled security solutions, recently recorded a 667% increase in phishing attacks this year. Gmail also reported that 18 million of the 100 million phishing emails it blocks daily are now COVID-19-related. These types of scams have become a cross-border issueContinue reading “Online scams spike in Asia during the pandemic – are you at risk?”

Will COVID-19 create an e-commerce spurt in India?

Some are looking to SARS for answers to a post-pandemic world. SARS opened up e-commerce for China after the 2002-2003 pandemic with the emergence of Alibaba and Taobao, but the global economy left that pandemic in one piece. The internet was also at a nascent stage. Despite Prime Minister Modi’s controversial demonetisation policies and havingContinue reading “Will COVID-19 create an e-commerce spurt in India?”

Condoms top pharmacy sales in Mumbai as Asian condom supply chain bottlenecks

Last week, a survey by online delivery service provider Dunzo, which operates in India’s biggest cities, found that condoms had topped pharmacy sales in Mumbai, India’s largest city. Pregnancy kits and the pill also topped sales in other cities. Elsewhere in India, shopkeepers have reported a 25-35% rise in condom sales, as well as aContinue reading “Condoms top pharmacy sales in Mumbai as Asian condom supply chain bottlenecks”