Amid economic slowdown and rural distress, Unilever foresees ‘soft’ India sales

India’s fast-moving consumer goods market grew 6.6% in the December quarter compared with 15.7% growth a year ago, according to Nielsen, which said the rural slowdown has bottomed out and demand will stabilise in 2020.

Unilever said India business growth will be “soft” because of the rural slump amid a broader economic slowdown. India, which accounts for 9% of Unilever’s overall sales, has been regularly outperforming several key emerging markets for the conglomerate.

But Brazil and Indonesia, which contribute 6% and 5% each, respectively, will be stronger in 2020, it said. For the Anglo-Dutch consumer giant, emerging markets generate about 60% of total turnover but average growth in these markets has fallen to 5-6% in past five years from 8-10% earlier. It operates through local unit Hindustan Unilever in India.

“Economic and market growth in India has accelerated, and has been particularly strong over the past three years,” Unilever chief financial officer Graeme Pitkethly said at the Consumer Analyst Group of New York (CAGNY) conference in Florida.

Amid economic slowdown and rural distress, Unilever foresees ‘soft’ India sales
‘Demand Likely to Stabilise in 2020’
India’s fast-moving consumer goods market grew 6.6% in the December quarter compared with 15.7% growth a year ago, according to Nielsen, which said the rural slowdown has bottomed out and demand will stabilise in 2020.

Over the past decade, sales of branded daily needs in the nation of 1.3 billion people have increasingly relied on the rural hinterland, home to more than 800 million people, whose purchase behaviour is largely linked to farm output.

In the past two years, rural demand, which accounts for about a third of the market and had been outpacing urban sales, was hit by lower farm incomes and liquidity constraints. Rural markets grew 5.2% in the December quarter compared with 7.4% for urban centres, according to Nielsen.

Consumption lacks meaningful catalysts to spark a revival in calendar 2020, BNP Paribas said in a report based on the analysis of December quarter performance at a wide sample of consumer companies and post-earnings commentary by their managements.

“The timing of recovery in consumption demand remains uncertain,” wrote Kunal Vora of BNP Paribas. “The indication by some companies that a recovery may be seen in second half of FY2021 relies largely on the fact that the base will become much favourable by then.”

PRICE HIKES LIKELY
Some companies might be forced to raise prices despite a weak consumer demand environment because of very high raw material inflation in certain agricultural commodities.

HUL’s skin cleansing or soaps segment has also been a drag on the overall business amid contrasting growth trend in its largest business — laundry. The maker of Surf and Dove said the laundry business has seen double-digit growth, but market share and penetration in the soaps segment declined, especially for Lux and Lifebuoy.

“In the skin-cleansing business, penetration for the top two brands has been down, and as a result we have seen declining sales and share losses in 2019,” Pitkethly said. “We have made specific interventions on price and product quality and we are becoming sharper on our brand messaging and, believe me, this will make all the difference.”

For HUL, the category was impacted by both declining market and pricing actions that it took in order to increase competitiveness. The company, during its earnings announcement last month, said it could increase price tags on soaps by 5-6% during the March quarter due to rising commodity costs.

Apple to open its first store in India next year

Speaking to investors at the annual shareholder meeting at Apple Park in Cupertino, California on Wednesday, Cook confirmed the company will open its first offline retail outlet in the world's second biggest smartphone market next year.

Bullish on its growth in India, Apple is set to open its first branded retail store in the country in 2021, company CEO Tim Cook has told shareholders.

Speaking to investors at the annual shareholder meeting at Apple Park in Cupertino, California on Wednesday, Cook confirmed the company will open its first offline retail outlet in the world's second biggest smartphone market next year, reports Apple Insider.

"I don't want somebody else to run the brand for us," he was quoted as saying.

"We wouldn't be a very good partner in retail. We like to do things our way," the Apple CEO mentioned.

Apple currently has third-party reseller outlets to sell its devices in the country.

There are reports that Apple has leased a location in Mumbai for its upcoming branded retail store but the company is yet to reveal the location.

Apple's exclusive online store is expected to start functioning in the third quarter this year. The Cupertino-based tech giant is currently selling its devices in India via third-party offline retailers and e-commerce platforms like Flipkart and Amazon.in.

Welcoming the government's decision to ease the 30 per cent local sourcing norm in single-brand retail (SBRT), Apple said last year: "We appreciate the support and hard work by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his team to make this possible and we look forward to one day welcoming customers to India's first Apple retail store."

According to Navkendar Singh, Research Director, IDC India, Apple is known for its retail stores, the experience they provide in terms of purchase, staff knowledge and other services.

"Considering the importance of offline as a channel in a diverse country like India, where consumers love to touch, feel and experience the products, the stores are a very important touch-point for any consumer company," Singh told IANS.

The plan for opening owned stores will certainly help Apple in giving a controlled experience of its devices and services as it intends and designed them to be.

"In a third-party retail environment, many such things cannot be controlled by the brand. This will only add to the strong premium positioning Apple enjoys in the country," Singh added.

Apple reached a record 75.6 per cent market share in the fourth quarter of 2019 in India owing to the stellar performance of iPhone 11 and price drop on previous generation models.

According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), in the premium ($500 or Rs 36,000 and above) segment, Apple reached a record 75.6 per cent market share.

Apple registered double-digit growth in India for iPhones in the holiday quarter (October-December period), Cook announced in January. Apple also registered a good growth in wearables in India.

The iPad 2018 model also helped Apple register strong growth in India in 2019.

Going forward, thrust on manufacturing high-end iPhones locally along with the first-ever flagship retail store would give Apple a booster in the price-sensitive smartphone market in 2020, according to industry experts.

Covid-19: Corona beers brunt of virus attack

Reports of an increase in online searches for “corona beer virus” and “beer coronavirus” show the Mexican 'Corona' beer hasn’t been able to escape the association. The so-called purchase intent among adults in the U.S. has plunged to the lowest in two years, according to data from YouGov Plc.

The novel coronavirus has an unlikely victim -— one of the world’s most popular beers.

Corona has become the subject of memes and videos shared on social media as the toll from the virus climbs worldwide. Reports of an increase in online searches for “corona beer virus” and “beer coronavirus” show the Mexican beer hasn’t been able to escape the association. The so-called purchase intent among adults in the U.S. has plunged to the lowest in two years, according to data from YouGov Plc.

The damage has become more severe in recent days as infections spread. Shares of Corona-maker Constellation Brands Inc. dived 8% this week in New York. Corona’s buzz score — which tracks whether American adults aware of the brand have heard positive or negative things about it — has tumbled to 51 from a high of 75 at the beginning of the year, YouGov said.

Corona, which derives its name from the Sun’s corona and has nothing to do with the virus, is the third-most popular beer in the US, according to YouGov rankings. Guinness is first and Heineken is second.

Another reason for the drop in purchase intent could be the perception of Corona as a summer beverage associated with beach holidays, YouGov business data journalist Graeme Bruce wrote in an article published Wednesday. It therefore has substantial seasonal fluctuations, he said.

Amazon is warning sellers not to overcharge for this product

It was reported that a box of 100 medical face masks was being sold for $15 in the US. Generally, this box of masks retail for just under $5. Similarly, sellers were retailing a box of 20 3M particulate respirator masks for $70, which was four times than its actual price of $17.

The coronavirus epidemic has reached alarming proportions, not just in China but all over the world. Cases have been reported from several parts of the world, including Italy, South Korea and Thailand.Now, one of the precautions that people can take — or rather are taking — is wearing masks. However, a report by Wired suggests that some sellers on Amazon have been overcharging for masks on the e-commerce platform. Amazon has issued a stern warning to sellers and told them not to do so.

An Amazon spokesman said in a statement to Wired, “Sellers set their own product prices in our store and we have policies to help ensure sellers are pricing products competitively. We actively monitor our store and remove offers that violate our policies.”

Amazon, as per the report, has strict rules against pricing that could impact consumer trust. If a product is suddenly priced higher than the recent prices offered on Amazon, then the e-commerce giant can take certain action.

It was reported that a box of 100 medical face masks was being sold for $15 in the US. Generally, this box of masks retail for just under $5. Similarly, sellers were retailing a box of 20 3M particulate respirator masks for $70, which was four times than its actual price of $17.

The number of sellers that may have violated Amazon’s policies wasn’t revealed by the company.

The coronavirus has taken lives of over 2,000 people whereas more than 75,000 people have been affected in China alone. The impact of the virus has been felt heavily by the tech industry. Several big names — including Apple, Microsoft, Samsung — have warned that their supply chain will be affected, which could result in loss of revenue as well as delay in shipments of certain products.

The Budget move that leaves Amazon, Flipkart sellers with less money in hand

E-commerce marketplaces including Snapdeal, Amazon and Flipkart have approached the government through industry body Ficci seeking a reversal of the budget proposal.

The proposal to deduct tax at source from online merchants, announced in the Budget, could precipitate a working capital crunch for some of the largest sellers on India’s top two ecommerce marketplaces Flipkart and Amazon.

Cloudtail and Appario that sell on Amazon, as well as RetailNet India, Tech-Connect Retail and Omni Retail that sell through Flipkart, record significant revenues but earn low profit. The proposal to levy 1% tax deducted at source would mean these vendors will have to fork out excessive amounts as tax deducted at source (TDS), an analysis by ET shows.

For instance, Cloudtail and Appario reported revenues of Rs 8,945 crore and Rs 6,049 crore, respectively, in financial year 2019, but their profits were just Rs 29.4 crore and Rs 12.2 crore.

Cloudtail declined to comment for this story. Appario could not be reached for comment. Both Flipkart and Amazon have said 1% TDS on gross sales would hurt small sellers the most.
The Budget move that leaves Amazon, Flipkart sellers with less money in hand

Marketplaces Write to CBDT
“We have highlighted these concerns as well as the increased cost of compliance for MSMEs/ sellers and the ecommerce industry to the government,” a Flipkart spokesperson said in an email.

An Amazon spokesperson too told ET that sellers had voiced concerns over the 1% TDS for which it has sought clarification from the government.

These ecommerce marketplaces including Snapdeal, Amazon and Flipkart have approached the government through industry body Ficci seeking a reversal of the budget proposal. In a representation to the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT), the industry lobby claimed the 1% levy will hurt the working capital of small sellers and increase their compliance burden. ET had reviewed a copy of the letter.

Ficci has said the TDS will “negatively impact working capital of the vendors and could lead to reduced trading activity, thereby impacting economic growth”.

However, senior government officials ET spoke to said the TDS would not hurt small sellers, but only those that were not making any money.

“We’ve only levied 1% TDS. Even if someone is selling Rs 100 worth of goods and has a margin of just Rs 3, they already have tax liability. Moreover, they’re already paying advance tax,” a senior government official said on condition of anonymity. “If you’re not earning anything, only then this might be a problem for you, and as you know, there are very few of those.”

Another senior tax official told ET that the CBDT’s intent in demanding the levy was to ensure that “all the turnover is being reported”. ET reported on February 23 that ecommerce marketplaces had asked for more time to implement the levy citing delays in updating their IT systems, although they had in-principle agreed to adhere to the new tax. A senior executive at a large ecommerce marketplace said the sector was being unfairly targeted compared to offline vendors.

“Ecommerce makes up just 3% of retail in our country, but we’re being targeted by the taxman while the 97% aren’t being touched. Are they coming after us just because we have data on all our sellers?”

Keyword Research for SEO – The Ultimate Guide For Beginners (2020)

Use the proper keyword and you will get more search engine traffic…

Optimize your website keywords and you will reach your business goals…

How many times have you gotten such pieces in your journey as a business owner or wannabe SEO?

Probably a lot.

That’s because keywords and keyword research are the first things you should learn about when you want to grow your online business using search engine optimization.

I have been in your situation a long back, and I know how fruitful Keyword research could be for anyone like you or me.

And hence,

This guide is written for a beginner like you to understand the most fundamental concept of SEO – keyword research.

Keyword research
Even if you never understood what is the purpose of Keyword research, and how do you actually do it, this guide will help you understand every aspect of it.

To simply, my goal today is to help you learn about:

What is Keyword research?
What is the importance of Keyword research?
How Keyword research could benefit you?
How to perform keyword research?
Let’s start with the basics…

Page Contents

What is Keyword research:
What is the Importance of Keyword research:
Types of Keywords based on the users intent:
What do you need for Keyword research?
3 Different ways to do Keyword research:
1. Find a competitor or top site keyword:
2. Using Keyword Gap to find easy wins
3. Using Seed words for researching Keywords
What is Keyword research:
Keyword research is the process of finding profitable keywords that would drive targeted traffic to your business. Mostly this is done by identifying how your target users are finding a website like yours.

Let me simplify it,

when we are looking for a solution to any of our problems, we use a search engine like “Google” “Duckduckgo” to find an answer to that.

We expect the search engine to give us a solution within the first page of search, which is also known as SERP (Search engine results page).

Keyword research helps us to identify those “phrases”, “words”, “queries”, that the mass is asking using a search engine.

As a business or even a blog, when we know what kind of queries users (mass) are asking via search engines, we could optimize or create new pages, helping users to find the answer, and use that traffic to grow our business.

In technical words;

The purpose of Keyword research is to find those “topic”, “ideas” and assign a business value to it, which is commonly used by your target audience. Another way to look at Keyword research is: It helps you to discover those questions and queries which your target customers are asking on the web, and gives you the advantage to speak the language your customer will understand.

Let us understand this with an example:

A simple example is, let’s say a recently became father, wants to buy a stroller for his kid. He uses this query “Best baby stroller” in Google search, to find the best brand. Something like this…


Since Google search is smart, It auto-populate a lot of frequently used queries to help the father ask the right question.

Now, depending on the father location, and he understands, he will stick with his query, or perhaps pick one that is suggested by Google.

Now, the search engine keeps a log of how many times these queries are being asked by millions of users around the globe.

The process of keyword research shows the most popular query, along with geo-location, and the number of times these queries have been asked within a specific time (ex: 30 days).

Now, as a business owner, these stats would help you understand which of these queries, you should answer on your website, and in turn, it will help users to discover your website and the solution.

The solution ultimately helps owners to drive more targeted traffic from search engines, which convert into direct sales, ad sales or even as an affiliate sales.

Well, this is how keyword research helps.

With a little preparation, you could drive significant traffic to your blog or business and hence make most out of your hard work.

The process of optimizing your keyword for search engine is called “On-Page SEO“.

That’s a topic for advanced users, but today we dwell deep into the keyword research.

Performing keyword research, help you experience the business in record time. Since you are using data with your emotions, it would help you maximize your work.

Let’s understand this with an example…

Earlier I talked about a father looking to buy a “Stroller” for his son. Now, lets assume you are a business who is into selling baby stroller. (You could be anyone, and replace baby stroller with your product).

Using a keyword research tool, we could find data like which keyword “Also known as queries, question, search term” a parent is using on a search engine to find a solution.

The following result is from a tool called “SEMRush“, that shows similar queries with a lot of data as shown below:

Let’s try to understand what’s happening in this image. (Even if you don’t understand 100%, don’t worry as this is normal for a beginner.)

Keyword: This is the query users are asking to find the best baby stroller. When doing SEO, this is the phrase that we “target”, so we often call this “target keyword” or “Focus keyword”.
Volume: This tells you roughly how many people are searching for that particular keyword in a given month. This is a very important metric as even if you assume a search term will be popular, search data will tell you otherwise. In the above example, you can see two similar keywords which have a considerable difference in monthly search volume:
Best rated baby stroller: 140 searches/month
Best rated baby stroller 2019: 30 searches/month
Trend: This one helps you to see if the keyword trend is going up (more people are searching) or going down (fewer people are searching). For example, iPhone 11 Pro could be a popular term in 2019-2020, but as a new iPhone is released, this term will lose value. You will understand this in-depth, as we move ahead in our keyword research guide.
Keyword difficulty: This is an important metric that helps you understand, how difficult or easy it is going to be rank for a target keyword on the first page of Google. These tools, compare all the existing ranking pages for things like “On-page SEO”, “Backlink profile”, “domain authority” and a few others, to rank such queries. The lower the rank is, easier it would be to rank for.
Like this, there are many matrices you will be getting when you start with Keyword research.

Im nutshell, Keyword research helps you to make data-driven decision. In case if you not aware, data is the new oil.

Before we move ahead,

do read my earlier guide on differnence between SEO keywords and queries, it will help you create a better mindset for keyword research.

Moving ahead, lets look at the benefits of keyword resarch.

What are the Importance of Keyword research:
Not all keywords are equal, and lets try to quantify this. The process of Keyword research could help your business (Blog, ecommerce, service or any other) in the following ways:

Keyword research helps you understand the language used by your target audience on a search engine. We typically use Google search as a base, since its the biggest search engine.
It helps you discover untapped queries, that could directly help you get paid customers from organic searches such as Google search, Baidu and others.
Engaged audience: The audience that you will be receiving is already hot (ready to buy), and you will get high engagement in the form of comments, sharing or even as a sale.
Market and customer trend: Periodically, performing Keyword research will help you to understand in which direction the market and customers are heading.
Competitive advantage: Incorporating keywords and SEO before your competitors, will give you a solid advantage. If done right, in a less crowded niche, it could help you earn a lot of backlinks as a first mover advantage.
Reduce PPC Cost: Keywords SEO will help you drive those traffic for free, which a business, usually pay for in the form of PPC. Such organic ranking could significantly reduce your business digital marketing cost.
More Ad revenue: Marketers and bloggers who rely on income from Google AdSense or Media.net, they could use the Keyword research to find high CPC keywords and thus increase their ad revenue significantly, with the same effort.
There are many more advantages of Keyword research, the above few are the prime one.

Here is a less known fact about Keyword research:

A lot of people mistake keyword research as the process of finding only high volume keywords, which is not the fact.

The task you as an SEO is to remove those keywords which are not going to benefit your business in any way. Moreover, you also learn, after finding profitable keywords, how do you prioritize them for maximum benefits in a shorter span.

Now, I’m not going into details of how you should target it, but if you are curious, you should read these two guides:

How to write SEO friendly content
On-Page SEO Guide – The only guide you will ever need
The good thing about Keyword research skills is, once you put this into practice, it just keeps getting better.

Now, its time to get into the technicality of KW research.

Types of Keywords based on the users intent:
Moving ahead with our previous example “Baby stroller”, a parent could ask this question with different intent. For example:

• A parent could ask to understand how to pick a baby staller.
• A parent just want to know which one is #1 baby stroller in today’s time.
• A parent is ready to buy best baby stroller right away.
• A doctor could be using this query for his research.

Do you see, how the same query meant different when used for different purpose. This is what is known as search intent.

This brings to the point, Keywords could be sub-divided into different types, based on the users’ intent.

These are the 4 most common type:

1. Commercial keywords
2. Transactional keywords
3. Informational Keywords
4. Navigational Keywords

These 4 types determine, which keyword is directly going to affect your revenue. This is also closely related to content funnel (TOFU, MOFU, BOFU), that is a learning for some other day.

Keyword could also be categorised in a few other ways, such as…

Number of words:

Short tail Keywords a.k.a Head Keywords: (Ex: Baby stroller)
Long-tail keywords. (Ex: Best baby stroller in Australia)
Also check out: Long tail keywords finder tools

What do you need for Keyword research?
Here at ShoutDreams, I follow a unique style of researching keywords.

You need the following things for performing Keyword research:

1. A tool (free or paid) for researching keywords
2. A list of Seed Words or a list of SEO competitive domains/businesses. (More on this further)
3. Using seed words to create a list of SEO keywords or using competitive websites to find profitable keywords
4. A document (excel or similar) to capture, and cleanup the keyword.
5. A system to delegate the final keywords for production ( Creating blog articles, eBooks, video content, product page)
6. Measuring the ranking using a keyword rank tracking tool.

Once you incorporate keyword research as your business marketing process, it helps you grow organically.

This the exact steps I follow to drive more than 15 million page-views every year and earn close to 1 million USD every year. This website “ShoutMeLoud” is bext example of outcome of Keyword research process.

After 10 years of implementation, I define the steps of Keyword research as:

Research
Cleanup
Execute/Delegate
Monitor
Optimize
These 5 steps will cover all the aspect of keyword research.

Now, I believe you and me are on the same page, and its time to learn how to do the keyword research.

3 Different ways to do Keyword research:
There are various techniques you could follow for researching SEO Keywords. Let’s look at some of the most popular once, which could be executed by even a newbie.

1. Find a competitor or top site keyword:
This is perhaps the easiest way to find keywords that are already working for an existing website. In this, process, we identify 2-3 websites which are the top in the niche we are targeting. For example: “best Baby stroller”

A quick Google search has shown the results from these top 3 websites. You could repeat the process for your target keyword, and once you have identified the top 3-4 winning websites, head to SEMRush, which is a keyword research tool.

Create a free SEMRush account here

On the SEMRush dashboard, enter the domain name that you identified from Google search and use it to find keywords that the domain is ranking for.

SEMRush will show you all the vital details like:

Which keyword is driving maximum traffic to the particular website
The volume, traffic %, KD, Keyword position
Which page on the website is getting traffic for which keyword
SEMRush also gives you an option to filter keywords based on various factors. If you need a more detailed guide on. this, let me know in the comment section below.

And like this, within minutes you have found the Pandora box of profitable keyword for your business.

2. Using Keyword Gap to find easy wins
This is one underutilized Keyword research technique that could help you find keywords that your competitors are ranking for, but you are not. This is idle for an existing website to find low hanging fruits.

To understand this method, read my earlier guide on Keyword Gap analysis – Methods and tools.

3. Using Seed words for researching Keywords
This is idle for any new and existing website alike. This is more time consuming than the above two methods, but this will help you discover unique keywords that no one is targeting.

You can use this method by using and Keyword research tools or even a long tail keyword tool.

We will again use SEMRush for a better understanding of this method.

Head over to SEMRush
Click on Keyword Magic tool

Enter your seed keyword and select the primary country that you are targeting.

Now, click on Search and within a few seconds, SEMRush will generate a ton of keywords from your seed keyword.

You can filter the keywords based on various parameters such as:

Exact match will include the exact match of the phrase ‘baby stroller’ with the same words order. So you will get ‘buy baby stroller’, ‘where to buy baby stroller’, ‘buy baby stroller in San Francisco’, etc.
Broad match will include all forms of the words ‘buy’ and ‘new’ and will suggest variations of the word order. So you will get all keywords from exact match plus ‘‘buy the newest baby stroller’, ‘buy baby stroller new’, ‘buy super-new baby stroller in New York’, etc.
Phrase Match
Related Keywords
You can do the same thing using the Google Keyword Planner tool (GKP), which is free. The only downside is, Keyword planner tool by Google is created for PPC and is not super friendly for SEO keyword research. However, for anyone who is running on a shoestring budget, the Keyword planner tool by Google is idle.

Note: In this guide, I used SEMRush, as an example because this is my go to Keyword research tools. However, you could always use similar tools such as SERPstat, SERPStat to achieve the same.

The above steps, will help you to capture the primary keyword. Now, once you have the vital piece of data, you need to do a few things such as:

Create the cluster of similar keyword
Create a SEO plan like to create new content or product pages, website structure
Measuring it, and optimizing it.
I will be talking about keyword clustering, and creating a SEO plan in the upcoming guides.

For now, I hope this guide helped you to understand what is keyword research, and how actually you could do keyword research.

I understand this is an extensive topic, and you might be having a few questions. Do utilize the comment section to ask your questions related to Keyword research.

Also, if you are an experienced SEO, feel free to share your way of performing keyword research by commenting below.

Car sales in India to stabilise in 2020 on back of stimulus measures, discounts: Moody's

The ratings agency expects sales to rebound only modestly in 2021 with growth of 1.5%
Moody's also predicted auto sales decline in China

Car sales in India are expected to be relatively flat this year after plunging 11.8 per cent in 2019 amid slowing economic growth, as per Moody's Investors Service.

The rating agency also lowered its global sales forecast as the coronavirus outbreak reduces demand and disrupts automotive supply chains.

"We expect Indian auto sales to rise 0.5 per cent in 2020, supported by stimulus measures, discounts on new cars that do not comply with Bharat Stage VI (BS VI) emission norms, which will take effect in April," the ratings agency said in a statement.

But weak consumer demand and tight liquidity will likely limit any improvement in car sales this year, it added.

"In 2021, we expect Indian car sales to rise 2 per cent," Moody's Investors Service said.


Commenting on global auto sales, it said, "We expect global auto unit sales to decline 2.5 per cent in 2020, narrowing from a 4.6 per cent drop in 2019, but worsening from the 0.9 per cent decline that we had previously projected for this year."

The ratings agency expects sales to rebound only modestly in 2021 with growth of 1.5 per cent.

"Our outlook on the sector remains negative," Moody's Investors Service said.

It further noted, "We would consider returning to a stable outlook if we were to expect global light vehicle sales growth to recover to at least 1 per cent over the next 12 to 18 months. A stable outlook would also require improving pricing and at least stable capacity utilisation."


Moody's also predicted auto sales decline in China.

"In the wake of the coronavirus outbreak, we expect auto sales in China, which includes both passenger vehicles and commercial vehicles, to fall 2.9 per cent this year, a meaningfully weaker performance than the 1 per cent growth we had previously projected," Moody's said.

Elaborating on the market, it said that cautious consumers are steering clear of crowded areas, including auto dealerships, while corporate demand for vehicles is weakening as broader economic uncertainties cause companies to scale back capital spending.

"Work stoppages and lower production levels because of government-mandated business days off, the reduced flow of migrant workers across China and disruptions in auto-parts supply chains have lowered production levels," it added.


"As a result of these factors, we expect auto sales to decline significantly year-over-year in February and March, with automakers likely to claw back only about half of the lost sales during the balance of the year. We expect Chinese auto sales to swing back to growth in 2021, with a rebound of about 2.5 per cent," it further said.

Coronavirus, US-EU trade war, Gulf tension big threats to global economy: EIU

The EIU expects economic growth in the developed world to slow in 2020, driven by a moderation in the US growth

The growth outlook for 2020 appears bleak, The Economist Intelligence Unit said on Wednesday and cited coronavirus, the US-EU trade war, and the US-Iran conflict as the biggest threats to the global economy.

According to a whitepaper released by The Economist Intelligence Unit (The EIU), global growth is forecast to be 2.9 per cent in 2020, close to decade lows.

The EIU expects economic growth in the developed world to slow in 2020, driven by a moderation in the US growth. While, the emergence of a novel coronavirus in China will dampen Asia's growth perspectives.

The report titled the "Top five risks to the global economy in 2020" further noted that the social unrest seen across the world in 2019 looks set to continue in 2020 and will challenge both policymakers and business models.


The EIU jotted down top five risks and their respective likelihood on the global economy, in which the US-Iran conflict leading to a spike in global oil prices and trade war between the US and the EU topped the chart with 25 per cent.

Other major risks to the global economy include coronavirus, debt burdens causing a recess across emerging markets and Hong Kong protests causing an exodus from Asia's biggest financial centre.

The EIU said the trade truce between the US and China remains "fragile", and a flare-up in tensions between the world's two economic superpowers cannot be excluded.

According to Agathe Demarais, the EIU's Global Forecasting Director, the risk of an unintended slide into an escalating military conflict between the US and Iran cannot be ruled out.


On coronavirus, the report said that its impact is set to be more profound than that of Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), owing to the much larger role that China plays in the global economy.

The EIU expects a 20 per cent probability that the virus will not be contained in China until mid-2020, and a 5 per cent chance that it will remain uncontained beyond 2020.

Disruption of international trade would become entrenched as supply chains are diverted from China with some countries possibly placing heavy restrictions on bilateral trade, it noted.

Moreover, a growing number of international exporters would experience financial distress, as a persistent shortfall in Chinese demand depresses commodity prices and export revenues.

"Taking into account the direct impact of weaker demand in China, as well as potential economic disruption in other countries should the coronavirus outbreak spread further globally, our forecast for global real GDP growth could dip below 2.5 per cent this year," The EIU noted.


On January 30, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak a global health emergency.

The death toll in China's novel coronavirus epidemic on Wednesday climbed to 2,715 with 52 new fatalities while the confirmed cases rose to 78,064.

Government closely monitoring coronavirus impact on economy: FM Nirmala Sitharman

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharman on Wednesday said the government is keeping a close watch on the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the Indian economy.

The minister also said that the process of merger of public sector banks was underway as per the schedule. The government has announced to merge 10 sector state-run banks to create four bigger lenders.

The governemnt is "closely monitoring" the impact of the coronavirus outbreak on the economy, she said.

Over 2,700 people have died due to Novel Coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) while the number of those infected is around 80,000. In the wake of the virus outbreak, whose epicentre is China, many airlines, including Indian carriers, have cancelled some of their overseas flights.


On bank mergers, Sitharaman said there is "no uncertainty about bank merger" and the process is on as per the schedule.

Last year in August, the government announced merger of 10 public sector banks into four. United Bank of India and Oriental Bank of Commerce are to be merged with Punjab National Bank, making the proposed entity the second largest public sector bank (PSB) from April 1 this year.

It was also decided to merge Syndicate Bank with Canara Bank, and Allahabad Bank with Indian Bank. Similarly, Andhra Bank and Corporation Bank are to be consolidated with Union Bank of India.

In April 2019, Bank of Baroda, in the first three-way merger exercise, amalgamated Vijaya Bank and Dena Bank with itself.


SBI had merged five of its associate banks -- State Bank of Patiala, State Bank of Bikaner and Jaipur, State Bank of Mysore, State Bank of Travancore and State Bank of Hyderabad as well as Bharatiya Mahila Bank with itself effective April 2017.

Ten reasons why coronavirus is setting off some recession alarm bells

As cases spread, only some of the indicators investors use to monitor recession signals are flashing red
The coronavirus has sent three-month borrowing costs above 10-year rates while the two-year/10-year curve is less than 20 basis points from inversion

Topics
CoronavirusGlobal Economy
London: Will China's coronavirus outbreak send the world economy into recession?

As cases spread across Asia and in Europe, only some of the multiple indicators investors use to monitor recession signals are flashing red, implying the frail global economy may not necessarily be heading towards a contraction.

It is too early to be sure, however. The outbreak is still continuing to spread and key data points for February are still unavailable.

What's more, forecasting global recessions is tricky because most countries can't match US data for its breadth. It's also rare for the world economy to actually shrink - prior to 2008-2009, that happened only in 1990-1991.

But taking into account population growth and poor countries' need for faster expansion rates, the broad rule of thumb is that world growth below 2% can be classed as recession.


The International Monetary Fund still expects 3.3% global growth in 2020. But it cut China forecasts to 5.6% and voiced fears the coronavirus impact could be longer-lasting than previously expected.

Chinese President Xi Jinping has vowed the country's 6% growth target will be met.

But Justin Onuekwusi, a portfolio manager at Legal & General Investment Management (LGIM), said there was a 90% probability Chinese growth would fall below 5% if the virus continued to disrupt economic activity.

"That would be the tipping point. The question then will be if world growth will fall under 2%," he added.

Here are 10 charts of frequently used recession indicators.

US LEADS THE WORLD

If the world's biggest economy tips into recession, it's likely others will follow. But a closely watched Leading Economic Index in the United States, compiled by the Conference Board think-tank, hit a record high in January.


The index suggests "the current economic expansion – at about 2% – will continue through early 2020," the Conference Board said.

But the index also leans heavily on indicators tied to manufacturing, which now accounts for less than a fifth of US economic activity. The surge also reflected the run-up in stock prices last month.

CURVEBALL

An inverted yield curve, when short-dated borrowing costs rise above longer yields, has been a reliable gauge of U.S. downturns, having predicted almost every recession in the past half-century.

Now, the coronavirus has sent three-month borrowing costs above 10-year rates while the two-year/10-year curve is less than 20 basis points from inversion.

"The Treasury market is pricing that the world economy is going to be flirting with sub-2% growth," LGIM's Onuekwusi said.


CHINA MOMENTUM INDICATOR

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang reportedly favors three indicators to monitor growth - freight volumes, power consumption and bank loans - unified in Fathom Consulting's China Momentum Index.

The index tumbled in 2008 before the global crisis and fell below 2 in 2015-16 amid Chinese "hard landing" fears.

The index stood at 5.1 in December, off three-years lows touched in mid-2019 during the Sino-US trade spat. But recovery has probably fizzled this year as the virus dampened activity.

TRADE ALARM

If growth hinges on booming trade, the Baltic Dry Index (BDI) shipping benchmark is sounding alarm bells. It hit three-year lows this month and has dipped during every previous recession. Since September the BDI has plunged 80% to around 506 points. It troughed during the 2016 growth scare at around 300 points.


WHAT DO PURCHASING MANAGERS THINK?

Purchasing Managers' Indexes have been reliable in predicting manufacturing and services trends so February's drop in the U.S. services PMI to the lowest since October 2013 was a shock.

Signaling that a sector accounting for two-thirds of the world's biggest economy was in contraction, the "flash" PMI "brought home how close we might be to recession because of the coronavirus," London and Capital Group told clients.

Global composite global PMIs from JPMorgan showed output and new orders still expanding last month. But February's composite is likely to be very different.

INFLATION AND BONDS

Bond yields and inflation usually rise when growth is strong and vice-versa. So the recent tumble in market-based inflation gauges - five-year forward swaps - in the euro zone and the United States is cause for concern.


And 7-10 year yields on the Bloomberg/Barclays Multiverse, a global debt benchmark, are at six-month lows and approaching the lows hit during the 2016 growth scare.

ASK Dr COPPER

Copper's record as a boom-bust indicator has earned it the "Dr. Copper" moniker. And because gold is considered a store of value during recession, the gold/copper ratio can point where growth is heading. So if the economy's tanking, dump copper and buy gold.

The current ratio - approaching 2009 peaks - is worrying. But in the modern economy copper's predictive power has weakened. Also during market panic, "sentiment tends to boost gold and weigh on copper. That can open the spread and lead to a false signal," said Julius Baer analyst Carsten Menke.


DEMAND FOR DEFENSIVES

There are shares that do well when the economy is robust and others which perform in tough times. The former category comprises 'cyclicals' - carmakers and retailers for instance - while 'defensives' include utilities and consumer staples.

But these days the cyclicals vs defensives ratio is skewed by tech - nominally classed as cyclicals, companies such as Apple and Amazon have behaved increasingly like safe defensives.

TIGHTENING BELTS

Financial conditions indices (FCI), comprising elements such as long-term borrowing costs, exchange rates and equity moves, show how supportive the backdrop is for growth. Tighter conditions are generally a negative.

A Goldman Sachs index shows conditions have eased since early January, possibly as China loosens policy. But the index does not yet reflect this week's massive equity selloff.


KOREAN EXPORTS

South Korean trade figures are the first to emerge each month from any major economy and therefore receive close scrutiny. The picture isn't pretty - exports contracted in January for the 14th straight month.

February data is now awaited, especially on semiconductors - used in electronics and comprising a fifth of South Korean exports, overseas sales have fallen for five months straight.

Simple essay on today's generation women in Marathi

स्त्री ही कालची, आजची व उद्याची अशी कोणतीही असो स्त्री ही स्त्रीच असते. स्त्री म्हणजे प्रेम, माया, जिव्हाळा, ममता, भावुक, दया, क्षमा, शांती, लक्ष्मीचे रुप असते. स्त्री म्हणजे असे एक अद्भूत रसायन आहे की तिची जादूच फार वेगळी आहे. ऊन, वारा, पाऊस, संकट, अशा कोणत्याही परिस्थितीत तिला काही तरी करायचे असते. त्यासाठी तिला लागणारी ऊर्जा ही ती तयार करत असते म्हणण्यापेक्षा तिला परमेश्‍वरानेच बहाल केलेली आहे.

स्त्री म्हणजे घरातला बाजार, मुलाबाळांची प्रेमळ आई, नवर्‍याची प्रिय पत्नी, घरातील सून, नातेवाईकांचा आधार, कुळाची शान, शेजारणीची सखी, लाडक्या भावाची भोळी बहीण. स्त्री म्हणजे घरातील चिवचिवाट.

स्त्री म्हणजे घराचा भक्‍कम पाया असतो. तिच्या भरवशावर तुम्ही घरावर घरे असे कितीतरी मजले चढवू शकता. कणखर हृदयाची स्त्री कोणत्याही प्रसंगाला धिराने तोंड देते कालची स्त्री ही परंपरेच्या बुरख्याखाली होती. तिच्यावर जुन्या व बुरसट विचारांचा पगडा होता. बंधनाच्या स्नेह जाळात तुंतलेली, भीतीच्या गर्तेत बुडालेली होती. बदललेली सुधारित विचारांची घराबाहेर पडणारी, थोडस बंधन झुगारलेली, जिद्द बाळगणारी व स्वत:ला सिद्ध करु पाहणारी अशी ही आज की नारी.

आजची स्त्री विचारांनी स्वैर तर उद्याची नारी ही फारच वेगळी असणार अशी आपण क्षणभर कल्पना करु या.  विचारांचा व संस्कृतीचा पगडा झुगारणारी स्वत:चं मन करिअर, फायदा याला जास्त महत्व देणारी, स्वत:ला जपणारी, नव्या उमेदीने फुलपाखरासारखी उडणारी, कोणाच्याही बंधनात न राहणारी, स्वच्छंदी  आयुष्य जगणारी, फिकीर, तमा न बाळगणारी. म्हणजेच थोडक्यात खट्याळ, नाठाळ, अशी असणार आहे, यात शंकाच नाही.

महाराष्ट्रीयन स्त्री म्हणजे नऊवारी साडी, डोईवर पदर, कपाळावर लाल चुटूक कुंकू, हातभर हिरव्या बांगड्या, नाकात नथ, नजरेत भावुकता, दया, बोलण्यात नम्रता, समर्पण वृत्ती हे सर्व गुण तिच्यात आहेत. पण हळूहळू चित्र बदलायला लागले. साडीतून सलवार कुर्ता, जीनस् टॉपमध्ये असा प्रवास सुरु आहे. पण या परिस्थितीत परंपरा वसंस्कार आबाधित ठेवणारी घराणी अजूनही सुरक्षित आहेत.

एक काळ असा होता की स्त्रिया नवर्‍याच्या शब्दाबाहेर नव्हत्या. तो म्हणेल तिच पूर्वदिशा. अगदी आपल्या आई, आजीने देखील असे दिवस काढलेत.

पण आजच्या पिढीने तंत्रज्ञानाचा अतिरेक, विचार करण्याची पात्रता गमावलेली आहे. त्यामुळे घरादारात, समाजात, अनर्थ घडतायत व नको त्याला कवटाळायची वेळ येतेय. भलंबुरं हा शब्द निरवायला सुद्धा कोणाकडे वेळ नाही.

अरे वेड्यांनो तुम्ही चाललाय कुठे? ती वाट नक्‍कीच प्रगतीकडे चाललीय की विध्वंसाकडे? आजच्या नारीपेक्षा उद्याच्या नारीची कथा ही फारच वेगळी असणार आहे. सर्वांपेक्षा वेगळी, निराळी, स्वत:चं कर्तृत्व जपणारी, प्रसंगी दोनहात करणारी,  अन्यायाविरुद्ध बंड पुकारणारी अशीच असणार आहे.  तेव्हा चला परिपूर्ण अशा नारीचे हसत स्वागत करु या.

कोरकू समुदाय का उदरनिर्वाह कैसे होता है?

प्राचीन आदिम जाति का दर्ज़ा देकर , संरक्षित की जा सकती है "कोरकू जनजाति "
प्राचीन आदिम जाति का दर्ज़ा देकर , संरक्षित की जा सकती है "कोरकू जनजाति "

कोरकू जनजाति मध्य भारत के महाराष्ट्र और मध्यप्रदेश के सुदूर ग्रामीण अंचलो में निवास करती है .  मध्यप्रदेश के होशंगाबाद ,बैतूल ,छिंदवाडा और खंडवा जिले के वनग्रामो में रहने वाली इस जनजाति के लोग घूम खेती और शिकार करके अपना जीवन यापन करते है .  कोरकू जनजाति मध्य भारत की एक पिछड़ी और पोषण संवेदनशील जनजाति है . सामाजिक और आर्थिक स्तर पर ये अन्य प्राचीन आदिम जनजाति जैसे बैगा और सहरिया के बराबर है . लेकिन आज भी इन्हें प्राचीन आदिम जनजाति का दर्जा नहीं प्राप्त हुआ .
वर्ष 1973 में देश की सात सौ जनजातियों में से 75 जनजतियों को प्राचीन आदिमजाति का दर्जा दिया गया . जिसमे मध्यप्रदेश में निवासरत  46 जनजातियों में से सिर्फ तीन जनजातियां सहारिया,बैगा और भारिया ही यह दर्जा प्राप्त कर सकी ,कोरकू जनजाति इससे वंचित रह गई . जिससे उनका विकास अवरुद्ध हुआ .

मध्यप्रदेश में मुख्य रूप से भील, गोंड, कोरकू जनजातियाँ निवास करती हैं। इन जनजातियों द्वारा बोली जाने वाली बोलियाँ काफी समृद्ध एवं प्राचीन हैं। आधुनिकता के इस दौर में इन बोलियों पर भी विपरीत प्रभाव पड़ा है। इन बोलियों के अनेकों शब्द धीरे-धीरे इन जनजातियों की बोलचाल से विलुप्त होते जा रहे हैं।विश्व की जानी मानी संस्था यूनेस्को ने कोरकू भाषा पर चिंता जाहिर करते हुए लिखा की , सरक्षण के अभाव  में  कोरकू भाषा अगले दस वर्षो में विलुप्त हो जाएगी .  इस स्थिति में इन बोलियों के संरक्षण की दिशा में मध्यप्रदेश आदिम-जाति अनुसंधान एवं विकास संस्थान (टी.आर.आई) ने पहल करते हुए भीली, गोंडी एवं कोरकू बोलियों के शब्दकोश तैयार किये हैं। इन तीन बोलियों के लगभग 16 हजार शब्दों को संकलित कर पृथक-पृथक शब्दकोश तैयार किया गया है। प्रदेश में भीली और भिलाली बोलियाँ झाबुआ, अलीराजपुर, धार, खरगोन, बड़वानी, रतलाम आदि जिलों में, "गोंडी"  बोली डिण्डौरी, मण्डला, छिन्दवाड़ा, शहडोल, अनूपपुर, बैतूल, सिवनी, होशंगाबाद, सीधी, बालाघाट, रायसेन आदि जिलों में एवं "कोरकू"  बोली खण्डवा, बुरहानपुर, होशंगाबाद, हरदा और बैतूल आदि जिलों में रहने वाली जनजातियों द्वारा बोली जा रही हैं।
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खंडवा जिले के आदिवासी विकास खंड खालवा में एक लाख साहठ हजार आदिवासी रहते है . जिनमे कोरकू , गोंड और बारेला [भील ] शामिल है  . जिनमे  70% कोरकू जनजाति से है . जो मध्यप्रदेश के अलग -अलग हिस्सों में निवास करने वाली कोरकू जनजाति का कुल 31% है . कोरकू सीमांत किसान के रूप में है , जिनमे अधिकतर खेतिहर मजदुर है , अशिक्षा ,कुपोषण और रोजगार इस जनजाति के पिछड़ेपन की मुख्य वजह है  .आदिवासी विकासखण्ड खालवा के ग्रामीण अंचलो में विकास के नाम पर अरबों रूपये खर्च किये जा चुके है , बावजूद इसके यहां कुछ नहीं बदला ।  विकास के नाम पर कुछ ग्रामीण इलाको में पञ्च परमेश्वर योजना के तहत कंक्रीट की सड़के नजर आती है।  बिजली के पोल नजर आते है , जिसमे चार -पांच दिन के अंतराल से कुछ घंटो बिजली मिलती है।  कहने को इन आदिवासी इलाको में सभी तरह की सुविधा उपलब्ध है , सुविधा के नाम पर गाँव में स्कुल है , आंगनवाड़ी है , आशा कार्यकर्ता है , स्वास्थ केन्र्द भी है।  लेकिन सब बदहाल। यही वजह है की यहां रहने वाले  ग्रामीणो का सरकारी तंत्र पर भरोसा नहीं है।

मध्‍यप्रदेश में निवासरत कोरकू आदिवासी , आज भी  उपचार के लिए पारम्परिक तरीको का सहारा लेते है . किसी भी तरह की बीमारी का उपचार चाचवा के जरिये किया जाता है . कोरकू बहुल आदिवासी विकास खंड खालवा में कुपोषित और बीमार बच्चों का उपचार , आज भी  पारम्परिक तरीके चाचवा से किया जा रहा है  ,चाचुआ यानी सुर्ख लाल, गर्म सलाखों बीमार मासूमों को दागने का प्रचलन बदस्तूर जारी है. सुदूर अंचलों में जहाँ चिकित्सा के साधनों के चलते लोग अपने मासूमों की जान दाव पर लगाकर उन्हें ओझा या बाबा से गर्म सलाखों से शरीर को दागवाते है. ग्रामीणों का ऐसा मानना है ऐसा करने से उनका बच्चा बिमारी से मुक्त हो जाएगा जबकि बच्चे इससे इन्फेक्शन का शिकार हो जाते है और उनकी जान पर बन पड़ती है. चाचवा इलाज पद्धति में गर्म लोहे की सलाखों से मानव अंगो को दागा जाता है . यह उपाय कारगर नहीं होने पर बीमार की मौत भी हो जाती है .
कोरकू बहुल आदिवासी विकास खंड खालवा में कुपोषण भी गंभीर समस्या  के रूप  है।   पिछले वर्षों में कुपोषण से कई आदिवासी बच्चो की मौत हो चुकी है। महिला और बाल विकास विभाग जिले में कुपोषण के दंश को रोक नहीं पा रहा है। खंडवा जिले में बाल मृत्यु दर  अत्यधिक होने के कारण जिला प्रशाशन ने भी घुटने टेक दिए है। प्रति वर्ष बारिश के मौसम में , जिले के अलग पोषण पुनर्वास केन्द्रों पर भर्ती होने वाले कुपोषित बच्चो का औसत आंकड़ा दस बच्चे प्रतिदिन है . जिसमे दो से तीन अति कुपोषित बच्चे उपचार हेतु खंडवा रेफर किये जाते  है . जिले के खालवा विकासखंड में कुपोषण और मौसमी बीमारियों से हर माह 1 0 से 1 5 बच्चो की मौत हो जाती है। यह हालात मध्य प्रदेश के पूर्व आदिमजाति कल्याण मंत्री विजय शाह के विधानसभा क्षेत्र की है .

खंडवा जिले के खालवा ब्लाक के ग्रामीण अंचलो में 300 से अधिक  आँगनवाडियां चल रही है . जिसमे दर्ज संख्या के अनुपात में मात्र एक या दो प्रतिशत ही उपस्थिति होती है . कुपोषण की मुख्य वजह महिला बाल विकास विभाग की लापरवाही है . जो आँगनवाड़ी में दर्ज बच्चो की उपस्थिति को लेकर गंभीर नहीं है . शासन ने  कुपोषित बच्चो के परिवार वालो को बीपीएल एवं अन्तोदय योजना के तहत  राशनकार्ड बनाकर दिए.. बावजूद इसके कुपोषण थमने का नाम नहीं ले रहा है . जिला महिला और बाल विकास अधिकारी राजेश गुप्ता के मुताबिक जिले के अन्य गांवों में पिछले कुछ वर्षो में लगातार सुधार की स्थिति बन रही है. लेकिन खालवा और पंधाना में अब भी कम वजन और अति कुपोषित बच्चों की संख्या ज्यादा है | कम वजन के बच्चों का आंकड़ा 40 हजार के आसपास था |

एक नजर - खालवा पोषण पुनर्वास केंद्र में उपचार हेतु भर्ती कुपोषित बच्चो के वर्ष वार आंकड़ो पर -
वर्ष  2008-09 - बालक 81    बालिका -34   भर्ती 47     खंडवा रेफर - 06
वर्ष  2009-10  - बालक 189 बालिका -o7    भर्ती 112   खंडवा रेफर- 08
वर्ष  2010-11   - बालक 289 बालिका -97    भर्ती -139खंडवा रेफर - 11
वर्ष  2011-12   - बालक 443 बालिका -220 भर्ती -217 खंडवा रेफर - 07
वर्ष  2012-13   - बालक 800 बालिका -346 भर्ती -454खंडवा रेफर- 94

इन आंकड़ो से साफ़ होता  है की कुपोषण के प्रति अधिकारी और शासन गंभीर नहीं है . जो कोरकू जनजाति के लिए घातक है . आसान नहीं है जब तक इस समस्या को गंभीरता से नहीं लिया जावेगा  तब तक यह दिक्कते आती रहेंगी . कोरकू आदिवासी के एक हालिया सर्वेक्षण से पात कहलता है की इनके बच्चों के बीच उम्र के अनुसार ऊंचाई जिसे तकनिकी भाषा में स्टनटिंग कहते हैं बढ़ रही है. यह सतत भूख और पोषण की कमी का परिणाम है. ... इनकी बढ़ने और सीखने  की क्षमता तो यहीं लगभग कम हो गयी. अपने शिकार संग्राहक अवस्था में कोरकू समाज जंगल से मिलने वाले कांड मूल खाते थे जो उनके पोषण का एक महत्वपूर्ण श्रोत था... धीरे धीरे दुसरे की देखा देखी खान पान बदला तो परम्परागत चीजें भी खानी बंद हो गयी पर पूरी तरह नहीं..  कोरकू बच्चे आज भी दूर दराज़ जंगल से कांड मूल खोद लाते हैं... परंपरागत पोषक अनाज जैसे कोड -कुटकी को वापस लेने का प्रयास किया जाए तो कुपोषण में कमी आएगी। 

भारत की जनगणना 1931 में लिखा है - कोरकू सबसे पिछड़ी जनजाति है .इसमें मात्र 3 साक्षर पुरुष है .और कोई भी साक्षर महिला नहीं है ,1961की जनगणना में भी समूचे कोरकू समाज [ महाराष्ट्र और निमाड़ सम्मिलित ] में मात्र 61 साक्षर पुरुष और 5 साक्षर महिलाये थी . 11 कोरकुओं ने मेट्रिक तक की पढ़ाई की थी . जिसमे 2 कोरकू मध्यप्रदेश के थे . ये सारे साक्षर पुरुष ही थे . 2001 की जनगणना के अनुसार कोरकू की साक्षरता की दर पुरुष 38.8 प्रतिशत है और महिला साक्षरता की दर 24.5 है .जो राज्य की ओसत जनजाति साक्षरता दर पुरुष 41.2 प्रतिशत और महिला साक्षरता दर 28.4 से भी कम है .
आज भी कोरकू जनजाति के बच्चो की साक्षरता दर दुसरे ग्रामीण बच्चो की तुलनात्मक कम है .  कोरकू परिवार में रहने वाले छह या आठ बच्चो में से एक या दो बच्चे ही स्कुल जाते है . घर पर रहने वाले बच्चे अपने छोटे भाई -बहनों की देखरेख के लिए घर में रहते है .

ग्राम लंगोटी में कोरकू परिवार के कुल दो सौ बच्चे स्कुल जाने लायक है ,लेकिन सिर्फ  बीस बच्चे ही स्कुल जाते है . यहां रहने वाले  शिवलाल भाऊ की बेटी साजन कोरकू समाज की एक मात्र ऐसी लडकी है जो नवमी कक्षा की पढ़ाई कर  रही है .ग्राम लंगोटी के शिवलाल भाऊ के परिवार में  कुल आठ थे . जिसमे दो बच्चो की मौत मौसमी बिमारी के चलते हो गई . बाकि बचे छ बच्चो में से सिर्फ दो बच्चे ही स्कुल जाते है . शिवलाल भाऊ ने गरीबी के चलते बाकी बच्चों को स्कुल में दाखिला नहीं दिलाया .खंडवा जिले के आदिवासी विकास खंड खालवा में काम करने वाले गैर सरकारी संगठन स्पन्दन के कार्यकर्ता अनंत सोलंकी बताते है की कोरकू बहुल ग्रामो में सिर्फ पाचवी कक्षा तक की ही स्कूले है .आगे की पढाई करने के लिए कई किलोमीटर दूर की स्कुलो में जाना पड़ता है .  दूसरा प्रमुख कारण मजदूरी की तलाश में कोरकूओ का पलायन है . जो अपने परिवार के बड़े बच्चो को छोटे बच्चो की देखरेख में लगा देते है . ऐसे हालातो में इन्हें शिक्षा देने के सरकारी प्रयास भी नाकाम साबित हो रहे  है . कोरकू बहुल दूरस्थ गाँवो की सरकारी स्कुलो में पदस्थ शिक्षको की अपने कार्य के प्रति अरुचि भी कोरकू जनजाति के  पिछड़ने की एक वजह है।

आदिवासी बहुल खालवा विकासखण्ड में रहने वाले  कोरकू परिवारों के लिए रोजगार पाना , किसी समस्या की तरह है ।  रोजगार  की तलाश में गाँव से पलायन करना पड़ता है . यह सिलसिला पिछले कई वर्षों से जारी है।  आदिवासियों के पास जाब कार्ड है , पर रोजगार नहीं . गाँव में मनरेगा के तहत काम तो खुलते है , किन्तु सिर्फ कुछ लोगो को रोजगार मिलता है . वह भी एक वर्ष  में दस से पन्द्रह दिन . एसे में परिवार का पालन - पोषण कैसे करे ? यह समस्या है कोरकू बहुल आदिवासी विकास खंड खालवा में रहने वाले कोरकू परिवारों की . जिन्हें मज़बूरी में रोजगार  की तलाश में पलायन करना पड़ता है .  खालवा ब्लाक के गारबेड़ी , मौजवाडी ,ढ्कोची , पटाल्दा , उदियापुर माल और लंगोटी जैसे कई गाँवो की यही कहानी है।  यहाँ गाँव के  मजदूर परिवारों के मकानो में लगे ताले अपनी कहानी खुद बयान कर रहे है।  गाँव में रह रहे बूढ़े , बच्चे और महिलाओं ने बताया की   गाँव में मनरेगा के तहत वर्ष में सिर्फ दस से पन्द्रह दिन का रोजगार मिलता है  . बाकी दिनों में मजदूरी की तलाश में उन्हें  दुसरे राज्य में जाना पड़ता है .इसके अलावा कई ग्रामीणो की यह भी शिकायत है की  उन्हें  -आज -तक किसी भी सरकारी योजना का लाभ  नहीं मिला , ग्रामीणो का आरोप है की और  ग्राम पंचायत के सरपंच सचिव अपने ख़ास लोगो को ही काम देते है .
गाँव जमनापुर के बुजुर्ग बताते है की वे पिछले दस वर्षों से देखते चले आ रहे है की गाँव के युवा किराया लगा -लगाकर गाँव के बाहर काम की तलाश में चले जाते है।  गाँव का गाँव खाली पड़ा है , गाँव में सिर्फ बूढ़े और बच्चे ही बचे है। पलायन की मुख्य वजह रोजगार की तलाश है . गाँव में मनरेगा के तहत काम सीमेंट रोड निर्माण या कपिलधारा योजना के तहत कूप निर्माण के काम में गाँव के सिमित मजदूरों को काम मिलता है . वह भी सिमित दिनों के लिए . अगर माइक्रो प्लान अपनाया जाकर ग्रामीणों की जरूरतों के हिसाब से गाँव में सरकारी योजनाओं के कार्य खोले जाए , तो पलायन रोका जा सकता है .

 ज्यादातर यह माना जाता रहा है कि कोकरू जनजाति का स्वाधीनता संग्राम में कोई अहम् योगदान नहीं रहा. जब भी स्वाधीनता संग्राम में जनजाति के योगदान का विवरण आता है तो स्वत टांटिया मामा या बिरसा मुंडा जैसे नाम सामने आते हैं.
निमाड की धरती में आज जहाँ कोरकू समुदाय कुपोषण, भूख और उपेक्षा की मार झेल रहा है वहीँ उनका भी एक वीर था जिसने अंग्रेजों और शोषकों के विरुद्ध असाधारण लड़ाई लड़ी थी.
रंगु कोरकू जो सोन खेडी गावं का निवासी था अधिकतर समय टांटिया भील के दल में एक प्रमुख सदस्य के रूप में ( १८७८ से १८८९) तक शामिल रहा. १८८० में टांटिया के २०० साथी गिरफ्तार हुए और उनमें से कुछ जबलपुर जेल से भाग कर निमाड में अपने संघर्ष को संबल प्रदान करते रहे. रंगु कोरकू भी शायद इसमें एक था. टांटिया का क्षेत्र इंदौर राज्य से एल्लिच्पुर और होशंगाबाद जिलों तक विस्तृत हो गया था. सेंट्रल इंडिया के ब्रिटिश एजेंट सर लेपल ग्रिफ्फिन को भी सफलता हासिल नहीं हुई. टांटिया के सर पर ५००० रुपयों का इनाम था.
इस दौरान होलकर शासन और ब्रिटिश सर्कार द्वारा जारी इश्तेहारों , इनाम की नोटिसों और राजपत्रों में टांटिया और उनके साथी की सूचि में रंगु कोरकू का नाम शामिल रहा.
८ मार्च १८८८ को अंग्रेजों द्वारा जारी फरमान जिसमे इंदौर दरबार ने भी २००० रूपये के इनाम की घोषणा की थी उसमे टांटिया के कुछ साथियों के साथ रंगु कोरकू के समक्ष भी टांटिया भील को पकडवाने की शर्त पर माफ़ी की पेशकश की गयी थी. पर ऐसा नहीं हुआ..
टांटिया मामा को तो सम्मान मिला पर निमाड का यह कोरकू वीर इतिहास के पन्नों पर भी खो गया.
कोरकू के जनप्रतिनिधियों या खुद उसके कोरकू समाज ने भी उसकी सुध नहीं ली.
यदि रंगु कोरकू की यादों को ताज़ा किया जाए तो गरीबी और भूख से जूझते कोरकू समाज का मनोबल बढेगा जो खुद यह मांग कर रहा है कि उसे प्राचीन आदिम जाती का दर्ज़ा मिले.  प्राचीन आदिम जाति का दर्ज़ा देकर , ही संरक्षित की जा सकती है "कोरकू जनजाति " 

Samsung Galaxy M31 लॉन्च हुआ भारत में, चार रियर कैमरे और 6,000 एमएएच बैटरी है खासियत

Samsung Galaxy M31 को भारत में लॉन्च कर दिया गया है। सैमसंग गैलेक्सी एम31 मार्केट में Samsung Galaxy M30 की जगह लेगा। यह बीते साल लॉन्च किए गए Samsung Galaxy M30s का अपग्रेड है। Samsung का नया स्मार्टफोन चार रियर कैमरे के साथ आता है। पिछले हिस्से पर 64 मेगापिक्सल का प्राइमरी कैमरा है। इसके साथ 32 मेगापिक्सल का सेल्फी कैमरा भी दिया गया है। सैमसंग गैलेक्सी एम31 ग्रेडिएंट बैक डिज़ाइन के साथ आता है। इसमें वाटरड्रॉप नॉच है। स्मार्टफोन में एंड्रॉयड 10 पर आधारित One UI है।

Samsung Galaxy M31 price in India
सैमसंग गैलेक्सी एम31 की कीमत 15,999 रुपये है। यह दाम फोन के 64 जीबी स्टोरेज वेरिएंट का है। इसके अलावा 128 जीबी स्टोरेज वेरिएंट भी है। इसे 16,999 रुपये में बेचा जाएगा। लेकिन लॉन्च ऑफर के तहत कंपनी अपने इस स्मार्टफोन के दोनों ही वेरिएंट को 1,000 रुपये डिस्काउंट के साथ बेचेगी। इस दौरान Samsung Galaxy M31 की शुरुआती कीमत 14,999 रुपये होगी। साफ नहीं है कि यह ऑफर कब तक ग्राहकों के लिए उपलब्ध होगा। सैमसंग गैलेक्सी एम31 हैंडसेट ओसियन ब्लू और स्पेस ब्लैक रंग में मिलेगा। स्मार्टफोन की सेल 5 मार्च से Amazon, Samsung India ऑनलाइन स्टोर और चुनिंदा रिटेल स्टोर में दोपहर 5 बजे से शुरू होगी।



याद रहे कि Samsung Galaxy M30 में बीते साल फरवरी महीने में 14,990 रुपये की शुरुआती कीमत में उपलब्ध कराया गया था।

Samsung Galaxy M31 specifications, features
डुअल-सिम सैमसंग गैलेक्सी एम31 एंड्रॉयड 10 पर आधारित One UI 2.0 पर चलता है। इसमें 6.4 इंच का फुल-एचडी+ (1080x2340 पिक्सल) इनफिनिटी यू डिस्प्ले है। यह एक सुपर एमोलेड पैनल है और इसका आस्पेक्ट रेशियो 19.5:9 है। फोन में ऑक्टा-कोर एक्सीनस 9611 प्रोसेसर का इस्तेमाल हुआ है। यही प्रोसेसर बीते साल लाए गए सैमसंग गैलेक्सी एम30एस का भी हिस्सा था। इसके साथ 6 जीबी रैम मौज़ूद हैं।

Samsung Galaxy M31 चार रियर कैमरों वाला स्मार्टफोन है। इसमें 64 मेगापिक्सल का प्राइमरी कैमरा है। यहां Samsung ISOCELL Bright GW1 सेंसर का इस्तेमाल हुआ है। कैमरा सेटअप में 8 मेगापिक्सल का सेकेंडरी कैमरा है। इसके साथ 5 मेगापिक्सल का मैक्रो शूटर और 5 मेगापिक्सल का डेप्थ कैमरा है। इनहांस्ड बोकेह इफेक्ट के लिए लाइव फोकस फीचर भी दिया गया है। Samsung ने नाइट मोड, सुपर स्टेडी मोड और सुपर स्लो मो जैसे फीचर भी दिए गए हैं।

सैमसंग गैलेक्सी एम31 स्मार्टफोन 32 मेगापिक्सल के सेल्फी कैमरे के साथ आता है। यह 4K वीडियो रिकॉर्डिंग में सक्षम है।

samsung

सैमसंग गैलेक्सी एम31 में 64 जीबी और 128 जीबी UFS 2.1 स्टोरेज है। दोनों ही वेरिएंट में 512 जीबी तक के माइक्रोएसडी कार्ड के लिए सपोर्ट है। फोन के कनेक्टिविटी फीचर्स में 4जी वीओएलटीई, वाई-फाई, ब्लूटूथ, जीपीएस/ ए-जीपीएस, यूएसबी टाइप-सी और 3.5 एमएम हेडफोन जैक शामिल हैं। फोन के पिछले हिस्से पर फिंगरप्रिंट सेंसर भी है।

Samsung के इस फोन में 6,000 एमएएच की बैटरी है। इसके बारे में 26 घंटे तक के वीडियो प्लेबैक और 119 घंटे तक के म्यूजिक प्लेबैक का दावा है। बैटरी 15 वॉट फास्ट चार्जिंग को सपोर्ट करती है।

सैमसंग गैलेक्सी एम31

• मुख्य स्पेसिफिकेशन
• ख़बरें

डिस्प्ले6.40 इंच

फ्रंट कैमरा32-मेगापिक्सल

रियर कैमरा64-मेगापिक्सल + 8-मेगापिक्सल + 5-मेगापिक्सल + 5-मेगापिक्सल

रैम6 जीबी

स्टोरेज64 जीबी

बैटरी क्षमता6000 एमएएच

ओएसएंड्रॉ़यड

रिज़ॉल्यूशन1080

Warren Buffet Finally Gives Up on Flip Phone, Switches to iPhone 11

"My flip phone is gone permanently," says Warren Buffet after finally falling into smartphone bandwagon.

Warren Buffet, the fourth-richest person in the world, has in 2020 given up on his old Samsung flip phone to opt for the iPhone 11, the 89-year-old billionaire revealed in an interview with CNBC. While talking about smartphones and how important of a consumer product they have become, the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway, which owns 5.6 percent of Apple, told CNBC that he has parted ways with his Samsung SCH-U320 flip phone, which he was last seen using till 2019.


"My flip phone has permanently gone," Buffet told CNBC when asked that if he is a consumer of the smartphone.

"I'm glad you brought that up, I have got a new smartphone," the Apple investor told the news channel.

Buffet, despite the switch, said that he is only using his smartphone for basic calling. Further, he mentioned that he has been given several smartphones, even by Tim Cook himself. Apparently, Tim Cook has been trying to get Buffet to switch to the iPhone for some time. The Verge had cited a Bloomberg TV show, where Cook said that he would personally fly out to Omaha and provide tech support for Buffet, should he ever need it.

The Verge further reported that Buffet already uses an iPad for research and stock trading.

Buffet's switch comes at a very crucial time, as it is 2020 and the future of flip phones - with foldable displays -are making a comeback into the markets, with the likes of the new Moto Razr and the Samsung Galazy Z Flip.

Sensex vs Dow Jones: How Indian and US stock markets compare

The comparison has been done on the basis of the top 5 sectors of both the markets and other fundamentals.

Investors are often advised to diversify geographically by investing in foreign markets. ET Wealth compares the Indian and US markets to help you decide.

Annual returns show very low correlation between the two markets
Price comparison over the past 10 years shows a correlation of 0.36. Low correlation is a major reason why Indian equity investors need to diversify abroad.

Rent a farm, grow organic vegetables, and enjoy a slice of rural life for just INR3,000 a month

Agri-entrepreneur ventures are helping people grow vegetables, experiment with new practices, and start operating their own farms, by providing them with small plots on a rental basis. This, in turn, is helping farmers get high rentals, access to technology, and assured buyers for their produce.

In a corner of the vegetable farm, Puneet Singla walks through the neatly cut rows of cauliflowers, brinjals, tomatoes, and spinach. Sometimes he plucks the weeds or munches on a radish, which he has just harvested along with wife Rachna and the labourers on the farm. Their mobile phones are filled to the brim with pictures of their rural life

Agri reporter based in New Delhi, tracking the commodity market, food sector, trends in the hinterland to policy matters.Prime minister awardee for excellence in journalism in agricultural research and development in 2014. Invited to USA and Canada on an exchange program to see their farm and allied sector. In the past 15 years have reported from different geographies- Chandigarh, Gujarat and New Delhi which has exposed me to the highly fragmented Indian farm sector and its regional variations. Have tried my hand at organic farming. Catch me on twitter @MadhviSallyET or madhvi.sally@timesgroup.com

owning 1 acre to 2 acres and growing three or four varieties of vegetables will ensure that we get quality produce at affordable rates and an organised market for the sellers,” he says. Chopra says he aims to capture the entire value chain from farm to consumer and complete the consumer's healthy-eating basket with fresh and dry-food products.

Amazon removing products that claim to cure coronavirus

According to a report in CNBC on Thursday, Amazon, in once case, warned a seller it would delete their listing for surgical face masks for making "unapproved medical marketing claims."

E-commerce giant Amazon has warned sellers that it is removing listings for products from the platform that claim to cure the novel coronavirus.

With the coronavirus spreading to over two dozen countries and the overall death toll in mainland China surpassing 2,000, fighting misinformation about the virus has become a major challenge.

On top of it, some sellers are even trying to cash in on the fears of the virus by making false claims.

According to a report in CNBC on Thursday, Amazon, in once case, warned a seller it would delete their listing for surgical face masks for making "unapproved medical marketing claims."

But despite the warning to third-party merchants this week, a quick search by CNBC led to several examples of products that appeared to flout these rules, including disinfectant sprays and cleaners that claimed to "kill" the coronavirus.

The charge of hosting products claiming to "kill" coronavirus emerged after the platform earlier dealt with accusations of hosting unsafe, counterfeit, and even expired goods.

Amazon was reportedly one of several technology companies that had discussed with the World Health Organization on measures to fight misinformation about the coronavirus spreading on their platforms.

Uber Eats failed because it couldn't customise: Swiggy COO

“UberEats was a great brand and a great organisation,” said Vivek Sunder, COO, Swiggy at a Ficci Ladies Organisation event in Chennai. “Uber Eats suffered from being a global company. Global companies have scale and capability and also access to capital. While Indian companies have the ability to customise,” he said.

Weeks after UberEats was taken over by Zomato after it failed to make an impact in the food delivery segment, a senior Swiggy official said that the enterprise failed because it couldn't customise to Indian market.

UberEats was sold to Zomato last month for an enterprise value of nearly $350 million in an all stock deal. The American company’s Indian arm was tottering and Swiggy was learnt to be negotiating to acquire it, but dropped the idea, ostensibly due to a valuation mismatch. A PTI report had said that UberEats India business contributed just 3% of the global gross bookings but accounted for over 25% of adjusted EBITDA losses for the first three quarters of 2019.

“UberEats was a great brand and a great organisation,” said Vivek Sunder, COO, Swiggy at a Ficci Ladies Organisation event in Chennai. “Uber Eats suffered from being a global company. Global companies have scale and capability and also access to capital. While Indian companies have the ability to customise,” he said.

“It is not the fault of the venture,” he said citing, many MNC subsidiaries were struggling as their global headquarters could not visualise the customisation need. “For us in Swiggy, all I have to do is go down one floor, into my tech office and ask them to make the changes, while at the MNCs, it may be the 40th requirement which awaited the global HQ nod,” he said. At the end of it, if the management at HQ did not see merit in requirement they get junked. “The challenge Uber Eats faced is that of a glocal-local problem, he said.

A note put up at research firm Greyhound Research’s website quoted CEO Sanchit Vir Gogiahad as : “This deal is a reminder for global companies and startups that in many industries, they are going to need a local player partnership to (play) the market better.

Swiggy’s Sunder said the delivery platform was conducting a pilot project where food cooked by home makers would soon be available. “Swiggy Homely is not available in all zones. The pilot is currently on. We will bring the home chef on the platform and give home style meals to our customers,” he added.

Aditya Birla Fashion to open 500-plus stores this fiscal

The firm that runs brands such as Louis Philippe and Pantaloons is betting on consumers shifting from the unorganised market to branded apparel. The company said its growth has so far remained unaffected by newer rivals as each of its top brands generate Rs 1,000-1,500 crore in annual sales, each bigger than fast-fashion rivals.

 Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail, the country’s largest clothing firm, plans to open more than 500 outlets this year, nearly three times its average annual expansion, at a time when the overall economic slowdown has made most retailers go slow on increasing brick-and-mortar network and shift focus to online.

The firm that runs brands such as Louis Philippe and Pantaloons is betting on consumers shifting from the unorganised market to branded apparel.

“The general consumption habits are changing, especially in a digitally connected network, when you are seeing desire for brands and aspiration for better quality products,” said Ashish Dikshit, managing director at Aditya Birla Fashion and Retail (ABFRL) that runs more than 3,000 outlets. “There is a very large upgradation and movement to buy brands and the opportunity in a country like India will keep emerging from new markets.”

Aditya Birla Fashion to open 500-plus stores this fiscal
With liquidity stress persisting in wholesale channels, most retailers across consumer products, liquor and apparel have been facing pressure to push inventory in smaller towns and hinterland.

Experts said the underlying situation hasn’t dramatically improved due to liquidity issues and there is still nervousness in terms of stocking up.

“The wholesale business appears to be undergoing some structural shift triggered by liquidity issues in the economy and management (of ABFRL) is strategising to invigorate the same whilst simultaneously speeding up exclusive brand outlets (EBOs) expansion, including conversion of some large wholesalers into EBOs,” JM Financial said in a recent investor note.

The company said its growth has so far remained unaffected by newer rivals as each of its top brands — Louis Philippe, Van Heusen, Allen Solly and Peter England — generate Rs 1,000-1,500 crore in annual sales, each bigger than fast fashion rivals.

It now plans to launch a new mass-market ethnic wear brand. “One of the segments we have always sort of stayed away from was ethnic wear because we thought it was fragmented, (and that the) ability to build brands will be lower,” said Dikshit, who started his career in the group 25 years ago. “We (have now) realised we are missing on a very large opportunity. Women’s wear is 40% of the overall apparel market, and three-fourths of that is traditional.”

Last year, ABFRL had acquired artisanal online retailer Jaypore-.com and 51% stake in Finesse International Design, which runs bespoke apparel retail brand Shantanu & Nikhil, to enter the premium ethnic wear segment.

Same-store sales growth of the company’s lifestyle brand division at 15% was one of its highest ever during last quarter while Pantaloons that opened over 40 doors in a year, reported record operating profit at Rs 109 crore with margins crossing 10% for the first time. Also, it will put a 12-season inventory model which will help in bringing freshness to the assortment mix and allowing trade partners to right stock inventory.

The overall apparel market of India is valued at Rs 5.3 lakh crore, according to Nielsen. With annual sales of Rs 8,117 crore in FY19, ABFRL has strong presence across men, women and kids apparel, but it is largely restricted in western wear formats. But it is increasingly getting competitive with global fashion brands such as Zara, H&M and Vero Moda pushing their lower priced westernised clothing in their market.

Impact of coronavirus on Indian industries

Impact of coronavirus on Indian industries

The outbreak of coronavirus in China comes at a time when the Indian economy is going through a difficult phase and the virus outbreak could make the slowdown worse. Let us have a look at how the outbreak has affected different Indian industries.

China closures may leave e-commerce shelves empty

Amazon and Flipkart, the country’s two largest web retailers, are likely to see an impact on overall sales due to the prolonged closure of factories in China on account of the coronavirus outbreak, analysts and industry insiders told ET. A supply crunch in smartphones, televisions, large appliances and consumer electronics, which comprise about half their gross merchandise value (GMV), would come on top of the slower growth in sales during the recent festive season compared with the previous year.

While the repercussions of a hit on the supply chain for electronic goods will be felt across sectors, online retail’s exposure to them is significantly higher. Other categories such as furniture, home decor, fitness equipment and toys will also get affected, as per experts, due to the supply shortage.

China shutdowns hit Indian electronics companies

Smartphone and consumer electronics companies in India said they were staring at production cuts and possible delays in launch of new products due to the coronavirus outbreak in China that has disrupted component supplies. China accounts for 75% of total value of components used in TVs and almost 85% in case of smartphones.

“Production will be badly hit. There will be at least 15-20 days’ delay in supply of components. We have closed our purchase office there. New product launches will be delayed. If this continues, there will be chaos since no company holds stock in large quantities due to fluctuating input prices and subdued domestic demand,” said Avneet Singh Marwah, CEO of Super Plastronics, the company that sells Kodak and Thomson brand televisions in India.

Surat diamond industry likely to face a loss of around 8,000 crores

The Surat diamond industry is likely to face a loss of around Rs 8,000 crore in next two months as Hong Kong, which is a major export destination, has declared a state of emergency due to the coronavirus outbreak in China. "The Surat diamond industry is staring at a loss of around Rs 8,000 crore for February and March, said Dinesh Navadiya, regional chairman, Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council. Polished diamonds worth around Rs 50,000 crore are exported from Surat to Hong Kong every year, he added.

Phone makers face an alarming situation

Future component supplies to Chinese brands such as Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo look under pressure. While Apple now sources iPhone XR and 7 from India, their components come mainly from China. A top executive at a leading Chinese phone maker said, “We are very, very concerned. There are travel advisories for our staff (regarding travel to or from China), and even the incoming cargo is now being hit. While buffer stock is being used now, there is no clarity on how we will tackle a longish disruption in supplies.”

Companies such as Xiaomi, Vivo and Oppo have carried out an assessment of their existing stocks and supply chain, and are worried about arrival of the next batch of supplies. “It is a fluid situation, but all indications suggest that things may become difficult in the weeks to come when it comes to production at factories.”

Leading players in the auto industry worried as cornovirus hits businesses

The auto industry, while being self-reliant, is also worried as China has now started playing a significant role in the Indian market, especially as electric mobility starts picking up (largely in twowheelers).

MG Motors (a subsidiary of SAIC), which is enjoying a good run in India with vehicles such as Hector SUV and newly-launched ZS electric, fears the company may not have enough cars to dispatch to showrooms as supplies from China come under a squeeze. “It’s already a hand-to-mouth situation for us. If things don’t improve over the next six to seven days, we will be severely affected,” MG India MD Rajeev Chaba told TOI.

Spread of coronavirus affects Agra footwear industry

The outbreak of the deadly novel coronavirus (nCoV2019) in China has affected the footwear industry in Agra as supply of raw material from that country has stopped completely. Industry sources say raw material worth Rs 15 crore for manufacturing finished footwear is imported from different parts of China to Agra every month.

“Due to coronovirus outbreak, import of footwear component from China has completely stopped since January. This has affected manufacturing of finished footwear in micro units in Agra. Medium and large scale manufacturers maintain stock of components supplied from China. The footwear industry of Agra will suffer major losses if the situation does not normalise in the next one month,” said President of Agra Shoe Factories Federation, Gagandas Ramani.

Out-of-bounds China market hits Rajasthan businesses

Gems and jewellery, importers and manufacturers of furniture, stationery items, toys and other raw material traders based out of Rajasthan have been most affected by the outbreak of coronavirus in China.

“Now, there is no scope to replace parts of the machines if need arises. The impact will be significant if the virus problem continues to prevail. A significant part of the exports go to China and it will certainly impact the industry,” said Ashok Dhoot, vice-chairman, Centre for Development of Stones, a subsidiary of RIICO.

The travel and tourism industry is also losing steam as travellers from other countries have started cancelling bookings after nCov cases were reported in India. A tour operator said, “Visitors from other countries have also started cancelling bookings fearing that India might also witness a spread of the virus. While no cases have been found in Rajasthan, nCov cases in Kerala have made foreign tourists, who had plans to visit India, apprehensive.”

Low cost non branded garment trade in Bengal becomes victim of coronavirus

“As an immediate impact, retail level price has started shooting up with rapidly depleting inventory here. Even worse is uncertain long term impact in the supply side in China. We are highly worried as the trade has almost completely become dependent on them,” said Bijoy Saha, a wholesaler in Siliguri dealing with Chinese kid’s ware, caps, belts etc.

According to market insiders, to cater to near 1.5 crore rural people from 5 industrially backward districts around Siliguri, these wholesalers annually import items worth around Rs 250 crore.