India's CCI Slaps META with Penalty of $25.4 Mn Over WhatsApp

India's chief competition regulator, the Competition Commission of India (CCI), has imposed a monetary penalty of Rs. 213.14 crore (approx US$ 25.4 Mn) on Meta (formerly Facebook) for anti-competitive practices related to its 2021 privacy policy update for WhatsApp.

The CCI found that Meta holds a dominant position in both the OTT messaging apps and online display advertising markets in India.

The 2021 privacy policy update forced users to accept expanded data collection and sharing terms without an opt-out option, which the CCI deemed as imposing unfair conditions.

Meta is prohibited from sharing user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta companies for advertising purposes for the next five years. WhatsApp must provide users with an opt-out option for data sharing and ensure that future policy updates comply with these requirements.

Meta and WhatsApp are required to implement specific behavioral changes within a set timeframe to address the issues arising from the policy update.

Further, as regards sharing of data between Meta companies, the Commission has concluded that (a) sharing of WhatsApp users’ data between Meta companies for purposes other than providing WhatsApp Service creates an entry barrier for the rivals of Meta and thus, results in denial of market access in the display advertisement market, in contravention of the provisions of Section 4(2)(c) of the Act; and (b) Meta has engaged in leveraging its dominant position in the OTT messaging apps through smartphones to protect its position in the online display advertising market and the same is in contravention of Section 4(2)(e) of the Act.

In view of the anti-competitive harm elaborated in this order and for the purpose of addressing such harm, the OPs are further directed to implement the following directions:

• WhatsApp will not share user data collected on its platform with other Meta Companies or Meta Company Products for advertising purposes, for a period of 5 (five) years from the date of receipt of this order. After expiry of the said period, the directions at para 6.2 (except para 6.2.1) will apply mutatis mutandis in respect of such sharing of data for advertising purposes.
• With respect to sharing of WhatsApp user data for purposes other than advertising:WhatsApp’s policy should include a detailed explanation of the user data shared with other Meta Companies or Meta Company Products. This explanation should specify the purpose of data sharing, linking each type of data to its corresponding purpose.
• Sharing of user data collected on WhatsApp with other Meta Companies or Meta Company Products for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp services shall not be made a condition for users to access WhatsApp Service in India.
• In respect of sharing of WhatsApp user data for purposes other than for providing WhatsApp Services, all users in India (including users who have accepted 2021 update) will be provided with:
• the choice to manage such data sharing by way of an opt-out option prominently through an in-app notification; and
• the option to review and modify their choice with respect to such sharing of data through a prominent tab in settings of WhatsApp application.
• All future policy updates shall also comply with these requirements.

This decision underscores the importance of user consent and fair competition in the digital economy. It also aligns with global trends of increasing scrutiny over data privacy and antitrust practices.

The Indian Navy Quiz Competition THINQ Goes International, Retitled As G20 THINQ

As part of the Navy week, the ‘Navy Welfare and Wellness Association (NWWA)’ conducts Inter School Quiz Competition at various Naval stations. This was scaled up to a National level school quiz competition (THINQ-22) last year, with participation of 6425 schools.

This year on India assuming Presidency of the prestigious G20, THINQ has become an international event and re-named as — “G20 THINQ”.

The event is being conducted by the Navy under the aegis of the G20 Secretariat and in partnership with NWWA (Navy Welfare and Wellness Association) and will have two levels National and International.

The National Round of the G20 THINQ will see participation of school children studying in Classes IX to XII. Over 11700 schools have registered for the quiz.

Two online elimination rounds will be held, the first on 12 Sep 23 and the second on 03 Oct 23. This will be followed by an online quarter-final on 10 Oct 23, from which 16 teams will qualify for the semi-final round (four schools from each zone). The semi-finalists will converge at Mumbai for the national semi-finals at the NCPA auditorium on 17 Nov 23. The top 08 teams will subsequently be in a battle of wits in the National final round planned to be held at the Gateway of India on 18 Nov 23. On completion of the national round, two best quizzers among all finalists will be chosen to represent Team India in the international round.

The International Round of G20 THINQ will see a representation of young and bright minds from across the world - students that will strengthen Bridges of Friendship within G20 partners. This round will see the participation of teams from G20+9 nations, each team comprising of two students. All delegates, including the 16 national semi-finalists and international participants, will have the opportunity to experience India’s diverse heritage and culture during their visit and will be taken to various popular sites and locations in the country. The international finals are planned to be held on 22 Nov 23 at New Delhi.

For G20 THINQ registration and all event-related information visit – www.theindiannavyquiz.in

As India hands over the G20 baton to Brazil on 01 Dec 23, the G20 THINQ will be the concluding chapter of a series of significant events held since Dec 22. It will serve as a remarkable finale to India’s Presidency that witnessed many unique achievements of the G20 at the global level.

IAMAI Members Flag Concerns Regarding Ex-Ante Regulations

In their written submission to the Committee on Digital Competition Law (CDCL), the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) members voiced their opposition to ex-ante regulations for digital markets in India.

According to IAMAI, size or scale-based applicability of regulations under an ex-ante digital competition policy will impact larger players in the market in their growth trajectory, while also limiting the growth potential of start-ups.

Regulations that kick in as soon as certain financial/size-based thresholds are met, will disincentivise Indian tech companies from scaling so as to avoid additional regulations. It is pertinent to note that ex-ante regulations may affect Indian companies even before they can achieve scale to compete globally or achieve profitability. This in turn will reduce value creation and valuations.

India has already experimented with ex-ante regulations under the Monopolies and Restrictive Trade Practices (MRTP) Act, 1969. Size-based applicability of regulations under the MRTP Act limited the growth and scaling up of Indian companies. Notably, as part of various economic reform measures, India consciously moved away from an ex-ante regime under the MRTP Act. Taking competition policy for India’s digital sector back to the MRTP era will burden India’s most promising sector and inhibit its ability to scale, innovate and attract investments.

IAMAI members appreciate that antitrust enforcement has a vital role to play in keeping markets competitive. They are of the view that the extant rules and regulations sufficiently address competition concerns arising from the digital sector, while keeping the digital industry on a level playing field with other industries. The Competition Commission of India (CCI) has been promptly looking into various digital competition issues and has passed orders imposing penalties and requiring changes in the conduct of digital markets. Furthermore, the recent Competition (Amendment) Act, 2023 bolsters the existing regulatory framework for addressing competition issues in India.

About Internet and Mobile Association of India

Established in 2004, the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) is a not-for-profit industry body and the country's only organization representing the digital services industry with over 500 Indian and multinational corporations as its members, which include established companies in diverse sectors of the digital ecosystem as well as start-ups. Its mandate is to expand and enhance the online and mobile value-added services sectors. It is dedicated to presenting a unified voice of the businesses it represents to the government, investors, consumers and other stakeholders. IAMAI represents varied sectors such as digital advertising, digital entertainment, traveltech, online gaming, digital payments, fintech, digital commerce, edtech, healthtech, agritech, big data, ML, AI & IoT, AR/ VR, logistics-tech and so on. 

Samsung Invites Applications for Solve for Tomorrow Innovation Competition; Youth of Prayagraj Suggest Innovative Ideas to Solve Real World Problems Around Sustainable Energy Resources, Digitization of Land Records and Alternative Fuel

• The top three teams will win INR 1.5 crore to turn their ideas into action
• Apply for Samsung Solve for Tomorrow starting April 04, 2023 till 5 pm on May 31, 2023 on www.samsung.com/in/solvefortomorrow
• 16-22 year-olds can apply with innovative ideas around Education & Learning, Environment & Sustainability, Health & Wellness and Diversity & Inclusion
• Participants will receive training from Samsung, IIT Delhi and MeitY Startup Hub

At an education and innovation roadshow organized by Samsung India at Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology in Prayagraj, 500 enthusiastic young college students said they want to solve some of the most pressing problems that people and communities across the state and the country are facing today. This was a roadshow organized around the second season of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition.

Students in Prayagraj, who came from various colleges such as Motilal Nehru National Institute of Technology, IICS College, Ganga Bal V. Inter College, Swar Saran Degree College and Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Govt. Degree College said they want to solve real-world problems such as finding sustainable energy resources to reduce the usage of coal & other fossil fuels, digitization of land records, and finding alternative fuels like Hydrogen & other resources for ICE engines in automobiles.

At the event, which was organized to talk about Samsung's global CSR program Solve for Tomorrow, the students said they require platforms such as Solve for Tomorrow to guide and support them in turning their ideas into action. They spoke about the innovative tech they could deploy to find solutions to the problems.

Samsung had recently announced its partnership with Ministry of Electronics & Information Technology’s (MeitY’s) Startup Hub and Foundation for Innovation & Technology Transfer (FITT), IIT Delhi for the second season of the national education and innovation competition Solve for Tomorrow. With Solve for Tomorrow, Samsung aims to usher in a culture of innovative thinking and problem-solving amongst the country’s youth.

The top three teams will win INR 1.5 crore to turn their ideas into action while others participants who reach top 30 and top 10 will be rewarded at various stages of the program.

The second season of Solve for Tomorrow is inviting applications from youth in India aged 16-22 years under the themes of Education & Learning, Environment & Sustainability, Health & Wellness and Diversity & Inclusion. Youth can apply for Samsung Solve for Tomorrow on www.samsung.com/in/solvefortomorrow starting April 04, 2023 till 5 pm on May 31, 2023.

“At Samsung, harnessing the power of youth is priority for us. This is what drives us and our global CSR vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’. Giving youth a voice in real-life issues affecting communities around them allows them to see firsthand the change they can create in the world. With Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, we want to give youth that opportunity and also play our part in strengthening the innovation ecosystem in the country, taking forward the vision of the Government and our own vision of Powering Digital India,” said Mr. Hyun Kim, Corporate Vice President, Samsung Southwest Asia.

City-based innovator Bhanu Pratap Singh, who is the founder and CEO of startup CashCry, spoke to the students about the value of both success and failure and how he has been working in rural areas to bring financial inclusion to the masses. He urged students to look at problems that India faces and Solve for Tomorrow with their unique solutions.

Samsung Solve for Tomorrow at a Glance

Who can participate: 16-22 year-olds, individually or in teams of up to 3

Application themes: Education & Learning, Environment & Sustainability, Health & Wellness and Diversity & Inclusion

What will they get: Online training, Bootcamp at IIT Delhi, mentoring & training from Samsung, IIT Delhi,
and MeitY Startup Hub

What do winners get: Total of INR 1.5 crore to 3 winning teams and exciting Samsung products that will boost their productivity

Where can they apply: www.samsung.com/in/solvefortomorrow

From when: Starting April 04, 2023

Till when: Till 5 pm on May 31, 2023

Program Details

Application Window – Round One

Individuals or teams of up to three can submit their applications on www.samsung.com/in/solvefortomorrow, where they will chose the theme, elaborate on the problem they are solving, the proposed solution and its social impact. A jury comprising subject matter experts from FITT, IIT Delhi will shortlist the top 30 teams from among all the applications received.

Idea Development – Round Two

In this round, the top 30 shortlisted teams will attend a five-day bootcamp at the IIT Delhi campus where they will receive training on Design Thinking by FITT, IIT Delhi and on innovation & IPR, patents from MeitY Startup Hub. 

Each team will get INR 20,000 to create initial prototypes and then pitch their ideas to a jury comprising of young Samsung employees and experts from FITT, IIT Delhi, MeitY Startup Hub and Atal Innovation Mission at the bootcamp who will select the top 10 teams.

These 30 teams will also visit Samsung India offices, its R&D centres, design centre, and Samsung Opera House in Bengaluru where they will interact with young Samsung employees and researchers. Each member of the top 30 teams will get a certificate for attending the bootcamp, a Samsung Galaxy Book laptop and Galaxy Buds.

Final Prototype Building – Round Three

In this round, the top 10 teams will get INR 100,000 each to enhance their prototypes based on the feedback from jury members as well as mentors. They will also be mentored by Samsung employees from various domains as well as domain experts from IIT Delhi. 

At the end of this round, the teams will submit their final prototypes and prepare for a live presentation where they will pitch their ideas at the Finale Event before an eminent jury.

Each member of the top 10 teams will get a certificate and a Samsung Galaxy Z Flip smartphone. The top three winning teams of Solve for Tomorrow season two will win a total prize money of INR 1.5 crore

Samsung Electronics’ global CSR vision of ‘Together for Tomorrow! Enabling People’ is committed to providing education to young people around the world to empower the leaders of tomorrow. Read more stories on Samsung Electronics’ CSR efforts on our CSR webpage http://csr.samsung.com.

To Provide Global Competitiveness for Indian MSMEs, PM Shares Link of MSME Competitive (LEAN) Scheme

The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has shared the link of MSME Competitive (LEAN) Scheme and said that this is a a part of our efforts to strengthen the MSME sector, which is a key pillar of India’s economic growth. The MSME Competitive (LEAN) Scheme has been launched under MSME Champions Scheme.

In response to the tweet by Union Minister for MSME, Shri Narayan Rane, the Prime Minister tweeted;

"A part of our efforts to strengthen the MSME sector, which is a key pillar of India’s economic growth. lean.msme.gov.in"

A part of our efforts to strengthen the MSME sector, which is a key pillar of India’s economic growth. https://t.co/ZBm5rF4kRa https://t.co/i6OHYJeXmj

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 13, 2023

Ministry of MSMEs recently launched the MSME Competitive (LEAN) Scheme to provide a roadmap to global competitiveness for the MSMEs of India.

The idea is to improve quality, productivity, performance and capability to change the mind-sets of manufacturers and transform them into world class manufacturers.

Lean Manufacturing or Lean Production, known simply as LEAN, is a production process based on an ideology of maximising productivity while simultaneously minimising waste within a manufacturing operation. The lean principle sees waste is anything that doesn't add value that the customers are willing to pay for.

Overwhelming Response for Robotics-AI Competition 2022 Organized by Robotix

To promote technology literacy and inculcate creativity and critical thinking skills among the Students, a Robotics -AI competition was organized at BVM Global School, Coimbatore, Tamilnadu, India on December 5 and 6, 2022. This competition was conducted by Robotix Learning Solutions. More than 20 schools from Coimbatore and nearly 500 students participated in this two-day competition. The Students from KG to Class 10 were full of enthusiasm while participating in the competition.

Robotics - AI Competition 2022 winners

Robotix has been regularly conducting events and Inter-School Competitions in association with various Schools in pan India. Not only this, but Robotix has a global presence and actively participates in various International Events too. Through various courses and competitions on STEM, AI, robotics, and coding, Robotix provides training to Students for developing the necessary 21st century tech and life skills.

Some unique offerings of Robotix include STEM products such as the STEM Maker Kit, the CSTEM Math Kit, and My CSTEM Book; and robotics products such as Robobricks and Phiro. These products were used in some of the competitions as well. The events, such as the one conducted at BVM Global School, Coimbatore by Robotix, train the young minds to become the next-generation of innovators, creators, and problem solvers. Robotix plans to conduct more events and competitions of similar nature in Schools across different states in India in the coming months.

Robotix is on a mission to inspire the next generation, who are the innovators and creators of tomorrow. Robotix specializes in creating STEM learning programs, courses, and kits for children to learn STEM and 21st century learning skills.

The students from various Schools across Coimbatore were offered free training in robotics, which was followed by a series of competitions under different categories.

The competition took place in five different categories.

Little Innovators (a DIY contest for KG)

First, second, and third prizes were won by Odd Buds, Little Ville, and Jack and Jill schools, respectively.

STEM Gurus (a coding activity with bee bots for classes 1–3)

The first three positions were secured by Adhyayana International Public School, Bodhimaram Playschool, and Pristine Public School.

Tinker Ninjas (a STEM maker kit for grades 4 and 5)

Pristine Public School was awarded the first and second prizes, while Adhyayana International Public School stood third.

Tech Tycoons (a play with Phiros for grades 6 and 7)

The Indian Public School got the first prize, while VCV Sishu Vidyodhaya and Adhyayana International Public School obtained the second and third prizes, respectively.

Into the AI Verse contest (For classes 9 and 10)

The Indian Public School secured the first position, while the Air Force School got the second prize.

Mr. Ramana Prasad, the chairman of Robotix, mentioned that such contests and events help children develop various skills like creativity, problem-solving, curiosity, and collaboration.

6th National Social Enterprise Idea Challenge By Azim Premji University Won By Students of PES University, B'lore

Students of PES University, Bangalore won the 6th edition of Azim Premji University’s National Level Social Enterprise Idea challenge organized at University Campus, Bengaluru

The Social Enterprise Cell of Azim Premji University organizes the Idea Challenge event every year with a purpose to provide students of Colleges and Universities across India an opportunity to explore social entrepreneurship and share their innovative social impact ideas in a rigorous and competitive manner. The event also acts as a great networking platform for young minds to meet each other, exchange thoughts and showcase their talent and skills to some of the early stage mentors and funders.

In the 6 year of the event, more than 100 teams participated and submitted their innovative social impact models in the first round. The submissions were broadly in the domains of education, livelihood, health, sustainability and governance. 16 teams were shortlisted for the finale round which was held in the University campus on 30th April Saturday.

The jury members for the event were 1) Dr. Gayathri Vasudevan, Executive Chairperson, LabourNet 2) Dr.Suresh Nair, Chief Technology Advisor, Foundation for Innovation and Social Entrepreneurship, an initiative of Tata Trust and 3) Dr. Richa Govil, Director, School of Development, Azim Premji University.

Team Sitara from PES University, Bangalore won the 1st Prize in the 6th National Idea Challenge event

Team Members: 1. Shriya Shankar 2. Srushti Jayaraman 3. Ananya V

Summary of the Idea: Sitara is proposed to be a for-purpose nonprofit organization working towards helping children from underserved communities become self-sufficient, through an equitable education. They want to leverage their processes through YouTube and WhatsApp, and use the power of local language communication, to bring about improved learning outcomes in the children.

The 2nd Prize went to Team Abyaan from College of Vocational Studies, Delhi university

1ST RUNNER UP

Team Members: 1. Riddhi Oberoi 2. Shrutika Gambhir 3. Arsh Bhatia 4. Pranav Hoon

Summary of the Idea: Project Abyaan aims to address the problem of disposal of Used Cooking Oil 
(UCO), which usually ends up blocking drainage pipes or sewers, contaminating landfills leading to soil pollution. They aim to use this to make soaps and other products.

3rd Prize went to Team Khwab from Ramjas College, Delhi

2ND RUNNER UP

Team Members: 1. Manya Vats 2. Vanshikha Gourisaria

Summary of the Idea: Khwab aims to fight the menace of plastic pollution and unsustainable consumption. They create a range of sustainable products for personal care, substantially reducing non-biodegradable waste. They make “zero-waste” alternatives to everyday alternatives like shampoo, deodorants, etc.

Nazrul Haque, Mentor for the Social Enterprise Cell at Azim Premji University noted that "It is always encouraging to see that young students are disturbed by social issues around them and are not only complaining but actively thinking how can they contribute towards solutions. In the last 5 years, the Idea challenge event has become a brand name in the social enterprise ecosystem."

Out of the 18 winning teams from the past 5 years, 11 have gone on to pursue their ideas after they completed their studies. The ones who do pursue the entrepreneurial journey benefit from the media coverage and the award resulting from the competition and most have gone on to receive additional financial or mentoring support from incubators and other organizations such as IIT Kanpur, IIM Bangalore, YCombinator etc.” 

India’s Next Sushruta - Medtronic India’s Case Based Competition for Resident Doctors Culminates in Grand Finale

• One of Its Kind Academic Contest Aimed at Providing Clinical Exposure To Nurture Budding Surgeons in India
  
  
• Three Winners Arising from Over 1300+ Entries Across 80 Cities Will Get a Chance To Take Part in an International Clinical Observership at a Medtronic Innovation Center .

 ​

India Medtronic Private Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Medtronic plc (NYSE: MDT), concluded the grand finale of India’s Next Sushruta (INS), a case study competition targeted towards postgraduates and super-specialty students in the field of surgery. The concluding round saw finalists competing for the top three spots with a chance to take part in an international clinical observership at a Medtronic Innovation center. The finale saw Dr. Usha H., MCh Surgical Oncology from Kidwai memorial institute of oncology, Bangalore win over the jury with her presentation to clinch the title of India’s Next Sushruta. Dr. Souvik Paul, DNB Surgical Gastroenterology from BLK Superspeciality Hospital, New Delhi was adjudged the 1st runner up, while Dr. Nitesh Kumar, MS Urology from Osmania Medical College, Hyderabad took the 2nd runner up place.

Named after the father of early surgery, Sushruta, India’s Next Sushruta is a one of a kind industry-academia program in the med-tech space in India. The competition saw participation from across specialties including general surgery, gastro and oncology. The multi-stage academic contest was administered in partnership with Docplexus, who executed the program spanning 80 cities and conducted quantitative quizzes and abstract submissions on their platform.

“At Medtronic, we are committed to transforming healthcare, but we know we can’t do it alone. As global healthcare evolves, it is our responsibility as partners to evolve with it. India’s Next Sushruta is a unique opportunity for young doctors from multiple medical schools and disciplines to come together to present their views to address health issues plaguing the country and gives these medical students to gain skills and experience thinking outside the box while continuing their education,” said Madan Krishnan, vice president & managing director, India Medtronic Pvt. Ltd. “Through this program we hope to address prevalent capacity and awareness barriers along with increasing patient access to various therapies in the future. We are thrilled with the opportunity to engage with young resident doctors and Heads of Departments of these medical institutes.”

The grand finale of INS involved 20-minute case presentations by the top ten finalists judged by a panel comprising of experts from major institutes: 

• Dr. Avanish Saklani, associate professor robotic lead colorectal, Tata Memorial Center, Mumbai
• Dr. Abhay Dalvi, professor & unit head, Dept. of Surgery, KEM Hospital, Mumbai 
• Dr. Anil Aggarwal, director, professor & head, Dept. of Gastrointestinal Surgery, GB Pant Hospital, Delhi 
• Dr. S Sudhindran, professor & chief transplant surgeon, Dept. of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Amrita Hospital, Kochi 
• Dr. SVS Deo, professor & head, Surgical Oncology, AIIMS Delhi 
• Dr. Madhabananda Kar, professor & head, Dept. of Surgical Oncology, AIIMS Bhubaneswar 

Raising adequate awareness about disease and therapy areas coupled with skill development to achieve technology adoption is the long-term objective of INS. Consequently, from among the top 10 finalists, the final 7 have been selected to participate in proctorship programs in India.