Technology has become an integral part of our daily lives, from smartphones and laptops to appliances and transportation. However, the environmental impact of our reliance on technology has become a growing concern. The good news is that many companies are now investing in sustainable tech solutions that can help reduce our carbon footprint. In this article, we’ll take a look at some of the sustainable tech innovations we use daily.
Renewable Energy
One of the most significant contributions to sustainable tech is renewable energy. Solar, wind, and hydropower are rapidly becoming more accessible and cost-effective. Solar panels can now be installed on residential and commercial buildings, and some cities are implementing wind turbines for energy production. Some companies are even developing portable solar panels for outdoor activities.
Smart Home Technology
Smart home technology is another sustainable tech innovation that has become increasingly popular. Smart home devices, such as smart thermostats and smart lighting, can help to reduce energy consumption in our homes. One example is the Nest Learning Thermostat, which uses machine learning to learn your temperature preferences and automatically adjusts the temperature to save energy. The thermostat can also be controlled remotely through a smartphone app, allowing you to make adjustments from anywhere. Smart lighting systems can also be programmed to turn off when not in use or dim during low-traffic hours. Smart home technology not only helps to reduce energy usage, but it can also save homeowners money on their utility bills.
Electric Cars
Transportation is one of the largest contributors to carbon emissions, but electric cars offer a sustainable alternative. Companies like Tesla, Nissan, Tata and Chevy produce electric cars that are becoming more accessible to the general public. Electric cars have zero emissions and are much more energy-efficient than traditional gas-powered vehicles. Additionally, electric car charging stations are becoming more widely available, making it easier for electric car owners to travel long distances.
Smart Appliances
Smart appliances are another innovation in sustainable tech that is becoming more common. Energy Star-certified appliances, like refrigerators, washers, and dryers, use less energy and water than their non-certified counterparts. Smart appliances can also be programmed to run during low-traffic hours or when energy is cheapest. Some appliances even have sensors that can detect when they are not in use and automatically turn them off.
Eco-friendly gadgets
Sustainable smartphones and the use of materials in producing gadgets are not uncommon. Another essential device in our daily lives is the laptop, and there are several eco-friendly options. One such option is the Dell XPS 13, which is made from recycled ocean plastics and other recycled materials. The laptop also uses low-energy components and has an energy-efficient design, helping to reduce its carbon footprint. In addition, Dell offers a recycling program for its products, ensuring they don’t end up in landfills.
Sustainable Packaging
The packaging used for products can also have a significant impact on the environment. Sustainable packaging materials, such as biodegradable plastics and compostable materials, are becoming more common. Some companies are even using recycled materials for their packaging. In addition to reducing waste, sustainable packaging can also reduce the amount of energy needed for production and transportation.
Eco-Friendly Accessories
Even the accessories we use with our tech devices can be designed with sustainability in mind. For example, phone cases made from recycled materials or bioplastics can help to reduce waste and minimise the environmental impact of our devices. Companies across the globe offer eco-friendly phone cases and other stylish and sustainable accessories.
Sustainable tech innovations are becoming more accessible and affordable, offering a way to reduce our environmental impact. Renewable energy, smart home technology, electric cars, smart appliances, and sustainable packaging are just a few examples of sustainable tech we use daily. As consumers, we can make a difference by choosing products and technologies that prioritise sustainability.
Being an only child (no more a child) and that too male, I know what a day looks like in a life of a woman. They wake up before the sun and work like a machine, even on the days when they’re sick and don’t have the energy to move. Back in the 20th century, every woman was living with the thought that she was superwoman and men, they were sympathetic and masters in the art of how to avoid household chores by saying, we only get one day to sleep peacefully.
Today, the superwoman generation is getting old, and the young generation believes in equality and knows how to stay ahead of the curve. With the arrival of modern technology, the world has changed for the good, and we have lots of options to make our lives better. Learning technology has become easy, thanks to the internet. So, let’s not waste time and take a look at the top eight smart home appliances that I believe can make any woman’s life easier.
Smart Lighting
Smart home lighting system controller
What’s the second most asked question by a woman when she’s away from home? “Have you turned off the lights?”, “Did you eat?” still stands the first. Women care a lot about bills, and men always forget to turn the lights off. Installing a smart lighting setup at home allows us to turn the lights on and off using our phone or voice control. We can also dim the lights as per our needs or change their colour to suit our mood. Get it now to save you a** from a bill-concerned WOMAN!
Smart Locks
Smart speaker for house control innovative technology
Tell me you only have one lock at home, and I will take you out for dinner (and text your address to a burglar). Jokes apart, honestly, we all have at least two locks in our homes – a sturdy lock to secure a front door and another one for the main door, along with a side shutter lock. It looks like another task for someone who leaves and gets back to the house frequently.
Instead of a regular lock, get a smart lock, which adds a layer of security to your home. With a smart lock, you can unlock your door using your phone or a code without worrying about carrying a physical key. Women are natural overthinkers, and smart locks are best for them as they arrive with remote locking and unlocking feature, which is very useful when you are away from home.
Smart Doorbells
Have you ever rung a bell and run away? Yeah, we all did and still do, sometimes. However, it would be best if you were careful about the act, as most houses today have smart doorbells that offer an added layer of security to the home. They come with a camera that allows the house owner to see who is at the door, even when they’re away from home. The innovation is best for women who stay at home mostly, as they offer two-way communication through the phone.
Smart Vacuum Cleaners
Women have an over-riding urge to do chores that men do not, especially keeping the house as tidy and clean as possible. Smart vacuum cleaners offer the convenience of cleaning your home without any effort. With a smart vacuum cleaner, you can schedule cleaning times, set up no-go zones, and even control it using your voice. Invest a little more and get a smart vacuum cleaner with a camera to see where it is cleaning.
Smart Refrigerators
After wardrobes, the next crowded thing in the house is refrigerators, where we keep things and forget them quite often. With smart refrigerators, we can simplify our daily routine. Some smart refrigerators come with cameras that allow us to see what is inside without opening them, really helpful when you are at the grocery store and want to know what you need to buy.
Smart Ovens
What does a smart oven offer? A lot more than you think, including a bit of extra time to shoot a GRWM reel. The smart oven lets you toast, bake, bagel, roast, slow cook, and control to operate using your phone or voice control. The feature can be useful when preparing a meal and adjusting the temperature or cooking time.
Smart Air Purifier
A smart air purifier is a must-have appliance for any woman who values clean air in her home. With a smart air purifier, you can have full control, receive alerts when the filter needs to be changed, and even customise the settings based on the air quality in your home. This has been incredibly helpful, especially during allergy season.
Smart Coffee Maker
A smart coffee maker is a must-have appliance for any woman who loves coffee. With a smart coffee maker, you can schedule when it should brew, control it with your voice, and customise the settings for different types of coffee. It can make your mornings much more convenient, and you can wake up to a fresh cup of coffee without having to do it all yourself.
What is a unicorn startup? The term unicorn refers to privately held companies valued at over $1 billion. India’s startup ecosystem is home to a number of well-known and emerging unicorn startups, out of which Flipkart is the most notable and most successful unicorn startup. The success of Flipkart has been driven by the rapid adoption of online shopping in India and the company’s ability to adapt quickly to the changing market.
Besides Flipkart, there are about 108* unicorn startups in India, but here, we’re only focusing on the 17 unicorns, which are a mix of already emerged and a few emerging ones, as we’re focusing more on the behind-the-scenes stories. Over the last 10-15 years, India’s unicorn startups have not only made a significant impact in their respective sectors but also have become a symbol of the country’s rapidly growing technology and startup ecosystem.
Byju’s
Industry – EdTech
Founded in – 2011
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2018
Tagline – Fall in love with learning
Valuation – $22 billion
Founders – Byju Raveendran and Divya Gokulnath
Parent Organization – Think and Learn Private Ltd
The Story –
Byju Raveendran, a B.Tech graduate from a small town in Kerala, was working in a multinational shipping firm as a service engineer. In 2023, he started helping his friends prepare for the CAT entrance exam, as he had a burning desire to make a difference in the field of learning and teaching. While preparing, out of curiosity, he decided to appear in the exam and scored 100%.
Later, he started conducting free mathematical workshops but realised there had to be a better way to teach and learn. Determined to make a change, Byju and his co-founder wife, Divya Gokulnath, started working on a new learning platform, where he offered interactive video lessons on a wide range of subjects, from mathematics and science to history and geography.
The platform they created was designed to make learning more fun and engaging and to help students easily understand complex concepts. Today we call that platform, Byju’s, and it has over 150 million registered students and is valued at $22 billion. With its strong focus on technology, innovation, and scalability, Byju’s is well-positioned for continued growth in the future.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“Education is the single most powerful tool that can shape the way our youth thinks” – Byju Raveendran
When you’re determined to make your dreams come true, you work tirelessly to build them, and Kunal Shah is one such hard-working individual. He began his career as a software engineer before venturing into the world of entrepreneurship with PaisaBack and FreeCharge. After the acquisition of FreeCharge, he founded CRED in 2018, as he wanted to offer more privileges and benefits to people having good credit scores.
The company was started with a mission to make credit card payments simple and transparent for consumers as the industry was plagued by hidden charges and confusing terms and conditions. CRED was always focused on building a strong brand, and one of the key factors that contributed to the company’s success was its focus on customer experience, which helped the company earn over 7 million users.
What’s next?
To enable a good life for creditworthy individuals.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
‘If you look at history, nobody has been rewarded for paying back on time. We want to fix that.’ – Kunal Shah
Dream11
Industry – Fantasy Sports Platform
Founded in – 2008
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2019
Tagline – Jab Dream bada ho, toh koi akela nahi hota. Dream Big, Dream11!
Valuation – $8 billion
Founders – Bhavit Sheth & Harsh Jain
Parent Organization – Sporta Technologies
The Story –
Every sports fan likes to spend a lot of time discussing their favourite teams and players, but not everyone ends up founding an app for fans to participate in fantasy sports. Harsh Jain and Bhavit Sheth are two such sport-packed souls who saw an opportunity to create a platform that would allow sports fans to create their own teams and compete against each other for prizes.
Without hesitation, Harsh and Bhavit quit their jobs and started their own company in 2008, Dream11. The company has always ensured that it complies with all laws and regulations related to fantasy sports in the countries it operates, which has helped to build trust with users and regulators. Along with cricket today, the platform allows users to play fantasy hockey, football, kabaddi, basketball, volleyball, etc.
To stay on the success path, Dream11 made strategic partnerships with major sports leagues and teams, such as the Indian Premier League and the Pro Kabaddi League. Currently, the company has a presence in many countries, including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, while the founders have inspired countless individuals to pursue their own dreams of entrepreneurship.
Swiggy
Industry – Online Food Ordering and Delivery Platform
Founded in – 2014
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2018
Tagline – Swiggy karo, phir jo chahe karo!
Valuation – $10.7 billion
Founders – Sriharsha Majety, Nandan Reddy and Rahul Jaimini
Parent Organization – Bundl Technologies
The Story –
By the time you’ve reached here, you might have ordered something on Swiggy, which speaks volumes about its popularity. The start-up was founded in 2014 by Sriharsha Majety, Nandan Reddy, and Rahul Jaimini, who saw a gap in the market for an efficient and reliable food delivery service in India. On one hot summer day, Sriharsha and Nandan realised the need for better online food delivery options in India as the existing options were slow, unreliable, and the food often arrived cold.
They developed a food delivery app and named it ‘Bundl’ in 2013 but decided to shut it down within a year as they wanted to brainstorm more on the delivery process. While brainstorming, they met Rahul Jaimin and decided to start the Start-up with the name Swiggy. The user-friendly app gained a lot of engagement in a short period, made good returns and significantly changed the food delivery industry. Today, besides India, Swiggy is also operational in Sri Lanka and Bangladesh.
What’s next?
To elevate the quality of life of urban consumers by providing unparalleled convenience.
Some start-ups take a couple of years to achieve what they’re looking for, while some take decades to achieve the same. Fractal Analytics is an AI company that provides consumer packaged goods, insurance, healthcare, life sciences, retail, and technology services. It was founded in 2000 by five graduates from IIM Ahmedabad in Mumbai when the word start-up was less mainstream than it is today. Due to internal conflict, it took Fractal over 20 years to earn a unicorn tag.
In 2005, the company decided to move the business to the US, as the country was home to a massive number of clients. However, in a couple of years, two of the co-founders took an exit from the company. Things took a turn when along with two co-founders, the company lost one of its key clients. The circumstances attempted to stop Fractal from getting a tag of a unicorn for over a decade, but the company continued to evolve over the years and improved its platform until it became a unicorn in 2022.
Tata 1mg
Industry – E-pharmacy Platform
Founded in – 2015
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2022
Tagline – Bringing care to health
Valuation – $1.25 billion
Founders – Prashant Tandon, Gaurav Agarwal and Vikas Chauhan
Parent Organization – Tata Digital Limited
The Story –
Where there’s a will, there’s a TATA, but the backstory of Tata 1mg is something you should know and take notes on. The startup was initially launched as Healthkartplus in 2013, the time when people, especially Indians, started trying their hands at online shopping, be it for books, gadgets, etc. The journey of 1mg began as a consumer awareness platform, helping them learn about their medicines while also comparing prices of the various alternatives for the brand that they were prescribed.
Initially, there were just three employees (only the founders), Prashant Tandon, Gaurav Agarwal, and Vikas Chauhan, but today 1mg has over 200 members across multiple locations throughout India. Back then, there were very few trustworthy online pharmacies in India, which helped 1mg become the most trusted name in the industry in a short time. In June 2021, Tata Digital acquired a majority stake in 1mg, and the company got a new name – Tata 1 mg.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“We must learn to survive, and then we will thrive – Prashant Tandon”
LivSpace
Industry – Home Renovation & Interior Designing
Founded in – 2014
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2022
Tagline – Hassle-free dream home interiors for any budget
Valuation – $1.2 billion
Founders – Anuj Srivastava & Ramakant Sharma
The Story –
You might have seen the TVC of Livspace starring Virat Kohli (in a TURBAN) and Anushka Sharma. The story of Livspace began when the founders set out to design their dream homes and discovered the industry needed to be more integrated. The omnichannel home interior and renovation company was founded by a Google veteran, Anuj Srivastava & his IIT-Kanpur classmate Ramakant Sharma in 2014. Shagufta Anurag, the founder of Space Matrix, was also the company’s co-founder.
The start-up saves you from all the hustle and bustle you have to deal with, from carpenters to plumbers and confusing rates to unreliable schedules. The designers at Livspace create a mock-up for the customer using Livspace’s proprietary software, and once accepted by the client, they hire third-party contractors to get the job done. Livspace earned the title of a unicorn when it successfully raised $180 million in a round led by KKR, taking the value of the firm to over 1$ billion.
OYO Rooms
Industry – Hospitality
Founded in – 2013
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2018
Tagline – #AurKyaChahiye
Valuation – $9 billion
Founders – Ritesh Agarwal
Parent Organization – Oravel Stays Limited
The Story –
How often have you stayed at the hotel while on vacation or outing? The chances are at least 10-15 times in your lifetime. Well, the founder of OYO rooms, Ritesh Agarwal, used to travel a lot from the age of 17 and every time he stayed at the hotels, he experienced the scarcity of quality hotels, especially in the budget segment. To help people from having such a horrible experience, he launched Oravel Stays, an online portal for vacation rentals.
The platform collapsed in a short time, but two fortunate things happened. First, the relationships Ritesh had formed with hotel owners helped him a lot and secondly, he got an opportunity of the Thiel Fellowship, a two-year program from PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. During his stay fellowship in California, he relaunched Oravel Stays as OYO Hotels & Homes to create India’s largest chain of affordable, standardised hotels.
As soon as he arrived in India, he started reaching out to the hotel owners he had worked with earlier during his days at Oravel Stays. With all the hard work, he managed to acquire rooms in hotels across the country and transformed them into OYO, which boosted the hotel’s occupancy rates from 19% to 90% in the first month only. Today, Oyo rooms are widely distributed all over India, in more than 800 cities, with more than 23,000 hotels and 850,000 rooms.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“Start small, nail it and then make it big – Ritesh Agarwal”
Meesho
Industry – Retail and E-commerce
Founded in – 2015
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2021
Tagline – Not just a homemaker, a Meesho Entrepreneur
Valuation – $4.9 billion
Founders – Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal
Parent Organization – Meesho Inc
The Story –
Another startup co-founded by IITians. Now a unicorn, Meesho started as a reseller platform allowing users to resell products via their social channels such as WhatsApp, Instagram etc. The founders, Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal started the company with the goal of empowering the next generation of entrepreneurs in India. In the early days, the team focused on building a solid product and acquiring users through word-of-mouth and referral marketing.
Within a few months, they realised that their target market was primarily women in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities looking for flexible and low-cost ways to earn income and decided to tailor their product and marketing strategies to serve this demographic better. In 2017, the startup raised $3.4 million in a seed funding round, which allowed them to expand and invest in team, technology and infrastructure. Today, Meesho has over 15 million registered sellers and reaches over 200 million customers.
What’s next?
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“For growth, focus on your customers. Nothing else matters. – Vidit Aatrey and Sanjeev Barnwal”
upGrad
Industry – EdTech
Founded in – 2015
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2021
Tagline – A journey as dynamic as us
Valuation – $2.25 billion
Founders – Ronnie Screwvala, Mayank Kumar, Phalgun Kompalli, and Ravijot Chugh
Parent Organization – UpGrad Education Pvt. Ltd
The Story –
We’ve various e-learning options for students, but what about professionals looking to upgrade their careers? Yes, the same thought was the base of upGrad, an EdTech startup founded in 2015 by Ronnie Screwvala, Phalgun Kompalli, Mayank Kumar, and Ravijot Chugh. The journey of upGrad began with the goal of providing quality education to working professionals and students in India looking to upskill and advance their careers.
Like the rest of the startups, upGrad faced several challenges, including a need for more awareness and understanding of online education in India but managed to conquer all the crises that came in way. The company started with just a single program, in digital marketing and within a short while but quickly expanded its offerings to include programs in data science, software engineering, and business management.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“Failure never stopped anybody who didn’t want to be stopped – Ronnie Screwvala”
Zomato
Industry – Online Food Ordering and Delivery Platform
Founded in – 2008
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2015
Tagline – Every meal matters
Valuation – $5.4 Billion
Founders – Deepinder Goyal, Gaurav Gupta, and Pankaj Chaddah
The Story –
Back in the 2000s, writing a food review was rare, as people only used to follow word of mouth instead of looking for the review on the internet. The founders of Zomato were working at Bain & Co in New Delhi when they came up with the idea of Foodiebay, now known as Zomato. At first, it started as a food blog, providing information about restaurants in the Delhi region and by providing restaurant information, including menus, prices, and user reviews, through its website and mobile app.
In only nine months, FoodieBay became Delhi’s most preferred restaurant directory, and the founders decided to start the services in Mumbai and Kolkata. In 2010, the name Foodiebay was officially changed to ‘Zomato’, and since then, the company has grown to become one of the most popular food delivery apps in India and across the globe. The company also faced major hurdles during their decade-long journey and always bounced back with a better solution to thrive the crises.
Info Edge (India) played a huge role in the formation of Zomato as they were the first to invest about US$ 1 million when the startup did not have enough funds to start the app. By 2013, Zomato expanded its business in foreign countries such as Sri Lanka, UAE, Qatar, South Africa, the UK, the Philippines, New Zealand, Turkey, and Brazil. Since 2014, Zomato has acquired Poland’s Gastronauci, Italy’s Cibando, and US-based online table reservation platform NexTable.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“When you are still building an organization, don’t be defensive about your culture – Deepinder Goyal”
Ola Electric
Industry – Automotive
Founded in – 2017
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2019
Tagline – Ready or not, a revolution is coming
Valuation – $5+ Billion
Founders – Bhavish Aggarwal
Parent Organization – Ola Cabs
The Story –
EVs are the key to a sustainable future, and Ola Electric wanted to take the lead. The company was founded by the electric vehicle arm of Indian ride-hailing giant Ola with an aim to make electric mobility accessible and affordable for all by deploying a fleet of electric vehicles (EVs) and building a network of charging infrastructure across the country.
The journey of Ola Electric began with the launch of a pilot project in Nagpur, Maharashtra, in 2017. Ola Electric, which started making two-wheelers in 2021, will introduce the sportiest car ever manufactured in India with an electric vehicle that has a range of more than 500 km and even accelerates from 0-100 in less than 4 seconds.
Ola Electric also entered into a partnership with leading automakers such as Mahindra and Tata Motors to develop and manufacture electric vehicles in India. Today, Ola Electric has a fleet of thousands of electric vehicles on the road and more than 100 charging stations in multiple cities across India and is valued at over $5 billion.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“Don’t take shortcuts while building your company, keep trying for the best – Bhavish Aggarwal”
Bangalore has been a fortress of EdTech platforms, and in the case of Vedantu, it all began with private lessons to a handful of students in their local community. The online tutoring platform was initially founded in 2011 but launched for the public in October 2014. The EdTech platform was founded by four friends from the IITs who were passionate about education and wanted to make a difference in the lives of students – Vamsi Krishna, Pulkit Jain, Saurabh Saxena, and Anand Prakash.
Vedantu provides services to students from grades 4th to 12th for the Indian Certificate of Secondary Education (ICSE) & Central Board of Secondary Education. The EdTec platform uses an innovative Whiteboard Audio Video Education (WAVE) program for their 1-1 student-teacher live sessions. The EdTech company provides education to students with both free and paid classes options and aims to provide test preparation courses for the JEE, NTSE, and PSA exams in the future.
PharmEasy
Industry – Pharmaceutical
Founded in – 2015
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2021
Tagline – Take it easy, PharmEasy
Valuation – $5.6 Billion
Founders: Dharmil Sheth and Dr Dhaval Shah
Parent Organization – API Holdings Private Limited
The Story –
Back in 2014, when people were experiencing door-to-door delivery services from the brands like Zomato, Flipkart, Swiggy, and Amazon, the founders of PharmEasy thought, why not deliver health care items right at the door in the same way? The pharmaceutical industry in our country is one of the poorly organised industries, but no one was complaining about it until you’re travelling hundreds of kilometres to buy one tablet.
Dharmil Sheth and Dr Dhawal Shah co-founded PharmEasy in 2014 with the goal of making healthcare a lot more accessible in India. The duo created a healthcare delivery platform to simplify and modernise the healthcare setup in India. Thanks to the digitisation of the pharmaceutical industry, we can now order our medicines online from the comfort of our homes, without any hustle and with the most budget-friendly rates.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“Your belief in yourself will drive everything around you. – Dharmil Sheth”
Razorpay
Industry – FinTech
Founded in – 2014
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2020
Tagline – #Powering Disruptors
Valuation – $7.5 Billion
Founders: Dharmil Sheth and Dr Dhaval Shah
The Story –
Seeing an Indian company leading the pack is rare, but Razorpay has achieved it in the payment sector. It started as a project to solve the problem of online payments and has since grown into one of the prominent members of the coveted unicorn club. Before co-founding Razorpay, Harshil Mathur and Shashank Kumar decided to work on a crowdfunding platform, but soon, the duo realised that online payment was a problem for small & medium-sized (SME) businesses, particularly e-commerce platforms.
The founders of Razorpay, Shashank and Harshil, studied Mechanical Engineering at NIT Allahabad and IIT Bombay, respectively. They first met on a train journey, and while conversing, they both got stuck on one question – how to accept payments online. They offered lower fees than their counterparts as they wanted to revolutionise payment options and access to several online payment methods for business entities, including credit & debit cards, net banking, and UPI.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“Throwing things around in the calendar does not help… maintain a to-do list – Harshil Mathur”
Groww
Industry – FinTech
Founded in – 2017
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2021
Tagline – There’s just one right way
Valuation – $5 Billion
Founders: Lalit Keshre, Harsh Jain, Neeraj Singh, and Ishan Bansal
Parent Organization – Nextbillion Technology
The Story –
Spending time with the right people can take you to the right places. Earlier, when it came to investing, people had to do a lot of paperwork and bank visits and stand in long queues, but now we have various options. Today, with startups like Groww, to begin investing and managing your wealth, you need a few things – a bank account, some disposable income, and a smartphone. Groww is one of several startups that have aroused the curiosity of investors.
The startup was founded in 2016 by four former Flipkart workers, Lalit Keshre, Harsh Jain, Neeraj Singh, and Ishan Bansal. The platform was started to make investing more accessible to young people by simplifying the process, and it uses technology to reach the right audience, reducing its operational expense. Groww offers various services to consumers by providing investment offerings in mutual funds, stocks, IPO, and digital gold.
A quote from the founder that can change your perspective
“Always try to understand the business first and then the price of the stock – Ishan Bansal”
Urban Company
Industry – Household Services
Founded in – 2014
Entered the Unicorn Club in – 2021
Valuation – $2.1 Billion
Founders: Abhiraj Singh Bhal, Raghav Chandra and Varun Khaitan
Parent Organization – UrbanClap Technologies India Pvt. Ltd.
The Story –
Who empowered professionals from the industries like massage, cleaning and salon? A startup founded by three great minds, Abhiraj Singh Bhal, Raghav Chandra and Varun Khaitan, named Urban Company. Before founding Urban Company, Abhiraj and Varun launched Cinemabox, a service that allowed travellers to stream movies on their phones on planes, trains or buses, which lasted for only 6 months.
Later on, they met Raghav and during one of their intense conversations, they understood the country was lying behind the in-home services market, like finding the right plumber, electrician, or beautician. Right then, they decided to work on the idea and founded Urban Company, formerly UrbanClap, in 2014. Today, it has more than 40,000 service partners across 50+ cities in India, the UAE, Singapore, Australia and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
What’s next?
The company plans to expand and train and upskill 5 lakh service partners, of which 2 lakh will be women partners, by 2030.
The design is no doubt spectacular and sleek. It feels rigid and weighs around 511 grams, which does make it slightly heavier than the iPad 9th gen, but it doesn’t feel much heavy. This tablet has a polycarbonate back, though at first glance it certainly doesn’t look and feel like one. This does not mean that the build quality is compromised in any way. All in all, with its sharp edges and curves, it does feel premium to hold. The leatherette keyboard, which is an added accessory, turns into a nice case for the pad, which accentuates the overall appeal of the pad 5.
Functionality
The Xiaomi Pad 5 comes with quad speakers at the top and bottom, there’s a Type-C USB port, and a magnetic pin on one side to connect it with the keyboard. The Xiaomi Smart Pen can be attached to the side where the volume buttons are placed. There’s no headphone jack. Xiaomi is also limiting the Pad 5 to just WiFi-only variants in India. There’s no cellular option, and presumably, those would have cost extra as well.
In terms of controls, you’ll only find a power button and volume rocker on two sides of the same frame corner. Elsewhere there’s a USB-C port and a POGO connector for Xiaomi’s accompanying keyboard.
Display
This is a panel with a meaty 2.5K resolution (1600 x 2560).
The tablet has a 10.95-inch LCD and this is a 2.5K resolution with a 16:10 format. Although it’s IPS LCD – rather than OLED – you still get excellent colour range and support for both HDR10 and Dolby Vision. The maximum refresh rate is 120 Hz, though you can also stick with the base 60 Hz.
Audio
The entertainment use case is further helped by the loud and rich audio churned out by the quad speakers – two on each side. These speakers support Dolby Atmos, and what’s more, they can even map and adjust stereo sound automatically as you switch tablet orientation between horizontal and vertical. All this might look pointless for a tablet, but these tiny details at the end of the day all add up and help make a difference to the overall experience.
Software
The Xiaomi Pad 5 comes with the Snapdragon 860 processor, 6GB RAM and 128GB or 256GB storage version. In terms of daily performance, there were really no complaints as such. Yes, this tablet is powerful enough to run your daily quota of games, productivity or casual browsing and entertainment. But wait, it still runs an android OS, which makes it have its own limitations.
Keyboard and Stylus
Xiaomi is also offering a stylus pen and a keyboard folio cover as optional accessories in a bid to add functionality and increase the Pad 5’s appeal. The keyboard is sleek and the leatherette texture surely feels premium to hold, but considering the size of the keyboard, it just fulfils its dire need. The Xiaomi Smart Pen is an active stylus that connects with the tablet over Bluetooth and attaches magnetically with the slate on its top spine. Attaching it to the tablet also charges its built-in battery. The use cases are as expected – the pen can be used to scribble notes, draw, annotate etc. The only drawback to which is that the two buttons on the pen cannot be customized, but rather have predefined functionalities.
Verdict
If you are looking for an Android tablet that offers a good display and performance while fulfilling daily entertainment and basic productivity needs, the Xiaomi Pad 5 delivers well. The Xiaomi Pad 5 is an exceptional Android tablet – but it is still an Android tablet, which has many limitations. But, considering the cost it is available, it really does serve a purpose.
Rating: 4 star
Good :
Capable display
Smooth performance
Audio output
Bad :
Misses out on the 3.5mm headphone jack & fingerprint scanner
Since the onset of the pandemic, facemasks have become the new norm when going out in public but donning them represents its own sets of challenges.
The new LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier is a literal breath of fresh air as it aims to resolve all these conundrums while adding a modicum of technological chic. The LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier is an electronic face mask and has a number of updates compared to the last version.
The second-generation LG PuriCare comes with added tech, in addition to being smaller, lighter at 94g, and a much more efficient motor. It features dual fans that control airflow automatically by sensing the user’s breathing patterns to enable easy breathing. According to LG, the mask can be worn comfortably for up to 6-8 hours, while its 1,000mA recharges in 2-3 hours with the included Easy Charge USB cable.
What’s new?
The wearable air purifier is Bluetooth enabled, which allows you to connect it to the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier app for Android. Once connected, the app allows you to adjust voice volume and airflow, view respiratory data reports, manage filter duration and replacement cycle, check real-time battery information, turn the unit ON/OFF and perform firmware updates. The LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier Gen 2 uses the same H13 HEPA Filters and professional-grade filters found in all other premium air purifiers.
What’s in it?
The new LG PuriCare comes in a compact form package. Inside the box are two PuriCare HEPA filters, a packet consisting of 15 inner covers and a face guard packed in separate packaging.
The design of the wearable air purifier is cleaner and more streamlined and makes it comfortable to wear. The smart, ergonomic design was designed to fit any face. It fits and seals the face, comfortable for everyday wear while minimizing air leakage. It also uses medical-grade silicone that has been checked for safety. However, you’ll start to feel the strain of wearing the purifier after an extended period of time.
Usability
Using the air purifier requires a little bit of assembling. First, you need to open the filter case on the left and right sides to place it in the PuriCare filters. Then you insert the inner cover and finally the face guard by just sliding it into place and the built-in magnets hold the face guard in place. The magnets are strong enough to hold the face guard in place while wearing it, yet it’s easy enough to pull off when you have to remove it.
The LG PuriCare needs to be charged before you can start using it. It takes about two to three hours to fully charge up the device’s 1,000mAh battery. LG says that you can use the PuriCare for eight hours on a single charge, and based on real-world usage, we got about six hours of usage before plugging in to recharge.
Once the assembly is complete, the PuriCare can be turned on using the power button at the bottom. The fan inside the mask starts to kick in only when you inhale, as there is a respiratory sensor. It detects the cycle and volume of the wearer’s breath and adjusts the dual three-speed fans accordingly. The fans automatically speed up to assist air intake and slow down to reduce resistance when exhaling to make breathing effortless. You can even change the fan speed via the mobile application.
Verdict :
From a purely functional standpoint, the LG PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier makes for a highly effective solution that directly addresses several of the traditional pain points seen when wearing normal surgical or fabric masks. Its application is more suited for individuals who suffer from breathing problems as it aids in purifying the polluted air. It makes breathing easier and is more comfortable to use while the VoiceOn feature helps with social interactions but the cost of expendables and the initial high cost of entry may be daunting factors. If your budget permits, this is definitely something worthy of consideration.
Star Rating: 3.5
Specs : ( Choose and pick any )
Colour
Ocean Black
Creamy White
Operation Noise (dB)
35dB (Min) ~ 52dB (Max)
Bluetooth
Yes (BLE 5.0)
Fan
Dual Inverter Fan
Air purifier Filter
HEPA13 (2EA) (99.95%)
Sensor
Respiratory Sensor
Usage time
8hr (Max)
Recharge Time
approx. 2 Hours
Battery
Built-in Li on Rechargeable (1000mAh) / USB C Type
Air Volume(LPM)
10~55 (Max)
Dimensions
142 × 109 × 52mm
Weight
94g (112g, including L size Face Guard)
Good :
Smaller and quieter Dual Fan motor.
VoiceON Technology
H13 HEPA Filters
Bad: 1000 mAh battery lasts less than 8 hours before having to be recharged.
Cancer is the second-leading cause of death globally. In 2020 alone, cancer was responsible for nearly 10 million deaths. Scientists have conducted ongoing research and experimented to find a cure for this disease throughout history. The first cancer patient was cured in 1898 using radiation, a method used to cure cancer in the current times, and this is called chemotherapy. Chemotherapy damages the genes inside the nucleus of the abnormal cancerous cells. Although this treatment has a five-year survival rate of 90%, it is often pretty dangerous for people because of the excessive radiation exposure to the patients. The dangers of excessive radiation have motivated scientists to find a safer and more efficient way of curing cancer through research and experiments.
In a recent trial on 18 rectal cancer patients in the US, cancer disappeared from each patient through a drug called Dostarlimab. Doctors at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York conducted the research published in the New England Journal of Medicine. “At the time of our report, no patients had had chemoradiotherapy or surgery.” researchers said in a media outlet study, which meant that the drug Dostarlimab didn’t require any surgery or chemotherapy to decrease the tumour.
The trial is a fascinating breakthrough since nothing like this has ever happened in the history of cancer, where the cancer tumour has decreased/faded from each patient. Experts applauded the study because not all patients had significant adverse effects from the pharmaceutical experiment.
Although this is exciting news, people should not be overly hyped about this because Dostarlimab is not 100% a cure for cancer and has significant side effects which make it undifferentiable from chemotherapy. “We do not know if it will work for other cancers, apart from rectal cancer, because testing and trials have not been done,” Dr Ashok Kumar Vaid. “(My) initial thoughts were that this was very exciting because patients were getting cured without any radiation, surgery, or chemotherapy. A deeper dive brings up questions,” Adds Dr Anil Heroor
Even though there are multiple drawbacks to this study, such as the cost of treatment, small sample size, and eligibility, this is an outstanding achievement for science. Everyone should hope for the best while being realistic.
When was the last time you were enthralled with any new tech innovation? Are all the problems solved yet? Let’s Airbnb, let’s Uber it, let’s google it, what’s next? Indeed Cryptocurrencies and NFTs are all good, but they are not really solving any significant problems. When did the last excellent smartphone innovation happen? Flip phones and fold phones – yes, different form factors and promising but this Invention I saw several years back at the CES. When the new iPhones are announced, the upgrades are minimalistic so much that if you have an iPhone 12 series and unless you want a flaunt factor, there is no real need for an upgrade to the iPhone 13. Android smartphones from Samsung, Vivo, and Oppo, Oneplus make changes mostly around camera, RAM & resolution upgrades and maybe some surface material improvements. Is anyone really thinking about profound inventions? Something like a smartphone that doesn’t need to charge for 30 days is a good starting point or a solar-powered one.
Robotics innovation though promising has not pushed the boundaries and really can’t do much more than dance and get a can of coke. What about medical innovation? A deadly virus like Covid can paralyse the whole world and suck everything out of us; what were the world scientists doing. The last time the deadliest invention happened was when nuclear bombs were invented, which resulted in giving destructive powers to heads of state to bring the countries to an end. What if Vladimir Putin loses it entirely and does a nuclear strike on Ukraine, whose only fault is that it gave up its nuclear arsenal and doesn’t possess those weapons of mass destruction, to have a counterthreat ready. Where is the invention which can save the world from an accidental nuclear explosion? Are we really working on it or waiting for another pandemic type phenomenon.
The dark web and digital currency are both a reality. A parallel universe exists in the dark web even before we got acquainted with Meta Verse. Oculus VR, invented by Palmer Luckey, which Facebook later acquired, has opened a string of norms where Digital land, digital avatars, and all sorts of virtual-real world thighs are happening, so much so that Facebook changed its name to Meta. Just like bitcoin in 2008 made cryptocurrency a reality and opened the flood gates of the token and NFT industry. But it’s 2022 and in the last decade, nothing which can change the world for good and make living more beautiful has come out. It’s symbolic that iPod has taken a bow giving way to the streaming industry, and storing music is historical. As long as it progresses, technological changes are good. Just like iPod did its job and changed the way music was consumed, we need technological breakthroughs that can change a lot of things, make the air we breathe better again, keep check on global warming and provide drinkable water to all. Just the basic things we need!
“Skill in photography is acquired by practice and not by purchase” – Percy W Harris.
Photography can never be learned thoroughly; it comes by practice and perseverance. As one starts capturing images learning and unlearning happen daily. But some basic rules mustn’t be forgotten.
1. Rule of Thirds:
As the name suggests, the frame is divided into three equal parts horizontally and vertically. The intersection points of each square grid are essential to place the elements on those lines. This will help in a visual appeal and enhance the photograph.
2. Exposure Triangle:
ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture make up the exposure triangle in photography. A balanced triangle will give a more appealing image and sharp photographs. The ISO controls the camera’s sensitivity to light. Shutter speed controls the time for which the lenses shutter will be open while clicking a photo. Aperture controls the amount of light entering the camera lens.
3. White Balance:
To capture clear and accurate photos, the camera’s white balance should be adjusted. It is done according to the light being used to click pictures. Automatic white balance (AWB), Fluorescent, Tungsten, Daylight, Cloudy, Flash, Shade is the most commonly used white balance settings.
4. The Golden Ratio:
The focus is more on the centre according to this ratio. It is a ratio of approximately 1.618 to 1. It has been used for centuries by architects artists and can be found naturally in our surroundings.
5. Leading Lines:
These lines appear in a photograph showing the viewers’ attention from one part of the photograph to the other. The leading lines direct the viewers’ eyes to the main subject of the composition.
6. Depth of Field:
In photography, the depth of field (DOF) is the distance between the nearest object in the foreground and the farthest object in the background. A shallow or a deep depth of field can significantly impact a photograph.
7. Avoid Camera Shake:
Avoiding pictures looking blurred is the most essential and fundamental aspect of photography. To make sure the photograph is sharp and clear, one’s hands must be steady at all times. Using a tripod stand is also a great way to click clear images.
8. Shoot in RAW:
Starting to shoot in RAW will give higher resolution photos and let one have more control in post-production. The RAW format will not compress the images.
9. Understand Perspectives:
Try and click a photo from different angles to give it perspectives. The more you click from various angles, the more perspective you will get in a single photograph.
10. Avoid Flash Indoors:
Using flash indoors can make the photo look unnatural and harsh. One can use a higher ISO to replace flash, select the required shutter speed, and use the widest aperture.
We took the 7 seater Volvo XC90 on a 7-course meal with the Masterchef Shipra Khanna. What happened is a tasty conversation where Ramesh Somani explained seven features of the Volvo XC90 and learn about the Seven course Gourment meal from the Masterchef.
Being an open social media platform, Twitter generally attracts several controversies very often, and it happens due to the nature of the platform. The popular social media platform allows users to post about everything except images or videos depicting graphic violence, hate-group imagery and pornography. Though Twitter’s latest policy on pornography permits users with verified accounts to share explicit content within their tweets by marking it “this media is sensitive.”
Also, in the last couple of years, we have witnessed many controversial tweets from all around the world, be it on #blacklivesmatter or #metoo movement and in the case of our country, most of these tweets are coming from a few celebrities and stand up comedians who tweeted their blunt views on patriotism or government strategies, but we’re not going to focus more on controversial tweets because, over the years, Twitter has blessed us with a few good tweets too and before walking into 2022, let’s take a look at the positive side of the platform.
Barack Obama
"No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion…" pic.twitter.com/InZ58zkoAm
Let’s begin with the tweet of Barack Obama, who’s a two-term President of the United States and the most followed individual currently on Twitter with over 130 million followers. The ex-president mostly tweets about his activities and work related to his Obama Foundation, but the tweet that went viral and caught everyone’s eyes was “No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin or his background or his religion…”
The tweet, which quotes a line from Nelson Mandela’s autobiography “Long Walk to Freedom”, came after the violence in Charlottesville where a 32-year-old woman was killed, and 19 others were injured when a man allegedly accelerated his car into a crowd of counter-protesters. The tweet stayed on the top as the most-liked tweet until Chadwick Boseman’s family disclosed the news of his demise with the tweet from his account.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk is known for his contradictory work, theories, tweets and comments. When coronavirus was at its peak in foreign countries like the United States, United Kingdom and China, a tweet from Elon Musk caught everyone’s attention. In a tweet, the SpaceX founder said, “The coronavirus panic is dumb,” even though he doesn’t have a background in medicine or virology. The tweet didn’t age well as globally coronavirus infections crossed over 27.5Cr while killing over 53.5L people and counting.
Breaking the news of Osama bin Laden’s Death
So I'm told by a reputable person they have killed Osama Bin Laden. Hot damn.
One of the reasons behind Twitter getting popular after 2010 was its news breaking culture. The platform has unveiled a number of top news’ through its wide base of users, and one of them was the news of Osama bin Laden’s death which came out from a tweet of Keith Urbahn, a former chief of staff to defence secretary Donald Rumsfeld. Before this tweet, one more tweet provided a hint of the news, and it came from a Pakistan-based IT consultant, Sohaib Athar, which reads, “Helicopter hovering above Abbottabad at 1 AM is a rare event”.
#BlackLivesMatter
“Racism isn’t getting worse, it’s getting filmed” – Will Smith
The hashtags #BlackLivesMatter first came into the limelight during 2013 as the movement to curb police violence gained steam but arose like a spaceship missile during May 2020, when George Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was murdered in the Powderhorn Park. The protest was against incidents of police brutality and all racially motivated violence against black people.
While protesting physically, the protestors also started using the hashtag #BlackLivesMatter on social media platforms, especially on Twitter, to gain the world’s attention and support. Since 2013, more than 41 million tweets have been tagged with #BlackLivesMatter, but one of the tweets that went viral during this phase was from Femi Koleoso, and it mentions a quote from Will Smith, “Racism isn’t getting worse, it’s getting filmed.”
If you want to win at social media, you have to focus on creative marketing as people might usually don’t care about the brand, but if you do the marketing job well, they’ll surely remember your brand and then eventually end up having it. One such great marketing tweet came during a Super Bowl XLVII in 2013 when a surprise blackout delayed the game of the National Football League for 34 minutes. A quick-moving tweet from Oreo reads, Power out? No problem, followed by an image that shows a text, “you can still dunk in the dark.”
