India Press Releases

Total Post: 1497

Indian fly high at the Waste to Base materials Challenge sponsored by HeroX and NASA

Indian fly high at the Waste to Base materials Challenge sponsored by HeroX and NASA

Kannur, Kerala, April 30, 2022: HeroX, a leading platform and open marketplace for crowdsourced solutions, recently announced the winners of the crowdsourcing competition, “Waste to Base Materials Challenge: Sustainable Reprocessing in Space“. Future human missions to Mars and the journey back to Earth are expected to take two to three years. During this time, significant amounts of waste will be generated. HeroX was seeking innovative approaches to repurpose, recycle, and reprocess the waste generated on board to enable mission sustainability with its open innovation challenge.

NASA’s Waste to Base Materials Challenge asked the larger community to provide inventive approaches to waste management and conversion in four specific categories:

  • Trash
  • Fecal waste
  • Foam packaging material
  • Carbon dioxide processing

Team collab consisting of Aadhithya & Dr.Mitul Sarkar won 2 awards in the trash & foam packaging material categories.

Aadhithya is an innovator from India who loves solving innovation challenges, in this process by cross-pollination of knowledge across industries he has won 50+ global innovation challenges in the last 10 years.

Dr.Mitul Sarkar based in the U.S.A is an ‘alchemist’ for transformational ideas & innovation. He has leveraged his experience, knowledge, and foresight at the intersections of health, education, technology, and business, along with his interests in marketing, storytelling, and futuring.

Competing against teams from around the world, the team collab proposed two solutions, one that should cut down foam packaging used extensively for protecting equipment during launch, which after launch usually ends up as waste, the new solution will provide radiation shielding, save space & provide 100’s of liters of extra water critical for longer space missions and the second solution will help extract even a drop of water leftover in a straw or water pouches or other waste generated in space.

Aadhithya is also the founder of an innovation listing portal called Givemechallenge.com, which helps people around the world to find such innovation opportunities.

HOLY11 IS BRINGING BLOCKCHAIN TO THE INDIAN FANTASY SPORTS INDUSTRY

HOLY11 IS BRINGING BLOCKCHAIN TO THE INDIAN FANTASY SPORTS INDUSTRY

Blockchain is currently one of the most talked-about business technologies. From banking and cybersecurity to the intellectual property and gaming industry, blockchain technology has the potential to make significant changes and open up new opportunities across industries.

Blockchain is a distributed, immutable ledger that makes recording transactions and tracking assets in a business network much easier. On a blockchain network, virtually anything of value can be tracked and traced, lowering risk and cutting costs for all parties involved.

Information is the lifeblood of every business. The faster and more accurate it is received, the better. Because it provides immediate, shared, and completely transparent information stored on an immutable ledger that can only be accessed by permission network members, blockchain is ideal for delivering that information.

Orders, payments, accounts, production, and much more can all be tracked using a blockchain network. You can see all details of a transaction end to end because members share a single view of the truth, giving you greater confidence as well as new efficiencies and opportunities.

The following prediction was made in a recent Trend Insight Report by analyst firm Gartner:

  1. Only 10% of businesses will use blockchain to achieve any significant transformation by 2022.
  2. At least one innovative blockchain-based business will be worth $10 billion by 2022.
  3. By 2026, the value of blockchain to businesses will have risen to just over $360 billion, and by 2030, it will have risen to more than $3.1

For caste and diploma certificate validation, the Maharashtra government began using a blockchain-based system. Validation of certificates currently requires a lot of manual intervention and is vulnerable to fraud and forgery. False certificates can prevent people from getting jobs or going to school.

“The state government will now record all the necessary details related to a caste certificate and it will be issued to the applicant. Once issued, the data will be saved in the form of a QR code, using blockchain technology. Any government department can then scan the QR code of a candidate and cross-check his or her caste certificate,” – Deependrasinh Kushwah, CEO of the Maharashtra State Innovation Society.

BLOCKCHAIN and Fantasy Sports

Just like all, its other applications Blockchain can also solve the key issue of trust in the real money gaming market of India. Today all closed and centralized applications flood the real money gaming market of India and users are left to wonder where they can find a fair game.

Holy11 is built by HashMojo Labs Pvt Ltd a Mumbai-based Software and Blockchain development start-up that is working toward’s creating complete transparency in the real money gaming market and starting with the most loved game in India which is Fantasy Cricket.

Fantasy sports are online prediction games in which users can pick their own virtual cricket team for upcoming cricket matches. Real-life player statistics are converted into fantasy points, and you earn points for the players you picked before the match. The higher your fantasy points, the better your player performs in real life. Users with the highest points win the mega cash prizes.

Very few companies have developed blockchain-based transparent games but the problem with them is the list of confusing features like ;

  • Cryptocurrency Deposits
  • Game Tokens
  • Staking &
  • Digital collectibles and Marketplace
  • Trade Positions
  • Play Insurance

Holy 11 has built a no-nonsense and 100% transparent fantasy sports gaming platform with Fiat (INR) currency so as to make it easier for everyone to understand.

HOLY 11 is built with one purpose – to provide the best decentralized and the most transparent technology available to the world while building mass adoption of Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) and Blockchain.

THIP Media and ĀCĀRA join hands to Fact Check Ayurveda-based misinformation in India

THIP Media and ĀCĀRA join hands to Fact Check Ayurveda-based misinformation in India

In a move to empower Indian citizens against Ayurveda-based health misinformation, THIP Media and Amrita Centre for Advanced Research in Ayurveda today announced their collaboration to check fake claims, myths, misinformation, and dis-information around Ayurveda.

THIP Media, the media arm of The Healthy Indian Project, is a health information and Fact check platform and is a signatory of International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN).

Amrita Centre for Advanced Research in Ayurveda (ĀCĀRA) is a part of Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham; a NAAC accredited A++ grade, multi-campus, multi-disciplinary teaching and research institution in India. It is ranked 4th by NIRF and has been accorded the Institution of Eminence status by UGC. THE Impact Rankings – the only global indicator to assess universities’ progress towards the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), has ranked Amrita, 1st in India and 41st in the world. ĀCĀRA works towards providing scientific backing for traditional medical practices and paving the way for developing an evidence-based integrative approach to health care.

Speaking on the partnership, Sudipta Sengupta, Founder and CEO of The Healthy Indian Project, says, “India’s pluralistic medical systems, less penetration of doctors, and regional language barriers create a perfect breeding ground of misinformation and disinformation about health, which often thrives on social media and WhatsApp forwards. Ayurvedic medicine remains one of India’s traditional health care systems and enjoys massive popularity. But, it is necessary to call out common myths and home remedies being claimed as scientifically proven Ayurveda facts. We are proud to be able to collaborate with ĀCĀRA for this initiative. With this alliance, we take a step forward to get support from ĀCĀRA’s knowledgeable and respected Ayurveda medical practitioners and researchers to build THIP Media as a verified health information and fact check platform.”

Commenting on the collaboration, Dr. P. Rammanohar from Amrita Centre for Advanced Research in Ayurveda says, “Ayurveda has been highly misunderstood concerning its medicines and treatment procedures. Unregulated advertisements, false claims, and prevailing myths on social media tarnish the reputation of this ancient health care system, whereas its positive contributions and potential are being undermined. The Indian Government has shown keen interest in mainstream Ayurveda in recent days. Favourable research policies have been formulated, allocated funds, and done studies even during the COVID-19 pandemic. At ĀCĀRA, we have been focusing on research to understand how Ayurveda can be deployed to better human health. Working with THIP Media, we wish to bring to light the ‘proven facts’ of Ayurveda.”

Under the collaboration, THIP Media’s chatbot RAKSHA will also be answering questions and clearing doubts about Ayurveda. RAKSHA, an acronym for Readily Accessible Knowledge and Support for Health Action (RAKSHA) is a chatbot by The Healthy Indian Project. Neelam Singh, Editor, THIP Media says, “Right knowledge is the first step of staying healthy. Any Indian citizen can Ask Raksha about any Ayurveda based questions they want answers to or share any health or Ayurveda-related message they want to get Fact Checked. All they have to do is send a message on whatsapp to +91-85078-85079. If RAKSHA knows the answer, she will reply back immediately. If RAKSHA doesn’t know the answer then she will refer the question to the internal editorial team who will then work with members of ĀCĀRA to get an answer as fast as possible. Through our partnership with ĀCĀRA we aim to make scientifically validated, evidence based knowledge about Ayurveda reach to all Indians and save them from misinformation.”

THIP Media currently publishes in 6 different languages: English, Hindi, Bangla, Punjabi, Nepali, and Gujarati. Singh confirmed that all Fact Checks done in association with ĀCĀRA would be made available in all the six languages.

Jerphy: A Platform For Make in India Products That Aims To Improve The Healthcare Infrastructure In The Country

Jerphy: A Platform For Make in India Products That Aims To Improve The Healthcare Infrastructure In The Country

In the year 2017, three individuals decided to join hands and form a company that would work towards resolving the issues plaguing the healthcare sector and offer vendors with a platform that would make it easier for them to provide their services to people across the country. While Himansu brought his expertise in the field of prosthetics and orthotics to Jerphy, Ramesh’s experience as an investment banker helped in setting up the financial foundation for the company. Rakesh, the third member of this dynamic team, used his marketing knowledge to position the company properly in the marketplace.

With an aim to become a leading e-medical service application in India, the initial products of the company were launched under the brand name 2040healthcare.com. While offering different kinds of services in the healthcare sector, the company remained firm in its resolution of dealing with only Make In India products. In a very short span of time, Jerphy has managed to register a huge footprint for itself in the healthcare sector. Till date, the company has dealt with close to 10,000 hospitals in the country.

Talking about the goal which drives Jerphy’s operations, Founder Rakesh says, “The healthcare sector in India had always faced a lot of challenges. We identified some of those issues and decided to work on them one by one. We have helped countless local vendors build a brand for themselves and be active participant in the healthcare sector on a national level. As we follow the ‘Make In India’ model, our service proves to be beneficial to both the vendors and the country. Apart from creating brand values in the global market, our company’s initiatives will contribute towards increasing the value of the Indian currency.”

Jerphy has strived towards producing Make In India healthcare products that are not only of very high-quality but cost-effective as well. More than 200 hundred sellers are already registered with the flagship products of the company that have been introduced in different categories like healthcare and sports. Within 4 years Jerphy has managed to work with more than 10,000 Hospitals and Clinics in PAN India.

Though the focus of the company is on healthcare, it understands the importance of brand building and innovative marketing.

Shedding light on the achievements of the company, co-founder Himanshu says, “Though we started out just 4-5 years back, we have managed to achieve many milestones thanks to the hard work and dedicated efforts put in by our team. A couple of months back, the valuation of our company stood at Rs. 2 crores. Since then, we have grown exponentially. We launched our official website Jerphy.com in September 2019. We were named the third most conversion site on Google.”

Jerphy’s focus is on helping vendors connect with hospitals and all kinds of customers with effortless ease. Offering good services conveniently is what the company aims for. This is one factor that has contributed greatly to the rise of the company.

Elaborating on this further, founder Rakesh shares, “We developed this platform where the feature e-negotiation enables individuals to bargain or negotiate prices online and procure products at very reasonable rates. While customers can pay through cards and digital wallets, we also provide them with the option of COD or cash-on-delivery. Along with Pan India delivery services, we offer them live video demonstration of products before the shipment.”

In the last couple of years, several brands have contributed towards revolutionizing the e-commerce sector in different ways. In the healthcare sector, the arrival of Jerphy has been no less than a remarkable event. In a very short span of time, the company has revolutionized the way healthcare services are provided in the digital space and have set a benchmark that most companies will find difficult to match up. Its commitment towards improving the healthcare sector, while adhering to the principles of Make In India, has helped it stand out and leave a distinguishable mark in a highly competitive marketplace.

Social Media Handles:-

https://www.facebook.com/jerphyindia/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/jerphy/

https://instagram.com/jerphy_india?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y

Rostec completes development of Russia’s first power plant for Arctic offshore rigs

Rostec completes development of Russia’s first power plant for Arctic offshore rigs

Rostec’s United Engine Corporation has developed the first Russian power plant, GTA-8RM, for offshore production platforms. The unit is designed to resist extreme conditions: saltwater, storms, and freezing temperatures. The first units will supply power to the Kamennomysskoye-Sea Arctic ice-resistant platform off the coast of the Yamal Peninsula.

The power plant can run on gaseous or liquid fuel. This feature lowers operating costs and streamlines maintenance. The platform will receive four GTA-8RM units, thus the total capacity of the power plant will be 32 MW.

“Earlier, Russia had to import foreign equipment for these purposes. With our scientific and industrial competencies, we can achieve full import substitution in this segment. The power plant based on GTD-8RM power plants is the first product in the range of units that we are working on. The equipment is capable of operating in extreme conditions and will be used to supply energy to offshore ice-resistant platforms. The first delivery is slated for 2023,” First Deputy General Director of Rostec State Corporation Vladimir Artyakov said.

Rostec also develops and manufactures a range of ground-based power units of 2.5 to 25 MW capacity, including GTES-2.5 and Ural-6000 gas turbine power plants and a high-power turbine GTD-110M.

The Kamennomysskoye-Sea field was discovered in 2000. It has 535 bcm of natural gas reserves. Production is planned to start in 2025 from 42 wells.

ASOBO-English ver. by NiziU’s 9-member girls group out now!

ASOBO-English ver. by NiziU’s 9-member girls group out now!

The 9-member girls’ group, “NiziU”, who released their latest digital single ‘ASOBO’ recently, will now be releasing ‘ASOBO-English ver.-’ which is the English version of ‘ASOBO’ on the 26th of April.

NiziU is a girls’ group whose members are formed originally from an audition project called “Nizi Project”. This project was created by Sony Music Entertainment Japan and JYP Entertainment and the girls were selected from the 10,000 girls who competed to debut as a girl group.

Their pre-debut digital mini-album, “Make you happy”, charted at No.1 in three categories on various digital rankings. It was the first time a female artist group was able to achieve this. They also gained over a hundred thousand downloads for their digital album. They gained 110 rankings on music charts all over the world.

The total streaming views of the leading track, which is also the title track, ‘Make you happy’, has over 300 million streams. Its music video on YouTube has also been viewed almost over 300 million times.

In December 2020, they finally made their much-awaited debut with the single ‘Step and a step’. The song successfully hit No.1 on the Japanese Oricon Weekly Singles music chart as well as the Billboard Japan Hot 100. This song gained over 100 million views on their total streaming views. Also, the music video on YouTube has been viewed over 100 million times. They received a special award at the 62nd Japan Record Awards at the end of 2020. They appeared on the program of the 71st NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red-White Song Festival) just 29 days after their debut. They made a great impression on viewers with their amazing performance.

Their success continued through 2021 and they released their second single ‘Take a picture /Poppin’ Shakin’’ in April 2021. The song also ranked No.1 on the Japanese Oricon Weekly Singles chart and Billboard Japan Hot 100. This song also gained 123 titles on the music streaming charts around the world and its total streaming views are now over 100 million. In July 2021, the song ‘Super Summer’, which was the first summer song for NiziU, was a great hit, receiving great reception. The song was used as the song for an advertisement for Coca-Cola products.

On the 24th of November, they released their 1st album “U” which has been long-awaited by their fans. This album was a compilation of their activities since their debut, so the fans had been expecting its release. The focus track “Chopstick” and the album both ranked No.1 on the Oricon Weekly Digital Album chart and Billboard Japan Hot 100. On Billboard Japan, they ranked No.1 in the category of CD sales, Downloads, and Lookup. They totally dominated the charts.

The limited streaming edition called ‘U-Special Edition’, ranked No.1 on the Oricon weekly Digital Album as well as all different kinds of music streaming charts. The song ‘Take a picture’, which was included in their 1st album “U”, has been nominated for the Japan record awards for their excellent work. They also joined the 72nd NHK Kohaku Uta Gassen (Red-White Song Festival) for two years in a row.

Their latest song ‘ASOBO’ has the main theme of ‘playfulness’. The message they want to send to fans is that “if you have a playful spirit you can learn to enjoy any mundane moments in daily life”. This song gives power to people who find boredom in their daily life and also it gives a positive feeling for when people are feeling down and are beaten up about their current situation. This is the latest single as well as their first digital single of 2022 since their 1st album “U” dropped, which was a big hit last year.

This song is a fun upbeat dance music with a pop nuance, which is influenced by house music and the Motown sound. The composition of the song is totally new for NiziU. NINA and MIIHI sing strongly in “ASOBO” as the lead vocalists and RIMA and MAYUKA join joyfully and build up the song together. The third part is about dancing and the sound is addictive and playful towards the climax. The sound is so rhythmic and you feel like dancing as soon as you start listening to the music.

Since the release on the 12th of April, the song has ranked No.1 beating many famous artists. They topped the Japan Oricon daily digital single ranking, Oricon daily streaming single ranking, LINE MUSIC, YouTube Music, AWA, mu-mu, and RecoChoku rankings. Furthermore, on the 15th of April, they gained over 10 million views for the music video of this song (https://youtu.be/SpPY1T8UU7Y). It is promising another great success for the girl group.

Now the English version of ‘ASOBO’, which has been an amazing hit in the music scene, is going to be released.

Previously, English versions of their songs were released on disk2, which was the limited album B type when their 1st album “U’ was released last year. Also, they have released English versions of ‘Take a picture’ and “Poppin’ Shakin’’ in the album “U-Special Edition-”, which was in the streaming limited-edition album.

Putting RIMA and NINA, who are native English-speaking members, as the center of the group, NiziU has worked very hard on the recording. Please check out the result of their efforts, ‘ASOBO -English ver.’. Their unique sound is so special to listen to.

NiziU will be joining the biggest Korean culture festival called “KCON 2022 Premiere” on Sunday, the 8th of May at CJ E&M center in Seoul Korea where they will be performing “ASOBO -English ver.- “for the first time ever! Stay tuned!

＜NiziU Member＞

MAKO, RIMA, RIO, RIKU, NINA, MAYA, MIIHI, MAYUKA, AYAKA

NiziU social media:

［NiziU Official Website］ https://niziu.com

［NiziU Official Twitter］ https://twitter.com/NiziU__official

［NiziU Info Official Instagram］ https://www.instagram.com/niziu_info_official

［NiziU Artist Official Instagram］ https://www.instagram.com/niziu_artist_official

［NiziU Official TikTok］ https://www.tiktok.com/@niziu_official

［NiziU Official Facebook］ https://www.facebook.com/NiziUinfoofficial

［NiziU Official YouTube Channel］ https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCHp2q2i85qt_9nn2H7AvGOw

Roscosmos and Rostec Developing Earth Observing System

Roscosmos and Rostec Developing Earth Observing System

Scientists of Russian Space Systems Holding (RSS, part of Roscosmos State Corporation) have developed a new-gen orbital observation device to support the prospective fleet of Earth remote sensing satellites (ERS). The satellite observation devices use a unique material, silicon carbide, manufactured by engineers of Rostec’s Shvabe Holding.

This domestic-originating system is being developed in cross-industry cooperation and will allow Russia to continuously monitor the Earth’s surface, providing high-resolution photos and videos. Specific materials, such as silicon carbide, help to reduce the weight and size of the spacecraft.

Silicon carbide manufactured by Lytkarino Optical Glass Factory of Rostec’s Shvabe Holding makes the body and parts of the optical circuit of the multispectral observation device, for which steel, aluminum, or titanium were previously used. The replaced material makes the device resistant to temperature fluctuations customary in space, greatly reduces the weight, and withstands even a temporary deformation of the outer shell exposed to an aggressive environment.

“Silicon carbide is one of the most promising composite materials for the aerospace industry. It has high specific stiffness, strength, and thermal conductivity. Through this, silicon carbide is the best fit to create optical devices operating under extreme temperature fluctuations, while maintaining image quality,” says Oleg Evtushenko, Rostec’s Executive Director.

Silicon carbide also allows for the installation of new imaging instruments on small satellites weighing below 120 kg. Satellites now operating in orbit have to bear as much as 500 kg of imaging instruments alone, which affects the total cost of both the satellite and its launching into orbit.

Talent over disability

Talent over disability

Talent has no boundaries, it grows when nurtured. One of the most inclusive hotel chains in the country, The Lalit Suri Hospitality Group is committed to bringing the marginal intersections of our society into the mainstream. This year, The Lalit is celebrating #AzadiKaAmritMahotsav by expanding their umbrella of an inclusive workforce. The group has recruited three pianists on board from the spectrum of disabilities.

Siddhesh Ramchandra Patil is a visually impaired pianist, who joined the team at The Lalit Mumbai. He also plays the harmonium and the keyboard flawlessly. As a child, he also dabbled with acting and landed a small role in Slumdog Millionaire and other tv shows.

The other gem is Adwitya Kumar Bhatnagar who plays at The Lalit New Delhi. He has been diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. He feels music at a deep level, which is reflected in his skills. He has completed 8 grades in piano training from the Trinity College of London. One of his expertise is playing the Hindustani classical ragas, along with the western pieces.

Raj Jain who joined The Lalit Great Eastern Kolkata was diagnosed with Retinitis Pigmentosa at the age of five and his vision was impacted. He developed an early liking for music and started to do stage performances at the young age of 13. He has won several awards and accolades for his achievements.

Despite their talent, these artists had limited opportunities. Citing their experiences, they also shared that they had seen people shutting doors on their faces, asked them to leave auditions and quit this field, without giving them a chance to show their talent, just because of their disabilities, and being different from the other performers.

The Lalit has always believed in inclusion and has pushed its team members with disabilities to explore and showcase their skills across positions and roles, from the front office to backend services.  The hotel group renowned to usher inclusion for the LGBTQIA+ communities of the country, has several people with disabilities in their team, including India’s first wheelchair-bound DJ and acid attack survivors.

The group believes in affirmative action that resonates with the organisation’s core values, i.e. respect for individuals and love for all. With this ethos, they are providing equal opportunities to all so as to create an equitable world.

Edtech startup HiCounselor raises $1.8 million in funding

Edtech startup HiCounselor raises $1.8 million in funding

San Francisco-based edtech startup HiCounselor has raised $1.8 million in the pre-seed financing round, led by Silicon Valley-based Heroic Ventures.

The funding round saw participation from Tread’s CEO Dinesh Godara, and two angel groups, SuperMorpheus, and GoldenNivesh.

Founded in 2020 by Aditya Sharma and Rani Haroune, HiCounselor is an edtech platform that helps students with upskilling and job networking to become skilled software developers, data scientists, and product managers and get into a tech career in top companies and startups in the US. HiCounselor program consists of a 4-6 weeks long cohort-based course followed by networking and referrals using their AI-powered networking tool.

“The tech industry is evolving faster than ever before. But the education in universities is still outdated and does not equip students with the required skills to get a job at top tech companies. That’s why more than 50% of graduates remain unemployed or underemployed. On the other side, employers are desperately looking to hire skilled resources, but they struggle to find the right talent. We aim to bridge this massive gap through our personalized learning platform and AI-powered job search and networking tool,” said Aditya Sharma, Co-founder, and CEO, HiCounselor.

During six weeks of the training program, students learn technical skills via 100+ hours of coding during the training program, more than 50 hours of soft skills training, live projects, assessments, and 1:1 mentorship oversight – designed by reverse engineering industry requirements and taught by industry professionals. Then, HiCounselor finds interview opportunities for candidates using their strong network of partner companies and their unique AI-powered job search automation tool. This tool automatically identifies new jobs every day and connects them with the hiring manager and recruiters. This tool allows job seekers to cut the 30+ hours per week of manual job-searching and networking efforts down to just a few minutes.

There is no upfront payment to attend the HiCounselor program. Instead, students pay HiCounselor 9% of their first year’s salary in monthly installments only after landing a job.

Prior to co-founding HiCounselor, Aditya Sharma and Rani Haroune used to work as a Technology Consultant at Deloitte and Kronos in the US. They identified this gap in the recruitment process during their job, which made them leave their full-time job in 2019 and plunge into entrepreneurship.

Website: www.hicounselor.com

Statement to Media from The Indian Direct Selling Association

Statement to Media from The Indian Direct Selling Association

New Delhi:– With 16 of its member companies providing a sizeable bulk of the livelihoods of close to 80 Lakh (8 million) people as direct sellers – including nearly 38 Lakhs (3.8 Million) women, the Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA) reiterates that its member’s companies judiciously follow all provisions of the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules 2021, in its present form. Along with other industry associations, IDSA has sought certain key amendments to these Rules, which are under consideration by the Department of Consumer Affairs, Ministry of Food, Civil Supplies, and Consumer Affairs.

The Indian Direct Selling market is around Rs 18,000 crores or just under the US $ 3 Billion, while globally, this is a US $ 180 Billion industry, providing livelihoods to around 125 million individuals. In terms of potential, this industry clearly has a long way to go in India. This fledgling industry is routinely rocked by regulatory challenges that question the very existence of the industry from time to time. It was to bring clarity to this industry, that the Consumer Protection (Direct Selling) Rules 2021 were notified by the Government. IDSA and other associations have been working with the Department of Consumer Affairs for an amendment, which now would appear to be under a cloud, given the recent negativity.

Direct Selling Companies especially those that are members of IDSA have invested heavily over the past 25 years in building Make-in-India facilities, creating supply chain, warehousing and logistical infrastructure, Training & Knowledge Management Infrastructure as well as Skilling and Digital Adoption.

IDSA is also strongly committed to several social causes including Education, Women Empowerment, Gender Diversity, Disaster Relief, and Response as well to environmental issues, in accordance with UN Sustainable Development Goals 2025.

Every Financial Transaction of each IDSA Member company is conducted and transacted with well-recorded financial statements, billing and invoicing records, etc that could be traced and cross-referenced as mandated by the Government of India. Almost all major Direct Selling companies in India, that provide direct employment to more than 20,000 people in India, contribute substantially to Employee Welfare, Benefits, and Caregiving schemes throughout the tenure of each employee with full superannuation benefits.

Furthermore, Direct Selling compensation is neither extravagant nor are out of the ordinary when compared to other multi-tiered business models where there could potentially be more tiers and levels of profit /revenue sharing among the distributor retailers wherein in Direct Sellers, there is a lesser number of intermediaries the remuneration would be notch higher. Among the most common misconceptions around Direct Selling is that it is a Get Rich Quick or Pyramid like the scheme is nothing but an agenda and design to subdue the hard reality that Direct Sellers have to work very hard for their income, be professionally trained, and skilled and where it may take several years to reach a particular level of financial self-actualization.

Furthermore, every IDSA Member company also reiterates and continues with its commitment towards responsible and mature conduct of ethical business norms adhering strictly to Avoidance, Prevention, and Restriction of business malpractices, misspelling, spreading of myths, etc. IDSA members clearly stand for the strict adherence to a Code of Business Ethics requiring Direct Sellers to be fully transparent, ethical, clearly explain the Business Model, The Product Science or Technology, and Skills of Sales, Presentation, Articulation, Engagement, and Negotiation for which Thousands of Hours of Training, Skilling and Knowledge is imparted to Direct Sellers.

IDSA reiterates that its member companies conduct their business in complete conformity and in full compliance with all applicable laws of India and have been doing so for the past 25+ years.