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Hike beats WhatsApp to launching messenger app payments in India
Hike, which is introducing version 5.0 today, is starting out with peer-to-peer and bank-to-bank payment options, the former being an in-app wallet that is not dependent on a bank account and the latter a service powered by India’s government-backed UPI payment system. Beyond sending cash to each other, Hike has also introduce a ‘blue packet’ feature that lets users gift digital envelopes of cash for special occasions, such as birthdays.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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The power of a billion: India’s genomics revolution
India is the land of inventors and industry, spices and spirituality - and 1.3 billion human genomes. But although the subcontinent contributes around 20% of the world's population, the DNA sequences of its people make up around 0.2% of global genetic databases.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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Sri Lanka’s first reality show to promote entrepreneurship and impact investment
“Our vision is to build a thriving social enterprise sector in Sri Lanka by 2025. Ath Pavura is a giant step in our journey. The purpose of Ath Pavura is to find and promote social entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka. It’s the best opportunity for entrepreneurs in Sri Lanka to promote their innovative solutions to social and environmental problems on television and inspire many more aspiring future social entrepreneurs,” said Social Enterprise Lanka Founder Eranda Ginige.
- Categories
- Investing
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- impact investing
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From IIT to UC Berkeley, and Back – All to Make Agriculture More Efficient & Profitable
A job in the social sector is seen as the domain of social workers who sacrifice everything for the greater good. But increasingly, working in the social sector requires a balance between having a “business” mind and a “social” heart. Most social entrepreneurs lead financially secure lives, with the added satisfaction of doing something good and transforming lives. Yet, not many have the courage to take this less taken path.
- Categories
- Agriculture
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- agtech
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These Indian Entrepreneurs Upcycle Religious Flowers Into Useful Products
Because the flowers have been used for worship, they’re sacred, and therefore can’t be just sent to landfill, explains Ankit Agarwal, an Indian entrepreneur. Hindu temples often throw the spent flowers into the River Ganges, a venerated waterway. But this just exacerbates the Ganges’s legendary pollution: The flowers are sprayed with pesticides and other chemicals that leach into the environment.
- Categories
- Environment
- Region
- South Asia
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Healthquad raises Rs. 750 million to support thematic healthcare companies in India
India's leading specialist healthcare focused venture capital fund 'Healthquad' has achieved its final close with a total commitment of Rs. 750 million for investing in thematic and disruptive healthcare business models in the country.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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Demonitization May Lead To Equity Erosion For Microfinance Institutions, Says India Ratings
India Ratings had warned about a build up of risks in microfinance even before demonetization was announced in November last year. Since then, the cash shortage brought on by the currency exchange program and increased instances of farm loan waivers, have disrupted the market further.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- microfinance
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Climate Change Has Made Heat Waves Much More Deadly, Mainly for the Poor
A study published in Science Advances shows that as average summer temperatures in India rose 0.5 oC from 1960 until 2009, the chance of a heat wave causing more than 100 deaths more than doubled. As the authors write, their work is far from theoretical: heat waves in 2010, 2013, and 2015 each killed thousands of people across the country.
- Categories
- Environment
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- climate change
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