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Smartphones Sales to See 60 Percent Growth in India: Assocham
Sales of affordable smartphones with in-built camera and internet-enabled features are set to shoot up to 160 million in 2016-17 from 100 million in 2015-16, an Assocham study said on Wednesday.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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China’s Contribution to Global Health Security Through Pharma Partnerships
One of the major challenges in developing new medical countermeasures against threats to global health security—be it a new flu pandemic or rapid spread of a neglected disease—is the lack of an underlying commercial market to support the financial investment needed for expeditious drug development and scale-up. This challenge was demonstrated at the outset of the 2014 Ebola outbreak: even though the lethal virus was known for nearly 40 years, there was no cure or vaccine on the market. Paradoxically, while political attention to global health issues has revved up since the Ebola outbreak, funding is as short as ever when it comes to research and development (R&D) to address novel or neglected diseases. The funding shortage could be exacerbated by competing global challenges such as the need to raise money for funding the initiatives of the COP21 and implementation of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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Momo, a Mobile Payment Firm in Vietnam, Lands $28M Led by Standard Chartered Bank
Vietnam is emerging as a technology market of note in Asia. Weeks after U.S. VC firm 500 Startups announced a fund for the country, Vietnam-based fintech company Momo has landed a $28 million investment round from banking giants Standard Chartered (SCB) and Goldman Sachs.
- Categories
- Uncategorized
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Social Impact Investment in India Set to Double By 2020
Combining profits with philanthropy is no easy task but a growing number of social venture capital funds and impact investors are doing just that.
- Categories
- Impact Assessment, Investing
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- impact investing
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Why e-Tailers Are Rushing to Tap India’s Payments Goldmine
As Indian e-commerce majors ramp up their presence in the payments space, Digbijay Mishra and Samidha Sharma find out why online retailers are taking a leaf out of the China playbook and throwing their weight behind this new line of business.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- digital payments, fintech
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Coworking in India Means Sharing More Than Just a Desk
From taxi drivers to tech innovators, the Indian freelance economy has exploded in recent years. An estimated 15 million freelancers currently operate in the country, making India second only to the United States in terms of independent workers. As Indians break out of traditional employment, they’re breaking out of traditional workplaces, too — and in their stead, creative coworking spaces are thriving.
- Categories
- Technology
- Region
- South Asia
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Govt Announces Rollout of Anti-Tuberculosis Medicine Bedaquiline
Monday, the union health ministry announced the rollout of bedaquiline, the first anti-tuberculosis medicine made in 40 years. As the drug was prepared in quick response to the World Health Organisation's urgent call in 2012 to pharmaceutical companies to work on anti-TB medications, it hasn't been widely tested like most drugs are.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
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China Vows Crackdown on Fake Vaccines Amid Scandal
Chinese authorities have pledged to crack down on the black market sale of vaccines after a case was made public involving nearly $90 million (62 million pounds) worth of illegal vaccines that are suspected of being sold in dozens of provinces around the country.
- Categories
- Health Care
- Region
- South Asia
- Tags
- vaccines
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