Forty-three years after commencing physical sale of farm commodities, the Agricultural Produce Market Committee (APMC) Vashi near Mumbai is set to go online and sale commodities via electronic orders for delivery in a day or two. The beginning will be made in the food grain segment. Modalities will be finalised on Saturday. The move began after the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) issued an advisory late Thursday evening to devise a strategy to reduce the number of entrants into the APMC yard and maintain social distancing to prevent spread of coronavirus. Covid-19 has…

May 13, 2020 4 min readOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Everyone “knows” that sponsoring podcasts is, quite often, one of the most effective and easiest ways to launch a modern startup and set it on a fast-growth trajectory. Although podcast audience numbers are down slightly during the pandemic, most industry observers predict they will bounce back up once the stay-at-home orders are rescinded and commutes resume. Podcasting is especially attractive for advertisers, since it enables distribution of content when the audiences want it, wherever they want it and in whatever platform they choose to consume it.…

The new tax regime comes with just a couple of deductions. Most significantly, a deduction for investments and expenses eligible under section 80C of up to Rs 1.5L is not available in the new regime. This has left steady investors of PPF, EPF, and other savings instruments in doubt about whether they should continue with these investments or not. Individuals and HUFs can opt for a new tax regime from FY 2020-21 by giving up about 70 deductions/exemptions. The old regime allows for a deduction at the stage of investment which is unavailable in the new…

The National Commodity & Derivatives Exchange (NCDEX), India’s largest agri-centric commodity futures trading platform, is planning to launch first of its kind a tradable composite agri index “Agridex” by the end of May which will be open for retail and institutional participants to hedge risk in the underlying commodities. The cash settled agri index comprises 10 leading liquid contracts on NCDEX platform which includes soybean, chana, coriander, cottonseed oilcake, guargum, guar seed, mustard seed, refined soy oil, castor seed and jeera. The value of this index is generated based on the spot and futures of these…

Franchise Bible author Rick Grossmann discusses how marketing is changing and new ways and platforms for sending your marketing messages to your customers. April 30, 2020 1 min readOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. This webinar will focus on how marketing is changing and new ways and platforms for sending your marketing messages to your customer and target markets.  We will also focus on what is important to consumers and what it will take for them to feel safe and trust businesses after the pandemic. Register Now Rick Grossmann has been involved in the franchise industry since…

For some time, the leaders I work with have known conceptually that they need greater organizational agility. They talk often about the increase in VUCA (volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity), and the capabilities required to respond. But these conversations have sometimes felt a bit abstract or theoretical. Now, in the context of the novel coronavirus and its economic, social, personal, and political reverberations, such detachment seems almost absurd. How do you lead well amid such turbulence — whether such turbulence stems from the near-term challenges of the pandemic or from the need to tackle ongoing global issues such as reworking…

There is an “Atmnirbharta” about the manner in which the government under PM’s leadership has approached Covid-19 – customised to India and considerate of the need for help to our most under-privileged citizens and sections of society. A “playbook” was established in dealing with the health pandemic – dealing with the affected patients, then controlling the contagion and finally consolidating as infrastructure was built up. The same approach is being taken with the economic stabilisation measures. Wisely, the government has not got distracted by calls for immediate “packages” and sops. Immediate succour was provided through DBT,…

May 11, 2020 6 min readOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own. Influencer marketing is alive and well. It’s thriving, in fact. According to Mediakix, “89 percent of marketers have reported that ROI from influencer marketing is comparable to or better than other marketing channels” they invest in. Still, I’ll admit, when influencer marketing first became a thing, I wasn’t sure if the trend would last as long as it has. But I’ve been happily proven wrong again and again, as it continues to be a worthwhile channel to invest in for ecommerce brands of all sizes. If…