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[ad_1] Smartphone manufacturers have urged the government that the duties on the inputs of the parts and components of mobile phones must be carefully calibrated, and rationalised in the upcoming Budget so that the maximum manufacturing can happen in India. In a letter to the minister of state for electronics and IT (Meity), the major players through their association, India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), have said this is the only way to build a competitive export-oriented ecosystem in the country. The manufacturers have stated that several companies approved under the productivity-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for large-scale electronics manufacturing have made significant investments and have ramped up production to meet the high production threshold targets already. They have said the PLI scheme offers an incentive for meeting partial cost disability for manufacturing in India compared with other countries such as China and Vietnam that existed before January 2020. Post the change in the duty structure in the Union Budgets for FY 2020-21 and FY 2021-22, the cost disability gap has increased further. “Increasing tariffs on inputs will lead to serious impact on the cost structures of PLI approved companies rendering their product uncompetitively priced for global markets,” ICEA has said. In the Union Budget for FY22, there were duty rate increases on the inputs of mechanics, power banks, connectors, PCBA, camera modules, chargers, and true wireless stereo. “These were not envisaged by us or Meity, and were not even a part of the phased manufacturing programme (PMP) architecture. They were imposed suo moto by the department of revenue,” ICEA has written to the MoS. While acknowledging the necessity of placing basic customs duty (BCD) on mobile phones, and supporting its continued levy at 20% till 2023, the manufacturers have said some crucial differences need to be incorporated in the case of high-end mobile phones of more than Rs 20,000. According to them the grey market in high-end phones is greater than 50%. Price arbitrage is 43.96% in high-end phones (of which 22% is the BCD and 18% is the GST). There is a loss of Rs 2,500 crore per annum to the exchequer on account of smuggling of high-end phones. The ICEA has emphasised that a high BCD will not encourage companies to manufacture high-end phones in India, and its removal or certainly a rationalisation to a fixed ad valorem beyond a threshold will not change their plans to shift manufacturing from China to India. The pitiful RoDTEP rates have not helped matters. “Therefore, ICEA recommends that the maximum BCD should be pegged at Rs 4,000 with base cost and freight price of Rs 20,000 and above, which will help the market environment become much cleaner and more regularised, and check smuggling and price arbitrage to a considerable degree.” According to ICEA, this will also have the direct impact of increasing duty collection by increasing volumes; the GST collection will also go up by over Rs 1,000 crore. Further, the industry will feel more confident in introducing newer models in the Indian market, something that even yet is taking time. [ad_2] Source link

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[ad_1] Joni Mitchell removes music from Spotify over vaccine misinformation [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] On Friday, as Liverpool closed in on Porto forward Luis Diaz’s transfer, #ENICOut and #LevyOut started trending on Twitter. Joe Lewis’ English National Investment Company (ENIC) Group owns 85.5 per cent stake at Tottenham Hotspur. Daniel Levy is the club chairman. Spurs fans voiced anger at Liverpool reportedly forking out £50 million to hijack a player who was heavily linked with the north London club. In the Premier League, Liverpool are in the title race with Manchester City, while Spurs are battling for a top-four spot. The Reds are showing ambition, while Spurs apparently are letting another transfer window go by without any signing to speak of. This is said to have irked Spurs manager Antonio Conte as well, and the fans are legitimately discontent. But there’s a catch. Some posts on social media urged fellow fans to take their protest to Spurs’ training ground. There’s a stark difference between keyboard warriors and real supporters, the match-goers and season ticket holders who really care for the club. Still, such social media posts are disconcerting. Hooliganism in English football returned with a section of Manchester United fans storming Old Trafford and invading the pitch in an anti-Glazer protest last year, in the wake of the club’s failed breakaway European Super League attempt. The rowdy fans forced the postponement of United’s Premier League game against Liverpool. Then, there was the Euros final last year, when ticketless fans tore down barriers and forced their way into the Wembley Stadium, causing violence and disorder. More recently, Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne and Matty Cash were hit by bottles while celebrating Emi Buendía’s goal against Everton at Goodison Park. Chelsea’s Antonio Rudiger had a lighter thrown at him during their match against Spurs at Stamford Bridge. Four West Ham United fans were arrested after their 1-0 loss at Manchester United. Of course, even collectively, this is nothing compared to the dark days of the 1980s, when hooligan firms used to cause mayhem at almost every football venue in England and beyond. A sharp increase in ticket prices, all-seater stadiums, CCTV, better policing and stricter measures have helped curb hooliganism to a great extent. But over the last one year, things have started to become a little more violent. The recent UK’s Football Policing Unit report showed that football-related arrests in the first half of the 2021-22 season have increased by 47 per cent. It’s one thing to contaminate social media with keyed-in diarrhoea, but taking protests, if they are violent in nature, to stadiums and training grounds are a completely different ball game. That can harm the players, coaching staff and every other person involved with the game. Tribalism is one of the downsides in English football and it spreads its tentacles during transfer windows. Usually, January is a dud month to buy and sell. The majority of top players are already cup-tied as regards to the Champions League and the chances of roping in a real top-drawer are very slim in this transfer window. The likes of Nemanja Vidic, Patrice Evra and Bruno Fernandes have been exceptions. It’s easier at mid-table clubs that prefer to add to their squad depth. Demands at top clubs are completely different, but fans on social media hardly care for perspective. Take the case of United… They are in the knockout rounds of the Champions League, but even the world’s biggest miracle, or fluke, is unlikely to take them to the title triumph. They have an FA Cup to play for, but their biggest priority at the moment is to secure a top-four finish in the Premier League. The team is in desperate need of a holding midfielder, but at United’s level, players aren’t available for that position in this window. United hierarchy covets West Ham’s Declan Rice, arguably the best No. 6 in world football at the moment. Jude Bellingham is the club’s Plan B. But neither West Ham nor Borussia Dortmund would allow their prized possessions to go in the winter. They have their respective targets to achieve. As for United, there’s no point looking at a lower level, queering the pitch for a better signing just six months down the line, in the summer. A vast majority of match-going United fans understand this and they aren’t coming down hard on their beloved club. Rather, the process of loaning out the players, surplus to requirements, is laudable and interim manager Ralf Rangnick deserves praise for trying to cut the squad flab. Similarly, real Spurs fans certainly understand the club’s difficulty to go shoulder to shoulder with other top teams in the transfer market, especially after shifting to the state-of-the-art £1 billion Tottenham Hotspur Stadium. Yes, not winning trophies hurts. But ENIC has given the Spurs fans something more tangible, a stadium they can be proud of. Financially, Arsenal still haven’t recovered fully after moving from Highbury to the Emirates Stadium in 2005-06. At the end of the day, however, they have their own stadium and a superb one at that. Fans need to understand that clubs like Spurs, United and Arsenal aren’t state or oligarch-owned, unlike Manchester City, Newcastle United and Chelsea. It’s not a level playing field when states are owning football clubs, inflating transfer market. Incidentally, Newcastle, owned by Saudi Arabia’s sovereign wealth fund, are said to have a 14-man transfer shortlist. [ad_2] Source link

[ad_1] My older sister, Brigette, shares her shopping trips and menu plans every week! You can go HERE to see all of her weekly menu plans and you can go HERE to read all about her family! Trying Lidl for the first time! After taking inventory, there wasn’t a whole lot we needed as far as groceries this week. I made a “survey” trip to Lidl to check it out. Overall, I loved it! Everything was well-stocked, which is a sharp contrast to Aldi recently. And their prices were very similar to Aldi’s new higher prices (I obviously wasn’t THRILLED about that, but I also know inflation is happening everywhere right now). Their produce section was MUCH better than Aldi’s — so many more varieties and choices and speciality items, plus everything looked fresh! We didn’t really need produce this week, but I’ll be back for sure. They also had a much bigger frozen section, a  wonderful bakery, and just more options overall. The only item I noticed that was significantly more expensive there (that we purchase weekly) was deli meat. There were also several things that we purchase every week that they unfortunately did not have — like unsweetened applesauce, rice cakes, and corn chips. I couldn’t find an empty place on the shelf for these items, so I assume they just don’t carry them. And their fresh hamburger was really pricey and didn’t look great. (And I couldn’t find any frozen hamburger.) We’ll get by without hamburger this week as I didn’t feel up to stopping by another store this week. Overall, this definitely won’t be my last trip to Lidl! Feel free to share your Lidl thoughts with this newbie. What I Bought 1 loaf Multigrain Seeded Bread, reduced – $1.99 2 loaves Sandwich Bread – $1.00 1 bag Egg Noodles – $1.09 1 box Banza Pasta (chickpea) – $2.00 1 large pkg Corn Tortillas – $2.79 1 bag Tortillas Chips – $1.25 2 cartons Strawberries – $2.98 1 bag Mini Sweet Peppers – $2.29 2 bunches Bananas ($0.52/lb) – $2.44 1 pkg fresh French Green Beans  – $1.99 1 bag Romaine Hearts – $2.39 2 large cans Crushed Tomatoes – $1.74 1 32-oz bag Broccoli Florets – $2.62 2 bags Riced Cauliflower – $5.28 4 cans Green Beans – $0.50 1 5-lb bag Carrots – $3.44 2 frozen Rising Crust 4-Cheese Pizzas – $5.58 1 carton Vanilla Ice Cream – $1.97 1 32-oz cartons Egg Whites – $2.95 2 18-ct cartons Eggs – $3.68 7 single-serving cartons Greek Yogurt – $4.12 1 24-oz carton Cottage Cheese – $1.76 1 pkg Sliced Cheese – $1.50 2 8-oz pkgs Shredded Cheese – $5.58 1 large Canister Old Fashiuoned Oats – $2.39 1 gallon 1% Milk – $2.35 1 gallon Whole Milk – $2.71 1 bottle Vegetable Oil – $2.95 1 pkg Pepperoni – $2.19 1 16-oz pkg Deli Meat – $4.42 1 3-lb bag frozen boneless Chicken Breasts – $5.99 Grocery Total for the Week: $85.93 Weekly Menu Plan Breakfasts Cereal, Oatmeal, Yogurt, Fruit, Cottage Cheese, Toast, Scrambled/Fried/Boiled Eggs, Smoothies, Veggie Omelets Lunches Deli Meat/Cheese Sandwiches, Strawberries, Peppers x 2 PB and J, Bananas, Carrots x 2 Leftovers x 3 Dinners Pakistani Kima (recipe from “More With Less” cookbook), Rice, Apples Pizza, Ice Cream Pie (birthday dinner request) Venison Roast in the Crockpot, Baked Potatoes, Roasted Green Beans Chicken Noodle Soup, Multigrain Bread Date Night Out (kids eat leftovers at home) Tacos (Corn Tortillas, Shredded Lettuce, Cheese, Seasoned Ground Venison), Chips and Salsa, Green Beans, Cauliflower Fried Rice Venison Meatloaf, Broccoli, Roasted Carrots, Biscuits [ad_2] Source link

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[ad_1] By Shivaji Dasgupta The learned and articulate discourse by Jaishri Jethwaney truthfully depicts a fundamental clash of civilisations— where the transactional world of marketing communications breaks bread with the evolutionary civility of contemporary society. It is a rather uneasy equilibrium at best, and involves actors from diverse platforms with contrasting, if not conflicting, agendas. When HG Wells rather curtly suggests that “advertising is legalised lying”, he is actually pinpointing the root of the gender inequality that still prevails in the advertising industry, from content creation to organisational cultures. A set of business people with a focused agenda to grow business commissions another set of business people with an equally diligent business agenda, a relationship fraught with a high risk of failure. As an unavoidable outcome, the sensible and sensitive norms of societal cohabitation assume a diminished priority, unless enforced by meaningful regulation, whether self or inflicted. It is important and necessary to understand this context, especially if not exposed to the myriad hues of marketing and advertising. A valuable hallmark of the book is the foundation of significant references from academia, starting with Immanuel Kant’s work on sexuality, objectification and patriarchy—a rather disturbing reference to the transactional attitude towards a woman, her humanity being reduced to a temporary instrument of pleasure. This abject stereotyping of women is a malaise affecting advertising till date, especially when the agenda is driven by organisations without a global view towards gender sensitivity. The deluge of content in digital media is adding to this dilemma in a curiously contradictory manner—the persistence of prejudice to an evolved millennial audience, as brands are desperate to sell quicker and better. I would agree with the author that while there is significant growth in awareness, the bugs have still not been decimated. Perhaps, the anchor construct of this discourse is Erving Goffman’s systematic deconstruction of gender advertisements, valid today as much as in the 1960s or 1970s. Relative Size is true in India most certainly and what is most fascinating is its correlation with perceived social weight, the man invariably taller than the lady. Feminine Touch is a technique espoused by many creative narrators, the hand of the man certainly never a credible contender. Function Ranking, where the man has a visible power distance vis-a-vis the woman is a construct still applied by even erudite brands. Rituals of subordination, especially in the family situation, are often integrated in scripting, while patriarchy will continue in advertisements as long as it stays in society. Objectification remains a nagging vice, as a tool for attraction, and the brand is usually the intended recipient. But there is a silver lining in all this, as suggested by the author in her painstaking analysis across categories, from FMCG to automobiles. We are today sensing a shift towards greater sensitivity, a movement led by the MNCs as well as the new-age startups, the latter sincerely influenced by global cultures. In fact, smart marketers are gaining viral social currency through championing equality, and this is now opening up the fresh debate of tokenism. Learned folks suggest that the attitude of opportunism still persists in corporations and agencies, just that the route map has changed. From depicting women as objects, the narrative now demands a compelling role reversal, the disruptive latter often remaining in the two-dimensional confines of the TV set and not being reflected in holistic practices, as company and brand. Which now brings me to the company brand, a crucial subject handled with exceptional depth demonstrated across the chapters, including the game-changing MeToo movement, which shattered not just careers but myths as well, that the creative workspace had, indeed, developed in terms of inclusive mindsets. As an alumnus of the advertising industry, I can resonate with the anguish, as apparent from the data and anecdotes, as the equivalent of the casting couch still persists. However, I do not quite acknowledge the correlation between the objectification in creative content and creative work cultures, as I do believe that the latter exists in multiple industries, unconnected to linear outcomes. This pattern in agency offices emanates from a toxic hangover of the Madison Avenue myth, where lengthy lunches over endless martinis camouflage the grim realities of business. This, too, will quickly pass as new-age leaders and their followers realise that such professional misdemeanours are damaging to career and reputation, leading to organic adherence. The other point made adequately is the limited representation of female talent in creative industries and this, truthfully, must be evaluated more deeply. Because, the real debate is not about entry-level or even mid-level representation, but transition to the CXO profiles. But that must be reserved for another day. A googly in the piece is the part on metrosexual men, a pattern we are now well familiar with, across categories. At one level it represents a softening of petty masculinity, and there is no doubt on this front, but whether this will lead to greater sensitivity toward women is another conversation altogether. It is certainly true that this movement is a step in the right direction in terms of building sustainable bridges, which will hopefully lead to defining action. An area that has been touched in part is celebrity endorsement and that is yet another potential minefield, for the debate between personal values and professional opportunities must come to the fore. Thankfully, this too is showing signs of reversal, as today’s youth icons recognise that an ill-advised endorsement can lead to significant long-term damage. Lastly, the book also lists the progression of legislation, both regulatory and voluntary, and its contribution to building a cleaner environment of gender sensitivity. This is a crucial aspect, most certainly, as good behaviour often begins with the visible censure of bad behavior, as a believable deterrent and curing agent. I do believe that ASCI has just touched the tip of the iceberg in terms of performing its role, and this, in tandem with higher global exposure and education, will drive the change. Like in every other subject, the youth

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[ad_1] 'One for the record books': U.S. East Coast blanketed in snow [ad_2] Source link