February 12, 2018 in News

Indian Direct Selling: Facts and Figures

Direct selling is one of the oldest, most traditional forms of selling globally, involving a direct interaction between the seller and the buyer. Today, it is a successful industry operating in over 100 countries with a market size of USD 182.8 billion.

The direct selling industry in India is estimated to be Rs.74 billion (2014-15), and forms only around 0.4 per cent of the total retail sales. This is far lower than other comparable economies (one-half of China and one-tenth of Malaysia). With growth in consumer markets and increase in its penetration to globally comparable levels, the industry has the potential to reach a size of Rs.645 billion by 2025, according to a recent KPMG report.

Modern direct selling made its entry in India in 1990s. The industry witnessed major growth post-liberalisation with many global players entering the Indian market. The Industry has registered a growth rate of about 6.5 per cent in 2014-15 as compared to 4.3 per cent in 2013-14.

Socio-Economic Impact

Various studies have reported that the direct selling industry has created a positive impact on several social and economic parameters in India:

• Additional income opportunities: Direct selling provides additional income opportunities to a large number of people and promotes micro-entrepreneurship. Currently, over 5 million direct sellers in India are estimated to be engaged with the industry, and are projected to grow further with the growth of the industry
• Women empowerment: Direct selling offers self-employment opportunities to a large number of people, especially women.The share of women in the industry has been around 60% on average for the last 3 years. However, a recent survey found that more Indian men are joining this business as a way of self-employment and entrepreneurship.
• Development of the SME sector: Many direct selling companies rely on SMEs for manufacturing their products. In a lot of cases, the direct selling companies impart the manufacturing know-how, technology and processes to enable the SMEs to produce excellent products. Several SMEs have now developed capabilities to cater to the needs of other MNCs and are supplying to them, promoting India as a manufacturing destination
• Employment generation: Besides providing additional income opportunities to direct sellers, the industry also generates a large number of jobs. Majority of the direct selling companies outsource production, packaging and distribution of their products, thus generating direct employment across the value chain.
• Training: Direct selling plays a vital role in uplifting and developing skills of individuals that join companies as distributors by providing them with extensive training to improve both their business and inter-personal skills.Indian direct selling companies offered training to their sales representatives in the range of 200 man hours per quarter to around 22,000 man hours/ quarter in 2013-14.
• CSR initiatives: In terms of responsibilities towards society, direct selling companies have been in the forefront. Many of the companies involved in direct selling actively contribute towards social activities that serve causes as varied as health and nutrition, homelessness, education etc.

Growth and Revenues in 2014-15

Indian Direct Selling Association (IDSA) in association with PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry conducted a survey recently and the annual survey report highlighted the following facts and figures:

• Wellness and healthcare products are the most popular category of products in Indian direct selling contributing 42 per cent of the sales revenue for the industry. Cosmetics and personal care products contributed 34 per cent, homecare products, 11 per cent and consumer and household durables seven per cent.
• While there is a 6.5 per cent growth in the direct selling industry all over the country, Southern India has recorded a negative growth of 1.8 per cent, owing to loss of consumer confidence due to fraudulent practices.
• Northern region has contributed around Rs.2,388crores to the gross sales in 2014-15, registering a growth rate of 10 per cent.
• Eastern and North-Eastern regions have contributed around Rs.1433 crore and Rs.1035 crore respectively to the gross sales, registering growth rates of 6.5 per cent and 15.4 per cent respectively.
• The Western region has contributed around Rs.1273 crores with a growth rate of 6.4 per cent.

Challenges with Growth

The survey found that regulatory uncertainty is impeding the growth of direct selling companies and that has created formidable hardship for genuine players in this arena. It states,

“Recent untoward incidents in terms of unwanted harassment (including imprisonment) and other related investigations have severely impacted and shaken confidence of not only the Direct Selling players but of consumers too.”

According to the survey, majority of direct selling companies and stakeholders in India want industry status and a separate legislation for the industry. The direct selling industry’s potential to reach a size of Rs.645 billion by 2025 driven by growth in consumer markets and increase in the penetration of direct selling to globally comparable levels is contingent on creating an enabling environment for the industry, and mitigation of some of the challenges it is facing today.

Players in the industry believe that if the government sees the direct selling industry as its partner, the industry has massive potential to grow and benefit millions in the country.

February 12, 2018 in News

Report: Indian Direct Selling Industry Grows to Rs 75 billion

A new report by FICCI-KPMG states that the Indian Direct Seling industry has nearly doubled in the last five years. The report titled ‘Direct Selling: Kerala’ says the industry has grown to Rs 75 billion from Rs 41 billion since 2010, and is further poised to occupy a dominant position in the international and domestic markets.

The North Indian market is in the leading position with a share of 29 per cent in the industry, followed by the South, East, West and North-East with market shares of 25 per cent, 18 per cent, 16 per cent and 12 per cent respectively.

In Southern India, Kerala has been a key market worth Rs 700-750 million in 2013-14. The growth in this market since its early days has been attributed to the state’s high literacy rate, increasing per-capita incomes, urbanisation and consumption-oriented population, says the report.
Noting that South India has been a key market for several direct selling companies, the report says Kerala showed tremendous growth in the last decade.

“However, there has been a consistent wane in the growth over the past five years, largely because the state is deficient in a systematic policy that clearly defines the regulatory framework of the industry.”

“No clear definition for legitimate direct selling to differentiate it from fraudulent schemes has significantly wedged the working environment of major industry players. This has led to top industry players either curtailing their operations or completely discontinuing their activities,” the report says.

It says a glimmer of hope for Kerala lies in the draft of the Kerala Multi-Level Marketing (Control and Regulation) Bill, 2013.

The draft lays down detailed guidelines for regulating direct selling activities, to help guarantee that business activities are conducted without any violation of The Prize Chits and Money Circulation Schemes (Banning) Act, 1978.

Key observations of the report :

• Dire need for clearly defining Direct Selling
• Requirement of a Multi-level Marketing Regulatory Authority
• Need for clear provisions for the protection of consumer interests
• Constitution of a welfare fund for benefit of distributors

The report strongly suggests that there is an imperative need for a governing ministry and clear legislation.

“A series of reforms are required ranging from immediate short-term reforms in the nature of framing state level rules and/or standard operating procedure for law enforcement agencies to long-term measures of enacting a specific governing legislation for the sector or making amendments in the existing Acts/policies,” says the report.

Source: KPMG Report

February 12, 2018 in News

KPMG report Thought Leadership focuses on the contribution of Direct Selling industry on the flagship development programs of the Government of India

Direct 2016

5 December 2016

Direct Selling is a rapidly expanding distribution channel for marketing various goods and services. Even though it is a relatively new industry in India, in less than two decades it has provided self-employment opportunities to more than 5 million people.

Through this report, KPMG in India brings out Direct Selling’s contribution to social and economic development in the country. The industry’s contribution to the country can be mapped to several flagship schemes by the Government of India in the past two years. Direct Selling has been playing a significant role in Skill India by providing employment opportunities and imparting soft skills and marketing and leadership trainings to the 5 million plus people in its network. It has also contributed immensely to the Make in India, the Digital India and the Startup India initiatives of the Government and in empowering the women of the country. The industry continues to innovate and invest in these initiatives

Download PDF (1.2 MB) © 2018 KPMG, an Indian Registered Partnership and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG International”), a Swiss entity. All rights reserved.

February 12, 2018 in News

IIT-KGP, AIIMS team up for joint academic initiatives

IIT Kharagpur and AIIMS would also work towards encouraging more medical practitioners in the research domain.

Image credit- persistent.com

All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) and IIT Kharagpur are exploring opportunities for unique joint initiatives in academics and research, including a super-speciality hospital. Senior professors of both the institutions are in discussion to take the initiatives forward.

The institutions are looking forward to strengthen ongoing activities through collaborative education programmes, research and collaboration for management and analysis of hospital data. IIT Kharagpur and AIIMS would also work towards encouraging more medical practitioners in the research domain.

According to professors of the two institutions, the collaborative initiatives would foster cross-migration of medical professionals to the research domain, and engineering researchers to work on outstanding clinical problems.

With the super-speciality hospital at IIT Kharagpur expected to be operational by the end of this year, AIIMS will also collaborate for data processing, analytics and management of medical data in addition to digitised medical consultation, human resource support and advisory role in procurements.

February 11, 2018 in News

SSC Delhi Police Constable Result 2016 Declared, Check Your Results at ssc.nic.in

SSC Delhi Police Constable Result 2016 Declared, Check Your Results at ssc.nic.in

New Delhi, Feb 10: SSC Delhi Police Constable Result 2016 was released by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) on Saturday at its official website ssc.nic.in. The commission had conducted the exam on December 8 last year to recruit male and women constables in Delhi Police across the country. SSC had released the response sheet and answer keys […]

New Delhi, Feb 10: SSC Delhi Police Constable Result 2016 was released by the Staff Selection Commission (SSC) on Saturday at its official website ssc.nic.in. The commission had conducted the exam on December 8 last year to recruit male and women constables in Delhi Police across the country. SSC had released the response sheet and answer keys for the same were released on December 21, 2017.

The commission, in a statement, said, ““The Commission will process and declare the result of Computer based written examination and the merit list of candidates will be provided to Delhi Police for further Detailed Medical Examination (DME) and Police Verification. Delhi Police will issue call letter and conduct DME and Review Medical Examination (RME).”

Follow these steps to check results

Step 1 – Visit the official website at http://ssc.nic.in/
Step 2 – Click on link for ‘Delhi Police Constable Result 2016’
Step 3 – A Pdf with results will appear on the screen. Search your roll number by typing Cltr +F
Step 4 – Download the results for future reference

or enter your roll number and registration password in this link  http://164.100.129.99/constable2016_marks/

Around 1,55,435 candidates had applied for recruitment of male and women constables in Delhi police. However, only 1,44,814 candidates had appeared for the test. SSC has recorded attendance of 93.17 per cent aspirants for the post.

February 10, 2018 in News

Aadhaar updation to get costlier, UIDAI to impose 18% GST

Aadhaar updation to get costlier, UIDAI to impose 18% GST

New Delhi: Aadhaar issuing authority Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) will now impose 18 percent Goods and Services Tax (GST) on updation of Aadhaar details, media reports have said.

UIDAI charges Rs 25 for demographic update that includes name, address, date of birth, mobile, genrder and email. The same amount is charged by UIDAI for biometric updates.

It is to be noted that new Aadhaar enrolment and biometric update of children are still free.

UIDAI has also floated a complaint forum for overcharging. If the centre asks you to pay more, you can report by calling 1947 (toll free) or writing to

After the imposition of 18 percent GST, you will now have to shell out Rs 4.5 more on updation of Aadhaar demographic and biometric details.

Meanwhile, UIDAI has tweeted, “To update details in your Aadhaar, you need to present the supporting documents”. However this will not be applicable for mobile number, email or biometric updates. To get the updates done, you will have to visit the nearest Aadhaar centre at a bank branch or post office.

Supported Proof of Identification Documents Containing Name and Photo

1. Passport
2. PAN Card
3. Ration/ PDS Photo Card
4. Voter ID
5. Driving License
6. Government Photo ID Cards/ service photo identity card issued by PSU
7. NREGS Job Card
8. Photo ID issued by Recognized Educational Institution
9. Arms License
10. Photo Bank ATM Card
11. Photo Credit Card
12. Pensioner Photo Card
13. Freedom Fighter Photo Card
14. Kissan Photo Passbook
15. CGHS / ECHS Photo Card
16. Address Card having Name and Photo issued by Department of Posts
17. Certificate of Identify having photo issued by Gazetted Officer or Tehsildar on letterhead
18. Disability ID Card/handicapped medical certificate issued by the respective State/UT Governments/Administrations

Supported Proof of Residence Documents containing Relationship details to Head of Family

1. PDS Card
2. MNREGA Job Card
3. CGHS/State Government/ECHS/ESIC Medical card
4. Pension Card
5. Army Canteen Card
6. Passport
7. Birth Certificate issued by Registrar of Birth, Municipal Corporation and other notified local government bodies like Taluk, Tehsil etc.
8. Any other Central/State government issued family entitlement document
9. Marriage Certificate Issued by the Government

Supported Proof of Date of Birth Documents

1. Birth Certificate
2. SSLC Book/Certificate
3. Passport
4. Certificate of Date of Birth issued by Group A Gazetted Officer on letterhead
5. PAN Card
6. Marksheet issued by any Government Board or University
7. Government Photo Id Card / Photo identity card issued by PSU containing DoB
8. Central/State Pension Payment Order
9. Central Government Health Service Scheme Photo Card or Ex-Servicemen Contributory Health Scheme Photo card

Supported Proof of Address Documents Containing Name and Address

1. Passport
2. Bank Statement/ Passbook
3. Post Office Account Statement/Passbook
4. Ration Card
5. Voter ID
6. Driving License
7. Government Photo ID cards/ service photo identity card issued by PSU
8. Electricity Bill (not older than 3 months)
9. Water bill (not older than 3 months)
10. Telephone Landline Bill (not older than 3 months)
11. Property Tax Receipt (not older than 1 year)
12. Credit Card Statement (not older than 3 months)
13. Insurance Policy
14. Signed Letter having Photo from Bank on letterhead
15. Signed Letter having Photo issued by registered Company on letterhead
16. Signed Letter having Photo issued by Recognized Educational Institutions on letterhead
17. NREGS Job Card
18. Arms License
19. Pensioner Card
20. Freedom Fighter Card
21. Kissan Passbook
22. CGHS / ECHS Card
23. Certificate of Address having photo issued by MP or MLA or Gazetted Officer or Tehsildar on letterhead
24. Certificate of Address issued by Village Panchayat head or its equivalent authority (for rural areas)
25. Income Tax Assessment Order
26. Vehicle Registration Certificate
27. Registered Sale / Lease / Rent Agreement
28. Address Card having Photo issued by Department of Posts
29. Caste and Domicile Certificate having Photo issued by State Govt.
30. Disability ID card/handicapped medical certificate issued by respective State/UT Governments/Administrations
31. Gas Connection Bill (not older than 3 months)
32. Passport of Spouse
33. Passport of Parents (in case of Minor)
34. Allotment letter of accommodation issued by Central/State government of not more than 3 years old
35. Marriage Certificate Issued by the Government containing address

February 10, 2018 in News

Are you verifying your bank account on ‘the official’ RBI website? It’s a scam!

Are you verifying your bank account on ‘the official’ RBI website? It’s a scam!

NEW DELHI: The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has issued a press release cautioning people about a fake website having a layout similar to the official central bank website. The release said that this fake website has been created with the URL www.indiareserveban.org by some unknown person(s) and it offers a provision for “Bank verification with online account holders” which appears to have been created with a fraudulent intent of obtaining personal and confidential banking details of customers unsuspecting customers.

On the fake website, on the left-hand side, it asked for ‘login details’ such as the customer’s PIN, transaction password, customer ID, bank name and so on. Whereas, the actual RBI website (https://www.rbi.org.in/) does not ask for any such details. In fact on the central bank’s site you will find real-time details of exchange rates, policy rates etc.

Fake Website (www.indiareserveban.org) 

The RBI has clarified that as India’s central bank, it does not hold any accounts for individuals and never asks for personal information such as bank account details, passwords. The Reserve Bank has cautioned citizens from falling prey to such fraudulent websites as their personal information could be misused and may cause financial and other losses.

Actual RBI Website (https://rbi.org.in/)

Besides the above said websites, the central bank has cautioned about sites like www.rbi.org, www.rbi.in. While the URL appear similar to the RBI’s official site, they have no affiliation the Reserve Bank.

It may be recalled that a couple of years back another fraudulent website by the URL http://www.rbi-inonline.org/savings.html, offering various banking facilities and asking members of public to apply on-line for opening “RBI Savings Account” was created.

February 5, 2018 in News

What to look for in an antivirus suite

There are three basic requirements that an antivirus suite needs:

• High detection rate for malware and other threats
• Low impact on system resources
• An easy-to-use interface

That’s not all to consider, however. These days, many security suites come with extras such as a backup service for your most essential files, Android apps for mobile security, a more advanced firewall, family protection (read: child restriction) features, and the right to use the program on multiple PCs. Whether you need those extras depends on your personal situation.

How we test

First, we take a look at the interface to determine how easy or complicated it is. Does the interface make it easy to get at essential tools like PC scans and password managers, for example, or is everything buried under multiple clicks? Are there elements that look like they should be clickable but aren’t? Are alerts interactive or purely informational, and does that make sense in context?

We also examine the features on offer. Every good antivirus suite should have the basics like scanning and real-time protection, but many vendors offer elements that go beyond basic security like password managers or firewalls. We try to discern whether any of these extra features are particularly useful, or just frills that look nice but don’t serve a practical purpose.

To test the suite’s demand on system resources, we run two benchmarks. The first is PCMark 8’s Work Conventional test, which simulates a variety of workloads including editing spreadsheets, browsing the web, and running video chat.

We run the benchmark before the security suite is installed. Then we install the software, have it run a full scan on our Windows 10 test machine, and start a second run of the benchmark at the same time. Then we compare the overall scores to see if the decline between the two benchmarks is significant.

As a harsher stress test, we also use Handbrake to transcode a video before and after installing the A/V. On most home PCs, this encoding task utilizes 100 percent of the CPU. We then compare transcoding times to see if there’s any significant decline.

Our test machine is an Acer Aspire E15 with an Intel Core i3-7100U, 4GB RAM, and a 1TB hard drive. Each security suite is tested on a clean install of Windows 10 Home.

As for the antivirus suite’s detection capabilities, we’ll rely on the opinions of security researchers dedicated to this task. We’ll take into consideration reports from outlets such as A-V Comparatives, A-V Test and SE Labs.

We’ll also take pricing into account and what you get for it.

Whenever possible we’ll review security suites using a free trial to get a sense of what consumers see when they first try out a new product.

Best antivirus: All of our reviews

Looking for a cheaper option or something with more flexibility? Or perhaps you just want to see what else is out there? Below is a list of all the antivirus suites we’ve reviewed. We’ll keep evaluating new ones and adding them here, so be sure to come back to see what else we’ve tested.

February 5, 2018 in News

BEST ANTIVIRUS: KEEP YOUR WINDOWS PC SAFE FROM SPYWARE, TROJANS, MALWARE, AND MORE

Antivirus software is nearly as crucial as a PC’s operating system. Even if you’re well aware of potential threats and practice extreme caution, some threats just can’t be prevented without the extra help of an AV program—or a full antivirus suite.

You could, for example, visit a website that unintentionally displays malicious ads. Or accidentally click on a phishing email (it happens!). Or get stung by a zero-day threat, where an undisclosed bug in Windows, your browser, or an installed program gives hackers entry to your system.

We’re not suggesting that PC security software is fool-proof. Antivirus software often can’t do much to stop zero-day exploits, for example. But it can detect when the undisclosed vulnerability is used to install other nasty bits, like ransomware, on your machine. Anyone who actively uses email, clicks on links, and downloads programs will benefit from an antivirus suite.

Our recommendations strike a balance between excellent protection, a worthwhile selection of features, and minimal impact on your PC’s performance. You can read about how we test antivirus suites below.

Note: This roundup was updated to include our reviews of Avira Antivirus Pro and ESET Internet Security. See the bottom of this page for links to all the AV products we reviewed.