In light of the worsening relations between the United States and China, Washington has labeled Chinese tech companies, including Huawei, as national security threats.&nbsp;

"The (US) Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau today released a list of communications equipment and services that have been deemed a threat to national security... The list includes five Chinese companies that produce telecommunications equipment and services that have been found to pose an unacceptable risk to US national security or the security and safety of US persons," the FCC said in a statement on Friday.&nbsp;

President Joe Biden may be continuing his predecessor's hardline stance against China's growing technological dominance. The companies include Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, along with ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and Dahua Technology.&nbsp;

"This list is a big step toward renewing trust in our communications networks Americans are relying on our networks more than ever to work, go to school, or access healthcare, and we need to trust that these communications are safe and secure," FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement.&nbsp;

"This list provides meaningful guidance that will ensure that as next-generation networks are built across the country, they do not repeat the mistakes of the past or use equipment or services that will pose a threat to US national security or the security and safety of Americans," she added.&nbsp;

According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the designation came atop a number of moves Washington made against Huawei during the Trump administration, including banning US firms from using the company's technology to build wireless networks and placing the company on an entity list that prevents it from procuring US technology without government approval.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

In light of the worsening relations between the United States and China, Washington has labeled Chinese tech companies, including Huawei, as national security threats.

In light of the worsening relations between the United States and China, Washington has labeled Chinese tech companies, including Huawei, as national security threats. "The (US) Federal Communications Commission's Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau today released a list of communications equipment and services that have been deemed a threat to national security... The list includes five Chinese companies that produce telecommunications equipment and services that have been found to pose an unacceptable risk to US national security or the security and safety of US persons," the FCC said in a statement on Friday. President Joe Biden may be continuing his predecessor's hardline stance against China's growing technological dominance. The companies include Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei, along with ZTE, Hytera Communications, Hangzhou Hikvision Digital Technology and Dahua Technology. "This list is a big step toward renewing trust in our communications networks Americans are relying on our networks more than ever to work, go to school, or access healthcare, and we need to trust that these communications are safe and secure," FCC Acting Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said in a statement. "This list provides meaningful guidance that will ensure that as next-generation networks are built across the country, they do not repeat the mistakes of the past or use equipment or services that will pose a threat to US national security or the security and safety of Americans," she added. According to South China Morning Post (SCMP), the designation came atop a number of moves Washington made against Huawei during the Trump administration, including banning US firms from using the company's technology to build wireless networks and placing the company on an entity list that prevents it from procuring US technology without government approval. (With inputs from agencies)

US designates five Chinese companies as security threats 

Five media companies in Myanmar have been stripped of their licences, state television MRTV announced on Monday.&nbsp;

The five independent companies were named as Mizzima, Myanmar Now, 7-Day, DVB and Khit Thit Media. All have been active in covering protests against last month's military coup.&nbsp;

Meanwhile, three demonstrators were killed in Myanmar on Monday, witnesses said, while shops, factories and banks were closed in the main city Yangon in protests against last month's military coup.&nbsp;

Security forces were also deployed at hospitals and universities, state media said.&nbsp;

Two of the victims died of gunshot wounds to the head in the northern town of Myitkyina, the witnesses said. It was not immediately clear who fired on the protesters although both police and the military were at the scene.&nbsp;

Photos posted on Facebook showed the bodies of two men lying on the street. Witnesses said they were taking part in a protest against the coup when police fired stun grenades and tear gas. Several people were then hit by gunfire from nearby buildings.&nbsp;

One witness, who said he helped move the bodies, said two people were shot in the head and died on the spot. Three people were wounded.&nbsp;

"How inhumane to kill unarmed civilians," said the witness, a 20-year-old man. "We must have our right to protest peacefully."&nbsp;

At least one person was killed and two injured during a protest in the town of Phyar Pon in the Irrawaddy Delta, a political activist and local media said.&nbsp;

Police and military have killed more than 50 people to quell the daily demonstrations and strikes against the February 1 coup, according to the United Nations.&nbsp;

A military spokesman did not respond to calls asking for comment on the latest incidents. Police in Myitkyina and Phyar Pon also did not respond to calls.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)&nbsp;

Five media companies in Myanmar have been stripped of their licences, state television MRTV announced on Monday. The five independent companies were named as Mizzima, Myanmar Now, 7-Day, DVB and Khit Thit Media.

Five media companies in Myanmar have been stripped of their licences, state television MRTV announced on Monday. The five independent companies were named as Mizzima, Myanmar Now, 7-Day, DVB and Khit Thit Media. All have been active in covering protests against last month's military coup. Meanwhile, three demonstrators were killed in Myanmar on Monday, witnesses said, while shops, factories and banks were closed in the main city Yangon in protests against last month's military coup. Security forces were also deployed at hospitals and universities, state media said. Two of the victims died of gunshot wounds to the head in the northern town of Myitkyina, the witnesses said. It was not immediately clear who fired on the protesters although both police and the military were at the scene. Photos posted on Facebook showed the bodies of two men lying on the street. Witnesses said they were taking part in a protest against the coup when police fired stun grenades and tear gas. Several people were then hit by gunfire from nearby buildings. One witness, who said he helped move the bodies, said two people were shot in the head and died on the spot. Three people were wounded. "How inhumane to kill unarmed civilians," said the witness, a 20-year-old man. "We must have our right to protest peacefully." At least one person was killed and two injured during a protest in the town of Phyar Pon in the Irrawaddy Delta, a political activist and local media said. Police and military have killed more than 50 people to quell the daily demonstrations and strikes against the February 1 coup, according to the United Nations. A military spokesman did not respond to calls asking for comment on the latest incidents. Police in Myitkyina and Phyar Pon also did not respond to calls. (With inputs from agencies)

Five media companies stripped of licences in Myanmar 

The Government of India will soon offer corporate houses the flexibility to choose a shorter four-day work week, albeit with longer shifts.

The weekly 48-hour work limit will stay but employers will be able to deploy people on four, 12-hour workdays per week; or five, around 10-hour days; or six, eight-hour days, labour secretary Apurva Chandra told reporters on Monday.

The provision will be part of the labour code, and once the new rules are implemented, employers will no longer be required to seek government permission to shift to a four- or a five-day working week if their employees approve the arrangement.

Companies will have to give three days’ of paid leaves and 12 hours of work per day to their employees with the consent of the workers, said Labour and Employment Secretary Apurva Chandra said on Monday.

“We are not forcing employees or employers. It gives flexibility. It’s an enabling provision in sync with the changing work culture. We have tried to make some changes. We have tried to give flexibility in working days,” he said. The draft rules under the labour codes are in the final stage and most states were in the process of framing their rules and some, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, would be ready with their drafts this week, Chandra added.

“It (working days) could come down below five. If it is four, then you have to provide three paid holidays…so if it has to be a seven day week, then it has to be divided into 4 or 5 or 6 working days. Under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 draft rules, the limit of working hours for a week were 48 hours. This limit was sacrosanct and that employers and workers would have to agree to a change in working days. It cannot be forced,” he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

The Government of India will soon offer corporate houses the flexibility to choose a shorter four-day work week, albeit with longer shifts. The weekly 48-hour work limit will stay but employers will be able to deploy people on four, 12-hour workdays per week; or five, around 10-hour days; or six, eight-hour days, labour secretary Apurva Chandra told reporters on Monday.

The Government of India will soon offer corporate houses the flexibility to choose a shorter four-day work week, albeit with longer shifts. The weekly 48-hour work limit will stay but employers will be able to deploy people on four, 12-hour workdays per week; or five, around 10-hour days; or six, eight-hour days, labour secretary Apurva Chandra told reporters on Monday. The provision will be part of the labour code, and once the new rules are implemented, employers will no longer be required to seek government permission to shift to a four- or a five-day working week if their employees approve the arrangement. Companies will have to give three days’ of paid leaves and 12 hours of work per day to their employees with the consent of the workers, said Labour and Employment Secretary Apurva Chandra said on Monday. “We are not forcing employees or employers. It gives flexibility. It’s an enabling provision in sync with the changing work culture. We have tried to make some changes. We have tried to give flexibility in working days,” he said. The draft rules under the labour codes are in the final stage and most states were in the process of framing their rules and some, including Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, would be ready with their drafts this week, Chandra added. “It (working days) could come down below five. If it is four, then you have to provide three paid holidays…so if it has to be a seven day week, then it has to be divided into 4 or 5 or 6 working days. Under the Occupational Safety, Health and Working Conditions Code, 2020 draft rules, the limit of working hours for a week were 48 hours. This limit was sacrosanct and that employers and workers would have to agree to a change in working days. It cannot be forced,” he said. (With inputs from agencies)

4-day work week to be a reality soon? Centre to include the proposal in labour codes

The FBI wants American businesses to stop dealing with the Chinese companies. According to the FBI report,&nbsp;Chinese businesses lie, cheat and steal from American businesses.

Counterfeit goods, pirated software, and stolen trade secrets cost the United States&nbsp;well over 200 billion dollars every year.

Now, the FBI is blaming China for this. America's Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning to corporates. &nbsp;A new FBI report exposes how China has been stealing American innovations targeting every potential source from businesses to even universities.

China steals original ideas through joint ventures between American and Chinese companies.

The FBI feels that such tie-ups provide an opportunity for a competing company to obtain restricted information.

Academic collaborations can be used to gain access to useful scientific research.

China runs talent recruitment programs, through which the country targets scientists, engineers, professionals, foreign government employees and contractors. The aim is to gather foreign research and technology. It is used to target military and civilian programs.

China uses trade shows and conferences as hunting grounds for intelligence.

<div class="ui-state-default" contenteditable="false">
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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Attention, American business owners! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/DYK?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#DYK</a> the Chinese government steals intellectual property and trade secrets from U.S. companies and researchers? Learn more about the risks the Chinese Communist Party poses to corporate America at <a href="https://t.co/eR7Xqxh4Mw">https://t.co/eR7Xqxh4Mw</a>.
— FBI (@FBI) <a href="https://twitter.com/FBI/status/1297571944053846016?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 23, 2020</a></blockquote>
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The FBI has advised American businesses against working with Chinese companies.

It says the threat posed by Chinese interests is much bigger. Foreign travel can leave US employees vulnerable. The FBI says spies gather information through covert searches of luggage and hotel rooms.

Electronics can be confiscated and Americans workers can be subjected to extensive questioning. Even pushed into compromising situations. All in an effort to steal information.

The FBI now defines China as the world’s principal infringer of intellectual property.

Christopher Wray, FBI director said: "Over the past decade, we've seen economic espionage cases with a link to china increase by approximately 1,300 percent. The stakes could not be higher and the potential economic harm to american businesses and the economy as a whole almost defies calculation."

After losing billions --- the United States is now waking up to China’s theft. China has also been compelling European companies to hand over patents.

According to a survey, one in five firms has been forced to transfer technologies for market access.&nbsp;

The FBI wants American businesses to stop dealing with the Chinese companies. According to the FBI report, Chinese businesses lie, cheat and steal from American businesses.

The FBI wants American businesses to stop dealing with the Chinese companies. According to the FBI report, Chinese businesses lie, cheat and steal from American businesses. Counterfeit goods, pirated software, and stolen trade secrets cost the United States well over 200 billion dollars every year. Now, the FBI is blaming China for this. America's Federal Bureau of Investigation has issued a warning to corporates. A new FBI report exposes how China has been stealing American innovations targeting every potential source from businesses to even universities. China steals original ideas through joint ventures between American and Chinese companies. The FBI feels that such tie-ups provide an opportunity for a competing company to obtain restricted information. Academic collaborations can be used to gain access to useful scientific research. China runs talent recruitment programs, through which the country targets scientists, engineers, professionals, foreign government employees and contractors. The aim is to gather foreign research and technology. It is used to target military and civilian programs. China uses trade shows and conferences as hunting grounds for intelligence. Attention, American business owners! #DYK the Chinese government steals intellectual property and trade secrets from U.S. companies and researchers? Learn more about the risks the Chinese Communist Party poses to corporate America at https://t.co/eR7Xqxh4Mw. — FBI (@FBI) August 23, 2020 × The FBI has advised American businesses against working with Chinese companies. It says the threat posed by Chinese interests is much bigger. Foreign travel can leave US employees vulnerable. The FBI says spies gather information through covert searches of luggage and hotel rooms. Electronics can be confiscated and Americans workers can be subjected to extensive questioning. Even pushed into compromising situations. All in an effort to steal information. The FBI now defines China as the world’s principal infringer of intellectual property. Christopher Wray, FBI director said: "Over the past decade, we've seen economic espionage cases with a link to china increase by approximately 1,300 percent. The stakes could not be higher and the potential economic harm to american businesses and the economy as a whole almost defies calculation." After losing billions --- the United States is now waking up to China’s theft. China has also been compelling European companies to hand over patents. According to a survey, one in five firms has been forced to transfer technologies for market access.

FBI warns American businesses to stop dealing with Chinese companies

The Work From Home (WFH) Culture is here to stay! What began as a mark of precaution in many companies before the outbreak of Covid-19 in India, is set to be the norm for the coming times. Several companies across sectors as having even been rolling out WFH allowances and other benefits for their employees who are ensuring business continuity while operating remotely.&nbsp;

One of the major issues faced while working from homes and other remote locations is the unavailability of a proper workspace setup. The lack of ergonomic chairs, tables and other could lead to small discomforts such as backaches and neck aches, as a result of prolonged sitting.&nbsp;

California-Headquartered Freshworks that provides customer engagement software for businesses, had gone into WFH mode much before national lockdowns were enforced across the globe, besides rolling out an allowance for helping employee set-up a home workspace.&nbsp;

“All 3000 employees across 13 countries (Including India) are provided an allowance of 250USD(18000 INR) to procure the right tools, be it larger monitors, furniture or ergonomic keyboards etc.. Since we were early to start remote work, most of our employees were able to make use of this allowance before shops closed,” Suman Gopalan, CHRO of Freshworks told WION.&nbsp;

Companies that do not have a dedicated WFH allowance have permitted employees to utilize their Health and Fitness allowance to purchase the necessary home office furniture.&nbsp;

“Across India, over 400 full-time employees have been issued laptops and accessories. We also reimburse internet expenses for all employees and even interns. But in the case of furniture we have tied up with a vendor for the best deals and our employees can purchase from them and get it reimbursed up to Rs.5000” Karthikeyan, Manager Corporate Services, Lennox India Technology Centre told WION.&nbsp;

While relatively smaller firms have been able to provide such special allowances for furniture and gadgets, the big IT firms that employ lakhs of people worldwide have been enabling remote working by providing laptops, internet dongles and reimbursements for internet/phone bills.&nbsp;

Healthcare consultant Dr Sumanth C Raman said that that almost all companies have announced to continue WFH till the end of June or even August(assuming there is no drug or vaccine available). “Decisions may be taken to allow people to work in rotation and to explore other methods for the longer run. However, WFH involves huge cost savings for the companies. Right from power bills, rents, admin, house-keeping expenses to operating cafeterias and fleets of buses, this would have a significant impact on the bottom line of the companies” he told WION.

The recent weeks have also seen statements about long-term WFH plans from the chiefs of major Indian IT firms.&nbsp;

India’s largest firm Tata Consultancy Services plans to ask a vast majority of 75% of its 4.48 lakh employees globally (including 3.5 lakh in India) to work from home, up from the industry average of 20% today. The new model called 25/25 will require far less office space than occupied today.&nbsp;

HCL technologies too have proposed that going forward, they will allow 50% of their employees to work from home while the remaining would continue their work from offices in the next 12-18 months

At the Global level, Amazon.com Inc has said that employees that work in a. Roel that can be performed from home can continue to do so until October 2nd. It is not known as to what percentage of their total staff this applies to.

Google has also said that a vast majority of their employees will likely WFH til the end of this year, this came after Facebook had also made a similar announcement.

The Work From Home (WFH) Culture is here to stay! What began as a mark of precaution in many companies before the outbreak of Covid-19 in India, is set to be the norm for the coming times.

The Work From Home (WFH) Culture is here to stay! What began as a mark of precaution in many companies before the outbreak of Covid-19 in India, is set to be the norm for the coming times. Several companies across sectors as having even been rolling out WFH allowances and other benefits for their employees who are ensuring business continuity while operating remotely. One of the major issues faced while working from homes and other remote locations is the unavailability of a proper workspace setup. The lack of ergonomic chairs, tables and other could lead to small discomforts such as backaches and neck aches, as a result of prolonged sitting. California-Headquartered Freshworks that provides customer engagement software for businesses, had gone into WFH mode much before national lockdowns were enforced across the globe, besides rolling out an allowance for helping employee set-up a home workspace. “All 3000 employees across 13 countries (Including India) are provided an allowance of 250USD(18000 INR) to procure the right tools, be it larger monitors, furniture or ergonomic keyboards etc.. Since we were early to start remote work, most of our employees were able to make use of this allowance before shops closed,” Suman Gopalan, CHRO of Freshworks told WION. Companies that do not have a dedicated WFH allowance have permitted employees to utilize their Health and Fitness allowance to purchase the necessary home office furniture. “Across India, over 400 full-time employees have been issued laptops and accessories. We also reimburse internet expenses for all employees and even interns. But in the case of furniture we have tied up with a vendor for the best deals and our employees can purchase from them and get it reimbursed up to Rs.5000” Karthikeyan, Manager Corporate Services, Lennox India Technology Centre told WION. While relatively smaller firms have been able to provide such special allowances for furniture and gadgets, the big IT firms that employ lakhs of people worldwide have been enabling remote working by providing laptops, internet dongles and reimbursements for internet/phone bills. Healthcare consultant Dr Sumanth C Raman said that that almost all companies have announced to continue WFH till the end of June or even August(assuming there is no drug or vaccine available). “Decisions may be taken to allow people to work in rotation and to explore other methods for the longer run. However, WFH involves huge cost savings for the companies. Right from power bills, rents, admin, house-keeping expenses to operating cafeterias and fleets of buses, this would have a significant impact on the bottom line of the companies” he told WION. The recent weeks have also seen statements about long-term WFH plans from the chiefs of major Indian IT firms. India’s largest firm Tata Consultancy Services plans to ask a vast majority of 75% of its 4.48 lakh employees globally (including 3.5 lakh in India) to work from home, up from the industry average of 20% today. The new model called 25/25 will require far less office space than occupied today. HCL technologies too have proposed that going forward, they will allow 50% of their employees to work from home while the remaining would continue their work from offices in the next 12-18 months At the Global level, Amazon.com Inc has said that employees that work in a. Roel that can be performed from home can continue to do so until October 2nd. It is not known as to what percentage of their total staff this applies to. Google has also said that a vast majority of their employees will likely WFH til the end of this year, this came after Facebook had also made a similar announcement.

Work from home the new normal: Companies offer furniture, gadget allowance to employees

The third wave of globalisation, which some hold has veritably ended, presented an array of choices and challenges to firms of all sizes and forms. The whole world was a potential market for firms, as barriers to trade, commerce and business fell rapidly.&nbsp;

Technological advances made it possible even for small firms to set up ‘global shops’. ‘Thinking global’ and holding an international mindset became mantras and buzzwords. &nbsp;

While management gurus dwelt on these themes and popularised these, going global presented conceptual, structural and emotional challenges. How was a firm to organise itself? What structures and practices should it adopt? What management philosophy was the most prudent and germane? Should be firm be global and local? How would the new global or glocal orientation impact and determine hiring and management practices? If, say, the global manager had to mobile and ‘rootless’, was there a price to pay for this? And last, but not the least, was the firm going global to remain rooted in its headquarters with tinkering at the edges or go native?

Different firms adapted to the opportunities and challenges presented by globalisation differently. But, there were a few common thematic areas of concern and review like, for example, the multidivisional firm catering to a homogenous domestic market was no longer the panacea to organisational design and structure. Firms adopted different structures that helped them cope with the demands and needs of a global market.

While firms like McDonald that had standardisation built into them could with a wee bit of variation and adjustment to local tastes could get away with its peculiar management practices, other firms had different approaches. Many remained rooted in their countries of origin, but gave managers in other counties some degree of autonomy and discretion. A few delegated power to managers of other countries and tried to develop a synthesis.

But, whatever a given management practice a firm adopted, cultural differences presented a challenge. The question was how to maintain coherence and cohesiveness given the diversity of talent available in the global market place? One answer that presented itself was to socialise managers into the broader and larger philosophies of a firm and role rotation.&nbsp;

The premise appears to have been that this would create a workable synthesis that would gel with the objectives of firms. However, problems inhered in this approach; the main pertained to acculturation, culture shocks and personality changes of managers.

Another approach that was tried and is practised to some extent contemporarily is a virtual workplace wherein a given manager or technocrat did not have to move from his or her home. Technological advances made it possible to work from remote locations. This approach also helped in cost reductions.

The menu of choices that firms had was many and each chose what seemed to be the best fit for it. But now, it is held that globalisation is in retreat and the world is deglobalising. Would this impact firms’ choices of hiring, locational, basing and management choices and decisions? It would appear that while globalisation may have slowed, it may not be irreversible, especially vis a vis firms and their needs for value, profits and market shares and competition thereof. In this schema then, firms might not retreat from going global but might adapt till there is more clarity. However, the business will not atrophy and insular given that expansion for most businesses and firms is in the nature of an imperative. What then would be the most appropriate hiring and managerial practices for firms in a changing environment?

The world contemporarily remains fluid-politically, economically and culturally but a firm with an international or even global orientation still has choices about hiring and management practices. There still exists a global market for talent. A parochial and narrow approach to hiring would mean that firms choose and pick talent only from their home bases but this homogeneity could potentially undercut them and present a competitive disadvantage. The yardstick for firms with respect to hiring talent, and developing a robust skill base should be merit. An ethnocentric approach even though has some advantages but, in the final analysis, nothing beats talent and merit. Besides the utilitarian benefit that talent and meritocracy offer, there is also the aspect of inherent good involved in it.

But a global talent pool and hiring from it presents cultural problems. Cultural differences might be the chasm that a firm might flounder into. Can it be obviated? The answer is yes. Key is developing and cultivating intercultural competences, sensibilities and sensitivities under the overall management rubric of firms. &nbsp;

Firms inhabit a world that is on the cusp of a transition. While some aspects of these transitions might be ephemeral, others could be enduring. But a commitment to hiring from a global talent pool and retaining the best talent would be something that firms should not forfeit. This might even constitute a public good that also contributes to value generation for firms. The choice then between ‘going native’ and remaining rooted becomes superfluous as a given firm with a diverse talent pool becomes a microcosm of the world itself!

&nbsp;(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL) &nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The third wave of globalisation, which some hold has veritably ended, presented an array of choices and challenges to firms of all sizes and forms. The whole world was a potential market for firms, as barriers to trade, commerce and business fell rapidly.

The third wave of globalisation, which some hold has veritably ended, presented an array of choices and challenges to firms of all sizes and forms. The whole world was a potential market for firms, as barriers to trade, commerce and business fell rapidly. Technological advances made it possible even for small firms to set up ‘global shops’. ‘Thinking global’ and holding an international mindset became mantras and buzzwords. While management gurus dwelt on these themes and popularised these, going global presented conceptual, structural and emotional challenges. How was a firm to organise itself? What structures and practices should it adopt? What management philosophy was the most prudent and germane? Should be firm be global and local? How would the new global or glocal orientation impact and determine hiring and management practices? If, say, the global manager had to mobile and ‘rootless’, was there a price to pay for this? And last, but not the least, was the firm going global to remain rooted in its headquarters with tinkering at the edges or go native? Different firms adapted to the opportunities and challenges presented by globalisation differently. But, there were a few common thematic areas of concern and review like, for example, the multidivisional firm catering to a homogenous domestic market was no longer the panacea to organisational design and structure. Firms adopted different structures that helped them cope with the demands and needs of a global market. While firms like McDonald that had standardisation built into them could with a wee bit of variation and adjustment to local tastes could get away with its peculiar management practices, other firms had different approaches. Many remained rooted in their countries of origin, but gave managers in other counties some degree of autonomy and discretion. A few delegated power to managers of other countries and tried to develop a synthesis. But, whatever a given management practice a firm adopted, cultural differences presented a challenge. The question was how to maintain coherence and cohesiveness given the diversity of talent available in the global market place? One answer that presented itself was to socialise managers into the broader and larger philosophies of a firm and role rotation. The premise appears to have been that this would create a workable synthesis that would gel with the objectives of firms. However, problems inhered in this approach; the main pertained to acculturation, culture shocks and personality changes of managers. Another approach that was tried and is practised to some extent contemporarily is a virtual workplace wherein a given manager or technocrat did not have to move from his or her home. Technological advances made it possible to work from remote locations. This approach also helped in cost reductions. The menu of choices that firms had was many and each chose what seemed to be the best fit for it. But now, it is held that globalisation is in retreat and the world is deglobalising. Would this impact firms’ choices of hiring, locational, basing and management choices and decisions? It would appear that while globalisation may have slowed, it may not be irreversible, especially vis a vis firms and their needs for value, profits and market shares and competition thereof. In this schema then, firms might not retreat from going global but might adapt till there is more clarity. However, the business will not atrophy and insular given that expansion for most businesses and firms is in the nature of an imperative. What then would be the most appropriate hiring and managerial practices for firms in a changing environment? The world contemporarily remains fluid-politically, economically and culturally but a firm with an international or even global orientation still has choices about hiring and management practices. There still exists a global market for talent. A parochial and narrow approach to hiring would mean that firms choose and pick talent only from their home bases but this homogeneity could potentially undercut them and present a competitive disadvantage. The yardstick for firms with respect to hiring talent, and developing a robust skill base should be merit. An ethnocentric approach even though has some advantages but, in the final analysis, nothing beats talent and merit. Besides the utilitarian benefit that talent and meritocracy offer, there is also the aspect of inherent good involved in it. But a global talent pool and hiring from it presents cultural problems. Cultural differences might be the chasm that a firm might flounder into. Can it be obviated? The answer is yes. Key is developing and cultivating intercultural competences, sensibilities and sensitivities under the overall management rubric of firms. Firms inhabit a world that is on the cusp of a transition. While some aspects of these transitions might be ephemeral, others could be enduring. But a commitment to hiring from a global talent pool and retaining the best talent would be something that firms should not forfeit. This might even constitute a public good that also contributes to value generation for firms. The choice then between ‘going native’ and remaining rooted becomes superfluous as a given firm with a diverse talent pool becomes a microcosm of the world itself! (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL)

Between going ‘native’ and remaining ‘rooted’, do global companies have a choice?

Can The US - China Trade War Benefit India? Trade War Can Force Major Companies To Source More From India. Palki Sharma Upadhyay Explains.

Gravitas: US - China Trade War: Advantage For India?

The combined market valuation of six of the 10 most valued companies slumped by Rs 38,152.86 crore last week, with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) taking the steepest hit.

While Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), RIL, HDFC Bank, HUL, ITC and HDFC suffered losses in their market capitalisation (m-cap) for the week ended Friday, Infosys, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank made gains. RIL’s market valuation tumbled by Rs 16,955.65 crore to Rs 6,96,639.64 crore.

The m-cap of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) dropped Rs 8,626.12 crore to Rs 3,85,361.63 crore and that of TCS dived Rs 8,198.96 crore to Rs 7,03,178.13 crore. HDFC’s valuation took a beating of Rs 1,501.96 crore to reach Rs 3,38,933.58 crore and that of ITC fell by Rs 1,469.63 crore to Rs 3,43,832.17 crore.

The market cap of HDFC Bank declined by Rs 1,400.54 crore to Rs 5,75,922.41 crore. In contrast, ICICI Bank added Rs 2,906.87 crore to its valuation to reach Rs 2,35,444.07 crore. SBI’s valuation went up by Rs 2,722 crore to Rs 2,65,506.48 crore and Infosys gained Rs 1,376.12 crore to Rs 2,88,658.41 crore. Kotak Mahindra Bank added Rs 391 crore to stand at Rs 2,37,787.86 crore.

In the ranking of top-10 firms, TCS was at the number one position, followed by RIL, HDFC Bank, HUL, ITC, HDFC, Infosys, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank. Over the last week, the Sensex fell 381.62 points or 1.05 per cent.

The combined market valuation of six of the 10 most valued companies slumped by Rs 38,152.86 crore last week, with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) taking the steepest hit.

The combined market valuation of six of the 10 most valued companies slumped by Rs 38,152.86 crore last week, with Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL) taking the steepest hit. While Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), RIL, HDFC Bank, HUL, ITC and HDFC suffered losses in their market capitalisation (m-cap) for the week ended Friday, Infosys, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank made gains. RIL’s market valuation tumbled by Rs 16,955.65 crore to Rs 6,96,639.64 crore. The m-cap of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) dropped Rs 8,626.12 crore to Rs 3,85,361.63 crore and that of TCS dived Rs 8,198.96 crore to Rs 7,03,178.13 crore. HDFC’s valuation took a beating of Rs 1,501.96 crore to reach Rs 3,38,933.58 crore and that of ITC fell by Rs 1,469.63 crore to Rs 3,43,832.17 crore. The market cap of HDFC Bank declined by Rs 1,400.54 crore to Rs 5,75,922.41 crore. In contrast, ICICI Bank added Rs 2,906.87 crore to its valuation to reach Rs 2,35,444.07 crore. SBI’s valuation went up by Rs 2,722 crore to Rs 2,65,506.48 crore and Infosys gained Rs 1,376.12 crore to Rs 2,88,658.41 crore. Kotak Mahindra Bank added Rs 391 crore to stand at Rs 2,37,787.86 crore. In the ranking of top-10 firms, TCS was at the number one position, followed by RIL, HDFC Bank, HUL, ITC, HDFC, Infosys, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank and ICICI Bank. Over the last week, the Sensex fell 381.62 points or 1.05 per cent.

Top 10 most-valued companies including TCS, RIL, HDFC Bank lose Rs 38,153 cr in m-cap

Six of the 10 most-valued Indian companies suffered a combined erosion of Rs 89,531.31 crore from their <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/six-of-top-10-companies-lose-rs-54916-crore-in-m-cap-182615">market valuation </a>last week, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) alone accounting for over Rs 34,000 crore.

Reliance Industries (RIL), HUL, Infosys, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Maruti Suzuki were also among the losers, while HDFC Bank, ITC, HDFC and State Bank of India (SBI) finished the week ended Friday with gains.

The <a href="http://www.wionews.com/business-economy/markets-close-in-green-sensex-rises-77-points-185065">marke</a>t capitalisation (m-cap) of TCS slumped Rs 34,521.94 crore to Rs 7,11,921.19 crore and that of Infosys plunged Rs 26,143.34 crore to Rs 2,82,105.44 crore.

Valuation of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) dived Rs 11,515.94 crore to Rs 3,90,416.08 crore and RIL tanked Rs 8,493.67 crore to Rs 6,96,195.94 crore.

Also, Kotak Mahindra Bank's m-cap declined Rs 5,311.51 crore to Rs 2,34,087.97 crore, while Maruti Suzuki stood at Rs 2,27,670.19 crore with a loss of Rs 3,544.91 crore.

On the other hand, HDFC added Rs 7,823.28 crore to its m-cap to reach Rs 3,35,165.94 crore and HDFC Bank soared Rs 4,825.33 crore to Rs 5,74,009.79 crore.

SBI went up by Rs 2,231.15 crore to reach Rs 2,60,285.60 crore and ITC's valuation stood at Rs 3,38,575.91 crore with a gain of Rs 1,040.83 crore. 
In the ranking of top-10 firms in terms of m-cap, TCS stood at the number one position, followed by RIL, HDFC Bank, HUL, ITC, HDFC, Infosys, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Maruti Suzuki.

Over the last week, the Sensex declined 220.86 points to end at 35,742.07.

Six of the 10 most-valued Indian companies suffered a combined erosion of Rs 89,531.31 crore from their market valuation last week, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) alone accounting for over Rs 34,000 crore.

Six of the 10 most-valued Indian companies suffered a combined erosion of Rs 89,531.31 crore from their market valuation last week, with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) alone accounting for over Rs 34,000 crore. Reliance Industries (RIL), HUL, Infosys, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Maruti Suzuki were also among the losers, while HDFC Bank, ITC, HDFC and State Bank of India (SBI) finished the week ended Friday with gains. The market capitalisation (m-cap) of TCS slumped Rs 34,521.94 crore to Rs 7,11,921.19 crore and that of Infosys plunged Rs 26,143.34 crore to Rs 2,82,105.44 crore. Valuation of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) dived Rs 11,515.94 crore to Rs 3,90,416.08 crore and RIL tanked Rs 8,493.67 crore to Rs 6,96,195.94 crore. Also, Kotak Mahindra Bank's m-cap declined Rs 5,311.51 crore to Rs 2,34,087.97 crore, while Maruti Suzuki stood at Rs 2,27,670.19 crore with a loss of Rs 3,544.91 crore. On the other hand, HDFC added Rs 7,823.28 crore to its m-cap to reach Rs 3,35,165.94 crore and HDFC Bank soared Rs 4,825.33 crore to Rs 5,74,009.79 crore. SBI went up by Rs 2,231.15 crore to reach Rs 2,60,285.60 crore and ITC's valuation stood at Rs 3,38,575.91 crore with a gain of Rs 1,040.83 crore. In the ranking of top-10 firms in terms of m-cap, TCS stood at the number one position, followed by RIL, HDFC Bank, HUL, ITC, HDFC, Infosys, SBI, Kotak Mahindra Bank and Maruti Suzuki. Over the last week, the Sensex declined 220.86 points to end at 35,742.07.

Top six companies lose Rs 89,531 crore in market cap last week

A weak broader market pulled down the combined market valuation of the top 10 most valued Indian companies by a whopping Rs 2,55,995 crore last week, with RIL taking the steepest hit.

The equity market witnessed severe drubbing last week, with the BSE benchmark Sensex falling sharply by 1,850.15 points to end at 34,376.99.

From the top 10 pack, RIL’s market capitalisation (m-cap) plummeted Rs 1,32,061.4 crore to Rs 6,65,441.16 crore.

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) took the second biggest hit, with its valuation plunging Rs 31,164.6 crore to Rs 8,05,187.65 crore, while that of ITC tanked Rs 23,932.94 crore to Rs 3,39,284.67 crore.

Kotak Mahindra Bank’s m-cap nosedived Rs 17,091.72 crore to Rs 2,00,874.28 crore and that of Maruti Suzuki India slumped Rs 13,821.67 crore to Rs 2,08,223.79 crore.

HDFC Bank suffered an erosion of Rs 11,629.51 crore to Rs 5,33,340.93 crore and that of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) fell sharply by Rs 10,433.61 crore to Rs 3,37,566.18 crore.

The valuation of HDFC dived Rs 6,812.89 crore to Rs 2,90,520.19 crore and that of SBI went down by Rs 6,425.7 crore to Rs 2,30,075.87 crore.

Similarly, the m-cap of Infosys fell by Rs 2,621.03 crore to Rs 3,15,331.73 crore.

In the ranking of top-10 firms, TCS stood at number one position, followed by Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), HDFC Bank, ITC, HUL, Infosys, HDFC, SBI, Maruti and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

A weak broader market pulled down the combined market valuation of the top 10 most valued Indian companies by a whopping Rs 2,55,995 crore last week, with RIL taking the steepest hit.

A weak broader market pulled down the combined market valuation of the top 10 most valued Indian companies by a whopping Rs 2,55,995 crore last week, with RIL taking the steepest hit. The equity market witnessed severe drubbing last week, with the BSE benchmark Sensex falling sharply by 1,850.15 points to end at 34,376.99. From the top 10 pack, RIL’s market capitalisation (m-cap) plummeted Rs 1,32,061.4 crore to Rs 6,65,441.16 crore. Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) took the second biggest hit, with its valuation plunging Rs 31,164.6 crore to Rs 8,05,187.65 crore, while that of ITC tanked Rs 23,932.94 crore to Rs 3,39,284.67 crore. Kotak Mahindra Bank’s m-cap nosedived Rs 17,091.72 crore to Rs 2,00,874.28 crore and that of Maruti Suzuki India slumped Rs 13,821.67 crore to Rs 2,08,223.79 crore. HDFC Bank suffered an erosion of Rs 11,629.51 crore to Rs 5,33,340.93 crore and that of Hindustan Unilever Ltd (HUL) fell sharply by Rs 10,433.61 crore to Rs 3,37,566.18 crore. The valuation of HDFC dived Rs 6,812.89 crore to Rs 2,90,520.19 crore and that of SBI went down by Rs 6,425.7 crore to Rs 2,30,075.87 crore. Similarly, the m-cap of Infosys fell by Rs 2,621.03 crore to Rs 3,15,331.73 crore. In the ranking of top-10 firms, TCS stood at number one position, followed by Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), HDFC Bank, ITC, HUL, Infosys, HDFC, SBI, Maruti and Kotak Mahindra Bank.

Mukesh Ambani's RIL worst affected as top 10 companies lose Rs 2.5 lakh cr in market cap

As many as 73,000 companies that have been deregistered deposited Rs 24,000 crore in bank accounts post demonetisation, according to government data.

As part of cracking down on black money flows and illicit assets, the Corporate Affairs Ministry has struck off the names of around 2.26 lakh companies that have not been carrying out business activities for long.

Many of these companies are suspected to have been used for illegal fund flows.

Data compiled by the ministry showed that out of the 2.26 lakh deregistered companies, the bank details of 1.68 lakh of them showed that post demonetisation cash was deposited in these accounts.

"Out of this, 73,000 companies deposited Rs 24,000 crore. Details of companies from various banks are under process," the ministry said in a document.

The document, which listed the ministry's achievements in the last four years, also said that 68 companies are under investigation.

The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is probing 19 companies while the Registrars of Companies (RoC) are investigating 49 firms, it added.&nbsp;

In November 2016, the government had cancelled old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes as legal tenders as part of the fight against the black money menace.

Under the Companies Act, the government has powers to strike off names of firms from the register on various grounds.&nbsp;

The Corporate Affairs Ministry has struck off the names of around 2.26 lakh companies that have not been carrying out business activities for long.

As many as 73,000 companies that have been deregistered deposited Rs 24,000 crore in bank accounts post demonetisation, according to government data. As part of cracking down on black money flows and illicit assets, the Corporate Affairs Ministry has struck off the names of around 2.26 lakh companies that have not been carrying out business activities for long. Many of these companies are suspected to have been used for illegal fund flows. Data compiled by the ministry showed that out of the 2.26 lakh deregistered companies, the bank details of 1.68 lakh of them showed that post demonetisation cash was deposited in these accounts. "Out of this, 73,000 companies deposited Rs 24,000 crore. Details of companies from various banks are under process," the ministry said in a document. The document, which listed the ministry's achievements in the last four years, also said that 68 companies are under investigation. The Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) is probing 19 companies while the Registrars of Companies (RoC) are investigating 49 firms, it added. In November 2016, the government had cancelled old Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 currency notes as legal tenders as part of the fight against the black money menace. Under the Companies Act, the government has powers to strike off names of firms from the register on various grounds.

73,000 deregistered companies deposited Rs 24,000 crore post demonetisation: Govt data

The Centre has rushed 10 additional companies of paramilitary personnel to Shillong after fresh violence broke out there Sunday night. A top officer said police had to use tear gas to quell a mob.

Shillong has been on edge since Thursday following clashes between residents of the city's Punjabi Line area and Khasi drivers of state-run buses.

A four-member delegation sent by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to the state met Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma in Shillong. ANI reported Sangma as assuring the safety and security of the city's Punjabi Line residents.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Top Union home ministry officials have also been in touch with Meghalaya government officials.&nbsp;

Sangma had earlier said the clashes are <a href="http://www.wionews.com/india-news/shillong-clash-not-communal-says-cm-curfew-relaxed-for-7-hours-141984">not communal</a>.&nbsp;

"The problem is very much in a particular locality, on a particular issue. It just happened that two particular communities were involved, but it's not a communal thing," Sangma said on Sunday.

The clashes in Shillong, he added, were given a communal colour by vested groups and a section of the media outside the state.

News reports said some 400 protesters targeted a CRPF camp in Shillong on Sunday night.

Normal life continues to be affected in the town. Authorities have imposed curfew in the capital city to curtail any fresh violence.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Meghalaya?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Meghalaya</a>: Army conducted flag march in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Shillong?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Shillong</a> in the wake of violence after clashes broke out between two groups following escalation of an argument between a woman & a bus conductor. <a href="https://t.co/MGqCjtbSL6">pic.twitter.com/MGqCjtbSL6</a>
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Violence broke out last Thursday after two groups of people in the city's Punjabi Line area clashed after a bus handyman was allegedly beaten up by a group of residents. The clash&nbsp;had been sparked by a fight between the handyman and a woman.&nbsp;

More than 10 people, including policemen, were injured in the violence. One person has been arrested so far in connection with the incident.

Late on Friday night, the Army carried out a flag march in various areas of the town.&nbsp;

News reports said some 400 protesters targeted a CRPF camp in Shillong on Sunday night. Normal life continues to be affected in the town

The Centre has rushed 10 additional companies of paramilitary personnel to Shillong after fresh violence broke out there Sunday night. A top officer said police had to use tear gas to quell a mob. Shillong has been on edge since Thursday following clashes between residents of the city's Punjabi Line area and Khasi drivers of state-run buses. A four-member delegation sent by Punjab Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh to the state met Meghalaya CM Conrad Sangma in Shillong. ANI reported Sangma as assuring the safety and security of the city's Punjabi Line residents. Top Union home ministry officials have also been in touch with Meghalaya government officials. Sangma had earlier said the clashes are not communal. "The problem is very much in a particular locality, on a particular issue. It just happened that two particular communities were involved, but it's not a communal thing," Sangma said on Sunday. The clashes in Shillong, he added, were given a communal colour by vested groups and a section of the media outside the state. News reports said some 400 protesters targeted a CRPF camp in Shillong on Sunday night. Normal life continues to be affected in the town. Authorities have imposed curfew in the capital city to curtail any fresh violence. #Meghalaya: Army conducted flag march in #Shillong in the wake of violence after clashes broke out between two groups following escalation of an argument between a woman & a bus conductor. pic.twitter.com/MGqCjtbSL6 — ANI (@ANI) June 4, 2018 × Violence broke out last Thursday after two groups of people in the city's Punjabi Line area clashed after a bus handyman was allegedly beaten up by a group of residents. The clash had been sparked by a fight between the handyman and a woman. More than 10 people, including policemen, were injured in the violence. One person has been arrested so far in connection with the incident. Late on Friday night, the Army carried out a flag march in various areas of the town.

After fresh violence, Centre rushes 1,000 paramilitary personnel to Shillong

YouTube has come under scrutiny again after ads from over 300 companies were shown on channels which promoted and included content about white nationalists, Nazis pedophilia, conspiracy theories and North Korean propaganda, as per a report by CNN.&nbsp

Companies like Adidas, Under Armour, Facebook, Hilton, LinkedIn, Amazon etc have possibly&nbspunknowingly financed a few of these channels through these advertisements they paid for on YouTube. Ads from five US government agencies, such as the Department of Transportation and Centers for Disease Control, appeared on the channels.

According to the reports, the companies had no idea that their ads were being shown before videos which promoted extremist content and are now investigating the matter in more detail.&nbsp

However, this is not the first time YouTube has been in trouble. Previously, the company had come under fire for putting extremist content and for letting those channels make money for the videos. This is why many companies had removed themselves from YouTube's ad program while many others reduced the number of ads shared.

For example, a number of ads ran on Brian Ruhe's Nazi channel. YouTube subsequently deleted the channel for violating its community guidelines against spreading hate speech. But before its deletion, ads ran frequently on the channel.

The incidents have raised questions about whether YouTube can adequately safeguard ads and brands' integrity, or whether its automated systems mean that advertisers will always be at risk of such ad placements.

YouTube has made no comment over the reason behind the issue which have been continuing for a while.&nbsp

This is how YouTubers make money:&nbsp

YouTubers link their accounts with Google's AdSense program which delivers ads in exchange for a cut of ad revenue. However, a channel can only apply for monetisation if it reaches 4000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1000 subscribers so as to prevent spammers, impersonators and other bad actors from exploiting the ecosystem.&nbsp

One thing to note here is that there is no clarity as to how much a Youtuber is paid. There is fixed revenue model but it is believed that Youtube keeps about 40% of the revenue for itself.&nbsp

A lot of YouTubers remain totally clueless about how they are paid.&nbsp

Companies like Adidas, Under Armour, Facebook, Hilton, LinkedIn, Amazon etc have possible unknowingly financed a few of these channels through these advertisements they paid for on YouTube

YouTube has come under scrutiny again after ads from over 300 companies were shown on channels which promoted and included content about white nationalists, Nazis pedophilia, conspiracy theories and North Korean propaganda, as per a report by CNN. Companies like Adidas, Under Armour, Facebook, Hilton, LinkedIn, Amazon etc have possibly&nbspunknowingly financed a few of these channels through these advertisements they paid for on YouTube. Ads from five US government agencies, such as the Department of Transportation and Centers for Disease Control, appeared on the channels. According to the reports, the companies had no idea that their ads were being shown before videos which promoted extremist content and are now investigating the matter in more detail. However, this is not the first time YouTube has been in trouble. Previously, the company had come under fire for putting extremist content and for letting those channels make money for the videos. This is why many companies had removed themselves from YouTube's ad program while many others reduced the number of ads shared. For example, a number of ads ran on Brian Ruhe's Nazi channel. YouTube subsequently deleted the channel for violating its community guidelines against spreading hate speech. But before its deletion, ads ran frequently on the channel. The incidents have raised questions about whether YouTube can adequately safeguard ads and brands' integrity, or whether its automated systems mean that advertisers will always be at risk of such ad placements. YouTube has made no comment over the reason behind the issue which have been continuing for a while. This is how YouTubers make money: YouTubers link their accounts with Google's AdSense program which delivers ads in exchange for a cut of ad revenue. However, a channel can only apply for monetisation if it reaches 4000 watch hours in the previous 12 months and 1000 subscribers so as to prevent spammers, impersonators and other bad actors from exploiting the ecosystem. One thing to note here is that there is no clarity as to how much a Youtuber is paid. There is fixed revenue model but it is believed that Youtube keeps about 40% of the revenue for itself. A lot of YouTubers remain totally clueless about how they are paid.

YouTube under scanner for showing ads on extremist channels: Report

Increased technology usage and digitisation of the economy have escalated cyberattacks in India, and nearly 70 per cent of Nifty 50 companies are vulnerable to hackers, reveals a PwC survey. 
 
According to the report, out of the 50 companies studied, 34 (or 68 per cent) had identified vulnerabilities in at least one or more of their Internet-facing properties. 
 
The PwC survey about transgressions in Indian cyberspace of these companies further said, 525 email addresses belonging to the 34 companies were compromised, meaning hackers had access to those email addresses. 
 
&quot;Cybersecurity is no more restricted to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or Chief Security Officers (CSOs) but needs serious attention of the higher management,&quot; Sivarama Krishnan, the leader of cyber security at PwC India said. 
 
Furthermore, 200 IP addresses belonging to the 34 companies were blacklisted by various Internet Service Providers (ISPs), implying that the ISPs found these IPs to be involved in spreading malicious traffic on the Internet, sending spam emails, or acting as a botnet in large cyber attacks, the report noted. 
 
&quot;There is a perceptible shift in the way modern threats are carried out, and the types of responses needed, and the surge in cyber crimes, manifests how these attackers are extensively-equipped with resources besides having a high technical skill set,&quot; Krishnan added. 
 
Sectorwise, media &amp; entertainment, automobiles, consumer goods and energy had the highest number of vulnerabilities. 
 
&quot;Hackers today are just not the tech enthusiasts, but are more sophisticated and organised in their approach to probe their targets and companies need to, more than ever before, adopt sophisticated security analytical tools to prevent such crimes,&quot; Krishnan said. 
 
According to the report, transgressions in Indian cyberspace have more than doubled over the past year to 6,284 incidents per respondent. The average number of attacks in India is fast catching up with the global average of 6,853 incidents per respondent. 
(PTI)

Transgressions in Indian cyberspace have more than doubled over the past year, a PricewaterhouseCoopers report says

Increased technology usage and digitisation of the economy have escalated cyberattacks in India, and nearly 70 per cent of Nifty 50 companies are vulnerable to hackers, reveals a PwC survey. According to the report, out of the 50 companies studied, 34 (or 68 per cent) had identified vulnerabilities in at least one or more of their Internet-facing properties. The PwC survey about transgressions in Indian cyberspace of these companies further said, 525 email addresses belonging to the 34 companies were compromised, meaning hackers had access to those email addresses. "Cybersecurity is no more restricted to Chief Information Officers (CIOs) or Chief Security Officers (CSOs) but needs serious attention of the higher management," Sivarama Krishnan, the leader of cyber security at PwC India said. Furthermore, 200 IP addresses belonging to the 34 companies were blacklisted by various Internet Service Providers (ISPs), implying that the ISPs found these IPs to be involved in spreading malicious traffic on the Internet, sending spam emails, or acting as a botnet in large cyber attacks, the report noted. "There is a perceptible shift in the way modern threats are carried out, and the types of responses needed, and the surge in cyber crimes, manifests how these attackers are extensively-equipped with resources besides having a high technical skill set," Krishnan added. Sectorwise, media & entertainment, automobiles, consumer goods and energy had the highest number of vulnerabilities. "Hackers today are just not the tech enthusiasts, but are more sophisticated and organised in their approach to probe their targets and companies need to, more than ever before, adopt sophisticated security analytical tools to prevent such crimes," Krishnan said. According to the report, transgressions in Indian cyberspace have more than doubled over the past year to 6,284 incidents per respondent. The average number of attacks in India is fast catching up with the global average of 6,853 incidents per respondent. (PTI)

Rising cyberattacks affect majority of India's big companies

Mergers and acquisitions in the global consumer and retail sectors in 2016 are likely to be characterised by lower valuations for small firms and reasonable values for riskier assets, after a string of mega deals in 2015, a report shows.

Last year ended with $365 billion in transactions, the highest dollar value of deals in these sectors since 2008, said the report by consulting firm AT Kearney.

The report, titled &#39;Has the consumer-retail merger market lost its froth&#39;, was based on interviews with thirty six company executives globally and analysed historical data from over 1,000 transactions.

Among other&nbsp;trends, the report found renewed investment interest in the United States and other weste nrn markets by companies in China and Japan keen to expand outside their home markets.

The need for deals will be spurred by tighter margins and slowing growth but that will be offset by a drop in demand for high yield debt from private equity players. Higher interest rates for such debt will increase the cost of capital and hurt deal appetite, the report said.

Consolidation, however, will continue and is likely in the most mature categories like soda beverages, processed foods such as cereals and frozen foods.

Large Chinese companies with limited growth prospects domestically still have access to vast amounts of capital from state-owned banks and are interested in buying valuable assets, brands, and capabilities rather than building them.

Chinese investment in offshore M&amp;A was already at $106 billion by the end of the first quarter of 2016, just short of the total for all of 2015, the report said.

Buyers also remained bullish on India with sixty eight per cent of respondents expecting deal activity in the market to remain at current levels or increase, driven by lower oil prices and a broad push towards deregulation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The report, titled 'Has the consumer-retail merger market lost its froth' found renewed investment interest in the United States and other western markets by companies in China and Japan

Mergers and acquisitions in the global consumer and retail sectors in 2016 are likely to be characterised by lower valuations for small firms and reasonable values for riskier assets, after a string of mega deals in 2015, a report shows. Last year ended with $365 billion in transactions, the highest dollar value of deals in these sectors since 2008, said the report by consulting firm AT Kearney. The report, titled 'Has the consumer-retail merger market lost its froth', was based on interviews with thirty six company executives globally and analysed historical data from over 1,000 transactions. Among other trends, the report found renewed investment interest in the United States and other weste nrn markets by companies in China and Japan keen to expand outside their home markets. The need for deals will be spurred by tighter margins and slowing growth but that will be offset by a drop in demand for high yield debt from private equity players. Higher interest rates for such debt will increase the cost of capital and hurt deal appetite, the report said. Consolidation, however, will continue and is likely in the most mature categories like soda beverages, processed foods such as cereals and frozen foods. Large Chinese companies with limited growth prospects domestically still have access to vast amounts of capital from state-owned banks and are interested in buying valuable assets, brands, and capabilities rather than building them. Chinese investment in offshore M&A was already at $106 billion by the end of the first quarter of 2016, just short of the total for all of 2015, the report said. Buyers also remained bullish on India with sixty eight per cent of respondents expecting deal activity in the market to remain at current levels or increase, driven by lower oil prices and a broad push towards deregulation led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Global retail and consumer sector deals less pricey in 2016: report

Companies should be allowed to prohibit staff from wearing the Islamic headscarf but only as part of a general ban on religious and political symbols, an adviser to the European Court of Justice said today.

The Islamic headscarf is a contentious issue in some European countries, particularly in France which attaches importance to the separation of state and religious institutions.

This is the first time Europe&#39;s highest court is handling a case on banning the headscarf, referred to it by a Belgian court hearing a compensation claim from a woman who was dismissed from her job for wearing an Islamic headscarf.

The woman was working as a receptionist for Belgian company G4S Secure Solutions, which has a general ban on wearing visible religious or political symbols.

The Belgian court asked the European Court of Justice whether forbidding the headscarf violated an EU law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of religion.

&quot;While an employee cannot &#39;leave&#39; his sex, skin colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or disability &#39;at the door&#39; upon entering his employer&#39;s premises, he may be expected to moderate the exercise of his religion in the workplace,&quot; Juliane Kokott, the EU court&#39;s advocate general, wrote in her opinion published today.&nbsp;

The advocate general&#39;s findings are not binding but the EU court typically follows the adviser&#39;s recommendation. A ruling from the European Court of Justice is expected later this year. The Belgian court will rule on the matter thereafter.

There are already some headscarf bans in schools and public institutions in France and Belgium. However, Germany&#39;s top court last year struck down a ban on teachers wearing headscarves in schools.

Companies should be allowed to prohibit staff from wearing headscarf but only under general ban on religious and political symbols

Companies should be allowed to prohibit staff from wearing the Islamic headscarf but only as part of a general ban on religious and political symbols, an adviser to the European Court of Justice said today. The Islamic headscarf is a contentious issue in some European countries, particularly in France which attaches importance to the separation of state and religious institutions. This is the first time Europe's highest court is handling a case on banning the headscarf, referred to it by a Belgian court hearing a compensation claim from a woman who was dismissed from her job for wearing an Islamic headscarf. The woman was working as a receptionist for Belgian company G4S Secure Solutions, which has a general ban on wearing visible religious or political symbols. The Belgian court asked the European Court of Justice whether forbidding the headscarf violated an EU law prohibiting discrimination on the basis of religion. "While an employee cannot 'leave' his sex, skin colour, ethnicity, sexual orientation, age or disability 'at the door' upon entering his employer's premises, he may be expected to moderate the exercise of his religion in the workplace," Juliane Kokott, the EU court's advocate general, wrote in her opinion published today. The advocate general's findings are not binding but the EU court typically follows the adviser's recommendation. A ruling from the European Court of Justice is expected later this year. The Belgian court will rule on the matter thereafter. There are already some headscarf bans in schools and public institutions in France and Belgium. However, Germany's top court last year struck down a ban on teachers wearing headscarves in schools.

Employers can forbid headscarf if general ban in place - EU court adviser

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One in three Americans will suffer type 2 diabetes by 2050. These superfoods can save us <a href="https://t.co/S3aVNdDsUw">https://t.co/S3aVNdDsUw</a>
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<script async src="~/platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8" type="text/javascript"></script>Drugmakers are renewing efforts to develop medicines to fight emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but creating new classes of drugs on the scale needed is unlikely to happen without new financial incentives to make the effort worth the investment, companies and industry experts said. 
 
 
dna &rlm;@dna 3m3 minutes ago WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to #ZikaVirus

American military researchers on Thursday announced the first U.S. case of a patient with an infection found to be resistant to the antibiotic colistin, the drug often held in reserve for when all else fails.

That put a spotlight on the urgent need for new medicines that can combat what health officials have called &quot;nightmare bacteria.&quot;

Drugmakers on Friday acknowledged that in the absence of a new way of compensating them, it simply does not make economic sense to pour serious resources into work on new antibiotics.

&quot;The return on investment based on the current commercial model is not really commensurate with the amount of effort you have to put into it,&quot; said David Payne, who heads GlaxoSmithKline PLC&#39;s (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=GSK.L">GSK.L</a>) antibiotics drug group.

Other pharmaceutical companies expressed a similar sentiment.

In January, some 80 drugmakers and diagnostics companies, including Pfizer Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PFE.N">PFE.N</a>), Merck &amp; Co (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MRK.N">MRK.N</a>), Johnson &amp; Johnson (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=JNJ.N">JNJ.N</a>) and Glaxo, signed a declaration calling for cooperation among governments and companies to create incentives to revitalize research and development of new antibiotics.

It proposed a new business model in which profit would not be linked to higher sales. For example, governments and health organizations could offer lump-sum rewards for development of a successful new antibiotic. A British government panel suggested this month that drug companies be offered up to $1.5 billion for successful development of a new antibiotic.

In the United States alone, antibiotic-resistant bacteria causes 2 million serious infections and 23,000 deaths annually, according to U.S. health officials.

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<h5>Drug companies can&#39;t make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs</h5>
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Unrestrained overuse of current antibiotics by doctors and hospitals, often when they are not needed, and widespread antibiotic use in food livestock have contributed to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria.

But in recent years, major drugmakers have poured most of their research dollars into highly profitable medicines to fight cancer, rare diseases and hepatitis C. These drugs not only command high prices, they also are typically used far longer than antibiotics.

And the companies, which have come under intense criticism in recent months for continually raising prices on popular drugs, say it costs about as much to develop a new antibiotic as it does to bring to market new cancer drugs that can command more than $100,000 a year per patient.

&quot;Drug companies can&#39;t make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs,&quot; said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan&#39;s Ross School of Business.

Gordon said governments and foundations need to get more involved in research and funding to spearhead efforts to combat the problem.

To critics who argue that U.S. companies have enormous cash reserves that could be used to address a public health crisis, drugmakers say they have a fiduciary duty to shareholders to maximize profits.

&nbsp;

ON THE R&amp;D FRONT LINES

One reason companies are calling for alternative compensation is that aggressive sales and use of new antibiotics could help create ever more dangerous bacteria that develop resistance to the new medicines.

Glaxo and Merck are among the large pharmaceutical companies developing new antibiotics they hope can beat back resistant bugs, while Pfizer is working on vaccines aimed at reducing the need for their use.

Industry experts said small, lesser-known companies with promising approaches to tackling resistant superbugs included: Entasis Therapeutics, an AstraZeneca PLC spinoff, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=TTPH.O">TTPH.O</a>); and Achaogen Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=AKAO.O">AKAO.O</a>).

&quot;We believe plazomicin, our lead drug in late-stage development, has the potential to play an important role in treating this dreaded superbug,&quot; Achaogen Chief Executive Kenneth Hillan said.

Allan Coukell, an antibiotics expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts nonprofit research and policy organization, said what is needed is a wave of new drugs based on new chemistry or that work in new ways.

&quot;Most of what&#39;s being developed are variations on drugs that we&#39;ve had for decades,&quot; Coukell said.

Pew has outlined what its calls a scientific roadmap to create a body of work around new drug discovery that companies and academic researchers could draw upon to help jumpstart the process of finding new antibiotics.

Glaxo said its experimental antibiotic gepotidacin, in midstage testing, belongs to an entirely new class of antibacterials.

&quot;Based on that, we&#39;re predicting it would work against infections that could be caused by bacteria that are resistant to available antibiotics,&quot; Payne said.

Other companies with late-stage studies underway for antibiotics include: Cempra Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=CEMP.O">CEMP.O</a>), whose drug was recently validated in a Japanese trial; Medicines Co (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=MDCO.O">MDCO.O</a>); and Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc (<a href="http://www.reuters.com/finance/stocks/overview?symbol=PRTK.O">PRTK.O</a>). J&amp;J is also putting money into battling antibiotic resistance.

&quot;If there is a bright side, it is that the world policymakers and health leaders have focused on this issue like never before,&quot; Coukell said. &quot;But we&#39;ve got a long way to go.&quot;

&nbsp;

(Reporting by Bill Berkrot, Caroline Humer and Ransdell Pierson in New York and Natalie Grover and Amrutha Penumundi in Bangaluru; Editing by Eric Effron and Will Dunham)

Major drug companies seek enormous government subsidy to combat fatal bacteria they helped create

One in three Americans will suffer type 2 diabetes by 2050. These superfoods can save us https://t.co/S3aVNdDsUw — Salon.com (@Salon) May 28, 2016 Drugmakers are renewing efforts to develop medicines to fight emerging antibiotic-resistant bacteria, but creating new classes of drugs on the scale needed is unlikely to happen without new financial incentives to make the effort worth the investment, companies and industry experts said. dna ‏@dna 3m3 minutes ago WHO rejects call for Olympics to moved due to #ZikaVirus American military researchers on Thursday announced the first U.S. case of a patient with an infection found to be resistant to the antibiotic colistin, the drug often held in reserve for when all else fails. That put a spotlight on the urgent need for new medicines that can combat what health officials have called "nightmare bacteria." Drugmakers on Friday acknowledged that in the absence of a new way of compensating them, it simply does not make economic sense to pour serious resources into work on new antibiotics. "The return on investment based on the current commercial model is not really commensurate with the amount of effort you have to put into it," said David Payne, who heads GlaxoSmithKline PLC's (GSK.L) antibiotics drug group. Other pharmaceutical companies expressed a similar sentiment. In January, some 80 drugmakers and diagnostics companies, including Pfizer Inc (PFE.N), Merck & Co (MRK.N), Johnson & Johnson (JNJ.N) and Glaxo, signed a declaration calling for cooperation among governments and companies to create incentives to revitalize research and development of new antibiotics. It proposed a new business model in which profit would not be linked to higher sales. For example, governments and health organizations could offer lump-sum rewards for development of a successful new antibiotic. A British government panel suggested this month that drug companies be offered up to $1.5 billion for successful development of a new antibiotic. In the United States alone, antibiotic-resistant bacteria causes 2 million serious infections and 23,000 deaths annually, according to U.S. health officials. Drug companies can't make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs Unrestrained overuse of current antibiotics by doctors and hospitals, often when they are not needed, and widespread antibiotic use in food livestock have contributed to the evolution of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. But in recent years, major drugmakers have poured most of their research dollars into highly profitable medicines to fight cancer, rare diseases and hepatitis C. These drugs not only command high prices, they also are typically used far longer than antibiotics. And the companies, which have come under intense criticism in recent months for continually raising prices on popular drugs, say it costs about as much to develop a new antibiotic as it does to bring to market new cancer drugs that can command more than $100,000 a year per patient. "Drug companies can't make an economic case for investing in superbug drugs," said Erik Gordon, a professor at the University of Michigan's Ross School of Business. Gordon said governments and foundations need to get more involved in research and funding to spearhead efforts to combat the problem. To critics who argue that U.S. companies have enormous cash reserves that could be used to address a public health crisis, drugmakers say they have a fiduciary duty to shareholders to maximize profits. ON THE R&D FRONT LINES One reason companies are calling for alternative compensation is that aggressive sales and use of new antibiotics could help create ever more dangerous bacteria that develop resistance to the new medicines. Glaxo and Merck are among the large pharmaceutical companies developing new antibiotics they hope can beat back resistant bugs, while Pfizer is working on vaccines aimed at reducing the need for their use. Industry experts said small, lesser-known companies with promising approaches to tackling resistant superbugs included: Entasis Therapeutics, an AstraZeneca PLC spinoff, Tetraphase Pharmaceuticals Inc (TTPH.O); and Achaogen Inc (AKAO.O). "We believe plazomicin, our lead drug in late-stage development, has the potential to play an important role in treating this dreaded superbug," Achaogen Chief Executive Kenneth Hillan said. Allan Coukell, an antibiotics expert at the Pew Charitable Trusts nonprofit research and policy organization, said what is needed is a wave of new drugs based on new chemistry or that work in new ways. "Most of what's being developed are variations on drugs that we've had for decades," Coukell said. Pew has outlined what its calls a scientific roadmap to create a body of work around new drug discovery that companies and academic researchers could draw upon to help jumpstart the process of finding new antibiotics. Glaxo said its experimental antibiotic gepotidacin, in midstage testing, belongs to an entirely new class of antibacterials. "Based on that, we're predicting it would work against infections that could be caused by bacteria that are resistant to available antibiotics," Payne said. Other companies with late-stage studies underway for antibiotics include: Cempra Inc (CEMP.O), whose drug was recently validated in a Japanese trial; Medicines Co (MDCO.O); and Paratek Pharmaceuticals Inc (PRTK.O). J&J is also putting money into battling antibiotic resistance. "If there is a bright side, it is that the world policymakers and health leaders have focused on this issue like never before," Coukell said. "But we've got a long way to go." (Reporting by Bill Berkrot, Caroline Humer and Ransdell Pierson in New York and Natalie Grover and Amrutha Penumundi in Bangaluru; Editing by Eric Effron and Will Dunham)

Major drug companies claim it doesn't make economic sense to fight nightmare bacteria

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