Shalini V Nair

A Wake-Up Call for the #CPaaS Ecosystem: Undercutting on #RFPs & Silent #Data Leaks? While we welcome Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) ’s renewed focus on #antispam regulations, which aims to create a cleaner digital messaging ecosystem, there’s a glaring issue being overlooked—one that could compromise both user #privacy and the #financial viability of ethical players in the #SMS aggregation and CPaaS space. Across India, several banks and government departments are issuing RFPs for enterprise #messaging services. The intention is sound—select vendors via competitive bidding. However, what’s concerning is that some SMS #aggregators are bidding at rates far below cost, sometimes at fractions of a paisa per SMS. Let’s be realistic: There’s no way to sustain service delivery at those margins unless there’s an alternative revenue stream in play. And unfortunately, that stream often comes from the #unauthorized #monetization of sender and receiver data—selling databases, enabling profiling, or even worse, fuelling grey-market promotional messaging. What’s the impact? • Legitimate aggregators who play by the rules are forced out of contention. • Government and banking users’ data is at risk of compromise. • The very trust that anti-spam regulations aim to build is eroded by these backdoor practices. Why isn’t this being regulated? If TRAI is serious about consumer protection, then addressing only the symptom (spam) and not the disease (unethical business models) is insufficient. We need: 1. Audits of #RFP pricing versus cost benchmarks 2. Data governance policies to accompany every enterprise SMS contract 3. Blacklisting of vendors involved in data leakage or unauthorized data use 4. A separate framework within anti-spam regulation focusing on aggregator-level compliance It’s time to call out these malpractices and ensure that enterprise messaging remains #secure, #ethical, and sustainable. Otherwise, we risk turning a powerful #communication tool into a dangerous vulnerability. #CPaaS #SMS #DataPrivacy #TRAI #DigitalTrust #EnterpriseMessaging #GovTech #BankingInnovation #TelecomRegulation #StopDataLeaks

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📞 Empowering Trust in Every Call – #CNAP Is Here! The Department of Telecommunications (DoT), along with TRAI, is pioneering a much-needed transformation in India's telecom ecosystem through Caller Name Presentation (CNAP). This technology-driven initiative will allow telecom subscribers to view the verified name of the caller—sourced directly from the Customer Application Form (CAF) data—even if the number isn’t saved in the recipient’s phone. It’s a smart, privacy-aware solution to combat the rise in spam, scams, and robocalls. 🛠 How #CNAP Works: - Integrated at the network level by operators, not via third-party apps. - Ensures name display for incoming calls across 4G and 5G networks. - Uses authenticated customer data from telecom databases. - Operates within the guidelines of user privacy and regulatory compliance. At OPPO, we deeply value our users' trust and always prioritize their safety. We’re aligned with the government’s proactive vision and committed to supporting CNAP across our devices to create a secure and transparent communication experience. 👏 A huge appreciation to the Government of India Jyotiraditya M Scindia , #DoT and #TRAI for driving this next-gen safeguard for Indian telecom users. Together, we move toward a smarter and safer connected future. #CNAP #TelecomInnovation #OPPORnD #DigitalIndia #TRAI #DoT #UserPrivacy #SpamProtection #SmartphoneSecurity #NetworkLevelCallerID #TechForGood #4G #5G #CustomerFirst #OPPO

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The Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) has just drawn a clear line in the sand for digital platforms in India. On June 7, 2025, the CCPA issued an advisory calling out “dark patterns”—manipulative design tactics used by e-commerce platforms to mislead users into actions they may not intend to take. Think of:  - Pre-checked boxes for subscriptions  - Fake urgency pop-ups (“Only 1 left!”)  - Hidden fees at checkout  - Sneaky add-ons in the shopping cart  - Hard-to-cancel free trials The government has flagged 13 such patterns and asked platforms to conduct a self-audit and clean up their interfaces. And while this is being seen as a regulatory crackdown, I see it as something much bigger: It’s a moment of truth for digital marketing.   What’s Really Happening Here? For too long, growth has been prioritised over ethics.  "Conversion at any cost" led to practices that confuse, pressure, or guilt users into decisions. These dark patterns became common because they worked, but they did so by compromising user trust. Now, the CCPA is saying: that era is over.  If you’re designing for deception, you’re no longer just crossing ethical boundaries, you’re violating consumer protection laws.   Why This Matters to Marketers & Agencies As digital marketers, we’re not just running ads or building funnels, we’re shaping the user journey.  That makes us accountable, not just for results, but for how those results are achieved.  This isn’t just about e-commerce giants like Amazon, Flipkart, or Swiggy. Smaller D2C brands, SaaS platforms, subscription services, and even content creators, everyone needs to rethink the UX and marketing playbook.    What Should Brands Do Now?  - Conduct a UX audit focused on ethical clarity  - Revisit checkout flows, CTAs, pop-ups, and notifications  - Eliminate tricks that rely on confusion or pressure  - Communicate value, not urgency  - Build trust through transparent design and consent-driven funnels  As an agency, we've started guiding our clients to rethink their digital journeys, not just to stay compliant, but to create better, more trustworthy user experiences. Because let’s face it: short-term conversions might bring in numbers, but long-term loyalty is built on honesty, clarity, and respect. This move by the CCPA isn’t just a regulation, it’s a reminder that the best digital brands of the future will not be the ones that trick users into clicking but the ones that earn their trust at every touchpoint. 

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UIDAI Partners with Starlink for Aadhaar-Based Customer Verification. The Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has onboarded satellite-based internet provider Starlink. Starlink will use Aadhaar Authentication for customer verification, which will make the entire process smooth, secure, and very easy. - DD News #NWO

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A founder who has spent 32 Years building IP-Owned Tech in India's Defense Sector. Ashok Atluri, Founder of Zen Technologies Limited shares a growth story bootstrapped from Hyderabad: -Revenue: ₹60 Cr (FY21) → ₹930 Cr(FY24) -Market cap: 40 Cr (2012-13) → 13000 Cr today -Growth: 400X in 12 years Takeaways from our conversation: 1. India historically imported 65–70% of its defense equipment. Today, defense exports have grown more than 30× over the past decade, with the private sector contributing around 60% of exports. Domestic defense production has increased to ₹1.27 lakh crore, a 174% rise since FY 2014–15. 2. For over two decades, Zen built advanced simulators but struggled to sell them in India because single-vendor bids weren’t accepted. The IDDM policy in 2015 gave preference to IP-owning Indian companies and allocated 75% of the capital acquisition budget to local sourcing. And decades of R&D became a real market worth ₹200 billion. 3. Defense tech startups in India have raised $184 million in VC funding since 2020. Zen’s journey shows that IP-owned Tech built with self-funded R&D can build the most defensible advantage, similar to how Apple captures value through IP rather than manufacturing. 4. Zen’s anti-drone systems were proven in field operations, leading to export inquiries from over 20 countries. This mirrors the broader trend of India’s defense exports growing from ₹1,940 crore (FY14) to ₹21,083 crore (FY24). Field-tested solutions build trust far faster than lab demos or pilot projects. 5. Government fundings are rewarding innovation over manufacturing. Programs like iDEX provide up to ₹10 crore for proven concepts, while DRDO offers ₹50 crore per system under the Technology Development Fund. This shift allows companies to reinvest profits into next-generation R&D. 6. Ashok believes that not all technologies should be patented. Highly secretive or complex innovations can be reverse-engineered if patented. Instead, patent what is obvious to outsiders to protect your competitive edge. 7. Build with a focused approach on Pareto technologies with maximum impact. Instead of chasing every opportunity, Zen concentrated on the 20% of technologies delivering 80% of results, anti-drone systems and simulators. Prioritizing high-leverage areas compounds impact effectively. 8. Time market entry around overlooked gaps: In 2018, drones were a hot topic, but there was little attention on anti-drone systems. Zen entered this gap and was ready when the need became urgent, from regional conflicts to domestic security. Opportunities often lie where others are silent. 9. Create policies around your innovation: Self-funded R&D firms face unique risks that conventional procurement rules often overlook. Zen advocated for new categories rather than adapting breakthrough technologies to unsuitable frameworks, ensuring their innovations could be evaluated on merit. Full Episode https://lnkd.in/gnAFEj3f

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The Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) has launched a pilot project in coordination with the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) and several banks to digitize the process of consumer consent Future Crime Research Foundation (FCRF Academy) https://lnkd.in/gtZ_7UsG

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🌏 India’s cross-border momentum is just getting started. 🚀 From the rise of Tier 2 exporters to the power of digital-first platforms, Payoneer is witnessing a shift in how India does global business. 💡 Gaurav Shisodia, Vice President, Payoneer India, shares key insights in Outlook Publishing (India) Pvt. Ltd. spotlighting what’s driving the next wave of cross-border growth for Indian SMBs. Read the interview here 👉 https://paynr.co/4pqPkdK

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CHIP KI CHARCHA With the 4th edition of SEMICON INDIA underway,I speak with Raja Manickam ,Founder of TESSOLVE & CEO of IVP SEMI on the “CUTTING EDGE” The conversation discusses critical “Talent”deficit,complexity in fabless domain with AI and ML,EDA tools,licensing aspects with viability of open source & AI driven tools. The conversation includes the primacy of funding,incentivisation of the fabless ecosystem,manufacturing and foundry bottlenecks for startups and the ongoing complexity of supply chains & geopolitical risks. UNMISSABLE for all technology aficionados and semiconductor design professionals Streaming now https://lnkd.in/g3VCWNTB India Semiconductor Mission Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology S Krishnan Amitesh Kumar Sinha Nishit Gupta Devendranath A M Semiconductor Fabless Accelerator Lab (SFAL) K Sridhar Sunil G Acharya Chetna Mohan ESCAPE VELOCITY MEDIAWORKS PVT LTD

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Rethinking Deep Tech Policy: Bridging the Gap Between Scale, IP, & Strategic Market Access India’s push for scale manufacturing in deep tech domains often overlooks three foundational pillars critical to long-term competitiveness: developmental know-how, IP ownership, and strategic market access frameworks. 1. Zero-Duty Structures Dilutes Market Access The prevailing tariff structure, which applies nil duty on certain finished products and their components/raw materials, erodes the competitive advantage of domestic design-led manufacturing. While this structure is meant to overcome lack of capacity, & support manufacturing at scale, it inadvertently disincentivizes value addition within India—especially in sectors like semiconductors, photonics, or advanced materials. This undermines the incentive for global and domestic players to invest in upstream R&D and design capabilities within India. 2. The Blind Spot in End-of-Life (EOL) Technologies and Reference Design Transfers In deep tech sectors with short product lifecycles, India has a unique window of opportunity to extend the usability of EOL products through: Global reference design transfers & localised redesign and manufacturing application-tailored integration Unfortunately, this opportunity is largely underutilized. EOL products that still hold utility in Indian applications—defense, industrial automation, or even telecom, can become incubators for local R&D and incremental innovation if backed by the right IP-sharing mechanisms and incentives. 3. Lack of Tariff-Based Protection for Government Infrastructure Projects Strategic national infrastructure—such as defense systems, power grids, healthcare networks—should not be exposed to global cost arbitrage pressures at the expense of domestic capability-building. Yet, current procurement and tariff policies: Provide no strategic runway for domestic companies to scale through demand aggregation. 4. Global Supply Chain Realities in Deep Tech: The Case of Photonics Sectors like photonics and semiconductor packaging are highly consolidated globally, with a handful of players controlling the bulk of IP, design frameworks, and manufacturing scale. Attempting to displace or attract them purely through contract manufacturing incentives is strategically weak. 5. Contract Manufacturing Without Design Autonomy Is a Dead-End If India continues to support a contract manufacturing model reliant on foreign IP and raw material imports, it risks becoming: A low-margin, low-control node in the global supply chain with little ability to capture value, or influence future technology directions. This path may create temporary employment but will not unlock India’s latent domestic market potential, nor will it establish India as a global technology originator. #DeepTech #Manufacturing #Photonics #MakeInIndia #Policy #IP #DesignLedManufacturing #Semiconductors #Electronics #Innovation

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RBI's Digital Lending Directions 2025, released on May 8, 2025, set a new benchmark for transparency and borrower protection in India's digital lending ecosystem. Here are the key changes and their impact as I see: 1️⃣ Regulated Entity (RE)–Lending Service Provider (LSP) Arrangements with Multiple Lenders (Para 6 | Effective Nov 1, 2025) 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: LSPs must display a digital view of all loan offers from multiple REs, including unmatched lenders’ names, with details like APR, loan amount, and KFS links. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Enhances borrower choice and transparency but increases product development/operations and compliance costs on LSPs in the near term. 2️⃣ Reporting Digital Lending Applications (DLA) to RBI (Para 17 | Effective Jun 15, 2025) 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: REs must report all DLAs (own or LSP-operated) on RBI’s CIMS portal, certified by the Chief Compliance Officer, with updates for new/ceased DLAs. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Creates a public DLA directory, boosting transparency but adding reporting obligations. Missteps in certification could lead to regulatory scrutiny, urging REs to strengthen compliance frameworks. 3️⃣ Enhanced Due Diligence for LSPs (Para 5) 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: REs must conduct thorough due diligence on LSPs’ technical capabilities, data privacy, and regulatory compliance before agreements. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: This strengthens risk management, and only serious LSPs will likely prevail, thereby making this a customer-centric and responsible market. 4️⃣ Data Storage in India (Para 13) 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: All data must be stored in India; overseas processing data must return within 24 hours. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Ensures data sovereignty but increases infrastructure costs for REs/LSPs with global operations. 5️⃣ DLG Cap and Structure (Paras 23, 21) 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: DLG continues to be capped at 5% of disbursed portfolio; contracts must specify cover extent, form, and invocation timeline. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Limits REs’ risk exposure and will deter smaller LSPs from offering DLG, which may be seen as dissuading smaller fintech companies, especially those where capital and portfolio risk management capabilities are not mature. 6️⃣ Disclosure of Recovery Agents (Para 8) 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲: REs must notify borrowers of recovery agent details via email/SMS before contact. 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁: Enhances borrower safety but requires RE–LSP to streamline communication systems for compliance. These changes signal RBI’s push for a safer, more transparent digital lending landscape that balances innovation with consumer protection. REs and LSPs must act swiftly to align by November 2025 and June 2025 deadlines. #DigitalLending #RBI #Fintech #Banking #NBFC

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With over 480 mid-market GCCs across the country (NASSCOM–Zinnov), India’s #GCC landscape is expanding fast into tier 2 cities like Ahmedabad, Pune, Coimbatore and Kochi. This growth is driving a sharp need for #robustICT solutions including scalable cloud, secure data environments, compliance-ready networks and strong security frameworks.   In this article in #CXO Today, I highlight how this shift is raising the demand for enterprise-grade infrastructure across India, and why #ICT partners now play a more strategic role as these centres move into advanced product innovation and digital operations.    At Ishan Technologies, we believe the next phase of growth will hinge on how well infrastructure providers can deliver secure, sovereign and future-ready technology foundations for these GCCs.   Read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/dX_c8mUh #ishantechnologies #ictforgcc #gcc #indiagcc #productinnovation #cxotoday

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