Saloni Shah, Author at India Inc Group

Japan’s Rakuten to double staff in India

Japan’s Rakuten to double staff in India

Saloni Shah2018-12-07T05:11:20+00:00December 7th, 2018|Uncategorized|

Japanese internet company Rakuten is looking to double its headcount in India in the next 12-18 months as it looks to move the centre of gravity of its technology operations to the country. Last year, Rakuten had about 300 employees, which has since grown to about 450. The company’s chief information officer said that more employee growth was on the cards. Yasufumi Hirai, CIO & CISO at Rakuten, was quoted as saying: “Our current headcount in India is about 450 [...]

Time for a post-Brexit re-evaluation of the Commonwealth

Time for a post-Brexit re-evaluation of the Commonwealth

Saloni Shah2018-12-11T10:11:55+00:00December 7th, 2018|2017/2018, UK Edition – December 2018|

The Royal Commonwealth Society chief digs into some of the tough issues tackled during the ongoing Global Britain and India inquiry being conducted by the UK Parliament’s Foreign Affairs Committee. For ‘Global Britain’ to be more than a hollow slogan, and for Brexit to avoid being simply a harmful shift inwards, the UK will need to seriously re-evaluate and revisit its international relationships. It is important that this re-evaluation also take place within the context of the Commonwealth. That is [...]

UK and India are addressing the world’s challenges and opportunities together

UK and India are addressing the world’s challenges and opportunities together

Saloni Shah2018-12-11T10:12:11+00:00December 7th, 2018|2017/2018, UK Edition – December 2018|

Britain’s Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, James Brokenshire, gives an insight into a recent visit he led to India, its key outcomes, preparations for the first UK-India Future Tech Festival and strengthening region-to-region collaboration within the wider bilateral context. What are some of the key outcomes of the recent Midlands Engine visit to the India? My recent visit to India was an invaluable opportunity to promote important business ties between the Midlands and India while re-affirming [...]

As Iran goes dry, India hunts for oil in Kuwait and Qatar

As Iran goes dry, India hunts for oil in Kuwait and Qatar

Saloni Shah2018-12-11T10:12:14+00:00December 6th, 2018|2017/2018, UK Edition – December 2018|

Indian External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj’s recent four-day visit to Kuwait and Qatar was aimed at strengthening bilateral ties and bolstering supplies. The decision by the Trump administration in the US to unilaterally exit from the Iran nuclear deal of 2015 earlier this year is forcing India to look at other alternatives — old and new, to fill in for Iran. India imported 22.6 million tonnes of crude from Iran in 2017-18, which was its third biggest supplier of oil [...]

London will always be at forefront of India–UK ties

London will always be at forefront of India–UK ties

Saloni Shah2018-12-11T10:12:20+00:00December 6th, 2018|2017/2018, UK Edition – December 2018|

Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, discusses India’s ties with London and his hopes for stronger UK-India relations post Brexit. Backdrop The long-standing, centuries-old connections between Britain and India, which were originally forged on the basis of trade, remain etched into the landscape of modern London. While the West India Docks (now home to Canary Wharf) and the East India Docks (now a sanctuary for wildlife) are no longer operating, their legacy lives on in our city as they were [...]

Facilitating Indian start-ups achieve their global mission

Facilitating Indian start-ups achieve their global mission

Saloni Shah2018-12-11T10:12:39+00:00December 6th, 2018|2017/2018, UK Edition – December 2018|

Our industry expert goes behind the UK-India Tech Alliance to explore how it complements the UK’s world-leading expertise with India’s tech transformation. British Prime Minister Theresa May’s 2016 visit to India had set the tone for the UK-India Tech discussions. This got formalised during the visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the UK earlier this year, when the UK-India Tech Alliance was launched. The new partnership between the UK and Indian tech industries is aimed at the growth of [...]

India is already looking to the opportunities of Brexit

India is already looking to the opportunities of Brexit

Saloni Shah2018-12-11T10:12:39+00:00December 6th, 2018|2017/2018, UK Edition – December 2018|

Charles Bowman, the former Lord Mayor of London in charge of nurturing lucrative investments for the City, delves into his recent FinTech delegation to India, overcoming Brexit concerns to ensure London’s enduring attraction as a financial hub for Indian companies and opening up areas such as payments, regtech, insuretech and blockchain for India-UK tie-ups. What are some of the highlights from your recent fintech delegation to India? My visit to India is one that will live long in my memories [...]

UK has innovation to share with India in creating effective healthcare

UK has innovation to share with India in creating effective healthcare

Saloni Shah2018-12-11T10:13:57+00:00December 6th, 2018|2017/2018, UK Edition – December 2018|

A healthcare expert explores the ways in which the use of technology by the UK’s state-run National Health Service (NHS) can lead to greater health-tech collaborations with India. I recognise that India has some of the best hospitals in the region and is already quick to take up and use new technologies. But there are a few things that the experience of using technology in the National Health Service (NHS) has taught us. I hope these may be of value [...]

Midlands-Maharashtra partnership offers exciting prospects

Midlands-Maharashtra partnership offers exciting prospects

Saloni Shah2018-12-11T10:29:40+00:00December 6th, 2018|2017/2018, UK Edition – December 2018|

The Mayor of West Midlands celebrates new direct air connectivity between the Birmingham and Amritsar and various tie-ups struck during a recent visit to the country. I have been to India many times, as a traveller and as a buyer when I was CEO of John Lewis. India has always fascinated me: the hustle and bustle, the hidden gems and the never-ending traffic! I have just returned from India but this time I went for the first time as Mayor [...]

Warburg Pincus bets on Fusion Microfinance

Warburg Pincus bets on Fusion Microfinance

Saloni Shah2018-12-06T09:57:56+00:00December 6th, 2018|Uncategorized|

US-headquartered private equity giant Warburg Pincus is leading an investment of Rs 520 crore (around $75 million) in Delhi-headquartered Fusion Microfinance to mark its first bet on a microlender. The Series E investment will include a primary infusion and a secondary sale by early-stage investors, the firms said in a joint statement. Existing investor Creation Investments has participated in this round while some other investors such as Incofin, NMI, BIO and Small Industries Development Bank of India (SIDBI) have exited [...]