New Delhi, April 26: The number of Internet users in India will hit 500 million by June and by 2020, the country will have an estimated 702 million smartphone users, experts said here on Thursday.
Mobile phones will emerge as the preferred device for online shopping by 2020, accounting for 70 per cent of total online shopping, said the experts at the seventh edition of the India Internet Day in the Capital.
The conference was organised by TiE Delhi-NCR, the world's largest network of successful entrepreneurs and professionals -- attended by over 500 Internet enthusiasts from across the nation.
"With the seventh edition of India Internet Day, we kept a sharp focus on how the entrepreneurs should tap into the emerging user base that hails from the corners of the country," said Geetika Dayal, Executive Director, TiE Delhi-NCR.
"We also focused on the nuances that the startups need to keep in mind to reach out to the next 300 million users," she added.
According to Dilip Asbe, Managing Director, CEO, the National payment Council of India (NPCI), Unified Payments Interface (UPI) clocked 178.05 million transactions worth Rs 24,172.6 crore in March this year.
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Doordarshan's Logo change to Saffron sparks controversy
New Delhi: Two days after unveiling its new logo with a shift from ruby red to saffron, DD News, the flagship channel of state-run Doordarshan, has come under criticism from Opposition parties for alleged "saffronisation."
While DD News described the change as a visual aesthetic update, Opposition leaders questioned the timing, just ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.
On Tuesday evening, DD News posted a video of its new logo on its official social media handle, stating, "While our values remain the same, we are now available in a new avatar. Get ready for a news journey like never before. Experience the all-new DD News!"
"We have the courage to put: Accuracy over speed, Facts over claims, Truth over sensationalism…Because if it is on DD News, it is the truth! DD News – Bharosa Sach Ka," it added.
Reacting to the logo change, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Jawhar Sircar, former CEO of Prasar Bharati, said, "National broadcaster Doordarshan colours its historic flagship logo in saffron! As its ex-CEO, I have been watching its saffronisation with alarm and feel — it’s not Prasar Bharati any more, it’s Prachar (publicity) Bharati!"
Sircar criticized the ruling party's programs receiving more airtime compared to those of the Opposition. He called it "visual entrapment" by the regime, citing the example of the Rajya Sabha hall in the new Parliament building turning saffron.
In response, Prasar Bharati CEO Gaurav Dwivedi defended the change, calling the new logo's color "catchy orange."
"It's not only a new logo, the entire look and feel has been upgraded — we have a new set, new lighting, seating arrangement and equipment," Dwivedi said.
Doordarshan's current logo for DD National is blue and saffron. Officials noted that when Doordarshan was launched in 1959, it had a saffron logo. Over the years, other colors such as blue, yellow, and red were used for the logo, while its design remained consistent — two petals with a globe in the center.
