itel beats Samsung, turns fastest growing smartphone brand in Bangladesh
Dhaka, May 9: itel became the fastest growing smartphone brand in Bangladesh with a growth of 564 per cent year-on-year (YoY) in the first quarter of 2018, capturing 10 per cent market share.
It left behind South Korean electronics major Samsung that saw 46 per cent decline in shipments, a new report said on Wednesday.
According to market research firm Counterpoint Research, Chinese brands continued to grow in Bangladesh and now capture 38 per cent of the smartphone segment growing 25 per cent YoY while the overall market declined.
"Bangladesh's smartphone market declined 18 per cent YoY as consumers decided to postpone their device purchases in anticipation of value for money 4G smartphone offerings in the coming quarters," Tarun Pathak, Associate Director at Counterpoint Research, said in a statement.
"4G network rollout started during first quarter of 2018 by leading telcos such as Grameenphone, Robi Axiata and Banglalink. As network coverage expands over a period of time, the demand of 4G smartphones will pick-up in the coming quarters," he added.
According to Counterpoint's estimates, the overall smartphone market in Bangladesh would grow 16 per cent YoY in calendar year 2018.
Although Chinese brands grew in the country with affordable offering in the sub-$100 segment, Bangladeshi brand Symphony continued to lead the market with its value-for-money offerings.
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Centre doubles fines for stubble burning
New Delhi, Nov 7: The Centre has doubled the fine for farmers burning crop residue in view of the deteriorating air quality in the Delhi-NCR region, the penalty going up to Rs 30,000 for those with more than five acres of farmland.
According to the notification, which was published on Wednesday and comes following the Supreme Court's tough stance on the issue, farmers with less than two acres of land will now have to pay environmental compensation of Rs 5,000, up from Rs 2,500. And those with land between two and five acres will be fined Rs 10,000 instead of Rs 5,000.
Unfavourable meteorological conditions combined with vehicular emissions, paddy-straw burning, firecrackers, and other local pollution sources contribute to hazardous air quality levels in Delhi-NCR during late autumn and winters.
According to a Delhi Pollution Control Committee (DPCC) analysis, the city experiences peak pollution from November 1 to 15 when the number of stubble-burning incidents in Punjab and Haryana increases.
Major factors behind stubble burning include the paddy-wheat cropping system, cultivation of long-duration paddy varieties, mechanised harvesting that leaves standing crop stubble in the field, labour scarcity, and the lack of a viable market for crop residue.
Studies estimate that during peak burning periods, farm fires contribute up to 30 per cent of PM levels in the Delhi-NCR region and surrounding areas.
However, according to senior environmentalist Sunita Narain, the episodic burning of crop residue by farmers in winter is not the primary concern for poor air quality in Delhi-NCR. Instead, the persistent and major sources of pollution within the city, including transport and industries, are more worrisome.
