Uday Shankar

Have a peek in thoughts shared by Shubhra Sharma in Times Now article.

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💡 A Thoughtful Proposal: Mandatory Insurance for Newborns The recent tragic incident involving Athul Subhash has deeply moved many of us. It raises an important question: How can we proactively safeguard families from such unforeseen tragedies? One solution could be mandating a basic insurance policy for every newborn at birth. This policy would act as a financial safety net, providing families with critical support during emergencies. Here’s how this could work: 🔹 1️⃣ Mandatory at Birth A basic insurance policy is automatically linked to a child’s birth registration, ensuring universal coverage. 🔹 2️⃣ Government Support Subsidized premiums for families in economically weaker sections, making the policy affordable for all. 🔹 3️⃣ Affordable Premiums Minimal premium amounts based on income levels to avoid financial stress on parents. 🔹 4️⃣ Emergency-Only Coverage Policies designed to activate only during critical situations such as medical emergencies or accidental fatalities, preventing misuse. 🔹 5️⃣ Integration with Health Schemes Leverage existing health programs (e.g., Ayushman Bharat) to ensure seamless implementation. 🔹 6️⃣ Awareness Campaigns Nationwide awareness drives to educate parents about the benefits of such insurance policies. 🔹 7️⃣ Flexibility for Upgrades Give parents the option to upgrade to more comprehensive policies covering education or additional health benefits. 🔹 8️⃣ Digital Management Platform Develop a centralized platform for easy tracking, claims, and renewals, ensuring a hassle-free experience for families. 🔹 9️⃣ Public-Private Partnerships Encourage collaboration between the government and private insurers to design cost-effective, efficient policies. 🔹 🔟 Peace of Mind for Families Every child deserves a safety net, and every family deserves peace of mind knowing their loved ones are protected. 🌟 The Impact This initiative could provide financial protection to families during emergencies, foster a culture of preparedness, and ensure that no one faces tragedies like these alone. Let’s discuss: • Could this be a step toward safeguarding our future generations? • What challenges and opportunities do you foresee in implementing such an initiative? Your thoughts and feedback are invaluable. Let’s spark a meaningful conversation and explore solutions that bring real change.

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Beyond AI: A useful literature case study of Gen AI - Thirukkural Exploring the ancient Indian text, Thirukkural, reveals profound insights into life's principles from various angles. Adopted in schools across southern India, Thirukkural is a timeless gem by the esteemed Poet Thiruvalivar. Students from sixth grade to high school engage in competitions to recite its 1330 stanzas, setting remarkable world records. To make this literary treasure accessible to all, a website, https://lnkd.in/eT2bqAJ2, leverages Gen AI. This innovative approach not only preserves the essence of classic literature but also brings it closer to the common man. The use of Gen AI in promoting such cultural classics is commendable and sets a precedent for similar initiatives worldwide. #GenAI #Literature #CulturalHeritage #Thirukkural #AIforEducation

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🚨 New Blog Post Alert !!🚨 Ever curious how 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗿𝘀 at InsuranceDekho - India's leading InsurTech provide accurate and comprehensive responses to customer queries on policy coverage, exclusions, and more without any delay or wait time? I am delighted to share my new blog post co-authored with Nishant Gupta which explains how InsuranceDekho harness the power of generative AI to transform its customer care operations.   By leveraging Amazon Bedrock and Anthropic's Claude, InsuranceDekho developed a cutting-edge solution using Amazon Bedrock and Anthropic's Claude, enabling insurance advisors to respond confidently & efficiently to customer queries. This resulted in an 80% decrease in response time, allowing agents to address queries autonomously without relying on Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). Special thanks to Ish Babbar - Co-Founder and CTO of InsuranceDekho for his dynamic leadership and collaboration. Amit Vats, Prashant Singh, Satinder Singh, Nitin Bawankule #AWS #InsuranceDekho #GenerativeAI #AmazonBedrock #GenAI #CustomerExperience #InsuranceTech

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Overlooking India’s identity Late sitting | 24/7 support | Seeking Work in unacceptable time zones | Irrational work calls | many more… This is all real and unfolding, especially in environments that engage Indian workforce with regions outside India. - Neglect of Indian Culture :- While organizations emphasize the importance of embracing cultural diversity worldwide, they often overlook India’s culture in the relentless pursuit of deliverables. - Daily life overlooked :- It goes beyond missing festivals—there’s a fundamental disregard for even the rhythm of everyday life. - Double standards in time management :- When people elsewhere set their own schedules, it’s seen as natural alignment. Yet, when India does the same, it’s dismissed or ignored. This silent bias isn’t just oversight—it’s what I call “Disguised Racism”. #DisguisedRacisim #IndiaShining #Needofthehour #humanresoirces #Leadership

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Till late 80’s and 90’s India used to produce 70-80% of pharmaceuticals raw material required by its pharmaceutical industry. Then came cheap Chinese API (Active pharmaceutical ingredient), due to incentives and modern technology by Chinese government. Slowly all small and medium companies died, since they cannot match the price. Till 2004-05 when pharma industry become fully dependent on these Chinese raw materials, they increase the price up to 5 times, covering earlier losses. Today India import 80-90% of API from China and they drive the prices. It will take decades for India to rebuild this manufacturing again. Similarly till 2020 Chinese EV market share in Europe was 1.9%, which in 2024 become 14.1%, again same strategy, cheap car with heavy subsidy from government, it’s not fair for European companies. We can clearly see the pattern. If it will not stop slowly they will kill this market as well, so I am happy at least EU union decided to go ahead with tariff implementation plan for Chinese EV.

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Discover how AI is driving smarter decisions and effective team collaboration! Register to free webinar that am co-presenting with our Program Manager Deepak Joseph

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🚨 Acko Leadership – It’s Time to Show Accountability! 🚨 Varun Dua As a loyal customer with Acko, holding multiple policies such as vehicle insurance, personal health insurance and corporate health plans, I never imagined that adding my newborn child to my Acko Platinum Medical Insurance (Policy No: APHP202227944) would turn into such a frustrating experience. On 29th September, I submitted a request to add my newborn, who is in perfect health as confirmed by all required medical reports and reputed doctors. Despite submitting everything, my request was rejected without any proactive communication from Acko. I only learned about the rejection after I reached out myself on 4th October. When I asked for an explanation, I was told that the customer support team had no access to the rejection details and could not escalate my query to a senior member. After a long 30 mins discussion, I was promised a callback, but here we are 10 days later, and I’m still waiting. My newborn remains uninsured, and despite the decision being made, the extra payment I made for the addition has not been refunded even after 17 days. This experience has been incredibly disappointing, especially considering I trusted Acko with something as critical as my family’s health insurance. As a customer, I believe it is my right to know why my request was rejected, especially after providing all necessary medical documentation. This isn't just about an insurance policy—it's about trust, empathy, and accountability. Acko Leadership, here’s what I expect: 1. A clear and immediate explanation for the rejection of my request. 2. Prompt solution to add my child to the policy or refund the payment made. 3. A commitment to improving customer communication and internal processes so no one else faces such frustration and disappointment. 4. Ensuring transparency at every step, with proactive updates and clear reasoning behind all decisions, whether related to policy issuance, updates, or claims. This builds trust and reflects true customer-centricity Acko is known for its customer-first approach, but this experience has been deeply unsettling. I sincerely hope the leadership team takes this seriously and shows the transparency and empathy that every customer deserves. Varun Dua Ruchi Deepak Acko #CustomerService #HealthInsurance #Acko #CustomerExperience #InsuranceMatters #Trust #Transparency #FamilyFirst #Accountability

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Top 10 Literate States- - Kerala: 96.2% literacy - Lakshadweep: 91.85% literacy - Mizoram: 91.33% literacy - Goa: 88.70% literacy - Tripura: 87.22% literacy - Daman and Diu: 87.10% literacy - Andaman and Nicobar Islands: 86.63% - Delhi: 86.21% literacy - Chandigarh: 86.05% literacy - Himachal Pradesh: 82.80% literacy Now these states shows impressive educational literacy rates. But the story changes when we talk about “financial literacy” 👉Only 27% of India's population is financially literate. 👉Just 16.7% of students grasp basic money management skills. 👉Less than 4% of Indians invest in mutual funds or equities. Educational literacy is essential, But Financial literacy is a necessity today! Should schools and institutions prioritise basic financial literacy? ❤️Yes much needed 👍No [28/08, 14:22] null: I came across a viral post recently A Delhi entrepreneur created a LinkedIn profile for his 2-year-old son, humorously stating, "Just a kid, trying to find my place in this world." Honestly, it made me pause. As a mother, I’m focused on teaching my daughter, Siya, basic skills from a young age—things like understanding the value of money and the importance of saving. But creating a professional profile at two? This highlights the increasing pressures of modern education and a race to success. There’s a fine line between preparing them and overwhelming them. I'm curious to know what you’ll think! How do you approach this with your kids? ❤️Focus on financial basics first. 🙏Start career preparation early. 👍Just Let them enjoy their childhood. 😂Encourage social skills and play.

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This is super exciting, and #NVDA is a definite buy. :) Healthcare Leaders Across #India Bring #NVIDIA NIM for Hindi Language to LLM Applications #Lifesciences and #healthcare organizations across India are using generative AI to build applications that can deliver life-saving impacts — within the country and across the globe. Among such leading organizations are research centers at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras) and the Indraprastha Institute of Information Technology Delhi (IIIT-Delhi), intelligent life sciences company Innoplexus and AI-led medical diagnostics platform provider 5C Network. Central to their work are NVIDIA NIM microservices, including the new Nemotron-4-Mini-Hindi 4B microservice for building sovereign AI applications and large language models (LLMs) in the #Hindi language. The Nemotron-4 Hindi model delivers the highest accuracy across benchmarks in 2 billion to 8 billion model-size categories for Hindi. With the Indian #healthcare market projected to grow from about $180 billion last year to $320 billion by 2028, the new #AI model has the potential to dramatically improve healthcare accessibility and efficiency. To gear up for such growing demands — and to help more patients faster — the Indian #government is significantly investing in building foundational AI models designed and developed within the country, including for healthcare, through initiatives like the #IndiaAI Mission. Members of the #Indianhealthcare ecosystem are leading the charge by advancing neuroscience research, combating antibiotic resistance, accelerating drug discovery, automating #diagnosticscan analysis and more — all with AI’s help. https://lnkd.in/eCkcQTYp

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Parenting: Do you agree with this Sai: Our education system needs big reforms. It's rote based system. Me: Um.. S: What? It is such an important topic & your response is 'Um..'. M: I mean, I agree with you. S: This system is putting a lot of pressure on students. M: Um.. S: What's wrong with you? Just 'Um..'. M: See, I agree with what you are saying. But it looks like you are waiting for someone to take the initiative here. S: Of course. What do you expect me to do? I am a parent & worried. M: So, at least do what you, as a parent, can do. S: Of course. Why are you doubting? M: Ok, let me tell you one incident. Last week, I went to meet my neighbor. His son is in 7th grade. His son secured 100% in the latest school test, so lot of excitement. S: What's wrong with that? M: So, next time, if his son gets a lower mark, will he rebuke his son? By celebrating like this, is he not putting unwarranted pressure on his son? Now, indirectly, in the next test/exam, his son will go under extra pressure.   Not only that, I recall that last year, in our apartment, the son of a parent secured a good rank in the 12th exam. That day, society's Whatsapp group was filled with messages of congrats & well done. S: Ya, this needs to be celebrated. M: But by that act, you are creating pressure on kids who have not gotten high rank. Also, students who got good rank are under pressure to get admission to a 'prestigious college/course'… S: But we need to encourage? M: Yes. We should encourage them to learn, to discover their strengths & areas of interest. S: But life is tough. These things are easy to preach. If not done properly, they will fail. M: Now, here comes my 2nd point. Between our school/college education and career, we all know that we will surely fail at some point. Isn't it beneficial for your kids to experience failure early while you're still there to provide support & guidance? This way, they can learn how to bounce back and handle failure, preparing them for life's challenges later on. Remember, you will not be there with you kids every time/whole life. S: But if he fails in school/college, he will not get a job. How will he survive? M: Really!!! He can always start his own business. S: Easier said than done. How will he get experience? M: Why not allow your child to take up a part-time job during their 11th or 12th grade, or even in college? S: Ok, but what type of job? M: Any job. It can be working in restaurants, washing cars, or distributing newspapers. S: Come on!!! M: Why? Why do we keep a stigma on various jobs/work? Help your children to discover themselves. Instill good values & support them in their chosen path. Let them enjoy what they do, as long as it's legal and ethical. Help him in do whatever he likes.   S: But I want him to become… M: Now, that's the problem. Why are you forcing your unmet dreams & your own insecurities on your kids? Your view 👇 #parenting #selfawareness #lifelessons #health #education #india

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Pavan talks about the #elephant in the room, the Toxic work culture. Although he doesn't outrightly suggest a tailor-made solution to this, he has touched upon some of the key areas which can address this. This was more than 1.5 decades back and one of the leaders, Mr. Sudeep Banerjee had completed 20 years in Wipro. On account of this his professional journey was published in the company portal. Interestingly, a line struck hard in my head, He quoted in that, even after 20 yrs. of his office career he feels as fresh the first day to come back to office. It was the #leaders he reported to and the peer group and his team who made it happen. Indeed, this is so important for all of us to 'feel' our workplace as a safer place to go back. Unless the workplaces are built such a way and the people around #contribute to this, it is harder to stay at place even with a hefty pay packages or a double shift in the career progression. I think it is important that we look beyond the Profit Margins, Quarterly Revenues and look at how we can #mentor and guide the project members. Transparency and trust can build an ethical work culture.

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Sincere gratitude to the ISB Executive Education Team, Emeritus, Sunil Rawlani, Milind Naik , all the professors ( Vallabh Sambamurthy, Subodha Kumar, Nandu Nandkishore et al) and industry leaders (Tolga Tutel, Aashish Chandra, Satinder Singh et al) for their dedicated efforts and contributions to make our learning journey a memorable one! Embracing change, always staying ahead in Technology evaluation/adoption, following golden circle (why-how-what) perspective, and keeping Business at the top of the mind always were some of the important lessons. "Never stop learning" was the key takeaway. This journey would have been incomplete without peer contributions! Peer learning played pivotal role in shaping up some of the challenging discussions, so thanks to the entire Jun'23-Mar'24 cohort!

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Large insurance companies transitioning to paperless operations signify a significant shift in customer experience and efficiency. Personal experiences like mine highlight the challenges faced with traditional paper-based processes. Having encountered issues with a paper-based policy from LIC during the pandemic, the ordeal of losing the original document due to an outdated address was frustrating. Despite efforts to retrieve it, the process proved cumbersome and time-consuming. The move towards digital transformation, as seen in LIC's commitment of Rs 600 crore, not only streamlines operations but also enhances customer service. Embracing a paperless approach can effectively resolve such issues, ensuring smoother processes and improved customer satisfaction. Read more about LIC's digital transformation journey below. #Insurance #DigitalTransformation #CustomerExperience

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🎥 How Live Streaming Works 📡 Ever wondered how you can watch live cricket matches or other events online in real time? Here’s a simple breakdown of how live streaming works: 1️⃣ Capture : First, the event’s audio and video are captured in real-time. Think of it like recording everything happening on the field. 2️⃣ Streaming Server : The captured data is sent to a streaming server using protocols like RTMP or SRT. This server helps prepare the video for viewers. 3️⃣ Segmentation : The video is divided into small pieces (segments), making it easier to stream and deliver without interruptions. 4️⃣ Compression & Encoding : The video gets compressed and encoded to reduce its size while maintaining quality. This ensures smooth streaming even with lower bandwidth. 5️⃣ CDN (Content Distribution Network) : The video is distributed across multiple servers worldwide, so you get the content fast, no matter where you are! 6️⃣ Decoding & Decompression : On your device, the video is decoded and decompressed, so it’s ready to play. 7️⃣ Storage : The video is stored for later use, so you can replay or download it whenever you want. That’s how live streaming works behind the scenes! Next time you enjoy a live event online, you’ll know the tech powering it! 💻📱 #livestreaming #techsimplified #streamingtechnology #mediatech #cdn #videoencoding #techexplained #noncodersuccess

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Health Insurance is a hot topic post COVID and we see tremendous growth across regions. An interesting and thought provoking article from APAC perspective. 'HC spending growth surpassing rate of GDP growth' a key data driven observation to start with. There are good answers also at the end. An observation to ponder: Is spending enough and protection from insurance is enough? Spiraling growth in premium rate is a deep concern, specially with regulatory pressures on extending more coverage and benefits. https://lnkd.in/ggqh4n5R

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Now there's Free Health Insurance Cover for All Seniors above 70 in India! The Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (AB PM-JAY) (despite the difficult-to-pronounce title of the scheme 🙂 ) is set to be an important lifeline for senior citizens aged above 70. This scheme provides free health insurance coverage of up to ₹5 lakh for senior citizens aged 70 and above. This coverage is available regardless of income or social status. Senior citizens who are already covered under AB PM-JAY will receive an additional top-up of ₹5 lakh per year. While earlier, elderly individuals relied on savings or family support for medical expenses. The free health insurance provided under AB PM-JAY now significantly reduces their out-of-pocket costs, allowing them to access timely care without financial worry. Not just that, the access to quality healthcare has improved. Senior citizens can choose from an extensive network of public and private hospitals, ensuring they receive the best possible treatment without delays. This access, combined with cashless services, further reduces stress related to healthcare expenses. The inclusion of preventive healthcare services, such as regular check-ups and screenings, helps senior citizens take a more proactive approach to their health. By addressing health issues early on, they can avoid more serious and costly medical treatments later. This focus on prevention is improving overall quality of life for the elderly. At HealthOK Global, we embrace this decision of the Union Cabinet, and look forward to continue our journey of supporting elders in India. https://lnkd.in/dZDQZRPW. #SeniorCitizenHealthcare #AyushmanBharat #Eldercare

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The treatment cost for Heart related ailments have increased in India, as evident from the claim amounts. From the pages: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG): Cost has increased from Rs 2.1 - 4.2 lakh in 2018-2019 to Rs 3 - 6 lakh in 2023-2024. Heart valve replacement: Prices have surged from Rs 2.8 - 4.9 lakh to Rs 4.3 - 7.5 lakh. Pacemaker implantation: The cost rose from Rs 4.9 - 7 lakh to Rs 7.2 - 10.3 lakh. Heart transplant: Expenses have jumped from Rs 21 - 35 lakh to Rs 31 - 52 lakh. The highest recorded claim for heart treatment last year reached around Rs 50 lakh. #insurance #reinsurance #health #life #India Source: https://lnkd.in/g-zbXm9Y

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