<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/54428937.cms" />In a bid to tackle rising competition, especially from <keyword id="6354504" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Reliance-Jio">Reliance Jio</keyword>, <keyword id="6354923" type="COMPANY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vodafone-India">Vodafone India</keyword> launched ‘Flex’ for its pre-paid customers, which is a single recharge option for voice and data, both.<br />
<br /> The <keyword id="3669318" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-Flex">Vodafone Flex</keyword> can be used as a voice pack as well as a data pack and customers will be able to use internet, calls, roaming, SMS with no pre fixed quota.<br />
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It comes with recharge values at Rs 119 (325 Flex), Rs 199 (700Flex), Rs 299 (1200 Flex) and Rs 399 (1,750 Flex).<br />
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Vodafone claims users will be able to save up to 25% in recharges through Flex.<br />
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"The Flex plan helps users to have flexibility and convenience of using both data and voice on a single plan, without getting them separately and worrying about their validates," said Sandeep Kataria, Director commercial at Vodafone India.<br />
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When you use it, each of the packs come with a fixed amount of 'Flexs' which will deducted when a customer uses voice or data or messages.

Vodafone India launches ‘Flex’ for pre-paid users; claims it will push 25% saving

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/54430378.cms" /><br />
<br /> <keyword id="6354923" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone-India">Vodafone India</keyword> has launched a new recharge method for prepaid customers called <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="100" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> Flex. It is a point (Flex) based recharge option where with one single recharge prepaid customers can buy Flex and use data, voice and SMS on the same pack with no pre fixed quota for all three services.<br />
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There are five packs under the Flex recharge option. The lowest recharge value is Rs119 with which a user can get 325 Flex, with Rs. 199 – Rs. 700 Flex, with Rs. 299 – 1200 Flex and with Rs. 399 – 1750 Flex. All these packs are valid for 28 day and unused Flex can be carried over to the next month’s recharge. One 'Flex' is equivalent to 1MB of data, 1 SMS or one minute of incoming call on roaming. With two 'Flexs' customers can avail a minute of local outgoing or STD call or a minute of outgoing call on roaming. So for instance the Rs 117 Flex plan can offer 135 minutes of outgoing calls and 55MB of data. Depending on the usage, the company claims that the new offer will provide up to 25% saving.<br />
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Nine years in the India market, Vodafone India has about 200 million customers and prepaid customers form 90% of their total customer base. Prepaid customers are key to Vodafone and the company came up with the new point based recharge scheme particularly to make things simpler for consumers, making it an easy way for the consumers to keep a tab on their usage. But at first it does seem a bit confusing as users will not just calculate the recharge amount now but also the ‘Flex’ therefore pre-paid customers are likely to take some time getting used to a whole new recharge scheme. Vodafone’s ongoing recharge options where customers can buy separate recharge coupons of varying validity for voice and data will be available too but the company is eventually looking to shift to the Flex recharge option.<br />
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Photo Credit: Reuters<br />


Vodafone’s move towards a point (Flex) based recharge method

<img class="gwt-Image" src="/photo/47199585.cms" /><br /> The tax department’s move to send demand notices worth INR 6,500-7,000 crore (around $1 billion) to foreign portfolio investors (FPIs), asking for payment of minimum alternate tax (MAT) on capital gains related to transactions on Indian <keyword id="35199" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="stock-markets">stock markets</keyword> has once again raised the ugly spectre of ‘tax terrorism’ that the Indian IT department has been infamously known for.<br />
<br /> MAT is a 20% levy meant to apply to companies which would otherwise pay zero corporate tax due to various exemptions and deductions. Until last month, the levy had never been applied to foreign investors—it was applied only to entities that were generating business income in India. Though Jaitley said in <keyword id="117156" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Budget-speech">Budget speech</keyword> in February that the tax would <a href="http://www.business-standard.com/budget/article/budget-2015-no-mat-for-fiis-says-jaitley-115022800354_1.html">not apply</a> to FIIs, the tax officials insisted that what Jaitley claimed applies only prospectively while their demand is retrospective.<br />
<br /> This has further tarnished the image of the country as an investor unfriendly one which has already been dented by innumerable previous instances of ‘tax terrorism’, notable those involving <keyword id="15492" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Vodafone">Vodafone</keyword> and Vedanta.<br />
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Vodafone was slapped with Rs 3,200-crore tax demand for issuing new shares to its parent company at ‘an unduly cheap price’. According to the tax department, this violated ‘transfer pricing norms’ which require parent-subsidiary dealings to happen at a fair price. Tax authorities argued that by undervaluing the shares issued to the parent, Vodafone had saved a sizable amount on taxes which resulted in the tax demand. <br /> Recently, oil exploration firm <keyword id="59287" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Cairn-India">Cairn India</keyword>, owned by the UK-based Vedanta group, was slapped with a tax notice worth $3.6 billion for a transaction that occurred in 2006-07. Indian officials claimed Cairn did not pay <a href="http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/cairn-drags-indias-tax-office-court-over-3-3bn-tax-claim-1495160">capital gains tax</a> for some transactions that involved the transfer of shares from its UK parent to its Indian subsidiary.<br />
<br /> While the long drama involving Vodafone hurt inflow of foreign direct investment (<keyword id="44528" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="FDI">FDI</keyword>) the punitive action against FIIs is expected to dilute the inflow of funds from these institutions.<br />
<br /> While the IT department calculated that by slapping tax demand on Vodafone, it could amass more than Rs10, 000 crore, <keyword id="818742" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="The-move">the move</keyword> effectively resulted in the government losing many times that amount in FDI. Numbers clearly support this—following the Vodafone fiasco, <keyword id="6362476" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="investments">investments</keyword> from FIIs in the country fell to Rs 51,000 crore from Rs 1,68,000 crore.<br />
<br /> The term ‘tax terrorism’ was first used by <keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> to criticise the negative approach adopted by tax authorities under the UPA regime. “The tax terrorism prevailing in the country is dangerous. One can’t run the government by thinking that everyone is a thief,” he said, in his address to <keyword id="6355001" type="CITY" weightage="20" keywordseo="FICCI">FICCI</keyword> members in January.<br />
<br /> Modi’s remark was not without reason. Domestic tax laws allow the authorities to issue ‘demand notices’ even to people who have duly paid their taxes. They can send notice if the <keyword id="315265" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="scrutiny-officer">scrutiny officer</keyword> disputes calculations of a tax payer or believes that he/she has under-reported income. Also, if the government is running short of cash, it can delay refunds and reopen old returns for scrutiny. While the tax department can take its time with refunds, if a tax payer delays paying annual taxes, the penalties can be really huge.<br />
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Hugely high tax rates—corporate tax rates between 30% and 40% in India are much higher than what is levied in most countries—is a crucial lacuna that needs to be fixed if the government is serious about transforming the rotten tax system.<br />
<br /> Another key problem arises from the very nature of Indian tax system which is tilted towards enforcement rather than compliance. Instead of flexing muscles to apply outdated, insensible tax laws aggressively, the government and the tax department need to focus on simplifying the system, in line with better models elsewhere including that followed by <keyword id="6356662" type="COUNTRY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Singapore">Singapore</keyword> which boasts of tax compliance of more than 90% simply by the virtue of lesser taxes and simpler systems.<br />
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In fact, Jaitley proposed lowering the corporate tax rate from 30-25% over four years while lifting exemptions, in his budget speech. If what he said is implemented in letter and spirit that will be the first step towards revamping the labyrinthine Indian tax regime which if left as it is will seriously dent the government’s efforts to attract foreign investments for building the nation. <br />
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Why tax terrorism is counterproductive

<keyword id="6358977" type="General" weightage="100" keywordseo="swiggy" source="Orion">Swiggy</keyword> on Monday announced it has appointed three independent directors to its Board - Mallika Srinivasan, Padma Shri awardee and Chairman and Managing Director of TAFE; <keyword id="121995" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="shailesh-haribhakti" source="Orion">Shailesh Haribhakti</keyword>, Chairman of Shailesh Haribhakti &amp; Associates; and <keyword id="2257501" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sahil-barua" source="Orion">Sahil Barua</keyword>, Managing Director and CEO at Delhivery.<br /><br />They are the first independent directors on Swiggy's board and join current members: ASriharsha Majety - CEO and Co-founder of Swiggy; <keyword id="2792820" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="nandan-reddy" source="Orion">Nandan Reddy</keyword>, Co-founder of Swiggy; Larry Illg, CEO of Prosus Edtech and Food; Ashutosh Sharma, Head of Investments- India, Prosus Ventures; <keyword id="1841701" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="sumer-juneja" source="Orion">Sumer Juneja</keyword>, Managing Partner, India and EMEA, SoftBank Investment Advisors; and Anand Daniel, Partner at Accel.<br /><br />"Getting these new and powerful perspectives and strengthening our governance will immensely benefit us as we march ahead in our mission to bring unparalleled convenience to consumers," said Majety.<br /><br />Srinivasan said that she is pleased to join the Board as the "company moves forward in pushing boundaries and redefining newer segments."<br /><br />"I look forward to supporting the Swiggy management team in their quest to build a world-class business that serves millions of customers in their everyday needs," added Barua.<br /><br />Swiggy connects consumers to over 200,000 restaurant partners in hundreds of cities. Its quick commerce grocery service Instamart is present in over 25 cities.<br /><br /><b>SEE ALSO:<br /></b><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-shares-hit-25-upper-circuit-after-govt-agrees-to-convert-16133-cr-dues-into-equity/articleshow/97643006.cms"><strong>Vodafone Idea shares hit 25% upper circuit after govt agrees to convert ₹16,133 cr dues into equity</strong></a><b><u><strong><br /></strong></u></b><b></b><a target="_blank" class="c-link c-message_attachment__title_link" href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/4-day-workweek-not-yet-feasible-in-india-but-companies-look-at-flexible-options/articleshow/97642858.cms"><strong>All about 'flex': 4-day workweek not yet feasible in India, but companies look at flexible options</strong></a>

Swiggy appoints 3 independent directors to its Board

<ul><li><keyword id="648840" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Biba">BIBA</keyword>’s latest collection includes kaftans, two-piece sets, sleepwear robes, gowns as a part of lockdown fashion. </li><li>The country’s major fashion brands have resorted to making masks as the retail industry came to a complete halt with the coronavirus lockdown. </li><li>From <keyword id="26688" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="Masaba">Masaba</keyword> to Shivan and Narresh to Anita Dongre and FabIndia have all started their fashionable masks. </li></ul>A popular Indian ethnic wear brand known for its kurtas and lehengas is now selling sleepwear and loungewear as people <keyword id="123591" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Work-from-home">work from home</keyword>. “While people continue to stay at home, all they prefer now is comfortable clothing over fashionable &amp; classy dresses/business suits,” said the company. <br /><br />However, the cotton robes and pyjamas offered by the brand don’t come cheap. BIBA, which reopened over 150 stores across the country on June 8, has its collection, which comprises kaftans, two-piece sets, sleepwear robes, gowns, starting at ₹1,699 and goes up to ₹3,299. <br /><br />Lockdown fashion has become the latest trend to take over India. The country’s major fashion brands have resorted to making masks as the retail industry came to a complete halt with the coronavirus lockdown. <br /><br />From Masaba to Shivan and Narresh to Anita Dongre and FabIndia have all started their fashionable masks. <br /><br /><div type="javascript" title="Instagram" contenttype="Image"><cdata><![CDATA[<blockquote class="instagram-media" data-instgrm-captioned data-instgrm-permalink="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA9oykDDwAG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" data-instgrm-version="12" style=" background:#FFF; border:0; border-radius:3px; box-shadow:0 0 1px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.5),0 1px 10px 0 rgba(0,0,0,0.15); margin: 1px; max-width:540px; min-width:326px; padding:0; width:99.375%; width:-webkit-calc(100% - 2px); width:calc(100% - 2px);"><div style="padding:16px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA9oykDDwAG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" background:#FFFFFF; line-height:0; padding:0 0; text-align:center; text-decoration:none; width:100%;" target="_blank"> <div style=" display: flex; flex-direction: row; align-items: center;"> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 40px; margin-right: 14px; width: 40px;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: column; flex-grow: 1; justify-content: center;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; margin-bottom: 6px; width: 100px;"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 4px; flex-grow: 0; height: 14px; width: 60px;"></div></div></div><div style="padding: 19% 0;"></div> <div style="display:block; height:50px; margin:0 auto 12px; width:50px;"><svg width="50px" height="50px" viewBox="0 0 60 60" version="1.1" xmlns="https://www.w3.org/2000/svg" xmlns:xlink="https://www.w3.org/1999/xlink"><g stroke="none" stroke-width="1" fill="none" fill-rule="evenodd"><g transform="translate(-511.000000, -20.000000)" fill="#000000"><g><path d="M556.869,30.41 C554.814,30.41 553.148,32.076 553.148,34.131 C553.148,36.186 554.814,37.852 556.869,37.852 C558.924,37.852 560.59,36.186 560.59,34.131 C560.59,32.076 558.924,30.41 556.869,30.41 M541,60.657 C535.114,60.657 530.342,55.887 530.342,50 C530.342,44.114 535.114,39.342 541,39.342 C546.887,39.342 551.658,44.114 551.658,50 C551.658,55.887 546.887,60.657 541,60.657 M541,33.886 C532.1,33.886 524.886,41.1 524.886,50 C524.886,58.899 532.1,66.113 541,66.113 C549.9,66.113 557.115,58.899 557.115,50 C557.115,41.1 549.9,33.886 541,33.886 M565.378,62.101 C565.244,65.022 564.756,66.606 564.346,67.663 C563.803,69.06 563.154,70.057 562.106,71.106 C561.058,72.155 560.06,72.803 558.662,73.347 C557.607,73.757 556.021,74.244 553.102,74.378 C549.944,74.521 548.997,74.552 541,74.552 C533.003,74.552 532.056,74.521 528.898,74.378 C525.979,74.244 524.393,73.757 523.338,73.347 C521.94,72.803 520.942,72.155 519.894,71.106 C518.846,70.057 518.197,69.06 517.654,67.663 C517.244,66.606 516.755,65.022 516.623,62.101 C516.479,58.943 516.448,57.996 516.448,50 C516.448,42.003 516.479,41.056 516.623,37.899 C516.755,34.978 517.244,33.391 517.654,32.338 C518.197,30.938 518.846,29.942 519.894,28.894 C520.942,27.846 521.94,27.196 523.338,26.654 C524.393,26.244 525.979,25.756 528.898,25.623 C532.057,25.479 533.004,25.448 541,25.448 C548.997,25.448 549.943,25.479 553.102,25.623 C556.021,25.756 557.607,26.244 558.662,26.654 C560.06,27.196 561.058,27.846 562.106,28.894 C563.154,29.942 563.803,30.938 564.346,32.338 C564.756,33.391 565.244,34.978 565.378,37.899 C565.522,41.056 565.552,42.003 565.552,50 C565.552,57.996 565.522,58.943 565.378,62.101 M570.82,37.631 C570.674,34.438 570.167,32.258 569.425,30.349 C568.659,28.377 567.633,26.702 565.965,25.035 C564.297,23.368 562.623,22.342 560.652,21.575 C558.743,20.834 556.562,20.326 553.369,20.18 C550.169,20.033 549.148,20 541,20 C532.853,20 531.831,20.033 528.631,20.18 C525.438,20.326 523.257,20.834 521.349,21.575 C519.376,22.342 517.703,23.368 516.035,25.035 C514.368,26.702 513.342,28.377 512.574,30.349 C511.834,32.258 511.326,34.438 511.181,37.631 C511.035,40.831 511,41.851 511,50 C511,58.147 511.035,59.17 511.181,62.369 C511.326,65.562 511.834,67.743 512.574,69.651 C513.342,71.625 514.368,73.296 516.035,74.965 C517.703,76.634 519.376,77.658 521.349,78.425 C523.257,79.167 525.438,79.673 528.631,79.82 C531.831,79.965 532.853,80.001 541,80.001 C549.148,80.001 550.169,79.965 553.369,79.82 C556.562,79.673 558.743,79.167 560.652,78.425 C562.623,77.658 564.297,76.634 565.965,74.965 C567.633,73.296 568.659,71.625 569.425,69.651 C570.167,67.743 570.674,65.562 570.82,62.369 C570.966,59.17 571,58.147 571,50 C571,41.851 570.966,40.831 570.82,37.631"></path></g></g></g></svg></div><div style="padding-top: 8px;"> <div style=" color:#3897f0; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:550; line-height:18px;"> View this post on Instagram</div></div><div style="padding: 12.5% 0;"></div> <div style="display: flex; flex-direction: row; margin-bottom: 14px; align-items: center;"><div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(0px) translateY(7px);"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; height: 12.5px; transform: rotate(-45deg) translateX(3px) translateY(1px); width: 12.5px; flex-grow: 0; margin-right: 14px; margin-left: 2px;"></div> <div style="background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; height: 12.5px; width: 12.5px; transform: translateX(9px) translateY(-18px);"></div></div><div style="margin-left: 8px;"> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; border-radius: 50%; flex-grow: 0; height: 20px; width: 20px;"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 2px solid transparent; border-left: 6px solid #f4f4f4; border-bottom: 2px solid transparent; transform: translateX(16px) translateY(-4px) rotate(30deg)"></div></div><div style="margin-left: auto;"> <div style=" width: 0px; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-right: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(16px);"></div> <div style=" background-color: #F4F4F4; flex-grow: 0; height: 12px; width: 16px; transform: translateY(-4px);"></div> <div style=" width: 0; height: 0; border-top: 8px solid #F4F4F4; border-left: 8px solid transparent; transform: translateY(-4px) translateX(8px);"></div></div></div></a> <p style=" margin:8px 0 0 0; padding:0 4px;"> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CA9oykDDwAG/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#000; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px; text-decoration:none; word-wrap:break-word;" target="_blank">Introducing SHIVAN &amp; NARRESH Masks. Discover a world of classic monochromes, signature prints to masterful skeins in art masks. Featured Here : The Koi Reel Skein Mask A statement skein mask perfect for a modern decadent look. 10% of the value of the #Masks are being contributed to @Goonj for the cause of rehabilitation of the migrant labour community. . Available on www.shivanandnarresh.com via WhatsApp (+91 98102 37715) with contactless delivery.</a></p> <p style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px; margin-bottom:0; margin-top:8px; overflow:hidden; padding:8px 0 7px; text-align:center; text-overflow:ellipsis; white-space:nowrap;">A post shared by <a href="https://www.instagram.com/shivanandnarresh/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading" style=" color:#c9c8cd; font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; font-style:normal; font-weight:normal; line-height:17px;" target="_blank"> SHIVAN &amp; NARRESH</a> (@shivanandnarresh) on <time style=" font-family:Arial,sans-serif; font-size:14px; line-height:17px;" datetime="2020-06-03T06:35:34+00:00">Jun 2, 2020 at 11:35pm PDT</time></p></div></blockquote> <script async src="//www.instagram.com/embed.js"></script>]]></cdata></div><br />The demand for apparel is slowly rising but most of it continues to be restricted to comfortable fashion and continues to be a part of online shopping. Snapdeal, one of India’s leading e-commerce platforms, said that it has witnessed fast growth in the apparel category in May. <br /><br />“Last month, the sale in the apparel category was all about catching up with overdue functional needs like nightwear, undergarments, and track pants etc. With children at home and more people continuing to work from home and summer in full swing, users are now making smart, casual additions to their wardrobes”, said Snapdeal spokesperson.<br /><br />SEE ALSO:<br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/news/akash-ambani-was-the-one-to-choose-facebook-the-next-big-investments-for-reliance-jio-and-the-ideas-sold-to-investors/articleshow/76316650.cms">EXCLUSIVE: Inside the Reliance Jio deals – Akash Ambani was the one to choose Facebook, the next big investments and the ideas sold to investors</a><br /><br /><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/vodafone-idea-shares-plunge-over-6-after-supreme-court-asks-for-an-undertaking-to-cough-up-53000-crore/articleshow/76317790.cms">Vodafone Idea shares plunge over 6% after Supreme Court asks for an undertaking to cough up ₹53,000 crore</a><br /><br />

You Searched For "Vodafone Flex" and got 5 results

Vodafone India launches ‘Flex’ for pre-paid users; claims it will push 25% saving

BI India Bureau

Vodafone’s move towards a point (Flex) based recharge method

Nazia Bijal

Why tax terrorism is counterproductive

Preetam Kaushik

Swiggy appoints 3 independent directors to its Board

IANS

BIBA, the Indian ethnic wear brand, is now selling sleepwear as people work from home – but they don’t come cheap

Sanchita Dash