Now, search and shop
Google India has launched product listing ads for its search engine services in India. This is a new format that connects users to rich product information such as images, price and brands. So, when you make a shopping-related search query on google.co.in you will see, in addition to general search results, a panel on the right side that shows product information, labelled ‘sponsored link’. In a press release, Google said these ads offer merchants a great opportunity to promote their products on the web.
‘Summer Batch 2013’ graduates
Microsoft Accelerator, Microsoft India’s outreach programme for start-ups, announced the graduation of its second India batch, its ‘Summer Batch 2013’. Nine start-ups — explara, deck, Harness, i7 Networks, iDOS, SupportBee, TableGrabber, Tuebora and Visarity — demoed their products at the Microsoft office.
Raman Roy, chairman and managing director of Quatrro and co-founder of Indian Angel Network, said: “Entrepreneurship is the preferred avenue for smart people who dare to take risks and realise their dreams and, in doing so, provide employment for others. While most of them have interesting ideas, at times their success is limited by a few critical factors — lack of mentorship, access to funds and the inability to build a strong business foundation.”
Women and the geek quotient
At the WIT (Women in Technology) gig hosted by Internet firm Yahoo, women spoke up to claim the ‘geek space’, still perceived by many as a male bastion. In a panel discussion on ‘Is technology lagging behind in empowering women to lead?’, participants discussed why, though a substantial number of women are part of the tech workforce, very few hold real leadership positions, be it in management or core tech.
In his keynote address, Hari Vasudev, vice-president and head, Yahoo India R&D, said: “If you aspire to make it to the very top, don’t be discouraged by the stats and or what has been. At Yahoo, we have a role model in our CEO, Marissa Mayer, who’s broken every glass ceiling, and turned every stereotype on its head.”
Panellists Akila Krishnakumar, former president and COO of Global Solutions Centers at SunGard; Nandini, founder and mentor, Carma Venture; Nivruti Rai, senior director, System on Chip Enabling Group at Intel; and Zainab Bawa, co-founder, HasGeek, shared their views on the glass ceiling and their experiences in the tech world.
