`Progressive Purchase' pricing model for household energy systems

“Progressive Purchase” is a new pricing model developed by Simpa Networks that shares some characteristics of the familiar “prepaid”, “pay as you go”, and “installment plan” pricing models. Under Progressive Purchase, the consumer makes a series of payments, each of which unlocks the solar home system for a paid amount of energy consumption (Kwh).  Once the prepaid consumption is exhausted, the solar home system is temporarily disabled until another paymenmt is made.  Once the consumer has fully paid the total purchase price of the product, full functionality is restored and the product is permanently unlocked.

The Progressive Purchase pricing model is enabled by the Simpa Regulator, a tamper-proof, system-integrated micro controller and user interface that regulates the function of  solar home systems based on proof of payments, and the Simpa Revenue Management System, a centralized software solution in the “cloud”, accessible via SMS gateway and over the internet, for payment processing and accounts settlement.

Lessons from Lepakshi Knowledge Hub

January 2012, Business Standard

Global Emerging Markets (GEM), a $3.4-billion alternative investment group having its presence in 55 countries, and former Chief Vigilance Commissioner N Vittal-promoted Gujarat Vittal Innovation City have entered into a joint venture with Andhra Pradesh-based Lepakshi Knowledge Hub to develop a green eco system for knowledge-based services, manufacturing, R&D and incubation activities. To be developed on 2,500 acres allotted by Lepakshi from its 10,000 acre Knowledge Park located in Anantapur district bordering Karnataka.

February 2014 Indian Express

The government issued a show-cause notice to Lepakshi. However, the company failed to give proper replies and the government cancelled all the incentives. The principal obligation of the Lepakshi was to establish a World Class Global Knowledge Hub by providing integrated infrastructure support to universities, science & technology parks, medical parks, aerospace parks, agro food parks, IT/BT parks, logistic parks, global eco theme village, business financial district, FTWZs, energy projects, commercial, retail, residential and other support infrastructure etc., at Chilamattur and Gorantla mandals.The government concluded that there was no substantive progress in the project and no specific action plan has been provided.

Lesson to retired Bureaucrats

Think twice before lending your name to shoddy plans. 

support for small budget innovations benefitting MSME from VNRVJIET, Hyderabad

MSME recently approved incubator of VNRVJIET at Hyderabad to support innovations under their incubator support program. Details of MSME program:

http://www.dcmsme.gov.in/schemes/Incubatee_Application_Format.pdf

Individuals/ Micro and Small Enterprises having innovative business idea at near commercialization stage and needing about 5 lakhs to complete the development can apply to edcell@vnrvjiet.in. 

First Product Industry Monitor Report

iSPIRT has brought out the product start-up report (Feb 2014) based on survey carried out by Sharique Hasan (Assistant Professor at Stanford's Graduate School ofBusiness),SrivardhiniK.Jha(Research Scientis with McGill Centre for Convergence of Health and Economics and Fellow at iSPIRT), and  Rembrand Koning(a doctoral candidate at Stanford's Graduate School of Business). Findings:

• Over 50% of software product firms are bootstrapped.Majority invested less than a crore and valuation is generally less than 10 millionUSD.
•  40% of founders came from MNCs and the founders have a similar background & skill sets.Founders are older with 70% in 301-40 age group.
• Bangalore and Enterprise sectors dominate.