The Public Newsense

The importance of food safety cannot be overstated, especially with  accessibility and convenience taking priority over health and nutrition in our modern lives. Questions around food safety become more crucial as e-com portals enter the space. Food shopping on e-com portals adds a layer of anonymity to the foods we purchase and consume.  Traditionally, food shopping would have taken several trips to the grocery store or fresh foods market, with much deliberating, sniffing, handling and haggling before the purchase was made.

Bicycles were associated with wealthy young men in the early part of the 20th century, particularly being favoured by the sahibs and the Indian elite. In a few years, as bicycles became more common and popular, the prestige waned. By the 1920s it was not seemly for a senior official of the Raj to gallivant about on a cycle. A horse or carriage was seen as a better way to maintain distance and underline class distinctions. It was also not deemed acceptable to turn up to work or elsewhere looking hot and bothered due to cycling in the tropical weather.

Climate change is uprooting lives and communities in India, leaving behind a trail of destruction that is hard to ignore. The lush terrain that once sustained millions is now turning into barren wastelands, as climate change continues to ravage the country. The scorching heat waves, erratic rainfall patterns, and devastating floods are leaving no stone unturned in upending the lives of millions of people, particularly those in rural areas.

A recent survey  found that 66% of  consumers  prefer to purchase eco-friendly products. Consumers are now more environmentally conscious and their preferences have shifted to reflect this.

On Twitter I came across someone lamenting a recently announced plan to build more flyovers in some Indian city (it matters not which city as this is a common phenomenon across the country). The tweet pointed out that increasing road infrastructure for private vehicles only encourages more private vehicles and it's a zero sum game. Of course, Twitter being what it is, someone immediately took umbrage, accusing the person of wanting to deny economically/socially disadvantaged people from climbing up the ladder and having access to their own personal vehicle.

Let us start by answering a straightforward question: do we drive on the left or the right of the road? The answer is, in India we do ‘both’. This stinging satire is enough to summon our  memories of everyday terrifying experiences on roads.

Over the past few decades, the e-commerce sector has evolved significantly. Consumers are making more online purchases than ever before. To battle growing competition,  e-commerce retailers are modifying their online platforms such that it attracts customers, grabs their attention and nudges them towards completing the purchase by well designed user interfaces that influence users’ behaviour. It is not unusual for customers to add products to an e-com shopping cart, only to abandon the cart and move on to another website.