Hi Friends,

Even as I launch this today ( my 80th Birthday ), I realize that there is yet so much to say and do. There is just no time to look back, no time to wonder,"Will anyone read these pages?"

With regards,
Hemen Parekh
27 June 2013

Now as I approach my 90th birthday ( 27 June 2023 ) , I invite you to visit my Digital Avatar ( www.hemenparekh.ai ) – and continue chatting with me , even when I am no more here physically

Tuesday, 19 September 2017

Not exactly BHIM 4.0



But getting very close  !


Yesterday , Google launched Mobile Payment App “ Tez “ , riding on UPI ( Universal Payment Interface )


Today’s newspapers had following to write :



ECONOMIC TIMES [ 19 Sept ] :


Designed in a  CHAT-LIKE INTERFACE , Google released the app on Android as well as iOS on Monday



Caesar Sengupta , V-P, Next Billion Users , Google , said, “ Tez has been made in India and will make payments as easy as cash



Tez will be available in 7 Indian languages…….



“ The time has come with application as simple as this that what started as a compulsion becomes a matter of convenience and eventually a matter of spending habit as far as Indian people are concerned “, said Jaitley



Google has enabled merchants to use the Tez platform to receive payments directly through the app but promised only businesses that consumers transact with will be able to use the feature and there will be “ no spamming “


Sengupta added that Google is also working on integrating credit and debit card payments through Tez and will enable it later this year



HINDUSTAN TIMES [ 19 Sept ] :



It is NOT a digital wallet , requiring a constant top-up of cash



Instead , Tez works with all the 50 + UPI-enabled banks , so that money stays in users’ bank accounts until they need to use it



Tez users continue to earn interest from their banks and have their deposits backed by bank security guarantees



BUSINESS LINE [ 19 Sept ] :



Diana Layfield, Vice President , Head of Finance and Commerce Products of Google’s Next Billion Users team , later told reporters that Google sees itself competing against cash



“ We don’t see ourselves competing against other players . Our competition is  cash “ , Diana said



Layfield also said Google is not looking to monetize Tez for now . She said customers of 55 Indian banks on the UPI platform can now use the app



Caesar Sengupta , Vice President of the Next Billion Users team at Google said ,



This starts us on a journey  to make digital payments simpler and more accessible to everyone “



BUSINESS  LINE [  20  Sept  ] : 
 

Diana Layfield said :


“ Google is also working on integrating third-party mobile wallets with Tez so that users needn’t require multiple payment apps



We felt the payments space was going to be exciting and this is the economy which will digitize relatively rapidly . There was a sense that this could add enormous value to India “



Google is also integrating Tez with Google Maps so that when users search for a place , Maps can suggest stores in that area that accept Tez . The stores will be able to make an offer to users and users in turn will be able to make inquiries
“ There’s a whole another set of things that you can add to the app “ , Layfield said





I believe the “ journey “ that  Sengupta  talks of , will run along the lines of :







What makes me think so ?


I believe Sundar Pichai read my email to him, in which, among many other things ,  I requested him as follows :



06 Jan 2017


Dear  Sundar  Pichai :

During your interview last evening with Vikram Chandra ( NDTV ) , you said :

I like to work on finding solutions to challenging problems . I like to find solutions that millions of people around the World can use to simplify their lives and empower them


I believe, through use of Aadhar based apps , such solutions can make a huge difference to Education , Healthcare , Economy etc  “


Sundar , all of this was very heartening  !


Here are my suggestions for solving some of those  " CHALLENGING  PROBLEMS " :


F  ]    Simplification of  MOBILE WALLET  , which requires  NO TYPING  into the App  /  ONLY SPEAKING






Dear Sundar :


Congrats and thanks  !


I urge you to find similar elegant / simple solutions to those other problems listed in my email 







20  Sept  2017






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