Top Headlines: WHO warns on Omicron; public health infra priority in 2022

Business Standard brings you the top headlines at this hour.

Covid-19: WHO sounds warning over fast-spreading Omicron variant

The Omicron variant of the coronavirus is spreading faster than the Delta variant and is causing infections in people already vaccinated or who have recovered from the Covid-19 disease, WHO head said. WHO chief scientist Soumya Swaminathan added it would be "unwise" to conclude from early evidence that Omicron was a milder variant that previous ones. Read more 
 

Banks, online merchants race to comply with RBI card data storage norms

With less than a fortnight to go before the new card data storage norms of the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) kick in on January 1, banks, merchants, and other stakeholders are racing against time to comply with the central bank’s diktat to ensure a smooth transition to the new regime. Players in the ecosystem would have liked more time for this, but given the strong stance the RBI has taken, they are working towards meeting the deadline, experts said. Read more 
 

In 2022, the goal will be to ramp up public health infrastructure

The year gone by was a litmus test for India’s health infrastructure, laying bare not just the chinks in the armour, but the glaring gaps in its health delivery system. The second wave of the Covid-19 pandemic in the months of May and June 2021 revealed just how unprepared the country was to tackle the dizzying number of hospitalisations, or even to provide basic oxygen support to patients with severe disease. But now India is much better prepared, say public health experts. Read more 
 

Quick commerce in superfast lane: Decoding the biz of 10-minute deliveries

Quick commerce, or the business of delivering essentials in time frames of 10 to 20 minutes, has set the start-up world abuzz. The idea has come of age only in the past year-and-a-half as Covid-19 drove up digital adoption. “The players doing quick del­i­veries in the US and Europe pla­yed a part in convincing us to ex­periment with the idea,” said Al­binder Dhindsa, founder of gro­cery delivery start-up Blinkit (Grofers, until recently). Read more
 

Shriram Finance to enter supply chain lending, trade finance biz

The Shriram group plans to foray into supply chain finance as well as trade financing and will scale up its loans against property (LAP) under the combined entity Shriram Finance. Umesh Rewankar, executive vice-chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of Shriram Transport Finance Company (STFC), said there are short-term lending opportunities on radar. Read more 
 

Over two dozen new car and SUV models to hit the road in 2022

Every new year brings with it a set of new wheels across segments and price ranges, and 2022 will be no different. The year that dawns on us in just about 10-odd days will see over two dozen new cars and SUV models (including refreshes and facelifts) hitting the road as automobile firms ride the trend of strong preference for personal mobility. Read more