Get real-time updates as GCC adds more digital boards
Chennai: To boost real-time public communication and reinforce its smart city infrastructure, the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) will install 100 additional Variable Messaging Displays (VMDs) across the city.
These digital boards will provide live updates on traffic, emergency alerts, and civic information.
The new VMDs will be set up in high-footfall areas, including parks, beaches, playgrounds, and govt buildings. Operated daily from 7am to 10pm, each unit will have dedicated time slots during peak hours for public interest messages such as weather warnings, health campaigns, and disaster alerts.
A senior GCC official said a feasibility study will be carried out to identify optimal locations based on visibility, foot traffic, and communication effectiveness.
The expansion follows a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model, with commercial advertisements shown during non-critical hours. The System Integrator (SI), tasked with installation and maintenance, will manage ad slots and recover costs through ad revenue.
"The 97 existing VMDs demonstrated both public utility and commercial viability. Between Sept 2024 and March 2025, the SI generated about 15 crore in ad revenue.
With the new rollout, we expect an additional 12 crore annually," the official said.
An earlier initiative to track real-time ambulance movement on VMS boards at 16 major junctions, including Poonamallee High Road, remains operational. However, the proposed expansion to 40 locations has not yet materialised.
To support the rollout, GCC allocated 6 crore in the 2025–2026 budget. This includes infrastructure costs such as electricity connections and cabling, estimated at 85,000 per unit. Annual power costs are projected at 1.44 lakh per VMD.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
16 hours ago
- Time of India
Now perform Umrah any day of the year; if you're from the GCC
Saudi Arabia has announced that citizens and residents of Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries can now perform Umrah at any time of the year. Pilgrims can enter the Kingdom through all land, air, and sea ports, with permits available via the official Nusuk app . The initiative is part of ongoing efforts to streamline pilgrimage procedures and enhance the overall experience for worshippers. GCC residents can now perform Umrah using various visa types, including Umrah visas from transit visas issued in partnership with Saudi Airlines and Flynas, and tourist visas available through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' portal ( by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like How Much Should You Pay A Cleaner To Clean Your Apartment in Serbia? Cleaning | Search Ads Search Now Undo To access the holy sites, all pilgrims, whether citizens or residents, must obtain prior permits via the Nusuk app to perform Umrah and offer prayers at Rawdah Al Sharifah in the Prophet's Mosque in Medina. The Ministry resumed issuing Umrah visas for international pilgrims on June 10 and began issuing Nusuk Umrah permits the following day, June 11. Live Events For the current Umrah season, the last day to issue Umrah visas is the first of Shawwal. Pilgrims will be allowed to enter until the 15th of Shawwal, and they must depart the Kingdom by the first of Dhul Qi'dah. The Ministry also confirmed that new applications from external agents will not be accepted. Contracts must be finalised and documented by the first day of Shaaban next year. About Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) is a political and economic union of six Arab states: Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. Established in 1981, the council aims to promote cooperation among its member countries across various fields, including economics, security, culture, and social matters.
&w=3840&q=100)
Business Standard
a day ago
- Business Standard
Startups use AI, omnichannel push to expand globally, reach deeper locally
As India's startup sector enters a new phase of growth, a wave of emerging companies is turning to artificial intelligence, omnichannel distribution and the creator economy to reach smaller domestic markets and expand globally. To mark World MSME Day, Meta has released a report commissioned from consulting firm Alvarez & Marsal India. The study draws on insights from interviews with 100 high-growth startups across the country. It identifies six key levers expected to shape the next chapter of Indian entrepreneurship. These include AI adoption, cross-border expansion, omnichannel strategies, deeper reach into Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, category diversification and creator-led brand building. 'In today's dynamic times, startups that think smart and act fast to evolve will lead the charge,' said Sandhya Devanathan, Vice-President, India and South East Asia, Meta. 'At Meta, we're proud to be partners in this journey, equipping startups with cutting-edge AI-powered tools to help them scale and turn their bold ideas into impact.' Himanshu Bajaj, Managing Director and Head – Alvarez & Marsal India and GCC, noted that he is seeing a significant shift in how Indian startups think about scale — not just for pursuing growth but building more sustainable businesses that focus on value creation. 'AI, tiered expansion and omnichannel models are no longer future bets — they're foundational to execution today,' said Bajaj. 'What stands out is how early-stage startups are applying these levers with surprising sophistication.' Over 70 per cent of startups are now integrating AI across core business functions. 'We leveraged these cutting-edge tools to optimise our marketing campaigns, and the results have been nothing short of phenomenal,' said Shrawan Daga, Founder, Krishna's Herbal & Ayurveda. About 67 per cent of small firms have adopted omnichannel models to address modern customer journeys that span online discovery and offline purchase. 'Attributing online spends to walk-ins and offline conversions is the most critical aspect to driving an efficient omnichannel business while continuing to use digital as the primary advertising channel,' said Ayushi Gudwani, Founder, FS Life. The report said nearly all startups are expanding into Tier 2 and 3 markets to cater to high demand and existing supply gaps. 'India's next billion consumers are not waiting to catch up — they're leapfrogging,' said Swagat Sarangi, Co-founder, Smytten. 'In Tier 2 and 3 markets, relevance isn't about scaling down your offering, it's about showing up with empathy, accessibility and trust.' About 52 per cent of small firms are expanding cross-border, tapping into large addressable markets and global demand for Indian-origin products. The United States, the UAE and the United Kingdom emerged as the top export markets. 'We've successfully expanded our global footprint, achieving a remarkable 30 per cent higher ROI in new markets,' said Aakriti Rawal, Co-founder, House of Chikankari. According to the report, 84 per cent of startups have diversified beyond their core offerings. They are leveraging synergies across product lines, customer cohorts and distribution channels. 'As Noise expands globally and enters new categories, our focus is on building performance-oriented smart tech that takes the 'Make in India' story to the world,' said Gaurav Khatri, Co-founder and CEO, Noise. The report also finds that 88 per cent of brands now partner with creators — including niche influencers and celebrities — to build community-led storytelling. 'Working with creators allows us to tell real, relatable stories that build trust and emotional resonance,' said Suramya Jain, Co-founder, RAS.
Economic Times
2 days ago
- Economic Times
New tax audit limit rule for CAs to apply from April 2026: ICAI president
Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads Popular in Services 1. ICAI bullish on GCC opportunities for chartered accountants The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) will enforce from April 2026 its new guidelines on allowing a partner of an accounting firm to take up a maximum of 60 tax audits in a year, its president Charanjot Singh Nanda said on per extant guidelines, while a single chartered accountant operating on their own can undertake up to 60 tax audits in a fiscal year, a partnership firm, as a whole, is allowed to conduct audits up to the combined limit of all its often results in senior partners at these firms using the quota of their junior colleagues after exhausting their own new guidelines would discourage a concentration of audit assignments with only a few senior partners at accounting firms and curb any anti-competitive conduct, Nanda had indicated to ET earlier this ICAI, Nanda said on Friday, expects the number of global capability centres (GCCs) in the country to nearly triple in the next two years to exceed 5,000, riding a was speaking at a GCC summit being hosted by the institute on June 27-28 in the national capital. This summit will also be organised in Ahmedabad, Mumbai and Hyderabad between August 2025 and February chartered accountants will gain from the boom in GCCs, thanks to various services that they offer, Nanda said."India is an attractive destination for GCCs," he said. Currently, about 80,000 chartered accountants (CAs) are employed at the GCCs in the institute has extended the deadline for stakeholders' comment on its draft overseas networking guidelines for domestic chartered accountant firms to July 16 from June has reported this month that the draft guidelines will enable domestic CA firms to tie up with their global peers and set up units in the idea is to facilitate the creation of large home-grown audit firms akin to the 'Big Four' by enabling domestic firms to grow big and also acquire expertise through global framework, once notified, would also require local firms that are already affiliated with global accounting entities to register with the ICAI, which is empowered to issue such there is no formal framework governing such global tie-ups. Those with foreign tie-ups were earlier required to submit certain details with the ICAI by submitting a form, which was discontinued four years ago, as a formal framework on this was sought to be present, the Big Four—EY, Deloitte, KPMG, PwC—along with Grant Thornton and BDO dominate the Indian audit ecosystem, with their affiliates having handled assignments of 326 of the 486 Nifty-500 companies as of March 2025, according to a report.
