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What’s the Idea? Bazaar Bhav on mobiles
MUMBAI: Idea Cellular has, for the first time in India, introduced SMS-based information updates in the commodity markets using a subscription-based model.
This service – Idea Bazaar Bhav – will be available across all Idea Cellular circles in India.
Idea’s customers will now be able to receive updates about the current prices in the major exchanges as well as spot markets all over the country, 10-15 times a day, over SMS.
International markets of China, London and Tokyo, vessel positions and port information will also be covered. Idea Bazaar Bhav on mobiles will initially cover the commodity markets for oil, pulses, cotton and bullion (i.e. gold, silver etc). In the next phase grains and sugar markets will also be added to the service.
An Idea subscriber can register by sending an SMS – ‘Help’ to 1920 and start getting updates. Idea Bazaar Bhav subscription will be offered to postpaid at a great price of Rs 150 per month and prepaid customers will be able to use the dynamic and effective SMS Pull feature to get the updates as and when required.
With the Idea Bazaar Bhav service, customers will also be able to participate more actively in commodity trading including forward trading and benefit from the real-time information updates. It will also keep the traders, brokers and farmers updated about the current trends in the market. The service is being powered by ADCC Research and Computing.
Idea Cellular CEO Vikram Mehmi said, “We are extremely happy to be the first ones to offer such a service to our customers and enable greater value addition in their day to day business transactions. With the mobile subscriber base penetrating through deeper sections of India and spreading into rural areas, such a service is a boon to farmers, traders and the masses having their livelihood depend upon agro-based activities.”
ADCC Research & Computing CEO Arun Lakhani, on the other hand, said, “Bazaar Bhav will act as a force multiplier to the rural economy empowering farmers to get fair prices and avoid exploitation. This is a first step in taking the technology to villages and contributing to the village economy.”
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Maharashtra revokes Ola, Uber, Rapido bike taxi licences
Temporary e-bike taxi permits cancelled as firms fail to meet state rules
MUMBAI: Maharashtra’s roads are set to see fewer zipping two-wheelers after the state government pulled the plug on provisional licences granted to bike taxi giants Ola, Uber and Rapido. Transport Minister Pratap Sarnaik announced in the Legislative Council on Monday that temporary permissions would be revoked.
“These companies were given permission for just a month and were required to submit certain documents. Since they have not complied, their temporary licences are cancelled. This is to ensure illegal bikes do not operate on our roads,” Sarnaik said.
The move follows the Maharashtra E Bike Taxi Rules 2024, designed to generate employment for local youth and offer commuters a cheaper, greener ride option. The rules, approved in August 2024, allow electric bike taxis in cities with over one lakh residents.
Under the policy, only electric vehicles can ply as taxis, and operators had 30 days to fulfil licensing and compliance requirements. Yet, officials claim many continued operations without meeting these conditions. Sarnaik added that a large number of bike taxis currently running in Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region are illegal.
In a firm enforcement twist, the government has instructed authorities to focus on vehicle owners rather than riders when registering cases. Safety concerns, particularly for women passengers, and accident complaints have also been flagged by the transport department.
Since April 2024, Regional Transport Offices have taken action against 130 non-compliant bike taxis, collecting fines exceeding Rs 33 lakh. Authorities say further measures will follow to ensure services adhere to regulations before returning to city streets.
Maharashtra’s bike taxi saga has been a rollercoaster. Initially banned in January 2023 due to concerns over private vehicles ferrying passengers, the sector was later formalised through an electric bike framework in 2024. Provisional licences were granted in 2025, but the government now warns that any bike taxi operating on city roads without proper permits will be considered illegal.
Adding to the transport shake-up, the government has also halted the issuance of new auto rickshaw permits from March 9 to ease urban traffic pressures and safeguard livelihoods of existing drivers. A fresh standard operating procedure for future permits is set to go before the state cabinet soon.
Maharashtra commuters may have to find alternative rides as the state reins in its two-wheeled taxi revolution, leaving app-based bikers in a legal limbo.
