Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) concluded its pioneering six-day programme with a ‘Women Startup Summit 2020’ that made a clarion call for launching businesses that can improve the living standards of common people.

Mr Mohammed Y Safirulla, State IT Secretary, while inaugurating the event, said new-age entrepreneurs should make greater use of modern technology that can resolve issues such as waste management and water shortage.

The prize-winners at the summit should not lose time in hitting the market with their innovative gadgets, he told the 750 delegates at the event the KSUM organised in association with Startup India, TiE Kerala and Indian Women Network of Confederation of Indian Industry.

Dr Chithra S, Kerala State IT Mission Director, announced the winners and felicitated the change-makers at the summit. KSUM-incubated Riafy Technologies of Kochi was declared the Best Inclusive Startup, while IIMK Live of Kozhikode became the Best Inclusive Incubator. Sahrdaya College of Engineering and Technology, Kodakara (Thrissur district) was chosen the Best Inclusive IEDC.

Ms Shalini Warrier, Federal Bank Executive Director, highlighted the importance of artificial intelligence (AI) in future technologies. AI has enabled her bank’s recruitment wing to bring down expenditure by 75 per cent, she added.

The most-awaited competition named ‘She Loves Tech India 2020’ saw close to 100 participants vying for honours with their women-friendly products. Bioscan Research Pvt Ltd qualified for the international level, while the runners-up were Spookfish Innovations, AI, Infinite Circle Inc and India Pvt Ltd. The event also announced the winners of Hackathon.

At ‘She Loves Tech’, 12 entrepreneurs presented their products to invite potential investors. As many as 28 entrepreneurs got expert advice from KSUM’s Investor Café.

The summit, which aims to boost female presence in entrepreneurial ventures, held sessions on the chances women get in launching technology startups and the challenges they face in the process.

The speakers included She Loves Tech Co-founder Virginia Tan, Startup India Hub Chief Aastha Grover, Tech Ready Women Academy founder Christie Whitehill, India Angel Network Cofounder Padmaja Ruparel, Pure Living founder Lakshmi Menon, Open Financial Technologies Co-founder Deena Jacob, media person Rekha Menon, Chemmanur Academy Director Anisha Cherian, Cognizant AVP Maya Sreekumar, Amazon Strategic Initiative Head Deepti Dutt, AWE founder Seema Chaturvedi, Adobe Head of Programmes Garima Babbar, Meena Accenture Interactive MD T J Lightwala and Sunrise Hospital MD Parveen Hafeez.

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The exemptions to the June 22 Presidential Proclamation 10052, commonly referred to as the H-1B or L-1 travel ban, also includes the family members of H-1B, L-1 and certain categories of J1 visas.

President Donald Trump, in his June 2020 proclamation, banned the entry into the US of workers in several key non-immigrant visa categories, including the H-1B, arguing that they eat into American jobs during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The H-1B visa is a non-immigrant visa that allows US companies to employ foreign workers in speciality occupations that require theoretical or technical expertise. Companies depend on it to hire tens of thousands of employees each year from countries such as India and China.

The State Department, which issued the revised travel advisory, said that the exemptions have been given under national interest category. In its advisory, the State Department said that H-1B and L-1 visas can now be issued for employees who are “seeking to resume ongoing employment in the United States in the same position with the same employer and visa classification.”

Forcing employers to replace existing employees may cause financial hardship, it said. All those on H-1B visas working in the healthcare sector, especially those related to the COVID-19 pandemic, or to conduct ongoing medical research in an area with a substantial public health benefit – like cancer or communicable disease research – are also exempted from the July 22 travel ban.

Notably in the last few weeks, several lawmakers have written to the Secretary of State to exempt the healthcare sector from the travel ban on H-1B, L1 and J1 visas. Further new factors have been set forth to also allow H-1B visas to be issued when at least two of the five indicators are met, the State Department said.

The factors include the applicant’s proposed job duties or position within the petitioning company indicates the individual will provide significant and unique contributions to an employer meeting a critical infrastructure need.

Another factor is that the wage rate paid to the H-1B applicant meaningfully exceeds the prevailing wage rate by at least 15 per cent. When an H-1B applicant will receive a wage that meaningfully exceeds the prevailing wage, it suggests that the employee fills an important business need where an American worker is not available, the State Department said.

The exemptions for L1 visas are mostly similar to that of the H-1B. L-1A applicants seeking to establish a new office in the United States likely do not fall into this category, unless two of the three criteria are met and the new office will employ, directly or indirectly, five or more US workers, the State Department said.
The national interest exemptions are also available to their spouses and depended as well, it said. These include those on H-4, L-2 and J-2 visas.

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