I’ve been playing around with Woocommerce to create online retail stores. In the initial setup, you realise that Woocommerce doesn’t have Indian Currency and the new unicode symbol ₹ as an option.

To add this feature, you can do the following:

a. Find and edit the functions.php file of the Theme that is currently active.

b. Add the following code at the end:

 add_filter( 'woocommerce_currencies', 'add_my_currency' );
 
function add_my_currency( $currencies ) {
     $currencies['ABC'] = __( 'Indian Rupee (₹)', 'woocommerce' );
     return $currencies;
}
 
add_filter('woocommerce_currency_symbol', 'add_my_currency_symbol', 10, 2);
 
function add_my_currency_symbol( $currency_symbol, $currency ) {
     switch( $currency ) {
          case 'ABC': $currency_symbol = '₹ '; break;
     }
     return $currency_symbol;
}

c. Go  to WordPress Admin -> Woocommerce -> Settings and select the new Indian Rupee option that appears.

That should do it!

I’ve been using Google apps standard edition for small businesses since the past 8 years. It was a real boon for small businesses, they could go online with Gmail ID’s in the form of @yourbusiness.com for free. When they launched Google Apps the free offer was for 50 users, then they reduced it over time eventually to 10 users.

From 6 Dec 2012, the Standard edition of Google Apps is no longer available.  The minimum cost per user for business edition is now $50 per user per year. Existing Google Apps free users can keep their standard accounts. The idea is that individual users should create free Gmail accounts but businesses or organisations that need a custom domain name as part of their email addresses should pay.

While this transition seems logical, there are millions of free Google apps users who would not have used the service at $50 per user per year. It also means going forward, people who need such a service have to look elsewhere.

Now where would that be? Time for another startup to fill the gap.

It’s taken me a few years to understand how home loans work in India.  This post should help anyone who’s got a home loan from a bank in India or is planning to take one. The most important tool you will need to understand the entire subject of home loans- an interactive EMI calculator – is available at the bottom on this post (requires flash). If you enter the amount of home loan you’re looking at, the interest rates being offered etc., you can figure out the EMI -but more important, you can visually see the total amount you would pay for the entire loan. That’s when you get a shock.   (more…)

I’ve always believed that big American companies treat developing countries like their dumping ground and violate rules without the fear of being sued. If a KFC in the US was found to be “un-hygienic and insanitary”, I’m sure courts would impose a penalty running into millions of dollars on them.

The most popular KFC in New Delhi, the capital city of India, was shut down yesterday as it was a “Health Hazard”. The government order, clearly stating that the KFC was found to be “running under unsanitary and un-hygienic conditions” is posted here.  This particular KFC was located in the densely populated North Campus area and was a regular hangout of Delhi University students. If such a well located and prime restaurant of KFC wasn’t running in hygienic conditions, it raises serious questions about all their other outlets in India.  I hope a thorough check is conducted all across and the media really goes after them.