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Time of India
3 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
From blackouts to benchmarks: The Odisha distribution turnaround
Private sector participation in electricity distribution has the potential to significantly improve service efficiency, reliability, and the financial health of discoms. Among the most compelling examples of this transformation is the Odisha model, which has emerged as a benchmark for reform in recent years. The scale of operations alone makes Odisha's turnaround a remarkable achievement. The State's electricity distribution network serves over 97.4 lakh customers across four discoms and spans a geographical area of 1,55,707 square kilometers—approximately 4.74 per cent of India's total landmass. Unlike most private participation in power distribution, which has remained concentrated in urban centres, Odisha chose to extend reform to its rural heartland. The decision to bring in a partner with a proven track record and the capacity to serve challenging geographies has paid off. Today, the entire state—urban and rural alike—benefits from improved reliability, efficiency, and service. This wasn't Odisha's first attempt. Earlier efforts to privatise the sector didn't yield the desired results. But the State stayed the course, learned from experience, and chose a path that emphasized accountability, performance, and long-term commitment. The result is a partnership model that has delivered both efficiency and equity. In 2020, a major public-private partnership was initiated to revitalize the state's power distribution sector, and Tata Power —known for its successful discom operations in Mumbai and Delhi—was brought onboard. At the time, the system was fragmented and struggling. The four government-run discoms—CESU, NESCO, WESCO, and SOUTHCO—were plagued by high AT&C losses, outdated infrastructure, frequent outages, and low customer satisfaction. Previous attempts at privatisation had failed, and the sector was in urgent need of reform. Between 2020 and 2021, the partnership led to the formation of four new entities: TPCODL for Central Odisha, TPSODL for Southern Odisha, TPWODL for Western Odisha, and TPNODL for Northern Odisha. Parivartan to Pragati To drive change, a comprehensive transformation programme was launched. This included a 10-module strategy focused on operational excellence, digital innovation, and workforce development. The existing workforce was retained and retrained, and a planned investment of Rs 6,000 crore over five years was committed to upgrading infrastructure and services. Smart grid technologies were introduced, and customer service was enhanced through the establishment of customer service centers across the State. As of FY25, Odisha's discoms have reduced AT&C losses by approximately 13 per cent since the takeover. They have also earned A+ ratings from the Ministry of Power for FY24, placing them among the top-performing utilities in the country. Beyond operational metrics, the transformation has had a meaningful social impact. Service reliability has improved in rural, tribal, and remote regions. Consumers now benefit from digital billing and grievance redressal platforms, and local youth have gained access to skill-building and employment opportunities through regional training centres. Odisha's journey stands as a quiet but powerful example of what sustained reform can achieve in India's power sector. The consultative support of the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) and Government of Odisha has been instrumental throughout this journey, and will continue to play a vital role as the discoms take on the gargantuan task of transforming not only urban centres but also deeply rural and tribal regions. The success of the Odisha model offers a practical template for other states—one built on accountability, and a clear vision for inclusive progress. (The author is a veteran energy expert with nearly four decades of experience in the coal and power sectors. He has held several key leadership positions, including Director (Finance) at NTPC Ltd., Director (Finance) & Chief (Finance) at the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission (CERC) at the level of Joint Secretary to the Government of India, and *Joint Director (Finance) at the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC). Leveraging his extensive expertise in energy, regulation, and finance, he is currently practicing as an Advocate and Consultant, specializing in regulatory and financial matters in the energy sector. He is also an active member of several industry bodies, including the Utkal Chamber of Commerce & Industries.)
Local France
03-04-2025
- Business
- Local France
Tips for setting yourself up as an English tutor in France
Even though more and more French people are becoming proficient English speakers , there are still many new learners, as well as people looking to become more confident in their English skills. Teaching English is a popular job for foreigners in France. Some people do it full-time, usually via a language school, but others might be looking to earn a bit extra by giving the odd English lesson in addition to their regular work. If this is the case, but there are some rules and general tips you should consider. Step 1 - Understand the tax and registration rules for side hustles While it is very common to be paid 'under the table' for English lessons, be aware that this is technically illegal. Anyone teaching English as a side-hustle needs to register themselves as a business or self-employed, and declare all income from teaching to the tax authorities. While it is possible that the French government might not find out about a few random English lessons you gave 'on the black' to your neighbour, you are taking a risk that could lead to tax and legal trouble down the road. Advertisement If you want to keep everything above the board, be aware that occasionally giving English lessons ( soutien scolaire ) would be classified as a person-to-person 'domestic' service. In French this would be referred to as either l'emploi d'un salarié à domicile or services à la personne . READ MORE: Tutoring, Etsy and Airbnb: When do I need to register as self-employed in France? There are two options for declaring this type of work: either the family you are working for can register you as an employee, or you can set yourself as a self-employed. In the first scenario, the household employing you would declare you as a salarié (so you would sign a CDI or CDD contract). They would then declare you to CESU ( chèque emploi service universel ) or URSSAF. They would need to abide by certain rules, like paying you at least minimum wage and paying cotisations (social charges). In this scenario it is up to the employer to do the paperwork. In the second scenario, you could set yourself up as self-employed, or as a micro-entrepeneur . This might work well for you if you offer services to multiple families and want greater flexibility. The downside is that it would be on you to file the paperwork and handle social charges. READ MORE: 9 lessons I've learnt about being self-employed in France When it comes to tax, the rule is simple - if you live in France you must declare all of your income (whether made in France or overseas) on your annual French tax declaration. Step 2 - Consider your immigration status In order to take on employment in France, you must have the legal right to work here - and in the case of non-EU nationals this depends on whether your visa or residency permit allows this. If you opt for the household to declare you as an employee, you must have a residency status that allows you to work. In this scenario, it is your employer's responsibility to reach out to the préfecture to verify that your residency permit gives you the right to work. To do this, they'll need a copy of your residency permit. Usually this process moves quickly, as the préfecture must respond within two days. Advertisement It is also the employer's job to request a work permit ( autorisation de travail ) if necessary. On the other hand, if you opt to be registered as self-employed, then you will need to verify you have the right to be self-employed. For non-EU citizens, this means you must have a residency status that allows self-employment, such as the ' Entrepeneur ' status, the Passeport talent (créateur d'entreprise), the carte de séjour vie privée et familiale and the post-Brexit card given to Brits who lived in France before Brexit (known as the Article 50 TUE or the WARP) Keep in mind that several statuses that allow salaried work might restrict self-employment, or micro-entrepeneur status. This applies to students and people on salarié cards, for example. If you are on the visitor status , then you do not have the legal right to work at all. This means you cannot take up work as an employee or register as self-employed. In fact, you are required to sign an oath promising not to work in France before receiving this visa/residency card. Step 3 - Think about how to advertise yourself Once you have considered the legalities of giving English lessons in France, you can move onto finding clients. Word of mouth can only go so far. Advertisement You could go about it the old-fashioned way - some shops, grocery stores, bars and restaurants have areas where people can place advertisements. Write your ad in French, with the title cours d'anglais and your hourly rate. You might want to add a few details about your experience or biography, as well as your contact number. Remember that you cannot put up posters anywhere - in private establishments you must have permission. As for public spaces, you should check for kiosks and free-standing billboards in your town that allow for advertising. Affichage sauvage (sticking up flyers without authorisation) can lead to fines. Otherwise, you can advertise online. Social media is a great resource - there are several Facebook groups you can join to advertise English lessons. You can also try putting up an ad on Leboncoin . Step 4 - Figure out your rates Before making your advertisement, think about how much you will want to charge. To get an idea, you can browse websites like Leboncoin to see what others are charging and offering. Advertisement Usually, private English lessons range from €20 to €50, but you can always charge more or less (as long as it is above minimum wage ). The rate is up to you, regardless of whether you want to register as an employee with the household or as a micro-entrepeneur. Keep in mind that if you you are declared via CESU, you will need to be paid at least minimum wage. Step 5 - Test out a few clients Private lessons are rather intimate, and you will want to have a good rapport with the person you are tutoring. Don't be afraid to start off with a few clients and then narrow down as you build connections. Of course, consider your safety. Think about meeting in a public space before ever going to someone's home by yourself, and tell your friends and family about the client's name and information. Step 6 - Lesson plans And finally - the content itself. You don't need to be a certified teacher to give English lessons, though it helps. For those of us without formal training, it can help to go onto free curriculum websites for teachers. Obviously the content of the lesson will depend on the person's English level and their age. For kids, try to start off with some games or songs to get them comfortable speaking English. This will help you gauge their level. For adults, oftentimes people are looking for a speaking partner or someone to help them get out of their comfort zone. It can help to print out a few news articles and read them together. This can serve as a discussion topic, as well as a way to expose them to new vocabulary. In either scenario, be sure to create clear expectations of what the person will be learning (eg. ask if there is a test or exam coming up). You should also discuss what the client expects of you in terms of advance preparation. Ultimately, the way you run your lessons is up to you. Have fun with it!
Local France
03-04-2025
- Business
- Local France
Tutoring, Etsy and Airbnb: When do I need to register as self-employed in France?
From giving English lessons to selling your creations on Etsy and doing freelance work online, it can be tempting to set up a side hustle to earn extra money while living in France. However, you should be aware that you might need to register yourself as self-employed. Even if this is not required, you should still know that French fiscal residents must declare all earnings (including those made abroad) in their yearly declaration. When would I need to register my side hustle? The general idea in France is that any activity that earns you money needs to be registered, even if that activity is occasional and you don't earn very much. That remains the case even if it is not your main activity - for example you're a salaried employee but in the evenings you give English lessons, or make jewellery and sell it on Etsy, or perhaps do a bit of freelance work for another company. Advertisement While it is tempting to do occasional work 'on the black', this is technically illegal. It is of course entirely possible that you'd never be caught if you're working for cash, you are taking a risk. French fiscal authorities have also been given the power to check social media and websites for illegal work, like seasonal rentals that have not been declared. Common scenarios Person-to-person 'domestic' services - YES, you must register If you occasionally help with 'person-to-person' tasks like gardening, pet-sitting, babysitting, tutoring ( soutien scolaire ) or cleaning (you can find the full list here ), you need to register. These are the types of activities that many people do 'on the black', and in reality it is possible that you might never be caught being paid cash-in-hand for a few English lessons. That said, you should be aware that these activities technically should be declare to French fiscal authorities. To keep things above board, there are two options for declaring this type of work: either the family you are working for can register you as an employee, or you can set yourself as a self-employed. In the first scenario, the family you do occasional babysitting or cleaning for can declare you as an employee (so you would sign a CDI or CDD contract). They would then declare you to CESU ( chèque emploi service universel ) or URSSAF . They would need to abide by certain rules, like paying you at least minimum wage and paying cotisations (social charges). In this scenario it is up to the employer to do the paperwork, but you would still need to have the right to work in France if you are a non-EU national (more on that below). This would be referred to as l'emploi d'un salarié à domicile or services à la personne. The benefit for the family is that they can qualify for the home-help tax credit. In the second scenario, you could set yourself up as a micro-entrepeneur . This might work well for you if you offer services to multiple families, if you want greater flexibility, or a higher per hour salary. The downside is that it would be on you to file the paperwork and handle social charges. Selling homemade goods - YES, you must register If you make jewellery or pottery or any other home-made item and you want to sell it, then the income you generate is taxable and you also have to register yourself. This applies for sales in person - for example at a market or a trade fair - or on websites like Etsy. Reputable sales sites provide information on the legalities when you register as a seller, and many will not allow you to set up an account without a business number or VAT number. Advertisement As an 'artisan' you would need to set yourself up under the micro-entrepeneur (BIC), meaning you sell goods and products (rather than a service). You can qualify for this status as long as your annual revenue is less than €188,700. When it comes time for taxes, you would declare your earnings on this form. If you make less than €305 a year from these activities you will not owe any tax, according to Service Public - but, crucially, you still need to register yourself. Selling used items - NO, but depends on the item Normally, you do not need to set yourself up as self-employed or pay any taxes on income generated from goods that you already owned and want to get rid of. This would apply to selling used items at a brocante market or vide-grenier in person, or online on LeBonCoin or Vinted. However, there are a few situations where you might have to pay a one-time tax. This mostly applies to selling art, jewellery and precious metals that sold for more than €5,000 and if you made a profit (meaning you are selling it for more than you bought). If this applies to you, then you need to fill out this form and send it to French tax authorities. Advertisement There are also limits to how many sales you can participate in per year, while if buying and selling forms your main economic activity you will need to register. Selling fruit and veg - NO, but depends on size of garden You do not need to register as self-employed or pay any taxes on fruit or veg that you sold from your own garden, as long as it is attached to your house and it does not exceed 500m2. If it is larger than 500m2 or if it is not attached to your house, then you would need to register under a special self-employed tax status for farmers. This is called the micro-BA scheme, and it would apply as long as your average income (for the last three years) does not exceed €91,900 excluding tax. This is basically the scheme for a small-scale farmer or market gardener. Renting out your home - YES, you must register Rental income is declarable and taxable, and also requires you to register as a business or self-employed. Anyone who rents out property must obtain a SIREN number, and doing so will put you under the umbrella of entreprise individuelle (self-employed). There are a number of other steps to take when renting out your home, and some depend on whether the property is your main residence or a second home. More info in our separate article . READ MORE: Reader question: Can I retire to France and open a gîte? Driving with Uber - YES, you must register In order to drive with Uber, or other VTC apps (like Bolt), you need to provide proof that you are a 'registered business' (ex. a SIREN number). You can do this by either registering yourself as self-employed or as a business. There are pros and cons to both, including your earning threshold. Advertisement Uber has more specific information on steps on their website , and so does the French government site Service Public . Online remote work - Grey area Another temptation for foreigners living in France is to work remotely for a company in another country - for example writing freelance articles or doing translation work for a firm back in their home country. When it comes to taxes the situation here is clear; if you live in France all income - including overseas income - must be declared to French tax authorities in your yearly declaration. International tax treaties mean that you may not be liable for any tax in France, but you still have to declare it. The rules are also very clear that if you live in France and do any kind of freelancing with French clients, then you must be registered as self-employed. Advertisement However, the grey area tends to come up for people working online with clients based outside of France. Some lawyers disagree on how French law interprets 'working in France'. The Local asked for URSSAF clarification in this area, and their press team said: "If you carry out a self-employed activity from France, even with exclusively foreign clients, you are required to register as an entrepreneur [self-employed] and comply with French tax and social security obligations. "Indeed, what matters is the location where you carry out your activity, not that of your clients. Any self-employed professional activity carried out in France must be declared to the competent authorities. "URSSAF specifies that self-employed workers must register and declare their income in France, regardless of the origin of their clients." In terms of possible exceptions, URSSAF said: "If you are a tax resident of another country and you opt to register and declare your income elsewhere (for example, in a country where you already have a registered business), the situation may be different. "But in general, if you live in France and carry out an activity there, registering as an entrepreneur is mandatory." Ultimately, there has been some conflicting information about remote work, so you should speak with a tax expert and lawyer before setting off as a freelancer. READ MORE: Ask the experts: What's the deal with remote working and France's visitor visa? How to set up as self-employed There are a few options for how to set yourself up as self-employed, and the most common is 'micro-entrepeneur' status. You can read our separate article with details on how to register with URSSAF (the government body that administers social charges), as well as things to be aware of. Check your residency status There is one final thing that foreigners in France need to check - if you are a non-EU citizen and are in France on a visa or carte de séjour residency permit, you need to check that your residency status allows self-employment. Some statuses, like the student category, allow salaried work but not self-employment, meanwhile if you are in France on a salarié (employee) card you cannot also be self-employed, while people on the ' visiteur ' status are usually not allowed to work at all. Some examples that do allow self-employment include the 10-year carte de résident , the carte de séjour (entrepreneur/profession libérale) , the Passeport talent (créateur d'entreprise) , the carte de séjour vie privée et familiale and the post-Brexit card given to Brits who lived in France before Brexit (known as the Article 50 TUE or the WARP) READ MORE: France's 'entrepreneur visa' and how to apply for it This article is intended as a guide to the general principles of French laws around self-employment. If you have any concerns about paid work in France, you should consult a tax expert.
