Nitin Kumar &Amp; Peerzada Abrar

Stories by Nitin Kumar &Amp; Peerzada Abrar

Food, grocery delivery firms hit records on New Year eve

Food, grocery delivery firms hit records on New Year eve

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2024

Several food and grocery delivery firms witnessed their highest ever single-day orders on New Year eve, December 31. Zomato achieved a record-breaking number of orders on its app. The company carried out nearly as many orders on December 31 as the total for the equivalent day in the period from 2015 to 2020.

Byju's in talks with investors to raise $300 mn in return for more controls

Byju's in talks with investors to raise $300 mn in return for more controls

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2024

With investors asking for a change in the board structure at Byju's, the edtech giant's founder and chief executive officer (CEO), Byju Raveendran, is now asking them to put $300 million into the company for more control. The company has rung up $5.8 billion from investors such as General Atlantic, Sofina, the Qatar Investment Authority, Sumeru Ventures, Vitruvian Partners, BlackRock, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Sequoia, Silver Lake, Bond Capital, Tencent, and Tiger Global.

Why India Is Buying 5 Argentine Lithium Mines

Why India Is Buying 5 Argentine Lithium Mines

Rediff.com   2 Jan 2024

The Centre will invest around Rs 200 crore over five years for the exploration and development of these mines.

'I expect 8% growth next year'

'I expect 8% growth next year'

Rediff.com   29 Dec 2023

'We will see a lot of investments from the private sector.' 'As long as we are not impacted by some global events, I think we will be in a strong place.'

Potential bidders set to get three chances in offshore mineral auction

Potential bidders set to get three chances in offshore mineral auction

Rediff.com   28 Dec 2023

For the country's maiden offshore mineral mining auction, the Centre is planning to relax the rules on the number of chances for bidding. Under the newly announced draft Offshore Areas Mineral (Auction) Rules and Offshore Areas (Existence of Mineral Resources) Rules, the ministry of mines is planning to offer three chances to potential bidders in its forthcoming inaugural offshore mining auction. If a single bid is not received during the second attempt, the plan is to initiate a new round of bidding for the third time.

India set to launch first-ever offshore mineral auction in Q1 FY24

India set to launch first-ever offshore mineral auction in Q1 FY24

Rediff.com   28 Dec 2023

In a step towards diversifying its resource base and securing green energy minerals, India is poised to launch its first-ever offshore mineral auction in the first quarter of 2024, announced Union Minister of Mines Pralhad Joshi during the launch event of the National Geoscience Data Repository portal. The government plans to hold auctions in March, offering 10-15 blocks for bidding. Meanwhile, the ministry of mines is currently developing rules and regulations for offshore mining.

ShareChat lays off 200 staffers as it eyes profitability

ShareChat lays off 200 staffers as it eyes profitability

Rediff.com   21 Dec 2023

Social media unicorn ShareChat has laid off 200 employees, around 15 per cent of its workforce, in another round of layoffs this year to reduce costs and achieve profitability within the next six quarters. In January, Mohalla Tech Pvt Ltd, the parent company of platforms ShareChat and Moj, fired 500 employees, 20 per cent of its workforce. The same month, company co-founders Bhanu Pratap Singh and Farid Ahsan also stepped down from executive roles.

Online Shoppers, Please Read This!

Online Shoppers, Please Read This!

Rediff.com   13 Dec 2023

An online company would show a particular price to the customer and then quickly increase the cost after analysing consumer behaviour or detecting any kind of desperation.

Want To Know About Tech Of The Future?

Want To Know About Tech Of The Future?

Rediff.com   11 Dec 2023

Amphibious drones for maritime inspection... devices that extract pure oxygen from water for patients in need... self-balancing electric bikes...

Rapido drives cabs into Uber, Ola lane

Rapido drives cabs into Uber, Ola lane

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2023

There's a hint of new competition riding into a sector that has attracted attention for being in a duopoly-like situation. Rapido, a commute app known for its budget-friendly bike-taxi services, on Tuesday announced its entry into the cab market, which is currently dominated by marquee brands Uber and Ola. Rapido's cab foray will be enabled by a software as a service (SaaS)-based platform.

Raveendran puts Rs 4K cr own wealth into Byju's

Raveendran puts Rs 4K cr own wealth into Byju's

Rediff.com   6 Dec 2023

Byju Raveendran, founder of educational technology (edtech) firm Byju's, has injected around Rs 4,000 crore of personal capital into the company in recent months. This move comes as the company grapples with challenges, including securing fresh capital, delays in financial reporting, and legal disputes with lenders. "Raveendran has pledged personal property to assist the company in dealing with the crisis. "He conveyed to employees that despite perceptions of being a billionaire, he has reinvested a major portion of his wealth back into the company," said a person familiar with the matter.

GenAI, climate & fintech, hot bets for investors next year: Accel's Prakash

GenAI, climate & fintech, hot bets for investors next year: Accel's Prakash

Rediff.com   4 Dec 2023

Generative artificial intelligence (AI), climate tech and fintech sectors will be the hot areas for venture capitalists and founders in the next year, according to the prediction by Prashanth Prakash, founding partner of the global venture capital firm Accel Partners in India and the chairperson of Karnataka Startup Vision Group. Prakash said that about $25 billion has been invested into building Gen AI globally. But a lot of that capital has not yet come to India, opening up huge opportunities for startups in the country.

What Does Ranjan Pai's Re-Entry Mean For Byju's?

What Does Ranjan Pai's Re-Entry Mean For Byju's?

Rediff.com   1 Dec 2023

'Considering Pai is putting his own personal money in Byju's, stakeholders in the company can look forward to more governance and transparency.'

Flavours of ICC Cricket World Cup final on apps: Food and flowers

Flavours of ICC Cricket World Cup final on apps: Food and flowers

Rediff.com   20 Nov 2023

As the Men in Blue took on Australia in an intriguing ICC Men's Cricket World Cup final in Ahmedabad on Sunday, the orders on quick delivery platforms reflected the pulsating mood of the nation.

Loss At Byju's May Only Be Tip Of Iceberg

Loss At Byju's May Only Be Tip Of Iceberg

Rediff.com   18 Nov 2023

'Byju's financials only reflect the core business. At a group level, they are experiencing substantial losses.'

MP Polls: Of Jobs And Broken Promises

MP Polls: Of Jobs And Broken Promises

Rediff.com   17 Nov 2023

Of the 3,893,149 registered applicants on the MP Rojgar portal, only 21 individuals have been successfully placed in government and semi-government positions since April 2020.

MP: Are Women Voters Shifting Loyalties?

MP: Are Women Voters Shifting Loyalties?

Rediff.com   14 Nov 2023

'This time, triumph will belong to the brother who promises a brighter future, not the one who merely remembers his sisters during elections and then vanishes.'

IT Hiring Slowdown Worries Students

IT Hiring Slowdown Worries Students

Rediff.com   13 Nov 2023

'Students of Tier-II and Tier III engineering colleges in the south may find 2023 to be one of the toughest years for getting jobs.'

Walmart-owned PhonePe crosses 500 million lifetime registered users

Walmart-owned PhonePe crosses 500 million lifetime registered users

Rediff.com   9 Nov 2023

Walmart-owned fintech firm PhonePe said it has crossed 500 million lifetime registered users on its platform. With this milestone, 1 in 3 Indians are now on PhonePe. The company said it is the first Indian internet company to have reached this scale globally. This milestone has been achieved in just over 7 years since the PhonePe UPI (Unified Payments Interface) payments launched in August 2016.

Byju's in talks with 3-4 strategic buyers to sell Epic for $450 million

Byju's in talks with 3-4 strategic buyers to sell Epic for $450 million

Rediff.com   7 Nov 2023

Byju's is in talks with three-four strategic buyers, including Joffre Capital Ltd and language learning platform Duolingo, to sell one of its key assets, US-based digital reading platform Epic, for about $400-$450 million, according to sources. With this, the beleaguered edtech firm wants to meet various commitments, including repaying its entire $1.2 billion term loan B (TLB) within six months. "The binding offers of the bidders to acquire Epic are expected to come in the next few weeks after the due diligence is complete," said a person familiar with the matter.