Peerzada Abrar &Amp; Samreen Ahmad

Stories by Peerzada Abrar &Amp; Samreen Ahmad

Nadella 'decodes future', calls to protect AI from bias

Nadella 'decodes future', calls to protect AI from bias

Rediff.com   26 Feb 2020

The Hyderabad-born Nadella says it's not the AI engine, but the teams that build it as well as the algorithms to make it intelligent have to be diverse and inclusive, so that the solutions they build do not show up any sort of 'unconscious bias' that they may have.

Amazon, trade bodies' courtroom battle may impact e-commerce policy

Amazon, trade bodies' courtroom battle may impact e-commerce policy

Rediff.com   24 Feb 2020

The case may drag for a few years, experts say, as CAIT and DVM have said they will appeal against the interim relief granted to Amazon.

Post devaluation, Quikr is no longer a unicorn

Post devaluation, Quikr is no longer a unicorn

Rediff.com   20 Feb 2020

Major shareholder Kinnevik, a Swedish investment firm, devalued Quikr by 45%, referring to the exaggerated revenue resulting from fraudulent transactions that rocked the company. Quikr is now valued at about $577 million.

1% TDS levy could make your ecommerce buys costlier

1% TDS levy could make your ecommerce buys costlier

Rediff.com   3 Feb 2020

Apart from making your purchases on these platforms expensive, it will also mean sellers will have to face the brunt of reduced cash flows amid already low margins for some. Experts said the proposal, which will take effect on April 1, 2020, and will be inserted as a new section in the Income Tax Act, is expected to affect the working capital of e-commerce companies and reduce cash flows for e-sellers.

Why PhonePe's fundraising process has hit roadblock

Why PhonePe's fundraising process has hit roadblock

Rediff.com   20 Jan 2020

Having grown swiftly since the acquisition of Flipkart by Walmart in 2018, it was looking at a valuation of $10 billion. However, factors such as lack of diversification, new e-commerce and data policies, as well as the overall investment environment, have slowed the process.

Microsoft selects 54 startups in India's Tier 2 cities

Microsoft selects 54 startups in India's Tier 2 cities

Rediff.com   14 Jan 2020

Some of them include Spider G, NeuroTags, Genrobotic Innovations, AI Aeronautics, Synersense, Dealshare and NanoHealth. 'Highway to a Hundred Unicorns,' the Microsoft for startups initiative, works closely with local governments to strengthen the startup ecosystem in each state.

Zoomcar to be electric vehicle-driven by 2025

Zoomcar to be electric vehicle-driven by 2025

Rediff.com   29 Dec 2019

The company, which rents cars by the hour, day, week and month, has Mahindra E2O Plus and Tata E Tigor available on the platform for which it charges a subscription fee of Rs 15,000-20,000 per month.

India orders 95 biryanis per minute: Swiggy

India orders 95 biryanis per minute: Swiggy

Rediff.com   24 Dec 2019

So Swiggy offered 35,056 varieties of biryani to its users, says Peerzada Abrar.

New Data Bill may hit tech businesses hard

New Data Bill may hit tech businesses hard

Rediff.com   19 Dec 2019

'If Indians are to be truly protected, Parliament must review and address these dangerous provisions before they become law.'

How Infosys plans to check attrition

How Infosys plans to check attrition

Rediff.com   16 Dec 2019

With the attrition rate continuing well above 20 per cent, one of the highest in the segment, Infosys is on a drive to reimagine the way it engages with employees starting from the time of recruitment itself. The company is using digital technologies in order to simplify recruitment, provide faster career track to employees, and incentivise people with top skills. The company is looking at doubling the number of recruits from tier-I engineering colleges such as IITs and NITs to enrich its talent base. These candidates who are offered twice the salary as compared to regular campus recruits, join as 'power programmers', a term that has been internally coined by the company to recognise the top coders.

Tech, service firms gear up for FASTag

Tech, service firms gear up for FASTag

Rediff.com   2 Dec 2019

Fintech giant Paytm claimed it is selling more FASTags than all the banks put together on a daily basis.

Ola to launch services in London after Uber ban

Ola to launch services in London after Uber ban

Rediff.com   27 Nov 2019

Over 50,000 licenced drivers will now be assured that they can continue to provide mobility services in London. Drivers can initiate their registration on the Ola app.

Marriott's mega India dream: 50 hotels in 5 years

Marriott's mega India dream: 50 hotels in 5 years

Rediff.com   27 Nov 2019

The hotels in the pipeline will include a range of Marriott brand portfolios such as JW Marriott, Tribute Portfolio and Sheraton.

Titan's mega plan to become leader in India's smartwatch space

Titan's mega plan to become leader in India's smartwatch space

Rediff.com   26 Nov 2019

Titan is investing heavily on research and development, which will do things beyond a smart watch can do today such as switching off lights, locking, and unlocking doors and making payments. Titan is also working closely with start-ups, too, to develop such futuristic features.

Data protection bill to be introduced in winter session

Data protection bill to be introduced in winter session

Rediff.com   16 Nov 2019

The proposals are mostly based on a report submitted by Justice B N Srikrishna in July 2018. The draft Bill has since gone through at least two updates based on inputs received from industry, report Yuvraj Malik and Peerzada Abrar.

Uber's Rs 1,767 crore investment the biggest in India arm

Uber's Rs 1,767 crore investment the biggest in India arm

Rediff.com   13 Nov 2019

The capital infusion is expected to bolster its presence in the country by funding its key businesses to take on Indian rival Ola.

With Rs 4,470 cr war-chest Amazon gets ready to take on Flipkart

With Rs 4,470 cr war-chest Amazon gets ready to take on Flipkart

Rediff.com   30 Oct 2019

Amazon's fresh investment in its India entities come at a time when the Seattle-based firm has faced losses in several of its business entities in India, such as seller services, wholesale, transportation services and digital payments, for the 2018-19 financial year.

OnePlus dials into Bharat to beat competition

OnePlus dials into Bharat to beat competition

Rediff.com   27 Oct 2019

In October, OnePlus said, it recorded Rs 500 crore of revenue in only the first two days of the festive sale on Amazon.in. The firm is looking at going beyond the metro cities by scaling up its offline stores to over 5,000 and setting up more than 100 'experience centres' in the top 50 cities by next year.

Ola spreads wings to 2 more UK cities

Ola spreads wings to 2 more UK cities

Rediff.com   2 Oct 2019

Customers in Coventry and Warwick will also enjoy competitive pricing -- with new users receiving 50 per cent off on all rides for the first two weeks, according to the company.

GSK withdraws sale of Zinetac after health alert

GSK withdraws sale of Zinetac after health alert

Rediff.com   26 Sep 2019

GSK is continuing with investigations into the potential source of the NDMA, which is a known environmental contaminant and found in water and foods, including meats, dairy products, and vegetables.