Peerzada Abrar &Amp;Amp; Aryaman Gupta

Stories by Peerzada Abrar &Amp;Amp; Aryaman Gupta

Bucking the trend: Indian startups regain lost funding ground, says report

Bucking the trend: Indian startups regain lost funding ground, says report

Rediff.com   21 Jun 2024

Finally, some good news for the Indian startup ecosystem. After four consecutive half-year periods of declining funding since 2022, the first half (H1) of 2024 has shown an upward trend compared to the second half (H2) of 2023. According to the India Tech Semi-Annual Funding Report H1 2024 by Tracxn, Indian technology (tech) startups raised $4.1 billion in H1 2024, marking a 4 per cent increase from $3.96 billion in H2 2023.

D2C brands hitch a ride on the quick commerce wagon

D2C brands hitch a ride on the quick commerce wagon

Rediff.com   17 Jun 2024

As quick-commerce players find their foothold among consumers, brands are all set to step up their presence on these platforms.

'There's a noticeable trend towards blending Western and Indian styles'

'There's a noticeable trend towards blending Western and Indian styles'

Rediff.com   16 Jun 2024

'The demand for international fashion labels, particularly from tier-II cities and beyond, has seen a notable uptick.'

2,000 Ex-Byju's Staff Fight For Dues

2,000 Ex-Byju's Staff Fight For Dues

Rediff.com   30 May 2024

'When I called the HR department, they abused me.'

Licious gears up for IPO with new CFO, profit pursuit

Licious gears up for IPO with new CFO, profit pursuit

Rediff.com   29 May 2024

Fresh meat and seafood delivery unicorn Licious is intensifying its talent acquisition endeavours as it pursues profitability and readies for an initial public offering (IPO) within the next 24 months. Delightful Gourmet, Licious' parent company, has named 39-year-old Karishma Gupta as its new chief financial officer (CFO). Her appointment aligns with Licious' drive for profitable growth through an omnichannel strategy.

Premium devices to dial up growth in India's smartphone market in 2024

Premium devices to dial up growth in India's smartphone market in 2024

Rediff.com   23 May 2024

Indian smartphone sales, traditionally dominated by the entry and mid-range segments, are set to change as high-end and super-premium devices capture consumer attention. The premium category is expected to grow by more than 20 per cent in calendar year (CY) 2024 compared to the previous year. While the overall smartphone market is expected to w

Recharge Zones To Cool Clothing: Indian Companies' Summer Strategies

Recharge Zones To Cool Clothing: Indian Companies' Summer Strategies

Rediff.com   23 May 2024

Several firms are stepping up to help their workforce cope with soaring temperatures

India's internet economy likely to reach $1 trillion by 2030: Experts

India's internet economy likely to reach $1 trillion by 2030: Experts

Rediff.com   17 May 2024

India's internet economy is estimated to reach $1 trillion by 2030, primarily due to e-commerce, which is expected to be worth $325 billion and rank third globally, according to industry experts. Last year marked a crucial turning point for India's e-commerce sector, with notable changes in consumer trends, technology, and regulations. InGovern Research Services, a leading corporate governance advisory firm, hosted a virtual roundtable to deliberate on the notable developments in India's e-commerce sector in 2023, with a particular focus on the essential role of customer trust in fueling its ongoing expansion.

Amazon infuses Rs 1,600 crore into India entity

Amazon infuses Rs 1,600 crore into India entity

Rediff.com   15 May 2024

Ecommerce firm Amazon has infused ~1,600 crore into its India entity Amazon Seller Services, according to its regulatory filings. The funding comes at a time when the company is seeing opportunities in emerging geographies, including India. The regulatory filings are dated April 15. This is the second time in five months that Amazon invested in its India arm Amazon Seller Services. Before this, Amazon had infused over ~1,000 crore into its Indian entity this year.

Byju's unveils new sales model for growth, managers to act as mentors

Byju's unveils new sales model for growth, managers to act as mentors

Rediff.com   9 May 2024

In a bid to democratise education, cash-strapped edtech firm Byju's has significantly reduced the prices of its products. The annual subscription fee for the Byju's Learning App now stands at Rs 12,000 (inclusive of taxes) per year, while Byju's Classes and Byju's Tuition Centres (BTC) are priced at Rs 24,000 and Rs 36,000 respectively for a full year of classes, according to the sources.

Nilekani-backed people+ai rolls out AI strategy...

Nilekani-backed people+ai rolls out AI strategy...

Rediff.com   8 May 2024

An initiative of Nandan Nilekani's EkStep Foundation, people+ai on Tuesday unveiled its vision for the future of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in India, dubbed 'Adbhut India' (Amazing India). It aims to harness AI as a powerful tool to enhance the lives of all Indians. The event marked the rollout of several initiatives by people+ai that are focused on discovering, demonstrating, and disseminating population-scale AI use cases for India.

Byju's may pay April salary to employees this week

Byju's may pay April salary to employees this week

Rediff.com   3 May 2024

Cash-strapped edtech firm Byju's is likely to pay its employees the April salaries this week, according to sources. The company is grappling with the issue of delays in paying salaries to employees. "There has been a delay in salary. It is expected to be now paid sometime this week," said a person.

Licious eyes IPO in 24 months, 500 stores in five years

Licious eyes IPO in 24 months, 500 stores in five years

Rediff.com   2 May 2024

The fresh meat and seafood delivery startup Licious plans to set up 500 stores nationwide within the next five years as part of an omnichannel strategy. The aim is to attract new users in the offline channel and encourage them to transact online as well. The move would also help the company in its efforts to achieve profitability and go for an initial public offering (IPO) in the next 24 months, according to the sources.

Swiggy gets one step closer to $1.25 bn IPO

Swiggy gets one step closer to $1.25 bn IPO

Rediff.com   26 Apr 2024

Food delivery major Swiggy has received approval from its shareholders for a $1.25 billion initial public offering (IPO), according to filings made with the Registrar of Companies sourced by Tofler. The Bengaluru-based firm plans to raise as much as Rs 3,750 crore (around $450 million) via a fresh issue and up to Rs 6,664 crore (around $800 million) through an offer-for-sale (OFS) component, the filings stated.

Byju: 'We'd like you to be part of our turnaround story'

Byju: 'We'd like you to be part of our turnaround story'

Rediff.com   6 Apr 2024

'Despite the animosity shown by some of the investors in pursuing uncalled for legal actions, we continue to show good faith towards all our shareholders.'

Startups call for swift measures to ensure robust safety

Startups call for swift measures to ensure robust safety

Rediff.com   4 Mar 2024

The blast at The Rameshwaram Caf has caused distress and concern among the startup and information technology (IT) community, raising questions related to safety and security. Approximately 10 people were reportedly injured in a low-intensity bomb blast at The Rameshwaram Caf, a popular restaurant in Bengaluru's Brookfield. The surrounding area is a major hub for the Indian technology (tech) industry, housing many startups and top IT companies such as IBM, SAP, Accenture, International Tech Park Bangalore, and Prestige Technostar.

India one of the toughest markets for Uber: CEO Dara Khosrowshahi

India one of the toughest markets for Uber: CEO Dara Khosrowshahi

Rediff.com   23 Feb 2024

Uber Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dara Khosrowshahi sees India as one of the toughest markets and a standard to succeed in any other part of the world. One of the biggest challenges for the ride-hailing firm, according to Khosrowshahi, is the expectation of Indian consumers for more services at lower spending. "India is one of the toughest markets out there.

Q3 sees startups turn a profitable corner

Q3 sees startups turn a profitable corner

Rediff.com   23 Feb 2024

The third quarter (Q3) of 2023-24 (FY24) has proven to be pivotal, witnessing some startups turning profitable and others enhancing their performance as their businesses finally begin to deliver. Startups like Delhivery, Zomato, PolicyBazaar, Mamaearth, and Nykaa have either become profitable or improved their profit margins in Q3FY24. A renewed focus on profitability, supported by operational efficiencies, expense rein-in, and robust demand during the festival season, has empowered companies to strengthen their performance.

Fintech major PhonePe takes on Google, Apple with homegrown Indus Appstore

Fintech major PhonePe takes on Google, Apple with homegrown Indus Appstore

Rediff.com   22 Feb 2024

Fintech major PhonePe on Wednesday announced the launch of its homegrown Indus Appstore specifically for the Indian market, in a bid to compete with global incumbents like Google Play Store and Apple's App Store. The Indus Appstore is PhonePe's attempt at creating a more competitive and localised mobile app store economy for India, which is already the world's largest market for mobile apps.

Committed to restructuring board: Raveendran tells Byju's shareholders

Committed to restructuring board: Raveendran tells Byju's shareholders

Rediff.com   22 Feb 2024

Ahead of Friday's extraordinary general meeting (EGM), Byju Raveendran, chief executive officer (CEO) of Byju's, told shareholders that he is committed to restructuring the board of the embattled educational technology (edtech) firm. He also committed to appointing two non-executive directors to the board by the mutual consent of the founder and shareholders. The development comes at a time when a consortium of key shareholders, holding over 30 per cent stake in Byju's, issued a notice to the embattled edtech firm this month, calling for an EGM to address "persistent issues", including a proposed change of management at the firm.