Peerzada Abrar And Samreen Ahmad

Stories by Peerzada Abrar And Samreen Ahmad

E-commerce deliveries come to a grinding halt

E-commerce deliveries come to a grinding halt

Rediff.com   25 Mar 2020

There is a lot of police action on the ground and even inter-state movement has been stopped, because of which deliveries of essential items via platforms, such as Flipkart, Amazon, Grofers, and Milkbasket, aren't happening. Food-delivery firms -- Swiggy and Zomato -- are facing similar challenges, according to the sources.

Start-ups scrape the bottom of the barrel

Start-ups scrape the bottom of the barrel

Rediff.com   22 Mar 2020

According to a survey by community platform LocalCircles, early-stage start-ups, funding dependent start-ups and many small businesses will soon be fighting for survival as the spurt in coronavirus cases hits them hard.

Now, tech-driven solutions to track coronavirus patients

Now, tech-driven solutions to track coronavirus patients

Rediff.com   20 Mar 2020

Bengaluru-based Healthtech start-up Mfine has rolled out a coronavirus assessment feature which enables virtual medical consultation to assess patients who have flu-like symptoms. Portea and Haptik habe developed chatbots, which will disseminate information related to coronavirus.

Online shopping sees spurt thanks to coronavirus fears

Online shopping sees spurt thanks to coronavirus fears

Rediff.com   15 Mar 2020

E-commerce companies are seeing an increase in demand for products such as fresh fruits and vegetables, milk, flour, rice, and lentils, and personal hygiene items like sanitisers and soaps and household cleaning products. Other products include instant noodles, baby food and Ayurvedic items. "There is even a huge spike in pet food," said a person.

How PhonePe restored its UPI after Yes Bank blow

How PhonePe restored its UPI after Yes Bank blow

Rediff.com   8 Mar 2020

After a gruelling 24 hours, the PhonePe team has fully restored UPI on the payment platform. The app is up and running again with ICICI Bank as its new partner with all payment instruments enabled.

It's official: Ola will go for IPO in next few years

It's official: Ola will go for IPO in next few years

Rediff.com   4 Mar 2020

The Bengaluru-based firm competes with US rival Uber whose lukewarm IPO last year has contributed to the lag in valuation trend among the unicorns across the Indian start-up ecosystem.

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.