Ritwik Sharma, Peerzada Abrar &Amp;Amp; Ashli Varghese

Stories by Ritwik Sharma, Peerzada Abrar &Amp;Amp; Ashli Varghese

Cash-strapped Byju's to raise $200 mn after taking 99% valuation cut

Cash-strapped Byju's to raise $200 mn after taking 99% valuation cut

Rediff.com   30 Jan 2024

Cash-strapped edtech firm Byju's' parent company said on Monday it will raise $200 million by way of a rights issue to all its equity shareholders, aiming to support growth and achieve operational sustainability. The proposed rights issuance by Think and Learn Private Limited (TLPL) will fund capital expenditure and support general corporate purposes. As the largest shareholders, the founders of Byju's have personally invested more than $1.1 billion in the company in the last 18 months.

Will Guidelines Impact Coaching Classes?

Will Guidelines Impact Coaching Classes?

Rediff.com   29 Jan 2024

'Parents, students and coaching institutes will find alternatives to cater to the demand.'

Flipkart eyes profitability ahead of IPO

Flipkart eyes profitability ahead of IPO

Rediff.com   22 Jan 2024

Flipkart, the e-commerce company owned by Walmart, is intensifying its efforts to achieve profitability as it is eyeing a valuation of approximately $60 billion at the time of its initial public offering (IPO), now planned in 2025-2026, instead of this year, according to people familiar with the matter. The firm might consider listing in the US or any other geography, including India. The company, which counts the likes of Amazon and Reliance's JioMart among its competitors in India's burgeoning e-commerce market, had also contemplated launching an IPO in 2022-2023.

Corporate India on overdrive to celebrate Ram Mandir inauguration

Corporate India on overdrive to celebrate Ram Mandir inauguration

Rediff.com   19 Jan 2024

As Ayodhya readies itself for the glittering, much-awaited consecration ceremony of the Ram Mandir on January 22, and as millions of pilgrims and devotees pour into the holy city for the momentous event, companies are rushing to do their bit and be a part of the mega celebrations. Some are offering a part of their profits as donations, telcos are beefing up the number of cellular towers to ensure better connectivity, and there are those distributing jalebis and food platters.

US investor BlackRock slashes Byju's valuation by 95% to $1 billion

US investor BlackRock slashes Byju's valuation by 95% to $1 billion

Rediff.com   15 Jan 2024

BlackRock has again reduced the valuation of its share in edtech firm Byju's - this time to about $1 billion, TechCrunch reported on Friday, citing disclosures made by the US-based asset manager. This is 95 per cent less than its peak valuation of $22 billion in 2022. The markdown comes at a time when the company is facing a multitude of challenges, including securing fresh capital, delays in financial reporting and legal disputes with lenders.

Indians Back To Spending At Pre-Covid Levels, But...

Indians Back To Spending At Pre-Covid Levels, But...

Rediff.com   15 Jan 2024

Lower income groups earning less than Rs 100,000 a year are yet to recover as are those earning between Rs 100,000 and Rs 200,000.

How GenAI Startup Ecosystem Is Unfolding

How GenAI Startup Ecosystem Is Unfolding

Rediff.com   11 Jan 2024

'In India, the GenAI startup ecosystem is unfolding with remarkable speed, signalling a new era of technological advancement and investment opportunities.'

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.

365,300 Crimes Against Women

365,300 Crimes Against Women

Rediff.com   23 Dec 2023

Cruelty by husband or his relatives accounted for 38.3 per cent of all crimes against women.

No Political Country For Young People

No Political Country For Young People

Rediff.com   23 Dec 2023

While 67 per cent of India's population is 39 years old or younger, states are governed by chief ministers who are 70 or older.

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.

State Polls See An Uptick In Women MLAs

State Polls See An Uptick In Women MLAs

Rediff.com   21 Dec 2023

There is a rise in the number of women elected to the state legislatures in 2023 compared to 2018, except in Rajasthan.

Which Country Sent Most Tourists To India?

Which Country Sent Most Tourists To India?

Rediff.com   21 Dec 2023

Bangladesh was the largest source of foreign tourists, accounting for 21.4 per cent of all arrivals.

1,000 Cases Of Violence Against Women Daily

1,000 Cases Of Violence Against Women Daily

Rediff.com   18 Dec 2023

Cruelty by the husband (or his relatives) accounted for about 40 per cent of these cases. Delhi reported the highest number of cases of crimes against women (12,552) followed by Mumbai with over 5,000 cases.

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.