BUSINESS
Bhavish Aggarwal's vision for Ola is a cross between Uber and Tesla
Acquisition of Etergo may look unrelated to Ola’s service business but maybe Ola has decided it needs a new business
BUSINESS
Amazon is hungry for more in India
The Jeff Bezos-owned e-commerce firm wants more of the consumers' wallet in India, and food delivery is just one more ingredient.
BUSINESS
Will ‘Made in India’ iPhones have price advantage over ‘Made in China’ ones?
Yes, they will be cheaper but don’t expect a drastic price reduction because of component sourcing inefficiencies.
BUSINESS
Zomato and Grofers are both food delivery companies but the similarity ends there
Zomato’s entry into online grocery may appear as a natural extension, but online grocery is much more than delivery of goods
STARTUP
E-commerce | CCI probe on Flipkart and the case for tapering discounts
Guilty or not, e-commerce firms should put a stop to burning investors’ money for deep discounts
STARTUP
Is the startup ecosystem maturing in India?
The number of new startups dropped to a nine-year low in 2019, but overall fund inflow jumped to a five-year high
POLITICS
Social Media | It’s time to be accountable
The new clause in India’s proposed amendment of the Information Technology Act puts the onus on social media companies for non-user generated content shared on their platforms, hoping to curb circulation of misinformation, abusive and objectionable content.
COMPANIES
Startup Corner | Oyo needs to find a path to profitability -- the sooner, the better
Mounting losses, fast-paced expansion in almost everything, retrenchments, governance issues and inflated valuation metrics may emerge as speed breakers for Oyo
ECONOMY
WhatsApp Pay could change digital payments landscapes in India and globally
WhatsApp’s acceptance and popularity among Indians is a key advantage for its payment offering Whatsapp Pay
COMPANIES
What’s cooking | Profitability takes a back seat as Zomato buys Uber Eats
Uber Eats customers are prone to high discounts and Zomato will have to feed them accordingly for retention. Besides, Swiggy is bound to increase discounts to get back its market leadership
BUSINESS
Jeff Bezos, Make in India and selling dreams to millions of Indian small businesses
More than 50,000 Indian SMBs exports Made-in-India products through Amazon’s Global Selling Programme.
COMPANIES
Startup Corner | Byju’s small city aspirations may partly explain its $8 billion valuation
At $8 billion, Byju’s is the most valued ed-tech firm in the world, and the third most-valued startup in India after Paytm and Oyo
STARTUP
E-commerce | CCI study hints at a policy that bars differential discounts
Competition Commission study on e-commerce outlines the regulator’s plans for enforcements and advocacy, hinting at possibilities to examine certain issues on case-to-case basis
ECONOMY
Zero MDR may be good for digital adoption but at what cost?
No income from transactions could make businesses unviable for key stakeholders, which could lead to investors shying away.
TECHNOLOGY
Data Privacy | The making of a Surveillance State
India’s proposed Personal Data Protection Bill 2019 gives absolute power to the Centre to exempt its agencies from the purview of the Law if the Central Government is satisfied that it is necessary or expedient in the interest of the sovereignty and integrity of India, the security of the State, friendly relations with the foreign States, public order
TECHNOLOGY
Ola IPO | Bhavish Aggarwal likes walking down the Uber path, even to the Street
Ola wants to go public in two years from the time Uber went public. While that may be in keeping with its desire to follow in its footsteps, it may be premature for Ola to tap retail investors.
TECHNOLOGY
Privacy Matters | India needs a new law to regulate govt surveillance
While the State’s surveillance on its citizens is legal under certain circumstances, it’s unconstitutional. There should be judicial surveillance on the authorities who have the power to allow surveillance on individuals to stop breach of power.
TECHNOLOGY
Startup Corner | A $1-billion injection won't solve Paytm's problems, Sharma needs better focus
The odds are stacked against Paytm. In every business segment, Paytm founder Vijay Shekhar Sharma is fighting against multiple, focussed players and with cash burning capacity. Sustenance is becoming a question, forget leadership in its markets.
TECHNOLOGY
Policy | India is ill-prepared to use facial recognition sans a legal framework
To restrict the abuse of the technology, India needs to have a proper law that regulates facial recognition before law enforcement agencies use the technology. A law is also needed for data privacy and protection.
TECHNOLOGY
Shared Mobility | Uber's single largest investment in India is just a step towards its bigger dream
After exiting China, Uber’s natural bet is on India. Besides investing in the core raid-hailing business, Uber is putting fresh money in new businesses.
TECHNOLOGY
WeWork Debacle | SoftBank-funded startups in India may feel the pain as Son cracks the whip
The injury from WeWork debacle went beyond money... It may now mean the joyride for startups funded by SoftBank is over and it's time for them to show the money.
BUSINESS
Crypto Wars | China’s blockchain focus could pose a serious threat to US digital currency ambitions
The US-China trade war could become yesterday’s news if the race to launch a digital currency takes off in earnest
COMPANIES
Buy, sell or wind up – small digital payments firms face harsh reality
Consolidation is unavoidable in India's payments space. Smaller firms like MobiKwik will struggle because India’s digital payments business is still dominated by cashback offers.
COMPANIES
Wallet Wars | It may be too early to rejoice in PhonePe’s valuation
Walmart has truly unlocked value in PhonePe. But its success as a spin-off solely depends on how much money it manages to raise from investors, including Walmart, and for how long.
