STARTUP
Startups | SoftBank’s WeWork misstep is redefining the game in India
In future, it is very likely that investors will put in a lot of checks and balances before making such investments.
BUSINESS
Parliamentary Committee of Women calls upon Twitter, Facebook over online safety concerns
Meanwhile, LocalCircles writes letter to the Committee to increase minimum age to access social media to 15 yrs and mandate real identify proof for safety.
BUSINESS
CCI gives a go ahead to Amazon to acquire 49% in future group-owned future coupons
Future Coupons is a subsidiary of Future Group, which owns 7.3 percent of Future Retail (owner of Big Bazaar brand), and through the deal, Amazon will own 3.58 percent stake in the brick-and-mortar retailer.
BUSINESS
Centre wants full access to non-personal data
If the government has its way, anonymised and aggregated non-personal data with entities such as ecommerce providers, social media firms and retail companies will have to be opened to public authorities without any restrictions.
BUSINESS
Hero Moto puts brakes on BS IV Splendor, other models, forms team to oversee BS VI transition
Among others, Hero has discontinued the BS IV variants of the Splendor, HF Delux and Glamour motorcycles and the Pleasure scooter, and others will soon be discontinued.
BUSINESS
Swiggy, Zomato revive merger talks as threat from Amazon, Uber Eats looms
Key investors in both companies have held discussions in recent weeks about a possible merger, and the talks are still at a very early stage, sources said. Still, the investors are coming round to the view that combining forces is an attractive option, but the devil could be in the details.
BUSINESS
Exclusive: Facebook to not allow political ads that target users' religion, caste
Political parties will not be able to place advertisements based on voters’ caste or religion.
BUSINESS
Uber strengthens India push with $250-million investment
Ride-hailing business, Uber Eats will benefit from the investment that was approved on October 29.
BUSINESS
Exclusive: Google India appoints former Star and Disney head Sanjay Gupta as new Country Manager
Gupta played an important role in making it the country’s largest media company.
BUSINESS
WhatsApp breach: NSO meet police commissioners to sell spyware, says TMC's Mahua Moitra
The Trinamool leader expresses concern over the abscence of a data protection law to guard citizens against unwarranted surveillance.
TECHNOLOGY
Exclusive | WhatsApp says its encryption works fine, swipes at Google and Apple
The wholesale compromise of infected phones by Pegasus came to light after Facebook sued NSO Group in a US court. More than 1,400 phones and devices have apparently fallen victim globally, with 121 of them in India, with the main targets being human rights activists, journalists and lawyers.
BUSINESS
Freshworks valued at $3.5 billion in $150 million fund-raise from Google, Sequoia, Accel
Freshworks could raise more funds before listing its shares by 2021.
BUSINESS
Govt reaffirms need for tracing WhatsApp messages after phone-hacking row
The Pegasus breach has made it all the more important to go for traceability of content on WhatsApp, government officials say.
BUSINESS
Twitter India to inform political parties, leaders about ad-ban decision
Political ads account for only 2 percent of Twitter India’s annual revenue of $40 million , sources say.
BUSINESS
Uber Money to launch in India in summer next year
The cab-hailing company plans to provide a UPI-based full-stack payments and credit offering to its riders and drivers.
BUSINESS
Ola valued at $10 billion in ongoing funding round
It has already been reported that Microsoft will acquire nearly five per cent in ANI Technologies (also known as Ola)
BUSINESS
Amazon ups the game, pumps in $630 million in India businesses
Amazon Pay, Amazon Retail and Amazon Sellers to get the fund boost.
BUSINESS
Exclusive: Shuttl to raise $42 million from Toyota, others
After the latest round of funding, the bus aggregator will be valued at $213 million.
BUSINESS
Govt may ask fraud office or Registrar of Companies to investigate Infosys
If the government decides to go ahead with a probe, it will become a major distraction for India’s second-largest software services company, which is already being investigated by SEBI and SEC.
BUSINESS
Ola exodus continues, 6 top executives leave international operations
Six senior executives of the Uber rival have resigned from in the UK, Australia and New Zealand
BUSINESS
Govt concerned over TikTok content, intermediary status
TikTok puts watermark on some videos, while others don’t have it.
BUSINESS
Ola sees more key exits: Pranav Tiwari, Sarmad Nazki resign
Ola Engineering head Pranav Tiwari and Ola Electric head of finance Nazki leave the startup.
BUSINESS
How India made Alexa intelligent, and what does its future look like
From home to car to office, Amazon wants Alexa to be everywhere without intruding in your lives.
BUSINESS
Exclusive | Flipkart to enter food retail with Farmermart, readies Rs 2,500cr war chest
Through Flipkart Farmermart, the e-commerce company will operate a full-fledged food retail business, including its own private label, a grocery supply chain and even open stores
