Corporate Strategist

I don’t think it has such a big impact. It’s good and concise but it’s not life changing.

Consultant

I think it's good initiative  
 I don't read all, but thankfully I'm reading something. 
 Else it is just scrolling reels 🥲

I am updated daily on news when I don't have the time to read it My conversations with people in and outside office has improved thanks to these interesting news pieces And most importantly, they a...

I am updated daily on news when I don't have the time to read it
My conversations with people in and outside office has improved thanks to these interesting news pieces
And most importantly, they are not heavy. Simple and even funny titles and memes.

Wish we had these in school, I would have been much better and informed person 😪

NewsAnchor @ Grapevine thank you for the updates everyday

Growth Manager

NewsAnchor @ Grapevine thank you for the updates everyday- Grapevine

Welcome to Ask Grapeviners's Private Community

Grapeviners, which app/website do you use to get your news daily?

Founder

Welcome to News Discussion's Private Community

Folks, how do you stay informed about current events without getting overwhelmed? Whats an app or channel u use to consume news?

Welcome to Office Gossip's Private Community

The number of rants I have on this platform, had they been anywhere else (social media or real life), I would have definitely lost my job, friends, and followers. 

Grateful for Grapevine 🍇

Just Grateful for this platform

While its sad to see all those layoffs happening all over the IT sector, its nice to see a strong community of grapeviners providing news and updates way ahead of mainstream media!

Gravevine community providing news way ahead of mainstream news apps🫡

Software Developer

Most of us are curious of how decisions are made in major VC funds, as these funds are private and only share this information with their Limited Partners (LPs).

For the unknown, there are VC funds known as Corporate Venture Capital funds, which are the venture arms of corporate firms; they are required to disclose the performance of their CVC funds to the general public.

Prosus, one of the largest funds in this category, has just released its 2024 Annual Report, so thought it would be helpful to share the key takeaways with you all. So, here we go:

1/ Swiggy: On the Launchpad
Swiggy continues to impress with a 26% surge in its gross order value and a robust user base that's grown to 104 million. The food delivery giant isn't just expanding—it's preparing to soar with a confidential IPO filing. Swiggy's blend of core deliveries and quick-commerce ventures positions it as a frontrunner in the food-tech race.

2/ Byju's: A Reality Check
The tides have turned for Byju’s, once a darling of the edtech world, now facing a stark reality with a $493 million valuation write-down by Prosus. This significant markdown is a wake-up call to the high-flying valuations in the edtech sector, spotlighting the need for sustainable financial health over speculative growth.

3/ PayU: Quietly Confident
While specific updates on PayU were sparse, its role in Prosus’s fintech ambitions remains pivotal. PayU continues to weave through Prosus's strategy, likely focusing on enlarging its digital payment solutions and tapping into burgeoning financial service opportunities in emerging markets.

4/ PharmEasy: Unsung Potential
PharmEasy's story remains under the radar in this year’s dispatch. However, as a component of Prosus's health tech ventures, it’s poised to play a crucial role in expanding accessible digital healthcare solutions, streamlining services from prescriptions to doorstep delivery.

The Bigger Picture? Prosus's strategy paints a vivid portrait of India's evolving startup ecosystem. It's no longer just about rapid growth and sky-high valuations. The game has changed:

1/ Sustainability is king: Byju's fall from grace is a stark reminder that financial health trumps speculative growth.
2/ IPO readiness matters: Swiggy's preparations show the market's appetite for well-prepared tech giants.
3/ Quiet expansion: PayU and PharmEasy's low-key presence suggests strategic focus on steady growth over flashy headlines.
4/ Diversification is key: Prosus's varied portfolio highlights the importance of spreading bets across sectors.

Checkout their annual report at https://www.prosus.com/~/media/Files/P/Prosus-CORP/AR2024/1latestfinancialresults/04annualreport/fy2024annualreport.pdf - happy reading!

Would you like more breakdowns of such reports and documents? Let us know in comments below 👇🏽

Key takeaways from Prosus 2024 Annual Report

Journalist

Welcome to Indian Startups's Private Community

That’s it. I haven’t found a news app which is so freaking on point. It’s like they say, you won’t know what greatness is until you see it. 

The options to read news in different format 🤌🏾

Grapevine news is just f*cking lovely!

Let me spill the tea on what's buzzing over at Grapevine in last 24 hours. You're in for a treat with these top posts, so let's dive in ASAP:

1. ServiceNow Interview Disaster - https://share.gvine.app/yPfdLxoKeMojQ6tF6
Honey, let me spill the tea. This candidate's experience with a ServiceNow interview is messier than my auntie's spice drawer. A fresher interviewing a senior? That's like a toddler teaching a chef how to cook biryani. ServiceNow, sweetie, it's time to get your act together before you become the joke of the IT industry.

2. Poker Math for the Geeks - https://share.gvine.app/puCYn1PLfHPspDKh9
Oh, lordy, poker and math combined? This is giving very much "I peaked in high school math club" vibes. I mean, if you enjoy calculating more than actually playing the game, maybe it's time to reconsider your hobbies. But who am I to judge? Maybe that's your idea of a wild Friday night.

3. A Call for Startup Ideas - https://share.gvine.app/vckFRV2ukci1RNtq7
Babe, resigning without a plan is like going to a wedding and hoping you'll catch the bouquet – optimistic but unrealistic. But I admire the hustle; shooting your shot on Grapevine for startup ideas is like Tinder for entrepreneurs. Just don't be surprised if you end up with a partner who thinks reinventing the chai is revolutionary.

4. Delhi Travel Precautions - https://share.gvine.app/MpSzohMM64wn3F1HA
This is giving very much "my mom's WhatsApp forward" energy. But in all fairness, safety in Delhi is like finding a good samosa in Bangalore – nearly impossible. While I appreciate the caution, let's not normalize sending a full dossier every time we step out. Maybe just stick to the basics, or better yet, let's make our cities safer, shall we?

5. Sugarcane Juice > Alcohol Parties - https://share.gvine.app/9mtKHW8kBqt6Mpg5A
Finally, someone said it! Why are we glorifying alcohol when we can party healthily? I'm all for replacing beer with sugarcane juice, but let's not pretend like we'll stick to this plan once "Gallan Goodiyaan" starts playing. Still, cheers to the idea – it's sweet, both literally and figuratively.

6. Rahul Gandhi's Employment Plan - https://share.gvine.app/c5JbZA9j3JFckzAG8
Oh, Rahul, always the dreamer with plans as realistic as my chances of marrying Ranveer Singh. Promising money for watching reels? That's not a job strategy; that's called being a Gen Z with too much time. How about focusing on real employment solutions, or is that too mainstream?

7. Max Salary for 20-Year IT Experience - https://share.gvine.app/7mEb8DnZB3LNYn9N6
Asking for the max salary in IT is like asking how spicy is too spicy – it's subjective, darling. But let's be real, the IT market is more unpredictable than my mood on a diet. So, aim high but maybe don't start planning your mansion just yet.

8. Arrogant IITs Not Getting Jobs - https://share.gvine.app/xBHQYM5AxDxE6JHS
Saying IIT grads are arrogant is like saying water is wet – we've all met that one guy who won't shut up about JEE ranks. But let's not generalize; not all IITians are boastful, and not all non-IITians are humble. It's about skill, not the label on your degree.

9. The Beauty of Tech Projects - https://share.gvine.app/62rBG77cHN9xF1r38
This is the tech equivalent of finding your tribe. Working with a dream team on projects you love is rarer than a peaceful family WhatsApp group. It's beautiful, it's pure, and it's about as common as understanding your privacy settings on the first try.

10. The Indian FAANG Roadmap - https://share.gvine.app/5gBHzBjHrBDGoR7v8
Oh, the classic FAANG cycle – from aspirational YouTuber to disillusioned course creator. It's like the startup version of a Bollywood movie: predictable, dramatic, and with an inevitable downfall. But hey, if you can't join 'em, teach 'em (for a small fee, of course).'

Oh, the drama on Grapevine never fails to entertain.

Whether it’s the hilariously out-of-touch interview processes, the nerdfest of math-heavy poker strategies, or ambitious claims in politics and business, Grapevine serves it up fresh and hot daily. 

It’s the perfect blend of reality check and escapism. Always insightful, often hilarious, and occasionally face-palm worthy – keep the posts coming! 

What’s next, Grapevine? We're all ears!

Daily Masala: Edition #2

Robotics engineer

Finally see myself getting a good habit for a change!
That 'Explain me like I'm 5' feels like a feature made for me 🤭
That Streak fire glows brighter with every news, I'm gonna get streaks of streaks now 💪

P.S. Thank you for the early access, felt like I'm celebrity ❤️

P.P.S. It reminded of AI + VC joke (sorry 🙊) but this product has the power to rake in that 💰

Grapevine News - First Impressions 🙌

𝟏. 𝐌𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐞𝐣𝐢𝐠 𝐚𝐭 𝐌𝐞𝐞𝐬𝐡𝐨; 𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧𝐬 𝐨𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐬

Meesho is evolving its business model beyond its initial focus on providing a low-cost, commission-free marketplace. The introduction of a 2% platform fee on its Meesho Mall vertical, which sells branded products, represents a measured approach to generating additional revenue. This fee is significantly lower than the 7-15% charged by larger e-commerce giants, making it a more attractive option for merchants.

Alongside this, Meesho is doubling down on its seller financing capabilities through the Meesho Instant Cash loan service. By partnering with NBFCs, the company is positioning itself as a facilitator of credit access - a critical need for its merchant base, particularly smaller businesses. This diversification into financial services complements Meesho's core e-commerce operations and logistics services.

The company's broader strategy appears to be one of measured expansion, balancing its customer-centric, low-cost approach with new revenue streams. This nuanced approach, combined with its sizable merchant network, suggests Meesho is well-positioned to navigate the evolving e-commerce landscape in India?

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤'𝙨 2% 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢 𝙛𝙚𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙚 𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙠; 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙩-𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙚-𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚. 𝘽𝙮 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙪𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙞𝙜 𝙗𝙤𝙮𝙨' 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤'𝙨 𝙬𝙤𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙨𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙨𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙠𝙚? 𝘿𝙤𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙄𝙣 𝙖 𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤'𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙗𝙞𝙣 𝙃𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙡, 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙜𝙞𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙤𝙧 (𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙡, 𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜). 𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚: 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙚𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙛𝙡𝙚𝙚; 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙡𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙪𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙩. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙈𝙚𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙬𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙯 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤, 𝙞𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙥 𝙪𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚-𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚 💃

Source: The Arc - https://tinyurl.com/3y25k93k

𝟐. 𝐈𝐜𝐞 𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦 𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐇𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐨 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐑𝐬 𝟏𝟎𝟎 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐑𝐬 𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐫𝐞 🍨

Hocco, an Ahmedabad-based ice cream brand, has raised INR 100 Cr ($12 Mn) in a fresh funding round. The round was led by the company's promoter group, the Chona family, as well as existing investor Sauce VC. Angel investors like Bollywood producers Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar also participated in the round.

This primary capital infusion has valued Hocco at INR 600 Cr ($72 Mn) post-investment. The company plans to use these funds to expand its manufacturing capacity. Hocco's managing director, Ankit Chona, stated that the 8-month-old brand expects to reach INR 200 Cr ($24 Mn) in revenue by the fiscal year ending March 2025.

But here's the scoop: Hocco isn't just another startup. It's the Chona family's second ice cream act. In 2017, they sold their legacy brand Havmor to South Korean giant Lotte for ₹1,020 crore. Now, with Hocco targeting ₹200 crore revenue by 2025, they're proving you can have your ice cream and sell it too.

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙃𝙤𝙘𝙘𝙤'𝙨 𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙍𝙨 600 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 8 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝𝙨 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙩-𝙡𝙖𝙪𝙣𝙘𝙝, 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙥𝙨; 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙨𝙩𝙪𝙙𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙮𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝘼𝙛𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙃𝙖𝙫𝙢𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙚, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙨' 𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙙 𝙃𝙤𝙘𝙘𝙤 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣: 𝙄𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙨𝙪𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙨 𝙨𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚, 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙜𝙖𝙘𝙮 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘿𝙉𝘼 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩-𝙢𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙙𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙜𝙚? 𝙊𝙧 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨, 𝙥𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙚𝙩?🍦

Source: Inc42 - https://tinyurl.com/ys4ncura

𝟑. 𝐂𝐮𝐥𝐭.𝐟𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐥𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐭𝐞?

Cult fit, a leading Indian fitness company, is undergoing a strategic shift to focus on its e-commerce vertical, Cultsport, as a key driver of growth and profitability. According to the company's new CEO Naresh Krishnaswamy, Cultsport currently accounts for 30% of Cult fit's total revenue, but is expected to grow to 50% of revenue within the next 2-3 years.

This shift is driven by the strong brand credibility of Cult fit, which is helping the company rapidly expand its online fitness equipment and apparel business. Cultsport's hardline category, which includes products like treadmills, spin bikes and outdoor cycles, is a particularly strong performer, expected to grow 40-50% year-over-year.

While Cult fit's core gym business remains the largest revenue contributor at over 64% in FY23, the company is betting big on Cultsport to achieve full-year EBITDA profitability within a year. This strategic pivot comes as Cult fit has managed to significantly reduce its losses by 20% in FY23 compared to the previous year, even as its overall revenues tripled.

The company's focus on profitability is further underscored by its recent cost-cutting measures, including layoffs of around 120 employees. Cult fit is also working towards a public listing, as it looks to capitalize on the growing demand for organized fitness chains in the Indian market.

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩.𝙛𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙥𝙞𝙫𝙤𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙩 50% 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙪𝙚 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙞𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣; 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚. 𝘽𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙜𝙮𝙢-𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙧𝙨' 𝙡𝙤𝙮𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙮 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙜𝙖 𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨, 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩.𝙛𝙞𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙙 𝙩𝙬𝙞𝙘𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙖𝙢𝙚 𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙪𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩-𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢 𝙨𝙪𝙜𝙖𝙧 𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙝? 𝙄𝙛 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙙𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨, 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝘾𝙪𝙡𝙩.𝙛𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙡𝙤 𝙛𝙖𝙙𝙚, 𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙤𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙡𝙤𝙣, 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙥𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩? 🏋🏻

Source: The Arc - https://tinyurl.com/2awcnxbp

𝟒. 𝐁𝐢𝐳 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐡𝐚𝐮𝐥 𝐚𝐭 𝐏𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐚𝐁𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐚𝐫?

Paisabazaar, the credit marketplace owned by PB Fintech, is facing a major business model shift. Traditionally, Paisabazaar has focused on sourcing unsecured loan leads like credit cards and personal loans for its 70+ lending partners. This model has been highly profitable, contributing 95% of Paisabazaar's revenue and helping PB Fintech achieve its first annual profit.

However, the Reserve Bank of India has now discouraged lenders from offering small-ticket, collateral-free loans. As a result, Paisabazaar's lending partners have started moving away from unsecured loan leads, hampering the fintech's growth. To avoid further deceleration and regulatory scrutiny, Paisabazaar is now pivoting towards secured loans like home loans and loans against property.

This shift poses several challenges for Paisabazaar:
- 🏛️ Branch vs. Browser: Home loan hunters love the personal touch of bank branches. Can PaisaBazaar's algorithms charm them online?
- 🔄 One-and-Done Deals: Credit cards keep customers coming back. Mortgages? It's a once-in-a-lifetime click.
- 💰 Margin Meltdown: Secured loans pay peanuts compared to the unsecured jackpot

PaisaBazaar's countermove? Poaching banking bigwigs and data diving. But PB Fintech's top brass are sweating. Their profitability streak could snap faster than a subprime mortgage!

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙖𝘽𝙖𝙯𝙖𝙖𝙧'𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙝𝙞𝙜𝙝-𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣, 𝙧𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙩-𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙬-𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣, 𝙤𝙣𝙚-𝙤𝙛𝙛 𝙨𝙚𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙞𝙫𝙤𝙩; 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙤𝙛 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝. 𝘼𝙨 𝙍𝘽𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙤𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮-𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙢, 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙖𝘽𝙖𝙯𝙖𝙖𝙧'𝙨 𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙖 𝙢𝙤𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙞𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙣𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙨 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡? 𝙊𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙝 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝𝙨 𝙨𝙘𝙪𝙧𝙧𝙮𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙥𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙥𝙨, 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 '𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡' 𝙞𝙣 𝙙𝙞𝙜𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩?

Source: The Ken - https://tinyurl.com/yc2rsymk
		
𝟓. 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐳𝐨𝐧'𝐬 𝐌𝐗 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐞𝐫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲: 𝐒𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭, 𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐞𝐬

Recently we heard it on the Grapevine that Amazon is acquiring MX Player. Well, it turns out Amazon's not buying MX Player; it's cherry-picking its crown jewels. The e-commerce titan is snapping up select assets of the Times Internet-owned video streamer in what's whispered as a $50 million "distress sale."

This isn't a merger; it's media surgery. Amazon's scalpel is aimed at MX's content library, tech, and user base, leaving the corporate liabilities on the operating table. It's a power move to juice up Prime Video and miniTV in India's cutthroat streaming wars.

The deal includes MX's brain trust, with CEO Karan Bedi and team joining Amazon's ranks. But the real prize? Content, not control.

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣'𝙨 𝙘𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙧𝙮-𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙛 𝙈𝙓 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝙖𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙖 "𝙙𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙨𝙖𝙡𝙚" 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜; 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙖𝙘𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝘽𝙮 𝙨𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙈𝙓'𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙘𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣 𝙟𝙚𝙬𝙚𝙡𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙪𝙡𝙡 𝙘𝙤𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙜𝙜𝙖𝙜𝙚, 𝙞𝙨 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝙏𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙜𝙜𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨? 𝙊𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙥𝙞𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙨𝙖𝙞𝙘 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙈𝙓'𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧, 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙢𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙤𝙩, 𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 “𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚” 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 😉

Source: Entrackr - https://tinyurl.com/yc3f6s5v

---

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The Morning Vine: Fresh Brew for Your Office Commute 📰

The Morning Vine 🍇

I met a friend last week, topic shifted to grapevine 

"Oh you haven't tried grapevine! You must it's great?!

I show the app, while talking about how it is twitter+reddit+linkedin+facebook all in one.

And he opens a post, says - Nice so people post logical stuff too

* He had one of my posts open* 
Didn't tell him 🤭

Keeping anonymity safe and still spreading good word 🔥

Just random Grapevine update

An unnecessary scroll before I get to the content I actually opened the app for

Maybe put a toggle feature so that all search doesn't need to go through distilling and there can be quicker, more accurate match searches, if that's what the user wants

I love Grapevine's distilling feature the same way I love all the "Good Morning" WhatsApp messages

Business analyst

It’s therapeutic because you can share different aspects of your life that you can’t talk about on other platforms. For instance, you can't criticize the Ola CEO on LinkedIn, demand justice for the Kolkata rape case on Twitter without getting a notice from the Kolkata police, or express unhappiness on Instagram because that’s not the vibe of that platform. But on Grapevine, you can do all of this and more.

Funny enough, I’ve been able to analyze different aspects of my personality (and all my different personalities). My brain works a lot, I talk a lot, and I think a lot. Over the past year, I've realized I see things very differently than how society, media, or authorities expect me to. Grapevine has been a tool for understanding myself better. I can share a thought, and maybe 15 people will respond—some agreeing, some disagreeing, and a few might even call me names. But that’s okay, that’s just how they function. All part of self-discovery.

Another thing I appreciate about Grapevine is that it removes the halo effect we often have. Our names, colleges, and companies are masked (some who haven't revealed them), reducing the blurring of judgments. We connect with people on a more human-to-human level.

Grapevine is great if you're looking to find a partner, lover, or simply make new friends and expand your network. You can be yourself, and the people who know you here often know you better than those you meet at college, work, or even within your family.

[Long Post] I think I understand why Grapevine works well.

Hey Folks, 

A few updates to Grapevine, so please do update your app from play/app store :) 

1. A new slightly redesigned feed. We’ve adjusted font-weights and spacing to make things easier on your eyes. More refinements coming soon 

2. Post and Comment Insights: You now get insights on posts and comments where you receive more than 7 likes. This will be a feature which all writers on the app will def appreciate :) 

3. A better feed: We are constantly making adjustments to give you a better feed. Efforts such as ‘trending posts for you’ and the upcoming ‘posts you may like’ are efforts in this direction. This is something we want to get better at 

4. Results on Polls: You can now see poll results even before you answer them! We can finally lose the popcorn option. Long time pending, I know…

5. Update on Private Feeds: We now have around 2500 verified users using their company’s private feed. IMO this is one of the deepest and most useful products within Grapevine. Or so I hear :) 

We will launch 25 more companies where we have ‘critical mass’ over the coming 4 weeks! 


Upcoming - we are very close to: 
1. The rollout of DMs on Grapevine (after maybe 1000 users here scolded at us for not making it lol)
2. Rollout of the exciting new Salary Product (middle tab)
3. Grapes 2.0: Updating the Grapes formula to reflect your contribution to the community even more accurately

Your patience and feedback is a privilege we do not take lightly! Thanks Grapeviners, and Happy Friday

Grapevine Update: Insights, Feed, Polls, and more

I loved most of the features there 


Very nice feature add ON. 
Grapevine team if you are hiring do let me know. 
Would love to build along with you.

Grapevine News is lit

Software Engineer

I believe in being stoic, and hence avoid reading about politic/war etc. (stuff I do not control).
But I want to read up on Business/Startups/Economics stuff so that I am up to date. 

Currently it's too spread out: across news websites (inc42, Bloomberg), twitter, and grapevine.
Want to make news reading more streamlined, so I actually read the best things every morning on the pot :P 

Do share your go-to's!

What's your stack to stay updated on news? 🗞️

I’ll go first.

To me, it’s all about access. 
Access to authentic ideas.

The best search result you get on Google is high SEO but low authenticity. On LinkedIn, there are so many people but everyone is shilling a course or 1:1 resume reviews. 

Mostly it has become a place which started as vanity signalling 

Like
( I have started a new role…, I have been accepted at …, I have received offers from F, A, N and G and I’m joining G.)  

And now people pushing mindless content with “Agree?” or “Comment Interested”.

Somehow, everyone is truly inauthentic to please a wider audience and say the exact same generic gyaan to maximise engagement.

For now, Grapevine is where people are genuinely themselves and I get to hear interesting things that you get to hear near the coffee machine.

Kinda feels like we’re all a big community where we all contribute and learn new things about the professional landscape around us.

Godspeed Grapevine. 🚀

Hola Grapeviners! I would love to know why are you on the platform?

Product Manager

Congratulations and a hearty thanks to all the top writers 

We’ll also soon be sharing a top 50 list in a separate update

Grapes Leaderboard - October update

Welcome to Data Scientists's Private Community

Gemini just looks completely unreal. I am mesmerized honestly.

This might be Google's first real response to OpenAI.

This video highlights some of our favorite interactions with Gemini.

Hands-on with Gemini

What are some things you can't wait to try out on Google Gemini?

𝟏. 𝐖𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐜 𝐒𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐈𝐏𝐎𝐬 𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐥𝐢𝐩𝐤𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐏𝐡𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐏𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐓𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐬

Walmart is planning IPOs for Flipkart and PhonePe within the next 2 years; Walmart may prioritize the IPO of PhonePe over Flipkart, as PhonePe is a leading digital payments platform in India.

Flipkart and PhonePe are expected to become $100 billion businesses, helping Walmart double its foreign sales to $200 billion.

PhonePe’s operating revenue surged an impressive 77% to INR 2,913.7 Cr during the year under review from INR 1,646.2 Cr in FY22.

On the other hand, Flipkart saw its operating revenue near the INR 15,000 Cr mark in the year ended March 31, 2023. The marketplace arm’s operating revenue zoomed 42% to INR 14,845.8 Cr in FY23 from INR 10,477.4 Cr in FY22.

This dual IPO chess game could redefine how global giants navigate India's regulatory chessboard and value creation timelines.

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙄𝙨 𝙒𝙖𝙡𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩'𝙨 𝙋𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙋𝙚-𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙄𝙋𝙊 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙮 𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙞𝙩 𝙖𝙙𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙚-𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚'𝙨 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙪𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙢𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙞𝙥𝙡𝙚𝙨? 𝘼𝙨 𝙐𝙋𝙄 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙨𝙖𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙖𝙧 𝙥𝙖𝙨𝙩 $1 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙋𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙋𝙚'𝙨 𝙥𝙪𝙗𝙡𝙞𝙘 𝙙𝙚𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮. 𝙔𝙚𝙩, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙁𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙠𝙖𝙧𝙩'𝙨 𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙖𝙮𝙚𝙙 𝙄𝙋𝙊, 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙚𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙖 '𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙚' 𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙚-𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙘𝙚, 𝙢𝙞𝙧𝙧𝙤𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘼𝙢𝙖𝙯𝙤𝙣'𝙨 𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣?

Source: Business Today - https://tinyurl.com/2v2xrfut

𝟐. 𝐍𝐨 "𝐌𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐬" 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐀𝐈 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐓 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬?

Mphasis, the 26-year-old mid-cap IT services firm, stands out as the only listed IT company in India that is majority-owned by a private equity firm, Blackstone. Unlike its peers that are loudly proclaiming their preparedness for generative AI, Mphasis is taking a more understated approach, focusing on "real business cases" rather than mass training programs.

Blackstone's influence is becoming increasingly visible at Mphasis. Since increasing its stake to 55% in 2021, the PE firm has been driving operational changes, including the introduction of an internal gig work platform called "Geek Cloud" and a profit-and-loss tracking system that holds each employee accountable for client accounts. 

This unconventional approach sets Mphasis apart from the industry norm. While peers disclose detailed workforce metrics, Mphasis keeps a low profile, avoiding the limelight. Analysts believe this freedom to operate out of the public eye is a strategic advantage, as Blackstone prepares the company for an eventual exit.

However, this Blackstone-Mphasis alliance is a double-edged sword. While Blackstone's backing provides operational and financial muscle, Mphasis saw revenues plateau last year, unlike its faster-growing competitors. The PE firm's focus on short-term goals ahead of an exit could also come at the expense of long-term growth.

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙒𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙚 𝙄𝙏 𝙜𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩 𝘼𝙄 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙣𝙨, 𝘽𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙣𝙚-𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙚𝙩𝙡𝙮 𝙛𝙤𝙘𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢𝙨, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙯𝙯𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙨. 𝙄𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙤𝙬-𝙠𝙚𝙮, 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙡𝙩𝙨-𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙖𝙘𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙙𝙤𝙩𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙄 𝙝𝙮𝙥𝙚, 𝙤𝙧 𝙞𝙨 𝙈𝙥𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙧𝙚𝙫𝙤𝙡𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙗𝙪𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙩𝙨 𝙋𝙀 𝙢𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧'𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙩-𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙢 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙡𝙨?

Source: The Ken - https://tinyurl.com/muwetk6v

𝟑. 𝐋𝐨𝐭’𝐬 𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐅&𝐁! 🍜

Cloud kitchen startup EatClub Brands (formerly Box8) is raising $25 million from existing investor Tiger Global, as it continues to scale its portfolio of 11 food brands and over 120 eateries. The company has developed a low-cost model with reasonable margins, reporting revenues of Rs 324 crore in FY23 and an EBITDA margin of 6-7%.

Packaged food brand MasterChow is raising $5 million from Tanglin Venture Partners, as it looks to grow its sauces and noodles business. The company has seen its revenues increase from Rs 3 crore in FY22 to Rs 8.2 crore in FY23.

Bubble tea chain Boba Bhai is negotiating a fresh funding round of Rs 30-50 crore, as it aims to capitalize on the growing popularity of bubble tea in Indian metros. The company claims to achieve 70% gross margins.

The broader food and beverage segment is seeing heightened investor interest, with deals like Khazanah Nasional Berhad's $50 million investment in Wow! Momo and Third Wave Coffee's $35 million Series C round. Early-stage activity is also robust, with startups like Pizza Wings, Burger Singh, and Ghost Kitchens raising funding this year.

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙁&𝘽 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙯𝙮 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙚; 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙞𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙚. 𝙀𝙖𝙩𝘾𝙡𝙪𝙗'𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙣 𝙀𝘽𝙄𝙏𝘿𝘼 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘽𝙤𝙗𝙖 𝘽𝙝𝙖𝙞'𝙨 𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙝 𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙜𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙖 𝙨𝙝𝙞𝙛𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙪𝙣𝙞𝙩 𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙘𝙨. 𝘽𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙤𝙧 𝙖 𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙤𝙨-𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙪? 𝘼𝙨 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙗𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨, 𝙞𝙣𝙫𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙝𝙮𝙥𝙚𝙧-𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙖𝙡, 𝙄𝙣𝙨𝙩𝙖-𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝𝙮 𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙢𝙥𝙨 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙛𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙧 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚? 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙮 𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙚 𝙛𝙤𝙤𝙩𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙩.

Source: The Arc - https://tinyurl.com/mtmyabfk

𝟒. 𝐁𝐨𝐀𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐟𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐲𝐥𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐟𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐮𝐝𝐢𝐨 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐬, 𝐚𝐬 𝐢𝐭 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐬𝐢𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐈𝐏𝐎 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝟏𝟖 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐡𝐬.

Boat is downsizing its wearables business following stiff competition from players such as Fire Boltt, Noise and Tata Group's Titan, a top executive said. Its smartwatch market share slid from 19% in 2022 to 14% last year, according to research firm IDC.

Launching premium "Nirvana by BoAt" brand, aiming to increase audio average selling price by 25%

To stay competitive, Mehta said the company would improve its smartwatch features. For instance, it has tied up with MapMyIndia for navigation and payment functionalities and with Dolby for audio enhancement. 

Turned EBITDA positive, with 75% of products now manufactured domestically.

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝘽𝙤𝘼𝙩'𝙨 𝙥𝙞𝙫𝙤𝙩 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙪𝙢 𝙖𝙪𝙙𝙞𝙤 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙜𝙮; 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙖 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙬𝙚𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚. 𝘼𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙨𝙚𝙨 𝙖 25% 𝘼𝙎𝙋 𝙝𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 "𝙉𝙞𝙧𝙫𝙖𝙣𝙖" 𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙙 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙬𝙖𝙩𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙚𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙦𝙪𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙢𝙨: 𝘾𝙖𝙣 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙬𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙣 𝙫𝙖𝙡𝙪𝙚 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙣𝙣𝙤𝙫𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙤𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙜𝙡𝙤𝙗𝙖𝙡 𝙜𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝘼𝙥𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙙𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙪𝙢 𝙨𝙚𝙜𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩𝙨?

Source: Business Standard, The Arc - https://tinyurl.com/ms8y9rnj

𝟓. 𝐂𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐚’𝐬 𝐓𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐲𝐁𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐚𝐫

Chinese internet giant Tencent has offloaded 1.3% in PB Fintech, which owns insurance platform Policybazaar, for Rs 1,080 crore ($129 million) over the last two weeks. This was a bulk deal in the public market.

Tencent’s shareholding in PB Fintech will reduce from 6.2% to about 4.9%, which will be worth more than $340 million. Last year, Tencent sold a 2% stake for $68 million, and since then, PB Fintech’s share price has doubled.

Tencent was an active investor in Indian startups until 2020, when the Indian government put curbs on investments from Chinese companies following border clashes. PB Fintech founder Yashish Dahiya spoke out against China’s aggression in 2020, saying he would buy back Tencent shares if the opportunity arose.

Tencent’s share sale follows Tiger Global and SoftBank Vision Fund’s full exit from the Indian unicorn. SoftBank made $640 million on its $200-million investment, while Tiger netted $232 million on its $44-million bet.

🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩: 𝙋𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙘𝙮𝘽𝙖𝙯𝙖𝙖𝙧'𝙨 2𝙭 𝙨𝙪𝙧𝙜𝙚 𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙙 𝙏𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙩'𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙤𝙡𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮-𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙩 𝙛𝙡𝙞𝙥𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙘𝙧𝙞𝙥𝙩: 𝙄𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙣𝙩𝙮 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙠 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙥𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙚𝙙𝙜𝙚? 𝙊𝙧 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙝𝙪𝙣𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙘𝙚𝙧𝙩𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥𝙨 𝙫𝙪𝙡𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙩 𝙛𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧? 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙏𝙞𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙤𝙛𝙩𝘽𝙖𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙡𝙨𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙛𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙗𝙡𝙮, 𝙞𝙨 𝙄𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙖'𝙨 𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙝 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚 𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙫𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙥𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙞𝙜𝙣 𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡?

Source: The Arc - https://tinyurl.com/4cp2f7t8

Share your take on the 🍇 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 below! ⬇️

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