Illustration: Rahul Awasthi The government may face challenges in imposing the new equalisation levy since the onus of paying the 2% tax will rest with foreign firms rather than consumers in India, analysts said. The tax is on global companies that offer digital products and services to Indian residents. It comes into effect from April […]
Podcasts find their voice during Covid-19 pandemic
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Arpita Mehta’s daily commute in Mumbai usually involved listening to podcasts on current affairs for about 15-20 minutes. Now, the chartered accountant is relying on podcasts related to history and economics to get through the day, working from home. Mehta is listening to three times more podcasts ever since her workplace made […]
Supply woes ease, but still a long road ahead
The disruption in supplies of essentials eased on Thursday, although consumers and the trade still complained about goods not getting through. This prompted the government to issue guidelines late on Thursday to ensure that holdups could be overcome. Retailers, both offline and online, said they saw an improvement after local authorities and police acted to […]
Piyush Goyal hears out e-commerce, food delivery and logistics CEOs
Piyush Goyal (File Pic) Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal on Thursday interacted with a group of chief executives from e-commerce, food delivery, cash and carry and logistics companies over video conferencing to understand the issues they were facing, before passing on his recommendations to the home ministry. Over the past five days, e-commerce companies […]
Will coronavirus bump web traffic into the slow lane?
With more than one third of the globe’s population confined to their homes in an attempt to limit the spread of the coronavirus, some are asking if the increased demand being put on the internet could substantially slow down web traffic. To what extent has web traffic grown with billions watching on screens at home? […]
SoftBank’s big bet on sharing economy backfires with Coronavirus
By Pavel Alpeyev and Takahiko Hyuga Masayoshi Son has been among the most fervent believers in the sharing economy, investing billions in startups that help people split the use of cars, rooms and offices. But as the coronavirus curtails human interaction, it’s hammering such businesses and rattling the foundations of Son’s SoftBank Group. In New […]
Zomato, Swiggy ordered to shut down in several states
Online food delivery platforms Zomato and Swiggy have been ordered to shut down in several states during the 21-day lockdown despite the union government’s guidelines categorizing food delivery under essential services. Tamil Nadu and parts of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Bihar, Assam, and Pondicherry have not allowed food delivery businesses to operate during […]
Amazon stops cash payments to curb Covid-19 spread
Amazon India has stopped accepting cash—the most popular mode of payment—for transactions to encourage contactless deliveries during the 21-day lockdown to curb the spread of Covid-19. “New ordering is available only on essential products through pre-paid payment methods,” the online retailer said on its website. The move helps delivery partners and customers stay safe by […]
Spotify launches music relief project to help artists
Spotify said on Wednesday it had launched a COVID-19 music relief project to raise funds for musicians as the coronavirus pandemic grounds life to a halt in most countries, while taking a toll on the economy. The music streaming platform, which had about 124 million paid subscribers, also partnered with non-profit organizations such as MusiCares […]
Uber and Airbnb lobby for gig worker bailout
By Eric Newcomer Isolated with his family at home in San Francisco, Uber Chief Executive Officer Dara Khosrowshahi has been making pleading phone calls to members of Congress. Khosrowshahi is asking for a bailout—not for his company, which has told investors it should have at least $4 billion in cash by the end of the […]