Illustration: Rahul Awasthi The contribution of e-commerce to smartphone, television, air-conditioner and washing machine sales has gone up in 2019 from the previous year, which marketers attributed to continued shift of consumption habit and plethora of price aggressive online launches. Latest data from sales tracker GfK India showed the contribution of e-commerce to total smartphone […]
War with Netflix and Disney looms for India’s top local streamer
By P R SanjaiAs global streaming giants Netflix Inc. and Walt Disney Co. spend millions of dollars to grab viewers in India, a country that could become their biggest overseas market, a homegrown rival is preparing to defend its turf. Zee5, the top domestic streaming platform set up by India’s biggest television broadcaster, is betting […]
WeWork India to go slow, expects profit this year
WeWork India is planning to go slower on its investments than previously planned and is looking to turn profitable by October this year. The local affiliate of the global coworking venture started operations a little more than three years ago. CEO Karan Virwani said the company has gone considerably slow in signing lease agreements for […]
These startups make stars reach out on your special day, at a price
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Do you want a celebrity to wish you or your loved ones on important occasions? A dedicated set of startups — Tring, Wysh, YoShot, and Celebrify, to name a few — are helping fans, mainly from small towns and cities, connect directly with their favorite television and regional movie stars. These include […]
Flipkart’s wholesale unit may go live next quarter
Illustration: Rahul Awasthi Walmart-owned Flipkart will launch its wholesale business in the upcoming quarter, two sources directly aware of the development said, as it gears up to take on Amazon’s B2B division, Reliance’s Market and Tencent-backed Udaan, apart from other vertical ecommerce startups. Flipkart has over the last few months ramped up its supply chain […]
EU privacy body warns of privacy risks in Google, Fitbit deal
Alphabet Inc-owned Google‘s $2.1 billion bid for fitness trackers company Fitbit could pose privacy risks, the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) warned on Thursday, adding its voice to other critics of the deal. Google announced the deal in November last year, as it seeks to compete with Apple and Samsung in the crowded market for […]
TikTok to focus on self regulation to ensure people ‘post responsibly’
Chinese video sharing app Tiktok, which has had a tough time in India due to regulatory issues, on Thursday affirmed to focus on self regulation to ensure that people ‘post responsibly’. There is a four-step moderation process to review posts so as to maintain the platform’s credibility, its country head Nikhil Gandhi said. The app, […]
Fintech investments in India nearly doubled to $3.7 billion in 2019, says Accenture
Fintech investments in India nearly doubled to $3.7 billion in 2019 from $1.9 billion the previous year, putting the country as the world’s third largest fintech center, behind only the U.S. and U.K., according to Accenture. Accenture, which analyzed data from CB Insights, a global venture-finance data and analytics firm, said the number of deals […]
Zerodha seeks asset management company licence to foray into mutual fund
Discount broking firm Zerodha said on Thursday it had applied for an asset management company (AMC) licence, which will permit it to build mutual fund products. Nithin Kamath, founder and CEO of Zerodha, told ET that the application to markets regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (Sebi) is aimed at building such products targeted […]
I-T dept moves HC against Flipkart’s ITAT ruling
The income tax (I-T) department has taken Walmart-owned Flipkart to high court over its Rs 110-crore demand. The case relates to the treatment of discounts as capital expenditure instead of revenue expenditure, according to court listings reviewed by TOI. Flipkart was issued a notice last month to appear and represent its case following the tax […]