A few weeks ago, the founder of Flipkart suggested the government find ways to curb foreign rivals. Meanwhile, Jeff Bezos, whose firm he aped, met Donald Trump and pitched he was “super excited about the possibilities this could be an innovation administration”. The difference in the public stanc…
Tag: Ola
How India’s top start-ups are expected to perform in 2017
2016 was a year of rationalisation for Indian startup sector as most big investors spent cautiously unlike in 2014 and 2015 when it saw a new high in terms of irrational investments. In 2016, companies in sectors such as food-tech and hyperlocal logistics who were sustaining operations on externa…
Level playing field for Indian & foreign start-ups: Karnataka IT Minister
Karnataka IT Minister Priyank Kharge said the government provides equal opportunity to all startups, and there is a level playing field for Indian and foreign startups alike. Commenting on the lack of a level playing field for Indian startups, Kharge said, “Nothing is preventing any Indian startu…
Why start-up nationalism in India makes sense in the age of Trump
Why did the US-led Allies win the Second World War against the Nazis? Sir Ian Jacob, an aide of the war-winning British Prime Minister Sir Winston Churchill, famously replied, “Because our German scientists were better than their German scientists.” In India’s new startup war involving global wan…
Start-up funding declines, but no let up in deals
India’s start-up ecosystem may have seen a fall in funding this year, but there’s been almost no let-up in the number of deals, highlighting that investor appetite is still strong. Start-ups have attracted roughly $4 billion in funds so far this year, down from a heady $7.55 billion in 2015, whic…
Tough time for Indian start-ups
As 2016 draws to a close, Flipkart, the country’s most valuable internet start-up, is courting the dividing line between success and failure. It once commanded an eye-popping $15 billion valuation, but repeated markdowns threaten to push it down. Marquee investors like Morgan Stanley and Vanguard…
Do Indian start-ups need protection from foreign competition?
I use an Ola cab almost everyday. It is reliable, reasonably cost effective and in the wake of the government’s recent demonetisation drive, a lifesaver because of an efficient e-wallet built into its mobile app. I also like the fact that this online cab hailing service is made available to me by…
Tygr roars to be the tiger of transport services
From instant pickup/delivery to hyperlocal discovery, Kolkata is moving fast. How? The city of joy is riding ‘Tygr’, an emerging transport platform, which has smartly connected needs of riders to easy-to-use app interface. Tygr is an app-based multi transport service provider started by two techi…
Hedge funds fleeing Indian start-up market
Hedge funds were all over the Indian startup scene last year. Look around now and it will be hard to spot one. They have simply fallen off the cliff in 2016. There have been only 10 deals involving hedge funds in the first three quarters of 2016, compared to 50 deals in the same period […]…
Softbank’s Masayoshi Son says will surpass $10 bn investment commitment for India
New Delhi: Having made multi-million dollar bets on Indian startups like Snapdeal and Ola, SoftBank today exuded confidence in “surpassing” its stated USD 10 billion investment commitment in India as it looks for newer opportunities in the country. SoftBank Chairman and CEO Masayoshi …