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Jaipur stirred by Raffles

IMC WEB DESK NEW DELHI: There are times when all you want is move away from the city bubble and find yourself immersed in splendor. Well for all those beings, Raffles Jaipur has opened its heritage doors wide open.

This goes above and beyond the top-notch!

An ode to Rajasthani craftmanship, Raffles Jaipur reveals herself slowly.

Conceived by Randolph Grey Design, Raffles Jaipur meets the landscape evolution as it reflects a shift to the wants of a modern-day traveler yet keeping its magnificent past intact.

Carved from pure white marble, the retreat has been handcrafted by skilled artisans, blending the age-old traditions and techniques of Mughal and Rajputana architecture.

50 guestrooms and suites are each unique in layout and décor, all with an expansive balcony complete with an outdoor soaking tub or plunge pool.

Design details within stay include painted corniced ceilings and golden murals, as well as furniture with camel bone inlay, locally-sourced artifacts and carpets woven in Jaipur.

Upon arrival, a Shikar tent alludes to royal Mughal expeditions, while hand-carved sandstone columns in the hotel’s courtyard, each inspired by different eras of Rajasthani architecture, allude to the region’s past.

Opulent Mughal furnishing and patterned marble floors adorn a spacious grand hall, from which a hidden mirrored door guides guests to a light-filled atrium, reminiscent of the design of women’s quarters in the Mughal court.

Inspired by the primarily plant-based culinary tradition of the Zenana, food at Arkaa, the hotel’s specialty restaurant, uses local ingredients sourced from nearby micro-farms.

And all these ingredients come together to create that Kashmiri gucchi pulao with crackling spinach raita and their own reinvented jaituni paneer. The haldi tawa macchi, with fresh turmeric and stone-ground spices infusing your perfectly cooked Indian Ocean catch will only leave you with the fondest memories.

Libations at Writers Bar feature freshly-ground spices and herbs sourced from the hotel’s garden, including the Jaipur Sling, a localised take on the famed Singapore Sling.

With views of the rolling Aravalli Hills, rooftop bar Sehara serves Mediterranean-inspired dishes with an emphasis on Italian specialties.

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Tucked away in the Aravalli Hills of India’s rural Rajasthan lies a jewel few know about. Aman-i-Khas exudes quiet luxury in every sense, rustic yet luxurious; calming yet exhilarating; removed from the earth, yet very much one with its core.

Rustic Gateway

Located just minutes away from the world-renowned Ranthambore National Park, the hotel happens to be the smallest among Aman Group‘s 34 hotels, many of which have been mindfully created close to or within Unesco-protected sites. It’s this very approach that has made Aman, named after the Sanskrit word for ‘peace’ the gold standard when it comes to unforgettable travel stays.

With its unassuming front porch and deep terracotta walls, the entrance of Aman-i-Khas almost melts into the landscape of Rajasthan at first glance.

Upon touching down at the property, Aman-i-Khas’s you are given a homely welcome, the highlight of which may just be its refreshing homemade lemonade laced with rose essence from the camp’s garden.

Housing just 10 tents, the hotel aims to treat its guests with the utmost attention and care, assigning a special butler, also known as Batman in Aman-i-Khas lingo to each tent.

Rising between a maze of wild ferns and stone pathways, ten buttery white tents make up the entirety of Aman-i-Khas. As the camp functions only between October and March of each year, these jungle stays are resurrected annually in time for the winter.

While older, more worn-out tents are repurposed to create tote bags for future guests, new tents maintain safety and aesthetic standards for the property.

Imagine the tents you read about in fairytales, magically extending beyond comprehension, then give them a luxe update with sky-high ceilings, creamy white cashmere furnishings, earthy furniture in rich shades of brown, and throw in dedicated dining, lounging and study spaces

Each tent also comes with a deep soaking bathtub and state-of-the-art tech to forever change the way one thinks of residing with the wild.

Aman-i-Khas offers guests two safari opportunities per day (one every morning, one late afternoon), each of which is led by a handpicked selection of expert drivers and safari guides who ensure a thrilling experience each time. The National Park is replete with majestic beasts including leopards, jackals, sambar deer, crocodiles, monkeys, and close to 300 species of birds including peacocks and owls and of course, the Bengal tiger.

To ensure the most seamless experience, each ride comes well equipped with warm capes, binoculars, and refreshments like tea and cookies that can be enjoyed during a mid-safari break in the wild.

A roster of ever-changing menus is offered up in the hotel’s dedicated dining tent, but guests are also invited to enjoy private bush dinners, or alfresco breakfasts at neighbouring local farms.

At the very centre of the property sits a communal firepit, where guests can enjoy stargazing and pre-meal drinks each day. The menu at Aman-i-Khas is lovingly prepared using ingredients that are grown on the property itself. Your Batman can take you for a tour of its fragrant herb gardens and the hotel’s outdoor cooking station, where guests can participate in making their own meals.

Set up right in front of a marigold-laced fountain is the hotel’s spa tent, which houses two double treatment rooms. Here, guests can indulge in a selection of soothing massages, Reiki healing, scrubs, wraps and baths before enjoying a quiet hour or two in the hotel’s rustic step-well pool. Surrounded by trees and the soft humming of nature, the pool isn’t too far from the property’s sun-kissed yoga space, where the hotel’s resident yoga specialist invites guests every morning for invigorating sessions.

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शीर्षक: डायनासोर का उदय और पतन: पृथ्वी के विशाल शासक

परिचय: कल्पना कीजिए एक ऐसे संसार की जहाँ विशाल जीव स्वतंत्र रूप से घूमते थे, भूमि, आकाश और समुद्र पर शासन करते थे। लाखों वर्ष पहले, पृथ्वी पर शक्तिशाली डायनासोरों का प्रभुत्व था, जो अपनी अद्भुत विशालता, शक्ति और रहस्य के कारण हमारी कल्पनाओं को आकर्षित करते थे।

अध्याय 1: डायनासोर का प्रारंभिक युग कहानी त्रैसिक काल से शुरू होती है, लगभग 23 करोड़ साल पहले, जब पृथ्वी पर पहले डायनासोर दिखाई दिए। ये प्रारंभिक डायनासोर छोटे, फुर्तीले थे और अन्य प्रागैतिहासिक सरीसृपों के साथ रहते थे। ये एक नए युग के अग्रदूत थे, जो धीरे-धीरे उन विशाल जीवों में विकसित हो रहे थे, जो अगले 16 करोड़ वर्षों तक पृथ्वी पर राज करेंगे।

अध्याय 2: स्वर्णिम युग - जुरासिक काल समय के साथ, डायनासोर कई प्रजातियों में विकसित हो गए, जिनमें से प्रत्येक अपने वातावरण के लिए विशिष्ट रूप से अनुकूलित थी। जुरासिक काल डायनासोर का स्वर्णिम युग था, जहाँ लंबे गले वाले ब्रैकियोसॉरस, खतरनाक एलोसॉरस, और तेज़ वेलोसिरैप्टर जैसी प्रजातियाँ पृथ्वी पर घूमती थीं। यह घने जंगलों, विशाल रेगिस्तानों, और अंतहीन मैदानों का समय था, जहाँ सभी आकार और प्रकार के डायनासोर फल-फूल रहे थे।

अध्याय 3: क्रीटेशस काल के राजा क्रीटेशस काल ने और भी अधिक विविधता लाई, जहाँ सबसे प्रसिद्ध डायनासोर जैसे विशाल टायरानोसॉरस रेक्स, बख्तरबंद एंकिलोसॉरस, और सींग वाले ट्राइसिरैप्टरस दिखाई दिए। इस काल में फूलों वाले पौधों का उदय हुआ, जिसने परिदृश्य और कई शाकाहारी डायनासोरों के आहार को बदल दिया।

अध्याय 4: डायनासोर के युग में जीवन इन विशाल जीवों के लिए जीवन आसान नहीं था। कहानी डायनासोरों के दैनिक संघर्षों पर प्रकाश डालती है - शिकार और भोजन से लेकर शिकारियों से बचने और संसाधनों के लिए प्रतिस्पर्धा तक। हम उन विभिन्न पारिस्थितिक तंत्रों का अन्वेषण करते हैं, जिनमें वे रहते थे, जैसे घने जंगल, शुष्क रेगिस्तान, और कैसे उन्होंने इन कठिन वातावरणों में जीवित रहने के लिए अनुकूलन किया।

अध्याय 5: रहस्यमय विलुप्ति डायनासोरों का शासन लगभग 6.6 करोड़ साल पहले अचानक और नाटकीय रूप से समाप्त हो गया, जिसे क्रीटेशस-पेलोजीन विलुप्ति घटना के रूप में जाना जाता है। कहानी इस सामूहिक विलुप्ति के पीछे के प्रमुख सिद्धांतों पर चर्चा करती है, जिसमें उल्कापिंड के प्रभाव, ज्वालामुखी गतिविधि, और जलवायु परिवर्तन शामिल हैं। हम वैज्ञानिकों द्वारा एकत्र किए गए साक्ष्यों और इस घटना का पृथ्वी के इतिहास पर पड़े प्रभाव की भी जांच करते हैं।

अध्याय 6: डायनासोर की विरासत हालांकि डायनासोर अब समाप्त हो चुके हैं, उनकी विरासत जीवित है। कहानी बताती है कि कैसे डायनासोर आधुनिक पक्षियों में विकसित हुए और उनके जीवाश्मों ने हमारे ग्रह के इतिहास में बहुमूल्य अंतर्दृष्टि प्रदान की है। यह भी बताता है कि कैसे डायनासोर फिल्मों, किताबों, और वैज्ञानिक अनुसंधान के माध्यम से आज भी हमारी कल्पना को मंत्रमुग्ध करते हैं।

निष्कर्ष: अंतहीन आकर्षण कहानी इस बात पर विचार करते हुए समाप्त होती है कि डायनासोर हमें क्यों आकर्षित करते रहते हैं। उनकी विलुप्ति के लाखों साल बाद भी, वे पृथ्वी के प्राचीन अतीत के रहस्य और भव्यता का प्रतीक बने हुए हैं। उनकी कहानी हमारे ग्रह पर जीवन की निरंतर बदलती प्रकृति और आगे आने वाली असीम संभावनाओं की याद दिलाती है।

यह कहानी आपकी Quora ऑडियंस को डायनासोर के उदय और पतन की एक अद्भुत यात्रा पर ले जाएगी, उन्हें एक संपूर्ण और मनोरम कथा प्रदान करेगी। अगर आप इसमें कुछ जोड़ना या बदलना चाहते हैं, तो मुझे बताएं!

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Bangladesh Blitzkrieg

Samay ka chakra for Bangladesh. In 2018 Queen Elizabth had thrown state dinner at for Bangladesh Prime Minister, Sheikh Hasina and today the same country showed reservations on giving refuge to the PM who had fled the country under massive protest.

 What happened and what’s next?

On July 1 University students-initiated blockades, disrupting roads and railway lines to demand reforms in the quota system for public sector jobs. They claimed the scheme favored loyalists of Hasina's ruling Awami League. Despite winning a fifth term in January, Hasina dismissed the protests, stating students were ‘wasting their time.’

On July 16 violence intensified with first recorded death of six people follow following clashes between protesters and pro-government supporters in Dhaka. Hasina's government responded by closing schools and universities nationwide.

On July 18 Students rejected Hasina's appeal for calm and continued to demand her resignation. Protesters chanted ‘down with the dictator,’ and torched the headquarters of Bangladesh Television along with other government buildings. The government imposed an internet blackout to curb the unrest. Clashes left at least 32 people dead and hundreds injured, despite a curfew and soldier deployment.

On July 21 Bangladesh's Supreme Court ruled against reintroducing job quotas, a decision critics viewed as aligning with Hasina's government. However, the verdict did not satisfy protesters' demands to abolish job reservations for children of ‘freedom fighters’ from Bangladesh's 1971 independence war.

On August 4, hundreds of thousands clashed with government supporters again, resulting in 68 deaths, including 14 police officers. Former army chief General Ikbal Karim Bhuiyan urged the government to withdraw troops and condemned the killings. Current army chief Waker-uz-Zaman stated the armed forces ‘always stood by the people.’

Leaders of the civil disobedience campaign called on supporters to march on Dhaka for a "final protest" on Monday, escalating the confrontation with the government.

As per local media reports, PM Hasina has resigned and left the country in an army helicopter after protesters announced plans to march to the capital, Dhaka, on Monday after a weekend of violence that resulted in numerous fatalities. The military has imposed an indefinite curfew, and authorities have cut off internet access in efforts to control the unrest.

Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus was named chief adviser of Bangladesh's interim government on Tuesday, a day after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina resigned and fled the country following a violent crackdown on a student-led uprising.

Yunus was appointed to the post by Bangladesh President Mohammed Shahabuddin after he held meetings with student leaders and chiefs of the three military services.

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Wo is Salil Parekh?

The second-highest paid CEO!

Salil Parekh is the CEO and MD of Infosys, India’s leading Information Technology giant.

Infosys CEO had always been media-shy but his current remuneration has been making headlines. Salil Parekh, gets a total remuneration of Rs 66.25 crore for the fiscal year 2024. This places him just behind Wipro's former CEO Thierry Delaporte, who earned approximately Rs 166 crore in FY24. With roughly about Rs. 18 lakhs earning per day, Parekh is the second highest paid CEO in the IT sector.

The significant increase in Parekh's salary is largely due to Restricted Stock Units (RSUs), a form of equity compensation given to employees. Out of his total compensation, Rs 39.03 crore came from RSUs. Additionally, he received Rs 7 crore as salary, Rs 47 lakh as retirement benefits, and Rs 7.47 crore as a bonus.

In 2017, Salil Parekh took over from the CEO UB Pravin Rao and the only factor he banked on was ‘Stability’

Salil Parekh has a BTech in Aeronautical Engineering from IIT-Bombay.

Masters in Computer Science & Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University.

Infosys boss began his career as a Partner at Ernst & Young (EY) from 1992 to 2000 with the firm’s Financial Services practice.

He has also been associated with leading business consulting and professional services firm Capgemini since 2000 after it acquired EY’s consulting division. Salil occupied several positions during his tenure with Capgemini, including appointment as deputy CEO in March 2015. He is also a member of the company’s Executive Committee.

Salil is only the second non-promoter CEO of Infosys after Vishal Sikka, who occupied the position for three years.

Despite the warmest welcome, Salil Parekh took over the chair amidst tensed air. The upsetting public spat between Infosys’s founders and then CEO Vishal Sikka, severely dented the confidence of both clients and investors.

Parekh had a tall task at hand and what played on his favour was his level-headedness. His balanced approach towards the promoters as well as the investors eventually brought the company back on the growth trajectory.

Growth rates have quadrupled, revenues and profits were burgeoning, big deals and bigger clients climbed at a fast clip, and high profit margin levels show Infosys managed to retain its traditional strength. Market cap has climbed 216.87% to Rs 7.12 lakh crore on 25th February from 2nd January, 2018, the day Parekh walked into Infosys’s corner room as its CEO & Managing Director.

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Trump welcomed Indian ‘bahu’

IMC WEB DESK NEW DELHI: ‘As I began to think deeply about my identity, I fell hard for a classmate of mine named Usha’ JD Vance, Ohio Senator and Trump’s pick for Vice President reminisced about his Indian-origin wife.

INSIDE PAGE CONTENT

The intercultural marriage of US Senator

Born on August 2, 1984 James David Vance was the surprise pick as the running mate for by Donald Trump. The American politician, lawyer, author, and Marine veteran has served since 2023 as thejunior United states senator from Ohio. Republican candidate for vice president in the 2024 United States president election.

It is not that Trump and Vance has always been in paradise but at the end of the day the comfort level between the two won the day.

Trump’s running mate has an Indian-Origin mate in real life! James David Vance met his wife Usha Chilukuri at Yale Law School in the year of 2010 while discussing over a group project named social decline in white America.

In 2014, they finally got married in Kentucky after dating for four years by both Hindu and Catholic customs and rituals in the presence of their families.

Who is Usha Chilukuri?

Daughter of Indian immigrants, Usha Chilukuri Vance hails from a distinguished family of academicians in Vishakhapatnam.

The San Francisco Litigator’s parents Chilikuri Radhakrishna and Lakshmi moved to USA in 1980. Usha was raised in Sandiago suburbs. Usha’s grandfather and father have studied from the prestigious IIT.

Her father currently teaching engineering and her mother takes classes on molecular biology.

Her younger sister is a mechanical engineer with a semiconductor company in San Diego and an aunt a medical professional in the southern Indian city of Chennai.

Ms. Chilikuri has a great-aunt in southern India, aged 96, celebrated in local media as the country's oldest active professor.

The Indian-origin wife of Trump’s pick for Vice President had graduated in BA in History from Yale University 2008 and went on to pursue MPhil from University of Cambridge as Gates Cambridge Scholar in 2009.

According to The New York Times, during their wedding in Kentucky in 2014, the pair was blessed by a Hindu Pundit in a separate ceremony.

The Chilikuri family is known to uphold the Hindu ideology despite residing in USA for the longest time.

Foreign is not foreign to Indians

USA has always been inviting to Indians. It is noteworthy that Indian Americans hold over 60 notable positions in the federal government in 2013 and increasing to more than 150 by 2023.

The political radar is surely topped by Kamala Harris, the Indian Vice President of USA. She was the nation’s first Indian American senator and California’s first female and South Asian attorney general. Harris is the first woman to become vice president, as well as the first Black or Asian American person to hold the office.

The corporate world has always been open to super intelligent brains from India. Sundar Pichai is currently the CEO of Alphabet Inc. and its subsidiary company Google. He studied material engineering. Pichai joined Google in 2004, where he led the product management and innovation efforts for a suite of Google's client software products, including Google crome and ChromeOs, as well as being largely responsible for Google Drive.

Another Indian-American Corporate Stalwart, Satya Narayana Nadella was born 19 August 1967. He is the executive chairman and CEO of Microsoft, succeeding Steve Balmer in 2014 as CEO and Jihn W Thompson in 2021 as chairman. Before becoming CEO, he was the executive vice president of Microsoft's cloud and enterprise group, responsible for building and running the company's computing platforms.

One of the top CEOs of the world is an Indian-American, Indra Nooyi Krishnamurthy who was was the chairman and chief executive officer (CEO) of PepsiCo from 2006 to 2018. Born on October 28, 1955, Nooyi has been consistently ranked among the world’s 100 most powerful woman. In 2014, she was ranked at number 13 on the Forbest list, and the second most powerful woman on the Fortune list in 2015 and 2017. She sits on the board of Amazon and the International Cricket Council , among other organizations.

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MSMECCII Concerts With Frost And Sullivan.

From Varanasi’s saris to Ludhiana’s hosiery to copper manufacturing in Yamunagar, Micro Small Medium Enterprises (MSMEs) is the backbone of the country yet they have not been able to match up to their potential.

Understanding the requirement of aid to this sector, Indrajit Ghosh-led MSMECCII has undertaken groundbreaking initiatives by organizing conferences and seminars on varied issues ranging from recycling of plastic, climate change, energy and sustainability.

It has conducted successful leadership conferences for MSME in Food and Beverage, Agriculture Jal Shakti and GST Education.

In July 2024, MSMECCII took a leap by collaborating with the American Transformational Growth Major, Frost & Sullivan laying down a unified agenda to leverage the MSME manufacturing units to compete with the global players.

Frost & Sullivan, the American Business Veterans will visit the MSME’s survey their structural activities and prepare an exhaustive report on the module by which the MSMEs can adopt specific global parameters to improve their manufacturing units in line with the global standards of operation.

International Business Startup and Entrepreneurs Association is also part of this association.

This training will aid the MSME owners to achieve an edge over other industries and enhance their work modules with pan-India customers particularly for their overseas customers.

Post completion of the training, the MSMEs will be provided with the Certificate of Achievement by MSMECCII and Frost & Sullivan.

Similar association and certification process will take place between World GREXPO Foundation & Frost & Sullivan for MSMEs in the Middle East to make their manufacturing units well-equipped as per global norms. MSMEs are corner stones for the Arab economy and contributes to about 90% of the economy hence this association comes as a major boost.

MSMECCII, GREXPO & Frost & Sullivan aims to place India’s most crucial sector on the world stage as equal players in knowledge, skillset, productivity and functionality.

India’s roughly 50 million MSMEs employ about 120 million people depicting the number of employees per firm. This gives an indicator of the size of the structural problem in the sector.

This robust network of MSMEs continue to face the most significant hurdle of access to finance, only 16% receiving funds.

Not only finance hurdle, MSMEs have faced tax issues, labour problems, poor infrastructure and technical hassles impacting their land ownership. An assimilation of factors led to reduced productivity of the most crucial sector of India, rather the backbone of the country.

The MSME sector is battling the 45-day payment rule quite hard and relaxation might not come easy.

On major lacuna of the industry pushing back the growth is absence of skillset. This was well identified by Frost and Sullivan as well as MSMECCII.

Indian MSMEs are far behind from skillset perspective compared to other counterparts in other countries. They are dependent on informal workers with limited technical know-how dampening the productivity forcing the small firms to hire low-skilled jobs rolling back long-term growth.

MSMECCII with the support of Frost & Sullivan will offer market research, data analytics growth strategy consulting and corporate training to the Indian MSMEs.

These MSMEs will range from varied industries like manufacturing FMCG plastic hardware and a whole range of manufacturing companies understanding the need of such structured training.

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Chinese Auto Giant Launches In India But Taxmen Shows The Door.

India-China relationship have been peevish. BYD, the global challenger to Tesla, is unwelcome in India despite its offer to make million-dollar investment. BYD Auto is facing an ongoing investigation that it paid less tax on imported parts for cars it assembles and sells in the country.

Though BYD has paid a tax amounting to USD 9 million, this seems to be too less and could lead to additional tax charges and penalties. India taxes imports of fully built electric cars at 70% or 100% based on the value of the vehicle, but levies 15% or 35% on imports of car parts that are then assembled locally into an EV. Those lower rates, however, are only applicable when parts such as a battery pack or motor are imported, without being mounted on a vehicle chassis. One of the sources said BYD had not met these conditions, making it liable to pay either 70% or 100% depending on the value of the car.

Officials at BYD have been facing difficulties in obtaining Indian visas for over a year. Their plans to meet chosen designates in India met with Visa constraints.

Megha Engineering is negotiating with BYD to assemble the Atto 3 and E6 electric cars in India. However, their proposal for a USD1 billion equal joint venture is still pending approval from India's Department for the Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade

It is now considering exempting proposals where the so-called beneficial ownership is less than 10%, which means the investor may be from a neighbouring country but holds only a small stake in the firm proposing the investment. Though that does not apply to all. The blue-eyed boys of the Prime Minister like PayTM are an exception.

The aim is to localise the distribution structure in India, two industry executives said. Vivo and Oppo are the largest brands of China's biggest smartphone manufacturer BBK Group.

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Hindi Chini Bhai Bhai

China regained its position as trade partner to India being the source of country’s biggest source of imports at over USD 65 billion. With a dip in the trade deficit between India and China, the Sino - Indian relationship seems to embark on newer landmark.

Overtaking US,China becomes India’s largest trading partner

With a bilateral trade of USD 86.4 billion in fiscal 2021, China has emerged as India's largest trading partner, overtaking the US in the process, and registering 5.53% growth. China was the only major country to

ost a growth in trade with India in this fiscal when the latter's overall trade declined to USD 684.77 billion. India’s trade deficit with China has declined from USD 53.57 billion in 2018 - 19 to USD 44.02 billion in 2020-21, as stated by Anupriya Patel, Minister of State for Commerce and Industry on August 6, 2021.

Days after a report by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) showed that India’s trade dependence on China and the EU increased in 2023 while it reduced on Saudi Arabia, the commerce and industry ministry refuted the claim saying that the country’s import from China declined 3% in calendar year 2023 over 2022 and exports to both China and the EU rose 7.1% and 2.1%, respectively during the period.

Paytm (Pay Through Mobile) is an Indian electronic payment and e-commerce company valued at US$ 16. But it is very surprising to know that the concept, inspiration, and investment are from China. It is the first Indian company to receive funding from Chinese e-commerce Company Alibaba which has now raised over $625 million.

Hike Messenger is a cross-platform instant messaging service for smartphones. Recently, a new round of funding led by Chinese Internet giant Tencent Holdings and Foxconn Technology Group of Taiwan, valuing the company at about $1.4 billion.

Snapdeal is one of the largest e-commerce companies in India and has now raised $ 1.58 billion (about Rs 10,112 crore) from 23 investors. Its top investors are SoftBank, Kalaari Capital, Nexus Ventures, and eBay Inc. You will be surprised to know, that it’s one of the investors SoftBank Group has the largest shareholder in Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd.

Ola is a mobile app-based transportation network company. The Chinese car app company 'Didi Chuying (Didi Kuaidi)' has invested in Ola. So far, Ola has raised around Rs. 8200 crores fund through 21 investors.

India's one of the largest online travel companies, MakeMyTrip recently bought the Ibibo Group and bring together the top travel brands like MakeMyTrip, goibibo, redBus, Ryde, and Rightstay under a single umbrella. Naspers (South African Based) and Tencent (Chinese investment holding company) jointly held a 91% and 9% stake in Ibibo respectively. They will become the single largest shareholder in the company.

Flipkart is an Indian e-commerce Company (now owned by Walmart), which was founded in 2007 by two IITians (Delhi) Sachin Bansal and Binny Bansal. Recently, it has raised the biggest ever start-up funding from Tencent Holdings Ltd, eBay Inc., and Microsoft Corp.

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Click ONDC for food delivery!

IMC WEB DESK BENGALURU: To get rid of high delivery and service charge, Bengaluru’s hotels association will join the Open Network for Digital Commerce (ONDC).

How is ONDC helping?

It stands for Open Network Digital Commerce which is currently in Beta Testing mode in 180 cities of India. The main aim of this website is creating a web e-commerce experience.  It works on the motive of creating a dual experience for both buyer and seller.

This new technique of delivering items will totally disrupt the market from its core. This is really cost effective and the customers can save up to 20% on the food item’s cost.

It is backed by the Central Government which help in gaining the trust of the customers in order to complete the direct transactions without any mediator.

What lead BBHA to adapt ONDC?

Bruhath Bangalore Hotels Association (BBHA) has joined hands with GrowthFalcons which is a registers on ONDC. The association has more than 2000 hotels and restaurants in the region.

Even the commission rate of ONDC is 8%, which is way higher than other platforms. Even for small owners who are completing relying on these platforms will be get benefit from ONDC. The main reason behind this step is to provide the maximum visibility to hotels and restaurants in the city.

In order to meet the expectations of the association, ONDC has to focus on providing quick deliveries without hampering the taste and hygiene of the products.

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"Indian Entrepreneur Reclaims East India Company – What's Next?"

The East India Company once enabled the British to rule India for nearly 200 years. The company was founded in 1600 to import spices, tea and exotic items to Europe from India. In 1607, the company ship named Hector reached India after travelling more than 16 thousand kilometres. In 1690, the company set up its first factory in Calcutta (now Kolkata), West Bengal.

Following the 1857 revolt, the company was dissolved in 1874 after its soldiers rebelled against the British. For years, the East India Company remained dormant, but now, ironically, the company is owned by an Indian entrepreneur named Sanjiv Mehta.

Sanjiv Mehta aims to build a brand selling tea, coffee and luxury food.

Along with dealing in luxury food items and gift hampers, Mehta also earned the permit to trade under the coat of arms and seal of the notable company on September 8, 2020. Moreover, he even has the option to mint coins, including the Mohur gold coin that was last minted in 1918 in India under British rule.

Its maiden store was opened in 2010 in London’s Mayfair area.

Mehta considers owning the EIC as an emotional closure for all the atrocities India faced due to the company.

Editor’s Note

The IIM Ahmedabad Alumnus always harbored dreams of owning an enterprise. And in the enigmatic tale of Sanjiv Mehta and the East India Company, we find a reminder that even the most dormant of legacies can rise from slumber, reimagined by the whims of destiny and a heart set on transforming history itself.

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Family Business Gets Funded

Libas collection is available at 15 exclusive brand outlets and 400 large format stores including Lifestyle and Shoppers Stop

Sidhant Keshani, Founder and CEO, expects a significant growth of 40-45% amounting to about INR 1000 crore revenue by 2025. He is confident about an offline expansion to about 16 store presence in the near future.

Cutting across generation, trends have proven that sleek and timeless silhouettes are firmly in and there is no better destination to shop than Libas outfits.

There is so much history in the traditional women wear. Taking cue from the heritage, Libas delivers sustainable yet stunning Kurta Sets, Sarees and Lehangas.

When the word ‘fashion’ is shifting gears, dresses, loungewear and jumpsuits available at Libas are closet must fit.

Soon after passing out from the University of Manchester with a degree in Economics, Sidhant Keshwani took the reins of his INR 400 crore turnover family-owned brand, Libas as the CEO.

With practically zero experience in the realm but a germinating concept, Sidhant toyed of entering the ecommerce industry and finally launched Libas in the online space.

The online retailing led to an eye-blistering growth of 100% Y-O-Y resulting in INR 600 crore revenue in straight 8 years.

Today, Sidhant is hands-on-founder looking into manufacturing as well as the sales and marketing.

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Mumbai: India's Second Capital Grapples with Persistent Challenges

Though India had been a ripe market for the Chinese App, Shein, it was no longer allowed to sell clothes to Indian consumers as part pf massive crackdown on Chinese Apps during Indo-China border conflicts. However, Shein was still available in Amazon App, and the matter was taken up to Delhi High Court.

Shein was one of the most well-liked shopping apps selling groceries and clothes to about 750 million users. Despite its homegrown popularity, it has faced hit in the US and Europe Market.

After all the troubled waters, Shein has finally found a verified route to enter India, through strategic partnership with Reliance Retail Industries.

The global fast fashion’s trendy products will soon be available in Reliance apps as well as the stores like Reliance Retails and Trends.

Shein’s operations will be managed by a company fully owned by Reliance Retails

Shein will not be investing in the equity but will receive profit as part of the license fee.

Most importantly, the app and all its data will be hosted in India and Shein will not have access to the data.

Former META (Facebook) Director, Manish Chopra is likely to be on the board.

The association seems to be beneficial for Shein as well as Reliance Retail wherein Shein is keen to decrease its dependency on China by boosting its sourcing to India thereby boosting Indian Textile sector.

Also, Shein will help Reliance Retail to integrate over 25,000 MSMEs into a new global supply chain.

The vacuum left by Shein has been taken over by brands like Urbanic and now on its comeback it will have to compete with the fast fashion behemoths like Myntra and Tata-owned Zudio.

THE UPSWING OF SHEIN

In 2012, Shein was established by Chinese Entrepreneur Chris Xu and since then it has evolved from a small brand among older shoppers to one of the iconic fast fashion retailers globally.

A massive employment brigade of 11,000 people operates the brand shipping its products to more than 150 countries.

Shein’s $5 dollat shorts and $10 dollar tops was a sweeping game for the GenZ. The biggest appealof the brand is ‘Price.’ It has consciously remained affordable to all strata of society and it discounts and offers kept the buyers engaged.

Shein has an enviable 20.5 million followers on social media which will be a gamechanger in its comeback to India.

In 2023 the fast fashion major reported $ billion in profits and close to $45 billion in gross merchandise revenue.

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Funding By ‘Kirana’ Owner

Kinara Capital driving last-mile MSME financial inclusion had turned full year profitable in FY15 and continues the growth despite several industry odds.

Kinara Capital offers asset purchase and working capital collateral-free business loans in the range of INR 1 lakh to 30 lakhs within a 24-hour disbursement cycle with an average ticket size of INR 8 lakh to 9 lakhs. The credit assessments are done with the help of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning based data-driven automated credit decisioning.

Kinara Capital had raised USD 178 million from investors namely Sorenson Impact Foundation, Gaja Capital and IndusInd Bank.

Over the last decade, Hardika Shah, CEO and Founder of Kinara Capital aided the MSMEs to flourish incorporating industries like auto components, textile, plastic and food products.

Hardika Shah had been a champion of localization. Localized nuances helped her understand the pain points of the MSMEs which today stands as the pillar of this Srobust fintech.

Kinara Capital was awarded the Gold Award as 'Bank of the Year-Asia' by the IFC/SME Finance Forum for their impact on SME Financing.

Kinara Capital understands the pain of capital starved women entrepreneurs which led to the launch of HerVikas program in 2020, aiming to expand the ambit of empowerment to the emerging women entrepreneurs.

By the 5th anniversary, HerVikas had redesigned the landscape of financial inclusion empowering women operated small businesses.

After being away from her home country for over 10 years, she packed her life in a container and moved to Hyderabad and that is how the Kinara Capital began.

Prior to Kinara Capital, Hardika spent two decades as a management consultant with Accenture, working on billion-dollar projects globally. Her passion for social impact led her to mentorship roles with prestigious institutions like Stanford University and the Acumen Fund.

After studying Computer Science, she had undertaken an Executive MBA which was a joint program between Columbia Business School & Haas School of Business thus exposing her to the myriad cultures.

One of the most successful founders in the country, Hardika firmly believes that relationships are core in business.

Born and brought in a Gujarati Family in Bombay, Hardika’s mother ran a provisional store.

The Kinara Capital CEO begins her day with feeding pets and finds relaxation in experimenting variety of dishes like Sushi, Gnocchi and or even a local Kannada Speciality, Nuchina unde.

Making lavender candles and olive oil soaps at homes rejuvenates the Fintech Founder.

The founder’s Sundays see zoom calls playing Housie or Antakshari with family.

Chances are high when the founder is not caught building one of the biggest unsecured lending platforms, you will find her with the sewing machine and charcoal painting too.

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10 posts!

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Kejriwal is now Superstar

IMC WEB DESK NEW DELHI: Delhi’s Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal got major relief after Honourable Supreme court granted interim bail over the money laundering case. 

Bandana Kumari is relieved but worried of the road ahead.

Three times AAP MLA Bandana Kumari from Shalimar Bagh constituency speaking exclusively to IMC News Bureau said that Kejriwal’s release is a big boost for the party’s fortune ahead of the impending Assembly election.

Referring to Delhi’s voters as an extended family of Aam Aadmi Party, she said all pending welfare issues of the state would now, be fast tracked before the announcement of the assembly election dates.

Bandana Kumari told IMC news bureau that all pending files on various developmental programs would now be taken up urgently by the CM’s office.

AAP’s future step

Bandana Kumari disagreed that anything quite stopped during Kejriwal’s absence. She said “Even in the absence of the CM, there was not even a single day when APP was not hitting the roads solving grass root level issues.”

With just a few month’s left for the upcoming assembly election, AAP has a tall task in hand. Non BJP votes would be divided between AAP and Congress as the National Alliance won’t work in Delhi. It would a fourth straight fight for Bandana Kumari in the prestigious Shalimar Bagh Constituency on New Delhi.

How Kejriwal got bailed out

On March 21, ED arrested Arvind Kejriwal by alleging a case of criminal conspiracy by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders like Manish Sisodia and others to benefit the liquor sellers by doing changes in the Delhi Excise Policy of 2021-22.

According to the agencies which are involved in this case alleged that AAP funded their election campaign in Goa with funds procured by this exercise.

In the Delhi excise policy case, The Supreme Court has granted interim bail to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) National Convener Arvind Kejriwal on Friday.

In the order passed, a larger bench of top court needs to reconsider the legal question regarding the "necessity to arrest" under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA). This will definitely help in order to move the case forward.

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D2C – Startups’ oxygen

IMC WEB DESK NEW DELHI: D2C brands are growing rigorously on India. This phenomenon of growing Q-commerce is paving a path for the upcoming brands in the country.

How is D2C helping in raising economy?

In terms of numbers, the Indian e-commerce market is projected to grow at a compounded annual growth rate of 19% between 2022-2030, while the D2C share of e-commerce funding in India for the same period is estimated to be 49%, this is according to data sourced from Kantar Internet.

MMA Global and Publicis’ toolkit says over 80% of D2C ventures are yet to achieve profitability, with the primary reasons being attributed to high customer acquisition costs, operational complexities and unclear returns on investments.

A statement put out by the two organisations mentions that while many traditional businesses have ventured into D2C, standalone D2C revenue remains modest, comprising less than 5% of overall ecommerce revenue for 50% of respondents.

D2C brands that are disrupting the market

Food Startups:

Chaayos

It was founded in 2012 by Nitin Saluja and Raghav Verma, Chaayos sells a wide variety of tea and packaged food products.

It sells tea at its physical stores while other packaged food products are sold via ecommerce marketplaces and physical stores. In June 2022, it secured $53 Mn in its Series C funding round from investors including Elevation Capital, Think Investments, Tiger Global and Alpha Wave Ventures. It has raised $85.5M in funding to date. 

Country Delight 

Founded in 2013 by Chakradhar Gade and Nitin Kaushal, Country Delight sources milk and other food products such as ghee, cottage cheese, fruits and vegetables from farmers and delivers them to customers’ doorstep.

In May 2022, it secured $108 Mn in its Series D funding round from Venturi Partners, Temasek, SWC Global, Trifecta Capital and a slew of other investors. Prior to this, it had also raised $25 Mn in a Series C round led by Elevation Capital. So far, it has raised a total of $133 Mn in funding.

Curefoods

Founded in 2020 by Ankit Nagori, Curefoods is a cloud kitchen aggregator that houses several brands–EatFit, Sharief Bhai, Aligarh House Biryani and CakeZone, to name a few.

It manages over 150 cloud kitchens in 15 Indian cities. In 2023, it raised  $37 Mn from Binny Bansal’s fund Three State Ventures.

In addition, Bollywood actress Nora Fatehi invested in Curefoods and, also, became the brand ambassador of its sub-brand CakeZone. 

Desi Farms

Set up in 2016 by Prateek Gupta and Sunil Shahi, D2C startup Desi Farms sells dairy products such as Malai Dahi, whole buffalo milk, Shrikhand, and Amrakhand, among others. 

To eliminate intermediaries, the dairy startup partners with local farmers and procures fresh milk and milk products from them. Later, these products undergo rigorous quality checks at the processing unit, wherein the milk is treated without using chemical preservatives. 

It delivers dairy products to customers without levying any charges and also provides customised subscription services to its users.

Drink Prime

Founded by Vijender Reddy Muthyala and Manas Ranjan Hota in 2016, DrinkPrime offers subscription-based water purification services to households. The founders started their entrepreneurial journey by building a platform, called Waterwala, to deliver drinking water cans to people. 

Later, the startup pivoted to a new model and began offering subscription-based customisable water purifiers to customers. The company’s RO purifiers deploy Internet of Things (IoT) to offer customised offerings and cater to the water purification needs of families living in different localities. 

Personal-care Startups

Bold Care

Founded in 2020 by Rajat Jadhav, Rahul Krishnan, Harsh Singh, and Mohit Yadav, Bold Care is an end-to-end men’s health and wellness platform that centres around sexual health, hair care and daily nutrition. 

It sells sexual wellness kits, complete hair care packs, and natural supplements to boost immunity, sleep, haircare, and sexual health. Accelerated by Huddle, the health and wellness D2C brand has so far catered to 2.3 Lakh men and sells its products on marketplaces and its own website. The startup has secured $3 Mn in funding to date.

Earth Rhythm

Founded in October 2020 by Harini Sivakumar, Earth Rhythm is a beauty and personal care brand that sells a host of haircare, skincare and body care products. It also sells zero-waste products including toothbrushes, vanity bags, combs and soap dishes, among others.

The Delhi NCR-based claims to have 160 stock-keeping units (SKUs) and has served over 150K users to date. It has raised a total of $1.2 Mn in funding from Anicut Capital. It aims to reduce the carbon footprint and at the same time, use sustainable ingredients in making its products. 

Foxtale

Foxtale is an omnichannel  beauty and personal care (BPC) brand that sells skincare products such as serums, masks, moisturisers, face washes, sunscreens, among others. 

Founded in 2021 by former venture capitalist Romita Mazumdar, Foxtale primarily sells its products through its own website, online marketplaces as well as offline stores. It claims to have a presence across 1,050 offline retail stores and 50 modern trade chains.

Backed by marquee names such as Panthera Growth Partners, Matrix Partners India and Kae Capital, Foxtale has raised capital in excess of $18 Mn till date. 

Good Health Company (GHC)

Founded in 2021 by Samarth Sindhi and Saurav Panda, Good Health Company (GHC) is a subsidiary of Raksha Health. 

GHC sells a range of men-focussed wellness and personal care products, including anti-hair thinning kits, hair regrowth, beard care kit, and glowing skin kits, among others. 

It also offers free consultations to customers regarding their skincare, haircare and sexual health problems.So far, it has raised $20.7 Mn funding from a number of investors.

Himalayan Organics

Himalayan Organics is a D2C nutraceutical startup that was founded in 2018 by Vaibhav Raghuwanshi and Suditi Sharma. The company offers a variety of products across several categories, including beauty, skincare, immunity boosters, and haircare.

To provide the best service to its customers, Himalayan Organics collaborates with nutritionists and dieticians to offer free consultations.

The company mainly sources raw materials from the Himalayan region and uses natural ingredients such as fruits, vegetables, herbs, seeds, and nuts to manufacture its products.

Apparel and Footwear Startups

Bewakoof

Founded in 2012 by Prabhkiran Singh and Siddharth Munot, Bewakoof sells a wide variety of clothes, stationery items, footwear and mobile accessories on its website.

The D2C brand also sells a host of merchandise clothes and accessories in partnership with Marvel, F.R.I.E.N.D.S, Star Wars, Disney, DC and Looney Tunes.

In August 2021, it secured $8.09 Mn in its Pre-Series B funding round and in December 2022, Aditya Birla Group’s house of brands business TMRW invested INR 200 Cr in the D2C startup Bewakoof. 

BlissClub

Set up in 2020 by Minu Margeret, BlissClub sells a host of women’s activewear including bottom wear, sports bras, tops, tees and co-ords, among others. Under the BlissQueen Royalty Program, the D2C startup offers reward points to its loyal customers. 

In May, the Bengaluru-based D2C startup secured $15 Mn in its Series A funding round. It has raised a total funding of $17.25 Mn to date.

The startup claims to have grown its sales by 25X over the last year. It aims to attain an annualised revenue of INR 100 Cr by the end of 2022.