Ankur Agarwal

BusinessNews of August 2024 Studios: 1.)OYO Acquires Checkmyguest for Rs 230 Crore 🎉 OYO, India's hospitality giant, has made a strategic move by acquiring Paris-based premium rental homes company Checkmyguest for Rs 230 crore. This deal will strengthen OYO's presence in the European market and expand its offerings in the premium rental homes segment. OYO & Checkmyguest #2024 2.)DEAL CONFIRMED— 🚨 Zomato will acquire Paytm's entertainment business - for $244 mn in cash Paytm said that this business had scale of Rs 297 crore in revenue and Rs 29 crore in Adjusted EBITDA in FY24. The company added that it acquired two units - Insider and Ticketnew for Rs 268 crore between 2017 and 2018. Zomato’s event booking and dining-out units are classified together as the going-out business, which is currently small. Everything you need to know:

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Swiggy eyes up to $12.7 billion valuation for mega $1.4 billion-plus IPO; launch likely in early November (caution: 70% is going to bank accounts of existing investing only 30% is going into business development)

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UBS estimated Blinkit’s market share at 40-45%, with Swiggy's Instamart at 20-25%, followed by Nexus Venture Partners-backed Zepto at 15-20%, and bigbasket.com’s BBNow at 10-15%. With a valuation of $15.4 billion, #quickcommerce platform Blinkit is contributing a higher share to Zomato’s valuation than its mainstay food delivery business, according to UBS. https://lnkd.in/g8MFhN8v

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🇮🇳 Bharat ki Story Spotlight #3 : Freshworks 🔍 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 Freshworks, founded in 2010 by Girish Mathrubootham and Shan Krishnasamy, is India's leading software-as-a-service (SaaS) company, empowering businesses with customer engagement and support solutions. The company, originally named Freshdesk, moved its headquarters to San Mateo, California in 2018. However, the majority of Freshworks' engineering staff is still based in Chennai. 💡 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗴 Freshworks addresses the challenge of enhancing customer experiences, offering a suite of cloud-based software products that streamline communication, support, and sales processes for businesses of all sizes. 🌟 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗼𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 (𝗨𝗦𝗣) Freshworks stands out for its intuitive user interfaces, customizable features, and 24/7 customer support, empowering businesses to build strong relationships with their customers. 📈 𝗚𝗿𝗼𝘄𝘁𝗵 & 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘀 With a valuation exceeding $10 billion and a global presence spanning over 120 countries, Freshworks total revenue was $596.4 million, representing growth of 20% compared to 2022 for both reported and constant currency. GAAP (Loss) from Operations: GAAP (loss) from operations was $(170.2) million, compared to $(233.4) million in 2022. 💼 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 & 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 CEO : Girish Mathrubootham CFO : Tyler Sloat CMO : Mika Yamamoto 💰 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 & 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 Freshworks has secured significant funding from top-tier investors, including Accel and Sequoia Capital. Img Src: Luke Sophinos ——————————————————————— 📢 Share this post and follow Hemant Pandey for the weekly ‘Bharat ki story’ series. #india #startup #bharatkistory

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Hi Zomato Blinkit Swiggy Zepto A Small Change, Big Impact Idea for Your App! 🚀 I have a suggestion that could take your delivery experience to the next level and make life a bit easier for your millions of users: 📱 Integrate with Gate Approval Apps: Imagine if your delivery notifications could seamlessly integrate with popular gate management apps like MyGate, ApnaComplex, or Adda. No more juggling phones just to approve an entry—let's make it automatic! 🛡️ Streamlined Security and Convenience: As soon as a delivery person is assigned, their details could pop up in the gate app for instant approval based on user consent. No more waiting or re-entering information. This could save precious time for both the consumer and the delivery agent—improving efficiency and satisfaction on both sides! 👥 Real Value for Your Users: With a vast user base, integrating with these apps could make life easier for 20-30% of your customers, offering a hassle-free and smoother delivery process. 💡 A Win-Win for All: By providing a small incentive (like 0.08%) to these gate management apps, you could foster a strong partnership that benefits everyone involved. This idea comes from the perspective of an end user hoping for a more seamless experience. I’m sure many in our community would love to see this happen. What do you think? Let’s simplify and innovate—together! ✨

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🚀 Work Hard, But Work Smart! 🕒 At a recent event in Bengaluru, Swiggy CEO Rohit Kapoor shared his thoughts on work culture, recalling his time at OYO where he would arrive at the office at 8 AM, only to find it empty until much later. Many employees would stay until 3 AM, something Kapoor strongly opposed. He emphasized that long hours don’t equate to productivity and encouraged a balanced approach: “Go home, spend time with your family, girlfriend, dog… What will you achieve by working that late?” A great reminder that working smarter, not harder, and prioritizing work-life balance are key to sustainable success. 💡 #WorkLifeBalance #Productivity #Leadership #WorkSmart #CareerGrowth #Swiggy https://lnkd.in/g4vZxcHQ

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Where finance meets technology, compliance sets the standard for trust. Know more about how FinTech companies balance innovations and regulations from none other than Ramkumar Venkatesan, CTO of Cashfree Payments, in the latest Scaler Pod episode only on Scaler’s YouTube channel. #SCALER #ScalerPod #Fintech

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A cautionary tale for e-grocery startups in India! ... Remember PepperTap? The online grocery delivery app that promised to save us from those fear of queues and limited parking? They were like a knight in shining armor...until they weren't. ️ So, what went wrong? Here's the lowdown: - Discounting themselves to death: PepperTap tried to win us over with deals we couldn't refuse. But these discounts ate into their profits, making it hard to stay afloat. - LESSON: Discounts are great for customers, but there needs to be a sustainable business model behind them. - Scaling too fast, failing too hard: They expanded like crazy before they were ready. This led to tech glitches and a messy user experience. Think of Items disappearing from your cart like magic (the bad kind). - LESSON: Slow and steady wins the race, especially when it comes to building a solid tech infrastructure. - Misunderstanding the Indian market ‍‍‍: PepperTap forgot that for many Indians, grocery shopping is a social activity. We bump into neighbors, pick up fresh produce, and enjoy the whole experience. Turns out, not everyone wanted groceries delivered to their doorstep. - LESSON: Understanding your target market is crucial. Don't underestimate the power of tradition (and fresh air)! - High costs, low returns: Outsourcing inventory management and logistics added up quickly. Delivery fees, especially in smaller cities, were just too high for budget-conscious customers. - LESSON: There's no shortcut to efficiency. Building a strong internal system or finding the right partners is key. PepperTap's story is a valuable lesson for anyone venturing into the e-grocery space in India. Here's to learning from the past and building a grocery shopping experience that Indians truly love! #egrocery #startupindia #PepperTap #failureresilience #learningfrommistakes

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Yeh bhi theek hai.

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UX and Product folks in Pune, you should check out Chandan's talk tomorrow on 'UX & AI in the Design Landscape.' He's got some killer insights 💥 on how AI's changing the game in User Experience. Don't miss it! 🚀 #punetech #ai #uiux Coditas

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💫 How is Zepto Scaling Up Business with Profit at the Same Time? Zepto has masterfully centered its business model around profit and cash flow while achieving exponential growth. Here’s how: 1. Focus on the Dark Store Model: Instead of diversifying their solutions, Zepto zeroed in on a single approach - the Dark Store model. What does this do? Solves Customer Problems: By significantly saving customers time, they have achieved their trademark promise - "Delivery in 10 minutes." 2. Strategic Expansion: With the Dark Store model at the core, their strategy revolves around increasing the number of these stores. This results in: Decreasing Delivery Time Increasing Profit per Store Attracting More Funding #Zepto #BusinessGrowth #Profitability #DarkStoreModel #zeptocafe Credits: Youtube: https://lnkd.in/gX58nUUj Backstage With Millionaires

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Customer Testimonial - Kuku FM (Series C, ~$70 Million Funded) KukuFM calls CodeAnt AI (YC W24) a game-changing innovation in streamlining their code review process. As a leader in India’s audio storytelling, KukuFM offers exclusive audiobooks and premium content to millions. They trust CodeAnt AI to help developers save time on reviewing code's intent, quality and security issues. CodeAnt AI summarizes each pull request, flagging code quality and security issues within 30 seconds of creation. What sets us apart? With 20,000+ out-of-the-box code quality checks across 30+ languages, our AI catches even the trickiest edge cases. Special thanks to Aman Bapna for championing our journey! 🙌 Want to try it? Get 7-days free trial - link is in the comments below. #AI #AICodeReview #CyberSecurity #codequality #cleancode #KukuFM #CodeAntAI #GameChanger

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Dear Amazon primevideosmytv Today, I was doing transactions from Prime Video for rentals. but accidentally, I entered the wrong CVV and the wondering part was that the transaction was completed. how is that possible? My card details were saved already but according to RBI and PCI, no merchants are allowed to save CVV, you must be aware of that. THIS IS UNETHICAL AND YOU ARE NOT PROVIDING CUSTOMER SAFETY Upon learning about this practice, I feel my trust in Amazon's commitment to protecting customer data has been undermined. This not only affects my confidence in using Prime Video but also raises concerns about the security of my personal and financial information across all Amazon services. I urge Amazon to take immediate and transparent actions to rectify this issue. As a customer, I expect Amazon to prioritize the security and privacy of my information. I look forward to your prompt response and the actions you will take to address this serious matter. Failure to do so may lead me to reconsider my subscription and use of Amazon services. I am sure below transaction details would be enough for you to look into it : Reserve Bank of India (RBI) ICICI Bank Payment Card Industry CONSULTING Government of India State Bank of India Piyush Goyal Narendra Modi

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🚨 WARNING: DTDC is a Fraud! 🚨 I am outraged by my recent experience with DTDC Express Limited. They lost my shipment, which wasn’t even scanned at the entry point. It’s clear that this is not just incompetence, but outright theft. DTDC Courier & Cargo Ltd. staff blatantly asked what was inside my package and then it mysteriously disappeared. DTDC Express Limited is not to be trusted. They don’t just fail to deliver packages—they steal them. Despite multiple complaints, they have shown no responsibility or willingness to address this issue. Their customer service is a joke, and they make no effort to help or compensate for the loss. To everyone: Do NOT use DTDC Express Limited for any shipments. They are running a scam, and you risk losing your valuable items. It’s infuriating that a company can operate with such blatant disregard for their customers. DTDC Express Limited, you need to be held accountable for your fraudulent practices. Ignoring your customers and stealing their packages is beyond unacceptable. If you’ve experienced similar issues with DTDC, please share your stories. Let’s expose this fraud for what it is. I found a Reddit thread where others have shared similar experiences. It seems this problem is widespread. You can read more about it here: https://lnkd.in/gi8XKdRh #DTDCFraud #CustomerServiceFail #CourierTheft #LostPackage #DontTrustDTDC #Accountability #ExposeTheft Consignment Number: K67716308

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It's about the recent product launches from #Zomato Back in 2021, I was not confident to subscribe #Zomato's IPO because they were not profitable nor innovative and didn't offer any uniqueness compared to other famous food delivery app who is based out of Bangalore. But in the last 3 months, I noticed too many new product/feature launches which are all not small in size. All are major launches. Some of them are: # Group Ordering # Restaurant loyalty program # Zomato money for a balance cash. # District app (dine out) # Buy Now, Sell Anytime(legalising the ticket reselling) # ZTE(employee can reimburse the food bill directly to the employer) # ITR filing for partners AND # Acquisitions of Movie ticketing platform from paytm. Zomato seems to be in 'fire mode' to bring innovation and create a tightly coupled ecosystem for the food delivery business to beat the competition in the long run. What surprised me is, how a $25B public listed company could move fast with this enormous speed and velocity, and how their product/technology team coped with the speed and timing of the delivery seamlessly which is very very unusual in other companies. Kudos to the #product and #engineering team @ Zomato

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At Swiggy Consumer Apps, we’ve been building capabilities over the past few years to enhance the app experience—without requiring backend changes. Here are some of the things we’ve done to enable festive configurations: • Dynamic App Icon - A fresh, festive look right from the home screen. • Themed Splash Screen - Seasonal vibes as soon as the app opens. • Dynamic Pull to Refresh Loader - Supports configurable loaders for tailored interactions. • Descriptive Shimmer - Engaging, faster-feeling loading screens. These updates were made possible through the close collaboration of our app engineers and designers, showcasing the power of app-side innovation. Mentioning a few names from both teams: Garima Bothra Priyam Dutta Mano Balaje Anik Raj C Tushar Tayal Ezaz A. Saptarshi Prakash Rahul Doss who go above and beyond to ensure our vision comes to life. Take a look at how our capabilities bring the Diwali theme to life. Wishing everyone a joyful and prosperous Diwali 🎆 Excited to bring more unique experiences to our users! 🎉 #MobileDevelopment #UserExperience #App

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*Bring more developers to #Web3!*  You're most welcome to partner There is a challenge for software developers in India. IT services are not hiring in plenty. Software product jobs are a few and only slowly growing. (vs. number of employable fresh developers) AI is around, and the number of software developers hiring will continue to shrink! What's the option? 🙌Web3. Blockchain. New Internet Value Layers. + AI too There are new paradigms and the toughest challenges in Web3 for developers to build a formidable career! We have a renewed mission at Foundership: Bring more developers to #Web3!  Starts with Cosmoverse. From now on, we at Foundership will double down to bring more developers and make it easy for L1 and L2 blockchains to thrive! This also aligns with our Mantra: Today's developer is tomorrow's co-founders or co-founding members! If you have been hosting hackathons, city meetups, developer training etc, we would love to chat. Say hello!  With Bimlesh Gundurao Foundership & Pranav Agarwal

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