Lalit Bihani

Buying gold / silver coins on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Trithiya come under low frequency - low complexity purchase category. It is a seasonal product bought generally during specific occasions. Zepto Blinkit Swiggy lapped up this opportunity and started selling this with the benefit of quick delivery. No wonder the sales picked up quite well. I wonder how much would it have impacted the sales of larger eComm players. Sales trends from swiggy is already out. I am sure the trend will be similar for Zepto - Aadit Palicha and Blinkit - Albinder Dhindsa I detailed out this approach and more in my notes - https://lnkd.in/gBmvVKy2

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At Rio we are building a credit card but building any product requires deep user understanding. So who really are the existing credit card users in India? We break it down into four cohorts, The Convenience Users, Short Term Limit Users, The EMI Converter and The Revolver. The Convenience Seekers are consumers who prioritize convenience and often use their credit card for large purchases, and always paying their balances in full each month to avoid interest charges. Cashback or rewards cards are what attracts them towards choice of cards. They may never need anything related to “credit” in the card.  The Short term limit users need the credit card for paying their non discretionary/everyday purchases for managing their cash flows effectively. They mostly pay their balances full in each month, but depend on the Credit limit to ease out monthly payments. They may occasionally not be able to pay their balances fully. This forms the largest part of the “Transactors” Base (i.e - Those who repay Credit Card bills on time).  The EMI Converters are consumers who want to have an affordability for bigger-ticket purchases. For them, splitting their purchases into manageable monthly instalments, and credit cards with low or no-cost EMI options become their go-to choice. Finally, the Revolvers are consumers who tend to carry a balance on their credit card quite often, and depend on cards which may have lower fees or charges. For credit cards, a one-size-fits-all approach rarely exists. So which credit card consumer do you see most around you?    www.rio.money #creditcards

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RBI Strikes Again: Impact on CRED and BillDesk 💥📉 Fintech startups like CRED, BillDesk, PhonePe, and Infibeam Avenues are gearing up for significant disruption as a new regulation requires credit card bill payments to be routed through a centralized billing network starting July 1st. 📆🔄 BBPS: Centralized Bill Processing System 🏦🔗 Think of BBPS as the UPI for bill payments. It allows any app, vendor, or bank to facilitate bill payments, making it a unified platform for all transactions. The Bharat Bill Payments System (BBPS) is an integrated online platform developed by the National Payments Corporation of India (NPCI) for various bill payments. Customer Benefits: 😊💡 Ease of Payments: One app for all payments. 📱💳 Security and Credibility: Transactions go through NPCI. 🔒✅ Instant Acknowledgment: Immediate confirmation of payments. ⚡🧾 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has mandated that all credit card bill payments must be made through BBPS. The Issue: ⚠️ Large banks like HDFC, Axis, and ICICI have not yet activated BBPS. These three banks alone account for over 60% of credit cards issued. Consequently, if you hold a credit card from these banks, you won't be able to use fintech apps to pay your bills. You'll need to revert to net banking or enable auto-debit to pay your credit card bills. 🏦🚫📱 This regulation could severely impact the fintech startup ecosystem. For example, CRED, which relies heavily on credit card payments for customer acquisition, could lose 60-70% of its customer base within a month. 😱📉 Why Are Banks Not Activating BBPS? 🤔 Many of these banks compete with fintech startups and want to retain their customers. Banks have their bill payment systems and apps, like HDFC's PayZapp, that they aim to popularize. This scenario presents an opportunity for banks to drive customers back to using in-house apps, potentially benefiting large banks and disrupting smaller fintech companies. 🏦👑📲 What Should You Do? 🤷‍♂️ It's possible that the RBI might consider extending the deadline to avoid disrupting the fintech ecosystem and to encourage banks to activate BBPS. In the meantime, enable auto-debit for your credit card payments to avoid missing due dates. ⏳💳✅ BBPS is a great initiative, but compliance needs to be enforced across the board. RBI needs to push large banks to participate to ensure smaller fintech companies, which pioneer innovation and technology, are not unfairly disrupted. Without equal participation, this regulation favors the larger, more established banks over the agile fintech startups. 🏦⚖️🚀 Source: Economic Times, RBI, Mint #fintech

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🎉 The Clientell Family has some exciting news to share 🎉 We're thrilled to announce that Clientell has successfully raised $2.5 million in a seed funding round led by Blume Ventures, with participations from our existing investors, including Chiratae Ventures, Artha Venture Fund and from Z5 Capital. https://lnkd.in/gZukPBUg This investment marks a significant milestone in our journey to redefine Revenue Operations. At Clientell, we envision a future where autonomous AI agents handle the entire spectrum of RevOps tasks. These AI-driven agents will serve as copilots, enhancing productivity and efficiency for RevOps teams everywhere. While our vision is expansive, the road ahead is filled with opportunities for innovation and growth. We are gearing up to dive deep into the development phase and are enthusiastic about the impact we as a team can create in this space. We're hiring! To realize our ambitious goals, we are expanding our team. We are looking for passionate, innovative minds ready to join us in shaping the future of RevOps through cutting-edge technology. If you are excited about AI and making a significant impact, we would love to hear from you. Career's page: https://lnkd.in/gwPXQhjZ A special thank you to Venkatesh Peddi from Chiratae Ventures for taking an early bets on us in our first round as well as being the pillar of strength and voice of reason across the pivots and hard decisions. Lastly, the only thing that I'm really proud about here is the stellar team we have who are building this company. It's a whirlwind ride it wouldn't have been possible if any one of them wasn't there. Since it's their company as well so won't say thank you, but I really appreciate the opportunity of building a company with each one of them: Aryan Trip. Ruthuparna K. Prathik Shetty Sayak Samaddar Shivraj N. Ayush Singh Chauhan Palak Jani Penchala Tharun 🚀 Kirti Bhatia Malaya Sahoo Ankit Deshwal To our investors, partners, and the entire Clientell community, thank you for your trust and support. It is an exciting journey and we look for to sharing the same with you all. #Clientell #FundingNews #RevOps #AI #StartUpLife #WeAreHiring #Innovation

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India’s Oyo, once valued at $10 billion, is finalizing new funding at a $2.5 billion valuation. This marks a steep decline from its $10 billion valuation in 2019. The startup, which has raised over $3 billion from backers like SoftBank, Peak XV Ventures, Lightspeed, Airbnb, and Microsoft, has struggled to attract institutional investors. In recent months, it has aggressively pitched to high-net-worth individuals after withdrawing its IPO application twice in the past four years. Once a red-hot Indian startup active in markets including the U.S. and Europe, Oyo has now scaled back its international presence. #venture #downround https://lnkd.in/gE2GjYnM

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Yes, everything in the age of AI is an API. And as AI evolves, the need for well designed and secure APIs will become even more crucial in the ecosystem #postman #ageofAPIs #noAIwithoutAPI

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If you want to understand more about the Indian startup and venture ecosystem, then the best place to start is the "Indus Valley Report" by Sajith Pai, Anurag Pagaria and Nachammai Savithiri R of Blume Ventures - https://lnkd.in/gj-7hjGq You can expect lots of insights about India's GDP, consumption by different types of customers in India, Digital Infra achievements, venture funding trends, Indian IPO market, and Indus Valley Playbook. My favorites in 2024 report 1. India123 - Slides 26-30 2. Storefront as a Service for Digital Native Brands - Slide 101 What do I expect in the 2025 report : How Indian startup and venture ecosystems are powering global Gen AI growth !!!

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Local retailers in India are struggling with outdated payment methods that hinder customer transactions and sales growth. Less Pay is revolutionizing the payment landscape with our secure and efficient digital payment solutions on our SaaS platform, providing a seamless checkout experience for customers. Say goodbye to cash-only limitations and hello to a cashless future that accelerates sales and boosts customer satisfaction with Less Pay. Watch your revenue soar as you embrace digital payments and cater to the evolving needs of modern shoppers in India! #DigitalPaymentRevolution #CashlessTransactions #SaaSforRetailers #SecurePaymentSolutions #RetailTechInnovation #LessPayMoreSales #DigitalShoppingExperience

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As a consumer, I often wondered why I couldn't pay directly from my bank account to a merchant. With HyperUPI, this is now a reality! Merchants can now offer their users the ability to link their bank accounts and make payments with just an MPIN, all within the app. Simple, secure, and seamless. #Fintech #Payments #Innovation #HyperUPI

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mPokket is an #indicorn. Yes, of course!! An outcome of a lot of careful and diligent orchestration of understanding user behaviour, their credit needs, and their financial goals, incorporating the best from the world of technology, AI and ML, viability of solutions, and all of this in a not-so-forgiving competitive and regulatory environment. Cheers to all the Indicorns, present and future! Just keep your heads down and keep chipping away at the problems!

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In case you are looking for my thoughts on fundraising- read this artilce.

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If you too are tired of scratching cards for 'Better luck next time!' and zillions of worthless reward coins, we've got REAL cashback on UPI payments for you. Link any RuPay card to UPI on the Jupiter app and earn cashback on every merchant spend. What's more - get detailed insights on your spends and use your cashback to slash your bills every month!

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Secured Lending platform launch is our effort in the direction to make PhonePe end to end destination for all loan products.

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Zepto: Simplifying Deliveries or Making Them Complex? In India's fast-paced world of online shopping, Zepto stands out for its super-fast deliveries. But who's really in charge of this popular app? Finding this out isn't as fast as their deliveries! While you might think Zepto is run by its young founders, Aadit Palicha and Kaivalya Vohra, it's actually managed by companies you've probably never heard of – Geddit Convenience, Drogheria Sellers, and Commodum Groceries. The Franchise Model: The way Zepto operates is kind of like a franchise. Kiranakart Technologies, led by Palicha and Vohra, pretends to be a wholesale company and tech provider. While Geddit and the others take care of the public-facing stuff. It looks like a B2B model (business-to-business), but it's more like a B2B2C (business-to-business-to-consumer) setup. Geddit Convenience, Drogheria Sellers, and Commodum Groceries are making a lot of money, but it's not entirely clear how. And Zepto wants to bring even more companies on board soon. But there's a twist – some employees seem to work for both Zepto and these other companies. That raises some eyebrows, even though Zepto denies any funny business. Revenue Generation: Unlike conventional e-commerce platforms that generate revenue by taking a percentage cut from sellers, Zepto's revenue model revolves around product sales and technology licensing. This departure from the norm raises eyebrows and complicates matters further. Moreover, the lack of transparency regarding the revenue sources of entities like Geddit Convenience, Drogheria Sellers, and Commodum Groceries adds to the ambiguity surrounding Zepto's financial operations. Legal Ambiguity: The unconventional structure of Zepto raises legitimate concerns about its compliance with regulatory frameworks, particularly regarding foreign investment regulations. Even if Zepto transitions into an Indian company, questions linger about its adherence to legal standards and consumer protection laws. The opaque nature of its operations further complicates matters, making it challenging to ascertain the company's legal standing definitively. Fairness and Competition: As Zepto continues to expand its reach and influence in the Indian market, concerns about fairness and competition intensify. Traditional retailers, already grappling with the advent of quick delivery services, find themselves under increased pressure from Zepto's rapid growth. Questions about fair competition and compliance with regulatory standards loom large, prompting calls for greater scrutiny and transparency in Zepto's operations to ensure a level playing field for all stakeholders. Time to Simplify Deliveries Research by Ramya Naidu Source: The Economic Times

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🌟 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗻𝗲 at Pulse 🌟 I'm delighted to announce that we’ve raised 𝗨𝗦𝗗 𝟭.𝟰 𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝗻 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴, led by Endiya Partners and supported by some incredible angel investors. This funding is more than just capital - it’s a testament to our commitment to helping SaaS and Technology companies prioritise customer needs and build meaningful features and products that truly add value. Our journey has always been about amplifying the voice of customers, cutting through feedback noise from multiple sources, and driving impactful product outcomes. We’re here to lighten the load for Product Managers and Owners, reducing the manual work of analysis and documentation, and this funding empowers us to push forward and innovate our Agentic AI-powered platform even further. A huge thank you to Sateesh Andra and Endiya Partners for believing in our vision from the start and guiding us to where we are today. And a special thanks to Medha Kannapally for unwavering support since day zero. Grateful for our incredible advisors and angel investors who trusted and backed us: Raja Kumar, Sridhar Gadhi, Raghu Ravinutala, Jaya Kishore Reddy Gollareddy, Rashid Khan, Ritish Reddy, Chaithanya Yambari, Sethu Meenakshisundaram, Aayush Ghosh Choudhury, Kashyap Deorah, Kaushik Iska, Ria Kapila, Ankit Garg & Vasudev Karthik Chatti. With this momentum, we’re ready to scale Pulse into an industry-defining platform that sets a new standard in AI-First Product Management, empowering Product Managers globally to make faster, smarter decisions that transform customer data into action. Alok Thatikunta | Vatsal Singhal #PulseAI #FundingAnnouncement #PulseforPM #BuildingPulse #VoiceOfCustomers #ProductManagement #SaaS #AgenticAI

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Its exciting to see the big boys focus on monetisation and “dhanda”. Its even better to see customers willing to pay for value (in services). It was great engaging with you Sumita Kareer ET NOW and discussing Zomato, its path to EBITDA growth and what that means for foodtech. #zomato #swiggy #foodtech #startup #fooddelivery

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Struggling with low app ratings? Fello shares their secret! Watch now: https://lnkd.in/g3si864m Fello's Founder & CEO, Manish Maryada, dives deep into their successful app rating turnaround strategy in this exclusive video. HelloMeets - Upskilling platform for PMs. #apprating #Fello #HelloMeets #strategy

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Keen to cater to the vast SME Ecosystem in India via your product / service offering? It’s worth it for sure , but please be prepared for the following - Blurred lines: Personal priorities completely blend into that of their organisation's, oftentimes super-ceding them. Our team keeps in touch with our premium merchants . Some of the reasons we hear for non renewal, inspite of that specific campaign's metrics looking good 1) "Bought a Home, need to ensure I have money for EMIs". No surplus funds 2) "Im travelling"- Digital payments/ UPI is good for shopping, not even remotely so for company's financial ops Medical emergencies at owners' end for example, lead to months' worth of objectives being delayed for the brand - Extensive delays in responses: As time passes, most of us humans are anyway becoming significantly worse at managing time. SME business owners always tend to gravitate to what they consider business as usual, rather than what can potentially introduce efficiency/ optimisation into processes (Which is what most products claim to do, while pitching to such SMEs) Barring loans which is a competitive but LARGE space, anyone catering to the typical Indian 'Lalaji' has to build sales, and product processes considering the above, considering they're catering to mavericks and not the standard 'efficient' professional Pic: Friday fun with ChatGPT :)

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🌟 Our Journey So Far 🌟 It's been 2 months since we launched our fintech app (SimpliFin), and what a journey it has been! 🚀 We've learned so much about how people invest and manage their finances, and it's been incredibly insightful. From day one, our goal was to help users create a smart investment strategy that works for them. We've seen a diverse range of investment styles and preferences, and each user's journey has taught us something new. 📈 🔹 Here are a few key takeaways: - Educational Content: Users highly value the educational resources we've provided. This has motivated us to create more in-depth content and investment guides to help you make informed decisions. - Feature Requests: Users want more insights into which credit cards to pick based on their lifestyle. Additionally, many users have asked for the ability to get a pre-configured portfolio based on their profile to make investing even easier. - User Feedback: Many users have already saved some amount for their goals, and they've asked us to factor this into our recommendations. We're working on incorporating this feedback to provide more personalized advice. We’re excited about the future and continuously working to improve the app based on your feedback. Your journey and success are what drive us every day. 🙌 If you haven't already, we'd love for you to give our app a try and let us know what you think. Your insights and experiences are invaluable to us as we strive to make investing smarter and easier for everyone. Thank you for being part of our journey. Together, let's make smart investing a reality for all! 💡📊 Download the App today: * Google Play Store - https://lnkd.in/eS2cDS5e * Apple App Store - https://lnkd.in/grJ5QbJX #Fintech #Investing #SmartInvesting #FinancialFreedom #TechInnovation #StartupJourney #Simplifin

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