Matt Chitharanjan

The Dress Code Dilemma of a Founder When I first started researching for my business, I would always show up in formal attire—my personal favourite. But as I travelled deep into the rural villages of Bihar, meeting local producers and suppliers, it didn’t take long for me to feel like a bit of an outsider. Standing there in my crisp shirt and tie, I could sense the looks—were they mocking my attire? Or was I just overthinking it? Here’s what I realized: Perception vs. Reality – We often assume how others see us, but that’s usually our own insecurity talking. What really matters is how we connect, not what we wear. Adaptability is Key – As founders, we’re always in different environments. But flexibility isn’t just about dress code; it’s about adapting our mindset to fit each situation. What Truly Defines You – Clothes may reflect our personality, but they don’t define our leadership. Confidence, clarity, and empathy are far more important. The "dress code" for founders goes beyond appearance—it’s about navigating the unknown, staying grounded, and focusing on what matters most: progress. Lesson learned: Whether in boardrooms or rural villages, success comes from how we show up mentally, not just physically. "वृत्तं यत्नेन संरक्षेत् विद्या यत्नेन पालयेत्।अक्षीणो वित्ततः क्षीणो वृत्ततः तु हतो हतः॥" #founderjourney #leadership #entrepreneurship #mindset #growth

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HCES data reveals a concerning trend: Indians today are spending more on packaged food and beverages than they did 20 years ago. The ₹50,000 crore market is largely dominated by small producers, many of whom struggle with monitoring and compliance. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is also facing challenges, from a shortage of accredited testing labs to reliance on contractual labour. This lack of oversight is impacting public health, particularly among children and adults in the lowest 20% income group. These individuals spend 5.5% of their expenditure on packaged foods, putting them at greater risk of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Stronger food safety regulations and better enforcement are urgently needed to address this growing health concern. My new story. #FoodSafety #PublicHealth #NCDs #FSSAI

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Feeling both determined and reflective as I read the latest report on Delhi's water bodies. It’s alarming to see that nearly half of them have vanished—either lost to time or encroachment. This isn’t just a statistic; it’s a significant blow to our #environment and the heritage of our communities. We’ve been working hard to bring attention to these neglected water bodies. Many of these “missing” ponds and village johads are more than just water sources—they are a part of our cultural #history My team and I have been particularly focused on reviving a local water body in Budhela village, which has been under threat from encroachment for years. Despite multiple efforts, we’ve seen little progress, which led us to file a #Writ #petition in the #DelhiHighCourt earlier this year. "Interestingly Delhi Government has filed a false affidavit in the Delhi High Court stating that this #land is not a village pond Since 1990. Contrary to the village revenue records that clearly show how this land along with many other lands are G.M Johar (Pond as per administrative language)" What's more interesting is that we have filed evidence; copy of Question & Answer from the Parliamentary Affairs on 26-11-2001 by an Member of Parliament in response to which the #Delhi #Development #Authority had admitted that this land is village pond and we will soon resolve the village grievance" And next year they sold the village common land to Delhi government to construct building" Luckily for 23 years, nothing materialized and early this year when GNCTD gave approval for construction, we began our journey to seek #justice in #court after 5 years of efforts of requests, follow-ups and grievance with Delhi Government to stop construction on pond land and revive the natural Waterbury for the benefit of villagers and local ecological environment. This battle isn’t just about saving one pond; it’s about setting a precedent for how we treat our natural resources. It’s heartening to see that public participation is now being explored as part of the solution. Protecting what’s left is only the first step. True success will come when we start restoring what we’ve lost. Let’s keep pushing forward, Delhi. Our water bodies need us. Arvind Kejriwal Atishi . Jasmine Shah https://lnkd.in/gQzcqAhC

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There is widespread misreporting that household debts have increased and household savings have declined. Nothing can be more far away from the truth than this. On the contrary, gross savings have only increased, and households have been parking money in creating assets through real estate. The cumulated net debt numbers of 37.6 % of the GDP are dwarfed in front of the cumulated financial asset numbers that stand at a staggering 103.1 percent of the GDP. Please read this important commentary titled, "Busting the myths around Indian households’ debts" written by me and Arya Roy Bardhan for a better understanding of the Indian macro-numbers. #savingsrate #GDP #netfinancialassets #debt https://lnkd.in/dE6E2eZa

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At the C40 Cities City Finance Program. Range of conversations is very interesting. Our cities come in for a lot of flack for their poor infrastructure. But there is a bunch of folks who are keen to figure out interventions that are efficient and scale! Barbara Barros Shruti Narayan #cities #climate #cityfinance

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Thoughtful article by Praveen Gopal Krishnan at The Ken describing what Zomato has accomplished in the quick commerce & food delivery space in #India #zomato solved the "problem" of having a cost-effective ecosystem that allows restaurants, cafes, even street-food vendors access to new customers and diners. In a place like India where #transportation and getting from A to B is still kind of tough, this was a big deal. Swiggy is in this space as well, but this is more about Zomato. To further their story and growth, Hyperpure by Zomato was created to offer cost-effective (b2b supply) to restaurants and other non-home procurers of #grocery items. Makes sense and it has worked to an extent. Still, the quick e-commerce business is driven by unit economics and #aov ( average order value ). How do you increase scale without leaving too much on your existing core businesses as they are basically stretched then with commission fees as it is? -> Blinkit - grocery quick commerce. It was a great strategic acquisition as evidenced by the numbers and positive impact on Zomato's bottom line. While all this has been happening, other players have been getting in to this space such as Zepto who learned from the incumbents or bigbasket.com that has the scale and capacity to get involved. All have been selling #electronics #householdgoods #fmcg etc. So, Zomato decided to start getting in to the Going Out space in India through it's acquisition of Paytm Insider. This would be the logical next step as things re-align in quick commerce and home delivery. It is also a move that is aligned with the strategies implemented by Deepinder Goyal and the team at Zomato. However, this is a whole other ball game where this has nothing to do with food or grocery, and a little bit to do with convenience. What this does though is expand the Zomato universe or #ecosystem if you prefer that terminology. The hype of the recent ticketing issues for the Coldplay concerts in #mumbai has helped build even more attention for this medium. Zomato has been very timely with their major moves. It is coincidental, but they use their intuition and of course #data #analytics and high-quality team to know what's next, what's played out, and what could be the next frontiers for #online #consumers and how that translates to experiences and spending. Let's see what happens. #dining #concerts #tickets #paytm #paytminsider #coldplay #entertainment #order #home #out #entertainers #bollywood #actress #actor #movies #cinena #cricket #sports #stadium #travel #hospitality #experience #onestopshop #venue #events BookMyShow Ticketmaster viagogo #business LinkedIn Linkedin News #money

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Giving bribes is just the ‘cost of doing business’, especially in India... Coming from a non-business family, I frequently heard this advice. Inspired by my ex-boss, not engaging in this activity became one of the vows Prakhar Sharma and I made at VeganDay 🌱 Thanks to the TataGroup and their impeccable track record on this matter, which further gave us confidence. On top of the ethical & spiritual no-no, the other issue with bribing, lying, or cheating (taxes) is that you don’t just do it once. What can be an exception today can become the norm tomorrow, so it is a slippery slope. The person receiving the bribe would ask for it every time you needed to renew the corresponding application or work. Also, human behavior is very 'sticky’. If one cheats in the outside world, they will inevitably cheat in their personal and professional lives too. It is very likely that they too will get cheated due to the bad karma they manifest. Instead, it's better to wait a bit longer, but do it the right way. Since we work in animal rights, we run into tricky situations sometimes. What if following certain rules stops us from achieving our goals? In such cases, we’re open to somewhat bending (but never breaking) such rules. Not by paying anyone off, but by being very public about it and fighting for it if needed. Here are a couple of examples: 💡 To market plant-based milk, a company cannot use the word ‘milk’ or anything phonetically similar (like mylk, pilk, vilk, etc.). To ensure the consumer is not ‘confused’, the rules say that the word ‘milk’ is reserved for the 'mammary secretions of a mammal' 🫤. But the rule is against using 'milk’ as a noun, not an adjective. So just like soaps can be ‘milky’, why can’t plant-based milks be milky too? 💡 Once, a mid-ranking official in a 3rd-party manufacturing facility asked for some kharcha-paani from us for offering good rates and timely slots. We asked him to become our ‘consultant’ by sending us a GST invoice. Since this approach seemed too public to him, the demand was withdrawn. These are just two examples, but we get into such situations occasionally where our core principles keep us in check. Anyone else building with similar constraints? How is your journey going? #EthicalBusiness #Purpose #Corruption #StartUps #PlantBased #Vegan #Vision

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Human activity, sometimes well-meaning but without deep prior understanding of possible consequences, can have unexpected outcomes on urban climate-health systems. Here is one case study reported from India, where decline in avian scavenger populations - eventually attributed through research studies to "improved" treatment for domesticated bovines - has been implicated as a possible cause for increase in rabies and other vector-borne diseases in India. Moral of the story - deep science and strong interdisciplinary consultation networks for evidence-based interventions are critical to addressing core issues of sustainable development. Howard Dryden, Raghu Murtugudde, Vinita Gowda - your thoughts? #biodiversity #climatechange https://lnkd.in/gYzwwb3X

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🚀 Deal Announcement: ICE.vc is excited to announce our investment in Dorje Teas as part of their ₹1.8 Cr seed fundraise! 🍵 India is a nation of tea lovers. Over 2/3 of us sip on chai 3 times a day. Yet, the chai market has been largely untapped and dominated by just 2 big players—Chaayos and Chai Sutta Bar. When I came across Dorje Teas, a brand with roots deep in the Darjeeling hills, I knew this wasn’t just another D2C play. Here’s why we’re excited about this investment: 1️. Indian premium tea segment remains largely underserved. 2️. Younger consumers are driving the demand for healthier, authentic products. 3️. With its 300% growth post-Shark Tank India, Dorje Teas is already on a high-growth trajectory. I’m thrilled to partner with founders Sparsh Agarwal and Ishaan Kanoria, as they introduce a new wave of tea culture to India and beyond 😇 What are your thoughts on India’s chai revolution? ☕ #tea #business #LinkedIn #investment #venturecapitalist

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Rural women microentrepreneurs, consumer acquisition, and value delivery: Evidence from a quasi-experiment in rural India Abstract: Gender equality and social impact are gaining significant research attention in marketing. This paper investigates the impact of recruiting rural women microentrepreneurs on acquiring consumers and delivering value to them. We study the outcomes from a quasi-experiment in which a social enterprise recruited a group of women to become microentrepreneurs in 91 out of 164 locations (panchayats) across rural districts in India. We show that the rural locations with more women than men microentrepreneurs experienced a 40.8% increase in consumer acquisition and delivered 64.1% greater value to their consumers. Moreover, these locations with more women than men microentrepreneurs delivered $5,445 more value for women consumers. Men microentrepreneurs who work in inclusive settings with other women microentrepreneurs delivered $25,100 more value to their consumers than men microentrepreneurs working in predominantly male-work environments. This research contributes to the intersection of marketing, social entrepreneurship, and gender dynamics, underscoring the importance of empowering women for better marketing and societal outcomes. #ConsumerAcquisition #ConsumerValueDelivery #MarketingPerformance #SocialEntrepreneurship · #WomenMicroentrepreneurs #EmergingMarkets #QuasiEexperiment ——- You can read this full paper here: https://rdcu.be/dUTpN based on Soochnapreneur program of Digital Empowerment Foundation that is now functional at 2000 locations with as many micro-digital-entrepreneurs having more than 70 percent women entrepreneurs and 25 percent PwD. Would love to discuss this model for if we can work together to make this a tool of poverty alleviation for 300 backward district and 3500 Taluks and blocks. Let me know if you want a copy for yourself to read.

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I’m delighted to share that Arya.ag is embarking on an impactful initiative, which we recently launched at our climate summit, Rith 2.0 held in partnership with Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Krishi Jagran.  The initiative aims to transform 200 FPOs (Farmer Producer Organisations) in seven states into technology-empowered, efficient institutions. As recently featured in The Hindu businessline, this initiative will enable FPOs through strategic collaborations and technology embedded in their reality to enhance efficiency, advance sustainable farming, and develop climate-resilient supply chains. In our experience, the role of smart FPOs is crucial. These institutions can streamline agricultural processes and help promote sustainable practices, and I will continue to showcase some of our FPOs that have already started working on this transition successfully. With strong corporate partnerships and a stable, secure source of sustainable produce, together, we can open up new market avenues, positioning us at the forefront of sustainable agricultural development. Read the full story on The Hindu businessline: https://lnkd.in/dRrzuG6B #Aryaag #Rith2point0 #RithSummit #BillandMelindaGatesFoundation #BMGF #KrishiJagran #TheHindu #Businessline #FPOs #Agritech #Agriculture #SmartFPOs #SupplyChains

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LISTENER: The Young India Charitable Trust could refer to an organization dedicated to social welfare and community development, particularly targeting the needs of the younger population in India. Charitable trusts like this typically focus on areas such as: 1. **Education and Skill Development** - Offering scholarships, setting up schools, and running educational programs. - Skill-building initiatives for youth employment and entrepreneurship. 2. **Healthcare Initiatives** - Providing medical camps, health awareness programs, and support for critical healthcare needs. 3. **Social and Economic Empowerment** - Supporting marginalized communities, providing vocational training, and facilitating micro-financing for small businesses. 4. **Environmental Sustainability** - Engaging in afforestation, water conservation, and sustainable agriculture projects. 5. **Youth Engagement and Leadership** - Organizing workshops, leadership training, and community service activities to empower young people. If you’re referring to a specific trust with this name, could you provide more details about its initiatives or goals? This would help in understanding its unique contributions and how it supports the community.

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Sameer Sharma 's expert opinion article, "Can restaurants ditch aggregators and deliver success themselves," featured in YourStory Media! It delves into how the future of online food delivery is shifting towards direct online delivery models, enabled by tech-driven ordering systems and targeted marketing strategies. uEngage

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I've noticed some unique eating habits in both the US and India. In India, people tend to eat out only once a week, while in the US, it's common to dine out up to four times a week. This difference largely comes from cultural attitudes toward food waste. In India, especially at home, moms are experts at cooking just the right amount—no waste, no guilt. But when it comes to eating out, portion sizes can be tricky, and there's a lingering stigma around wasting food. This, coupled with the fact that eating out is still relatively new in India—especially in villages where 99% of meals are homemade—explains why dining out is less frequent. On the other hand, in the US, the culture of eating out is much more ingrained. People often prefer the convenience and variety that dining out offers, making it a regular part of their weekly routine. However, things are starting to shift in India's urban areas. People are now eating out up to 16 times a month! While India’s dining habits are evolving, the deep-rooted tradition of home-cooked meals still holds strong. How often do you eat out? Share your thoughts! 👇 #food #health #habits #usa

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Fun facts about my Enactify.ai colleague Janga Aliminati.

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Okay, time for a brutally honest post. Backed with a little bit of science. As founders, Karan Khurana and I are often met with this (understandable) skepticism. Really how good can frozen espresso be? TLDR version - very good actually. Slightly longer read below. Let's start with instant coffee. How is it made? And more than how, WHY is it made? For longevity. So that it has a shelf life. To do that, the coffee needs to be dehydrated. Which means all the water has to be sucked away from the coffee, and while that happens, the essential flavours, the aroma, the acidic nature of coffee - all that's stripped away too. What does flash freezing do? It preserves the water content, and with that, all the gorgeous flavours with it as well. There's no degradation, allowing the espresso to stay fresh for over a year without losing its beautiful, complex taste. Which is why, when we say that Zenma is a revolution in coffee, we're not kidding. I mean think about it, when was the last time you saw some innovation in coffee? Today, you can either drink instant coffee, or you can buy one of the expensive espresso machines for your home (or office), or just go out to a cafe. There are brands that are doing drip bags as well, and no doubt, there's a lot better than instant. Zenma in the only brand that gives you real espresso, instantly. And yep that's why we (flash) freeze it. 😉 #zenma #truth #frozen #coldemail #coldtruth #science #coffee

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